Martijn's Autofotografie

Infiniti M37S Premium

Martijn — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:31:18 +0000

Shot on the same day as the Mondeo below, but the weather took a turn for the worse. Still freezing cold, but with lots of wind and rain/snow… Oh well, the glamour of being a car photographer in the Netherlands!

The car itself is awesome, agressive looks, potent V6, full options, what more can you wish for?

It’s even got speakers in the front seats!

You can read the full test over at Rijtesten.nl…

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium Powershift

Martijn — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:44:37 +0000

It’ll take another year or so before the all new Ford Mondeo will be here, so Ford has given it a final refresh for the last part of it’s life. All-round refinement is definitely a Mondeo strong point. No rival cruises as comfortably at high speeds or deals with coarse surfaces so well. It even delivers a cosseting ride around town.

Luckily the editor I was with already had a location in mind, a flooded parking lot next to the river ‘IJssel’ in Wijhe.

The instrumentation looks appealing and the seat fabrics, the steering wheel and the design of the subsidiary controls lend the cabin a sophisticated, high-quality aura that makes it a pleasing place to be.

There are few truly fresh engineering features to be found in this car, which instead rides a contemporary innovation wave largely generated by its suppliers. You can have your Mondeo with adaptive cruise control, a hill-holder and various levels of voice-activated infotainment system, as well as collision mitigation systems, adaptive damping, climate control, trick headlights and so forth.

Not only are the basics right, such as packaging, comfort, convenience and economy of ownership, but the Mondeo also serves up plenty of the sophistication that premium buyers seek. Many premium buyers will ignore all this and remain unable to contemplate a Ford, despite its lower price — but that’s their loss.

It only takes one bend to reveal the excellence of the Mondeo’s chassis. It turns in with swift confidence, and the body comes after it without any of the heave and flop that you might expect. Body composure is impressive, then, but not as striking as the Mondeo’s resistance to understeer, which is emphatic, and your confidence is only heightened by well judged steering that delivers consistent weighting and decent precision.

You can read the full review over at Rijtesten.nl…

Saab 9-5 2.0 TiD Vector Exklusiv

Martijn — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:36:41 +0000

It’s a Saab. Well, the new Saab, that was saved by Dutch ‘hero’ Victor Muller. At the start of the year nobody gave Saab a hope. General Motors, its troubled American owner, was eager to cut the loss-making Swedish brand from its portfolio, and as rescue talks failed, Saab’s production lines fell silent and its staff faced redundancy as the company went into administration.

Today, though, Saab is back in business and announcing its rebirth with this all-new 9-5. If Saab is to survive (this time under the ownership of a tiny Dutch supercar-maker named Spyker), it needs to be good. In fact it needs to be better than good, and must reawaken the essential “Saabness” that its loyal fans saw eroded by GM.

Saab fans will appreciate the car’s distinctive looks, with the chunky, unadorned lines being reminiscent of the classic Saab 99 and 900 from 20 or more years ago.

The 9-5 is rather gloomy inside — especially in the rear, where headroom is tight — and this, together with the slabby plastic trim that surrounds the driver, means the Saab’s cabin doesn’t compare well with those of German rivals.

It does have the typical Saab nightpanel function though.

On the road the 9-5 is fast, though not particularly sporty. Saab makes a better job of using GM’s raw materials than Opel does, the 9-5 riding and steering with greater finesse than the German brand’s Insignia model, even if the emphasis is on poise and grip over flair and fun.

In general, sedate use the 9-5 has ample grip and doesn’t suffer from any more understeer than you would expect from a large front-wheel-drive car. It never has the same well balanced combination of handling response and cushioning ride that you experience in the equivalent E-class or 5-series, but it is a safe and solid-feeling car, even if it does fall a long way short of the class standard.

The 9-5’s distinctly Scandinavian appearance is its only emotive element, which proves that the individualism and clever engineering that originally set Saab apart is lacking. If Spyker can turn the 9-5 into a car that is as appealing to drive and own as it is to look at, it will merit a recommendation. But for now, too many talented rivals make Saab’s new era look like nothing new.

For the full review, have a look at Rijtesten.nl…

Ford Focus RS500

Martijn — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 12:45:31 +0000

Every once in a while all the hard work as a photographers pays of. This was one of those times… I was called by an editor from Rijtesten.nl with the opportunity to accompany him on a trip to Cologne. The Focus RS500 press car had to be returned from the Dutch Ford HQ to the factory in Cologne, and Ford was kind enough to let him take a photographer with him. The schedule was kinda tight, leaving Amsterdam at 1:00PM and having to be ready for dinner in Cologne at 7:30PM, but I thought that we could squeeze in a visit to a special German photo location I had in mind… the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife!

Driving through the Netherlands it soon got clear that this RS500 version of the Focus RS is serious business. The already monstrous power of 300bhp and 440Nm gets upped to a whopping 350bhp and 460Nm by the addition of some Mountune-goodies. The exhaust bangs and pops at every opportunity and you can hear the BOV whistle whenever you release the throttle at max turbo pressure. Oh, and the sound, the sound… I’m so in love with the addictive warble of potent 5-cylinders!

The car is wrapped in matte black, and together with German license plates and the aggressive spoilers it’s sure that you’ll grab a lot of attention wherever you go.

We were really looking forward to crossing the German border and finally letting all those horses warp us towards the horizon. As soon as we reached the A61 we went for it… but not for long, as it started to drizzle and there are 130kph-speedlimits everywhere…

As soon as we took a turn towards the A1 things got better… much better! There was hardly any traffic at all and the road had dried again, so we zipped towards the Nürburgring at an indicated 270kph, along with that magnificent soundtrack. The closer we got towards the Nordschleife, the better the weather got. The Eiffel is known for it’s weird micro climate, but this time it turned out in our favor. As the A1 came to an end and we continued our trip towards Adenau, the RS500 really came into it’s element, blasting from corner to corner, with two Dutch guys in it, smiling from ear to ear!

The Nordschleife itself was closed for the day, with some motorbike safety course going on, so we weren’t greeted by the usual sight of sports cars everywhere you look. This also meant that the sands near the section Brünchen were deserted, perfect for some photos. The backdrop of the Nürburgring in autumn colors is a wet dream for every car photographer and the matte black ‘paint’ meant that the car was a lot easier to photograph than a regular black car. I used my flash in Strobist-style to add some light to the dark side of the car.

As we were about to wrap things up (after having chatted to the fifth enthusiastic German that loved the RS500), the sun set and it got darker. After a couple of minutes, everything turned pink and we were greeted by a truly epic sky! At first we were really amazed, but than I quickly got my camera out again and continued shooting…

After that we still had to do some driving shots, and I had seen a nice hairpin on our way from Breidscheid towards the main entry of the track. So we quickly returned to that location, but as soon as we crossed the first hill we stumbled upon thick fog. This meant that it had gotten really really dark by the time we reached the hairpin. There was no streetlight at all, so I had to resort to using ISO 12,800 on my Canon 7D. It’s better to get noisy photos than no photos at all, and I think they turned out quite acceptable.

After that we took some interior photos, where darkness isn’t a real problem, as I used a small softbox to light the interior. The red Recaro seats really make the interior pop, so that was an easy job for me. Also I finally got an opportunity to use my recently acquired Tokina 11-16/2.8, great lens on the 7D!

After that we had to hurry to get back to Cologne, where we had to be at 7:30PM. We took the quickest option this time, along the A61 and A565. Zipping along the A565 between Bonn and Cologne, there’s an unlimited section surrounded by large industrial factories, that are all lit at night. This really made driving on the Autobahn at 200kph+ feel like a scene from Need For Speed, and I have to admit that it felt awesome at the end of this great day with the RS500!

We made it to the hotel just in time, arriving at 7:20PM… After some beers in a local ‘Kneipe’ and a night in a great hotel in Cologne we took the ICE back to the Netherlands, but unfortunately it didn’t go over 180kph… I’d really like to thank Jan from Rijtesten.nl and Dennis from Ford NL for letting me come along on this epic trip! Be sure to read Jan’s great review of the Ford Focus RS500 on Rijtesten.nl!

Improve your O-Flash 170

Martijn — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:22:50 +0000

It’s been a while since I last did a post about gear, so here we go. A year ago or so, these cheap Orbis-ringflash-clones started to pop up. I snagged one to fool around with, but it isn’t that great. Sure, the ringflash-effect can be fun and they’re nice to use as on-axis fill in a more complex setup, but it eats a lot of light and the coverage is quite uneven…

Here’s a shot of it in the mirror, with my Canon 580EX set to 1/4 and the camera set to f/10 at ISO100. When I said it eats a lot of light, I meant a LOT. Like six stops of light in total!

To start modding it, take it apart. It’s just clamped together, no screws or glue involved.

Our first victim is the piece of cardboard on top. For starters, it’s way to large, obstructing the top part of the ‘ring’.

Scissors to the resque.

I’ve cut it like this, so it still looks kinda original.

The cardboard also is supposed to reflect all the light coming from the flash down, but there’s no reflective material whatsoever.

That’s where the foil tape comes in.

This stuff is a lot like tin foil, but with a sticky back on it.

Use it to line the back of the cardboard piece.

There’s only a small piece of shine paper inside the ringflash itself, so toss it out and line the whole thing with foil tape.

Go all the way round and cover the complete inside with it.

Now put it all back together, shouldn’t be that hard, though the fit might be a bit tighter with the foil tape on the edges.

Here’s a mirror-shot after the modification, again at 1/4, f/10 and ISO100.

Here are the shots side-by-side, so you don’t have to scroll up again.

It’s kinda hard to tell from these shots, but I guess that it puts out 2-3 stops more light now, making it a little more useable!

Here’s some quick testshots with it, just for fun…

Peugeot 308 GTI

Martijn — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:32:51 +0000

For this shoot of the Peugeot 308 GTI I decided to use a location that had been going through my mind for a while: the old Eemshaven-circuit. It’s the only temporary street circuit in the North of the Netherlands, and has been in use since 1982, mainly for motorcycle races. Unfortunately races stopped back in 2008 and some of the roads that form the circuit will disappear in the near future.

Apart from the curbstones that are visible in these pictures, there isn’t much that still reminds of the racing history of these roads.

Enough about the location, on to the subject itself! For many fans of the French marque it’s time to say “finally”. It’s been more than 10 years since Peugeot has brought out a GTi in this class of vehicle.

At the heart of the vehicles sporty nature is the all new 1.6 litre THP 147 kW (200 bhp) engine, launched simultaneously in the RCZ Coupé, a key factor in the overall efficiency of the 308 GTi. Combining a number of innovative technologies – THP (Twin-Scroll turbocharger and direct petrol injection), and VTi (variable valve lift and valve timing) – this engine, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, offers high levels of driveability.

The car’s chassis has also been adapted to match the characteristics of the engine: fitted with 225/40 R18 tyres, it combines excellent stability at high speed with guaranteed comfort at low speed. 340 mm diameter brake discs at the front and 290 mm at the rear ensure high levels of braking performance.

In line with its sporty positioning, the 308 GTi is an eager performer. It is claimed to sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in only 7,7 seconds and is able to achieve a top speed of 237 km/h.

Inside, the basic package consists of sport seats, aluminum pedals and a steering wheel upholstered in leather.

The 308 GTi stands out from the rest of the range by a bright black carbon-style insert under the front bumper, its “Sport” lower front panel derived from the 308 CC, a black rear diffuser, a twin chrome exhaust pipe, and “GTi” badges on the side and rear of the body.

You can read the full review over at Rijtesten.nl…

Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet TCe 130 Dynamique

Martijn — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:14:16 +0000

It’s the end of July and there’s rain, lots of rain… perfect day to shoot a convertible! Ah well, it’s all part of the game if you live in the Netherlands. We just had to work quick and open/close the roof multiple times!

Using the new Megane platform, the Megane Coupe Cabriolet’s key feature remains the impressive folding glass roof. Now even larger, it retracts into the boot leaving a flush body at the push of a button. Yet, even in place, it allows in lots of light to give the model an open-air feel.

The ride is firm and rather unsettled over regular bumps. This is partly the chassis flexing, which is a problem with four-seat convertibles that struggle for rigidity after the roof has been cut off. So yards after the front tyres have crashed into an all-too familiar pothole the entire frame is still trembling slightly.

The cabin is cosy, with the emphasis on shielding occupants from the wind with an ungainly but effective deflector and a tall windscreen. There’s room enough for the front-seat passengers with decent storage space around them, but you can forget the rear seats for much other than shopping.

As you might’ve expected, the dash features Renault’s new funky design.

These days a steel-folding roof is de riguer for a largely suburban cabriolet market. Security is most often cited as the raison d’etre, but actually these origami-in-metal dropheads are designed for cash-rich-time-poor people domiciled where the sun peeks out in microscopic doses.

This example featured the cheapest 1.4 TCe petrol engine. It’s the sort of small, high-technology petrol engine that is set to become more commonplace as the EU’s CO2 requirements start to bite and oil gets more expensive.

All considered, the handling isn’t too bad, the relative light weight of the engine means this model has a better weight distribution than the heavier diesels, so it turns into corners with more alacrity.

You can read the full review (in Dutch) over at AutoGetest.nl…

Honda CR-V 2.2 i-DTEC Executive

Martijn — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 07:35:45 +0000

Every segment of the motoring market has at least one vehicle that doesn’t attract too much attention with its looks, its engine or even its roadholding dynamics, but remains widely popular and high on most people’s lists of what to recommend. Honda’s CR-V SUV has always struck me as such a car for while it’s not the type of SUV that is forever in your face for some reason, it’s a vehicle that is consistently considered a good purchase because it simply does everything well.

After giving the 370Z back to Nissan NL and picking this CR-V up at Honda, we headed to the harbours of Amsterdam to take these shots. Lots of nice locations, and contrary to most popular location, traffic was really light over there.

Our test model is the top-of-the-range 2.2 i-DTEC Executive with automatic gearbox, meaning it comes equipped with Honda’s highly acclaimed 2.2-litre common rail i-DTEC engine that’s been reworked to offer more power and torque while emitting less particular matter.

The front remains the CR-V’s best side in my opinion, with the interesting lines around the radiator grille, Honda-badge and headlights keeping the entire design interesting. While it’s certainly not an ugly car by any means, the rear has always seemed a bit flabby to me. Updates to the exterior of the CR-V is limited to a new front grille, new bumpers front and rear and a new set of 17-inch alloy wheels. While these sound fairly insignificant, it’s done much to streamline the CR-V’s look.

The CR-V’s age is in my opinion its biggest drawback at the moment as there are simply too many other options out there with more up-to-date styling. This means that the CR-V, as accomplished as it is, cannot actively compete with newer models that match it on price and specification.

The interior is decidedly upmarket with high quality materials all over and excellent build quality, something Hondas are renowned for. Comfortable leather seats (adjustable in eight ways for the driver) and excellent ergonomics round off the classy cabin.

If your Dutch is any good, than be sure to read the full review over at Rijtesten.nl…

Nissan 370Z Roadster

Martijn — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:11:01 +0000

The new generation Z’s from Nissan are some of my personal favorites. I mean, have you heard them? They sound just great! And combining one with a droptop with a great summer day is just perfect…

Nissan’s roadsterized version of the 370Z gives the muscular performer a soft-top and a bang-for-bucks edge over a number of its competitors.

Now many will bemoan the loss of rigidity in an open-topped sports car, but not me. If that’s the price to pay for the joy of topless motoring, so be it. The benefits, to those of us who appreciate them, are many.

Mechanically identical to the 370Z Coupe, it’s lighter than the outgoing 350Z Roadster, thanks in part to it being designed alongside the new 370Z Coupe. This minimised the amount of modification and extra weight that’s normally required when you slice the roof off a steel coupe body.

The front end is sharp, if not exactly precise, and thanks to the compromised kinematics of the Roadster you can use it in conjunction with a healthy dose of the 328hp of peak power to unstick even those gumball rear tyres quite easily with the traction control disabled.

Sitting menacingly on new, larger diameter 19-inch alloys and ultra low profile Bridgestone tyres the new Roadster looks just as purposeful as the Coupe. The rear three quarters of the car and wheel arches now look ‘right’ with the wheel arches filled by the larger wheel and tyre combination.

Although the Z’s interior was always acceptable, recent improvements have brought it up to nearly the same level of its cousin, the Infiniti G37. Besides its comfortable interior and stunningly good looks, the 370Z is a joy to drive.

You can read the full test over at Rijtesten.nl…

BMW ActiveHybrid 7

Martijn — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:50:13 +0000

Another hybrid by BMW after the X6 I recently shot. Main difference is that this one can’t drive without the internal combustion engine running, and that you can watch TV in the back of this one…

Interestingly, although the two BMW ActiveHybrid vehicles would seem to be simply the same hybrid driveline fitted into two different body styles, this is not the case. The X6 ActiveHybrid is a “full” hybrid that can be driven on electric power alone, while the ActiveHybrid 7 is a “mild” hybrid which can’t.

Actually, the only real commonality in their hybrid powertrains is the “N63” 4.4-litre, direct-injected and twin-turbocharged gasoline V8, a motor also found in several non-hybrid BMW models. This engine is unusual in that the exhaust and twin turbochargers are mounted in the valley of the “V”, the opposite of most conventional V-engines.

In the ActiveHybrid 7, this V8 is tuned to produce 40 more horses than the normal 750i/Li’s 400 hp. The slight delay in turbo-boost production that might result from the higher state of tune is offset by the assistance of the hybrid system’s electric motor.

The cabin and its fittings are just as those in the new-this-year, non-hybrid 7, including an improved version of iDrive (much better, still not perfect), vastly simplified control stalks, and an audio system with a volume knob and honest-to-God preset buttons.

Other than xDrive, virtually any other 7 Series option is available, from Night Vision with pedestrian detection to a rear seat infotainment system with individual seat-back mounted LCD screens and its own iDrive controllers.

You can read the full review in Dutch on Rijtesten.nl…