Letters: comfort, cost and the timeless appeal of an Audi Allroad
Sold!
I thoroughly enjoyed Mark Walton’s description of past Geneva motor shows and their abysmal presentations, particularly the even worse recent digital versions. I believe this is what young people call cringe? But surely, the exception that proves the rule must be Olivier Francois’ charismatic presentation of the Fiat 500e, which seemed fun, slick and rhetorically brilliant. Watching him walk around in an eerily empty-looking Milan, professing the strength of the Italians and car lovers in general while effortlessly making me, a grumpy Scandinavian, an instant Fiat 500e fan, is surely an example of brilliant marketing. I dare you to watch it! Mathias Larsen
Time will tell
So, the new Defender. I have no doubt I will own one soon. It will follow a long succession of Discoverys, and latterly a Range Rover Sport. I have no doubt it will perform beautifully, and delight me on a daily basis. But despite experiencing excellent reliability, I have never kept a Land Rover product for much longer than four years or 60,000 miles. It is the fear of expensive bills that leads me to change.
This all contrasts starkly with my 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser, that I keep in Australia, and abuse in the Outback for
three months each year. That has now done 135,000 miles and has required only a well-deserved suspension refurbishment a few years back. Otherwise, it feels like new, and I will keep it forever, replacing what is needed, as it is needed.
This is the ultimate test for Land Rover. Can the new Defender win my trust ? No CAR road test can answer that – only the next four years will. Nick Dawson
Plenty sporty enough
As someone who has just purchased a current-model Mercedes SL, I was fascinated to read in your AMG article (May 2020) that the new SL will be ‘more sporty’ and move away from the ethos of the current car, which is a ‘cruiser’.
I bought my SL specifically because it isn’t sporty, and I’m quite sure I’m not alone! What I wanted was strong performance, great comfort, hushed refinement, style and the ability to
put big distances under the wheels as effortlessly as possible. A cruiser in other words, a GT car. That it’s a solid-roofed coupe that can become a proper convertible is a massive bonus (that is also being lost).
Reams have been written in CAR about oversteer, understeer, tread shue, apex kissing and all of that ‘sporty’ nonsense, so allow me to share with you how a normal person takes a corner. Approach corner, turn steering wheel an appropriate amount, go round corner, straighten up. People buying SLs just don’t care about all that heroic on-the-limit stuff; it all sounds terribly stressful and uncomfortable. If we’d wanted a sports car, we’d have bought a Porsche 911!
Talking of which. I read in the same issue that the new 911 Turbo is also ‘sportier’. It’s ‘worthy of RS badging’ now, apparently. Forgive me if I’m missing something, but if you wanted an ‘RS’ 911, wouldn’t you just buy an RS 911? The 911 Turbo was always a perfect car for someone who wanted a phenomenally high-performance ground-coverer. A grand tourer. Giving it wider (noisier) tyres and stiffer suspension will just ruin it for normal 911 Turbo buyers, and RS buyers will continue to buy RS 911s.
It all makes me wonder quite who these manufacturers are building all these ‘sporty’ (ruined) cars for?
Meanwhile, is anyone still building cars for normal people?
Nick Burnham
This is a great letter, Nick. Just as only time will tell whether the Defender is tough enough (see Nick Dawson’s letter), perhaps come 2022 Porsche will know if the new 911 Turbo S’s change of character was a good idea. BM
Allroads lead to Georg
A momentous fact appeared in your May edition. In the Porsche 911 Turbo S review, Georg Kacher revealed to my delight that he owns an Audi A6 Allroad. My motoring heart soared; I have the same car, similar mileage too. Me, Prince Charles and Georg; a weird but exclusive club. I’m pretty sure Messrs Wales and Kacher have access to other cars but let’s ignore that for a moment. I wonder if the boot leaks on theirs too.
Nat Low
What a club! I want in. (And the damp luggage it entails). BM
Under-charged
I really liked your Deals of the decade article in the March issue, particularly Daniel French’s page on the Tesla Model 3, possibly because there is now one on my drive. It’s the Standard Plus model, and even though it has only been used for essential shopping so far I completely agree with Daniel: ‘a brilliant car and a bargain’. I can’t wait to get to know it better.
I’ve often wondered how people find the spare cash to fund the often sizeable deposits for PCP or leasing deals every two to four years. We always go for smaller deposits. Of course it makes the monthly payments higher and you pay a bit more interest; they get your money one way or another.
However, as shown in your feature, there are some amazing deals to be had if you do your homework and shop around, even on a small-deposit basis. John Lear
Light at heart
I’ve just finished the Rev Gavin Green’s latest sermon (column, May 2020), again extolling the virtues of a lightweight, mid-engine, two-seat sports car. A prior sermon recommends a small French hatch full of character (which means designed on a Friday after a long lunch and built from old Gauloises packets). We must under no circumstances buy a heavy car of two metres-plus, including electric cars.
A few pages later, I see a chap perched on the new Defender grinning like someone with a handsome expense account. Are there two Gavin Greens?
Farmers will stick with the more versatile and reliable Japanese pick-ups and the hipsters will stick with the overpriced and appalling original. So, who will buy the new Defender? Phil Taylor
Nick Dawson, apparently. BM
Stroll on
George Kacher and Ben Miller’s piece on Aston Martin (May issue) was quite superb. It was honest, generous and devastating in recognising what is wrong and what is going to get worse, even without the pandemic. ⊲
In my opinion Aston has no theme. Ever since the DB7, the question has been why would you buy one when it’s just a re-bodied Jaguar and now Mercedes? Its comical F1 entry, putting stickers on a Honda-powered car, neatly sums up the mixed messaging. Compare McLaren to Aston. Using one engine and chassis, Woking has created a complete range. Aston had that with the VH architecture, and threw it away. What is the V6 for?
I suppose someone will always prop it up, but even Canadian billionaires can run out of cash.
Nicholas Binns
…and/or patience. BM
Under the wire
I must be one of the last people to take delivery of a new car before the showrooms were forced to lock their doors. My only disappointment about the Ford Puma is how limited my driving opportunities have been. Your test (May) nailed it. This car is far better to drive than it needs to be: spirited, eager and anxious to please.
As you say, the Puma’s interior is perhaps not the best. But the only aspect that irritates me is the positioning of the screen, which looks like a gauche aftermarket add-on. Otherwise I think Ford have done a wonderful job. They have created a handy, thrifty, sensible hybrid which actually makes you want to go out for a drive in it. And – the crowning glory – it has a proper handbrake.
Chris Waite
Goldilocks suspension
Regarding Richard Murray’s letter about potholes, my 20-year-old VW Golf Mk4 has old-fashioned highprofile tyres. This means it has survived a number of pothole encounters unscathed while other cars with low-profile tyres have suffered damaged alloys and punctures. However, my impression is that the springs in my Golf are relatively stiff and this means that one still feels too many bumps.
Is a good compromise in a ‘normal’ car the choice of sensibly profiled tyres (not too high or low in profile and that are not too large in diameter) combined with less stiff springs but also with very good, responsive dampers to control vehicle body movement?
I believe Peugeots in the ’80s used softer springs combined with their own make of shock absorbers to have such excellent ride and handling.
Je rey Smith
No more excuses
I have just finished reading James Taylor’s excellent feature on the Lotus Evora GT410 (First Drives, May 2020). I own a Lotus Exige 350S Roadster Premium and it is, quite simply, the best sports car I have ever driven, and I have been fortunate in that I have been able to drive many excellent diverse alternatives.
The key word is ‘premium’, which means the perceived quality is high – essential to an expensive car. Mr Gales [former Lotus CEO] decided to cheapen the car by taking away all the above, justifying it by saying ‘Just add lightness’. The result was that American exports have to be upgraded to sell.
So it’s great to read that the car’s now back to the upgraded spec in the UK. However I was disappointed to read the car had gone into limp mode. This has happened to me on three occasions. I have spoken with other Lotus owners who have also experienced limp mode problems. It has to stop!
With huge investment, there is no excuse whatsoever for poor reliability. Prof John Sweeney
The £83k kit car
When I was in my 20s, a couple of mates who’d had three years working for oil service companies rocked up in their own Lotus Esprits: one was the Essex version, blue with silver and red stripes; the other straightforward red with gold graphics. Man, those cars took my breath away.
So it remains one of my frustrations that Lotus, while producing dynamically competent and exciting cars, have languished in the design doldrums for decades. I mean look at the Evora GT410 – still has overtones of a kit car. It’s just not stunning enough
compared to its price-segmented rivals!
In two years, I’ll be looking to buy a sports car in the £80k-£100k range and no way would I consider a Lotus. For that money I want it all – performance and sharp design.
To make my point, turn over to page 44 of that issue and look what £4k less gets you. A car that has ‘more character than a McLaren’ and that is ‘great to drive’. It has the dynamics and is I think it’s visually stunning. I realise beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I really do think Lotus have lost their jaw-dropping design mojo. I’d go for the Corvette any day, and spend the difference on a week’s blast in the Alps. Gareth Morgan
Certainly no contemporary Lotus design can live with the Esprit’s aesthetic splendour. But in truth few cars can. BM
Clark and Moss
RIP Sir Stirling Moss. I was privileged to have him sign one of my Jim Clark books a few years ago when on a private visit to the then-Jim Clark Room, now the museum. Great story about your Lotus trip, but Aitken-Walker’s garage is in Duns (where I live); Doug Niven’s (Jim Clark’s cousin) is in Chirnside. Rick Davies
The other lot
I enjoyed Chris Chilton’s Lamborghini feature in the June issue. In particular I was struck by the quote from Stefano Domenicali comparing Lamborghini to
Ferrari. He says: ‘We have always been disruptive, very unconventional, very cutting edge. Less classic. And we work with young customers who are willing to embrace braver products.’
That’s dead right, isn’t it? I’m not saying I’d hate to own a Ferrari, but Lambos are much more appealing, and this – I finally understand – is why. Liam Wise