BMW

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The sound of the M4 – that’s the BMW version, not the motorway…

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There’s been plenty written about how this latest M3/M4 doesn’t have the same aura as the old version. It’s all to do with BMW dumping their 4.4-litre V8 and replacing it with a turbo 3.0-litre for improved efficiency.

Nothing beats the roar of a V8 but don’t be fooled into thinking our M4 doesn’t boast a rumble from those four tailpipes. It’s not quite a V8 gurgle – but it’s also a pure sound that hasn’t been manufactured by a man with  laptop, a la Jaguar F-Type.

So when I fired up the BMW this morning, the soundtrack was inspiring. It’s really just a taster of what is to come when the revs pick up – it lures you onto the open road where you can cut loose and enjoy yourself.

The downside? Well, those meaty tyres produce an awful lot of road noise in the convertible. I can only imagine that it is the same in the coupe. The constant hum changes pitch when you drive over different surfaces but it’s always there, forcing the Harmon Kardon hi-fi even louder…

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How many buttons do you need to press to overtake in a BMW M4?

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Is it just me or are cars becoming a little too overcomplicated these days? Take my M4. It’s something of a barnstormer – bumps in all the right places and very, very fast.

Twenty years ago that would have been enough for an enthusiastic driver, always  ready to put his foot down at the slightest opportunity.

There was no need to press extra buttons to set the vehicle up in sport mode, heighten the revs or firm up the suspension (let alone make the exhaust sound LOUD).

So when I came to overtake a line of three cars today, it was a damp trouser moment when I suddenly realised the BMW was quite set up right for a straight line dash.

This was, as you might imagine, not good. Surely if a sports car IS a sports car, it should be ready to go at the press of the right foot – and not at the press of a right foot and assorted buttons and oh, bugger, it’s too late.

Pure, unfettled fun is hard to come by these days. Maybe it’s time to buy a new Mazda MX-5 instead…

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BMW – Brilliant Middle-Management Wheels but not much emotion

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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…

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

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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…

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So if you had to choose between a Tesla electric car and a BMW M3, what would you choose?

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Now I don’t want to ramble on about Clarkson’s review of the BMW i8 too much but the final scenes of his drive to Whitby, where he decides whether to motor back home in the new BMW M3 or the i8, got me thinking.

What would I choose between the Tesla and the M3? I’m not going to scratch my chin here because I know the answer. The M3. It’s not because the Tesla isn’t a brilliant leap into the future – or the celebrity status it gives you everywhere – even in London.

No, it all comes down to issues over battery charging. If there were charging stations everywhere – even the random places I end up in as a journalist – then I’d buy into the idea tomorrow.

The Tesla looks slick, has the most amazing interior and futuristic dashboard lay out and so on but there simply are not enough charging points to make it work for me.

And with all that empty space under the bonnet, why not but another battery in and up the range to 500 miles – then everything would look very different.

I love the Tesla but I don’t love this country for not having the infrastructure to support it. Ask you local MP why when he comes electioneering at your door over the next two months…

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The A6 Avant Ultra is a big car but it has the same DNA as other more sporty Audi models

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There’s a narrow stretch of country road on the way to Kingham Station in Oxfordshire where you have to ‘breath in’ when a car approaches from the opposite direction. This morning I met a large, meandering lorry…

The A6 Avant is a big motor – it’s wide and long. Fortunately, it also handles extremely well, so when the ABS cut in and I steered towards the hedge, the Audi did exactly what I asked of it.

Moments before, I had been wondering at the feel of the Audi steering. To be honest, I’d prefer it a little heavier but the lorry moment persuaded me otherwise. I escaped with just my passenger door mirror pushed back.

So, to anyone who thinks the A6 Avant is just too big for them and something smaller would do, I’d say, ‘don’t worry, go for it.’ It may not be a TT but it has plenty of DNA from other faster, more sporty Audi models to keep you entertained and safe…

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The Audi A6 Avant Ultra is a car for people with serious jobs who want to cut loose on the weekend

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I like BMWs but Audi is making damn fine cars these days. They’ve got the styling and image spot on and the range of engines is second to none. The A6 Avant may be for upwardly mobile family-types with serious jobs but it’s also great fun to drive on the weekends too.

It has strong brakes, light but sensitive steering and enough performance from that low emissions TDI engine to make every journey a pleasure.

With the S Tronic 7-speed auto gearbox the ride is also smooth and relaxed. There are flappy paddle gear-shifters on the steering column but the Ultra doesn’t really have enough grunt to make using them worthwhile.

I tried for a while but then just stuck the gearshifter in ‘Drive’ and enjoyed the hi-fi. There’s minimal body roll and surprisingly little loss of traction at the front wheels under harsh acceleration.

I’m not sure the Ultra is as engaging to drive as the 5 Series Touring but it has been driven if you are in the market for a top notch estate…

 

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Audi’s A6 Avant Ultra is seriously big – but a rival for the BMW 5 Series Touring?

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The first thing you realise about the latest A6 Avant is that it’s big – very BIG. There’s plenty of room for five adults and you have slightly more space than the 5 Series in the boot too.

The Ultra model is designed for maximum efficiency (nobody predicted fuel prices would fall in 2014!), with a super sleek design that almost glues the A6 to the road and improves aerodynamics.

The lights, front grille and noticeably the exhausts are all re-shaped – inside the glass now deadens out more noise and the trim quality is higher than ever.

The S Line we have on test looks great. If you have to buy an estate then this car needs to be on your shortlist. What’s it like to drive? Come back tomorrow…

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BMW X5 – Will The New Mini Discovery Knock The X5 Off Its Perch?

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So who decided it was time for the rain to start? And who was it who reminded the logistics people at BMW to come and pick the X5 up?

When a motoring journalists gets to 5pm without a call, you kind of expect to keep the test car forever – well, at least until the following morning anyway.

I’m going to miss the X5. It’s a bit bling, a bit ‘Chelsea tractor’ but what a great SUV. Even without four-wheel drive, the 25d is quite some car.

Well, it is until I drove being a new ‘mini’ Land Rover Discovery on trade plates earlier today. This is the car that will replace the ageing Freelander. It’s the only SUV I’ve coveted over the X5 this week and it’s going to hit BMW sales hard.

So, X5 25d or mini Disco? The choice is yours. Two exceptional cars…

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BMW X5 – Check Your Reg For A Top Gear Cock-up!

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I’ve been out to check the registration on the X5 – just in case it has any reference to Argentina. I can’t believe the Argentines were unhappy with the FKL reg on a Porsche, claiming it was a reference to the Falklands War in 1982.

I’m driving in to Wales later and I don’t want to be stoned by angry Welshmen who might think the X5 number refers to the last time we beat them in the Six Nations rugby tournament. Could be tricky…

Of course, it will be fascinating to see if the registration of the Porsche was changed before it was flown out to Argentina for filming. If it was, then Clarkson and the team could be administered the last rites. I’m sure a rash of tabloid hacks are trying to establish that as I write.

A world without Top Gear? Well, perhaps the time has come for a change. It’s a tired format that is so staged I lost interest years ago…