Hero MotoCorp Showcases Xtreme 200 S Motorcycle at 2016 Auto Expo

Hero MotoCorp had a wide range of motorcycles on display at the 2016 Auto Expo which included the Xtreme 200 S, Splendor iSmart 110, XF3R and Duet-E.

Hero Xtreme 200 S

The Hero Xtreme 200S is a sporty looking bike that aims to take on the TVS Apache RTR 200 with its dynamic abilities. The bike has a rear mono suspension and modern safety features like ABS to complement its handling credentials. It is powered by an air-cooled, single cylinder, 4-stroke 200cc engine that churns out a maximum power of 18.6PS at 8500RPM and maximum torque of 17.2Nm at 6000RPM. The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox. It has been built on the strong diamond type chassis and features front and rear disc brakes and LED lights.

Hero Splendor iSmart 110

The Splendor iSmart 110 is the first motorcycle developed entirely in-house by Hero’s own R&D team. The new bike is powered by a completely new engine chassis and frame. The bike has the company’s intuitive i3S technology at its core and is loaded with smart features. It is powered by an air-cooled, single cylinder, 4-stroke 110cc engine that delivers a maximum power of 9.1PS at 7500RPM and maximum torque of 9Nm at 5500RPM. The engine is mated to a four-speed gearbox. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, “I’m pleased to unveil Splendor iSmart 110, the first motorcycle to have been developed completely in-house by Hero’s own R&D team, thereby carrying forward the legacy of Splendor, the largest selling bike in the world.”

Hero XF3R

The Hero XF3R is a street fighter motorcycle with powerful styling and a mid-segment, high performance engine. This bike points out to Hero’s future design language and development philosophy for performance bikes. The Duet-E is an electric scooter concept aimed at providing a comfortable, convenient and environment-friendly commuting option to riders. This concept highlights the company’s commitment to providing future-ready mobility solutions based on alternate energy sources. The aesthetics of the scooter combine a white colour with flowing green graphics to give elegant and soothing overtones. The Duet-E has been based on the current production series scooter, the Duet, to make it cost effective and enable engineers to build the vehicle within a realistic timeline.

Hero Duet-E

Hero MotoCorp at 2016 Auto Expo Photo Gallery:

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Suzuki Hayate EP Introduced in a All New Avatar

Suzuki Motorcycles India has introduced its commuter motorcycle, the Hayate in an all new avatar.

Suzuki Motorcycles India has introduced its commuter motorcycle, the Hayate in an all new avatar. The Hayate EP features quite a few mechanical changes and attention has been even given to improve riding comfort.

Suzuki Motorcycles has been getting a good response for its daily commuter bike the Hayate and hence will be launching it in an all new avatar called Hayate EP. This bike features new technology added to the engine and also better ergonomics to give the rider a comfortable experience. The Suzuki Hayate EP is powered by a robust 110cc single cylinder engine that sports new tech like Suzuki Super Sleek Piston, high-ignition spark plug and low friction cylinder and piston rings. This aids in improved combustion, high compression ratio, reduced friction and weight reduction and in turn increases low speed responsiveness and better overall mileage.

Suzuki has designed the Hayate EP on a new diamond frame with a longer wheelbase to give it long distance abilities due to the added stability. The bike gets a longer seat that will provide more comfort to its riders. On the convenience front, the Hayate EP comes with a maintenance-free battery, tubeless tyres and a 5-step adjustable rear shock absorber. Aesthetically, the bike gets new body graphics and will be available in three colours – Metallic Oort Grey, Pearl Mira Red and Glass Sparkle Black. The Hayate EP will be available in the market in the current financial year and the pricing will be announced alongside.

Mr. Masayoshi Ito, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL), said, “The all new Suzuki Hayate EP appeals to every modern Indian rider. Our engineers and designers have worked very hard to give the Hayate EP superior fuel efficiency without compromising on pick-up. Added to that, the unmatched riding comfort of the Hayate EP makes it an ideal ride for daily commuters. We are confident that the new Hayate EP will be very well received in the market.”

RE: Honda Civic Type R

Friday 5th April 2002
Honda Civic Type R
New hot hatch icon or noisy shopping car?

RE: Jaguar F-Pace: Driven

Saturday 30th January
Jaguar F-Pace: Driven
Final prototypes and a Welsh rally arena?

Final prototypes and a Welsh rally arena? Of course we had to have a go!

While it's nice to drive a surprisingly talented new car, it's equally enjoyable to get in something that matches the very, very high expectations set for it. The Jaguar F-Pace is certainly one of the latter vehicles. And it would be daft to withhold the overarching first impression until the very end: the F-Pace shows every sign of being rather excellent.

That is to say, at least in the conditions we drive it in. Walters Arena near Swansea was the location for this prototype drive, an engineer's playground of rutted tracks, rock crawls, forest routes and plenty more. It was also raining apocalyptically, though nobody in attendance was surprised.

All three of the prototypes are 3.0-litre V6 diesel automatics, the same powertrain as used in the XF we tested recently. Jaguar has made no firm predictions on sales splits yet, but expect the four-cylinder Ingenium diesel to be popular in the UK. That diesel is offered with both rear- or all-wheel drive plus the manual and auto gearboxes; the V6 diesel and V6 petrol are all-wheel drive and automatic only.

It's at 'final polishing' stage says Jaguar

Cue the Macan comparisons...
Even on a day that would make a Polo Harlequin seem a little washed out, the white F-Paces look very good. Clearly inspired by the rest of the Jaguar range but discrete enough to not appear simply an upscale, it's a handsome car. Certainly against the Macan - it was going to feature soon enough - it's a more resolved piece of design, and arguably more interesting than something like a Q5 or X3. A word of warning though - if this car looks a little underwheeled, it's actually on the 19-inch rims. The optional 22s don't sound so stupid now, do they?

Following a brief tech presentation, we're out into the mud, rocks and trees. But initial impressions are from the passenger seat, where again there are more positives to report. Not only is the InControl Touch Pro system a significant improvement over that used in the XF, the ride is superb. It's a trait apparent throughout the day, the F-Pace's ability to shrug off big ruts and undulations at speed promising much for attacking speed bumps around Kensington. That Integral Link rear suspension would certainly appear worth the weight penalty on this experience. The refinement it displays while being thrown along a gravel track is incredible, if not strictly that indicative of real world use.

To the driver's seat. Again, in typical Jaguar fashion, the relationship between seat, wheel, pedals and control is spot on. You sit low enough to feel involved but without removing the sense of riding a bit higher that so many love about SUVs. Perhaps it's not quite as cocooning as a Macan, but for some that could be a benefit anyway.

More than happy to play the fool if you are

Safe distance
Now Jaguar is very keen to stress that the F-Pace is a sports car first and foremost and that it has all road rather off-road capability. This is key to separate it from a Land Rover product and also retain the on-road dynamics Jaguar has prioritised. Because, let's face it, who buys an SUV to go off road? The F-Pace's important off-ro.. sorry, all road tech is the Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) all-wheel drive, Adaptive Surface Response (ASR) mode and All Surface Progress Control (ASPC).

ASR replaces the Winter setting in regular Jags, optimising the vehicle systems for the terrain it detects underneath the tyres. There are three settings it can cycle through according to surface; low friction for snow and ice, medium friction for gravel and wet tarmac and 'high drag' for deep gravel and snow. These tweak throttle response, transmission and the DSC threshold to make progress as seamless as possible over difficult terrain. Though the test route isn't the most varied - rain, mud, rain, mud and, oh look, some rocks - there's never a point where the F-Pace feels out of its depth, or like it's struggling to adapt to any changes. Mission accomplished then.

The All Surface Progress Control is pitched as a 'low speed cruise control', where the car modulates throttle and brake inputs to maintain a set speed on any surface. You use the plus and minus buttons for the cruise control and the F-Pace sticks to it; uphill, downhill, on rocks, mud or any surface, the F-Pace progresses at whatever speed you choose, up to 20mph. It's not revolutionary tech for off-roaders, but it's still a pretty neat trick. As is the Low Friction Launch, a more progressive throttle map to make slippery getaways easier. Just the thing for if it rains at Le Mans...

As good off-road as will ever be required

Anyone fancy a doughnut?
Once all that tech has been proven, there's a huge muddy field, some time to kill and an invitation to turn every single one of those assists off. Be rude not to, right? While F-Pace buyers are hardly likely have their diesel SUVs crossed up in a Welsh quarry, that it proved so adept (and hilarious) there bodes well for the road. The Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) all-wheel drive developed from the F-Type is very, well, intelligent and helps the F-Pace feel just as nimble and rewarding as you would hope from a Jag 4x4. At turn-in, power is taken from the front wheels to remove understeer and benefit steering feel. Then, as lock is unwound, the power is apportioned forward again to assist traction. That technology manifests itself as a car that turns in like it's rear-wheel drive, moves into oversteer like a rear-wheel drive and then powers out like a four-wheel drive. It feels supremely balanced and poised beyond the limit, the handling more akin to a larger hatch than a conventional off-roader. It even responds quite well to a Scandinavian flick... Of course these impressions will have to be qualified by on-road drives, but the signs are very good.

At a more sedate pace through the tighter forest sections, what's most impressive about the F-Pace is its ease of use. Selecting off-road modes through just one button and steering wheel mounted controls is of course familiar from other SUVs, but it's the way the F-Pace makes going off road so stress-free that really impresses. The steering wheel doesn't wrench in your hands, there are no unpleasant noises from the powertrain and even the rocks thud off the wheelarches quietly. It's more capable than will be required by the typical SUV customer but just as refined as they will expect from a Jaguar.

Guess what? It's really rather good

Downsides? It's genuinely tough to pick any out at the moment, with the caveat that this was a carefully managed Jaguar launch event. They're hardly likely to show it off in an environment where it struggles, after all.  The full launch on road in a couple of months will provide a more exhaustive test and reveal just how it compares to the German rivals. As with other Jaguars, it will be interesting to see exactly how much it weighs (this spec is 'from 1,884kg') and it's worth bearing in mind the list price with a few options too. As an example, this V6 diesel S with some bigger wheels, a panoramic roof and the InControl Touch Pro is a £55,000 car.

That being said, the F-Pace still feels like a real contender in this class. Its combination of Jaguar dynamics and style with more than enough off-road ability will ensure its success, particularly with British customers. The First Edition cars will be delivered in April and, from this drive, it deserves to be very popular indeed.

JAGUAR F-PACE 3.0D AWD
Engine : 2,993cc, V6 diesel
Transmission : 8-speed ZF automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp) : 300@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft) : 516@2,000rpm
0-62mph : 6.2sec
Top speed : 150mph
Weight : from 1,884kg
MPG : 47.1 (EU combined)
CO2 : 159g/km
Price : £51,450

RE: Jaguar F-Type R AWD: Review

Tuesday 23rd February
Jaguar F-Type R AWD: Review
Double the traction, half the fun?

Not so long ago we were asking if turbos had ruined. Can the same be said of adding all-wheel drive to the Jaguar F-Type?

This one still sounds like it's gargling red hot ball bearings. But is more maturity in the way it transmits its power really what we want? And does adding a four-wheel drive system simply exacerbate the powerfully built Jag's existing weight problem? Given the newwill be all-wheel drive only, now's probably a good time to see if this is the emasculation of the F-Type. Or its making.

Glacier White almost seems apt on a day like this

Sharp-eyed F-Type fans will notice the V8 Convertible is now full-beans 550hp R spec, not theof the original line-up. That should help hurry along some of the additional 80kg of the AWD version, the 'from' weight of this car listed at 1,745kg. Which is quite a lot.

Glory hunter
Contributing to that and the rather different character of this car is Jaguar's Intelligent Driveline Dynamics , which adds a coupling after the gearbox and a propshaft to the front axle. Most of the time this sits idle and the AWD is actually RWD, like the standard one.

At such point as an idiot motoring journalist with dreams of YouTube glory (guilty as charged ) wants to explore the V8's ability to overwhelm the rear tyres clever stuff starts happening. In conversation with the gearbox, active locking rear diff, DSC system and Torque Vectoring by Braking, IDD starts bleeding off drive torque to the front axle and working with the other systems to pull the car straight. Any real men reading this will probably now be muttering 'bloody killjoys'.

And, frankly, if you're accustomed to the heroic cornering stance of the rear-wheel drive F-Types it comes as a bit of a surprise to find you really can give it a bootful on corner exit and not disappear into a cloud of your own tyre smoke.

IDD tech aims to keep rear-driven balance

A tactful intervention
The integration and intervention of the IDD system is slick. Tactful might even be a better way to describe it. Jaguar's aim was to come up with a system that maintained rear-driven steering purity on turn-in and all-wheel drive traction on the way out. Get on the gas early and you'll feel that familiar sense of the car squatting down on its outside rear and the nose pushing into the turn in a gentle rotation out of the initial understeer. But where you'd usually start winding on opposite lock and waving to your fans the F-Type just grips and goes.

If that sounds like a disappointment it really isn't. Because you get the sense of rear-wheel drive balance, the adjustability on the throttle and all the rest. And then the ability to let rip with all that noise and power safe in the knowledge it'll go somewhere useful. As a result mid-way Trac DSC is a happy default and you don't need to swallow a brave pill (or call ahead to your tyre fitter) before turning everything off. Basically you get to enjoy more of the F-Type's performance more of the time.

And, by heck, there's plenty of it too. That kerbweight and the more linear power delivery of JLR's supercharged V8 makes it feel slightly blunted compared with the more dramatically boosty turbocharged equivalents in rivals like the AMG GT. But with that soundtrack - best enjoyed with the roof down of course - you'll forgive pretty much anything. And that's the thing about the F-Type; it's a feel good car.

For all the comedy value of the rear-driven car's theatrics hand on heart this is probably the F-Type most buyers want. And on the icy, ungritted Lincolnshire roads en route to our photo location at Blyton Park it was possible to drop the roof, snuggle into the fiercely heated seats and enjoy the best of a winter's morning without unduly tip-toeing along.

Don't mistake less smoke for less fun

More F-Type, more of the time
All very nice, but after a few laps of the track has the F-Type played all its cards? Actually not. It may be fundamentally a more sensible and usable car but there is still a sense of playfulness if you start to really manhandle it. Stamp late on the brakes and trail them into the apex and the weight shift will pivot the F-Type around, at which point you can get hard on the power and ride out a lovely four-wheel drift with the wheel more or less dead ahead. It's a less natural cornering stance for a burly V8 roadster but fun in its own way. And faster too.

The electric steering introduced with theis good and the press pack makes great bones about the effort that's gone into it. Light steering has always been a Jaguar thing but there are times when the weighting feels a little unnatural and inconsistent; possibly the calibration of the assistance or perhaps a consequence of drive torque being fed to the wheels mid-corner but it's a little unnerving.

A worthwhile addition to a burgeoning range!

Spring rates are up by 10 per cent too and on the motorway the secondary ride feels a little fidgety, rattling your eyeballs in their sockets when you really should be able to relax into the journey. And for a six-figure car, especially one up against the likes of Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, there are parts of the interior that feel distinctly plasticky and low-rent. Superficial, perhaps, but the kind of thing you'd pick up on while flitting from one showroom to the next. Standard brakes are fine on the road too but in the unlikely event you're buying your F-Type as a track toy you may want to consider the £7,750 carbon ceramics.

Which brings us back to where we started. Does all-wheel drive ruin the F-Type? Certainly not for a large number of potential buyers and the way they might want to enjoy the car. And if it does sound a bit nannying for you within the 18-car range there remain the more hooligan spec V6 S manuals and rear-driven Rs. Each to their own and all that.

JAGUAR F-TYPE R CONVERTIBLE AWD
Engine : 5,000cc, supercharged V8
Transmission : 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp) : 550@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft) : 502@3,500rpm
0-62mph : 4.1secs
Top speed : 186mph
Weight : 'From' 1,745kg
MPG : 25.0 (NEDC combined)
CO2 : 269g/km
Price : £103,715 (Base of £97,145 with £700 for Glacier White paint, £880 for extended leather pack, £250 for illuminated tread plates, £500 for parking pack, £1,075 for visibility pack, £660 for reverse traffic detection with blind spot monitoring and closing vehicle sensing, £450 for Jaguar smart key system with keyless entry and start, £350 for dual-zone automatic climate control, £55 for air quality sensing with auto recirculation, £1,300 for 12-speaker Meridian surround sound system and £350 for heated seats)

Thanks to

RE: Jaguar XF: Driven

Tuesday 18th August 2015
Jaguar XF: Review
All-new Jaguar XF driven and, yes, it's more than just a big XE...
What with the hype surrounding the XE and the forthcoming F-Pace SUV, it would be easy for the other important Jaguar launch this year to go unnoticed.

SUV, it would be easy for the other important Jaguar launch this year to go unnoticed. But it would be a crime to ignore the. It was the big saloon, of course, that helped Jaguar move on from its olde-world image and styling. The XF proved, after the unsuccessful X-Type, that Britain was capable of making a great-driving, charismatic alternative to the Germans.

Okay, it might not have been perfect; but the, especially the sublime, made the world a happier, smokier, place to be.

Old XF reinvented Jaguar; no pressure then

Big lightweight
The big news with the all-new version is how little you get for your money - Jaguar has shrunk the XF so that it's 7mm shorter and 5mm lower than before. And thanks to Jaguar's investment in an aluminium-rich platform, the new saloon is up to 190kg lighter than the car it replaces.

Now anyone with a PH mindset will have read that last paragraph and be slavering to skip to the bit about how much faster and better handling it must be - especially the supercharged V8 version that powers the XFR-S.

So go ahead, skip the part about there being more cabin space and better headroom than before. Ignore the fact that the XF looks like a better proportioned XE. And pass over the more appealing cabin that still just lacks the quality of an Audi. Let's talk performance, shall we?

Except there's some bad news: there's no V8 XF yet, and there won't be one until Jaguar's special ops pulls its finger out. With rumours that the next-generation BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG will pack an outrageous 600hp, the new, lighter XF SVR will most likely have to squeeze a lot more from the 5.0-litre V8 that made 550hp in the XFR-S and continues in the.

Like an XE but just, well, better looking

Numbers game
For now, there's just the option of the 380hp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 for those in desperate need of a fast XF. Accompanying it is a less interesting 300hp 3.0-litre V6 diesel, along with the regular 'Ingenium' 163- and 180hp four-cylinder diesels. Predictably, and depressingly, 95 per cent of all XF buyers will opt for the diesels. All come with rear-wheel drive but in other colder markets all-wheel drive is an option.

With specific instructions to 'focus on the fast ones', the noisy 2.0-litre diesel is largely ignored, which has an unpleasant habit of thumping its way through its eight-speed auto. At the same northern Spanish Navarra circuit as the XE launch, there's time to learn how much time, love and knowledge has been lavished on the XF's chassis. With a pleasing 50:50 weight distribution the lightweight underpinnings are the star of the show, but if there was a Best Supporting Role it would go to the XF's new integral link rear suspension.

Bigger, heavier and costlier than the normal multi-link, the new suspension is worth the compromise. It's key to unlocking the handling prowess of the big Jag because it does something cheaper suspension layouts cannot: separate the lateral from vertical loads.This means softer bushes can be used, which is good news for ride comfort. More importantly, the integral link allows a stiffer front double wishbone suspension set up that improves steering feel. On other cars a stiffer front end with rear double wishbone rear suspension makes it feel inert and, worse, understeery

Softer bushes at the rear also allow a degree of passive rear steer, again reducing understeer. The XF also has ZF's latest electric power steering rack and software.

Clever rear suspension pays dividends on road

Softly does it?
So, with barely a glance at which way the race track goes, I leap into a supercharged 3.0-litre and hit the Navarra circuit. A lack of knowledge makes my driving very poor, much to the amusement of my human ballast and circuit instructor George, who laughs as I demonstrate that any big heavy car, even with a clever rear suspension, is capable of both big under- and oversteer.

But there's little to learn about the XF on this smooth, perfectly surfaced track other than how balanced it feels, and that the transition into a slide is smooth and very catchable. To the road...

Up in the Pyrenees, the XF S is far more impressive than the small diesel. Not a great surprise really. The eight-speed automatic gels better, with less pronounced thumps as it shifts and, in the bumpier real-world conditions, the front-end holds on remarkably well. At the limit the XF is also agile and adjustable, even a little more lairy than you might imagine in the Trac ESP mode.

Adaptive dampers seem a useful option

Our car was fitted with the adaptive suspension that uses the Sport rather than the Comfort springs of the two passive set ups, but it has dampers that can be set far more compliant than the latter, resulting in a good compromise. Apparently it's better still on the small 19-inch wheels but all the 3.0-litre petrol cars we drove rode on 20s.

As we climb steeper the trees die off and the scenery hardens, the road coils into the occasional hairpin. Again, left in Trac DSC mode there's a pleasing amount of slip and plenty of traction thanks to some trick torque vectoring, meaning you won't miss a limited-slip differential the spec may suggest it needs. But with one, the 332lb ft could surely be deployed yet more efficiently and entertainingly.

What's missing is an evocative soundtrack. The XF sounds great from the outside, but inside it's a little plain, with only a dull supercharged whine to keep you company. We're not asking for the F-Type histrionics, but it needs more than this.

Diesel might be preferable to petrol. Really

Diesel delight (!)
The next day, the climb up the Pyrenees is repeated in the 3.0-litre diesel and, well, it's preferable to the petrol. Yes, really. Aside from some very odd resonances on our car, generally it sounds better - which is strange. Riding on a slightly smaller 19-inch wheel and tyre combo it was difficult to compare ultimate turn-in grip with what must be a lighter supercharged petrol 3.0-litre, but it didn't matter.

Even though you lose out in confidence on turn-in, the diesel's greater torque destroys the petrol on the straights and, pleasingly, works those rear tyres harder too. Finally, the diesel also has a silky-smooth eight-speed auto. The petrol V6, and earlier 2.0-litre diesel, use a more compact version of the ZF gearbox that obviously still needs some software work to even things out.

In any case, after two days' driving the new XF over some extremely challenging roads, it's clear Jaguar has proven it remembers how to make a big car endlessly entertaining and engaging. But can the XF V6 S be recommended over Audi's mighty 450hp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8? Impossible. The German would walk it in performance terms - it's almost a whole second quicker to 62mph.

Instead, if you want a faster, more enjoyable XF until the V8 SVR arrives, go along with 95 per cent of all other buyers and buy the diesel. It's the better, more enjoyable car.

JAGUAR XF V6 S
Engine: 2,995cc V6 supercharged
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 380@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 332@4,500rpm
0-62mph: 5.3sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Kerbweight: 1,710kg (EU, with driver)
MPG: 34.0 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 198g/km
Price: £49,945

RE: Jaguar XF TDV6 S: Driven

Tuesday 19th January
Jaguar XF TDV6 S: Driven
The original XF was the car that began the Jaguar revolution, so how does the new one compare?

Replacing the XF was always going to be a tough task. The first car was such a radical departure for Jaguar in terms of design and image that it was always going to make the second generation even more difficult than normal. Think of the Ford Focus, for example. Jaguar doesn't need reinventing again, but the XF must be sufficiently improved to appear a worthwhile replacement.

Natty 20-inch wheels a £1,200 option

from Spain were very positive, so this Glacier White V6 diesel S was eagerly anticipated at PHHQ. Though we don't often have diesel executive saloons in for test, the price did come as something of a shock; with options including the head-up display, 20-inch wheels and 'Advanced Parking Assist Pack', OV65 NKS is a £58,000 car, up from £49,945 as standard. But then a BMW 535d M Sport is £49,070, and an A6 BiTDI S Line £48,990, so it's hardly overpriced compared to key rivals.

To these eyes the-aping design actually suits the XF better, particularly here with those 20-inch wheels. And yes, it was definitely cleaned before going back to Jaguar. The interior is largely a success too, with a superb driving position, great wheel and clear instruments. Oddly the instruments are better to look at than the rather outdated head up display.

Sadly there's another noticeable probelm inside. Though much has been made of the new InControl Touch infotainment system, it still can't quite match the best for graphics, responsiveness and intuitiveness. It works well, but as a user experience it lags a little behind those systems in its rivals.

Oh look, a round steering wheel (!)

That being said, the XF has more than enough talents on the road to make up for those shortfalls. As we've come to expect from Jaguar, the dynamics are so finely resolved that it makes you wonder why so many others can't match it. At any speed, its combination of damping, steering response and control weight are all absolutely spot on, the compromise it strikes between executive saloon comfort and sports saloon composure perfectly judged.

This all with the powertrain and chassis set to normal, the XF's ability to coast down the motorway, absorb the worst urban imperfections and reward on B-roads rendering the other setting rather superfluous. It's a genuinely entertaining car to drive fast too, steering as well as any other EPAS-equipped car and with a 50:50 weight balance that gives it great poise and control. Its ride and handling bode exceptionally well for an XF SVR; with a gearbox made slightly sharper and that stonking supercharged V8, it could be fantastic.

Back on the M40 and the diesel XF is supreme actually, all noise very well suppressed and the 516lb ft providing effortless speed. It's extremely comfortable and very relaxing, still in the 'normal' mode that proved so entertaining in the B-roads. It seems a shame that buyers apparently demand endless configurability when one mode so well suits every situation. The news is less positive from the back though, where a few complaints could be heard of excess tyre and road noise.

Like an XE, but bigger. And possibly better

Overall though the XF is an extremely desirable car, particularly for people like us. If there's one place where minor tech gripes can be overlooked for driving dynamics it's PH, right? Perhaps the biggest problem faced by the XF at the moment is an issue of spec though. The smooth, powerful 3.0-litre V6 diesel is only offered as an 'S' model, which means that the cheapest V6 diesel XF, indeed the only V6 diesel XF, is £50K. The 180hp four-cylinder cars are not only 120hp down but are at least £14,000 less as well. This XF S is a glorious executive saloon, but it sometimes seems a bit much. The market for £50,000, 300hp diesel saloons must be fairly small, however impressive the cars and content the owners. Something at a 530d level, at about 50hp and £10,000 less, would not only be the XF of choice but probably the executive saloon to have too; it's tremendous.

JAGUAR XF TDV6 S
Engine : 2,993cc, V6 diesel
Transmission : 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp) : 300@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft) : 516@2,000rpm
0-62mph : 6.2secs
Top speed : 155mph
Weight : 1,750kg
MPG : 51.4 (NEDC combined)
CO2 : 144g/km
Price : £58,355 (Base of £49,945 with £675 for Glacier White metallic paint, £1,200 for 20-inch Venom Twin 5-spoke Gloss Black wheels, £450 for Memory pack with powerfold mirrors, £1,620 for Advanced Parking Assist Pack with Surround camera, £1,000 cabin pre-heat with timer and remote, £300 for Steering column electric adjustment, £1,220 for Laser Head-up display, £510 for cold climate pack, £300 for Alloy space saver spare wheel, £485 for soft door close and £650 for the Black Pack)

Images: Dafydd Wood

Aprilia SR 150 unveiled at 2016 Auto Expo

Piaggio unveiled the Aprilia SR 150 scooter in India which will be launched in August and the manufacturing will take place at the Baramati plant of Piaggio which is a parent company of Aprilia, making it the first Aprilia to be made in India.

2015 Aprilia SR 150 at the unveil in Delhi

The powertrain details of Aprilia SR 150 have not been made public but it is expected to feature single cylinder SOHC engine capable of displacing 150 cc and producing around 12 bhp of power. The bike feels petite and is projected as sports crossover by the Italian manufacturer. The overall design language is very European with the headlight integrated into the front panel with the indicators finding space on the handle It features decals on either side of the headlamp with a thin strip of Italian flag asserting its Italian origins.

Aprilia SR 150 black with red graphics

The seat gets dual tone red and black finish going with the overall paint scheme on the scooter. The grab rails are finished in shiny black. The instrument cluster gets simple and readable dial with  speedometer, fuel gauge and odometer. The scooter employs telescopic front forks and mono shock unit at the back to handle suspension duties. The scooter runs on 14-inch diameter wheels that get wrapped around with sticky 120/70 section tyres on both the wheels. The Aprilia SR 150 has a fuel tank capacity of 7 litres while seat height is 775mm. Braking is done by 220mm disc brake at front and 140mm drum brake at the rear.

Aprilia SR 150 will employ 14 inch wheels and disc brake at the front tyre

In all probability, the Aprilia SR 150 will be positioned in the premium space above the Vespa 150 and might cost above 1 lakh when launched.

2016 Aprilia SR 150 speedometer

2016 Volkswagen Passat GTE Unveiled At The Auto Expo

The all-new Passat will soon return to Indian shores and the car is on display at the Auto Expo.

Speaking at the company’s press conference, Mr. Jurgen Stackmann Board Member for Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “The Delhi Motor Show is a great opportunity for us to showcase our enhanced product portfolio of segment-leading car lines to customers in this dynamic and growing market. Volkswagen wants to play a key role in India not only in terms of sales and market share, but also in terms of safety, quality and innovation. That is why we are strengthening our efforts here. We are expanding our product portfolio in India with the made for India product, the Ameo, our first compact sedan, the latest edition Tiguan, which marks our debut in India’s SUV segment and the new Passat which will be launched in this fiscal.”

The Passat will soon be put on sale again in the country but it is unknown if the GTE will be offered. The cars comes loaded with equipment and new tech. The GTE is powered by a 1.4 litre TSI petrol engine producing 156 PS working in conjunction with an electric motor developing 115 PS. The car has a combined range of 1000 kms. The total power output is  around 218 PS and the torque is around 400 Nm.  It is capable of delivering EU 6 emission norms. The hybrid car can accelerate from a standstill to a 100 kmph in less than 8 seconds and reach a top speed of 220 kmph but it can do 130 kmph on electric power alone. It will compete against the Skoda Superb and the Toyota Camry.

RE: Lotus Exige Cup: Review

Tuesday 28th January 2014
Lotus Exige Cup: Review
What would the Lotus Exige S be like pared back and prepped for the track?

What would the Lotus Exige S be like pared back and prepped for the track? Rather good, it turns out

Ah the. The gift that keeps giving for the click hungry editor of a discussion-led motoring website! Have we tired yet of debating PDK versus manual? Seemingly not. And into this fray marches Lotus, just a couple of weeks after some bloke called Walter told us his favourite GT3 ever was the pared back first-gen 996.

Little of the old delicacy but much more potent

The new GT3 is operating at a totally different level to that original car. It's got a revvy normally aspirated engine to differentiate it from the Turbo but, really, they're now just two slightly different answers to. The eventual RS may reclaim the purist vote but by then we'll be knocking on the door ofmoney and the willingness to treat it as a hard-working track hound may be found lacking.

So let's look again at Rohrl's. 360hp. Minimal driver aids and the just enough creature comforts for daily road use. A direct bloodline to racing cars. A slim kerb weight. A price tag of £76K, not £176K. Where would you turn now if you wanted such a car?

For speed add, oh, power
Well, you could do worse than talk to Lotus. The standardwould make for a more than capable road and track car. So if that car is the 996 GT3 for the modern age the 350hp Cup we have here is the RS equivalent. You can look at it in two ways - either as the very peak of the road legal Lotus range or the first rung on the ladder of a V6-based motorsport line-up that could take you into GT4 and beyond.

All are road legal but track ambitions clear

There are significant hurdles in going from Exige S to Cup, a circa £10K price leap the first. Because it's built by Lotus Racing track rules apply so it only comes with a limited one year/6,000-mile warranty too. But if you're serious about using your Exige on track it begins to make sense, the price including a baffled wet sump, A-frame rollover assembly with harness bar, FIA standard integral fire extinguisher system, isolator switches, towing eyes, FIA approved fixed back racing seats with harnesses to accompany the inertia reel belts for road use and two-way adjustable Nitron dampers. It also runs Lotus Racing spring rates and because it's based on the same chassis as the Cup R there's additional adjustment in the suspension hardpoints for a wider range of camber, caster, toe and ride height set up.

Next thing you know...
Further options include Cup R Ohlins TTX dampers, air-con, HANS ready driver's seat and six-point harness and a full roll cage bolted into the prepared mounting points on the tub. By that point you'll be ready to go racing, the Cup certified for entry into various Lotus Cup championships around the world.

V6 zings, supercharger sings, Exige flies

Taking a step back, can the basic Cup really cut it as a car you'd drive on the road as well as the track?

Before taking to the Hethel test track we go for a quick round the block on the road, incorporating a delightful little wiggle of B-road before a slightly less delightful blast up the A11 towards Norwich. Two things strike you immediately; first that the short throw and positive gate are a big step up from Elise family shifters of old. And second that the non-assisted steering is ruddy heavy at parking speeds. Heavy enough to have you lifting out of your seat as you haul on the little wheel.

That ceases to be an issue once double digits appear on the speedo but it's a shock in this day and age and first indication the Exige isn't as dainty as those previously to wear the badge. Twists and turns on the B-roads are dismissed with a roll of the wrists but the concrete surface of the A11 shows how raw the Cup is on less accommodating roads. It's loud enough you won't be missing the stereo and proves a weight saving of around 75kg over the standard Exige doesn't come without sacrifice.

Clever DPM 'learning' traction control

Every cloud
Back at Hethel and out onto the test track the conditions are miserable under an oppressively grey Norfolk sky. Large puddles lurk in bits where you'd really want to be braking and/or turning and it's a relief to hear from Lotus Racing's Louis Kerr that the car has been set up with the default 'easy track' damping and geometry. He advises that the Race setting on the Exige's trademark - and very clever - Dynamic Performance Management is reserved for dry conditions but experience shows its ability to 'learn' the grip levels means it may yet get an outing.

By heck it's fiercely quick too. Sub nine seconds 0-100mph is rapid in anyone's book and even in these conditions the standard fit Pirelli Corsas find decent traction. Exiges have always had plenty of top-end excitement but the increased displacement and cylinder count gives you the kind of low-end grunt four-cylinder versions could only dream of. It opens up the option to short-shift and maximise traction with little noticeable drop-off in pace, the gruff V6 opening up to a more feral top-end overlayed with just a little supercharger shriek. It's not quite as banzai as the previous supercharged Exiges like the Cup 260 but it feels much, much faster across the board.

Even in the wet grip and traction is immense

That character trait extends to the handling too. The delicacy and balance of the four-cylinder cars has been replaced by a more blunt, muscular handling model that in this set-up defaults to a safety inspired nose-led cornering stance. Even with sideways star Gavan Kershaw on the steering circle the Exige pushes on rather than holding balanced slides but you could of course dial this out by playing with the geo.

I feel it in my fingers
It's confidence inspiring in these conditions though, the sudden loss of grip as you pass through mid-corner puddles felt as muscles and tendons in your forearms suddenly relaxing in the true definition of steering feel. As the loss of grip moves from front to rear you're already dialling in the correction as a pure instinctive reaction and with the DPM in Race mode you can then lean hard on the throttle safe in the knowledge it'll give you as much as the chassis will handle without dumbing down the need for driver input. Or you can lift to neutralise the understeer and suddenly a much more playful character emerges, even if the open diff ultimately spins the power away. Overall though it's a very neat balance, both satisfyingly involving and extremely rapid; accommodating of those with less experience while rewarding for those who know what they're doing.

Just what those of us disillusioned with the growing automation of supposed drivers' cars have been crying out for, right?

LOTUS EXIGE V6 CUP
Engine: 3,456cc V6, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@4,500rpm
0-62mph: c. 3.8sec
Top speed: c. 171mph
Weight: 1,110kg (depending on final spec)
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £62,994 (basic price inc. VAT, fully road legal and with limited warranty)

Some slightly tentative onboard.

RE: Lotus Exige S Roadster: Review

Wednesday 3rd July 2013
Lotus Exige S Roadster: Review
Can an open top Exige out-run the supposed black clouds over Hethel?

Can an open top Exige out-run the supposed black clouds over Hethel? PH takes a drive

A full 14 years after the original Exige hit the racetrack, Lotus has decided to produce the first officialand in the process, the fastest Lotus convertible ever.

Good on track but this is where Exige rules

Visually it is instantly differentiated by the lack of front splitter and rear wing, which takes the racing edge away from the lines. In some ways I actually prefer the slightly purer shape and in no way does it lack presence.

The Roadster is designed with a more compliant chassis setup than its. Weight is down by a negligible 10kg to 1,166kg and the price remains at £52,900 plus OTR costs, although Lotus is expecting buyers to specify more options which will probably put all of that weight back in and bump the price appreciably.

Mmm, quilted
Premium and Premium Sport options with quilted leather or SuedeTex for the seats, sills, dash trim and the rest are offered along with various special paint options and 'luxuries' such as heated seats, air-con, parking sensors, cup holder...

The top speed is limited to 145mph as this was felt to be the limit of what was sensible with the roof in situ. As for straight line performance, 0-60mph is despatched in 3.8 seconds, while a 0-100mph time of just 8.5 seconds bears testament to the fact that Exige has the pace to play with the big boys. Power is the same as the coupe - 350hp@7,000rpm and torque 295lb ft at 4,500rpm.

Supercharged V6 not lacking in punch

The roof itself is an absolute doddle to remove, unclipping, rolling up and with the plastic 'bows' removed and stored inside the bundle, the whole lot fits easily in the boot behind the engine without robbing too much stowage.

It is still a bit of a clamber over that wide sill but much easier without the roof for taller drivers. And once you have slid down into the cockpit there's plenty of seat adjustment and you don't feel cramped, even two up.

Wriggle room
The tiny steering wheel is just right and the pedals are nicely placed and perfectly spaced for heel-toe work. The 3.5-litre V6 starts with a bark and sets the tone for the drive. The unassisted steering is pretty heavy at parking speeds but as soon as you are rolling it's fine.

And the steering is as wonderful as ever, the wheel writhing between your fingers, relaying a constant flow of feel and feedback. But it isn't nervy or twitchy, rather, it plugs you directly into the act of driving.

Steering feel? THIS is steering feel!

The extra compliance in the Roadster's suspension setup means that it rides beautifully and although you feel bumps and potholes, they don't crash through the cabin, nor do they deflect you from your cornering line. This is an easier - and arguably more pleasant - car to drive on the road than the coupe. In fact with the combination of accessible performance, suppleness and compact dimensions, I'd struggle to think of a rival that could match its cross-country pace.

At normal driving speeds wind roar isn't too much of a problem and my head was just about below the level where buffeting was uncomfortable.

Country air
A whiff of understeer set in through a few tight turns but the overwhelming sense was bags of grip and a nice flat, neutral stance. The linear delivery of the supercharged engine gives a muscular big capacity feel, a strong mid-range that means you don't have to stir the gearbox unless you want to. It's worth it though: the shift is good and there is a zingy top end surge awaiting you in the redline, matched by a creamy yowl from the exhaust

There are few things more joyful than driving a proper sports car along a challenging road . This kind of machine should be a sensory overload and lopping the roof panel off just adds to the sensation - the extra noise, the wind plucking at your barnet, the smell of freshly spread animal muck in a nearby field... Well, this is Norfolk.

Non-assisted steering a rarity these days

The Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system developed with Bosch has three modes on this test car: Tour, Sport and Off. Tour is for normal daily driving with maximum backup from the electronics. Sport sharpens up the throttle, backs off the systems, opens up the exhaust bypass valves at high rpm and increases the redline from 6,800rpm to 7,200rpm

Track and field
I really liked the ability to switch out of Sport and knock the exhaust back a bit - it was a bit boomy and resonant in town and sometimes that can get a bit wearing. Other times, of course, it's just the ticket!

If you opt for the Race pack, you get an extra Race mode that maximises the car's on-track performance from the ESP point of view and gives you a launch control system. Springs and dampers are also 15 per cent stiffer on this version. It wasn't available on the test cars and to be honest, I struggle to see the point. The Sport pack is nicely judged for road use and if you want a speedy get away it is perfectly attainable using the old fashioned technique.

Not sure how quilting equates with 'add lightness'

We also had a chance to use. On the circuit that tendency towards understeer is a little more prevalent. The engineers explain thathas a distinctly pointier front end thanks to the slightly different suspension settings, the extra camber and the aero from the splitter. The hardtop is about 1.5 seconds a lap quicker, too, if that kind of thing is a priority.

With a chance to explore the handling envelope it is clear that the push can be factored out with a little lift ... or thoroughly overwhelmed with a dollop of power. The Roadster is happy to move around and feels quite benign, its grip levels always superbly communicated - although you always need to bear in mind that the steering does require a fair bit more heft than an assisted setup should you need to whip on a 'dab of oppo'.

Racer for the road
We were on the P Zero Corsa tyre but those who want maximum performance at the expense of wet weather ability can specify Pirelli's Trofeo offering for an extra £800 - although whether they give the full race experience ofwe're not sure.

Slightly softer than coupe; looks toned down too

In the hands of senior vehicle dynamics engineer Darren Cockle, the full potential of the car was unleashed. Darren hit the kerbs harder than I ever would have dared and braked savagely and late. "I'm pretty sure you could surprise a few people with this on a track day. The brakes just keep going and going and although it is a little softer than the coupe it is also a little faster in a straight line. We have tried to keep the true character of the Exige in this car."

They have succeeded, too. But by softening a few edges, toning down the looks and going topless, they have added a new dimension and a whole heap of extra appeal to the package as well.

So there you have it. A grown up Elise? Oh, it's much more than that. Fast, fun and brilliant to drive on road and track, the Exige S Roadster offers the full sports car experience in a truly attractive package. Yes you can pick fault for ease of access, limited luggage space and the price but this really is a very special machine. Lotus has had some well-documented problems in recent time but while cars like this continue to roll of the production line, we should all be very grateful.

LOTUS EXIGE S ROADSTER
Engine: 3,456cc V6, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power: 350hp@7,000rpm
Torque: 295lb ft @4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.0sec
Top speed: 145mph (limited)
Weight: 1,166kg
MPG: 28.0
CO2: 236g/km
Price: £53,850 (OTR)

RWD Lamborghini Huracan Coming?

Rumors suggest that Lamborghini will be launching a rear-wheel drive version of its Huracan supercar.

Rumors suggest that Lamborghini will be launching a rear-wheel drive version of its Huracan supercar. The car will have its global debut on November 17th at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The regular Huracan is already potent vehicle

Lamborghini built a rear-wheel drive Gallardo so it this news does not come as a surprise. The new Huracan will be lighter than the current coupe and will be a more hardcore version. Since its predecessor was limited to just 250 units, it is highly likely to a be limited edition car as well. Lamborghini could also build a rear-wheel drive version of the Spyder.

The Italian company already builds a rear-wheel Huracan. This is the Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo race car. So it should be easy for Lamborghini to build a road legal version of this car.

More details will emerge once the show kicks off. The show will be held between November 20th to 29th this year.

The Huracan Super Trofeo is a rear wheel drive supercar

The current Huracan LP 610-4 is powered by a 5.2 litre naturally aspirated V10 engine producing 602 hp and 560 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed LDF dual-clutch transmission and power is sent to all four wheels. It accelerates from a standstill to a 100 kmph in 3.2 seconds and goes on to a top speed of more than 325 kmph. It gets technologies like the ANIMA switch (Advanced Network Intelligence Management), LPI system (Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale) and LDS (Lamborghini Dynamic Steering). The Lamborghini Huracan rivals the Audi R8, Ferrari 488, Porsche 911 Turbo S and the Mclaren 650S. While the coupe was launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the spider was launched at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Huracan is the successor to the Gallardo. In India, only the coupe is on sale as of now. It costs INR 3.43 crores (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Huracan Spider will be launched at a later stage.

It will be interesting to see what Lamborghini comes up with next.

The Huracan Spyder is a soft top convertible

Source – Auto blog

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Lamborghini Centenario Sold Out

Earlier, Lamborghini had confirmed that they will be launching a new limited edition hypercar to mark the 100th birth anniversary of its founder, Ferrucio Lamborghini.

Earlier, Lamborghini had confirmed that they will be launching a new limited edition hypercar to mark the 100th birth anniversary of its founder, Ferrucio Lamborghini. The car is rumored to be called that the Centenario and expected to be priced at least 1.64 million pounds. It has now been reported that 40 units of the hypercar will be built and all have been sold out. Of the 40 units being built, 20 are coupes while the remaining 20 are convertibles.

The Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 Superveloce

Design ways, it will feature completely different design compared to the Huracan and the Aventador. A company insider who has seen the images of the car said that it might come as a surprise to many. It has been described as “beautiful and not as extreme as you might expect”. Potential customers have already seen the car. The hypercar is most likely to be powered by a 6.5 litre naturally aspirated engine V12 engine that is found in the Aventador and the Aventador SV. Power, however, will be boosted to around 770 bhp and it will be sent to all four wheels. The car will accelerate from a standstill to a 100 kmph in around 2.6 seconds and top speed will be on the greater side of 350 kmph.

2014 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said: “We will unveil a car in Geneva. In terms of renderings, it is known to the customers already. The car we will show will be a completely different design from both Huracán and Aventador. It is a car which is covering the best balance between tradition and innovation because we are speaking about performance, design, weight, aerodynamics and also the chassis in terms of adaptability control. You are familiar with our one-offs – it will be something like this, a coupe body style. And it will initiate the celebration of the 100 years.” He added: “It is a car for collectors and lovers of the brand and also for those who want to drive it, too.”

RE: Driven: Lotus Elise S

Monday 30th April 2012
Driven: Lotus Elise S
It's got the engine from a Prius but a supercharger too, and that's the bit we're more interested in
Frankly it’s a bloody relief to stop talking Lotus politics and concentrate on Lotus cars.

Frankly it’s a bloody relief to stop talking Lotus politics and concentrate on Lotus cars. And amidst all the recent excitements one that was in danger of getting lost among the shouting was the return of the supercharged Elise, now badged S and giving the Elise range teeth it’s lacked since the Euro 5 inspired cull of the old 1.8-litre 2ZZ-GE Toyota engine.

Looks familiar ... because it is, mainly

The remaining 136hp – 142hp with the dealer fit ‘track only’ pack on the Club Racer – 1.6-litre has been the lone voice in the Elise range since the 1.8 was killed off, this new S nothing new in concept beyond an Elise with a bit more power. Nothing wrong with that.

Does your Prius do this?
It gets 220hp like before from a Magnuson supercharger and 1.8-litre Toyota engine combo. This is a new engine though, Euro 5 compliant and shared with … the Toyota Prius. Which is an amusing aside, though to be absolutely clear they are related rather than identical, both from the 2ZR family and both with the same swept capacity and bore/stroke but the Prius version getting its own Atkinson cycle head for furthering its eco pretensions.

Less revvy than an SC but just as quick

Suffice to say, it’s more interesting when paired with a supercharger, the big difference with this engine being that it’s a lot more undersquare than the previous one and much more torquey as a result – 184lb ft over the SC’s 156lb ft. OK, it doesn’t rev quite as manically – peak power is at 6,800rpm rather than 8,000rpm – and it’s not quite as charismatic but flexibility is the reward.

Back to basics
What a delight to be back in an Elise though. There’s an argument to be had that the market has moved on from stripped out, back to basics cars like this but, sod the market, it’s as refreshing as it’s always been and the bare aluminium and clear, minimalist interior is as appealing (and cramped) as it ever was.

Proper Lotus minimalism lives on in the Elise

Likewise the tiny, wriggling wheel that you cup in your palms and feeds back every detail in all its unassisted glory.

The slightly thrummy engine note, linear power delivery and lack of drama as the revs build mean it’s easy to run into the redline if you’re not careful and especially if you go chasing the excitement that lurked beyond 8,000rpm on the old SC. And if you’re accustomed to that old engine you’ll find it takes a little time to adapt to the more urgent appearance of the one, two, three red shiftlights on the rev counter.

Make no mistake though, this is a seriously rapid little car that’ll hit 0-100mph 7.2 seconds faster than the 1.6 and comfortably match the previous SC’s 4.6-second 0-62mph time. It does this with official figures that boast of 175g/km and 37.5mpg too. Not quite as eco friendly as the Prius from which it’s nicked the engine but, for this kind of performance, as impressive as you could wish for.

Steering feel and feedback like nothing else

Your flexible friend
The test car not being road registered our drive was restricted to the Hethel test track , Lotus’s Matt Becker quick to assert that the extra flexibility of the new engine makes it a much easier car to drive on the road than the old SC. More power means a bit more rubber on the road – tyre widths are up half an inch front and back and as much as 73kg more than the ultra purist Club Racer with the optional stripped back spec – but frankly unless you’re a desperate weight watcher it’s so much lighter and more nimble than anything else out there as not to make a difference.

Even in sodden conditions () it’s the way the Elise so faithfully responds to inputs without any slack or corruption that just seems so refreshing compared with any other relatively mainstream product. That long complex around Hethel’s old control tower – now the clubhouse – is held in pretty much one continuous lock, holding it requiring some decent use of forearm muscle but easy, unthreatening corrections available with tiny throttle applications and/or steering inputs. Flick it out of that long, loaded up left and into the right that follows and the minimal weight shift is well contained, even on wet tarmac, the snappier extremes of the Elise handling envelope long since smoothed over and, ultimately, tempered with switchable stability control.

More rubber than standard Elise

Look, it’s an Elise with an engine update. You know what you’re getting. How many people are still buying such things at the £36,200 asking price is probably the bigger question but, at face value, it’s still as delightful and pure as it ever was. And, once again, properly quick with it. If you’ve got posters of Colin Chapman and Jim Clark on your wall the Club Racer remains the purist choice, for the rest of us the S probably the most rounded, most exciting and useable Elise yet.

LOTUS ELISE S
Engine: 1,798cc 4-cyl, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@4,600rpm
0-62mph: 4.6 sec
Top speed: 145mph
Weight: 924kg
MPG: 37.5mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 175g/km
Price: £36,200 (list)

2016 McLaren 570GT Revealed

McLaren has released the latest entrant to the Sports Series, the 570GT.

McLaren has released the latest entrant to the Sports Series, the 570GT. The Sports Series is the British company’s range of entry-level supercars. The new car joins the 570S Coupe and the 540C Coupe.

With this new car, McLaren has gone a step ahead with their claim of everyday usability supercars. A large glass panoramic sunroof and a rear glass hatch which opens sideways, which is one of the first to be fitted to a mid-engined supercar. Opening the hatch reveals a 220-litre storage space in leather-lined Touring Deck, which is more than enough. At the front, the standard 150-litre space continues. Getting into the car and out of it has been made easier thanks to a lower and narrower sill and a door that opens more.

On the inside, you get an electrically adjustable with leather. A centrally mounted touchscreen controls the air conditioning, navigation and the audio system. A TFT LCD digital instrument cluster is used to configure the vehicle setup. The standard glass Panoramic Roof comes with SSF (Sound & Solar Film), to absorb solar radiation. An eight-speaker McLaren Audio Plus system comes as standard. The tyres get a newly designed Pirelli P Zero with Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS). This is a new technology patented by Pirelli.

With the first look at the car, one can easily confuse it with other models from the Sports Series. It looks largely similar to the other cars and most of the body parts are shared. The fixed rear spoiler of the vehicle now extends higher. The car features dihedral doors, just like other McLaren cars.

Powering the 570GT is the same 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine that made its debut on the 570S Coupe. It develops 562 bhp and 600 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed seamless-shift transmission. The gearbox comes with three different modes: Normal, Sport and Track. The steering and suspension have been retuned to increase long distance comfort.

The McLaren 570GT uses the MonoCell II carbon fibre chassis that is present in the other Sport Series cars as well. Due to this lightweight platform, the 570GT weighs 1,350 kgs. This has resulted in good performance figures. The supercar accelerates from a standstill to a 100 kmph in 3.4 seconds and 200 kmph in 9.8 seconds. It has a rated top speed of 328 kmph. The vehicle returns 9.34 kms to a litre of fuel and it gives out 249 g/km. The car rides on 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear.

The McLaren 570GT will make its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Shownext week along with an MSO McLaren P1, MSO McLaren 675LT and the 650S GT3 race car. The car has been priced at 1,54,000 in the UK and deliveries will start by the end of the year.

Along with the Sports Series, McLaren also sells the Super Series and the Ultimate Series. The Super Series consists of the McLaren 625C Coupe and Spider, McLaren 650S Coupe and Spider and the McLaren 675LT Coupe and Spider. The 675LT is a limited edition car and all have been sold. The Ultimate Series consists of the McLaren P1 and the McLaren P1 GTR. Both are limited edition cars and the P1has been completely sold and production has also ended.

2016 McLaren 570GT Image Gallery

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2016 Honda Amaze Facelift Spied Ahead Of Launch

The 2016 Honda Amaze in its facelifted form has been spotted as it starts arriving at dealerships.

The 2016 Honda Amaze in its facelifted form has been spotted as it starts arriving at dealerships. ahead of its launch.

The pictures show that the facelift version gets a new larger chrome bar on the front grille, a new front bumper and new tail lights at the rear. The main talked about changes are on the inside of the car. The sedan gets an all-new dashboard which looks more like the one found on the new City. The dashboard of the current car has been taken from the Brio. Earlier, we had reported that Honda had launched a new Mobilioin Indonesia with a similar dashboard.

The new Honda Amaze gets rectangular air vents, rather than the circular ones found on the old model. It also gets a new audio system while the top-end variant is also expected to get a touch screen system. The new sedan is also expected to get more features. Mechanically, there will be no changes.

The Honda Amaze is a sub-4 metre compact sedan launched in April 2013. This will be its first major upgrade. It comes equipped with integrated turn indicators in the ORVMs which are power foldable and power adjustable, heat absorbing front windscreen, four power windows and a 15.7 cm Touch Screen Audio Visual Navigation system.

It is powered by a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine producing 87 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 109 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine 99 bhp and 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. Both the engines are available with a 5-speed manual transmission and power is sent to the front wheels. The petrol is also available with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The petrol car with a manual transmission returns 18 kms to a litre of fuel while the automatic returns 15.5 The diesel returns 25.8 kms to a litre of fuel.

The Honda Amaze starts at INR 5.27 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi) and goes up to INR 8.29 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It competes with the Tata Zest, Ford Figo Aspire, Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire and the upcoming Volkswagen Ameo.

2016 Honda Amaze Image Gallery

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RE: Mucking about in the snow: part two

Thursday 24th January 2013
Mucking about in the snow: part two
When Lotus says 'come and play in the snow at Hethel', it's an invitation you can't refuse!

Lotus, we salute you. When snow blanketsyour test track at Hethel, you don't unwind the striped warning tape and declare it off-limits. Instead you ask if we want to come over and play. And wheel out a £54,000and a £61,500.

Snowplough much?

Looking at the front splitter on the Exige, we have to laugh. The south loop of Lotus’shas been driven on, but the snow is five inches in places and the splitter looks a hell of a lot lower than that.

One fast snow plough
They have a plough, but won't take on the track because it might damage the tarmac. And they don’t use salt. Essentially, it looks as though a Land Rover has done a couple of sighting laps. Looking on, occasionally lobbing snowballs at each other, are Lotus chief engineer Matt Becker and principal vehicle dynamics engineer Alan Clark.

So. We’ve got 350hp through the rear wheels (the supercharged V6 3.5 is the same in both cars) and no grip. Let’s go.

Oh my good God. The Exige is scooping up snow and dumping great gobs of it on the windscreen, so much so the build-up either side of the single wiper has shortened its wipe by about a third. The radiator grille is quickly clogged and the guys run the heater full blast to remove some of the heat building up in the cooling.

A scientific way to test Lotus ESC. Ahem.

Slip sliding away
There is a small bit of a grown-up car assessment here. Lotus was late to electronic stability control, only fitting it when the Evora was sold in the US in 2010, but the company has embraced it whole-heartedly. We’ve got three settings of Dynamic Performance Management in the Evora, and four in the Exige. The extra setting is ‘Race’, which adds the merest of helping hands.

We dutifully try the settings before selecting ‘off’. Actually, they’re very impressive. Hoofing it on the ice in both normal and Sport settings doesn’t kill the engine stone dead as you’d expect; instead it carefully feeds in the power as it detects grip. Similarly, both cars are helped around the treacherous corners with a delicate pinch of the brake disc on the inside wheel.

The system also allows some tail-out sliding in Sport and the Exige’s Race mode while ensuring it can all be collected. It’s an in-car Jeeves, helping Woosterish drivers like ourselves to appear cleverer than we are. And while it can’t overcome physics of gripless ice and snow, Alan reckons he could lap faster in both cars in these conditions with the Sport setting than with nothing at all.

The result of the decision to turn ESC off

Nannies banished
Enough of that. Time to kill ESC altogether. The merest prod of the accelerator fires the Exige’s tail round and looses off a salvo of that lovely, free-revving, hollow-sounding V6 gargle. It all happens so slowly that your reactions needn't match the blurry movements of skilled drifters. This is the. Some steering wheel twiddling, a judicious few prods of the throttle and … another spin.

In the Evora we become noticeably better at holding drifts round the corners. There’s talk of tackling the virgin snow on the north loop, but Matt isn’t keen after a sighting lap. About a foot deep, he reckons. But security’s Hilux is half-inched and we’re in business. We make it to the handling circle, and Matt carves out an elegant ring, holding the Evora in a perfect drift all the way round.

But it's the Exige we're determined to master - only this time, it’s even more slippery. We’re a lot better on the throttle, though, and even get round half the circle in something approaching a drift.

Arch clearing was an occasional necessity

Clogging it
But then that beautifully communicative steering starts to get really heavy. “I think the power steering’s failed,” I say. “It hasn’t got any,” comes the reply. Further investigation reveals that snow has built up in the wheel arches to the point where the wheels can barely turn. Matt solves the problem with judicious use of a spade. Sorted.

Now, those who reckon winter tyres aren’t worth it should probably stop reading now. Both these cars are on winter rubber, and we ask Matt what would happen if they weren’t. “We wouldn’t have got here,” he says, indicating the 500 yards from the pitlane. And on the track itself? “You wouldn’t be able to move. You can’t stop, and you can’t accelerate.”

He’s a big advocate of performance winter tyres, and not just in snow, either. He does add they don’t have the same sharpness or the steering feel of the equivalent summer tyres. But regardless, his view is that "everybody should put their car on winter tyres."

So there you have it. Not only are the Exige S and Evora S bloody good fun on a snow covered track - you knew that already - suitably shod they’d actually be okay to commute in over winter thanks to an ESC system that can discreetly rein in over-exuberance.

A littlehere from those shivering on the sidelines - note giggling!

RE: Driven: Lotus Exige S

Wednesday 25th April 2012
Driven: Lotus Exige S
Why you need to be excited about the 350hp V6 Exige S - having driven it Chris Harris already is
Bigger, heavier, faster, more expensive: not a collection of adjectives that fills a chap with joy as he’s about to try and understand the new Lotus Exige S.

Bigger, heavier, faster, more expensive: not a collection of adjectives that fills a chap with joy as he’s about to try and understand the new Lotus Exige S. I mean who ever countenanced the idea of a 1,176kg Exige?

No celebs, no nonsense - just a cracking car

Don’t get hung-up on the weight though. From the seats forwards, this car may be very similar to the old Exige, but the improvements wrought in every single area of performance are so great that this car really deserves a new name.

In Meccano-speak, this car is an Exige running an Evora S supercharged V6 powertrain with a bespoke rear chassis assembly, a new steering rack, new front suspension geometry and Bosch’s latest chassis electronics. For a sniff under £53,000, it offers 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds and has hit 170mph at Nardo. Around the new Hethel circuit the car is claimed to be five seconds faster than the last hair-brained four-cylinder Exige,.

Like me, you’ll scoff at the claim – until you’ve driven the thing.

Exige is all new from the bulkhead back

In with the new
But first the alterations. A completely new rear chassis assembly is bolted to the original Elise/Exige aluminium tub. All the components are new, and the suspension arms are of higher quality than those used on the Evora S. All the rear suspension bushes are taken from that car – they’re bigger and more capable than before. The front axle remains the same (sadly no Evora bushes for the front, they wouldn’t fit) but with new geometry and a different rack. There’s increased lock and reduced camber to keep the weight sensible – is this now the heaviest car without power assisted steering?

Apart from some small calibration changes, the powertrain is pure Evora S: 350hp at 7,000rpm and 295lb ft at a usefully low 4,500rpm.

Styling puts more ground between it and Elise

The cabin is tight and familiar. Despite some snazzy seat trims and revised clock faces, it struggles to support the £50K price tag. You start the car using a key, which is a welcome change these days – it fires with a vigorous ‘parp’ and then rests. It never sounds expensive or sophisticated, because it isn’t, but it flings the Exige S up the road with some force. The cable gearshift is the best I’ve used in a Lotus – miles better than those early Evoras.

Conditions: wet
I only have time to drive the car on. It’s wet, not something I would normally want in an Exige, but this isn’t anything like the old car. Its basic physics – 70mm longer wheelbase, more steering lock and more grip – immediately give the driver much more confidence than any predecessor carrying the same name, but it’s the way it works with the Bosch wizardry that takes the Exige into new territory for Lotus and, indeed, the trackday marketplace.

A zingy 350hp from the Toyota sourced V6

There are three settings, Touring, Sport and Race. In Touring the Exige is as close to unstickable as any track machine I’ve driven. Full traction control works alongside ESP and understeer control. In the lashing rain, you can use full throttle from before the apex and a few degrees of steering correction will suffice. Plough-in too early and the nose is trimmed by barely perceptible inside front brake applications. It will make less experienced drivers feel like instant heroes.

Sport mode removes the understeer control, increases the slip allowed on the rear axle, sharpens the throttle response and opens a bypass valve in the exhaust. It feels more urgent, but the extra noise is for spectators – the cabin is already full of angry V6 intake and supercharger whine. The car now offers less protection for the foolish and more movement for the adventurous but, as with Touring mode, the interventions are so subtle and helpful, you never find yourself cursing them.

Even in these conditions the Exige works

Electronically enhanced
The real gem is Race mode. What you’d expect is a further reduction is assistance and almost-spin levels of rear liveliness. You’d be wrong. What you actually get is a state-of-the-art traction control map that can learn not only the grip level of the circuit underneath you, but which of the two OE Pirelli tyres the machine is rolling on. After experiencing its freakish brilliance, I asked project chief Matt Becker to explain how the hell a black box can learn grip levels almost instantly. “I asked Bosch the same question and they sent me a massive manual,” he says. “I still don’t fully understand it.”

You can quickly reach the point where you hold the throttle pedal wide-open and just feel the ‘brain’ juggling the input.

Race mode 'reads' grip levels

It’s not an inspirational powertrain like a GT3’s, but it’s vivacious, interesting and very effective. The brakes are superb in the wet (I didn’t try them in the dry) and the car now has much less roll than old Exige. All of the chassis changes and improvements centre around the new, much more robust rear axle assembly, and the rear anti-roll bar. Best whisper that last bit to keep the purists happy. The steering is especially gorgeous: faster than before, but wriggling with life and information.

Fun for all
The truth is the added rear support has allowed Matt and his team to make this car much easier to drive fast. That’s what I hadn’t expected. If you are someone of modest driving talent, there is much more to enjoy here than in a GT3 because the combination of mid-engined layout and quite brilliant chassis systems make it so much easier for the driver. More experienced hands will just revel in the traction control – it’s like a racer’s.

Familiar - and cosy - in here

What’s wrong with it? I think the rear bumper’s a bit heavy-handed, the cabin as mentioned feels cramped and old, and you still can’t sit low enough relative to the wheel. It could also do with some lightly-locking rear differential for more pleasurable hooning. We were using the optional £2,000 track pack suspension, which still felt supple, and the standard Pirelli Corsa tyre which was blinding in the wet. There’s a stickier Trofeo version for an extra £800.

For the money, I can’t see anything to touch this as road/track device other than. It’s fast, capable and very desirable.

At last, from within the madness, Lotus has produced a world-class sports car.

Want to see more? Chris's video on the Exige S will follow later on today...

LOTUS EXIGE S
Engine: 3,456cc V6, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.0 sec
Top speed: 170mph
Weight: 1,176kg
MPG: 28mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 236g/km
Price: c. £53,000

RE: Driven: Lotus Evora S

Monday 8th November 2010
Driven: Lotus Evora S
Hethel invokes the power of supercharging to 'man up' the Evora
What with the 'future model' furore surrounding Lotus in recent weeks, it's easy to overlook the Evora amidst the swarm of celebrity unveilings.

What with the 'future model' furore surrounding Lotus in recent weeks, it's easy to overlook the Evora amidst the swarm of celebrity unveilings. But the Evora is as crucial for the immediate viability of the company as it was at launch.And now we have a faster version, the obvious new feature being the fitment of a supercharger. It's a Harrop HTV 1320 with Eaton twin vortex technology that bolts onto the existing 2GR-FE 3.5-litre Toyota V6 without the need to touch the engine's internals. It swells the power of the Evora from 276bhp to 345bhp, and there's an increase of torque from 258lb to 295lb ft. The increased flexibility of the engine is made abundantly clear when you consider that the 'S' produces more torque at 2,500rpm than the standard Evora does at its torque peak.

The new engine has required twin oil coolers (mounted at the front) and considerable detail modification to the rest of the drivetrain. The six-speed gearbox has the closer, sports ratios (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th are affected); while there's a new clutch, master cylinder, pedal box and new gearshift cables and linkage.

Getting straight to the point, the new engine has transformed the Evora. However good a car it was before, the experience has just moved up several notches on the excitement scale. The chief reason for this is the torque that's now available: even through a sequence of relatively tight corners you can leave the car in third gear, content in the knowledge that the car will pull strongly from 3,000rpm or lower when the need arises. The power keeps on building too, the car revving confidently out to the 7,200rpm limiter (when you're in 'Sport' mode), and by this point you'll be going very quickly indeed.It'll hit 60mph from rest in 4.6sec (4.8sec to 62mph, a tenth quicker than a 911 Carrera and a good deal quicker than a Cayman S, even though at 1,437kg the Evora S is heavier than either of them) and go on top a top speed of 172mph (matching the Cayman S, but a little short of the 911's 180mph). The Nissan GTR though, of course, is significantly more potent still.

As engaging as the raw performance of the Evora S is, for me - and this is just a minor point - the Toyota V6 still doesn't have the crispness, the multi-layered vocal chords and smoothness of a dedicated performance engine from, for example, BMW or Porsche. Breathing through the optional sports exhaust it has at last found its voice, although you'll only hear the faint sounds of the supercharger at work with the window lowered, but it's a business-like gritty, growl rather than the sort of yelp that'd make your hairs stand on end - the sort that, say, you might get when enthusiastically exercising a Noble M12.

For the 'S', the gearbox has been improved and this can only be a good thing, but although much more 'together' in its operation it's still only a tool to do the job rather than a standout feature of the driving experience, and some care is needed at high revs/full throttle if you are to change gear cleanly.

Lotus has also taken this opportunity to take a second look at the chassis of the Evora, introducing a series of updates that may make it onto the regular car at a later date.

The front lower wishbone bushes and all of the rear suspension bushes are 10% stiffer, there're new front wishbones to increase castor angle, a slightly larger rear anti-roll bar and revised damping, but the spring rates stay the same.

The result is that, put simply, this car is divine to drive on a challenging road. It possess such purity of steering response and chassis communication that you never for a moment question it not doing exactly, emphatically what you've just asked it to do. No rival, German, Japanese or otherwise, can match the sheer tactility and precision that the Evora S offers, and few would be able to keep up with its subsequently stellar cross-country pace.

That it can do this, complete with circuit-suitable levels of strong-willed body control (we were able to drive it on a circuit and it had bags of enthusiasm, stamina and poise), and yet also ride bumps in the road with more comfort than some luxury cars is astounding. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to remember this is focused sports car running (optional) 19" wheels on the front axle and 20" on the rear. It just makes you realise that big rims are not a worthy excuse for a poor riding car, and that the Evora S would make a fine long distance companion.

At £57,550 for the 2+0 (the 2+2 is £58,995) we drove (our car was over £62K with extras) the Evora S sits below the 911 Carrera (£65,889) and the Nissan GTR (£59,645, but £69,950 for the MY2011 model). Yes, there're some formidable rivals in this market niche, and the Evora S, while possessing a cabin of real flair and character, can't yet match the solidity, quality and ergonomics of interiors from the volume carmakers.

But anyone in the market for such a car as this who doesn't at least put the Evora S on their shopping list is doing to themselves a great disservice. Once driven, it's clear that it's a very, very special car indeed.

RE: Driven: Lotus Evora S IPS

Thursday 2nd February 2012
Driven: Lotus Evora S IPS
Two-pedal Evora S expands auto options ... for those that way inclined
OK, first things first, if it was our own cash putting an Evora on the driveway, it would be a manual model.

Like an Evora S, just less involving ... er

That doesn't mean this latest model, the Evora S IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift), is any less relevant, and nor indeed should it be viewed as Lotus losing its way or straying from its roots. Dubious celebrity-obsessed marketing decisions aside, as ever with a Lotus it's the car that matters. We've already sampled bothengine and IPS gearbox in isolation, but they can now be had in combination.

A necessary evil
Launched to appease the Middle to Far East, and to a lesser extent the American market, this car occupies a narrow but hopefully profitable gap in the company's portfolio. And with recent events concerning parent firm Proton leaving a question mark over the firm's future, anything that can help stabilise its survival should be welcomed.

Two pedals bad, three pedals good

Right from the outset it's clear this particular set up is something of a mixed bag. Yes the core values - agility, communication and a surprisingly supple ride - of the Evora continue to shine through, but the experience is dulled by the six-speed automatic gearbox. Left to its own devices it shifts quickly through the ratios, maximising mpg and minimising CO2 emissions along the way. And with consistent and light throttle openings it's relatively smooth, but that's where it ends.

Old school auto
Drive this car as intended and the gearbox soon reveals its low-tech torque-converter origins though. While the throttle pedal promises instant response, the gearbox is reluctant to react, suddenly followed by some furious cog-swapping in a desperate attempt to select the correct ratio.

Slow-witted auto at odds with the rest

A flick of the paddles, mounted behind the feedback-full steering wheel, gives manual control, though if you leave them un-fingered for ten seconds the unit defaults back to Drive. Select Sport mode and the time limit is no more while throttle response is sharpened and the rev limit raised to 7,200rpm.

Up the creek with a paddle
If the Harrop supercharger is allowed to clear its throat and aim for the high notes the Evora S IPS demonstrates cracking pace. All is well, until, with throttle opened fully, you reach for the next ratio and after a noticeable lull in acceleration the gear engages with a thump through the drivetrain. There's less than snappy responses on the downshift cycle as well; too often the gearbox enthusiastically blips the revs but then leaves you waiting for the gear to fully engage - normally just as you pass the apex you were once aiming for.

Yes you can drive round these problems. A reduction of right foot angle as each change begins smoothens things out for instance and recalibration of the driver's brain sorts the timing on the road. But whatever you do this remains a frustrating package, not only because of that gearbox, but because all of the incredible bits of the Evora continue to shine through.

LOTUS EVORA S IPS
Engine: 3,456cc V6, supercharged
Power (hp): 350@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.7 sec
Top speed: 172mph
Weight: 1,442kg
MPG: 29.3mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 224g/km
Price: £73,950 (as tested)

RE: Driven: 2012 M/Y Lotus Evora

Thursday 8th September 2011
Driven: 2012 M/Y Lotus Evora
Now with added engine noise, and a satisfying thunk...
Anyone else remember 'doors that close with a satisfying thunk'?

Anyone else remember 'doors that close with a satisfying thunk'? They came from the same lexicon of motoring clichés as 'controls that fall readily to hand', a tome that helped to feed many a freelance motoring hack paid by the word in the 1980s, and possibly well before.I'd love to know who coined the phrases, but they were fresh and original a long time ago. So I'd also like to know which dentist's waiting room in Norfolk still has an ancient copy of What Car? buried amongst the yellowing Woman's Weeklies and Readers Digests on the coffee table - and who from Hethel has just been to have their tartar scraped.

Yes, news sometimes travels slowly through the fens, which is why I find myself writing about a 2012 model-year Lotus Evora distinguished - in part at least - by doors modified to 'close with a satisfying thunk'. It's also distinguished by a much improved gearshift action, significantly upgraded interior trim, and (wait for it...) some properly sporty engine noise. Amongst all that good news, it would seem churlish to point out that some of the minor controls still don't 'fall readily to hand', but give it time!

Yes, Lotus has listened to those customers, dealers and reviewers who've lined up since launch day to say "it's brilliant, but..." about the Evora. Sadly, received wisdom about a car that might have sold like hot cakes is that it handles and rides exactly like a Lotus should, but the interior looks crappy for a £50k+ motor, the gearchange is horrid, and the engine sounds like... well, why can't you hear the engine?

They've not only listened, they've acted. And the result is (I think) an entirely credible package of upgrades that bring the Evora much more closely into line with competitors it aspires to rival. (You know, the ones who've had whole departments working on door 'thunk' since 1975.)

It's the new door action you'll appreciate first, unless you're very good. In which case you might spot the new seamless (and much tidier) door-seals through the window glass on your approach. Open the door, and the new weightier, 'quality' sound and feel is immediately obvious, achieved by renewing the entire 1960s-style latch mechanism with an up-to-date system.

Then the interior trim upgrades will hit you. That horrible plastic interior door-handle has not been binned, but it has been trimmed with attractive foam-backed leather, and suddenly it's both good to look at and nice to touch. In fact, all the leather trimmed parts have been worked over - starting with higher grade and more expensive cows, and ending with much finer detailing for stitching and the like. Coupled with a new range of leather colours and textures, the result is to give the Evora cabin the 'bespoke' feel it always deserved.

OK, it's not yet up to the standard of Porsche or Mercedes ergonomically, and some of the details still grate. But the key difference is that those details are now relatively minor ones - the electric window switches and interior door releases could be nice aluminium instead of cheap plastic, for instance - but the Lotus guys promise they'll get around to those too in due course. Meanwhile, they've swapped in a new steering wheel that's anatomically designed to move your hands from ten-to-two to a 'racier' quarter-to-three, and changed the gear knob from an aluminium barrel to something that looks 'designed'.

From a driving perspective, one of the big news items is that the gearshift action has been significantly improved with lower friction cables and some other tweaks - including a lightened flywheel that reduces inertia and helps swift shifting. As a result the change is suddenly more positive, smoother and 'mechanical'. It still requires a firm hand, but finding the right slot is a lot easier and faster - and if a ten minute 'back-to-back' drive with the old car is enough to draw conclusions from, entirely more rewarding.

The Norfolk roads were the slipperiest they've been since Noah and the Flood when I went for the briefest of spins in the 2012 Evora IPS auto and S, alongside a 2011 S earlier this week. But while the drive was a little on the tentative side, the new car still felt rewardingly sporty in ways the old one didn't - and a new exhaust set-up gets the credit for that.

There's some new pipework, and the 'noise' butterfly valve now opens from 1500rpm in Sport mode. The result is a pleasing growl that develops into a proper howl at high revs - it really adds character and colour to the Evora experience, although I reckon the car is still only 70 percent as noisy as it should be. (When I mentioned this to our hosts, I got one of those winks that implies 'watch this space'...)

All in all, it's a great start to an evolution programme that now looks like being carried on until at least 2014 as part of a strategy that - with the help of new model derivatives like the GTE and others in the pipeline - should help bridge the gap until that famous 'Lotus 5 year plan' is fulfilled.

And at the very least, the 2012 changes definitely make the Evora worth another look, especially as although the modifications have added something like 3 percent to the Bill of Materials, Lotus has very decently decided to 'split the difference'. So expect to pay an average of 1.5 percent on top of 2011 model-year prices, if you're newly tempted.

RE: Mercedes-AMG SL63 vs. SL65

Saturday 5th March
Mercedes-AMG SL63 vs.

Mercedes-AMG SL63 vs. SL65

Refreshed, redesigned and reengineered, but which of the two AMG SLs comes out on top?

There is absolutely no logical reason for the Mercedes-AMG SL65 to exist. In the most basic terms your £59,195 premium over the £114,100 SL63 buys you some bigger numbers on the spec sheet, 'my engine's bigger than yours and I've got the badges to prove it' bragging rights ... and a single tenth off the 0-62mph sprint.

The bigger story on this launch of the refreshed R231 SL is in the 'civilian' non-AMG cars and their adoption of new tech like nine-speed gearboxes and optional get yer knee down Curve Tilt Function. And you can read our review of the SL500. But before we drive that car by some quirk of fate we first alight, magpie like, beside the chrome-emboldened splendour of £173,295's worth (plus undisclosed options) of SL65 AMG, key in hand.

Neatly proving why - logic be damned - the SL65 needs to exist. Because whether you're an undeserving hack on a launch, or an actual real-life buyer with cash money, the natural instinct is to go for the flashiest, fastest and most expensive one you can.

But is it actually the best? We'll come back to that.

12 cylinders, two turbos and a lot of power

Pays your money
As a living-the-dream SL65 owner it's entirely probable your passenger seat occupant will be more glamorous and less powerfully built than another sleep-deprived motoring journalist. But there's no escaping by the time you have two fully grown occupants in the V12 SL it's a two-tonne car, aluminium construction or not. Not necessarily a worry when you've got 630hp and 737lb ft of torque and status to maintain when the lights go green. But one number on the spec sheet you might not be so keen to boast about.

The cosmetic transformation for this revised SL are relatively less dramatic for the AMG versions, though there's no denying the sleeker front end looks more purposeful and helps resolve the proportions a tad. Less said about the awful side vents with their filled in 'mesh' trim the better though; at least on the AMG versions you've got the distraction of a public statement of your wealth according to whether the Biturbo script is prefixed 'V8' or 'V12'.

It's California so, naturally, the roof is already down, the better to hear ... oh. Yes, for all its massive power the '65, like all those previous to wear the badge, sounds a little truck-like, a light whistle of turbos accompanying a gruff gargle of exhaust noise from the squared-off tailpipes.

Speed never in doubt with the 65

Green light, go
Some childish and deeply unscientific to-and-fro with some fellow journos in an SL63 reveals the '65 does indeed lay down its authority off the line, even with what you suspect is some electronic tempering of the 737lb ft of torque to prevent leaving a trail of transmission components in your wake. As the traffic clears and the road climbs into the mountains our man in the '63 seems a lot happier though, quickly disappearing into the distance as the road twists and turns through canyons, hairpins and wicked changes in camber. Let's be clear; this is on a public road and American traffic police aren't noted for their sense of humour. Or reticence about shooting first and asking questions later.

Even with this in mind there's no doubt of the SL65's ability to very quickly shrink the distance between the corners. It's just once in them it's hard to find the confidence to carry much of that speed through the turn. The damping is brilliantly judged, the parallel Active Body Control servos using hydraulic pressure rather than twisted metal bars to contain body roll and more besides. Mercedes has many years experience in perfecting this system and it really shows. The really impressive thing about this SL - unchanged from the pre-facelift car - is the stiffness of the aluminium structure. It gives AMG opportunity to run spring and damper rates sufficient to support the performance and yet, even in the stiffer damper setting, there's not even a trace of shudder or shimmy through the body.

Chunky kerbweight makes itself felt here

Weight of expectation
What lets the '65 down is the feedback through the wheel. And possibly the weight. How much of the additional 105kg over the '63 is engine - and therefore in the nose - isn't clear. But light steering and nose-heavy momentum isn't especially confidence inspiring. And it'd take serious speed limit denial to apply the straight-line speed advantage to make up the gap.

Upon swapping to the SL63 it's clear why we were so easily gapped. Since going turbocharged with the R231 the SL63 has got dangerously close to stepping on the toes of the 65, the performance gap previously much greater when the R230 SL63 still used the normally aspirated 6.2-litre engine. Back then the difference between revvy, normally aspirated '63 and thumping, turbocharged '65 was significant; now they're very much two sides of the same coin in terms of character and, indeed, actual performance. The V8 also gets AMG's snappier wet-clutched automatic MCT gearbox where the V12 uses the more conventional torque convertor 7G-Tronic, albeit with AMG tuning.

Unique to the V8 there's also an additional AMG Performance Suspension option costing a further £1,570. Apparently none of the launch fleet have it but even the standard chassis feels subjectively sharper and more responsive. For whatever reason there's seemingly more bite and weight to the steering (both AMGs get a linear rack over the standard car's variable one), a greater eagerness to turn in. The previously optional mechanical limited-slip differential is now standard, offering greater opportunity to adjust the cornering balance on the throttle too.

Spot the difference time for the SL63...

A little less, a lot more
And the power delivery of the twin-turbo V8 offers plenty of opportunity for that. This 5.5-litre unit remains an absolute animal of an engine. The extra cubic capacity means none of the initial softness of the new downsized 4.0, the massive 664lb ft of torque seemingly there on-demand and the surge never less than shocking. This is a massively, massively rapid car. The noise, if breathier and a little artificial compared with the old naturally aspirated V8 or even the supercharged one of the old SL55, is better than the V12 too. It's still a big, heavy car. And there's nothing subtle about the performance or way it's delivered. But the '63 just comes across as more fun.

Fast SLs have always occupied their own ground but in attempting to put the '63 into context it manages to have some of the macho thrill of something like anbut with the sophistication and maturity of aor. In the case of the V12 '65 it's, again, an unapologetically brawny slap-down to thewhile offering a more rounded alternative to an.

For all the SL65's profligate performance and gleeful excess there's little doubt the better car is the 'junior' V8. In any meaningful sense it's just as fast and, subjectively, it's just more enjoyable and fun to be around.

MERCEDES-AMG SL63
Engine : 5,461cc twin-turbo V8
Transmission : 7-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp) : 585@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft) : 664@2,250-3,750
0-62mph : 4.1sec
Top speed : 155mph (limited)
Weight : 1,845kg
MPG : 28.0 (NEDC combined)
CO2 : 234g/km
Price : £114,100

MERCEDES-AMG SL65
Engine : 5,980cc twin-turbo V12
Transmission : 7-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp) : 630@4,800rpm
Torque (lb ft) : 737@2,300-4,300rpm
0-62mph : 4.0sec
Top speed : 155mph (limited)
Weight : 1,950kg
MPG : 23.7 (NEDC combined)
CO2 : 279g/km
Price : £173,295