New Mercedes SL Is Here

In the past few weeks more and more spyshots of the new Steve-Mobile kept coming up, and now it's finally here. I personally think it's not as pretty as it's predecessor, but it definitely isn't ugly. Although in dimensions it's become wider and longer, it's said that it weighs 140Kgs less than the previous one. For now there will be two models, the 350 and the 500, the 500 being the top model. With a big fat V8 under that big fat hood, it'll hit 60 in under five seconds and the speed is limited to 250 (I always keep wondering why those Germans do that...) It comes with all kinds of new safety systems with tacky names of which you'll be happy that they're there, but I won't bother you with them. It'll be available next year from €93000 onwards, so you better start saving up.

Portable Paper-Hanging

Remember that artsy car in my first post about the Tokyo Motor Show? It's called the Fun-Vii, and I genuinely think Toyota's people were either drunk or redecorating their houses when they designed it. Or both.

The car allows you to choose any picture as its side, making it very customizable. The interior is adaptable as well, with color changing dash, seats, everything.  The sides of the car are made of OLED panels. It's a new feat, based on the technology used in smartphone screens (Like Samsung AMOLED) but a little more advanced. They've made them transparent (!) from the inside, because you don't want to run over anyone's feet while admiring your own car's sides. Also, there is an inbuilt projector for watching movies and playing games on the windshield of your car. Not while driving, of course.

I think it's unbelievable what automotive manufacturers come up with these days. It's like they are fighting for the weirdest designs. (And they probably actually are.) As far as I'm concerned, they're taking this funky car thing a little far but hey, as I said earlier, concept cars are fun regardless of how credible they are. And that is, after all, what the Tokyo Motor show is about. Fun and technology.

Citroën Grand C4 Picasso: Easy Going

As I'm sure that there are not only guys and girls with a craving for sportscars and concepts who come around here, I'll take a little sidestep to review.....wait for it.....a people carrier! 

The C4 Picasso has recently been facelifted, and I must say it's still one of the most stylish MPV's around, on par with the racy Ford S-Max. With its streamlined shape and balanced design it is neither simple nor extravagant, and especially in black it looks pretty good for a people carrier. Too bad I got to drive a silver one.

Just as the exterior, the interior looks nice and balanced. You can choose between a variety of colors, here most parts are white, but for a little extra money Citroën can get you any color you like. A really fun, (but confusing at first) feature is the steering wheel, of which the center stays upright when you turn the ring. One other thing that is really cool is the fact that it comes with a fridge in the center of the dashboard! Unfortunately, that is only the case if you have the version with the automatic EGS gearbox. EGS is a new name for an already outdated system called SensoDrive of which we all know that it sucks, so if you can, try and get the manual one. There's enough room for a portable cooler anyway. The seven seats are both pretty comfortable and ideal for children's parties. Fold five of them down and there's plenty of booze-room for adult's parties. One last thing about the interior: the panorama windshield is downright awesome.

Now let's get behind that funky steering wheel! The way this car feels remembers me of the old Citroëns, it drives like you're sailing it over calm water. Although there's no air-suspension anymore, the ride is buttery smooth. You won't feel the slightest bump, every unevenness is filtered out. That can be nice if that's what you like, but it's definitely not suitable for taking quick corners! For all the commuters and school-moms, I think it's all right. If you're a wannabe racing-driver (like me) you could better try the Ford S-Max, which comes with turbo engines and a sports-chassis. As I said, the C4's automatic gearbox isn't all that good. Every time the car changes gear there is a loss of power, and the front dives down. If you're in rambling traffic this can cause a bumpy ride. Just stick with manual (pun intended) and you'll be good!

If I were a school-mom I'd be a very happy school-mom with this car. It's stylish, features plenty of good options, some unique elements and first and foremost: lots of space. The foldable seats are very handy, and because of the large glass surfaces it feels even more spacious than it is. But, since I'm not a school-mom but a wannabe racing-driver I prefer the S-Max. Conclusion:

• Usual family/commuting usage? Have it.
• You prefer to push the pedal a little more than the rest? Try considering an S-Max.
  

Bridgestone Devises Airless Wheels

Tokyo Motor Show 2011

Japanese company Bridgestone has come up with a set of extremely durable tires. They include plastic springs, which suspend the wheel without air being needed. As a result you won't ever have to be afraid of holes in your tires. Think of the possibilities! You'll never get caught in police spike strips, allowing you to vanish into thin air.

"If I had to nitpick, and obviously I do..."

"...than i'd complain about anything offensive said by people on TV." I'm sure, Jeremy Clarkson isn't everyone's favorite TV presenter, mostly because of his offensive remarks. I can understand that, but I think some people need to realize that Top Gear isn't as much a car show as it is plain comedy, and thus, doesn't need to be taken that seriously. 'Cause don't comedians ever make offensive comments? The guys at carbuzz made a nice info-graphic showcasing Jezza's most hated quotes. 

What do you personally think? Are TV-personalities (and especially comedians) allowed to make offensive statements, or should they always keep things reasonable?

How To Skip The Aventador Waiting List

You're a 22 year old Arabian with quite some money to spend. You've got an eye on that new flashy Lamborghini, but there's a waiting list of over 6 months. What do yo do? Well here's wat Dhiaa Al-Essa did: he just voluntarily added $35000 to the bill, which now makes him the first one to own an Aventador in the middle east. Apparently that's how they roll there. So next time when you're in the line for an ice-cream, bare in mind what a little extra money can do!

Daihatsu Pico

Tokyo Motor Show 2011

Automotive companies are always on the lookout for new technological feats. Sometimes with very serious and interesting intentions, sometimes just for fun. Not being very active in Europe anymore, it is interesting to see what this brand from the far east (or far far west, just as well) has come up with. In this case, not only the car but also the chance that it'll ever go into production is pico. As you can tell from the picture, this concept car is really in that concept stadium in which they use funky colors and weird designs. I mean, could you imagine this driving on the street right now? No, maybe in twenty years or so.


Nevertheless, what we're looking at here definitely is a funny little concept-car. The most interesting feature is the fact that it has an LED-illuminated bar all around it to interact with pedestrians. Through the use of colors and symbols (no idea what it says, probably something that sounds like sushi), it can warn people around the car that they are walking too closely, or it can illustrate that the car is going at an unsafe rate of speed. The bar turns red then. If all is well, the LED bar will stay green. There's other colours as well for all kinds of situations. The idea is that commuting in a small car in cities like Tokyo, with a lot of pedestrians, will become safer. 

The car has two seats, so you'll be able to take a colleague along to work. There are no seatbelts, but I guess they aren't needed because the top speed isn't much more than that of a scooter. The drive comes from an electric motor, with enough battery for 30 miles of driving. That should be enough in and around the city. There's just one thing that bothers me: they did forget a pair of full doors. But hey, at least it keeps your head cool and that's good for work.

Tokyo Motor Show 2011

The Tokyo Motor Show 2011 is in full effect, and I'm there to witness all the new things companies have come up with. There's lot's of new and crazy stuff, so stay stuned!

How fast do you think it's going?

Try and look again, don't let your eyes conceive you! This PR stunt was pulled by BBDO, Toronto for Mercedes' new C63 AMG. I always admire these kinds of advertising, because behind every good ad was a man who thought out of the box.

Hessing's Financial Troubles

Hessing is probably the most famous Dutch car dealer. Filled with brands as Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and even the curious Bugatti, their beautiful glass building along the A2 near Utrecht never fails to impress. What does fail to impress, is Hessing's financial state. The supercar-grocer appears to be in financial troubles. Center of the problem is an investment in expensive real estate that isn't pulling off very well.

Artist Impression

Frits Hessing, the director, has invested 10 million Euros of lended money into the development of Park Bloeyendael. As you might guess from the name, it will be a luxurious residential area. The houses would be priced from about 800.000 Euros up. That's about four new Bentleys per house, I‘m just saying. The thing is, neither the construction nor the sales are near expectations which brings, as you understand, quite some trouble along. The loan cannot be paid, and the bank, Alcredis, isn’t planning on helping. 

Why won't they help? There are two reasons: 1. They're not obliged to. 2. Alcredis is owned by some Mr. Louwman. For those of you unfamiliar with him: he’s Hessing’s competitor, namely the importer of other expensive car brands and also the Dutch importer for Toyota. They aren’t exactly the best friends. Now tell me, don't you think that it’s S-T-U-P-I-D to get into financial debts with one of your rivals? I do, but apparently Mr. Hessing thought differently. 

Bailiffs have confiscated all the cars, which implies that Hessing isn’t allowed to sell them. However, they will remain in the showroom. Hessing has until April next year to fulfill his debt. The odds are, if Hessing fails to refund the loan, his company will be declared bankrupt. Let us all pray that it won’t get that bad, and that we'll still be able to catch a glimpse of all that beauty situated along the A2 next year.

Video: 991 Carrera S at Laguna Seca

The all new (well, all new...you have to look twice to distinguish it from the 997) 991 Carrera S is almost ready to roll into the dealerships. The guys at Porsche show us how they shoot some hot PR video at Laguna Seca.

Video: Spanish Genius Builds Miniature Engine

People use to have all kinds of hobbies. Things like sporting, making paintings, reading, arranging flowers or, you know, setting trends by hand-knitting Christmas baubles. This guy, however, is a completely different story. He worked over 1200 hours to create a miniature V-12 engine, that spins when compressed air is blown through it. The Cam-shaft and the valves move just like the real thing. The Spaniard machined every single piece of metal with high accuracy. In this 9 minute video you can see the whole process, and yes, you do get to see it running. Nothing but respect for this ‘ere lad!

Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ

Rumour has it that Mrs. Toyota and Mr. Subaru spent some adulterate time last year, and you know what that results in. I must say, the twins they produced sure are two lovely little babies. Meet the Toyota GT86 and the Subaru BRZ. Both featuring a 2.0 liter boxer-engine, the Soobie looks less naughty than its sibling. However, a more tough version will probably follow in the shape of the BRZ STI.

BMW M5: Bring Along Your Mother-in-Law

The BMW M5 F10.  The Strongest BMW ever, and I got to borrow it for a day.
Photo credits: Autoblog.nl

The first M5 crammed 286 horses under its bonnet. Now, 26 years later, it’s gone completely berserk and has managed to incarcerate 274 more. Instead of a V10 in the previous one, there now is a twin-turbocharged V8. Yep, even the most expensive cars have to suffer from downsizing. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. The 980Nms of torque are available at pretty much any RPM, which makes it a seriously tail happy car if you unleash those 560 nags. Despite the higher torque and power, CO₂ emissions have lowered by 30%. BMW claims that it runs 9 miles to the gallon. I’ve tested it: you’ll never make it, just because it’s so much fun to drive. 

Acceleration from naught to 60 is done in 4,4 seconds. After no less than 13 seconds, you'll hit 160. You better have that guardian angel sitting on your shoulder, because it's fast. At least, if you want it to be. There is that one button on the steering wheel that switches the car from sport to comfort mode. If you press it, the engine management is altered, the suspension softened and the steering becomes less direct. All of a sudden this car is perfectly suitable for transporting your backache suffering mother-in-law, which is nice because that means you get two cars for the price of one. Well actually, you get two cars in one and you’ll pay for both. That doesn’t mean it’s money wasted, on the contrary. The starting price of €132000 just isn’t the kind of money that everyone is able to throw over the counter.

The M5 flies around corners due to the active-lock differential. Sometimes it makes you think that it will fly out of said corners due to its sheer power. However, the ESP ensures that it never becomes dangerous and the car lets you correct it’s movements well. The steering feels genuinely responsive, which makes it a joy to sit behind the wheel.

The interior looks and feels amazing, as we’re used to from BMW. They have made use of high quality materials all around. The seats sit like a throne, but still feature plenty of side-support for sharp turns. The steering wheel is adjustable in more directions than you'd ever  think possible. It also comes with Google Maps Satellite Navigation (only on the top-model, which I drove), it works great. It shows a picture of your destination when you arrive, to indicate that you're really in Rome and not in Ljubljana. You can't be certain enough! I’d also like to make a sing/shout-out to the inbuilt audio system, it sounds ear-pampering and it comes with the ability to stream from Spotify anywhere. It's an expensive feature but hey, if you can afford the car...

On another musical note, the downsizing of the M5’s engine has one negative effect: the sound is just not as good as in the previous M5. That M5 used to have the golden throat of Germany, but now it’s gotten a polypus on its vocal cords. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds awesome but just not that awesome. To compromise for the sore throat, BMW’s gone and implemented a technology called Active Sound Design. It implies that the previously described audio-system inside the car is used to fan the flame on the actual engine sound. I haven’t decided yet if that is either good or bad, but it’s an interesting feature.

So, am I happy? Yes I am! The new M5 is a hell of a looker, especially in the Monte-Carlo blue color that I drove it in. The front and rear look aggressive without attracting too much attention to them. (If you buy it in this blue hue however, that part doesn’t really count) The ability to choose between Fast&Furious mode and mother-in-law mode is a welcome feature. Now, the engine may be smaller, and the sound may not be as good as that from the Gold-bethroated E60, but boy did I have a good time with it. I would definitely recommend it. If you have the money, that is.