Audi launched their new compact SUV, the Q5, in India earlier this year. And not very long after, it began rolling off the Audi assembly line at Aurangabad – alongside the A4 and A6. The Indian market certainly has an appetite for luxury SUVs, and increasingly so for compact crossovers such as the Q5.

But that doesn’t mean that Audi has it all its own way though. BMW is expanding its plant in Chennai, and is preparing to roll out an all-new, and even smaller (therefore less pricey), SUV – the X1, towards the end of this year. The Q5’s direct rival, the X3, is also set for a complete revamp in the near future as well. And the Germans aside, Tata owned Jaguar Land Rover is also considering Indian assembly for some of its models, namely the thus far well accepted Land Rover Freelander.

The Q5, according to Audi, is a performance SUV that’s perfect for an active lifestyle. Well, what if your lifestyle is indeed active – to the extent of occasionally playing in the mud. We know that the Q5 has Audi’s famed all-wheel drive, but can it truly keep up on the rough stuff?

From the outside

Audi’s first SUV, the Q7, appears to be about the size of a small cottage. The Q5, on the other hand, has much more manageable and pleasing proportions. It has straightforward lines that are typical Audi, and it just looks right somehow.

The front end is chiselled and aggressive. In true Audi fashion, the headlights are heavily stylised and inset with LEDs. At the back, the curvaceous rear hatch gives it a Jennifer Lopez-like rear end, which is no bad thing in itself. The rear bumper has a set of dual exhausts poking out at each end – hinting at the firepower at the other end.

From the inside

No one does attention to detail in the cabin of a car like Audi. For instance, there’s a slight ridge in the bottom half of the steering wheel to rest your palm if you hold the wheel correctly at the three-and-nine position while driving. The dial for the MMI (Multi Media Interface) and knob for the volume control is bezeled to allow you grip it with ease. Plus, they both feel tactile and well engineered – as do all the other knobs and buttons.

Moreover, the layout of the controls within the cabin are near perfect – if not a little unusual. For instance, the majority of buttons and dials, such as the ones for the MMI, as well as the volume control, are on the central tunnel beside the gearshift – instead of on the center console where you’d normally expect to find them. The beauty of this is that the layout is much more intuitive, as the controls are closer at hand.

On the whole, the cabin has excellent quality materials, as well as just the right blend of two-tone grey and wood trim. Our test car also had a brilliant panorama roof, although it’s a pricey option at `1.3 lakhs. Another expensive options package includes the rear-view camera, a DVD player, and better screen resolution – all of which will set you back a stratospheric `2.6 lakhs. I can attest to the high resolution screen, but luckily the compact proportions of the Q5 mean that visibility while reversing is actually quite good – so you can do without the camera. On the other hand, what would have been a highly recommended option is the incredible B&O sound system fitted on our test car, which provides 505watts of power through a dozen watts of amplification. Even at max volume, there was no distortion of sound whatsoever. But, I suspect that if it were available, it would likely have set a new standard in the realm of pricey options. Opt for the panorama roof though.

There are a few issues inside the cabin mind you. Legroom in the drivers’ footwell is slightly scarce – to the extent that you actually have to position your left leg at a slight angle. And while the rear seat is adjustable, leg and foot room in the back is limited as well. A slight space constraint aside however, everything looks and feels brilliant within the Q5’s cabin.

On the road (and off it)

If there were ever an engine that could convert a petrol-head to a diesel lover – the 3.0 litre TDI motor in the Q5 would be it. These modern day diesels have truly relegated the days of diesel clatter and black smoke to the dusty pages of the history books. There’s barely a hint of clatter at idle, and the engine actually sounds pretty good when revved. Moreover, it wins out to a comparable petrol engine by providing near instant torque at any rpm. Plus, it’s free revving, and you don’t feel the lack of top-end in any way because the 7-speed DSG is so responsive that gear changes are virtually indistinguishable. Yes, at low speed, gear changes can at times be a little abrupt, which is symptomatic of all DSGs. But step on the accelerator pedal and the burst of power is instant – the rev counter rushes towards the redline, and the next gear is selected with no drop in momentum whatsoever.

The Q5 does come with steering mounted paddles, but there’s virtually no need to use them since there’s always power when you need it – all you need to do is put the gear lever in ‘S,’ and let the engine and transmission sort out which gear you ought to be in. And should you need a lower gear, just tap the throttle, and the shift is instant.

The Q5 truly is all the car you’ll ever need on the road. A stiff chassis, enhanced by a multi-linked strut brace under the bonnet, ensures that it responds to your every input. However, while the chassis is capable, the steering transmits very little feedback to the driver. It’s light at low speeds, which makes it easy to manoeuvre in the city. And, while it loads up at speed, the transition isn’t masked particularly well, and it feels artificial in your hands. That apart, the Q5 is an impeccably engineered machine – mind you, it could do with Audi Drive Select, which allows you to choose between a couple of variable driving modes. In its current set-up, the ride is on the firm side, which is actually required to reign in 240 horsepower, but it would be nice to have the option to choose a slightly more compliant setting on our deplorable city streets.

On the whole, though, this Audi crossover is perfect for the less-than-ideal surface of our roads. The relatively compact size ensures that it’s manageable, while the ride height enables it to effortlessly conquer the many obstacles on the way. The real question, though, is how does it perform on dirt?

Now, there are a couple of clear signs which indicate that the Q5 was engineered more for on-road use than off it. For instance, it comes with Dunlop SP Sport 235/65 R17 tires that are clearly road biased. And, while its ESP (Electronic Stability Program) does have an off-road map – to allow for a little wheelspin before it intervenes – it doesn’t have a low range gearbox or locking diffs. It does have hill descent control, which Audi calls Downhill Assist Function, and the ESP consist of ABS, Brake Assist, traction control, which limits torque to the wheel that’s spinning, and what Audi refers to as EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), which effectively just brakes the spinning wheel. It does, of course, have Audi’s famed all-wheel drive system that revolutionized the World Rally Championship in the late 80s.

Well, the weather ensured that Audi’s Quattro system was not going to get an easy ride. The surface was badly rutted, and the soft earth provided very little grip. Plus, the Q5 had to deal with elevation changes, dips, gullys, and a lot of slush. And straight away, the road-biased Dunlops showed signs of struggling. With the ESP in its off-road mode, the tires strove unsuccessfully to dig into the ground and find some grip below the soft surface. Our every move had to be carefully planned, as the thought of having to tow the Q5 out of a rut wasn’t very tempting at all. The Audi struggled on some occasions, but always managed to pull through. However, the lack of wheel travel and articulation, coupled with the tires, meant that it just about made it on a few occasions.

Come across a decent patch of dirt though, and the grip levels afforded by the Quattro system is immense. And the instant torque meant that you could cover ground very quickly indeed if the surface enabled you to. In fact, the rear biased all-wheel drive system, which ordinarily splits torque 40/60 front-to-rear, allows you to shoot out of corners and enjoy massive power slides on the way out – very entertaining!

Verdict

The Q5 is an extremely competent machine on the road. The engine and gearbox are phenomenal, and they work seamlessly to transmit the intense grunt of the diesel mill to the road surface below. And it does have the ability to tread off the beaten path on occasion, but it can be reluctant! However, if you’re smitten by the Q5, but want better performance off-road, fear not – simply by changing the tires to a more aggressive off-road tread, you’ll likely be able to alter the nature of the vehicle drastically.

It’s very hard not to recommend the Q5 for on-road use though, especially with the condition of our roads – or lack thereof in most places. It’s an impeccably engineered machine in true Audi fashion. However, the options list ensures that your bank balance is depleted very quickly indeed. I would, nonetheless, choose the panorama roof, but try and keep any spare change very close to my hip pocket thereafter.

If the Mercedes is sleek and feline, the front end of the BMW is shark-like and fierce. And, if you thought that the Coupe attracts a lot of attention, the GT is certainly not one to be left behind. In fact, both cars elicit reactions like, ‘Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it must be a niche vehicle!’

The GT is certainly hard to classify, but BMW say that it combines the comfort of a luxury sedan, and the versatility of a sports activity vehicle, with the continent carving abilities of a grand-tourer. Of course, a classic grand tourer is meant to cover continents in speed and comfort, but also look good in the process.

The BMW GT not only has an aggressive front end with the trademark kidney grille up front, but it also has a fastback-style sloping roofline to give it a purposeful stance. Many people believe that the proportions of the GT are a little challenged, and certainly the rear is a little heavy, but I for one quite like the way the GT looks. It has some nice touches as well, such as its fastback roof, a pronounced Hofmeister kink (bend in the C-pillar), and its frameless doors. Plus, the GT also has a panorama roof like the Mercedes.

The ride height is somewhere between an SUV and sedan. In fact, you can sit quite low in the car to make yourself feel as though you’re in a sedan, or you could adjust your seat to a point where you can take advantage of its elevated seating position. The seats themselves are immensely comfortable – perhaps more so than even the 7 series. Like in the 7, at the rear you get electronically adjusted memory seats. But in the GT, they’re even grander and more plush. And BMW really has given it more leg and head room. I’m not sure if it has as much headroom as an X5, as stated, but it’s certainly more than in a 7 series. And, if anything, the sloping roofline gives it a slightly intimate feel.

At the rear, you also get your own sun shades, AC vents and controls, as well as your very own DVD player with remote. If your idea of an evening well spent is watching a film on your home theatre system, reclining on your favourite Lazyboy, you may well find yourself spending many an evening sitting in the GT instead. The seats truly are second only to a Rolls Royce – which incidentally is owned by BMW. In fact, I’m sure that the Maharajas of yesteryear would have given an arm and a leg (of one of their subjects of course) for a throne as majestic as the one in the back of this BMW.

The front isn’t bad either, with different shades of beige, ash wood trim, and only the finest textures known to man – BMW certainly know how to make inviting interiors. And, like in the 7, the GT has some sci-fi tech as well – such as voice recognition, an in-built owners’ manual with animation, and an in-built hard disc. Plus, all the gauges and dials are in high resolution black panel technology. And, of course, like the Merc, it has Bluetooth and iPod integration. What is grossly missing, however, is a rear-view camera as standard equipment. It does have sensors all around, which provide a display on the iDrive screen, but, with its sloping roofline, rearward visibility when reversing is virtually nonexistent.

At the rear is also a split tailgate. Like the Skoda Superb, you can open merely the boot lid if you have small items to put in the back, or the entire rear tailgate if you have larger items to stow, which makes the GT quite practical as well.

Now, as for the GT’s continent carving abilities – for it to live up to its name, it has to have more ‘go’ than ‘show.’ Providing the go is a 3.0 litre, straight six, common-rail diesel with a variable geometry turbo that gives it 245bhp and 540Nm of torque. And what a diesel engine it is! As you step on the accelerator pedal, you think to yourself, ‘is this really a turbo diesel?’ Certainly the instant torque seems to suggest that it is – but there simply isn’t any turbo lag to speak of. Of course, the primary reason is probably that BMW’s new 8-speed (no less) gearbox ensures that you have access to the powerband all the time. But it’s just so refined, and it sounds so good, that you almost don’t believe that it is, in fact, a diesel. Then you look at the 5000rpm redline, and that’s confirmation this BMW is actually sipping the fuel of Satan.

Elsewhere in this issue, I was greatly impressed with the diesel unit in the Audi Q5 as well. These modern day diesels, it seems, really are all that they’re cracked up to be. The 8-speed gearbox is another technological marvel. It may seem like overkill, but it’s just not. It’s incredibly smooth and quick shifting – in fact you can only tell its changed gears by looking at the revs drop or rise on the tachometer. Not only does the gearbox ensure that you always have access to all 245 horses when you need it, but it also allows you to drive economically most of the time – keeping you between one and two thousand rpm when you’re in traffic.

Like all BMWs, the GT also has a gauge that tells you how much fuel you’re consuming in real time. But, in the GT, next to that reading is also a BMW Efficient Dynamics gauge that tells you when the brake energy recovery system is working – i.e. under braking and when you’re coasting thereafter – to charge the battery, which provides some relief to the alternator and therefore improves fuel economy.

Of course, when you’re not in the mood to save fuel, all you have to do is reach for the Dynamic Drive Control switch on the central tunnel – beside the fly-by-wire gearshift – that allows you to choose between different driving modes, which include normal, sport and sport plus. This not only affects gearshift dynamics, but also steering response and weight. Sport Plus also loosens the reigns of the DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) to allow you greater control. However, in the BMW, unlike the Merc, you can switch off the traction control system completely if you really want to indulge. Bear in mind, however, that the rear Runflat Bridgestone’s are 235/35 R20’s, and will be very pricey to replace. Here again, they provide tremendous grip, but do affect the ride quality. However, in the BMW, it can be termed as firm at best – but never harsh. And the increased ride height certainly comes to good use on our roads.

And, once again, with BMW, you needn’t be surprised that the increased center of gravity doesn’t adversely affect the handling of the GT. The chassis is sublime, and the steering is quite communicative. However, our test car didn’t have Active Steering, which is a highly recommend `2 lakh option. Active steering, which in this case also includes four-wheel steering, essentially consists of a variable steering rack that varies the angle of the wheels relative to the steering wheel movements based on the speed of the vehicle. Now, ordinarily I would prefer the most basic and direct steering mechanism possible. But BMW’s Active Steering works so well on a large vehicle such as this that it really is worth the extra cash. It would, I’m sure, have made the car feel half its size, and the chassis even more responsive.

The one thing that does make the GT really come alive is slotting the gearlever into Manual mode. If you thought the diesel mill was torquey and responsive before, it becomes downright explosive. Of course, the GT would be better still, like the Merc, with proper paddles as well. Also, the readout that tells you which gear you’re in needs to be far more prominent than it currently is.

Driving the GT is a bit of a paradox, it’s so large that at times it feels like being at the helm of a speed boat – especially with the fly-by-wire gearshift. But the funny thing is that it involves you more than the Merc. The engine and gearbox is truly phenomenal, and the chassis is pure BMW.

Engine	:	3,498cc / six cylinders / 24 valves / direct injection
Fuel	:	Petrol
Transmission	:	7-speed Automatic / Rear Wheel Drive
Power	:	272bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque	:	355Nm @ 2400-5000rpm
Acceleration	:	0-100km/h – 6.6 seconds

Democratization is a relative term – in Rolls Royce parlance that directly translates to the ‘RR Ghost.’ At the Auto Shanghai show in 2009, BMW owned Rolls Royce announced that they would be making a baby Roller – again, a relative term since the Ghost is about 13 inches longer than a 7 series BMW, a car with which it shares 20% of its components, but about 16 inches shorter than the mighty Rolls Royce Phantom. And, at a crore less than the Phantom, the Ghost is considerably more affordable – did I mention that everything’s relative?

At 2.5 crores plus, you still need to be stupendously wealthy to afford one. And, while the Ghost may bring some new, but still well-heeled, buyers into the exclusive club of Rolls Royce ownership, it nevertheless has a lot to live up to. After all, the Silver Ghost from which it gets its name is perhaps the most famous and celebrated Rolls of all time. In fact, it was the car that led to the origin of the phrase, ‘Best car in the world,’ in 1907 – a phrase that the company has done its utmost to adhere to ever since.

So, what does it mean to be a baby Rolls? What we have here is one of the first Rolls Royce Ghost’s, delivered earlier this year, in the Asia Pacific region – so, we’re about to find out.

From the Outside

The Ghost may be considerably smaller than the Phantom, but it’s no less imposing on the road. However, it does appear to be a modern interpretation of styling that’s quintessentially Rolls Royce. The traditional front grille, for instance, is inset in the Ghost – versus the Phantom, in which it completely dominates the front end. The overall design, in fact, appears much more cohesive as compared with the Phantom, which, depending on your point of view, could be construed as being a little over the top.

Make no mistake, however, when people see the Ghost coming down the road, they still get out of the way – and very quickly too. Moreover, it does share a lot of cues from its bigger brother, such as the rear-hinged suicide doors, which Rolls refers to as ‘coach doors’ since they allow you to step in-and-out of the car with utmost grace and dignity. And, like the Phantom, the RR wheel centers always stay upright –also, the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ hood ornament can be electrically retracted into the grille if you tire of seeing her for some reason.

The car we tested was stunning in claret with a silver satin bonnet and 20-inch wheels. The bonnet isn’t brushed aluminium however, as it is in the Phantom Drophead Coupe and Convertible. Instead, it’s actually matte-finish silver, which you don’t polish, but apparently clean with Colin – another sign of this seemingly autocratic machine appearing decidedly democratic. That being the case, it takes but one look at the Ghost to see firsthand what five coats of paint and a layer of clear lacquer will do, which is give it a lustre that makes other, more pedestrian, road going vehicles appear unfinished in comparison. The 20-inch wheels, meanwhile, are quite needed – not least because the large wheels form an integral part of the proportion of a Rolls Royce, but also because they hold serving-tray sized brake discs underneath (a massive 16.1 inches in front, and 15.8 inches at the rear).

I, for one, just love the way the Ghost looks – it’s virtually as grand as the Phantom, and a lot more usable on a regular basis.

From the Inside

Exquisite is the only word that comes to mind. This particular car had moccasin leather, walnut veneer and lambswool carpets, but that’s not the point – like in the Phantom, absolutely everything looks and feels finely crafted. As you feast your eyes on the walnut, you can almost envision the craftsmen back at the factory applying coat-after-coat of veneer. And, like in the Phantom, there’s so much to take in, the attention to detail is phenomenal – such as the art deco roof lighting, the chrome plungers to open-and-close the AC vents, and the flawless black piano finish on the elegant large diameter, thin-rimmed steering wheel.

However, this is a new-age Rolls, which means that it’s also packed to the gills with the latest technology. For instance, it’s got a BMW iDrive-like interface, which can, of course, also be controlled from the rear seat. It also has a pair of DVD screens in the back, a USB-input in the glove box, a built-in hard disk to rip music to, and multiple reverse cameras that provide a phenomenal Google Earth-like aerial view of the car and its surroundings. And, like the Phantom, it has a button to close the rear door should you have to do so yourself – shudder the thought. On the more traditional front, it also has umbrellas mounted in the front doors. It most certainly is a ‘pukka’ Rolls Royce.

On the Road
The new baby Roller is powered by a not-so-baby-like 6.6 litre, twin-turbo, BMW derived V12 that produces 563 horsepower and 780Nm of torque – yes, you read that correctly, and yes again, it probably is enough to tow an ocean liner.

Now, the bigger Phantom has quite a bit in common with a sea faring vessel – it certainly costs as much as some, and also drives like a land yacht, albeit a very fast one. But the Ghost is not only smaller, but it also has an additional 100 horsepower. Moreover, it has an 8-speed ZF gearbox, adaptive air suspension (like the Phantom), active roll stabilization, four-wheel steering, double wishbones in front (which are incidentally stamped BMW), and does 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. Now that sounds like a car that’s been made to be driven. And boy has it ever.

The Ghost doesn’t feel at all intimidating from behind the wheel. In fact, the view out the front is just as good as in the Phantom – with the Spirit of Ecstasy leading the way. The only difference in this case is that it doesn’t feel as though the bonnet is in another zip code. And that means you’re very comfortable even on our incredibly congested streets. Like in the Phantom, the steering is exceptionally light. But, being a rack-and-pinion, it’s also very direct and provides great feedback. You can certainly feel the German influence – in a positive way, because everything feels responsive and immediate, which isn’t exactly easy to achieve in a car as large as this. It really is a Rolls that’s meant to be driven. The car darts into corners in a way that shouldn’t be possible within the laws of mass and inertia. The active roll stabilization and adaptive air suspension really does work. There’s minimal roll and the body control is amazing – and the power, my God the power.

My colleague, seated next to me during the drive, likened the acceleration of the Ghost, and the sensation it provides, to that of a commercial airliner taking flight. Courtesy of the 8-speed transmission, all 563 horses are at your beck-and-call absolutely all the time. And there’s just no sensation of speed whatsoever – simply a sense that the scenery appears to be flashing by ever so quickly, and the horizon, which was just a speck, is suddenly upon you. The most incredible thing of all, though, is that every time you look at the instrument cluster, even with the accelerator pedal firmly pressed, the power reserve meter typically indicates that you’ve got anywhere between 50-60% of the engines power still in reserve (like in the Phantom, the Ghost doesn’t have a tachometer, but a power reserve meter – although the gauges in this case are white, which I found avoidable). In fact, the only time you feel the considerable heft of this machine, is when you stand on the massive brakes. The brakes themselves are very impressive, it’s just that you realise quite how much this car weighs when you come to slow down again – especially if you have to do so in a hurry.

On the comfort front, the Ghost retains the trademark magic-carpet ride of a Rolls Royce. And, as per tradition, at 100km/h all you hear is the clock ticking. Actually, in this case, the clock doesn’t tick, so in fact all you hear is the AC blower. It’s not quite as eerily quiet as in the Phantom, but still sufficiently silent enough for you to virtually hear your heartbeat accelerate with the car. Incidentally, the name for the 1906 original originated from ghost like quietness – another legacy that’s certainly carried on even today.

Another feature that could be very useful in India is the height adjustable air suspension. You can manually raise or lower the car via a button on the center console. Alternatively, the car will do it for you automatically – it raises the ride height on its own when it senses you’re traversing rough terrain, and it also lowers the car when you approach cruising speed, which reduces drag and also improves road holding. The Ghost even has a button on the gear lever to engage a Rolls Royce version of ‘Sport’ mode. It sharpens throttle response, quickens shifts, and ensures that the transmission holds gears longer. It really does work, and while ordinarily it would be the first thing I’d do before setting off, in this case I left if off – in the Ghost, it didn’t seem dignified somehow.

Verdict

The baby Roller is truly an incredible car – it may not be quite in the same league as the Phantom, but it is a true Rolls Royce in very sense. From the drivers’ chair, it’s almost incomprehensible the way it really does sit on its haunches and head for the horizon. It’s a completely different feeling to anything you’ve experienced before – being thrown back into the plush seats that are covered in hide that undoubtedly comes from the most well bred cows on the planet. And in the rear, while it may not be as voluminous as a Phantom, which has a throne unlike any other, the Ghost at least has a chaise lounge that cossets you all the same. Being inside the Ghost is really an escape from the outside world, and, if you can’t afford one, like 99% of the earths’ inhabitants, it’s an escape from reality as well. But if you can actually afford to make this your reality, I strongly suggest you do. And to clear your conscience, you can at least contribute as much to charity as well.

So, is this the best car in the world? Well, it’s second only to the Phantom – fitting I suppose.

Historically, the Porsche crest has been synonymous with the rear-engined 911. In the 70s, however, Porsche expanded its line-up by offering a range of front-engined models. But the purists wouldn’t have it, and the so-called ‘future’ Porsches died a natural death one after the other.

Over the past two decades, however, Porsche has been able to consistently (and successfully I might add) expand its model range. The Boxster harkens back to one of most legendary Porsches of all time, the 550 Spyder – made infamous by James Dean. But that’s a mid-engined two-seat sports car – what we have here has four doors and four full size seats. Surely the purists are frothing at the mouth?

After all, the idea of Porsche making a family car is preposterous – it’s almost akin to the German sports car legend rolling out a diesel SUV. Oh wait, Porsche does make an SUV, and it can in fact be had with a diesel engine! And, come to think of it, the Cayenne is actually their best selling model worldwide. You see, in order to survive and thrive in the era of the conglomerate, Porsche seems to be following the ethos of, ‘Give the people what they want’ – while taking very good care of the purists as well mind you. So, if in fact you do want a four-door sports car, who better than Porsche to provide one for you – correct? Well, let’s find out.

I’ve actually owned, and loved, a front-engined Porsche before – a 1988 944 Turbo – so it’s not an entirely alien concept. And Porsche claim that the DNA of the Panamera is very much in keeping with the 911. They better be right because there are no second chances in this market. Moreover, it’s one that’s about to get a lot more competitive.

BMW has announced that they’ll produce a four-door coupe by 2012. Apparently Lamborghini is once again seriously considering rolling out a car with four-doors – their most recent attempt was on display in concept form at the Paris Auto Salon in 2008, and it was drop-dead gorgeous. Maserati already makes the stunning Quattroporte, and Mercedes the CLS, while Aston Martin has entered the fray with the Rapide. It’s all getting very serious indeed!

From the outside

On account of its looks, the Panamera got mixed reviews at its launch. In designing a four-door sports car, so to speak, some challenges are inherent. And that’s clearly evident in the rear three-quarter view of the Panamera – with its full size rear doors and extended hatch. That apart, I actually found that the Panamera looked a lot better in the flesh than its photographs suggest. With the massive 20-inch rims on our test car, it looked very purposeful on the road. It may not be pretty in the traditional sense, but it has enormous presence. Even in a city like London, with Aston Martins aplenty, people point and take photographs. The 14-inch front brake discs and huge 6-piston calipers certainly add to the sense of purpose. And, of course, it has the ubiquitous LED lights in front to add a sense of drama as well.

Porsche has certainly done what it can to make the Panamera fit in within its family of vehicles. The front end and silhouette is 911-esque. The big square jaw up front and the large rounded rump at the rear actually gel quite well together after all – in a tenuous sort of way. At the rear, which looks quite stout when viewed directly from behind, there’s an integrated spoiler that deploys at speeds above 90km/h. At 205km/h, it takes on a more extreme angle to provide greater downforce – how very German in its engineering detail. Another thing that piques your interest is the actual key, which is shaped like the car itself. And while that’s quite a novel idea, once the novelty wears off you do notice that the key itself is actually a little large.

All things considered, though, I grew to quite like the way the Panamera looked after I got accustomed to it.

From the inside

Here’s where the Panamera has to prove itself. After all, there’s no point being a four-door Porsche if it’s only got marginal room in the rear. Clearly put, it’ll be worthless if the rear isn’t comfortable. Luckily, however, being inside a Panamera – front or rear – is exceedingly comfortable. It truly is a full size four-seater.

Rear seat passengers get their own excellent Porsche bucket seats. They also get rear AC vents and controls – just to bring home the point that this is very much a Porsche for those in the rear. Not that the driver and co-passenger are left out however. The front features a beautiful center stack that has an array of buttons that makes it look like a keypad from an exorbitantly priced, but very well made, Vertu phone. There’s also acres of leather and alcantara, a fair amount of carbon fibre, and a smattering of aluminium. All of which adds up to a beautiful cabin indeed. In fact, I loved the alcantara headliner – despite being all grey, it gave the cabin a very warm feeling.

The driver meanwhile gets 16-way adjustable buckets that allow you to even set the level of side bolstering you desire – both for the seatback, as well as the seat bottom. Combine that with quite good visibility despite the steeply raked rear hatch, and you can sit low in the car with the seats holding you firmly in place like a sports car, or you can adjust your seat to sit high up and somewhat more leisurely, like in sedan.

The driver also faces a traditional cluster of individual hooded gauges with a large analogue rev counter dead center in true Porsche fashion. In this case, however, one of the gauges is actually a digital display that gives you on-board information, driving directions, and even a complete GPS map directly in your line of sight. All of which can, of course, be mirrored on the much larger screen on the center console.

All in all, it is a fantastic cabin. And regardless of whether or not you like the Panamera from the outside, I assure you that you’ll love it from the inside.

On the road

Porsche may have got the Panamera right on the inside, but it’s not out of the woods just yet. The critical question that’s still unanswered is whether or not it actually drives like a Porsche.

Propelling this beast is an appropriately mammoth 4.8 litre, direct injection V8 that produces 400 horsepower. And said engine is a true powerhouse. The grunt it provides is both explosive and effortless in equal measure. On start-up, it growls at you as it fires into life. After that, however, it’s barely audible as you drive down the road – to a fault almost. However, there are a couple of buttons on the center console that can change that if you so desire. Press the button to engage sport mode, as well as the one to turn on the sports exhaust, and the Panamera quickly transforms from mild mannered mare to Triple Crown winning thoroughbred.

The power delivery, and its accompanying soundtrack, is simply amazing every time you so much as feather the throttle pedal – it puts a smile on your face every time. And when you want more power, it’s just there – it simply doesn’t matter what your current speed may be, or what gear you might be in. The Panamera just appears to have an unending supply of seamless forward propulsion. And the shifts from the double-clutch gearbox are so smooth that they’re virtually indistinguishable. In fact, combine the quick shifts with its tractable V8, and it almost feels as though you’re getting drive not so much from an engine and transmission, as much as from the forces of gravity – drawing you towards the horizon at light speed.

But really, it’s the versatility more than the raw power that stands out. Most of the time, you can potter around town in 7th gear at 1000rpm with no problems at all. The engine truly is that smooth – in fact, at 100km/h on the highway, its barely turning over at 1600rpm. Plus, you can put the air suspension in comfort mode, and the ride in the city really isn’t bad at all – despite the 20-inch rims. You can even manually raise the ride height if the road surface demands it. And then, when you come across an inviting bit of road, you simply press sport and literally shoot off into the distance with no hesitation whatsoever. When you ask it to, the Panamera responds immediately – it just downshifts and goes.

Driving in the city is made somewhat economical by the addition of an automatic start-stop system. In theory, the use of start-stop should give you an additional .5 kilometres to a litre of fuel. And surprisingly, the Panamera is actually quite economical – on 1,000 kilometres of highway and city driving, it returned a quite respectable average of 10 kilometres to a litre of 97 octane. Push it hard, however, and you can literally see the fuel needle chart an inversely proportionate course to that of the rev counter. Nevertheless, the start-stop system not only provides real mileage benefits in the city, but it also makes you feel better when you’re sitting in traffic – which is to say, at idle, with the car off, you’re neither wasting fuel nor spewing exhaust fumes. The system is quite intelligent as well. For instance, if you lower the AC temperature, the engine is turned on automatically to provide better cooling in the cabin.

There are a few small issues however. At low speeds, the power delivery can be a little abrupt at times, which is a common symptom for a dual-clutch gearbox. The biggest problem, however, comes when you want to change gear for yourself. The gearbox itself may be near perfect, but the driver interface to institute a gear change is anything but. Porsche insists on persisting with buttons on the steering wheel to manually affect a gear change. They do offer proper paddles on some models, and I would recommend paying extra if paddles were offered as an option in the Panamera, but they’re not. The upside in this case is that you don’t really need to change gears for yourself. Even when you’re on a mountain road, the gearbox always seems to be in the right gear. The downside is that you can’t really enjoy changing gears yourself. On the other hand, you can change gears using the gearlever as well, but it’s just not as satisfying as proper steering column mounted paddles.

That apart, the Panamera is truly the perfect blend of sports car and GT car. It really does feel a lot like the 911 – albeit a much larger one. It’s certainly not as visceral as a 911 though, nor as delicate as a Cayman, but it’s still unmistakably Porsche. It is a wide car though, and you do notice that on narrow country roads. As a result, you expect it to be a little lazy on change of direction – but it’s just not. There’s simply no flex at all. It just responds immediately, with no roll whatsoever. Moreover, the grip levels are tremendous. I tried my best to get it unstuck on the road, but the electronics kept the massive 295/35 ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport tires completely glued to the road no matter what. And there are a lot of electronics, which have the combined effect of making a car with the girth of a baby elephant glide like a fleet footed Gazelle. Porsche Traction Management (PTM) provides all-wheel drive control, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) provides stability control and brake assist, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) provides continuous shock absorber control, and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) reduces roll. Despite all this, however, the Panamera can get a little unsettled over bumps at speed. Plus, there are instances on rough terrain where you do discern a slight delay in the power being transmitted to certain wheels. Nevertheless, most of the time, the electronics are seamless, and work with you to hasten forward progress.

Let’s just say, if you need a car to cover continents – this would unequivocally be it.

Verdict

So, should Dr. Ferdinand Porsche be turning in his grave? Well, not exactly. You see, Dr. Porsche was an engineer – probably one of the most gifted automotive engineers in the history of the motorcar – and the Panamera is an engineering masterpiece. Everything about the car has pure Porsche precision – both in the way it feels, and in the way it’s built.

On the road, it really is hard to get your head around the fact that something this large can feel like an actual sports car – while still retaining all the qualities of the perfect GT car. So, as a technological marvel, it’s up there with the best of them. On a personal level, though, it just didn’t keep me up at night – as perhaps the 911 or Cayman would have done. I’m awestruck by what Porsche have been able to achieve, but its more clinical appreciation rather than head-over-heels lust.

But, is it the perfect tool known to man with which to transport your family and their belongings not only at light speed, but also in the lap of luxury? Another unequivocal yes.

RENAULT HAS PROVIDED A PREVIEW glimpse of its new concept car, DeZir, ahead of this year’s Paris motor shown scheduled for October2. DeZir stands out as an illustration of the brand’s commitment to more emotional styling that the new styling chief Laurens van den Acker plans to bring into the French carmaker’s image profile. According to Renault’s presspeak, the DeZir’s sensuous lines and bright red finish express passion. Powered by an electric motor, the DeZir also addresses environmental concerns. Renault also says that the DeZir project is the first of many concept cars that define the new design direction that Renault6 is taking. It also lays the foundations for the styling cues of Renault’s forthcoming vehicles. Under the leadership of Laurens van den Acker, Renault’s design department has taken its inspiration from the brand’s new strap line ’Drive the Change!’ and explores Renault’s styling roots to express the company’s human dimension via a new strategy founded on the notion of the ‘life cycle’.

This vision also builds on the bonds that are gradually forged between the brand and its customers at watershed moments of their lives, such as when the fall in love, start to explore the world, start a family, begin to work, take time to play and attain wisdom. this approach coincides with the introduction of a new Renault design language that takes its inspiration from the three keywords which communicate the brand’s vision, namely ‘simple’ , ‘sensuous’ and ‘warm’.

You don’t get to see cars like this in India everyday - I mean coupe versions of popular sedans. And when the sedan in question is one of the best executive cars in the market, it is bound to generate a lot of excitement. Though it has the same face, the coupe is as different from the sedan as James Bond is from Remington Steele. It retains the suave elegance of the sedan but gets a halo of allure around it, something that makes it irresistible. Now that’s rare and that is why I’d love to be seen in one.

The E-Class Coupe isn’t an all-new model family in the Mercedes line-up. In fact, the coupe dates back to the eighties, when the brand had both sedan and coupe versions of the E-Class. Mercedes later moved on to a new nomenclature for the coupe and thus the CLK-Class was born. The CLK was built on the C-Class platform but was closer to the E-Class in terms of styling and specification. And now Mercedes-Benz is returning to the older naming scheme. The CLK replacement will be called the E-Class Coupe. The new car is built on an extended new C-Class platform (code-named C207) but shares 60 per cent of components with the E-Class sedan, including much of the styling. The coupe has turned much more premium and upmarket in the process.

The E-Coupe’s charm is all about its styling. Which is identical to the E-Class sedan’s except for fewer doors and a sloping roofline but has a persona of its own. The long bonnet and short rear give it an alluring profile. It also overtakes the E-Class sedan as the world’s most aerodynamic series production car with a drag coefficient of 0.24 - those beautifully flowing coupe lines working wonders. The front looks a little beefed up with two fat slats on the grille and a big three-pointed star that guarantees a grand entry. The car also gets a black glass roof that adds more elegance than sportiness and so does the frameless window design with the missing B-pillar. Compared to the sedan, the rear is noticeably sportier with chrome tipped exhausts peeking from either side of the diffuser. The tail lamps, the least attractive part of the E-Class sedan, stretch even further into the rear and thus look more elegant. The flared wheel arches reminiscent of the old ‘Pontoon’ Mercs appear even more pronounced on the shorter car.

The interiors have a familiar air too. If you want to be seen in a car like this, you will have to spend a lot of time inside it and I bet you wouldn’t mind doing that at all. The design is very E-Class and but less opulent. Our car came with the AMG Sport Pack that is little more than a brushed steel strip that runs across the dash and on the door. Now this is a car that costs Rs 8 lakh more than the E350 Avantgarde. The E-Coupe is classy and I get the sporty styling intent. But I’d like a lot more leather and plusher materials to pamper my senses with, not hard black plastic on the centre console to remind me of the C-Class. And there are no paddleshifts either (which the sedan gets). The three-spoke steering wheel, further, is similar to the C-Class’ and is great to hold but doesn’t feel premium. The panoramic sunroof is the one interior feature that feels like it fits perfectly with the car’s price.

It also gets familiar equipment like a COMAND operated multimedia system, Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phones and Attention Assist system that suggests a cup of coffee when it detects your drowsiness. But I’m afraid that I will wrinkle my white jacket a bit while finding my favourite driving position - the front seats don’t get fore-aft electric adjustment (similar criticism with the C-Class) and neither does the steering wheel (bizarrely the E sedan gets all of it).  That said, I do like the sporty, supportive seats that are thinner and lighter that the sedans and gets integrated headrests. The test car also had maroon leather which looks great. Though no AMG performance version is planned, the sport package gets you 17-inch AMG alloys and our test car also came with AMG floor mats for visual satiation.

If you are concerned about space at the back, don’t be because these are the most spacious backseats I’ve ever seen on a coupe and two adults would hardly complain about space (unless they are six foot plus in which case headroom could be an issue). Not that many would like getting back there as the squeezing-behind-front-seats ritual might give your linens a crease or two.

The E-Coupe shares its powerplants with the sedan and India will get the E350 variant. It sports the same 3498cc engine that produces 275PS of power at 6000rpm and 355Nm of torque between 2400rpm and 5000rpm. Floor the throttle and this V6 takes a moment to get in its stride but once it does it sears to a 0-100kmph time of 7.5 seconds. That’s almost a second quicker than the sedan. But that’s just for the record. In a car so comfortable, you’d hardly be bothered about numbers and even though it is fast, you hardly feel it inside. The engine note is a wee bit sportier than the sedan’s but the E-Coupe is not meant to be a performance machine - it is more about being a refined and comfortable car with just a hint of sportiness. This is a car that cossets you rather than put you in a manic frenzy. It just feels very relaxed and unstressed while gobbling up miles at blazing pace. Typically Mercedes, you’d think, but hit the twisties and the Coupe takes you by surprise. The engine might remind you of the laid back nature of the E-Class sedan but the handling is what sets it apart.

The Coupe gets the C-Class derived Direct Control rear suspension with selective damping which constantly varies the damping depending on the road conditions and individual driving styles. It makes it softer at low speeds and tightens things up at high speeds so the Coupe does feel very involving round twisties. It also feels smaller and nimbler than the E-Class and the quicker steering rack does make it more direct and eager to change direction.
But all of this isn’t at the expense of ride quality which is a revelation and in keeping with the E-Class heritage. It really is supple and absorbent and though it may not have the ultimate sporting credentials of other (more expensive) coupes like the 6 Series her suspension set-up is actually better suited to bumpy Indian roads and makes it a far more comfortable car to live with everyday.

In terms of style, comfort and engagement the E-Coupe strikes a great balance and though it is pricey at Rs 56.38 lakh ex-Mumbai (Rs 8 lakh more than the sedan courtesy of the coupe being a CBU), it really is the only four-seat coupe available at this price. Like that white jacket, this isn’t meant to be a practical accessory. It’s an automobile for people who would like to be seen in it and that it’ll do very nicely.

It, plainly, shouldn’t work. It, plainly, works.
Thanks to the Einstein-like genius of Porsche’s engineers something so fundamentally wrong has been made to work incredibly well. But even Porsche can’t persist with something as breathtakingly counter-intuitive as the PDK twin-clutch automatic’s steering wheel rocker switches. Letting aside the fact that shifting gears using rocker switches is a silly break from traditional paddles, Porsche goes on to bludgeon convention on its head. We’re used to pulling back with the index finger for an upshift and pushing back with the thumb for downshifting. Same too with the gear lever in the manual mode of an auto ’box – pull back for the next higher gear, push forward for a downshift. In a Porsche you do the exact opposite; push to go up, pull to go down the ’box. It takes days to get properly wired into the set-up and this was rightly hollered at (there being precious little to holler at in a Porsche road test probably added fuel to fire).

But now, despite Porsche claiming it was only journos who couldn’t get used to it, better sense has prevailed. The new 911 Turbo can now be optioned with proper paddle-shifters for the gearbox (left for downshifts, right for upshifts – as per convention) though their legendary doggedness is very much in evidence – as standard you still get rocker switches (paddles are a Rs 25,000 option, plus taxes). But just to annoy us a wee bit the paddles are mounted on the steering column rather than on the steering wheel so when steering lock is applied you have to take your hands off the wheel to shift. A few years of us hollering and that too will be sorted.

That remains the only distraction in a hugely evocative package, a car that in its previous generation was hailed as the best all-weather supercar in the world. Out here in Dubai though there’s only one weather to sample – summer – so there’s not much we’re going to learn about all-weather ability. And neither will fighting Dubai’s legendary traffic while crawling past half finished sky-scrapers tell us much else.

Time to get out then, on to the flat empty and very fast roads that lead to nowhere; time to open the taps. And scream. Mother of god! The Turbo is so fast and there’s so much grip at take-off that it actually hurts you physically. The gs that pin you back in the seat are almost as violent as the gs that splatter your eyeballs on the windscreen when you slam the brakes on a sports car. It’s mind-blowing; 0-100kmph in 3.6 seconds, 200kmph in 11.6 seconds. That’s quicker that the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 and the Ferrari 599GTB. Faster than many supercars that come to mind.

That kind of violence is courtesy a rather special hunk of metal hung out at the back – an all-new, direct petrol injection flat-six, the first completely new engine in the Turbo’s 35-year history. Displacement has gone up by 0.2 litre to 3.8 litres, compression ratio is up to 9.8:1 and it is force-fed by two variable vane turbochargers. It all adds up to a full-house 500PS of power and 650Nm of torque that holds flat and strong from 1950 to 5000rpm.

However were it not for the turbo badging on the rump and on the clocks there’s little way of knowing the engine is turbo-charged. To aid driveability Porsche’s engineers have turned down the boost from 1.0 bar to 0.8 bar and there is next to no turbo lag while throttle responsiveness and flexibility are right on par with naturally aspirated motors. In fact the only way of knowing the engine is turbo’d is the exhaust note, the hair-standing-on-end flat-six soundtrack overpowered by a diabolically hungry rush of air through the turbos.

Our test car was the full-house spec Turbo, complete with the Sport Chrono pack that gets the delicious overboost mode which increases boost pressure to 1.0 bar thus increasing torque by 50Nm to 700Nm. This is available only for short 10-second bursts over a small rev range but the increased mid range is good enough to shave a tenth off the 0-100kmph time.

And then there’s my favourite – launch control. Engage Sport Plus, turn stability management off, hold the brake with the left foot, bury the throttle pedal into the carpets, revs rise and hold at 5000rpm, wait for LAUNCH CONTROL to flash up on the display and… mayhem! It’s like a football has been kicked into your guts, you feel winded, and that’s the driver. You’ll forgive the passenger if she’s let out a bit of pee. Acceleration is merciless as it is relentless. The PDK gearbox grabs on to second with no lag whatsoever. Bam; 100kmph comes up in 3.4 seconds (0.2 second quicker), third, fourth, all selected with no let-up in furious forward momentum. Thankfully there are no cop cars patrolling these roads (which I’ve smartly recceed) else I’d be writing this as a guest in a Dubai lock-up. She tops off at 312kmph though I have to admit I’m not mad enough to attempt a top speed run. After all a public road isn’t the place to test the dynamic limits of a 911 Porsche, not even in a straight line. What’s extraordinary about a Porsche is just how far away the limits are, not, as I found out years ago on a Soviet-era air-strip near Berlin, how easy it is to bring her back from the limit.

Launch control and overboost are standard fare on the Sport Chrono pack. What’s new are dynamic dampers which stiffen during hard cornering holding the powertrain tight. This cuts out the negative inertia effect and axle-load variation thus improving on-limit handling and steering precision. Though with seven corners in all of Dubai I’m hardly in a position to notice the improvements. What the voluminous literature also mentions is that the BorgWarner all-wheel-drive system has been re-calibrated to feed torque to the front wheels more gradually and thus slow the transition from understeer to oversteer. The revised suspension uses stiffer front anti-roll bars but a softer one at the rear, stiffer variable-rate rear springs and re-calibrated Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system which claims to reduce rear suspension movement during hard cornering without compromising ride quality.

Finally there’s torque vectoring, something we’ve seen before on the BMW X6. Unlike the X6 which uses active diffs, on the Turbo this is an electronic aid that works with the mechanical limited slip differential and uses the brakes to shuffle power between the rear wheels. Torque vectoring helps cut understeer by taking inputs from steering angle, lateral acceleration, vehicle speed, throttle position and yaw rate to predict the onset of understeer and then braking an inside rear wheel. The braking is very light, almost imperceptible, but creates a yaw moment on the car helping it to rotate and kill understeer. Unlike stability control which saves you after you make a mistake torque vectoring is a performance enhancing tool to increase your speed round corners by reducing understeer and turning the car, almost like yanking an invisible handbrake to get the rear turned. The system deactivates above 160kmph though its effects start to reduce from 120kmph.

Judging the efficacy of all these aids requires a race track, I’m in no mood to experience the gentler transition understeer to oversteer on a public road. What’s remarkable though is the ride quality that is supple (by sports car standards), straight-line stability is fabulous and unless you have an F1 Super License it’s inconceivable that you’ll need to switch off ESP to reduce intervention on the limit – the limits are that high. The steering precision, weighting and feel are absolutely delightful. There’s also refinement which is so good I could conceivably find myself commuting in one every day. In fact in Germany they do. They even call it subtle compared to the Audi R8 though to my eyes
(and even onlookers in Dubai where there’s flash metal aplenty) this is jaw-dropping stuff. With that massive wing stuck out back, lip spoiler literally millimetres above tarmac and gorgeous wheels, people eyeball you as if you were driving jay naked. And this is in the more understated silver; imagine the reaction when you’re driving down Marine Drive in a yellow Turbo.

Of course all Porsche’s styling changes are subtle, requiring a Porsche-phile to point out the minimal differences. There are new aerodynamically profiled wing mirrors, LED daytime running lamps, new tail lamp graphics, titanium-coloured intake louvres on the sides and larger exhausts poking out back. Then again the 911 shape is so iconic there’s no reason to mess with it. Inside there’s a typically high-quality cabin that’s at once luxurious and sporty. There’s leather, a gorgeously machined PDK gear lever, touch screen navigation, white-faced dials and the gimmicky stop watch sitting on top of the dash that says you’ve splurged on the Sport Chrono package. It seats two (hence the Panamera to comfortably transport company bosses) but in a pinch you can also fit in two kids in what passes off as rear seats though it’ll be prudent to keep vomit bags handy. And a pair of heavy-duty ear-defenders to drown out their screams when you activate launch control and give it the beans.

After all there are times when you do need to play it deaf.

The noise from a 100 cylinders crests and crashes against the pit walls assaulting my eardrums. It’s an angry and urgent sound, and it tears apart the stillness of the morning with its absolutely raucous loudness. But today I’m not complaining. Obviously I won’t, not when the noise comes from ten V10 powered tifosi hunting predators circling the Circuito Monteblanco.

This purpose built racetrack is largely used as a proving ground and hasn’t held much of a race in several years. It’s largely used for trackdays, testing and corporate motoring events, such as the one today, the first drive of the very special Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera. For the last hour these cars have been pounding the track and despite the heat generated from those massive engines, exhausts and the blazing sun, not one of the journalists present has been scurrying to the air conditioned lounge. Lamborghinis do have that kind of effect on people and the LP 570-4 Superleggera even more so. That’s because this is the more powerful lightened version of the more powerful lightened version of Lamborghini’s best-selling supercar, the Gallardo.

Two years ago I drove the Gallardo Superleggera in Italy, and I came back thinking that there was no way a car could be this sensational. At the end of that drive I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that sensational cars as I know them, be they sports cars, hot hatches, hyper saloons or supercars could ever come close to replicating the melodrama of a Lamborghini. Then I drove the Murcielago LP670-4 SV and life as a motoring scribe took a new turn. Yet that experience could not overpower driving the LP570-4 on a racetrack, no holds barred.

The LP 570-4 is a premeditated response to Ferrari’s 458 Italia (and the power outputs, would you believe are identical to the last horse, or bull). Lamborghini still dislikes Ferrari like you dislike broccoli. And you still won’t ever see a scarlet Lamborghini; it just goes against the grain. The closest Lamborghini has come to the colour red is a hot flaming orange, first seen on the Superleggera. The decades old rivalry between two of the most iconic supercar brands on the planet has seen some of the most startling and evocative cars emerge from Sant’Agata, Bolognese. However the last two years have been difficult for the Italian supercar manufacturer no thanks to the economy plunging lower than the neckline on those Lamborghini show girls. Sales fell and as a result production was cut to keep matters within hand. Yet the world saw the Reventon, the Balboni and then the final encore of the glorious Murcielago, the Super Veloce (Italian for super fast – what a language!).

Today however business is looking up again, the buyers are back and to keep in tune with this new turn of events, Lamborghini has decided to reframe its priorities. It starts by focusing more on lightness (which we shall see later) and handling rather than acceleration and top speed. That does not mean you’re going to see a hot hatch or a go-faster saloon, and even though plans for the four-door, four-seat Estoque have been (temporarily) shelved, Lamborghini will continue to make cars that are absolutely mental.

So before unveiling the Jota, a hyper car that replaces the Murcielago next year Lamborghini, staying faithful to their one new car every year philosophy, gave us the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera.

Unlike the Gallardo the LP 570-4 is visual drama of the sort concocted on Broadway. It’s tempestuous and broody, and has an air of sublime malevolence. This is Freddy Krueger dressed in Ed Hardy, and just a moment’s glance will give you sleepless nights.

The front chin is new though it’s not carbon-fibre since it was prone to getting chipped by pebbles. And neither is it ornamental; along with the massive fixed wing at the rear it provides tremendous downforce to the LP 570-4 SL and along with the four-wheel-drive powertrain gives it astounding dynamics. The Gallardo, like every other Lamborghini and unlike the limited edition Gallardo Balboni (the only RWD Lambo right now) sends all that copious power to all four wheels. And that delivers forceful handling using lessons derived from the Gallardo Super Trofeo, Lamborghini’s one-make race car series.

In the quest for a higher plane of exotica, Lamborghini have made the LP 570-4 nearly 70 kilos lighter than the LP560-4, which by itself was a 100 kilos lighter than the bog standard Gallardo. In order to attain that lightness of being, Lamborghini found that they could use carbon-fibre and other lightweight elements even more abundantly than before. On an aluminum bodyshell, polycarbonate windows sit within carbon-fibre doors panels. The engine cover has a polycarbonate window while the engine cover itself is made from carbon-fibre. The rear spoiler is also carbon-fibre and it like on the Murcielago SV is pretty hard-to-miss large. It isn’t flappy so at varying speeds you won’t see it do the Macarena simply because there aren’t any motors to raise or lower the spoiler which would add weight. Further bits that get the carbon weave are the sills (running board) and the huge diffuser at the rear that houses twin Patriot missile silos for exhausts. The underbody tray has several more components constructed from the fibre compared to the LP560-4 and even smaller bits such as the outside mirrors are carbon-fibre. The wheels are forged aluminum alloy with titanium wheel nuts holding them in place and together they contribute a 13 kilo weight loss.

The carbon fetish gets more pronounced inside the car which is a bit minimalist since there isn’t a stereo though it has air-conditioning and power windows. The entire transmission tunnel, the door pads (which incidentally don’t have a door handle but use a leather strap to yank the doors shut), the steering wheel covered in Alcantara, the handbrake, the dial housing and the seat shells are all lightweight bits woven in carbon. Even the seats use Alcantara instead of leather which adds… oops, sheds a few more grams of weight. It may not sound like much but didn’t you feel on top of the world not to mention more active and agile when you slipped easily into a pair of trousers two inches narrower than the last one.

Total the use of carbon-fibre, Alcantara and those lightweight wheels contribute to a 43 kilo weight loss out of the total 70 kilos. But what I could not figure out is that most of the cars on the track had a three-point seat belt not the four-point harness. That of course makes it lighter and easier for the driver to utilise but there is a sense of purpose when you strap on a four-pointer. It magically makes your right foot heavier and narrows your vision to just the steering wheel, paddles and track. Everything else fades into oblivion.

Effectively the on-a-diet LP570-4 accomplishes a much better power-to-weight ratio making it quicker, nimbler and more balanced around a racetrack. So on a race track, with a car like this you don’t just dab the throttle; you stab at it like Norman Bates. And it’s the only time you will ever get such bountiful reward for murdering that drilled aluminium pedal so mercilessly. The LP570-4 darts forward so violently it displaces your kidneys, drains the blood from your eyes and if you had to leave the window open, it would even exfoliate your skin. It does a 100kmph in 3.4 seconds but it does 200kmph in a little more than 10 seconds! And it does ridiculous speeds in ridiculously short distances.The 5.2-litre V10 screaming away behind my head yields a bit more power than the earlier Superleggera or the LP560-4. A new engine management system finds 10 more horses to play with, taking the horsepower tally to 570PS at 8000rpm. That is a ridiculous amount of power for a car that weighs just 1410 kilos dry. This puts its power-to-weight ratio at just a little over 400PS per ton which is a staggering figure to play with.

The acceleration sounds dramatic accompanied as it is by that thunderous exhaust roar that fills the cabin with an unholy presence. Dial in a series of thuds and clunks which sounds like chunks of metal rending themselves apart from the engine and you have an atmosphere which may feel like Hell’s Kitchen but is actually the gearbox’s machinations at work. Lamborghini transmissions are famous for their cacophony of mechanical sounds and the Superleggera LP570-4 is no stranger to that club. Each shift of the paddle on that e-gear automated manual transmission if you can excuse the noise induces sharp intakes of breath sucked in, in exclamation.

One second you’re rushing towards the horizon in crazed frenzy and then next second it’s back on the brakes again as the corner looms up dangerously close. Applying the brakes on a Lamborghini exercises the eyeballs, you brake they pop out, accelerate and they sink back in. The yo-yo action repeats itself on each of the 12 corners of the circuit in such rapid progression that my eyelids look buff at the end of the stint.

The LP570-4 is attuned to savaging corners with a ferocity that belies conventional physics. It isn’t what you would call finely balanced, a superb traction control system lends it a small measure of finesse, yet this breed of bull has to be led firmly by the horns. The first few laps go by with me just trying to get a hang of when to apply the brakes and when to step on the gas. Twenty-four corners are then spent in understanding just how much power sees the rear stepping out of line, which, in Corse (race) mode, is not much by the way. With the carbon-ceramic brakes (a Rs. 8.16 lakh option) digging the front end in firmly the rear lightens up considerably so when you deliver the 70 per cent of the 30-70 power split front to rear, the rear is bound to cough up a big hairball. Yet on the very limit Lamborghini has engineered some amount of understeer into the LP570-4 which manifests itself on the fast sweeping sections of the circuit. What makes the experience magical, is the way the LP570-4 relays information with lightning bursts. You sense every perceptible shift in its weight at any corner of the car. It’s something you barely notice in a hatchback and almost never realise in a cushy sedan. It’s part of what makes supercars so special, so involving and so expensive. You don’t just pay for those gorgeous lines and curves, but an experience that can get you pretty close to seeing your maker (this is a hypercar story, God had to make an appearance). The LP570-4 can resurrect anyone from the mundane existence of their lives. A flick of the wrist, a brisk step on the gas, two fingers beckoning the paddles, and the view from the windscreen turns from portrait to landscape.

Mechanically the LP570-4’s underpinnings are quite close to that used in the Super Trofeo Gallardo. Downforce has been improved by nearly 50 per cent compared to the standard Gallardo thanks to new sill elements, a fully covered underbody and a redesigned diffuser. There is also a new suspension set-up with stiffer spring and damper ratings. Damping has increased by 20 per cent for both bounce and rebound while 90 per cent stiffer bushings tighten the LP570-4’s dynamic abilities. A stiffer anti-roll bar further reduces body roll compared to the Superleggera, which by any standards is hard to detect but I am presuming is what tries to reduce the understeer effect. Pirelli has also developed a new P Zero Corsa tyre specifically for this car, 235/35 ZR19 at the front and 295/30 ZR19 at the rear.

With such aggregates the LP570-4 is by far one of the quickest Gallardos ever made, and not just in a straight line. It will max out at 325kmph (electronically limited) but is now fantastically quicker around corners. That is its primary directive yet it does not hug or carve corners, but rampages through them pretty viciously. The pace with which you have to go through the motions of braking, downshifting, turning in and then accelerating out is rapid to the point of you developing blurry vision. I like it because it isn’t the typical bull in a china shop, it isn’t hyperactive like you expect a Lamborghini to be. The LP 570-4 won’t leave a mess in its wake yet always keeps you in this heightened sense of anticipation. It is scary fast and it is unreal; lap after lap the LP570-4 is an adrenaline-fuelled rush leaving you begging, nay murderous for more.It is also a car purpose built for the track and while the ride comfort on the circuit was something I really couldn’t care about, on the road, it can take itself apart.

I have never come across a Lamborghini I didn’t lust after, and while you can find blemishes if you look real hard, it’d be like saying JLo has a big bum. And even though I am no matador, I’d love another go at taming this bull. Toro, el Gallardo Toro!

It weighs two tonnes, looks like a mini Bentley, and seemingly eats small cars for breakfast! If you happen to have a car of this description bearing down on you, rest assured, you will get out of the way. Drive the Chrysler  300C, then, and you’ll be amazed to see that even the unruly traffic in our nation’s capital develops immediate etiquette – it’s actually quite remarkable.

chrysler300cAs we reported last month, Chrysler could use the Tata Motors-Fiat JV to introduce the brand in India in an attempt to claim a piece of the ever-growing luxury car market – a potential alliance made possible by Fiat’s 20% stake in the rejuvenated Chrysler Group LLC, formed following the company’s re-emergence from US bankruptcy court after just 60 days. What better time, then, to try out what would be Chrysler’s most appropriate model presently for Indian shores?

From the Outside

Words such as ‘audacious’ and ‘imposing’ don’t really do justice to the kind of presence that the 300C really has. This is not a svelte machine, it’s a large car with broad shoulders and straight lines. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t mess with whoever’s inside – you just wouldn’t.

What’s most surprising is that the Chrysler doesn’t wallow like a traditional American luxury barge. The chassis is surprisingly stiff and responsive. The 300C turns in very well, and you can even get the car to slide a little on turn in if you’re so inclined

SRT Design 300C 001

This particular car was the diesel version of the Chrysler 300C, but looked suspiciously like the 300C SRT-8, which is a very special model indeed. SRT, which stands for Street Racing Technology, is the in-house high performance arm of Chrysler – best known for their monstrous Hemi V8 engines. The SRT-8 in question has a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 that produces 425 horsepower, and accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in under 5 seconds. The 300C CRD, instead, has a 3.0 liter, turbocharged, diesel engine producing 215 horsepower. They look eerily similar, however, courtesy of an SRT package fitted to our test car, which includes a front grille with a chromed billet aluminum shell and a Bentley-like inner mesh. It also includes massive 20-inch forged and polished 12-spoke aluminum rims that add to its already mighty presence on the road.

It really does look every bit the mini Bentley – evidenced by the number of such inquiries from the many intrigued passers-by.

From the Inside

chrysler300cinteriorWords such as ‘audacious’ and ‘imposing’ don’t really do justice to the kind of presence that the 300C really has. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t mess with whoever’s inside – you just wouldn’t

As you sit in the drivers’ seat, you try and take in the sheer vastness of the bonnet that stretches out in front of you – simply because of its square shape, rather than its actual dimensions mind you. The first thing that you notice in the cabin as well is that everything appears to be XXL, which is not entirely surprising if you’ve seen the individual portions in American restaurants.

The seats are throne-like and commodious to say the least, which means that they’re extremely comfortable. You tend to sink into the rear bench, and hope the journey lasts as long as possible so that you can enjoy the comforts of the 300C’s cabin. Even ordinarily small pieces of trim such as the door handles are massive, and the steering wheel has a diameter such that you feel as though you’re at the helm of a ship. The quality of materials are largely okay, but there are several pieces of hard plastic that are unworthy in what would be considered a luxury car in India.

The Chrysler makes up some lost ground, however, on the technology front. The SRT package means that this 300C comes with a 6-speaker Boston Acoustic audio system that sounds quite impressive. It also comes with 8-way electronically adjustable front seats, and a very easy to use touch screen CD/DVD infotainment system that has a 20GB inbuilt hard drive – in which you can store upto 1,600 songs and even photos. It also has front and rear side-curtain airbags, xenon HID headlamps, rain sensing wipers and a rear park assist system.

On the whole, the interior is very comfortable – albeit not very exciting, as its largely grey with the exception of silver trim on the center console, as well as a smattering of imitation carbon fiber elsewhere in the cabin.

2008 Land Cruiser

If you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere, the new Land Cruiser, with its combination of go-anywhere ability and Toyota reliability, is the SUV of choice to get you home. Of course, with a massive V8 under the hood, it goes without saying that you would also require an unlimited supply of fuel.

To ensure that you get home even from the ends of the earth, the new Land Cruiser has active height control and adaptive variable suspension, a full time four-wheel drive system that features a limited slip center differential, crawl control, and hill start assist control. As well as numerous safety features, such as vehicle stability control (VSC), active traction control, multi terrain ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist. God forbid, should all the preventive systems fail, it also has 14 airbags as standard.

In the urban environment, if you can get over its considerable dimensions, which do provide unparalleled interior space, the new Land Cruiser shows great versatility by working brilliantly on city streets as well. As part of its evolution, the latest generation has a beautifully crafted and luxurious interior with all the electronic gizmos you could wish for.

From the Outside

In keeping with today’s styling trends, the new Land Cruiser has a striking and imposing front grille. It’s a very clean overall design that isn’t likely to polarize opinion. On the whole, the styling does work well and manages to mask its substantial size.

From the Inside

It’s a somewhat high step getting into the cabin, where you’re greeted by enormous amounts of space and comfort – with an easy to stow third row of seats. The straightforward design theme carries forward into the cabin, which offers very high quality materials, as well as a sliver of matte faux-wood trim that runs the length of the dashboard and provides a touch of understated elegance. It’s easy to find a comfortable driving position with the combination of an electrically adjustable seat and a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel. In the rear, you not only get massive leg room but also AC controls mounted on the back of the front central armrest.

Again in keeping with the trend these days, the Land Cruiser has a key fob that only needs to be in the cabin in order to fire up the engine courtesy of a start/stop button mounted on the center console. This particular car also features a remote starting system. The interior also has Bluetooth compatibility and a 6 CD/DVD changer. The equipment levels and quality of the interior do make you wonder what else could possibly be on its more up-market Lexus counterpart.

The only downside of the interior on this particular car imported from Japan is that the interface and some buttons on the center console are in Japanese, as is the owners manual. As you can imagine, it’ll take a little getting used to and some trial and error trying to figure out certain functions. If you want all the controls in English, you’ll have to opt for the 4.5 liter diesel V8 imported from the UK market – although be prepared to shell out substantially more.

On the road

Once on the move, the car doesn’t feel as big as it initially appears. The very refined driving experience makes the car feel as though it’s shrinking around you. You get a commanding view of the road with a large square bonnet outstretched in front. The Land Cruiser also has an array of cameras and sensors that let you know exactly what’s happening at all four corners.

The extremely smooth and powerful V8 propels this mammoth machine with sublime ease. While it’s ordinarily very silent, you can hear a nice V8 rumble when you step on the accelerator pedal with some intent. The 5-speed automatic transmission is also exceptional as the gear changes are seamless and almost imperceptible. You do have the option of going through the gears manually if you so choose. Again, the shifts are extremely smooth and very quick, but sometimes the computer does overrule your command and shift whenever it sees fit. For example, if you have your foot to the floor and choose to up-shift just before the 5700rpm redline, the computer will analyze throttle position and shift only when it reaches said redline – undoubtedly to aid your effort of picking up speed quickly.

The Land Cruiser has massive tires (285/60 R18) that provide great stability and grip – both on and off the road. It handles extremely well and has very good body control with minimal body roll for a car of its size. This is achieved by its Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System that adjusts the stiffness of the front and rear anti-roll bars in accordance with the conditions. Also, while the weight of the steering at low speeds is heavier than most Toyotas, the Land Cruiser actually has quite good steering feel

Verdict

The new Land Cruiser is an extremely advanced and capable machine. And while it’ll be content to ferry you around on city streets, to truly realize just what a capable machine it really is, you do have to take it off road. The very qualities that make the Land Cruiser excel all over the world, its ability to handle any terrain and its proven reliability, also make it a fantastic choice for Indian roads – if you can afford it that is.

Engine: 4,663cc / V8 / 32 valves / VVT (variable valve timing)
Fuel: Petrol
Transmission: 5 speed automatic
Power: 273bhp @ 5400rpm
Torque: 314 lb/ft @ 3400rpm