GOLF INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE JULY 2011
GIRLS ALLOWED / THE MANOR HOUSE / MEMORABILIA / MOTORING & MORE...
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Girls are allowed! Young girls are a rare sight on the golf course while women overall account for just 15% of club membership. Why is that? Sport England are providing significant money to raise the profile of golf amongst all women, with special emphasis placed on getting girls into the sport and keeping them interested as they become young women. But still precious few are converting this enjoyment into club membership. Jodi Ewart tells her story
s an enthusiastic 23-year-old golfer I know that my age and sex is highly under represented on the golf course. My baby pink clubs may add a little colour to the fairways but the typical double-take from the stereotypical club golfer says: ‘What are you doing here?’. I first started playing at the age of 11 but stopped at 15 when Saturdays on the golf course gave way to peer pressure. I wanted to do what my friends were doing – which was not playing golf! If I hadn’t met my boyfriend, a keen golfer, a couple of years ago, I doubt I would ever have played again. While I lack the ability (and desire!) to become a professional, I absolutely love playing the game for fun. I am over the moon if I make a par and I always look forward to the thrill of just being out there on the course. My only problem is the lack of like-minded girls of my age, in their early 20s, to play with. Why is this? Interestingly, the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) has discovered that women are not deterred from golf by their impression of the sport and its players. Richard Flint, golf development manager for EWGA and the English Golf Union, says: “For girls the barriers to playing are not about perception, they are about knowing what opportunities exist to get involved. We need to address issues of marketing and communication. “Only 115,000 women are golf club members compared to over 600,000 men – clearly attracting women represents a tremendous opportunity to grow the game.”
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As golf coach at Hagley Golf Club, Worcestershire, Gareth Snelgrove runs the club’s junior golf academy, which is popular with girls. He feels golf’s strong social aspect should attract more young ladies but that this may not be promoted properly. And it’s not as if the younger generation do not have access to the sort of networking sites that could quickly and easily get the word out: “The use of facebook and twitter would seem perfect vehicles to attract youngsters into the sport,” agrees Snelgrove. “The vast majority of clubs are crying out for junior members – most would welcome them with open arms.” Jenny May, Gloucestershire County Ladies’ representative in the County Golf Partnership highlights the transition between junior and ladies golf as a difficult period for lady golfers in which many are lost from the game. Says May: “When boys stop being juniors they fit easily into men’s golf. It’s more difficult for girls. Suddenly they don’t have their Junior organisation looking after them. And I believe many are daunted by ladies’ sections. Also, not all clubs have a ‘business ladies’ section’ – i.e. those who work Monday to Friday and play golf at weekends – and so the traditional mid-week Ladies’ Day is still the norm at many clubs, which simply doesn’t fit in with the modern social dynamic.” Jenny explains that low handicap girls are picked up by the county and continue to play but girls who just want to enjoy a round with friends tend to drift out of the game. “Sadly, we lose a lot of young women who could become our future ladies section stalwarts,” she says.
Alas, not all potential stars remain in the game. Lucy Laycock, a 22-year-old student, started playing golf as a child with her dad and granddad. She was told she was good enough to turn professional if she worked hard but ran out of steam as a teenager and other interests took over. “Golf doesn’t seem very glamorous when girls are into shopping and horse riding,” says Laycock. “It just isn’t cool.” Young players of both sexes are also deterred by golf’s reputation for being an expensive sport. “Cost does put me off playing again as a student,” says Lucy. “I think golf clubs could and should do a lot more to encourage students to play – particularly on quieter days in the week when tee times are available.” Jenny May agrees. “Older people often forget that £100 to a young person today is a lot of money. Clubs should recognise that it is in their interest to do everything they can to encourage young people into the sport. Many do, but there are some that could do more.” So the issue is twofold: many girls who love golf are seemingly being lost from the sport as a result of not having anyone to play with whilst the girls who would love to get in to golf do not know how or where to play or simply cannot afford it. What is being done to change this? Supported by the Golf Foundation, The English Golf Union (EGU), English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) and Professional Golf Association (PGA) work together as the England Golf Partnership, and one of its chief aims is to attract more women to golf. The England Golf Partnership has received lottery and government
GIRL’S ALLOWED
England's Melissa Reid (left) is making headlines in the women's game and looks set to be a world-beater in years to come. But you don't have to be an aspiring professional to enjoy the game, and the author of this piece, Jodi Ewart (above) believes more young girls should take advantage of the many schemes currently on offer to discover the joys of playing at any level
funding to develop and promote golf through its ‘Whole Sport Plan.’ The plan sets out a four year agenda with the stated aim: ‘To allow England to become the leading golf nation in the world by providing more opportunities for participants to start, stay and succeed in the game.’ Key to this objective is growing the game and sustaining the numbers of people playing. “We want to increase participation and development,” says Flint. “Over the last 3 years we have put in place over 35 county officers who provide support to golf clubs to promote the game. Within the plan are many initiatives specifically targeted at promoting golf to ladies.” GolfMark is an accreditation awarded to junior- and beginner-friendly clubs. Many of these offer a programme of free beginners’ taster sessions and put on coaching specifically for women and girls. Of England’s 2000 golf clubs, 420 are currently GolfMark accredited, whilst a further 600 are working towards the award. This should mean that in the near future over half of all English golf clubs will be beginner-friendly and offer golf opportunities for women. “GolfMark ensures that we can direct beginners and women to these clubs and ensure that they will get a good experience,” believes Flint. County officers also working within clubs are looking at ways to attract younger members. a good example is Stourbridge Golf Club in the West Midlands, a GolfMark accredited club, which offers student subscription for just £25 a year with subsidised green fees of £7 a round. One county leading the way in developing women’s golf is Gloucestershire. Jenny May is trialling a scheme in the county to get 18-25 year olds – particularly ladies, who just want to play for a hobby – out playing golf. Jenny, who is organising a monthly golf tournament for young people through the summer, say: “I’m going to get intermediate boys and girls together for a round of golf, maybe with a light meal afterwards. The clubs have been generous and are not charging us green fees. We are not trying to make a profit so we’re keeping the costs low, just enough to cover a few prizes and perhaps subsidise the cost of food at the final competition. “I am aware that so many girls leave junior
‘Projects such as ‘Girls Allowed’ tell us that the social side to attracting and retaining young girls in golf is key. The girls at Stowmarket play at their own pace and perhaps the most important part of their session is the catch-up with their friends at the beginning.’ Brendon Pyle, National Development Manager of the Golf Foundation,
golf and are never seen again so if it is successful I’m hoping that other counties might think, ‘Ah we’ll try that’.” Fortunately, schemes are now also in place to give boys and girls the opportunity to play as children. The Golf Foundation is currently enjoying success in encouraging more schools to offer golf to girls and boys. Government figures show that 66% of secondary schools now offer golf and 44% of all schools. Importantly, 30% of schools now have links to local clubs, encouraging more girls to make the transition to club golf. The Golf Foundation runs Golf Roots City Projects, encouraging girls aged 16-19 to volunteer as mentors to younger girls coming into clubs. One of its successes is The ‘Girls Allowed’ project in Suffolk, which gives older girls the run of Stowmarket Golf Centre. They play golf, socialise and – with the help of PGA professional Duncan Burl – encourage younger girls to join the club. Brendon Pyle, National Development Manager of the Golf Foundation, said: “Projects such as ‘Girls Allowed’ tell us that the social side to attracting and retaining young girls in golf is key. The girls at Stowmarket play at their own pace and perhaps the most important part of their session is the catch-up with their friends at the beginning.”
Do girls enjoy playing golf? “There is no question about it – girls enjoy playing,” says Richard Flint. “There are lots of examples of women going on to become club members after taking part in County Golf Partnership taster sessions. Hopefully we can convert more women into club members.” The Golf Foundation and County have sponsored the Girls Academy at Hagley Golf Club for nearly two years. Coach Gareth Snelgrove says: “We are slowly building up the girl’s junior section. We also have a number of young women who attend ourbeginners group coaching which is supported by the County.” The English Golf Partnership hopes that such schemes will result in more ‘once a week golfers’ playing regularly for fun. “We have found that ladies feel more comfortable in group sessions and prefer a female coach,” says Flint, “So we are providing funding to the County Golf Partnership to offer more structured taster sessions for women and girls and to work with clubs to further promote the sport.” The fitness benefits of golf should also appeal to ladies, as coach Snelgrove points out: “The aerobic fitness offered by a round of golf, even if it is only 5 holes, is something that may appeal to young women too. I haven’t seen this promoted much.” A recent US study found that a 18 hole round of golf burns in excess of 1500 calories – the equivalent of an average speed runner running in excess of 10 miles. It also tones the legs, waist and arms very effectively – young women should be queuing up to join golf clubs!
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MANOR HOUSE GOLF & HOTEL CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE
A Country House Gem England’s green and pleasant land has umpteen boutique country house hotels with rather ordinary courses, and conversely, any number of excellent clubs associated with mediocre but expensive hostelries. For Peter Swain, both course and hospitality at the Manor House Hotel and Golf Club tick the quality and value tee boxes
WITH A SCENIC 18 HOLES MEANDERING through the rolling Cotswold countryside, a sensibly priced but still sumptuously appointed 48room hotel dating from 14th century and Michelin-starred food, the Manor House in the time-warp village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire is something of a hidden gem. After playing the Peter Alliss and Clive Clarkdesigned set-up recently, Luke Donald said: “The Manor House Golf Club is a truly stunning course and I will definitely be coming back.” My game may not quite be on a par with the world number one’s, but after visiting the parkland club in June, I’m inclined to agree. Having first played here 10 years earlier, I was pleasantly surprised that, even in these recessionary times, the condition of the course is still immaculate. And the Pecorelli family, who own the establishment, are constantly investing in 126 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
THE MANOR HOUSE / WILTSHIRE
Situated in the picturesque Bybrook valley minutes from thetime-warp village of Castle Combe, the Manor House course enjoys an undulating parkland setting over which the design team of Peter Alliss and Clive Clark created a fabulously challenging test of golf. The hotel itself is the definitive country retreat with its stylish furnishings, exposed beams and grand four-poster beds.
improvements, starting at the 1st. Instead of a dogleg round the trees, the tee shot now requires a 220-yard carry over water and what was once a mott and bailey fortification to reach the fairway. Easy enough on, say, the 8th, but it’s something of a buttock-clencher as the first shot of the day right in front of the members’ terrace. On the par-three 2nd, you discover what a fine piece of golfing topography this is. From an elevated tee up in the woods, you look down on a smallish green surrounded by the Bybrook stream and bunkers. It’s only 151 yards long, but the 100-foot drop and a swirling wind make club selection exceptionally tricky. Not particularly long, the design of this set-up calls for accuracy and skillful course management. Without planes, trains or cars to interrupt the birdsong, the five par-3s and five 5s provide
good variety, and a couple of the shorter par-4s are reachable for long hitters. I like the 498-yard par-five 12th, which demands a good 3-wood off the elevated tee to a plateau fairway, followed by solid hybrid or 3-iron over the wooded valley up onto to the other side. The small two-tier green, protected by six bunkers, deters all but the most determined approach shots. The handsome 18th, with an Eisenhower tree on the fairway and a skinny green flanked by water, makes for a great finishing hole. A USGAspec driving range and short game area, halfway house, refreshment cart, new electric buggies and a friendly clubhouse complete the exemplary package. Close by the 18th green, the new Waterfall Lodge, which sleeps eight, provides an ideal base for a small group of friends or visiting golf societies.
The Virginia creeper-clad hotel itself has several leathery snugs, a good collection of single malts, ancient-beamed bedrooms, spacious cottage suites and, in the Michelin-starred Bybrook restaurant, the perfect venue for a celebratory dinner.
FACT BOX: Manor House Hotel & Golf Club Where:
Just off J17 of the M4, near Bath
How much:
In Waterfall Lodge, from £109 per person for 36 holes, bed, breakfast and dinner in the clubhouse. In the hotel, from £155 per person, based on two sharing, for two rounds with dinner in the Bybrook. Green fees from £59.
Contact:
01249 782982, manorhousegolf.co.uk part of Exclusive Golf
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So what are these worth? Ever-popular cigarette cards, a rare Ryder Cup momento, a forerunner of the modern tee-peg and a handsome set of Harold Riley Limited Edition prints formed the basis of this month’s postbag for Gi’s auction-room expert Kevin McGimpsey (Above): Always popular and hugely collectible, these cigarette cards depict ‘Prominent Golfers’ from 1931, and the set of 12 would fetch £350; (Left): Possibly one of the earliest of Ryder Cup momentos, this engraving of Gene Sarazen’s autograph on a silver plaque would be keenly sought after at auction, bidding likely to reach four figures.
CIGARETTE CARDS What can you tell me about these golfer cigarette cards? Kieran Russell via email One of the most popular sectors of golf memorabilia remains collecting cigarette cards. Although some of the earliest golf cards were issued with other products, the majority of cards between 1900 and 1940 were issued with cigarette products. Hence, they are referred to as “cigarette cards”. Cigarettes were originally packed in the same manner as pipe chewing tobacco – i.e. in a fragile packet that was easily crushed. The eventual insertion of a cardboard ‘stiffener’ led, in turn, to the printing of pictures, information and marketing opportunities on these cardboard cards. These often visual and colourful cards were of an educational benefit but that wasn’t why they were produced. The smokers and or their children found it great fun searching for the cards, especially the elusive ones and completing the set; the more they bought and smoked the better the chance of getting that elusive card (these were the days before health warnings!). These proved so popular that the majority of the tobacco firms were soon issuing cards. This is a very rare set of just 12 cards; more often the full set would comprise 36 cards. They were issued by W.A. & A.C. Churchman and enclosed with their cigarettes in 1931. The name of the series was ‘Prominent Golfers’ and these included coloured caricatures of: #1 Glenna Collett; #2 Archie Compston; #3 Henry Cotton; #4 Walter Hagen; #5 Bobby Jones; #6 Abe Mitchell; #7 Fred Robson; #8 C.J.H. Tolley; #9 Harry Vardon; #10 Joyce Wethered; #11 Roger Wethered and #12 Charles Whitcombe. Unlike the size of traditional cigarette cards these ones are similar to small sized playing cards measuring 3 x 2¼ inches. It was also unusual to have included two Lady golfers, as well as a brother and sister within the 12 cards. VALUE: I have checked current retail values with 128 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2011
the leading card experts, Murray Cards in London who sell single cards for £20 each or the set of 12 cards for just under £400. At a traditional golf auction, the price would be less than retail and I would expect the 12 cards to fetch £350.
ENGRAVED SARAZEN AUTOGRAPH ‘Issie’ Sidebottom, who was my uncle-in-law played against Gene Sarazen in 1929. This I have assumed is a memento of the match. Has it much value? Mrs. Chappell, Southport Lancashire. This silver plaque must be one of the earliest Ryder Cup objects to have survived all these years. Why Ryder Cup? Because at the top of the plaque is the inscription, ‘American Ryder Cup Team v Manchester Amateurs May 13th 1929’. Also, in the centre of the plaque is the engraved signature of the great Gene Sarazen. In 1929 the American Ryder Cup team of J. Farrell, L. Diegel, G. Sarazen, J. Turnesa, H. Smith, A, Watrous, E. Espinosa and team Captain W. Hagen set sail for the British Isles on 10 April. When they had docked in Britain they travelled to Muirfield and between 8-10 May they played in the Open which for the second consecutive year was won by Walter Hagen with a total of 292. The 2nd Ryder Cup Matches at Moortown Golf
Club Leeds were scheduled to be played over two days in late May (26-27). The Manchester Guardian and Evening News had spotted a gap in the itinerary of the Americans following Muirfield. The paper’s proprietors appreciated that there were many golfing enthusiasts in the North West of England and Manchester specifically who would not get the opportunity of seeing the action at Moortown. An additional attraction was the fact that the American Captain, Walter Hagen, was the reigning Open Champion. So a well publicised Match was set up at Stockport Golf Club between the 1929 American Ryder Cup team and a team of Manchester and area amateurs. The format was that one American would play the better ball of a two-man amateur team. The Americans, who were so much stronger on paper, were given a good run for their money by the gifted amateurs, largely because the Americans had never seen the course before and the Stockport greens were much slower than those at Muirfield where they had last played. Gene Sarazen, who would win the ‘Grand Slam’ of major championships between 1922 and 1935, was up against the home pair of Israel ‘Issie’ Sidebottom and S.S. Potter. Israel Sidebottom, who at one time played to a handicap of +7, was the consummate amateur but it was said that he probably won more in side bets than he ever could have won as a professional! Potter and Sidebottom knew the course too well for Sarazen. They started from the 13th, where Sarazen immediately found himself one down after bunkering his second shot. He squared at the next but lost the 16th by overclubbing. From the 17th to the 5th each hole was halved, but Sarazen lost the 6th. He immediately undid the damage with a birdie on the 7th, only
MEMORABILIA
to lose the 8th when he failed to find the green. Again he pulled one back at the 10th, but local knowledge prevailed and Sidebottom and Potter’s better-ball 71 saw them home by 3 & 2. At the conclusion of the matches, the Stockport Golf Club Captain presented each of the Americans with a pair of cuff-links, with the Cheshire crest on one link and the Stockport Golf Club crest on the other. Walter Hagen replied: ‘It is something we can remember you by; something we could keep up our sleeves.’ The American team then left for Leeds to compete in the Yorkshire Evening News 1000 Guineas Professional Golf Tournament. After that they were ready for the Ryder Cup. Or not, as it turned out. The American team was beaten 7-5 by George Duncan’s GB & I team and Sarazen lost both his foursomes and his singles matches. The true gentleman that he was, on returning to the States, Sarazen remembered to post one of his silver autographed mementos to both Sidebottom and Potter. VALUE: This early piece of Ryder Cup history will be keenly sought after by Ryder Cup buffs – and there are plenty of them – as well as Sarazen and Masters collectors. If it was to come to auction, I would expect bidding to start at £500 and end up in four figures.
shaped card joined at its ends to form a truncated cone. Along its edges were notches and markings to help the golfer keep score’. Why a gun-maker got involved with making golf tees, who only knows? One thing is for sure – we have to a certain extent come full circle with a number of inventors-manufacturers in today’s golf market making environmentally friendly paper tees! VALUE: These are very rare and will be highly sought after. Not only are they complete with all 50 paper tees in place but the box is in good condition too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sold at auction for over £300!
PAPER GOLF TEES
HAROLD RILEY PRINTS
This box of paper tees has been in my desk drawer for years. I kept meaning to donate them to my Club. Have they any value? Norman Hopkins Brighton
I would appreciate an appraisal as to value of the five golfing prints, all mounted and framed in gold in pristine condition. Peter B. Wilson Rochdale Lancashire
Oh yes indeed! In the early days, golfers would go to a box filled with sand – which were located on every teeing up area – and fashion a mound of sand (dampened to assist in the process) upon which to place the ball. Usually, the task fell to the caddie. During the 1880s the development of the teeing device was fast and furious. First there were metal tee moulds, such as the ‘Alexander’, that was advertised as being ‘simple in use’. Later these moulds became more sophisticated with springs and plungers. For example, with the Greenwood’s Golf Tee Mould, sand was pushed into the mould and when the spring-loaded top was depressed it ejected a perfectly formed sand tee…‘Any caddie can use it…makes perfect moulds…always same height …thus ensuring consistent driving.’ In 1895, the first American golf patent for a tee was made from heavy paper/card, a flat piece of semi-circular paper that could be formed into a cone, then rested on the ground and the golf ball placed on top. I have seen Army & Navy and ‘Colonel Bogey’ fully formed paper tees that were packaged in small round boxes of 25 to a box. I had read that Atkinson & Griffin, gun and cycle makers in Kendal had also made similar paper tees, but until now never seen them! William Atkinson had founded the original gun-making business at 58 High Gate in Kendal, Westmorland, in 1894. His patent was very similar to the one patented by Prosper Senat, an artist from Philadelphia whereby the tee was ‘a C-
These Special Limited Edition prints (three shown) were painted by the artist Harold Riley. Their subject matters include Nick Faldo at the 1991 Ryder Cup on the 2nd hole playing his singles match with annotated notes from Riley, ‘was distraught about poor foursomes but went out and won his final singles’ and anoth-
Regular readers will be familiar with artist Harold Riley’s style, his-sketch-based images including annotated notes on the event. As a set of five, these would be expected to sell for £500 or more
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er of Nick Faldo at the 1992 Open at Muirfield, again with Riley noting on the painting, ‘Nick Faldo playing the 12th behind Kite in the 2nd round – went on to win the Championship’. Harold Riley was born in Salford in 1934. At 17 he won a scholarship to the Slade art school in London and went on to study in Florence and Spain before returning to Salford, where he has lived ever since. His deep affection for his home town cemented a friendship with L S Lowry, which began when Riley was a student. Alongside his portrayal of ordinary working lives, Riley developed his reputation as a portrait artist of the rich and famous. He has painted Popes, American Presidents and Royalty but it his sporting works, particularly golf, that are also very sought after. Regular readers will be aware that his art has been featured many times in Golf International. VALUE: These really are Limited Edition prints (only 50 of each) unlike some other artists whose idea of a Limited edition can often exceed 700! They have been signed by the artist and professionally mounted and framed. However I wouldn’t add much for the frames. For valuation purposes I would see the 5 prints being offered at auction as a set with a low estimate of £500 and a high of £800.
Do you have an item of golfing memorabilia you would like Kevin to appraise? If so, send your letter and best possible photographs to Kevin McGimpsey at this address: PO BOX 120, Deeside, Flintshire, N. Wales. Alternatively, email him with with jpegs: kevin.mcgimpsey@bonhams.com
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MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG COUPE
Merc engineers a driver’s dream
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t the risk of sundry friends immediately insisting on a hastily booked appointment with a button-backed Harley Street sofa, I must confess to never having had much truck with the cult hit that is the clutch of Mad Max movies. Albeit undeniably decorative, Mel Gibson really isn’t my type, lacking each and every one of the feminine attributes that might otherwise keep me clamped, rapt, to the tip of the Kia-Ora straw. Moreover, the Australian outback boasts all the cinematographic appeal of a close-up plate cleared of a particularly sloppy spaghetti bolognaise then left, unwashed, in the sun 24 hours. The dialogue rarely transcends Gloucester Old Spot levels of articulacy, and the plot lines – most notably when she of vibrating thigh and larynx, Tina Turner, is called upon to fulfil the role of baddie – generally prove about as gripping as the handshake of the unfortunate thug whose arm Max towed clean off early in the first episode. Invariably far better viewing after an evening in the pub, then, that first film did, however, at least have the benefit of one vaguely respectable motor car; a somewhat ratty, all-local-carwashes-out-of-
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In the form of the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe, Gi’s motoring correspondent Anthony Ffrench-Constant believes he has driven the world’s greatest road-going V8 – in this case boasting an unburstable 6.3 litre powerplant with a performance that will blow your mind
order concoction with faux Hot Rod bonnet protrusions and an entirely agreeable sound track, that some soon-to-be-slaughtered casual bystander described in awe-struck tones as ‘the last of the V8 Interceptors’. And I mention this because I believe I’ve just driven the very same, in the form of the MercedesBenz C63 AMG Coupe. I have, in fact, been lucky enough to share various Mercedes bodyshells with AMG’s extraordinary, 6.3 litre V8 over the last year or so, but nowhere has it impressed me quite so much (not even in the deliciously retro’ SLS) as when shoehorned into the front of the new CClass Coupe. After a day spent with diverse, ‘cooking’ versions of the car, I decided that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the new Mercedes except for a gentle lack of distinction about the exterior styling, a distinct lack of adult-sized accommodation in the back and a baffling lack of correlation between model classification and engine size; both the
C200 CDI and C250 CDI sport the same 2143cc turbodiesel, and both the C180 and C250 make do with an identical, 1796cc powerplant. Go, as our American cousins would have it, figure… After a day spent with the C63 AMG, on the other hand, I decided that I simply had to have one; £56,665 being easily the least you’ll have to pay to acquire a brand spanking variant of a V8 which, quite rightly, won the Best Performance category of the 2010 Engine of the Year awards hands down. This is a sublime powerplant; mercifully unfettered by the unwarranted stresses of turbocharging, it feels utterly unburstable. And what really impresses isn’t so much its healthy 451bhp, but a whopping 443 lb.ft of torque, some 370lb.ft of which is available from just 2000rpm. Via a 7speed automatic gearbox with steering wheel paddle manual override, 0-62mph comes up in just 4.4 seconds. Far more significant, though, is the C63’s ability to thunder to 100mph in under 10
MOTORING
seconds. And quite what terminal velocity might be were it not limited to a spoilsport 155mph is anyone’s guess. It’s amazing how quickly you become attuned to a car’s performance to the extent that, even in the likes of Porsche’s fabulous Cayman R, you increasingly find yourself hankering for more. But familiarity steadfastly fails to breed contempt on this occasion, and the C63 remains relentlessly fast throughout. Barking into life with an unsolicited, and occasionally faintly embarrassing, prod of throttle, the soundtrack proves equally intoxicating; a mellifluous menagerie of growl, roar, rumble and snarl allied to – best of all – the intoxicating ‘ooof’ of the out-of-condition bully punched in the stomach when you lift off after a bout of full throttle. My only criticism is that perhaps slightly too much of this glorious din seems reserved for the innocent bystander rather than the owner… Then again, the gentle application of the ‘mute’ button must make the C63 far easier to live with in the long term. As discussed in the context of other recent AMG offerings, the C63 incorporates a range of switchable transmission modes and a ‘Sport’ suspension setting. Happily, the two are not shackled together, as is so often the case, so maximum performance and optimum comfort may be simultaneously conjured. Not for long though, because the undercarriage’s softer setting, albeit remarkably comfortable in such a breakneck machine, elicits just a tad too much roll through the bends, calling on every inch of the sports seats’ formidable lateral support to prevent you sloshing to and fro like a pea in washing up water. Combine ‘Sport’ suspension with ‘Sport +’ transmission, then, and everything falls perfectly into place. In this setting, rather than leaving you thumping into a bend in an inappropriately high gear with no engine braking, this gearbox comes down through the gears, unsolicited, as you lift off. Now, that should obviate the need for flappypaddle finger aerobics. But this is also a rare example of an automatic saloon in which you
On board the C63 blends luxury and refinement with a full package of sports options to make driving this extraordinarily compact machine a gripping experience – and despite the electronic trickery at your fingertips the result is direct, instantaneously responsive and inexhaustively entertaining
won’t just play with the manual override a bit to show off to chums when you first buy the car and then never touch it again. The paddle shift works smoothly, effortlessly and quickly and, of course, is accompanied by automatic throttle blips on down changes to bring out the superhero in even the most ham fisted. Handling is also a vice-free revelation, with the traditional hint of Mercedes stodginess that has always steered the enthusiast towards the BMW showroom utterly vanquished. The helm is a masterclass in accuracy and carefully considered weight, and even flung about, the C63 always feels entirely composed and solidly planted on the road. But, somewhat uniquely to Mercedes’ AMG offerings, what really gets under the skin is the way the C63’s modest dimensions serve to leave
you consistently aware that you’re seated at the heart of an hilariously compact, frill-free, front engined, rear drive sled with a dirty great V8 at the sharp end and a row of howitzer exhausts astern… Despite the rafts of electronic trickery at your disposal, the end result feels simple, direct, instantaneously responsive and inexhaustibly entertaining. So, the last of the V8 Interceptors? Sadly, yes, because this is almost certainly the last time we’ll see this engine in a Mercedes. In the interests of fuel and CO2 efficiencies, a 5.5 litre, twin-turbocharged replacement is already making its way under the bonnet of other AMG offerings. It will, doubtless, lack nothing for power and performance. But I can’t help feeling that it’ll never have the soul to vanquish what is undoubtedly the world’s finest road-going V8. JULY 2011 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 131