SurfaceUnits
12-19-06, 02:43 PM
The art of performance
Cars combine power and road handling. From refined BMW to the raspy Mustang Shelby, sports models have a little of everything
DEREK MCNAUGHTON, CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/5-0&fp=4588ce0adad68849&ei=wCuIRZjNM4jyoQLu0fG4DA&url=http%3A//www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/driving/story.html%3Fid%3Dce8ff07b-7040-446f-9c70-64f22dc5356f&cid=0
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada holds an annual comparison test every October to determine Car and Truck of the Year honours for a variety of vehicles. Over the next few weeks, we'll offer some of the journalists' views on cars and trucks in different categories. Today, Derek McNaughton takes a look at the contenders for sports performance cars over $50,000.
- - -
Here, in alphabetical order, are snapshots of the cars in the sports performance over $50,000 category in the 2007 Canadian Car of the Year Awards.
Audi RS4
The Audi A4 comes in three flavours - regular, spicy and suicide. The base A4 gets hot with the S4 and goes to a whole new level with the RS4. This car has all the winning attributes to be the best performance car - a 420 horsepower, 4.2-litre V8 engine, an elegant design, brilliant interior and monstrous brakes. The Audi performed wonderfully on the track, but didn't feel substantially more nimble or feverishly quicker around the cones and corners than the BMWs - something we had expected with a window sticker of $99,990 and several performance statistics that, on paper, rivaled the others in the group. Throttle response was unquestionably the best of the bunch, but the steering and braking felt no better than the BMWs. The Audi's interior sets a new standard and the build quality is second to none.
Audi S6
The S6, a performance-tuned version of the A6 sedan, comes with a 5.2-litre V10 engine growling with 435 horses and a tighter suspension over the standard car. But the base version really can't be called a standard car, offering some of the best steering in the world, an intelligent interior and enough luxury to satisfy any CEO. In this group, the S6 lacked the performance edge on the track, but made up for it in comfort and quiet on the street. The six-speed automatic with sport mode is seemingly able to read the driver's mind, holding off on shifts until the right moment, and the ride gives a new clarity to driving.
BMW 335i Coupe
The new, twin-turbo BMW is not the fastest of the bunch, but offered immense pleasure to drive, either fast on the track or slow on the street. Once again, BMW is able to incorporate the sum of many parts into a satisfying whole. Satisfaction begins with form-fitting seats, a perfect driving position, an uncluttered interior, clear instruments and, aside from the tail-lamps, a gorgeous exterior design. It builds with the firing of the engine, a twin turbo inline six cylinder that generates 300 horsepower and propels the car to 100 km/h in just over five seconds. It levels out with precise steering, a compliant yet communicative ride, and brakes that feel like they were retrofitted from a Ferrari. All the components work together in perfect harmony, making the car look, feel, sound and drive just like a performance car should.
BMW M Coupe
Here is a car that rises to the top of the performance charts with its 330 horsepower, straight-six engine, light chassis, handsome design and Champ car-inspired handling.
For driving obscenely fast and track use, this is the car to choose and could easily win the category since it delivers such astonishing acceleration, precise cornering and braking every time out. Sure, the M Coupe could be driven daily, but this car seems to lack the patience to be driven slowly, continually seducing the driver to go faster and delivering the capability to do so. While the M Coupe does have more of a defined purpose, it provides such an addictive and thrilling ride, it has a good shot at the title.
Ford Mustang Shelby
GT 500
The whine of the supercharger breathing air into the 500-horsepower V8 under the scooped-hood of this special-edition Mustang almost matches the sweetness of the rasp exiting the exhaust pipes.
Of all the cars in this group, the Mustang exudes the most muscle, though it's also the least refined. The interior is markedly less impressive than the others and build quality comes under the bar set by the other cars in the category.
However, for raw performance, the GT 500 is unmatched. And the driver must be careful not to apply too much power when exiting corners on the track or the tires will break loose. Overall, cornering requires substantial skill and finesse. While the car comes equipped with massive Brembo brakes, they felt less responsive than the BMW's and Audi's.
Lexus GS 450h
The presence of a hybrid in the performance category shows how far Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, has come in the development of hybrid technology.
The GS 450h is an impressive package, delivering 339 horsepower and the best average fuel consumption of the group at 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
Power is generated through the engine, which shuts off when idling, as well as its unique electric motor that captures energy when braking.
The Lexus adapts the L-Finesse styling characteristic used on many of its cars and offers one of the quietest, most comfortable rides in this class. That, of course, costs the luxurious sedan points when it comes to crisp handling and track performance, but that's something beyond its intended use.
My pick
What a difficult choice. The spread between the top three favourite cars is fractional, and picking one doesn't seem fair.
But forced to make a recommendation, I choose the BMW 335i Coupe as the best overall value. At just over $51,000, the BMW is half the price of the Audi RS4 and delivers a level of performance that's only marginally less impressive. It wins over the M Coupe because it offers more room and versatility, a genuine performance car with more than one use. Besides, it's drop-dead gorgeous, goes like crazy, and drives exceedingly well, on the track and the street.
- - -
Test Fest
Next Week: In the next part of the series, John LeBlanc looks at the best new sports and performance cars over $60,000.
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006
Cars combine power and road handling. From refined BMW to the raspy Mustang Shelby, sports models have a little of everything
DEREK MCNAUGHTON, CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/5-0&fp=4588ce0adad68849&ei=wCuIRZjNM4jyoQLu0fG4DA&url=http%3A//www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/driving/story.html%3Fid%3Dce8ff07b-7040-446f-9c70-64f22dc5356f&cid=0
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada holds an annual comparison test every October to determine Car and Truck of the Year honours for a variety of vehicles. Over the next few weeks, we'll offer some of the journalists' views on cars and trucks in different categories. Today, Derek McNaughton takes a look at the contenders for sports performance cars over $50,000.
- - -
Here, in alphabetical order, are snapshots of the cars in the sports performance over $50,000 category in the 2007 Canadian Car of the Year Awards.
Audi RS4
The Audi A4 comes in three flavours - regular, spicy and suicide. The base A4 gets hot with the S4 and goes to a whole new level with the RS4. This car has all the winning attributes to be the best performance car - a 420 horsepower, 4.2-litre V8 engine, an elegant design, brilliant interior and monstrous brakes. The Audi performed wonderfully on the track, but didn't feel substantially more nimble or feverishly quicker around the cones and corners than the BMWs - something we had expected with a window sticker of $99,990 and several performance statistics that, on paper, rivaled the others in the group. Throttle response was unquestionably the best of the bunch, but the steering and braking felt no better than the BMWs. The Audi's interior sets a new standard and the build quality is second to none.
Audi S6
The S6, a performance-tuned version of the A6 sedan, comes with a 5.2-litre V10 engine growling with 435 horses and a tighter suspension over the standard car. But the base version really can't be called a standard car, offering some of the best steering in the world, an intelligent interior and enough luxury to satisfy any CEO. In this group, the S6 lacked the performance edge on the track, but made up for it in comfort and quiet on the street. The six-speed automatic with sport mode is seemingly able to read the driver's mind, holding off on shifts until the right moment, and the ride gives a new clarity to driving.
BMW 335i Coupe
The new, twin-turbo BMW is not the fastest of the bunch, but offered immense pleasure to drive, either fast on the track or slow on the street. Once again, BMW is able to incorporate the sum of many parts into a satisfying whole. Satisfaction begins with form-fitting seats, a perfect driving position, an uncluttered interior, clear instruments and, aside from the tail-lamps, a gorgeous exterior design. It builds with the firing of the engine, a twin turbo inline six cylinder that generates 300 horsepower and propels the car to 100 km/h in just over five seconds. It levels out with precise steering, a compliant yet communicative ride, and brakes that feel like they were retrofitted from a Ferrari. All the components work together in perfect harmony, making the car look, feel, sound and drive just like a performance car should.
BMW M Coupe
Here is a car that rises to the top of the performance charts with its 330 horsepower, straight-six engine, light chassis, handsome design and Champ car-inspired handling.
For driving obscenely fast and track use, this is the car to choose and could easily win the category since it delivers such astonishing acceleration, precise cornering and braking every time out. Sure, the M Coupe could be driven daily, but this car seems to lack the patience to be driven slowly, continually seducing the driver to go faster and delivering the capability to do so. While the M Coupe does have more of a defined purpose, it provides such an addictive and thrilling ride, it has a good shot at the title.
Ford Mustang Shelby
GT 500
The whine of the supercharger breathing air into the 500-horsepower V8 under the scooped-hood of this special-edition Mustang almost matches the sweetness of the rasp exiting the exhaust pipes.
Of all the cars in this group, the Mustang exudes the most muscle, though it's also the least refined. The interior is markedly less impressive than the others and build quality comes under the bar set by the other cars in the category.
However, for raw performance, the GT 500 is unmatched. And the driver must be careful not to apply too much power when exiting corners on the track or the tires will break loose. Overall, cornering requires substantial skill and finesse. While the car comes equipped with massive Brembo brakes, they felt less responsive than the BMW's and Audi's.
Lexus GS 450h
The presence of a hybrid in the performance category shows how far Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, has come in the development of hybrid technology.
The GS 450h is an impressive package, delivering 339 horsepower and the best average fuel consumption of the group at 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
Power is generated through the engine, which shuts off when idling, as well as its unique electric motor that captures energy when braking.
The Lexus adapts the L-Finesse styling characteristic used on many of its cars and offers one of the quietest, most comfortable rides in this class. That, of course, costs the luxurious sedan points when it comes to crisp handling and track performance, but that's something beyond its intended use.
My pick
What a difficult choice. The spread between the top three favourite cars is fractional, and picking one doesn't seem fair.
But forced to make a recommendation, I choose the BMW 335i Coupe as the best overall value. At just over $51,000, the BMW is half the price of the Audi RS4 and delivers a level of performance that's only marginally less impressive. It wins over the M Coupe because it offers more room and versatility, a genuine performance car with more than one use. Besides, it's drop-dead gorgeous, goes like crazy, and drives exceedingly well, on the track and the street.
- - -
Test Fest
Next Week: In the next part of the series, John LeBlanc looks at the best new sports and performance cars over $60,000.
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006