Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Ferrari F430
Overview
The F430's chassis is heavily based on its predecessor, the 360. Internally, both cars are referred to with the same model number (F131), though the F430 has the Evoluzione tag attached to show that it features some major changes. Internally, the car is simply known as the "Evo".
The MSRP for a Ferrari F430 is between $168,005–$227,000 in the United States.[3] The F430 is sold starting at about £120,000[4] in the United Kingdom, approximately €175,000 in the European Union and $389,000 for the base model to $450,000 for the Spider F1 Sequential in Australia.
Design
The rear end of the F430
F430 Side MirrorThe body has been redesigned to be more curvaceous and aerodynamic. Although the drag coefficient remains the same, downforce has been greatly enhanced. A great deal of Ferrari heritage is found in the car: at the rear, the Enzo's tail lights and interior vents have been added. The car's name has been etched into the Testarossa-styled driver's side mirror. The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from the 60s, specifically the 156"sharknose" Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars of Phil Hill.
Engine
Along with a restyled body, the F430 features a 4.3 L V8 petrol engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design. This new powerplant is a significant departure for the F430's line: the engines of all previous V8 Ferraris were descendants of the Dino racing program of the 1950s. This fifty year development cycle comes to an end with the entirely new 4.3 L, the architecture of which is expected to replace the Dino-derived V12 in most other Ferrari cars. The engine's output specifications are: 360.4 kW (483 hp) at 8500 rpm and 465 N·m (343 lb·ft) of torque at 5250 rpm. The F430will reach a top speed of 197 mph (317 km/h).
Brakes
The brakes on the F430 were designed in close collaboration with Brembo. The result has been a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better heat dissipation performance. Another option Ferrari is providing are Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite discs. Ceramics have much higher resistance to heat and brake fade than metals, the F430's brakes offer not only good performance but also a longer lifespan. Ferrari claims the brakes will not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track.
Features
The F430 includes the E-Diff, a computer-controlled limited slip differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs such as steering angle and lateral acceleration.
Other notable features include the first application of Ferrari's manettino steering wheel-mounted control knob[1]. Drivers can select from five different settings which modify the vehicle's ESP system, "Skyhook" electronic suspension, transmission behavior, throttle response, and E-Diff. The feature is similar to Land Rover's "Terrain Response" system.
The Ferrari F430 was also released with exclusive Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tires. "A car with such performance needs to be equipped with the best tires on the market," said Jean Jacques Wiroth, European director of Original Equipment Sales and Marketing for Goodyear tires, adding "we are proud that Ferrari chose the Goodyear Eagle F1 with run-flat technology." The Eagle F1 GSD3 has a striking V-shaped tread design and OneTRED technology.
Performance
Car and Driver magazine found the car's performance worthy of the Ferrari heritage, and recorded a 3.5 sec 0-60 mph acceleration run in the F430[2] This makes it the third-quickest Ferrari road car ever made, following the Enzo and the 599 GTB. That being said, the 3.5 second 0-60 mph run was made on a European spec car, which has launch control, a feature designed to help launch the car from a standing start at high RPMs. Much like the E-Diff and the manettino, the launch control is a technology borrowed from Ferrari's Formula 1 racing program.[1] The launch control is unavailable in U.S.-spec F430s, presumably due to liability issues. The U.S.-spec F430 can do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds .
On the BBC Top Gear TV show, shown on the 17 July 2005, The Stig achieved a Power Lap time of 1:22.9. While the laptime was 0.89 seconds less than a Lamborghini Murciélago, the F430 was slower than the 360 Challenge Stradale at 1:22.3. The slower lap was blamed on the F430's Bridgestone tires supposedly having less grip than the Challenge Stradale's Pirellis.
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has commented on the F430's handling being absolutely brilliant, a marked improvement over the 360; he claimed that the Ferrari holds the road so well that "even the most butter-fingered, incapable driver could drive the F430 around their test track only one second slower than the most skilled test driver". He has in fact proclaimed, on more than one occasion, that the Ferrari F430 is "just about the best car I've ever driven", a status he previously attributed to the F355 (but never the 360).
The car develops about 300 kgf (2.9 kN/661.39 lbf) of downforce at top speed (without rear wing).
Special versions
F430 Spider
A Spider interiorThe F430 Spider is the convertible version based on the coupé. The 430 Spider is Ferrari's 21st roadgoing convertible. The Spider is - just like the coupé - quite similar in looks to the Ferrari 360.
Despite the car's mid-mounted engine Ferrari's engineers found a way of creating a hood that automatically folds away inside the engine bay, thus ensuring purity of line. The striptease from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action that has been dubbed "a stunning 20 second mechanical symphony". After a short to and fro, the entire top disappears into a closed storage area between the seating and the engine.
The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé.
F430 GT2
Risi Competizione's Ferrari F430 GT2 at the American Le Mans Series' Generac 500.Built to replace the 360 GTC in 2006, the GT2 is a racing car designed to compete in international GT2 class competition, such as in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and FIA GT Championship. F430 GT2s also compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They are the fastest and most developed racing versions of the F430.
In FIA GT2 championship, in order to render the car performances more uniform, the cars are forced to run with a specific minimal weight and with an engine restrictor that depends on the engine displacement. Hence the 4.3 L V8 engine in GT2 races is destroked to 4.0 L in order to compete in the 3.8-4.0 L class, which is allowed to race with a mimimum weight of 1100 kg (2425 lb).Using the 4.3 L engine, the minimum weight of the F430 would increase by 50 kg (110 lb). In this race configuration, the engine produces somewhat less power, but this is compensated by the lower car weight, which yields a better weight/power ratio.
The F430 GT2s won their class championships in the ALMS and FIA GT, as well as scoring a class win at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring.
430 Scuderia
Ferrari 430 Scuderia at 2008 NAIASServing as the successor onto the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia was unveiled by Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aimed to compete with cars like the Porsche RS-models and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, meaning super light weight, it is lighter (by 100 kg/220 lb) and more powerful (515 PS (508 hp/379 kW) at 8500 rpm.) than the standard F430. Thus the weight-to-power ratio is reduced from 2.96 kg/hp to 2.5 kg/hp. In addition to the weight saving measures, the Scuderia semi-automatic transmission gains improved 'Superfast', known as 'Superfast2', software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A new traction control system combines the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia does 0-60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in 3.1 s[9] and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 3.6 seconds,[10] with a top speed of 198 miles per hour (319 km/h).[10]
The cosmetic differences between the 430 Scuderia and the F430 upon which it is based include a re-styled front fascia, modified side-skirts, twin exhaust tips, a revised rear diffuser design, 19" wheels designed specifically for the 430 Scuderia, carbon-fibre wing mirrors, carbon-fibre challenge grille, two racing stripes along the middle and the 430 Scuderia badge.
The F430's chassis is heavily based on its predecessor, the 360. Internally, both cars are referred to with the same model number (F131), though the F430 has the Evoluzione tag attached to show that it features some major changes. Internally, the car is simply known as the "Evo".
The MSRP for a Ferrari F430 is between $168,005–$227,000 in the United States.[3] The F430 is sold starting at about £120,000[4] in the United Kingdom, approximately €175,000 in the European Union and $389,000 for the base model to $450,000 for the Spider F1 Sequential in Australia.
Design
The rear end of the F430
F430 Side MirrorThe body has been redesigned to be more curvaceous and aerodynamic. Although the drag coefficient remains the same, downforce has been greatly enhanced. A great deal of Ferrari heritage is found in the car: at the rear, the Enzo's tail lights and interior vents have been added. The car's name has been etched into the Testarossa-styled driver's side mirror. The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from the 60s, specifically the 156"sharknose" Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars of Phil Hill.
Engine
Along with a restyled body, the F430 features a 4.3 L V8 petrol engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design. This new powerplant is a significant departure for the F430's line: the engines of all previous V8 Ferraris were descendants of the Dino racing program of the 1950s. This fifty year development cycle comes to an end with the entirely new 4.3 L, the architecture of which is expected to replace the Dino-derived V12 in most other Ferrari cars. The engine's output specifications are: 360.4 kW (483 hp) at 8500 rpm and 465 N·m (343 lb·ft) of torque at 5250 rpm. The F430will reach a top speed of 197 mph (317 km/h).
Brakes
The brakes on the F430 were designed in close collaboration with Brembo. The result has been a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better heat dissipation performance. Another option Ferrari is providing are Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite discs. Ceramics have much higher resistance to heat and brake fade than metals, the F430's brakes offer not only good performance but also a longer lifespan. Ferrari claims the brakes will not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track.
Features
The F430 includes the E-Diff, a computer-controlled limited slip differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs such as steering angle and lateral acceleration.
Other notable features include the first application of Ferrari's manettino steering wheel-mounted control knob[1]. Drivers can select from five different settings which modify the vehicle's ESP system, "Skyhook" electronic suspension, transmission behavior, throttle response, and E-Diff. The feature is similar to Land Rover's "Terrain Response" system.
The Ferrari F430 was also released with exclusive Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tires. "A car with such performance needs to be equipped with the best tires on the market," said Jean Jacques Wiroth, European director of Original Equipment Sales and Marketing for Goodyear tires, adding "we are proud that Ferrari chose the Goodyear Eagle F1 with run-flat technology." The Eagle F1 GSD3 has a striking V-shaped tread design and OneTRED technology.
Performance
Car and Driver magazine found the car's performance worthy of the Ferrari heritage, and recorded a 3.5 sec 0-60 mph acceleration run in the F430[2] This makes it the third-quickest Ferrari road car ever made, following the Enzo and the 599 GTB. That being said, the 3.5 second 0-60 mph run was made on a European spec car, which has launch control, a feature designed to help launch the car from a standing start at high RPMs. Much like the E-Diff and the manettino, the launch control is a technology borrowed from Ferrari's Formula 1 racing program.[1] The launch control is unavailable in U.S.-spec F430s, presumably due to liability issues. The U.S.-spec F430 can do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds .
On the BBC Top Gear TV show, shown on the 17 July 2005, The Stig achieved a Power Lap time of 1:22.9. While the laptime was 0.89 seconds less than a Lamborghini Murciélago, the F430 was slower than the 360 Challenge Stradale at 1:22.3. The slower lap was blamed on the F430's Bridgestone tires supposedly having less grip than the Challenge Stradale's Pirellis.
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has commented on the F430's handling being absolutely brilliant, a marked improvement over the 360; he claimed that the Ferrari holds the road so well that "even the most butter-fingered, incapable driver could drive the F430 around their test track only one second slower than the most skilled test driver". He has in fact proclaimed, on more than one occasion, that the Ferrari F430 is "just about the best car I've ever driven", a status he previously attributed to the F355 (but never the 360).
The car develops about 300 kgf (2.9 kN/661.39 lbf) of downforce at top speed (without rear wing).
Special versions
F430 Spider
A Spider interiorThe F430 Spider is the convertible version based on the coupé. The 430 Spider is Ferrari's 21st roadgoing convertible. The Spider is - just like the coupé - quite similar in looks to the Ferrari 360.
Despite the car's mid-mounted engine Ferrari's engineers found a way of creating a hood that automatically folds away inside the engine bay, thus ensuring purity of line. The striptease from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action that has been dubbed "a stunning 20 second mechanical symphony". After a short to and fro, the entire top disappears into a closed storage area between the seating and the engine.
The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé.
F430 GT2
Risi Competizione's Ferrari F430 GT2 at the American Le Mans Series' Generac 500.Built to replace the 360 GTC in 2006, the GT2 is a racing car designed to compete in international GT2 class competition, such as in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and FIA GT Championship. F430 GT2s also compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They are the fastest and most developed racing versions of the F430.
In FIA GT2 championship, in order to render the car performances more uniform, the cars are forced to run with a specific minimal weight and with an engine restrictor that depends on the engine displacement. Hence the 4.3 L V8 engine in GT2 races is destroked to 4.0 L in order to compete in the 3.8-4.0 L class, which is allowed to race with a mimimum weight of 1100 kg (2425 lb).Using the 4.3 L engine, the minimum weight of the F430 would increase by 50 kg (110 lb). In this race configuration, the engine produces somewhat less power, but this is compensated by the lower car weight, which yields a better weight/power ratio.
The F430 GT2s won their class championships in the ALMS and FIA GT, as well as scoring a class win at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring.
430 Scuderia
Ferrari 430 Scuderia at 2008 NAIASServing as the successor onto the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia was unveiled by Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aimed to compete with cars like the Porsche RS-models and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, meaning super light weight, it is lighter (by 100 kg/220 lb) and more powerful (515 PS (508 hp/379 kW) at 8500 rpm.) than the standard F430. Thus the weight-to-power ratio is reduced from 2.96 kg/hp to 2.5 kg/hp. In addition to the weight saving measures, the Scuderia semi-automatic transmission gains improved 'Superfast', known as 'Superfast2', software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A new traction control system combines the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia does 0-60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in 3.1 s[9] and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 3.6 seconds,[10] with a top speed of 198 miles per hour (319 km/h).[10]
The cosmetic differences between the 430 Scuderia and the F430 upon which it is based include a re-styled front fascia, modified side-skirts, twin exhaust tips, a revised rear diffuser design, 19" wheels designed specifically for the 430 Scuderia, carbon-fibre wing mirrors, carbon-fibre challenge grille, two racing stripes along the middle and the 430 Scuderia badge.
Mercedes S-Class
2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Vehicle Overview
Introduction
Perhaps no luxury sedan has ferried so many celebrities, foreign dignitaries and well-to-do professionals as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In recent years, this flagship four-door, with its über-luxurious interior, brand prestige and host of high-tech options, has been one of the finest luxury sedans one can buy short of much more expensive options from Bentley, Maybach or Rolls-Royce.
Although the 2009 S-Class has a bulky curb weight to match its imposing street presence, any of the available engines can pull the sedan's weight with ease. From a 5.5-liter V8 that delivers 382 horsepower to a twin-turbo V12 pumping out 604 hp, the S-Class offers a range of power plants that are sure to impress. Inside, the richly appointed cabin is adorned with high-quality leather and polished wood. High-tech accessories such as a hard-drive-based navigation system, adaptive seats, the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension technology and Distronic Plus cruise control offer an impressive range of capabilities that set the S-Class apart from the pack.
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will no doubt satisfy just about any ultra-luxury-sedan buyer. But it's still worth taking a look at other options. Specifically, the all-new 2009 BMW 750i should be a more athletic-handling alternative to the S550, and the often-overlooked Audi A8 remains a favorite of ours due to its understated yet classy demeanor. And for those who can't decide between the two high-performance AMG models, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur sits nicely in between, both power- and price-wise. Still, Mercedes' S-Class essentially sets the standard here -- and that's something the world's celebrities, foreign dignitaries and well-to-do professionals will no doubt testify to.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
Five trim levels are available on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan: the S550, the all-wheel-drive S550 4Matic, the V12-powered S600, the high-performance S63 AMG and the über-performance S65 AMG. Standard equipment on both S550 models includes 18-inch wheels, an automatic air spring suspension, bi-xenon headlights, an electronic trunk closer, heated and active ventilated front seats with 14-way power adjustments, leather upholstery, the COMAND control interface, a hard-drive-based navigation system, an in-dash memory-card reader, Bluetooth and a Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system with a six-CD changer and satellite radio. Optional on the S550 is the Premium 2 package that includes a rearview camera, a park distance system and keyless ignition and entry, as well as a sport package that includes 19-inch AMG wheels, dual-chrome exhaust and a body kit.
The S63 AMG, in addition to a larger, more powerful V8 engine, comes standard with all the features of the S550 and adds 20-inch lightweight AMG wheels, Mercedes' ABC adaptive suspension (optional on the rear-drive S550), larger brakes, park distance sensors, a rearview camera, specific exterior styling pieces, keyless ignition and entry and sport seats with massage function. An optional AMG performance package adds different 20-inch wheels and carbon-fiber trim, and the top speed of the car is raised from 155 mph to 186 mph.
The V12-equipped S600 comes standard with 18-inch wheels and all the features found on the S550, plus the Premium 2 package, the ABC suspension system, a panoramic sunroof, Night View Assist, the Distronic Plus system, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, four-zone climate control, dynamic-adjusting front seats with massage function, and power rear sun blinds. The S65 AMG includes all these features plus 20-inch wheels, dedicated AMG exterior and interior styling, special sport seats and a leather-trimmed sport steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles.
Many standard features found on the higher-end S-Class models are available as stand-alone options on models without these features as standard. In addition, a glovebox-mounted iPod integration kit is optional on all models.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 sports a 5.5-liter V8 that makes 382 hp and 391 pound-feet of torque. In testing, we've found that this is enough for a 6.1-second 0-60-mph time. A standard seven-speed automatic transmission routes power to the rear wheels. Opt for the S550 4Matic and this same transmission routes power to all four wheels. The Mercedes S63 AMG has a 6.2-liter V8 capable of 518 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The S63 also uses the seven-speed automatic, but it's recalibrated for faster, firmer shifts.
A choice of two 12-cylinder engines is found in the two remaining S-Class models. The S600's twin-turbo V12 is of the same displacement as the V8, but provides 510 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. For the S65 AMG, a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 develops a positively ludicrous 604 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. Anything more would have to be fueled by nuclear fission. Mercedes says the S65 AMG can hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. On the V12s, Mercedes sticks with a five-speed automatic since the seven-speed unit isn't capable of handling the V12's torque output. The S65 has a sport-tuned version of this automatic that provides quicker shifts.
Fuel economy is predictably mediocre for a heavy sedan with this much power. The S550 is rated at 14 mpg city/22 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined. The S550 4Matic comes in at 14/21/17 mpg. The S600, S63 AMG and S65 AMG all somewhat surprisingly achieve the same 11/17/13 mpg.
Safety
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has some of the most advanced safety systems on the market today. Active headlights, stability control, eight airbags (including full-length curtain and side rear airbags) and brake assist are all standard, as well as Mercedes' PreSafe system, which can sense an impending crash and automatically tighten the seatbelts and reposition the power seats for maximum airbag protection. The optional Night Vision Assist uses infrared technology to detect objects far beyond headlight range.
Interior Design and Special Features
Fit and finish is impeccable on Mercedes' flagship, and the materials quality is truly superb. When it comes to usability, many find Mercedes' COMAND system quirky and unintuitive, although the current generation of the interface is easier to use than in the past. Another pet peeve is the S-Class' turn signal stalk, which is located down lower than on most cars and is somewhat inconvenient to reach.
Optional dynamic multicontour seats have 11 air chambers that fill and deflate as you drive, which allows the seat to cradle your body in virtually any position. During aggressive driving, the side bolsters can automatically pump up and down in response to cornering forces to better hold you in place. These seats can also provide a soothing massage. Those in the rear seat can be taken care of in similar fashion, particularly when the S-Class is equipped with the rear-seat package that adds power adjustment, heating and cooled seats, and its own set of two-zone automatic climate controls.
Driving Impressions
Ride and handling on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class are compliant and fitting for a luxury sedan, yet the heavyweight four-door's capabilities go beyond what you'd expect. The Airmatic suspension system does a fine job gliding over bumps and ruts, and body lean is effectively minimized when the S-Class is equipped with the ABC system. The steering is fairly quick and precise with decent heft to the wheel, though we'd still give the BMW 7 Series a slight edge in road feel. Tight handling makes the car feel smaller than it is, even if we wouldn't exactly call the S-Class athletic.
Introduction
Perhaps no luxury sedan has ferried so many celebrities, foreign dignitaries and well-to-do professionals as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In recent years, this flagship four-door, with its über-luxurious interior, brand prestige and host of high-tech options, has been one of the finest luxury sedans one can buy short of much more expensive options from Bentley, Maybach or Rolls-Royce.
Although the 2009 S-Class has a bulky curb weight to match its imposing street presence, any of the available engines can pull the sedan's weight with ease. From a 5.5-liter V8 that delivers 382 horsepower to a twin-turbo V12 pumping out 604 hp, the S-Class offers a range of power plants that are sure to impress. Inside, the richly appointed cabin is adorned with high-quality leather and polished wood. High-tech accessories such as a hard-drive-based navigation system, adaptive seats, the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension technology and Distronic Plus cruise control offer an impressive range of capabilities that set the S-Class apart from the pack.
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will no doubt satisfy just about any ultra-luxury-sedan buyer. But it's still worth taking a look at other options. Specifically, the all-new 2009 BMW 750i should be a more athletic-handling alternative to the S550, and the often-overlooked Audi A8 remains a favorite of ours due to its understated yet classy demeanor. And for those who can't decide between the two high-performance AMG models, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur sits nicely in between, both power- and price-wise. Still, Mercedes' S-Class essentially sets the standard here -- and that's something the world's celebrities, foreign dignitaries and well-to-do professionals will no doubt testify to.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
Five trim levels are available on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan: the S550, the all-wheel-drive S550 4Matic, the V12-powered S600, the high-performance S63 AMG and the über-performance S65 AMG. Standard equipment on both S550 models includes 18-inch wheels, an automatic air spring suspension, bi-xenon headlights, an electronic trunk closer, heated and active ventilated front seats with 14-way power adjustments, leather upholstery, the COMAND control interface, a hard-drive-based navigation system, an in-dash memory-card reader, Bluetooth and a Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system with a six-CD changer and satellite radio. Optional on the S550 is the Premium 2 package that includes a rearview camera, a park distance system and keyless ignition and entry, as well as a sport package that includes 19-inch AMG wheels, dual-chrome exhaust and a body kit.
The S63 AMG, in addition to a larger, more powerful V8 engine, comes standard with all the features of the S550 and adds 20-inch lightweight AMG wheels, Mercedes' ABC adaptive suspension (optional on the rear-drive S550), larger brakes, park distance sensors, a rearview camera, specific exterior styling pieces, keyless ignition and entry and sport seats with massage function. An optional AMG performance package adds different 20-inch wheels and carbon-fiber trim, and the top speed of the car is raised from 155 mph to 186 mph.
The V12-equipped S600 comes standard with 18-inch wheels and all the features found on the S550, plus the Premium 2 package, the ABC suspension system, a panoramic sunroof, Night View Assist, the Distronic Plus system, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, four-zone climate control, dynamic-adjusting front seats with massage function, and power rear sun blinds. The S65 AMG includes all these features plus 20-inch wheels, dedicated AMG exterior and interior styling, special sport seats and a leather-trimmed sport steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles.
Many standard features found on the higher-end S-Class models are available as stand-alone options on models without these features as standard. In addition, a glovebox-mounted iPod integration kit is optional on all models.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 sports a 5.5-liter V8 that makes 382 hp and 391 pound-feet of torque. In testing, we've found that this is enough for a 6.1-second 0-60-mph time. A standard seven-speed automatic transmission routes power to the rear wheels. Opt for the S550 4Matic and this same transmission routes power to all four wheels. The Mercedes S63 AMG has a 6.2-liter V8 capable of 518 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The S63 also uses the seven-speed automatic, but it's recalibrated for faster, firmer shifts.
A choice of two 12-cylinder engines is found in the two remaining S-Class models. The S600's twin-turbo V12 is of the same displacement as the V8, but provides 510 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. For the S65 AMG, a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 develops a positively ludicrous 604 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. Anything more would have to be fueled by nuclear fission. Mercedes says the S65 AMG can hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. On the V12s, Mercedes sticks with a five-speed automatic since the seven-speed unit isn't capable of handling the V12's torque output. The S65 has a sport-tuned version of this automatic that provides quicker shifts.
Fuel economy is predictably mediocre for a heavy sedan with this much power. The S550 is rated at 14 mpg city/22 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined. The S550 4Matic comes in at 14/21/17 mpg. The S600, S63 AMG and S65 AMG all somewhat surprisingly achieve the same 11/17/13 mpg.
Safety
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has some of the most advanced safety systems on the market today. Active headlights, stability control, eight airbags (including full-length curtain and side rear airbags) and brake assist are all standard, as well as Mercedes' PreSafe system, which can sense an impending crash and automatically tighten the seatbelts and reposition the power seats for maximum airbag protection. The optional Night Vision Assist uses infrared technology to detect objects far beyond headlight range.
Interior Design and Special Features
Fit and finish is impeccable on Mercedes' flagship, and the materials quality is truly superb. When it comes to usability, many find Mercedes' COMAND system quirky and unintuitive, although the current generation of the interface is easier to use than in the past. Another pet peeve is the S-Class' turn signal stalk, which is located down lower than on most cars and is somewhat inconvenient to reach.
Optional dynamic multicontour seats have 11 air chambers that fill and deflate as you drive, which allows the seat to cradle your body in virtually any position. During aggressive driving, the side bolsters can automatically pump up and down in response to cornering forces to better hold you in place. These seats can also provide a soothing massage. Those in the rear seat can be taken care of in similar fashion, particularly when the S-Class is equipped with the rear-seat package that adds power adjustment, heating and cooled seats, and its own set of two-zone automatic climate controls.
Driving Impressions
Ride and handling on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class are compliant and fitting for a luxury sedan, yet the heavyweight four-door's capabilities go beyond what you'd expect. The Airmatic suspension system does a fine job gliding over bumps and ruts, and body lean is effectively minimized when the S-Class is equipped with the ABC system. The steering is fairly quick and precise with decent heft to the wheel, though we'd still give the BMW 7 Series a slight edge in road feel. Tight handling makes the car feel smaller than it is, even if we wouldn't exactly call the S-Class athletic.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Audi R 8
Audi previously impressed us with its handling technology in the Audi TT, but even that car feels a little staid when compared with the 2008 Audi R8. The R8 holds the pavement as only a low-slung car with all-wheel-drive and massive tires can. Then Audi throws in its magnetic damping technology to keep the suspension tuned for whatever kind of road you are driving on and puts the engine in the middle to balance the car. All of this combines to let us take the R8 around corners at speeds we wouldn't think possible.
For cabin tech, the R8 is well equipped with Audi's standard navigation, Bluetooth, and stereo module, all controlled through its multimedia interface. Although there is a lot to like about these components, we still have our usual litany of complaints for Audi, from its difficult destination entry to some quirks with the audio system. As we've seen a few cars with hard drive-based navigation systems, DVD-based navigation, used in the Audi R8, seems slow.
Test the tech: R8 and M3We must have cured lepers in a previous life because our karma was working overtime, as evidenced by the 2008 Audi R8 and the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe arriving in our garage the same week. Although we felt a head-to-head competition between these two cars wouldn't be appropriate, we decided to take them both on a sport drive over some excellent twisty roads north of San Francisco. We had two drivers swapping cars and noting the differences. As a bonus, we had taken the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet over this same route the week before, giving us a further point of comparison.
The Audi R8 and the BMW M3 square off next to Tomales Bay.
For the first part of our run, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and turned off the freeway at Lucas Valley Road, which afforded us some easy turns, and time to get used to the cars. The trip out of the city was made difficult by the R8's R tronic transmission, a sequential manual gearbox with an automatic mode rebranded from Lamborghini's e-gear transmission. In fact, the R8 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, getting the same chassis and sharing 15 percent of its parts.
With the R tronic in automatic mode, there are huge power drops between the first three gears, causing serious lurching. Pushing the Sport button below the gearshift, which changes the shift points, mitigates this behavior and manually shifting the transmission can virtually eliminate the lurching. Overall, the R8 isn't fun to drive in traffic or at low speeds. On the other hand, the BMW M3, with its six-speed manual transmission, was perfectly comfortable to drive in congested areas, and made it easy to creep along at 5 mph when necessary. Fortunately, the R8 can also be purchased with a six-speed manual transmission.
Driving further north, we got onto long, winding roads with very few signs of civilization. At speed, the behavior of the R8's transmission smoothed out considerably, and the advantages of its fast shifts became apparent. We had left the automatic mode long ago in favor of the manual shifting, which could be accomplished by a tap on the steering wheel paddles or pushing the big metal shifter up or down. Attacking a corner, we would shift down to second or third gear, then put on the power, and the R8 followed our line through the curve almost perfectly. We noticed a little understeer coming in to the corners, forcing us to turn the wheel a little more than we would expect in a car like this. Also, we were a little surprised at the wheel-mounted paddle shifters, which looked similar to what we saw in the Volkswagen R32 and the Acura TL-S. We would expect them to be anchored to the steering column in a real high-performance car, so their position doesn't change while cornering.
A turn like this won't bother the R8 one bit.
Unfortunately for the BMW, the Audi R8 made the M3's handling feel cumbersome. After feeling the R8 grip the corners and follow through perfectly, the M3 felt big and unwieldy, partly because of the higher center of gravity and seating position. Where the R8 stayed perfectly flat as g-forces tried to pull it out, the M3 felt as if it had body roll, and would definitely lean out in the corners. Compared with most other cars, the M3 would impress us with its cornering, but the R8 is just that good. Of course, the M3 also behaves like a rear-wheel-drive car, with the road holding electronics letting the back end step out just a bit on the corners. Once we got used to this controlled slip, we could use it to take the corners and get the car pointed in the right direction. Driving both of these cars was a perfect illustration of the differences between rear-wheel versus all-wheel-drive handling.
Both cars offered 420 horsepower to get us going, with the R8 putting out 317 foot-pounds of torque versus the M3's 295 foot-pounds. With both cars, we felt a big push of acceleration in any gear when we hit the gas. But where the BMW could run all day in third gear, the R8 required us to shift more. On the straighter sections of the roads we drove, the BMW made no complaint as we ran it faster than 70 mph in third gear, while the R8 felt as if it needed an upshift to fourth gear about 60 mph. The manual transmission version of the R8 probably won't perform any different, as the gear ratios for each transmission choice are exactly the same.
People whipped out cameras wherever we went in the R8.
After this drive, we concluded that, while we liked the handling of the Audi R8 better than that of the BMW M3, the Bimmer proved a better car for multipurpose use, a fact made clearer by the lack of a back seat and the minimal storage space in the Audi R8. Behind the wheel, the Audi R8 felt more like a high-performance car than the BMW. The R8 was the one that got all the attention from other people, while the M3 was almost completely ignored.
In the cabin While we've seen clear attention to detail in the cockpits of other cars that list for more than $100,000, the interior of the R8 feels more like an afterthought. Everything is basic black, with no fancy stitching or accents made from exotic materials. All instruments are focused on the driver, and the small sport steering wheel has a flattened bottom. The seats are fully power adjustable, and reasonably comfortable, but this cabin doesn't pamper the driver.
The cabin of the R8 doesn't spoil you.
The major cabin tech, including the navigation system, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and a six-disc changer, are all options in the R8, surprising in a car at this price level. Audi's MMI controller sits below the LCD, while the onscreen interface uses Audi's standard color scheme, with blue for navigation, amber for audio, and green for phone operations. There is also a voice command system.
With colorful graphics, the navigation system's maps look pretty good, and it showed the accurate location of the car during our driving. But destination entry isn't very straightforward with this system. To enter a destination, you have to choose a menu area labeled Memory, an unlikely name, and then tediously choose letters from a rotary dial for city and street names. Besides entering an exact address, you can also choose a location from the map using a cross-hair system, also tedious, or choose from a limited database of points of interest. The navigation system's route guidance is similarly basic, with no advanced features such as text to speech or live traffic reporting.
We found this interface tedious for inputting street and city names.
We do like Audi's hands-free cell phone integration, which can be used either with a cradle or wirelessly, through Bluetooth, in the Audi R8. The system downloads the connected phone's contacts, making it easy to select an entry and call it while you are driving. You can also manually enter names and phone numbers into the car's address book, or save them from the points of interest database.
As with most recent Audis, we like the sound quality of the stereo, but don't care for the audio source choices. Our car came with an optional six-disc changer, mounted somewhat inconveniently behind the seats. This changer can't read MP3 CDs, a real rarity these days. Worse, there is no auxiliary audio input, and iPod integration isn't an option, as it is on other Audis. But it does offer two slots for SD cards, hidden behind the LCD, where you can load a few gigabytes worth of MP3 tracks. The interface for the cards is basic, just showing file names and folders.
As we've seen on other Audis, there are two SD card slots behind the LCD.
Our Audi R8 came with the basic sound system, consisting of seven speakers and a 140 watt amplifier. We found the audio quality very good overall, with decent bass and well separated highs. We would really have preferred the optional Bang & Olufsen audio system, though, which uses a 465-watt, 10-channel amplifier and pumps music through 12 speakers. As with other options in the R8, we think that Audi should make them standard, considering the price of the car.
As part of the car's Premium package, it gets a reverse camera and sonar parking sensors, a very useful feature in this car, where the seating position makes it difficult to see the front and rear.
Under the hoodThe beating heart of the Audi R8, its 4.2-liter direct injection eight-cylinder engine, sits under a glass panel behind the cabin. As mentioned above, this engine puts out 420 horsepower, at 7,800rpm, and 317 foot-pounds of torque, from 4,500rpm to 6,000rpm. Although the horsepower is significantly more than the torque, at this level of power and with a 3,600-pound curb weight, you don't feel shorted. With a hard foot on the gas the car will punch you in the back. Audi gives the R8 a top speed of 187 mph and only 4.4 seconds to 60 mph.
An eight-cylinder engine under glass is on the menu with the Audi R8.
Handling, as mentioned above, is really superb. We noted some understeer coming into the corners, but the car follows through on the turns very well. We pushed it hard and didn't detect wheel slip, while the balanced nature of the car gave us confidence to push it even harder. Fortunately, Audi's magnetic damping system and Quattro all-wheel-drive are standard on the R8. The damping system applies magnetic fields to magnetized fluid in the shock absorbers to adjust the suspension based on the road feel and the driving style, so the car can stiffen up if it senses cornering, or soften if it feels a long road with few turns. The R8 includes a button marked with a shock absorber to bias the suspension toward sport driving.
We also discussed the transmission a bit earlier in this review. While we are glad we got to test the R tronic transmission, for everyday driving we would much prefer the six-speed manual, which should generally make the car more controllable. The R tronic transmission uses a big metal shifter. Push it to the right and it goes into neutral. Reverse is down from neutral, or you can push it to the left, toward the driver, to put it in automatic mode. As soon as you push the shifter up or down from this mode, or hit one of the paddle shifters, the transmission goes into manual mode. There is no Park setting, encouraging drivers to think of it as a manual transmission. Audi also includes a hill start feature as an option, very useful on the R8.
Push the big metal shifter to the right and you are in neutral, to left and you're moving.
Now the bad news. The EPA rates the Audi R8 with fuel economy of 13 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway, subjecting it to a gas guzzler tax. While we saw the mileage go up to 16 mpg during freeway driving, we also saw it drop down to 6 mpg in heavy traffic. Overall, we came in at 10.6 mpg for our combined city and freeway driving. It should be noted that we did most of our driving with the revs up about 4,500. For emissions, it earns the minimal LEV II rating from California's Air Resources Board.
White LEDs line the lower part of the headlight enclosure, giving the R8 a distinct appearance.
A couple of other notable features of the R8 are the LED parking and tail lights and the adaptive spoiler. You can raise the spoiler by pushing a button, or just drive faster than 75 mph and watch it rise automatically. The LED parking lights are a unique feature, outlining the bottom of the head light casings.
In sumOur 2008 Audi R8 with the R tronic transmission has a base price of $118,000. Our short list of expensive options included enhanced leather for $5,500, navigation for $2,000, and the Premium package, which includes parking help, hill hold, Bluetooth, and the six-disc changer, for $3,500. With its $995 destination charge, our total increases to $132,745. The base price of the R8 with the six speed manual is $109,000, which we think is a better place to start.
For our ratings, we give the R8 a near perfect score for performance, only docking it a point for its poor mileage and the low speed behavior of the R tronic transmission. It earns a top score for design because it is such an overwhelmingly head-turning car. As its cabin gadgets are generally above average, we give it a moderate score, with a few points docked for the mediocre navigation system and the minimal digital options on the stereo.
For cabin tech, the R8 is well equipped with Audi's standard navigation, Bluetooth, and stereo module, all controlled through its multimedia interface. Although there is a lot to like about these components, we still have our usual litany of complaints for Audi, from its difficult destination entry to some quirks with the audio system. As we've seen a few cars with hard drive-based navigation systems, DVD-based navigation, used in the Audi R8, seems slow.
Test the tech: R8 and M3We must have cured lepers in a previous life because our karma was working overtime, as evidenced by the 2008 Audi R8 and the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe arriving in our garage the same week. Although we felt a head-to-head competition between these two cars wouldn't be appropriate, we decided to take them both on a sport drive over some excellent twisty roads north of San Francisco. We had two drivers swapping cars and noting the differences. As a bonus, we had taken the 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet over this same route the week before, giving us a further point of comparison.
The Audi R8 and the BMW M3 square off next to Tomales Bay.
For the first part of our run, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and turned off the freeway at Lucas Valley Road, which afforded us some easy turns, and time to get used to the cars. The trip out of the city was made difficult by the R8's R tronic transmission, a sequential manual gearbox with an automatic mode rebranded from Lamborghini's e-gear transmission. In fact, the R8 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, getting the same chassis and sharing 15 percent of its parts.
With the R tronic in automatic mode, there are huge power drops between the first three gears, causing serious lurching. Pushing the Sport button below the gearshift, which changes the shift points, mitigates this behavior and manually shifting the transmission can virtually eliminate the lurching. Overall, the R8 isn't fun to drive in traffic or at low speeds. On the other hand, the BMW M3, with its six-speed manual transmission, was perfectly comfortable to drive in congested areas, and made it easy to creep along at 5 mph when necessary. Fortunately, the R8 can also be purchased with a six-speed manual transmission.
Driving further north, we got onto long, winding roads with very few signs of civilization. At speed, the behavior of the R8's transmission smoothed out considerably, and the advantages of its fast shifts became apparent. We had left the automatic mode long ago in favor of the manual shifting, which could be accomplished by a tap on the steering wheel paddles or pushing the big metal shifter up or down. Attacking a corner, we would shift down to second or third gear, then put on the power, and the R8 followed our line through the curve almost perfectly. We noticed a little understeer coming in to the corners, forcing us to turn the wheel a little more than we would expect in a car like this. Also, we were a little surprised at the wheel-mounted paddle shifters, which looked similar to what we saw in the Volkswagen R32 and the Acura TL-S. We would expect them to be anchored to the steering column in a real high-performance car, so their position doesn't change while cornering.
A turn like this won't bother the R8 one bit.
Unfortunately for the BMW, the Audi R8 made the M3's handling feel cumbersome. After feeling the R8 grip the corners and follow through perfectly, the M3 felt big and unwieldy, partly because of the higher center of gravity and seating position. Where the R8 stayed perfectly flat as g-forces tried to pull it out, the M3 felt as if it had body roll, and would definitely lean out in the corners. Compared with most other cars, the M3 would impress us with its cornering, but the R8 is just that good. Of course, the M3 also behaves like a rear-wheel-drive car, with the road holding electronics letting the back end step out just a bit on the corners. Once we got used to this controlled slip, we could use it to take the corners and get the car pointed in the right direction. Driving both of these cars was a perfect illustration of the differences between rear-wheel versus all-wheel-drive handling.
Both cars offered 420 horsepower to get us going, with the R8 putting out 317 foot-pounds of torque versus the M3's 295 foot-pounds. With both cars, we felt a big push of acceleration in any gear when we hit the gas. But where the BMW could run all day in third gear, the R8 required us to shift more. On the straighter sections of the roads we drove, the BMW made no complaint as we ran it faster than 70 mph in third gear, while the R8 felt as if it needed an upshift to fourth gear about 60 mph. The manual transmission version of the R8 probably won't perform any different, as the gear ratios for each transmission choice are exactly the same.
People whipped out cameras wherever we went in the R8.
After this drive, we concluded that, while we liked the handling of the Audi R8 better than that of the BMW M3, the Bimmer proved a better car for multipurpose use, a fact made clearer by the lack of a back seat and the minimal storage space in the Audi R8. Behind the wheel, the Audi R8 felt more like a high-performance car than the BMW. The R8 was the one that got all the attention from other people, while the M3 was almost completely ignored.
In the cabin While we've seen clear attention to detail in the cockpits of other cars that list for more than $100,000, the interior of the R8 feels more like an afterthought. Everything is basic black, with no fancy stitching or accents made from exotic materials. All instruments are focused on the driver, and the small sport steering wheel has a flattened bottom. The seats are fully power adjustable, and reasonably comfortable, but this cabin doesn't pamper the driver.
The cabin of the R8 doesn't spoil you.
The major cabin tech, including the navigation system, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and a six-disc changer, are all options in the R8, surprising in a car at this price level. Audi's MMI controller sits below the LCD, while the onscreen interface uses Audi's standard color scheme, with blue for navigation, amber for audio, and green for phone operations. There is also a voice command system.
With colorful graphics, the navigation system's maps look pretty good, and it showed the accurate location of the car during our driving. But destination entry isn't very straightforward with this system. To enter a destination, you have to choose a menu area labeled Memory, an unlikely name, and then tediously choose letters from a rotary dial for city and street names. Besides entering an exact address, you can also choose a location from the map using a cross-hair system, also tedious, or choose from a limited database of points of interest. The navigation system's route guidance is similarly basic, with no advanced features such as text to speech or live traffic reporting.
We found this interface tedious for inputting street and city names.
We do like Audi's hands-free cell phone integration, which can be used either with a cradle or wirelessly, through Bluetooth, in the Audi R8. The system downloads the connected phone's contacts, making it easy to select an entry and call it while you are driving. You can also manually enter names and phone numbers into the car's address book, or save them from the points of interest database.
As with most recent Audis, we like the sound quality of the stereo, but don't care for the audio source choices. Our car came with an optional six-disc changer, mounted somewhat inconveniently behind the seats. This changer can't read MP3 CDs, a real rarity these days. Worse, there is no auxiliary audio input, and iPod integration isn't an option, as it is on other Audis. But it does offer two slots for SD cards, hidden behind the LCD, where you can load a few gigabytes worth of MP3 tracks. The interface for the cards is basic, just showing file names and folders.
As we've seen on other Audis, there are two SD card slots behind the LCD.
Our Audi R8 came with the basic sound system, consisting of seven speakers and a 140 watt amplifier. We found the audio quality very good overall, with decent bass and well separated highs. We would really have preferred the optional Bang & Olufsen audio system, though, which uses a 465-watt, 10-channel amplifier and pumps music through 12 speakers. As with other options in the R8, we think that Audi should make them standard, considering the price of the car.
As part of the car's Premium package, it gets a reverse camera and sonar parking sensors, a very useful feature in this car, where the seating position makes it difficult to see the front and rear.
Under the hoodThe beating heart of the Audi R8, its 4.2-liter direct injection eight-cylinder engine, sits under a glass panel behind the cabin. As mentioned above, this engine puts out 420 horsepower, at 7,800rpm, and 317 foot-pounds of torque, from 4,500rpm to 6,000rpm. Although the horsepower is significantly more than the torque, at this level of power and with a 3,600-pound curb weight, you don't feel shorted. With a hard foot on the gas the car will punch you in the back. Audi gives the R8 a top speed of 187 mph and only 4.4 seconds to 60 mph.
An eight-cylinder engine under glass is on the menu with the Audi R8.
Handling, as mentioned above, is really superb. We noted some understeer coming into the corners, but the car follows through on the turns very well. We pushed it hard and didn't detect wheel slip, while the balanced nature of the car gave us confidence to push it even harder. Fortunately, Audi's magnetic damping system and Quattro all-wheel-drive are standard on the R8. The damping system applies magnetic fields to magnetized fluid in the shock absorbers to adjust the suspension based on the road feel and the driving style, so the car can stiffen up if it senses cornering, or soften if it feels a long road with few turns. The R8 includes a button marked with a shock absorber to bias the suspension toward sport driving.
We also discussed the transmission a bit earlier in this review. While we are glad we got to test the R tronic transmission, for everyday driving we would much prefer the six-speed manual, which should generally make the car more controllable. The R tronic transmission uses a big metal shifter. Push it to the right and it goes into neutral. Reverse is down from neutral, or you can push it to the left, toward the driver, to put it in automatic mode. As soon as you push the shifter up or down from this mode, or hit one of the paddle shifters, the transmission goes into manual mode. There is no Park setting, encouraging drivers to think of it as a manual transmission. Audi also includes a hill start feature as an option, very useful on the R8.
Push the big metal shifter to the right and you are in neutral, to left and you're moving.
Now the bad news. The EPA rates the Audi R8 with fuel economy of 13 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway, subjecting it to a gas guzzler tax. While we saw the mileage go up to 16 mpg during freeway driving, we also saw it drop down to 6 mpg in heavy traffic. Overall, we came in at 10.6 mpg for our combined city and freeway driving. It should be noted that we did most of our driving with the revs up about 4,500. For emissions, it earns the minimal LEV II rating from California's Air Resources Board.
White LEDs line the lower part of the headlight enclosure, giving the R8 a distinct appearance.
A couple of other notable features of the R8 are the LED parking and tail lights and the adaptive spoiler. You can raise the spoiler by pushing a button, or just drive faster than 75 mph and watch it rise automatically. The LED parking lights are a unique feature, outlining the bottom of the head light casings.
In sumOur 2008 Audi R8 with the R tronic transmission has a base price of $118,000. Our short list of expensive options included enhanced leather for $5,500, navigation for $2,000, and the Premium package, which includes parking help, hill hold, Bluetooth, and the six-disc changer, for $3,500. With its $995 destination charge, our total increases to $132,745. The base price of the R8 with the six speed manual is $109,000, which we think is a better place to start.
For our ratings, we give the R8 a near perfect score for performance, only docking it a point for its poor mileage and the low speed behavior of the R tronic transmission. It earns a top score for design because it is such an overwhelmingly head-turning car. As its cabin gadgets are generally above average, we give it a moderate score, with a few points docked for the mediocre navigation system and the minimal digital options on the stereo.
Fiat Bravo
FIAT Bravo Preview Test
Gianna Nannini.That’s a name you probably haven’t ever heard of.If so, I strongly recommend you key it into Google or Amazon and get hold of one of her albums.She has the greatest voice in the whole of Italy. Deep, smoky and mellow, but is virtually unheard outside her home country. And hers is the voice behind the Italian commercials for the new FIAT Bravo.To begin his presentation, FIAT boss Luca de Meo explained that according to his research the main customer expectation from FIAT is style, at 37%. Quality came in at 16%.That’s lucky, then.Because the new FIAT Bravo, developed in just 18 months from conception to launch, is a triumph of style over substance.It’s a beautiful looking car, putting everything else in its class to shame apart from the Honda Civic, which takes style in a completely different direction. The new Bravo has the Maserati coupe look of the Grande Punto, but more so, with a low front and a steeply raked window line to pertly rounded rump. A cheer, then, for the styling.It’s roomy inside, with plenty of space for five, and a boot that can take 400 litres of luggage, which is more than any other car in its class. There is even room beneath the boot floor for a full-sized spare tyre, so we will have to hope that when the car arrives in the UK in July they will give us one. (The test car had polystyrene packing and an emergency ‘Fix&Go’ puncture repair kit.)FIAT has embraced some impressive new Microsoft technology called Blue&Me that mixes Bluetooth hands-free phone, entertainment, information, satellite navigation and telematics in a low priced package that outperforms and beats aftermarket kit, and is readily upgradeable with updated mapping. There’s even a USB port to facilitate this. Much hand-clapping ensued.So why was I less than impressed by the car?Well, Italian superboss Luca de Montezemelo was partly responsible by beginning his short speech with an ‘apology’ to the effect he “wore so many hats” he did not have more time to spend with the 1,500 or so delegates from as far afield as Venezuela and would be leaving immediately afterwards. Would I buy a car from a man who was too important to sell it to me? Or was the car not important enough for him to sell it to me?Then on to the Bravo itself which, to drive, is frankly disappointing.We seem to have got a Sport 150 Multijet fitted with optional 18” alloy wheels and 225/40 tyres. Seat comfort and range of seat and steering wheel adjustment are fine. There was nothing wrong with the quality of plastics and interior upholstery, including the ‘carbon look’ fascia band, though the leather covered parking brake lever was already rubbing its leather against the edge of its aperture. The fascia doesn’t reflect in the steeply raked screen. But, like the Alfa Brera, the ‘Sports instrument graphics’ on the speedo and rev counter make them difficult to read in strong daytime sunshine. I’d never actually driven a Stilo, which contributed its underpinnings to the new car. But if that’s what a Stilo was like I can fully understand its lack of success. The chassis has no brio at all. Steering is light, feel-free and unresponsive. The gearchange is slow and cumbersome. The 150PS diesel engine we drove felt like it had 120PS. The ride quality on 18” wheels with 40 section tyres was terrible. It may have been developed in record time by computer, but the reality is a beautiful body clothing a very ordinary car.The UK has to wait for right hand drive production and FIAT’s UK boss Giulio Salmone, has rightly put this back to July in order to be able to offer the new 120PS and 150PS 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engines we were unable to try on launch day. (10 examples for 1,500 journalists.)Later, there will be automated clutch, and a full automatic in 2008.On the road prices in Italy start at €14,900, rising to €22,800 for a Sport model. A five star NCAP rating is expected. Small practicalities include headlights you can at least change the bulbs of very easily.But on the strength of the one car we drove, either it needs more work or they need to ditch the 18” wheels option. Hopefully FIAT will be able to get this sorted by the time the Bravo reaches the UK.Detailed test 1.4 T-Jet 150 + full specs at:www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=318
Gianna Nannini.That’s a name you probably haven’t ever heard of.If so, I strongly recommend you key it into Google or Amazon and get hold of one of her albums.She has the greatest voice in the whole of Italy. Deep, smoky and mellow, but is virtually unheard outside her home country. And hers is the voice behind the Italian commercials for the new FIAT Bravo.To begin his presentation, FIAT boss Luca de Meo explained that according to his research the main customer expectation from FIAT is style, at 37%. Quality came in at 16%.That’s lucky, then.Because the new FIAT Bravo, developed in just 18 months from conception to launch, is a triumph of style over substance.It’s a beautiful looking car, putting everything else in its class to shame apart from the Honda Civic, which takes style in a completely different direction. The new Bravo has the Maserati coupe look of the Grande Punto, but more so, with a low front and a steeply raked window line to pertly rounded rump. A cheer, then, for the styling.It’s roomy inside, with plenty of space for five, and a boot that can take 400 litres of luggage, which is more than any other car in its class. There is even room beneath the boot floor for a full-sized spare tyre, so we will have to hope that when the car arrives in the UK in July they will give us one. (The test car had polystyrene packing and an emergency ‘Fix&Go’ puncture repair kit.)FIAT has embraced some impressive new Microsoft technology called Blue&Me that mixes Bluetooth hands-free phone, entertainment, information, satellite navigation and telematics in a low priced package that outperforms and beats aftermarket kit, and is readily upgradeable with updated mapping. There’s even a USB port to facilitate this. Much hand-clapping ensued.So why was I less than impressed by the car?Well, Italian superboss Luca de Montezemelo was partly responsible by beginning his short speech with an ‘apology’ to the effect he “wore so many hats” he did not have more time to spend with the 1,500 or so delegates from as far afield as Venezuela and would be leaving immediately afterwards. Would I buy a car from a man who was too important to sell it to me? Or was the car not important enough for him to sell it to me?Then on to the Bravo itself which, to drive, is frankly disappointing.We seem to have got a Sport 150 Multijet fitted with optional 18” alloy wheels and 225/40 tyres. Seat comfort and range of seat and steering wheel adjustment are fine. There was nothing wrong with the quality of plastics and interior upholstery, including the ‘carbon look’ fascia band, though the leather covered parking brake lever was already rubbing its leather against the edge of its aperture. The fascia doesn’t reflect in the steeply raked screen. But, like the Alfa Brera, the ‘Sports instrument graphics’ on the speedo and rev counter make them difficult to read in strong daytime sunshine. I’d never actually driven a Stilo, which contributed its underpinnings to the new car. But if that’s what a Stilo was like I can fully understand its lack of success. The chassis has no brio at all. Steering is light, feel-free and unresponsive. The gearchange is slow and cumbersome. The 150PS diesel engine we drove felt like it had 120PS. The ride quality on 18” wheels with 40 section tyres was terrible. It may have been developed in record time by computer, but the reality is a beautiful body clothing a very ordinary car.The UK has to wait for right hand drive production and FIAT’s UK boss Giulio Salmone, has rightly put this back to July in order to be able to offer the new 120PS and 150PS 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engines we were unable to try on launch day. (10 examples for 1,500 journalists.)Later, there will be automated clutch, and a full automatic in 2008.On the road prices in Italy start at €14,900, rising to €22,800 for a Sport model. A five star NCAP rating is expected. Small practicalities include headlights you can at least change the bulbs of very easily.But on the strength of the one car we drove, either it needs more work or they need to ditch the 18” wheels option. Hopefully FIAT will be able to get this sorted by the time the Bravo reaches the UK.Detailed test 1.4 T-Jet 150 + full specs at:www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=318
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