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.

A hot hatchback for the ages

After the muscle car post I need to write about my favourite kind of of car. And as a normal citizen of Europe my favourite kind of car is small and understated but fast and fun. I'm obviously talking about the hot hatchback. I have covered this topic before (surprisingly) with the Fiesta ST and various GTI's.

Volkswagen Golf R32 in the correct deep blue pearl colour.

Imagine my excitement when I saw a magnificent VW Golf R32 mark IV roll up behind me. Basically the R32 is a harder and faster GTI that was released in 2003. Instead of a four cylinder turbo it has one of my all time favourite engines the 3.2 litre 24 valve VR6. In the mark IV Golf it produces 240 HP which drives all the four wheels. If the engine is all you want then I should inform you that it is also found in the Audi TT. As are the same suspension components and the DSG double-clutch gearbox. So basically the R32 is a more practical Audi sports car.

May I turn your attention to those magnificent wheels.

While we are comparing it to the first Audi TT it is more handsome as well. Even though it looks very much as the basic mark IV Golf there are some features that separates it from the common road dwelling Golf. A new front bumper, skirts and rear bumper have a classically discreet Volkswagen look. But perhaps the biggest giveaway are the two modest exhausts that release the magnificent VR6 growl. The R32 that I spotted didn't really represent the modesty of a Volkswagen. The blacked out lights, wide tires and low ride height gave it a really dominant presence. Completing the makeover is the black VW badge. Even though the transformation is quite substantial one can see it has been done with style and money. I cannot help but like it.

I'm glad that it still has the stock exhaust, classy tuning indeed.

As I've mentioned many times this is one of my favourite hot hatches. A sensible German hatchback that has ripped off its buttoned up white collar shirt and put on a pair of boxing gloves and said "Come on then, let's see what you've got".

A familiar shape but still more special than most realise.

PS: The more eagle eyed of you have probably noticed a small Oettinger badge on the grille. According to the Oettinger tuning company's website they don't tune the VR6 engine which means that the tuning must have been done to the underside of the car, maybe the suspension.

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?

A sportscar for the light hearted

At the 2013 Geneva motor show Alfa Romeo revealed its small and lightweight sports car called the 4C. This then had to carry the torch of the famous Spider and GTV. Now it has finally arrived in the showrooms up here in the north.

Alfa Romeo 4C in Madreperla White

The car immediately caught the eyes and minds of the motoring world with its striking looks. The curvy and smooth lines combined with the aggressive stinger bee sort of glare is quite characteristic of the Alfa Romeo design department (Centro Stile Alfa Romeo). The 4C is mid-engined but if there would be no glass cover I don't think anyone would notice. It doesn't suffer from the short nose syndrome as other mid-engined cars.

For a small car it is extremely wide, over 2 meters wide in fact.

Why no ordinary road dweller will notice the mid mounted engine is because it is tiny. The engine is only a 1.75 litre unit lifted from the company's Giulietta hatchback. With a turbo and some other bits and bobs the power output becomes 240 HP. And in true sports car fashion all of this goes to the rear wheels. This isn't that impressive until you realize that the chassis is almost entirely made out of carbon fibre and the entire car of other composite materials and aluminium. This means the car weighs only 895 kg. With this weight - or lack of it - the 240 horsepower is sufficient enough. This sports car is build like most of the super cars build today, and the performance numbers reflect that as well. Officially the snorty 4-cylinder achieves 100 kph in 4.5 seconds but road testers have done the 0-100 sprint in 4.2 seconds. The 4C will keep on going to an impressive 260 kph.

I'm only small, but I'll bite your head off if you're not careful.

Super car numbers and super car materials in a small compact Italian sports car that also is beautiful to behold comes at a high price of over 50 000€ in Italy. Here in the north the added taxes will push the price to an eye watering 90 000€. The question now is, do you have the heart, soul and riches to own one? Because I now you want to.

BMW M5, a beast in disguise

An early history from developing race winning cars in the 1970's to converting mundane German cars into autobahn speed junkies, categorizes the BMW M badge to a status of legendary.

Even though the first production BMW with an M-badge was a racing car for the road, the M1, the BMW subsidiary changed direction by creating the BMW M535i. This is considered the genesis of BMW sports saloons. The next 5-series BMW also got the Motorsport treatment and it eventually got named M5, which has stuck ever since.

But more about the history of the M5 perhaps later on, now let me introduce you to the M5 I drove on a warm summer evening in southern Finland.

This is the third M5 named 5-series from 1999. It was the first M5 without the signature straight 6 since it boasts a hefty 5.0 litre V8 developing 400 HP (60 more than its predecessor) to the rear wheels. This particular M5 though had been moderately tweaked to a tested 412 HP to make it feel that more special. All this power is at your hands with a 6-speed manual. No feeble automatic action here. But a traction control button is much needed to keep the 500 Nm of torque safely on the road.

BMW M5 from 1999 in Avus Blue metallic.

The numbers are indeed worthy of the M5 badge, which there are a lot of. These are the only telltale sign of the beast within. Otherwise it looks like a normal E39 5-series but with some added slice of testosterone with those beautifully crafted exhaust pipes. This particular M5 has 262 thousand kilometers on the clock, but you really don't notice it on the exterior or the interior for that matter. It has been taken good care of.

I'm not really sure about the colour of the leather, it was spotless though.

It does have a manly stance

The driving experience is quite what you'd expect. It's seriously fast when you straighten your ankle but if driven respectfully it feels like a normal car. The seating position is excellent as are the seats. The seats compliment the ride elegantly as well. The ride is firmer than a normal 5-series', to cope with the immense acceleration, but still surprisingly smooth, even on Finnish back roads. The steering had a bit of play in it but did tighten up a bit with 'sport' mode switched on. But for a large powerful car it is as easy to drive in traffic as a hatchback. But when the traffic light turns green you find yourself having a remarkably heavy right foot. But if you drive like a normal human being the M5 doesn't shout about and behaves the way it looks, stylishly and discreetly.

The diffuser has been given a carbon fibre look. Which, weirdly enough, works.

On the whole the BMW M5 (e39) didn't disappoint, but then again why would it. It's a piece of expert level German engineering which shows both inside and out. The distant rumble of the V8 and a quick glance at the speedometer will be an everlasting reminder of the beast within.

... Oh yea, and the millions of M-badges.

M5

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo

This car manufacturer probably took creating the Vision Gran Turismo concept most seriously. They have taken this opportunity to impress the automotive world with their technological prowess.

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo at Suzuka.

Nissan have indeed created a nerd fest of lines and algorithms. The Nissan 2020 Vision Gran Turismo concept is, as the previous concepts, a track focused GT car. In many ways it perceives itself as a distant successor to the current Nissan GT-R. It does have the same silhouette with a long bonnet a 2+2 cabin and a boot big enough for more than a dozen eggs. The body has been sculpted by science and the styling done by people who have PhD in aerodynamics. But then again that is how the Nissan GT-R is also done. It is basically designed as a LeMans racing car.

Long fins at the back to decrease drag. Colour Winning Blue Metallic

Next is a quote from Gran Turismo 6 website about the Nissan 2020 VGT. "The air entering the front side inlet goes through the inner side of the wheels, and is drawn out in an accelerated manner due to the exhaust under the front fender outlet." This is a good example of the amount of thought, precision and engineering that has gone in to designing this car to be as slippery through the air as possible.


Nissan has concentrated so much on the outside of the car that it appears they forgot that a car needs an engine to actually move. So we know very little of it. It's a twin turbo V6 hybrid with 3 electric motors. I'm guessing it's a modified 3.8 litre V6 from the Nissan GT-R. As expected it delivers power to all four wheels, but how much of it, we don't know. I'm guessing neither does the manufacturer itself.

This 2020 VGT concept then maybe how a Nissan GT-R of the future could look like. The name 2020 may imply the year we'll see this thing in production. Will it then be as desirable as the current one remains to be seen. All I can say is, it doesn't tickle my funny-bone.

You can see the aerodynamic body working even at a stand still.

The original Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R and the technological marvel.

A closer look at the sculpted tail lights. Even they have been given aerodynamic significance.

Volkswagen GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo

The beauty with the Vision Gran Turismo concept is that the manufacturers get absolutely free hands in creating something exceptional. Granted, so far the cars have been a track focused road cars and this one is no different on that point. But they all have the specific manufacturers unique touch.

Volkswagen GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo

This one is, I think, the most special so far. It is the Volkswagen GTI Roadster VGT. Already from the name you know it's not going to be like any from the former Vision Gran Turismo concepts. It is indeed without a roof. It sits extremely low down and has a low-cut windshield which i think makes it look like a saucer. In truth though, all the lines and crevices have an important job of keeping the four-wheel drive roadster glued to the road. Volkswagen have kept the red GTI stripe at the front and the headlights do look very much as the ones found on the current VW Golf, although a bit squashed.

An F1-styled steering-wheel with a switch for the windscreen wipers.

Volkswagen have had to work quite hard on this car since it actually has a designed and working interior unlike the other VGT cars. It would be quite idiotic to create a roadster and then leave the interior darkened in the game. And the interior needs to work as well since this car exists in real life.

As for what powers this car. I was delightfully surprised it hasn't got an economical 2.0 litre turbo, instead they have fitted it with the - dare i say - iconic VR6. This engine, I believe, was last seen in the Mk5 Golf R32. Anyhow, the 3.0 litre VR6 produces the same kind of power as the Mitsubishi VGT, 502 horsepower aided by two turbos. And as the Mitsubishi it darts around the track as a bee hopped up on sugar.

Volkswagen may be the only German car manufacturer that could create a serious track car which feels fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Which, in my books, makes it a proper GTI.

VW GTI Roadster VGT at Madrid street circuit.

I can imagine a poor rear visibility with that massive rear wing.

This glowing GTI "winglet" by the wheel is something I would like to see in future GTI's

Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV EVOLUTION VGT

The previous two Vision Gran Turismo cars have been quite track oriented. With rear-wheel drive and grippy track tyres they serve a specific purpose in the virtual world of Gran Turismo 6. This one though, is slightly different.

We all are familiar with the rally heritage of Mitsubishi Motors. The Lancer Evolution models in the hands of Tommi Mäkinen and Richard Burns on dusty rally roads is a sight many remembers. As many other car manufacturers Mitsubishi has taken part in creating a Vision Gran Turismo concept car and it's not really what I expected.

Mitsubishi XR-PHEV Evolution Vision Gran Turismo.

This XR-PHEV Evolution is based on a real concept car Mitsubishi made for the 2013 Tokyo motor show. The real life concept is a high riding four-wheel drive desert thrasher as this in-game one - as you may have noticed - is nothing like that at all. The Vision Gran Turismo shares that striking front design of the 2013 concept, the four-wheel drive and the PHEV hybrid system. PHEV stands for Plug-in Hybrid EV System which does... I have no idea what it does, but I'm sure it's something an engineer would have wet dreams about. The engine management system delivers power and torque to any one tyre to give the best grip and eliminate under-/oversteer. This amazing grip machine joined with a lightweight body made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic does truly feel like a go-kart with massive flared wheel arches.

The Mitsubishi XR VGT at Fuji Speedway

How about the PHEV engine. I'm guessing it stays true to its heritage and has a 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo. I'm guessing because - strangely - Mitsubishi haven't told its capacity. It wields an impressive 502 horsepower which goes through an 8-speed gearbox. This - in an acceleration - makes you feel like a rally driver while going through the short gears.

That is the only thing that makes this feel like a rally car. The aerodynamic properties of this car are astounding. But that's my problem with it. It feels more like a World Touring Car than a World Rally Car.

This car clearly doesn't belong here with that low ride height.

Mitsubishi's finest moment the Evolution V, and it's futuristic cousin.

This incredible V-shaped wing ads a great amount of downforce to an already incredible car.

BMW Vision Gran Turismo

In the last post I presented the first Vision Gran Turismo (VGT) concept car, the Mercede-Benz AMG VGT. The Germans keep on giving since the second concept is a BMW creation.

I will not explain what Vision Gran Turismo is in this post since I already did it in the Mercedes one.

BMW Vision Gran Turismo at the Nürburgring GP track.

BMW Vision Gran Turismo is the name of the concept car, but actually it could very well be called the BMW 2-series racing concept. So many design features are taken from the 2-series. Nonetheless, this car looks absolutely fantastic. It has the sense of the old 3.0 CSL (one of my favourite BMWs) about it. The fixed rear wing and the wider stance with those wheel arches make it look like a well trained attack dog with David Coulthard-like features. The classic BMW M-sport stripes are back as well. Painted, apparently, where the airstream would flow around the car.

I do like side-exhausts. Spitting flames as the Merc before.

The outstanding looks is not a front either, this car goes. It hosts the traditional BMW 3.0 litre straight six coupled with two turbos. Before i mention the power numbers let me tell you, the sound - even though it is in a game - is absolutely operatic. It sounds like the engine is, a pure masterpiece. Now that you probably have rushed out to hear that sound yourself, let's talk numbers. The engine delivers 549 horsepower and a peak torque of 680 Nm. There's no weight to hold it down either, the car weighs only 1,180 kg.


The BMW Vision Gran Turismo has a compact look that was present in the BMW racing cars in the 70's which in my mind makes it look great. In the words of Karim Habib (Head of Design BMW Automobiles) "It is engineered to race and win".

Side view with the airflow M-sport stripes.

Here they meet, like father like son (almost). BMW 2002 turbo in the role of father.

Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo

The ultimate driving simulator game Gran Turismo 6 have for a while now had a project called Vision Gran Turismo (VGT). Here different car manufacturers design a concept car for the game commemorating the 15th anniversary of Gran Turismo games.

Mercedes-Benz AMG VGT,

The honour of being the first to unveil their VGT concept was Mercedes in November 2013.The car is called Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo. It's neither a catchy or an innovative name but then again Mercedes have never been good at that sort of thing. Concept cars are all about the looks, flexing the muscles of the design division to the max. Even though the car is designed to be in a game it looks like it could work as a successor for the Mercedes SLS in a decade or so. Obviously, this concept is sporting some familiar curves and details
 from the Mercedes-Benz performance-car range with some concept design touches, as those LED lights in the grill.

M-B AMG VGT Racing Series at the Red Bull Ring.

Under that long bonnet hides a biturbo 5.5 litre V8 developing 577 horsepower, sufficient enough for cruising on the autobahn at a comfortable 280 km/h . Even though that amount of power seems like much, remember, the SLS AMG has 563 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8. This means Mercedes has designed this car to be a greener grand tourer than the previous ones. To this theory ads the aluminium and carbon fibre body that weighs only 1,385 kg. To put it in context the SLS AMG tips the scales at 1,620 kg.

Spitting flames!

No other manufacturer that has taken part in creating a VGT concept are yet to make two cars, except Mercedes. They created a track version of the grand tourer and call it the Racing Series. It has the same engine (5.5 litre biturbo V8) but 14 more hp (591 hp) and 85 kg less weight. Naturally it sits a bit lower down, has racing suspension and the 7-speed gearbox is more track oriented. The most noticeable feature, however, must be the large rear wing. Which I think suits the car very well.

 This, in fact, was the first car of many to be revealed in the coming months. As of writing this there have been eleven different manufacturers that have released their Vision Gran Turismo concepts to the game. Let's go through all of them, shall we.

Here is the difference between the two Mercs, Notice the GT logo on the Racing Series.

Mercedes claim the styling goes back to the 300SL. I'm sorry, but apart from the grill, I don't see it.

Lancias in the air

For teams to take part in the new Group A rallying they had to race a car that also had production versions made of it.
The FIA group A rally rules stated that at least 5000 road legal production cars had to be made and sold before a car was allowed to enter the WRC. The rally car had to be derived from the production version and then modified with rally suspension and greater power and torque figures. Later, the rules allowed Evolution models to be homologated in the WRC but only 500 Evolution models had to be created for sale by the manufacturer.

The road version of the Rally Lancia Delta is called Lancia Delta HF Integrale and it was introduced in 1987. It was based on the already existing 4WD Delta which was a good base for the eventual rally car. In the year 1991 Lancia introduced the Evoluzione and in 1993 the Evoluzione II. They had updated engines and interior. The group A rules required only 500 Evolution models to be produced but they were so popular that Lancia eventually ended up making over 12,000 examples (of Evoluzione I and II) until they seized production in 1994.

In it's natural habitat

The engine in the Lancia Delta Integrale was from 1987 to 1989 an 8 valve 2 litre turbo. Months before the 16 valve engine made a debut in WRC, it was fitted in the production car. Power increased from 185 hp to 200. Lancia kept developing the engine along the years. The top performance figure with the Evoluzione II ended up being 215 horsepower and 308 Nm of torque.

Photos from GT6 as usual, since I have never seen one in nature. This particular Delta is the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione from 1991 in Monza red.

The aerodynamic properties for flying aren't really the best.

The difference between an Evoluzione and a standard  Delta are those holes in the bonnet.

The interior is a bit pixelated in GT6.

And here is the rally Delta Integrale Evo from 1992. Driver Didier Auriol.