Rtoty2014 by James Baggott

REPORT: the dealership with no salesmen

Business Publication of the Year

Issue 80 | November 2014 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £3.50

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro

road test of audi s1

porsche macan TURBO

Page 98

Page 94

caterham 160 Page 88

vw golf r Page 96

mercedes s63 amg Page 92

Jaguar f-type R coupe Page 102

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in association with PICTURES: dean smith location: north wales

the year 2014 seat leon cupra 280 Page 100

rolLs-royce wraith Page 90

bmw m4 Page 104

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro Our annual celebration of the best of your showrooms is a unique opportunity to experience automotive greatness. Before we delve into the cars in detail, James Baggott gives a personal take on 2014’s RTOTY festivities

rilliant cars, incredible roads and the luxury of quality time to enjoy every last litre of super unleaded splashing around in the tanks of nearly three quarters of a million pounds-worth of metal – as privileges go, a ticket to a Road Test of the Year is a Blackball Media lottery win. As we assemble on a clammy Sunday morning at Car Dealer HQ in the early September sun, the team are Christmas morning five-year-old kid excited. And I’m the biggest kid of them all, face all stupid-grinhappy, bouncing around the car park like I’ve eaten too much Haribo. It doesn’t matter how many amazing experiences I’ve had working in this pinch-yourself-because-it’sreal job, because there’s still nothing quite like the moment I get to pick which car from our exalted RTOTY few I’m going to pilot to Wales first. Every year the choice gets harder, as each new model from competitive manufacturers pushes the boundaries of progress that little bit further. Their hard work; our enviable gain. This year our line-up is as impressive as ever. But before I go on, you’ve probably got a few questions. Why these cars? Well, RTOTY criteria is pretty simple. It needs to have been launched in your showrooms in the past 12 months and float our boat with excitement. A simple formula, but one that’s served us pretty well. Obviously there’s a few other hurdles to leap. Not least the fact that our chosen cars need to be available for us to borrow. That’s why there’s no i8 here. Despite our pleading, BMW simply couldn’t let us have one for three days. We had an Alfa Romeo 4C booked in too for months before departure day – that was until some Italian berk binned it at Goodwood, ruining our upcoming loan in the progress. Those carbon-fibre tubs are pretty tricky to fix, by all accounts... Ferrari still isn’t talking to us since we wrote some honest things that it didn’t agree with. Shame, as we’d have loved a 458 Speciale here. McLaren was reluctant to part with a 650S too as ‘it’ was ‘already booked’. We’re not that stupid that we can’t spot press office code for ‘you’re not worthy’. Oh, and there’s no Vauxhall here because they still aren’t talking to us either... 78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro

WANTED Planning for RTOTY started in March. Our wanted lists drawn up, press officers pleaded with and slowly the confirmations trickled through. A 911 GT3 was the first on the White Board of Want, but the engine-replacement saga that has blighted what is, by all accounts, a truly standout machine was still blotting the Porsche copybook come test time and thus ruled out our loan. However, all that said, our RTOTY line-up still gleamed. Positively glistened even. A Rolls-Royce Wraith, all £219k of it, took centre stage. BMW proffered an M4 to make up for the missing-inaction i8, while Jaguar did what it always did and came through with an intoxicating F-Type Coupe R. Mercedes served up its NASA-spec S63, Volkswagen suggested the extremely capable Golf R and we brought along our brilliant long-term Seat Cupra 280 because no car has ever won the whole office’s admiration quite like it has over the past four months. Everyone, too, has wanted to try Caterham’s three-cylinder Suzuki-engined baby 160 since it was announced – so that was quickly added to the growing list – while the giant-slaying Audi S1 and GT3 substitute Porsche Macan Turbo completed our 2014 glitterati. Choosing our location was easier than picking which car to drive there first. Our favourite slice of north Wales, encompassing the Black Mountains and the famous ‘Evo Triangle’, would be our proving ground, helped no less by former Evo staff snapper now freelance and long-time friend of the mag Dean Smith playing photographer and human sat nav. First car stint decisions didn’t take long, I considered the Caterham for all of three seconds before coming to my senses and grabbing the jewel-like Wraith key. It takes less than 10 miles to realise this is a truly remarkable machine. It’s a magnet for 80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Above: Jaguar F-Type R combines stunning looks with a monstrous engine that'll ruin tyres faster than Ken Block Left: Audi S1 packs an almighty punch for its pint-sized proportions, although we think our test car may have been fettled

attention, a feat of beautiful engineering and a testament to the skills of British hand-crafted manufacturing taking place just a few miles down the road from our office. Rolling up the A34, wafting past inconsiderate lorry drivers, it’s the Roller’s refinement, the

luxury and the comfort that are truly memorable. Never have so many miles behind the wheel felt so relaxing. It’s so good you can forgive it the dent it makes on crude oil reserves – and the large number it adds to my expenses – as it consumes the pricey stuff at a positively greedy 18mpg.

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Power delivery is kidney-exploding in its attack, punching low from the rev range

Above: Don't you just hate it when you get stuck behind a string-back-glove-wearing Jaguar driver? Below: Despite the fact the Rolls-Royce Wraith weighed slightly more than that mountain in the distance it was still a lot of fun to hustle along

TEST DAY After an evening soaked in corner shop cancooled lager and punctuated by a pile of poppadoms, we’re up and raring to go before the sun starts to pierce its way through the low-slung clouds that are draping a duvet over the moors in the distance. As keeper of the keys, I get to pick which fuel tank I’m depleting the contents of first and, surprisingly, the keyfob isn’t Jaguar- or BMWbranded but four-ringed. I’ve heard some great things about the Audi S1 and a first stint in the quad-piped quattro seems only appropriate. We head north out of Denbigh, our RTOTY base camp, to the precipice of the Triangle and I’m immediately shocked by quite how good the fiery Audi is. Pace is on par with its big brake horsepower-boasting contemporaries, its grip surprising, its poise sublime. It’s a great start to an incredible day of driving and makes an indelible mark on my synapses that I find hard to rub out

all day. Next up is the Jaguar. From flighty hot hatch to throaty sports car, the difference is stark. Power delivery is kidney-exploding in its attack, punching low from the rev range, building to an orchestral crescendo that sets hairs tingling and imprints a permanent cheesy grin on my face. As we head north along the B4501, the undulations of the road compress suspension like a fall from the sky, but still the F-Type thunderclaps forward. It’s rapid, addictive and overpowers every sense. This is sports car drama at its BAFTA-award-winning best, so much so it manages to mask its shortcomings with its own PR. Light steering aside, there’s little not to like – at least I think that’s the case, anyway... As Dean is snapping away trying to bag a stunning cover shot, I take the chance to lap the Triangle in a few of the other cars sitting quietly in the gravel car park, their engines tick-tickticking as they cool from the fair-paced run down to our location. It’s the Golf that’s closest, so I jump in that. The northern loop of the Evo Triangle is a harsh ribbon of asphalt that crosses an open, barren moor. It dips and dives, bends and CarDealerMag.co.uk | 81

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro weaves its way past bemused sheep and driedup reservoirs over adverse cambers, around ever-tightening corners and knot-your-stomach blind crests. It’s a challenging stretch of road that highlights any flaws in a vehicle in minutes. I’m struggling to like the Golf R – until I get behind the wheel. Inside, it’s familiar, comfortable and conservative. The seats are adequate, the dash layout nondescript. Driving position is generic – suitable for all, but perfect for none – and there’s little to stir the soul. At least that is until you start moving. The combination of the R’s turbocharged 2.0-litre and frighteningly-quick DSG gearbox is a heady cocktail for the emotions. Acceleration is blistering, cog swapping almost instantaneous. On these challenging Welsh stretches it’s a hoot, as its four-wheel drive saves my bacon on more than one occasion. Say what you like about conservative Golf choices, the R is well and truly the UKIP option... and one you certainly wouldn’t be embarrassed voting for. With a quick-lapped loop of the Triangle under my belt, I step up the RTOTY arsenal and opt for some time in the weapons-grade Mercedes S63 AMG. Inside, it’s quantum-physics-complicated, stuffed to the leather-lined roof with more kit than America used to get Neil and Buzz to the Moon. It certainly takes some time to get used to, and as this is a mere taster on roads you can’t drop your concentration for a second. It’s all a little overpowering. Even DJ admitted it took him three hours to work out how to lower the rear blind on his way here. It’s all a little quiet too. With an AMG badge stuck to the rear you expect Harrier jump jet wrath when you depress your right foot, but inside this luxury liner it’s whisper-quiet. There’s no doubt it’s rapid, though – the merest prod of the power pedal puts traffic in your mirror in reverse. What’s more, it’s impressively composed on this challenging black top, soaking up tough crests and camber changes with little drama. That’s more than can be said for my passengers – I’ve given two colleagues a lift and their green gills and requests to lower velocity say it all. I return to base at PC-pleasing speeds and park up. While my teammates attempt to contain their brunches, I head back out. This one is the one I’ve been waiting for, ever since a beaming DJ, all six foot eight of him, came back to Blackball Media base from the launch with a smile that would embarrass Zippy from Rainbow. It’s M4 time. I was never convinced when I heard BMW was splitting its model range. In fact, I staunchly refused to believe the rumours were true until I saw the pictures. But then I never believed it’d make a front-wheel-drive car either and look how that turned out... Anyway, now I’m a convert to the evennumbered models – so much so that I think the M4 is one of the best-looking BMWs ever. All angular slants, cut grooves, bumps and bulges on a wide-tracked body that just sits right. Even without all this M chintz in simple 420d guise 82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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The sound is incredible; low, guttural and distinctive, it builds to a rifle-crack gear change at maximum revs

Left: Hairpin, BMW M4 and a handily-placed spotter further up the road. Bliss! Below: It might not have the most outrageous looks but the four-wheel-drive Golf R had thrills by the bucketful. S-Class driver still fiddling with the 45-way adjustable seat

it still looks great, and in this M4 derivative it’s positively perfect. As I settle down into a seat DJ has lowered into the boot, a comfortable driving position is easy to find. Within seconds I’m settled, in minutes in love. The M4 may have ditched that characterful V8 for turbo-charged downsizing but even the diehards will be singing its praises after mere miles. The sound is incredible; low, guttural and distinctive, it builds to a rifle-crack gear change at maximum revs, every increase in RPM heightening petrolhead pleasure further. This thing is positively pornographic. After a day laying wads of rubber on Welsh asphalt, we bail before we run out of light and luck. Our final location for the day is an emptying reservoir where the sun is painting the sky 50 shades of red as Dean lines up our assembled greats for our opening-spread shot. It’s while our follically-challenged snapper is positioning the cars that I take stock: Now is a truly great time to be a motoring writer – and an even better time to be a car dealer... CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro

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On roads like this, on days like today, at times like these, the Caterham is perfect

DAY TWO Over bacon and runny-egg butties, washed down by enough coffee to wake the dead, our final day is planned. Cover, centre spread and details in the bag, it’s action that Dean wants next, so we head off to some of his favourite stretches of Wales to push our luck just that little bit further. I play first stint safe and opt for the Macan. I missed the launch of this seminal car for Porsche and this is the first time we’ve had some quality time together, so I’m looking forward to a blast across the moors. I’m not disappointed. Yes, the inside might seem like a butterscotch Angel Delight, boasting more beige than a road test lunch served up by our operations director, but it’s instantly comfortable, immediately familiar. Turbo spooled up, the Macan might not be true to its ancestral sports car bloodline but, my word, it’s rapid. 84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Horizons come thick and fast as its 395bhp is delivered to the Tarmac with maximum efficiency and destructive ferocity. There’s one corner of the Triangle that combines sharp turn with roller coasterdownward G force like no other and it’s here where snapper Smith wants to capture the Macan. In two passes it’s bagged – a shot that looks like a spring-compressing, front-tyre-chafing nightmare that from behind the wheel feels no worse than a (fast) lap of a Tesco roundabout. The Macan might not be my cup of tea but there’s no doubt that a) you’d pick it over an Audi Q5 every single time and that b) it’s one hell of a competent machine. From comfort to Caterham. I’ve avoided the little three-cylinder-powered fun machine for long enough but now Dean wants some derring-do for his megapixels. Squeezing myself into the tiny two-seater, Batch along for the ride, my knees lose layers of skin on the bulkhead and I have to remove my shoes to avoid pressing the brake at the same

Above: Lift off! Caterham 160 is trimmed back to basics but still sets pulses racing on Wales's finest humps and bumps Below: Porsche Macan Turbo combines muscle-car looks and blistering pace that will soon have drivers forgetting they're in an SUV

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time as the clutch. This thing is coffin-cosy. My Caterham experiences of past have mostly been in mad machines, most recently the sequential gear-boxed slice of insanity that is the 620R. That was all sense-bashing, face-removing, brain-cell-destroying lunacy on a Hollywood scale. The 160R is at the other end of the petrolpowered periodic table – chaff cut back, lightness installed, this is soapbox-racer-simple. With just 80bhp, skinny little tyres and a purity of mineral water, it’s a refreshing slice of automotive fun at its most scaled down. Dean wants to capture the Caterham’s fun side with a leap in the air, and after three passes it lifts, all four wheels free from traction, floating for a millisecond before it creases back under landing and scampers away. It’s an absolute blast and one the 160R takes ably in its stride. I love these little sports cars... in isolation. On roads like this, on days like today, at times like these, this Caterham is perfect, a nirvana, a hedonistic dollop of motoring greatness. On a wet M25 on a Friday night, it’s

hell. Like a machine gun, a Caterham is singleminded in its existence, and for that reason it’s not the one for me. Which brings me to familiarity. Our Cupra. The faithful family friend. Seat’s feisty 280bhp hot hatch has been wooing the team back at base for months. Rarely does a Monday morning pass without a colleague declaring their undying love for the Spaniard. I’ve had my fair share of brilliant drives in it. From twilight motorway blasts to back road attacks, WWD and I have form. On the best blacktop Wales has to offer, she certainly doesn’t disappoint. Settled in, comfortable, familiar driving position adopted, the little Seat darts off into the distance with an unmistakable pop-popping exhaust as the DSG gearbox dispenses yet another ratio. The steering may be a little light but the well-worn Michelins still serve up dollops of grip, as the Spanish contender reminds me just how much fun and just how quick a hot hatch can be. This feels no slower than the slightly more

powerful Golf, but then it’s also refusing to shake what I’m convinced is a cheekily-tweaked press office S1 on my tail. Cupra cooling in the corner of a commandeered layby, I regroup with the team. After three days, nearly 1,000 miles and enough litres of unleaded to make my accountant spit his morning tea over his monitor, I still can’t choose a winner. Fortunately, I’m not alone. Each one of us has our nine challengers in different orders. We decide on a system. A simple scoring chart that’s mathematical and scientific. It requires a spreadsheet, which pleases our lunch-sourcing ops director greatly. Back at base we cast our votes, crunch the numbers and let The System crown the worthy. Meanwhile, I can’t help but crack a wry smile at the realisation that if it takes science to pick a RTOTY winner, I’ve been truly fortunate to sample an incredible moment in time for the development of the motor car. I can’t wait for next year... CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | intro

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Now is a truly great time to be a motoring writer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and an even better time to be a car dealer... CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | caterham 160

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The Caterham is what it is. It’s not pretending to be anything else but a car for driving

THE KNOWLEDGE:

Caterham 160 Price: £17,995 Engine: 660cc three-cylinder turbocharged Power: 80bhp Max speed: 100mph 0-60mph: 6.5s MPG (comb’d): 57.6 Emissions: 114g/km 88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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hen you look at the line-up of cars you might think we’re mad for even considering one with just 80bhp for a road test of the top cars released this year. Luckily for the Caterham 160, you don’t buy one because you want luxury or unbeatable speed; you buy one for the pure driving pleasure. Yes, the Caterham 160 has fewer than 10 buttons on the dash, a tiny three-cylinder engine and a top speed of 100mph, but if you’re driving along winding roads in the Welsh countryside anything else would just be obscene – surely? Driving solo or in a group of like-minded Caterham owners the answer would, most definitely, be yes. Keeping up with the rowdy bunch of cars I was with, however, was not so easy. Competing on the roads against these motoring giants was never going to be a fair fight but it did make it blindingly obvious how underpowered the 160 was in comparison and I found myself willing it up hills and round corners to keep the rest of the pack in sight. Where the Caterham did have the advantage was in its size. While the oversized Mercedes and Roller were slowing down to avoid well-placed Welsh walls, the Caterham, with great visibility and a very skinny profile, made light work of tight bends. These little tin cans with wheels are renowned for being wild and unruly. If you’re looking for that, this tiny Suzuki-powered model isn’t the car for you. This is the baby of the family that offers back-to-basics driving. That’s not to say there weren’t moments where I didn’t feel like replacement underwear might be needed. You are, quite literally, flying by the seat of your pants in the 160. There is not a lot between you and the road, you’re exposed to the elements and shielded only by some questionable plastic doors with wing mirrors so flimsy they might as well not be there. If you’re feeling brave and are willing to go great guns, the Caterham becomes a bit more unpredictable, but if you’ve driven one of the British marque’s more powerful models it’s likely you’ll be nothing but disappointed in the 160. The Caterham’s biggest flaw is its price. It’s the cheapest car in our line-up but it still feels expensive. There are two prices for the 160: £17,995 or save yourself three grand by ordering it in kit form (£14,995). Pure and simple, the Caterham is what it is. It’s not pretending to be anything else but a car for driving. You don’t need a destination and you don’t need a route. You just need a road, this car and probably a woolly hat as your only defence against the elements. I loved it.

Becca Chaplin Editorial assistant @BelieveBecca CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | rolls-royce wraith

his is surreal. I’m wrapped in the finest leather, staring at some of the most ornate materials I’ve ever seen inside a car and yet still I’m wafting along the challenging A543 at a pace that is leaving the rest of the RTOTY crowd lagging behind. Surfing on a gloriously torque-filled surge of V12 goodness, delicately light steering guiding this two-tonne luxury monster across the Welsh moors, I’m opening up a gap on the cars behind me as my relationship with the Rolls-Royce Wraith finally clicks. For the past two days I’ve been living in fear of harming the £219,480 brute, every wayward sheep tying my stomach in knots, every oncoming tractor making me wince at the impending doom that never happens. You see, driving the Wraith is quite some responsibility. With a price tag that wouldn’t look out of place in an estate agent’s window, piloting the curvy-rear-ended British beauty – the sportiest of Rolls-Royces – really is a nerve-racking experience. Well, at least at first it is. In time, as the miles rise, fear eases, and you finally begin to gel with the giant – and it’s then, at this moment, that the wonder of this incredible feat of engineering is finally hammered home. It’s here, now, on this stunning piece of Tarmac that’s twisting across the dew-dipped Welsh countryside that the Wraith truly comes alive. The 624bhp V12 may be whisper-quiet on the motorway, where the dash tells you there’s still 90 per cent of power in reserve (there’s no gaudy rev counter in here), but in kick-down it growls, bellows deep and powers off towards the future like a Bullet Train. The first time I let the Roller scamper off, it shocks with the speed with which it adds digits to the head-up display. Make no mistake, this big girl has serious pace. There’s no hiding the Wraith’s girth, though.

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The 624bhp V12 may be whisper-quiet on the motorway, but in kick-down it growls It’s absolutely huge – and feels it. Most of the team who got behind the wheel exited with a huge grin on their face, not just because it was such an event to drive but also because they were handing back the jewel-like key with the Wraith unscathed. Everyone also agreed that it was simply a very special place to spend time in. Driving the Wraith is an event. From the automatically-closing suicide doors, to the inchdeep lamb’s wool carpets, to the glass buttons on the dash and beautifully-machined solid metal vent pulls and piano black dash, everything inside feels five-star-hotel, Ritz-like perfect. All it needs is a butler on the options list to retrieve the umbrellas from inside the flanks of the two front doors to be truly palatial. Driving it to and from Wales for our shoot, I was staggered at how comfortable, relaxing and

easy it is to clock up hundreds of miles with so little effort. Yes, the 327g/km emissions and 20.2mpg might worry the wallet, but it’s a small price to pay for spa-like levels of luxury. Rolls-Royce insists its cars are bought by owner drivers – and after a week behind the wheel of the Wraith I can well believe that. Yes, sitting in the back might be a pleasant place to spend time but the Wraith is aimed squarely at the driver, and after shelling out close to a quarter of a million pounds I for one know exactly which seat I’d be occupying.

James Baggott The Boss @CarDealerEd

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THE KNOWLEDGE:

Rolls-Royce Wraith Price: £219,480 (as tested) Engine: 6.6-litre, twin turbo V12 Power: 624bhp, 800Nm Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 4.4s MPG (comb’d): 20.2 Emissions: 327g/km CarDealerMag.co.uk | 91

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | mercedes-benz s63 amg

THE KNOWLEDGE:

Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Price: ÂŁ119,835 Engine: 5.5-litre, twin-turbo V8 Power: 576bhp, 899Nm Max speed: 155mph (limited) 0-62mph: 4.4s MPG (combined): 28.0mpg Emissions: 237g/km CO2

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Out on the road, the extent AMG has wrought its magic on this big bruiser simply beggars belief

ry-stone walls litter the more technical sections of our chosen stretch of Welsh B-road, but I hadn’t noticed them until I’d climbed aboard the S-Class. Whereas the more diminutive members of our convoy simply weave their way through the sinewy veins of asphalt that cover our Snowdonian playground, the S63 feels more like a roadblock. Lining up in our convoy, Mercedes’ flagship car looks something of an incongruous selection, like the dad who’s tried to sneak into the club behind his son’s mates. The never-ending bodywork, statesmanlike design and old-school Mercedes roundel standing proud on the bonnet would look more at home outside a wedding reception than in the windswept Welsh countryside. Our S-Class, however, doesn’t look quite so statesmanlike, being finished in a very drug-dealer-esque matte white with black wheels combo. No one’s in a hurry to grab the keys. More fool them.

Objectively, the S63 does little to justify its £31,000 price premium over its lesser sibling, the S500, which itself is arguably all the car you could ever wish for. Both feature huge, turbocharged V8 engines, a leather-lined interior filled with toys as varied as fully reclining rear seats, night vision cameras and heated door panels (yes, really), and both are equally at home taking the sting out of the everyday, pampering their lucky passengers. The difference, though, is in the details, the subtle AMG bodykit giving a visual menace completely missing from the regular model.

Behind the wheel, this fiery supersaloon presses home its advantage further. Some of the sumptuous ride quality has been lost to firmer suspension, although this translates into greater body control, with the S63 more eager to change direction and lighter on its feet. Out on the road, the extent AMG has wrought its magic on this big bruiser simply beggars belief. The S63 has a schizophrenic personality: one moment ready to soothe away your worries with its massaging seats, the next it’s a hard-charging monster that can be thrown about like the M4. A 5.5-litre, two-tonne, 5.2-metre car may be as relevant in today’s motoring climate as Vauxhall’s ‘lifetime’ warranty, but it shows that as manufacturers obsess themselves with saving the world one gram of C02 at a time, there is still the desire for fun and outrageous performance. It’s a phenomenal motor, the S63, and the world is a better place for it.

Daljinder Nagra Senior staff writer @DJonMotors CarDealerMag.co.uk | 93

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | Porsche Macan Turbo

here wasn’t an ounce of snow. Or a droplet of water. Just fine, unbroken days of sunshine. Quite often on these types of trips to Wales, the weather forecast says one thing but the country decides to do something quite different. So when Porsche said it couldn’t honour the loan of a box-fresh 911 GT3 – because the UK press office’s car still had its engine in Stuttgart – and instead offered a Macan Turbo, I didn’t really mind. There had to be one day out of the planned three where we would take comfort in the safe environs of Porsche’s four-wheel-drive system. But that never happened – something much better did. For all of that dry weather showed off the Macan’s greatest party trick. It can actually drive like a sports car. I know, I know. That last sentence sounds as though I’ve swallowed the artificial-sounding press pack, but I haven’t. The Macan takes performance-minded SUVs to another level in ability. But more of that later. It was good to get back behind the wheel of the Macan. I’d been on the UK launch of the car at Goodwood Motor Circuit in May – and, what with there being no off-road course and 2.3 miles of West Sussex Tarmac to use instead, it’s clear to see that Porsche thinks of the Macan as a highriding sports car. After laps and laps at Goodwood, I came away impressed. Who wouldn’t? But I had my doubts as I pulled shut the driver’s door and got reacquainted with an interior lavished in leather just a few shades lighter than butterscotch. Surely on twisty Welsh roads the aura would be lost… How wrong. If anything, the Macan got better in a more natural environment. All that press pack puff of it being a proper sports car-cum-SUV is true as soon as you point the angular bonnet down a twisting and bending escarpment. Quite apart from the gargantuan power figures the 3.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 musters – 396bhp if you’re wondering – it rides, handles and steers with such magnificent confidence that it writes a new rule book for what SUVs can achieve. The Turbo is designed for the type of buyer who can no longer run a 911 as an everyday car. It’s the more sensible Macan S and Macan Diesel S that will balance dealers’ books nicely – not this hot-headed version. Those cars’ more reasonable asking price of £43k and easier-to-digest fuel consumption figures would sway most buyers’ cheque books. But as we pulled into a lay-by to take a breather before taking on a mountain road, it’s the Turbo that steals the heart.

James Batchelor Editor @JRRBatchelor 94 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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All that press pack puff of it being a proper sports car-cum-SUV is true

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THE KNOWLEDGE:

Porsche Macan Turbo Price: £67,423 (as tested) Engine: 3.6-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol Power: 396bhp, 550Nm Max speed: 165mph 0-60mph: 4.6s MPG (comb’d): 31.7 Emissions: 208g/km CarDealerMag.co.uk | 95

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | volkswagen golf r

THE KNOWLEDGE:

Volkswagen Golf R Price: £39,235 (as tested) Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol Power: 296bhp, 380Nm Max speed: 155mph (limited) 0-60mph: 4.7s MPG (comb’d): 40.9 Emissions: 159g/km

wasn’t looking forward to driving the Volkswagen Golf R. I’d read great things about it in other magazines – their journalists were more ready to let the racy German five-door impress them. But as were heading up on the M42 in our long and rather strange-looking convoy, I, in the Jag, wasn’t ready to hop into the Golf. It sat at the back with Dave Brown at the wheel – a safe pair of hands for a supposedly safe car. It looked like a bored rep had joined our fleet. It was just a Golf in a sea of exotica. But come day two, I accepted the reality that I would have to taste this car’s offering. And I’m glad that I did. We’d spent the day doing all of the action shots for the cars. It had been a whirlwind – hopping in and out of different cars in order for snapper Dean to take those arty shots. But we’d taken too long, and if we were to have any chance of bagging a halfdecent opening-spread picture while the sun was still setting, we would have to hot-foot it the 30-or-so miles to the planned lakeside location. This was the Golf’s one and only opportunity to impress me – and it didn’t let itself down. Pootling through small Welsh villages and sticking to the speed limits despite our rendezvous with the setting sun, the Golf was awfully anodyne. It did exactly what a Golf does brilliantly – and that’s just being a very good car. But once we turned off the main road and hurtled past the stone walls that run on either side of the first part of the Evo Triangle I opened up the Golf and it shone. Graeme was ahead in the Macan and the R’s sheer breathtaking grip allowed me to casually stick to the Turbo’s rear apron. If I were to use a cliché here I’d would offer up: ‘Like glue’. With 296bhp and a four-wheel-drive system that is constantly moving all those brake horse powers to the tyres that need it the most, the grip is astonishing. Fantastically astonishing. While I could see the Cupra in my rear-view mirror having to back off through several undulating curves, the driver warned off by the Seat’s angrily-flashing traction control light, I was pressing my right toe harder around the aluminum throttle pedal and revelling in the next bend. Once parked up and letting Dean do his special thing with a Nikon, thoughts again turned to the Golf. While dealers can sell them for under £30,000, our car was nudging £40k. And while the 19-inch wheels, the darkened rear lights and mean four exhaust pipes are all deliciously desirable, £40k for a Golf is a lot. But then I remembered that Mercedes charges nearly £50k for an A45 AMG. And then I remembered the fun in chasing down the Porker. I was looking forward to driving the Golf R home.

James Batchelor Editor @JRRBatchelor 96 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | audi s1

n roads like these, size matters. If I were in the Rolls-Royce codpiece right now, I’d be be a sweat-sodden mess; wincing at every passing tractor and unseen pothole as I attempt to navigate its barge-like girth on our charge towards Betws-y-coed. Instead, I’m in the dinky Audi S1, and, as it should be with a supermini, it’s all just that little bit easier. There’s room to breathe, room to adjust your line and room for your brain to think of something other than the horrendous cost of kerbing a wheel on one of the many jaggedy rocks that line our test route. But why is there a gaudy red shopping car sitting like a pimple in the midst of our awesome road-test line-up? Because behind the fashionista accessorising and upmarket/downsizing branding, this particular Audi could just be the one to finally appeal to the keen drivers among us. It starts with that oh-so-delicious combination of small car, big horsepower. The S1, particularly in this company, is truly diminutive; its short overhangs adding to its stubby looks and making it a doddle to place on the road. All of which makes the fact that it has a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine under the bonnet all the more surprising. What’s more, being an ‘S’ Audi, this tiny hatchback gets the brand’s famous Quattro fourwheel-drive system, which – as I’m alive to tell you – works brilliantly, and endows this pocket rocket with huge grip and an incredibly stable feeling at speed. It all adds up to one devastating package. Following our convoy as we steam through the Welsh countryside, the S1’s compact dimensions and four-square stance mean it can be driven to the edge, whereas the larger and more powerful cars, even the likes of the Golf, have to be piloted 98 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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The S1 offers performance on a par with its larger hot-hatch rivals in this test in a more considered manner. Better still, Audi has seen fit to bestow the S1 with a proper manual gearbox, which only encourages you to wring every last revolution out of the zingy four-pot motor. Slow things down and you begin to notice just how well Audi has transferred the ambience of its luxury saloons into such a small package. The cabin is wrought from high-quality plastics, and there’s subtle design detailing everywhere you look – including a heater control panel lifted straight from the R8 supercar. Granted, there isn’t space to stretch out, and taller pilots may find the driving position a tad restrictive, but among its supermini peers, the S1 holds its head high, managing to recreate the solid, damped feeling of a much bigger car on the move. If you’re tired of bloated luxo-barges, it’s a compelling proposition.

It seems that while we were all busy wondering whether Audi really had it what it took to take on the might of BMW’s M division with its vastly more expensive saloon offerings, its team in Ingolstadt stole a march on its rival by bringing a truly entertaining small car to its showrooms. The S1 offers performance on a par with its larger hot-hatch rivals in this test, and as it’s smaller and more involving, it’s far more exciting. Overall, it is the complete hot-hatch package.

Daljinder Nagra Senior staff writer @DJonMotors

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THE KNOWLEDGE:

Audi S1

Price: ÂŁ24,905 Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged 4-cylinder Power: 228bhp, 370Nm Max speed: 155mph (limited) 0-62mph: 5.8s MPG (combined): 40.4mpg Emissions: 162g/km CO2

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | SEAT LEON CUPRA 280

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It’s a heady mix of capability, excitement and usability that makes this car so exciting

here’s a kink on the Evo Triangle, just before it blisters past the glistening Llyn Brenig Reservoir, that’s a downhill left-right-left crested S-bend that’s awkwardly off camber and incredibly fast. Hit it wrong and things get pretty tricky, pretty quickly. And I’ve just hit it fast. You see, I’m in old faithful, our tried-andtrusted long-term Seat Leon Cupra, which we’ve brought along to take on the big boys, and familiarity has caught me out. The trouble with the Leon is it’s bonkers quick. Ours is the 280bhp uprated version, with rapid-fire DSG gearbox, and over the six months she’s spent on our fleet she’s won over the hearts and minds of anyone who has been lucky enough to steal a weekend away with her. She’s done so mostly by catapulting

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those in the driver’s seat forward at such great momentum that it’s all too easy to forget this is a humble hot hatch. And it’s because of these wicked charms that I’m currently scrabbling at the steering, two wheels off the ground, about to land pointing the wrong direction to the upcoming right-hander. Just as I begin to think of a good excuse to tell my colleagues for being embedded in the hedge, nestled next to the sheep, old faithful sorts things out just as the Cupra always does, landing with a chirp and sprinting on, turbo whooshing, exhausts breathing deeply as it slingshots me on towards the next corner. That’s the thing about this Cupra. It’s hugely entertaining and incredibly capable. On the road, grip levels are on a par with the four-wheel-drive Golf R we have here too, and it feels every bit

THE KNOWLEDGE:

Seat Leon Cupra 280 Price: £31,540 (as tested) Engine: 2.0-litre TSI 280 Power: 280bhp, 350Nm Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 5.7s MPG (comb’d): 42.8 Emissions: 154g/km as quick and as powerful. It’s in the mid-range where the stomp really makes the 2.0-litre turbocharged lump belie its size, pushing hard from mid revs to the red line. It’s a heady mix of

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capability, excitement and usability that makes this car so exciting. What’s more, with a combined fuel economy of 42.8mpg, it’s staggeringly efficient too. How did they manage that? We think she’s a looker as well. Those sharp angular Seat lines are distinctive, the daytime running lights hard to miss, and with twin exhausts at the rear and even more chiselled looks, few would deny it’s a hot hatch that turns heads. We also love the equipment. Our test car has a brilliant multimedia system that connects faultlessly to stream your music from your phone, a smart sat-nav unit that can be a little fussy to use but is full of detail, while the dashboard display can be adjusted every which way you please to show all manner of vehicle, audio and sat-nav stats. And who doesn’t love stats? The options on our test vehicle total £2,675 –

that’s a tenth of the cost of the options ticked on the Rolls-Royce Wraith spec sheet – and most of that on the Seat has gone on the leather and undeniably brilliant upgraded sound system. All factored in, the £31,540 price tag does look a little steep, but when you take into account just how capable, entertaining and frankly goodlooking this Cupra 280 is, it’s really rather hard to ignore. The Seat is by far and away our favourite hot hatch on the market today, and even in this illustrious company it held its head high. We really can’t recommend it highly enough.

James Baggott The Boss @CarDealerEd CarDealerMag.co.uk | 101

FEATURE. RTOTY14 | jaguar f-type R coupe

f any car really didn’t have to justify its place in our Road Test of the Year line-up, it’s the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe. After the aristocratic Rolls-Royce, the Bavarian accountant’s S-Class and the student-donegood Audi S1, the F-Type is pure rock star. Since the launch of the convertible model last year, the F-Type has worked its way into the hearts of car fans everywhere. And it’s not hard to see why. Here is a car finally worthy of being a successor to the hallowed E-Type. But beyond the show-stopping good looks, supercar power and a very British sense of pomp and circumstance, there’s one very good reason the F-Type has made it into our RTOTY shortlist: it feels alive. Cliched perhaps, but in a world of turbocharged ecoism, the F-type – particularly in this snarling, supercharged V8 R guise – feels like a car from the old school. The faint supercharger whine underlying sporadic bursts of overrun gunfire from the exhausts harks back to a time when motoring was altogether a more exciting prospect. And it’s this feeling of excitement that runs through the entire car. Compared with the rather clinical BMW M4, the Jaguar is far more nimble, the feel through the steering more organic and, when pushed, it’s far easier to drive like a hooligan... All of which makes driving through the multitude of sleepy villages that line our test route a rather unsubtle affair. This is not the car to buy if you like to remain incognito. The rumble and crack from the tailpipes even at walking speed is enough to make you the centre of attention, and it elicits more than a few concerned looks from pedestrians. That said, Jaguar, like Aston Martin, is one of 102 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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The rumble and crack from the tailpipes at walking speed is enough to make you the centre of attention those manufacturers that EVERYONE seems to like, and that you can pretty much get away with murder in. Never mind that you’ve just driven down the high street sounding like a Spitfire on a strafing run, you’re in a Jaguar, carry on. Try that in a BMW. And much like an Aston Martin, the baby Jag really is up there when it comes to the feel-good factor. Cocooning you like a soft leather glove, the snug interior is a joy to be in. Classy and restrained (bar the heater vents that rise up from the dash), it makes even the most mundane of drives an event. There is one sticking point, though, and that’s the price. At more than £100,000, our test car really is in the company of some very talented rivals. Sure, you could save some cash by foregoing much of the carbon-fibre trinketry

that adorns this model, but the fact remains, compared with the likes of the sublime Porsche 911, the F-Type demands quite a premium for those movie-star good looks. But there are some things you can’t put a price on. Sitting in that low-slung cabin, watching the epicness of Snowdonia unfold before me to the sound of a force-fed V8 – it’s the stuff of dreams. The BMW M4 – the closest-matched to the Jag of our RTOTY line-up – may be technically more brilliant, more efficient and better value but, frankly, life is just too short.

Daljinder Nagra Senior staff writer @DJonMotors

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THE KNOWLEDGE:

Jaguar F-Type R Coupe Price: ÂŁ85,000 Engine: 5.0-litre, supercharged V8 Power: 542bhp, 678Nm Max speed: 186mph (limited) 0-62mph: 4.0s MPG (combined): 25.5mpg Emissions: 259g/km CO2

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | BMW M4

THE KNOWLEDGE:

BMW M4

Price: £56,650 Engine: 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol Power: 425bhp, 550Nm Max speed: 155mph (limited) 0-60mph: 4.0s MPG (comb’d): 32.1 Emissions: 204g/km

here’s a long left-hander before the road snarls right, past a gravel car park and then the Tarmac threads its way gradually downwards. Of course, this is only true when you tackle the Evo Triangle in reverse – like we were on day three – and it’s surely the best way to do it. For the previous two days, the keys to the M4 had been pinched by the others who insisted they hadn’t driven the Bavarian bruiser enough to satisfy their inquisitive minds. But on this slightly chilly morning, with the dew lolloping in the valley around us, the car was left for me to explore and I was feeling pretty happy with life. Just slipping into the cockpit of the M4 was enough to know that this, surprise surprise, was another special car from that German car company that is just so good at creating surprisingly adept machines. As we trickled out of the gravel lane belonging to our overnight bed and breakfast and pointed our convoy to the hills, I knew that the next 50-or-so-minutes would be my time to work out whether this car deserved all the fine words my colleagues had heaped upon it in the dingy pub the night before. Past that gravel car park on the left and now I’m heading down the Tarmac. Boss James ‘Biggles’ Baggott is in the lead in the flying Rolls and ‘Red Baron’ DJ is right on his tail in the Merc. They’re a good half a mile out in front of me, tearing along a short asphalt straight before the road rises to a peak and then disappears. I let the dogfighting duo plough on and stick to my own pace. Now is the right time to switch the adjustable suspension from ‘comfort’ to ‘sport’ and press ‘M1’ on the steering wheel. Do this and the whole experience moves up a gear in terms of dynamism and the heads-up display ditches its elegant typography and instead switches to a Gran Turismo 6-like affair. All of that fuss from purists complaining of BMW’s decision to replace the 4.0-litre V8 with a twin-turbocharged straight-six is forgotten as the M4 lunges towards that peak James and DJ had reached just minutes ago. Now the M4 has changed from a comfy GT car to a full-blooded racer – and it has won my heart for its sheer driving thrills. And it’s that feature alone that raises the M4 to the top of the pile in this road test. There are other cars that do some things far better than the Bemmer, but the M4 is such a top performer in all areas for such a reasonable price, it wins the day for most of us.

James Batchelor Editor @JRRBatchelor 104 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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The M4 is such a top performer in all areas for such a reasonable price

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FEATURE. RTOTY14 | VERDICT many were rejected, but this little three-cylinder roller skate still made the grade. Looking at our panel’s scoring, it was woeful comfort and practicality scores that sealed its fate. The latter is understandable, but even our miniature road tester Rebecca struggled to get settled, let alone six-footers DJ and I. Shockingly, the wonderful Wraith finishes eighth. In stark contrast to the 160, we adored its luxurious interior, giving it top marks for comfort, while its desirability score fared well too. However, against spirited performance-car competition it missed out. That’s not to say it’s a bad car – far, far from it – but it’s simply a little out of place here.

So here we are. Hundreds of pounds spent on explosive liquid, thousands of frames captured, copious cans of Red Bull consumed, three days enjoyed and one verdict reached. After our numbers have James been crunched, the panel has Baggott decided and our Road Test of the Year crown goes to Germany, and the incredibly capable BMW M4. But before I go there, let’s start at the bottom. Placing the Caterham 160 last makes it sound rubbish, but this isn’t a result to be negative about. A place at RTOTY makes it part of an illustrious few already. Many were considered,

The Mercedes S63 finishes seventh. Packed full of technology and with a blistering nuclear missile under the bonnet, it scored well for comfort and practicality. However, the panel weren’t won over by its looks or value for money. In sixth, there’s another German offering but this time SUV-shaped and Turbo-badged. The Macan shocked with its pace and scored highly in the fun factor stakes. However, fairly average scores across the board resulted in this mid-table placing. We admit it’s a very accomplished car, though, and it’s hard not to see why Porsche retailers are having it away at the moment. Volkswagen’s spicy Golf R offering takes fifth. We all had some cracking drives in this better-

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than-expected hot hatch, with strong scores for fun factor and practicality shining out in this test. However, our panel didn’t feel it offered the strongest value for money, which let it down. One of my favourite cars here, the Audi S1, takes fourth and narrowly misses out on a podium position by just three points. Despite our concerns that this particular example may have been subjected to some press office tinkering, our panel loved the way it drove and performed, and when combined with smart looks and those quad exhausts they thought it was really rather desirable too. So to our bronze medallist and a car we know very well indeed: the Seat Leon Cupra 280. Such a high placing in such talented company proves just how good this Spanish hot hatch is. Strong scores for performance, styling, comfort and practicality all helped, but it was the smile that it put on our testers’ faces that sealed its place on our podium. So to the tough top two. For the entire test I failed to put a cigarette paper between the Brit and the German – so much so we had to shoot the verdict shot for this page in two different formats. We

all knew it would be a close call between the Jaguar and BMW, but it wasn’t until those mathematical score sheets were filled out that we knew which would finish top. It’s the wonderful Jaguar F-Type Coupe R that just misses out on our RTOTY crown. Despite our panel thinking its good looks and addictive soundtrack make it more desirable than the M4, poor scores for practicality – the boot is rather petite – and that whopping price tag saw it just miss out on the spoils. And so to our winner. The blokes from BMW have done it again. Thanks to its aggressive styling, wonderful exhaust note, pin-sharp precise handling and veritable bargain price tag, when stacked up against the competition the German bruiser barged its way to the top. A worthy winner. I just can’t help thinking if BMW had let us have that i8 to test too, could we have ended up with the first manufacturer one-two in RTOTY’s history? We’ll never know... [CD]

WRITERS' VERDICTS

James Batchelor

Batch’s verdict: It’s a jolly good way of doing things you know, our chart on the left. Just one look at the table will show you that our winner is the BMW M4. Its place in pole position is well-deserved too – it’s a perfect all-rounder and you get a lot for your money. But although I voted it top, my heart really belongs to the Jag. I’m captivated by its style, looks, power, noise and the fact that it’s a Jaguar at the end of the day – and that’s rather cool at the moment. Yes, the F-Type does have some flaws – I’m not especially keen on the design of the multimedia system and the steering lacks precision – but when a car looks this good and wears an R badge, who really cares?

Batch’s scoring: 1. BMW M4 2. Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 3. Seat Leon Cupra 280 4. Volkswagen Golf R 5. Porsche Macan Turbo 6. RollsRoyce Wraith 7. Audi S1 8. Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 9. Caterham 160

Baggott’s scoring: 1. BMW M4 2. Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 3. Audi S1 4. Seat Leon Cupra 280 5. Volkswagen Golf R 6. Rolls-Royce Wraith 7. Porsche Macan Turbo 8. Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 9. Caterham 160

Daljinder Nagra

DJ’s verdict: For me, there was never really any doubt of the M4’s triumph in this year’s showdown. When it comes to creating truly engaging – and yet completely everyday usable – performance cars, BMW really has it licked. The M4 is so slick, so polished and honed in the way it goes about its business, it feels like a machine worth twice as much as its £55,000 sticker price would suggest. Taking a close second place, it had to be the Mercedes S63. I have a soft spot for big, overpowered barges, but this hefty AMG threw up the biggest surprise of the test. Push it hard and it’s a match for a well-driven sports saloon, never mind the bloated limousines it counts as rivals. A Germanic one-two for me then, I’m afraid. The Jag takes the bronze.

DJ’s scoring: 1. BMW M4 2. Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 3. Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 4. Seat Leon Cupra 280 5. Audi S1 6. Volkswagen Golf R 7. Porsche Macan Turbo 8. Caterham 160 9. Rolls-Royce Wraith

Becca Chaplin

Becca’s verdict: It was a very tight competition but by just one point the Jag has turned out to be my favourite – which is good, because it was. It had one critical thing that the others didn’t: sex appeal. The cars were all technically brilliant with good looks and great toys inside, but the Jaguar could roar from that fantastic exhaust, it looks incredible and, let’s face it, it’s got that flair of British eccentricity that you can’t beat. I’ve got to give credit to the M4, though. It was a strong contender and definitely the best to drive. It’s clinical and perfect, but that’s not what I want in a car; I want crazy, wild and passionate, which the F-Type has heaps of.

Becca’s scoring: 1. Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 2. BMW M4 3. Audi S1 4. Rolls-Royce Wraith 5. Porsche Macan Turbo Equal 6. Seat Leon Cupra 280, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 7. Caterham 160

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