Stick to European

There is a car i'd like to briefly talk about. It's the Dodge Caliber SRT-4. I saw two of them today, which is unusual in this part of the world. But that's not the point. The point is that it is two too many. As a concept the 'sporty' Caliber sounds intriguing. It has a 2.4 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine developing 295 hp, something that is too much for some American V8's. So it sounds all European and/or Japanese, or to put it in a single word, civilized.

It is essentially a hot hatch set to compete with the Golf GTI and so on. But I don't count it as a hot hatch because a hot hatch is supposed to be practical, fun, and sophisticated. It should be good at everything. And i bet you any money that the SRT-4 isn't. It is fast in a straight line though as an American car should, 0-100 kph in around 6 seconds. But that's not fast enough. It should be so fast that it would become blurry to spectators. Because the looks are so childish and vulgar at the same time that it's impossible to comprehend what kind of person thinks that the SRT-4 looks good enough to be seen in, unless you're twelve. And get this, it's front-wheel drive. It even has VVT (Variable Valve Timing) which Dodge say is a 'newer' technology (remember this is in the year 2008). Toyota used VVT in it's cars for the first time in 1992. I'm sorry. If this is the'newer' technology Dodge is proud about we should be worried.

So an American car with certainly an American body, with a Japanese engine (sort of), with front-wheel drive and with out-dated technology. Thankfully this hasn't caught on. 

I know this is a car that was new in 2008 and production stopped in 2009 and that this review/rant is late. But this blog wasn't up then and I had to come up with something to write.

The scoops and vents don't make the car faster or cooler.

It sure looks clumpy for a hot hatch. I do like the single exhaust pipe though.

Mazda6, 2013 edition

The competition for the mid-ranged saloon of the year has gotten off to a great start with the new 3rd generation Mazda 6.  It’s a bit, taller, wider and longer than the outgoing Mazda 6, but most importantly it has been fitted with many non-interesting electrical gizmos. The new Mazda 6 has something called SkyActive technology which increases all the important things i.e. fuel economy and engine power and torque. It’s also fitted with i-ELOOP which harnesses energy that is created while braking. I don’t know how it works but at least the name is fun to say, i-ELOOP. Of course the new Mazda 6 has plenty to offer in safety as well, Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) for instance. As for the choice of engines there are petrol and diesels of which the top of the range model is a 2.5 litre petrol developing 189 HP.

 

What about the styling? In a not so distance past (in 2011 in fact) Mazda revealed the Takeri concept and said; this is going to be the next Mazda 6. I thought; Wow! Yeah, right”. And look at it now. It looks pretty much the same as the stunning Takeri concept which makes it still stunning. It’s one of the first cars I’ve seen that looks the same as the sneak peak concept. Mazda obviously has styled it to have the presence of a Japanese fighting fish, with sporty, aggressive and smooth good looks. Many cars from this D-segment have become good looking but I think this is the best looking of them all.  

Mazda 6 estate

Mazda 6 interior

Mazda 6 saloon

Mazda Takeri concept for comparison