Bentley Bentayga: the SUV to rule them all?

And so here it is: the Bentley SUV. Before its official release a the Frankfurt motor show. A car that aims to be 'the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV going'. A bold statement, and one no doubt aimed at the likes of the Range Rover sport and the Porsche Cayenne. So how does this, the newest edition to the SUV family, compare?

Well, for starters the power thing is more than addressed, with the engine in this being a new 6-litre twin-turbo W12, which manages the colossal task of propelling the 5.1 metre, 2347kg giant from 0-60MPH in 4 seconds, which I find mind-boggling. And a top speed of 187MPH doesn't do much to help.

But don't go thinking that Bentley has forgotten about the other aspects of an SUV. This car aims to have a class-leading interior, and because it is a Bentley you cant help but believe them. And the off-roading has also been addressed, with a permanent four-wheel drive system with a Torsen centre-diff, and multi-link front and rear suspension. Furthermore, air suspension which is self-levelling too.

So, another addition to another crowded sector. And this one aims to be the best. We'll see.

Nev

Mercedes AMG C63 coupe: superior to the M4?

So, In response to the new BMW M4 (a fantastic car, I must add) Mercedes have retaliated. Big time. And it is with this, the new C63 AMG. A car which looks like a (beautiful) mix of AMG GT and S-class. But for most people the main concern that they have with this car will be the absence of the old 6.2 litre naturally aspirated V8, an engine which sounded a lot like an enraged Lion. Well, that engine is not under this bonnet. What resides there in this new car is the brand-new 'hot-v' twin turbo V8. Except for the fact that, as the knowledgeable amongst you may have noticed, that the engine is the same as the one in the AMG GT, which I wrote it seems like an age ago.

Looking at the figures, and it looks as if the Merc beats the BMW. It boasts 469BHP (versus 425BHP), 4 seconds-62MPH (4.3 seconds). The only issue that I can see on paper that the BMW holds the cards for is weight; 1645KG for the Merc and 1537KG for the BMW. And I'm thinking that this may affect the sharpness of the cars on the roads. But will the superior power figures trump the extra bulk? We will find out when the Merc comes out later this year.

Nev

Lotus Evora 400: a new dawn?

During the years of upheaval at Lotus, the models were left as they were, with no refreshes to keep them cutting edge. This was none more so than the Evora, which had not seen a refresh in 6 years. However, now that things have calmed down, the Evora has been completely overhauled, so that the car you see here is very much improved. The Evora 400 is named because of the BHP of the car, which is impressive because the engine is the same as before, the Toyota V6. To squeeze this number of horsepower out of that engine,there is a new supercharger, plus a chargecooler, both of Lotuses own. 

The weight is another aspect that has been addressed in this new version, with the new car standing at 1395kg. And this impacts on the acceleration, to. 0-62MPH in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 186MPH just shows the progress that has been made. Indeed, this new car is about as quick round a track as the Exige S, and way faster than the outgoing Evora. Other improvements? The interior feels a lot more superior and well made, and the suspension is firmer.

So, there you are. The new Evora, a car that has been brought up to date in almost every respect. And a kick start for a new Lotus.

Nev

New Audi R8: just a facelift?

So, Audi just gives the R8 a facelift to help it shift some more units, right? Wrong! The car you see here is almost completely new, with a new tub and structure. Despite most of the frame remaining as aluminium, there are quite a few panels that have been replaced by carbon fibre ones. This helps the weight to be reduced to only 1555kg, which isn't much considering the V10 and the Quattro system. Another thing that has changed is the absence of a V8 option, which is because the majority of the last R8's were sold as either V10's or V10 plus's. For this reason, this new car is available as either a V10 (with 533BHP) or a V10 plus (with 603BHP), with a V8 version probably coming later. 

The engine, a 5.2 litre naturally aspirated V10, also has one of the best soundtracks. It is certainly a wake up call to some other cars with forced injection (*cough* Ferrari 488 *cough*). However, without the aid of forced injection this is a car that needs to be kept in a certain band for maximum thrust. And all the reworked aero on the cars means that it boasts figures that are definitely supercar-y. For the V10 plus, 0-62MPH is achieved in 3.2 seconds and it will go on to top out at 205MPH.

And obviously, this being an Audi, inside is everything you would expect from a typical German product. So, in conclusion, this is still very much the everyday supercar. Just vastly improved.

Nev

Alfa Romeo Giulia: a kick-start or a false-start?

So, Alfa Romeo has been reborn. Parent group FCA has decided that Alfa Romeo should be given a new lease of life. And this is the first of Alfa's new models, the Giulia, which should pave the way for seven new models in the next three years. It's a model that will square up to the Mercedes C class and the BMW 3 series in the executive salon sector. But this car will have to be quite something in order for it to out sell the well rounded C class or the 3 series. So let's have a look.

The Giulia, which will also yield a Quadrifoglio model with 503BHP to try and beat the M3 and C63, will have the longest wheelbase in its class, even longer than the C class. But despite this the Quadrifolglio model has had its engine developed by people with Ferrari knowledge, meaning that it is propelled from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, nearly half a second quicker than a manual M3. And, weighing in at 1500kg, it is 155 kg lighter than a C63. This lightness has been achieved through the use of aluminium and carbon fibre. And the long wheelbase means that the Giulia will hopefully be perfectly balanced and comfortable, as well as having a weight distribution of exactly 50:50 on all of the models available. And because of the wizardry of the steering, it will apparently not be far off the amazing steering of the Ferrari 458. The interior of the car will probably resemble a Ferrari-ish cabin, but Alfa haven't released a picture of it yet.

But the main purpose of this car will be to sell. According to the Alfa CEO the cars that the Giulia will rival have become too similar and replaceable. This car will feel decisively different to them, 'an extension of the drivers soul'. Alfa's past have always felt passionate to drive. But this one has the fate of the Make on its head as well.

Nev

Lotus 3-eleven: the lightweight car to have?

And so, my point has been proven. Just weeks after claiming that England is becoming known for its lightweight racers in my last post on the Elemental, Lotus have unveiled their new lightweight racer: the 3-Eleven. Clearly the successor of the 2-Eleven, this car can be bought in race spec or normal. And, although there is a resemblance to the exige, the car is about 90% new. All the work on this car has been to reduce weight and therefore increase acceleration. Indeed, the body itself weighs just 47kg thanks to the use of glass fibre. And a dry weight of under 900kg for the race car. Which is pretty impressive, even if the second seat isn't there in the race spec. 

All this attention to detail has resulted in some impressive performance stats. As a car it is over 3 seconds around a track than the Evora GT4 car, which is pretty mind-boggling! The horsepower is around 430 but may change, and it has 332lb ft of torque. The 0-60 mph figure has not been released yet, but will certainly be below 3.2 seconds. And a top speed of 180mph is quite frankly scary for a car with no roof!

However, all of this does come at quite a high price. The price of the car will be £82000, which is a lot for a car that will only really be used on track days. But I suppose the real question we should be asking is: will this be the best in it's class?

Nev 

Elemental RP1: just another light weight road racer?

As most people will already know, England is fast becoming a breeding ground for start up companies intending to make cars that are lightweight, track cars which are also road legal. There are already companies such as Ariel that have begun life this way. And here is another such company, which hopes to break into the pocket rocket market: Elemental, a company which consists of 6 people, made up of engineers, designers and business specialists. And here is the car itself: the RP1. A car that is three years in the making.

With cars like this one, normal reviewing rules do not apply. Engine size and horsepower are a lot less significant in this sector. So the RP1's 280BHP Ford ecoboost turbo four cylinder is hardly likely to get you frothing at the mouth. However, the things that do matter with these cars are things like weight. And aerodynamics. And, maybe the most important, the power to weight ratio. And in this department the RP1 looks like a much tastier prospect. The impressive new chassis, made by an ex McLaren employee, is a carbon and aluminium 60 kg job, which is very innovative. What is more impressive is the estimated 500BHP/ tonne power:weight ratio, which is very akin to that of the Ariel atom. And this car has two seats, not one. And a 580kg weight helps the RP1 a 0-60 mph time of just 3.1 seconds. As a new company, Elemental know that they won't immediately be shifting thousands of units, and that is why their sales projections are at 40 units per year, ideally. And, by having two seats as opposed to its rival the BAC mono, it is already ahead in my mind!

Nev