Profilo di MSN CarsInside TrackFotoBlogElenchiAltro  |  Strumenti Guida |
|
28 dicembre Dan’s 2008 Top 10Dan Trent writes: The Sunday papers are full of reviews of 2008 type articles so I thought I’d get in on the act with my own self-indulgent top 10 of personal highlights of the past 12 months. Entirely arbitrary, here goes: 10: Falling in love with the MX-5
I knew the MX-5 was good – my brother has a Mk1 and loves it – but it took a week with a current-shape Roadster Coupe 2-litre Sport (with the all-important limited-slip differential) to realise quite how magical these things are. And to anyone who writes them off as hairdresser’s cars: you’re wrong, as our Ian will tell you after enjoying one as a long termer for the last few months. And I stand by my assertion that driving it was more fun than the 911 we had in at the same time. 9: No more Blackwall Tunnel
I moved house this year and as a result bid farewell to my hour and twenty commute, a good portion of which was usually spent stationary either side of the Blackwall Tunnel. My heart goes out to anyone still caught up in the queues there still but, on the bright side, you can be safe in the knowledge there’s one less car getting in your way now. 8: My Fiesta epiphany
I blogged this earlier in the year but an unexpected run round the block in my dad’s previous shape Fiesta was a complete revelation. Genuinely, this unassuming little Ford had about the best steering feel of any modern car I’ve ever driven – better even than the brilliant new Fiesta. 7: Music for car geeks
My long commute had one saving grace – time to sit and really listen properly to music. And Ry Cooder’s I, Flathead was one my favourites of the year, the car-related theme making it all the more enjoyable. A proper concept album, the theme is set around washed up racers risking life and limb in their flathead V8 hot rods on the Utah salt flats back in the 50s. Very cool! 6: Petrol prices falling
My old Jap import Impreza has an expensive taste for super unleaded and my Clio long termer also ran a lot better on the good stuff. But in the midst of the fuel price spike in the summer life was very expensive indeed as a result. The credit crunch doesn’t have many bright spots but the fact I just filled up on V-Power at 92p per litre is at least one reason to be cheerful. 5: Seeing Hamilton win
Amazingly I’d never been to an F1 race before but, courtesy of Honda and its ‘Dreamfields’ posh camping enclosure, I got along to Silverstone for this year’s British GP. Poignant considering our hosts are no longer involved and there’ll be no Dreamfields for 2009 but also fabulous to see Hamilton take such a fabulous win. Hearing the crowd roar with approval every time Massa span (which was a lot) was typical of the atmosphere you just don’t get from watching on TV too. 4: Riding in a 100-year-old racer
I knew old racing drivers were a tough old bunch but nothing could have prepared me for the shock and awe of riding in a 100-year-old Benz racing car along the course of the 1908 French Grand Prix. Our pace was nothing close to that of the 100mph or so these things competed at a century ago but it remains one of the most exciting – and terrifying – experiences I’ve ever had in a car. 3: The Exige at the ’ring
Before this year I’d not had much experience of Lotus but taking a bright orange Exige S out to the Nordschleife back in March was one of the best trips out there I’ve ever had. A deserted track and the fact I had to swallow some serious brave pills to extract the best out of the car made it incredibly rewarding and, suffice to say, the Exige now has pride of place in my fantasy garage. 2: Driving in Iceland
Being whisked abroad to drive the latest new cars is one of the huge privileges of this job and we are truly spoiled with some of the places we get to drive. But nothing could have prepared me for the trip to Iceland for the launch of the new VW Golf. The car is, predictably, brilliant but the breathtaking dawn drive out to Gulfoss falls was a truly magical experience. 1: My Clio Cup
Choosing a winner in my personal review of the year wasn’t hard: my six-month tenure with a Clio 197 Cup was an absolute revelation. I put 11,000 miles on it that time and I reckon at least a quarter of those were racked up in anger at various Renaultsport trackdays and (inevitably) a trip out to the ’ring. And I loved every single minute. Without hesitation I’d say the Clio Cup is one of the best performance cars out there at any price and the more I drove it the more it impressed me. And there aren’t many cars you can say that about. Dan --- Links: Porsche? Nah, I'll take the MX-5 thanksHonda's dream(field) come true We ride in a 100-year-old racing car England V Germany: flat out in an Exige Final fling for our Clio Cup--- 18 dicembre MSN Cars - virtual victorsIan Dickson writes... Victory was granted to a team from MSN last night in Nissan and Playstation's 'GT Academy' - a sort of X-Factor for keen drivers. The idea was to find the best drivers on the PS3's Gran Turismo Prologue, and last night we brought home three wins out of four, a team from FHM beating us by a paltry two-hundreths of a second on the second race.
In a trendy bar in Central London we each had to don a rather
We're all Xbox 360 fans here, but the dynamics, realism and graphics of the GT Prologue game were truly stunning. We raced around life-like circuits in London, Suzuka Japan as well as the track designed specifically for the competition.
Each team got its own 'driving pod' complete with wheel, pedals and glourious surround sound at a reputed £4k a pop. I desperately want one...
Our team collecting the trophy: from left: Chris Lunn, Jason Christie, Ed Holden, me and Nigel Swan Ho ho ho - Christmas gear for the X-Bowcj hubbard writes:
I'm on the email mailing list for the KTM X-Bow (entirely wishful thinking on my part, of course). And the other day I received a message entitled "Drift your X-Bow through the winter". At first I thought this might be notification of some kind driving experience - like the Bentleys on ice trip we reported on the main site last month (click here). Er, no. The email was, in fact, KTM taking the opportunity to try and flog its X-Bow customers some winter driving gear. This includes Pirelli Sottozero snow tyres - which are available on central locking rims as well the standard five-blot wheels (Dan will be excited...) - indoor and outdoor winter car covers, specially design suits and helmets. Oh, and snow chains. They "are of course homologated and ensure good traction under the most demanding of conditions". But snow chains? For an X-Bow? You have to be kidding me. This car barely has any body panels, let alone a roof. And you want to drive it in the snow? Some people have trouble keeping it on the tarmac in the dry. The chap it at the helm at the top there seems to be enjoying spanking it, though. --- Links: Spied: KTM X-Bow at the Nürburgring Bentley's exclusive ice-driving trip Live Search KTM X-Bow in an unusual position Enough of the financial news... Snow fun with an Impreza at the Nürburgring ---
17 dicembre Insight into Honda InsightRichard Aucock writes: What’s the new Honda Insight like? I can tell you, but can’t show you. Cameras were banned at the exclusive preview of the car MSN Cars has just attended. The reason we were there at all was because of the beaten-down doors at Honda dealers. Apparently, the UK will be the biggest European market for this car – and buyers just can’t wait for next April, when deliveries start.
Here’s our, ahem, insight, then. What you have is a surprisingly large car that looks inescapably like a Prius. The profile is, to all intents, the same. That’s because it’s the most aerodynamic shape you can get, apparently. Still, there’s enough current-gen Civic hatch to set it apart. Including (key, this), a rear hatch.
Indeed, gone is the dowdy saloon Civic IMA. And reason why Europe will take a huge number of Honda’s startling 200k-a-year production intents, with the UK buying the largest proportion of those. This is hybrid motoring for the mainstream. After this, a jazz hybrid supermini will follow, as will a hybrid coupe. Eventually, Honda will sell 500k hybrids a year.
Underneath, the petrol-electric hybrid is similar to today’s Civic IMA. The platform uses bits from the Jazz (although it’s a fair bit larger – there’s bags of space for 5). Honda’s not tried to rewrite the rules here. Instead, it’s packaged it smartly, and given drivers more tools than ever before, to ensure their real world mpg approaches the official one.
It’s thus fitted with an eco ‘driver trainer’. What? A colour-changing speedo, and a light-up tree on the dash. Drive inefficiently, and the leaves fall off. Drive green, and the tree grows. What on earth? Positive feedback, says Honda. Like Tamagotchi toys; look after it and it grows.
April is D-day for UK dealers, but MSN Cars will be driving it in January – shortly after the official Detroit Auto Show unveiling. Honda’s 4th-generation hybrid, it’s an increasingly vital car for the Japanese maker. Hence pulling out the stops this evening (and, purportedly, inviting Geoff Hoon along).
‘Right car, right time,’ said a spokesman. ‘It’s the next step to hybrid becoming mainstream.’ Yes, Toyota Prius, imitation is the finest form of flattery. Even so, you may not know what’s about to hit you… ---
36mpg in a 911? Pah…
Dan Trent writes: Richard, meet your nemesis. He’s called Klaus Niedzwiedz and he’s an ex-racing driver and the presenter of a German car TV show. And in the sick and twisted world of driving Porsches very slowly to record supermini-rivalling mpg figures I’m afraid he’s rather hung our Richard out to dry by recording a frankly astonishing 42.2mpg in a standard 911 Carrera fitted with – deep breath – the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe dual clutch gearbox. Sorry, I know I should just refer to it by its PDK abbreviation but any excuse to use that name in all its Germanic glory should be seized!
Anyway, in claimed real world conditions on the public road at speeds between 56 and 85mph (he averaged 52mph) Klaus achieved this very impressive figure by keeping the Porsche’s revs below 2000rpm. Which shows monumental self-restraint, if nothing else. More than I’ve got, that’s for sure, evidenced by the fact I got just 14.8mpg when I had a go in a PDK-equipped 911. And drained the tank in a couple of hours in a similarly equipped Cayman. And chucked the best part of two hundred quid’s worth of fuel into a Boxster on a run to Yorkshire and back. Oh dear, that’s me off to eco purgatory, Klaus and Richard waving to me from the moral high ground as head for eternal damnation. Still, I bet I had more fun… Dan --- Links:
Richard’s trip computer readout display of the week Are Porsches all they’re cracked up to be?
Porsche? Nah, I’ll take the MX-5 thanks --- Share It
Testing cars is a dirty business, but, etc…Richard Aucock writes: We sure do test cars hard here at MSN Cars. In less than a week, this once-spotless BMW 3 Series turned into this dirty mess. That’s what 900 miles of road testing does to a car.
We weren’t doing anything indifferent (no Clarkson-esque driving into the sea, for example). It’s just a consequence of grubby roads, gritter trucks and that killer blend of frost, grime and melted ice. The sort of conditions that deplete windscreen washer bottles in mere hours.
It proves one thing, though. Just why black cars do, actually, show the dirt. Why they’re the devil’s work to photographers, And, thus, another reason why you see so many press tests featuring silver cars…
--- Richard's trip computer display readout of the week 2 Snow fun with an Impreza at the Ring
16 dicembre Highs and lows in SubarulandDan Trent writes:
It doesn’t happen often but today I was able to drive in with the full chav light show ablaze on the Subaru safe in the knowledge it was actually foggy!
I have to confess I do occasionally revert to using them on the back lanes when nobody is looking. But that’s only because the headlights on my old bus are about the most feeble ever fitted to a car, which is a problem considering how fast it’s inclined to go along these kind of roads.
But that’s only the half of it because today is a sad day for any Subaru fan – yes, the firm is pulling out of the WRC as of, well, now. Read that again: no more factory sponsored Subarus in rallying. Now, Honda pulling out of F1 is kind of fair enough. After all, the link twixt a mid-field but hugely expensive F1 team and sales of Civics and Accords always was a bit tenuous. Ditto Suzuki’s similar announcement it was giving up on its WRC campaign. But Subaru? C’mon! In the official release of the news Subaru says “to further strengthen the Subaru brand, FHI [Subaru’s parent company] decided to withdraw from WRC.” How exactly does leaving rallying strengthen the Subaru brand? Rallying IS the Subaru brand, at least for a good number of its customers. After all the links between this…
…and the Impreza STI 330 S we’ve just had delivered…
…are obvious to anyone. Blimey, the loss of merchandise revenue from the 555 rally jackets and beanies alone should have convinced them to stay. But there is a bigger picture to all this, and one that goes beyond the credit crunch. Yes, it seems the FIA wants rallying to be cheaper and more accessible and from 2010 WRC cars will have to conform to the Super 2000 regulations shared with touring cars. Which favours cheaper, normally aspirated hot-hatch based contenders, rather than traditional turbocharged four-wheel drive rally cars like the Impreza or Evo. And short of ruding up the Justy or running some strangulated Impreza Subaru didn’t really have much of a choice. Shame… Dan --- Links: Snow fun with an Impreza at the ‘ring Forget what I said about fog lights ---
15 dicembre Mixed feelings about the new SciroccoPeter Bale, executive producer, MSN UK, writes... The original Scirocco was one of my favourite cars, those tiny rear window lights, the high hips and a beautifully chiselled crease around hip height along the side of the body. A very snug rear hatchback with a tiny upturn. No stupid spoilers, air dams or unnecessary add-ons. It looked particularly good in silver and I seem to recall it had a lovely hounds-tooth and checked upholstery, not unlike the fantastically psychedelic interior of the Porsche 928 of around the same period.
The second series Scirocco was a shocker – nasty case of sagging man-boobs around the window line and a sort of flattened look to the style which was the same as that generation of Passats which looked as though they had been designed in East Germany instead of the West. The reborn Scirocco has much more of the original than the horrid intergenerational one. Tiny rear windows, laughing in the face of rearward visibility. A-pillars so thick they laugh in the face of forward visibility too which isn’t so laughable. A bonnet which falls away so steeply you feel you are in a VW Kombi until you drive into the taxi in front. It has a snug and perfectly formed interior which is instantly forgettable. The nice triangular, metal-faced grab handles are a nice touch but aren’t enough to make the interior just another VW Golf. I know that sounds mean because the VW Golf is a lovely place to be and the quality is undeniable. It is just hard to really get excited about triangular grab handles much as it was almost impossible to think that Volvo had reinvented Scandinavian design by making the central console of the C30 'float'. Mind you, I did like it and I am the sort of person who thrilled to the invention of the silicon-damped grab handle – first in the Passat I think.
On test with the Scirocco The outstanding feature of the interior of the Scirocco was the sat nav/radio/computer combination. It is sensational. Having spent six months with a lovely BMW 135i Cabriolet and started to like the controversial BMW i-Drive system, I can see just how far ahead the VW system is – at least for audio and navigation. The BMW is harder to programme, harder to read, seems to go to weird places and just isn’t as clear as the VW. In seconds I had mastered the VW sat-nav and in picoseconds my daughter had programmed the radio. The touch screen wouldn’t be out of place on an i-Phone. To drive around town the Scirocco is very perky. Instant performance and quite amusingly 'grabby' brakes which bite nicely but not progressively. More screeching to an impressive halt than gently easing to a stop. Sort of a sporty Golf. Which of course is more or less what it says on the tin. Now all I need to do is try a new Golf and see if I am right. I liked the new Scirocco but didn’t love it and actually handed it back a day early – just for my own convenience to go back to a scooter. I also handed it back because it just wasn’t as delightful as the BMW 135i. An invidious comparison I know and probably very unfair to the Scirocco but it was a choice I had. Another thought I had about the Scirocco was that it is the Ford Capri of its time. Or maybe the VW Scirocco of its time?
Tom's daughter Isabelle and MSN Cars presenter Zora Suleman pictured with the Scirocco Share It
A Megane surpriseRichard Aucock writes: Here’s a queue of Renaults. A Laguna Coupe GT, with whizzy four-wheel steering. And a Megane 5dr, with a wheezy old 1.9-litre dCi diesel. Guess which I took home. The Megane, of course. Well, who wouldn’t.
For an hour and a half, I was totally underwhelmed. With a droning, vibrating engine and startlingly jittery ride, it felt plain old. It’s heavily based on the old Megane, of course; a faux pas for the Regie?
Then, to my complete surprise, it started to change beneath me, not 5 miles from home. Now, on some more challenging roads, the suspension was starting to work. The same damping magic that infused Dan’s Clio Cup revealed itself. Superb seats hugged me tightly. It generally felt plain tidy.
I walked away, confused. Never before had a car contrasted so deeply from one end of the run to the other. Leaving it overnight, I didn’t know what to expect the next day. I found, though, a thoroughly decent, talented, likeable car.
Yes, the pedals are compromised, the engine shudders, steering has no feel and all pillars from A to C are thick and get in the way. But, it handles neatly, has a supple feel through corners, is stable and secure at speed, has low-effort but accurate controls, plus what really grew into seats I’m totally in love with.
And the ride? It still does the jitterbugs over the minor stuff. But, bizarrely, you soon learn to filter this out – because it’s so much more able on rougher roads. Go figure; I blame the tyres. Even so, there’s rare tuning finesse here that doesn’t half grow on you.
Same with the looks. It’s genuinely a very stylish, stand-out car! Detailing is excellent, and there’s lots of ingenuity on show. All told, a complete surprise. Shame I’ve got to give it back, really. Had it been a 1.5 dCi, the office may have found me ‘really needing it’ this weekend… --- Renault Laguna Coupe First Drive Renault Clio Cup long-term test
And what colour Alto are you?cj hubbard writes: God, I can't believe I just wrote that. Anyways...
In a cunning ploy to capture some column inches and pre-alert consumers of the imminent arrival of its all-new Alto city car, Suzuki has a short quiz (?) up on its website at the moment. Answer a few questions - or rather, pick the most appropriate picture - hand over a few personal details (or make them up - not that we would ever condone such a thing), and the game (?) will tell you which colour from the new Alto's paint pallet represents you best. Apparently, I'm a "desert brown Alto" - meaning I'm "A complete individual" it seems. While I may "never follow the crowd", I'm not sure that "cruising home in the early hours of the morning" or "heading out on a weekend adventure" fully qualifies as an appropriate definition.
I won't tell you which of these things I selected to get this result, but it wasn't the baseball cap:
Have a go yourself at www.suzuki4.co.uk. --- Links: Deck the halls with...Vauxhall Astras? ---
Focus RS vs. Megane R26, Round 1, FIGHT! Dan Trent writes: Look at the Focus RS and your first response is likely “cool!” swiftly followed by “hang on, 300hp going through the front wheels…?” Memories of the previous Focus RS and its mind-of-its-own torque steer tendencies might reasonably make you a tad concerned. Fear not says Ford. It’s come up with revolutionary suspension design to prevent it. So revolutionary they’ve even called it the ‘RevoKnuckle’ – geddit? Nobody has done this before they say. Cue a polite cough from the boys at Renaultsport, who say “actually, we have,” claiming the Ford system has certain similarities with that used on hot Meganes and Clios and touched upon in my final write up on my Clio Cup long termer. And in a response to teaser pictures of the Focus RS prototype out testing at the ’ring Renault promptly went over with the Megane R26.R and bagged the front-wheel drive lap record from under Ford’s nose. And then launched the R26.R on the same day at the British International Motor Show. Fight! Fight!
But what exactly is this fangled suspension design they’re all getting so excited about? Well, those of a nervous disposition best look away now – this is going to get Looking at the front suspension from above what Renault and Ford are both doing is reducing the distance from the tyre’s contact patch to the pivot on the steering mechanism, thereby minimising the influence of drive torque and subsequent steering wheel twitchiness often found on powerful FWD cars. And no, I didn’t really get it either so I got Megane chassis guru Steve Marvin to sketch it for me. And here’s his picture, direct from my notebook!
Basically you’re looking at the suspension and tyre from dead ahead, the solid line running down the MacPherson strut showing the axis the steering would usually pivot around and the dashed line nearer the tyre indicating how this is different on the Clio and Megane. The devil is in the detail – the various patented bushings and linkages – that actually make up the assembly. Steve admits the Ford set-up achieves the same effect but says the Renault design is stiffer and therefore better. But then he would! Phew. After all that I think we need some light relief. So here it is in the form of a chap in a Megane R26 on the ’ring … overtaking a Focus RS prototype! This of course proves nothing but it’s a good vid and, I have to admit through gritted teeth, quite a bit quicker than I managed when I was there last year. Dan --- Links: Megane R26 on the ’ring – MSN video Road test: Ford Focus ST Mountune --- Share It
12 dicembre New Nurburgring T-shirt separates men from the boys
Dan Trent writes: I'll admit to having a 'ring sticker on the back of my car. But even I - avowed Nerdburgring geek - would baulk at wearing the following. I mean, c'mon, what's with the whole 'men from the boys/my manhood is 20,832 metres longer than yours' schtick? Warming to the theme for the ultimate 'ring dork look you perhaps need some headgear to go with it though. Something tasteful like this perhaps...
These represent merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tasteless motorsport merchandise, perhaps the ultimate example being the frankly disturbing oil painting of Michael Schumacher for many years displayed in the window of a Stuttgart art dealership. Depicting (loosely, it has to be said, the painter not being god's gift to portraiture) the great man himself, stripped to the waist and with his wife behind him, arms wrapped around his naked torso and apparently cupping his pecs. Words don't do its hideousness justice, although just writing that makes me feel faintly queasy. A friend working at Mercedes had to look at it every day on the way to work too. His relief at its departure when it was finally sold or, more likely, faded after years of being in the window, was palpable. I digress. There is cool motoring merchandise out there, the somewhat expensive and much lusted over (by me, at least) Martini Racing Porsche jacket just one example. Slightly more attainable are the t-shirts and sweats from Le Mans obsessives N138. A couple of examples below (check out the website for more):
Dan --- What's this, another Porsche related blog? Official Nurburgring merchandise Buy your 'men from the boys' T-shirt here --- Share It
All hail the heated windscreen washer jetcj hubbard writes:
The MSN Cars' readership may well - and sensibly - have voted night vision and adaptive cruise control as their top picks. But after this morning, I reckon heated washer jets are the tech I'd most like to see implemented more. As mentioned, I collected a Cadillac CTS from Vauxhall yesterday. Parked it outside my house last night. Went out this morning and found a crust of ice on the windscreen so thick you could have planted a flag in it and called it the Hertfordshire pole.
Anyways, after a bit of huffing, I prized open the door, climbed into the Caddy, then spotted an exciting looking button on the dashboard.
I wonder if that does what I think it might do, I thought... *Poke* A moment passed. Then: Wap! The washer jets squirted, the wipers wiped, and instantly - instantly - I had a clear windscreen.
Bearing in mind I hadn't even broken out the de-icer yet, this was a episode of absolute revelation. This is the future! I thought. I have just experienced the future!
Yes, yes, I know, other cars have heated washer jets, but you always remember your first time, right? This and a few other tricks already suggests the CTS deserves more than a cursory glance if you're shopping in the executive saloon sector.
The ice on the Renault Laguna Coupé (and Dan's Subaru) parked outside work when I arrived should give you a clue just what kind of frost I'm talking about here. I bet the guy in the MX-5 doesn't know what he's missing. --- Links: Night vision and adaptive cruise control top user wish-list Deck the halls with...Vauxhall Astras? To the chap in the MX-5 this morning ---
To the chap in the MX-5 this morning
Dan Trent writes: Dan --- Share It
11 dicembre Deck the halls with...Vauxhall Astras?cj hubbard writes: I've just been to Vauxhall HQ in Luton to pick up a Cadillac CTS. Seems pretty nice the little I've driven it so far, but that's not the reason we're here. We're here because Vauxhall has got the Christmas decorations out. Including this parked in the foyer:
You'll have to excuse the dodgy cameraphone image quality, but no, your eyes do not mislead you. That is an Astra five-door hatchback, decked out (haha) in mirror mosaic. Like a disco ball.
Nothing on the outside of the car has escaped.
Not the door handles...
...not the door mirrors...
...not the boot badge.
I'm not sure whether the poor old plain looking Chevrolet Captiva on the opposite wall was feeling relieved, or left out.
--- Links: Road Test: Vauxhall Astra Panoramic First Drive: Chevrolet Captiva ---
When is a limited edition not a limited edition?cj hubbard writes: How about when it's the 500byDiesel (original italics), and Fiat is planning to build 10,000 of them. Ten. Thousand. Worldwide, admittedly. But we still think Fiat is confusing 'limited' with 'special'. Anyways, it's a 500 Sport that's been accessorised by the fashion label Diesel. What's perhaps most interesting is that it's only available to order online, direct from Fiat. So screw you, dealerships, eh? You can have any of the ordinary engine line-up, there's a choice of three unique metallic colours, and, uh denim upholstery. The front seats even have a side pocket that's supposed to be tribute to the "fifth pocket" on Diesel jeans. The 500byDiesel is priced from £11,150 - see fiat.co.uk for more details. And hurry now, or it might just be sold out. --- Links: Take your green driving test and save fuel! ---
10 dicembre Green goodliness for SEATRichard Aucock writes: My, what a green room. No, this isn’t MSN Cars becoming all famous and auditioning for a slot on a TV chat show. It’s a view from the back of the SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive press conference.
I swear, it was like being in some sort of mad chlorophyll test chamber. The effect was quite something; you could feel light being sucked out of your entire being. Sense the vitamin D draining out of you. I’m surprised SEAT didn’t have emergency supplies of fish and eggs on hand.
Such was the effect, I marveled at the lovely dark maroon notepad on my chair. Then panicked when I left – whose was this bright red notepad I’d picked up by mistake? Missed heartbeats, until I appreciated just how twisted the light really was. Ahem. Oh, and in case anyone still failed to get the ‘green’ message SEAT was discreetly trying to portray, they showed us this:
And this (yes, that's three exclamation marks, in a font almost as big as a grown man):
That’s 745 miles on one 45-litre tank, for imperialists. It all risked being lost on me, though. By now, I was starting to have cravings for sunlight, poached eggs, and mackerel. --- First Drive: SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive Long termers: SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive First Drive: MINI E
09 dicembre Beware the Evo squad...
Dan Trent writes: If you had ambitions to be featured on Police, Camera, Action! and live in South Yorkshire you'd best invest in a decent set of wheels because your moment of infamy won't last long otherwise. How so? Well, the lucky traffic officers around Sheffield now have a fleet of three Mitsubishi Evos, recently bolstered with the arrival of an Evo X. And the idea is that the visual deterrent will have hoods - including potential Police, Camera, Action! Only there's a flaw in the plan. If you're being chased by one or more of these Evo-equipped officers and can manage to eke the pursuit out to much over 50 miles you're home and free, as the Mitsubishi will have long since run out of fuel. Especially if they're as lead footed as their colleagues who apparently had the Impreza WRX S on official evaluation before it was delivered to us on test, and in the process scored less than 3mpg. Driven like that the only place the Evo squad are going to be a real presence is petrol station forecourts, which will at least do wonders for the South Yorkshire force's collection of loyalty points if nothing else. No, if they're really out to make the streets safer they need some training from our Richard. 40mpg in an Evo? If anyone can our Richard can. Dan --- Links: Roadtest: Subaru Impreza WRX S Revealed: 211mph police Lamborghini --- Snow fun with an Impreza at the 'ring
Dan Trent writes: Second time lucky? Unfortunately not, the amazing fortune I had back in March when early morning snow melted to leave a dry and deserted track not being repeated this weekend as I journeyed to the 'ring in an Impreza STI. Should've known really - I'd been glued to the webcam at the Nordschleife's gate all week and knew what to expect but ever the There was some compensation to be had in exploring the STI's talents on the stunning roads that surround the 'ring, en route to enjoying the local Christmas markets. The way this thing finds traction in even the slipperiest conditions is never short of amazing. I am, of course, something of a Subaru fanboy but I fell for the STI even more than I expected. A trip average of 22.2mpg (that thud will be the sound of Richard hitting the floor after fainting in horror) wasn't so cool. But this came after an extended high speed autobahn session on the drier, warmer roads outside the Eifel Mountains' freezing micro climate. I seem to be repeating this like a stuck record but bring on the Impreza diesel I say! Anyway, as it seems we're incapable of blogging without mentioning a Porsche somewhere along the line here's my tuppence worth: a 911 being driven around the 'ring in deep snow by someone* who clearly knows their way around a car, if not a wardrobe. Nice tank top, mein herr! Dan *The first bit - also pretty cool - is Walter Rohrl in a yellow GT3 but I don't think that's him in the snow. --- Links: England v Germany: flat out in an Exige Impreza Scoop (Richard on the Impreza diesel) Roadtest: Impreza WRX STI Type UKRichard's trip computer readout of the week 2 ---
08 dicembre Life, death, and the internetcj hubbard writes: Last week was kind of frustrating. First of all my car broke down (more on that in a moment).
Then Mazda kindly transported me to Italy for the Bologna Motor Show - where it unveiled the all-new Mazda3 five-door hatchback for the first time. And Volkswagen kept things interesting with the Scirocco Studie R concept, and foxy Golf Plus facelift.
Which was great! But: word to the wise. The Starhotel Excelsior in Bologna might be ideal for the train station - it's literally just across the street, handy for me since I had to get from Bologna to Milan on Thursday morning - but its network infrastructure for the internet completely failed to cope with large numbers of journalists all desperately needing to log on and get some work done. Simply put, the whole thing fell over. And let me tell you my friends, life without the internet these days might as well be death. First time around, the network connection in my room was completely kaput. Broken. Tech support, we have no LEDs. Etc, etc. Rather than attempt to fix this, the hotel simply put me in another room. Great! Except that even with all LEDs present, the system was so slow it was like cutting carpet with a paperclip. In the end the continuous stream of dropped connection meant I actually had to just... give up. It was unbelievably painful. Urgh.
Anyways, the Bologna show itself on Wednesday was great! If also... humiliating. You might think that taking pictures of pretty women is a laugh. In truth it's rather embarrassing. Still, the ones that smiled made it all worth it, I suppose. It's a big show, Bologna - surprisingly so. Spread across several halls, there's a big motorsport component, as well as a bunch of stuff taking place outside. Plenty of action to make a day of it. Thursday morning, and it was off to Milan on the train. The Italian train network is brilliant - very clearly signed, with announcements in English and Italian - and my leaning train wasn't messing about, either. In the UK the leaning trains beep a bit to warn you, then sort of edge slightly off the vertical. In Italy, there's no warning, you just get thrown at the opposite side of the carriage. Amusingly that well known Mussolini cliché proved unfounded, as it actually got into Milan ten minutes late.
And in Milan? After a high-speed chauffeur-driven Prius ride (featuring the biggest man to ever fit behind the wheel of said hybrid), the all-new Toyota Avensis. And more frustration, as whoever had planned the driving routes clearly wasn't interested in driving. It was traffic, traffic, traffic, and then, just for fun, snow. The best way to describe the car itself is to say that it is vastly competent. Expect that to be interpreted as 'dull' by a large segment of the motoring press. Full first drive, soon. --- Links: MSN Cars at the 2008 Bologna Motor Show ---
|
|
|
