Forty years on, Valiant’s very cool coupe still gets the thumbs-up. NEIL DOWLING reports Aug 2011
ONE Australian car cut through the 1970s cultural cringe of Farrah Fawcett hairstyles, tan-coloured flares and looking cool with a ciggie.
Chrysler’s Valiant Charger was a hip phenomenon, prompting colourful dancing graphics in magazine advertising, monochrome TV ads of smiling kids and a hirsute Graeme Blundell flashing the “V” sign shouting “Hey Charger”.
In retrospect, the corny — and blatantly sexist — TV ads were extremely successful in relaying the fun aspect of the car that single-handedly put Chrysler’s Australian image on a higher plane.
Despite the intervening decades, that addiction lingers.
John Urquhart caught the Charger bug at age 33, buying a new R/T in early 1972 — the build date was September 1971 — for about $3600. After 39 years, he still has it.
“I bought it because I intended it for motor racing,” says the retired lawyer, now living the quiet life in southwestern WA.
“But it became the family car right up to the 1980s and I never entered it in an event until 1991. It really lives up to its name — R/T for road and track — because it was comfortable and roomy for my two children as they grew up.”
The beige coupe, with its blacked-out bonnet panels, pressed steel wheels finished in graphite to look like alloys, the golf-club head gear knob and serious “265 R/T” badges, is as aesthetically pleasing today as it was when Chrysler Australia penned the body shape atop a chopped sedan platform.
Urquhart pressed it into service in 1991, entering hill climbs, sprints and regularity trials and campaigning it around the country venues and even using it to tow his other car, an open-wheeler, to eastern states events — among them a Mopars on the Murray show and the Shannons 2001 National Motoring Tour.
“I drove it to Adelaide for a supporting race for open-wheelers that preceded the main event at the 1985 Adelaide Grand Prix, the first one,” he says.
The Charger hasn’t avoided incidents. A bushfire in 2006 that devastated forests around Urquhart’s home left the house intact but destroyed the sheds in which the Charger was stored, damaging the car.
Later, a motorist in the city failed to stop in time and wrote off her small car on the back of the Charger. You can still see the scratch in the Charger’s chrome bumper but the minor sheetmetal damage has been repaired and the tail-light replaced.
The 265 cubic-inch (4.3-litre) “Hemi” six has a new block — Urquhart has the original — and there are extractors with 2-inch pipes, a meatier cam profile and the Carter carburettor has been replaced with a Holley 500.
The original three-speed manual gearbox has given way to a four-speeder.
Dyno testing shows it has 163kW at the flywheel and 123kW at the wheels at 4950rpm, just shy of the engine’s 5000rpm redline.
“I had power brakes fitted. It doesn’t stop any better, but the pedal pressure is a lot less,” Urquhart says.
“It has also had the steel members replaced around the steering box. It is a common problem that this area is weak and prone to rust, so it’s now reinforced.”
Urquhart is an original member of the Charger Club of WA so he knows its value and indicates the car could be for sale. “I retired from events in June,” he says, “so the car won’t be used much now.
“I estimate it’s worth $47,500 and I was analytical in arriving at that because when new it was about half the price of Bathurst-specced Chargers that are now going for $80,000-$90,000.”
Chrysler Australia built the Charger from 1971 to 1978, creating a coupe body from the windscreen-pillar back. The VH sedan platform lost 152mm from the wheelbase.
The coupe was 333mm shorter than the sedan and 54kg lighter at 1352kg.
ODDSPOT: Buddhist chant: “Om mani pade hum” (Hail the jewel in the Lotus)NEIL DOWLING tests two Lotuses in Norfolk – one with a clutchless gearbox and the other with a supercharger. Aug 2011
DISCARDING the clutch pedal isn’t new for Lotus.
In the past it dispensed with the third pedal on the Eclat, Elite and Excel. Still, when you’re told the latest Lotus has an automatic gearbox, it’s a bit of a slap from such a dyed-in-the-wool raw-edged car company that for years eschewed foam seat cushions.
But the six-speed automatic actually complements the V6 Evora, the latest and, for now, the biggest Lotus. It arrives in a month or two from new importer Ateco Automotive, which also brings in Ferrari, Maserati and Chery among others. The Evora auto joins the existing six-speed manual and the supercharged Evora S tops the range.VALUE: This is the hard bit. Ateco hasn’t yet released prices. The Evora manual has a price of $139,990 but that will be reduced.
Expect about $120,000 for the Evora, $130,000 for the auto version and about $150,000 for the supercharged manual well into Porsche Cayman territory. Indeed, the problem isn’t with the car — it’s with the rivals. Lotus is an esteemed, if niche, name for buyers seeking something distinctive. But Lotuses have a raw edge that it takes a fan to appreciate.DESIGN: Though pretty, it looks like other coupes — at least it seems that bits and pieces have been borrowed. It is made of fibreglass over a clever, glued and riveted aluminium chassis.
Ateco will bring the Evora in as a 2+2 but the rear seats are close to useless. Even getting into the front seats is very awkward, such is the shape of the door and the rearward placement of the windscreen pillar and door hanger. Rear and rear three-quarter vision is a blight.
But it is stylish and the boot is almost adequate for a weekend away. By yourself.TECHNOLOGY: The aluminium platform, beautiful forged and cast alloy suspension components and the tubular structure are invisible beneath the bodyshell but typify Lotus’s engineering prowess.
The Evora S engine starts off as the Toyota-made 3.5-litre V6 shared with the Aurion, Kluger, RAV4 V6 and so on.
The Australian-made Harrop supercharger bolted on top takes the outputs from 206kW of power and 350Nm of torque to 258kW/400Nm. Harrop says it’s not the same supercharger used on the ill-fated TRD Aurion, despite similar outputs.
The Evora gets hydraulic power steering, fat ventilated and drilled disc brakes from AP and bespoke suspension. The Evora auto — called IPS for Intelligent Precision Shift — uses Toyota’s six-speed automatic with a manual mode selected via paddle shifters.SAFETY: Lotus doesn’t give cars to independent crash testers but it does fit four airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and brake assist.
DRIVING: Not only is the Evora far from the easiest car to get into but it’s also difficult even to work out the erratic remote central locking system. Opening the door without triggering the alarm is a challenge. Once in, it’s quite comfortable with plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and a snug seat. But visibility is poor. The treatment of the dashboard and cabin is very simple and it’s difficult here to discern where the value is despite the leather, the magnesium steering wheel and the cast-alloy push buttons — most of which are hard to see behind the wheel.
Crank the engine sitting a few centimetres behind your head and the niggles vanish. The IPS uses push-buttons on the centre console to allocate the gear pattern. On full auto it’s a sweet and simple car with plenty of poke on tap.
Flipping the paddles allows engine braking for slow corners and punching out with a mid-corner upchange.
Handling is perfect. The Evora sits flat through bends with excellent steering feedback. You can push it to understeer but only if you drive like a doofus. Road irregularities, however, jostle the wheel in your hands. It’s disconcerting at first but perfectly suits the connection between car and driver.
Ride comfort is far better than expected, capable of soaking up the big bumps while still exhibiting great tautness.
The S, with the the blower boosting bottom-end and mid-range power, is a very flexible machine, covering the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.8 seconds. It is well suited to its manual transmission but, even though it can pull so hard in the mid-range that you get tears in your eyes, the IPS version has a wider appeal.VERDICT: The two new Evoras will live or die on price. It has to tempt safe players from the Cayman and top-end Audi TTs.
The Lotus gives the buyer history, handling and individuality — but it lacks the broad appeal of its rivals.
The Ethos concept would surely be a best-seller, writes NEIL DOWLING in Norfolk, England. August, 2011THE slowest Lotus could prove by far its quickest off the showroom floor as the British sportscar maker prepares to launch its city car.
Following the lead of Aston Martin’s Cygnet, Lotus has designed a concept three-door hatch that is less than 3.5m long and will have an innovative electric drivetrain.
Lotus says the car, called the Ethos, could be ready for sale as early as 2013. It was the sixth car shown by Lotus at March’s Geneva auto show but, despite its sales potential, was overlooked by a public dazzled with the company’s sportscar line-up.
The Malaysian-owned English-based niche car maker could call on its parent Proton to build the city car.
It would possibly be powered by a small petrol engine for Malaysia and other markets or a Lotus-developed three-cylinder petrol generator and electric motor hybrid system for emission-sensitive markets.
Lotus Cars group PR manager Alastair Florance says it’s still a concept, though the car features significantly at the company’s head office in Norfolk, UK.
“But this is not the car shown at the show with a Proton badge — that is a completely separate car,” he says.
“The Ethos can make it to production in about 2013, but we haven’t made the final call on that.
“It is shown as a concept with a hybrid powertrain using the new Lotus-designed system of a range-extender petrol engine and an electric motor. It could have a small petrol or diesel engine instead of the hybrid.”
The Lotus 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine — made by Fagor in Spain — is specifically designed to act as a generator to charge the lithium-ion battery pack. It does not drive the wheels and so can be located anywhere in the car and in any orientation.
“The range extender is for applications where the car is driven for long periods,” Florance says. “Perhaps we would have an electric-only system, with a plug-in charger, for city purposes where it doesn’t need the extra weight and complexity and expense of the petrol engine.”
The Ethos concept has a range of 60km as a full electric car, but up to 500km with the range-extender system. The engine is designed to run on fuels including ethanol and methanol.
In electric mode, it is claimed to be as quick as most other traffic, accelerating to 100km/h from rest in 9.0 seconds, on to a top speed of 170km/h.
With the range extender, its 54kW/240Nm generator will charge the batteries to provide sufficient energy for the car to cruise at 120km/h.
CROWDED strips of sand and concrete adjoining Trieste’s dazzling Miramare castle are adorned with topless sunbathers soaking up the far-eastern Italian seaside sun.
The beauties are cause for a glance. But they’re eclipsed by a far younger topless model, the latest Maserati convertible with a more potent engine and sports-oriented body details.
Maserati has perfected the art of using subtle changes to appeal to new buyers.
Tweaks to the GranCabrio Sport, however, have turned an attractive convertible into one with more appealing driving characteristics.
VALUE: The GranCabrio Sport is expected in Australia in December and, on likely exchange rates, it will land for less than $350,000.
That’s a premium of about $20,000 on the current and ongoing GranCabrio.
What do you get? There’s a more sporty line of body gear, such as a front splitter, side sills, black grille and headlight surrounds plus 20-inch wheels. The greater value is in the slightly more powerful engine, firmer suspension and an enhancement of the world’s best exhaust note. The modest changes to the body sharpen its street cred and the engine note is certainly headturning. But is this lot worth the extra loot? Maybe not.
DESIGN: The Sport reprises the existing GranCabrio but with the additions mentioned. In honing the model and creating a new, high-priced variant of the convertible, Maserati is gilding the lily.
It seats four people — yes, adults can fit in the back for short trips — and the ride comfort is very good for a car that has been worked over in the suspension department.
It’s equally quiet and comfortable with the electrically operated fabric roof up or down. The boot is small and in the test car, was practically filled by the addition of the fold-out wind deflector.
Cabin treatment is excellent, falling over only in the placement of some switches behind the steering wheel where they are invisible to the driver, and a satnav system that isn’t up to Japanese standards.
TECHNOLOGY: Maserati makes a song and dance out of the extra 8kW and additional 20Nm. More important is the friction-reduction campaign that has reduced fuel consumption and emissions by 6 per cent to 14.5L/100km and 337g/km CO2.
The result is 331kW/510Nm for a 0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds. That’s a mere 0.1 second faster than the 323kW/490Nm standard version.
The ZF box gets longer steering wheel paddle shifters made of carbon fibre, which is dotted around the interior as a trim material.
The box changes gears twice as fast as the existing model and blips on downshifts. Manual mode will allow the engine to run to the rev limiter.
Suspension springs are 15 per cent stiffer and the dampers are firmer, too. The brake rotors are ventilated, drilled and slotted to minimise fade.
SAFETY: Standard kit includes stability and traction control, six airbags and automatic pop-up roll bars.
DRIVING: The sport button on the dash is the most important control in this car. Press it and, at 2500rpm, baffles within the exhaust pipe twist open and immediately the heads on every passer-by twists on cue.
The sound of the exhaust is hair raising. Outside Trieste, heading north-west towards Italy, roadway tunnels became auditoriums for the moving symphony of the GranCabrio Sports. The coupe plays the same music but with the roof down you can immerse yourself in that mechanical howl.
It weighs 100kg more than the coupe — a good result given the need to stiffen the chassis — but you wouldn’t know it. This is a quick car, made even more so by using the paddle shifters to climb up and down the six-cog box.
The ride is really surprising. I ran over everything from dodgy bitumen on narrow mountain passes to beautiful freeways and never did the car buck through the bends or shake or creak, and occupants remained unfazed by the bumps.
It is excellent but at $350,000, you’d expect as much. The dashboard — in fact the whole car — is very well made and indicative of how far Maserati has come.
VERDICT: It’s clearly Italian with its showy styling, loud exhaust and ability to sprint. Despite its exotic tag, it’s a real pussycat to drive. But the value equation struggles against rivals.
specs
MASERATI GranCabrio Sport
PRICE $345,000 (est)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,00km
RESALE 57 per cent (est)
SERVICE INTERVAL 15,000km/12 months
SAFETY Not available
ENGINE 4.7-litre V8 petrol, 331kW/510Nm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed sequential auto,
rear-wheel drive
BODY:2-door coupe
WEIGHT: 1980kg
THIRST: 14.5L/100km, 98 RON, 337g/km CO2
THE world is catching the bug again. Volkswagen has gone viral, rebounding with a new New Beetle that, despite a silhouette dating from pre-war Germany, is fresh and very unlike its predecessor.
It’s a changed car because it is aimed at all markets, all ages and more pertinent, at both sexes. VW says 66 per cent of previous Beetle buyers were female and now expects a 50:50 split. The outgoing New Beetle was successful, but very specifically in the US market. It was coolly received in Europe in comparison to the Mini.
What is new is that it is now much closer in engineering to the Golf. That immediately makes it a better drive
and allows VW to share components and so reduce
the price.
VALUE: Clearly, VW has Mini in its sights, but the Beetle also fires at Citroen’s DS3 and intrudes into premium Euro coupes such as those from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Given European pricing and that of rivals, the Beetle is likely to be $25,000 (1.2-litre) to $42,000 (2.0-litre GTI). The DS3 is about $35,000; the BMW 120i Coupe $53,000; and the Mini Cooper S about $50,000.
But — and it’s a big but — the Beetle is very well equipped (judging by Euro-spec models) and quality of the Mexican-built bubble is almost up to German standards. Letdowns include the dashboard of hard plastic.
DESIGN: Iconic. It’s a total change from the old New Beetle. It grows in length and wheelbase and width and track, but is lower and has a flatter roofline. Things reminiscent of the 20th Century Beetle are subtle but visible — protruding lower sills that look like running boards; big, round headlights (now the only VW with these); no discernible grille; and on the inside, a glovebox styled on the 1960s model (there are actually two gloveboxes) and a sling grip on the door pillars.
There is more room — four adults can fit and the boot is almost three times the size of the older model — and better access, including the now frameless glass on the doors and a wider hatch. The vase for the flower has gone but may return as an option.
TECHNOLOGY: It’s all Golf under the body, with a 50mm slice taken out of the platform. Components are shared across the VW brand and the VW Group. The front-wheel drive gets engines from 1.2-litre to the detuned GTI 2.0-litre turbo engine
with 147kW.
Carsguide only drove the 147kW with the six-speed DSG automatic transmission. Australia may get two petrols and one diesel and maybe miss out completely on a manual transmission. The rear suspension is tuned to the Beetle and is an upgraded version of the Golf unit. Steering is electric-hydraulic.
Crazy but despite all this, the most memorable feature is the subtle sound of the exhaust that has been artificially tuned — by way of a sound amplifier up against the firewall — to resemble the offbeat pulse of the old air-cooled engine.
SAFETY: Volkswagen claims a Euro-NCAP five-star crash rating, six airbags and stability and traction control, following the lead of the Golf.
DRIVING: The driving position immediately feels like the perfection of the Golf. Gone is the enormous distance from the driver to the windscreen of the outgoing model.
The controls fall to hand easier and the instruments and switches are better placed. The engine note is very quiet — better at cruising speed — and when off the throttle, that artificial air-cooled chuff-chuff becomes a muted backdrop. In 147kW guise it’s a quick car.
The six-speed DSG — not seven-speed — can be manually operated by the gearshift. Paddle shifters are optional. The most impressive change is the handling. The wide track — up 63mm at the front and 49mm at the rear — just grips the road so tightly that it feels glued to the bends.
Ride comfort tends to firm. The optional sports suspension felt equally competent through the corners as the standard set-up but choppier over mid-corner bumps.
Wheel choice is critical and the 18-inchers are probably the best for enthusiasts. City drivers wanting more comfort should go for the 17-inch wheels. Visibility is its weak point and park sensors are an advised option, unless they become standard spec.
VERDICT: TIt’s a hard car to fault because it sits in a market segment where buyers forgive function in the name of fashion. But pragmatic buyers may discard style and look at the Golf and see more flexibility and five-door convenience.
specs
PRICE: $25,000-$42,000 (est)
WARRANTY: 3 years/unlimited km
RESALE: 65 per cent (est)
SERVICE INTERVAL: 15,000km/12 months
SAFETY: 5-star Euro NCAP
ENGINE: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 147kW/280Nm
BODY: 3-door hatch
WEIGHT: 1364kg
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed DSG, front-wheel drive
THIRST: 7.7L/100km, 95 RON, 179g/km CO2
“A stronger third breath for an icon”
fast facts
* AUSTRALIA won’t get the Beetle until at least the first half of 2012. In fact, first estimates were late 2012 as China pulls rank. Final specifications and prices listed here are based on European models.
* Australians bought 8725 examples of the previous model, including the Cabrio, since its 2000 launch. It ended production in August but dealers still have stock. The new model is expected to eclipse that figure.
others to consider
Mini Cooper S
PRICE: $43,555
TRANS: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
BODY: 3-door hatch
THIRST: 6.3L/100km, 95 RON, C02 146g/km C02
“Unmistakable design. Fascinating interior. Terrific handling”
Citroen DS3 DSport
PRICE: $35,990
TRANS: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
BODY: 3-door hatch
THIRST: 6.7L/100km, 95 RON, 155g/km C02
“Smooth French operator is alluring but carries a couple of annoying traits”
TRANS: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
BODY: 2-door coupe
THIRST: 7.9L/100km, 95 RON, 189g/km C02
“Rear-drive works better in more powerful models”
Pulled-back teardrops that look daggers at the road, stare threateningly at other users.
The narrow, swept-back headlights come from the sibling four-door Rapide. The use of these lenses on this the Virage coupe-is the visual DNA that bonds the two latest Aston Martins.
This is the most recent “V” word to wear the Aston badge and though it is undoubtedly a stunning statement in metal, its inclusion in the marque’s range initially seems excessive.
The problem isn’t that there are three similar models in Aston’s tight range but that the Virage is the best.
VALUE: For the price of an apartment, the Virage is excessive.
Compared with other handbuilt exotica on wheels, it’s not bad. You be the judge.
It costs $371,300 – a $17,742 premium over the DB9 and yet a whopping $106,293 cheaper than the DBS grand tourer.
It has carbon-ceramic brake rotors the size of dinner plates, a superior Garmin satnav system that’s easier to use and clearer than Aston’s previous efforts, plus 20-inch wheels and a leather-alcantara cabin.
DESIGN: Beautiful. Nothing is better than this and even though Jaguar gets close, the Aston DB9 styling will wear the sash and crown at any beauty pageant. Pragmatists will argue that it’s a lot of car with a small cabin. Like I care.
Truthfully, there are four seats but unless you are a sadist, the Virage will carry only two people, though perhaps the two deeply dished and leather trimmed indents in the back would suit small children, maybe a dog.
Did I mention it is beautiful?
TECHNOLOGY: I used to favour Aston’s V8 Vantage over the DB9’s V12 because the V8-engined models felt more nimble and needed less correction through corners.
That was then. The 5.9-litre V12 has become silkier and more responsive. Losing the lethargy has changed the dynamics of the car and, in the Virage, accentuates more than ever how accurately this car can be punched into a corner and how balanced it sits on exit.
It packs ZF’s six-speed automatic, its response times heightened by touching the “sport” button and over-riding the gearchanges with the steering wheel-mounted paddles.
I prefer this box to the automated manual in the Vantage S because it is significantly smoother to drive and easier to live with while trawling the traffic lanes.
SAFETY: Only four airbags? For $371,300 (plus on-roads)? No crash safety rating? Are you being ripped off, thrust into an unsafe car that can lay black marks down a road at blinding speeds yet may have the impact protection of a Vespa? Makers of exotica tend not to hand over examples for crash testing so it’s hard to offer a safety benchmark without comparisons. Your call again.
DRIVING: The car has been around for about six years. Any other make and it would be over the hill by now. But the Virage – nee DB9 and DBS – is still freshly styled and competitive in performance and price.
However, I am just not excited by looking at the same dashboard every year.
Perhaps I long for a gearshift to plunge forward and back in tune with various engine screams, rather than politely press acrylic buttons on the upper dashboard. But I will never-never-tire of that eruption when the V12 fires up.
Get over the scary fact that there’s a long bonnet and that curious fellow motorists may want to come closer for a better look and you can quickly become used to the way the Virage cossets the driver.
The seats wrap and warm the body, the steering wheel falls firmly to hand and the magnesium shifters sprouting from behind the steering wheel click audibly at the touch of your fingers. It’s a sensory ride.
Sports car suspension, as in the DBS, is usually abrupt and harshly stabs the kidneys. The Virage is softer, with push-button adjustment from firmish to really firm, depending on your mood, the road, the weather and the condition of your kidneys. Everything about it is pin-sharp – it turns instinctively, reacts instantly to your lightest touch and is always pumping out that rich V12 yowl.
VERDICT: It’s a selfish two-seater made for deserted winding roads. Aston has a few on the boat and they’re all sold-mostly at the expense of the DBS, which may be too hard-core for city driving.
This is Aston’s big-coupe future. More than other stablemates, it follows the owner-friendly line of the Rapide.
specs
Aston Martin Virage
PRICE: $371,300
WARRANTY: 3 years/ 100,000km
RESALE: 64 per cent
SERVICE INTERVAL: 12 months or 15,000km
ECONOMY: 15.5L/100km; 367g/km CO2
SAFETY: 4 airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC
ENGINE: 5.9-litre V12 petrol, 365kW/570Nm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic
BODY: 2-door, 2+2 seats
THE Audi A1 Sport is priced hard up against the Mini Cooper S Chilli but Audi claims its hatch is faster and more fuel efficient. Let the battle begin.
“Sport” says it all — a higher-performance model that uses all the strengths of the seven-month-old A1 with the oomph nicked from parent company Volkswagen.
But it’s too crude and not entirely accurate to say that the A1 Sport is just a more luxurious and expensive version of the VW Polo. Yes, they share a platform and the basic drivetrain. But they drive very differently.
VALUE: Compare the $27,790 three-door Polo GTI with the three-door A1 Sport at $42,500 and you’d feel dudded at the traffic lights. But they’re not the same car. Buy the VW and you don’t get the Audi’s level of equipment, finish and styling, though the options list is extensive and expensive. Even the colour-contrasting roof arch — the design highlight — is an extra $720. LED daytime lights, rear park sensors, 17-inch alloys, Bluetooth with voice control and climate control airconditioning are standard. Satnav adds $3600.
DESIGN: Built like a bubble and with extremely short overhangs, the A1 is blunt, efficient and perfectly packaged for cities. It seats four — though it gets a bit tight in the back — and has great luggage space thanks to its flexible seating.
TECHNOLOGY: The Polo’s turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-litre small-squirt four gets an extra 4kW in the Audi (now 136kW) and its weight is down to 1190kg (Polo is 1189kg).
The engine is sublime. In the Audi, it feels quieter and less frenetic, possibly due to extra sound deadening, but certainly has more than enough go. Only the seven-speed S-tronic twin clutch auto is available, with paddle shifters optional. Better yet is the compliant ride. It’s vastly better than the harsh Mini. The latter will probably hang on longer in fast corners but the truth is my days of fanging are over and many motorists want comfort.
SAFETY: It’s an Audi and everything is top-shelf occupant protection and active safety: six airbags, all the electronic aids and lap-sash belts for everyone.
Brakes are brilliant but the rear discs are tiny — seemingly the size of a foil meat pie tray — and don’t radiate confidence. In fact, they’re over-engineered and pull the car up really well.
DRIVING: Audi laid out a track at an airport for a fang and that showed the Sport has off-the-mark sparkle and great cornering. Given that most of us live in cities, of more interest is how the car handles poor road surfaces and dodgy motorists. The trick here is to make a car that is compact for negotiating narrow roads and squeezing into parking spots, yet has great visibility and yet feels effortless to drive.
As the Audi A1 Sport targets the novice premium buyer, it has to deliver all this with comfort, quietness and a sense that the car has better than premium-class quality. The A1 delivers on all counts.
It is surprisingly quick off the mark, hitting 100km/h in 6.9 seconds compared with the Cooper S’s 7.2, but it’s the agile chassis that makes it a delight to drive.
I drove the Skoda Fabia RS in its homeland recently and noted it shares the Polo GTI innards. Yet the Fabia didn’t have the Polo’s skittish manners through corners. It felt more connected with the bitumen.
The A1 Sport is better again.
VERDICT: I prefer to fang the Cooper S but prefer the comfort and quality of the Audi. I’m a simple person so the Audi’s dashboard is more logical to comprehend. Audi has improved on the Polo GTI’s cues. Is the A1 Sport a better car? Not necessarily. It attracts a different buyer, one seeking a premium hatch who is unlikely to consider a Polo.
specs
Audi A1 1.4 Sport
PRICE from $42,500
WARRANTY 3 years/unlimited km, roadside assist
RESALE 68 per cent (est)
SERVICE INTERVAL 12 months/15,000km
SAFETY 5-star Euro NCAP
ENGINE 1.4-litre, 4-cyl turbo petrol, 136kW/250Nm
TRANSMISSION 7-speed DSG auto, front-wheel drive
BODY 3-door hatch
THIRST 5.9L/100km, 98 RON, 139g/km CO2
“Angry baby Audi for those who like to blend power with luxury”
—– OTHERS TO CONSIDER —–
VW Polo GTI
price $27,790
ENGINE 1.4-litre, 4-cyl petrol, turbo and supercharged, 132kW/250Nm
TRANS 7-speed DSG auto, front-wheel drive
BODY 3-door hatch
THIRST 6.1L/100km, 95 RON, CO2 142g/km
“A budget-priced fireball . . . Love it”
Clio Renault Sport 200
price$36,490
ENGINE 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, petrol, 147kW/215Nm
TRANS 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
BODY 3-door hatch
THIRST 8.2L/100km, 98 RON, CO2 195g/km
“Look ma, no turbo — and it doesn’t need one”
Mini Cooper S
price$43,555
ENGINE 1.6-litre, 4-cyl, petrol turbo, 135kW/240Nm
TRANS 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
BODY 3-door hatch
THIRST 6.3L/100km, 95 RON, C02 146g/km
“Unmistakable design. Fascinating interior. Firm but unyielding handling”
The sixth distinct new-age Mini model makes its mark. NEIL DOWLING reports
NOT since the Suzuki Mighty Boy has such outrage hit the bitumen.
In yet another variation on a theme, the Mini franchise has produced a pocket-book two-door model that appeals to, er, anyone who wants to be seen.
There is no classification for a buyer of this car and, indeed, probably competes with cars that tend to be a little on the quirky side of the street. Like the long-gone Might Boy and the Suzuki Move.
The Mini Coupe appears short, yet is based on the original hatchback platform, and wide, snub-nosed in arrogance and beetle-tailed – a rear styling quirk that looks like the proceeds of an incident with a large truck or a randy Land Cruiser.
VALUE: Not a lot, but who can put a price on being distinctive? It’s well built and the feature list is average. The option list is huge, but that’s what creates the exclusivity of the car. The Coupe makes some sense for single buyers, even couples, but at $45,340 it’s an expensive two seater and there’s probably more than a few dozen rivals that’ll do the transport aspect of the job better and cheaper. But not as obvious. There’s four models – Cooper, Cooper S, a diesel and a hot John Cooper Works – with the tester being the S with its turbo-petrol engine and auto gearbox. Price is $45,340, up $2350 on the manual gearbox, and includes 17-inch alloys, sport button, bi-xenon headlights, climate aircon and cloths seats. Options include leather ($1560), the must-have Harman-Kardon audio ($1500) and metallic paint ($900).
DESIGN: Different. As the platypus of the Mini family, the Coupe looks convoluted and even awkward, but hides a neat liftback to access the expansive room once used by folded rear-seat passengers. It’s a better solution to the near-zero space offered by the hatch model’s rear seat. There’s a centre hatch to prod long objects from the boot into the cabin, a main glovebox and a secondary “secret” dash compartment. The pop-up rear spoiler is merely a talking point. The biggest surprise about the dashboard is that Mini hasn’t changed it (though future models get window switches on the doors) and it remains a mish-mash of switch gear designs and locations set beneath an enormous, perspex-covered and highly reflective speedometer that harks back to the original Mini’s folly. It’s 2012 guys.
TECHNOLOGY: The six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is a highlight here. It works well with the power characteristics of the S-model’s turbo engine, is responsive and doesn’t have the chasms of indecision that often plague Volkswagen’s DSG system. The engine, made by PSA and seen on its Peugeot RCZ, is also a top-notch powerplant. The suspension is firm yet not too hard on the body, while the electric steering is nice and sharp.
SAFETY: This is a five-star car with four airbags (there’s only two occupants) and all the BMW-inspired electronic aids. That’s stability and traction control, rear park sensors, a hill-holder and auto bi-xenon headlights and wipers. There’s no rear wiper and no spare wheel as it uses run-flat tyres.
DRIVING: Predictable, firm and reminiscent of a go-kart for kids, the Coupe loses none of the precision of the other (except Countryman) Minis. It is a very enjoyable drive, the only distraction being the need to keep a few brain neurons free to memorise the erratic switch placement. The coupe roof crimps the cabin space a bit and thanks to a multi-pillared C-section, reduces visibility to the rear three-quarters – not helped in lane changing by the small mirrors. It’s not particularly quiet with some wind noise and even more tyre noise over coarse bitumen. But the engine cooling fan wins the gold medal for noise. It runs after engine switch and produces colourful language from neighbours when arriving home late at night. Bit I love driving Minis. The handling is so confident that you can change tack mid-corner, while the engine just keeps on giving.
VERDICT: An expensive way to get noticed.
MINI COUPE
STARS 3.5
Price: $45,340
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km, roadside assist
Resale: 55 per cent
Service interval: advisory/12 months
Safety rating: Five star
Spare: none (run-flat tyres)
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo-petrol 135kW/240Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto; FWD
Body: 3.7m (L); 1.7m (w); 1.4m (h)
Weight: 1190kg
Thirst: 6.7 1/100km; 95RON; 155g/km Co2
Four Others to consider.
TOYOTA 86 GTS
Star: 4.5
PRICE: $37,990
ENGINE: 2-litre, 4-cyl petrol, 147kW/205Nm
TRANS: 6-spd auto, rear drive
BODY: 2-door coupe
THIRST: 7.1L/100km; 95RON; CO2 164g/km
“If you enjoy working the wheel, this is the best bang for your bucks”ql
PEUGEOT RCZ
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $54,990
ENGINE: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 115kW/240Nm
TRANS: 6-spd auto, front drive
BODY: 2-door hatch
THIRST: 7.3L/100km; 95RON; CO2 168g/km
“Same basic engine as Mini but dumbed down to suit the auto box. Pity. Distinctive and better styled than the Mini but a bit too expensive”ql
VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO
Star: 4
PRICE: $49,990
ENGINE: 2-litre, 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 188kW/330Nm
TRANS: 6-spd dual-clutch auto, front drive
BODY: 2-door hatch
THIRST: 8.2L/100km; 95RON; CO2 192g/km
“Love this car. Sexy looks, lots of quality and fantastic performance but bows to 86 in affordability”ql
ABARTH 500 ESSEESSE
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $37,990
ENGINE: 1.4-litre, 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 118kW/201Nm
TRANS: 5-spd automated manual, front drive
BODY: 2-door hatch
THIRST: 6.5L/100km; 91RON; CO2 155g/km
“The baby car with teeth goes surprisingly well. Distinctive style and head-turning appeal is matched only by the girl in the Abarth TV ad”ql
It’s the wrong season to think about a convertible but this Audi will change your mind. NEIL DOWLING reports
CAN ice form in your wet hair on the way to work on a wintery morning?
The answer is “probably” because the experiment wasn’t concluded as the rest of my body went into hypothermia before my hair froze.
This comes under the heading of “don’t do this at home” – a stricture that promptly means you do it – and shows that while a convertible is a sure way to get the opposite sex’s attention, blue skin and chattering teeth can dull the car’s lure.
But though the driver’s motives are dubious, there’s nothing quesionable about the beautiful, quick and expensive Audi A5 convertible.
VALUE: At $112,900 this is a financial heavy hitter. This 3-litre version is a massive $16,000 more expensive than the otherwise identical 2-litre version. I’m reminded by the adage that convertibles are designed to be driven slowly so passers-by can get a good look at the occupants. A more powerful engine may not help this cause. But the A5 3.0 TSFI’s features are impressive and you’ll soon see why it costs so much. The safety gear alone is top-notch while the all-wheel drive system, supercharged engine and quality for the icing on the cabrio’s roof.
DESIGN: People who know Audi’s A5 will easily recognise the shape despite some tweaking earlier this year. The LED running lights form a distinctive brace at each front corner with a similar theme in red at the back. The front end looks sharper but still remains a clever blend of looking elegant while showing serious intent. There’s room for four adults (it’s built on the A5 coupe platform) and the boot is a reasonable 380 litres with the fabric roof up and 320 litres when down. Cabin treatment is gorgeous with the tester in cream and charcoal leather with a perforated black headliner. There are some small changes to the dashboard and the steering wheel can be ordered with a flat bottom. Whoopee.
TECHNOLOGY: The A5 3.0 TSFI gets a slightly subdued version of the S5’s powerplant. Its 240kW/400Nm is more than sufficient to get it to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds. Audi claims 8.1 L/100km but I saw high 9s despite the annoying stop-start system. There’s a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox and all-wheel drive. The front fenders and bonnet are aluminium to successfully reduce any nose-heavy tendencies. The “drive select” system gives four modes – dynamic, comfort, efficiency and auto – to control steering wheel feel, gearbox shift points and engine management. The tester had a fifth setting, individual, that allows the driver to memorise preferred settings. There’s also optional damper control.
SAFETY: This is a five-star crash-rated car with a host of electronic safety aids. There are automatic roll bars that deploy when the car starts tilting, electronic traction and stability systems, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and a centre and a rear differential to distribute power for maximum traction. Heated mirrors, LED running and tail lights, rear park sensors and bi-xenon headlights help but the space-saver spare isn’t great comfort.
DRIVING: It may be a convertible with a rag roof but it feels as strong as a steel-top and as quiet as many metal rivals. This is so well built and so broad in its appeal that it’s such a shame it costs so much. Driving enthusiasts will revel in the urge of that supercharged engine that pumps hard from idle. It always has its power and torque on tap and this instant response makes it one of the most enjoyable cars I’ve punted this year. For all your moods – and those of your partner – it can be cruisey or crisp depending on the pressure on the acclerator and considered use of the “driver select” functions. Dynamic mode is preferred as it makes the steering firmer and reduces the electric-assist tendency to vagueness. The mechanical centre diff sends 60 per cent of power to the rear wheels and there’s also a clutch-action rear diff that works between these two wheels. The result is a car that feels more like a rear-drive car than previous Audis.
VERDICT: It’s a porky 1850kg dry but you’d never know it. A car for all seasons, all drivers, all reasons.
AUDI A5 3.0 TFSI
STARS 4
Price: $112,900
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km, roadside assist
Resale: 55%
Service interval: 12 months
Safety rating: 5-star
Spare: Space-saver
Engine: 3-litre V6 supercharged petrol; 200kW/400Nm
Transmission: 7-spd dual-clutch auto, AWD
Body: 4.6m (L); 1.9m (w); 1.4m (h)
Weight: 1850kg
Thirst: 8.1 1/100km; 95 RON; 190g/km Co2
Three Others to consider.
BMW 325i
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $97,565
ENGINE: 2.5-litre, 6-cyl petrol, 160kW/250Nm
TRANS: 6-spd auto, rear drive
BODY: 2-door convertible
THIRST: 8.8L/100km; 98 RON; CO2 204g/km
“Svelte German is tame in poerformance to the Audi but makes up with features and classy quality. Cheaper, too!”ql
MERCEDES E250
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $108,350
ENGINE: 1.8-litre, 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 150kW/310Nm
TRANS: 7-spd auto, rear drive
BODY: 2-door convertible
THIRST: 7.6L/100km; 95 RON; CO2 178g/km
“Clever small-bore engine goes hard though not as smooth as its rivals. Lots to like and badge cred is strong”ql
LEXUS IS250C
Star: 3
PRICE: $94,800
ENGINE: 2.5-litre, V6 petrol, 153kW/252Nm
TRANS: 6-spd auto, rear drive
BODY: 2-door convertible
THIRST: 9.3L/100km; 95 RON; CO2 219g/km
“Perfect Japanese quality, lots of features, great customer service and a smooth rider. But porky weight and modest engine means it’s not for the performance driver”
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