Lamborghini Espada: Gandini art part 2

Since I have nothing to report from the Paris Motor Show (I wasn't there), let me present another Italian 70's sports/super car to you. Designed by the same person as the car from the previous post.

Lamborghini Espada in Rosso

The Lamborghini Espada was the most sold Lambo before the Countach. When you think most sold car remember which manufacturer we're talking about. They made and sold an overwhelming 1,217 Espadas during its ten years in production (1968-1978). This was huge for Lamborghini since they only sold a couple of hundred cars per model at that time. And for you classic car buyers, this also means that there are many Espadas out for sale today at quite a reasonable price - for a classic Lamborghini at least.

The 928 next to it looked like and SUV

As revealed in the title it was designed by one of Bertones greatest designer Marcello Gandini. The styling is sleek and... well, long. The long lines at the sides and the bonnet emphasize the length of this four-seater. Espada is Spanish and means sword. This charactarizes the cars sharp look. I just wonder if the name was invented after it was designed or the other way around. The cars other dimensions are as extreme as its length. It's under 1.2 meters high and close to 1.9 meters wide. Lamborghini had come a long way from the tractor dimensions. Some Gandini styling details are the NACA ducts on the bonnet, which I believe are functional. They better be, for the good of the engine lying beneath. 

NACA ducts give some depth to the king-size - large bonnet

The wheels are copied from the Miura

This vast car needs a powerful engine to hurl it forward. Luckily Lamborghini only makes engines with more than a few cylinders. The Espada has a version of Lambo's 3.9 litre V12 also seen in the Miura. Power output changed over the years from an initial 330 horsepower to 350 in the series II. Weirdly, for the series III the power was reduced to 325 HP. There were also ugly US-spec bumpers added to the series III which made it less desirable. That meant the series II sold the most and is the most wanted Espada today. 

The fuel filler is behind the plastic ducts

What comes to Italian supercars this may not be the most striking but it has an enormous amount of road presence. It is usable too with a large boot and two very usable backseats. Jay Leno talks about his Espada being his only car for some time. This is obviously possible only in a country where fuel prices are so low that it's almost viewed as a human right.

Alfa Romeo Montreal: Italian art

As a car enthusiast, petrolhead, gearhead, and the rest of it, you think you know every car in the world. There is literally no more space in your brain for another interesting piece four-wheeled piece of design. Then while you're scrolling the internet, as you do at any time of day, you're confronted by a shape that you do not recognize but most definitely should.

Alfa Romeo Montreal in metallic gold.

Thankfully I was alone while feeling deep embarrassment of not knowing about the
Alfa Romeo Montreal. An Italian sports car created at the pinnacle of Italian exotica, the 70's and I didn't know what it was. The triangular grill design, though, gave away the cars manufacturer. I was immediately struck by the Montreal's elegant beauty. The classic proportions of a long bonnet and a sloping rear end have indeed stood the test of time.

Lovely subtle buldges on the bonnet

The most unique part of the Montreal is its front end. The grill-like contraptions on top of the headlights actually fold under the headlights when they are turned on. Does it make them pop-down headlights? On top of the bonnet there is an air duct which, weirdly, is blocked off and non-functional. That means the car has a useful piece of engineering used only for design purposes.
How Italian is that!

Seek out a video how the headlights work, it's amazing

Moving further towards the rear and the slots that look like vents you'll notice the shape of the door window. It has a familiar curved shape seen in the Lancia Stratos and Lamborghini Miura. Which is not by accident since the Montreal is designed by the same man as the Stratos and Miura, Signore Marcello Gandini. The six vents he put on the car work as vents for the cabin. But they are mostly a design feature and very successful one at that.

Look at the size of that steering wheel!

 Propelling this stylistic car forward is an Alfa bred 2.6 V8 closely related to the smaller capacity V8 used in Alfa Romeo's race cars at the time. It produces 200 horsepower and sends them all naturally to the rear wheels. The car was made from 1970-77 with only around 3900 produced. Alfa struggled to sell it since it went up against cars like the Porsche 911 but was more expensive.


So a car with an interesting engine, beautiful design, built by a charismatic manufacturer during a time when many iconic cars were built. This I think is why it has retracted into the shadow during the years, well, from ignorant me at least. Now though it's time to bring it to the light. I'm so bored by the Porsche 911.

A vintage bodyshape invigorated by many interesting details

New Audi A5, a walk around

Vorsprung durch Technik has been Audi's slogan for as long as I can remember. It means Progress through Technology and it's a very solid slogan, no fault in that. But as with any slogan it has to represent the product which carries the brand name.

What comes to the A5, however, the progress has been slow. The A5 has been with us since 2007 and almost a decade later Audi has finally unveiled its second generation model. Of course the first generation has gone through many changes over the years but I don't count adding two extra doors and calling it the sportback as progress. With this new generation Audi stays with the same recipe as with the first A5. Audi only made it sharper and more elegant. And whose to blame them. The A5 is a big success in the, what should we call it, executive coupé segment.

Second generation Audi A5 in (guessing) Manhattan gray.

This was a show car and had only 5 kilometers on the clock.

I can imagine when this car comes on sale later this year and you catch a glimpse of it in the wild you may not even notice it's the new gen. You may even need to look up again and state to yourself "Oh it's the new A5" and then continue doing your lawful business. Lets say the changes are not revolutionary. But it does follow through with the promise of making the A5 look sharper and more elegant. The lower one piece grille and angular headlights coupled with the longer bonnet it does look sportier than the out going version. The headlights are Matrix-LED lights which are highly advanced and adaptable, but they do not come as standard. The lower and wider stance is achieved with a longer wheelbase and flared wheel arches. I have constantly nagged about Audi never restyling their cars bravely enough and I don't think they've done it here either. Now, however, I accept the direction Audi is going with and it works for their cars especially this and the new A4.

The profile stays the same. Sorry for the truly awful picture.

Not a dramatic interior but simple and elegant, I like it.

 Inside Audi has updated it to their current range of cars. It has the new virtual cockpit dashboard but only as an option. The screen in the center console no longer sits in a dark crevice but almost on top of the dash which gives the interior a much more modern and sleeker look. As expected all the materials are top end and expecting nothing to fall off anytime soon.

The show car had the top trim specification with the virtual cockpit.

Since I'm no licensed car journalist I haven't been able to drive the new A5 which means I can only give you technical headlines. The engines available for now are two 2.0 litre TFSI-engines with the top one having 252 hp. The S5 has also been confirmed and it will have the now S-range established 3.0 litre turbo V6 putting out a brisk 354 hp. It seems that the smooth naturally aspirated petrol V6 has been dropped which is sad. And then there are some diesels, but who would want a diesel in a sporty coupé. Apparently many since Audi offers three different diesel-engines. The power goes through a six-speed manual or the optional 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox which is said to be excellent.

Audi has been quite conservative what comes to the new generation A5. The look and especially the profile of the thing is broadly the same. It is more modern for sure which is what we were wanting anyway so who should complain. What was it that Audi's slogan said again...?

A touch of racing livery

The F1 cars raced this weekend in Hockenheim which is about a one hour drive away from the Porsche headquarters in Stuttgart. So I thought I'd show you the Porsche which was next to the Porsche 356 Speedster replica at the Porsche gathering.

Porsche 911 with Gulf inspired livery

It was this glorious Porsche 911 in classic Gulf inspired livery. Now, I'm no Porsche enthusiast so I really don't know which year it is from. The only clue of the year I have is from the "whale tail" spoiler. It was fitted to different 911 models from 1973-1991. They were at first fitted to race spec 911's and later to sport spec Carreras and SC's. This and the single tailpipe has lead me to believe that this uniquely coloured 911 is either a 3.0 SC or a 3.2 Carrera. 

The redesigned front lip

The classic fixed spoiler called the whale tail

The mandatory Gulf Oil sticker

The Gulf livery is not official obviously but does make it stand out around all the other 911's from that period. It also has great looking black and orange wheels to round out the look. Also, I'm not so sure that bumper is an original to that car. The classic front lip is sort of missing which I think makes the car look more modern.



 
Much money has been invested to this 911 I'm sure. The Gulf colours are naturally attention seeking and rightly so. They were used on the legendary Porsche 917 that won Le Mans 24 hours in 1970 and 1971. Which means the classic colours are tightly woven to the Porsche racing history.

Test drive: Toyota Celica 5th generation (T180)

The Toyota Celica has been gone for ten years now but after a production run of 35 years and seven different generations no wonder it is still one of the most iconic cars Toyota has ever produced.

I've recently driven the fifth generation Celica which in my view is also the prettiest of them all. When I got the opportunity to drive it I didn't think of the drive as a road test and that's why the pictures are pretty bad, well, they suck. But even though I still have some thoughts on it so here we go.

Toyota Celica 2.0 GT-i 16 in Black

This particular gen 5 Celica was the mid range 2.0 litre GT-i 16. The entry level was a 1.6 litre and the top of the range was the rally bred, turbocharged four-wheel drive GT-Four, which today may even be considered a classic. The 2.0 four cylinder is naturally aspirated as they usually were in the early 90's. It produced 156 horsepower through the front wheels which hurled the car to a reasonable 0-100 km/h time of 8 seconds dead. The car I drove was from 1993 but it had a tip top engine, gearbox and a completely new clutch. Which meant that it still had all that power left. The engine revved happily and the acceleration was sporty as it should be. The 2.0 litre engine is just powerful enough to make the car feel as special as it looks. The Toyota engine is reliable but what lets it down is a gearbox that wears out quite quickly. So that is what to look out for if you're thinking of buying one.

As you can see the age has taken its toll on the "organic" body.

The first generations of the Celica were quite angular, there were really no space for anything else than straight lines. But with the fourth gen Celica a change was made not only from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive but to also accommodate for some curvature in the styling. This was taken to whole new level with the fifth gen were the styling was called Super Round Organic Styling. Yeesh, that's some A-level design nomenclature. This style of design was highly debated and was and still is a love or hate look. This caused some problems though which are immediately apparent when you try to sit in the rear. It's not what you'd call... what's the opposite of claustrophobic? This quality is promptly forgotten when you remember this car has pop-up headlights. Which is the best exterior quality a car can have, end of discussion.

It does have a saucer-like shape to it

When the pillarless door is opened you notice a very driver centered interior, there's really nothing for the passenger to do. This particular Celica had working air conditioning which was nice. What I found to be the most interesting feature was that the steering wheel moved up when you took the key out of the ignition, and obviously moved down when the key was inserted in the ignition. This was for an easier exit from the car. It's a nice touch but the car or the seating position is not that low that the steering wheel needs to make room. But maybe I'm just short...

Everything in here worked even after 23 years, a plus for Toyota there.

As a conclusion, I think the 5th generation Celica has aged very well. Because it's front wheel drive it has also escaped the boy-racer image. This means anyone can own one. Now that Toyota brought back the affordable drift car in the GT86 and rumors are flying around the name Supra resurfacing how about a third comeback in the name of Celica.

Thoughts on the Audi S1

I have titled this post with the word "thoughts" because I have not actually driven the Audi S1, but that doesn't prevent me from reviewing it. Oh no.

Audi has been quite busy when it comes to releasing hot versions of it's cars. Namely the horsepower battle between the Audi RS3 and the Mercedes A45 AMG has been especially entertaining. With this evidence Audi definitely has a fixation on the HP figure. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that the A1's hot version, the S1, is the most powerful hatchback of this size. The engine bay has been crammed with a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged power plant. It develops a mighty 231 horsepower which in true Audi S-car fashion is transferred to the road through Audi's Quattro four wheel drive system.

Audi S1 (2015) in Vegas yellow with Quattro exterior styling pack

 This sounds excellent, but it has caused some problems. Because no other A1 has Quattro 4-wheel drive the entire rear needed to be remodeled so that all the mechanical components required would fit. As a result the load space of the S1 is smaller than that of a normal A1. So if the key word you use when buying a car is "practical" then you're in the wrong market. Even though Audi has gone to great lengths to give the S1 a Quattro layout, I don't think it was altogether necessary. This is proven by the fact that in most drive modes the S1 is almost completely front wheel drive. At maximum, 50% of the power will be sent to the rear wheels and even this happens at rare occasions.

This is the 5-door Sportback version.

It even says S1 on the break calipers.

Then we come to my largest complaint about this car, you guessed it, the price. Here in my country the price is a breathtaking 45 000€ and thousand euros more for the 5-door Sportback model. If you want it to look different with Quattro styling cues and other small features the price will be around
50 000€. That is the same as a brand new VW Golf GTI, and it just isn't worth it. The S1's largest competitor the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works is 5000€ cheaper and is equally as powerful. And I can say this with certainty that the Mini is probably more fun and lively to drive than the Audi.

That's way too many exhaust pipes and just makes the car look like it's trying too hard.

The Audi S1 is certainly a hot piece of kit. But I feel it is too much. Not only the price but also the trick Quattro system. A hot hatchback should be all about fun and on the face of it the Audi S1 seems to take itself too seriously.

Volvo C70 - Swedish surprise

The Swedes are good at many things, mainly in knitting stylish jumpers and wearing them peacefully in front of a cozy log fire. The leading car manufacturer in Sweden, Volvo, have primarily built cars to fit this image. Occasionally, however, some sportier models creep through the doors of Volvos' factories.

Volvo C70 2.3 T5 in Mystic Silver (1999)

Today the car in question is the Volvo C70 from 1999. It is available as a 2-door coupé and as a convertible with a canvas roof. The car I drove is obviously the coupé version. Another thing obvious from the picture is that it is quite a large car for a two door and the driving experience reflected that. The styling is done by the same man as almost the entire Volvo range in the late 90's and early 00's. I think the styling is modest and understated, you could almost call it timeless. Slightly flared wheel arches, no extra gills or styling cues some may consider vulgar. It even has only one exhaust pipe. Today, even the small Audi S1 has four of them.

Despite the coupé roof, even a lofty person can sit in the rear seats cozily.

The theme of modesty continues in the interior. The dashboard is made of soft, quality plastics some wood and leather. The buttons and switches are from other Volvos which means that it feels a bit conventional. And some of these buttons are in strange places, but nothing, no one couldn't become accustom to. But the best thing about the interior is the seats, which are excellent and are very suitable for the character of the car. The rear seats as well will fit two adults in comfort.

The outstanding seats make this a delightful place to be.

Behind this simple grill sits a jewel of an engine.

To move this flagship front-wheel drive coupé, Volvo offered a string of five cylinder engines. This specimen has the turbocharged 2.3 litre five cylinder called the T5. It delivers a power of 240 HP through a 5-speed manual which moves the car from 0-100 km/h in under seven seconds. This is the fastest version of the C70. That said, it did feel faster than what the moderate seven seconds would suggest. When the turbo kicks in at around 3000 RPM it really does fly. Despite the substantial weight and the comfortable suspension it tracks very well and you always feel like you're safe and in control, even though the slippery conditions made the traction control work overtime. The only complaint I have is why did Volvo give it front wheel drive. As rear wheel drive or even four wheel drive it would really have rivaled the competition, namely the Merc CLK. I suspect because of the front-wheel drive and that heavy engine it feels a tad nose heavy and the turning circle is shocking. But the turning circle is instantly forgotten when you hear the throaty baritone bellow of the five cylinder turbo. I honestly believe that it is one of the greatest and purest engine noises of any engine.

The Volvo C70 may be a sports coupé but in my mind it isn't a sports car. Its large body front-wheel drive layout represents more a long distance cruiser or a budget French Riviera cruiser if you will. I don't think it will become a classic. But if you want to experience performance motoring but still keep your sensible hat on, I really cannot imagine a better car to choose than this.

C70 in the sun.

Test Drive: Audi S3 Sportback

Another hot hatchback? You're damn right it is. And I've been driving this one.

The Audi S3 has been with us now for 16 years and from that day on been at the top of the hot hatchback game. Remember, this was a time where the Golf GTI (the hot hatchback to beat) had a frankly miserable 150 HP and Audi came along with a 210 horsepower speed and agility machine.

Years pass and today the current Audi S3 has an amazing 300 HP from a 2.0 litre TFSI engine. I can report that that power flings the car forwards at quite a nice pace. Around five seconds is enough to achieve 100 km/h and if you keep your ankle fully extended it will keep on going to a limited top speed of 250 km/h. With these performance numbers the S3 is challenging some serious sports cars. As in the previous S3's it has the quattro four wheel drive system to keep everything under control. Add to that the optional Audi Magnetic Ride suspension and brakes that stop the car so fast that when it has stopped you immediately check if your eyeballs are still in your head. You are going to have a hard time crashing the thing.

Audi S3 Sportback in Monsoon Gray metallic with the traditional silver side mirrors.

And this feeling of safety is apparent all the time. Even when your going at full speed it feels very controlled, like a German health and safety person monitoring everything you do from the passenger seat. Even though the speed is impressive and the handling is very well balanced it lacks a sense of danger. But most depressingly it lacks a sense of real joy, which in my view is the essence of a hot hatch.

The three door version looks better. This looks a tad bloated.

To help you have the fun the S3 has Audi's drive select system. Here you can choose the driving mode and the characteristics of the car. You can choose between efficiency, comfort, auto and dynamic. Obviously I chose dynamic first which makes the car more racy in many different ways. Throttle response becomes quicker as does the gear changes but most importantly valves open in the exhaust to make it louder. The S-tronic gearbox also keeps on moderately high revs for that ready to race feel at all times. In this mode the car also lets out a sort of burp noise when changing gear.
The driving mode most people will choose is the comfort mode, which is rather nice. Some of the sportiness is evidently lost when engine quietens down. If you make the change from dynamic to comfort while driving the gears go up by one or two for efficiency. It becomes a normal hatchback.

Four exhaust pipes are not really necessary. But it does look good.

Finally the interior. It's one of the best interiors for a small car money can buy. It's stylish and of great quality. The buttons are laid out perfectly and the display is the correct size and easy to use. But for heavens sake don't use it while driving it's just as bad as texting while driving, just don't.
The seating is good too. Sporty seats but not too hard or cramped. And as it has five doors it's easier to jump in the back. I have to report that the leg room is poor, so I wouldn't recommend the backseat for adults.

It's a very nice place to be, no complaints here.

The new Audi S3 Sportback is a great car, which it should be since it costs with the S-tronic gearbox and some other optional extras over 60 000€.  Even though it packs an overwhelming amount of technology in a 1,500 kg package, in my opinion that's too much money for a small car. But then again it's a serious price for a serious car.

Buick Grand National, an American muscle car?

There's one type of car that I don't have all that much interest in. This also means that my knowledge of them is as extensive as my knowledge of the American civil war. So, since the last post about the Alfa Romeo 4C attracted no interest at all lets talk about American muscle cars.

Buick Grand National in the only colour, jet black.

American muscle cars have a large fan base which is also apparent on this blog, since the highest view counts are on posts about muscle cars. I don't share that passion of American muscle cars, which means that only recently was I introduced to a car which existence surprised me. The car in question is the Buick Grand National. The car is actually a 1980's Buick Regal but with a 3.8 litre turbocharged V6. This in my book is very uncharacteristic for a Buick or for any American car in fact. In the early years of the Grand National the turbo V6 developed a frankly embarrassing 200 HP. But in the last two years of production (1986-87) the improved and now intercooled engine boasted an acceptable 245 HP. This means the Buick is capable to achieve 100 km/h in 5 seconds. That's faster than a Ferrari of that period, the 328 GTB. The top speed though is absolutely appalling at only 200 km/h but you're not likely to ever go that fast on roads anyway so who cares.

Familiar shape from the 80's

That's it on the technology part of the Grand National, as it usually is when it comes to American muscle cars. Large engine = big speed and noise, there's no need for a chassis, suspension or brake upgrade when it comes to American muscle cars.

This particular car had the owners name printed on it.

The Buick Grand National looks quite similar to the basic Regal except the fact that the Grand National was only available in jet black and it has Buick "6" badges. Otherwise it looks like many other American "coupe" from that era. But the jet black body colour, including the grille, does give it a sinister look. The marketing people also recognized this and they made some impressive posters with the Grand National. It looked so evil and malicious it was referred to as Darth Vader's car. I know it's weird, but I quite like it.

And this is the view drivers of muscle cars saw back in the day, and even today.

The Buick Grand National has a presence and a mean attitude. Other cars like the Camaro, Mustang and not to mention Ferrari turned their noses to at the sight of it. And then a couple of seconds later looked at its Buick behind when it went past in a sea of turbo whistle.

In many ways this car is like many other power hungry American muscle cars but then again it isn't. If only it had a Nissan badge to go with that unique engine it would be hailed around the world as one of the great turbocharged cars.

The all important badge. Could any of you tell me who is Troy Spencer?

How to luxury

As we know Rolls Royce has the infinite know how to create a exceptionally posh car. But since the Phantom has become a bit of a mainstream- I'm using this word very loosely - big luxury run about, I think the brand has lost a bit of its exclusivity.

The people at Rolls Royce have noticed this and as a response revived the very exclusive model name from the 30's, the Wraith. The modern Wraith sits on the same floor as the, smaller than Phantom, Ghost. Which in part sits on a modified floor of the BMW 7-series. It's also got the same engine from the Ghost a 6.6 litre twin turbo V12. But some power has been added. A subtle 70 hp more which add up to a hypnotic 632 hp. That ladies and gentlemen is the most powerful Rolls Royce ever made. Rest assured though, this power is imperceptible as the engine makes no noticeable "wroom" and the supreme quality soaks up the wind noise.
What actually makes this car the brand saver of Rolls Royce though, is the hugely impressive design. The massive two door presence of this car is breath taking. The styling is the perfect combination of proper British luxury design and German build quality and attention to detail.

This beast of a thing is so elegant and brilliantly smooth that it captures the essence of true luxury and exclusivity. A title that, as we all can agree on, belongs in the house of Rolls Royce.

And the rear hinged doors add to the presence that this car naturally has.

That long roof line sits so well on those hips.
The two-toned version should look astounding.