- That’s O-Kei with Me
- Mercedes Stretches the S-Class
- Peugeot-Citroen Profitable
- Executive Changes at Infiniti, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler
- A Pain in the UAW’s ACE
- New IndyCar Can Really Break Wind
- Bark for Buick
- Lights Creating Brand Identity
- Station Wagons Making a Comeback?
- Ferrari’s Brand Image Takes a Hit
- Chevy Charts Camaro Horsepower
- How Nissan Murano Got Its Bold Looks
Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.
Reviewer: John McElroy Manufacturer: VW AG Make: Bentley Model: Flying Spur Type: 4-door sedan Competitors: Rolls-Royce Ghost Price: Base MSRP $195,100. Price as tested $253,865 Made in: Crewe, England Drivetrain: 4.0 L V8 wtih 8-speed automatic transmission and AWD EPA Ratings: 14 mpg city/24 highway/17 combined
Final Impression: I have a hard time getting myself to simply call the Flying Spur “a car.” A vehicle of this magnitude and heritage is more appropriately referred to as a “motor car.” It offers a comforting blend of traditional features and nostalgic trappings, fully modernized for the present day.
And talk about presence. More than 17 feet long, over 7 feet wide and nearly 5 feet tall, its sheer size alone will turn heads. Add to that its classic proportions and it’s safe to say this car has few peers on the road today.
Thanks to a self-leveling air suspension and continuous damping control the ‘Spur seems to breezily float down the bumpiest roads. But there’s nothing like 120 inches of wheelbase and more than 5,300 pounds of mass to make any car ride smoothly. Even if it just had steel springs and hydraulic shocks it would ride well
- Honda’s CEO Under Fire
- Is Apple Developing the iCAR?
- Hyundai Jumps Into CV Segment In U.S.
- Strikes Disrupting Production
- Mazda’s Diesel Woes
- Car OEM Ranks By Employment
- GM Shakes Up Development Process
- Chevy Bolts Into Production
- Toyota Avalon Refresh
- Kia Trail’ster Concept
- 2016 Kia Rio Debuts
- Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV
- Honda Pilot Makes World Debut
- Ridgeline Sketch Released
- Acura RDX Takes a Bow
- Nissan Soups up 370Z Roadster
Nissan LMP 1 (left) and Nismo Global Motorsport Director Darren Cox (right)
I managed to snag a telephone interview with Darren Cox, the Global Motorsport Director at Nismo, about the Ben Bowlby-designed Nissan LMP 1 which will race at this year’s 24 Hour of Le Mans.
Cox said that Nissan is doing this car because it wants to associate itself with breakthrough engineering. It wants to make a big statement about its innovative capabilities and is using motor racing to make that statement. This ties in with Nissan building advanced production vehicles such as the Leaf and GTR. And it shows that Nissan’s involvement in motor racing is very comprehensive, with its GT Academy helping to identify young driving talent all around the world.
Surprisingly, the LMP 1 is being developed in Indianapolis. “The racing infrastructure around Indy is as good as it is in the UK or in Cologne,” Cox says. This program is being developed very quickly and they were able to round up a group of highly-talented Indy guys who essentially had a lot of off-season free time on their hands between October and April. Even so, despite the LMP 1 effort being based in the US, “This is a global project backed by Carlos Ghosn, it’s a NISMO project.” He notes that in addition to the Americans there are 25 engineers from Japan and a sprinkling of Brits, including Mr. Cox himself.
- VW Acquires Fuel Cell Tech
- Japanese Carmakers Team Up on Fuel Cell Stations
- Toyota’s Kirobo Returns to Earth
- Chrysler Develops Safer Brakes
- Chevy Refreshes 2016 Equinox
- Ram Shows Fresh Face
- Tesla Posts Mixed Earnings
- You Said It!
Seat Time is a chance for us to share our impressions of vehicles being tested in the Autoline Garage and at media previews from around the globe.
Reviewer: John McElroy Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation Make: Toyota Model: Prius Type: Sedan Competitors: Ford C-Max, Honda Insight Price: Base MSRP $28,435; price as tested $36,564 Made in: Tsutsumi, Japan Drivetrain: 1.8-Liter 4-cylinder, with permanent magnet synchronous motor, nickel-metal hydride battery, and CVT EPA Ratings: 51 mpg city/48 highway/50 combined
Final Impression: Driving this car made me not like it. And the longer I drove it the worse it got. That took me by surprise. I had very much looked forward to my drive in a Prius, which I hadn’t tested in years.
Now before you think me a hybrid-hating hard-core car enthusiast, my prior impressions of this generation Prius sedan were always very good. I have friends and family who own Prius’ and love them. My expectations going into this test drive was of getting into the world’s best-selling hybrid honed better by years of Toyota kaizening. Well let me tell you.
- BMW Mixes Wagon with Crossover
- Kia to Show D-Segment Concept
- NASCAR Hall Failing to Bring Visitors
- Wearables the Next Big Tech?
- EyesOn Design’s Annual Poster
- Just What GM Doesn’t Need
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