Every car no matter its shape, size or price has a lifecycle that must come to an end. When a manufacturer brings a models production to a close it is often to make way for the next generation, as is the case with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. We have seen several version of this excellent gull-winged GT from special editions to the properly mental Black Series. 2015 will see this cars successor making 2014 its last year of production. The Mercedes-Benz SLS Final Edition is the machines last Hurrah before driving off into the sunset.
Powered by that mighty 6.3 litre V8 engine, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition produces 583BHP. This special car receives new alloy wheels and interior tweaks. Externally it can be differentiated from the standard SLS via its black bonnet, carbon fibre front splitter and huge carbon rear wing. The Final Edition will number just 350 and is available in both coupe and convertible.
The Maserati MC12 was quite the machine. Based upon the Ferrari Enzo, the reason for the run of 50 road legal yet race derived supercars was to comply with the rules of the FIA GT Championship. 50 road cars had to be produce in order for the MC12 GT1 to compete, a racer that has seen much success. However, that was back in 2004 and so the MC12 is not as youthful as it once was. We already know Ferrari and Maserati are working on a successor to go racing based upon the new carbon fibre monocoque of LaFerrari, but a new racing car also means a new road car. The 2013 Maserati Bora Concept foreshadows the future car.
This Maserati Bora Concept is a rendering done by Alexander Imnadze and he has made quite a name for himself by designing fictional cars with plausible futures. He does not work for the Italians but this is his interpretation of what the mid-engined V12 road car could look like. It truly is gorgeous with a clean low slung profile. We can only hope that the real thing will look this good!
It is as yet unknown when the MC12 replacement will surface, the Maserati showed up two years after the previous Ferrari flagship, but for now this vision is enough to keep us salivating.
Chris Harris has seen great success with his series of videos featuring on Drive’s YouTube channel. His antics in everything from hot hatchbacks to the latest supercars have proven extremely popular. As you may have seen last week in his Ferrari F12 Berlinetta video he does like a good old drift does Mr Harris. This week he gets his hands on a Jaguar XKR-S GT and surprisingly attempts not to go sideways, no really he does try! Though his effort are in vain on a wet track and instead we get some excellent slow-mo action.
The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta is one of the greatest machines money can buy. With 730BHP on tap from a beating heart of 12 cylinders, it’s quick. 0-62MPH in just 3.1 seconds sort of quick. This super GT is faster around the prancing horses test track than both a 599 GTO and an Enzo. Awesome doesn’t even begin to describe the cars capabilities!
Recently an F12 was given to fellow Chris Harris to produce a piece for Drive’s YouTube channel. The result is some stunning cinematography and, rather predictably, five sets of destroyed tyres.
In 2009 those crazy Germans unveiled to us the exciting looking 5 Series Gran Turismo and while most saw it as a strong move in to the GT market combining the grunt of an SUV with the comfort of the more traditional comfort focused grand tourer, others saw it as a bit of a wart on the BMW line-up. Now the 5 series is not alone and the Gran Turismo badge and treatment has been given to the 3 series and has had the mouths of car fanatics around the world drooling for months.
So with this in mind it would only make sense that the 1 series gets the same treatment and will add to the upcoming onslaught of front wheel drive BMWs which will undoubtedly be giving those FWD fanatics in camp Audi and Volkswagen a bit of a headache. Along with the release of the 1 series GT comes the Active Tourer Outdoor Concept which BMW hopes will be “combining sporting aesthetics and style with compact dimensions and functionality”.
The Concept Active Tourer Outdoor will be a hybrid which takes a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and glues on a “high performance” electric motor. The total power output is 188bhp, and BMW claims a top speed of 125mph while 0-62mph can be hit in just shy of 8 seconds.
It isn’t all about speed though, and an aptly named “ECO PRO” will cut the energy used by the air-conditioning and other battery draining features while the driver will be given driving tips to improve efficiency. The Proactive Driving Assistant will give the driver the most economic route by working alongside the satellite navigation to look for roads with the least traffic.
Although this is still in concept stage we will be seeing the long awaited 1 series GT hitting showrooms hopefully in 2015 in long wheelbase and normal wheelbase forms, so for now we’re just going to have to fidget impatiently until it finally arrives.
Aston Martin’s new Vanquish is the embodiment of everything a modern day Aston is. Beautiful, powerful, elegant, sophisticated. The V12 coupe shows Aston Martin at its very best blending core values with modern technology. This package has proven very popular with the worlds press and today that recipe gets an added ingredient.
This is the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, the successor to the DBS Volante. Based upon the Vanquish coupe, it could be argued that this convertible variation is even more awe-inspiring. Powered by a 565BHP 6.0 litre V12, the Volante can get from 0-62MPH in just 4.1 seconds and will go onto a top speed of 186MPH matching the coupe. The roof can complete the cars transformation in 14 seconds and the trade off for having the drop-top is only an added 9KG thanks to the use of carbon fibre.
First deliveries are to begin later this year at a cost of £199,995.
With the brand producing such unfathomable models such as the X4, X6 and diluting model ranges it would appear that BMW has lost its way a little. Mercedes-Benz are waging war against the M division with many entertaining AMG models and BMW simply have no answer to the Audi R8. It is about time they did something a bit special. This might just be it.
BMW are teasing what they are calling the Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe, a large front engined two door affair that would appear to be powered by a V12. Interesting… Could this be the beginnings of the long speculated 8 Series? Only time will tell, but with just this teaser image to go on your guess is as good as ours.
Many cars come and go over the decades. Some are remembered others fade away into the pages of history, but very few become cult classics. Such cars become legendary amongst the petrol headed fraternity and very rarely come up for sale, not for a reasonable price anyway. The Toyota AE86 is one such car and today we have been given the keys to a pristine 1986 example along with complete access to Millbrook’s challenging Alpine Test Track. The car is actually a bit before my time and so this is the perfect opportunity to find out what all the fuss was about.
The cars angular stance has aged well and certainly makes a real statement when stationary. Its appearance is functional and the flared wheel arches in tandem with the classic 80’s two-tone paint scheme highlights a sporting character. The AE86 may only have a 123BHP 1.6 litre engine, but it weighs in at just 970KG making this car no slouch even by todays standards. The lack of mass and being rear wheel drive was this machines source of success in motorsport as it proved itself to be a David amongst Goliath’s.
Opening its door, climbing in and closing it with that satisfying “old car” clunk is like going back in time. This particular car is in mint condition and its immaculate blue seats along with boxy dashboard design makes modern cars feel far too complicated for their own good. The steering wheel is just that, it doesn’t have buttons for the radio or switches for heated seats, its pure function is to change the cars direction. The same goes for the console which houses its heater that is either on or off, not trying to mimic the temperature of Monaco in realtime.
Truing the key awakens this legend with a raspy bark and a few pops. This made me smile. You can always tell a car is going to be a bit of character by the way it fires up. Dabbing the throttle is most amusing with little spits and bangs continuing to emanate from the rear. This car does not have power steering which at low speeds is a pain and leaves you wresting the wheel into place, however, whilst in motion the lack of electronic interference provides such a beautifully direct feel from the steering. All of the controls are fantastically analogue, particularly the highly responsive throttle. Now with this car being 27 years old its breaks, though providing good feedback, do not slow the car down particularly quickly. When you really start to push the AE86 it begins to come alive. Throw it into a corner and the near perfect balance of the entire car can be sampled. Lift off of the throttle whilst there is lateral load on the car and you can see just where the new GT86 got its drifting talents from. As the weight shifts, the rear goes light and all it takes is just another prod of the throttle and you are in oversteer heaven. Gear changes from its manual box are joyous and with the close pedal arrangement at your feet it just begs to be heel and toed.
It is clear that this car still hasn’t lost its charm and though older than me, the Toyota AE86 Corolla has gained yet another fan. The car is a representation of purity and driving spirit, something seldom seen in many cars of today.
MG’s return to the UK market after being bought by SAIC a number of years ago brought us a new model in the form of the MG6. To rival the likes of the Ford Focus and Honda Civic, the well priced MG offers good value for money, however its petrol engine has been heavily criticised. Here we road test the new 1.9 turbo diesel engine that offers good economy and plenty of torque.
It has been some time now since you could walk into a dealership and buy something brand new with an octagon shaped badge on it. MG’s prestigious history came to a close in the UK, along with Rover, a number of years ago which was a rather sad day. The British brand had pedigree in sports cars and excitement in its saloons. The MG logo was a great export of the UK once upon a time with the Americans going crazy for MG Bs and Midgets. After being bought-out by Chinese car firm, SAIC, it has all been quiet up at Longbridge, until last year that is. MG resurfaced on the UK market with the MG 6, a Focus rival that promised value for money. Whilst it delivered on the value front, its engine was on the receiving end of much journalistic grumbling. However, today we are testing the new diesel variation of the MG 6 GT that could just be the key to MG getting a foothold on the market it once called home.
In its metallic grey and wearing a set of bold 18inch ally wheels, our MG 6 welcomed comments from onlookers such as “that’s smart” and even one “that’s a well fly set of wheels bro” from a young chap wearing a cap at a jaunty angle. Though its styling is more subtle than competitors, it’s overall aesthetic gives this MG a rather grownup appearance.
Under the bonnet sits a new 1.9 litre turbocharged diesel engine that claims to do 53MPG. After a week of testing in multiple scenarios our average was in the high 40’s and so with a lighter right foot we are led to believe that MG’s figure is entirely possible. The engine itself is the real star of the car providing a nice dollop of low end torque that is then supplemented by the turbo. Inside our top specification car you are greeted by plush leather seats that are fantastic on long journeys. The toys list is extensive and includes; reversing camera, Bluetooth, satellite navigation, heated seats, dual zone climate control and cruise control. Did I mention that you can have all of this for just over £20,000? The equivalent Honda Civic would set you back over £3,000 more. With the MG’s class leading boot and interior space, it really is vast inside, the question is does it have a downside? Well, unfortunately the interior plastics still don’t feel top notch and the handbrake is an ergonomic nightmare. The key has always been a source of criticism on this car as it feels far too light and doesn’t really represent the premium product the MG 6 GT sets out to be. That all said, the car is still very good value for money and the target market, AKA my Dad, could not find fault with it.
On the road the MG 6 is a very competent machine. In urban areas a restricted rear view is aided by the parking sensors and reversing camera, something worth investing in. The steering is relatively light at low speeds but provides good level of driver feedback once you are up to pace. Its ride is a little on the firm side, however, the reward for putting up with rutted roads is keen handling and a suspension setup that does a very good job of hiding the extra weight of the diesel engine. The cars agility is impressive as it swoops into bends and blast out of them with the enthusiasm of a small child. Whilst taking it on a photo shoot in a forest the twisting roads provided a tarmac playground for the 6 to play. This car does something very interesting in that despite its size, its ability to change direction at a moments notice makes it feel much smaller. Though it is good fun on a b-road, the MG 6 is most at home on the motorway. It’s diesel engine provides good fuel economy, though a little less than competitors, and when the turbo is on song you can often forget just how fast you are going. From within the cabin it is a comfortable and rather relaxing environment to be in for long periods. Engine, road and wind noise is minimal and with cruise control engaged it just eats up the miles.
When the MG 6 first arrived I have to admit I did have a few gripes with it, primarily around its use of interior materials, but after a week and many many miles I have grown quite fond of it. I enjoyed people talking to me about their old MG’s in the car park, I adored its engine and just before the car left for its journey back to Longbridge I found myself polishing its proudly placed octagon badge. This is a reassuring start for a company that aims to relive its former glory.
