Month: September 2015

by

BMW – Brilliant Middle-Management Wheels but not much emotion

855964_P90152903-highRes

Forget all the whistles and bells on the M4 – whether or not you might be persuaded to part with £60k + for the convertible might well come down to the badge on the bootlid.

Image is everything with a car like this. You might question whether there are other brands with a more luxurious tag that tempt you to flip open the wallet.

I’ve own at least three BMWs but still haven’t been able to shake of the business-like feel that is associated with the brand. Brilliant Middle-Management Wheels is what those three letters stand for, right?

As much as I love the performance, growl and driving pleasure that comes with the M4, the BMW brand just doesn’t have the same cache and emotion associated with it as say, Maserati, Porsche or Mercedes, who all sells cars for this sort of money…

by

BMW M4 convertible – your flexible friend when the road surface is harsh

778025_P90140442-highRes

I wasn’t sure BMW had delivered the right car when the M4 rumbled up the driveway earlier today. So good is the design of the convertible that it’s difficult to tell it apart from the M4 coupe.

Slip the open top M4 on a set of scales though and it weighs in almost 180kg heavier – mostly thanks to a complicated roof folding mechanism that is jaw-dropping to behold.

And there’s not doubt that first impressions of this brute of a sports car suggest all that extra weight does have an impact on handling – especially over rough surfaces at speed.

It’s astoundingly quick in a straight line but there’s definitely some flexibility in the chassis. This is still a fantastic car to drive but there’s also a price to be paid for choosing the open top option…

by

F-Type, 911 or R8 – which one would you choose?

928128_Manual S Caldera Red_Studio_05

Jaguar F-Type convertible, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Audi R8 soft-top – which one would you buy? There’s a big difference in prices and the Jag is the cheapest by far but is it way out of it’s depth in such company?

Having driven all three this summer, I’d opt for the practical, sensible and easiest-to-live-with 911. I don’t think the 911 is that inspiring to look at, it doesn’t set my pulse racing like the F-Type but it is the brilliant all-rounder.

I’v already talked about the F-Type having a heart and soul, although it’s a real shame the noisy tailpipes and uninspiring interior let the car down.

That might suggest the R8 is a great compromise but, well, it just looks a little rear heavy. I know the design is meant to exude true ‘supercar’ but quite frankly, despite the amazing handling, the Audi has a fat arse and that’s the end of it.

Which leads me to conclude this is a dead heat, only won by the Porsche because it does everything well. Such as shame it just conjures up images of flash bankers and little else…

by

The F-Type is a Jaguar that roars too much – turn the noise down please!

928140_Manual S Caldera Red_Studio_09

So I’ll tell you what’s wrong with the F-Type… Obviously it’s not the styling, the badge on the boot lid or the performance. We have five senses and the Jag lets us down on two of them.

First, it launches a full-scale attack on your eardrums. It’s rather entertaining at first, all that snap, crackle and pop when you ease off the throttle and blip down the gears.

Even with the acoustic exhaust system switched off, it’s way too loud but press the button in and, well, the sound levels are quite frankly silly. This is a Jaguar that roars too much and it soon becomes very tiring.

And then what about our sense of touch? The Jaguar has a leather steering wheel and smashing leather seats. Great – except the flappy paddles on the steering column are made of plastic borrowed from an Airfix toy model.

This saddens me because I firmly believe that a car costing £70k plus should feel and sound a lot better than it does. Time for a rethink Jaguar?