This Week @ Coys

Founded in 1919, Coys of Kensington is the world renowned London based automotive auction house that sells everything from historic racing Alfa Romeos of the 1920s, to the more contemporary McClaren F1.

This week, Coys is offering one of my favorite cars- a silver on grey 1953 Jaguar XK120.

The XK120 is easily one of the coolest cars of all time and what maybe the premier classic Jaguar (though E-Type fans might argue otherwise).

This Jaguar was a postwar triumph for the marque. The British car industry left the Second World War fighting to be the best of the Europeans; eager to attract much sought after dollars from American consumers.

This XK sports a 3,443 cc, straight six cylinder engine that produces 160 horsepower. It is capable of attaining a maximum velocity of 126 mph – that was supercar fast in the 50s – and taking 10 seconds flat to reach 60 mph.

Coys suggests that this car is in “near Concours condition.” Judging by the pictures it is hard to argue with that assertion.

Since 1953, this beautiful Jaguar XK120 has had £75,000 invested in its well documented care.

To learn more about the 1953 Jaguar XK120, click on the following link: Coys of Kensington

The Drive: The Iconic Mercedes-Benz 560SL

It’s not everyday that one gets to drive a legend (unless, one owns the legend). Rarer still is driving one that is in pristine order.

There is a great deal to like about this relic of the 1980s. In reality, it is a relic of the 1970s (the W107 body premiered in 1972) with an 80s engine and 80s technology.

The car’s looks are a great starting point. There is nothing contemporary about the vehicle. In fact, the 560SL is quite dated.

The widely gaped body panels, the boxy nature of the overall design, the separate rubber bumpers, those double headlights, all serve to provide the vehicle with a distinct, wonderfully stylish, and ultimately classic character.

Magnificent.

Approach the car slowly. Take in the visual delight.

Grip the door handle and pull. Open. The door is both long and heavy.

Sit down inside the car. The seats are 1980s springy (Mercedes logic at the time was to craft seats in an orthopedically correct manner that resembled bed mattresses).

To anyone used to contemporary seats, this logic seems foreign.

Squeeze in. The seat is all the way back. The large, leather wrapped wheel juts into your space.

Close the door.

Whum…Whum…Clank. Big, heavy, metal.

A similar sensation in sound and feel can be found in closing the door of a 1988 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur. The door’s weight seems to sit heavily on the equally formidable hinges.

Like a vault, I say to myself.

Take the key. It’s that classic black checkered key that anyone who owns a Benz that is greater than fifteen years old knows well.

Put it in the ignition. Turn. The engine starts to life quickly. The car barely turns over.

It’s a heavy sounding machine. The powerplant is right there behind the narrow dash. It's size and mechanics resonate throughout the car.

Take the leather gear shifter in hand and nock it back to the reverse. The engagement is light and speedy.

In reverse, the car is in first gear. It seems high strung and ready to squeal its tyres the instant you stab the pedal.

In drive, the SL starts in second. The gas pedal has a long travel and some might complain that it gives the roadster a too heavy sensation.

That maybe, up it also adds a certain préstance.

The steering is well weighted. Much like the 300SD I wrote on, the steering is not speed sensitive nor is super light. It is weighed nicely and feels appropriate for the car.

The recirculating ball steering is numb though. U.S. car monthly Road & Track once wrote that if a BMW’s steering gives the driver every little detail, the Benz gives something more akin to an executive summary – only the most important points.

The handling is rock solid and stable.

There is lean, though it is never excessive.

Fast handling is not this car’s strongest suit. In fact, the car’s purpose is first and foremost easy cruising as the ultimate top down boulevardier.

A boat the SL never is. As I have mentioned, every aspect feels solid; brakes, suspension, engine.

The only exception is when the top is down. Cowl shake is terrible, perhaps the worst of any convertible that I have driven.

More problematic is the cramped cockpit and the fact that the windshield rakes in closely such that the open air sensation is never fully realized.

More on the car’s strengths.

The engine; a 5547 cc, 300 horsepower V-8 is powerful and boisterous, however, the note sounds more like that of the 500 than a 560.

The performance feels more like that of a 500 than a 560 as well. The torque pulls strongly through the revs. 60 mph comes fast, but 500 fast, rather than 560 fast.

I cannot explain why that would be, except that it simply is the case.

If push came to shove, the 560SL could tear up the roads with the best of them. It is a highly capable machine even for so old a design.

To me, that speaks volumes of German engineering.

And it is easy to see why for so many years this SL reigned as an icon. This grand tourer is utterly satisfying despite its age and eccentricies.

All in all a true classic.

Design: Who's Influencing Who?

Is it a story of the chicken before the egg? The cart before the horse? The Lexus design premiering before the Benz?

Perhaps, but then again, I credit the Japanese for turning the global car industry on its head and all the former conventions and logic with it.

The following are some pictures of cars that I think look eerily similar. I leave you, dear reader, to be the judge.

Left Picture: 2006 Lexus IS250
Right Picture: 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550

Take note of the headlights and fog lamps on both cars.














Top Picture: 2006 Kia Sorento
Bottom Picture: 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML350

Take note of the headlights, grille, fog lamp placement, front (bumper air dam), windshield.














Top Picture: BMW 7-Series interior
Bottom Picture: Benz S-Class interior

Take note of the overall layout. The BMW iDrive and the Benz COMAND system. The placement of the air vents, the transmission stalk placement,the information readouts, the storage compartments.

One of these cars is a $70,000 2006 Mercedes-Benz CL500, the other is a $25,000 1999 Mercury Sable.







Which one is which?








For more of my thoughts on this topic, read my article, "Who's Copying Who?"

Jaguar Gets Heavy Plating

Jaguar has now tuned into the armored market.

Finally, diplomats and celebrities outside the United Kingdom will have a made-from-factory choice other than the usual suspects; BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

According to Jaguar's UK website, the new armored extended wheelbase XJ Sovereign will be offered to those concerned for their security and willing to pay not one quid less than £200,000 ($348,577).

Among the beefed up features:

• An uprated suspension and braking system (to compensate for the increased weight)
• B6 level ballistic protection (firearms and small explosives)
  
• Run flat tyres
• And most intriguing - an inertia cutoff override switch- just in case one is attacked and struck by another car, one still has the option to attempt to flee the scene.

Much like aftermarket armored sales, these armored Jaguars will likely be built on a per-client, bespoke basis.

Hey, if it's good enough for Prime Minister Blair, why not everyone else?

This Week @ Coys

Founded in 1919, Coys of Kensington is the world renowned London based automotive auction house that sells everything from historic racing Alfa Romeos of the 1920s, to the more contemporary McClaren F1.

Offered this week is an elegant blue minuit 1936 Bentley 4 ¼ Liter.

This Bentley was crafted by Freestone and Webb; the body of the car was based on the Rolls-Royce 20/25 platform much like last week’s Bentley 3 ½ Liter.

What makes this model an even more enticing car than the 3 ½ Liter, is the increase in engine displacement by ¾ liter, allowing for 20 extra horsepower, which meant that the 4 ½ Liter topped out nearly 100 mph.


Though, the 3 ½ Liter is a convertible.

Freestone and Webb’s Bentley is likened to a “top hat” because of the high pitch of the roof and its glossy dark blue form. Surely, there were few cars indeed that would have proved as elegant a saloon.

As is custom, Coys has not listed the price of the Bentley 4 ½ Liter, however, they have invited enquiries. Like the 3 ½ Liter, my best guess is that this gracious car’s price will start at £75,000 ($132,172).

To learn more about the 1936 Bentley 4 ½ Liter by Freestone and Webb, click the following link: Coys of Kensington

Retrospection: The Out-Going Mercedes-Benz S-Class

“A glance across a crowded street and suddenly, nothing else matters. Forget for a moment, that it has been called the ‘best car in the world.’ Or that many consider it the most technologically advanced sedan ever built. Forget that the S-Class is the car many other manufactures emulate. That it represents not just how things can be done, but how they are done… Because the only thing that matters is how it feels to you.” - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class North American brochure.

This emotional epithet – an overture to the world’s well-to-do and, judging by the last line, the truly self-absorbed (just joshing), puts to words the transformation at Mercedes-Benz in the late 1990s.

Mercedes-Benz would no longer be known as that stodgy car company, known for making cars that felt like and resembled “bank vaults” with engineering to match, but would be crafted with emotion and feeling and rely on the latest technology.

It was as though Mercedes-Benz, the dashing man of the Viennese ball suddenly went through a mid-life crisis whereby he discarded his hamburg, tore of his black tie, put on 30 lbs of 8 karat gold bling and donned a G-Unit cap cocked sideways.

Ja, Ja, Ja –G – Uuunittt! He would brashly proclaim.

Sadly, all but a few of his fair, fellow ball goers would follow suit. Tossing away the classic for what was in style – street cred.

The S-Class was not as déclassé as all that. But, it was damn close.

Upon the Benz’s introduction, observers over at rival company BMW marveled at how the paragon of aristocratic German luxury heritage, just went “middle class”.

As if to support this new position, Mercedes-Benz interviewed some of its own employees who claimed that driving the previous W140 S-Class made them feel conspicuous and ashamed of their material wealth, whereas the new S-Class was modest and understated.

They did not have to feel ashamed anymore.

Give me a break.

Let’s get something straight. The 2005 S600 retailed for $134,000. The 1999 W140 S600 retailed for the same money. Only a select few could afford either. Modest styling or not, the statement is of outlandish monetary wealth that in most parts of the world requires a security detail.

Is the consumer really justified in spending six figures on an understated car? Did not the Volkswagen Phaeton flop on that very premise?

The last S-Class was, after the initial shock of the redesign, a blandly suburban vehicle.

The car was so modest, in fact, there was a redesign in 2003 that made the grille more adroit and the headlamps more defined so as to make the front stand out.

Still, the Benz’s proponents proclaimed the car’s “effortless elegance”.

I don’t think so.

Only the Japanese do Japanese well. When the Germans do Japanese, the result just looks cheap.

One example: on many American and Japanese sedans, the top of the front door sill and the A-frame pillar are one and the same.

Presumably, there are lots of good aerodynamic reasons for this to be so.

However, it is a design facet that is primarily given to economy cars. When one opens the door it exposes the edge of where the windshield is mounted.

In the bid to be a wind-tunnel champ, designers made the last S-Class with this unfortunate feature.

Wisely, Mercedes-Benz has changed the design back to the original separate door, separate frame on the 2007 S550.

The out-going S-Class will be remembered as a demarcation from the old way of doing things. It is a highly Lexus-ized Benz that will not age well.

This is due primarily for two reasons: one point is the car’s heavy reliance on technology as a selling point. Technology is quickly dated however, and we are left with a car that carries little soul after the gadgets are no longer new.

The second point is the aforementioned suburban look of the car. The lastest S-Class picks up the mantel of being large and bold, rather than quiet.

After all, if you really wanted to spend $134,000 on a quiet super luxury sedan, would you not have bought a Volkswagen Phaeton instead?

For more information on the out-going S-Class, click the link: MBUSA

Are We Missing Something?

The first time I voyaged to the United Kingdom I was astounded by the sheer wealth of vehicular finery.

However, I did notice something rather peculiar: every Jaguar that I saw (in London there were many) lacked the fabled “hood leaper.”

Now in terms of the XJS, XJ220, XK8, or XKR coupés and convertibles, the Jaguar on the hood is not missed. However on the saloons, it is the pièce de résistance.

The cat on the hood completes the cat as whole. A Jaguar saloon without the hood leaper looks naked.

It would only be until years later when I stopped into Rossleigh Jaguar in Edinburgh that I was to learn the reason.

The incredulous salesman was baffled that we in the United States still had the fabled leaper considering our “litigious society.”

I asked for further explanation and duly received.

There were law suits in the United Kingdom pertaining to car-pedestrian collisions.

The hood leapers have impaled more than one victim due to their design; they fold side to side, but not backwards like the Mercedes-Benz star or the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy.

Apparently, the driver, dealer, and Jaguar Cars, Limited could all be held liable. As a result Jaguar stopped the installation of hood leapers on European Jaguars as far back as the 1980s and continues to install hood leapers on the saloons only in a select few markets (North America being one example).

The measures in the UK are so extreme that no Jaguar dealership will install a hood leaper for the customer. Nor can the customer sign a waiver dissolving the dealership or manufacturer of fault.

Let us hope it will not come to that on this side of the Atlantic.


For more information, click the link: Rossleigh Jaguar

Facelifted: The 2007 E-Class

According to blogsite eMercedes-Benz, the current Mercedes-Benz E-Class is undergoing a refit and a new, facelifted version of the current sedan will debut in 2007.

For more spy pictures of the 2007 E-Class visit eMercedes-Benz.

For my reviews of the current Mercedes-Benz E350, read my article, The Drive: Benz's Suburban E350.

Barbarous: The Brabus S600 Bi-Turbo

Granted, Brabus is an out-of-house tuner (i.e., not closely-linked-AMG). And the numbers that their engines produce certainly challenge AMG’s figures – 6.3 Liter, Twin Turbo, V-12; 730 bhp with 974 lb/ft torque.

However, only those truly devoid of taste would purchase such a vulgar car.

I have rarely liked AMG packaging on Benzes. They have had a pattern of putting swirly spoilers over crisp lines that more times than not ruined the lines of a given Mercedes.

Brabus is worse. Typically, the aftermarket “supertuner” goes one step further by providing anything from hideous aftermarket circle foglamps to out-of-place low profile aftermarket chrome rims as seen on their latest monstrosity.

Very ghetto.

As I mentioned in my article, La Rinacenza Italiano, it seems that automotive styling has gone to the dogs – or – more specifically Acura and Mitsubishi styled street racers. These cars are neither pretty, not inspiring, they are fundamentally base.

Having power is one thing. Packaging it in cheesy plastic aerodynamic garb is quite another.

Consider the conservative 500E AMG of the late 80s, early 90s. This sedan, “The Porsche Killer,” was almost as understated as the ordinary E-Class of the day.


However, there was no doubting the machine’s legendary performance.

Today, such a vehicle is referred to as a “sleeper.” I call it reserved power – an ethos that car manufacturers and aftermarket shops should adopt.

If, the Corporate Governance in Stuttgart had any inclination to preserve the heritage of their cars, they would shy away from supporting/encouraging aftermarket houses that are devaluing the name Mercedes-Benz.

The Common Element: Petroleum

From the humble Ford Focus to the exotic Ferrari Enzo; almost all cars require one thing to run: gasoline.

My previous article, “Barbarous: The Brabus S600 Bi-Turbo,” expounded upon how the horsepower race has created some truly vulgar automobiles.

Even more vulgar, however, is the sheer carelessness concerning la situation d’état. Another war, another natural disaster, anything can cause the oil markets to jump and the price at the pump to sky rocket – and stay high.

In the late 1990s, I applauded BMW’s valiant effort to develop a performance oriented 7-Series that ran on hydrogen. The company showed that the technology was indeed here.


However, it seems like the prototype has been sitting in the garage over in Munich ever since.

Last year, Lexus came out with a hybrid RX. The folks over at the Toyota luxury subsidiary called it the RX400 h. The SUV can run to 60mph in under seven seconds.

Point well taken, we can have environmentally friendly products that can haul if need be (and often is desired).

However, the RX400 h has an MSRP of $46,755; that is $10,000 more than the standard RX. The savings in reduced gasoline consumption is a wash, even with Federal tax breaks. Plus, the heavy SUV cannot really run at any speed greater than 15 mph using batteries. Thus, there really is little practical incentive to purchase the hybrid over the gas-only RX.

Mercedes-Benz has reintroduced their diesel E-Class that is on sale everywhere except for diesel-phobic California. Their diesel has a range of upwards of 700 miles per tank and can also sprint to 60mph in under seven seconds.

Benz’s move is less bold than Toyota’s and certainly far less pie-in-the-sky as BMW’s.

However, with all this effort and monetary investment going into sport tuning automobiles to guzzle gas and rip up the roads of the world, everyone must understand that we are, all of us, in a market that is highly susceptible to gas crises.

Short of digging all of Alberta up, there continues to be little prospect of energy independence from nation-states that for the most part do not like the West.

Venezuela, the Arab states, the Russian Federation, Iran- the West relies on their petroleum supplies.

Without their gas, U.S. prices could jump to European-like, economy crushing $5 per gallon or worse. Powerhouses like Brabus and AMG would be sucking wind, while hybridization and alternative fuel conversions would rush to the forefront of consumer need.

The world’s automotive makers need to force alternative energy change into their car lineups lest they find themselves out of gas, out of money, and out of business.

a DAIMLER - BENZ product

Every Mercedes-Benz imported to North America had on the lower right-hand corner of the windshield the sticker: “a DAIMLER-BENZ product,” with Gottlieb Daimler’s signature.

On a Benz, I consider this little detail to be the cherry on top of the sundae.

After the Daimler-Benz acquisition of the Chrysler Corporation in the late 1990s, the sticker changed to state “a MERCEDES-BENZ product.”

The time came for me to find another one of the original stickers. This, surprisingly, was a real chore.

My first call was to Mercedes-Benz of North America. Before I could go anywhere in the conversation they demanded to know the car’s VIN and the mileage.

I just want a sticker, lady.

I was transferred to some senior manager out in New Jersey who knew what I was talking about. However, he could only offer me the new sticker.

No thank you, said I.

I contacted the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Mercedes-Benz Club of North America. The polite gentleman who headed the chapter suggested I contact the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center – the one based in California.

Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? And, for that matter, Mercedes-Benz of North America?

So, I telephoned the Golden State.

It took the Classic Center technician two minutes to figure out what I wanted and the part number for it, and oh, by the way, it’s available at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer for a suggested retail price of $3.50.

Thank you sir.

I summarize with three notes:

• That Mercedes-Benz of North America was kind enough to send me a new “a MERCEDES-BENZ product” decal gratis.

• I wrote a letter to Stuttgart complaining about the change of decals and the trials I had to go through to get something so simple.

• The newest windshield sticker has neither “a DAIMLER-BENZ product” or “a MERCEDES-BENZ product” but merely Herr Daimler’s signature.

For more information on the Classic Center in Irvine, California, click: MBUSA/Classic Center

A Missed Opportunity? The Daimler

Speaking of Daimler, another completely different Daimler is being sold elsewhere in the world. Specifically, what we know here in these United States as the Vanden Plas with its extra fine Connolly hides, Wilton carpets, and crenellated chrome grille and chrome trunk handle-trim, is actually known to much of the rest of the world as the Daimler Super Eight.

The first British Daimler was built in 1897, not long after Gottlieb Daimler produced the first horseless carriage in Germany. When the luxury marque joined Jaguar Cars, it remained a small side show production of Jaguar bodied sedans for decades.

The same case is still true today. The latest Jaguar XJ based Daimler Super Eight is being produced in small numbers and is retailing in the United Kingdom for £80,000 ($139,000).

However, I cannot help but think that the Ford and Jaguar executives missed a golden opportunity here.

The super-luxury segment consists today of three principal players: Bentley, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce. Up until the early 1990s, Daimler produced a large, stodgy, but opulent limousine that proved popular in the UK and elsewhere as being a chauffeured alternative to Rolls-Royce.

I am certain that with a marketing assault, and a realistic production figure of perhaps 1,500 cars per annum sold at roughly £150,000 ($261,000), a completely new (prettier) Daimler limo could have provided a luxurious rival to the Phantom.

Instead, the current Daimler Super Eight is merely a rebadged XJ. Daimler today suffers from what Bentley once did; being just a re-labled subsidiary with no distinctions. I surmise that Jaguar and Ford executives did not see the market for a new super limosine.

Still, the concept would be marketable and likely profitable in this climate of excess…

For more information on the Daimler, click: Daimler Cars

An Eye For Detail

Jaguars are sensual automobiles.

The company’s new global marketing campaign, “Prefer Gorgeous,” seems to continue to remind us of this very point.

Jaguars are sexy, the German competition is not.

The last XK8/XKR coupé/convertible was a magnificent car. It reignited the marque and rejuvenated the sporting (and sexy) heritage of the E-Type.


Who knew that the British could be so passionate?

The new XK is much more controversial. Less velvet, more hard-tuned performance.


That might not be a bad thing. However, two things are indisputable:

• the new XK is less graceful than the old

• the new XK looks to be a cheaper sibling of the Aston Martin DB9.

That said, history reminds us that the old XK was modeled closely on the Aston Martin DB7. That XK was the better looking car. In this scenario, the tables have turned.

Still, what rescues the Jaguar from being the cheaper Aston is the marque’s magnificent predilection for the attention to luxurious detail.

The wood. The leather. The glove box. The shifter. Each are designed and implemented to be fluid and graceful.



The new interior is modernist where the old was classic. Both work beautifully.

A favorite new feature of mine is the option for poplar wood trim; bold and beautiful it is a striking standout.

Touches of chrome and brushed aluminum (or aluminium – depending on which side of the Anglophonic Pond you align yourself) create sharp contrasts to the new cockpit, as the chrome managed by itself in the old.

I like the new interior. I warm to it more and more. I loved the old interior – especially the original version of the late 90s that did not feature separate headrests on the front seats.

I am luke warm on the new exterior – though aspects such as the line of the roof are stunning – the front nose is much too reminiscent of a European Ford.

Perhaps time will soften my stance. After all it is a Jaguar and by which it still stands to be among the most graceful, sensual of cars on the road.

• For more information on the old XK, click the link: Jaguar Cars USA

• For more information on the new XK, click the link: Jaguar Cars UK

Retrospection: The Iconic Mercedes-Benz 560SL

An automotive icon that spanned two distinct decades; the 1970s and the 1980s, the W107 SL-Class Mercedes-Benz was the longest running chassis the marque had ever sold (18 years).

The G-Wagen beat the record.

From its debut in 1971 to its finale in 1989, the SL sold over 200,000 cars globally, of which over 65% were sold in the United States.

To put that into some perspective, the last SL Class (W129) lasted only 11 years, by which time critics were grousing over the need to replace the model whose design dated back to the 1980s.

If we considered the Mercedes-Benz SL customer of the late 1980s, they were purchasing a modern classic - the design of the W107 560SL was conceived in the 1960s.

Still, if ever Mercedes-Benz produced a classic postwar car, the SL of the 70s and 80s was it.

The 1985-1989 SL – specifically the 560SL in the United States (and the 500SL in Europe) was the best and most technologically advanced of the line.

The body was dated, but it sported some of the latest mechanics. These included the winning 560 engine – a 5547 cc, 5.6 Liter V-8 that produced 300 horsepower and demonstrated success in the grand 560SEL and 560SEC, and was tweaked even further to drive the 500E AMG.

ABS, SRS (Driver’s Side Airbag), dual-stage heated seats, and an updated Becker radio were fitted to the 560SL to keep it au courant.

Mercedes-Benz justified the SL by claiming that it was a roadster on the company’s own terms and by their own definitions. The seats were full size as was the steering wheel – both were in fact oversized for the diminutive cockpit.

The 560SL came with a detachable hardtop roof that really was a two-man operation.

Underneath was also a cloth top. Mercedes-Benz was indeed accommodating.

The SL, like all previous W107 SLs, was not particularly well fitted. There were gaps; a gap between where the grille ended and the bumper began; gaps where the hardtop connected to the rest of the body, and wide gaps between body panels.

I quite understand that it was an old design, but ever for its younger hey day (i.e. the 70s) the W107 could have been made tighter.

Still, the car sported some classic lines that despite being dated are still to this day a sight to behold.

In all, the 560SL was one classic boulevardier.

La Rinascenza Italiano

In the automotive world, the very word “Italian” conjures images of the exotic. This is for a very good reason: no one does exotic like the Italians.

For decades, Italy’s finest marques; Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati have graced America’s roads only in limited numbers.

After the 1980s, Alfa Romeos and Maseratis all but disappeared on this side of the Atlantic.

Today, it is exciting to witness something of an Italian renaissance in these United States.

Maserati’s continued success with the Quattroporte and Spyder sales in the U.S. are fueling a rejuvenation in the concept of the everyday exotic.

Hence, the rumors of Alfa Romeo’s return to the American market.

If and when Alfa Romeo does return to the United States, and the folks at Pininfarina introduce a Spider that is a worthy successor to the model that graced these shores in the early 1990s, we could see a dramatic, Italianate transformation of the car industry.


I can only hope that this movement will replace the California design emphasis; a misguided ethos that has altered the face of much of the automotive industry to resemble Japanese street racers.

At A Glance: The Bentley Azure Convertible

I am of the firm belief that the last Bentley Azure was the finest car of the 1990s.

Sergio Pininfarina, the Italian designer that can lay claim to some of the most beautiful cars ever built, designed the original Azure.

The new Azure represents the Bentley Motors' wise choice to continue to carry on production of the Arnage platform, while maintianing many of Pininfarina's classic lines.

As I mentioned previously herein, such a move can only continue to bolster support from the loyal, traditionalist, “old guard” clientele.

Plus, if it were in reality anything like the last generation, it would be the finest Grand-Tourer on the road, bar none.

Three years ago, I had the exciting opportunity to tail a Monte-Carlo yellow Azure across the Florida-Georgia border. Needless to say, we both flew.

Clearly he had someplace to go in a hurry and I just happened to be going in the same direction up I95.

I recall the sheer mass of the car; the high stance; the sheer force of moving more than 6,000 pounds of car at a rate that I struggled to match. It was a spirited run.

This new Bentley doubtless manages an even greater performance. Though, the performance specification figures from the company suggest a close resemblance to the old. Both generations of Azures are powered by 6.75 liter V-8s (doubtless the reworked versions of the same engines used in the Continentals of 1950s). Both manage to arrive at 60 mph in under six seconds and both top out at nearly 170 mph.

The new car carries many of the same beautiful lines as the old, but does so with more concern for aerodynamics. The car’s proportions, still large on the whole, seem cropped a little from the length of the predecessor. The result is a taut, smoother body that carries those same perfect genes of the old Azure.

In summation, this latest Azure is an elegantly restyled, more streamlined version of what was already a sublime automobile. A conservative step for Bentley by any measure. But a measure that this conservative just happens to appreciate.

For more information on the new Bentley Azure Convertible, click on the following link: Bentley Motors

This Week @ Coys

Founded in 1919, Coys of Kensington is the world renowned London based automotive auction house that sells everything from historic racing Alfa Romeos of the 1920s, to the more contemporary McClaren F1.

This week, a brilliant white on black 1934 Bentley 3 ½ liter by Oxborrow & Fuller is on offer. The two door coupé was the first Bentley to be produced under then new owner Rolls-Royce. Powered by a potent 3 ½ liter, 105 horsepower straight-six, the Bentley was a sporting version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25.

According to Coys, this model was the first of the “Derby Bentleys” of the 1930s; a particularly handsome vintage for the marque.

The 3 ½ liter could attain a maximum speed of over 90 mph.

An elegant car, its dimensions are small when compared to the largesse of contemporary Bentleys.

Comme d’habitude, Coys has not listed the price of this particular Bentley, though, they have invited enquiries. I would hazard to guess that the bidding will start at £65,000 ($114,549).

To learn more about the 1934 Bentley 3 ½ liter by Oxborrow & Fuller, click on the following link: Coys of Kensington

Reshaping One Misguided Design: The BMW Z4 Coupé

When the Z4 roadster premiered, I felt as many had that this was another Bavarian icon that BMW Chief Designer Chris Bangle managed to destroy with his unfortunate design ethos.

I felt bad for BMW’s engineers. They were designing and implementing some of the best driving BMWs ever made. The current 7-series performes better than any of its predecessors.

So too, does this new Z4. It raised the performance bar from the Z3, which had relied on the good, but arcane suspension platform of the 1980s 3-Series.

Today the opposite is true of what was the case in the 1990s.

In the 90s, the Z3 relied on its classic roadster visage to attract buyers, while relying on old technology to serve the driver. Here, the Z4 driver enjoys the latest of BMW’s technology, but will likely have buyer’s remorse when BMW abandons the Bangle design scheme.

The new Z4 coupé takes the original roadster design and has actually made it work. For all its incongruent lines, the new coupé has a smoother visage that still maintains the angular look the Mr. Bangle was likely after, but allows for svelte, taut lines that a sports car should have. This is due to the hardtop element.

The angles seem to work for a dedicated sports coupé. The look carries a sense of dedicated performance mixed a touch of utility that the Jaguar D-Type and E-Type coupés of the 1960s had (it could be due to the "third door").

Critics might suggest that there is too much Porsche 911 influence at play here. There is something about the entire package that suggests hardcore performance.

The Bavarian element is wholly present, though, which does make this car unique (and finally in an agreeable way).

The new Z4 coupé will likely arrive on the world’s roads this Spring. Thanks to the confluence in the way that lines suite the two-door hardtop format, this may prove to be a more popular model than the roadster.

For more information on the BMW Z4, click the following link: BMW

Retrospection: The Stalwart Mercedes-Benz 300SD

Step foot outside of the United States and Mercedes-Benz diesels seem omnipresent around the globe. In Europe, some are enjoyed as luxury transport and many are used commercially as taxis. In Africa and the Middle East, almost all Benz diesels (especially 1980s 240 and 300Ds) are taxis. Their range is astounding by contemporary automotive standards: 650 plus miles on a single tank of diesel. So in economic terms, owning a diesel Benz makes good fiscal sense to many people.

In the 1970s, the OPEC induced gas crisis led to a rush importation of German diesel cars in the United States. The fuel crunch inspired Mercedes-Benz to implement turbo-diesel models in their flagship S-Class saloons.

The 300SD was first produced in the W116 series (1972-1980).

The 70s S-Class was something of a low profile tank and at over 4,000 lbs the original 300SD was lethargic in its performance. The 1980s changed that by shaving the pounds off the less hefty and more aerodynamic W126 series (1979-1991). The new 300SD felt as solid as a tank, but at roughly 3,700 lbs weighted considerably less than one. Hence, acceleration was better, as was fuel range.

Looking back on the 300SD, I remember liking the car.

I have never experienced a new or even lightly used 300SD; which says something about the condition of those cars today (and my age). Most of the early W126 S-Class turbo-diesels continue to be used hard as veritable work horses and many have accrued over 300,000 miles. In these terms, it is difficult to consider most 300SDs today as luxury cars.

There is no question, however, that in the 1980s the 300SD was the gold standard.

The MSRP for a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD was $38,500; or 73,542 in today’s dollars.

There was no finer diesel car on the road. As an S-Class sedan, the 300SD represented the penultimate in luxury automotive transportation.

By contemporary standards, a new 300SD was quiet at cruising speed, smooth in the dispatch of broken asphalt, comfortably spacious for the front passengers, and relatively so for the rear. Above all, the turbo-diesel sedan enjoyed that sterling accolade of most pre-2000 Benzes in that the car felt as secure as a “bank vault”.

This S-Class was not without its foibles though.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) were not standard equipment. There was no option of having a self-leveling suspension system. These two assets would have been key in everyday performance terms as I will explain. 15” rather than 14” wheels would have benefited handling and braking as well.

There were no memory controls for the power front seats; the front headrests were manually adjustable, there were no rear headrests. Fixed in its position; the hub of the steering wheel was hard plastic, the rim trimmed in vinyl (“leatherette” in Benz lexicon); and most 300SDs were fitted with the often cold and ill-matched Zebrano wood trim.

On highway and what I affectionately refer to as The Test Track- a twisting hilly road that cuts through a bucolic forest reserve, free of population and traffic, full of undulations, sudden drops, and a quarter mile straightaway– I had the fine opportunity to drive on different occasions two 300SDs in the late 1990s.

I shall report on my experiences in The Drive.

The Drive: 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300 SD

In terms of performance, there are a few factors that stand in this Benz’s way.

First is mass. At more than 16 feet long, the 300SD is a big sedan to throw around.

Second is the lack of a self-leveling rear suspension as available on the 500SEL, or a fully adjustable air suspension as available on the 450SEL 6.9 (W116). Both suspensions increased road holding and lap times nicely in comparison to their ordinary gas-shocked kin.

Third, from 1980 – 1985, there was no excuse in having ABS as optional equipment on an S-Class Benz.

Fourth, the smaller and narrower the tyre, the better the ride may have been the case. But for a car this size 14” wheels do not cut it.

With that in mind, an S-Class really was not meant to be driven as a sports car, though, the engineers made it so that it could be driven fast if the necessity existed. After all, diesel or not, it came from the country that is home to the Autobahn.

My memories of the experiences I had in the late 1990s behind the wheel of two 300SDs from the early 1980s serve to tell me that these cars became tried and true workhorses as years and owners changed.

The stout inline-5 cylinder turbo-diesel engine seems to have an average lifespan of at least 300,000 miles. The gas mileage over two decades of use is still little short of astounding for car as heavy as the 300SD.

For the sake of simplicity, I shall remark on the Grey Benz, as it was the one of the two 300SDs that I spent most time driving. The car was in decent shape in terms of aesthetics, though, typical to 300SDs it seemed have more wear and tear than most other W126 models.

For example, wear that was typical of the model were the signs of de-lamination of rear windshield which left green smudges in the corners, the Zebrano wood trim on the console, dash, and front doors had warped and faded. The leather- in this case a deep blue- was in fine shape; no cracks or tears from use. The exterior paint had oxidized to that tough stage where it seems to no longer scratch, yet still retains a dull version of the original color. Rust was starting to appear beneath the headlamps, the inside door sills, and the rear wheel wells. The tail lamp above the dual exhaust tail pipes on the left side of the car was considerably darker than the tail lamp on the right side.

In my observation of 300SDs, I have found these problems to be quite common. Simply told, these cars are used hard.

Still, hints of luxury remain. As does the enduring and alluring quality of classic Mercedes-Benz craftsmanship.

The first moment of confirmation is the pull of the door handle.

A heavy and precise mechanical process seems to transpire – as though the vault door needed a split second to release the many steel cogs that all served to keep it latched tightly.

The door swings open in one fluid action to the first stop – mostly ajar – and then another to the final stop at fully ajar. Ingress and egress is simple thanks to the high seating position of the veritable chair.

Sit.

The early W126 models had the spring-loaded seats, similar in thought and execution to a spring-loaded mattress. With heavy use, many spring-loaded seats are deformed over time. Still, this chair has not lost its support and I feel on top of the seat, rather than in it as is the case with most contemporary cars. The feel is firm. Though the headrest is delightfully soft.

The wheel is large, much like a helm. It is reassuring in its size and proportion and its fixed position seems about right.

It is not leather, though.

For some reason 70 grand (2006 figure) was not enough to justify giving clients a leather trimmed steering wheel.

All the instrumentation is in full view. Those orange diodes are on display.

The speedometer reads to 80 mph. Ah, yes, those days of fuel shortages. That may happen yet again.

Twist the key. An almost fully mechanical process takes place and the diesel starts up. Its there, but no overly intrusive at idle.

Close the door. Like a vault.

Take the black leather shift knob in hand and position it down the signature notched gate to D. It can be a clumsy process for first timers, but it’s muscle memory for me.

By the way, no holding the brake pedal action was required to shift – ah the days of responsibility when it comes to one’s actions…

Go forward.

Looking out of what is a formidable windshield over a formidable hood, that famous star winks at me from a distance. The hood is smooth and has the most wonderful lines. There is something of a rounded plateau at the center which is demarcated in a wide V by two lines that extend diagonally from the sides of the grille to the A pillars; separating the elevated section from the relative flat of the remainder of the hood and the fender. It is all beautifully executed and one feels the presence of this great saloon.

Adjust the helm.

The recirculating ball steering is both removed and in tune at the same time. Unlike BMW steering which tells every little detail, the Benz gives a summary of events. The steering speed is fixed, not speed sensitive. It is a conservative balance towards the heavy. It never feels light, even at great speed, but is not cumbersome at standstill either. It is very well done.

The pedal is long in its travel, and in this diesel model, only flooring it seems to provoke any real reaction.

So let’s see how fast it can go.

Back at standstill. Foot goes to floor. The diesel groans loudly while the mass of car seems to only roll forward to 15 mph. A gear change occurs and we’re off! Past 20…30…40 mph and then it settles into a climb to 50. What an odd torque curve.

This car is ponderous.

When my right foot gets heavy, I definitely do not play to the 300SD’s strengths. Still, it is not the slowest Benz I have driven. That dubious honor goes to electric-car-slow 1990s C220. You might burry the pedal in the floor in the morning and arrive at 60 mph sometime next day. Or so it seemed.

Once on the highway and up to speed, the 300SD does what every S-Class does best. It just cruises. The car will go all day at 80 mph and the power plant is good for cruising at 120 mph though it may take a minute to get there.

Then come the twists.

Back roads can be daunting for any long wheelbased car, let alone a luxury tuned suspension. On The Test Track - a twisted road that simply demands horseplay – the Big Benz is thwarted by the curves. Tall lean induces the high walled grand-touring tyres to protest loudly and even give up by rolling briefly onto their sidewalls. Strangely, the rear seems to sit down in the turns – perhaps due to worn shocks, but I have seen old pictures of the 300SD in action that suggest otherwise. Nothing self-leveling shocks cannot help alleviate.

Still the 300SD behaves as though it were on rails. The steering is the strongest of any car I have driven in that one can hit serious potholes and the vehicle will maintain its course. It is a brilliant bit of suspension engineering that provides safe, secure handling.

The brakes are forceful and reel the car in from speed quickly. After heavy use they are fade free.

However, in the wet, even moderately heavy brake pedal pressure can promote lock up – which truly sucks – considering all the inertia this car has. With a car fitted with ABS what would seem safe, suddenly becomes hairy.

Gott segnen ABS.

Still, after a vigorous drive, a smooth cruise is in order. Bumps in the road are met, and the Bilstein shocks manage to soak up everything on the road, despite having what must be over a 100,000 miles.

Park the car. Sit. The outside world would seem remote were it not for the mechanics of a diesel. The 350SDL of the late 1980s was much quieter thanks to what Mercedes-Benz described as an “encapsulation system” of insulation that extended underneath the engine.

Turn off the ignition.

The motor is still running and then a second or two later it quivers to a halt. The car is over two decades old I remind myself. And a glance down at the odometer tells me that it is not far from passing its 310,000th mile. If that is not a testament to sound engineering and reliability, I don’t what is.

For more information on the Mercedes-Benz 300SD, click on the following link: 300SD

Darth Vader Meets Maybach

George Lucas' Star Wars must have been on the minds of Maybach designers when they drew the concept designs for the new Exelero.

The concept Maybach is a high powered response to the sporting new grand-tourers from Bentley (The British marque continues to dominate the super-luxury market), this is an attempt to breathe new life into the retro marque that has relied on its '57' and '62' model saloons since their initial launch in 2002.

Mercedes-Benz owned Maybach Manufactur has suffered at the hands of the Brits, especially the Phantom which has stolen many of Maybach's customers.

The Exelero, a fascinating, if somewhat cartoonish interpretation of a luxury supercar, may be Maybach's only hope for survival. One thing is for certain, the design shows imagination.

Maybach claims the car will not see production.

Oh?

Time will tell if this retro brand stays au courant.

For more information on the new Maybach Exelero, click on the following link: Maybach

Volvo Really Does Love Its Customers

According to CNN, Volvo’s new car smell contains the least amount of potentially carcinogenic compounds in the industry.

By the same report, BMW scored favorably, while Mercedes-Benz gained a horrible rating of having some of the highest levels of toxic phthalates and PDBEs – chemicals you were probably happier not knowing about.

The report made by a Michigan based group, The Ecology Center, sited use of these compounds as having harmful longterm health effects.

More proof that the folks at Volvo really do care.

For more information of the report, click on the following link: CNN
For more information on Volvo, click on the following link: Volvo

Retrospection: The Lost Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC

Who today remembers the 450SLC?

Was it an SL, an S-Class, or both?

When recalling one of Stuttgart’s finest, I tend to remember the car in the context of the last category. It clearly is an SL, the very model designation tells us this.

However, it is more than what the regular roadster offered in that it accommodated four passengers in a 2 + 2 seating arrangement. Those who were stuck in the rear seats found very cramped quarters, but also privacy.

Unique to the 450SLC were metal privacy “curtains” (for lack of a better term) that covered the rear window such that it was possible for the passengers inside to look out, but outsiders could not look in. Rather clever, and in my opinion it constitutes a nice bit of styling.

The 450SLC was a pillarless two door of the 1970s. The body series designation was W107. The SLC range was produced from 1971-1981. In that decade some 33,375 450SLCs were produced, of which, 1,636 were made with a 5.0 liter V-8 engine replacing the 4.5 liter powerplant in the final three years of production.


The car was for all intents and purposes a stretched edition of an SL roadster. In this way, it could be considered the coupé stablemate of the W116 S-Class sedan. The 450SLC was 14.2 inches longer than the 450SL; sat on a wheelbase 14.1 inches longer; and was 2 inches taller than the roadster.

At 3,704 lbs, the Benz was a hefty car, though considerably lighter than its contemporary successor, the CL500 (4,085 lbs).

I remember as a kid riding in my aunt’s 450SLC, listening to Madonna and chewing Bazooka bubblegum. It was an elegant car – lovely navy blue on stately grey. I recall liking the cat-eared headrests, the oval air-conditioning vents, and the crenellated steering wheel.

That particular 450SLC was prone to trouble from the moment it left the showroom floor. Actually, the battery had died so the Benz dealer had to roll it off the floor. Despite this, it was an admirable car.

So, who today remembers the 450SLC?

I do. Fondly.