Honda Clarity Fuel Cell (2016) review

The fuel cell car continues to polarise the automotive world. The pro lobby sees them as the long-range personal transport solution of a hydrogen-based society, holding a glass to their exhaust pipe and smugly drinking the car’s waste output as proof of its green credentials. Critics laugh at the wastefulness of using (lots of) electricity to create the necessary hydrogen, only to then stick it in a car that turns it back to electricity for motive power – why not just run the car on electricity alone, and forget the hydrogen? Because of range, and the fact that, like a petrol or diesel car, one powered by a fuel cell can be ready to go again (for 430 miles or more in this case) in moments.

The last-gen Clarity was a very low-volume toe in the water for Honda – just 72 were built. The new one, boasting an energy density improvement of 33%, will be leased in Japan in the near future. It’ll arrive in limited numbers in the UK late in 2016. Price is yet to be set but expect little change from £50-60k.

Next to a Mirai it looks almost handsome…

Faint praise perhaps, but the Clarity is a nicely resolved design. Where Toyota went all out to communicate Mirai’s newness through its avant-garde styling, Honda has played things a little more coolly with Clarity, and successfully so. It’s equally agreeable inside, with space enough for five and acres of rear legroom (as you’d expect of a car just short of five metres long), a McLaren style ‘floating’ centre console and a dashboard design that deftly blends futuristic and tasteful. The boot’s ‘big enough for three golf bags’ and a glazed bootlid means rear visibility is good despite the elevated rump.

It does look a little heavy around the hips…

That’ll be the vast main hydrogen storage tank, which sits above the rear wheels, sandwiched between the rear seats and the boot. The gas is stored at tremendous pressure, 700 bar, and to deliver the necessary capacity, around 5kg of hydrogen, the Clarity uses a vast main tank and a second smaller one under the rear floor. Both are made of carbonfibre and lined in aluminium. They’re hugely expensive – the cost of these tanks is the main reason fuel cell cars are so pricey – and Honda is working with GM to try to develop a more affordable, mass-produced fuel cell powertrain, the fruits of which are expected by 2020.

Fuel cell under the bonnet then?

Indeed. By reducing its size and laying the motor unit down, Honda has managed to get the stack, motor and single-speed transmission into what would normally be the engine bay. A modest lithium ion battery under the floor helps out on start up and acts as a buffer between the cell and the motor, ensuring there’s always power on demand.

Silent, quick-ish and refined

Like any good EV, a drive in the FCV is as good as a massage for relaxation and the banishment of stress. The powertrain is slick, pretty quick if you select Sport mode – on a fuel cell car, really? – and almost completely silent, the only noise a little muted tyre roar and the distant hum of the turbo compressor as it works to keep the fuel cell stack in compressed air. Factor in the light, airy and very comfortable cockpit and the Clarity feels less like some rough and ready pioneering prototype and more like a luxury car. Just as well, given the price.

Those seeking driver satisfaction should look elsewhere, obviously. The Clarity is long, pretty heavy (around 1800kg) and set up for comfort not speed. There’s pronounced body roll, largely inert steering and a general disinterest in corner speed, as you’d expect. Nevertheless this is a nice car to drive – a next-gen cruiser in which the motorway miles would fly by.

Verdict

The car is good, very good, but as ever with fuel cell machines the car is not the issue. Current estimates put the UK network at three stations, all in the south. Next year there’ll be seven. But Honda, together with others, is committed to creating a proper network, and by 2018 it expects a chain of 65 stations.

For now though, where you live dictates your suitability for Clarity ownership – that and your willingness to accept lacklustre performance compared to a similarly priced diesel or petrol luxury saloon. In return you’ll be compensated in near-silent refinement and the knowledge you’re not (directly) adding yet more CO2 to the atmosphere.

 

Specs

Price when new:	£60,000
On sale in the UK:	Late 2016
Engine:	173bhp e-motor, 134bhp fuel cell stack, lithium ion battery
Transmission:	Single-speed
Performance:	n/a
Weight / material:	1800kg (est)/steel with aluminium panels
Dimensions (length/width/height in mm):	4895/1875/1475

Audi Q7 e-tron (2016) plug-in hybrid review

And then there were two. The Q7 e-tron is Audi’s second plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) – and in terms of environmental impact it’s not difficult to imagine the Q7 needing more of this kind of assistance than the existing A3 e-tron. Audi’s premier SUV is not a small vehicle. In fact, it’s one of the UK market’s largest 4x4s. Which means adding an electric motor and a massive battery pack might make a bit of sense, even if it also cancels out the final row of seats

PHEVs seem pretty popular these days…

Yup. See above; when it arrives in Spring 2016, the Q7 e-tron will join four other premium plug-in hybrids fighting to take cash from eco-conscious SUV buyers – with the promise of reduced running costs and a green halo to help offset those therapy bills.

Like the Mercedes GLE500e, Audi has chosen a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel to accompany its electric motor, while the rival BMW X5 xDrive40e and Volvo XC90 T8 both use four-cylinder forced-induction petrols. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid is madly reliant on a V6 petrol. If you’ve serious eco ambitions you may as well strike the Porsche straight off your list..

So why should I go for the Audi Q7 e-tron over the remaining three?

Even with all the weight Audi’s managed to take out of the second-generation Q7 platform, the e-tron can’t match the nimble, fleet-footed feel of the BMW – nor the raw performance of the (noisy) twin-charged Volvo. At nearly 2.5-tonnes, including 202kg of electronics and batteries hanging out over the back axle, it’s impressive just how safe and assured it actually is, thundering along a mountain road on 20-inch wheels and the optional air suspension. But not even 368bhp, 516lb ft and five-link aluminium suspension can really make the Audi exciting to drive. Quick enough, yes. Exciting, no.

The Q7 gets its own back when it comes to electric range and overall refinement. Audi claims up to 56km (34.8 miles) of electric-only running – and without putting in any particular effort we were able to travel very nearly that distance without troubling the internal combustion engine. It’ll happily stay an EV at motorway speeds, too. When it does kick in, the six-pot is not only smooth but surprisingly sonorous, helped by the world-first application of active engine mounts on a diesel. It’s a much more cultured experience than the gruff Mercedes, which also can’t match the Audi’s interior quality.

I suppose the Q7 e-tron claims crazy fuel economy and CO2 figures, being a plug-in hybrid?

Funnily enough, Audi is quite sensitive to this sort of thing just at the moment, so went out of its way to remind us how the official figures are calculated – which is to say the testing procedure allows the e-tron to start with a fully-charged battery pack. The theory goes that the near 35-mile electric range will be enough to cover many day-to-day journeys on its own. But we still can’t see many people getting anywhere near the provisional 166mpg and 46g/km CO2. We managed an indicated 55mpg, despite using the battery over half the test route.

The Q7 does come with a number of features designed to help you drive it as efficiently as possible. For example, if you’re using the sat-nav, the e-tron will analyse the route and figure out when to best use each hybrid mode – not only automatically engaging electric-only around town but switching to ‘battery save’ or even ‘battery charge’ on the motorway to make sure this facility is available once you get there. Bless.

Trouble is, you have to take its decisions on faith. Seeing that the available electric range would cover the rest of our journey we manually switched over to EV because keeping the diesel running seemed unnecessary, especially when the electric motor’s 258lb ft of instant thrust is generally enough. Audi reckons trusting the machine would have got us closer to 70mpg over the same roads. Hmm.

Any other Little Goody Two-Shoes features on the Q7 e-tron?

Ha! Well, regardless of route planning, there is also the omnipresent green shoe of temperance – an icon that appears in the head-up display to suggest when you should back off in order to anticipate an upcoming reduction in the speed limit or a particularly sharp bend. Part of the Predictive Efficiency Assistant system, this uses the mapping data to foresee the road up to 1.9 miles ahead and works in cahoots with the ‘active accelerator’ pedal.

The active accelerator pulses when the e-tron is convinced you should be slowing down, and also provides a variable point of resistance depending on battery charge state to warn you when you’re approaching the point of diesel activation. It’s pretty subtle, though; we were wearing thin-soled shoes and didn’t notice it. Perhaps we subconsciously just don’t like being told what to do.

Making the most of all that electrical enhancement in other ways, the e-tron is the first PHEV fitted with a heat pump – which scavenges waste heat in order to more efficiently warm the cabin. All-electric vehicle such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe already use this technology. The Q7 also relies on the (400mm!) conventional brakes as little as possible, using drag from the electric motor to slow itself instead. This process is nicely tuned, with no sign of the inconsistent braking response you get from some hybrid vehicles.

Verdict

The Q7 e-tron is a convincing application of current plug-in hybrid technology, very refined, sleek inside and tidy to drive. But at an expected price of £65,000 – some £12,000 more than the next most expensive Q7 – you’ve got to really want the tech and be in a position to make best use of the electric range in order to seriously consider one as a private buyer.  You also have to understand that ‘current’ technology means even a rapid charger needs 2.5 hours to fully replenish the battery, while a domestic supply demands 8 hours, and the discipline to plug it in every night.

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe (2015) review

Despite an ever-expanding product portfolio in all sorts of market segments, the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe is one of the two pillars of AMG, standing alongside the AMG GT, reckons boss Tobias Moers.

The bonkers version of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe stands for everything the company holds dear – very dear: big V8, incredible sound, rear-wheel drive. And being blooming quick. But while AMGs of the past have been great at making lots of noise, they were often doing it while shredding tyres in a pendulous mess while sharper handling cars such as BMW M3s and M4s disappeared into the distance.

No longer, says Moers. This new car, he reckons, is faster, sharper, tighter. Oh, and still very, very noisy..

So what’s new about the C63 AMG Coupe?

AMG has replaced all the bodywork other than the roof, doors and bootlid of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, and shoehorned in the 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 already seen in the Saloon and Estate versions of the C63 in two states of tune: 503bhp for the S version (£67,525) and 470 for the cheap one (£60,615). But then it has tweaked it further to ensure the Coupe stands apart and ahead of even those cars.

Chiefly, a Coupe-specific 12-link rear axle and axle carrier which pushes the wheels a further 25mm out, and Moers claims this new set-up at the back makes it even more agile than the other two.

Tucked away within the C63 Coupe is a bespoke Bosch stability and traction control software system designed to deliver the gargantuan levels of power more sympathetically to the ham-fisted driver. Should be handy then.

So what’s it like to drive?

Anyone fearing that the switch to turboed power from the glorious old naturally aspirated unit need not worry. With a sub-four-second 0-62mph time the S challenges the GT S in a straight line and Moers reckons it would even show the previous extreme Black Series model a clean pair of heels.

Despite the move to turbocharging, the power delivery doesn’t feel especially peaky, coming in smoothly, and furiously, through all seven gears. It feels fast in that way that only really seriously quick cars do: it accelerates in a way that shocks, then seems to dollop on a load more speed just when you think it might be all over. At this point you might well be hanging on for dear life, thinking it’s all rather excellent, but terrifying at the same time.

Especially so since on our two-day test drive it refused to stop pouring with rain for even a minute, throwing some fog in to the mix as well for added peril. But from what we could glean between the sheetwater was that the steering is precise and accurate, it has vast braking power (underemployed by our mostly part-throttle cowardice), with decent traction in a (very) straight line while feeling less niggly than a wet-weather-running BMW M4.

Nevertheless, all the fancy computing power in the world can’t tame those rear wheels if you get all modern and throttle-mashy in a corner. In any of the modes (Comfort, Sport, tail-happy Sport Plus or very tail-happy Race), the tail still wanted to get through the bend first, and would only behave with smooth, slow-in, fast-out power, applied in a straight line. This is still very much a big-bore AMG rather than digital supercoupe in character.

The wide track, dynamic engine mounts and active suspension help to remove most, if not all, pitch and roll as well as shocks from roads, while monstrous 479lb ft peak torque at only 1750rpm shovels it easily along from lower speed. Wonderful thin, nicely crafted sports seats pin you in place too.

Does it still sound like an AMG, though?

Many are getting a bit angry about some car makers’ sound enhancement tricks using speakers and the like, but AMG refuses such artifice for the C63 Coupe. In Comfort mode there’s a pleasant, distant boom, but by Sport Plus and Race evil has been unleashed. It sounds utterly fabulous, a chainsawing scream joined mid-range by endless bellowing explosions, and in the UK all models will come with the extra-noisy three flap sports exhaust as standard. On lift off, the cackling is hilariously un-PC, and happens at any speed. This is handy, because we did 46mph most of the time…

So the big question: is it better than a BMW M4?

Sadly, the weather made that impossible to judge. But what is apparent is this: the Mercedes-AMG C3 S Coupe is a glorious thing: beautifully made, fabulously quick and it makes an epic noise. A true AMG

Porsche Macan GTS (2016) review

This is the Porsche Macan GTS, a compact SUV that slots between the existing S and Turbo models in today’s line-up. Best think of it, though, as an S with a few more stops pulled out, the same kind of recipe that elevates Carrera and Cayman GTS above S variants.

The GTS gets a lightly tickled version of the S’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, yielding 20bhp more at 355bhp; the adaptive PASM suspension has been tweaked, the chassis lowered 15mm on uprated springs; and there are 20-inch alloys, Turbo brakes and a sports exhaust.

The new GTS costs £55,188 (Macan S: £45,945; Turbo: £62,540). So it’s the usual logic: if you’re buying an S and chucking on a few options, shouldn’t sir just go straight for the GTS?

Why am I thinking Citroen Cactus?

Well, there’s a Sport Design styling package. It’s been specially updated for the GTS, with a high-gloss black finish above the waistline, and a more functional matt black where things may on rare occasions become muddier. But you’ll also find that C4 Cactus-esque swathe of black down the side panels of regular S models – unlike the Citroën, it does nothing to shake off parking scuffs.

There are design tweaks inside the Macan too, with GTS sports seats and selective use of Alcantara trim.

Porsche Macan GTS: first impressions?

Our first stint behind the wheel takes us from Tenerife airport on major roads that are generally well surfaced. The sports seats are comfortable, the driving position excellent and the small-diameter steering wheel mentally readies you for a sports car driving experience, not a near-two-tonne leviathan.

The firmer suspension remains compliant – I wouldn’t feel any need to option the air suspension – the steering fast and accurate, the standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission smooth and responsive, and levels of refinement are very high. This is a nice place to spend a long journey.

The V6 is also highly impressive: it purrs smoothly throughout the rev range, sounds purposefully sporty, and pulls strongly no matter the revs on the dial. The flexibility lets you know its turbocharged, but its responsiveness feels more naturally aspirated.

Also notable is the new Porsche Communication Management touchscreen system – it’s a much more intuitive system than the previous effort. You can pinch and swipe the screen, and it’s logical to navigate functions; it’s also compatible with Apple CarPlay, so you can plug in your iPhone 5 or later, and control key smartphone apps via the car’s touchscreen: phone functions, maps, music library and other approved apps.

If you think there’s no need to spec – the still optional – Porsche nav because you can use free Apple maps via CarPlay, Porsche has been pretty shrewd: it’s bundled CarPlay functionality with the optional Connect Plus module, which brings online navigation and real-time traffic info.

What about when you crank it up?

Porsche closed off a mountain road for us, and we followed a 911 Carrera through the twists and turns at relatively high speed, if nothing crazy. The Macan GTS is loaded with buttons to firm up the suspension and reduce steering assistance, and yet I still found the suspension too soft, and the steering far too light for these kind of exploits –and that’s from someone who rarely feels compelled to press Sport buttons on the road.

Traction, naturally, was of the Velcro variety, the four-wheel-drive system feeling pleasingly rear-biased, and the brakes hauled us down from big speeds on the straights before swooping round hairpins. The engine also continued to impress, dragging the GTS out of low-speed hairpins with enthusiasm, and staying smooth right up at the 6000rpm power peak; just consider that while 355bhp might sound like plenty, the 1940kg kerbweight does its best to blunt that firepower.

Once our run was over, the overriding impression was of an SUV that tolerated a challenging road, rather than encouraged you to run up and down it until you ran out of petrol. The only caveat I’ll throw in here is that our time with the Macan was almost ridiculously brief due to a delayed flight; perhaps I’ll be won over with longer exposure

Verdict

There’s a lot to admire about the Porsche Macan GTS. It’s well equipped, incredibly comfortable and refined, and delivers its ample-enough performance with a velvety polish. And in this market, there’s not an awful lot that’s directly comparable, rivals serving their petrol performance SUVs in larger, more expensive, Cayenne-proportioned packages.

The GTS is a very competent car, but it falls down when it comes to outright driving enjoyment on the kind of road you’d drive for fun. And that’s a surprise for something wearing the GTS badge.

New Aston Martin DB11 readies for 2016 launch: all the latest on DB9 successor

This is our best look yet at the new 2016 Aston Martin DB11. The artist’s impression is published in the new December 2015 issue of CAR magazine – and it depicts the first new-era volume Aston to arrive under the watch of incoming boss Andy Palmer.

You can read the mag story in full in our new CAR+ service here.

Aston has already confirmed it will call its DB9 replacement the DB11, as long predicted by CAR magazine. It may dodge a digit – whither DB10? – but this continues an historical naming strategy that has seen other DB badges disappear over the years. See the freshly contoured DB11 badge that’ll adorn the new GT’s rump in our photo gallery above.

Palmer, Aston Martin’s CEO, said: ‘I am proud and pleased to confirm that the DB11 nameplate will sit on our next new car. Not only is it a sign of our intention to continue the long line of iconic sports cars that bear the “DB” moniker – the very bloodline of our brand – but it also shows the world our ambitious plan in action. The coming years will see Aston Martin transform not only its entire range of models but also its scale and global presence, and the new DB11 will be central to that success.’

Aston Martin DB11: powered by Mercedes

The Aston Martin’s DB9 successor is due in late 2016 and will usher in a new era for the company: for a start, it will be turbocharged – and the DB11 will use Mercedes-Benz electrical architecture, including S-class-sourced digital instruments and switchgear, as revealed in our recent spy photos (below).

CAR magazine’s spies have nosed inside the cabin and uncovered electronic dials taken straight from a Merc as well as a Comand interface rotary controller and switches for heating, chassis settings and more. Gaydon has already confirmed its partnership with Daimler would include sharing electrical architecture – long an Aston Martin weakness – and here’s the proof.

Note that this prototype has many Mercedes systems strapped in place, somewhat haphazardly in the case of the HVAC heating and ventilation switches lashed horizontally by the passenger’s knee; we anticipate that in production they will be ‘Astonised’ to include bespoke British graphics, look and feel. But their origin is undisputably German.

Why we know the new Aston will be turbocharged

The latest photos come a few weeks after we published revealing spyshots showing a set of intercooler switches on a prototype testing in Germany (see picture below). A separate DB11 prototype was caught at a standstill and, zooming in, we noticed a bank of four toggle switches controlling the ‘intercooler pumps’ and ‘fans’. Clearly these won’t be fitted to production cars, but they are a sign that Aston Martin will turbocharge its V12 and V8 engines in the name of improved CO2 and economy figures.

Paperwork left on display in the vehicle refers to the VH500 codename, confirming our belief that the new DB sports car will continue evolving Aston’s VH aluminium architecture.

The latest news on the Aston Martin DB11 prototype

CAR has compiled a detailed scoop dossier on the new DB11 sports car and we can confirm it will get Aston V12 power, turbos and a smaller V8 engine to swell the range. Although it is unclear whether these prototypes are a twelve or eight-pot, we expect both engines to feature forced induction.

Our spy photographs from the Nurburgring capture the latest generation of prototypes; they contrast strongly with the earlier pictures in our gallery of development mules (check out the largely intact DB9 bodywork morphing into something more modern). Note also the widened track of the test hacks, suggesting the DB9 will be stretched to accommodate a broader footprint. All the better for Aston’s traditional ground-hugging stance and handling, as well as a more spacious cabin to accommodate larger passengers.

Aston Martin DB10: the Bond car in Spectre

Aston isn’t missing out on the skip-a-generation DB10 altogether; it’s the hero car in new Bond flick Spectre, giving us a flavour of what to expect on DB11 before we see it in the metal at the 2016 Geneva motor show. But word is that the 007 car (below) gives only a partial steer on the DB11’s likely wardrobe.

What is known more firmly is the engineering basis for the new car. It will use the latest iteration of Aston Martin’s VH aluminium architecture pepped up with the latest modules of everything: new suspension and transmission updates; the carte-blanche electrical systems from Mercedes-Benz including minor switchgear, sat-navs and digital dials; and, we hear, a smattering of lightweight composites.

Aston has been quietly developing its knowledge of carbonfibre with models such as the latest Vanquish, One-77, Vantage GT3 and Vulcan. We expect more plastics to contribute to a hefty weight-saving on the next DB9. Moreover, we’re also hopeful that the arrival of Matt Becker, Lotus’s former chassis guru, will give the new GT the handling edge.

The V12 lives on

The big news is that CAR understands the Aston Martin V12 engine will continue. Aston has consistently used twelve-pots for its top-end cars and we hear the engine supply deal with Ford is continuing (the Blue Oval makes the 6.0-litre V12 in Cologne).

But it will now be turbocharged and we expect the capacity to drop accordingly. The next DB11 will offer a mix of V12 and V8 power, much like the Bentley Continental range. Sounds like Aston’s broadening its range to hoover up more buyers. If it’s worked for Bentley and Porsche…

What about the Mercedes AMG link-up?

Aston Martin and Daimler have signed an engine supply deal in addition to the electrical architecture swap-shop, and the DB9 replacement and 2018 Vantage are expected to use AMG engines. It is understood to be a version of the 4.0-litre V8 you’ll find in an AMG GT sports car and C63 AMG, although we know that Aston has been testing a variety of engines in its mules.

CAR understands the Aston version will be turbocharged and tuned to produce a distinct power and aural delivery, to distance it from more common Mercs. Rear-wheel drive remains order of the day.

 

 

 

Saab 9-3 Convertible Aero 2.0t (2011) review

The automotive equivalent of Last Of The Summer Wine it may be, but Saab’s long-running ‘family’ cabriolet can rightly lay claim to being the daddy of the modern compact exec-based convertible genre. Saab’s shifted 300,000 cabrios since the 900 convertible appeared in 1986, but is its aging 9-3 cabrio still a valid player in the face of newer, more advanced German opposition?

Can we start with the thing that potential buyers are most interested in – the ragtop?

Unlike, for example, the BMW 3-series, Saab still opts for a fabric roof on the 9-3 Convertible. It’s uncomplicated and straightforward, just one button to operate and takes a shade over 20 seconds to go from roof to roofless. With the roof in place, there’s a modicum of wind noise at urban speeds; naturally, you’ll find it gets a load more blustery when engaged in roof-down mode. It certainly looks more handsome when divested off its top, especially those sweeping lines of the rear third towards the boot.

Does the average 9-3 Convertible owner care much for dynamics? Surely it’d spoil their hairdo…

The model we tested – the 9-3 Convertible Aero 2.0-Litre Turbo, to give it its Sunday name – is reaching the end of its shelf life (for more, see below). It’s fitted with an old school-style five-speed auto ‘box (no paddle shifts) and frankly, unless your aim is merely to cruise, we’d opt for the six-speed manual, such is the automatic’s rather lumpen performance. That said, a 0-62mph time of nine seconds garnered from the 2.0-litre turbo isn’t embarrassing (unless you compare it with the 7.7sec manual); in fact, the BMW 320i SE Auto does the run to 62mph in 9.8 seconds. The seats are comfortable, but the interior finish falls well short of the 3-Series, A5 cabriolet and even the dark horse of the group, VW’s EOS.

Despite this, Saab cabrio ownership isn’t cheap. The model tested starts at £35,294.35 (that 35p is obviously crucial). Add in leather interior (£1174.47), a convenience pack (£403 and nothing to do with the bathroom but electric folding mirrors, rain sensor wipers and the like) and TX design pack (£607 for fancy anthracite and titanium spread throughout) and you are £500 shy of £40k.

£40k! I’d want something a bit newer for that kind of money

And you can have it soon, sort of. No Saab isn’t releasing an all-new 9-3, but there’s a MY12 (model year 2012) update just around the corner. The headlines are new front bumpers and ‘ice block’ headlamps (as seen on CAR’s 9-5 long-termer), as well as a new instrument panel, cabin and upholstery. Two new 2.0-litre engines (163bhp and 220bhp) benefit from direct injection, VVT and twin scroll turbocharging. It means, says Saab, a 4% CO2 reduction across the range.
There’s also a limited edition Independence Edition of the MY11 model now in showrooms. There are 366 being manufactured (one for every day of the year (in a leap year, obviously), 80 of which will make it to the UK. You can have any colour as long as it’s Amber Orange metallic and all are individually numbered; other attractions include satin-chrome and black 18-inch alloys, carbon fibre-look leather finish across the interior and orange-stitched steering wheel. You have an option – well, no option – of one engine, the 180bhp 1.9-litre twin-turbo diesel with a six-speed auto ‘box. Oh Ambassador, you are spoiling us!

Verdict

It’s a shame that a company that once defined the cabrio sector now lags behind its rivals. Saab, of course, has had other things on its mind in recent times, but anyone who has driven the 9-5 will know that it’s starting to get things right. A less than stellar interior and only mediocre performance and dynamic prowess means that the 9-3 convertible is something of a leftfield choice these days, but it’s still handsome enough to solider on until a much-needed truly new car arrives. Perhaps then it can give the Germans something to worry about again.

Driving the classics: Saab 93A (1957) CAR review

At the recent Saab 9-5 launch, I had the chance to drive an iconic Saab from the back catalogue: the 93A from 1957. This is the very car that Spyker and Saab owner Victor Muller drove in the 2010 Mille Miglia, with the same decals and roof-mounted spotlight from his Italian adventure.

Powered by a 750cc triple, this is a Saab from the Old School and on loan from Saab’s own factory collection. Better not crash it then.

Saab 93A (1957): the classic road test

You swing open the back-hinged front doors and settle into a wonderfully spartan cabin, basic and uncomplicated by all the trivia of modern manufacturing. The result? There’s loads of cabin space and a brilliant view out – it’s a timely reminder that modern A-pillars have become thicker than a GCSE drop-out – despite the split screen with individual wipers and a rear-view mirror fitted to the dash top.

This being a race-spec 93A, there are full Sabelt four-point belts fitted and I ensure they’re snug enough to keep me safe but with enough frantic arm waggle so I can use the scary-sounding wheel mounted gearchange. There are four speeds arranged in a conventional gate, and there’s a freewheel pedal to master too.

A freewheel pedal, you say?

Yes, the Saab 93A is a two-stroke, you see. If you cruise at high speeds and then roll downhill, the engine won’t lubricate and could seize. So a prod of the button to the left of the footwell disengages the driveline and keeps everything safe. Freewheeling expert Saab CEO Jan Åke Jonsson tells me over dinner that Muller didn’t touch the pedal once during the Mille Miglia, so I reckon I’m safe to leave that well alone on my brief drive.

The 750cc triple starts with a rasp and sounds like a sewing machine on acid. More worrying are the massively offset pedals, which seem to sit in the middle of the car. There’s no tacho and the speedo runs to 140kph, so I gingerly select first and we’re off.

The Saab 93A revs like a maniac – it thrives on a bootful of right foot when it takes on a mini 911 soundtrack and zips along with alacrity that wouldn’t dismay a contemporary warm hatch. Thankfully, the four-speed fully syncromesh ‘box is actually a pussycat to use and comes as second nature.

What’s the Saab 93A like to drive?

The wonderfully spindly, thin steering wheel rim fizzes with feel, and the lightweight little Saab is darty and quick to respond. The 93A’s suspension is soft and pliant but – as ever on older cars – the brakes feel rubbish and act as a useful safety valve. It reminds me of the road safety argument that a metal spike on the steering wheel is the best way to cut road deaths. I’m paranoid about pranging this priceless Saab relic and the anchors’ lack of bite is enough to keep me at sane speeds.

The three-pot certainly has other ideas. It revs and revs and sounds better at high rpm, but that lack of rev counter keeps a lid on things. In standard form this car would’ve produced around 33hp, but ours has received competition tweaks to yield a fulsome 45-50hp from its single carburettor triple.

I’m later told that in fact the 93A is limited to around 6500rpm; the zingy soundtrack is a result from those three cylinders going berserk on their two-stroke mission. What an invigorating drive – the engine dominates the driving experience!

And the link with today’s Saabs?

Is there any link with contemporary Saabs in this old-timer? To be honest, it’s far fetched. This 93A with its wonderful eccentricities and that aviation-spec badge on the steering wheel feels far removed from the 9-3 and 9-5. But the large boot and teardrop shape set a template for what made Saab great.

Let’s hope that under new ownership, they can rediscover some of this fizzing personality and fresh thinking for new products.

The SUVs you’ve never heard of: Borgward BX7, BX5 and BX3 under the microscope

A new SUV brand is being prepared for launch in 2018: Borgward. Never heard of them? You’re not alone. It’s just one of many forgotten brands, initially ambitious and eventually doomed, from the same mould as Studebaker, Humber or Matra.

But should we take them seriously? What counts is product, and here we have seen worse. Much worse. Okay, the Q5/Macan lookalikes on display at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show were top-of-the-line models boasting leather trim, fancy connectivity and the biggest wheels. But still. The materials looked and felt good, the fit and finish left little to be desired, the design is generic yet inoffensive.

What is bound to make the difference between rise and fall is the pricing. Although the European debut of Borgward is still almost three years away, CEO Ulrich Walker already told us ‘we won’t be undersold in the segments we compete in.’

Borgward: prices and specs

True to their master’s voice, the BX7 (X5-size) is tipped to start at €39,000 (£27k), the 2018 BX5 (X3-size) is going to sell at about €29,000 (£20k), and the most basic 2019 BX3 (Mokka-size) should not cost more than €17,000 (£12k).

All three vehicles share the same architecture and the same 1.8 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines. So far, so mediocre. But the BX range is not as low-tech as it may seem. Torque is distributed briskly by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the top-of-the-line powerplant produces a healthy 225bhp, the Plug-in Hybrid due at launch churns out 401bhp and a combined torque of 479lb ft.

Borgward quotes a zero-emission range of 35 miles and an average consumption of a faintly ridiculous 125mpg. The lithium-ion battery which hooks up to the motor driving the rear wheels has a capacity of 13.2kWh. Not bad for a newcomer. Next in the green lane is the BX Zero BEV the marque will build in China, predominantly for China.

Leading edge connectivity

A highlight common to all models is the up-to-date infotainment system featuring a 12.3in touchscreen monitor and an MMI controller. True, at this point Borgward still is a no-name player with no infrastructure and no status. But if the BX line-up is well accepted, those 500,000 units per year suddenly look like a credible target.

‘Once the brand is established, we can think about the next steps,’ Walker tells CAR. ‘How would you for instance like a modern reincarnation of the Isabella coupe, stylish and exceptionally well made, available in limited quantities yet relatively affordable?’

Could be good. We just wonder how many punters remember the old Borgward. Heritage is good, but only when it resonates with customers.

 

motor egine

Think back 100 years to a world where people generally got around by walking or riding horses. What changed things? The invention of the car. Wheels may be 5500 years old, but the cars we drive round in today made their debut only in 1885. That was when German engineer Karl Benz (1844–1929) fastened a small gasoline (petrol) engine to a three-wheeled cart and made the first primitive, gas-powered car. Although Benz developed the automobile, another German engineer, Nikolaus Otto (1832–1891), was arguably even more important—for he was the man who’d invented the gasoline engine in the first place, about two decades earlier. It’s a testament to Otto’s genius that virtually every car engine made ever since has been inspired by his “four-stroke” design. Let’s take a look at how it works!

What is a car?

That’s not quite such an obvious question as it seems. A car is a metal box with wheels at the corners that gets you from A to B, yes, but it’s more than that. In scientific terms, a car is an energy converter: a machine that releases the energy locked in a fuel like gasoline (petrol) or diesel and turns it into mechanical energy in moving wheels and gears. When the wheels power the car, the mechanical energy becomes kinetic energy: the energy that the car and its occupants have as they go along.

How do we get power from petroleum?

Cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes—all these things are powered by fuels made from petroleum. Also known as “crude oil”, petroleum is the thick, black, energy-rich liquid buried deep underground that became the world’s most important source of energy during the 20th century. After being pumped to the surface, petroleum is shipped or piped to a refinery and separated into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuels, and a whole host of other petrochemicals—used to make everything from paints to plastics.

Petroleum fuels are made from hydrocarbons: the molecules inside consist mostly of carbon and hydrogen atoms (with a fewer other elements, such as oxygen, attached for good measure). Wood, paper, and coal also contain hydrocarbons. We can turn hydrocarbons into useful energy simply by burning them. When you burn hydrocarbons in air, their molecules split apart. The carbon and hydrogen combine with oxygen from the air to make carbon dioxide gas and water, while the energy that held the molecules together is released as heat. This process, which is called combustion, releases huge amounts of energy. When you sit round a camp fire, warming yourself near the flames, you’re really soaking up energy produced by billions of molecules cracking open and splitting apart!People have been burning hydrocarbons to make energy for over a million years—that’s why fire was invented. But ordinary fires are usually quite inefficient. When you cook sausages on a camp fire, you waste a huge amount of energy. Heat shoots off in all directions; hardly any goes into the cooking pot—and even less into the food. Car engines are much more efficient: they waste less energy and put more of it to work. What’s so clever about them is that they burn fuel in closed containers, capturing most of the heat energy the fuel releases, and turning it into mechanical energy that can drive the car along.

What are the main parts of a car engine?

Car engines are built around a set of “cooking pots” called cylinders (usually anything from two to twelve of them, but typically four, six, or eight) inside which the fuel burns. The cylinders are made of super-strong metal and sealed shut, but at one end they open and close like bicycle pumps: they have tight-fitting pistons (plungers) that can slide up and down inside them. At the top of each cylinder, there are two valves (essentially “gates” letting things in or out that can be opened and closed very quickly). The inlet valve allows fuel and air to enter the cylinder from a carburetor or electronic fuel-injector; the outlet valve lets the exhaust gases escape. At the top of the cylinder, there is also a sparking plug (or spark plug), an electrically controlled device that makes a spark to set fire to the fuel. At the bottom of the cylinder, the piston is attached to a constantly turning axle called a crankshaft. The crankshaft powers the car’s gearbox which, in turn, drives the wheels.

 

Bmw serie7

The BMW 7-Series makes a tremendous technological leap with every generation. And rather than keeping its transcendence to what’s under the hood or to technology on the dash, the sixth-generation 2016 BMW 7-Series learns a bit from BMW’s carbon-fiber ‘i’ cars inside and underneath.

The 2016 7-Series is about the same size as the outgoing car, yet it’s built on a new Carbon Core platform that uses a combination of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), ultra-tensile steels, and aluminum to cut up to 90 pounds there alone. The 7-Series’ doors and hood are made of aluminum, lighter weight suspension components cut 15 percent of the unsprung mass, and BMW notes that the 7-Series keeps a perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

BMW keeps the exterior design of the 7-Series remarkably clean, and it builds on the classic sport-sedan proportions that the brand has reestablished with the current 3-Series and 5-Series models. Just as we’ve seen in BMW’s recently renewed utility vehicles, there’s a larger, taller version of the brand’s twin-kidney grille—a so-called Active Kidney Grille that manages airflow for efficiency—while a beautifully sculpted beltline crease rises from the hood and continues, in subtle fashion, all the way to the rear lamps and a chrome accent bar across the rear. A chiseled piece of brightwork starts behind the front wheelwells, where it incorporates an air breather, and continues along the lower side of the vehicle, taking visual weight out of the car’s profile.

Inside, BMW continues some of the design themes it’s already embarked upon with other recent vehicles. The instrument panel gets more shelf-like and horizontal than ever. There’s more brightwork here than in the outgoing 7-Series, with a satin-metallic look that also involves the facing for climate and audio controls. Yet the look remains relatively formal.

The 2016 BMW 7-Series arrives in the U.S. market in 740i, 750i (both with rear-wheel-drive), and 750i xDrive (all-wheel-drive) forms. The 740i is is motivated by a TwinPower turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine making 320 horsepower, with the 750i packing a 4.4-liter TwinPower turbocharged V-8 that produces 445 hp. BMW says that the efficiency of both engines has been increased.

Sometime next year a new 740e xDrive plug-in hybrid model will join the lineup. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine, an electric-drive unit that’s integrated within an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack mounted under the rear seat, the 740e xDrive will be able to go an estimated 23 miles in eDrive mode, without the gasol

engine starting. However, this mode is limited to 75 mph. There’s also a Battery Control mode that allows drivers to maintain or gain battery charge while driving in combined hybrid mode, therefore saving the electric driving for dense urban areas.

The chassis controls that underpin the 7-Series become far more complex this year. A new feature called Active Comfort Drive with Road Preview adds anticipatory functions to the active-chassis system and air suspension (which has now been extended even to the base 740i), while the Integral Active Steering (rear-wheel steering) has been reengineered so it can now be offered in combination with all-wheel drive.

BMW notes that its eight-speed automatic transmission is now linked to navigation-system data, allowing the shift characteristics to change with curves and terrain. Auto Start Stop turns off the engine temporarily at stoplights, while the powertrain allows decoupled coasting at speeds up to 100 mph.

As part of the revamped instrument-panel design, the corners have been pushed farther outward, at least visually, creating a little more perceived cabin space for those in the front seats. U.S. models only get long-wheelbase versions with an additional inch of rear legroom. The back seat area, as it always has for the 7-Series, can be equipped for typical luxury-sedan accommodations or something far greater and chauffeur-worthy. New ambient lighting and a fragrance option help personalize the interior, while there’s a panoramic LED roof available. All doors now have a soft-close feature.

Now that heated rear seats are more common, the 7-Series takes it a step farther, with heated armrests, front and rear. A Luxury Rear Seating Package adds those plus rear ventilated and comfort seats, and a removable Touch Command Tablet, with wireless hotspot, for those in back. There’s also a massage function, and rear-seat passengers get a ‘Vitality Program’ so that “passengers can engage in active training to revitalize the body on longer journeys.” Separately, there’s a Rear Executive Lounge Seating Package that gives the right rear passenger an extra 3.5 inches of legroom and a footrest. That package also includes a fold-out table, two cupholders, and a separate storage compartment.

The 7-Series isn’t just the flagship of the BMW line but also the debut stage for leading-edge technology features that eventually trickle down to the brand’s other models. This model is no exception. There’s a new Gesture Control feature for the iDrive interface, as well as a newly available wireless charging system. The head-up display covers a larger area, and a second-generation Night Vision 2 system adds Pedestrian Detection, while new Adaptive Headlamps now take into account speed, steering angle and yaw.

BMW is finally caving to touch-screen technology in its cars as well. The 2016 7-Series, with iDrive 5.0, includes a big 12.3-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen display. Bowers & Wilkins surround sound, with 1,400 watts and 16 speakers, should help take care of your entertainment needs, too.