Confidential - All Comments

re: Why the Focus RS isn’t four-wheel drive

theoriginalshoe — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:34:24 GMT

Steve, I haven't forgotten the hilarious way you described the torque steer of a Fiesta RS Turbo: when you planted your foot on a country road you wondered which hedge you would end up going over! Hopefully the latest fast Ford is a little more civilised...

(By the way, to be pedantic, if you're borrowing a Scottish/Northern Irish phrase, should it not be, "there's not a WILD lot going for four-wheel drive nowadays"?)

re: Hyundai-Kia's rise to glory

jerry99 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:01:42 GMT

Perhaps another question is why Rover could not have done something similar over the same time frame. In its day the Maestro was better than the contemporary Hyundai.

Instead Rover chased niches rather than basic car development or nobody would back them in the volume market.

re: Hyundai-Kia's rise to glory

chrisso — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:45:07 GMT

Certainly an amazing transformation over the years, but they have had a few shockers - Hyundai Stellar anyone...............

re: Hyundai-Kia's rise to glory

David Harrington-Wright — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:11:30 GMT

They have made an amazing transformation, similar to Skoda over the last decade, but without the backing of another motor group and their resources.

The quality of the vehicles is now very good, and backed by the long term warranty they are a serious option. If they can get into some "fleet" sales with a quality exec car similar to my current Mondeo, then perhaps their UK sales will grow even further,.

re: Renault gets its mojo back

A R Chen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:30:07 GMT

It looks clean and distinctive, if a tad bit portly, certainly much better executed than the 407 Coupe. The latter proves beyond any doubt that Peugeot needs a design house like Pininfarina.

re: The emperor's new clothes

Foilball — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:06:53 GMT

Will be great right up to the moment some Tennents Super addled asbo touting estate parasyte takes a stanly knife to it. Other than that what a great concept, at last something truly innovative.

re: Pininfarina's picture looks great

A R Chen — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:06:10 GMT

I think the Land Rover LRX is the most beautiful SUV ever and I hope nobody changes one detail before it gets to production.

I have the utmost admiration for the Pininfarina of the '70's and '80's. I adored the Fiat 130 Berlina and Coupe, the Peugeot 604, 504 Coupe, 504 Cabriolet and 406 Coupe to name a few. The Alfa-Romeos and Ferraris designed by Pininfarina always had a beauty that grew on you the more you looked at them.

I remember one Pininfarina design that I thought was truly breathtaking but never made it to production. It was the Nautilus, designed for Peugeot. Perhaps the 607 did borrow a few styling cues which is why I think it is the best looking post-Pininfarina Peugeot.

Alfa-Romeo's designers have done a good job of the 159 and 166, whereas the Peugeot designers have created a nightmare with their new gaping mouth design.

Jaguar should benefit from Pininfarina's design team. The production Jaguar XF looks awful from the front and almost like a Lexus or Ford from behind even if the rear end looks a lot better than the front.

If TATA wants the Jaguar XJ replacement to regain its standing alongside Merc, BMW, Lexus, Maserati and now Audi, then TATA should employ the likes of Pininfarina to lead the design team.

I think that Rutan Tata is an incredibly shrewd industrialist blessed with foresight. I am in no doubt that he is the best hope for Land Rover and Jaguar.

As for other companies which should be watched, the PSA Group appear to have the right strategy when it comes to diesel engine and even petrol engine development - aside from PSA products, their engines appear in Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo, Ford, Toyota (3 cylinder), Mitsubishi, BMW Mini, and if I heard correctly, the next BMW 1-series. I wonder where they will turn up next?

re: Our Bentley sets sail

barina — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:36:28 GMT

thwartedefforts, if the Bentley Continental GT "is [no more than] the same car as a Phaeton", you'd really have to ask yourself why the Phaeton didnt sell, whereas the Marque Bentley is going gangbusters. I dont recall seeing a drophead Phaeton, or a coupe Phaeton. I think you got suckered into buying the VW, and just have sour grapes about it now, trying to be-little Bentley. "dismal lump" and "hair dryers" describing turbo chargers, aimed at the W12 engine make me wonder what would press your buttons.

re: The emperor's new clothes

Beowolf — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:43:24 GMT

It's full of ideas. That alone makes it worth noting. New ideas are great as originality is so rare.

Once again BMW has created publicity and debate. A cloth car that changes shape! Maybe in pedestrian impacts people will be 'boinged' to safety.

It's a true concept car.

re: The emperor's new clothes

NiallOswald — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:03:58 GMT

It's not such a crazy idea. Aircraft have been using fabric skins since the dawn of flight, and many still do. The fuselage of the 350mph Hawker Hurricane is fabric-covered.

re: The emperor's new clothes

Jon Hardcastle — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:48:37 GMT

Are all you motoring journalists aware of what was in you bucks fizz on arrival?

Liquorice run flats anyone?

And where do you get the BMW branded washing line big enough for it? Christ just thought, when it goes in for a service do I go for the scented non bio washing powder or the super market own brand?

Decisions decisions.

re: The emperor's new clothes

David Harrington-Wright — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:20:45 GMT

wash at 40 degrees, keep dark colours seperate, do not tumble dry.

re: Where's BMW'S R8?

Peter Cavellini — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:50:31 GMT

Please no more supercars- they're built in limited numbers for people who can afford them.People want fast transport for at least five people and they're luggage. BMW already do this with the current M5 and if true the next one will as someone else said a big up yours to the rest.I know supercars are beautiful to look at , but 90% of us will never own one or indeed see one on the road. Veyron's apart how fast do we really need to go ? no a supercar should be a saloon a V8 engine minimum with 500BHP and with support technology- the stumbling block is cost- maybe about 50K around that amount.

re: Renault gets its mojo back

Quattro369 — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:43:52 GMT

Can you put a pic of this car next to the original concept car. Whats happened to that bonnet line and front end? I think the production model is something of a let down.

re: A badge too far?

Viscount Biscuit — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:16:11 GMT

X,Y or Z this is a ridiculous car. End.