Autocar Philippines October 2021

FIRST DRIVE: MAZDA CX-30 AWD SPORT • TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T

MORE MOBILITY

October 2021 PHP 250.00 Est. 1895 | www.autocar.com.ph

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F U L L R OA D T E S T

NEW ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST It puts a smile on your face and keeps your champagne cold

NEW CARS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

F E AT U R E

Renault 5 GT Turbo

INSIGHTS

BMW’s New Design Philosophy

HOT NEWS: LAND ROVERPH 200TH DEFENDER • CTEK NEW ADAPTIVE CHARGING PRODUCTS

THIS MONTH October 2021 | Volume 6

OPINIONS 2 4 6

Editor’s Note Neil Pagulayan My Week in Cars Steve Cropley Opposite Lock Binky Siddayao

NEW CARS 11

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

12

Geely Coolray Sport Isuzu mu-X

13

Lexus ES GAC GN8 Master’s Edition

14

MG ZST

15

Nissan Almera

16 17

Land RoverPH releases 200th Defender

18 19

CHERY Philippines posts 280% sales increase

20

MitsubishiPH opens dealership in Cordon City, Isabela

21

CTEK announces new Adaptive Charging Products

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST 32

FIRST NEWS GAC’s introduces their first Zero-Emission engine myTOYOTA Shuttle PH: Furukawa’s on-demand mobility partner

❝ IT MAY ONLY BE AS FAST AS A MODERN FORD FIESTA ST, BUT THE MONDIAL IS AN EYE-CATCHING FOUR-SEAT SPORTS COUPÉ WITH A TURBO-FREE V8.

A NO-BRAINER, THEN.❞ FELIX PAGE

The Lamborghini from the movie The Cannonball Run at the US Capitol

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FIRST DRIVE 22 26

Mazda CX-300 AWD Sport Toyota Camry 2.5V A/T

MOTORSPORTS 30

Racing once again: Tuason’s GITI-Formula V1 Race Challenge returns

31

Audi conducts extreme tests on the RS Q e-tron

32

Rolls-Royce Ghost

40 46

Why the long face?

Renault 5 GT Turbo

44

The people’s ferrari

50

Development driving

TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T 26

TUASON GITI-FORMULA V1 RACE CHALLENGE 30

COVER STORY FEATURE

USED CARS INSIGHTS RENAULT 5 GT TURBO 46 OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 1

THIS MONTH

Neil Pagulayan Managing Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE

s we make it to the final quarter of 2021, we mourn the loss of another of our own. Dino Directo, our Aftermarket Editor recently passed away and is now probably having a burger party with our Managing Editor Earl Manalansan, who also passed on earlier this year. We miss them both dearly, and continue our work here with them in our minds and our hearts.

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Despite the pandemic and constant increases in fuel prices, Pinoys continue to buy cars both brand new and used, and car companies continue to launch new cars and expand into new areas with new dealerships. Life must go on, and with more and more of our population getting vaccinated, we’re getting closer to kicking COVID-19’s butt and hopefully life getting back to somewhat normal.

In this issue, our New Cars section features a quick look at the All-New Mercedes Benz S-Class, the Geely Coolray Sport Limited, the All-New Isuzu mu-X, the New Lexus ES, the New GAC GN8 Master’s Edition, the MG ZST and the All-New Nissan Almera. CTEK

introduces new products to the local market.

In First Drives, we take the Mazda CX-30 AWD Sport for a spin and we see how it feels like to be top management in the Toyota Camry 2.5 V A/T. In Motorsports, Tuason Racing’s GITI Formula V1 is back, and we check out Audi’s Electric rally car which they’ll debut in next year’s Dakar Rally. Our Road Test features an in-depth look at the Next Gen Rolls-Royce Ghost and we try to make sense of BMW’s new look.

Our Used Car section features the 1980 Ferrari Mondial, how much is it worth now and the ownership experience.

Retro Drives features the Renault 5 GT Turbo and we ask why it hasn’t been bestowed legend status along side the Peugeot 205 GTi and the VW Golf GTI. We hope you find this issue a great read and remind you to take care, and continue to take all the necessary precautions despite the drop in daily infections of covid cases and the lowering of restrictions in different parts of the country. Be safe and hope we can all see this through to the end.

❝ We hope you find this issue a great read and remind you to take care, and continue to take all the necessary precautions despite the drop in daily infections of covid cases and the lowering of restrictions in different parts of the country. ❞ ✉ irapanganiban@wheelsph.com

2 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

COMMENT

MY WEEK IN CARS Jag design boss Julian Thomson has a lot of love for the 2003 R-D6

MONDAY

Our interview with Jaguar’s new(ish) design director, Julian Thomson (see p46), makes me impatient to see the new direction he’s promising for the marque’s future cars. Outgoing boss Ian Callum put Jag design back on the rails; Thomson wants even more Jaguarness, more richness, more beauty. He’d also like to create some smaller cars, he says, although that road is paved with difficulty because they cost as much as big ones but are less profitable. Still, Thomson led the team that created Land Rover’s LRX concept that led to the Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar Land Rover’s last real rule-breaker – a good omen.

Thomson talked affectionately about Jaguar’s 2003 R-D6 concept (“We all still love that car”), which was proposed as a kind of grown-up Mini Cooper, but Jaguar’s (Ford) management didn’t like it. To me, that car did two precious things: used the ‘shield’ grille better than anything before or since, and utilised the D-Type’s wonderful curves in a modern way. More, please.

TUESDAY

Reckon you could change the automotive world? If you’ve had a great idea, now’s the time to reveal it – and enter our Drivers of Change competition. With the help of key sponsors, we’re offering generous cash prizes to innovators in the industry’s most important fields. Three of our writers have come up with entry examples (p54) to get you started and you’ll find full details on the same page. Please give it a go.

WEDNESDAY

Good fun talking to Martin Brundle, former Formula 1 star and Sky F1 commentator, for the motorsport feature on p59. I’ve known him a long time – since the days when he was Michael

4 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

❝

To do a Bristol today, you’d need a modern donor car ❞ Schumacher’s team-mate at Benetton – and I’ve always found him thoughtful, helpful, lucid and thoroughly normal. Which is exactly as he comes across on the Haunted Fishtank.

Whenever we talk, I’m reminded of stuff he told me years ago about the unseen challenges of driving: what F1’s cornering, braking and acceleration forces do to the long-suffering body.

In high-downforce braking, the retardation can be so huge that moisture from your tear ducts gets thrown forward onto your visor, and you can have trouble lifting your foot off the brake pedal.

And after just a couple of laps, the forces can make a tightly adjusted harness feel amazingly loose. The only solution is an extreme tightness.

“I used to get my mechanic to pull down on the straps until they passed the threshold of pain,” he told me, “then give ’em one more.”

AND ANOTHER THING… Had a tough lockdown? Imagine how it’s been for reader Paul Fasey, who had his family’s two cars flattened by this mighty tree in a recent overnight storm. In a letter wryly headlined ‘It never rains…’ he says that at least the insurers, LV and Admiral, are playing ball.

Ben’s design for a new Bristol looks utterly convincing

THURSDAY

A nice bloke called Derek came this morning to collect the lockdown Bentley Flying Spur after eight weeks. I’ve only driven 150 miles in that time, but I’m still missing it. Guess that’s the test: how you know a car’s truly desirable.

FRIDAY

Doubt I’ll ever buy another old car (new ones are too appealing) but, if I did, one candidate would be an early Bristol. Because of that, I particularly enjoyed working with our resident car designer, Ben Summerell-Youde, to propose an all-new model for this issue (p50). It’s apparent (and our expert, David Brown, confirmed it) that to do anything decent nowadays, you need a modern donor car that can contribute its interlinked powertrain, fuelling system, clean air gadgetry, instrumentation and more. With DB’s help, we alighted on the Ford Mustang.

Must say I find Ben’s sketches amazingly convincing – imagine driving that through London – and I can’t believe someone, somewhere won’t acquire the name and breathe low-volume life into it again. I showed our proposal to Bristol expert Richard Hackett (sljhackett.co.uk), who proved instantly willing to get involved in selling a car like ours, even at £295k a throw.

GET IN TOUCH

✉ steve.cropley@haymarket.com

@stvcr

THIS MONTH Technical Editor

Binky P. Siddayao OPPOSITE LOCK

FOSSIL-FREE & A SAFETY BOOST FOR WRC 2022 he FIA World Rally Championship events from 2022 will be using hydrocarbon-based fossil-free fuel.

The decision to use renewable fuels from P1 Racing Fuels, opens a new chapter in rallying’s journey towards a carbon neutral future.

The WRC’s reduction of carbon emissions is in alignment with the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement. The FIA and WRC Promoter may also augment the introduction of hybrid technology for Rally1 with a fuel that uses renewable materials to reduce net CO2 emissions.

The blend of synthetic and bio-degradable elements, produced by P1 Racing Fuels will be 100 per cent sustainable.

All quality standards for racing fuels cutting-edge performance will be complied and will also meet auto manufacturers’ requirements for road car fuel.

Bio-fuels are produced from biological waste originating from the agricultural industry

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while Synthetic fuels are manufactured from scratch, mainly using hydrogen and carbon.

Befitting its carbon neutrality innovation all 2022 Rally1 cars follow a completely different design outlook from the current World Rally Cars with heightened safety for the crew.

A pressed steel body shell of a similar production model forms the backbone of a competition car on nearly

all, past and current categories of rallying, including present World Rally Cars.

FIA-regulated tubular structures made of highperformance steel tube body shell is replaced by a speciallydesigned body of the related production car and can be scaled up or down into purposebuilt prototypes for Rally1 cars.

Crash tests corroborate a significant increase in safety in all simulated accident scenarios for Rally1 cars compared to

❝

current World Rally Cars with this FIA homologation. Impact Tests from the side comparable to hitting a tree from the passenger door area had a 51% marked down intrusion.

The addition of a second lateral roll bar on the spaceframe’s main roll bar translated the interference of the pole was reduced 38 per cent. Impact in the rear also showed the same improvement for the pole test.

Withstanding impacts usually seen during a barrel roll, the roof section of the spaceframe can absorb energy up to 115 per cent better than a current WRC body shell reinforced by a traditional roll cage.

A 70 per cent less intrusion in the bulkhead area protecting the occupants’ feet and legs for a frontal impact against a rigid obstruction was obtained.

And with all this breakthrough in motorsport technology, fuels and passenger safety one wonders the cost to translate such quantum leap to forthcoming road cars for us mere mortals.

And with all this breakthrough in motorsport technology, fuels and passenger safety one wonders the cost to translate such quantum leap to forthcoming road cars for us mere mortals.

❞ GET IN TOUCH

✉ binkypsiddayao@gmail.com

6 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

EDITORIAL TEAM IRA V. PANGANIBAN Editor-in-Chief EDGAR QUESADA Associate Editor EARL MANALANSAN Managing Editor NEIL PAGULAYAN Managing Editor Online BINKY SIDDAYAO Technical Editor OLSON CAMACHO Off Road Editor D I N O RAY D I R ECTO I I I After Market Editor MATT PRIOR | KRIS LIM | BINKY SIDDAYAO Columnists JOHN REY SAN DIEGO Staff Writer WILLIAM HERRERA | LUIS GERONA Contributors ANJO PEREZ Senior Photographer BONG BOADO | KEITH MARK DADOR | LOUIE CAMACHO MARK QUESADA | ALAN RANCH SEVILLA ARNOLD RIODEQUE | BOBS JEROME | MEMERT MONTELOYOLA Photographers RAYMUND RAVANERA Graphic Designer

The original car magazine, published since 1895 ‘in the interests of the mechanically propelled road carriage’ International Director Alastair Lewis alastair.lewis@haymarket.com Syndication Enquiries Isla Friend isla.friend@haymarket.com Editor Matt Burt Editorial Director, Automotive Jim Holder Managing Editor Allan Muir Reviews Editor Will Nightingale Chief tester Matt Saunders New Cars Editor Rory White Managing Director David Prasher Chief Operating Officer Brian Freeman Chief Executive Kevin Costello Chairman Rupert Heseltine Autocar magazine and the Autocar logo are trademarks of Haymarket Media Group Limited, United Kingdom and used under license by Autobrands Media Ventures, Inc. Content reproduced from Autocar magazine © Haymarket Media Group Limited 2011 all rights reserved.

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The views and opinions expressed within Autocar PH magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Media Group Limited or those of its contributors.

Autocar magazine is published in China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Thailand, and United Kingdom. www.haymarket.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Batangas Racing Circuit

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief – Anjo Perez Columnist – Arnel Doria Contributors – Rica Sison, Joseph Bautista, Lara Camacho Pocholo Reyes, William Herrera, Neil Pagulayan, Earl Manalansan Photographers – Mark Quesada, Alan Ranch Sevilla Staff Writer – John Rey San Diego

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The views and opinions expressed within Autocar Magazine are not necessarily those of Autobrands Media Ventures, Inc. or those of its contributors. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequences arising from it. In case of all product reviews, judgements have been made in the context of the product based on Philippines prices at the time of review, which are subject to fluctuation and only applicable to the Philippines market.

Published by

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Contact us at info@wheelsph.com Wheels Magazine is published monthly, a registered trademark of Autobrands Media Ventures, Inc. in cooperation with Gulf News. Copyright 2015.

8 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

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NEW CARS T H E L AT E S T C A R S T H I S M O N T H

Fresh out the box Cars unveiled this month John Rey San Diego The year has finally come to its final quarter and not even the ongoing pandemic could stop the local automotive market from getting its fresh new models to offer. Still on track to a steady recovery car brands are updating their vehicle lineups, allowing Filipino car buyers to have new options.

This edition of Fresh Out The Box includes exciting passenger vehicles that the market have been waiting for as well as a couple of premium luxury sedan models that are perfect for people who want to make a statement on the road.

Here are some of the recent car introductions in the Philippine automotive industry in the past weeks.

10 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Finally making its Philippine debut, the Auto Nation Group brings in the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Now in its seventh generation, the flagship full-size executive sedan of the German marque comes with latest innovations that makes the luxury model as smart as it is elegant.

For its exterior layout, the latest S-Class follows Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy of ‘sensual purity’ in its most modern form. Stepping inside, the 2022 S-Class sets another benchmark of luxury with its exclusive Nappa Leatherwrapped interior with elegant diamond pattern details on seats. The Active Ambient Lighting makes the comfortable interior space visually pleasing as well.

The latest-gen S-Class features the more intuitive version of the MercedesBenz User Experience (MBUX). The latest S-Class brings the MBUX to each passenger at the back with its high-end rear seat entertainment system and two fully integrated 11.6-inch touch displays.

The all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is now available locally with the sole S500 4MATIC Long AMG Line variant that is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six engine with an EQ Boost mild-hybrid system rated at 435 hp and 520 Nm torque.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 11

Geely Coolray Sport Limited It is undeniable that the Geely Coolray is one of the important models that has been continuously changing the Filipino car buyers’ perception of Chinese-made cars.

Taking its ‘coolness’ to a notch higher, Geely Philippines launches a more dynamic version of its best-seller in the form of the new Geely Coolray Sport Limited.

Striking at first sight, the new Coolray Sport Limited features a set of new 18-inch turbine-inspired wheels in black finish. Active not only in appeal but in function, the new Coolray Sport Limited now comes with an automatic powered tailgate for better rear cargo loading. With just a touch of the trunk release button at the key fob, the trunk lid automatically opens and closes. The Coolray Sport Limted’s power tailgate also comes with a height memory feature.

Another cool feature of the Coolray Sport Limited are its ventilated front seats which offers 3-level air supply intensity that can be independently adjusted for both seats.

Isuzu mu-X

12 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

A highly anticipated model launch in the country, the all-new generation of Isuzu mu-X has finally arrived on local shores.

The all-new Isuzu mu-X features a totally new exterior and interior design which have been made more classier yet dynamic. It now oozes a more luxurious appeal without losing its dependable SUV capabilities. It is now powered by the new generation Isuzu 4JJ3-TCX engine found in its pickup truck brethren that was launched earlier this year.

Like the D-Max, the one of the biggest changes that the all-new Mu-X has is its set of safety and driving assist features that is considered a first in its class. The all-new mu-X features the Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) which employs sensors and a Smart Duo Cam that constantly monitor vehicle environment and feed to a suite of active and passive safety driving features.

NEW CARS

Lexus ES

One of the notable luxury sedans that were recently launched is the new Lexus ES. The local automotive market finally received the latest Lexus’ mid-size executive sedan which features notable interior improvements.

The biggest interior development happened with the new ES’ driver-centric cockpit which includes a streamlined instrument panel design that is an example of seamless cabin integration. The new ES also offers more spacious and more comfortable areas for the passengers.

The Philippine arrival of the new Lexus ES is accompanied by a new-generation hybrid

electric variant, the Lexus ES 300h. The ES 300h is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four engine coupled with a hybrid electric system rated to output 218ps. The ES hybrid system achieves excellent fuel efficiency without compromising performance thanks to its new hybrid transaxle with improved efficient internal power flow and high-efficiency power control unit.

Aside from the hybrid Lexus ES 300h, the new ES is also offered in the top-of-the-line Lexus ES 350 Premier that is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 306 ps and 356 Nm torque.

GAC GN8 Master’s Edition Making a better fit for the premium passenger van market war, GAC Motor Philippines recently launched the GAC GN8 Master’s Edition.

The GN8 served as one of the models that represented GAC when the brand first entered the country back in 2018. The GN8 Master’s Edition features an exterior update that gives the premium van a bolder look while maintaining its elegant vibe.

The 2021 GN8 Master’s Edition is highlighted by its massive vertical grille design in silver finish. The front fascia is also accented with a new set of fog lights and a silver skid plate beneath. The side profile is embellished with a side skirt in black and silver finish.

Its rear also features a large bumper with a new exhaust pipe finish, a pair of LED brake lights, and a silver skid plate.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 13

MG ZST The ZS range has served as an important part in MG’s vehicle lineup when the brand first entered the Philippine automotive market in 2018. The ZS set the tone for MG’s offering of stylish, safe, and attainable vehicles.

Making the ZS nameplate even more exciting and appealing to car buyers looking for a thrilling daily driver, MG Philippines recently launched the MG ZST. A vamped up ZS, the “T” could very well mean ‘turbocharged,’ which gives a hint of the ZST’s business under its hood.

The new MG ZST is powered by a 1.3-liter inline-three turbocharged engine mated to a new 6-speed transmission and is rated to output 160 hp and 230 Nm of torque. The ZST basically filled the missing powerful performance in the standard ZS. For a quick comparison, the standard ZS is rated at 114hp and 150 Nm torque and is driven by a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Aside from the performance upgrade, the new MG ZST also sports other upgrades such as a new Obsidian Matrix grill, full-LED projector headlights, a new set of 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, red brake calipers, and widened front air dam.

14 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

NEW CARS

Nissan Almera A model that is out to shake the subcompact sedan segment of the market, Nissan Philippines recently launched the all-new Nissan Almera. One of the most notable highlights of the latest generation Almera is its turbocharged mill that comes standard across all variants.

The all-new Nissan Almera is powered by a new turbocharged 1.0-liter inlinethree cylinder engine that is available with either a CVT system or a 5-speed manual transmission. The new Almera is rated at 99 hp and 152 Nm torque. These numbers may not be astounding but considering the Almera’s lightweight subcompact nature, the torque rating should do wonders in a city driving setting.

The higher Nissan Almera variants are also available with the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite of safety and driver assist features, which is a first in its class. Considering the forced induction mill and safety features, Nissan’s latest subcompact sedan is also competitively priced. Better watch out, Vios, City, and others.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 15

N E WS G O T A S T O RY ?

Email our managing editor autocarphweb@gmail.com

Land RoverPH releases 200th Defender C

oventry Motors Corporation (CMC), the sole authorized distributor of Land Rover vehicles, parts, and accessories in the Philippines, announces the release of its 200th Defender.

A year after the Asia premiere of its muchawaited return, the Philippine distributor gladly announces the milestone for the iconic SUV. Leading in the regional sales for the Defender, Chris Ward, president of Land Rover Philippines, credits its success to the market’s fondness for the

16 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

Land Rover brand and for everything adventure!

“Launching the vehicle head-on with the Covid-19 situation, we were unsure of how the Defender line would initially take-off.

Not surprisingly, it was very well received in the Philippine market. The amount of support of its enthusiasts for the brand was tremendous.

Customers rushed to reserve their unit instantly after the reveal. The Philippines’ following for the vehicle keeps on growing as we see more drivers find the love for everything adventure — and that is what the

Defender brand stands for.”

President of one of the best car clubs in the country, The Land Rover club of the Philippines, Robby Consunji, expresses his delight on the news.

“It is often said that — Land Rover talks about its ‘spirit of adventure’ … this is the single most important quality of its vehicles. We all know that the New Defender contains state of the art technology to conquer the most difficult terrain. It is a statement of personal taste, a luxurious sense of style and a die-hard passion for all terrain

adventure. For the owner of the new to the Land Rover Defender, your New Defender will take you to all the good remote unexplored destinations and will open up new opportunities for you.”

A special handover ceremony was held at the Land Rover showroom for the release of the 200th vehicle.

Customers can start their journey towards adventure with the Defender 110 and 90 at All British Cars showrooms and personalise their vehicle with four Accessory Packs to choose from.

The Urban, Country, Adventure, and Explorer Packs each give Defender a distinct character with a specially selected range of enhancements.

Explore ultimate personalization at All British Cars showroom in EDSA Greenhills and at the BGC Boutique Showroom in 5th Ave. cor. 24th Street.

Clients may set an appointment before visiting the showroom or book a virtual appointment by contacting (02) 8784 5003 | 0919 083 6397 for Greenhills or (02) 8424 4200 / 0919 083 6726 For BGC.

GAC’s introduces their first ZeroEmission engine I n recent weeks, the first hydrogen engine independently developed

by GAC was successfully ignited, marking the entry of GAC Group technology into the zero-carbon emission era.

This exciting technology leap also demonstrates the strength of GAC MOTOR’s commitment to new energy and a new era for the automobile industry.

Cutting Edge In-House Technology The zero-carbon emissions engine was independently developed based on GAC’s fourth-generation engine technology. GAC Group holds completely independent intellectual property rights to the technology.

Using core hydrogen engine technology as a

foundation, GAC R&D Centers optimized the technology with a number of innovations.

These include the newly developed combustion chamber, which improves the mixing process of hydrogen and air, and improvements to the hydrogen supply system, which improves power density and reduces the risk of hydrogen leakage.

The new engine also boasts improved heat dissipation capacity, further minimizing combustion risks. By strengthening engine pistons, piston rings and connecting rods, heat dissipation has been improved in both the cylinder head and cylinder block, a seemingly small change that creates a big improvement in reliability and operation. The target

of renewable energy sources such as wind and hydropower, and improving the safety and quality of hydrogen storage.

thermal efficiency of this engine is expected to exceed 44%, a leading domestic standard.

Looking to a Greener Hydrogen Future The stable operation and superior performance output of the GAC hydrogen engine is just one example of the many ways GAC MOTOR is moving towards the manufacturing of the future.

The GAC R&D Centers will continue to carry out thermodynamic calibration and mechanical development of the hydrogen engine, with the eventual aim of loading the entire whole vehicle.

GAC will also work collaboratively to promote industrial chains for hydrogen production, storage and hydrogenation processes. This means promoting the full use

Craftsmanship in the Detail Technology innovation and Chinese craftsmanship are two of the core brand values that identify GAC MOTOR as a company.

Continually working away at engine technology, chipping away to improve every aspect of both engine technology and driver experience – this is what makes GAC MOTOR a cutting-edge automobile manufacturer.

With this exciting new leap in engine technology, we’re excited to see how much more GAC MOTOR can do to improve the mobile lives of customers around the world.

Let’s GO AND CHANGE.

myTOYOTA Shuttle PH: Furukawa’s on-demand mobility partner

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oyota Motor Philippines elevates customers’ experience through its safe and dependable New Mobility Service – the On-Demand Shuttle (ODS), available since May 2020.

In line with the Toyota Way pillar called Kaizen or continuous improvement, the On-Demand Shuttle Service has been renamed and is now called myTOYOTA Shuttle PH. This refresh comes with a new and improved mobile booking app interface for our customers.

Powered by SWAT Mobility, the system guarantees companies and their employees a safe, comfortable, and reliable shuttle service to and from work. The app eliminates manual arrangement of shuttle destination points since it allows automation of route preparation which streamlines employees’ ride booking process.

With its real-time tracking system, the app also helps your operators monitor the location of shuttle vehicles and optimize asset management in one easy to use digital monitoring system.

The system can be tailor fit based on the specific operational requirements of your company, be it for your

employees’ official business trips or daily travel to and from work.

The myTOYOTA Shuttle PH features 2 routing types: dynamic and fixed. Dynamic routing is applicable for constantly changing work schedule arrangements, varying ridership count per trip, and close-to-door pick-up and drop-off points. On the

other hand, fixed routing is suitable for pre-defined work schedules, routes and shared drop-off points.

Serving the safe and reliable mobility needs of Furukawa On September 20, 2021, TMP launched the myTOYOTA Shuttle PH app to Furukawa Automotive Systems Lipa Philippines, Inc., a Japanese

manufacturing firm based in Lipa, Batangas with almost 10,000 employees.

This move establishes an automated booking process for Furukawa’s largescale shuttle operations, involving around 200 outsourced buses and vans serving both day shift and night shift employees.

With this automated shuttle booking system, employees are ensured of safety and convenience when travelling to and from work, proving how serious Furukawa is in taking care of their employees by prioritizing their health and safety, especially during this period of uncertainty.

The myTOYOTA Shuttle PH app is available in Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

To learn more, please contact Toyota’s myTOYOTA Shuttle PH team at OnDemand.

Helpdesk@toyota.com.ph.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 17

CHERY Philippines posts 280% sales increase P

roving the growing popularity of the brand, CHERY Auto Philippines posted astounding sales growth in the first eight months of the year. The brand was able to record 280% vehicle sales increase versus the same period last year.

CHERY Auto Philippines attribute the astounding sales performance to the value-packed crossovers the brand offers and the assuring warranty programs included in every purchase.

“The robust growth in both our sales and dealer network strengthens CHERY Auto Philippines’ market confidence. It is inspiring to see the optimism and confidence not just within the CHERY family, but in the resilient Filipino consumers as well,” stated United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI)/CHERY Auto

18 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

Philippines President Rommel Sytin.

UNSTOPPABLE DEALER EXPANSION, NATIONWIDE As of September 2021, the brand has opened CHERY Sta. Rosa, Laguna, CHERY Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, and CHERY Kauswagan CDO. Meanwhile, CHERY Pasay and CHERY Gorordo, Cebu are currently in the final stages of construction.

Moreover, construction of CHERY Subic and CHERY Pangasinan will be finished by the end of 2021.

To date, its network has expanded to 19 full-service dealerships nationwide—a record pace for a new brand that was introduced less than two years ago.

‘BOOK, RIDE, & WIN’ TEST-DRIVE PROGRAMS To further emphasize the car confidence in terms of power and performance, CHERY Auto Philippines

also adds a bonus experience to customers who would like to testdrive the Tiggo crossovers through its ‘Book, Ride, and Win’ promo, which gives customers who test-drive the chance to win new Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy Tablets, Huawei watches and more premium gadgets.

To join CHERY’s Book, Ride, and Win promo, the customer must schedule a test-drive in the preferred CHERY dealership via https://cheryauto.ph/testdrive/ or CHERY Auto PH mobile app downloadable on App Store for Apple, Google Play for Android, and App Gallery for Huawei users. The completion of registration and approved schedule will be confirmed

by CHERY Auto Philippines via email.

A DECADE-STRONG PROTECTION,

GUARANTEED Equally compelling reasons to buy a CHERY is the company’s EC Mobile Home Service, which enables a fully trained and health protocol-compliant service crew to perform maintenance and repairs on any Chery model in the comfort and safety of your own home — much appreciated in this time of pandemic.

Last but not least is Chery’s industry-leading warranty and PMS program, collectively known as CHERY Premium Preserv, which features a stunning 10-year/1 millionkm engine warranty, 5-year general warranty, 3-year roadside assistance, and a FREE full preventive maintenance service (PMS) for 3 years.

THE CROSSOVER SPECIALIST The current Philippine

lineup is composed of the entry-level subcompact Tiggo 2, the subcompact Tiggo 5X, the all-new compact turbocharged Tiggo 7 PRO, and the topof-the-line midsize 7-seater turbocharged Tiggo 8 that can also be controlled via Digital Smartwatch Key. Prices range from PhP 695,000 for the Tiggo 2 to P1,280,000 for the Tiggo 8, with available low down payment and low monthly promos with bank partners.

To know more about CHERY Auto Philippines, follow its official online platforms: www.cheryauto.ph, CHERY Auto Philippines (Facebook) and @ cheryautophilippines (Instagram). You may also call the 24/7 CHERY Auto Philippines hotline at (0917) 552 4379 or email chery@uaagi.com for more inquiries.

NEWS

The Lamborghini from the movie The Cannonball Run at the US Capitol

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he 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP 400 S, chassis number 1121112, is well known for being the star of the 1981 comedy film The Cannonball Run. Exactly 40 years after the film’s release, considered one of the most iconic car movies of all time, the Countach, one of its stars, has made history by being included on the National Historic Vehicle Register of the United States Library of Congress, managed by Hagerty Driver’s Foundation, on the shortlist of just 30 cars to date considered of national importance for the United States.

To celebrate this historic moment, the Countach was displayed inside a glass case on the National Mall in Washington D.C., one of the capital’s most important historic sites, also home to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

From now on, all the information regarding the car, its history, a 3D scan of it and copies of all its documentation will be preserved in the Library of Congress: the oldest cultural institution in the United States, an official body of the United States Congress and America’s national library.

When The Cannonball Run hit theaters in June 1981, with a fictional plot based on the real-life secret race that had taken place for several years between the east and west coasts of the United States, few foresaw the enormous success it would have and its importance in the history of American culture. Those were the years in the U.S. when a speed limit of 55 mph (88 km/h) was in effect and where the dream of any kind of speed, even just slightly higher, was strictly repressed by the police. During the

same years, a group of passionate motorists decided to challenge the system by racing across the continent in the least amount of time from downtown Manhattan in New York to a marina on the Pacific Ocean at Redondo Beach in California. Obviously, such action did not go unnoticed by the Hollywood screenwriters who made the movie, choosing the most representative cars of the era driven by a starstudded cast including the likes of Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, and Farrah Fawcett.

The undisputed protagonist, and in the film the winner of the race, was the 1979 Countach LP 400 S, black with mustard yellow interior, chassis #1121112. Right from the three-plus minutes of the opening scene dedicated entirely to the Countach, shot in the desert east

of Las Vegas and using the sound of the V12 and its six carburetors as the soundtrack, the Countach was one of the biggest stars of the movie and had the audience dreaming.

The car was delivered new to Lamborghini’s distributor in Rome at the time, SEA Auto, and was immediately exported to the United States and sold in Florida. In 1980, the owner, a friend of the film’s director Hal Needham, loaned it to him for filming. The Countach was modified for the movie with the addition of a front spoiler, twin spotlights, three antennas and 12 exhaust pipes. It was noticed on the set

by Ron Rice, founder of the sunscreen brand Hawaiian Tropic that was famous for its motorsport sponsorships, who fell in love with it and bought it on the spot. He kept it till 2004, when it was sold to attorney and Lamborghini

aficionado Jeff Ippoliti of Florida, who still owns it.

Hagerty Drivers Foundation – – helps to shape the future of car culture by celebrating our automotive history.

We provide programs and financial support in three focus areas: Car Culture, Education, Innovation. Every September, we celebrate automotive culture with our event where we showcase historically significant automobiles on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since 2009, 29 vehicles have been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register, a program created in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior and Library of Congress. We are now very proud to announce that our car no. 30 is the 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP 400 that starred in the 1981 movie “The Cannonball Run”.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 19

MitsubishiPH opens dealership in Cordon City, Isabela M itsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) further expands its dealer network in Region II as it opens a new dealership in Cordon City, Isabela through SJ Legacy Motors. This new dealership is conveniently located in Barangay Malapat along the National Highway, which is very accessible to commercial and residential areas.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines officially welcomes SJ Legacy Motors Incorporated (SJLMI) led by its founding Chairman and CEO, Mr, Amando, “Amang” San Juan, a veteran in the automotive industry. This

20 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

expansion will ensure the continuous delivery of top-notch quality products and services from the Mitsubishi Motors brand.

“I am both delighted and honored with the inauguration of the newest addition to our Group, and our first Mitsubishi dealership, Mitsubishi SJ Legacy Motors – Isabela!

Through the 45 years of existence of our Group, it has been our mission to provide our customers with a worry-free ownership experience through world-class vehicles, parts and after-sales services.

The addition of this new Mitsubishi dealership, hopefully the first of many, is a privilege that will only

motivate us to take this mission to new heights of customer delight!” says Mr. Amando, “Amang” San Juan – Chairman & CEO, SJ Legacy Motors.

Sporting Mitsubishi Motors’ global brand identity, Mitsubishi SJ Legacy Motors – Isabela highlights a modern exterior and interior look that aims to provide customers a better dealership experience. It also offers a 4-car display showroom with more than sufficient service bays and parking spaces for visiting customers.

“We are determined in finding more avenues to bring the Mitsubishi Motors brand closer to

our customers. Through this rapid dealership expansion, we are able to offer a “wonderful car life” experience to more Filipino customers around the country.” Says Mr. Takeshi Hara – President & CEO of

MMPC. To know more about Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, its products and promos you may visit www.mitsubishi-motors. com.ph or contact your preferred dealer.

NEWS

CTEK announces new Adaptive Charging Products A s part of its continuing innovations, CTEK introduced two new products that highlight on the brand’s unique adaptive charging technology. These products are designed to further support the mobile lifestyle of a vehicle owner and also to answer the demand for efficient and convenient charging solutions. It is also smarter than ever before, with no buttons to push. Simply connect the charger and leave it to do its work.

The first is the CTEK CS FREE, the world’s first truly portable battery charger. The CS Free features CTEK’s new Adaptive Boost Technology and can get a flat battery running in just 15 minutes. “Adaptive Boost” means that the charger will only deliver the necessary power requirement, based on its initial, automatic analysis on the state of the battery. Upon evaluation, it will determine the safest way to deliver just enough power to start the vehicle — no more,

no less. As opposed to common “boosters” or “jumpstarters,” the CS Free will not shock your battery to life, thus avoiding damage to the battery or the vehicle’s electronics.

When fully-charged, the internal battery of the CTEK CS Free can last for up to one year, making it a reliable portable charger to have in your vehicle wherever you go. The CS Free will deliver up to 5A of power for all types of 12V

batteries, including EFB and Lithium. In addition, travelers can top up their mobile devices through the USB-C and USB-A charging ports that are built-in to the CS Free.

The CS Free can also be used a maintenance charger when connected to a power source, whether it’s an AC outlet, a PD charger, USB-C cable or even a 60W solar panel (using the optional solar panel charge kit). The main LED display will show how

much time is left until the battery is fully charged and, as with the beauty of any CTEK charger, the battery can be kept connected without fear of overcharging.

The second product that was launched is the new CTEK CS ONE. The CS One is the brand’s 12V adaptive battery charger that features the unique APTO Adaptive Charging Technology. APTO charging goes beyond the conventional multi-

step charging, by doing all the thinking for you.

Once connected to the battery, the CS One will evaluate the chemistry, size, and heath of the battery, and then it will automatically apply the customized charging program required. It will likewise detect whether the ambient temperature is hot or cold and adjust the output voltage.

The new CTEK CS One features a dedicated battery maintenance feature for lead-acid and lithium batteries, making it adaptive and compatible to any kind of vehicle battery. It will automatically detect bad cells in the battery and notify the user if a battery can no longer hold a charge. The charger also features a countdown indicator that will tell the vehicle owner when a flat battery can be restarted or how much time is left before a battery is fully charged.

A new safety feature in the CS One are the Polarity-Free Clamps.

Most vehicle owners confuse which is clamp goes on which terminal.

The CS Free takes away this worry as the clamps automatically works out which clamp is on which charging point.

It will then deliver the correct polarity for those terminals.

Apart from maintenance charging, the CTEK CS One also features RECOND (recondition) mode for bringing deeply discharged batteries to life, SUPPLY mode to turn the CS One into a 12V power supply, especially for vehicles that are highly electronics-heavy, and LITHIUM WAKE-UP mode for lithium batteries with under-voltage protection (UVP). The three above features can be unlocked and accessed through the dedicated CTEK App that is free to download on iOS and Android.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 21

F I R ST D R I V E S N E W C A R S T E ST E D A N D R AT E D

MAZDA CX-30 AWD SPORT Good things come in small packages 22 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

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hat is it? It’s a sub-compact crossover. They’re making SUV versions of subcompacts now and they’re actually quite sensible versions of the cars they’re based on, especially since our roads are pretty bad here. This time we take a closer look at Mazda’s CX 30 which is based on the current Mazda 3.

EXTERIOR

At first glance you’ll see a handsome looking small SUV, lets see if the rest of it is as good as it looks. Don’t let the name confuse you, yes there is a CX-3, but this slots between that and the CX-5 in the line up. The CX-30’s exterior has a lot in common with the new Mazda 3, no creases on the side panels, keeping everything simple and uncluttered save for cladding on the lower part of the doors and over the tire wells to give it more of rugged look about it. It rolls on 215/55’s on 18” alloy wheels. Up front is has Mazda’s LED Adaptive Front Lighting System and a powered rear tailgate. Side mirrors are power adjust and power fold, you also get the rain sensing wipers which are hidden nicely.

ENGINE

Under the hood is a Skyactiv-G 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve 2.0 liter gasoline engine that puts out 155 Ps at 6000rpm with 200Nm torque at 4000rpm mated to a Skyactiv-Drive 6-speed automatic transmission with Sport Mode, you also get paddle shifters in this variant. Power is transferred to tarmac via i-Activ All Wheel Drive with G-Vectoring control.

INTERIOR

Inside, its spacious enough for a small crossover, but it’s everything you expect from Mazda, premium materials and almost a transplant of the Mazda 3’s interior. Just like the Mazda 3, just about everything is soft touch and buttons and knobs have a consistently deliberate premium feeling “tactileness” to it. The leather wrapped Electric Power-Assisted Steering wheel is tilt and telescopic adjustable, with controls for audio, Bluetooth controls and the Cruise Control system. The entertainment system is Mazda Connect with an 8.8” monitor, with connectivity via 2 USB, Bluetooth and has smartphone mirroring. The piece de resistance is the 12-speaker BOSE® Sound System and the moon roof.

It’s leather comes in black, brown and a dark maroon trim on the driver and front passenger seats, and just like the other Mazdas, the driver’s seat is 10-way adjustable to fit all drivers to the perfect driving position, the front passenger is 6-way manual adjust. The rear 60/40

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 23

split seat has just enough legroom and space for three average sized pinoys.

SAFETY

The CX-30 has seven airbags, front and side Driver and passenger airbags with curtain and driver knee airbags. Its equipped with AntiLock Braking Syatem (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Dynamic Stability Control (DCS) with Off-road traction assist and a 360° View Camera. It’s also got Mazda’s i-Activsense suite of active safety features like: Radar Cruise Control (adaptive cruise control), Smart Brake Support, Front-Cross Traffic Alert, Driver Monitoring System, Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist and BlindSpot Monitoring with Rear-Cross Traffic Alert.

24 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

The CX-30 is fun to drive because it’s small, but with a higher than sedan field of view which is as expected with it’s 180mm ground clearance. Despite it’s small size, it has a refined ride just like the Mazda 3 it’s based on, and everything about that car translated perfectly into this SUV. Most exterior and road noises are blocked out, allowing you to enjoy the entertainment system even a relatively low volumes, or just have some peace and quiet on the road, even at high speeds.

It’s nimble, steering is responsive and gives a good feel for the road.

You’ll notice our roads don’t seem as bad in the CX-30 as it soaks up bumps and imperfections, just like more expensive vehicles. It’s AWD system will keep you on the road even in slippery conditions and

it’s helped along with G-vectoring to make sure the right amount of traction goes to the tires that need it.

There’s a lot of cargo space too, 430 liters behind the second row seats.

An interesting feature is when the front camera activates whenever it senses something too close to the front of the car, handy especially if there’s an unseen obstacle or someone’s pet or child strays in your way and you don’t see them over the hood.

This CX-30 AWD Sport is priced at Php1,990,000 which is at the higher end of this category of SUV. Now you might think that most of the features can be had in the Mazda 3 for a lot less or, you can move up to the next category CX-5 FWD for even a little less or maybe even a cheaper brand sub-compact SUV, and that may seem logical, but buying a car

is never a logical choice is it? What you do get is a lot of car, loaded with all of Mazda’s features you want, in a sub-compact SUV, and in colors only Mazda has. Everything you could want in a small package. That should put things in perspective.

NEIL PAGULAYAN

MAZDA CX30

AAAAB Price Engine

PHP 1,990,000 Skyactiv-G 2.0 liter 4-cylinder gasoline Power 155 Ps @ 6000rpm Torque 200Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission Skyactiv-Drive 6-speed automatic transmission with Sport Mode Fuel Capacity 48 liters

FIRST DRIVES

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 25

Sporty, Luxurious.

TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T

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id-sized sedans are big, luxurious, sometimes imposing. In the corporate setting, these cars are usually assigned to Vice Presidents or of similar rank. I recall when I was still working in the corporate world back in the 90’s, our VP for Sales purchased a Camry (XV20) right after ToyotaPH introduced it, preferring it over his company issued ride.

Four generations later, the current Camry still caters to the same market, but is now a completely different animal, looking more sport than executive, but in an understated way yet retaining its refined accoutrements.

26 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

EXTERIOR On the outside, it looks slick. It’s lines flowing from the front to the rear. From the front, you’ll notice that there’s not much of a grille to speak of, yet the air dam below looks like it could suck in subcompacts and motorcycles. The sculpted hood looks like it’s hiding something fearsome underneath. It’s handsome, and when we drove it around, it wasn’t uncommon to see top management types giving it a long look and imagining themselves in it. The DRL’s and headlights all work towards drawing your attention up and around to the sides and when you get to the rear, the lines meet at an integrated spoiler on trunk.

FIRST DRIVES

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 27

Take a close look at the line that separates the projector headlamp from the DRL’s, you’ll notice this recurs in and around the Camry.

INTERIOR The engineers at Toyota thought things out well, even the inside is more sporty than executive. The dashboard and center console may look a bit busier than past Camrys , but this is definitely not your typical “vanilla” executive conveyance. Taking into consideration that the boss may want to drive the car once in a while, everything is easily where they’re supposed to be.

The leather seats are firm, giving good support. Most surfaces are soft touch, with upscale brushed aluminum and some wood looking synthetic materials.

As expected, there’s a massive amount of space for both front and rear passengers, even three would find the back seat spacious.

The armrest folds down and doubles as your climate control panel for the rear passengers.

The back seats also recline a few degrees, making them just that

28 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

more comfortable on a long trip whether on the open road or in metro gridlock.

POWERPLANT Powering the Camry is a 2.5L 16-Valve 4-cylinder DOHC, Dual VVT-I gasoline engine that puts out 184Ps at 6,000rpm with 231Nm at 4,100rpm mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

This generation only has this engine option available locally, you may be inclined to miss the grunt of the V6, but rest assured that this has enough power to get you around. It has three drive modes, ECO, Normal and Sport guaranteeing you’ll have a good time ripping around on winding country roads or expressways.

RIDE This Camry rides firmer than previous generations, making for a more direct feel on the road, cornering like a smaller car, helped out by the wide and low 235/45R’s on 18” alloy rims, but since it’s much longer than a subcompact, it still manages to iron out most of our roads many imperfections. NVH is as good as

can be expected from a car in this class, road and wind noise are kept at bay and the interior is quiet even at high speeds.

THE BOTTOM LINE The top of the line variant we drove is priced at Php2,072,000, this Camry doesn’t seem to strike me as a “ for grown ups car” as the other mid sized sedans in the market, or even previous generation Camrys. I feel like it would appeal more to someone who appreciates the space, reluctantly sits in the back on occasion, but would prefer more to be behind the wheel.

NEIL PAGULAYAN

TOYOTA CAMRY 2.5V A/T

AAAAB Price Engine

PHP 2,072,000 4-Cylinder In-Line, 16 Valve, DOHC, Dual VVT-i Power 184ps @ 6,000rpm Torque 231Nm @ 4,100rpm Transmission 6-Speed Automatic Displacement 2,494cc

FIRST DRIVES

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 29

News, insight and opinion from the world of motor racing

M OTO R S P O RTS

30 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

RACING ONCE AGAIN: TUASON’S GITI-FORMULA V1 RACE CHALLENGE RETURNS

uason Racing’s GITI – Formula V1 Race Challenge returned after a whole season-long off the track.

After the halt caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s rising formula racing series is back to offer intense racing action once again.

Presented by Phoenix Fuels, GITI-Tires, powered by PLDT Home and supported by FamilyMart , Limitless, Brembo and West Racing Cars in partnership with Tuason Racing, the GITI-Formula V1 Race Challenge held its first round of the season at the Clark International Speedway last September 25-26, 2021.

T

The opening race of the series brought ten talented drivers on the grid. Divided into two race classes, the AM Class was participated

by Nuzest Racing Team’s Cesco Dino, Phoenix Pulse Racing Team’s Aira Medrano and Joaquin

Garrido, Julian Colvin Tang of Toyota Marilao Obengers Racing Team, and Autoholic Raceform’s Julian Neri and Sebastien Soto.

Four drivers competed in the PRO Class namely Growl-Thule Racing Team’s Jussi Hoikka, Toyota Marilao Obengers Racing Team’s Daniel Miranda, Red Diwa of OTR Racing Team, and Milo Rivera of Frontrow Racing Team.

The battle in the ultimate race class of the series had 2018 Formula V1 secondoverall champion Daniel

Miranda battling it out with slalom champion Milo Rivera in race 1 and 2, with Miranda crossing the finish line first in both races.

Rivera bounced back and dominated race 3, earning him his first Formula V1 win. For the final race of the weekend, it was Jussi Hoikka of Growl Thule Racing Team who emerged victorious, taking the race number 4 win.

For the AM Class race results, Obengers Racing Team’s Julian Colvin dominated the racing

weekend winning the first three of the four races. It was Phoenix PULSE Racing Team’s Joaquin Garrido who successfully stopped Colvin’s streak that weekend by capturing the race 4 AM Class win.

With GITI-Formula V1 Race Challenge having races closed for actual race audiences, fans can watch the races through broadcasts over Tuason Racing’s official Facebook page. Round 1 will be aired on October 20 while Round 2 will be up on October 27.

udi is well on its way to debut in the legendary Dakar Rally next year with the Audi RS Q e-tron, the first electrified car to challenge for overall victory at the world’s most grueling motorsport event. Audi’s participation at the Dakar Rally is intended as a development program and is one of the pillars in the brand’s transition toward electromobility.

Audi has been accelerating its electrification roadmap and company-wide decarbonization program as it targets to be completely carbon-neutral by 2050. By 2025, the company plans to have more than 20 fully and 10 partially electric models accounting for 40% of its sales. It also intends to reduce by 30%, when compared to 2015 levels, the carbon footprint of its vehicle fleet across the entire lifecycle.

A

Also forming a part of Audi’s strategy is taking part in the Dakar Rally using a unique concept. The Audi RS Q e-tron has an electric powertrain with two 250 kW motor-generator units (MGU) taken from the brand’s Formula E racecar.

One MGU is mounted on the front axle and the other on the rear axle, providing an electric quattro drive.

Each of the MGUs weighs less than 35 kilograms and achieve an efficiency rating of 97% — impressive proof of Audi’s electric mobility performance. A third MGU paired with a highly efficient Audi TFSI internalcombustion engine functions as an energy converter that recharges the car’s highvoltage battery on-the-go.

To simulate the demanding conditions of the Dakar Rally, Audi recently subjected the Audi RS Q e-tron to an extensive twoweek testing program in the desert and sand dunes of Morocco — which followed

similar development work in Germany and Spain. All three of Audi’s powerhouse driver pairings for the Dakar Rally campaign, namely Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekstrom, Edouard Boulanger, Lucas Cruz and Emil Bergkvist, tested the highly complex prototype.

“Some of the conditions the test team encountered in Morocco were extreme — the thermometer climbed to well over 40 degrees Celsius at

times,” said Sven Quandt, team principal of Audi’s Q Motorsport division.

“Sandstorms also hampered the testing. In addition, some new problems arose in the high temperatures, which repeatedly caused interruptions to the testing and needed to be solved before the next test.”

Quandt noted that while much lower temperatures are expected at the Dakar Rally, Audi deliberately went to Morocco to test under the

most extreme conditions.

Components such as the MGU were basically not developed for use in such high ambient temperatures, but the drivetrain and other components were also pushed to their limits, or even beyond, by the heat.

Quandt said the insights gained in Morocco are invaluable as these showed Audi still have a lot to do before the Dakar Rally.

As Audi holds the RS Q e-tron’s test program, Audi Sport — the brand’s highperformance division — has already started building the first car intended for competition. Though the test car is a prototype that is still being developed, the company is ensuring that the knowledge acquired from testing will result in actual competition cars that are absolutely perfect. The experience gained from the Dakar Rally challenge will then be applied in technologies for other upcoming fully electric e-tron production cars.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 31

GETTY IMAGES

AUDI CONDUCTS EXTREME TESTS ON THE RS Q E-TRON

ROAD TEST

PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

No 5506

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Is the next-generation Ghost the ultimate ‘understated’ luxury limo?

MODEL TESTED GHOST Price £249,600

Power 563bhp

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Torque 627lb ft

0-60mph 4.7sec

30-70mph in fourth na

Fuel economy 18.0mpg

CO2 emissions 347-358g/km

70-0mph 46.6m

ROAD TEST host. It’s an appropriate name for the model that sits neither fully in the present nor in the future, at least so far as Rolls-Royce’s product planners are concerned.

On one hand, the arrival of this substantial limousine completes an overhaul for the line-up at Goodwood, which began with an all-new Phantom in 2017, before the arrival in 2018 of the Cullinan crossover (which, inevitably, set new sales records for the company). Now, in the Ghost, we have the Phantom’s not so junior, £250,000 understudy.

The circle is complete, so to speak, and more fundamentally so than you might think. The new Ghost sits for the first time on the same bespoke aluminium ‘Architecture of Luxury’ that underpins its siblings, rather than an adapted BMW 7 Series platform, as was the case when its predecessor was introduced in 2009.

Unlike the Phantom and Cullinan, though, the Mk2 Ghost also points to the future of Rolls-Royce, if not in purely mechanical terms (the company is expected to introduce electric-only vehicles in the foreseeable future, whereas today’s test subject uses an unapologetic 6.75-litre V12 with not one iota of electrical assistance) then in terms of philosophy. Without a hint of irony, Rolls-Royce calls this new approach ‘Post Opulence’. What that means is something less ostentatious and more noble, the ‘antithesis of premium mediocracy’, albeit all within the traditional Rolls remit. Call it the acceptable face of extravagance.

What we’ll now discover is whether Rolls-Royce has done enough to see off stiff competition, which includes Bentley and Maybach.

Because whatever language you use to characterise your product, being the one who sets the standard is ultimately what really matters in the ultra-luxury class.

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DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

AAAAA

We like  V12 lends regal performance and exceptional refinement at all speeds  Interior quality and luxury are up there with Rolls’ finest  Effortless steering suits Ghost’s ultra-luxury dynamic brief to a T

We don’t like  Secondary ride is very good but doesn’t dominate the competition quite like we’d hoped it would  Too expensive for mere mortals, but that’s probably the point

With some 5.55m separating the iconic and subtly backlit Pantheon grille from its tapered, almost coupélike rear end, the Ghost is longer than not only a Range Rover but Rolls’ own Cullinan SUV, too. Of course, the flagship Phantom is longer still; but with nearly 2.16m between its door mirrors, a height of 1.57m and a claimed kerb weight of 2490kg, it’s difficult to characterise the Ghost’s footprint as anything other than vast.

Compared with its Goodwood stablemates, however, the Ghost wears its immense size with a degree more subtlety. It’s still conspicuously opulent (anything with a Flying Lady at its nose is bound to be), but its smaller frontal area and smooth, largely uninterrupted bodywork combine to lend it a discernible level of visual discretion – relatively speaking, of course.

Beneath that stately exterior lies Goodwood’s all-aluminium ‘Architecture of Luxury’, which

Range at a glance ENGINES

POWER

FROM

Ghost Ghost EWB

563bhp 563bhp

£249,600 £285,000

TRANSMISSIONS 8-spd automatic Equipment grades and trim walk-ups aren’t concepts that Rolls-Royce acknowledges. Its ‘patrons’ expect their cars to be one of a kind; a motorised symbol of their tastes, values and accomplishments that won’t be seen anywhere else in the world. As such, the level of personalisation that its Bespoke Collective offers is effectively limited only by your imagination, and the depths of your bank account.

Make no mistake: it’d be exceedingly easy to drop a six-figure sum customising a Ghost to your liking.

replaces the old BMW platform the last Ghost was based on and finally puts to bed any criticisms about it being a reskinned 7 Series.

Its configuration places the Ghost’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 behind the front axle line, in a bid to achieve a 50:50 weight distribution and hone its position as a Rolls-Royce that’s as enjoyable to drive as it is to be driven in. The immense motor makes 563bhp from 5000rpm and a mighty 627lb ft from as low as 1600rpm – all of which is deployed to the road through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive for the first time. Four-wheel steering is another new introduction for the second-generation Ghost.

Suspension is by way of double wishbones up front and multiple links at the rear, with adjustable air springs all round. A major but seemingly simple mechanical innovation comes in the form of the Ghost’s new upper wishbone damper.

This is effectively a mass damper attached to the same joint as the upper control arm and is intended to further absorb suspension movement and vibration as the car rolls over finer lumps and bumps.

Along with a 12V active anti-roll bar at the rear axle, a camera system known as Flagbearer that scans the road ahead and preconditions the suspension accordingly, and Rolls-Royce’s satellite-assisted transmission, these systems combine to form what the firm refers to as its Planar Suspension System. We’ll discuss its effectiveness shortly.

Previous Ghost was more overtly opulent

 Rolls-Royce’s Pantheon grille is shrunk for the Ghost compared with the Phantom and feels laudably subtle, strange as that sounds. It also features 20 LEDs beneath the upper ledge that gently illuminate the vanes at night.

 Elegant lower ‘waft line’ is supposedly borrowed from boat design and runs along the length of the car, creating a sense of motion and using reflection to lighten the surfacing, says Rolls-Royce.

It works well on lighter-coloured cars, so long as they’re particularly clean.

 There’s one 19in wheel style and three 21in options. This example has the 21in twin-spoke part-polished wheels, with the wheel centres painted to match.

Naturally, all wheels are adorned with self-levelling centre caps.

 Rear ‘suicide’ doors mean the handles can meet neatly in the middle of the car.

The Ghost’s doors can be opened and closed automatically, with the rears traditionally featuring umbrellas hidden within the cross section.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 33

Weights and measures

mm

970m m

507 litres

90

0m 114

Kerb weight: 2490kg 3295mm

941mm

1571mm

ax

0m m

0.32

1020m m max

DIMENSIONS

1309mm

5546mm

PA R K I N G Typical garage height

 Rolls-Royce’s typically large steering wheel sits directly in front of you and the car’s higher hip point makes getting in and out easy.

Typical parking space width (2400mm)

1950mm

Typical leg room 900mm

2160mm (with mirrors) 4080mm

 Tug the handle of the rear coach door once to pop it open, then again to make it swing out electrically. Be careful of any walls, though: the door won’t detect them.

W H E E L A N D P E DA L ALI G N M E NT No complaints as far as pedal positioning is concerned, but then you wouldn’t expect Rolls-Royce to get something like this wrong. Steering column offers excellent adjustability, too.

45mm 185mm

Height 520mm

Length 1030-1230mm

Width 860-1360mm

H E AD LI G HTS Rolls-Royce’s laser-assisted ‘Brilliance’ headlights offer just that and are fitted as standard. The beam is every bit as bright and broad as you would imagine.

INTERIOR

AAAAA Climbing aboard the Ghost is a process steeped in a sense of occasion and theatre. The door handles are fashioned from weighty-looking stainless steel that’s cool to the touch, and the doors themselves feel heavy as you gently pull them open. You step over a low sill onto thick, woollen carpets, before sliding across effortlessly onto sumptuously upholstered and fairly high-set leather chairs. Those in the back can then swing the rear-hinged coach doors shut by pressing a button on the C-pillar, and similar controls on the centre console allow the driver and front-seat passenger to do the same. And once they’re closed, you’re left immersed in an environment that’s as beautifully appointed and

34 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

Centre luxurious as you’d hope to find in anything with four wheels.

From the driver’s seat, the Ghost feels immensely spacious. Head and shoulder room are abundant, and a readily apparent sense of airiness was heightened further by the crisp white upholstery of our test car. The upright driving position is exceptionally comfortable and the car’s high hip point affords a commanding view out over its expansive bonnet. You also get the distinct sense that the controls have been laid out in a manner that minimises the effort required to reach them. When you do interact with them, you find that every switch, surface and stalk feels not only expensive and exquisitely crafted but reassuringly robust, too.

There are multiple seating configurations for the second row.

Our car featured two individually

 Boot is easily large enough to accommodate a few sets of golf clubs or a suitcase, but the wine fridge that’s housed behind the armrest does intrude a bit.

adjustable ‘Immersive Seats’ with an occasional third seat appearing when the central armrest was folded away.

That armrest doubles as a control centre for the car’s infotainment suite, but if you are willing to sacrifice some boot space, RollsRoyce can then set a champagne fridge within the rear bulkhead, should you option the Central Cool Chamber. A fixed centre console – with an even larger, built-in cool box that has room for a whisky decanter and two champagne flutes – can also be specified. Or you could just have a regular ‘Lounge Seat’ with generous berths for two. However, despite the Ghost’s larger size, our tape measure revealed a second row that isn’t quite as spacious as the Cullinan’s. That said, 900mm of typical rear leg room and 970mm of head room is more than even the tallest passengers are

likely to ever need and, crucially, more space than you’ll get in a Bentley Flying Spur.

PERFORMANCE

AAAAA Ghost owners are unlikely to dwell on quantifiable performance, but were you to assess this car’s potential in coldly objective terms, as we have, you’d discover an extraordinarily quick limousine given the physics at play – this is a 2490kg vehicle.

Liberating power and torque from this 6.75-litre V12 is not difficult, but to get the most out of the powertrain, you need to press the small button marked ‘Low’ on the slim gear selector stalk. Do this and the Ghost shrugs off some of its cultivated nonchalance, not least by stepping away in first gear, rather than second, and thereafter executing an

ROAD TEST

 Rear doors each house a good-sized umbrella. Along with the Spirit of Ecstasy, these were the only parts carried over from the previous Ghost.

 Phantom’s iDrive controller can be hidden away but the Ghost’s remains on display. It looks classy, though, and feels it, thanks to a leather strap that surrounds it.

 ‘Illuminated Fascia’ is the product of 10,000 hours of development work. Backlit Ghost lettering is surrounded by no fewer than 850 ‘stars’, lit by 152 LEDs.

Multimedia system

AAAAC

Rolls-Royce continues to rely on a reskinned BMW infotainment suite for the latest Ghost. As far as its ease of use and graphical sophistication are concerned, it’s one of the best systems but there are those who might bemoan the lack of a bespoke set-up.

The rotary dial on the centre console is undoubtedly the most comfortable means of interacting with the system – particularly while on the move – but the screen responds swiftly to touch inputs, too. Meanwhile, a second rotary controller integrated into the second-row armrest allows passengers to take control of the media suite from the back seats. They’ll also be able to watch television on the two large screens that are integrated into the front seatbacks.

Our test car featured a 1300W Rolls-Royce Bespoke audio system – an 18-channel set-up that even incorporates exciter speakers in the Starlight Headliner. Sound quality was, of course, excellent.

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 35

❝ It delivers the uninterrupted

drivability only really felt with EVs

❞

‘aggressive’ shift strategy, holding onto to ratios longer, shifting without hesitation and kicking down further than normal. That those shifts remain glass smooth is testament to the dexterity of ZF’s transmission hardware and the truly expert tuning of the control electronics. And duly, against the clock, our Ghost squatted heavily but then dusted off 0-60mph in an impressive 4.7sec, its four-wheel drive not for one moment left wanting in terms of traction, even in slightly damp test conditions.

For Ghost owners who are short of time, there is one other very encouraging figure. In kickdown, the Ghost dispatched 30-70mph in 3.8sec. For reference, the new Flying Spur – a veritable rocket ship in this class – could go only 0.6sec quicker.

Of course, these numbers mean little in the real world, and it is the nature of the Ghost’s performance, rather than its magnitude, that counts. In this respect, it’s no

exaggeration to say that the V12 driveline is comically demure. The additional torque that Rolls-Royce has massaged out of the engine since its appearance in the Cullinan was hardly necessary but it adds to the almost weightless sensation the Ghost exhibits as it gently accumulates speed. We said this of the current Phantom, but the sheer linearity of the engine response and the imperceptibility of the gearshifts (well, you might notice the ‘Power Reserve %’ dial quiver) combine to deliver the uninterrupted drivability only really felt with electric cars. Add in superbly well-judged brake- and throttle-pedal weights and the result is an enormous and superficially very inert limousine that, contrary to what you might think, is joyful to operate.

H A N D L I N G A N D S TA B I L I T Y

AAAAB With any modern Rolls-Royce, the wheelbase is so long that the V12 can

sit entirely behind the front axle and this gives the cars surprisingly good weight distribution. The new Ghost is no different, its maker claiming a perfect 50:50 split, and when you combine that with articulate suspension architecture and air springs, the result is palpable balance and composure.

This lays strong foundations for the Ghost’s most memorable and enjoyable dynamic character trait: the way it steers. Even the gossamer rim of the helm itself is oh-so satisfying to hold by the fingertips and its motion, which at first feels curiously light, quickly becomes intuitive when coaxing the car’s monolithic nose this way and that. The action itself forgoes pronounced self-centring, although, far from engendering any sense of instability, this actually seems to improve matters.

Meanwhile, the gearing is stately without ever feeling languorous.

It’s an exceptionally good set-up

and the uniform weighting, which would cause serious concern in any sports car, suits the Ghost’s temperament beautifully. Only when turning tightly at low speeds, when the four-wheel steering awakens, does the steering reveal anything approaching inconsistency, although the sudden and wholesale loss of weight in the motion that occurs towards the extremes of lock is more an observation than a criticism.

All of this means that while so many luxury vehicles desperately lack the calibre of steering necessary to explore their handling, the Ghost is different. And it is far from undone by interesting roads (although you may want to avoid any B-road rat runs). In tighter corners, there is no escaping the spectre of understeer, just as you would expect, and there’s zero throttle adjustability in this chassis, but the neutral-verging-on-oversteer balance the Ghost adopts in quicker corners is genuinely satisfying. And, of course,

 Intuitive, well-geared steering – a dynamic highlight – causes the front end to respond to inputs with pleasing accuracy and the car exhibits good balance and composure.

36 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

ROAD TEST Track notes It feels a bit rude to hurtle around Millbrook’s Hill Route in a car as stately as the Ghost, but it copes with this tortuous stretch of track well enough, given its immense size.

Body movements are, of course, entirely conspicuous, and you get the sense that its stability and four-wheel drive systems are working overtime to keep its nose tracking in the right direction. The threat of understeer is ever present. Even so, once its front end bites and mass has settled over its outside tyres, it navigates tighter sections of track with impressive neutrality and reassuring levels of grip.

The featherweight steering that makes the Ghost so delightful to manoeuvre at sociable road speeds takes some getting used to at pace and can sap your confidence a little.

Rolls-Royce might claim this is a car for driving as much as being driven in, and at relaxed speeds that rings true. What it isn’t, however, is a car for hustling along. Which is fine.

there is that deftly and accurate steering to underpin proceedings.

So, yes, the Rolls’ body floats much more than you’d find with any Bentley, and there is pronounced roll, however well it might be meted out. Yet for a machine supposedly all about the back-row seats, there are several good reasons why owners would take the wheel themselves.

C O M F O R T A N D I S O L AT I O N

AAAAB As with so many entities that appear to operate with effortless ease, there is plenty going on beneath the surface of the Ghost’s bodywork.

The work Rolls-Royce puts into its ‘Architecture of Luxury’ extends considerably further than the endless dimensions and localised stiffness, and the aluminium it uses takes more complex forms than necessary in order to quell as much road-generated resonance as possible. The bulkhead and floor are also double-skinned to

 Once the threat of understeer has been quelled, the Ghost will plough through sharper bends such as T2 and T4 confidently.

 The sharp inclines that follow T5 and lead up to T6 are vanquished by the V12’s titanic amount of torque.

 Ghost’s heft really makes itself felt through T1, and particularly through the off-camber T3.

FINISH sandwich damping felts, and overall more than 100kg of acoustic damping material is used. This includes the double-glazed windows and sponge within the Pirelli’s PNCS tyres.

No surprise, then, that the Ghost is sensationally quiet. At idle, the V12 is so well isolated that inside the cabin we registered just 40dB, which is quieter than ambient levels on a sleepy suburban street. At 70mph, that rises to a scant 58dB – comfortably less than the 64dB recorded by the Flying Spur and even the 60dB of the Phantom. This demonstrates that Rolls-Royce is making good progress even at the sharpest, most challenging and perhaps most expensive end of its development criteria.

The benefit for passengers is that boarding the Ghost and closing the vault-like doors seems to transport you to another dimension, where the outside world feels faintly abstract.

It’s when you find your sleepy self sat

START

in the back of the Ghost, in the outside lane of the motorway, listening to music with remarkable clarity, that you realise that intrinsic, bona fide ‘luxury’ can be every bit as thrilling and captivating as cornering at high g-forces in the latest supercar.

Ride quality, which benefits from Rolls’ new mass dampers on the front axle, is familiar from the Phantom, in that the body is permitted to make languid long-wave movements, but not quite to the same extent. If there is a fly in this serene ointment, it concerns secondary ride, which is mostly excellent but can on occasion transmit the road surface fractionally too faithfully. In fact, there’s the possibility that the upcoming Mercedes S-Class will do better in this respect. We’ll find out in due course.

BUYING AND OWNING

AAAAC With prices starting at £249,600 after taxes, the Ghost might well

be the most affordable modern-day Rolls-Royce, but it’s by no means the most attainable luxury saloon on the market. A Flying Spur is the best part of £80,000 less, while the likes of the Mercedes-Maybach S650 start around the £180,000 mark.

That’s a hefty premium, for sure, but it’s unlikely that the average Rolls-Royce patron (if there is such a thing) will be too fazed – particularly when most will go on to spend a five- or six-figure sum personalising their Ghost. Our car came with a whopping £112,530 worth of optional extras and it seems entirely likely that you could quite easily spend even more should you choose to.

Fuel consumption is about where you would expect it to be.

We averaged 18mpg during our time with the car and saw a touring economy of 28.5mpg. Combined with the Ghost’s 90-litre tank, that makes for a theoretical maximum range in excess of 560 miles.

AC C E L E R AT I O N

30mph

40mph

50mph

60mph

70mph

80mph

90mph

2.0s

2.8s

3.6s

4.7s

5.8s

7.0s

8.5s

100mph

10.3s

0

110mph

120mph

130mph

12.3s

14.7s

17.6s

140mph

20.9s

10s

30mph

1.7s

40

50

2.4s 3.0s

60mph

70mph

80mph

3.9s

4.9s

6.0s

90mph

100mph

7.3s

8.9s

110mph

10.5s

0

20s

120mph

130mph

12.4s

14.6s

140mph

17.1s

10s

B R A K I N G 60-0mph: 2.79sec 30mph-0

50mph-0

8.2m 0

10m

20m

30mph-0

46.6m 30m

40m

50mph-0

8.7m 0

70mph-0

22.9m

70mph-0

23.5m 10m

20m

45.4m 30m

40m

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 37

Data log

90 litres

POWER & TORQUE

ECONOMY

800 700

700

563bhp at 500 5000-6000rpm

500

500

400

400

300

300

200

200 100

100

MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 0-110 0-120 0-130 0-140 0-150 0-160

TIME (sec) 2.0 2.8 3.6 4.7 5.8 7.0 8.5 10.3 12.3 14.7 17.6 20.9 – –

AC C E L E R AT I O N IN KICKDOWN MPH 20-40 30-50 40-60 50-70 60-80 70-90 80-100 90-110 100-120 110-130 120-140

TIME (sec) 1.5 1.6 1.9 2.2 2.4 2.7 3.2 3.7 4.4 5.3 6.2

0

Engine (rpm) 2000 4000 6000

0

8000

MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

40mph 6500rpm 62mph 6500rpm 93mph 6500rpm 115mph 6500rpm 151mph 6500rpm 155mph 5081rpm 155mph 4166rpm 155mph* 3252rpm * claimed

RPM in 8th at 70/80mph = 1469/1678

R E S I D UA L S 300

Rolls-Royce Ghost

250 200 Value (£1000s)

AC C E L E R AT I O N

CLAIMED

600

Torque (lb ft)

Power output (bhp)

600

0

TEST MPG

800

627lb ft at 1600-4250rpm

Bentley Flying Spur 6.0 W12

150 100 50

Mercedes-Benz S500L AMG Line Premium Plus

0 New

R OA D T E S T N o 5 5 0 6

38 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

 After three years and 36k miles, Ghost will retain 53% of its original list price, marginally outperforming the Bentley.

ROAD TEST Testers’ notes

VERDICT

AAAAB

Spec advice

Most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce is an exceptional limo he second-generation Ghost is not flawless, but if the intention of Rolls-Royce was to offer the material extravagance and extraordinary rolling refinement of the flagship Phantom, only in an understated and more usable package, it has succeeded. The Ghost’s only imperfection is its secondary ride, which is just a shade short of perfection. It’s still much better than that of a Bentley Flying Spur, but if we pulled the Bentley up for the transgression, we must do the same here. In every other aspect that matters, the Ghost is an exceptional vehicle and makes travel an unambiguous delight.

Indeed, the new Ghost offers quantifiable improvements over its excellent predecessor, especially in terms of isolation. It is an uncannily serene car and wonderful company, whether you find yourself in the lavish expanse of the cabin’s rear seats or up front, in the commanding perch enjoyed by the driver. The Rolls-Royce is highly satisfying and easy to drive; it’s the longest car in its class but still much more manageable in real-world use than bigger-brother Phantom, just as Goodwood intended. Rolls-Royce also deserves credit in its attempt – successful, in our opinion – to tone down the car’s flamboyance while retaining its sense of stature and just the right amount of whimsy. All in all, superb.

T

R OA D TEST R I VA L S

Price Power, torque 0-62mph, top speed CO2, economy

1

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST Imperious performance meets exceptional material quality, refinement and grandeur. Ride quality is exquisite, but perhaps not as special as we’d hoped.

AAAAB £249,600 563bhp, 627lb ft 4.8sec, 155mph 347-358g/km, 17.9-18.6mpg

2

MERCEDES-MAYBACH S650 Spectacular ride comfort and V12 performance but doesn’t quite feel as genuinely special as the Rolls-Royce. Still magnificent.

AAAAB £183,285 621bhp, 738lb ft 4.7sec, 155mph 328g/km, 19.5-20.0mpg

3

BENTLEY FLYING SPUR A phenomenal driver’s car in a class of ultra-wafty luxo-barges.

Ride isolation could be better, but if dynamism is a priority, it could easily be the class leader.

AAAAB £168,300 626bhp, 664lb ft 3.8sec, 207mph 337g/km, 19.1mpg

4

RANGE ROVER SV AUTOBIOGRAPHY LWB Flagship Range Rover is starting to feel long in the tooth but remains a wonderfully plush way to travel all the same.

AAAAC £179,715 557bhp, 516lb ft 5.5sec, 140mph 298g/km, 18.9mpg

Jobs for the facelift  Chamfer the wing mirrors, if possible.

They hinder visibility at junctions and corners.  Stop cold air seeping into the cabin around the front seatbelt hangers.

5

ALPINA B7 Buchloe’s take on the BMW 7 Series is a match for the Bentley on the grounds of driver appeal, but it lacks the same sense of opulence.

AAAAC £121,850 599bhp, 590lb ft 3.6sec, 205mph 264g/km, 24.4mpg

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 39

WHY THE LONG FACE?

The men responsible for BMW’s audacious new design philosophy explain the rationale behind it to Piers Ward and why, despite the naysayers, that grille is here to stay

40 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

f you’ve been anywhere near social media in the past year, you’ll know that BMW’s design has weathered a fair old storm.

In the words of Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice-president of group design at the Bavarian firm, “it can be brutal”.

But if you think that’s a hint that van Hooydonk and head of BMW design Domagoj Dukec are about to change their ways, think again. The kidney grille is here to stay.

The reasoning is simple: van Hooydonk and Dukec want BMW to stand out, so they’re happy to make it the distinguishing feature. They rationalise it by pointing out that it’s part of BMW’s past, so it will remain part of the future.

Listening to both men talk about all aspects of BMW’s design, it’s clear that the ‘separator’ reasoning is the philosophy behind what they’re doing. Dukec justifies it with the amount of noise they’ve created: “If you want to create something

I

BMW DESIGN INSIGHT that stands out, it must be distinguished and it has to be different. If you want to reach some customers, you have to stand out. It’s not our goal to please everyone in the world, but you have to please your customers.”

This, then, is at the heart of what van Hooydonk and Dukec are trying to do – sell cars. “It all comes back to the customer,” is how Dukec puts it. It’s difficult to argue with the numbers as, Covid-aside, 2020 was a good year for BMW. The group’s sales recovered later in the year, with the 686,069 vehicles sold in the final quarter marking a 3.2% increase on the same period in 2019.

Not that it’s been easy or without risk. It’s the age-old compromise of acknowledging the past but also moving a company forward, a job that’s not easy with a back catalogue as long as BMW’s. As van Hooydonk is all too aware of. “There is some friction when your old product is so successful, and that’s what we’re seeing,” he says. “If your market success isn’t there, then you have to change. That’s

a very stressful situation as a company. It’s better to have this kind of stress [the controversy], even though it would be even better to have market success and universal praise for the changes.

But somehow that’s rarely the case.”

What’s clear is that both men feel a huge amount of responsibility towards BMW. Both are well aware of the history of the brand – indeed, they’ve justified their current strategy by looking back to the 1960s, when BMW pioneered a sports car that came with a healthy dose of limousine. Cars like the 1500, which set the standard for the company for years to come, right up to today.

These days, the fragmentation of what customers want (and Dukec is clear on this: he’s aiming for customers to want his cars, not need them) means that van Adrian van Hooydonk and Dukec have identified Hooydonk is a BMW two groups they want to appeal to. lifer. Although he They’ve called them the elegant started his career creators and the expressive à

at General Electric, he has been at BMW since 1992.

❝ You have to stand out. It’s not our goal to please everyone in the world ❞ OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 41

M440i xDrive’s bold grille harks back to the E9-generation 3.0 CSi

iX’s vertical grille accommodates tech such as sensors

VA N H O OY D O N K ON…

ßperformers. While it’s tempting to dismiss this as marketing hyperbole, it does make sense when you view it in terms of the product. The creators tend to sit in the odd-numbered cars – the traditional 3, 5 and 7 Series – while the performers are the even-numbered buyers, with cars like the M4 or X6.

It boils down to how people will use their cars.

As Dukec has it, the creators want a car “more focused on the cabin, but it still has to have a fluid silhouette and nice proportions”, while the performers don’t want such a practical car. The cabin will be smaller, like a suit that’s “not the most comfortable one, but it’s the one in which you look the best. They want a car that’s almost irrational.”

What does all this mean for the cars you’ll see in the street? Traditional The BMW styling cues, like the kidney Dutch are well grille, quad headlights and represented in car Hofmeister kink will remain, but design. Along with van you’ll see increasing fragmentation Hooydonk, Renault’s across the range. The sportier Laurens van den Acker models will get vertical grilles and also hails from the fuller bodies with sculpted surfacing, Netherlands. while electric cars will have a similar treatment to the recently revealed iX. The grille on that car remains vertical because of all the high-tech equipment, such as autonomous driving sensors, that needs to be positioned in the centre. The saloons, meanwhile, probably won’t get a vertical grille or even a big one: Dukec actually used the word “narrow” to describe it. It will depend on the customer and the car’s character.

This separation is an entirely deliberate ploy.

As van Hooydonk says: “We are expanding the vocabulary of the BMW brand with each new model and we’re pulling them further apart. And that’s deliberate. We are making them stronger in character without taking the brand apart.”

It’s interesting what this means for niches, in that they’re here to stay. Van Hooydonk adds: “We’re broadening the choice we offer our customer. That’s the secret of selling more cars. You can’t sell more of the same.”

Each pillar of BMW has a part to play in this, as van Hooydonk explains: “We’ve used BMW i to experiment and move the brand forward, and with M we can also do some very pointy cars that are of course geared around performance. For the mother brand, we can take from each of these two sub-brands whatever we feel works.”

Each BMW’s design Van Hooydonk acknowledges that none of this reflects character of has been easy for the aficionados. “If you have fans, the car and who buys it it’s fantastic. You have people who don’t just buy

SOCIAL M E D IA CRITI CIS M

RETRO CARS

“We deal with it in the same way we do with customer clinics. I never go to those clinics, because the individual comments can be quite brutal. It’s not always enjoyable. I wait until the final quantitative evaluation, the global résumé. We look and analyse for trends; I don’t look at it [social media] on an hourly basis.”

“We have always looked at our heritage and debated about what we could do without ever really going retro. We’ve done homage cars, like at Villa d’Este, where we’ve got positive reactions, but it was never a retro design. It was a reimagination of a classic. We take ideas from it, but we never went full bore along that path.”

42 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

WHY M I N I IS SUCCESS FU L “There’s no brand that is so universally loved or understood.

In traffic, you can get away with anything when you drive a Mini. Why? Three reasons: it’s about an underdog sympathy; there’s also something humanesque in the car; and it’s a feeling that this isn’t a car that controls me. It will make my life more enjoyable.”

BMW DESIGN INSIGHT More restrained face of the 3 Series shows a willingness to diversify

Dukec: “It all comes back to the customer”

THE BANGLE YEARS For controversy in 2021, read controversy in 2001. That was the year that the fourthgeneration BMW 7 Series came out, complete with an accompanying howl of anguish from critics. Remember the boot lid? Of course you do; it’s not an easy one to forget. Road test editor Matt Saunders compared it to someone who had left their shirt untucked.

Back then, it was Chris Bangle wielding the design pencils. He was head of design at BMW from 1992 to 2009, but it was in 1999 that he really ramped it up with his new style of ‘flame surfacing’. That was the year of the Gran Turismo concept, from where flame surfacing became a ‘thing’ and BMW’s designs only got punchier.

There were hits and misses along the way.

The CS1 Concept was a preview of what the 1 Series could look like and hasn’t aged well, whereas something like the 2003 5 Series has now almost achieved cult status (helped in no small part by the riotous V10 M5).

Other highlights in terms of concepts were the X-Coupé Concept, a bold foretaste of what a sporty SUV could look like, while the 2009 Gina featured a shape-shifting cloth skin, so its headlights could open and close like eyes.

Bangle left shortly after the Gina. Who knows where his mind would have taken BMW next?

Chris Bangle brought a whole new look to BMW

5 Series customers tend to want a car with ‘nice proportions’

E90 3 Series and F10 5 Series: you won’t see clones of these while van Hooydonk remains in charge of BMW design

your products, they love what you do. For them, it’s an emotional thing. Of course, if they love what you do, the minute you’re going to change it, they might have an issue with that. It comes with the territory,” he says. “Our job isn’t so easy. We have to debate how much change would be enough because we’re living in a world where there are constant new players coming in. If we don’t move, we become a sitting duck for all our competitors.

[The balance is] to move enough so that the company thrives but not move so much that you lose contact with your fan base altogether.”

To keep moving and to keep looking forward is key for van Hooydonk, especially given the competition from start-ups. This means that any BMW worshipper who wants a return to the past is going to be disappointed. Retro is interesting for van Hooydonk, but it’s not what he wants. A homage is okay and going down a retro route is fine when you want to relaunch a company (like Renault has done with the electric 5), but “it’s not necessary for BMW”. In a lovely expression, he says “we will continue the fire but not worship the ashes”.

Of course, BMW is no stranger to design controversy. We’ve been here before with Chris Bangle, and most of the cars he created are now talked about in revered terms – a point highlighted

by Dukec. But this time, it somehow feels different.

Maybe it’s social media and the increasingly entrenched views of the world. Either way, neither Dukec nor van Hooydonk will change the path they’re on. It feels like both will be justifying BMW’s design direction for a while yet. L

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 43

HOW TO BUY A

FERRARI MONDIAL

THE PEOPLE’S FERRARI

It may only be as fast as a modern Ford Fiesta ST, but the Mondial is an eye-catching four-seat sports coupé with a turbo-free V8. A no-brainer, then, suggests Felix Page et’s get one somewhat uncomfortable truth out of the way immediately: a new Ford Fiesta ST or 2.0-litre Mazda MX-5 will keep pace with a Ferrari Mondial on a sprint to 62mph and a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid – weighing nearly a tonne more – will eat it for breakfast.

Indeed, even the most potent form of the Mondial offers just 296bhp, and its most common and accessible variant brought a piddling 215bhp to the table. It’s not an unhinged homologation special like the same-aged 288 GTO, then, nor an outlandish, tough-to-tame analogue spaceship like the Testarossa.

In fact, although its name sounds suitably exotic when pronounced in its native accent, the Mondial was christened in reference to

L

44 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

its compliance with global safety and emissions standards – hardly ammo for a successful pub brag.

Gosh, we’re not exactly selling it, are we? But if you cast your eye rearwards, you will note the presence of a pair of extra seats, which give it an edge over most comparable classics in terms of usability, and you should be able to pick up a nice example for a touch under £30,000, so it’s a good deal more obtainable.

And remember, that engine is a Maranello-engineered, naturally aspirated V8 with a flat-plane crank.

Thus it sounds just about fruity enough to convince the ill-educated that it’s a full-bore performance weapon, especially when breathing through a Tubi or Larini performance exhaust (seriously, look on YouTube), even if the relatively staid styling

rather quashes the illusion.

You won’t be disappointed by the handling, either; with fresh suspension bushes and ball joints, that chassis comes alive on the right road, with the rear-mid-engined layout giving a decent centre of gravity and optimised weight distribution.

This quad-saddled prancing horse hit the market in 1980 as the Mondial 8, and while these early 3.0-litre cars are easy to find and cheap to buy, you get better performance with the Quattrovalvole (named for its four valves per cylinder) that arrived in 1982 and better still from the upsized 3.2-litre lump that came in 1985.

La crema del raccolto is the Mondial T, which took the model through from 1989 to its retirement in 1993. This final incarnation

upped the performance stakes by boosting engine capacity to 3.4 litres for a much more respectable 0-60mph time of 5.6sec, according to our 1992 road test.

There was also a convertible option from 1983 onwards, but the soft top’s storage bay ate into the rear seats, so don’t expect to take the whole family out for a top-down blast.

Part of the reason enthusiasts never warmed to the Mondial was mostly due to its lukewarm performance but also because its strong sales (more than 6000) diluted Ferrari’s specialist brand cachet.

As far as we’re concerned, though, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with democratising sports cars. And in a world where a 250 GTO can fetch £52 million, we welcome a cheap route into Ferrari ownership.

USED CARS H O W T O G E T O N E I N YO U R GA R AG E

Luxury motoring in true yuppie style.

What’s not to like?

An owner’s view

ALLAN CARLI “My Mondial has been great to own. It still drives well and I still enjoy it every time I take it out. It handles great with the right tyres but can also be taken on long journeys. The seats can get a little hard and uncomfortable on long trips and the QV lacks power steering, but you notice it only on slow, tight turns and while parking. I run slightly smaller front tyres and higher air pressure to overcome the heavy steering.”

One for trivia fans: the Mondial Cabriolet is the only mid-engined, V8-powered, fourseat convertible ever put into production.

Buyer beware…

n B O DY W O R K The gas struts on the front hood and engine cover weaken over time, but new ones cost less than £50 per pair.

Be more worried if there are signs of rust about the arches, battery tray and door bottoms, because panels (if you can find them) and labour can quickly up your outlay. The low front splitter will often be scarred. It’s a good idea to get any prospective purchase up on a ramp for a comprehensive inspection. n ENGINE The separate, removable subframe improves ease of servicing on pre-T models, but the run-out car adopted a T-shape layout for the engine and gearbox, which makes access for jobs like belt replacement a bit of a pain. Be wary of cars with patchy service history and ask for proof of all recent oil and belt changes. If there’s excessive smoke on start-up, you could be looking at a pricey engine rebuild. n INTERIOR Try the back bench before writing it off as impractical; you should find the front seats are narrow enough for you to comfortably put a leg either side.

The good-quality Connolly leather tends to age well, but the Mondial’s impressive long-distance capabilities mean some wear is to be expected.

Rarer cabriolet is at the upper end of the price scale

❝

It’s a fruity-sounding, Maranello-engineered, naturally aspirated V8 with a flat-plane crank ❞

n ELECTRICS The windows were slow, but really tedious times will usually be caused by gunked-up runners or dirty switch internals. The battery will die if the car is unused for an extended period, so keep it on a trickle charger. Consider fitting a modern fuse box, because the original one is prone to burning out.

n CHASSIS Early cars had metric wheels, for which tyres are extremely difficult to find.

Swapping them for a set of later 16in or 17in items will make replacement a lot easier. The Mondial T got electrically adjustable suspension with a choice of three driving modes; if a warning light is showing, check that the adjusters turn freely and the actuators are clean and firmly pushed into the shocks.

Also worth knowing

Early Mondials shared many parts with their 308 predecessor and later cars formed the basis for the 328, so most mechanical, electrical and interior components are easy to track down if you widen your search criteria. Don’t shy away from breakers’ yards, either: a scuffed original part is often far superior to a shiny new reproduction.

How much to spend

£ 1 0 , 0 0 0 - £ 1 9, 9 9 9 Part-finished restoration projects and crashed or condemned parts cars. £2 0 , 0 0 0 - £2 9, 9 9 9 The cheapest runners are leggy 8s, which you can pick up for the equivalent of £25,000 in the US. £3 0 , 0 0 0 - £3 9, 9 9 9 Mostly restored cars with the desirable QV engine, plus some Cabriolets. £40,000 AN D ABOVE Mint-condition QVs and T Cabriolets.

One we found

F E R R A R I M O N D I A L Q V, 1 9 8 4 / B - R E G , 3 9 K M I L E S , £2 9, 9 9 5 Fork out for a later, more powerful Mondial if you can, but we wouldn’t be disappointed with the 32-valve 3.0-litre engine’s performance at this price. This car has only 1000 miles on its current timing belt and, for better or worse, has never had any welding work done. It has stacks of history, too.

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RENAULT 5 GT TURBO RETRO DRIVE ow that we’ve seen the new Renault 5 concept, one question bubbles to the surface faster than all: what took them so long? It looks so ineffably right, so informed by its past yet fixed on the future, that you wonder why they didn’t have the idea years ago.

The answer, I suspect, is Luca de Meo. He’s the recently appointed CEO of Renault who in a former life was responsible for a thing called the Fiat 500, on whose shoulders the fortunes of the entire Fiat brand have appeared to rest these past 13 years.

So now the pieces fall into place.

The ocean of purple prose on which the reimagining of the 5 came bodyboarding into shore speaks not only of the fluency of its execution but also of the enduring love for a French icon that was born sufficiently long ago to be regarded as a classic but died sufficiently recently to be remembered.

Which is a very neat treat.

And I remember it more than most: the car I drove to work on my very first day at Autocar in 1988 was my own Renault 5 GT Turbo. But as soon as it was clear that I would somehow cling to a job testing cars, it was clearly redundant and got sold. And the strange thing is that I’ve really not thought much about it since.

I owned three hot hatches before I joined the magazine: that 5 GT Turbo, a Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI and a Peugeot 205 GTi, and I’ve since thought of those last two almost constantly. They’ve become genuinely important, landmarks in the evolution of enjoyable motoring.

The Renault? Not so much.

But the curious thing is that, at the time, I was quite clear that the 5 GT Turbo was both the fastest and most fun of the three, yet somehow it has dropped out of my easy-recall memory. And off the public road: there are more than 1100 examples of the 205 GTi still registered in the UK. The 5 GT Turbo? Just 287. Time for a reappraisal? With the launch of a new 5, there would be none better.

It’s extraordinary how the brain remembers. This is the first time that I’ve sat in a 5 GT Turbo in 33 years, yet I didn’t have to look for anything.

For three decades, my brain has clung to a few lines of code just in case I should ever again need to locate the choke lever, or remember to twist the left-hand stalk to turn on the lights, or know that the bonnet hinges at the front, not the rear. I still know à

N

THE FORGOTTEN GENIUS The Peugeot 205 GTi and first Volkswagen Golf GTI have been written into car folklore, so why hasn’t their Renault 5 GT Turbo contemporary? Andrew Frankel investigates PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

RENAULT 5 GT TURBO Price Engine Power Torque Gearbox Kerb weight 0-62mph Top speed

£10,350 (in 1990) 4 cyls, 1397cc, turbocharged, petrol 118bhp at 5750rpm 122lb ft at 3750rpm 5-spd manual 855kg 7.3sec 120mph

OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.COM.PH 47

It’s as small and light as a can of Coke, and about as rigid

This 5’s sporty addenda are nicely subtle

ßexactly how the gearbox is going to feel, how the engine will sound, even the gearing of the defiantly unassisted steering.

But it feels flimsier than ever.

This isn’t because I’ve forgotten how inexactly these cars were constructed and from which mediocre materials, just that it matters more to me now and the world has moved on while it hasn’t. Even as an occasional ‘classic’ car used for recreational purposes, its build quality would irritate me – and probably scare me, too.

I once was in an accident involving a 5 that drove on the wrong side of the road into a 5 Series that I had already brought to a halt. Mercifully the crash did nothing to the driver other than rouse him from his slumber, but the Renault penknifed, leaving its roof on its back seats, which would have had calamitous consequences had anyone been there. The BMW? Its airbags didn’t even deploy.

By now, doubts were rising in big bubbles within me. I won’t hide that I was excited about the car coming to stay, more so than I would be

The tiny 13in rims look rather inadequate, but with fat 195-section tyres and such a low kerb weight, grip levels are surprisingly impressive.

were any manner of far faster modern machine paying a visit; but with every passing mile, I wondered ever more what I had seen in it to begin with.

Shockingly, it didn’t even feel very quick. ‘Pleasantly rapid’ would be a fair assessment of its potential, but only once the boost needle has woken up the far side of 3000rpm, swept around the dial and kicked its 1.4-litre pushrod engine (design work for which began in the 1950s) into action. When new, the 5 GT Turbo was the paciest of compact hot hatches. Now it’s mildly invigorating at best.

But then we reached the mountains and I could put its chassis to work. Oh my goodness, it was brilliant. It’s different to the 205 GTi, which just wants to rotate into a corner and then keep rotating.

The 5 GT Turbo is so much better tied down: fling it at an apex on a trailing throttle and all it does is

H I G H F I V E S : A S H O R T H I S T O RY It’s too easily forgotten that the first hot Renault 5 actually predates the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the car so often and erroneously credited with inventing the hot hatch category.

Called the 5 Alpine in Europe when launched in 1976 and the 5 Gordini when it reached the UK two years later, it used a 93bhp naturally aspirated version of the engine that would end up in the 5 GT Turbo.

In 1982, Renault bolted a Garrett T3 turbocharger to the engine, which raised power to 110bhp and dropped the 0-60mph time a whole second to 8.7sec, creating a car that survived until the almost entirely new secondgeneration 5 was launched in 1985.

By the time the hot version of that (the 5 GT Turbo) was ready in 1986, Peugeot was already well established in the market with the 205 GTi.

48 AUTOCAR.COM.PH OCTOBER 2021

The 5 GT Turbo made 115bhp, which bettered the output of the original 205 GTi (105bhp) and matched that of later 1.6-litre cars but fell short of the 130bhp of the 1.9-litre 205.

That said, at 850kg, it was lighter than any of them and compared well in power-to-weight terms.

A revised version with a watercooled turbocharger was introduced the following year to solve hot-start problems, which raised power to 120bhp. Production stopped in 1991.

Crikey, look at those snazzy sports seats

RENAULT 5 GT TURBO RETRO DRIVE kill the understeer, leaving the car just beautifully neutral. Do that in a 205 GTi and without swift correction you would be in a hedge.

And the steering! That I confess I might not have recalled so clearly.

Put it this way: I’ve never driven a hatchback that better combines weighting, gearing and feel.

Suddenly the rather workaday engine doesn’t matter any more, for it’s merely a facilitator; what you need to let that chassis do its thing.

I far prefer the Peugeot’s gearbox, but the Renault’s is good enough.

And the car overall? In many ways, it makes me admire the 205 GTi even more, which I know isn’t the idea, but the 5 GT Turbo makes you realise what a stunningly complete – not to mention hilarious – hot hatch its deadliest rival was.

I owned a 205 GTi for seven years until last year, and not for a moment do I now wish it had been a 5 GT Turbo. But on the right road, the even lighter Renault, with its beautiful balance and near-flawless steering, is actually better. I wouldn’t go so far to say we all got it wrong in elevating the 205 GTi’s reputation to the stars yet leaving the 5 GT Turbo on earth, but it’s a special and now extremely rare thing. How glad I am to have made its acquaintance once more. L

This car isn’t really about the engine, but…

❝ And the steering! I’ve never driven a hatchback that better combines weighting, gearing and feel ❞

Interior is airy, intuitive… and poorly made

COULD THERE BE A N E W 5 T U R B O? It seems almost inevitable that, just as the hot hatch followed the popularisation of the hatch format at a deferential distance, the same is likely to be true for electric hot hatches.

However, packaging enough punch in such a compact car while still providing acceptable range without also introducing unacceptable mass will be tricky to pull off, so don’t expect a new Renault 5 ‘Turbo’ any time soon.

And even if they do crack the formula and make one fast enough, a rather bigger challenge lies ahead: making it fun enough. Flawed though the old 5 GT Turbo is, it’s still more fun to drive than any electric car on sale today. Sorting that out won’t be the work of a moment.

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POWER OF DESCRIPTION

It’s vital that a development engineer can drive a vehicle at its limit and still be able to evaluate and interpret its behaviour. John Evans meets a man who teaches them how PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY ocky, confident, lazy – dead.” As a means of getting a student’s attention, these words work every time, says Stuart Cadman, a professional driver who trains development engineers to drive test cars in such a way that they reveal their innermost secrets.

“People can easily become blasé behind the wheel of a car, which is when accidents happen,” he adds.

“An engineer must be alert and focused and driving at a level where they don’t need to devote 100% of their concentration to driving a vehicle at or close to its limits. They need to have some reserve capacity to appraise the vehicle and provide a running commentary if necessary.”

As a former panel-beater, Cadman

“

C

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knows what happens when someone loses control of a car at speed. However, what gives his words added weight is that he, like his pupils, is an engineer; he has an MSc in vehicle dynamics and has worked for Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and Prodrive. In short, he understands the value of learning how a part or system behaves on track as well as in a lab.

Cadman says: “As a qualified engineer but an inexperienced test driver, you may know all the theory, but then when you drive the car, you might feel something happen that surprises you. Back in the office, your fellow engineers say ‘show us the data’, but there is none, because whatever occurred – perhaps a

MIRA wet-handling circuit covers all base s suspension component behaved unexpectedly – can’t be measured in the lab. Worse still, you can’t accurately describe or repeat it. You need the skills to be able to go back to the track and repeat the event for the benefit of yourself as well as your colleagues and to describe it clearly enough so that the cause can be determined.”

A few years ago, Pro2 – for which Cadman provides consultancy

services and which offers a range of driving training services and customer experience events to the motor industry – was asked to send its drivers to China, India and South Korea to help equip these countries’ emerging automotive engineers with the skills to test their simulation- and lab-derived theories on the track.

“Most of the engineers had an excellent theoretical understanding but hadn’t the driving experience to test their work,” says Pro2 founder Simon Poole. “Not only that, but they also lacked a world view and so developed solutions only to the standards of their home markets.

They were quite insular. Of course, as we’re increasingly beginning to realise, this is no longer the case.”

DEVELOPMENT DRIVING INSIGHT THE ENGINEER’S VIEW Damian Harty is a former chief engineer at Prodrive and a visiting professor and research fellow at Coventry University specialising in vehicle dynamics. He believes being able to drive a car at its limits while having the headspace to observe precisely what one is experiencing is vital for a development engineer.

He says: “We have this fantastic mathematical framework provided

by Isaac Newton, but while they have all the data, engineers who are inexperienced behind the wheel don’t know which ones correspond to that happy state they’re searching for, because they don’t know what that state is. It may be because they’re occupied with just driving, because they lack that instinctive sense of what feels right or because they have insufficient experience of different cars.

“The problem is, each time technology improves, this lack of experience becomes more telling. People said the first electric power steering

Cadman was among those who went to India to help the engineers at car makers including Mahindra and Maruti. One of the aspects of a car’s performance the engineers found hardest to gauge, he says, was steering feel. It’s a common problem: “You have this system whose only contact with the road is a steel-and-rubber composite balloon that flexes and changes its shape as you drive. Not only that: as it wears, the tyre’s performance changes.

Consequently, you may be fed an ever-changing stream of feedback.

It’s why an abundant supply of tyres should be available during vehicle development, to be changed the moment they show signs of wear.”

Of course, as with those other aspects of a car’s behaviour, such as ride, handling and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), explaining to colleagues how a car’s steering feels in the hands requires powers of description that may elude engineers

Engineers must be able to repeat a scenario on demand

Cadman (left) advises our man Evans

There will be no job offers just yet…

systems weren’t as good as their hydraulic predecessors. I suspect this was because the engineers who developed them didn’t know quite why they liked the hydraulic systems, so didn’t know which data corresponded to which state. As a result, they couldn’t replicate the positive characteristics of the old systems in the new ones.

“Engineers have to know what the ‘happy numbers’ are or else, as I like to say, they’ll measure the colour of the steering wheel and not the calibration of the steering boost.”

Harty knows what the ‘happy numbers’ are raised in an environment where data rules supreme. “Being able to describe what you are experiencing so that your colleagues understand you is as important as the experience itself,” says Cadman. “As long as they do, any choice of words is valid!”

Depending on the project, getting an engineer to a point where they’re comfortable at or close to the limit of a car’s performance so that they have the headspace to coolly observe how it behaves and in what circumstances is a key objective. In a traction control test, it might be the ability to report that, for example, the right-rear wheel lost grip, the ESP kicked in and still the car went out of control – and to repeat that scenario on demand.

Cadman believes that ‘rigorous’ tuition can take a suitable engineer from average road driver to capable novice test-track driver in five days.

I have a glimpse of the mountain candidates must climb when I drive photographer Luc Lacey’s Ford Puma long-termer around the wet-handling area at MIRA proving ground. With Cadman issuing commands from the passenger seat, I apply bootfuls of throttle before turning the wheel sharply and hanging the tail out.

Then, just as I’m waiting for the front wheels to bite on the sprinkler-free section and whip the car round, he tells me to count from one to 10. The exercise proves I have some way to go.

“Knowing your limitations is key to being an effective engineerdriver,” he says. “That way, you’ll never overstep your boundary and lose confidence.” At which point he takes over and fires us off down the wet-handling section, foot to the floor with the traction control thrumming away, all while reciting the alphabet… backwards. L

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