Test drive: Jaguar F-Type R coupé

Alright so, the Auto2016 event started off with a bang for my part at least. Instead of starting the weekend off cautiously I decided to dive straight to shark infested waters by driving the most expensive and most powerful car available the Jaguar F-Type R.

Jaguar F-Type R in a special Jaguar Experience livery

 I entered the large area where the test drive cars are kept with anxiety and general uneasiness. I was among one of the first to drive this thing. It is worth over 200 000 euros, what if i bin it? What if some orangutan in a Renault drives into me? Then there wouldn't be any F-Type for the rest to drive around in. I entered the car as gracefully as I could and started the engine in what turned to be a very echoey room. During the test drive I was accompanied by a nice woman wearing a discrete Jaguar jumper, because no one is allowed to drive off alone in any of the test drive cars. The lady showed me where to open the flaps on the exhaust, I gave the engine a 'gentle' warmup just to make sure the Jag got everybody's attention and then drove off.

The four tail pipes emit a sound only made by a furious deity.

The general numbness, though, went away quickly when I entered the outside world. The F-Type R in normal city traffic is actually not scary at all. It's extremely easy to maneuver and the visibility, all though not great, is sufficient enough for you to sense the corners of the car. The test drive route for the event is around 20 minutes and exciting at all. Mostly in the city a bit of motorway acceleration and that's it. But the F-Type made the route very exciting indeed.

The suspension is not set up for comfort

When applying the throttle for some big speed it punches through the air and waves and buildings and anything else really, with an absolutely brutal V8 soundtrack. The general numbness that existed in my legs before the test drive returned. The acceleration is something I've never experienced before. I'd love to compare the acceleration and the sensation of speed to something else but truth be told, this is by far the fastest most powerful car I've ever driven. Only words that come to mind are holy sh*t I need to drive this on an autobahn and try again.

I apologize for the bad picture, my hands were shaking

The car is an absolute beast when it wants to be and in dynamic mode it is constantly rattling the cage door wanting to be freed. It feels very normal when you're not feeling playful but no one is ever going to drive this car normally. It's a complete animal with a massive character wrapped in a handsome and muscular suit, that can burble the alphabet if it wanted to on the overrun.
I honestly cannot be objective with reviewing this car, but then again I'm not a real journalist.



Specs: The Jaguar F-Type coupé has a supercharged 550 horsepower V8. Power delivered through a ZF eight speed gearbox to the rear wheels or all four wheels (test car had AWD).

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

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.

The oddity from 'Murica

The Americans have a certain skill when it comes to manufacturing cars. They can be absolutely dreadful to drive while at the same time be charismatic and very likable. But i stumbled on an american car that i'm not so sure about.

It's the Plymouth Prowler (later known as the Chrysler Prowler) that I'm talking about. The product of Chrysler engineers that were basically given free hands to go play with bits of metal lying about the factory. And to create a car that would describe the words hot rod and sportster. The result then was a two-seater roadster with open front wheels and the V6 from a Chrysler 300M, not even a V8. With the open front wheels it did resemble a hot rod, but nothing else really. The engine too had at first 217 hp but later it was pumped up to a reasonable 252 hp. But the gearbox stayed the same, a 4-speed automatic. That's not very sportster is it? And despite all of this it is found in the civilized world as well, in Europe.

I think because of it's weirdness it did sell well enough for Chrysler to keep making it for five years (1997-2002) before they had to call quits. The Prowler has a character that appeals to a specific sort of person who doesn't care about the stupid gearbox or the awful interior. I don't and probably never will understand what goes on inside this persons head.

At least the plastic bumpers blend nicely in with the black paint.  

Those blinged up wheels cannot make this car more American. 

The posterior is real

When a car is described as good looking or even pretty, it's the front of the car that then usually is the defining characteristic. But there is one car in my opinion where the prettiness comes from the... behind.

The rear of the Ferrari 458 Italia is so exotic and fantastically proportioned that i'd like to sleep on the rear window. I think it's the Ferrari F40 inspired tailpipes that get my attention most of all. I'm less of a fan of the convertible rear end though. It lacks the smoothness of the roof and the hips are more well defined.

The car all in all looks obviously excellent, but what gives it the look of a future Ferrari classic is the memorable round taillights combined with the operatic V8 echo.

Oh My God! It's like the best angle ever! And that roof!

It's a bit too pointy for my taste. 

Mind you, the Ferrari 458 Speciale around the Monaco hairpin ain't bad either. 

A white and black 458 is a nice change to the Rosso Corsa.