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The unbearable lightness of being understated – the Volvo XC70 estate

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Did you ever drive a Citroen 2CV? What about an original Mini? What made both special is that each sported a classless image – you could get away with driving either car whether you were a chic interior designer, or a an everyday Joe.

Cars like that are few and far between these days. The Citroen 2CV was killed off decades ago, while the latest MINI (you have to write that in capitals or BMW get upset!) has been botoxed to imperfection and now costs quite silly money.

Volvo estates never had a cool image – they have always been regarded as country loadluggers for two Labradors and a stash of antiques. I live near Stow-on-the-Wold, so I should know.

But there’s something quite pleasurable about driving a vehicle that seems to cause no threat to anyway and doesn’t make a statement about who you are. It’s not about being bland or blending in with the crowd either.

The big Volvo came of age some time ago. It may not have the sexy badge of a German brand but it’s now quietly confident and understated. Perhaps like you?

 

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The forgotten SUV? Why the Volvo XC70 is better than you think…

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The best thing about driving a different car every week is that sometimes, just sometimes, you get in a vehicle that surprises you.

When I used to review films for a living, I would spend hours trying to stay awake in a cinema watching one bad film after another. It was painful and more often than not, I would end up snoring.

Then a good film would come along and that made up for all the bad stuff. And it surprises me to say this but the XC70 is the automotive equivalent.

Yes, I know it’s been around for years and will one day soon slip out of the Volvo line-up for good but I’m actually enjoying this roomy estate more than I ever expected.

Why? Well, it’s damn comfortable, doesn’t come with an image problem and I just felt totally at home the moment I slipped behind the wheel.

I may be approaching pipe and slipper age by admitting to this I know but so far, I’m loving my XC70…

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The Bentley Flying Spur W12 is old school with a twist of startling performance

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The Bentley is an odd set up. The old school atmosphere of the interior is attached to a high performance chassis and engine that is capable of an astonishing turn of speed.

Slip the weighty chunk of gearshifter into Sport and the Flying Spur lives up to its name. It’s remarkably quick, considering the whole package weighs a whopping 2.4 tons.

Other cars like the Mercedes S600 do the limo thing better but, of course, they simply ain’t a Bentley W12 with this turn of speed.

The 6.0-litre has huge amounts of torque on tap. It turns this W12 model into a very special car that drives a lot better than the ageing styling suggests it might.

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So, which famous person would you like to chauffeur around in a Bentley for the day?

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So, if you were a chauffeur, who would you like to drive around for the day? A pop star, a politician, or somebody from the sporting world.

Me? Well, I’d go for the wonderful Annie Lennox, who I’m listening to on Radio 4 right now. I interviewed her a couple of years back and found a humble woman of warmth and charm.

It’s unlikely Annie would ever want to step into anything as grand as a Bentley. She’s just too grounded, discreet and, in her own words ‘despairing and morose’!

The Flying Spur isn’t her sort of car but if anybody deserves the limo treatment, it’s the engaging Scottish woman with red hair…

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There are big cars like the Audi A8 and then there are really big cars like the Bentley Flying Spur

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So, day two of the enormous magic carpet ride that is the Flying Spur. There are big cars like the Range Rover and Audi A8, and then there are really big cars, like the Bentley.

Apparently, a large proportion of Spurs will find their way to China. There, the back seat is more important than the front (it’s a cultural thing), so perhaps it should be no surprise that the Flying Spur seems to have been built around the rear space.

And it’s a pretty special place to sit. The reclining, air-cooled or heated seats recline and massage occupants, while the rear entertainment system is pure first class travel. It even features a touchscreen control which operates sound, heating and other important little luxuries.

I especially like the deep pile carpet, although it must be a bugger to clean. Last night I sat in the back and called a few people. The chauffeur isn’t standard, so I just remained on the driveway until it went dark.

It’s one thing to sit in the back of a Bentley, quite another to be driven everywhere in it too..

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Ever wondered what it cost to spec up a Bentley – read our first test report and find out

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Something of a mad rush today as I’ve been interviewing Olympic rower Kathryn Grainger for Country Life magazine. The Bentley cause ripples on the water when I turned up at the National Rowing Centre in Caversham, for some reason…

Instead of some opening words on the Flying Spur., you might be interested in some of the option prices that took our test Bentley from a list of £153,300 to an incredible £191,191!

Boot carpet – £420

Contrasting stitch in Imperial Blue – £1,485

Comfort specification – £1,885

Full length centre console – £3,025

Dark Stained burr walnut – £1,375

Refrigerated bottle cooler – £1,665

Vehicle tracking system – £1,400

Rear entertainment – £5,835

Wi-fi hotspot – £5,695

Space saving spare wheel – £4,335

Erm, £4,335 for a spare wheel? Surely if you own a Bentley a nice chap from the AA comes and sorts a flat out for free…?

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The Good, the Bad and the Maserati Quattroporte…

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So, the Bentley Flying Spur has arrived – time to say goodbye to the Quattroporte. What do you need to know about the Maserati if you are in the market to buy?

Bad: The auto gearstick is too sensitive – the hair trigger action drops you into neutral when you want reverse; the infotainment system doesn’t have DAB and FM signal is only average; steering isn’t what it should be for a sporting saloon; emissions and depreciation are high.

Good: the Quattroporte looks sensational parked next to any German machine; even the diesel engine performs and sounds fantastic; there’s acres of space for people and luggage; and, of course, it’s a Maserati.

And if you need another reason to try a Quattroporte, watch yesterday’s video post from the Intouchables…

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Want to start the week right – try this slice of Maserati movie madness…

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Heaven forbid we should ever start talking about ‘residuals’ on Car Couture! Apparently, the secondhand prices of Quattroportes isn’t that good, while the smaller Ghibli is doing surprisingly well.

Personally, I can’t think of a better car to step into on a grey British morning. Even if you live in a mock Tudor pile and polish your shoes too frequently, the Maserati gives you serious cache.

You can pick up a low miles 2006 Quattroporte for less than £20k. Black ones are highly sought after and, despite alarming fuel economy, it will make you feel bloody marvellous.

Don’t believe me? Watch this piece of film from the French movie Intouchables… Enjoy your week.

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Logic goes out of the window when you see a Maserati Quattroporte in the metal…

 

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I never, ever thought I would choose a four-door saloon over a benchmark convertible.

There are two cars parked on my driveway right now. A black Porsche 991  S Convertible, and a black Maserati Quattroporte diesel.

These are two of my favourite things. All that’s missing now is a black Morgan Plus 8 and my work here is done.

Anyway, surprising as it might seem on a damp Sunday in England, I can’t keep away from the Maser. I mean, I can’t give you a sound reason why exactly but it just looks such a beast, so cool and so, Maserati.

And there it is. That’s why you shouldn’t buy at Audi A8, a Mercedes S class or a BMW 7 Series. Logic goes out of the window when you see this Quattroporte in the metal…

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Maserati Quattroporte – lots of ‘Trident’ logos but not one diesel badge to be seen

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There are plenty of Maserati ‘trident’ badges on the latest Quattroporte – you’ll see them everywhere inside the and outside the car.

But what you won’t find on the V6 is a badge saying ‘diesel’. Not sure why this is because the 275bhp engine is one of the highlights of the Quattroporte. It works brilliantly with the 8-speed auto gearbox. Press the Sport button and the diesel feels more like a V6 petrol.

This being a Maserati, they’ve managed to squeeze a decent exhaust note from the four tailpipes as well. I’m not a fan of rasps and pops (a la Jaguar F-Type) but the Quattroporte has a deep-throated grumble that is very satisfying.

The Quattroporte may be a little long in the tooth now but it’s still massively desirable. It will be a few years yet before a replacement comes along and driving this V6 diesel I can clearly understand why sales continue to rise…