Bentley Continental V8 Convertible – Just Inhale Deeply…

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Let’s be sensible here. It may be pouring with rain all over England today but if you are a footballer considering a new Bentley convertible for the missus, the low cost option is the latest 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. No, really, if it makes you feel better, the ‘entry level’ GTC at £136,000 is most definitely the model to opt for.

Why? Well, although you can probably afford any car you want anyway, the V8 is far and away the cheapest to buy and run. And if you are planning to take it long distance for a weekend away, the 4.0 model will go considerably further on a single tank of fuel. Supposedly around 500 miles in total, although heavy use of the right foot will blow that figure away.

The GTC also has everything anybody could ever want in a car. All the obvious stuff, like sat nav, heated seats and cruise control of course, plus a few wonderful features to make you giggle. These include air conditioned seats, amazing noise insulation from the folding soft-top, plus a dashboard style to mirror the winged badge of Bentley itself. Brilliant.

Somehow, I have resisted the opportunity to drive the GTC today. Instead, I’ve been savouring the style of a great car, sitting in the driver’s seat  and marvelling at the trim, and just inhaling the aroma of the cabin. Yep, you get all that with the Bentley before you even turn the key. What happens then? Find out tomorrow…

Nissan 370Z Nismo – Alright In White

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If I was buying one, I probably wouldn’t choose white. But that aside, the 370Z is the perfect antidote to the sanitised BMW, Audi and Mercedes sports cars that blend in and then disappear in a supermarket car park.

That certainly won’t happen with the Nissan. While some of the styling reminds me of a Porsche 911, it’s the sort of car that could give you a complex, if you worry about people looking at you.

It’s impossible not to fall for 370Z. It sticks two fingers up at the mainstream opposition, all is all the better for it. If you want a coupe that dares to be different, take one out for a spin.

It’s a muscle car for the modern age. Heavy steering, long-throw manual gearbox and brutish looks. Most importantly, it will make you happy, every time you see it parked on the driveway.

Nissan 370Z Nismo – Fairlady?

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Nissan has only ever surfed the edge of performance car. But when the Japanese manufacturer has dipped its toe, the vehicle has been branded with a Z. Not surprisingly, in the UK they became known as Zed cars.

The first appeared in 1969 when Nissan was still branded Datsun here. However, the Nissan Fairlady Z was only sold in Japan until it was rebranded 240Z and sold abroad for the first time in the early 70s, followed by the 260Z and 280ZX in later years.

The re-styled 300ZX arrived in 1983 and it survived in various forms until 2000, when many thought the age of Nissan sports cars was gone for good. Not so, and the 350Z, which sports the DNA of our current 370Z test car, was introduced three years later.

The 370Z is still known in Japan as the Fairlady – a moniker thankfully dropped for the European market!

 

 

Nissan 370Z Nismo – Interior Design

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There are several reasons why the 370Z feels amazing to drive and one of them is the cabin. The dashboard lay-out is a cool combination of retro and modern that makes BMW and Audi appeared rather dull by comparison.

The seats are low slung, with part electric adjustment, the six-speed manual gearstick falls easily to hand, while the steering wheel material is tactile and easy to grip.

The transmission tunnel, transferring all that power from the engine to the back wheels, is large but it also makes the perfect arm rest, with a roomy cubbyhole and single cupholder.

My only real issue is that the Nismo is strictly a two-seater – there is no space in the back at all for passengers. The luggage area is respectable but the rear screen lies very low and prevents any large objects being stowed.

Nissan 370Z Nismo – An Easter Egg Of A Sportscar

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It’s difficult to find a petrol station open on Easter Sunday – so driving the Nismo requires a little extra care. I’m managing 23mpg, even though I’m trundling about like a octogenarian. Apologies to any such readers out there…

On the upside, that 3.7-litre engine is just explosively fast. I’ve read reviews claiming it’s course and outdated but in a age of silky smooth, turbocharged units, the Nissan is refreshingly engaging. So, if you want BMW/Audi ease of use, go elsewhere.

We’ve had a week of dry weather but today the heavens have opened and I imagine the 370Z is going to be quite a handful, with 340bhp going through the back wheels.

Still, with 19-inch alloys as standard and razor-sharp handling, what else could you need to enjoy your eggs this Sunday?

Nissan 370Z Nismo – Fast & Furious

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Nismo is the motorsport and performance arm of Nissan. Not as well known as BMW M Sport, or the performance arms of other European manufacturers, Nismo has still competed in Le Mans, Daytona and the GT Championship.

When the 370Z Nismo model was launched last year, Nissan insisted the car was not a full-blown Nismo variant, more of a makeover. All I can say is, when are they planning the real Nismo 370Z because this one is outstanding.

While the 370Z has always been a heavy car, tweaking the 3.7-litre V6 to 340bhp adds the extra performance the Nissan needs to border on super car potential.

Some have called the engine harsh but I disagree – think of it as more of a sophisticated muscle car and you won’t be disappointed.I love driving this Nissan, even at humdrum speeds it feels superbly balanced and sharp.

Nissan 370Z Nizmo – Easter Funny

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More tasty than a hot cross bun with lashings of butter… Yes, the 370Z is just the sort of coupe that makes you long for a sunny, dry weekend to engage with a British country road.

If you want light steering, easy to park and good visibility, then try a Golf GTI and blend in the with crowd. The Nissan is an absolute monster of a car but it has one extra missing from most hot hatchbacks – it’s fantastically great fun and will put a smile on your face. Guaranteed.

I can even forgive it the crazy rear spoiler, which I’ve decided is a lot prettier than it appears on first sight. It’s big, large enough to take a suitcase strapped to the top, but you have to be a big, bold character to own a car like this is the first place.

Of course, all this fun has a price and I’m watching it happen in front of me. The fuel gauge is dropping at an alarming rate. Like 22mpg, ouch.

Nissan 370Z Coupe Nismo – Brute Force

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It’s the last day before Easter and it feels like I’ve been driving a Scaletrix car. In fact, the 370Z Nismo not only looks like a crazy toy coupe, it performs like one as well.

In Nismo clothing, the 370Z is equipped with a huge rear spoiler that harks back to the 1980s. In fact, it actually gives the 370Z negative lift, or downforce, and therefore does serve a purpose. Quite important in a car capable of 155mph and 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds.

First impressions of the Nismo? Well, the styling means it’s not for the shy, retiring type. It’s reminds me of a retro muscle car, bristling with macho appeal, loud, slightly offensive and raw, in a refined ‘Nissan’ way, of course.

And because of all that grunt under the bonnet, it goes well too! There’s a long throw on the manual gearbox which only adds to the retro appeal but wind up the V6 and the Nismo really does feel fantastic.

Nissan, it seems, still know how to build a brute of a sports car. The downside? The price…

VW Scirocco GTS – Fat Bottom, Small Wonder

 

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In an age when we have come to accept the ‘fuller’ figure as a matter of course, the VW Scirocco fits in perfectly with the human demographic. Yes, it seems the svelte 1980s Scirocco has been replaced by a car with a large behind.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. The current version is still a very pretty car, it just appears to have eaten far too many buns when you view it from the rear. Quite why that is, who knows. Maybe to distinguish it even more from the Golf GTI?

We think the GTS is especially pretty, with a sublime interior too. It’s just a shame the GTS has to come with those two, wide stripes plastered over the bonnet and roof. If it was my car, I’d be out there with a hairdryer right now trying to remove the decals.

If you want to stand out from the rest of the Scirocco crowd, the GTS is a great way to do it. It’s just a shame that it costs so much and therefore competes head-on with  the latest GTI itself. A car built on a better platform, that goes even faster and offers more practicality.

VW Scirocco – The Naughty Button

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I love ‘Sport’ mode on automatic gearboxes. It’s like pressing the naughty button. Let’s face it, we don’t want to be penny-pinching economy misers all the time, do we?

I’ve driven the Scirocco GTS in sensible ‘normal’ mode for 90 per cent of the week, so today I gave the VW what it had been waiting for. The chance to open up on a winding Cotswold road and blow the cobwebs out of those twin exhaust pipes.

The result? A totally different car. The Porsche 911 and Aston Martin Volante both have similar buttons but I didn’t realise how much a performance tweak the Sport button on the Scirocco accounted for. It was quite a different car.

The gearbox sounded very sweet, holding on to the revs much higher up the range and, when changing down, it sounded amazing too. Now, I don’t expect them to start fitting a naughty button to a Polo or Up! but let me tell you, it’s the most fun you can have in a Volkswagen these days…