The eliminator
A couple of years ago I set out with what I thought were a reasonable set of requirements for a new car. It had to be compact, petrol-powered, have four usable seats, rear-wheel drive, 250bhp plus, with minimum electronic interference and a decent music system; all for about £45,000. If it also had six cylinders that would be a bonus. The list was whittled down to Jaguar XE, Mercedes CLA and BMW M2.
I have always fancied a Jag, so I started there. A quick poke around found rear legroom tighter than expected, but acceptable. Then the problems started: no manual with the 250bhp engine and you could only have decent music if you also forked out for a load of stuff I neither need nor want. Exit Jag. Next up was the Merc. Apart from the fact that we had obviously taken an invisibility pill before entering the
showroom (I have worked in sales for nearly 50 years, so I know how you should treat a customer) the rear headroom of the CLA was only suitable for French aristocrats circa 1790. And so to the M2 – the only car on my list that met all my requirements, with only silly ‘rev matching’ to annoy me. So, BMW to the rescue this time. But looking at recent articles in CAR, in future it looks like it is going to be impossible to buy a car with a decent engine and a proper gearbox. The electronics are becoming overwhelming. And I may be forced to lug around 300kg of batteries, just so the CO2 can be left in someone else’s back yard! And if the image of the new BMW M3/4 in the January issue is really where their styling is heading then another M2 looks unlikely.
I somehow think our completely analogue Elise, manual petrol-powered Mini and nearly non-interfering M2 will be occupying our garage for a very long time.
Patrick Limming
I suspect there’s a strong chance of that, though being ‘stuck’ with an Elise doesn’t sound too bad. Manuals just don’t add up as business cases; Jaguar sold just seven manual F-Types last year… BM