Continental Cruiser

Three friends to take out for a swanky celebratory dinner in deepest, darkest Berkshire? Look no further than Crewe’s latest drop-top (via Wolfsburg). The ecurie25 blue beast looked exactly the part, but could I persuade the passengers to go al fresco?

There isn’t really too much to add to the many reviews of the Continental GTC; it pretty much does, goes and performs as reported. There is plenty of space for four fully grown occupants (and comfort in the rear even with the front seats occupied by two 6 foot plus-ers and the roof up), there is every toy imaginable available inside and it goes like stink with a wondrous bass rumble for accompanyment. The ride is excellent, and the (adjustable) suspension copes admirably with the beast’s lardyness in delivering excellent handling. Naturally the suspension was wound round as far to the ’sport’ end of the scale, but even then there wasn’t any undue harshness. As might be expected there isn’t a significant amount of feedback provided, either to seat-of-pants or through the tiller, but that isn’t the point of a GT cruiser like this.

And the bad points? Most noticeable was the sat nav that appeared to be from a bygone era; it managed to provide directions OK, but the user interface and graphical display were significantly lacking by today’s standards.

Did we get the roof down? Alas the girl’s coiffure apparently wouldn’t withstand the buffeting, so the only convertible time was limited to when I was in the car alone - and I can highly recommend the experience.

Mmmmmm Three

It dawned on me that in all my years, I’d never actually driven a BMW. Of any type. Anywhere. Ever. So ecurie25’s new M3 (the E92 model for those of you into artificial preservatives) seemed as good a place to start as any.

It is certainly a handsome beast, but does have something of a heaviness and slab sided-ness to the looks to my eyes, although the gorgeous roof does a great job in diverting one’s gaze. That bonnet bulge and attendant ‘nostrils’ provides a very American muscle car look, but mysteriously there didn’t seem much of a need for it in terms of squeezing the V8 under the hood (but I guess pedestrian impact safety requirements might have dictated its design). Inside is a very comfortable place to be, with all of the latest gadgets and knick-knacks that seem to festoon today’s automotive offerings, including electric seat belt helpers for the hard of reaching! I found there was plenty of space, and a comfortable driving position was easy to arrange. A curious arrangement of key that plugs into the dashboard and a starter button gets things rolling, with the variable red-line indication as the engine warmed up a nice touch.



The engine is a real peach - free revving and with plenty of punch, if lacking a little in the V8 growl stakes. It seems that the boys in Bavaria haven’t yet mastered the automatic exhaust valving that others have used to great effect in giving voice to their big bangers. The chassis is also great and provides a very sporty driving experience, albeit with noticeable weight to manage, with a most definite oversteer bias to the handling which is very welcome (but, I suspect, waiting to catch the unsuspecting out). The servotronic steering is a disappointment though, feeling very over-assisted (I couldn’t tell you if the assistance was variable) and providing little feedback from the front. I only tried it in the one mode (’Sport’), but can’t imagine that ‘Normal’ was any better.

Talking of modes, you’d need to spend an awful lot of time driving your M3 to try out all of the permutations and combinations of the EDC, steering, power and DSC settings: does it really take four suspension options, three power, three stability control and two steering options to allow the driver to tune the car to their liking (I make that about 72 different setups)? It is certainly not something you’d want to try and change on the move through the iDrive labrynth (although some of the options are also available through their own dedicated buttons). The ‘M’ button on the steering wheel can be programmed with your favourite setup, but infuriatingly once pressed isn’t persistant - once the car is started again it has to be pressed again. To be fair, this is the same for many other manufacturers, but why?

I can also see how the ‘BMW-driver-lack-of-indicator-syndrome’ stereotype has come to be perpetuated: for such a simple control they seem to have made it unfathomably complicated. I’m not sure I can explain how it works, but the stalk seemed to detemine - based on a number of almost random variables - whether it was going to flash the indicators three times, keep the indicators on, automatically cancel them with the steering or not cancel them until you had moved the stalk again (invariably involving turning the opposing direction signal on in the process). It was much easier simply not to touch the damn things …

So to the hot debate: M3 or RS4? I’d still plump for the one with four rings on the front (not as a saloon mind you) as it seems to be a more focused performance tool, not so encumbered with the electric frippery and computer gadgets as the Beemer. I think there is a great opportunity for a really stripped down and lightweight CSL version of the M3: replace the fatboy recliners with CF shelled race seats, ditch all of the unnecessary electric motors (I’ll grab my own seat belt, thanks), leave the iDrive at the factory and tweak the steering feel and it could be a much closer thing.

Hopefully it won’t be so long until my next BMW experience, for the M3 certainly was a great driver’s car. Before then though, I need to work out how to open the boot - never did find the button …

Ferrari Fidelity

Apparently I’ve done this all the wrong way round; earlier in the year I experienced ecurie25’s Ferrari 430 Spider but have only just got around to trying it’s predecessor, the F360 Spider. Regardless of the step back in time, this was a thoroughly entertaining driving experience, and one that has probably endeared me to the way of the Dancing Donkey more than managed by the 430.

The current ecurie25 fleet car has the F1 automated manual gearbox (which regular readers will know that I’m not the biggest fan of generally), but apart from a few infuriating characteristics (see below) it didn’t spoil the encounter with what turned out to be a lovely balanced, responsive and engaging car. It certainly has a feel of lightness and ‘pointiness’ to it that I don’t remember from the 430. Of course it could all be psychosomatic, with the sports exhaust on the 360 overwhelming all other senses and indeed my memories - but I’m not complaining!

It was a truly memorable experience on a clear, cold autumnal night to have the roof down and heater on and be able to launch a late night attack on the finest country lanes my locale has to offer: the high revving, barking motor sat directly behind me with exhaust note bouncing off the surroundings whilst I tried to exploit the enchanting handling characteristics by braking hard and late into corners, simultaneously coming over all F1 by rapidly flipping downchanges. There seemed to be the perfect balance of power and chassis capability; neither overwhelmed by the characteristics of the other.

However, these reports wouldn’t be complete without adding further to the compendium of F1 gearbox madnesses: in this instance it seemed to include not being able to reverse with the door open (it automatically flipped back into neutral); making the driver look like a second lesson learner when pulling off by wildly slipping the clutch and letting the revs flare; and finally a kidney-punch change from first to second gear for no apparent good reason. OK, I did have the car permanently in ’sport’ mode (who wouldn’t), but on the gearbox front at least I can see there have been massive strides in Modena.

As you can probably tell, I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed the 360; such an alive and communicative drive, made all the better by the intimate connection to the surroundings with the roof down. And doesn’t it work well in silver as opposed to the more usual Rosso - bellissimo! 

Topless Touring

Having experienced ecurie25’s Lamborghini Gallardos on a couple of previous occasions it was time to try one with more: more power, more noise and more fresh air. Their ‘06 Gallardo Spyder provides it all, with the added bonus - given my flappy paddle and automatic gearbox phobia - of having a manual shift.

This later car apparently also has revisions to the chassis setup and gear ratios, but to be honest it is too long since I drove the previous versions to be able to identify and describe exactly the differences. What is apparent is that this one is loud. Gloriously loud. Almost embarrassingly loud when strafing quiet country communities - but what a noise: simultaneously spine tingling and laugh-inducing, it absolutely makes the driving experience (Audi, take note for your R8 step son).

The superlatives applied to my experiences of the Gallardo coupe apply equally, if not more so, to the Spyder: this for me is almost the ultimate in practical supercar experiences. The absolute event of just starting that powerplant, to say nothing of the poise of the chassis and brutal power deliver make this must of driving experiences for every petrol head. I’m pleased to report also that Audification hasn’t removed some of the Italian supercar idiosyncrasities: the method of checking the oil level (and the contortions required) is laughable compared to the electronic measuring systems of others.

Everything else was as before: near ideal. Heck, the sat nav even worked! Not only is this one stupendously quick car, but (to my eyes at least) it looks absolutely stunning, and it’s proportions are in no way out of kilter with the world today (unlike for example the Murcielago’s width restriction-, car parking space- and NCP-challenging dimensions).

Criticisms are hard to find, most coming down to personal taste. For me I wouldn’t chose such a flambouyant car in an understated colour; this grey to me was a Mardi Gras dancer in a grey suit - give me a pearlescent yellow or orange any day.

And to the ultimate question: spyder or coupe (because the fact that it has to be a Gallardo is out of the question). I think the jury has returned narrowly in favour of the coupe despite enjoying glorious sunshine in the spyder, again down to and entirely subjective view that the coupe is more handsome than the spyder (hood up, or down). Either is brilliant, though, and mandatory to try at least once in a lifetime.

Black Magic

The problem with devouring every printed road test and internet report on the latest supercars is that when you do get to drive the cars in question there is undoubtedly a set of preconceptions as the what it will be like based upon the opinions of various hacks. So the Porsche 997 Turbo is going to be blindingly quick, slightly uninvolving and have more grip than should be legal on the public highway, isn’t it? Better borrow one from ecurie25 to find out then!

If you’re short for time then you can stop reading now: the answer is pretty much “yes”. This is an unfeasibly fast vehicle, especially in A to B driving on the road: the power delivery is effortless and almost entirely without lag, and the acceleration unrelenting. It is very, very easy to suddenly be travelling very, very quickly - good job that the brakes are up to Porsche’s usual high standard and deliver excellent retardation with great feel, and that the chassis always feels composed, whatever it is thrown at. Grip levels are scarily high, with the suspension setup being very much on the stiff side - teeth rattlingly so with ‘Sport’ mode engaged. It is obvious though that the Turbo carries more weight than the GT3 (for example) and this, together with the need to transmit power to the steered wheels, dulls the responses and robs some of the feedback to the helm.

Those guys in Zuffenhausen have been very clever with the Variable Turbine Geometry turbos - the power delivery is quite different to other turbo’d engines, with the boost building slowly (and imperceptibly) from lowish revs when accelerating but bleeding off on constant throttle; add throttle angle again and another slug of boost is provided. Mind you, the only way to tell is by watching the boost gauge (there is a danger you will become transfixed by it - beware!) because your seat-of-the-pants-ometer will tell you that it is more like a normally aspirated power delivery. The ‘Sport’ button also allows an additional overboost facility (encouragingly the upper graduation on the boost gauge is relabelled with a bigger number when selected) and sharper throttle mapping to provide even more opportunities to deploy in excess of 500 ftlb of twist in inducing lateral and longitudinal G forces that render passengers nauseous.

Aside from the oily bits, the 997 Turbo certainly looks good in black (albeit with a bit too much bling in the wheel department for my taste) sitting very purposefully on the road with those broad hips hinting at the firepower beneath. I think the only element that I would change had I been given a stint at the drawing board are those exhausts - they somehow just don’t look right. Inside is an nice enough place - pretty standard 997 fare - with the driving (and passengering) positions being much better once the seat height adjusters were ratcheted all the way down so as to be sitting as near to the floor as possible. There are plenty of toys to keep the gadget-freak happy as well, my favourites being the turbo boost gauge option in the dash, the tyre pressure monitor (also an optional dashboard display) and yes, that chrono.

It seems that this is just about the ultimate road GT supercar; it is comfortable and quiet enough to encourage long stretches of motorway driving, yet when the backroads beckon it delivers great handling and performance. Sacrilegious though it may seem, I do wonder if it delivers just too much of everything to be sensible proposition: there is arguable no way all of its reserves will be dredged in driving on public roads, and that which is used is delivered with a slightly dulled experience. Perhaps I’m just perverse, but I’d take the noisy, lighter weight tactility of the 997 GT3 anyday.