All About Cars

2013 Ford Focus ST "The Young Rival"

2013-02-28T23:14:00.001-08:00

The Good:
- Awesome engine and gearbox
- Awesome ride and handling
- Awesome value for money

The Bad:
- Average rear-seat legroom
- Some torque-steer on launch
- Reduced boot space

The new Ford Focus ST is freaking brilliant! Now that we’ve delivered our verdict in the first line of this review already, you might as well stop reading and buy one down at your local dealer, assuming they aren’t sold out already. But if you’d like to know more, then read on.

As an honest-to-goodness hot hatch, the Focus ST certainly looks the part. While the regular Focus is already a good-looking car, the ST ramps up the boy-racer factor with a unique front clip, side skirts, cool 18-inch wheels, the obligatory tailgate spoiler and a new rear bumper with nicely-machined central exhaust tips. There is absolutely nothing left unfinished, as Toyota 86 owners can attest.

The build quality is pretty solid, even if certain hidden corners under the tailgate have a haphazard appearance. There’s a big gap at the front edge of the bonnet, apparently to let air into the engine compartment, but it’ll always look like the bonnet isn’t fully closed.

Inside, it’s a standard top-spec Focus interior, with the same premium soft-touch areas on the dash, the front doors and all the armrests, with a pretty little blue screen at the top of the centre-console. The key difference in the ST, aside from the manual shifter and third pedal, is that pair of thick Recaro bucket seats up front. That, and the pod on top of the dash with three gauges, one for turbo boost-pressure.

Those part-fabric part-leatherette seats are tight and grip like glue, and yet, they’re comfortable for regular-sized people. Sumo wrestlers might disagree though, but there’s always the rear bench seat for them, with adjustable headrests and decent all-round headroom. Rear legroom isn’t particularly great though, just about adequate for medium-sized passengers, but appearing cramped compared to, say, the lowly Nissan Sentra. The boot isn’t that big either compared to a sedan, but good enough for monthly groceries and a couple of trolley-bags. In fact, we appreciated the grocery-bag hooks, but the floor is a lot higher than in the regular Focus to fit a full-size spare tyre. There are pockets on all doors and open cup-holders up front, but the rear bench loses the middle armrest and rear cup-holders.

Our Focus ST was fitted with the usual power accessories, a full-colour screen on top of the centre console, configurable with the million steering-wheel buttons. There is also Bluetooth, cruise control with speed limiter, fog lamps, front/side airbags, and a good CD/MP3 stereo with USB/AUX ports and Bluetooth streaming. It also came with a dual-zone a/c that was unstressed in February weather but had no rear vents, while there is a keyless-start button but the key-fob lock/unlock buttons still need to be used. There’s no sunroof or HID headlights, but we didn’t need either. In fact, the standard halogen headlights are surprisingly bright, although HIDs would’ve added to the cool factor.

Ford finally brings in their small “EcoBoost” engine to the GCC. The direct-injection 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder is a sweet motor that packs almost as much punch as the one in the expensive VW Golf R. Making 250 hp at 5500 rpm and 340 Nm of torque between 2000 rpm to 4500 rpm, if you boot the accelerator pedal, peak torque briefly jumps up to 360 Nm.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a standard 6-speed manual. The shifter has slightly long throws, but is probably the slickest one we’ve experienced since Honda’s heyday. Add to that a mildly-weighted clutch pedal with a low engagement point, and the ST becomes pretty easy to handle in traffic, without causing a leg cramp like most other sports cars. Even better, the engine is so powerful that you can cruise and even overtake on the highway in sixth gear all day.

We timed the 0-100 kph run at 7.1 seconds on a desert road with ESP off, a ton of wheelspin, and revving well into the redline, otherwise a 2-3 shift comes up right after 100 clicks. We suspect it could be a little faster if you can manage the wheelspin on a grippier drag-strip, but otherwise, the car is much quicker once it’s already rolling, unlike the VW Golf GTI which runs out of steam by 120 kph. Pounding around has its toll though, as we managed a burn rate of 12.8 litres/100 km, and that too with a lot of highway driving.

On hard take-off, the ST offers up torque steer in spades, with a little tug on the steering wheel, but it’s not a big deal as long as you have one hand on it. The real action starts once it gets moving. Throw the car smoothly into tight corners and the 235/40 tyres just hang onto the road like glue. There’s a “torque-vectoring” system that quells understeer, and it does wonders for this car with almost no tyre squeal, to the point where you start wondering if it has all-wheel-drive. The super-sharp variable-ratio steering is nicely-weighted, offers good feedback, and does 1.8 turns lock-to-lock at lower speeds. Hit the strong meaty-feeling brakes mid-corner, and the rear just slightly slides out by an inch before regaining grip again, even in the lenient “ESP Sport” mode.

There is the slightest hint of body roll, and we wouldn’t have it any other way, because the independent-suspension tuning allows the ST to offer a remarkably smooth ride, at least for a sporty car. It still jumps up and down on uneven roads, but the bumps are somewhat smoothened over rather than sharply poking at your ribs like the Renault Sport Clio does. The steering is firm, but still light enough to park one-handed, and while rear visibility is limited, rear sensors help a lot. It’s also relatively quiet for a sporty car, with the engine rather muffled most of the time, the exhaust getting throaty only on full throttle. Wind noise is low, and road noise reaches moderate levels at speed. This car surely won’t be fatiguing on the daily drive to work.

With this car, Ford has become what Honda used to be, and what VW is slowly moving away from — affordable fun. While the others are busy selling crossovers, econo-tubs and automatics, Ford is finally offering us their hidden gem from Europe, a back-to-basics hot hatch that’s fast, involving, practical, and most of all, awesome value. It’s the best all-round car we’ve driven in years, and would recommend one in a heartbeat.

Price Range:
Dh 99,000-100,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2013
Body Styles:
5-door hatchback
Engines:
2.0L 250 hp Inline-4 turbo / 360 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
Setup:
Front-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent

Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs
Curb Weight:
1362 kg
Length:
4362 mm
Wheelbase:
2648 mm
Top Speed:
248 kph
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
7.1 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
12.8 litres/100km

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2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS "The Mega SS"

2012-03-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Good:
- Cool retro-modern styling
- Great grip and handling
- Seriously powerful engine

The Bad:
- Hard plastic interior
- Shallow luggage boot
- Outward visibility

We’ve already tested the Camaro before, but it was a V6 version. With a sixer under the bonnet, it is a competent car, sporting even, but does not rise above the level of homely coupes. So when we received the Camaro SS from the General, we didn’t expect it to be much different, even though we’d driven it briefly before. However, it turned out to be at a whole different ballgame, especially considering we were surprised to find it had a manual shifter.
In terms of how the SS looks, it is so similar to the V6 model that we’ll save time by just copy-pasting bits and pieces of the other review. It is as stunning as ever, even if appearing a bit loose around the panel gaps. Buyers at the lower rung will be happy to note that their V6 looks almost exactly the same as this top-end model, save for larger rims, rear lip spoiler and a fake bonnet vent up front on the SS. The chop-top Camaro is a big car in person, but that does not necessarily translate to a massive cabin. There is enough space for a couple of six-footers if the front seats are moved all the way down, but the roof is still a bit too close to the head for comfort. And let’s not even bother with the rear legroom. There isn’t any.
The sporting front seats are well-bolstered, beautifully trimmed with leather in the SS, and power-adjustable for the driver. The passenger seat offers quick manual access to the rear, but the tight opening leads to a tighter rear seat. The cargo trunk has a similarly small opening, offering a very long but ultimately shallow luggage area. Of course, there is no shortage of cup-holders, with two exposed ones up front, just ahead of the central cubby-cum-armrest.

Despite its near-premium positioning, all Camaro versions come with a hard-plastic interior similar to that of sub-compact cars nearly half the price. But the stylised dashboard is pretty interesting, if ergonomically-challenged, with some big knobs and some tiny buttons. Our SS even has four gauges in front of the shifter, nearly useless because they are hard to read. Also, the much-hyped optional bluish “mood” lighting along the doors means being saddled with shiny-smooth hard-plastic door panels, colour-coded to match the seats.
Tech features are remarkably few, limited to power windows, electric mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control, front and side-curtain airbags, a seemingly-decent manual a/c and an above-average CD/MP3 stereo with USB port. Our Camaro SS also has a CD changer, sunroof, HID headlights with “halo” rings, rear parking sensors and not much else. There are no fancy navigation screens or push-start buttons here.
As seems customary with muscle cars, the reason to overlook this car’s deficiencies is the fire-breathing monster of an engine under the bonnet. The massive 6.2-litre V8 engine produces 426 hp at 5900 rpm and 569 Nm of torque at 4600 rpm. Weighing in at a portly 1779 kg, all that power makes the Camaro feel as light as an angry feather. Mated to a short-throw 6-speed manual, our tester was worlds more entertaining than any automatic exotic like the R8 or the GT-R, even if it wasn’t faster. But launching the rubber-burning Camaro is a tricky affair. After a few tries with the traction control on, we were netting a 0-100 kph time of only 7 seconds. We turned it off and, after numerous attempts, the best we managed was 6.3 seconds, balancing the easily-induced wheelspin with the right foot and keeping the car’s rear-end straight with sweaty hands. We doubt anyone here can do better than what we managed in May weather out on a hot desert road.
The gearbox is a firm click-click short-throw affair, though it can feel notchy at times. The clutch is light enough, but it is too springy, occasionally making it complicated to balance in crawling traffic, though we never stalled the car. Driving fast is satisfying, and we quickly became experts in shifting gears under half a second. We also started second-guessing ourselves at slow speeds when the shifter wouldn’t go from first to second, but it turns out there is a stupid “fuel-saving” system where the shift gate blocks out second and third at very low speeds, forcing you to shift from first to fourth. It can be defeated by giving a little more throttle, but we only discovered this goofy gimmick when we noticed a gauge-cluster message urging us to do a 1st-to-4th shift. Anyway, we still logged an average SUV-like fuel consumption of 16.8 litres/100 km, but at one point we decided to drive as conservatively as possible and got it down to an average of 8.7 litres/100 km. It’s all about how you control your right foot.
The Camaro SS drives like a proper sports car, with its weighted power steering, which offers decent feedback and direct turn-ins, but on-centre feel is slightly sloppy. Corners feel pretty much flat, with unnoticeable body roll and oodles of available grip from the 245/45 front and 275/40 rear rubbers, as long as the throttle is precisely controlled. We’d urge amateurs to always keep their traction control turned on. Huge ABS-assisted Brembo brakes with vented discs, visible through the 20-inch alloys, are eye-poppingly effective and can haul down the car within a couple of seconds from 120 kph.
The Camaro SS is still an acceptably comfortable cruiser as well, better than the Mustang GT or the Corvette Z06. The ride is firm, but fairly compliant on most surfaces. There is a bit of wind noise as well as moderate road noise, but the loudest noise-maker is the engine, which roars the pants off bystanders at full-throttle. But thick A-pillars and a high rear severely limit visibility, and the lack of parking sensors on lower models may mean those same bystanders can get a laugh at your expense in the mall parking lot.
The manual-trannied Camaro SS is a mind-blowing sports car that can be a riot on open roads and long drives, but can also be a bit of a handful inside city limits, not because of its gearbox, but because of its other quirks related to visibility and general jumpiness in stop-start driving. If you are ready to tame one of these, it is a great buy, because it seems ridiculous to offer these cars with an automatic, with the same inherent quirks to boot.

Price Range:
Dh 160,000-180,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2010
Body Styles:
2-door coupe
Engines:
6.2L 426 hp V8 / 569 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1779 kg
Length:
4836 mm
Wheelbase:
2852 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.3 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
16.8 litres/100km

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2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 "Sting Ray"

2012-03-16T03:18:00.003-07:00

The Good:
- Jet-fighter engine
- Jet-fighter handling
- Jet-fighter styling

The Bad:
- Jet-fighter cabin capacity
- Economy-class cabin trim
- Cargo-plane ride quality

Being as humble as we are, the Corvette Z06 is the closest we’ve ever come to playing with a supercar. We are constantly ignored by Porsche. The Italians are too cheap to give out cars. Audi never invited us to their R8 launch because we “offend” them with our frank opinions. And Aston Martin judged us as being too “young” to give us anything. But the funny part is, this relatively “cheap” American speedster, in the hands of a competent driver, can slay them all.
The Corvette has as much heritage as any of the Italian marques. First built in the 1950s to compete with European sports cars, it was fabricated in fibreglass due to a steel shortage. Sure enough, this also resulted in massive weight savings, and the tradition has continued ever since. Nothing more than a straight-line bruiser in its first five generations, the fifth-gen C5 brought about an injection of handling prowess comparable to more expensive supercars. And now, in its sixth-gen C6 form, it improves on the previous model’s attributes. The Z06 trim just adds more flavour to an already-enticing sizzler.

Spelt “zee-zero-six” but officially called “zee-oh-six,” the Z06 is obviously stunning up close. Hard to distinguish from a regular Corvette, hardcore enthusiasts will notice the extra intake on the hood, tiny add-on flaps around the wheel wells, intakes in front of the rear wheels, and the discrete fender markings proclaiming “505 hp” as a badge of honour. Looking around, the build quality is as good as it can get with fibreglass, but there are pretty big panel gaps to allow for expansion, since fibreglass expands more than steel in the heat. Interestingly, the front fenders for the Z06 only are made of stronger carbon-fibre.
Entry is gained via a switch-like electronic door handle, and slipping into the low-slung seat requires dropping to almost ground level. The relative “low” price of this car becomes apparent from the interior materials. While the faux-leather seats are stylish and somewhat supportive, the dash and door materials have a slight shiny cheapness to them. However, these surfaces are also soft to the touch, retaining at least a bit of upscale feeling. The metal-look plastic trim is easy to scratch and the navigation system looks like a cheap aftermarket unit, but Chevy counteracts this by infusing a number of cool high-tech features specifically in the Corvette to “wow” your snooty buddies. These include button-operated door releases, keyless entry and start, and a trick heads-up display “in” the windshield that is remarkably accurate and keeps up with the analogue gauges.
The navigation unit is controlled by a touch-screen thankfully, making it easier to use but not any less confusing than most others like it. It also controls the average-at-best Bose CD stereo and could probably be used to watch DVDs too. Other features include power windows and mirrors, cruise control, front and side airbags, trip computer, in-dash CD changer and HID headlights. The dual-zone a/c is excellent, not having to stress too much to cool such a confined space.
The two-seater cabin itself is obviously small, but it has good enough headroom, legroom and width to comfortably seat two average-sized people. There are two cup-holders, some pockets, a small glove box and a very shallow luggage trunk good for flat-packed IKEA coffee tables. The trunk is even accessible from the cabin, but closing the ill-fitting trunk lid requires slamming it very hard, otherwise it does not close properly and the car beeps a warning.
The gigantic engine is simply a monster, to put it lightly. With 7 litres of displacement, this massive V8 offers brute force whereas other supercars try to extract the maximum amount of juice from smaller motors, passing on the huge developmental costs to its upscale customers. Following the “no replacement for displacement” mantra, Chevy has managed to keep costs down, while offering substantially more power than the 6.0-litre V8 in the standard Corvette. Final numbers clock in at 505 hp peaking at 6300 rpm and 637 Nm of peak torque at 4800 rpm, with redline at 7000 rpm. For a car weighing only 1421 kg, this tidal wave of power led us to a 0-to-100 kph time of 4.5 seconds with the traction control on. Amazingly, it reaches 100 kph in first gear itself. Theoretically, it can do 3.9 seconds, but we didn’t want to tempt fate by unleashing a mountain of wheelspin on public roads. That’d make it quicker than any Aston Martin, let alone bit players like the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo, while somewhat matching the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Ferrari F430. Needless to say, few cars and even fewer people will experience acceleration this quick in their lifetimes, unless they love roller-coasters.
The firm six-speed manual gearbox is slightly notchy and occasionally feels vague, but gets the job done. Care is needed while shifting into reverse due to its close position next to fifth gear, while the firm clutch has a somewhat long throw. But since the car is so damn powerful, it is possible to drive around town like an automatic, leaving the shifter in either first or second or even third while loafing around. It is also possible to overtake on the highway rather briskly in fourth gear itself. Cruising around at highway speeds in sixth gear leaves the beefy engine at barely above idle. A weird driveline noise can be heard between shifts, which is apparently a characteristic of this tranny, but it’s hardly annoying and can be reduced by smoother shifting methods. Mixed driving of course resulted in high fuel consumption, but it’s not as bad as one would think, at 18.6 litres per 100 km. In contrast, a Ferrari burns more petrol than most full-size 4WDs.
Handling is simply phenomenal. This is probably the first car we’ve ever driven with absolutely no discernible body roll. The communicative steering makes driving a point-and-shoot extravaganza, although not being able to reach its limits easily makes fast driving look deceptively easy. Grip levels are unrealistically high and it is near-impossible to squeal the tyres in fast corners, unless one forces a powerslide by heavily dabbing the throttle while the stability control is off. Part of the reason for such insect-like footing are the 275/35 tyres in the front and the ridiculously-wide 325/30 tyres in the back, all low-profile rubber with 18-inch alloys up front and 19-inch at the back. Such wide rubber also helps the massive ABS-assisted disc brakes when bringing the car to an uneventful halt easily.
Considering the handling, the ride quality is expectedly firm but easily bearable on smooth highways. The suspension crashes over ill-fitting manhole covers and crappy temporary surfaces on construction detours, but we’d say the ride is barely worse than that of the BMW Z4 Coupe. Whatever comfort level it mustered is surprising considering that, contrary to reports by naïve journalists, the Z06 uses traditional shocks and does not have the trick magnetic suspension system that General Motors offers optionally on the standard Corvette and also sells to Ferrari for their overpriced 599 GTB.
All-round visibility is somewhat limited due to the low seating position, but it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be, and didn’t have too much trouble parking it in tight spaces. However, there are no parking sensors, so care has to be taken otherwise the low front bumper will meet an unfortunate end with a footpath curb.
There are some interesting features and quirks that only the owner of this car would know about. One is the trick muffler that tries to be quiet at low revs, but opens up a valve to sound louder at full throttle. And by “louder,” we mean an earthquake-inducing roar loud enough for nearby children to cower under their beds. Of course a lot of the sound-deadening materials have been removed, so it gets loud in the car too, even at legal speeds. And when the car is turned off, you have to put the shifter in reverse, apparently to avoid draining the battery. Also, the engine fans keep running for a while even after you exit and lock the car, to cool it down.
The Corvette Z06 certainly is a respectable machine, made even more impressive by being the cheapest production supercar in the market. We took it to a five-star hotel for the launch of some Volvo hatchback, and the valet guy parked it nearest to the hotel entrance, in the VIP parking lot. So it certainly gets almost as much attention as any Ferrari. It is already known for getting attention on the racetrack too, where it is also as good as any Ferrari.

Price Range:
Dh 275,000-300,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2007
Body Styles:
2-door coupe
Engines:
7.0L 505 hp V8 / 637 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1421 kg
Length:
4435 mm
Wheelbase:
2685 mm
Top Speed:
317 kph
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
4.5 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
18.6 litres/100km

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2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 "The Mighty Off-Road"

2012-03-15T03:05:00.004-07:00

The Good:
- Strong enough engine
- Decent ride quality
- Tons of cargo capacity

The Bad:
- Needs better cabin materials
- Awful legroom management
- Way too big and hungry

It is rather apt that our latest Chevy test vehicle is called the Avalanche. It is so big and brutish that sensible folks run to avoid its charge. This region is known for pedestrians who stroll across roads even when cars are coming up fast, but the Avalanche Z71 makes them jump out of its way even when cruising slowly. That is about the only realistic reason why anyone would buy one of these trucks.

The latest Avalanche looks exactly like the Suburban up till the rear doors. Beyond that it transforms into a semi-pickup-thingy with a covered bed, giving it a bit of a unique look, although a few bystanders still eyed us as if we were commercial truckers. And it is very, very long.
Inside, we were greeted with exactly the same interior that we encountered in our previous Chevy Tahoe tester, only this time sporting a two-tone look. But the orange-and-black treatment in our tester only extends to the doors and faux-leather seats. The dashboard has the usual upscale look, with its leather-look hard plastics and metal-look panels, but knocking on it reveals hollowness underneath. The door panels have rather hard “soft-touch” plastics, but it is a step in the right direction. Build quality is solid but fitment is average, and we really didn’t like the exposed wiring under the power-adjustable front seats.
Space management is rather lopsided. For example, rear legroom is pretty decent, but front legroom feels a bit tight. The front passenger gets the worst seat in the house, with the tight footwell cut in half by the dealer-mounted fire-extinguisher on the floor, basically leaving flat space for just one of your feet. Headroom and width is excellent of course, and the rubber-floored luggage area out back is seriously huge. The cargo cover comes off in three pieces, and the rear window piece is apparently removable to extend the luggage floor into the cabin, after folding down the rear seat. Too bad the loading floor is so high up and the tailgate is so heavy for us average-sized folks. But there are numerous sizeable storage spaces inside the cabin, and enough cup-holders too.
The Bose stereo sounds average, probably due to limited spaces for speakers, but it includes an in-dash CD changer and wheel-mounted buttons. Our tester came with a roof-mounted DVD screen for rear passengers. The automatic a/c took a good while to cool during our March afternoon drives, even with rear vents. Every other common electrically-operated feature is there, including windows, mirrors, sunroof, keyless remote and cruise control. Safety includes front, side and curtain airbags, as well as stability control and ABS.
Powered by the tried-and-tested 5.3-litre V8 that we last abused in a Tahoe, its 310 hp at 5200 rpm and 454 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm offer adequate on-road performance. We garnered a 0-to-100 kph time of 10.3 seconds with the traction control on, and 8.9 seconds after turning off the electronic nannies. More importantly, it went from 100 kph to 140 kph in 7.6 seconds, which makes it much quicker than, say, a Toyota Corolla when it comes to torque-fuelled highway overtaking. It also turned out to be quicker than our Tahoe tester, but that test was in the summer, while this one was done closer to winter. With cylinder deactivation technology transforming the engine from a V8 to a V4 during cruising, we managed an unremarkable petrol-burn of 18.9 litres per 100 km, even with lots of cross-country driving. But a “Flexfuel” badge on its tail reveals that it can also run on an E85 ethanol-petrol mix, which is absolutely irrelevant in this region.
The 2638 kg Avalanche certainly feels enormous on some of the tighter city streets. Parallel parking this boat is a headache, especially since the view out the rear simply consists of open sky and no ground. Depending on rear sensors and the ability to climb footpaths, the Avalanche will eventually slide into a space, but it will still stick out of the lines in perpendicular spaces due to its length. And when you want to drive off, you have to search for the parking brake lever down under the dashboard somewhere. Thankfully, the steering is soft and the turning circle is surprisingly tight, so shopping-mall lots are somewhat bearable.
Out on faster roads, the Avalanche Z71 is a decently-comfortable straight-line cruiser and a lumbering oaf around corners. Bumps are soaked up reasonably well, although the suspension wallows when going over big dips. Wind and road noise reaches only moderate levels at 120 kph. In an interesting exercise, we took the Avalanche up and down a twisty mountain road, which exaggerated the excessive body roll seen on city roads, but it is ultimately controllable with smoother driving inputs, thereby making full use of the limited grip from the 265/65 tyres worn by the 18-inch rims. But with vague steering feel, soft brake-pedal feedback, delayed throttle response and a column-mounted 4-speed automatic shifter, this is not a truck to be hustled — especially since it takes a while for the truck to come to a halt under braking.
But supporters will argue that the Avalanche is built to climb that mountain without the use of a road, and they would be largely right. The Z71 off-road package adds tuned springs and shocks, heavier-duty automatic-locking rear diff, aggressive tyres, a skid-plate package and a high-capacity air filter, besides the unique front bumper and wheels. With selectable all-wheel-drive and low-range gearing, there is certainly no shortage of accessible power delivery in the soft stuff, and the ground clearance is pretty good too. The issue is with the long wheelbase that could see it get beached on top of a dune. Jump over the peak too quickly in order to avoid this, and the all-plastic front bumper might hit the base of the peak as you fly down fast. So potential owners should, like us, simply avoid anything too challenging.
But it is a bit obvious that the Avalanche Z71 will appeal to the bling crowd more than hardcore off-road enthusiasts. With its excessive size, above-average off-road ability, below-average on-road handling, and more cargo capacity than passenger room, the Avalanche has a niche market for those who don’t need the homely qualities of a Suburban.

Price Range:
Dh 190,000-200,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2008
Body Styles:
5-door pickup truck
Engines:
5.3L 310 hp V8 / 454 Nm
Transmissions:
4-speed automatic
Setup:
Four-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: live
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
2638 kg
Length:
5621 mm
Wheelbase:
3302 mm
Top Speed:
172 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
8.9 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
18.9 litres/100km

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2008 Chevrolet CSV CR8 "The 4 door Sport"

2012-03-13T04:05:00.003-07:00

The Good:
- Monster of an engine
- Great ride and handling
- Way too much cabin space

The Bad:
- Way too big on the outside
- A few cheap cabin bits
- Bit of a petrol addict

When you spend week after week test-driving “average” cars, it can all get a bit tedious. Every car starts feeling similar – V6 engines, automatic gearboxes, front-wheel-drive – there can only be so much variation in a common theme. But once in a while, something comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. The CSV CR8 is one of those things.
Sure, the CSV CR8 is a practical package with four doors, tons of legroom and a huge luggage trunk. But all the hidden bits are the ones which ultimately define it. How many family cars have a big V8, rear-wheel-drive and — horror of horrors — a manual transmission?

The exterior is very attractive, thanks to its inherited proportions from the donor Chevy Lumina SS. However, HSV has done well to differentiate it from the regular car, with a bigger spoiler, larger rims, aggressive front and rear bumpers, extra side vents, different tail-lights and a unique front grille. If you haven’t heard of HSV, or Holden Special Vehicles, it is the in-house tuning arm of GM-owned Holden, the Australian manufacturer that builds the Lumina. The term “CSV” is a variation of that abbreviation, seemingly standing for “Chevrolet Special Vehicles” around here.
To step inside the big cabin of this huge car, you have to leap over the massive side-bolster of the sports seat. Once inside, everything looks painfully similar to the standard Lumina cabin, including the dull dashboard design. However, the bits unique to the CR8 are very special. After noticing the heavily-bolstered sports seats, you’ll grab what happens to be the thickest steering wheel ever. Look down and you’ll then notice the silvery manual shifter knob and three pedals. And that’s it really, in terms of upgrades. While our tester came with leather, rear roof-mounted DVD screen, cruise control and multiple airbags, there is no sunroof, no digital a/c and no standard navigation.
What there’s no shortage of is cabin space. Acres of legroom and headroom rival that of any fullsize car, with a huge flat luggage area, tons of cup-holders and numerous storage bins. The stitched leather seats look great, with embroidered CSV logos. Rubbery-soft materials cover the dash and doors, with hard plastics for lower cabin areas, some of which feel cheap, especially the loose lids for various storage bins. Other oversights include the lack of padding under the luggage-trunk lid, although it could be a weight-saving measure.
The a/c with front-rear vents as well as the CD stereo are simplistic, but above-average in performance. The stereo also has a built-in CD changer, steering-wheel buttons and Bluetooth phone, and its monochrome display is mounted at the top of the centre-stack. The rear DVD player operates separately, with wireless headsets. There is no other gadgetry worth mentioning, besides the red-lit gauge-cluster computer screen, and all power-window buttons being near the handbrake.
But all minor complaints disappear once you get on the open road, for the CR8 has to be the most involving car in its class we’ve ever driven. Firing up the 6.0-litre V8, the fact that this motor is capable of spectacular numbers — 411 hp at 6000 rpm and 550 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm — always remains at the back of your mind. The short-shifting 6-speed manual is much slicker than the one in the Corvette Z06, so combining that with a moderately-firm clutch made it the easiest manual “sports car” we’ve ever driven in traffic. Every traffic signal became a special event. Rather than simply pushing one pedal with the right foot and letting an automatic do all the work, we were instead actually getting to use our right hand and left foot to make the car lunge forward, and that too without it feeling like an exercise machine. Oddly enough, you cannot go into fifth or sixth gear when sitting at idle, instead going straight to reverse with a warning beep. The beep is particularly useful because the knob sometimes refuses to slip into reverse easily.
There is strong acceleration in all the lower gears and the traction control even allows some initial wheelspin. Still, we only managed a poor 0-to-100 kph time of 6.0 seconds with the traction control on, and we didn’t bother running it with the electronic nannies off due to the lack of safe venues. We weren’t about to try launching a 400-horse burnout-machine in public without ample practice, which we certainly didn’t have time to get totally familiar in only four days of testing. No doubt it can go quicker. Nevertheless, during this time, our fuel consumption was an awfully high 19.1 litres per km in mixed driving.
Handling is seriously good, with intensely-entertaining chassis tuning. With stiff suspension, low-profile tyres and very sharp steering, it is hardly possible to understeer. As we circled an empty roundabout, we gradually pushed harder, and instead of pushing outwards, the rear was actually coming out very slightly in the most controllable fashion. No doubt, stability control would’ve kicked in if we were to spin out, but no electronics were needed. A good driver can easily play with this thing, and even though it cannot match our tiny BMW M Roadster in manoeuvrability, its limits are still impressively high, with solid grip from 245/40 front and 275/35 rear tyres and the body staying largely flat in any turn. The big ABS-assisted four-wheel-disc brakes are also very strong, with a mildly-weighted pedal that makes it easy to modulate with pinpoint accuracy.
Riding on 19-inch wheels barely brings about any penalty in highway compliance. It rides firm, but never too firm, and feels a lot like BMW’s legendary ride-handling balance. Wind hush and road noise are about average for the midsize class, but there is always a burbling V8 sound in the background, even at idle. Forward visibility is perfect, but the rearward view is hindered by the big trunk spoiler and the small mirrors. Parking is dependent on beeping rear sensors, and our big tester already came with curb rash on the wheels and front bumper, so watch out for high footpath edges.
When you consider that all its competitors, including Chrysler SRT models and the overpriced Germans, offer nothing but an automatic gearbox, it becomes apparent that the Australian CR8 will always be rare in this lazy part of the world. In today’s inflation-ridden climate, the CR8 will be expensive to run, but it drinks no more petrol than a snail-paced V6-powered Land Cruiser. When was the last time you actually went off-road or even needed seven seats? If you can afford that shoebox, the reasons to pick up a CR8 are easily justifiable. All you need is to get out of your unoriginal Toyota/Nokia/iPod mindset and work out that left leg.

Price Range:
Dh 170,000-180,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2008
Body Styles:
4-door sedan
Engines:
6.0L 411 hp V8 / 550 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1812 kg
Length:
4895 mm
Wheelbase:
2916 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.0 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
19.1 litres/100km

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible "The New Muscle"

2012-03-11T21:19:00.002-07:00

The Good:
- Aggressive styling
- Pure uninterrupted power
- Great handling

The Bad:
- Useless rear seating
- Hard cabin plastics
- Noisy even with the top up

If you thought the Camaro franchise was strung out as far as possible, think again. Our latest run with the stunning Chevy muscle car is with all-new convertible version, brewing for years and now finally on the streets. The only question is whether, with the roof chopped off, it is still as well-sorted as the coupe.
Our new-for-2012 Chevy Camaro SS convertible tester has all the design cues of the SS coupe, namely the fake bonnet scoop, the larger tail pipes and the bigger alloys. The obvious differences are the brake light on the boot lid and, of course, the cloth top that gives the car only a slightly-lopsided roof profile compared to the coupe. On close inspection of the exterior, we’d say build quality is about the same, which is to say, passable.

The cabin also remains unchanged, a sea of black hard plastics contrasting with shiny red hard plastics. The redeeming features are the unique leather-upholstered seats, padded leather armrests and the retro-modern instrument cluster. The sharp-rimmed steering wheel is also back, as are the illegible gauges ahead of the shifter. The thick cloth top has a glass rear window.
Space up front is perfect, at least for average-sized adults like us, even if the slit windows give a claustrophobic feel, but we sort of got used to it. The front seats have moderate side-bolstering, and power-adjustable for the driver, while the partially-powered passenger seat manually flips forward to provide access to the cramped rear seat with useless rear legroom. As for storage spaces, there are small door pockets, a small cubby under the centre armrest and two exposed cup-holders, with a long-but-shallow cargo boot out back that isn’t too compromised when the cloth top is folded down.
Tech features are simple, with basic keyless entry, some mood lighting, power windows and mirrors, above-average CD/MP3 stereo with USB port, front and side airbags, pretty good basic a/c, HID headlights with “halo” rings and not much else. However, new for 2011 are a working Bluetooth phone as well as a nifty heads-up display on the windshield. As for the roof, it requires turning a latch with a clumsy amount of muscle, and then the power top folds down electrically.
Since we were driving the 6-speed automatic version, our Camaro SS had the 6.2-litre “L99” V8, good for 400 hp at 5900 rpm and 560 Nm of torque at 4300 rpm, both slightly less than the manual version’s “LS1” V8, losing launch control but gaining a cylinder-deactivation system to save fuel. Our test results were predictable, as we fired off a 0-100 kph run of 6.5 seconds with a 3000 rpm launch in warm May weather, only 0.2 seconds off the pace of our manual Camaro SS test. The heavier 1891-kilo convertible also burned more fuel, averaging 18.1 litres/100 km, so it is safe to say that cylinder-shutoff gimmicks don’t help a whole lot when you’re not trying to take it easy.
The Camaro SS still drives like a proper sports car, with weighted power steering that offers decent feedback and direct turn-ins, and Chevrolet has actually eliminated the previously-sloppy on-centre feel. Corners feel pretty much flat, with unnoticeable body roll and oodles of available grip from the 245/45 front and 275/40 rear rubbers, as long as the throttle is precisely controlled. Keeping the traction control on is recommended for newbies, as it can pull off burnouts at a heartbeat. The automatic gearbox is fine in choosing the right gears on its own, although the manual mode using paddles isn’t very satisfying due to their mild response delays. Huge ABS-assisted Brembo brakes with vented discs, visible through the 20-inch alloys, are eye-poppingly effective and can haul down the car to a stop within a breath from 120 kph. With the improved steering, the 2012 Camaro SS is even better than before.
What the convertible loses out on, compared to the coupe, is the rather good ride comfort. Chevrolet says various braces were added throughout the car to strengthen the body, but the effects of losing the roof were still evident. There were the occasional shaky rattles when driving over bumps, while the cloth roof blocked barely blocks any outside noise, so we always felt like there is a window open, even with the top up. And with the small rear window, reverse-parking was a massive hassle even with sensors, as all saw in the mirrors were the fat rear fenders of the car. With the top down, the windshield was so low that air partially blew into our eyes while receding our hairlines at highway speeds. We could also see the folded-down roof mildly flapping in the mirror, which made us worry a bit. The convertible also seemed to ride a bit firmer than the coupe, likely a side-effect of the all the mods to compensate for the roof-chop. However, the ride is still compliant enough for the most part.
Basically, the Chevrolet Camaro SS is an excellent sports car whether you get one with a metal roof or cloth top. But you’d have to be very compromising to accept the compromises that come with the convertible. A lot of convertibles suffer the same issues. At best, top-down driving with the convertible is suited for low-speed cruises along the beach while attempting to look cool. Going full-blast at 150 kph roof-less will age your dry face very fast.

Price Range:
Dh 175,000-195,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2012
Body Styles:
2-door convertible
Engines:
6.2L 400 hp V6 / 560 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1850-1891 kg
Length:
4836 mm
Wheelbase:
2852 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.5 sec.(auto)
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
18.1 litres/100km

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2007 BMW 335i Coupe "Cute and Sporty"

2012-02-29T08:40:00.003-08:00

The Good:
- Intense handling
- Seats four in comfort
- Excellent engine

The Bad:
- Somewhat firm ride quality
- Rear seat access
- Small side mirrors

We find it hard to start an article about a member of the BMW 3-Series family without mentioning that it still rules the roost as far as sports sedans are concerned. We’ve driven most of the new-name competition such as the almost-famous Infiniti G35, the cramped Lexus IS 300 and some really sad version of the non-Quattro Audi A4. And they still fall behind in some way or the other. The new turbocharged 335i coupe just ups the ante.
We were pleasantly surprised when this car was delivered to our doorstep to keep for the next four days. As with many other recent BMWs, this one too appears overlong, dull and tall in photos, but really is amazingly well-proportioned, aggressive and low in reality.

Entering and starting this well-built car while leaving the key in the pocket, we were greeted with the familiar down-to-business BMW interior, with additional touches that spruced up the cabin. The upper door sills, dashboard and parts of the centre console were lined with soft-touch plastics, while most of the lower door panels were slathered with stitched red leather, of course to match the perfectly-bolstered red seats. Also along the doors, dash and console was real lacquered dark wood trim. The optional iDrive screen took centre-stage on the dashboard. There is a line of soft lighting along the upper doors, which is the first time we’ve seen something like this in any car. Also special is a cool gimmick that automatically pulls the front seat-belts forward for easier reach since they are mounted so far behind, but retracts to allow rear access. Too bad the rear windows don’t retract.
Space for front passengers is excellent, with great headroom and legroom. Surprisingly, rear legroom is also excellent for a compact coupe, with more space in the back than a Lexus IS 300 sedan. But the rear ceiling is low, so tall people might have headroom issues. There are only two seats behind, with a centre console separating them. Getting in and out of the back in one move requires agility, which rules out people over 30 years or 300 kg from rear-seat travel. The odd rear access procedure requires an upper handle as well as a power button on the front seat to slowly move it forward and out of the way.
There is a distinct lack of storage spaces, with only small cubbies, a tight glovebox, seat-back nets and inaccessible door pockets available. There are four retractable cup-holders though, two front and two behind. The luggage trunk is long and a fair size, but not wide enough for two suitcases side by side.
There is no shortage of technology to play with. Along with the total keyless system and usual power options, there is the non-touch iDrive screen that serves as a Bluetooth phone, parking aid, navigation, stereo, TV and trip computer. The phone works perfectly, as do the parking sensors and the seriously good CD stereo, which has redundant buttons on the steering wheel and a CD changer taking up space in the luggage trunk. TV reception is poor, and the navigation system remains too complicated to bother with, especially when having to type in destinations with a rotating dial. The above-average automatic a/c has separate controls, with vents even in the rear. And there are tons of front and side airbags spread about. About the only things our particular model lacked were ventilation fans for the seats, and power controls for the seat-bottom extension and steering wheel adjustment, which our Infiniti and Lexus testers had.
The engine is an amazing piece of work. We have extensive previous experience with turbo machines, but the 3.0-litre twin turbo behaves like none before it. This smooth motor has an excellent base unit from the 330i, but while most turbo setups suffer from a lag in power at lower revs, this one flies from the get go. With 306 horses on tap at 5800 rpm, backed up by 400 Nm of torque from a mere 1300 rpm all the way to 5000 rpm, we managed to hit 100 kph from standstill in only 5.6 seconds. The smooth six-speed automatic made short work of the shifts, and the weird paddle setup shifted gears faster than most other tiptronic systems. Tons of power is available even after 120 kph, and the race-car growl of the twin exhaust is louder than most luxury cars, including its 330i cousin, though it is hardly annoying since the usual turbo blow-off hiss is absent here. The turbo easily compensates for the limited mid-range grunt of the basic 330i inline-six.
Rumours suggest that this obviously underrated engine actually has closer to 350 hp, which would explain why it is faster than the Infiniti G35 as well as the Chevy Lumina SS. It is so close in performance to the outgoing Bimmer M3 and the overrated Audi RS4, that few would’ve complained if BMW chose to slap on an M3 badge on the 335i instead. However, this also explains why it only managed a V8-like fuel consumption of 14.5 litres per 100 km.
The 335i coupe rides noticeably firm, but not enough to ruin the journey. It is more comfortable than the high-strung Z4 coupe, flattening minor bumps easily, but suspension travel is so little that it occasionally bottoms out. The thin-sidewalled tyres didn’t help comfort matters either, but it is a good compromise, even though we found the 330i sedan to be more comfortable. There is a little more wind howl and road noise in the coupe compared to the sedan, probably due to the frameless doors, but it isn’t enough to fret about. The side mirrors are tiny though, and we once had a Honda disappear in our blind spot, leading us to play with wider mirror settings. The tyres on the enormous optional 19-inch alloys have only inch-thick sidewalls, which meant amateur reviewers before us already managed to damage the rims on some footpath edges, probably while driving in cramped shopping mall lots as part of their only actual road test.
Handling is a hallmark of BMW, and we were suddenly reminded why the 3-Series is on our recommended list. With firm feedback-filled steering, low ride height and optional 19-inch rims wrapped with 225/35 rubbers in the front and 255/30 in the back, this car is not playing games. The lack of a limited-slip differential meant that the rear becomes ever-so-slightly squirrelly under hard throttle from low speeds, but never out of control. But as the speeds reach close to three digits, this car owns the road. The car literally sticks to the road, as we found ourselves taking circular highway off-ramps faster than ever, while the car seemingly edged us on. Not once did the stability control go off, there was almost no body roll, and the tyres did not complain at all, which meant they still had oodles of grip left, but our courage did not hold up any further on public roads.
Moving the action to open grounds, we really wrung it out for a few minutes. Turning off the stability control we experienced handling at the limit, as the car safely understeered, with the front tyres loudly protesting. We pushed down on the throttle harder, and the tail swung out as the rear tyres now did the howling while the car performed powerslides. All the way, the grippy tyres fought to make the car straight again, eventually succeeding as we let off the accelerator pedal. The car’s limits are extremely high, but none of these high-jinks takes place if the stability control is left on to kill any and all wheel slippage. The four-wheel-disc brakes are excellent for avoiding trouble too, though they are a bit grabby at low speeds.
We have no doubt that the BMW 3-Series is the best sports sedan ever created. The only sore point is the extremely high price. It is certainly good value compared to a Mercedes-Benz, but the Infiniti G35 still represents amazing value for money at two-thirds the price of the 335i, with nine-tenths the performance. We love the 335i, but we can never approve of its price. People who can afford it are in for the ride of their lives, if they know how to drive it.

Price Range:
Dh 235,000-250,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2007
Body Styles:
2-door coupe
Engines:
3.0L 306 hp Inline-6 turbo / 400 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent

Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs
Curb Weight:
1633-1639 kg
Length:
4526 mm
Wheelbase:
2761 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
5.6 sec.(auto)
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
14.5 litres/100km

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2008 BMW 135i Convertible "Young and Charming"

2012-02-28T03:09:00.001-08:00

The Good:
- Sports-car handling
- Sports-car acceleration
- Sports-car fun

The Bad:
- Hard ride quality
- Cramped rear seating
- Very expensive

The 1-Series hatchback was unceremoniously launched years ago, touted as an entry-level BMW for young people who can’t afford the 3-Series. Years later, the same young people voted with their wallets, skipping the undesirable One and saving up for the Three anyway, at least in this region. BMW is now trying to rectify that expensive blunder by expanding the 1-Series line-up with a two-door coupe and its soft-top variant. A more powerful set of engines were also thrown in for good measure. Which brings us to our 135i convertible tester, easily the most ‘funtastic’ car we’ve driven in months.

The looks aren’t anything to write home about. While the 3-Series is perfectly proportioned, the two-door 1-Series was forced to stay short in keeping with its sub-compact categorisation, looking like a cartoon version of the M3. The 18-inch alloys don’t appear as big as they should on this tall car, but the googly-eyed geek gets sportier bumpers than the hatchback to make it more manly. The blacked-out exhaust tips protrude from one side of the rear bumper, as a true dual exhaust setup isn’t possible due to space considerations. Oddly enough, after a few days slapping this car around, we actually started to like its looks anyway.
Stepping into the cabin reveals the same business-class mood as any other BMW. Unfortunately, the 1-Series is also bestowed with the same dull interior design as its larger siblings, reserving all the funkiness for their Mini brand. The cabin is largely similar in design to that of larger BMW models, suffering only from reduced width and truncated length. Swaths of leather upholstery cover the sporting seats and door panels, with soft-touch materials and wood on all upper surfaces, broken by hard plastics on top of the instrument-gauge binnacle and all panels below eye level.
Front passengers are perfectly comfortable, and while rear passengers can fit in the back with enough headroom, their knees will push against the front seat-backs and converging side-panels press on the hips. The long doors and sliding rear seat offer painful rear access, but it is much easier to do it with the roof down. Putting the roof down reduces the sub-compact trunk space by less than 10 cm in depth, with a large foldable wind-deflector and a first-aid kit already taking up some real estate. Other in-cabin storage spaces are limited to some small door pockets and a decently-sized glovebox. There are two cup-holders, one being too small and another that looks like it was stuck on as an afterthought, protruding into the front passenger’s legroom.
Other features include an iDrive multimedia and navigation system with pop-up screen, digital a/c, power seats with adjustable thigh extensions, basic cruise control, keyless entry and start, multiple airbags, HID headlights, and a fully-electric nicely-upholstered cloth roof. The a/c is about average in December afternoons, given the porous roof. We are getting used to the dial-controlled iDrive, although it is still a hazard while driving. BMW did try to ease things with short-cut buttons on the dash, including a system that lets you preview radio stations by just touching the radio channel buttons before actually pressing one. All electrics worked perfectly, except for one tail lamp that flickered on and off at will.
The smaller dimensions can still pack the 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-6 under the hood, and that turns the 1-Series convertible from a sissy boulevard cruiser to a geeky muscle car. With access to 306 hp at 5800 rpm and 400 Nm of lag-free torque from only 1400 rpm, mating this epic engine to such a small car produced spectacular results. Our 0-to-100 kph run with the automatic-geared tester gave us a mind-blowing 5.1 seconds with the traction control off. The car squealed, twitched and wagged its tail slightly as it took off, but a steady grip on the wheel is all that is needed to blow the doors off many other sports cars. The 6-speed automatic shifts gears quickly and efficiently, and even comes with paddle shifters to flick off some near-instantaneous manual changes, although it does shift up by itself when it hits the redline. Even with a lot of high-jinks, fuel economy is respectable, averaging 13.6 litres per 100 km.
The exhilaration continues with the handling. Saddled with 215/40 front and 245/35 rear tyres, all on 18-inch alloys, the rear-wheel-drive 135i has oodles of grip. At 1685 kg, the 135i is embarrassingly heavy for its size, weighing almost as much as the larger 335i, but its extra-short wheelbase tightens up handling to extreme levels. Combined with stiff suspension tuning that dials out body roll to barely-noticeable levels, the grippy 135i simply turns where it is pointed and keeps on going, making it hard to force a high-speed slide even with the stability control off.
Leave the electronic nannies on, and the drive is dumbed down to ridiculous levels, as power is magically reduced in the middle of tight turns long before tyre squeal even makes an appearance. The throttle response seems to have a tiny delay at very low speeds, although it is instant at higher speeds. We also experienced the “active steering” feature for the first time, which makes low-speed parking easy, as the steering wheel reaches full lock in less than one turn from centre, while the ratio becomes more relaxed at high speeds to avoid sneeze-induced direction changes. While the system is perfectly effective, it did seem to reduce some of BMW’s traditional steering feel, bringing it more to the level of less-focused Mercedes AMG models. The firm steering remains largely sharp and precise though, just like the brake pedal that accurately manages the large ABS-assisted discs.
Such edginess comes at the cost of ride comfort, of course. Since the suspension isn’t of the variable air-doohickey variety, the standard shocks are uncompromisingly firm. The ride is perfectly fine on Dubai’s smooth highways, but hit one of the numerous construction diversions around town, and the uneven temporary roads take a toll on your back. The bumps also occasionally reveal the slightest of body vibrations, but it is a roofless car after all. Wind noise becomes excessive after 100 kph with the roof up, drowning out any road noise from the run-flat tyres. With the roof down, you can still shout to your passengers, as long as the windows are up.
BMW continues its uncanny tradition of instilling world-class handling in each and every one of its models, and the 1-Series convertible continues that ideology. It is a pure sports car in disguise, held back from its true focus by an overload of luxury gadgets and weighty electronics. It also looks nowhere as expensive as it really is, which would be a downer for fashion-conscious yuppies, but that just leaves more of these cars for enthusiasts who will truly enjoy it.

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2009 BMW 750Li "First Class Luxury"

2012-02-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

The Good:
- Looks better than before
- Powerful and efficient engine
- Feature-filled spacious cabin

The Bad:
- A bit too long
- A bit too expensive
- A bit limited in the boot area

BMW’s long-running 7-Series flagship has always been an elegant and classy luxury sedan, right until they unleashed the bloated previous-generation mutant back in 2002. Fast-forward to 2009, and the German manufacturer seems to have rectified their gaffe, turning the 7-Series back into what it originally was — a svelte supercruiser.
Most noticeable is the successful execution of a new front end featuring wider nostrils and angry headlights, although the front bumper is cluttered with random lines that are thankfully missing on the rest of the car’s body. Generous use of LEDs for the front indicators and the huge rear tail lamps make for a briefly-interesting light show at night. Use of chrome is limited to small trim bits, along with some shiny exhaust tips integrated into the rear bumper. And the use of 20-inch alloy wheels made our long-wheelbase 750Li tester look smaller than it really is.

The interior design will be familiar to anyone who has spent time inside any other recent BMW, although new touches made things a bit more interesting. Unique to the 7-Series are inner door handles mounted at shoulder-level, making it easier to pull in the doors, while being cleanly integrated within the wood trim. The iDrive computer itself was also new, controlled using the ubiquitous rotary dial, but now featuring a slew of extra shortcut buttons and a completely new graphical interface on the LCD display. Also fresh were the dual optional DVD screens mounted behind the front seat-backs, large enough to rival some laptops, and also displaying navigation and entertainment options, controllable via a separate rotary dial for rear passengers.
Other notable features include full leather upholstery, including on the dashboard and doors, complemented by soft-touch materials on every inch of the cabin, broken only by some smoked-wood and matte-metal trim. The beige leather in complimented by black cloth headliner and tan floor carpeting, none of which will be easy to keep clean.
There is no shortage of space in the extended-length 750Li. The extra wheelbase is made obvious by the long rear doors, along with the immense amount of rear legroom. All the seats are extra-wide, and even the rear ones recline slightly. While appearing to be a strict four-seater at first glance, a third person can even slip into the rear by folding away the central divider. Unfortunately the boot luggage space under the motorised lid, while cavernous thanks to the lack of a spare wheel, is reduced by random blocks and bulges that possibly house the electronics for devices within the cabin.
The cabin is also brimming with technology, such as the unique-to-BMW joystick shifter, power sunshades for all rear windows, digital a/c with controls for both front and rear passengers, a kicking CD stereo with USB port, a Bluetooth phone that works without issues, a complicated but workable navigation system, power front seats with a weirdly-pokey massage feature, rear-seat vanity mirrors and footrests, heads-up display on the windshield, turning HID headlights, tons of airbags, hideaway cup-holders and a regular sunroof. As with other large BMWs we’ve tested, the a/c takes a good while to cool down the cabin. The LCD display within the gauge cluster showed that the first service was due at 22,000 km, which is BMW’s definition of “low maintenance.”
There was a time when a BMW’s model name denoted its engine size, but the 750Li comes with a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8. Apparently the badge implies that the new turbo engine has as much power as a conventional 5.0-litre motor V12, which would be true. It comes with 407 hp at 5500 rpm and a solid 600 Nm of torque at only 1800 rpm. We recorded a 0-100 kph time of 6.5 seconds in ‘Sport’ mode during our summer test, although the car is supposed to be quicker. It certainly feels quicker on the street, with an abundance of brutal power for highway passing, all delivered with the refinement of a German butler. We even managed a respectable 16.2 litres per 100 km of fuel consumption, with a fair bit of highway driving.
The engine is so muffled that it barely hums at full throttle, making for serenely quiet journeys, but making high-speed corners a bit disconcerting. We approached more than a few corners at excessive speeds, misled by the cocooned cabin that makes speeds seem lower than they really are. The 7-Series cabin is easily among the quietest places to be on the road, made even more surprising by the fact that it rolls on traditionally-noisy runflat tyres on 20-inch rims. There is only a whiff of wind noise at 120 kph and very mild jitteriness on some rough-surfaced roads, if left in ‘Comfort’ mode.
The air suspension and the smooth 6-speed auto gearbox have various settings, adjustable via four electronic modes — namely Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. The most obvious change is in the Sport mode, as the ride becomes firmer and the revs are held for longer before upshifts. While body roll is always minimal and the throttle response is always instant, the manual mode of the tiptronic gearbox has slightly delayed responses and there are no shifter paddles. The steering is ever-so-slightly firm and has a bit of feedback, while the big disc brakes are very strong, and all quick stops are straight and without drama, even when the ABS goes off. And the grip never failed from the 245/40 front and 275/35 rear tyres in moderately-quick driving, although leaving it in ‘Sport’ mode meant that the stability control subtly limited the speed when going around sharper curves. For those with too much faith, the ‘Sport Plus’ mode is there to suppress all electronic nannies.
However, the sporting side of the 7-Series is just a compromise, as the focus is on luxury. The rear camera has guiding lines and the ‘active’ steering system shortens the ratio so that only a flick of the wrist is needed to slip the car into a parking space. The adaptive cruise control means that the brakes are applied automatically if there is a slower car in front during highway cruising. The blind-spot monitoring sensors light up and even vibrate the steering wheel a bit if there are cars in the next lane. The electronic parking brake can be set to automatically engage when waiting at traffic lights. And there are cameras on either side of the front bumper to watch out for cross-traffic when coming out of a tight junction or a gated compound.
With features like those, combined with a relatively efficient and powerful engine, as well as distinct comfort and sport modes, the new-for-2009 BMW 7-Series is easily the most advanced luxury sedan we’ve ever driven.

Price Range:
Dh 470,000-480,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2009
Body Styles:
4-door sedan
Engines:
4.4L 407 hp V8 turbo / 600 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1980 kg
Length:
5215 mm
Wheelbase:
3211 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.5 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
16.2 litres/100km

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2009 BMW X6 xDrive50i "Big and Sporty"

2012-02-26T03:38:00.001-08:00

The Good:
- Amazing handling
- Awesome engine
- Head-turning looks

The Bad:
- Expensive and seats only four
- Rear-seat headroom
- Head-turning looks

After the 1-Series was introduced, BMW purists lamented the downgrading of an iconic nameplate in the name of profits. And just as the 1-Series is starting to get accepted, BMW has dropped another bombshell in the form of the X6, which some would call a misguided attempt at upgrading the iconic nameplate. But while the X6, a so-called sports-activity-coupe-whatever, is an abomination, we could not help hating it a bit less after we kept one for a few days. Because, love it or hate it, the car sure makes a statement.

The X6 is essentially an X5 with roof-replacement surgery, as the top has been chopped off for a “sportier” look. However, beyond the near-identical front-end, every body panel is different from those of the X5. Even the front bumper and the rear tail-lamps are completely different. Fitted with 20-inch alloys and plastic cladding along the bottom, the X6 looks smaller than it really is. We were actually excited to see this car in person, and couldn’t take our eyes off it. It was sort of like the love a dog owner has for his pet bulldog.

Stepping into the cabin is easy even without side-steps, as the ground clearance isn’t that high. The entire interior setup is exactly the same as in any X5, except for the truncated headroom which also seems to have eaten up the overhead grab-handles, because there aren’t any. The seats also seem to be different, with the headrests almost rising up to the roof, while the rear seats only two.

The premium nature of the materials in our xDrive50i tester was instantly noticeable, with reddish leather trim on the seats and doors, as well as black stitched leathery trim and patterned black metal on the dashboard. Surely, at the time of buying, all these colours are customisable too. The excellent dressing uplifts what is otherwise a boring angular cabin design.

Even with the chopped roof, the cabin is deceptively spacious. There is tons of legroom and width for both front and rear passengers. But all passengers are forced to sit a bit low by limiting the seat-bottom height, so it feels like sitting in a bathtub. Also, tall passengers might have issues with the ceiling in the back. However, for average-sized midgets like us, the X6 proved to be much more spacious in the back than the cramped Infiniti FX. Even the cargo hold under the sloping powered-operated tailgate was a bit of a surprise, with a much larger floor area than the shorter-assed FX, although the lift-over height and the roofline reduce its practicality. Storage spaces include little covered cubbies in the front and rear centre consoles, and at least four cup-holders.

The X6 we drove was loaded to the gills with gadgets and gimmicks, such as the iDrive multimedia computer with Bluetooth, the joystick-like gear shifter, the automatic handbrake, the directional bumper lights, a head-up display on the windshield, a full set of airbags, and the rear-view parking camera with guiding lines, among the usual power accessories. The power-operated seats can be counted among the X6′s unique features, as they are almost tall enough to reach the ceiling, has a motorised thigh-support piece, and even has two-piece headrests that can manually adjust to hold your head like a glove. The CD stereo offers excellent sound and has many shortcut buttons on the wheel and the dash, although some settings still require digging through the dial-controlled computer. The navigation DVD was missing in our tester, so we couldn’t try that out. The automatic a/c, with front and rear vents, worked fine although it should be noted that we tested the car in pleasant February weather. About the only thing we noticed missing were ventilated seats and a rear DVD screen, both of which are extra-cost options.

The above-mentioned features are what most buyers will purchase the X6 for, but the real work by BMW went into everything under the bulbous skin of the car. For starters, the X6 xDrive50i is the first Bimmer to receive the company’s new twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8, capable of generating 408 hp at 5500 rpm and a killer 600 Nm of torque from only 1750 rpm, all the way up to 4500 rpm. The amazing engine helped us move the 2265 kg bulk of the X6 from zero to 100 kph in only 5.8 seconds, although we did not try testing its electronically-limited top speed of 250 kph. The lag-free engine kicks you hard at any speed once the throttle is buried, and never seems to run out of juice. About the only juice you need to worry about is the one in the fuel tank, as we burned 19.2 litres of petrol per 100 km.

Driving the X6 on the road is a pleasure. It rides a bit firmly on low-profile run-flat tyres, 275/40 up front and 315/35 in the rear, but it still manages to be comfortable thanks to its computer-controlled adaptive suspension, while external noises are kept at bay fairly well at highway speeds. In fact, it is the first SUV we’ve taken up to 180 kph on a single-lane road, and it felt like cruising at 80 kph.

The smooth 6-speed automatic has basic paddle-shifters mounted on the back of the chunky steering wheel itself, and it shifts gears well on command, but we didn’t use the manual mode for long as their position was strenuous on the fingers. It is much easier to leave the gearbox in sport mode and let it change gears at redline by itself when needed.

The ‘active steering’ feature was easy to get used to, as parking requires slightly less than one full turn from centre to reach full lock in either direction, while becoming firmer and less twitchy at higher speeds. And while this artificial system kills most of the steering feedback, it is still immensely easy to handle this behemoth, as the electronics behind the xDrive all-wheel-drive system take care of complications between the tyres and the road surface. Indeed, it is possible to drive the X6 like a sports car around large corners and sweeping highway off-ramps, and it is simply insane how safe it all feels. But try to speed around a five-metre-wide roundabout as you would with a 3-Series, and the X6 shows its weight, understeering briefly before the computers magically bring it back in line again without losing much speed. The X6 isn’t quite a gymnast, but it can throw quite a punch when tossed in the ring.

As amazing as it is on the tarmac, the X6 is allergic to sand. Of course, it can manage a bit of off-roading due to its wide tyres, all-wheel-drive setup and oodles of power, it has to be kept moving most of the time. Stop at the wrong spot, and the heavyweight sinks. The ground clearance isn’t too high, there is no low-range gearing, and the plastic underbody panels are there for aerodynamics rather than to act as skid-plates. Deflating the tyres beforehand barely helps, because they are low-profile runflats with stiff sidewalls. The X6 is out of its element as soon as it hits anything more than gravel tracks.

But BMW anticipated that almost none of their popped-collar customers would ever take their trucklets off-road, and we can’t blame them. BMW concentrated on what matters more, and their engineering is commendable, considering they made a bulldog play like a cheetah.

Price Range:
Dh 455,000-470,000

Current Model Introduced in:
2009

Body Styles:
5-door wagon

Engines:
4.4L 408 hp V8 turbo / 600 Nm

Transmissions:
6-speed automatic

Setup:
Four-wheel-drive

Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent

Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs

Curb Weight:
2265 kg

Length:
4879 mm

Wheelbase:
2934 mm

Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)

Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
5.8 sec.

Observed Test Fuel Economy:
19.2 litres/100km

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2010 BMW Z4 sDrive30i "The Sexy Beast"

2012-02-25T02:57:00.004-08:00

The Good:
- Good handling
- Great styling
- Fair power and economy

The Bad:
- A bit impractical
- A bit noisy
- A bit expensive

We are probably the local authority on all things related to the reborn Z roadsters from BMW. We have a rare Z3 M Roadster on our fleet. We tested the rare Z4 Coupe when it first came out. And now we got to play with the first Z4 with a folding hard-top. The entire series changed dramatically every time it was redesigned, for better or for worse.
The latest iteration of the Z4 has transformed into a better cruiser, taking the fight to its perennially-softer German competitors. Alongside the evolved styling, the most obvious changes are the heavy folding convertible hard-top, complemented by a larger butt to fit it in. The car still looks as exotic as the older versions, and infinitely sporting in style, but actual sportiness has given way to comfort-biased compromises.

For one, the larger interior now has enough space for a parcel shelf behind the seats, with more built-in compartments for small items. There is a central padded armrest, with two cup-holders underneath and space for a mobile phone. And most obviously, the handbrake has been replaced by a small electronic parking-brake button. Our 10-year-old M Roadster has none of these.
However, still in common with our M Roadster, there is a leather-lined dashboard, colour-matched leather door trim, soft-touch upper materials and hard-plastic lower materials. The sun-visors are still tiny, the doors are still long, and the roll-hoops behind still impede rearward vision in this pricey car.
Cabin styling is more in line with the previous Z4 than the ancient Z3, with a simple dashboard featuring wood trim and rotary knobs for the dual-zone a/c in our sDrive30i mid-range model. There was no navigation screen in our tester, replaced by a storage cubby in its place, and the electronic key still has to be inserted before the starter button is pressed. Features did include power windows, electric mirrors, power-adjusted seats, front and side airbags, parking sensors, Bluetooth and HID headlights, but not cruise control, ventilated seats, keyless start, USB ports, and many other options usually available in the BMW options catalogue. The CD stereo was expectedly good, while the a/c was fine in February weather.
There is good space for average-sized folks like us, even with the roof up. The seats are only mildly bolstered, as if to fit out-of-shape drivers better within the limited width. Boot volume is about average for a coupe, but once the roof is down, there is only enough space left for a six-pack of Pepsi and two bags of chips. The roof itself is an efficient three-piece mechanical dance, operated by holding down a button.
The 3.0-litre inline-6 engine powering the sDrive30i is straight out of the 330i sedan that we last drove in 2006. Making 258 hp at 6600 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at only 2600 rpm, it is a perky unit that suits a sports car, but by no means a supercar. During our desert-winter test, our car clocked a 0-100 kph time of 6.6 seconds, with a 6-speed automatic doing all the shifting. We did not use the manual-shift feature, as there is a mild delay in responding to inputs and is really intended to just hold gears rather than for drag-racing. The super-smooth engine also burned up 12.9 litres/100 km during our time, which is relatively economical for a sports car.
The new Z4 certainly handles very well. Its naturally low stance and wide tyres are enough to give it an advantage on the twisties, even if there are “Dynamic Driving Control” settings available to choose between Normal, Sport and Sport+. While the transmission and throttle responses certainly become more urgent, Sport+ seems to simply loosen up the stability control. The settings also supposedly affect the fully-independent “Adaptive M Suspension,” but we couldn’t feel any difference between the modes, so are not sure if our car was even equipped with the fancy shocks.
Indeed, leave it in any mode, let the 225/45 front and 255/40 rear rubbers on 17-inchers do their thing, and enjoy the drive that made BMW famous. The car corners almost flat and has tons of grip. However, it is noticeably more conservative at the limit than our aggressive M Roadster. The new Z4 isn’t tail-happy under power like our old car, and also understeers earlier on sharper turns. While the sharp steering and the ABS-assisted brakes are still full of feedback, the new Z4 has softened its edge, even when compared to the previous Z4, let alone the Z3.
The new Z4 rides firm but is a bit softer than all Z roadsters before it, although it can still crash over the sharpest bumps to remind occupants that they’re sitting only a few inches from the rear wheels. It is quieter than a Z3, but still has a fair bit of road noise, engine noise and ambient noise with the top up. And while top-down driving is extremely fun, we couldn’t do it for more than 10 minutes at highway speeds before pulling over to put the roof up, because the hurricane rush around the low windshield makes mince-meat of your scalp, ears and brain.
But this car is infinitely cool, and never meant to be practical, even if it makes more of an effort than in previous generations. On the street, expect random people to enquire about the car, or simply gawk at it, because it will expectedly sell in small numbers and be a rare sight. However, those looking for a hardcore sports car will lament the loss of one more roadster in the name of mass appeal.

Price Range:
Dh 205,000-230,000 Current Model Introduced in:
2009
Body Styles:
2-door convertible
Engines:
3.0L 258 hp Inline-6 / 300 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Rear-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
1473-1503 kg
Length:
4239 mm
Wheelbase:
2497 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.6 sec.(auto)
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
12.9 litres/100km

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2010 BMW X5 M "The Mighty Luxury"

2012-02-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

The Good:
- Unbeatable handling
- Ridiculous engine
- Practical interior

The Bad:
- Beatable on sand
- Not as quick as expected
- Looks mildly sportier

Time and again, we’ve mentioned that the BMW X5 is the best-handling 4×4 trucklet we’ve ever driven. While it can’t handle sand worth a damn, it can honestly take on all sorts of wannabe sports sedans on the tarmac. BMW also mentioned many years ago that they’ll never make an ‘M’ version of vehicles that are too big to be sporting, so it came as a surprise that, just a few years later, they went back on their word and created the BMW X5 M. How in the world could they make the best-handling SUV in the world handle even better?
Of course, the handsome X5 M doesn’t really need to handle a whole lot better to convince would-be buyers. It simply has to look the part, to do justice to the more powerful engine that an ‘M’ is predictably fitted with. And the X5 M does certainly look racy, with its larger bumper intakes, mild side skirts, rear bumper vents, integrated exhaust tips and big 20-inch alloy wheels. However, to the untrained eye, it looks almost similar to the “M Sport” package that BMW offers to owners of regular X5 models.

The interior, yet again, is typical BMW. The straightforward dashboard, the premium leather padding, and the bits of metal trim, all are exactly like in lower-spec X5 models. The only noticeable upgraded bit is the thick-rimmed steering wheel with proper paddle-shifters instead of simple knobs.
Even the red leather seats seem rather regular, although they do the job, with decent bolstering and full power adjustability. Cabin space is optimum, with good legroom both front and back. But while rear space is excellent, climbing on isn’t too elegant with the lack of side-steps. There are four covered cup-holders and some door pockets for small items, while the luggage area out back is sizeable. Only the top half of the rear two-piece tailgate is powered, with a manual bottom half. The cargo area can be expanded by folding down the rear seatback, while there is also a useful compartment under the load floor thanks to the lack of a third-row seat or even a spare wheel. The X5 runs on run-flat tyres.
The X5 M has almost every possible gadget from BMW’s catalogue. Our tester had intelligent keyless entry and starter button, iDrive computer with TV and navigation, working Bluetooth phone, cruise control, electronic gear shifter, a digital climate control system with vents and controls for rear passengers, heads-up display, parking sensors with a reverse camera with direction lines, opening panoramic glass roof, side-mounted cameras, front and side-curtain airbags, xenon headlights that swivel in the direction of travel, and an excellent booming stereo with buttons on the dash as well as the steering wheel, along with a USB port and a CD changer. The a/c obviously worked well during our rainy-weather March testing, while the rotary-controlled iDrive is getting easier to use with every generational update.
The X5 M is powered by a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 monster of a motor that makes 555 hp at 6000 rpm, and 680 Nm of torque from only 1500 rpm all the way to 5650 rpm, all fed through a 6-speed automatic to an all-wheel-drive system. Predictably, acceleration is brutal from any speed. With the throttle pressed, it simply will not stop accelerating until it reaches its limited top speed of 250 kph, and it will do so without drama. Ironically, in our 0-100 kph test, we got an unremarkable time of 6 seconds flat, rather than the advertised 4.7 seconds, and that too in cool weather. This was even slower than the X6 xDrive50i we tested a year before. We later trolled through the internet and found out that the understated M button on the steering wheel was to turn on sportier throttle and transmission settings, and not a ‘mute’ button for the stereo. Were we really expected to read an inch-thick instruction manual for a 3-day test drive? We briefly tried out this ‘M’ mode within the city, and all it seemed to do was make first-gear response jumpier. We would’ve liked to try out this further, but then we had to return the car that morning, and BMW has since refused to give us the car again, so screw that.
This X5 notably has the first true automatic gearbox ever in an M model, skipping the tradition of semi-auto dual-clutch or even real-clutch manual gearboxes. However, while BMW is breaking its own rules for the M brand, this automatic shifts gears as instantly as any dual-clutch doohickey when using the big paddle shifters. But while we never even found sport mode, it still managed to burn fuel at an even 20.0 litres/100 km, about as bad as a Toyota Land Cruiser.
We did find the settings for the adaptive suspension though, but you’d have to be blessed with a sensitive butt to feel the difference between ‘normal’ and ‘sport’ modes. They all ride firmly, with almost no discernible body roll. While we can’t say how much better it handles than a regular X5, needless to say any X5 is already ridiculously agile for their size. Fitted with super-wide 275/40 front and 315/35 rear rubbers on 20-inch wheels, it is nearly impossible to squeal the tyres unless you try to take sharp U-turns like a Z4 roadster. The steering is sharp, moderately weighted and somewhat communicative. And the brake discs are bigger than extra-large pizzas. In short, this 2425-kilo sumo wrestler can dance like a fat ballerina.
On the comfort front, wind and road noise are kept within acceptably low levels. The ride is somewhat firm, but still smooth enough on most roads to retain its “luxury” tag. Hitting potholes or gravel can be a bit jarring, but that’s the price to pay for low-profile tyres and sporty handling. But gravel is about as much dirt as the X5 M can handle. Based on our not-so-good sandy experiences with the regular X5, we didn’t even bother taking this lowered “crossover” for any real offroading.
It needs to be said that the BMW X5 M is a far cry from our own M Roadster. While the big SUV doesn’t mesh with the ‘M’ philosophy of old, it does manage to be ridiculously clinical in what it is supposed to do. Also, given its ostentatious demeanour, there is definitely a market for these super-trucklets in this region.

Price Range:
Dh 485,000-500,000
Current Model Introduced in:
2010
Body Styles:
5-door wagon
Engines:
4.4L 555 hp V8 turbo / 680 Nm
Transmissions:
6-speed automatic
Setup:
Four-wheel-drive
Suspension:
Front: independent
Rear: independent
Brakes:
Front: discs
Rear: discs Curb Weight:
2425 kg
Length:
4854 mm
Wheelbase:
2934 mm
Top Speed:
250 kph(limited)
Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:
6.0 sec.
Observed Test Fuel Economy:
20.0 litres/100km

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2011 BMW 550i "The Luxury Monster"

2012-02-23T03:13:00.000-08:00

The Good:
- Very powerful engine
- Cabin trim and features
- Ride and handling

The Bad:
- Very expensive
- Steering lacks feel
- Average rear legroom

The BMW 5-Series, considered by many as the benchmark luxury-sports sedan that other carmakers aspire to, entered a new phase with its 2010 redesign. On initial reflection, one could say it went back to its roots in terms of exterior design, conservative yet handsome, while going a step further from its roots in terms of sportiness, with its overkill of technology that started with the flamboyant previous-generation model. Or has the extra tech helped more than harmed?
The external styling is standard BMW, with the kidney grille and the angle-eye headlights, but other than that, it is rather generic to the point that no one gave the car a second stare, even though our car, the 550i, is as pricey as they come. It is still handsome though, with its 20-inch alloys, LED tail lamps, dual exhaust tips and perfect proportions.

On the inside, the 550i exudes every bit of the 7-Series ambience, expected, considering the new 5er is just a shortened version of the latest 7er. Again, the interior is designed to be as dull as the exterior, and yet, it is still a nice place to be in. Leathery soft-touch materials start from the dash and extend a fair way into the footwells, all over the doors and along the centre console, with black-stained wood and metallic-look trimmings lining it all to break the monotony.
Cabin space is great up front, with thick well-bolstered seats, power-adjustable in every possible way, even down to the headrests and extendable thigh supports, though our car did not have the optional butt-cooling feature. Rear legroom is merely average however, though average-sized passengers are unlikely to complain. With cup-holders front and back, various storage cubbies and a big boot, practicality is not an issue.
The gadgetry is among the best in its class, as we’ve come to expect from today’s electronics-laden Bimmers. There’s a superb CD/MP3 stereo with USB and Bluetooth, iDrive computer controlled with a rotary knob, a useable navigation system with outdated maps, some sort of internet capability that we didn’t try out, a power boot lid, a regular sunroof, cameras on three sides for an “overhead” view, parking sensors front and back, manual pull-up sunshades for the rear-side windows, a decent automatic a/c with rear vents and controls, smart keyless entry and start, tons of airbags, a heads-up display showing gauge read-outs on the windshield, an electric parking brake, an adaptive cruise control system and of course, HID headlights.

The 550i engine is the monstrous 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, making 407 hp from 5500 rpm to 6400 rpm, with 600 Nm of torque available from only 1500 rpm all the way to 4500 rpm. Mated to an 8-speed automatic and rear-wheel-drive, it’s a recipe for murder in the wrong hands, but there are enough electronic nannies to keep things in check. With some mild wheelspin, we launched the car towards a 0-100 kph run of 6 seconds flat in October weather with “super” RON98 fuel, so you can be sure you’ll outrun thugs in Chevy Camaros and wannabes in Porsche Caymans on your way to business meetings. Just leave the 8-speed manual mode alone though, as we had trouble keeping track of which gear we were in without looking at the LCD cluster. The transmission is smart enough to return a fuel economy of 13.6 litres/100 km, better than most V8 sedans.
Frankly, we believe the BMW M5 is overkill for the kind of people who’ll buy one. The 550i is more than enough car for your speed fix, even in the corners. Riding on 245/35 tyres up front and 275/30 in the back, it takes curves with the grip of a madman. Whatever little body roll that crops up is quickly quelled once the turn is over. Pump the throttle in the middle of a corner though, and the rear slides out enough to give you a stiffy. The ESP allows just enough wheelspin to keep things interesting, before reining you in. This car has the potential to be an powerful drift machine in the hands of a pro, but the artificial feel of the nicely-weighted steering, as well as its overall size and lack of a handbrake, means it isn’t a car that amateurs like us will be able to master sideways at once, even though we could manage the smaller BMW 335i just fine. For the usual grip driving in the twisties, the excellent handling is aided by adjustable suspension that becomes firmer at the press of a button, while the brakes are very strong indeed.
Switch all the electronics to “comfort” though, and the 550i becomes the luxury sedan that you damn well expected in the first place. The ride is very smooth and quiet, with no untoward floatiness, although there is always that slight tinge of firmness on some surfaces due to the low-profile runflat tyres. The car always has extra power reserves to speedily overtake at will, even when already doing 120 kph. In fact, one quirk of this car is that it has too much low-end juice, as even the slightest pedal application at crawling speeds makes it lurch forward like a bat out of hell.
The BMW 550i, though utterly inconsequential to look at now, is one hell of a sedan. It can imitate a muscle-car when you want it to, or just be a sedate limousine for your daily routine. It is very expensive, to put it mildly, but when you start thinking of it as a cheaper alternative to the M5, it starts making more sense. Unless you are Michael Schumacher or Chuck Norris, the 550i is more than enough car.

Price Range:

Dh 340,000-380,000

Current Model Introduced in:

2011

Body Styles:

4-door sedan

Engines:

4.4L 407 hp V8 turbo / 600 Nm

Transmissions:

8-speed automatic

Setup:

Rear-wheel-drive

Suspension:

Front: independent

Rear: independent

Brakes:

Front: discs

Rear: discs Curb Weight:

1905 kg

Length:

4910 mm

Wheelbase:

2964 mm

Top Speed:

250 kph(limited)

Test Acceleration 0-100 kph:

6.0 sec.

Observed Test Fuel Economy:

13.6 litres/100km

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