Ford Focus RS500, Cosworth Impreza CS400 and Volvo C30 PCP - No major developments or notable events to speak of. Richard momentarily misplaced his mobile phone; the heater in James’s Ferrari went on the blink; Jeremy discovered for the first time just how many fake Clarksons there are on Twitter and was LITERALLY astounded. And that’s about it.
So, to Sunday’s show, and what a delicious programme we’ve cooked up for you this week. For starters, we’ve got a test of three very hot hatchbacks on our track. Jeremy does his best to pick a favourite from the Ford Focus RS500, Cosworth Impreza CS400 and Volvo C30 PCP before discovering a small but rather indigestible problem with each of them which will become apparent in due course.
Our main course this week is a tasty test of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mercedes S65 AMG and a rather unusual Bentley Mulsanne which involves a fat man and an untimely death. We’ll leave it at that for now rather than ruin your appetite for this sizzling two-parter.
Chuck in the news and a fizzy, refreshing interview with Jonathan Ross and you’ve got a hearty, meaty feast of yummy Top Gear goodness. We hope you like it.
2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon - Wagons are back, at least at Acura this year. With the luxury arm of Honda adding crossovers galore under its twin-caliper badge, it's also slotted in a new wagon body for its entry-level TSX sedan and the new version ends up being one of our favorite Acuras.
The wagon is an easy addition, since the TSX is a version of Honda's European-market Accord sedan, and since the wagon already is on sale on the Continent. But it's not an easy sale, by any means, since the compact wagon market in the U.S. is dominated by European brands with perhaps a bit more of a luxury reputation than Acura has.
For 2011, the TSX returns in sedan form, too. With either body style, this small Acura is attractive inside and out—particularly in wagon form--though it does have its low points. That point is up front: the latest Acura face has a grille that's ingloriously been dubbed a "bionic beaver" or likened to a beer opener. It's been tweaked slightly for 2011, though a dramatic change is still a couple of years in the offing. The cabin's more overtly handsome—it's full of cleanly designed, high-quality materials and easy-to-use controls, arranged along a gentle arc that spans the dash.
Though the TSX's V-6 adds some much-needed punch, the 201-hp four-cylinder is more than capable for a car of its size and weight. Even in the slightly heavier wagon, the TSX's four delivers a swell balance of usable power and high fuel economy estimated at 22/30 mpg. The 280-hp six handles less well, and carries more weight on its nose, but fuel economy holds up at 19/28 mpg. Steering and ride quality are from the European camp, firm and taut, not cushy.
As the smallest Acura, the TSX reins in less interior space than the big TL and RL, but its proportions seem like a perfect fit for the brand. Front seats are comfortable and multi-adjustable. The back bench can be a squeeze for the biggest passengers, but anyone under 5' 10" will find adequate head and leg room. The cargo area's more like a backpack in the wagon model, with fewer cubic feet than you might expect, but a clever divider helps partition the space into useful chunks.
Good crash ratings mean you can drive with confidence in your family's safety, but a standard backup camera would be a nice addition. It's available as an option. Acura's reticence to adopt some tech features means lane-departure warnings, parking sensors and even adaptive cruise control are either unavailable or bundled in expensive packages.
It's the same for other entertainment features, though the TSX does come relatively well equipped with a USB port, Bluetooth, XM, and leather seating with heated, powered front buckets. Despite the extensive standard feature set, the Technology Package is well worth the price, especially in light of the excellent upgraded audio system and 60GB hard drive and navigation system included in the price. A power tailgate is optional.
Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 - Car park wisdom will pontificate that big exhausts, lowered aftermarket suspension, a ruddy great air filter and Big Speakers will make your Vauxhall Cavalier exactly 10 seconds faster than a BMW M3 around the Nurburgring.
What it won't tell you, is that such modifications usually repel the very subjects said modifications are intended to attract.
Bear this in mind as you peruse this gallery. The 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon has just closed its foil-encrusted doors, and is, in essence, a mighty version of the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Full of modders and modded cars.
Remember, the cure for insecurity isn't found buried in the pages of a tuning magazine..
New BMW 6-Series convertible - Launched in convertible format initially, the new 6-Series is certainly less controversial in the styling stakes: less of a bustled rump and a smoother, sharper profile. Certainly in the pictures I saw before coming out, and on the stand at the Paris show, I was keen.
But I've mellowed towards it after driving it today. In real life, it's more of the same: there's nothing here that actively offends, but you can't help thinking that the car is lacking a certain something. On the road it looks nice enough, but nothing very striking. There's just not that much to get excited about.
Still, a 407bhp, 442lb ft 650i V8 should sort that, right? Well, again, not quite. The 650 weighs over two tonnes, so despite having plenty of get-up-n-go from the motor, the Six never really feels quite as fast as the figures suggest - five seconds to 60mph is respectable, but the car feels like a cruiser from the off.
It's also a tad firm on anything other than smooth roads - very German - and the active steering is about as tactile as remote surgery. I've got an eight-hour odyssey of driving tomorrow, so there's more to come, but first impressions are that there are no surprises here.
Mercedes Benz cars - Fuel cell-powered cars provide the efficiency and driveability of an electric vehicle while also offering the unlimited range of a traditional gasoline powered car -- assuming you can find a place to top off those hydrogen tanks. Right now that's a bit of a problem, but Mercedes Benz is out to show that it's not nearly as big of a hindrance as everyone makes it out to be. It'll be driving the B-Class F-Cell model around the world, starting in Stuttgart and motoring down to Lisbon, flying over to the US and driving across that, then across Australia before hopping a boat to Shanghai and driving all the way across Asia, ultimately arriving back to Stuttgart facing in the same direction they left. The B-Class F-Cell can cover 400km on a tank and can be refilled in about three minutes. At this point we have no reason to believe that either Ewan McGregor nor Charlie Boorman will be along for the ride, but given how well things went in Log Way Round perhaps that's for the best.
Porsche 918 RSR Concept - Porsche unveiled the 918 RSR at the Detroit Auto Show today, a 767 horsepower hybrid race car. Porsche's concept hybrid gets an extra boost from braking, which triggers the motors to act as generators when the front wheels brake, according toPC Magazine.
Bentley Mulsanne cars - is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley's crowning achievement, the 8-liter auto first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. A 6 3/4-liter, V8 engine gets 505bhp; inside, exotic woods, leather hides and solid stainless-steel brightware are hand-crafted for maximum luxury.
At the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Acura will unveil the Advanced Sports Car Concept: it could give a preview of the next generation NSX.
The concept provides a glimpse at the next generation Acura exotic sports car.
As a part of the global commitment to the Acura brand, Honda Motor Co. Ltd.’s President and CEO Takeo Fukui will be delivering the keynote remarks at the Acura press conference.
Additional details on the Advanced Sports Car Concept will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 7th at 1:20 pm the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
