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...?

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.

It seems unnecessary

Lately I've been hung up on manufacturers giving their car models names that really are not needed. Today it is BMW's new 4-series. Now for those who don't know, the 4-series is the new 3-series coupe. To have a different name to a car with a different body does sound smart, until you realize it is the exact same car as the 3-series. 

So what is the point in renaming a car that you're not going to change anyway? In the case of the M3 it's nice to have a different name for the coupe, the M4. But it still isn't a big challenge to call it the M3 coupe now isn't it. 

This even happened to the to 1-series as well. It's no longer the 1-series coupe it's the 2-series. It does make sense that the odd numbers (1,3,5,7-series) are saloons and the even numbers (2,4,6-series) are coupes. But let's not forget that there is a four-door version of the 6-series. 

So why did they do this? Probably because now BMW can release four-door versions of the 2- and 4-series'. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. 

BMW M4. 426 hp from a 3.0 litre twin turbo straight 6.

From this photo you can see it's a 4-series. But what if you couldn't see the back?

And the 2-series. There probably will be an M2 somewhere in the future.

The choice became harder

For the last few years there has been a trend in the big saloon market that has baffled me. It's the introduction of the saloon-coupe. I'm not the biggest fan of the saloons with the sloped rear-end like the A7 or the CLS, because you could spend less money on a less flashier car and then use the rest of the money to buy another car for your child. I expect that the buyer would have a child since those cars are still big saloons. But anyway, this text is not for ranting on those type of cars (or people who buy them) but for the new Maserati Ghibli. 

The Maserati Ghibli is a new car from Maserati which unfortunately falls in the same category as the CLS, not because of its body shape, but because of its similar price tag. The Ghibli comes with two different engines to choose from. A 3.0 L twin turbocharged V6 which puts out 330 hp and 410 hp for the faster S model. It also has - for the first time ever in a Maserati - a V6 turbodiesel. 

Now before we go and say that the legendary Italian manufacturer has sold itself out we have to remember that, if you want Maserati to be around for much longer they have to build something for a larger market. And that means for Maserati to build a smaller car with a bigger market than the Quattroporte but still one that doesn't ruin their badge. Enter the Ghibli.

The diesel is necessary so that it could compete with the German equivalents. But I hope that the people who buy the Ghibli will opt for the twin turbo petrol. I also hope that this car will propel the passionate Italians to build more sports cars in the future.

At first I wasn't happy with the styling, but it has started to grow on me. I like it.

Will we see an estate version? It could be something they're working on right now.