ICON REBORN: GORDON MURRAY T.50 IS THE NEW McLAREN F1
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BUCKING BULL V10 ENGINE, 603BHP & ONLY 2 DRIVEN WHEELS ... WE TAKE ON THE LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO RWD!
SYMPHONY No.12
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GRAND TOURING IN THE FERRARI GTC4 LUSSO
NEW AUDI RS7 IS A REAL POWERHOUSE
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W W W . S L A M M E D U K . C O . U K
Welcome
@sjb_photography We’re now getting to the business end of 2020, and if this year has taught us anything, it’s that the motor industry continues to lead the way, not just in innovation but in resilience. The past months have been testing for small automotive businesses and large manufacturers alike, and as someone who personally deals with people on both ends of the spectrum, I’m well placed to attest to the spirit by which everyone has mucked through. Since summer lockdown restrictions were eased, we’ve managed to pack in some truly incredible road tests for your reading pleasure. A long weekend with a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso resulted in a Welsh road trip to test its mixture of grand touring and sports car capabilities. We also spent five glorious days with a rather green, and incredibly feisty Lamborghini Huracán Evo RWD. Prefer to read about something a little more, err, sensible? Then check out our review of the latest Audi RS7. We have also road tested cars from Caterham, BMW, SEAT, Nissan and Honda. As always, we have plenty of supplementary features for you
to enjoy. Our columns section continues to be a place filled with useful information and healthy debate, the new cars segment keeps you informed of the hottest new models to be released, and if you like lifestyle accessories then you’ll enjoy our allnew product reviews section. We really do have something for everyone. Whether you’re interest in family SUVs or high performance cars, it’s here for you to enjoy. Before we get stuck in to the magazine though, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank every one of the manufacturers, sponsors and advertisers who support Redline Magazine, especially during what is a difficult time for the motor industry. Finally, we’d like to thank you, the reader, for picking up Redline Magazine and indulging in our content. If you would like to stay up to date with future issues, please go to our website and pick up one of our subscriptions, and don’t forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy the read. Warmest regards,
Mark Rose Owner & Managing Director
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Contact
Editor - Mark Rose Lead Photographer & Videographer - Dom Ginn Photography & Filming Assistant - Stevo Jones Magazine Photographers - Matt Price, Harry Hartland Junior Road Tester - Blee Carswell Columnists - Victor Harman, Sid North Contributing Photographer - Stephen Boroughs Photography Assistant - Zac Davies Social Media Consultants - Gravity Socials
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ISSUE 9 > Welcome
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Contents Hig Octa h ne 32 :
Outlap 10 Finding Freedom 16 Long Term Report
Inside Line 20 24 27 29 31
Gordon Murray T.50 Maserati MC20 The Price Point Flexi-Motoring Getting a Grip
High Octane High e: n Octa 42
32 42 52 60
Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Lamborghini HuracĂĄn RWD Audi RS7 Sportback BMW M235i xDrive GC
Daily Driver
Hig Octa h ne 52 :
70 72 75 76 79 80
MG HS SEAT Leon Audi A4 Saloon Nissan Juke SEAT Terraco Honda Jazz Crosstar
Products & Services 64 66 67 83
Subscriptions Driver’s Market The Watch Stop Our Partners
Please note, whilst we take care to be accurate, no liability will be accepted under any circumstances should any of the content of this magazine be incorrect. Reproduction of whole or in part without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. Redline Magazine UK Ltd. Registered in England No: 10596691. Registered Office - The Old Grange, Warren Estate, Lordship Road, Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3WT.
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FINDING FREEDOM We shake off the lockdown blues with a Caterham Seven 420R. Because why wouldn’t you? WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOS: Matt Price
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s lockdown measures began to ease and manufacturers started returning to work, we thought long and hard about the perfect car to start this issue of the magazine with. In fact, that’s a lie. It took no time to decide that a Caterham Seven would be the perfect car for shaking off a bit of driver’s rust and getting back to making content. Regular readers and followers of Redline will know how much we adore a Caterham. The delivery of our 420R test car also signalled the arrival of our fifth car from Crawley – two 620S’ a previous 420R and a 360R – and so it was very much back to business with a bang. We didn’t take the car on with the idea of producing a review per se. We’ve completed enough of those and are yet to delve in to some of the lower powered models. What we were interested in revisiting, however, is the sense of freedom that a Seven offers, particularly at a time like this. As brilliant as modern performance
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cars can be, they are a bit contrived with their plethora of safety aids and twenty-way adjustable traction control systems. In contrast, a Caterham is as back to basics as grass-roots motorsport. There’s no traction control, there is a distinct lack of power steering, ABS may as well be a swear word and you don’t even get a brake servo – another reason to never skip leg day. What you get in return is the purest driving experience money can buy. It’s also the most exhilarating. The 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder Duratec engine in the 420R may sound like a bag of old nails at low speed, but stretch the legs of the naturally aspirated motor and wind it up to its 8,000rpm limiter, and it quickly becomes one of the most violent sounding combinations of cylinders on the public road. The upper reaches of the rev range is also where the power is stowed which means you have to push it hard to unlock the performance, but a Caterham is not built to be driven slowly, and a 420R
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Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 10/10 | Engine
| Power
| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| Weight
| Price
| 1,999cc 4cyl Duratec
| 210bhp @7,600rpm
| 150lb ft @ 6,300rpm
| 3.8 secs
| 136mph
| 560kg
| £34,490
The hot seat.
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Views out don’t get much better.
Caterham equals slides!
is not slow. 210bhp to the rear wheels of a 610-ish kilo car (Caterham sent us a wide-bodied example making it around 60kg heavier than a traditional R-spec machine) makes for a 0-62mph time of around 3.8 seconds, but after previous experiences with the 620S, the 420R did leave us wanting in a couple of areas. Firstly, with a supercharger and an extra 100bhp, a 620S is simply stronger and faster at every point in the rev range. Catch the 420R one gear too high and the relative lack of torque can make it feel slower than it actually is. The additional power from a 620 model also adds an extra dimension of hoonery that sets it apart from everything else in the Seven range. It truly is bonkers in every way imaginable and you don’t realise how wild it is until you step back in to something less powerful. I’m not
knocking the 420R. It’s more than fast enough for the vast majority of people, but for me, a Caterham should be the nuttiest thing legally allowed on UK roads, and a 620S/620R embodies that ideology. Irrespective of your thirst for straight line performance, any Caterham will offer a raw driving experience that batters the senses. The clutch is heavy, the brakes and steering are unassisted, there are vibrations leaking through every surface, and the smell of burning fuel is ever present. Once you’re up to speed, the wind and engine noise only add to the assault. There are other things to consider, too. Needless to say, poor weather does not make for a pleasant driving experience. Conversely, 30-degree heat is just as uncomfortable. The cockpit of a Caterham is a natural suntrap, the
heat from the engine radiates directly from the bay and in to the cabin, and when it overheats the motor has a habit of cutting out. After a day behind the wheel, you’ll climb out feeling like you’ve just completed the Singapore Grand Prix. You’ll be hot, sweaty and completely drained of energy. An ideal day for a Seven is dry and sunny with temperatures in the low 20s. Perfection. However, this is part of the lure of a Caterham. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s a car for people who are enthusiastic about driving, and if any of the above sounds like hard work then you’re probably barking up the wrong tree. If you buy one and never take it beyond 6,000rpm then you’re also wasting your money because you won’t benefit from the full experience. Drive one properly though, and it pays you back in ways that
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no other car can. The five speed manual gearbox is an absolute joy to operate with its short and mechanical throw. The three pedals are also positioned perfectly and encourage you to heal and toe your way down the box. Nailing a downshift in any car is satisfying, but in a Caterham it’s magical, especially when you perfect third to second and listen to the revs spike. It’s pure race car. There’s very little roll in the chassis and the front end always goes where you want it. Even when you think it won’t turn in anymore, you just wind a little more lock on and watch the nose turn in to the corner apex. The steering rack is also quick which makes placing the
car an easy task that simply requires a flick of your wrists. Then there’s the grip. The semi-slick Avon ZZS tyre is questionable in low temperatures as it struggles to retain heat and it’s rather useless in the wet, but when the roads are warm and dry, the grip they offer is excellent. That’s not to say a Caterham won’t step out, because it will and it’ll do it with very little provocation, but it’s not a drifting machine capable of big, fat smoky slides. It’s too spikey for that, but if you love a cheeky slide as you leave a junction then you’ll appreciate the adjustability on the throttle and the ondemand ability it possesses. A Caterham offers the most communicative and immersive driving experience, and it
feels wonderful. If this sounds like something you’d love, then go and buy one. Prices start from £27,490 and Caterham offer the Seven in 6 different flavours of performance. Each one can be optioned depending on whether you want something racier or a little more forgiving for road use. Whichever model you buy though, you won’t be disappointed with it. On the right road and in the right conditions, you can’t help but lose yourself in the action of driving. The performance, the noise, the assault, the pure adrenalin hit it offers. There is nothing else quite like it. It’s life affirming in every measurable way. It’s freedom.
“ It’s life affirming in every measurable way ” 14 |
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LONG TERM REPORT HONDA CIVIC TYPE R Our three months with the FK8 are finished, these are our final thoughts. WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOS: Dom Ginn
he FK8 Honda Civic Type R has long been one of our favourite cars at Redline Magazine. We’ve previously spent a week road testing it and once a year we get the chance to thrash it round the Millbrook Proving Ground’s infamous Hill Route. However, the question remained, what is it actually like to live with? Fortunately, the opportunity to spend 3 months with an FK8 came up, and we embraced it with open arms. Tests like this are important because even though a week with a car gives you enough time to get to know it, it doesn’t give you sufficient time to learn its idiosyncrasies and whether the ownership proposition is viable in the medium to long term. Modern hot hatchbacks are now incredibly diverse in terms of their performance and how they go about deploying it, whereas the Type R is more traditional in how it’s set up. The turbocharged 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine with VTEC sends outputs of 316bhp and 295lb ft. to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox, with a limited slip differential thrown in for good measure. Zero to 62mph in 5.7 seconds sounds average for a senior hot hatch, but the 169mph top speed sheds some light on the Civic’s true performance. The motor is really strong, there’s some
T
The Type R crushes corners.
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“ More impressive is how it devastates technical country roads ”
Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 9/10 | Engine
| Power
| 1995cc 4cyl turboVTEC
| 316bhp @ 6,000rpm | 295lb ft @ 3,000rpm
turbo lag which can be annoying when you’re leaning on the diff’ in search of a killer corner exit, but once the turbo gets spooling at 3,000rpm, and VTEC kicks in from 6,000rpm and up to the limiter, it piles on the kind of straight line speed that would leave a lot of sports car owners red faced. More impressive is how it devastates technical country roads. There’s real maturity to the way it carries speed over a bumpy road which is in part down to the independent rear suspension and the driving options available to you. You get comfort, sport and +R modes with each one ramping up steering weight, throttle response and suspension stiffness as you cycle through. In comfort it’s perfectly usable on the day-to-day, but in the sportier modes it turns in to a real weapon. There is however, a caveat.
| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| Weight
| Price
| 5.7 secs
| 169mph
| 1,397kg
| £32,320
The modes are fixed which gives the Civic a one-dimensional personality, all of the time. In +R mode, the Type R is sometimes a little too rigid and loses some of its composure when the road surface gets overly rough. Ideally, you want the car set up so that you have throttle mapping and steering in +R and your suspension in sport, but as it stands, Honda won’t let you do that. Having said that, there are some things that can’t be denied. Firstly, the gearbox, which is a tactile delight. The throw is short, mechanical, precise and it rev matches on the down change, all of which is backed up by a well weighted clutch. Secondly, the LSD is plain magic. Pin the throttle as you’re leaving a corner and it drags you round like a child pulling its mother in to a sweet shop. Thirdly, the grip is sensational. I’ll return to the
Continental Sport Contact 6 tyres a little later, but the lateral grip they generate is incredible. When you take in to account the tight body control and the playfulness of the chassis, what you have is a car that can tackle a back road like it’s on rails or play the hooligan if the mood takes you. There are two other areas that support the idea that Honda built the Type R with driving as the highest priority. The looks are not everyone’s cup of tea – I love them, for the record – but the angular design, massive rear wing and vortex generators do add some downforce, even if Honda won’t tell you how much. Then there’s interior. The seats are wonderful and the seating position is spot on. There’s also abundant room for the entire family and their belongings with a massive boot, respectable room in the back and plenty of storage. However, the
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| Engine
“ Put simply, it never left me wanting ” 18 |
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cabin feels like it’s been thrown together with a mismatch of materials and the infotainment system is so far behind the curve it may as well be from the early noughties. I forgive the car for it though, because as someone who enjoys driving, the interior quality is fairly low down my priority list and I would imagine that being the case for anyone who places driving enjoyment at the very top of their list. A Civic Type R is not for people who are impartial or obsessed with image, it’s an enthusiast’s choice and you can tell that Honda, a company with a rich engineering heritage, has worked with that customer in mind. This spirit of focus also has a profound effect on the running costs, which are not for people who like to run cars on a budget. If you buy an FK8 I’d recommend setting up an account with your local tyre shop. At 11,000 miles the rubber was getting a little shoddy – the rears as well as the fronts – and FK8s are notorious for picking up punctures. We had two in the space of three months, the problem being that the tyre profile is so thin it has a hard time deflecting any nails or screws you drive over. The tyres are also expensive to replace. Needless to say, we’d recommend sticking with the Continental Sport Contact 6 rubber because they’re excellent, but they cost upwards of £190 depending on where you buy them from. The overall fuel economy is hyper sensitive to the inputs of your right foot. Stroke it and you can return 39mpg on a long journey, get the hammer down though and you’ll watch it drop in to the high teens. The small fuel tank also doesn’t help. Fill it up and the trip computer tells you it has 300 miles in it which may or may not be a lie, but I can confirm that if you thrash it regularly
then you can drain it in 150 miles. Fill ups are around £55. In terms of insurance, you also be best prepared to shell out because the Type R falls in to group 40 out of 50. I punched my own details in to confused. com in search of a quote and the best annual, fully comprehensive policy I was offered was for £720. For context, I’m 28, have 10 years of driving experience, 9 years NCB, 0 points on my licence (unbelievably), and had the mileage set to 12,000 per annum. The Type R may be a relative bargain with prices starting from £32,320 or a finance package that sets you back £329 per month with an £8,000 down payment, but running one can be anything but inexpensive. Should you care? Not one damn bit. For the money, I still think this is one of the best performance cars on sale and strong residual values offer relief against some of the high running costs. So, is the FK8 an actual daily proposition or just lovable in small doses? Well, I’ll be honest, it was a difficult car to send back. After spending 3 months in one you can’t help but fall for it. I get to drive some special stuff, but I firmly believe that the Honda Civic Type R is up there with the most involving and thrilling driver’s propositions I’ve been lucky enough to take the wheel of. When I found a backroad and got really stuck in to the driving, never once did I feel like I wanted to be behind the wheel of a supercar or something with a trillion horsepower. Put simply, it never left me wanting, but what it did was encapsulate everything I love about driving in a package that I could enjoy every single day. It’s a special car and everything a hot hatchback should be.
The bucket seats are very supportive!
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ICON REBORN The Gordon Murray T.50 is the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1. We bring you all the details. WORDS: Blee Carswell
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ccording to my notes, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 is the purest, lightest and most driver-centric supercar ever. It also happens to be fitted with a naturally aspirated 3.9-litre V12 which is the “world’s lightest, highest-revving, most power dense naturally-aspirated road car engine.” Whilst it might be easy to dismiss those statements as PR cobblers - after looking a little deeper and realising this is a car with three seats, a central driving position, a manual gearbox, active aero and a massive fan on the back of it - I’m not going to argue. With the T.50 it seems that Gordon Murray has taken
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the supercar rule book and paid as much attention to it as Cummings did to the Covid guidelines. The name T.50 by the way, is a nod to the fact that this is the 50th car Gordon Murray has penned in a 50-year career. Starting in 1969, Murray gained decades of experience as a technical director for Formula 1 teams before going on to design the rather well-known McLaren F1. According to him the T.50 is “a car created to improve the F1 formula in every conceivable way.” With credentials like that who are we to doubt him? But anyway, back to the car and let’s first focus on that masterpiece of an engine. The V12 in the T.50 is a bespoke Cosworth unit which produces 654bhp
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and 344lb-ft of torque. On paper those stats are not exactly earth shattering for 2020, but they only tell half the story. That’s because the focus of this car is a raw, analogue, and unadulterated driving experience. As such, turbo charging which typically provides a healthy boost to power figures, was never on the cards. More importantly though, the measly 654bhp only has to power a car that weighs 986kg. To put that into perspective, the T.50 is 25kg lighter than the latest MX-5 fitted with a 1.5L engine!
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It also means the T.50 is almost a third lighter than the average modern supercar. Again, that isn’t the full story. Whilst the omission of any performance data is a bit odd, one piece of information jumps out: an engine that redlines at 12,100rpm. Yes, you read that correctly. Over twelve thousand! Even more mind blowing is the time it takes the T.50 to hit that redline from idle. All of 0.3 seconds – in a road car with a manual gearbox! Now at this point I should probably address the elephant in the room, or
Three pedal and a stick. Bliss!
The T.50 comes with a three seat layout!
rather the fan on the car, as I do take issue with it. Obviously, I respect what this 400mm piece of “engineering art” does. Namely managing the airflow both under and over the body of the car. It does this by pulling air from underneath the car which then interacts with active spoilers to either increase downforce or reduce drag. My problem however, it is that I can’t help but feel it looks a little bit PC-World stuck on the back of car that prides itself on its clean surfaces and being a “return to beauty.” Having said that, and going back to the lack of performance data, the T.50 is said to be a car that can be enjoyed at any speeds and more importantly for an engine with such a ridiculous redline, any RPM. This is because whilst the focus was on driving dynamics and lightness, Murray was keen to make the T.50 usable day to day and not just about chasing lap records. For that, he is producing an even more mental track-only T.50S which can generate up to 1500kg of downforce, weighs in at under 900kg and boasts an outrageous 720bhp. Back to the road car though, and in pursuit of usability there is 288 litres of storage space throughout the car. It isn’t so low you’ll be needing to replace your bumper after every driveway encounter, and they went with dihedral doors as they make it easier to get in and out of – I guess the fact they look epic is just a side effect then … Oh, and there is a GT mode which limits revs to only 9,500rpm and power to 591bhp. Hardly subdued. Who knows? Perhaps a potter to the shops would be the perfect opportunity to take in the exquisitely finished jet fighter cockpit and process what is likely to be the most visceral road car experience ever. Want one? Unfortunately, you’re going to need a spare £2.83 million for the ‘regular’ T.50, and a not inconsiderable £3.7 million for the T.50S. To top it off, only 100 are going to be made. But one can dream, right?
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STATEMENT OF INTENT Maserati return to the supercar game with the all-new MC20. We take a closer look. WORDS: Mark Rose
think it goes without saying, 2020 has been a year full of surprises. Most of them haven’t been well received, but when Maserati unveiled their all-new MC20, it gave car enthusiasts a welcome break from the doom and gloom. Simply put, a new Maserati supercar is a good news story. But is it good news for Maserati? I don’t want to sound like a cynic, and we’ll get to the car’s technical details shortly, but I’m not so sure. In the UK, the company doesn’t sell that many new cars compared to their rivals, and it’s for a reason not obvious to the average person. Maserati aren’t very good at marketing themselves. Think about it, the SUV
I
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market is booming right now, but how often do you see a Levante? Performance saloon cars also continue to be popular, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a new Ghibli or Quattroporte on the road. Yes, it gives Maserati a mystique, an air of exclusivity about itself, but as romantic as that sounds it also doesn’t do anything for their sales figures. And the real frustration is that their cars are perfectly accessible. If you spend just a little bit more money than you would on a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi, you can buy a Maserati. But you don’t know that because Maserati don’t tell you. Anyway, on to the MC20. When the press release landed in my inbox and I opened the images, my heart skipped
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a couple of beats. It’s damn beautiful. What’s more, the excitement doesn’t stop with the car’s appearance either. This is a proper stab at the current supercar establishment and Maserati are going all out to ensure that they can successfully take the fight to the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini. Firstly, this won’t be some ultra exclusive, limited run supercar worth an extortionate amount of money, like the MC12 was. Pricing is expected to start from £187,000 which wedges it neatly between entry level supercars like the Audi R8 V10 Performance / Lamborghini Huracán Evo RWD / Porsche 911 Turbo S, and the more exotic offerings like the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S.
“ This is a proper stab at the current supercar establishment ”
The performance will also fall neatly in line with the car’s pricing structure. Powering the MC20 will be an all-new twin-turbo 3.0 V6 engine, producing 621bhp and 538lb ft of torque. Maserati are claiming a 0-62mph time of under 3 seconds, 0-124mph in less than 9 seconds, and a top speed of 200mph. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox, and 100% of the torque can be sent to either wheel by an electronically controlled rear differential. We can smell the burning rubber already … Maserati also confirmed there will be an all-electric version a little further down the line which will be slightly quicker than the petrol powered car, and will also benefit from a supposed
range of 235 miles. Talk of a BEV version of the MC20 also presents us with a nice segue on to the next subject. The chassis. Maserati will be taking a leaf out of McLaren’s book and basing the car on a carbon fibre tub, and who better to help them develop it than the iconic, Italian racing outfit that is Dallara. Physical production of the tub will also be outsourced to Dallara, and once the structures are finished, they’ll be transported to Maserati’s facility in Modena to be assembled with the rest of the car. The reason this is relevant to the BEV model is because the chassis has been designed from the ground up to accommodate both powertrains, so no chassis changes will need to be made
to support the differing methods of propulsion. According to Maserati, the MC20 will also have a best in class powerto-weight ratio, thanks to a kerbweight below 1,500kg. Maserati’s latest supercar sounds exciting, and so it should. What this represents is a push, a statement of intent if you will, from parent company FCA off the back of their merger with PSA. They’re clearly gunning to establish Maserati as the group halo brand for their premium and high performance cars. A brand new supercar is a positive first step in the right direction and it’s clearly captured the imagination of car enthusiast around the world. I just hope they give it the big push it deserves.
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COLUMN - SID NORTH
THE PRICE POINT With new car prices seemingly on the way up, Sid North dicusses what you should be doing to remain on the right side of the baloon payment.
> Expensive! The year 2020 has been rather unusual and I think it’s safe to say that it’s hit most people’s pockets in some sort of way, especially during the lockdowns. When late summer rolled around and we were allowed back outside again, some people decided to go away on a holiday to cheer themselves up, while others decided to buy themselves a new car. In 2019, there were 2.31 million new passenger cars registered in the UK. That’s a huge figure when you consider that we’re just a plucky little island, but it would appear we like shiny new metal and our want to buy cars has been helped by attractive finance packages. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a sensible way of purchasing a vehicle as it allows you to use your remaining savings on other items. But there is something that the general public often overlooks – depreciation. This brings me to UK car prices. For some reason, many new cars being released have a price tag that doesn’t add up. Five years ago, a medium sized fast saloon car would have set you back around £60,000, but today, its successor is now closer to £80,000 and more like £90,000 once you spec a few options. And don’t tell me it’s to do with inflation because it’s not. We all know the perks of a new motor are a minimum three year manufacturer’s warranty, you get to be the first owner, and of course there are few things better than driving around in a brand new vehicle. We also know that depreciation can be heavy, especially in the first year, and that over a three year period you’re set to lose out on a fair chunk of cash, but it’s now becoming scarier because the list price of vehicles is on the up. That’s not to say that this is the case with all new cars, and there are ways to mitigate the inevitable shortfall. Many people put down low mileage figures on the finance calculator
in an attempt to bring the monthly payment down, but if they’re not realistic then you’re more likely to find yourself in the red once the finance plan has finished. Healthy deposits, being sensible with your numbers, and purchasing desirable models with strong residual values all help keep you on the right side of your balloon payment. So where does this leave us? Well, I spend many hours scrolling through the classifieds looking for cars that have already taken the worst of the hit. As you’ll know from the previous issue of the magazine, the purchase of my Clio 182 was because I have a thing for older cars. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d rather take a gamble and instead of spending over £100,000 on a new BMW M5 Competition, I’d go and purchase five E60 V10s. That way, I’d have an M car with a V10 engine and another four to replace it when it inevitably goes wrong. I’m joking of course, but you see my point? Not everyone likes to buy with finance, and for cash buyers, new cars have become terribly expensive. Even the new Mk8 VW Golf GTI now has a starting price in excess of £33,000. For a non-R spec Golf! Car finance then, represents somewhat of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps people who don’t have the funds to purchase outright in to a brand new car, and by extension, keeps the motor industry moving. However, it’s also pushing vehicle list prices up which isn’t such a great thing. I’m a firm believer in purchasing a car that has taken the majority of its depreciation which only leaves me with the expense of the running costs. If, however, you do want a new or nearly new car, then just remember to calculate your finance responsibly so you’re not left in the red when it comes to changing.
“Car finance then, represents somewhat of a double-edged sword”
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COLUMN - BLEE CARSWELL
FLEXI-MOTORING Blee Carswell discusses the pros and cons associated with car subscription services, and whether he thinks the idea will stick.
> When someone mentions subscription services, I’d wager it’s Spotify and Netflix that spring to mind. Now in a bid to make the most of this purchasing model, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, and Volvo are set to offer similar commitment free monthly subscription packages for their cars. Able to be cancelled or ‘paused’, in a way that traditional means of car ownership don’t allow, these services promise “hassle-free” motoring and hint at how manufacturers see the future of car ownership. Maintenance, insurance, breakdown cover and tax? Forget about it, other than a one-off joining fee and the monthly payment, the only thing you’ll be buying is petrol. Oh, and did I forget to mention that you can swap into a different car should your needs change? Sounds like a good deal, right? Well, I’m not convinced. As a petrolhead it is easy to start dreaming about having a shiny BMW M4 for the weekend and then swooping by the dealer and swapping it for an i3 for the weekday grind. Sadly, and understandably, it isn’t quite that simple. Obviously figures and T&C’s do vary per scheme, but JLR will let you swap every 6 months or earlier for a £250 fee. Volvo will let you change every 3 months, and Lexus along with BMW group, let you swap every month. However, regardless of how often you can change, I feel like it’s a moot point. That’s because for the average Joe it won’t make the blindest bit of difference whether they’re driving around in a X SUV, or Y SUV. An argument could be made that regardless of the car, average Joe would be very happy to have a ‘new’ one every few months. Those quote marks however are important as some schemes provide cars between 6 and 24 months old. Ah but Blee, with maintenance and the like included in the price, age isn’t really an issue. Well no, but you will still be paying top
money for a car that is getting on for 2 years old and let’s not forget that brand new cars come with a warranty. Talking of cost, all the convenience offered by these subscription schemes doesn’t come cheap. Pivotal, the name given to JLR’s service, operates on a tier system. £750 gets you into the “Blue” tier featuring Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar F-Pace or Range Rover Evoque. £1150 unlocks “Indigo” and access to the Range Rover Velar, Land Rover Discovery and Jaguar I-PACE. “Violet” is another £200 on top of that and includes the Range Rover Sport and finally there is “Ultraviolet” for £1600 which gets you into a full fat Range Rover. To put that into perspective, a quick search finds a three year lease deal on the Ultraviolet tier Range Rover, with a higher mileage limit than that offered by Pivotal, for under £1000 a month. Dropping the mileage limit down to 12k a year results in deals for just under £800 - half the monthly cost of the Ultraviolet Tier. Yes, there is a deposit to pay on a lease, but even with that factored in the difference is vast. Unless you’re desperately in need of the flexibility on offer, it seems that this sort of ownership proposition doesn’t make sense. A statement which is backed up by Mercedes pulling the plug on their US-only scheme due to low demand. Whilst I can appreciate manufacturer’s need to innovate and keep up with consumer demands, I think the reason these schemes struggle is obvious. There are two types of people; those who own a car and those who don’t. The former would rather save a few quid and stomach the odd tyre bill and the latter will simply hire a car for the week if the need arises. These subscription services sit in an expensive middle ground that few are asking for, and ultimately, are destined to fail.
“As a petrolhead, it is easy to start dreaming about having a shiny new M4”
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N CAMBER
CARS
ROAD & RACE CAR EVENTS COMING IN 2021
COLUMN - VICTOR HARMAN
GETTING A GRIP Victor Harman explains how limited slip differentials work and why they’re so widely used on high performance cars.
> In the Ford Fiesta ST road test of Redline Magazine Issue 8 editor Mark Rose rated the LSD option an absolute essential to get the best out of the car’s considerable abilities. The major part of the £925 “Performance Pack,” the Quaife trick differential seems a very reasonably priced upgrade, with the unit alone retailing at around £700, plus fitting costs. But what exactly is an LSD, and in what way does the Quaife one significantly improve the drive of the highly rated Fiesta ST? Most of today’s cars have what are termed “open” differentials, sitting centrally between the two drive shafts on power transmission axles, be they front, rear, or AWD. When taking any corner, the two driven wheels inevitably must rotate at different speeds, with the “outside” wheel travelling a greater distance than the inner one. Without any differential, both wheels would fight each other for road grip, the inner one, lightly loaded due to weight transfer, would tend to spin, seriously compromising the ability to get engine power cleanly onto the road. A conventional differential accommodates the difference in wheel speeds, using cunning helical epicyclic gears to equalise the torque at each wheel. That’s all fine and dandy if both tyres are on the same sort of surface, and bearing the same load. But it doesn’t work when one wheel is struggling for grip, due to poor road surface friction, or when lightly loaded, due to the weight transfer of cornering. The inner wheel can start to spin, and the differential simply can’t get the power onto the road. That’s where Limited Slip Differentials come in, when fitted to sporting and higher powered cars, to keep the power delivery flowing in such circumstances. They are particularly effective on FWD cars like the Fiesta ST, when the steered wheels are also delivering the power, and thus more prone to wheelspin and severe understeer, leading to total loss of grip, and at worst an off-road excursion! There are two different types of LSD technology, Automatic Torque Biasing, as used in the Fiesta Quaife unit, and the somewhat rarer Plated or “locking plate” LSDs that use springloaded plates, and can achieve complete locking of one driven
wheel, with total power transfer to the other. The Fiesta’s Quaife LSD is a “fit and forget” torque biasing unit, which works by proportioning the output to the two drive shafts to achieve optimum power transmission to the wheel with the most grip. As one wheel starts to spin, the helical gears in the LSD slide end-wise, which loads up a “friction plate” that generates the “biased torque output.” In effect it brakes the wheel with lower traction, and the reactionary braking force is transferred to the drive on the side with better road grip. The angles of the helical teeth involved determine the torque bias, typically of up to 5:1. So the wheel with better grip can receive up to five times as much torque as the slipping one, thereby avoiding the useless waste of power sent to a spinning wheel. However, LSDs can often come into conflict with the “traction control” or “electronic stability control” (ESC) systems that, on grounds of safety, are fitted to all UK cars since 2011. They exist to prevent, or respond to, skidding or wheel spin, and to correct gyroscopically detected excessive body angles and violent movements that indicate instability. Selective braking is the tool mostly used by the ESC to stabilise the car, usually along with reducing engine power. As a performance car, the Fiesta ST handles the conflict with such joy-killing technology by offering a choice of Normal, Sport, and Track drive settings, where the ESC input is progressively reduced, and the Quaife LSD becomes increasingly more influential. But if the slipping wheel fails to transmit much torque at all, then the other wheel is limited to five times that torque, which may not be very much. This situation is addressed on the Fiesta ST by Ford’s “Torque Vectoring” system, when braking is applied to the lightly loaded inner front wheel to assist the torque biasing. This automatic brake application improves the traction at higher speeds, but also at low speeds, such as on ice and snow, where drivers otherwise might need a dab on the brakes and a bit more throttle to get out of a sticky spot, with only the LSD fitted.
“They exist to prevent, or respond to, skidding or wheel spin”
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SYMPHONY No.12
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Some cars are more special than others, and some cars have V12 engines. We road test the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso. WORDS: MARK ROSE PHOTOS: DOM GINN
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errari is better known for producing some of the world’s most desirable mid-engine V8 supercars, a lineage that extends back to 1975 with the introduction of the 308 GTB. However, a deeper look in to the marque’s history will show that some of their first road cars were grand tourers equipped with V12 engines. Our test car, the GTC4 Lusso, has a bloodline that can be traced back to 1960 with the introduction of the 250 GT/E – a four-seat GT car with 12 cylinders out front. Enzo Ferrari famously said that he sells engines and throws the rest of the car in for free, and that philosophy still resonates today in the GTC4 Lusso. You can of course buy a Lusso with a turbocharged 3.9 litre V8, but Ferrari treat that car as a separate model which shows how highly they regard their V12 variant. Our review car was indeed a V12 engine with a Lusso included, and to test its grand touring credentials we decided to take a trip to Wales. As boring as the M4 is, the outside line of the UK’s third longest motorway is a suitable place to test a car’s long distance capabilities, even if it is peppered with road works, average 50mph zones and slow moving traffic. Once free of the average speed cameras though, the GTC4 devours motorway miles in the style we’ve come to expect from purpose built continent crushers. It doesn’t ride as softly or separate you from the outside world as competently as a Bentley Continental GT does, but that’s not to say the Lusso isn’t hugely capable. What it lacks in ultimate refinement it makes up for with its engine. At a steady 70mph, you could easily forget there’s a V12 lurking under the expanse of bonnet, but tickle the throttle and you’re quickly reminded of the potency beneath your right foot. Should you choose to unlock its potential, it will effortlessly transport you cross-country. We turned off the M4, picked up the M48 and made for the Severn Bridge. One thing that never fails to amaze is how quickly the landscape changes as you cross over the border. Southern England, as beautiful as it is, just doesn’t have the same geographical character as Wales, and as we crested the Severn, the flat English countryside made way for rolling Welsh valleys. V12 country. We continued to our hotel stop in Treorchy and then north towards the Brecon Beacons via the A4061. The road network in this part of Wales is stunning with its seemingly endless miles of tarmac that climb, crest and descend mountain ranges, and it’s here in the valleys, that the naturally aspirated 6.3 litre V12 engine came in to its own.
F
“ Tickle the throttle and you’re quickly reminded of the potency beneath your right foot ”
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“ A beautiful symphony that filled the voids between the mountain peaks ”
The tune was orchestral. A beautiful symphony that filled the voids between the mountain peaks. Over the decades, the automotive industry has churned out some special power units, but none posses the majesty of a Ferrari V12. There’s nothing else like it. The engine, however, is not just a one-trick pony. Another benefit of many cylinders is huge power and a wide working range. The motor produces 681bhp and 514lb ft with peak power coming in at 8,000rpm, just 250 revs before the limiter. Maximum torque is available at 5,750rpm, but importantly, 80% of it is available from just 1,750rpm which offers the GTC4 immense lowdown grunt to complement its galloping top end. Despite its 1,920kg kerbweight, the Lusso is a very fast car. Zero to
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62mph happens in just 3.4 seconds, 124mph is seen in 10.5, and it will run on to 208mph. The feeling of speed is also exaggerated by the responsiveness of the engine. Free of turbos and the inertia they produce, a stab of the throttle in the Lusso is met by instant thrust as it sends you down the road. Unfortunately, just as we were starting to find a rhythm round the twists and turns of the A4061, the mist that once lurked in the distance descended on us without warning. Like a dense, white blanket, it rolled in over the mountain tops and enveloped everything in sight. Play time was over and we were sent back the way we came in search of improved visibility. Just as we escaped from the allconsuming fog, the rain followed in an
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attempt to hinder our plans further. This is the battle with Wales at altitude. The roads and scenery may be idyllic, but the weather can turn in an instant. Try as it might, one thing the rain couldn’t put a stop to was fun in the Ferrari. The famous Manettino has five settings – Snow/Ice, Rain, Comfort, Sport, and ESC Off – which makes driving in the wet far less of an issue. Providing you don’t stamp on the throttle, the Lusso offers unyielding traction even in tricky conditions, but then it should, because Ferrari has thrown in their best acronyms and a complicated four-wheel drive system in an attempt to make the performance both usable and engaging. Heard of 4RM-S? What about SSC4, SCM-E, E-Diff, or F1-Trac? And you thought the geeks worked in Woking …
Quad exhausts for the Lusso!
Here’s the simple explanation. The Lusso drives all four wheels through two gearboxes. The main ‘box is a rear mounted seven-speed dual clutch transmission and the second is a ‘PTU’ or ‘power transfer unit’ which lives in front of the engine. It’s a two-speed gearbox with two wet clutches and each one drives its own front wheel. The two gears have their own ratios and operate off the main DCT, with gear one operating in first and second, and gear two during third and fourth. Once you’re in fifth gear or higher, the Lusso becomes rear wheel drive only. The reason for this complicated set up is two-fold. The first is that gives the car a rear-wheel bias, the second is that it can efficiently transfer 100% of the power to any one of the front wheels should you need it. Because no one wants to fall off
their prancing horse. Four-wheel steering also comes as standard, which helps shrink the wheelbase to aid with low speed manoeuvrability and high speed direction changes. The systems are so well integrated in to the package that you never feel them working away beneath you. Even on a summer tyre, the Lusso’s ability to displace water and get the power down is quattro-esque in its ability which gives you the confidence to push on, even when the weather is hellbent on dampening your parade. We did, however, succumb to the drizzly onslaught. As beautiful as the Brecon Beacons are, grey skies and wet roads aren’t ideal conditions from which to exploit a car’s performance and grab suitable imagery. So, as darkness fell, we decided to make the 250 mile trip back
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home to Essex where we knew the sun would shine for the remainder of the weekend. A day at the helm in any car can become tedious, but fortunately the GTC4 Lusso’s cabin is a fabulous place to be when soaking up mileage. Some of the world’s finest leather goods come from Italian fashion houses, and the Lusso’s interior captures that spirit. The quality is exemplary with its waxy Bordeaux leather, glossy carbon fibre and lashings of titanium, all of which extend to the rear seats and in to the boot. Not only is the cabin exceptionally finished, but there’s plenty of room for reasonably tall rear passengers owing to the car’s considerable wheelbase and shooting brake silhouette. The interior’s crowning glory though, is the panoramic glass roof which bathes the cabin and its occupants in natural light. It may be an £11,520 option, but it’s one you should definitely consider having. As is often the case with Ferrari interiors, ergonomically it’s a bit of a mess. Over time you learn where things are and how to operate them, but with five rotary dials, a button-festooned steering wheel, and an infotainment system that isn’t the easiest to navigate through, it can be a lot to take in. In typical Italian fashion, the satellite navigation has a habit of taking you down the scenic route, and the touch input for the 10.25-inch display requires some sharpening. None of this is by any means a deal breaker and it doesn’t require a degree in computing to get on top of, but just be prepared to spend some time learning it. One thing that can’t be denied, however, is the simplicity and effectiveness of the adaptive cruise control. If your journey becomes a little tiresome, you can really lean on it to pick up a lot of the long distance slack, thanks to its ability to brake and accelerate based on what other cars are doing around you. That, and the wonderful JBL hi-fi will turn any boring trip in to a pleasant one, which ultimately, is the true test of a great GT car. The following morning, the sun shone just as the weather report said it would, so we jumped back in the Ferrari and made for roads we know well. Another benefit of being back home is local knowledge of the road network and the extra margin of comfort it gives you when road testing. A combination of home turf and fine weather gave us our first opportunity to really open the Lusso up and uncover what it’s like dynamically. My word, the way it changes direction belies that of a 1,920kg car. It’s not a precision tool, but the nose tucks in to corners and the 47/53 front-to-rear
The Bordeaux leather was sumptuous.
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weight distribution gives it the impression of being predominantly rear driven. The optimal set up for a country road is Sport on the Manettino with the bumpy road mode selected. In this configuration you benefit from the sharper throttle response, snappier gearbox and weightier steering, but with the dampers in their softer setting. When tackling an undulating road, the tighter suspension set up can upset the balance and throw the car off its line, but in its softer setting it soaks up the worst of the tarmac and helps the Lusso flow down the road, which gives you the confidence to push on. And it’s when pushing on, you begin to uncover what the Lusso is about. It may be an excellent GT car, but when you present it with a country road, its personality shifts to that of a sports car. The steering is quick but accurate, there’s
buckets of grip but enough roll in the chassis to help communicate how much of that grip you have at your disposal, and the carbon ceramic brakes will stop the car on a sixpence – just make sure you get some heat in to them first. The seven-speed dual clutch transmission is also whipcrack fast, not as sharp as in other Ferraris, but still ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ quick. Feeling brave and fancy setting the Manettino to ESC Off? The good news is that the weight distribution and placement of the engine in its frontmid position means there’s more natural balance than you would initially think. If you want to make it go sideways, it will, but remember to pick your time and place, and treat it with respect. Above all though, it’s the V12 engine that truly astonishes. The East of England may be as flat as a pancake, but without a mountain or large hill
to reverberate off, the music from the twelve cylinders barrelled across the scorched countryside for mile after mile. We were heard from the next town away. Needless to say, cars like this are anything other than inexpensive, and in the world of Ferrari, the options list is not for the faint hearted. Base price for a V12 engine plus a GTC4 Lusso is £243,191. Our test car with options weighed in at £332,395. Enzo Ferrari quotes aside, this is a wonderfully complete and undeniably special package, and there’s much more to the Lusso than the engine that powers it. What it is, is a pure extravagance, a luxury that you purchase not with any sense of reason, but because your heart tells you it’s the right thing to do. A Ferrari GTC4 Lusso with a V12 engine is as special as a car can get. It is quite simply magnificent in every single way.
Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 10/10 | Engine
| Power
| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| Weight
| Price
| 6,262cc V12
| 681bhp @8,000rpm
| 514lb ft @ 1,750rpm
| 3.4 secs
| 208mph
| 1,920kg
| £243,191
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BUCKING BULL
If you like your supercars with a bit of bite, then perhaps the new Lamborghini Huracรกn Evo RWD is the one for you? WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOS: Dom Ginn 42 |
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“ A scary, rampant, raging bull that attempts to kill you at every opportuninty ”
A soul stirring 5.2 litre V10 engine.
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t’s a dry summer’s evening and I’m flying down a backroad that I’ve driven a thousand times over. It may be a technical stretch of road, but it’s tarmac I know well so keeping the car on the straight and narrow shouldn’t be an issue. To my surprise, came a snap of oversteer and I found myself having to wind on a considerable amount of opposite lock. The new Lamborghini Huracán Evo RWD had just announced itself in sudden and dramatic fashion. ‘RWD’, if you haven’t guessed, stands for rear wheel-drive. That’s right, this Lambo doesn’t send its power to all four wheels, but to the rears only. Lamborghini has a history of throwing away the front driveshaft in their entry level supercar. It started with the Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni, which then continued with the Huracán LP580-2, and now this new RWD. It also undercuts its all wheel-drive sibling in price, but more on that later. For now, the stats that matter are 603bhp and 413lb ft. from its naturally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 engine. Zero to 62mph happens in 3.3 seconds and it reaches its VMAX at 203mph. Compared to an AWD Huracán Evo, the RWD is down on power to the tune of 30bhp and is slower to 62mph by 0.4 seconds, but it also loses 33kg from its dry weight making it 1,389kg at the kerb. Sounds exciting, right? Well, since the Audi era, Lamborghini’s reputation for producing scary supercars has diminished. These days, a Lambo’s happy hunting ground is the parking space outside Harrods or the 10mph crawl down Sloane Street, surrounded by a sea of amateur photographers and wannabe social media influencers. How many times have you seen the classic ‘Insanely LOUD Lamborghini SHUTS DOWN London’ clickbait? However, the only thing this rear wheel-drive Huracán is shutting down is your no claims bonus when you bin it, because if you don’t pay it enough respect, it will punish you. This, is what a Lamborghini should be. A scary, rampant, raging bull that attempts to kill you at every opportunity. On first acquaintance, you would be forgiven for thinking the Huracán offers an engine-dominated experience. Free of turbos, the V10 motor possesses the type of response, linearity and top end that makes even the best turbocharged cars seem underwhelming. Yes, you’ll find the same power plant in the Audi R8, but in the Lamborghini it’s harder, louder and angrier. With peak power at 8,000rpm it’s an engine that demands revs in return for performance, but when you open it up and dance with the 8,500rpm limiter it rewards you with a noise that makes
I
Diamond in the dirt.
603bhp to deez nuts, we mean wheels ...
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“ This is a proper, take no prisoners supercar ”
every hair stand on end. It is truly, one of the great internal combustion engines. The Huracán’s straight line performance is equally as savage as the cylinders responsible for its propulsion. It’s not in McLaren 720S territory, but it certainly feels as fast as a 570S and it might just have the legs on an Audi R8 V10 Performance. It’s a devastatingly fast car and anyone who hops out and claims otherwise is either lying or slightly wrong in the head. The excitement doesn’t stop at the engine and performance, either. To fully understand the Huracán Evo RWD, you have to dig deeper in search of its wild side. This is a proper, take no prisoners supercar and if you poke it with a big enough stick, it will bite back. Strada, Sport and Corsa driving modes alter
the Lambo’s personality accordingly. The parameters are fixed so you can’t individually adjust things like suspension, steering weight and throttle response, but there’s enough difference between the modes to ensure you’re not left with a one-dimensional driving experience. If you want to travel around in relative peace and comfort, then Strada serves up a surprisingly docile Huracán. Corsa is mainly for track work and it’s arguably too harsh for the public road. For dynamic driving, Sport offers the sweet spot and it’s here that the Huracán’s personality really starts to shine through. Despite the fat 305-section rear tyres, the car struggles to get the power down, even in bone dry conditions. The RWD is a challenge, not just because it has a tendency to break traction, but because
it asks you to think about your steering and throttle inputs according to the road conditions. In the wet, it’s plain spikey. If you’re feeling ballsy you can turn all the traction control systems off, but when you do the car becomes a real handful. There’s an incredibly slim line between hero and zero, here. A whisker too much throttle or a second too late with the opposite lock and the rear end will run away from you, beyond the point of no turn. Tackling a country road may require measured inputs, but when you get it right, it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. Bleed the power on and steer the car smoothly, and it will drive in the corresponding manner. There’s also enough roll in the chassis and load through the steering wheel to help communicate what the car is up to.
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Forged carbon fibre!
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Not the easiest supercar to see out of!
Lamborghini has purposely softened off the front springs, dampers and anti-roll bars by 10 per cent compared to an AWD Huracán Evo, all of which adds a layer of suppleness to the way it flows down a road. It’s still quite rigid, especially over larger bumps which work the limits of the suspension travel, but the damping is excellent which gives you the confidence to carry speed over a bumpy road. It doesn’t pick apart a country lane with the same finesse as a 570S nor does the steering wheel chatter with the same level of communication, but the Huracán’s wilder personality immerses you in ways that the McLaren doesn’t. However, with the weight of that V10 engine behind you, the Lambo will understeer if you get greedy with your corner entry speed or attempt to trail it on the brakes. To keep it neat and tidy, you have to get your braking done in a straight line, then turn in and lean on the natural grip provided by the 275-section front tyres. The seven-speed dual clutch transmission is whip crack fast, easily up there with McLaren’s SSG and surprisingly sharper than the ‘box in an Urus, but mercifully it doesn’t come at the expense of every day usability. This is a car that’s set up for the public road, and that philosophy is also present in the choice of brakes. You can spec carbon ceramic discs, but our test car came on iron rotors which are fantastic for day to day driving but lack the sheer bite of a carbon disc. Interestingly, all Ferraris come as standard with carbon ceramics and I can’t remember the last time I saw a McLaren with anything else, perhaps a 540C, but hardly anyone bought those anyway. At six tenths or below, this is a genuinely approachable supercar but that’s not to say it doesn’t come with any of the drawbacks associated with a mid-engine car. Even in its Strada mode, it’s far from the quietest car on sale thanks to a considerable amount of tyre roar and the mechanical parts of a V10 engine working away behind you. In typical Lambo fashion, the view out is compromised by a low roof line, large rear three-quarter blind spots and a dinky rear window. The driving position, on the other hand, is a real triumph. It’s set low, the carbon bucket is firm but supportive, and the wheel has plenty of adjustment. Elsewhere, the build quality is wonderfully German, but unlike an Urus which is a bit of an Audi-fest, the Huracán’s cabin is full of Italian flair. Forged carbon fibre is one of those things that I never liked when it first came out, but after spending some time in the Huracán, it’s really grown on me.
Throw in a red fighter-jet style cover for the start button and swathes of Alcantara trim, and what you get is a cabin with a sense of theatre about it. The flair also extends to the infotainment graphics. The system is operated via an 8.4-inch portrait touchscreen display, and much of the Lamborghini design philosophy has been carried over in to the presentation of the system. Generally, it’s intuitive and responsive to use, and the SENSONUM sound system delivers a real sensory experience. One small but repetitive annoyance I found, was having to reconnect the media via Bluetooth every time I got in the car. Overall though, as a place to be, the Huracán is an incredibly special car to spend time in. Let’s chat money. The Lamborghini Huracán Evo RWD starts from £164,400
which represents a saving of around £30,000 over its all wheel-drive sibling. Unless you’re someone who appreciates the safety of four driven wheels and the slightly quicker zero to 62 sprint, then this supposed ‘entry level’ Huracán is a complete no brainer. For the record, the aforementioned McLaren 570S is no longer in production, and the much less expensive Audi R8 V10 Performance is nowhere near as special, engaging or exotic as the Lambo. We’re yet to drive the new and similarly priced Porsche 911 Turbo S so we can’t pass comment, and the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S all cost over £200,000 without options. The Porsche is currently the unknown quantity, but until that road test happens, the Huracán Evo RWD currently sits in a class of one owing to
its heart stopping mix of performance, excitement and price. It’s worth noting that our test car carried many options and a total price of £222,960, but spending sixty-bags on goodies is an unashamedly easy task when optioning any supercar. However, there’s more to the Huracán Evo RWD than two fewer driven wheels and a slightly happier accountant. What it does is pay homage to a time when Lamborghini owners used to climb out their supercars sweating because the thing nearly killed them. I’m not saying you have to be a masochist to enjoy the terror the RWD offers, but if you want the thrill that comes with taming the beast, then this raging bull is undoubtedly the supercar for you. It’s genuine heart in mouth stuff, and that’s the way it should be.
Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 9/10 | Engine
| Power
| 5,204cc V10
| 603bhp @8,000rpm | 413lb ft @ 6,500rpm
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| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| Weight
| Price
| 3.3 secs
| 203mph
| 1,389kg
| £164,400
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Just when you think large, German, family cars can’t get anymore powerful, along come Audi with a 600hp RS7 ...
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STORMER
WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOS: Dom Ginn
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Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 8/10 | Engine
| Power
| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| 3,996cc twin-turbo V8
| 591bhp @ 6,250rpm
| 590lb ft @ 4,500rpm
| 3.6 secs
| 155mph+ | 2,065kg
never drove the old Audi RS7, but I’ve been reliably informed that it was a bit of a blunt instrument. It looked great and went well, but it supposedly lacked driver engagement. The job of the all-new car then, is to take everything that was great about its predecessor and improve on it dynamically. Leading with the aesthetics and Audi has once again pulled it out the bag. The RS7 looks like an A7 that’s been jabbing up in the corner of the gym, with its swollen arches, huge 22-inch wheels and beefy exhaust pipes. If you want a car with real road presence, then look no further. It also goes well. The twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 engine produces 592bhp and
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590lb ft, and sends power to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The torque split is 40:60 front to rear but it can send up to 85% of the power to the rear wheels thanks to a Sport Differential which comes as standard on UK-spec cars. 0-62mph happens in just 3.6 seconds with a limited top speed of 155mph, but if you pay Audi enough money, you can have the limiter removed which will increase the VMAX to 189mph. Yikes. The engine also benefits from a 48V mild-hybrid system and can deactivate four cylinders under light loads to help reduce fuel consumption. Still, be prepared for average fuel economy figures in the low 20s. The only kink in the chain is the gearbox which is sometimes too slow to kick down when you need a sudden burst
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| Weight
| Price | £98,040
of torque. Having said that, the eightspeed auto is a fine gearbox and what it lacks in response, it makes up for when you just want something that quietly shuffles away in the background. As with most cars in 2020, there are selectable driving modes but Audi now offer you the chance to configure how you want the car set up and then save the settings with RS1 and RS2 buttons. Here, you can choose how aggressive you’d like your throttle response, steering weight, suspension setup and exhaust noise. To drive, this is by no means a blunt instrument, but it’s one that takes some getting used to. The first thing you notice is how alarming the performance is. On a fully open throttle it covers ground at an astonishing rate and the reserves of torque are such that you’re never left
“ The RS7 looks like an A7 that’s been jabbing up in the corner of the gym ”
wanting for overtaking performance. Dynamically, the package is surprisingly agile for that of a car that tips the scales at a little over two tonnes. The RS7 is one chunky boy, but adjustable suspension and rear-wheel steering go some way to masking its considerable kerbweight. Big Audis have a tendency to understeer, but the front end on the RS7 is faithful to input thanks to wide 275-section front tyres and the aforementioned real-wheel steering which helps get the nose tucked in. Get greedy with your entry speed and it will still wash wide, but it’s not as nose-led as you would imagine. The body control is also remarkably well-managed for a car with such heft and there’s buckets of grip to lean on. Make no mistake, it’s no sports car and clever engineering can only
If ever a car looked angry!
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The interior quality is excellent!
The sports seats are very supportive.
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hide so much mass, but overall, the way it barrels round corners is impressive. Needless to say, the traction you get as you exit corners is immense, but then you wouldn’t expect anything less from quattro all-wheel drive. Elsewhere, the braking performance is strong thanks to colossal discs and callipers, and there’s even an option for carbon ceramics. The area that requires some getting used to is the steering. Around the centre it feels too light and leaves you feeling disconnected from the front wheels and road surface. When you’re trying to the thread a circa two metre wide car down a country road, this disconnect can make the RS7 feel nervous and difficult to build rhythm with. The Audi is arguably more at home on the outside lane of a motorway.
Bahnstormer is the word that springs to mind, and even though UK roads are restricted to a pedestrian 70mph, you still get a feel for what the RS7 is capable of. If you can’t afford a Bentley Continental GT – don’t worry, most people can’t – then this is a car that could easily fill the grand tourer sized hole in your life. You may be living with a big V8 engine out front, but at a cruise you barely notice it’s there, and despite the gargantuan alloy wheels the ride is supple thanks to the standard-fit air suspension. Interestingly, it picked out fewer road imperfections than the standard A7 without air suspension that we road tested last year, which really throws the effectiveness of the system in to context. Much of the interior from the A7 has been carried over which is no bad thing
at all, and because this is an Audi Sport product, it’s been given the once over to help separate it from the lesser car’s cabin. There are a total of four screens: virtual cockpit, infotainment and climate control in the front, with a separate screen out back so rear passengers can control their own heating and cooling. Audi pioneered digital instrument binnacle technology so it’s no surprise that Virtual Cockpit continues to lead the way in this area. The graphics are clean, the system is easy to operate and you can pick your display configuration to suit. This ease of use carries over to the MMI infotainment and navigation system, and the integration of Google Maps makes it one of the best systems currently available in any car. Less easy to use is the climate control screen beneath the
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main display. The graphics are great but the touchscreen-only set up with haptic feedback is less tactile than physical buttons, which means you need to take your eyes fully off the road to operate it. Of course, no highly optioned Audi is complete without the customary B&O sound system. It’s excellent, but you knew that anyway. Most impressive however, is the quality of the materials on offer. Audi make some of the best interiors on sale and the RS7 does not buck the trend. The clean and minimalist ergonomics may not be to everyone’s taste, but the black leather with contrast stitching, aluminium and Alcantara is difficult to fault. Because this is an Audi Sport model, you also get an RS-badged steering wheel, some well bolstered
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sports seats and plenty of faux carbon fibre, if you’re into that kind of thing. A special mention must go to the ambient strip lighting which illuminates the edges of the transmission tunnel, dash and door inserts. At night, it makes the cabin feel like a very special place to spend time in. I do however, have one minor complaint. The fit and finish was generally very good, but there was a persistent rattle that came from the middle of the dash which didn’t subside over the course of our week with the car. For a demonstrator with just over 3,000 miles on the clock it was very unusual, especially given who the manufacturer is. The Audi RS7 Sportback starts from £98,040, and with a smattering of options our press demo came in at £110,520. This is one of those scenarios where if you
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have the money to purchase such a car and the Audi is your type of thing, then go for it. At this price point there are so many different types of car available from a vast array of manufacturers, but as an all-round proposition, the RS7 is difficult to beat. Irrespective of that, I think we should take a moment to appreciate that this relatively normal, series production family car has the straight line poke to keep some serious performance cars honest. Ten years ago, 600hp was reserved for some of the world’s most exotic and rarefied cars, and now you can obtain it in an Audi which also has enough room for the kids at a fraction of the cost. Objectively, it’s massively unnecessary, but somehow, it makes a whole lot of sense.
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61 High Street, Colchester, Essex CO1 1DN
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MARKETING MACHINE
It’s the BMW M235i, but not as you know it. We test the all-new xDrive Gran Coupé. WORDS: Mark Rose PHOTOS: Harry Hartland 10 | | 60
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nstagram is a funny old place. Social media would lead you to believe that not many people are keen on BMW’s current design language. Something about big kidney grilles. However, when we placed a quick snap of the latest M235i xDrive Gran Coupé on our stories and then asked people to vote on whether they liked the appearance of it, 65% of the vote came back in favour of the aesthetics. Okay, it wasn’t what you call a landslide victory, but the M235i performed considerably better than initially thought. Perhaps then, BMW have played a blinder. The Instagram generation and environmentally-conscious millennials are less concerned with power oversteer and more interested in monstrous grilles and engines that use less fuel. If the engineering team know what car enthusiasts want, then the marketing department know what ordinary folk look for in their daily driver. But this is BMW, they’ve consistently laid claim to offering the “Ultimate Driving Machine”, and so to hang up the racing boots and let the marketing bods take up the slack is not an easy task to pull off. I won’t comment on the looks because clearly Instagram and I don’t see eye-to-eye, so I’ll leave you to your own opinions. Besides, for this car to make sense it needs to be looked at objectively. The package represents a departure from the compact BMWs we know and love. Out front is a turbocharged 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. It makes a healthy 306bhp and 331lb ft. which is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. No silky smooth 6-cylinder motor, no rear wheel drive, and no manual gearbox. All, however, is not lost. BMW has thrown in independent rear suspension and a limited slip differential. This is a car that’s set up to deal with the complexities of a British B-road, and it shows in the package. The independent rear suspension helps the M235i cover ground with real maturity and the diff’ helps shuffle the power about when the front-end grip leaves you wanting. Indeed, it does understeer just like any other front engine, four-wheel drive car, and if skids are your thing then you best look for them somewhere else. Gone is the rear wheel adjustability you would expect from a sporty BMW, but what you get in return is usable, all-weather performance and the impression that it will consistently repeat it’s zero to 62mph time of 4.9 seconds in most conditions. Top speed is the obligatory 155mph.
I
This is the BMW’s best angle!
The interior is a real highlight of the car! As far as 4-cylinder engines go, the one in the M235i is decent. The 331lb ft of torque offers accessible in-gear performance, although it doesn’t appreciate being run to the limiter. Yes, it doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as a 6-cylinder motor, but BMW has tried to rectify this by creating some engine noise in the cabin. Artificial yes, but people would complain even more if it sounded like an average 2.0 litre four-pot. The eight-speed automatic gearbox does the job, but it’s better suited to cruising than it is dynamic driving. Leave it to its own devices and it will shift through ratios without you realising, but take control manually and it lacks the crispness the DSG offers in VW group cars. Dynamically, the package is efficient but also frustrating. The M235i xDrive is stiffer than a normal 2GC and the pay off is tight body control, but BMW has
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set the car up to be softer than its M135i brother, so the ride quality rarely feels compromised. Despite being devoid of feedback the steering has real accuracy to it which makes placing the car an enjoyable task. There’s also plenty of grip on offer and the four-wheel drive system gives you great traction as you exit corners. Point to point, it’s a fast car, but there’s a problem. The frustration occurs when you realise there’s a decent chassis hidden beneath the frumpy bodyshell. Send it in to a corner on the brakes and the car begins to rotate, but it’s nothing a dab of opposite lock won’t correct. You get the sense that the BMW wants to play, but unfortunately you can never fully exploit the chassis, given the four-wheel drive setup. To most, the lack of rear wheel adjustability means absolutely nothing.
Technical Specifications / REDLINE RATING 6/10 | Engine
| Power
| Torque
| 0-62mph
| VMAX
| Weight
| Price
| 1,998cc 4-cyl turbo
| 302bhp @4,500rpm
| 331lb ft @1,750rpm
| 4.9 secs
| 155mph
| 1,570kg
| £39,525
The majority of people will buy it and marvel at how accessible the performance is, but on the flipside, the keen drivers will grimace at how far BMW have stepped away from their traditional values. This kind of strategy can go one of two ways, it will either bring new customers to the brand who have otherwise steered clear in the past, or it will cost them existing customers who originally bought in to the “ultimate driving machine” mantra. Given the amount of years BMW has targeted the driving enthusiast, it seems like a bit of a gamble. It also starts from £39,525. While on the face of it, forty-grand may seem about right for this much performance in a premium coupe, I’m going to debunk that point and say that the driving experience doesn’t warrant the money. Luckily, there’s plenty to like about
the Gran Coupé’s cabin. BMW’s latest interior design language might not have the futuristic feel that Mercedes and Audi cabins currently benefit from, but sometimes less is more, and fewer screens with some well-placed physical buttons make for a simpler and more tactile user experience. When you also consider the quality materials on offer, the thick-rimmed steering wheel and sports seats, what you have is a car that’s pleasant to spend considerable time in. As a side note, the Gran Coupé may not seem like the most practical car on sale with its sloping roof line and modest boot, but I did use it to help a friend move. It’s hardly a van, but don’t underestimate how much stuff you can actually fit in one of these, providing you pack it in properly. However, a premium cabin and surprising amounts of practicality
don’t make this a great sports coupé. What the BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupé represents is a move towards a package that the marketing team has had an influential hand in. As a fan of the brand and someone who’s owned BMWs previously, it upsets me how far off the mark this little sports coupé is. Objectively, I appreciate what it’s capable of and I respect BMW for making a solid all-rounder, but the truth is, if the steering wheel didn’t have the badge on it then I could have easily forgotten what I was driving. It lacked that special something that defines what a BMW is, and the frustrating thing is, they know how to make a fantastic sports coupé. The M2 Competition is still one of my favourite cars of recent years and if just a smidgen of that car’s magic can be replicated in other small BMWs, then they’ll be on to a winner.
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DRIVER’S MARKET The latest automotive products, accessories and merchandise. Used and tested by Redline Magazine!
ANTI CAR THEFT DEVICES We’ve all done it … gotten in from a long day at work, thrown the car keys on the side and not looked at them again until the following morning. But with car theft on the rise, not protecting your key fob could be a one way ticket to having your car stolen. Fear not though, as KeyProtectPro offer a premium way of hiding away your keys, and protecting your pride and joy. The faraday boxes stop your keys
radio frequency from emitting outside the box which prevents relay hackers from using their devices to boost the signal and gain access to your car. This technology has been around for a while now, but the KeyProtectPro box is designed to look after multiple sets of keys and not look out of place around the home. To test our review unit, we’ve regularly placed keys in the box, shut
the lid and attempted to start various cars with the box inside the cabin. Have any of our test cars fired up? No, not one. If the car can’t pick up your keys’ signal even though it’s physically in the vehicle, then relay hackers will certainly struggle. What’s more, each box has been attractively designed and finished to a high standard with quality materials, and there are three colour options to choose from including black, tan and grey.
Fancy one for yourself? A KeyProtectPro usually retails for £59.99, but Redline Magazine readers benefit from a 10% discount which brings the cost down to £53.99. A small price to pay for piece of mind. Go and check them out!
SLAMMED UK FLIGHT TAGS Chuck away that tatty old keyring you’ve been carrying around for years and grab yourself a premium flight tag from SlammedUK. While in our possession, the keys to our press vehicles are always equipped with one of these bad boys. Not only are there multiple designs to choose from, but they’re made with premium materials and the quality of
the embroidering is top tier. Perfect, whether you’re looking for a simple accessory to spice up your car keys, or if you’re constantly dropping them down the side of your seat and need something to grab on to. SlammedUK Flight Tags are available from just £6 per tag. Go to their website slammeduk.co.uk to get yours today!
SLAMMED UK DRIVER’S TRAVEL MUG Admit it, we’ve all used a travel mug that doesn’t quite do what it says on the tin (excuse the pun), but in the case of the SlammedUK Driver’s Travel Mug, it will actually keep your drink hot or cold for up to 6 hours. We know this because we use ours regularly, particularly now the mornings are cold. Available in either khaki or white, the mugs are made from 304 steel and have a capacity of 510ml, with a push tab seal
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to help lock in the freshness. The design and portable nature of the mug also make it incredibly versatile, so whether it needs to fit in your car’s cup holders or you want to keep your gym drink cold for the duration of your workout, the SlammedUK Driver’s Travel Mug will have you covered. SlammedUK Driver’s Travel Mugs are available for just £22. Go to their website slammeduk.co.uk to get yours today!
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THE WATCH STOP Cars and watches go hand-in-hand (excuse the pun). Here are some timepieces worn and reviewed by us.
SPINNAKER DUMAS SP-5081-22 / WWW.SPINNAKER-WATCHES.CO.UK The Dumas collection from Spinnaker takes inspiration from the design and shape of dive watches from the 1970s. This muscular watch is designed to be both functional and practical, and comes with a powerful Milanese mesh strap. Made out of marine grade stainless steel, this 44mm diameter watch is 15mm thick, has a water resistance of up to 300 metres, and comes with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal lens. Aesthetically, the Dumas is bold but compact, and if you enjoy wearing
a watch with some weight to it, then you’ll love how it feels on the wrist. Not only did we test it with the standard fit Milanese strap, but Spinnaker also sent us a Nato rubber strap to try. If you have small wrists then you’re better off with the Nato strap as it includes additional adjustment, however it does make the watch feel top heavy whereas the Milanese band offers a better weight balance. In the Dumas, you’ll find an NH35 TMI Seiko automatic self-winding
movement, offering time and date readouts. This movement is popular among many watch brands in the sub £500 market place for its smooth action and ability to keep time accurately. The Spinnaker Dumas is available in a range of colour options, with prices starting from £315. The Nato rubber strap we tried costs an additional £80. When you consider the price, the quality of the timepiece, and how reliable the movement is, this is a watch that’s easy to recommend.
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PANZERA TIME MASTER 42 RAPTOR MK5 Based in Sydney, Australia, Panzera have been producing pilot, dive and motorsport themed watches since 2009. The latest addition to their line up is the Time Master 42 you see pictured. This 42mm diameter timepiece sports a simple yet racy design and is a perfect watch for daily use. The stainless steel case and Italian leather strap are of excellent quality, and the face is easy to read with clear numbers and large hands. The knurled finish on the crown completes the motorsport theme and adds a further feeling of quality when adjusting the time and date. Powering the Time Master 42 is a 21 jewel Miyota automatic movement with a 40 hour power reserve. The Japanese movement isn’t the smoothest, and in our testing the watch stops a few hours before the claimed 40 hour reserve.
Having said that, when you consider the price and overall quality of the watch, the movement can be forgiven. Despite not being a dive watch, the Time Master 42 is still water resistant up to 50 metres, the glass is sapphire crystal, and each watch goes through five days of quality, shock, and water resistance testing. Depending on strap and finish options, a Time Master 42 can be purchased from just £370, although Panzera regularly update their website with fantastic offers. If you have a budget of up to £400, this is an easy watch to recommend. It looks fantastic, feels great on the wrist, and is built to a high standard. In fact, our review unit is worn most days, which pays testament to the likeability of this affordable but desirable timepiece.
VIEW THE COLLECTION AT WWW.PANZERA.SHOP ISSUE 9 > PRODUCT REVIEWS
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S L A M M E D U K . C O . U K
DAILY DRIVER 70: MG HS
72: SEAT Leon
75: Audi A4
76: Nissan Juke
79: SEAT Terraco
80: Honda Jazz Crosstar
Not got a six figure car buying budget? Fear not, we have you covered with a selection of affordable car reviews ... ISSUE 9 > daily driver
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What is it?
MG HS 70 |
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Over the last few years, MG has been churning out inexpensive but well appointed family cars, and the new HS is the British marque’s first attempt at a premium SUV. However, money conscious customers shouldn’t be scared off by the word premium. With prices starting from just £20,995, this is still a car aimed squarely at buyers on a budget, but as you’ll see in this review, it doesn’t come at the expense of quality. How does it drive? Powering the MG HS is a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine with 162bhp and 184lb ft. Zero to 62mph happens in 9.9 seconds and the top speed is 118mph. In reality, HS buyers won’t be too interested in going places quickly, and while it’s far from the quickest car on sale, the torque figure makes for a car that’s easy to make progress in. Power is sent to the front wheels via a choice of manual gearbox or the dualclutch automatic that was fitted to our test car. The DCT is a smooth gearbox and performs well until you decided to take control using the plastic paddles behind the steering well. Do that and it becomes slow to change down which dashes any ideas of sporty driving. Despite the button on the steering wheel that says Super Sport, there is little to suggest that the HS is a sporty SUV. In fact, driving it enthusiastically feels a bit silly given its size and lack of body control. The MG is actually happiest when cruising along, and when you do, you start to get a feel for how refined this car is. The suspension is softly sprung with plenty of travel and the low speed ride is also smooth. When you combine these qualities with low NVH levels and great cabin, what you have is an SUV that’s relaxing to drive.
WORDS: MARK ROSE / PHOTOS: HARRY HARTLAND There’s leather everywhere in the MG HS.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: POWER: TORQUE 0-62MPH: VMAX: WEIGHT: ECONOMY: PRICE: RATING: What’s it like inside? The cabin is easily this car’s biggest selling point. Some people will take issue with the amount of design cues borrowed from the likes of Mercedes and Audi, but once you look past that, you’ll find a cabin that’s been genuinely thought out. The quality of the materials and how widely they’re used is excellent. Not only do you get leather for the seats and steering wheel, but it extends across the dash and on to the door cards. Apart from the lower areas of the cabin, the rest of the materials are soft to the touch, and you even get some Alcantara trim for the sports seats. Speaking of the seats, they look fantastic and are supremely comfortable, the only issue being the driving position which could do with a few more options for adjustment. Not only is the quality high, but the cabin is well put together. All the controls
and buttons have a pleasing weight to them and the build is solid, although there was a creaking noise coming from the centre console that’s likely specific to our test car. Owing to the HS’ large and boxy proportions, there’s plenty of usable space. The boot has a capacity of 450 litres with the seats up, and rear passengers are treated to considerable leg and head room. The large glass sunroof also amplifies the general feeling of airiness in the cabin. Included in the list price are luxuries like ambient lighting, an electric tailgate and cruise control, as well as a raft of safety equipment. MG don’t make a best in class infotainment systems, but what you get is something that’s well laid out and easy to use with decent graphics. The 10.1inch touchscreen display is conveniently placed so it’s within easy reach, but doesn’t protrude so far from the dash that it obscures your view out of the car.
1.5 litre, 4-cyl petrol 162bhp @ 5,500rpm 184lb ft @ 1,500rpm 9.9 seconds 118mph 1,563kg 35mpg £20,995 8/10
What are the costs? There are two trim levels available which are ‘Excite’, and the ‘Exclusive’ model we tested which starts from £23,495 plus another £1,500 for the automatic gearbox. It may be an inexpensive car to buy, but it’s not the most frugal with average returns of 35mpg. To buy or not to buy? The MG HS is without doubt one of the best value for money cars you can currently buy. The way it mixes quality materials with a refined driving experience and plenty of space for the family, for around the £25,000 price point should be celebrated. Given the current economic climate, MG might just be the go-to manufacturer for budget-conscious Brits looking for a new car.
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SEAT LEON FR What is it?
The SEAT Leon has often been looked at as the family hatchback to buy when a VW Golf was considered too boring, and the Ford Focus overly common. But with competition ever strong in this segment, the Leon needs to double down on its balance of sporty dynamics and day to day usability. How does it drive? Driving is the area where the Leon has traditionally excelled in its class, and the all-new model continues to impress. The overall package is strong not just in a couple of areas, but generally across the board. The engine fizzes, the chassis is well balanced and the six-speed manual gearbox is slick. The steering may be light but it’s accurate, and the brake pedal is well judged. You can tell it’s been set up for a B-road given its compliance across undulating tarmac, tight body control, and there’s also plenty of grip available which allows you to carry some considerable speed. It’s a genuinely fun package. Around town and on open roads, the Leon possesses the refinement we’ve come to expect from a VW-Group product. Because our test car was in FRtrim it came with sports suspension as standard, so we suspect that lower spec cars with the softer set up may ride more smoothly, but there was certainly nothing wrong with the road manners or NVH levels of our press demo. Finding gaps to drop in to on A-roads and motorways is also easy thanks to the car’s healthy reserves of torque. The engine is a 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder TSI motor with 148bhp and 184lb ft.
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WORDS: MARK ROSE / PHOTOS: DOM GINN The manual gearbox is slick to use!
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS The Leon is now 5-door only.
Zero to 62mph happens in 8.4 seconds and the top speed is 134mph. On paper it doesn’t seem particular rapid, but in the real world, the car feels quicker than it’s headline figures would initially suggest. What’s it like inside? SEAT take a clean and crisp approach to cabin design and ergonomics, and the Leon continues that trend. There may be some hard plastics in places – blame VW’s group hierarchy for that – but otherwise the fit and finish are excellent, and there are some lovely soft touch materials in the places that matter. Apart from some physical buttons on the steering wheel and transmission tunnel, everything has been moved over to the new 10-inch infotainment screen. While it does declutter the cabin, it also means that to operate some of the car’s
ENGINE: POWER: TORQUE 0-62MPH: VMAX: WEIGHT: ECONOMY: PRICE: RATING: functions requires you to take your eyes off the road, which isn’t so safe. Adding some buttons back in to the cabin would be safer and offer a more tactile user experience. In terms of the infotainment display, the graphics are well designed and the system is responsive to your inputs. It’s also loaded with tech. You now get wireless Apple CarPlay, multiple connectivity options including the new ‘SEAT Connect’ app, and gesture control. Elsewhere, there’s wireless phone charging, USB-C ports, and a fully digital instrument cluster. Whether you’re the driver, or a passenger, the new Leon is a comfy car to be in. The front sports seats are supportive with plenty of adjustment, and rear passengers benefit from considerable leg room, which isn’t always a given in this class of car.
1.5 litre, 4-cyl petrol 148bhp @ 5,000rpm 184lb ft @ 1,400rpm 8.4 seconds 134mph 1,243kg 43mpg £19,855 8/10
What are the costs? The new SEAT Leon starts from £19,855 with a total of six trim levels to choose from. Our FR spec car is priced from £23,185, and despite its sporty personality and ability to egg you on, it still comfortably returns 43mpg. To buy or not to buy? Cards on the table, this is one of the best all-round cars we’ve driven in 2020. It’s not only objectively excellent, it’s genuinely enjoyable, and if it can put a smile on an overly-spoilt journalists face, then you’ll also like it. What’s more, hot hatch fans can rejoice because if SEAT can make the lukewarm FR-spec car this fun to drive, just imagine how good the Cupra Leon is going to be …
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WORDS: MARK ROSE / PHOTOS: DOM GINN
AUDI
A4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: POWER: TORQUE 0-62MPH: VMAX: WEIGHT: ECONOMY: PRICE: RATING:
2.0 litre, 4-cyl diesel 161bhp @ 3,250rpm 280lb ft @ 1,500rpm 8.2 seconds 142mph 1,485kg 53mpg £35,080 7/10
nd the award for most boring car of the issue goes to … the new Audi A4. But then, that’s no bad thing, because the point of the A4 is that it’s supposed to be a sensible family saloon (or estate) car. However, that’s not to say that there isn’t anything to like about it, because there’s actually plenty. With the latest generation, Audi has designed the A4 to look sharper and drive more keenly than the model it replaces. It’s also great to see Ingolstadt pressing on with diesel despite its recent drop in popularity. Our 35 TDI Black Edition model walked a solid line between decent performance and healthy fuel economy with 161bhp and 280lb ft from its 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine, and returns of over 50mpg. It will get from rest to 62mph in 8.2 seconds and stop accelerating at 142mph. More than respectable for a small, family saloon car. Ever popular with company car drivers, the A4’s primary purpose is for transporting company area managers to
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business meetings at motorway services. Dual carriageways and wide roads are where the car comes in to its own, with its compliant ride, quiet cabin, and of course, frugal engine. However, show it a country lane and it will also entertain if you want it to, but it won’t goad you in to any exuberant driving. If you want B-road thrills, then the rear-wheel drive BMW 3 Series and Alfa Romeo Giulia are your go to in this class, over the frontwheel drive Audi. The interior is also another area where the A4 excels. The design may be a bit on the vanilla side, but the fit, finish and quality of the materials are absolutely faultless. Leather is abundant and there’s even Alcantara for the door cards, along with glossy black trim for the interior panels. In terms of comfort and convenience, the seats are well bolstered, there is more than enough space for rear occupants, and the boot is a healthy 460 litres. The first thing you need to know about the on board tech, is that the click-wheel that was used for controlling the main
infotainment screen in the old model, is now gone. Again, if you want one of those then you need to have a chat with BMW. That said, the 10.1 inch touchscreen display is quick-witted, the MMI software is easy to use, and Virtual Cockpit is still the best digital instrument cluster in any car, from any manufacturer. The new Audi A4 Saloon range starts from £33,580 with the entry level ‘Technik’ trim, with our Black Edition test car priced from £35,080. Standard equipment included 19-inch wheels, black exterior styling pack, piano black interior trim, and a 3-spoke flat bottomed steering wheel. Needless to say, there’s also a sporty S4 variant, and if you want an all-out family wagon, then Audi also offer a bonkers RS4 Avant. If you’re in the market for a comfortable and frugal family car then the A4 Saloon is an easy recommendation. It may not be the sharpest car in its class to drive, but that doesn’t mean it’s the least attractive of daily propositions.
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DAILY DRIVER > NISSAN JUKE
ast year, we went to Barcelona for the international press launch of the next-generation Nissan Juke. Early impressions we’re positive, but a poor British B-road has been the undoing of many a car, so can the Juke cope in the UK? We bring good news, there’s still plenty to like about this compact SUV. In Britain, we’ve bought more Jukes than anywhere else and it shows in the package. This is a big step on from the old car, mainly when it comes to build quality and materials, and this premium feel will sit well with quality-conscious Brits. Nissan has clearly gone all out with the leather and Alcantara trim, and the infotainment system feels ten generations newer than the old car’s. The new sports seats are super supportive and they come with headphone-style Bose speakers built in to the headrests which sound excellent. It can still feel a little cramped inside and taller passengers won’t want to spend excessive time in the back, but it’s practical enough for a young family. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is positioned neatly on top of the dash and offers clean graphics, snappy response and plenty of connectivity
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WORDS: MARK ROSE / PHOTOS: DOM GINN
options. When it comes to the driving experience, the time you have with the Juke is dependent on how you spec it. We actually had the pleasure of two test cars over two separate weeks. The first car came equipped with the 7-speed DCT gearbox and 19-inch alloys wheels, and the second had a six-speed manual transmission and sat on the smaller 17inch wheel. Irrespective of specification, all Jukes are fun to drive thanks to a keen front end, tight body control, and decent damping. You also get adjustable driving modes which include Eco, Standard, and Sport. However, if refinement is of greater importance, then we would suggest optioning the manual gearbox and smaller wheel combination. Not only is the DCT dim-witted when calling for a gearchange at speed, but its low speed manners are sloppy, particularly when moving off. When you marry that with a large 19-inch wheel which makes the ride busier than it needs to be, you’re left with a car that feels a bit rough around the edges. The ability to move off while manually controlling the clutch and the benefits of a smoother ride, make the manual ‘box and smaller wheel recipe the
way to go. In a bid to make life easy, Nissan are currently offering one engine with the Juke. It’s a turbocharged, 1.0 litre, threecylinder motor which produces 117bhp and 147lb ft. Needless to say, this is not a fast car. Zero to 62mph happens in 10.4 seconds and the top speed is 112mph, and in typical turbocharged-fashion, it doesn’t like being pushed to the extremities of the rev range. Having said that, it’s still pokey around town and has enough torque to pull off safe overtaking manoeuvres when needed. In terms of fuel economy, we regularly saw 45mpg in a mixture of country, town and motorway driving. The next-gen Nissan Juke starts from £17,860 and there are six trim levels to choose from, all of which come with various levels of equipment as standard. We were mighty impressed with this car when we first drove it, and still are, now we’ve spent time with it on UK soil. Get the spec right and what you have is a funky, compact SUV that’s loaded with tech, and is refined but fun to drive. More than a million Jukes have been sold in Europe since the first car launched over a decade ago, and we wouldn’t put it past Nissan doubling their tally.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: POWER: TORQUE 0-62MPH: VMAX: WEIGHT: ECONOMY: PRICE: RATING:
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1.0 litre, 3-cyl petrol 117bhp @ 5,250rpm 147lb ft @ 1,750rpm 10.4 seconds 112mph 1,217kg 45mpg £17,860 7/10
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WORDS: MARK ROSE / PHOTOS: HARRY HARTLAND
SEAT TERRACO EAT claim the Terraco is the sportiest SUV in its class, but don’t be fooled by that comment, as this is still a large, seven seat family car that’s capable of hauling the kids and their belongings around. Our test car was a modestly optioned SE Technology with a 1.5 litre petrol engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. Having said that, SE models come with a lot of standard equipment including an 8-inch colour touchscreen display with full link smartphone integration, a digital instrument binnacle, full LED headlights, cruise control, and a suite of safety equipment designed to protect people in and outside of the car. The spec bump to SE Technology also affords you 18-inch alloy wheels, dark tinted rear windows and navigation with 3D maps. The Terraco is a handsome SUV and the interior is equally as pleasing to the eye. Everything is laid out clearly, with adventurous ‘Olat Black Cloth with Alcantara’ upholstery, and the build quality is solid. But would you expect anything less from a VW Group car? Most appealing to buyers will be the amount of space on offer. With seven seats available or 700 litres of boot space with the rear two folded down, this is a car that comfortably meets the practical requirements of any family. In fact, we used our test car as a support vehicle for a trip to Wales and it was the perfect tool for the job. Not only did it transport us in comfort with average fuel economy of
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figures of 42mpg, but it also moved about all of our luggage and camera equipment with ease. Returning to SEAT’s “sportiest SUV” claim, and there’s some substance to back up the statement. It may be a large car, but the kerbweight is just 1,634kg and it shows in the way the nose tucks in to corners. The body control is also relatively tight and there’s plenty of grip on offer. It certainly has a dynamic edge over something like an MG HS. We didn’t get a chance to test a model with an automatic gearbox, but the manual is pleasing to move between the gates, if a little long in its action. In terms of performance, the 1.5 litre 4-cylinder motor produces 148bhp and 184lb ft, giving the SEAT a 0-62mph time of 9.7 seconds and a top speed of 125mph. Despite the respectable performance figures, the Terraco never felt particularly quick in a straight line, but fortunately you can option it with a 2.0 litre engine with 187bhp and a DSG gearbox, if you have the budget to do so. There are five trim levels available for the SEAT Terraco, with the entry level SE starting from £29,155 and the top spec XCELLENCE Lux priced from £33,005. At first it seems like a fair bit of money for a SEAT SUV, but when you consider the size of the car, the practicality it offers, its sporty demeanour, and the amount of standard equipment available, it suddenly becomes an attractive proposition for the price. Overall, we think it’s a great all rounder.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: POWER: TORQUE 0-62MPH: VMAX: WEIGHT: ECONOMY: PRICE: RATING:
1.5 litre, 4-cyl petrol 148bhp @ 5,000rpm 184lb ft @ 1,500rpm 9.7 seconds 125mph 1,634kg 42mpg £29,155 7/10
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WORDS: BLEE CARSWELL / PHOTOS: DOM GINN
HONDA JAZZ CROSSTAR
t would be easy to dismiss the news of an all-new Honda Jazz as being about as interesting as stamp collecting, but in truth it has a lot going for it. It’s packed with tech, offers plenty of practicality and feels far more premium than it has any right to. Starting at £18,985 and with our top of the range Crosstar model coming in at over £23,500, the Jazz certainly isn’t the cheapest car in its class. But then it wouldn’t be, given every new Jazz sold in the UK now comes with a trick hybrid set up as standard. Consisting of two electric motors, a lithium ion battery and a 1.5-litre petrol engine, this powertrain has a maximum output of 107hp and 187lb ft. Seamlessly switching between EV and Hybrid modes, the Jazz is seriously impressive around town and at slower speeds. The experience was quiet and refined in a way I was not expecting. It also settles into a pleasant cruise on the motorway. Predictably, at 70mph the car makes use of the petrol engine and this means fuel economy drops from an easy 65mpg around town, down to the high 50s on longer stretches of road. With a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds acceleration is modest and it also highlights the car’s biggest flaw, the gearbox! I know a motoring journo moaning about a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) is extremely predictable, but the inclusion of it in the Jazz is a shame. The car sets such a high bar for itself at lower speeds which it just can’t match when you ask for a bit more. Hitting the throttle results in a waiting
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1.5 litre petrol-hybrid 107bhp @ 5,500rpm 187lb ft @ 4,500rpm 9.9 seconds 107mph 1,325kg 65mpg £22,635 7/10
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time akin to supermarkets during a pandemic, and when the powertrain does respond it just sounds unnatural and harsh. On a more positive note, the interior is superb. It’s comfortable, airy, and the switch gear feels premium. All but bottom spec cars come with a 9-inch infotainment screen which is quick to respond and intuitive to use. The driver also benefits from a digital instrument cluster, which strikes the perfect balance between being futuristic and clearly showing the information you need. There is storage aplenty up front whilst in the back this generation Jazz has kept the fancy magic seats. They easily fold up to provide a usefully wide and tall space, but also fold flat should you need to make use of all 1,199 litres of luggage capacity. Curiously, at 298 litres, the Crosstar has a slightly smaller boot compared to a normal Jazz which boasts 304 litres of space. This is one of a few areas where the Crosstar model fails to make sense. I admire its rugged mini MPV look, but the fact it sits 30mm higher, and has roof rails and body cladding probably explains why this model is slightly slower and a tad less economical than its smaller sibling. Couple that with the fact it’s more expensive and marginally less practical than a normal Jazz, it makes the Crosstar model difficult to recommend. Both EX and SR models come with the same powertrain and all the kit you would need, so it just seems logical to save a few quid. However, gearbox aside, I’m a big fan of the new Jazz and if you’re in the market for a hybrid supermini or small MPV, you will be too.
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it’s a new era
The MG Electric and Plug-in range WITH 0% APR PCP*
Available on ALL NEW MG5 ev, MG ZS EV and MG HS Plug-in
electric for everyone
Fuel economy and CO2 results for MG ZS EV. Mpg (l/100km): Not applicable. CO2 emissions: 0 g/km Electric range: 163 to 231 miles. Fuel economy and CO2 results for All New MG5 EV. Mpg (l/100km): Not applicable. CO2 emissions: 0 g/ km Electric range: 214 to 276 miles. Fuel economy and CO2 results for the MG HS Plug-in. Mpg (l/100km) (weighted combined): 155.8 (1.8) Electric energy consumption (weighted combined): 2.6 miles/kWh CO2 emissions (weighted): 43 g/km Equivalent all-electric range: 32 miles. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. These figures were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. The MG HS Plug-in is a plug-in hybrid vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including, accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. *All New MG5 EV range starts from £27,495 OTR. After Plug-in Car Grant of £3,000 customers can purchase their All New MG5 EV Excite from just £24,495. The Plug-in Car Grant also applies to Exclusive versions. Models shown: All New MG5 EV Excite with Westminster Silver Paint £25,040 On The Road (OTR) after PiCG, MG ZS EV Exclusive with Pimlico Blue Paint £28,540.00 OTR after PiCG and MG HS Plug-in Excite with White Pearl Paint £29,995 OTR. *Offer subject to availability, on selected models at participating dealers only. Personal Contract Purchase. Finance subject to status, T&Cs apply. Applicants must be 18+. MG Motor Financial Services, RH1 1SR. 49 month term. Guarantee may be required. Offer shown is available on All New MG5 EV, MG ZS EV, MG HS Plug-in. Orders or registrations from 1st October 2020 until 31st December 2020. At the end of the agreement there are 3 options: (i) Part exchange the vehicle, (ii) Pay the Optional Final Payment to own the vehicle or (iii) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition or mileage of the vehicle.