Inside Lane Magazine: Issue 19 "Hot-Hatch Brawl!

8/9/2019 Inside Lane Magazine: Issue 19 "Hot-Hatch Brawl!

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/inside-lane-magazine-issue-19-hot-hatch-brawl 1/29



Issue 19

Welcome to Issue 19 of the Inside Lane

Magazine. Now in this issue things are going

to look a bit different as the magazine has

undergone some cosmetic surgery. New

layout yet the same fantastic news, reviews

and rants you all enjoy! The reworked

magazine is also in fitting with our all new site

(www.insidelane.co.uk) that now offers even

more features and news to quench yourmotoring thrust. So what’s coming up this

issue?

Hot-Hatch Brawl: With everybody not having

very much money, nobody wants a big

expensive car. Hatch backs have again

become all the rage, but with manufacturers

clubbing each other over the head for sales

they must create the ultimate driving machine

for 1/8 of the price. But who wins in a game of

fisticuffs?

Lewis VS Jenson: Two drivers at the top of

their game, but now they both race under the

same colours who will dominate?

Keep Focus: News on the amazing RS500!

Rant: Tyler, Matt and Steve share their views.

Reviews: Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Ferrari

California, Porsche Panamera and theMercedes ML320 CDI

And much more! Don’t forget your FREE

Ferrari California poster.

Enjoy!

http://ww.insidelane.co.uk%29/

http://ww.insidelane.co.uk%29/





Lewis vs Jenson “an unstoppable force

meets an immovable object”

Formula One is the world’s premiere

motorsport; it’s the Champions League of

racing, as no other form of motoring racingoffers such high levels of competition. The

cars are honed to perfection, becoming one of

the fastest mobile objects on the planet, no

other manmade machine changes direction

faster as they quite literally bend the laws of

physics. Of course these machines are nothing

without the men who drive them. Each one of

them having to acquire not only the physical

strength to fight against G-forces equal to that

experienced in an F16, but also the mentalstrength to be thinking about a seemingly

infinite amount of variables throughout the

race. During just one turn a driver has to

consider; tyre wear, fuel weight, angle of

approach, deceleration points, gear changes,

other cars, racing line and acceleration. This

exceptional check list is second nature to

these men as all of the above is completed in

less than two seconds. For arguably the best

combination of these elements we must lookto McLaren…

Lewis Hamilton, this young star bust onto the

scene in 2007 and led the world championshipin his debut season! However he would have

to wait until the following year before he

would be crowned world champion. Lewis is,

in our opinion, raw talent that has some

fantastic potential and is destined to be world

champion again in the near future. The

courage that he shows though his driving is

phenomenal as we have seen on many

occasions, if there is a gap big enough Lewis

won’t waste the opportunity.

Jenson Button, now a ten year veteran of the

sport and last year’s world champion. In his

time in the sport Jenson has become

renowned for his smooth driving style and

ability to keep a cool head in heated

situations. Jenson has many critics who

disapproved of his move to McLaren; however

it appears that the team have



received him well and with last year’s victory

he has proven to be a worthy champion.

McLaren will benefit strongly from having two

world champions within their already strong

team. Jenson’s decision to move to McLaren

was met with speculation that he would

simply be outshone by his teammate and that

the team in general would favour Lewis’

chances. Not so, Jenson has nothing to prove

after last season, remember who has the

number one on their car. He was an

invaluable asset in preparing the car for 2010

as his civilised driving style and ten years

of knowledge are an important tool of which

the team need.

Nevertheless, Lewis with his fantastic pace

will also want to be challenging for the title,

and with the two drivers in identical cars it

will be down to them where they finish.

Both drivers are very capable of winning the

championship this year, but now with margins

being so fine between them, they are each

other’s worst enemy. The one thing both

drivers have to keep in mind is that despite

the fact they are rivals, they are also

teammates and a collision on the first corner

though over competitiveness will cost dearly.

We have faith that the British pair will have a

huge amount of success in the coming races,

and that there relationship will go fromstrength to strength.



Focus On This

The ford Focus RS is one of the best hot-

hatches on the market today, in fact I would

go as far as to say that it is THE definitive hot-hatch. But with competitors churning out

ASBO inspired cars that are coming closer and

closer to the RS, the blue oval have had to

think about how they can keep their lead.

Speculation grew to a phenomenal amount

over the past few week when Ford opened a

site counting down to a shadowed figure

labelled RS500. Thanks to some internet-

trickery press images have been leaked of the

enigma that is the Ford Focus RS500. Ford, no

longer wanting to continue the act of secrecy

has bowed under pressure. And so here it is…

The 500 in the cars name refers to the limited

run of 500 cars that will be produced. The 2.5

litre engine gets boosted to 345BHP, 0-60MPH

5.4 seconds and can generate 460 Newton

metres of torque! The car will roll off the

block in 2011 with 101 cars coming to the UK.

However all 500 cars globally sold out within

two days of its reveal! Ford state that they

had five-times the amount of interest in the

car than units for sale, making this the fastest

selling Ford in the company’s history.

As a result of so many people being

disappointed with not

getting the keys to

this beast, Ford is

now giving you an

alternative. Drop into

a selected Ford

dealership with your Focus RS and £1,995 to

receive an official Ford upgrade. They will

boost your engine by 40BHP and have a play

with other components so your car will match

the RS500 in performance terms. Obviously

you don’t get the same sense of exclusivity as

you would with the RS500, but it’s as close as

you are going to get.

Well done Ford for truly showing care for

passionate customers, it’s just a shame we

don’t see this in many other manufacturers.



Tyler : Public service announcement, the car is now an endangered species.

Today we live in a world of never ending

imperatives. “Don’t do that it will annoy

someone” or “Don’t do this, it gives you

cancer”. The nanny state we are all

conscripted to has us on an ever tightening

leash, restricting what we can and can’t do

whilst sapping even simple enjoyments from

life. The powers that be won’t even relent

when it comes to children! Playing with

conkers, marbles or even roller-skating are all

thing that they say that if you part take in,

your children will most defiantly die a bloody

death. Now 99% of people who will read this

will agree that that is the biggest load of horsemanure to ever be conceived, why can’t we

just live our lives how we want?

Of course the latest plate of “bully beef” we

are being forced to choke on is the

environment. Yes, I will admit that we are

responsible for various crimes against it and

that the green people are doing the right

thing by reducing waste and what not. But

who has given them the teacher’s chair! All of a sudden I wake up to find that the green folk

appear to have equal amounts of authority in

our lives as the police? Every week we are all

forced to put our plastic bottles in height

order for recycling, every year more of your

money is taken to build solar stations despite

this being the UK where it rains 365 days of

the year…

However the Eco-Nazi has failed to force us allinto pathetic ethnic peace boxes like the G-

Wiz. A victory for the people, or at least you

would think so. You see we as human beings

were blessed with a brain and so we know

better than to spend a vast quantity of money

on a car that literally has no benefits what so

ever. So the majority of us haven’t bought a

Prius, but much like a Sith-Lord from Star

Wars the dark green side of the government

has reared its ugly head yet again. If they can’t

part us with our hard earned pounds they are

now going to narrow our choice of

conveyance by force. Like the ivory hunters of

Africa the EU have begun to stalk our muchloved cars. Remember the Mazda RX-8,

possibly the best sports car for its money?

EXTINCT! From next year the car that today is

selling very well will not be able to go on sale

due to yet another emotion’s law. So not only

is the Stalin

inspired

raceme

causing

Mazda

millions of

pounds to

produce a

new car that won’t be ready in time for the

RX-8’s departure, but they are also restricting

your freedom to own what you want. The

Mazda is just the beginning.

Think of all the fantastic engineering marvels

that make up the world of motoring and how

so many won’t be able to adapt. The process

is vicious with small the company going

bankrupt as they struggle to replace a once

adequate product. Cars like the Bugatti

Veyron will be outlawed and existing

examples confined to the history books. The

motorcar as we know it is an endangered

species thanks to the same people who one

moment say drinking red wine is good for you



and the next saying it will make your heart

implode.

The big problem is that all of these

departments run on numbers, and when they

look at us they see inefficiency. That’s no

good to them because they have targets that

can only be acquired by machines. What are

they going to about it? Well they have already

started to remove free will in what you can

and can’t buy; the real question is what will

they do next? I have several ideas for their

suggestions box, but many would be

inappropriate in this column so instead I’ll but

it into numbers. The Icelandic Volcano that

erupted recently has emitted 150 tonnes of

CO2 per day in the past month. Are you really

going to tell me that we are the biggest threat

to the environment at the moment? No, good

now how about you get on with a job that

doesn’t interfere with my life!



Matthew : Brits Abroad

The story of good old blighty’s spectacular fall from grace and how its motor industry has

ended up tattered and scattered all over the world…

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as British as the

next man. In fact, I like to spend my time

sipping tea and munching away at jam scones

(pronounced the same way as bones by the

way, no arguments) whilst relaxing in the

shade on Henman Hill or at Lords, on a barmy

summer’s evening. Mmmmhh! However,

despite being descended from a London bus

and a cricket bat, I am ashamed and saddened

to see the way in which our proud automotivehistory has effectively gone down the bog

over the last twenty years or so.

Let me take you back to the sixties. The era of

the Beetles, mods and rockers, hippies and

free love, the 1966 World Cup and of course,

the golden age of the British motor industry.

Iconic British brands such as Jaguar and BMC

were producing superb models like the E-type

and the legendary Mini. Admittedly there wasincreasing pressure coming from abroad,

notably in the form of Chrysler, but these

were still good times for us Brits.

That was until the emergence of British

Leyland, a dirty word in the British motor

industry nowadays. I do agree that they were

dogged by all sorts of setbacks from the

beginning, from labour disputes to supplier

problems, but even that can’t possiblylegislate for some of the absolute tat that they

churned out over those painful years. Modelsincluded the cumbersome 1800 range dubbed

the landcrab (which tells you all you need to

know), the unstable and dated Marina, the

bland Allegro complete with stylish square

steering wheel (why?), the cheese-wedge

shaped Princess and the pensioners dream,

the Metro. All of the above were prone to

disintegrating in a stiff breeze whilst being

about as attractive as passing a kidney stone.

The whole thing was simply a huge car crash

(no pun intended). Matters improved slightly

thanks to a joint venture with Honda during

the 80’s and early 90’s, but this was

effectively relying on the Japanese to dig us

Brits out of an almighty hole and spare our

blushes. The shame of it!

By 1994, even the land of the rising sun had

given up on British Leyland, now renamed

Rover Group, who headed in to a kamikaze

nose dive and were snapped up by BMW.

With that, Great Britain was without an

independent mass production car

manufacturer for the first time since the early

1900’s. Around 90 years of proud history went

the same way as many British Leyland models,

and came to a stuttering halt.

The end result is that, today, we can find a

random smattering of our beloved and former

British brands in all four corners of the globe.Land Rover, formally owned by Rover Group,



is now in India with Tata motors (no, not

something you put on your fish and chips)

along with Jaguar. Meanwhile, TVR has

become the plaything of 29 year old Nikolay

Smolensky, the son of an ultra wealthy

Russian oligarch. Smelly (whatever his name

is), is the perfect example of someone with

more money than sense and has successfully

managed to plunge the company’s future in to

uncertainty. MG lives on under Chinese

ownership, the not so mini new Mini is

produced by BMW in Germany (who also own

Rolls Royce), another German company,

Volkswagen, own Bentley and Lotus is now

part of Proton in far flung Malaysia. Phew!

The list is endless. I don’t know about you but

this doesn’t exactly make me feel proud to be

British.

However, friends, countrymen, do not fear as

there is a glimmer of light shining through the

doom and gloom. British businessman David

Richards, who had previously dabbled in

Formula 1, purchased Aston Martin from Ford

in 2007. Admittedly he was backed by foreign

investment from the Middle East (where else)

but nevertheless it means that, finally, a Brit is

back at the helm of a classic British brand!

With an impressive model range, a return to

Le Mans in 2009 and a famous and influential

backer in James Bond, the future looks bright

for Aston.

After that piece of good news and safe in the

knowledge that the British motor industry

isn’t completely dead, I hope we can all sleep

a bit easier tonight. I know I will! Now, where

are my jam scones…



Steve: If cars can make it there, they’ll make it anywhere.

Recently, I visited the small massive

city of New York to celebrate not being in

college Easter. Yes, I gave up the homecomforts of fine ales, Gordon Brown and coco

pops in favour of Jack Daniels, Barack Obama

and Cap’n Crunch. But during my stay in the

big apple, while I should have been looking

over Central Park and gazing at Statue of

Liberty I was a bit more focused with the task

Tyler had set me. Yes, even on holiday we

journalist folk have to do a bit of work. It was

simple though, I merely had to take note of

the motoring and buying habits of the

American people and their cars. So I did, and

here we go.

To start with, I must explain the

geography of the New York area, just for

those who haven’t been there. There’s

basically Mahattan in the middle, Brooklyn to

one side, Queens just past that, the Bronx to

the North and the state of New Jersey to the

other side. New York has three airports, the

famous JFK in Queens, La Guardia in Brooklyn

and Newark in New Jersey. So you may have

some sort of weird distorted image in your

head, but I still don’t totally get it.

So I landed in Newark, shuffled off the

plane and was suddenly out in the blazing

heat, gazing at apartment blocks, big men

with guns and an old Ford Taurus police

interceptor that had been turned into a taxi.

Little did I know that it was this car that would

eventually turn my coccyx to dust and shatter

my pelvis to the point where I was hearing the

sounds of my upper vertebrae grinding

against my ribs. And that isn’t pleasant.

The grumbling Taurus rattled across

the bridges and through the tunnels of north

New Jersey until we popped out of the

Holland tunnel and into the mass of

skyscrapers, intersections and people in suits.

Alas, the car. I don’t know what size engine it

had, I don’t know what its 0-60 is but I can tell

you, the way that man drove made it feel like

I was navigating a lap of stage 2 at the Turkish

rally. No, this was not an old Ford Taurus, this

was a Mitsubishi Evo, with enough grip to rip

the road up behind it. That said, the

suspension was so worn, it may as well have

been made of used toothpicks glued together

with the clotted blood in my leg from the

flight.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the man

requested some money, threw our cases into

the middle of 3rd

Avenue and rocketed off,

almost killing a child as it passed through a

meaningless red light and across 52nd

Street.



So there I was, standing opposite 5 lanes of

yellow, bus and sirens. And after a refresher, a

quick change of clothes and some shut-eye, I

was right back out there, preparing myself for

what New York had to show. And my God, it

was impressive.

The first proper car I saw in New York,

was a 2009 Shelby GT500. Its metallic sheen

drew my gaze from a mile off, the sun glinted

off the two white stripes, and the roar of the

engine was audible over the sound of my

‘generic MP3 player’. I didn’t care about the

lipstick building, or the slopey place opposite,

right in front of me was a definitive example

of what America was. And there was more to

come.

Round the block was a brand new

Dodge Challenger parked next to a modified

Infiniti G37. On the corner of Lexington and

53rd

, they were building a Ferrari garage next

to a Mercedes garage which was next to an

Audi office. I had to double take, had I died on

the flight and reached motoring Valhalla?

And it got better from there. Every

day, I saw brand new Dodge Rams, Dodge

Chargers, Dodge Challengers, Chevys, Caddys,

Fords, Pontiacs, low-riders, old school muscle

cars, limos, Hummers. It had it all. And it was

a real shame as I left it in the stretch Lincoln

limo, with its couches covered in leather,

shrouded in the soft low-lighting. I gazed back

along the Queensboro Bridge, wondering if

America really was as flawless as it seemed.

And to be honest, it was then that I

realised that this is merely the sheen. New

York is a city of glamour and glitz, but as I

stared out the windows of that limo, I found

out this isn’t true for the rest of the mighty

USA. Yes there are many other cities like New

York that are full of shiny wheels and chrome

grills, but the last 20 minutes of that journey

made me realise something.

That no matter what America tries to

do in the motoring industry. Whether they

slap a half-ton of chrome on the wing mirror,

or put a bigger exhaust on until they make the

same noise as the last Crystal Castles album.

There will always the one niggling factor…

…America loves European and Asian

cars. Yes, beyond the Lincolns and the Fords

hides hundreds of Mercedes, Toyotas,

Hyundais, Hondas and Jaguars. And we can

never let them forget this. Ever!



HOT-HATCH

BRAWL!

With everybody not having very much money, nobody wants a big expensive car. Hatch backs have again become all the rage, but with

manufacturers clubbing each other over the head for sale they must

create the ultimate driving machine for 1/8 of the price. But who wins in a

game of fisticuffs?



Citroen DS3

Citroen have had a traumatic 10 years as the

beginning of the new millennium marked thedawn of a reputation the company is still

trying to shake today. Cheap utilitarian

transport may be the goal, but when you say

Citroen in a crowded space you soon find

yourself standing alone with only words like

rot-box and tedious for company. The truth is

that the Saxo was the last good car the

company made for two reasons… The sheer

lack of equipment inside the car meant

nothing could fall off and with the car being as

empty as the Gordon Brown fan-club; it could

be chucked into most corners at any speed

whilst you rev the nuts off it.

And so, being tasked with reviewing the new

DS3, I wasn’t getting my hopes up. In fact on

the way to the dealership I consciously

remember thinking why did I pass up the

opportunity to check out a special edition MX-

5? Must have been that false sense of hope

that was extinguished as I reflected upon the

sea misery that was the forecourt. At this

point I had very little faith in the DS3, and soyou will be surprised to hear what I have to

report.

I was presented with what can only be

described as a little box of joy! The DS3 is one

of those cars that come along every so often

and just makes you smile. Aesthetically this

car is on a different planet in comparison with

its competitors. The designers must have

been on steroids, that or genetically modifiedin some way as its predecessors were about

as exciting a vegetarians dinner. With its

shark-like B pillar and LED fins, this car is the

new retro.

Allow me

to clarify.

What we

call retro

today were

iconic



designs 40-50 years ago, and so it makes

sense that what is modern now could be retro

in 50-60 years’ time. However, with the

majority of cars on sale today all look rather

dapper; nothing stands out from the crowd.

Enter the new DS3 “future retro”.

Ok, down to the nitty-gritty. The DS3 has a

wide range of engines starting at a nippy 1.4

VTi ranging to a monstrous 16 valve, 1.6 with

150BHP. Naturally we haggled for the 1.6 and

that is what we got! Our test car, with its

150BHP, will cost you £15,900, and that’s a lot

in comparison with competitors such as the

Mini and Fait 500. Luckily for your chunk of

change you get a lot of kit standard such as;

Bluetooth, a premium sound system and

bolstered seats. All that is available out of the

box on any model. But our range topper also

had leather, a double chromed exhaust and

aluminium pedals…

The interior continues the ultra-modern

atheistic with a shiny coloured dash and an

intriguing floating speedo shade. The

architecture within the car is tasteful but also

brings forward the new standard layout for all

Citroens, so whilst revolutionary now, over

the next few years will age conservatively. I

presumed the rear quarters would be

cramped but thanks to the designers raising

the rear bench by an inch, the rear feels part

of the same space as opposed to being

segregated

from the

front. Cubby

holes fill every

corner to

maximise

practicality

(and to

compensate

for the loss of

a proper glove

compartment) whilst staying tastefully withinthe design.

The car on the road is quite and much more

comfortable than its competitors but

unfortunately there is a lack of feel from the

steering around corners. That said the

handling overall is smooth and until you hit

the noisy pedal, refined. But when the time

comes use those galloping horses they are all

too ready to jump the fence. In the same waythe Saxo was a riot around the bends, so is

this! It manages to be composed yet still

eligible for an ASBO.

Overall this car really has changed my attitude

towards Citroen; I now see that the potential

to make a cracker of a hot-hatch is still there.

We can only hope that is comes through in

future models and that the DS3’s fantastic

attributes don’t die away.

This car may only be a baby in the eyes of its

hot-hatch brethren, but it still manages to get

your heart pounding when driven at a fair lick.





excite the boys from Essex enough it also

comes with bolstered racing seats!

Ok, so it has the looks to take on the bad

boys, but what about the numbers? Rule

number two, the bigger the better. Our test

car had a two litre turbocharged engine

producing 247BHP, which is great but it’s not

RS rivalling as it has a 2.5 litre turbocharged

engine with 305BHP. As a result 0-60mph in

the Megane is 6.1 seconds and the Focus 5.9.

However, rule number three of being a hot-

hatch is price, it must be cheap or else you

may as well go and buy that sports car. Now

this is where the Renault claws its way back

into the fight, our fully loaded Cup version

with all the toys and special racing set-up only

costs £21,995.The Focus? £26,995! Don’t get

me wrong, the RS is magnificent but it’s no

way near £5,000 better than the Cup. In fact

the Renault on many levels is more appealing.

It assaults the road with the enthusiasm of a

dog let of its lead. The more miles you clock

up in this car the better it gets! The cornering

is light yet gives plenty of feed back to the

driver as it darts from crest to crest. Those

previously mentioned bolstered seats aren’t

just for display either as they do a fine job of

keeping you in the seat as this nimble car

does its thing. It feels blisteringly quick with

good levels of grip throughout the gear range.

But the Renaults hidden talent is that after

you finish scorching the tyres and revving it to

hell and back it will settle down and get on

with taking you to where you want to go. The

level of refinement shocked me after

experiencing what this car is capable of. It

seats four in comfort and all the gizmos just

make life that little bit sweeter.

What would I buy? I honestly couldn’t tell you.

If they were parked side-by-side I may reach

for the Magane’s keys and then quickly snatch

for the RS. The only downside of this generally

biblical hot-hatch is rear visibility. But in truth,

why do you need to see who’s behind you

when after overtaking them you’re already in

the next county!



Ford Focus RS

I feel that at Inside Lane, we all have our

favourite styles of cars. If you listen to our

podcast, you’ll know that I believe that the

hatchback is the hero. A lot of people ask me

why I’d rather have an Astra than an Atom or

why I’d rather have a Saxo than a Sagaris. But

they never ask me why I’d rather have a Focus

than an F1. And it’s true, I would much ratherhave a Ford Focus than a McLaren F1.

Specifically the ASBO magnet that is the Focus

RS!

Let us first look at the thing. It’s a fluorescent,

adolescent, astounding, monstrous machine.

Doesn’t matter how you look at it, or what

colour it is in, you will love it. One of its

biggest assets is how radically different it is in

comparison to what’s in the car park. Thesedays there’s nothing but silver on the streets,

a sea of Audi and Peugeot, but in the midst

you have this. A wonderment of outrageous

spoiler, body kit and green! Bringing fear to

the suited masses that line the pavements

and office blocks of this world…bloody hell

that sounds poetic for me.

Anyway, it costs around £27,000 brand new,

but a ‘new’ second hand one comes in at a





Reviews



Aston Martin V12 Vantage

British innovation has brought the worldmany things… The jet engine, television, the

umbrella and water proof fabrics to name but

a few. Though this list is impressive, it is

nothing in comparison with what British

innovation has just let out of the workshop.

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Not just the

best Aston Martin ever, but in my opinion the

best car ever produced! Now being a

journalist means that to a certain degree I

must remain impartial but for this oneoccasion, I am breaking the rules. This car is

exactly how I would have built it… Big V12 in

the front, wide tyres at the rear and one of

the best furnished cabins in the middle. Ok, so

let’s start with what first meets your eye

when you are introduced to this legendary

machine.

The exterior has a distilled aggression about

it, yet still maintains an elegance that is much

a part of Aston DNA. Every crease, curve and

vent placed in a strategic position to invokethe reaction of breathlessness. The muscular

lines that form its silhouette ensure that every

living things attention is 100% focused on it. It

doesn’t assault your eyes, but much like a

leopard shows its teeth as a warning, the V12

Vantage with its 19” razor-like rims gives you

the same reminder to respect it.

Below the carbon-fibre vents lurks one of, if

not the best, engine ever built. A handmade,

12 cylinder, 6.0 litre, V12. This mechanical

masterpiece is not only capable of



accelerating the car to 190MPH with the aid

of 510 horses of pure power, but it also

creates the world’s most intoxicating noise. It

takes no prisoners, the reverberations that

enter your ear are not only enough to shake

your soul, but leave you craving more.

Birdsong, Beethoven and even the legends

that make up Queen take a backseat in

comparison with this.

When you enter the cockpit the polite anger,

the drama, the air of caution all stop. You are

confronted by beautifully upholstered carbon-

fibre seating and alcantara roof lining, aspeedometer and rev-counter with opposing

needles lay dormant. The only reference to

what site preceded you before entering the

car are the vents that slope off into the

distance… That is until you push the starter

button.

At low revs the car trundles along emitting a

deep rumble that is a pleasant cue for

bystanders to face the majesty that gracestheir streets. When the time comes to unleash

the true potential of this fabled creature, you

had better be ready for one of the best

motoring experiences you are ever going to

have. The surge of power is relentless, and

the sound of its V12 heart pounding adds

further to the already electrifying sensation

that is coursing through every atom of your

existence. The seats grip you tight as the car

takes one look at the horizon and goes for it!

Around tight bends the V12 Vantage is agile

and extremely responsive, giving the driver

the courage to use this car for what it was

built to do. That is the problem with a lot of

supercars, owners become afraid that there

pride and joy will become tainted the second

sunlight hits the bodywork, and as a result thecars rarely meet tarmac. But the Aston Martin

V12 Vantage is so addictive and so willing to

play that owners will clock up the miles that

this car craves.

So there you have it, British innovation at its

best. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

Category Score

Aesthetics 4.7

Comfort 4.0

Performance 4.5

Value For Money 4.7

Build Quality 4.5

Total 22.4/25



Porsche Panamera Turbo

Porsche for the past 60 years have been best

known for their sports cars. Their

stubbornness to stick to a rear mounted flat-

six has been an iconic trait for the company,

and eventually led to the success of the 911.

However when Porsche strayed from their

tried and tested formula they came back with

what can only be described as Frankenstein’s

monster. The Cayenne may well be the

world’s fastest 4X4 and be able to manage

60MPH on most terrains, but it certainly

wasn’t a looker! The latest incarnation is athorough improvement, but that is for

another time.

So when the brand announced that they were

making a four door saloon we did question if

it would be a good idea to diversify from what

they are truly good at. Regardless, it’s our job

to review it and review it we did. This is the

Porsche Panamera Turbo and its appearance

very quickly became a source argument withinthe office. Some said it was too bland and is

undeserving of the badge, others stated that

it was just ugly and much like the Cayenne it

shall remain to be an ugly relation of the

Porsche range. Personally I rather like the way

it looks. It’s under stated yet has an air of

importance about it. The precise lines, the

slight bulge in the bonnet all shout

performance but in a very civilized manner.

This refined styling continues in the cabin with

its centre console that extends through to the

rear seats. This architecture helps break down

the barrier we so often see between the front



and back rows of seating. The seats

themselves are pleasant and even the rear

seats getting the bolstered treatment. Of

course no luxury saloon would be complete

without an array of gizmos such as heated

seats, sim-card reader and the like. But the

most impressive technology lays beneath the

cars perfectly formed bonnet. A 4.8 litre V8

that is supplemented by two turbo’s is the

cause for this cars 492BHP effect. 0-62MPH is

dealt with in 4.2 seconds and it won’t stop

until it reaches 188MPH! On paper this car

looks less like a luxury limo and more like a

super car.

On the move the power is transferred to the

tarmac with magic, or as I was later told

Porsches new all-wheel-drive system. At low

speed the car is quiet and everything else you

want your £100,000 super-sedan to be, but

when you crank this thing up to 11, it really

goes for it. It’s pure Porsche with its very

precise turn in and effortless acceleration. A

spoiler deploys like something from a Bond

film to increase down force! What other car in

this class even had the words “down force”

mentioned in its design specification?

Despite what epic fun this car is I must say

that there are a few drawbacks. You have just

spent a lot of money on a car that provides its

occupants a thrill (check), and also comfort on

a long journey (ah, hang on). The purpose of

this car it to seat four, and I must say it does,

but not in a manner that would be suitable for

long distances. The snug feel in the back is

fine when you need to be held in your seat

due to the G-force generated, but when you

have a 3 hour trip ahead of you it’s not where

you want to be.

Porsche have done well with the Panamera

and I’m sure the entire Chelsea mob will be

falling over each other in an attempt to get

one, but for me that would be yet another

contributing factor not to buy one. Fantastic

car spoilt by a few fatal flaws.

Category Score

Aesthetics 2.9

Comfort 3.9

Performance 3.8

Value For Money 1.8

Build Quality 4.2

Total 16.6/25



Ferrari CaliforniaAllot of manufacturers are diversifying their

product line. Dyson are making hand-dryers,Google are making phones and even Porsche

are making four door super cars. So amidst

the fog of creativity Ferrari were feeling a

little left out. However making a new Ferrari

just for the sake of it is a very dangerous thing

to do. Make a car that goes beyond the DNA

of the brand and it will be scrutinised for not

being a proper Italian stallion, worse still if

you make a poor car it could damage the

entire brand image. To ensure they don’t

stray from the paddock, Ferrari has revived

one of its most illustrious nameplates…

California. The original car became one of the

most desired cars the world had ever seen,

even Steve McQueen bought one! However a

simple name doesn’t make a great car and so

the only way to find out if Ferrari’s latest

offering was up to standard was to get hold of

one.

This car represents a lot of firsts for the iconic

brand such as; Ferrari’s first front engine V8,Ferrari’s first seven speed DCG (dual clutch

gearbox), and Ferrari’s first metal folding roof.

The car we were presented with was in true

Ferrari fashion, red with beige upholstery. I

must say at this point that when I was shown

pictures of this car I didn’t think it particularly

striking, but in person it was extremely eye-

catching with its aggressive bonnet scoop and

sweeping rear curves. So, at least it looks as a

Ferrari should.



The previously mentioned front mounted 4.3

litre V8 at the heart of this car produces

460BHP and will keep going to an epic

193MPH! 0-60MPH is done in less than four

seconds making this one of the fastest metal

retractable roofed cars in the world. The

performance figures speak for themselves,

this car is no push-over, and coupled with a

fantastic DCG gearbox the car absolutely fly’s.

For those of you who don’t know what a DCG

gearbox is, it’s a gearbox with two clutches.

Basically if you in 2nd

gear the box with

already have both 1st

and 3rd

selected, primed

for an ultra-fast gear change. Also with it

being a 7 speed, it enables the car to becomean amazing GT. The long-legged gearbox is

happy to potter around at 60 or go into warp

at 160, either way it certainly has the speed of

a Ferrari.

The roof is the party peace of the California,

being able to retract its hard-top into the boot

in less than 14 seconds for you to experience

the best alfresco Ferrari has to offer. The F430

drop-top was a fantastic car, so don’t think for

a second I’m about to say otherwise, but the

fact it was a supercar meant that having the

roof drown led to people gawping at whoever

was inside. The California is by no means

understated, but it’s much more discrete in

darker shades of paint. The result of our red

California was that it turned many heads,

thought the orchestra playing under the

bonnet may have had something to do with it.

The California brings all the pros of a coupe

without the cons of a rag top. The chassis is

firm and the steering responsive; all that

Ferrari know-how that has been perfected

over 60 years has been personified in this car.

Most importantly it goes like a Ferrari should.

This step into a new sector of the market was

a brave move on Ferrari’s part, and I’m

pleased to say it has certainly paid off. Despite

all its differences in comparison with its sable

mates, it manages to remain pure in Ferrari

ethos. Ok, so the rear seats can fit little more

than a pineapple in them but you must

remember this is no BMW or Audi, the seats

will never be used. This car is powerful,beautifully styled, comfortable and above all,

a Ferrari.

Category Score

Aesthetics 3.7

Comfort 3.9

Performance 4.0

Value For Money 3.5

Build Quality 4.6

Total 19.7/25



Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI

The Mercedes ML is often the car of choice

for mums ferrying their privately tutored

children to school and back. With its executive

yet functional look I can see why they choose

this over the Ford Focus sensible people drive.

As a result the four wheel drive system never

sees the rough stuff and thus leaves us

wondering whether it’s even capable of

mounting the curb.

To quench the thrust for an answer I decided

to road test the ML at Mercedes UK HQ in

Brooklands. A brief overview shows our test

model to be the 3.2 Litre CDI, and so as far as

the engine is concerned it has potential. The

interior is doused in the latest Mercedes

electronic toys including sim-card reader for

when mum’s need to call the school to notify

them that they are stuck in traffic. Of course

the on board computer deals with all the

electro-wizardry of the suspension and ABS,

and also indicates that the car, at least in

design, was intended to venture off the

beaten track.

Onwards with the road test! On tarmac the

ML is quite and refined as you would expect

from any other Mercedes-Benz, in fact for a

diesel the engine noise was almost

unnoticeable. From the comfort of my

extremely well upholstered seat I had ample

vision of the road ahead, often it is this that

draws people to 4X4’s. The ML is a rather

tranquil vehicle to drive unlike one of its

predecessor that proved to be as elegant as a



Hippopotamus on ice. The engine also

provides adequate grunt as well as torque to

get out of junctions in a hurry and the

suspension does a sublime job of cancelling

body roll. That’s all well and good but we are

still no closer to finding out if this can handle

tuff terrain or if it is to remain an ornament in

office car parks.

Conveniently Mercedes-Benz provided us with

their off-road course for the afternoon in

order for us to really push this car to its limits.

So with the ride height cranked up to its max I

set off. To begin with I must say that myself

and the car were not in tune. When the ML issetup for off-roading the response from the

controls change dramatically. Everything

becomes more precise and as a result when I

applied the brakes just as I did on the road,

everything lunged forwards as the ML’s

colossal brake callipers crunched down on the

discs. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I did

find that with everything bouncing about on a

rough surface that accidently applying the

brakes is like kicked by a horse.

However the CDI being very capable pulled its

way up some hills that would begin to worry a

Land Rover, also its one of the few cars in its

class that appears to have no problem with

driving sideways up a slope. I would love to

see other “soft-roaders” do that! But most

impressively telling the computer that I was

coming down a steep hill of more than 45

degrees and then letting do off all the

controls, for the ML to keep a steady crawl

back down was amazing. I was honestly

expecting to be in a heap of twisted metal

when it eventually came to a halt.

And so it would appear that the ML is in truth

a very accomplished 4X4 after all. So why am I

still seeing businessmen and wealthy mothers

driving them around like a limo? Do you not

think that paying a minimum of £38,000 is a

little much for a car that will only be used for

40% of what it was designed for?

Category Score

Aesthetics 1.2

Comfort 2.8

Performance 2.0

Value For Money 2.7

Build Quality 3.9

Total 12.6/25



INSIDE LANE

Issue 19

Date post:	30-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	inside-lane
View:	222 times
Download:	0 times

Inside Lane Magazine: Issue 19 "Hot-Hatch Brawl!

Documents