You might be able to guess from my user name that I like cars with 4-wheel steering. The improvements to steering response, agility, stability and therefore to safety are tangible but too little known to the population at large. Several years and lots of miles in a variety of 4-wheel steer Honda Preludes were enough to convince me of the value of 4WS. When Honda ceased production of the Prelude back in 2000 it seemed that those virtues were doomed to be forgotten.
Forgotten but not by everyone. Nissan have had 4WS for almost as long as Honda – most famously on the GT-R Skylines. Under the Infiniti brand Nissan have prepared a new coupe, the G37, which will be offered with 4-wheel steering on some variants. Called 4-Wheel Active Steer system (4WAS) it combines a variable ratio steering rack with actuators on the lower links of the rear suspension which alter the rear suspension geometry and thereby steer the rear wheels.
Renault does not have any previous history of 4-wheel steering. Renault and Nissan are business partners and share lots of hidden components. It may be a result of Nissan’s previous work or Renault’s own development but Renault will also offer electronic 4WS on the 3rd generation Laguna. According to Renault the combination of steering on all four wheels with the latest electronic stability program (ESP) gives the new Laguna impressive stability under the severest provocation.
The only concerns I have are that on the Infiniti 4WAS is listed as an option rather than standard equipment while Renault’s 4WS is only available on the top model (not likely to be a popular choice). How many people will know to exercise the option on the Infiniti? Who will be brave enough to choose the expensive Renault? More to the point; I hope I get to try them both.
Saturday, 9 June 2007
Friday, 8 June 2007
Car of the day: Lada Riva estate
An odd choice this; shoddy build, zero style and an antiquated driving experience but it fall squarely into the, “When did you last see one?” category. Ladas used to be quite common but they seemed to disappear overnight a few years ago. I have a feeling that, with the collapse of the Soviet Union lots of Ladas went back to Russia where there was a pent up demand for private cars. Old age and neglect have probably done for most of the Ladas left on these shores.
Maybe it is because I grew up when nearly all cars were as square as the Lada and therefore think that the Lada looks like a proper car. Maybe it is the irresistible lure of the awful car; refusing to believe that it is as bad as people say. Whatever the reason there is something about Ladas that appeals to me.
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Vauxhall’s inflammatory press release
Apparently the sight of an old banger, belching choking exhaust fumes, is all too common. Clearly it is too common for someone at Vauxhall who – understandably, given their position – would rather see everyone in a new Vauxhall. As a result, Vauxhall are offering a £1,000 “bonus” to anyone trading in an old car as long as that car is scrapped. To add credibility to their argument about the number of old cars Vauxhall quote some figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; 15 million cars are at least seven years old; of that 15 million nine million are over nine years old and four million are over 12 years old.
It is interesting that Vauxhall neglect to put these figures in perspective by quoting the total number of vehicles on the road or by offering finer detail about the rate of attrition past 12 years. I imagine that most cars can sail past their 12th anniversary with ease but few will see their 20th. My own unscientific study of the cars around me as I drove home suggested that most cars are less than 7 years old (based on the number of cars displaying the new format registration plates). If I hadn’t seen a Bentley station wagon (either MK VI or R-Type which puts it between 57 and 61 years old) then the 19yr old Citroen that serves as fourwheelsteer’s daily transport was the oldest car I saw. All of which suggests that old cars are pretty rare; the occasional banger is only noticed because it stands out against the background of newer cars.
An unscientific test which I inadvertently conducted earlier this year contradicts Vauxhall’s assertion that their new cars are more economical than the old ones. I had the dubious pleasure of hiring a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 because my own car was out of action; it was pathetically slow, embarrassingly low-geared and not that economical (35mpg I think). A week later I borrowed a 1995 Astra 1.4. Doing the same journeys, under the same conditions and enjoying better performance the older car used less fuel. Given the older car’s cruder engine management and fuel injection that is quite impressive. The older car had a catalytic converter (as will anything post 1992) so how much worse can its emissions be?
Never mind the pollutants that are generated by car usage, they are trivial compared to the energy and resources required to make a new car. Given that cars are getting heavier it is axiomatic that they must need more material and more energy to produce than ever before. The best way to repay the investment in energy and materials required to make a car is to keep it running as long as possible.
The final and most disturbing point is just how anyone with a car worth £500 or less – and it can’t be worth much more than £500 if a £1,000 trade in is to be considered worthwhile – is going to afford £6,500 for a new Corsa. Of course Vauxhall will gladly offer attractive finance packages, so that instead of owning a car outright someone without much money ends up with a burden of debt.
Maybe if Vauxhall were serious about cleaning up old cars they would do more to maintain adequate stocks of spare parts for older models. Perhaps some work could be done to see about adding more modern engine management to older cars (there was certainly room under the bonnet of the Astra for multi-point injection and engine management systems). It would be a more convincing statement than a lot of nonsense about a non-existent problem and a measly fixed-price trade in.
It is interesting that Vauxhall neglect to put these figures in perspective by quoting the total number of vehicles on the road or by offering finer detail about the rate of attrition past 12 years. I imagine that most cars can sail past their 12th anniversary with ease but few will see their 20th. My own unscientific study of the cars around me as I drove home suggested that most cars are less than 7 years old (based on the number of cars displaying the new format registration plates). If I hadn’t seen a Bentley station wagon (either MK VI or R-Type which puts it between 57 and 61 years old) then the 19yr old Citroen that serves as fourwheelsteer’s daily transport was the oldest car I saw. All of which suggests that old cars are pretty rare; the occasional banger is only noticed because it stands out against the background of newer cars.
An unscientific test which I inadvertently conducted earlier this year contradicts Vauxhall’s assertion that their new cars are more economical than the old ones. I had the dubious pleasure of hiring a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 because my own car was out of action; it was pathetically slow, embarrassingly low-geared and not that economical (35mpg I think). A week later I borrowed a 1995 Astra 1.4. Doing the same journeys, under the same conditions and enjoying better performance the older car used less fuel. Given the older car’s cruder engine management and fuel injection that is quite impressive. The older car had a catalytic converter (as will anything post 1992) so how much worse can its emissions be?
Never mind the pollutants that are generated by car usage, they are trivial compared to the energy and resources required to make a new car. Given that cars are getting heavier it is axiomatic that they must need more material and more energy to produce than ever before. The best way to repay the investment in energy and materials required to make a car is to keep it running as long as possible.
The final and most disturbing point is just how anyone with a car worth £500 or less – and it can’t be worth much more than £500 if a £1,000 trade in is to be considered worthwhile – is going to afford £6,500 for a new Corsa. Of course Vauxhall will gladly offer attractive finance packages, so that instead of owning a car outright someone without much money ends up with a burden of debt.
Maybe if Vauxhall were serious about cleaning up old cars they would do more to maintain adequate stocks of spare parts for older models. Perhaps some work could be done to see about adding more modern engine management to older cars (there was certainly room under the bonnet of the Astra for multi-point injection and engine management systems). It would be a more convincing statement than a lot of nonsense about a non-existent problem and a measly fixed-price trade in.
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
Sighting of the day: Mercedes-Benz 260E
On my way home from work today I spotted this Mercedes 260E – a W124 model. The first thing that grabbed me was the condition; it looked clean, tidy and almost factory fresh. The interior looked equally untouched by the passage of time. As far as I can tell only the alloys – from a later model – are not original. The second unusual thing was that it was the 260E instead of the 230E or 300E both of which seem more common.
Seeing a 17 year old Mercedes in such great condition reminded me why Mercedes enjoy a reputation for quality and longevity. There are lots of different opinions about which was the last real Mercedes but the W124 series was among the last real, over engineered cars.
Fury at Vauxhall
Just a quick post but I may add more later. I've just read a Vauxhall press release titled "Vauxhall moves to make Britain Banger Free". There's lots of nonsense about everyone wanting bangers off the streets and the owners wanting something better but unable to afford it.
It is a cunning way of promoting fixed value trade-in prices, I think. But I've driven nothing but bangers for the last 5 or 6 years and I actually like it. None of my bangers has been obviously poluting - no belching fumes here. I've also driven the current Corsa and, frankly, it is rubbish. I certainly wouldn't swap my £95 Citroen for one.
It is a cunning way of promoting fixed value trade-in prices, I think. But I've driven nothing but bangers for the last 5 or 6 years and I actually like it. None of my bangers has been obviously poluting - no belching fumes here. I've also driven the current Corsa and, frankly, it is rubbish. I certainly wouldn't swap my £95 Citroen for one.
Sunday, 3 June 2007
From the archives - A nice pair of Bristols
I mean Bristol cars, of course. I've been going through some of my old photos and I found these which represent 2 of my favourite 4-wheeled things.
This is a Bristol 406 Zagato of 1959, they only made 6 so you've probably never seen one before. The 406Z was smaller and lighter than the standard 406 saloon and had a more powerful engine. The famous motoring writer LJK Setright had a 406 Zagato.
This is a Bristol 409. Commercial pressures forced Bristol to stop building their own engines and instead fitted Canadian Chrysler V8 engines. The 409 had power steering and better weight distribution than earlier V8 Bristols, although bristol owners and enthusiasts tend to fall into loyal pro and anti V8 camps.
Click on the title to go to the Bristol Owners Club site if you want to find out more about the company and the cars.
This is a Bristol 406 Zagato of 1959, they only made 6 so you've probably never seen one before. The 406Z was smaller and lighter than the standard 406 saloon and had a more powerful engine. The famous motoring writer LJK Setright had a 406 Zagato.
This is a Bristol 409. Commercial pressures forced Bristol to stop building their own engines and instead fitted Canadian Chrysler V8 engines. The 409 had power steering and better weight distribution than earlier V8 Bristols, although bristol owners and enthusiasts tend to fall into loyal pro and anti V8 camps.
Click on the title to go to the Bristol Owners Club site if you want to find out more about the company and the cars.
Saturday, 2 June 2007
Roadsters Remembered Mazda MX5 mk2
The original MX5 of 1989 pretty much single-handedly revived interest in the open 2-seat sports car. British Leland ceased production of the MGB in 1980 and the closest thing to a mass-market roadster was the Reliant Scimitar SS1, launched in 1984. Angular styling and odd proportions robbed the Scimitar of mass market appeal (although I think it looks quite smart). Perhaps affordable mid-engined cars in the mould of the Fiat X1/9 and Toyota MR2 should have assumed the role of the popular sports car but it doesn’t seem to have happened. Instead the majority of modern roadsters have adopted the traditional front-engined rear-wheel drive layout.
It was 9 years before the MX5 was updated, which must say something for how right it was. The second generation MX5 was received with nearly as much enthusiasm as the first. Although I never drove the original MX5 I was keen to try the second one when the opportunity presented itself. That opportunity coincided with the chance to drive 2 other roadsters, the Honda S2000 and the Vauxhall VX220 turbo (which I will return to); it seemed sensible to use the Mazda as a yardstick.
Trying to describe the MX5 is difficult; it was an appealing and light-hearted car. It enjoyed that trait unique to the best Japanese cars of being light and easy to drive without being vague or sloppy. As a result it felt good and yet it is nearly impossible to describe any single aspect. That is probably because there is nothing about the steering, the engine, the gearbox or the ride that is non-linear in behaviour. I’m sure it is the lack of exaggerated response that makes the MX5 such a nice car to drive. For everyone else the smart styling and Japanese reliability mean there is no reason not to buy the sports car you always promised yourself.
It was 9 years before the MX5 was updated, which must say something for how right it was. The second generation MX5 was received with nearly as much enthusiasm as the first. Although I never drove the original MX5 I was keen to try the second one when the opportunity presented itself. That opportunity coincided with the chance to drive 2 other roadsters, the Honda S2000 and the Vauxhall VX220 turbo (which I will return to); it seemed sensible to use the Mazda as a yardstick.
Trying to describe the MX5 is difficult; it was an appealing and light-hearted car. It enjoyed that trait unique to the best Japanese cars of being light and easy to drive without being vague or sloppy. As a result it felt good and yet it is nearly impossible to describe any single aspect. That is probably because there is nothing about the steering, the engine, the gearbox or the ride that is non-linear in behaviour. I’m sure it is the lack of exaggerated response that makes the MX5 such a nice car to drive. For everyone else the smart styling and Japanese reliability mean there is no reason not to buy the sports car you always promised yourself.
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