Cristiano Ronaldo CARS
Monday, May 20, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
BMW 7-Series
BMW 7-Series
The 2013 BMW 7-Series is available with five different engines, which
range from a turbocharged six-cylinder in the 740i, to a twin-turbo V12
in 760Li models. Reviewers say that even the base 740i offers plenty of
power, while higher trims are quicker still. The 7-Series is also
available in hybrid and high-performance trims, known as the
ActiveHybrid 7 and Alpina B7, respectively. An eight-speed automatic
transmission is standard, which earns praise from one test driver for
its quick shifts. The 2013 740i gets 19/28 mpg city/highway, which is
very good for the class. Some test drivers write that the 7-Series
offers balanced handling and a comfortable ride. However, others note
that rivals like the Jaguar XJ and Porsche Panamera are more nimble
Friday, May 17, 2013
Ford Mustang 2013
2013 Ford Mustang
The 2013 Mustang comes in a wide set
of models, ranging from casual sunny-day cruising or daily commuting to
serious, track-ready performance. Both Coupe or Convertible body styles
are offered in V6, V6 Premium, GT, and GT Premium models, while the very
high-performance Boss 302 is only offered as a Coupe.
All Mustang models are 4-seaters; although convertibles are somewhat
smaller in back, they're still a bit better for back-seat space than
most convertibles. The power soft-top arrangement in Mustangs is tight
and weatherproof, and takes up very little trunk space.
Ford Fiesta 2013
2013 Ford Fiesta
The Base Fiesta S is aimed at economy
minded customers. Air conditioning, an auxiliary input jack and a 4-inch
touch screen are standard, while the car can be optioned with a nicer
sound system, keyless entry and auto locking doors.
The mid-level SE models include these items as standard, while also
adding the latest version of Ford's SYNC system, power windows, a trip
computer, heated side mirrors and cruise control. Top of the line
Titanium Fiesta add features that are unusual in the subcompact market,
including heated leather seats, SiriusXM radio, pushbutton start and a
perimeter alarm system.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
FORD Fusion 2013
FORD Fusion 2013
In January, Ford revealed its 2013 Fusion mid-size sedan at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Now, it's been priced, and some of the lofty numbers are raising eyebrows.
A fully loaded, non-hybrid 2013 Fusion has a sticker price of nearly
$39,000. That price is a little breathtaking, but it does bring with it a
host of new features such as adaptive cruise control; active park
assist; blind-spot monitors; lane-departure warnings with lane-keeping
assist; a voice-active navigation system with MyFord Touch; and a Sony
premium audio system with 12 speakers. That's on top of the
mechanicals--this Fusion's also outfitted with all-wheel drive and a
2.0-liter EcoBoost engine with direction injection and turbocharging
Ford Focus 2012
Ford Focus 2012
Ford's Focus has overtaken the Toyota Corolla in the sales charts.
Unremarkable, you might say? Not when you realise this is the global
sales mantle, making the Focus the best-selling car name on the planet
in the first half of the year.
It's proof Ford's 'One Ford' gamble has paid off - to truly nail the
'world car' conundrum, streamlining production costs but still keeping
consumers happy
Monday, May 13, 2013
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
The B-Class Electric Drive wears its heart on its rocker panels,
with prominent badging to let everyone know how conspicuously
environmentally friendly you
are. Mercedes wants you to treat your B-Class like a Gigapet, so
they’re talking up the ability to check in with your car over the web,
view the level of
charge, check your range on a map and plan a route. You can also
condition the cabin before you head out.
Electric cars, even retrofits like the B-Class Electric Drive, are
never cheap, but Mercedes is banking on its ability to separate people
from
extraordinary sums of money for the privilege of driving one of its
vehicles to help it shift what’s bound to be a small car with a big ‘ol
asking price.
Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
Small Benz Big Muscle
It’s been a long time since the smallest Mercedes-Benz looked this good. You have to go back a quarter century to the 190E 2.3-16 and its DTM breeding. The 2014 CLA45 AMG would roast that car in so many ways, the first being its 360-horsepower 2.0-liter four cylinder, the most powerful turbo four in a production car. Mercedes likes big boost, and they cannot lie – a max of 26.1 psi spins out of the snail, and a butterfly valve in the exhaust lends some extra
BMW i8 Coupe 2014
2014 BMW i8 Coupe
The BMW i8 is an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid that will be the halo
product for the German automaker's green-themed "i" sub-brand when it
goes on sale in 2014. We've seen this dramatic coupe at various auto
shows, first at Frankfurt in 2009 and now, most recently, at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
The BMW i8 concept has evolved over the years, but still sports many
design elements that have little chance at production. These
illustrations, provided by a former senior designer at BMW
DesignworksUSA, provide the clearest and most vivid look at what the
street-legal i8 could look like in two years' time.
BMW X3
BMW X3
The second generation X3 is bigger in just about every way—3.4 in.
longer, 1.1 in. wider, 0.5 in. taller, 0.5 in. more ground clearance and
with a 0.6-in.-longer wheelbase—yet Adcock noted it weighs about 45 lb.
less than the outgoing first generation.
Although of course
it's big news that the X3 has been restyled inside and out—the exterior,
specifically, is far more intriguing than the outgoing X3's rather
blocky, boring look—we're more interested in the engines (and that
plural part is key, as the current X3 has just one engine choice in the
U.S.), the details of which were a bit spotty when Adcock filed his
report. The engine in the base X3 xDrive28i will be the familiar
magnesium/aluminum 3.0-liter inline-6, known as the N52, putting out 240
bhp and 230 lb.-ft. of torque—down from the current X3 xDrive30i's
engine, which puts out 260 bhp. But the X3 xDrive28i comes with BMW's
new, quicker-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, enabling it to hit
60 mph in an estimated 6.7 seconds, about a half second quicker than
the current X3
BMW X4
BMW X4
BMW X4, the latest player in BMW's continued styling homage to the
1979 American Motors lineup. This time, the Germans have really nailed
their
tribute to the AMC Spirit. The Spirit was an attempt to bring
dawn-of-the-'70s hardware into the 1980s. In other words, it was new
style with old
substance.
BMW has flipped that around to be old style with new substance. You
see, there'll be plenty for BMW to crow about with the X4, which they're
still calling
a concept with a nudge and a wink. It'll have iDrive, xDrive,
Start/Stop, turbos and sixes and fours, oh my. But most of all, it'll
squeeze itself into a
tiny niche in the market that BMW thinks is underserved.
It must work, because BMW keeps inventing new models and counting
their piles of ducats. Look for the X4 to be unveiled at the upcoming
Shanghai auto show,
where this less-practical, more-fastback version of the X3 is likely
to set plenty of mid-level manager's hearts aflutter.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Touareg, Gold Edition
Touareg Gold Edition
Volkswagen has unveiled two new Touareg SUVs at the inaugural Qatar motor show. One is a rather cool road-going version of the Race Touareg 3 that’s just notched up a victory at the 2011 Dakar rally, and the other is an awful monster called the Touareg Gold Edition.
Underneath the skin it’s a genuine version of the latest Race Touareg 3, with a turbocharged 2.5-litre diesel engine, a trick four-wheel drive system and a super-stiff chassis. But VW has made some tweaks so it can be used on the road, including junking the 16in rally rubber for new BBS 18-inch alloys with a gold-effect look.
More extensive tweaks have been made to the interior, where everything bar the roll cage has been modified. VW’s designers call the straight-edged and all-grey colour scheme the ‘Stealth look’; the cabin is fitted with Nappa leather-covered Recaro buckets, and what isn’t also trimmed in leather is covered in matt
VW Passat coupe 2014
VW Passat coupe 2014
Volkswagen plans to extend the Passat range with a US-built SUV, an Eos replacement and a stylish coupé. The Passat refresh begins in 2012 with a mild facelift for the Passat CC (pictured), but the real fireworks begin two years later.
Today customers can choose from three different Eurospec Passat models: saloon, estate and CC. But in 2014, VW will unleash the next-generation midliner. In addition to the three European-built Passats, insiders are predicting an attractively priced crossover produced in North America as well as a pair of two-door Passat models.
Porsche 911 Turbo S 2013
Porsche 911 Turbo S 2013
In the standard Turbo, the twin-turbo 3.8-litre flat-six develops 512bhp, firing the car to 62mph in 3.2sec (0.1sec faster than the . However, unlike previous 911 Turbos, Porsche is offering an uprated 911 Turbo S straight from launch. The Turbo S produces 552bhp, hits 62mph in 3.1sec, and tops out at 197mph. As with all turbocharged 911s since the 993 of 1995, the new cars are all-wheel drive, though this is the first Turbo not to be offered as a manual. Like the 911 GT3, the new car is only available with the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox.
Audi 2013 S3
Audi 2013 S3
The S3 is not only one of the most powerful cars in its class but also one of the lightest and most efficient.
Rated at 34 mpg in the optimistic European cycle, it is possible to achieve real-life consumption in the mid-to-high 20s if driven conservatively. Or the driver might choose to tap into the full resources of the 296-hp engine, whereupon the S3 charges from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 to 5.2 seconds; top speed is a governed 155 mph. The sonorous engine note is delightful, and at high revs, baffles in the dual-mode system open to deliver a freer-flowing soundtrack. On standard 225/40 tires, the chassis encourages pushing the S3 to the pleasingly high limits of adhesion. The steering is on the lighter side, but it is precise and becomes progressively more direct with increased steering lock. Braking performance is autobahn-worthy.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II 2012
Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II 2012
Rolls-Royce has left the 6.7-liter V-12 alone, but it has fitted a new
eight-speed transmission that is said to boost combined fuel economy by
10 percent. Acceleration remains strong for a sedan that weighs almost
the same as a Chevrolet Tahoe; Rolls claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.7
seconds. (That’s probably conservative, as we recorded a 0-to-60 run
of 5.4 in a car with the previous six-speed auto.) Not too many Phantom
owners will engage in such accelerative shenanigans, but for those who
do, Rolls-Royce will offer an optional Dynamic package, which is a first
for the Phantom sedan. The package adds strengthening crossbars to the
existing aluminum space-frame structure, stiffens the suspension,
recalibrates the transmission, and adds a thicker rim for the steering
wheel. How very Bentley
.
BMW M6 Coupe 2013
BMW M6 Coupe 2013
The car looks damn good, though, with nicely chiseled flanks and a
contemporary, elegant, and sufficiently aggressive look. Among the M6’s
unique touches is a jet-fighter-like air intake—a styling element
developed under former M chief designer Ulf Weidhase. The matte-gray
paint of the Euro-spec example we recently drove adds drama and depth,
and the M6 wears it especially well. The downside is that it attracts
all kinds of unwanted attention. You’d order it only if you’re cool with
constant requests to rev the engine from drivers in tuned Honda Civics
and Hyundai Tiburons.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series 2014
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series 2014
A Black Series car, on the other hand, is of this earth. Barely. One is created when Mercedes’ in-house AMG performance shop tires of building mere 500-plus-hp commuters and pumps out something that packs the fury and power of a supernova. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series is the fifth car to earn the badge. The Europe-only SLK55 AMG Black Series of 2006 was the first and was followed by a CLK63, an SL65, and a C63 that were all available here. With an estimated price of $250,000 and fewer than 200 making their way to the United States, the SLS Black is the most expensive and most exclusive Mercedes of the moment. And as the extra-fortified version of the only car fully designed within AMG, this SLS is as raw as a Mercedes gets—the Black Series treatment has turned Mercedes’ crown jewel into something as special as a black diamond.
Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 2013
Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 2013
For 2013, the G63—which rung up 60 percent of all G-wagen sales last
year—gets a few subtle exterior updates: new mirrors with embedded turn
signals, a bespoke twin-bar grille and front bumper, and the requisite
LED daytime running lights. The interior was mildly reworked as well,
with the COMAND infotainment screen placed front and center in the
re-sculpted dashboard, and the console-mounted shifter getting slightly
redesigned as well. The latest mbrace2 telematics system
also makes an appearance. Our wagon also had the optional Designo
Mystic Brown exterior paint and leather interior package ($2300), which
brought our as-tested price to a not-inconsiderable $137,505.
Bentley Continental GT 2014
Bentley Continental GT 2014
The Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible—that’s the full name—is
capable of a drag-limited 202 mph. It can cruise along at triple-digit
velocities all day. This is the fastest four-seat convertible in the
world; actually, it’s one of the fastest series-production cars ever
built, faster than a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or BMW M6. It charges to 100 mph in fewer than 10 seconds
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Toyota Me.We concept (2013)
Toyota Me.We concept (2013) first official pictures
Toyota’s new Me.We concept aims to rethink multi-purpose
vehicles, with an adaptable cabin set-up and Earth-friendly components.
The boxy crossover combines a light, cheap-to-produce architecture with
an electric powertrain and full-recyclable body panels. A car of the
future, or concept fantasy? Read on for the full story.
What’s the Toyota Me.We made of?
The Me.We uses an aluminium spaceframe chassis, covered in recyclable
polypropylene panels which weigh just 14kg each. The all-up weight of
the car is 750kg – 200kg lighter than a regular steel supermini like the
Yaris, according to Toyota.
Inside, the Me.We uses a bamboo floor, not just for an attractive
design, but for easy cleaning too. Toyota wants to show off the car’s
ease-of-use credentials as well as its eco side, hence the wipe-down
surfaces, low-maintenance drivetrain and multi-purpose bodystyle – it’s
part convertible, part city car, part off-roader pick-up truck.
Tell me about the Toyota Me.We’s powertrain
It’s another underfloor-battery, wheel-mounted electric motor recipe. The motors are the same units used in Toyota’s i-Road three-wheeler concept
seen at the 2013 Geneva motor show. Drivers can choose to either rely
on two front-mounted motors for traction, or switch to a less efficient
4x4 set-up over rougher terrain.
What’s interesting about the Toyota Me.We’s cabin?
All cabin space is devoted to occupants – luggage has to go on the
roof. The rear bench seat can be stored under the front seats to create a
pick-up truck load bay, or removed from the car entirely. The
windscreen can be opened for the full open-air beach buggy look.
Like the Renault Twin-Z concept,
the Toyota Me.We opts for a minimalist, touchscreen-orientated cockpit.
A screen above the steering wheel displays vehicle speed, battery
charge, journey information and navigation instructions.
The heating and air conditioning are delivered by a low-energy air
pump and electric seat heaters to minimise power consumption.
Seat Leon Cupra 2013
Seat Leon Cupra (2013) spy shots and specs of new hot hatch
By
Ollie Kew
Spy shots
19 April 2013 11:00
Seat is busy prepping its new Leon Cupra hot hatch, which will outgun its VW Golf GTI cousin
for power but undercut the Volkswagen on price. The version you see
here is the sporty three-door SC model, but CAR sources have confirmed
Seat will offer a five-door Cupra hot hatch, and for the first time, a
Leon Cupra estate too.
How can you tell this is a Seat Leon Cupra?
The usual hot hatch giveaways rumble this Leon Cupra mule, seen
undergoing testing at the Nurburging. Under the 19-inch alloys (you’ll
recognise the design from the VW Golf R and Scirocco R
– showroom cars will get bespoke rims) this Leon is running larger
brake discs with red callipers. At the back, there are big tailpipes
bookending the rear bumper, instead of the Leon’s usual left-mounted
pipes.
This car is badged as a top-spec FR model, but you can expect the
production-ready Leon Cupra to boast a more extrovert bodykit, and extra
Cupra-trademark vents around the front grille.
Seat’s new Leon Cupra: the spec
Under the bonnet, the Leon Cupra is set to use a 2.0-litre
turbocharged petrol engine, developing around 260bhp. That’s up with the
output of the old Leon Cupra R model, and follows the trend for Seat offering more power in its hot hatches than its VW or Skoda brethren. A flagship Leon Cupra R
could arrive later in this Leon’s life cycle, offering around 280bhp to
trump the Vauxhall Astra VXR. An estate version to rival the 247bhp
Ford Focus ST estate is also on the cards – confusingly, Seat badges its
wagon models as ‘ST’, for Sports Tourer.
The Cupra range will be front-wheel drive only, and use six-speed
manual or six-speed dual-clutch transmissions. The last-gen hot Leons
used an electronically-controlled ESP programme to brake the inside
front wheel during tricky cornering, but the new car could borrow the
proper mechanical limited slip-differential hardware that VW is offering
in the new 227bhp Golf GTI Performance pack.
Expect to see the Leon Cupra in production trim by the end of 2013,
with sales starting in spring 2014. That gives the VW Golf GTI Mk7 a
year’s head-start on the sales chart, but it’s likely the Leon Cupra
will undercut the Golf’s £25,845 entry-level price.
Seat Leon Cup Racer and Ibiza Trophy racers set for 2013
Seat Leon Cup Racer and Ibiza Trophy racers set for 2013 Wörthersee show
By
Ollie Kew
First Official Pictures
06 May 2013 13:00
Seat will show off two new racing cars at the 2013 Wörthersee
tuning show, the annual event celebrating hot hatches from the VW Group.
The Leon Cup Racer is our first look at Seat’s plans for a touring car
version of the new Leon, while the Ibiza Trophy is the latest version of
the track-ready supermini, boasting more power than the road car, and
the facelifted styling.
Tell me about the Seat Leon Cup Racer
Visually, it’s a Leon turned up to 11. The massive wheelarch
extensions add 40cm of width to the standard Leon bodyshell, and house
lightweight 18in wheels. There’s a new front splitter and huge rear wing
combo for high-speed downforce.
There's a lot more power too. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre
turbocharged four-cylinder engine, developing 325bhp. All that power
(nearly 150bhp more than that of a road-going Leon 1.8TSI) is
transmitted to the track via the front wheels only, using a six-speed
DSG gearbox and an electronically locking front differential. The brakes
have been upgraded with four-piston calipers all round.
If you want to take your Leon Cup endurance racing, Seat will fit a
mechanical front differential and a sequential racing transmission with a
shift lever rather than paddles. The endurance version will cost you
£96,000, and the regular car a little less, at £70,800. Both cars are
expected to be made available to customers for the 2014 race season.
Seat bosses have also confirmed they’ll build a 1.6-litre engine version
of the Leon Cup to enter the World Touring Car Championship.
And what’s the story with the new Ibiza Trophy?
Although it looks less outrageous than the widebody Leon, the
facelifted Ibiza Trophy still packs a punch: the stripped-out hot hatch
has 197bhp from its 1.4-litre turbo motor (19bhp more than the
turbocharger and supercharged road car) and uses a mechanical front
differential and six-speed DSG gearbox. It’ll race in Seat’s one-make
Ibiza Trophy series in Europe, and cost £31,800.
Jaguar F-type V8 S (2013
Jaguar F-type V8 S (2013) CAR review
This is the Jaguar F-type, in top-spec V8 S guise. Its
supercharged V8 engine sends 488bhp to the rear wheels, giving the £75k
F-type the performance of a £100k XKR-S.
But can the F-type live up to the best sports cars In the class - and
its legendary E-type ancestor? Read on for the CAR verdict.
Give me some more F-type V8 S specs
Our car is the range-topping V8 S (recognisable by the quad exhaust
pipes), which is fitted with a new, lightweight version of Jaguar’s
trusty 5.0-litre supercharged V8, good for 488bhp and a whopping 460lb
ft of torque. Jaguar claims 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of
186mph, but forget the stats, just listen to that noise! The V8 emits a
gravelly baritone growl that grows to a rapid, multi-cylindered snarl
as the revs reach the 7000rpm redline; and then it pops and crackles
like a NASCAR as you release the throttle. It’s so much fun it, sounds
illegal, like the EU might ban it.
What's the Jaguar F-type like inside?
Open the door (using the pop-out handle – lovely detail) and slide
into the strictly two-seater cockpit. It’s pretty snug in here, more
Boxster-sized than 911, but the details are all top-end premium. I love
the big, rotary heater dials; the copper-coloured starter button and
gearshift paddles; and the swept-in passenger-side grab handle (a
crafty, knowing reference to the E-type’s grab handle, suggesting driver
prowess, and weak-kneed passenger submission). The optional
‘performance’ seats are excellent too, with wide shoulders and
waist-hugging bolsters. The Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel feels
small, and not hugely comfortable to hold (your fingers have nothing to
wrap around at the back of the quarter-to-three position); but the
paddles are well positioned and precise.
What's the F-type like to drive?
At 1665kg, the V8 is hardly a lightweight car (despite the all-alloy
construction); but this engine feels like it could pick up the F-type
and swat it like a flea, it’s so potent. All three models in the range –
the V6, the V6 S and the V8 S – are fitted with a tightly-packed
eight-speed ‘Quickshift’ gearbox; it’s an auto with paddles, and don’t
bother asking for a manual. The gearchange in Dynamic mode is, well, as
quick as the name ‘Quickshift’ suggests, with lovely blipping
downshifts; but more surprising is the steering itself. That too is
‘quick’ – in fact, the hydraulic rack is the fastest ever fitted to a
Jaguar, according to the official blurb. It feels direct, utterly
slack-free, with zero hesitation when you turn in; and the feedback is
full of lovely detail.
The F-type feels shamelessly, rudely rear-wheel drive – a proper,
hairy, sharp and slightly scary sports car. It’s partly down to that
steering, the throttle response, the eagerness of the gearchange, but
the differential is also key. The V6 models get a mechanical
limited-slip diff, but the V8 is fitted with an electronic ‘Active’
diff, which uses an electric motor and a multi-plate clutch to tighten
or loosen the diff, depending on factors such as stability, traction,
and how deep your right foot is mashed into the carpet. Turn into a
corner and get on the throttle, and you can feel it squat down and
attack the bend, in a way that’s just begging you to boot it and hang
the tail out.
The result is dynamite. On our favourite roads in Wales, in the
pouring rain, with the car set resolutely in Dynamic mode, my heart was
pounding in the F-type. It feels taut, sensitive, even a little fidgety
at speed; every short straight is demolished by the V8, every corner is a
toe-twitch away from an extravagant slide. The responses are
hair-trigger instantaneous, and that torque looms large over every move
you make, every input you dare feed in. It is fantastically, absurdly,
implausibly exciting to drive – challenging (on the limit) in a way you
just wouldn’t expect in a modern Jaguar.
Verdict
Traditional XJ owners might find it all a bit too rampant for their
tastes; even modern Porsche and Maserati drivers might be taken aback;
TVR drivers will feel right at home, though they’ll wonder why the
interior doesn’t smell of superglue. The F-type is a new kind of Jaguar.
Or maybe it’s an old kind of Jaguar. Either way, I’m glad they made it.
Alfa Romeo to go after E-class and 5-series in 2015
Alfa Romeo to go after E-class and 5-series in 2015
Sources report Alfa Romeo could pull a strategy U-turn and
launch a flagship saloon rival to the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class,
CAR can reveal. Insiders have confirmed that the E-segment vehicle
(read: exec saloon) is sketched in for 2015 arrival, using Maserati
underpinnings.
Didn’t Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne kill any Alfa exec saloon rumours last year?
Yes, but times have changed! When CAR interviewed Marchionne in 2012,
the Fiat Group boss quelled talk of a successor to the defunct Alfa 166
(pictured, right), saying the brand had to concentrate on replacing the
current Mito supermini, Giulietta hatchback
and pretty-but-dead 159 saloon. Marchionne told us “I’ve got a lot of
work to do in the B, C and D-segments…so I would not expect to do a
[bigger] Alfa ‘E’ car for a long, long time.’
Now the plan is back on the table, thanks to the resurgence of
another brand in the Fiat stable: Maserati, and its push towards a
50,000 sales per year by 2015 target.
An Alfa-styled saloon on Maserati’s platform? Tell me more…
Alfa’s ‘new 166’ has been fast-tracked thanks to Maserati’s new Ghibli. A sports saloon sitting beneath the Quattroporte limo in the Maserati range, the Ghibli will rival regular established super-saloons, like the BMW M5, Mercedes E63 AMG and Jaguar XFR-S.
The rear-wheel drive Ghibli uses a shortened Quattroporte
platform with downsized engines – which Alfa Romeo will borrow to
create is very own executive saloon model. It should make for agile
driving dynamics, all for a fraction of the cost of developing a bespoke
Alfa chassis.
What’s going under the bonnet of the new Alfa Romeo exec saloon?
The new Alfa will share twin-turbocharged V6 petrol and diesel
engines with the Ghibli, putting out around 300bhp. For Europe, expect
turbocharged MultiAir four-cylinder engines to enter to range, and the
option of all-wheel drive (the Ghibli platform has been engineered with
4x4 in mind).
>> Would you be tempted by an Alfa 166-successor instead of the German exec saloons? Click ‘Add your comment’ to sound off
Nissan Qashqai 360 2013
Nissan Qashqai 360 (2013) CAR review
Nissan has updated its Qashqai crossover for 2013. On the
new ‘360’ trim level which replaces the mid-range Ntec+ trim, the
headline news is a 360-degree view parking camera. It’s a familiar car
now, but does its age mean the Qashqai has dropped off the pace? CAR
tested the 1.6dCi version to find out.
Isn’t the Qashqai getting a bit long in the tooth now?
A replacement for this Qashqai will launch in 2014, though on the
outside you wouldn’t know it, thanks to a facelift in 2010, which
sharped up the nose features with new headlights and grilles. Riding on
two-tone 18-inch alloys and featuring tinted rear glass, our Qashqai 360
model didn’t look like a design on its last legs.
Inside, the wrinkles are showing. The unremittingly grey dashboard
looks and dated, and the materials don’t feel close to the quality of
those in the Qashqai’s key rivals: the Skoda Yeti and Mazda CX-5. At
least it does feel hard-wearing though, like it’ll soak up years of
family abuse without complaint. The centre console has also been
remodelled to incorporate the smaller Juke’s touchscreen infotainment
centre. Standard equipment on this model includes Bluetooth, USB
connectivity, sat-nav, and cruise control. Qashqai 360 models are lifted
by white contrast stitching and light flooding in from an enormous
panoramic glass roof, but overall the cabin is crying out for
retirement. Luckily, the all-new Qashqai bows in in 2014…
Tell me about this new 360-degree camera function
A rear-view camera mounted in the hatchback’s numberplate recess
joins forces with two cameras housed on the underside of the
wingmirrors, which use a panorama-view stretch to create a birds’-eye
view over the Qashqai when parking. It’s very similar to the system BMW
uses on the X5, X6 and 7-series – in principle. However, in operation
the image quality simply isn’t high enough to fully trust the display’s
fuzzy images. Plus, the lower-than-ideal screen also suffers from
natural light reflections. You’re better off either switching to
rear-view camera mode only, or (crazy, I know) judging your parking
using mirrors, windows, and spatial awareness. Old-school.
If the 360’s camera is pants, should I still bother considering the Qashqai?
The Qashqai hasn’t become Nissan’s best-selling UK model without good
reason – this is a very good family car. The basics are all present and
correct: light, wide-opening doors, raised ride height without the
rolly handling, easy-to-fold seats, and plenty of cabin storage. Our
test car was the five-seater, which starts at £16,895 (360s cost from
£19,945), but you can get an extended-wheelbase Qashqai+2, with
seven-seater capability and a 450-litre boot – that’s 40 litres bigger
than the regular car’s. Opting for the extra space will set you back an
extra £880.
What’s the Qashqai like to drive?
It’s no dynamic benchmark – a Mazda CX-5, for example, feels far
sportier. There’s a bit of a mish-mash between some of the controls: the
well-weighted steering is slow to turn in and yet the six-speed
gearbox’s lever has an abruptly short throw. The notchy action is a
quasi-sporty touch that’s at odds with the unruffled demeanour of the
rest of the package.
The engine is a good’un, perfect for everyday duties. The 130bhp
1.6-litre diesel feels strong, thanks to its 236lb ft from just 1750rpm,
and revs far more smoothly than the Vauxhall Mokka’s 1.7-litre diesel CAR tested recently.
Moreover, it’s economical too. After a week of mixed driving including
fast motorway jaunts, town work and some stop-start clambering over the
North Yorkshire moors as a CAR photoshoot back-up vehicle, we averaged
42.5mpg, with a high of 45.9mpg. Nissan’s claim is a predictably silly
62.8mpg, but with a steadier right foot, a relaxed driver could get
close to 50mpg. Enhancing the eco-credentials is a stop-start system
which tots up the amount of CO2 you’ve saved by shutting the engine down
when stationary. During our test period the Qashqai reckoned it’d
avoided coughing out 0.8kg of CO2 versus a non stop/start version.
You can spec your Qashqai as a 4x4, but you’re better of sticking to
FWD – it’s plenty grippy enough, not to mention £2000 cheaper and 200kg
lighter. If you want off-roader talent, upgrade to a Land Rover
Freelander, or save a fortune and try a bare-spec £8995 Dacia Duster
instead.
Verdict
Even in the winter of its career, the Qashqai puts up a strong fight
against funkier family crossovers like the Kia Sportage, Hyundai ix35
and Mazda CX-5. Besides the aged cabin, it’s still a strong contender,
with a recipe that Nissan will do well not to fiddle with much when it’s
replaced in 2014.
In fact, the new Qasqhai may prove to be this current model’s biggest
competitor. With equivalent-spec used facelift models now down to
around £14k, the Qashqai 360’s Around View party piece isn’t enough of a
reason to spend £23,590 on a new one. Go for the entry-level Visia trim
at £20,090 – shunning climate control, automatic lights, wipers, and
swapping 17in rims for 16s – or hold on for the more stylish, more
efficient Qashqai gen-2 in 2014.
Audi R20 2016
Audi R20 hybrid supercar (2016) scoop
Audi is readying a diesel-hybrid supercar to capitalise on its
success at Le Mans. Despite winning the world’s most famous endurance
race 11 times in the past 13 years, the record-breaking run of victories
hasn’t generated the desired halo effect for the Audi brand. Enter the
R20, a street-legal Le Mans racer designed to reaffirm Vorsprung durch
Technik.
Where does the idea for an Audi TDI supercar originate?
Audi has dabbled with diesel supercars before, building an R8 powered
by a 493bhp twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 TDI in 2008 (pictured), but it
never reached production because a suitable gearbox couldn’t be found to
deal with its mid-engined layout and monstrous 737lb ft of torque.
But after watching the Audi R18 E-tron Quattro take the chequered
flag at Le Mans in 2012, new r&d boss Wolfgang Dürheimer hatched a
plan: ‘Going home I asked myself how we could leverage this success to
the road. If we build a high-tech super-sports car with a diesel engine
and hybrid drivetrain it would have the identical technology, and prove
there is a solid transfer from the racetrack to road cars.’
The R20 road car will be based on the track-going successor to the
R18 E-tron Quattro (the first hybrid to win at Le Mans) and although it
may never make a profit, Audi is rich enough to invest in an innovative
halo product that could work wonders for its brand image.
After all, it embodies key Audi values such as lightweight architecture (Ultra), superior efficiency (E-tron) and grippy dynamics (Quattro). Forget the racecar, this is going to be a road car unlike anything we’ve seen before.
After all, it embodies key Audi values such as lightweight architecture (Ultra), superior efficiency (E-tron) and grippy dynamics (Quattro). Forget the racecar, this is going to be a road car unlike anything we’ve seen before.
What’ll power the Audi R20?
New 2014 Le Mans regulations will limit energy consumption per lap,
so insiders expect Audi’s next-gen racer to stick with the R18’s proven
3.7-litre turbo’ed V6 TDI and hybrid system. The road car’s similar
engine should make 550bhp, with a serious power-toweight ratio. The
E-Quattro set-up also adds torque vectoring, short-range EV mode, huge
traction, on-demand boost and a beefed-up torque curve.
Aren’t you forgetting the R8 E-tron electric supercar?
The much-vaunted R8 E-tron is either half-dead or barely alive,
depending on your source. Audi chairman Rupert Stadler has not yet
abandoned the zero-emission R8, but Ingolstadt is struggling to sell
even a fraction of the envisaged 1000-unit production run, and with
Durheimer favouring an innovate diesel-hybrid supercar with real race
heritage, it may never become anything more than an engineering and
marketing exercise.
What will the Audi R20 look like?
The R20 road car will be modelled after Audi’s next-gen TDI track
star for a proper road-racer look. Ingolstadt’s design department plans
to equip R20 with a full-length ‘shark fin’ engine cover that’s been
mandatory at Le Mans since 2011, while other discernible features are
said to include a downsized single-frame grille, stacked LED headlights,
ventilated front and rear wings, an adjustable rear spoiler (which also
acts as airbrake) and a relatively narrow canopy-style cockpit
accessible through swan-wing doors. Active aerodynamics will distribute
the downforce between the front and rear axle for optimum stability at
speeds over 200mph.
Inside the Audi R20’s cabin
Le Mans racers are, in essence, two-seaters with the passenger seat
removed, so the packaging is already there for the taking. The interior
of R20 is as extreme and purposeful as the exterior: expect an intuitive
dynamic mode selector (German for manettino), a multi-functional ‘black
panel’ central display instead of conventional instruments, active
seats with integrated four-point belts that inflate their bolsters in
corners, a trick wiper to clean that heavily curved windscreen, and – if
future legislation allows – a camera-based surround-view system which
renders mirrors superfluous.
How much will the Audi R20 cost?
Expect the R20 to be unveiled at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance, as Audi celebrates reaching its mid-term goal of selling
1.5m vehicles per year. Production would start in spring 2016, but it’ll
be a very limited run restricted to anything from 100 to 250 units.
R&d boss Dürheimer is confident it’ll be a success: ‘What always
sells is performance, so if the car is quick, low in consumption and
cool looking, it could be quite an offer.’ So, how much? We reckon in
the region of €1m, or about £800k.
Volvo plots Golf rival, luxury saloon and sporty coupe
Volvo plots Golf rival, luxury saloon and sporty coupe
Volvo is creating an entry-level hatchback below the V40,
spearheading a new range of Volvos that includes a new crossover and a
BMW 5-series rival. The new cars will be based on one of two all-new
architectures that’ll underpin the brand’s entire range from 2016. CAR
has also learned a sporty 2+2 coupe is in the pipeline.
Is Volvo really going after the mainstream hatchback big boys?
Yes – it’s bye-bye to the quirky C30 three-door hatch, and into a new
era of small models for Volvo. First on the new platform is a new
entry-level crossover: the XC40. It’ll be sized and priced to bridge the
gap between the jacked-up V40 Cross Country and the XC60 SUV, and will
fight the upcoming Mercedes GLA and BMW X1 for posh crossover honours from 2015.
Next up will be a regular five-door hatchback, (smaller than the
quasi-estate V40) and a slightly larger, more spacious replacement for
the now-defunct S40 small saloon.
What’s coming next from Volvo?
Volvo’s biggest model, the seven-seater XC90 SUV, is next to be
replaced. In 2014 we’ll see the long-awaited second-gen version: it’ll
be based on Volvo’s other new scalable underpinnings, codenamed ‘SPA’.
The SPA platform will form the basis for a large chunk of the Volvo
family, from the new XC90 right down to the next S60 saloon and XC60
SUV, both due to follow in 2016.
At the top end of the Volvo range, the Swedes are plotting a new S90 saloon to challenge the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series. Naturally, Volvo will offer an estate version – the V90 should offer class-leading load space when it arrives in 2016.
At the top end of the Volvo range, the Swedes are plotting a new S90 saloon to challenge the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series. Naturally, Volvo will offer an estate version – the V90 should offer class-leading load space when it arrives in 2016.
Like your Volvos curvier? In 2016 we’re set to see a new ‘C60’
2+2-seater coupe, with swoopy looks inspired by the classic 1960s-era
P1800. It too will be based on the SPA platform, and square up to the
Audi A5 and BMW 4-series.
used supercars guide: buying a Bentley Arnage T
Used supercars guide: buying a Bentley Arnage T
The Bentley Arnage was the flagship Bentley saloon until the
new Mulsanne arrived in 2009, and it's now yours from £20-29k. Tempted?
Then find all you need to know before buying below.
Talk me through the Bentley Arnage's life-span
Twinned with the Rolls Silver Seraph from launch in 1998 (in the days
when Vickers still owned both firms), the Arnage used a BMW V8 and
Seraph a V12 from the same source. But soon after, worried that BMW
would pull the plug on Bentley’s engine supply, new owners VW dusted off
the old Bentley V8 to create the 400bhp Red Label.
That was only a stopgap, because in 2002 the vastly improved Arnage T
arrived. The 6.75-litre capacity remained, but two small turbos
replaced one, and a more sophisticated Bosch ECU boosted economy while
improving output to 450bhp.
What's the Bentley Arnage like to drive?
If 450bhp doesn’t sound like much these days, the 645lb ft of torque
more than compensates for both that, and also for the presence of only
four gears in the auto ’box. With nothing so unseemly as paddles to
spoil proceedings, you plonk it in Drive, brush the right pedal and
float away.
The Arnage does do fast when required, but the seats are flatter than
the radiator grille and your spider sense starts tingling at the hint
of a corner approaching because the thing weighs as much as a
double-decker GT86 and handles in a similar fashion. But not every
lottery winner wanted to race around, and even those that did had room
in the garage for something a little more cultured. Today, too, it’s the
perfect anti-supercar, and horrific depreciation means you can bag one
for as little as £20k.
Buying tips: Bentley Arnage T
You no longer need be a lottery winner to buy one, but might be praying for those six numbers if something big goes pop:
Inspection – A full service history is vital, but
don’t just settle for that. Have any potential purchase inspected by a
member of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Specialists Association (www.rrbsa.co.uk).
Spares – Flying Spares is a brilliant source of new and used bits for all post-war Bentley and Rolls cars, including the Arnage. Find them at www.flyingpsares.com
Head gaskets – The Arnage T’s twin Garrett turbochargers are pretty reliable, as is the four-speed auto ’box used until a six-speed ZF arrived with the ’07 facelift. But head gaskets can blow, leading to a £3.5k bill for repair at a specialist.
Leather – Modern water-based hides aren’t as tough as the old stuff and the condition of a car’s leather trim can give a clue to how well the car was maintained. If it hasn’t been regularly cared for and is beyond saving, you’ll need the help of a specialist trimmer. Try Rob O’Rourke at www.coachtrimmers.com
Niggles – Suspension rattles can often be down to worn bottom ball joints (£76 plus fitting from Flying Spares), or anti-roll bar links (£217 each). Steering racks can leak, requiring a rebuild, but often any untidy feel through the wheel can be fixed with a replacement solenoid valve.
Newer model – From 2007 the Arnage T made 493bhp and a massive 738lb ft of torque, but prices are £50k plus. Spot them by their new quad light set-up.
Spares – Flying Spares is a brilliant source of new and used bits for all post-war Bentley and Rolls cars, including the Arnage. Find them at www.flyingpsares.com
Head gaskets – The Arnage T’s twin Garrett turbochargers are pretty reliable, as is the four-speed auto ’box used until a six-speed ZF arrived with the ’07 facelift. But head gaskets can blow, leading to a £3.5k bill for repair at a specialist.
Leather – Modern water-based hides aren’t as tough as the old stuff and the condition of a car’s leather trim can give a clue to how well the car was maintained. If it hasn’t been regularly cared for and is beyond saving, you’ll need the help of a specialist trimmer. Try Rob O’Rourke at www.coachtrimmers.com
Niggles – Suspension rattles can often be down to worn bottom ball joints (£76 plus fitting from Flying Spares), or anti-roll bar links (£217 each). Steering racks can leak, requiring a rebuild, but often any untidy feel through the wheel can be fixed with a replacement solenoid valve.
Newer model – From 2007 the Arnage T made 493bhp and a massive 738lb ft of torque, but prices are £50k plus. Spot them by their new quad light set-up.
Used supercars guide: buying a Ferrari 575M
Used supercars guide: buying a Ferrari 575M
Ferrari's 575 Maranello offers you thoroughbred 200mph
performance in a truly usable everyday package – and it's now yours for
£45k. CAR's spec and buying guide tells you what to watch out for if
you're eyeing up a 575M of your very own.
What's so special about the Ferrari 575M?
Building on the much-loved 550M, Ferrari’s mid-life facelift of its
muscly V12-powererd two-seat GT arrived in 2002, adding projector
headlamps, and an extra quarter litre of swept volume, pushing power up
23bhp to 508bhp.
This one for sale at Avro Motor Cars,
was originally a dealer car, and it’s absolutely loaded. It’s got the
Scuderia shields sunk into special matching wings, Daytona-style leather
and the Fiorano handling pack. The last bit is worth looking out for –
when launched, the 575 felt soft compared to the 550M, and the Fiorano
pack was Ferrari’s answer, adding stiffer springs, and recalibrated
dampers and steering maps.
Does the 575 perform like a modern supercar?
It's no slouch, 11 years on from its launch. Compared to the yowling
V8s, Ferrari’s big V12s sound soulful if slightly muted, but there’s no
question marks over the performance. Sixty-two is in the rear window in
4.2sec and the top speed is a claimed 202mph, but the significant factor
is just how useable that performance is. This is a proper everyday
supercar.
Every 550 came with a six-speed manual, but the 575M introduced
Ferrari’s F1 paddle-shift option, as fitted to this car. It’s ponderous
by modern DSG standards, particularly in auto mode, but you learn to
modulate the throttle to compensate, and you can see why city based
hotshots made it the default choice when new. Today you’re looking at
£45k+ for a leggy 575M, while late-model low-mileage cars like ours will
set you back over £60k.
Here are our top Ferrari 575M buying tips
No V12 Ferrari is going to be cheap to run, and you could pour thousands into sorting niggles on a tired car, so buy carefully:
Belts – Unusually, the big V12 is belt, not chain
driven, and that belt needs changing every three years or 31k miles at a
cost of around £1000. The belt on Club GT’s 575M snapped, resulting in a
valve/piston tête-a-tête. If that happens to you, you could be looking
at an £8k bill.
Mileage – High mileage (by Ferrari standards)
needn’t be a reason to walk away if the car has been scrupulously
maintained. You’ll get into a much cheaper car, and most exotics benefit
from regular use as long periods of inactivity breeds gremlins.
Wing badges – Like those Scudiera shields on the
wings? The wings are actually recessed to accommodate the badges, so
doing a proper retro-fit on a car without them is expensive.
Servicing – Services alternate between major and
minor. First is the normal minor annual service for around £850 at an
independent specialist; the second more involved bit of tinkering could
set you back £1500.
Spares – Essex-based Eurospares (Eurospares.co.uk)
is a great source of new and used parts for Ferrari, Lambo and Maserati,
and the UK is home to dozens of specialists who can help maintain your
575M.
Sourcing – Specialists are also probably the best
source for locating cars, as Ferrari dealers concentrate on retailing
the newer cars. When buying, insist on a water-tight service history
including itemised receipts, not just stamps in the book.
BMW M235i 2014
BMW M235i (2014) spied at the Nürburgring
These spy shots give us the first look inside BMW’s all-new
2-series coupe. But this isn’t just any old 2-series model: what you’re
looking at is the flagship M Performance version: the M235i.
How can you tell this is a BMW M235i?
Look closely and you’ll spot carry-over components from the BMW’s M135i hot hatch.
The 18-inch dual-spoke alloy wheels are currently exclusive to the
M135i, and they cover four-pot front brake calipers, and two-pot rears.
The blue-painted calipers denote M Performance brakes, optional across
the 1-series range but fitted as standard to the 316bhp M135i.
Also, you’ll note the tell-tale black mirror housings, and that the
front bumper (albeit disguised) is a deeper shape. The rear bumper
houses twin tailpipes – another BMW M Performance trait. Remember, this
isn’t the full-fat BMW M2 – that’ll come later. BMW’s M Performance cars
are a halfway house between normal models and the ultimate M Division
cars.
Under the bonnet, the M235i will use the turbocharged straight-six
engine from the M135i, mated to six-speed manual or eight-speed auto
gearboxes. UK cars will be rear-drive only, but left-hand drive markets
will be able to specify all-wheel drive ‘xDrive’ powertrains. For CAR’s
full scoop on the BMW 2-series range, click here.
Tell me about the BMW 2-series’ cabin
Mostly, it’s carried over wholesale from the 1-series hatchback, but
there is a one attractive difference. The steering wheel is an M Sport
item – this is a trait that all BMW’s coupes will switch to soon,
ditching standard BMW wheels for these sportier, slim-spoked helms.
When will I see more of the BMW 2-series?
The coupe 2-series will launch in late 2013, with a soft-top
convertible model arriving the following summer. CAR’s sources report
BMW is also considering a 2-series Gran Coupe, to rival Mercedes’s
swoopy new compact four-door: the CLA.
VW Golf GTI 2013
VW Golf GTI (2013) CAR review
This is the VW Golf GTI Mk7: the fastest, most frugal Golf
GTI ever made. Is it just a subtle tweak of its Mk6 predecessor, or a
truly great hot hatch worthy of the GTI name?
To find out, we’ve borrowed a pre-production GTI for a revealing
350km shakedown experience in the Ile de France region around Paris. The
car’s as near as dammit production ready. They call it a ‘zero series’
model. In this case that seems to mean zero deviation from the end
product which will go on sale in May.
What’s new for the Mk7 Golf GTI?
At first glance it may look evolutionary – derivative even – but
there’s a lot going on here. For a start, the new Golf sits on the VW
Group’s much talked about new chassis known as ‘MQB’, which radically
reinvents the way cars are designed and built .Then there’s a new
variable-ratio steering system, a heavily upgraded engine, and a raft of
extra abilities contained within a new ‘Performance Pack’.
Look closer and the subtle changes start to roll out. The trademark
red stripe now stretches across the entire front end into the headlamp
housings, the extended rear roof spoiler seats an extra couple of crows,
the 19in alloy wheels have swapped telephone dials for axe-heads and
the tartan chairs have changed from Stewart to Clark. And there’s a
starter button.
Tell me about the new VW Golf GTI’s engine
The 2.0-litre sounds growly, even at idle. Tap the accelerator, and
it snarls up the rev ladder, vocal and self-conscious, a politician
preparing its re-election speech. The lever of the six-speed DSG slides
into D and then further down into S – after all I didn’t come here to
pick the daisies. Rated at 217bhp and redlined at 6200rpm, the engine
differs from the Mk6’s powerplant: it has reinforced crankshaft
bearings, modified direct fuel-injection, reduced friction, improved
efficiency and an exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder head.
While ten extra horses are certainly nice to have, what makes the real
difference is the massive increase in torque from 206lb ft to 258lb ft
at 1500 to 4400rpm. At the same time fuel consumption is claimed to be
14% better (44.1mpg), top speed has squeaked up from 147mph to 153, and
the 0-62mph sprint now takes 6.5sec – 0.4 less than before.
The turbocharged four is a brilliant engine – potent, yet totally relaxed and always eager to rev. Unlike the Mercedes CLA
I drove a couple of days later, the Volkswagen gets on very well with
its DSG gearbox. Shifts tend to be quick and smooth, the electronics are
rarely in doubt about which ratio they should pre-select, and the
paddleshift enhances the feeling of being in total control. That’s the
good news. The bad news concerns the calibration of the six-speeder.
While the first five ratios are staggered just about right, sixth is so
long it’s almost grotesque. If maximum speed was to be attained in top
gear, the new GTI would be good for a hyper-theoretical 208mph. With the
transmission in S, however, this is rarely an issue because S happens
to obey a very energetic algorithm. When in D, the black box shifts into
sixth at low engine and road speeds, thereby changing the character of
the car from GTI to mpg. It may be politically incorrect to accept
higher fuel consumption, but a GTI top gear ought to be a proper driving
ratio. Perhaps the cogs in the optional Performance Pack work better (a
snip at around £1000, but our car didn’t have it).
What extra kit does a Performance Pack Golf GTI get?
It comprises a slightly beefier 227bhp engine, bigger 17in brakes
with red GTI calipers and an electronically controlled mechanical diff
lock by Haldex. While the base model makes do with solid rear discs, the
PP includes larger inner-ventilated rotors all-round. To improve grip
and traction through tight bends, the state-of-the-art differential
sends more ooomph to the outer wheel. At the same time, it’s claimed to
curb excessive understeer and soften lift-off oversteer. Torque is
unchanged, but the acceleration improves by one tenth, and the maximum
speed increases to 155mph. VW is expecting every second GTI buyer to
tick the box marked Performance Pack. I would.
What other dynamic tweaks feature on the new Golf GTI?
I’d also tick the box marked Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC). It lets
you choose from five different driving modes –Comfort, Normal, Sport,
Eco and Individual. Hit the symbol on the touchscreen and you instantly
tune dampers, steering, engine, transmission, adaptive cruise control,
dynamic cornering lights and air conditioning. Great, but you’ll be
surprised to hear that not even yours truly would put the drivetrain
into Sport. Why? Because that entails early downshifts, late upshifts
and an unnecessarily high rev level. Even when you try to maintain a
steady throttle position, the black box takes too long to calm down.
Standard equipment includes the so-called ‘Progressive Steering’
which works either in Normal or in Sport mode. This constant-effort,
variable-rate device requires only two turns from lock to lock. While
the ratio around the straight-ahead position is very similar to that of a
run-of-the-mill Golf, the steering will speed up as you turn in thanks
to a progressive gearing between rack and pinion. This system yields two
effects: reduced effort at parking speeds and quicker action on winding
roads. It takes some getting used to, but it’s not as artificial and
lifeless as other electro-hydraulic systems. I found myself liking it.
True, the set-up is on the light side, the feedback blurs a little bit
as you wind on more lock, and the self-centering motion could be more
pronounced, but it’s hard not to be smitten by the go-kart-like
directness, by the absence of filters and softeners, and by the depth of
feel at the limit of adhesion…
So, how does the VW Golf GTI Mk7 drive?
The GTI communicates on all levels: steering, throttle, transmission,
suspension, brakes. This car loves being pushed, but only to a point.
Overstep it, and things get messy with too much attitude, too much
electronic interference, too much drama. That’s not what fast Golfs are
about. They are nine-tenths winners, not eleven-tenths wannabes. So
let’s stay composed. Play it right, and the GTI will indulge in a
super-sweet four-wheel drift or a three-wheeled corner, but it stays
sufficiently well planted to make full use of all the Tarmac there is.
True, the brakes feel a bit soft after the third run, but after about
half an hour it’s quite obvious that the driver would run out of stamina
long before the Golf runs out of talent.
That said, you’d be disappointed if I hadn’t switched off every
electronic driving aid in search of juvenile thrills I’m clearly too old
for. Hitting the ESP button once will deactivate traction assist, but
this can be counter-productive on moist Tarmac where a little wheelspin
tends to be faster than no slip at all. Keep the button depressed for at
least three seconds and ESP will switch to Sport mode, but even on a
race track you can never totally deactivate stability control. As soon
as any brake intervention occurs, the system is automatically back on
duty. Perhaps VW should reconsider its ESP policy for the GTI
Performance Pack. After all, stability control can be switched off
completely in the 286bhp four-wheel-drive Golf R out later this year.
Verdict
The latest version of the iconic Golf was never meant to be loud or
young, and it was neither going to be a sports car in disguise or a
hardcore hot hatch. Instead, this car has to incorporate the best of all
worlds, even though it may never rule a single one of them. It
epitomises effortless velocity, practical sportiness, accessible
performance. It is an everyday, any road, everyman car that makes its
owner shine because it is so easy to drive, astonishingly quick, totally
benign and yet more rewarding than many extrovert crackerjacks.
Which spec to buy? Take the more practical four-door, spend extra on
the Performance Pack and on 18in rubber, and try DSG before signing the
dotted line.
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