VAUXHALL VXR8

The same but…well, not that different actually. The old Vauxhall VXR8 was fats and lairy. Just a year after its launch, the Aussie built Vauxhall VXR8 has already been upgrade. That might seems like bad news if you have bought an early one but, to be honest, the driving experience remains much the same; the big Vauxhall still feels like a saloon version of the Nissan 350z in that, it is a bit of a blunt instrument, but it is still great rear wheel drive fun. Suspension and braking specs remain identical and the former could do with some attraction for UK roads as, while it is not too harsh, the wheels do feel very busy. Heron white paint and 20 inch alloys are new optional auto models get and oil cooler as standard. But the big change Is the removal of the previous LS 2.6.o liter V8 and its replacement with an extra 200cc of displacement courtesy of the LS 3.o. not only is the LS3 bigger, it is also more efficient. That thanks to high flow cylinder heads, new pistons and a revised valvetrain. Peak power climbs from 411bhp to 425bhp, torque stays pegged as 405lb ft and fuel economy and carbon emissions are unchanged. In fact the only downside is the price increase but it is hard to begrudge the $400 premiums the improvements bring.

On the road you will notice a little more mid range 00mph, the factory figures claims 50 to 70mph in third drop from 2.8sec to 2.6sec, while the 80 to 100mph falls from 4.3sec. However the old 6.0 liter was hardly lacking and, driving old and new several months apart as we have, its pretty tough to spot the difference.

MERCEDES F700 – IS A TIME MACHINE

Forget the sweeping curves, challenging proportions and gromless, face; what matters about the Mercedes Benz F700 is the tech. it previews tomorrows S class. First up, pre scan suspension, which uses pulsed laser to read the road upto 7m in front of the car, detecting the bumps and feeding the information to the F700’s hydraulic active body control suspension. As a bump approaches, ABC raises the body slightly, and then releases hydraulic pressure to allow free wheel movement. Ridges in the road surface are erased, for a calmer, quieter ride. Works well over speed bumps. The F700 is powered by Mercedes’ DiesOtto engine, a 1.8 liter in line four that combines element of diesel and petrol (Ottocycle) engines in the search for the cleaner, more efficient combustion. It runs on petrol, but the ignition is achieved without a spark by a controlled rise in cylinder temperature. That calls for variable value timing, a variable compression ratio, two stage turbo charging, expensive pressure sensors and sophisticated engine management to make it work and even then, DiesOtto has to switch back to spark ignition for cold starts and full throttle acceleration. Managing the transaction between the two modes is the tricky bit, but you hardly notice it when it happens.

There’s 238bhp on tap, while an electric motor adds another 20hp and boots total torque to 295lbft. Performance is brisk and fuel efficiency remarkable: fitted with a start/stop function and regenerative braking, F700 can return 53mpg. But by excellent class standard the engine is unrefined, and the technology it requires is prohibitively expensive. Some of it will pop up in Mercedes over the next few years-but don’t hold you breath.

BMW 335i

Restorative justice is forcing a criminal to apologize to his victim. And I am in the dock again, with prosecutor Chilton accusing me of kerbing without due care and attention. His memory is much longer than he is, because this rap dates back to a nibbled alloy on his long-gone MX-5. The day he got it, the latest case involves my 335i, whose 19 inch wheels resemble Swiss cheese with specks of black mould. So I am bundled off to Pristine Alloy Wheels in Bedfordshire, to get them refurbished and learn the error of my ways. The firm’s MD, David James, directs my patience. The 67 year old golf nut (the game, not the car- he drives Aston Martin) began alloy wheel repairs in the late 80’s. He noticed customers at his Fred the Tread tyreshop had crumbling alloys, with corrosion in once hot brake dust or a kerbside skirmish breached the protective lacquer. So James branched out into the wheel refurbishment and, two decades on, has 60 staff and 400 agents nationwide feeding in work. Door to door, the process takes three years to four days. As soon as I arrive, the 335 is inspected. One of the rims is badly gouged, and will need an aluminum weld to build it back up.

It will then follow the other three alloys onto a computerized lathe, where a diamond cutter slices off threads of aluminium like strands of silver hair, until the rim is back to its original profile. First the rims are prepared, shot-blast and doused in chemicals, to remove grime or corrosion. After brushing, they are machined on lathe, and then cleansed in demineralised water. The wheel is then pre-heated to dry it and to remove any internal gases. My repair cost $352 before VAT and the $465 rims look as good as new again.

HONDA CIVIC TYPE-R

Its time to say goodbye to our hard riding high revving little red rocket, we have had it for a year and nearly 11,000 miles and that time it defeated its category rivals in the last year’s performance Car of the year, won a seemingly unwinnable battle against Subaru’s new turbocharged, four wheel drive Impreza and impressed all with its resolute handling, strong braking and, of course, that engine. After running in (torture, said fahad majidi) the type R was off its leash. The surge above 6000rpm we enjoyed, but the 142lb ft of torque (puny compared with blown rivals) made overtaking frantic. Not bad, just different. On the whole, we loved the handling too. Ben Barry summed up the Honda’s dynamics when he said its all about the front end. It goes where you point it…with pinpoint accuracy’. However, the type R was a little too planted for some, lacking the adjustment that makes a mini so playful. Brakes, gearbox and drive by wire throttle proved accurate, strong and response and the quick rack made the steering enjoyable direct, if not massively feelsome. Our Honda came with the $1000GT pack (dual climate control, foglights, cruise, folding mirrors and a glovebox cooler). We liked all these features, but the $1400 navigation pack with voice activated Bluetooth phone provided frustrating. Nothing wrong with the sat-nav, but you cant dial out from a Bluetooth enabled phone nor transfer phone contacts.

The Type R impressed when it wasn’t being a Type R. we loved the vast boot and fold flat rear seats but the front seats refusal to return to position after letting in rear seat passengers caused many a swear word, as did the vision splitting tailgate. Despite these niggles we adored the Type R and, bar a sporadically flickering oil, we experienced absolutely no problem either. A gem.

2009 Toyota Matrix

2009 Toyota Matrix Performance & Efficiency Standard Features

- 1,798 cc 1.8 liters in-line 4 front engine with 80.2 mm bore, 88.3 mm stroke, 10.0 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder engine code
- Unleaded fuel 87
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- 13.2 gallon main unleaded fuel tank 11.0
- Power: 98 kW , 132 HP SAE @ 6,000 rpm; 128 ft lb , 174 Nm @ 4,400 rpm

2009 Toyota Matrix Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features
- Four-wheel ABS
- Brake assist system
- Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs
- Electronic brake distribution
- Immobilizer
- Spacesaver steel rim internal spare wheel
- Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs, torsion beam rear suspension semi-independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs

2009 Toyota Matrix Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features
- Body color front and rear bumpers
- Day time running lights
- Driver and passenger power body color door mirrors
- External dimensions: overall length (inches): 171.9, overall width (inches): 69.5, overall height (inches): 61.0, wheelbase (inches): 102.4, front track (inches): 59.8, rear track (inches): 59.9 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 36.0
- Complex surface lens halogen bulb headlights
- Luxury trim alloy look on doors and alloy look on dashboard
- Mica paint
- Hinge rear window with defogger
- Tinted glass on cabin
- Weights: curb weight (lbs) 2,965
- Windshield wipers with fixed intermittent wipe

2009 Toyota Matrix Interior Standard Features
- 12v power outlet: front and 2
- Air conditioning
- Roof antenna
- Manufacturer's own audio system with AM/FM and CD player CD player reads MP3
- Cargo area cover/rear parcel shelf
- Cargo area light
- Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 61.5 and all seats in place (cu ft): 19.8
- Clock
- Full dashboard console with covered storage box, partial floor console with covered storage box
- Delayed/fade courtesy lights
- Front seats and rear seats cup holders
- Door ajar warning
- Door pockets/bins for driver seat and passenger seat
- External temperature
- Driver front airbag with multi-stage deployment, passenger front airbag with occupant sensors and multi-stage deployment
- Bucket driver seat with height adjustment, bucket passenger seat
- Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
- Front seat center armrest
- Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats, three height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
- Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 40.5, rear headroom (inches): 39.3, front hip room (inches): 52.3, rear hip room (inches): 43.7, front leg room (inches): 41.6, rear leg room (inches): 36.2, front shoulder room (inches): 53.3, rear shoulder room (inches): 52.6 and interior volume (cu ft): 96.2
- Low tire pressure indicator
- Power steering
- 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side, passenger side and center side
- Three asymmetrical split bench front facing rear seats with zero adjustments
- Rear view mirror
- Remote fuel filler door release
- Front and rear side curtain airbag
- Front seat back storage
- Cloth seat upholstery with additional cloth
- Seating: five seats
- Service interval indicator
- Front side airbag
- Four speaker(s)
- Plastic steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
- Tachometer
- Driver and passenger vanity mirror
- Ventilation system with micro filter

2010 Honda Ridgeline

Japanese automaker Honda has just announced the details of its 2010 Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, as the upgraded version of the 2006 Ridgeline, the first 4-door pickup ever to get a 5-star crash safety rating. The 2010 model will be available in two trim levels, RT and RTS, but no pricing has been announced yet for any of the versions.  

“The Honda Ridgeline excels at hauling motorcycles, towing a boat or even taking the curvy road home,” said Erik Berkman, vice president of American Honda Motor, in a statement for the press. “It’s tough when it needs to be and refined the rest of the time.”

The maximum tow rating of the new Ridgeline is of 5,000 pounds, with the standard equipment for towing including an integrated tow hitch, transmission and oil coolers, heavy duty brakes, dual radiator fans and a wiring harness for a 7-pin trailer hook up (pre-wiring only on RT).

All Ridgelines are equipped with standard anti-lock brakes, VSA, brake assist, avanced multiple-threshold driver’s and front passenger’s SRS airbags, front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System(OPDS), two-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, front seat active head restraints, and a tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights.

To make it short, the basic specs for the 2010 Honda Ridgeline looks like this:

Four-Door, 5-passenger pickup truck

3.5-liter SOHC VTEC V-6 engine

Horsepower: 250 at 5,700 rpm

Torque: 247 lb-ft. at 4,300 rpm

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 15 city / 20 highway / 17combined miles per gallon

Integrated closed-box frame with unit-body construction

Independent front and rear suspension

5-foot composite bed with 1/2 ton payload capacity

Secure In-Bed Trunk: 8.5 cubic-feet

Towing capacity: 5,000 lb.

Advanced VTM-4 four-wheel-drive with lock mode

2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Over the years, BMW has grown its M3 lineup to include sedan and convertible body styles in addition to the original coupe, and has offered manual, automatic and automated-manual gearboxes. Mercedes Benz on the other hand has seemingly kept things comparatively simple. From the original 190 through its eventual name change to the C-Class, the line has always had four-door sedans (along with wagons in Europe and occasionally here in the U.S.). Technically, that original 190 was not an AMG model, but it makes the parallel to the M3 more obvious. Over in Europe, buyers can also opt for the C63 Estate for those who want their speed fix with a bit more utility.

The latest generation of the C-Class debuted in early 2007 wearing a sharper set of clothes than its predecessor. The W204 generation inherited some styling cues of the big S-Class but in a slightly more toned down form. The character line that begins behind the front wheel arch and sweeps back over the rear wheels is borrowed from its big brother, while the prominent wheel arches are scaled down in proportion with the smaller overall size of the car. The vents at the outboard ends of the front fascia are also shared with all other AMG branded cars. The C63 even picks up a design element from the latest SL that hearkens back to the 1953 original: the two longitudinal ridges along the hood. 

The C63's sporting pretensions are visually enhanced by some of the usual elements like rocker panel extensions, a rear lip spoiler and four oval shaped exhaust pipes. The corners of the car sit on 18-inch wheels and tires, the fronts 8-inches wide with an extra half inch in the back. Fittingly, those wheels are filled with serious braking hardware: 14.2-inch drilled-and-vented rotors in the front and 13-inchers in the rear with 6- and 4-pot calipers, respectively.

When you open the door, it's immediately apparent that the C63 is built for business. The seats have huge side bolsters that are adjustable for width. Slip in between those lateral supports, snug them to your torso width and you will remain firmly planted directly in front of the thick-rimmed steering wheel. The only issue with the seats comes for those with a broader torso. While the bolsters are adjustable, the maximum width is limited so some will be unable to fit properly. Speaking of the steering wheel, that rim shows its racing heritage with a flat bottom, presumably making it easier to slide under it and into that seat. The gauges are clear and easy to read and like other modern Mercs, the central speedo has the needle attached to the outer perimeter leaving the central portion free for the information display.

The back side of wheel has those de rigueur shift paddles. In recent years, Mercedes has had an aversion to manual gearboxes in its high performance cars and this example is no exception. The seven-speed automatic in the C63 AMG is dubbed AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS. It has the usual Comfort, Sport and Manual modes, but AMG engineers have added something new to the control strategy: double declutching. In the old days before synchronized gearboxes, double declutching was something every driver learned and is still taught at racing schools (at least it was at Bondurant in the mid-90s when I went there). During a down shift, the driver would press the clutch pedal, shift from the gear to neutral, release the clutch, blip the throttle, press the clutch again and then shift to the lower gear.

This was necessary to ensure that everything was spinning at the same speed to prevent crashing gears and jerky shifts. Synchro gearboxes have largely eliminated the need to do this, but double declutching can still lead to smoother down shifts and less wear on the gears. The lack of jerkiness also helps prevent upsetting the car if shifting while cornering. AMG claims the automatic in the C63 is doing this now too for better balance. Frankly, we've never really experienced an issue with other automatic cars during a down shift while cornering, but we'll take Merc's word for it until we experience a C63 on the track. On the road, the transmission responds quickly to taps on the shift paddles whether going up or down through the gears. Switching from Comfort to Sport mode causes the transmission to downshift during deceleration, which enhances engine braking.

The C-Class has always been the smallest Benz available in the U.S. market, but the AMG crew has learned over the years how to stuff it full of the same big bore V8s that normally go into its bigger brothers. The 6.2L AMG V8 was designed and built specifically for these high performance applications and isn't based on any other existing Mercedes engine. In the C63 it cranks out 451 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, which is down from the 518 hp / 465 lb-ft it produces in the S63. This is likely due at least in part to less space available for the intake and exhaust systems in this smaller car. Not that you'll really notice, because this is one seriously fast car.

Unlike the S63 where it felt like the car was being operated by remote control, the C63 feels much more direct. When driving hard, the exhaust note is loud and raucous and never lets you forget what you have at your disposal. Around town it's more subdued but still more aggressive and deep sounding than the screaming M3 under similar conditions. The S63 offers very similar performance capabilities to the smaller C, but oddly doesn't feel as fast. The active body control of the bigger car keeps everything on such an even keel that you lose much of that feedback on which you normally rely to judge speed. 

The steering in the C63 has decent if not exceptional feedback about what's going on at the front corners. The 18-inch Pirellis provide tremendous grip and the chassis feels nicely balanced. The traction control and stability control also don't intrude as aggressively as on most other Mercedes. Punching the gas through a corner kicks the back end out and let's it hang there without jerking the car around. The C63 is a genuinely fun car to drive on a twisty road, though ride is a bit on the harsh side as we discovered cruising on some of the nastier roads around these parts.

Overall the C63 is probably the best drivers car in the current U.S. Mercedes lineup. If only it were available with a good manual gearbox, we would be completely sold. As is, the C63 is a reasonably sized sports sedan with an outstanding engine. Europeans also have that aforementioned station wagon body style, which would make this a great high speed road trip machine. Acceleration to 60 mph goes by in the mid-four-second range and a C63 won't find itself outclassed by many other machines, especially those with four doors and room for four (five in a pinch). Anyone considering an M3 who doesn't really want a manual gearbox should take a look at the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG. This one truly is a viable alternative.