martinbo
Staff member
So I've been rather fortunate of late to pilot some exquisite machinery in recent weeks. Interestingly, each one was black and I managed to get some dodgy pics of two of them on my Blackberry. The last one I refrained from taking a picture of because it's a privately owned car (and hence not mine to take photos of.) So, the pics are rubbish but then this isn't an owner gallery thread after all...
Jaguar XJ Portfolio Supercharged
Friends of mine in the motoring event and hospitality business put together a connoisseurs club event for a corporate and I was invited along in the capacity of instructor/driver. I spent around 275 km in the car with some 150 clicks behind the wheel personally. The Jags were to be collected from Jaguar Bryanston following a product orientation at the dealership and we'd then be cast into the cut and thrust of urban Jo'burg driving. After a succinct yet thorough briefing by an impeccably groomed and well-spoken salesman (that's how it ought to be done) we tootled out into typically busy afternoon traffic along roads I'm very familiar with.
Instant love. I've never felt so at ease in a car as expensive as this. I was bemused by how quickly I felt at home in the plush, luxuriously appointed interior with comfortable seating and fine outward visibility. I liked the straightforward ergonomics, the ease of use of the touch-screen infotainment and legibility of the digital instrument display. My Blackberry was fully synched with the onboard communication system in no time at all with minimal set up steps. The XJ’s six-speed auto transmission has been developed closely in conjunction with ZF and it shows. In Drive progress along busy highways and main roads is effortless. The XJ Portfolio rides on 20 inch alloy wheels an one’s immediate concern is the effect that such narrow profile rubber will have on ride quality. Such misgivings are quickly dispatched soon into the drive. The XJ’s ride vs. handling balance is nothing short of a revelation; the car has taut body control yet exhibits a smooth, cosseting isolation from road surface irregularities. Of course, high-frequency transverse ridges and 20 inch wheels will always make for less than perfect secondary ride characteristics. But, in the XJ such imperfections are heard (faintly) rather than felt. Slot the lever into sport mode, flip through gear changes with the steering mounted paddles and the XJ reveals itself as a remarkably engaging driver’s car. The AJ III V8’s supercharged 346 kW and 625 Nm are delivered in a creamy, linear fashion with a deep growl that’s not intrusive but emphatic all the same. Progress is seriously rapid – on straight roads the XJs easily kept pace with the more exotic machinery in the convoy – and the car’s acceleration came as a surprise to me given the sheer size of the thing. I really enjoyed the crisp, accurate steering and the superb handling balance for what is essentially a luxury limousine.
The Jaguar XJ Portfolio looks fantastic in the tin – I haven’t had that much attention from other motorists (young and old) since driving one of the very first Z4’s around Jozi just after local release – and it’s a beguiling character across a broad range of disciplines. Any faults? Well, in the SWB, the leg-room isn’t commensurate with the car’s size – it’s adequate enough for four six-footers – but then again that’s what the LWB version is for in any event.
The XJ is a massive achievement for Jaguar, this is modern, anti-retro, aristocratic conveyance at its British best. It’s consummately capable in the urban grind or out on the open road and it will appeal in equal measure to those being driven by James and by those who are James.
Mercedes Benz E63 AMG (W212)
Ah the joy of the corporate driving experience event. I’ve been on – and hosted – many. One of the very best is the Mercedes Benz Dynamic Driving course at Zwartkops. Last year I attended in my private capacity and did about 16 laps in the brutal C63 AMG. This year, as part of a channel function, the MBDD course featured E63 AMGs this time round. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Merc’s new E-Class. I love the way it looks in person, the way it hides its sensible and practical dimensions and its overt Mercedes Benz identity. This car is unmistakably Mercedes Benz. The sheer build quality of the interior is exceptional – it lends an impression of unimpeachable solidity and longevity. The seats are sporty-luxo-comfy in keeping with the duality of the E63 and the steering wheel is terrific to hold.
Enough about the looks – this is all about the E63 on a circuit and I’ll cut to the chase: logically, it shouldn’t be good on a track but it’s better than that. How car makers are managing to disguise such large body masses is beyond me because the E63 AMG is an absolute hoot (and a hooligan if asked upon) to drive. In Sport+ mode power oversteer is an ankle flex away and it feels too good to describe. The MCT version of the 7G-tronic transmission is sensational; it’s smooth like a proper auto, yet rapid in its reactions – easily quick enough for all but the most hardcore of helmsman. The steering is excellent - you point it, it turns in. Not quite kissing that clipping point? You turn the steering a bit more, the car turns in a bit more. This all sounds kind of obvious but at high cornering speeds quite often what you ask for from a car isn’t always what you get. Not so in the E63 – this car pivots so positively around its centre, so intuitively that you’re left rather astounded. This is a big, heavy midsize luxury saloon after all...
Whilst the acceleration is prodigious, it’s once again AMG’s fantastic six pot stoppers that leave me deeply impressed. I’m almost inclined to believe that MBDD fits different compound pads because the brakes stand up to lap after lap of serious punishment with hardly any fade. When all is said and done the E63 AMG is such a fine performance car that it makes average drivers look good and good drivers look average. I am thrilled to have experienced another M156-engined AMG product – I ought to be because sadly this is the end of the line of one of the world’s great naturally aspirated engines. What a privilege to have experienced them at this level!
BMW M3 E92 Manual
[Sorry no pic – the car is privately owned and not mine to photograph]
It is done. At last. Friends here will know that I’ve been hankering for an honest opportunity to drive the current generation M3. I’m not the type to take liberties – I never request dealer-supplied joyrides and only avail myself the opportunity if it is willingly offered. So it’s taken a long time for me to get behind the wheel of the E92. As luck would have it, a kind mate at the local club allowed me to take his new Jerez Black pride and joy out for a drive. On my own too at that. Yeah, you’re all going “he must’ve wrung its neck”. I didn’t, so there... I’m not the last word in handiness behind the wheel but I do pride myself in having good mechanical feel and sympathy. So, no clutch slipping, no snap changes – just proper, smooth driving. And 8000 rpm. Because honestly that’s what this oversquare, 75mm short-stroke, individually throttled 8 cylinder S65 masterpiece is all about: the Epicness of the last 3000 rpm. The power delivery at these upper rpm reaches is sensational – this is one of those rare moments when you can feel mathematics at work: Power = Torque x RPM. This is the naturally aspirated concept at its zenith – I can’t possibly imagine what an LFA or 458 must feel like – and I’m haunted by it now. I have to, have to damn-well-bloody-effing HAVE to have one. This experience for me was completely dominated by that engine and interestingly more so than the much more muscular M156 in the C63 AMG because of the greater increase in drama as that rev-needle swings north. And it swings north with alacrity. Man, that’s some insane throttle response; does that engine not have any internal inertia at all? I think it has more zing even than the S54 in the M3 CSL. [Can any of you tell at this point that I was impressed by the engine?]
Quite interestingly the car was a manual – rather unusual for an M3 these days. I’ll be perfectly frank here, if asked by someone if they should go for a manual or M-DCT equipped M3 my answer would emphatically be the latter. This car’s just too good for us regular folk, if you want to maximise the potential of your M3 then it’s a no-brainer to opt for the electronic shift version. For me? Well, I’m not looking to maximise my special stage time to the local supermarket and I am wholly challenged by M3’s enormous potential. I’d go for the manual and be very happily engaged for many years in trying to be the best I could be in such a potentially rewarding machine.
The steering wheel’s too thick and I struggled to measure my inputs out accurately. Maybe I was imagining it, being influenced by all those editorials stating a lack of outright feel, but I swear there’s a glassiness to the M3’s steering that I wasn’t expecting. That said, it turns in. Boy oh boy does it turn in. My WRX would leave its engine on the pavement if it could turn in as quickly as the M3. And as for the handling balance, you know, it’s got that classic M3 rear end squat-and-twist trait where you can literally feel how the load is shifting around at the rear axle depending on steering and throttle loads. Just super.
Yes, in the end the brief but all too insightful drive in the E92 M3 left me feeling exactly how I expected to feel: absolutely thrilled. It remains, undiminished, my favourite car of all cars.
Regards,
Martin
Jaguar XJ Portfolio Supercharged
Friends of mine in the motoring event and hospitality business put together a connoisseurs club event for a corporate and I was invited along in the capacity of instructor/driver. I spent around 275 km in the car with some 150 clicks behind the wheel personally. The Jags were to be collected from Jaguar Bryanston following a product orientation at the dealership and we'd then be cast into the cut and thrust of urban Jo'burg driving. After a succinct yet thorough briefing by an impeccably groomed and well-spoken salesman (that's how it ought to be done) we tootled out into typically busy afternoon traffic along roads I'm very familiar with.
Instant love. I've never felt so at ease in a car as expensive as this. I was bemused by how quickly I felt at home in the plush, luxuriously appointed interior with comfortable seating and fine outward visibility. I liked the straightforward ergonomics, the ease of use of the touch-screen infotainment and legibility of the digital instrument display. My Blackberry was fully synched with the onboard communication system in no time at all with minimal set up steps. The XJ’s six-speed auto transmission has been developed closely in conjunction with ZF and it shows. In Drive progress along busy highways and main roads is effortless. The XJ Portfolio rides on 20 inch alloy wheels an one’s immediate concern is the effect that such narrow profile rubber will have on ride quality. Such misgivings are quickly dispatched soon into the drive. The XJ’s ride vs. handling balance is nothing short of a revelation; the car has taut body control yet exhibits a smooth, cosseting isolation from road surface irregularities. Of course, high-frequency transverse ridges and 20 inch wheels will always make for less than perfect secondary ride characteristics. But, in the XJ such imperfections are heard (faintly) rather than felt. Slot the lever into sport mode, flip through gear changes with the steering mounted paddles and the XJ reveals itself as a remarkably engaging driver’s car. The AJ III V8’s supercharged 346 kW and 625 Nm are delivered in a creamy, linear fashion with a deep growl that’s not intrusive but emphatic all the same. Progress is seriously rapid – on straight roads the XJs easily kept pace with the more exotic machinery in the convoy – and the car’s acceleration came as a surprise to me given the sheer size of the thing. I really enjoyed the crisp, accurate steering and the superb handling balance for what is essentially a luxury limousine.
The Jaguar XJ Portfolio looks fantastic in the tin – I haven’t had that much attention from other motorists (young and old) since driving one of the very first Z4’s around Jozi just after local release – and it’s a beguiling character across a broad range of disciplines. Any faults? Well, in the SWB, the leg-room isn’t commensurate with the car’s size – it’s adequate enough for four six-footers – but then again that’s what the LWB version is for in any event.
The XJ is a massive achievement for Jaguar, this is modern, anti-retro, aristocratic conveyance at its British best. It’s consummately capable in the urban grind or out on the open road and it will appeal in equal measure to those being driven by James and by those who are James.
Mercedes Benz E63 AMG (W212)
Ah the joy of the corporate driving experience event. I’ve been on – and hosted – many. One of the very best is the Mercedes Benz Dynamic Driving course at Zwartkops. Last year I attended in my private capacity and did about 16 laps in the brutal C63 AMG. This year, as part of a channel function, the MBDD course featured E63 AMGs this time round. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Merc’s new E-Class. I love the way it looks in person, the way it hides its sensible and practical dimensions and its overt Mercedes Benz identity. This car is unmistakably Mercedes Benz. The sheer build quality of the interior is exceptional – it lends an impression of unimpeachable solidity and longevity. The seats are sporty-luxo-comfy in keeping with the duality of the E63 and the steering wheel is terrific to hold.
Enough about the looks – this is all about the E63 on a circuit and I’ll cut to the chase: logically, it shouldn’t be good on a track but it’s better than that. How car makers are managing to disguise such large body masses is beyond me because the E63 AMG is an absolute hoot (and a hooligan if asked upon) to drive. In Sport+ mode power oversteer is an ankle flex away and it feels too good to describe. The MCT version of the 7G-tronic transmission is sensational; it’s smooth like a proper auto, yet rapid in its reactions – easily quick enough for all but the most hardcore of helmsman. The steering is excellent - you point it, it turns in. Not quite kissing that clipping point? You turn the steering a bit more, the car turns in a bit more. This all sounds kind of obvious but at high cornering speeds quite often what you ask for from a car isn’t always what you get. Not so in the E63 – this car pivots so positively around its centre, so intuitively that you’re left rather astounded. This is a big, heavy midsize luxury saloon after all...
Whilst the acceleration is prodigious, it’s once again AMG’s fantastic six pot stoppers that leave me deeply impressed. I’m almost inclined to believe that MBDD fits different compound pads because the brakes stand up to lap after lap of serious punishment with hardly any fade. When all is said and done the E63 AMG is such a fine performance car that it makes average drivers look good and good drivers look average. I am thrilled to have experienced another M156-engined AMG product – I ought to be because sadly this is the end of the line of one of the world’s great naturally aspirated engines. What a privilege to have experienced them at this level!
BMW M3 E92 Manual
[Sorry no pic – the car is privately owned and not mine to photograph]
It is done. At last. Friends here will know that I’ve been hankering for an honest opportunity to drive the current generation M3. I’m not the type to take liberties – I never request dealer-supplied joyrides and only avail myself the opportunity if it is willingly offered. So it’s taken a long time for me to get behind the wheel of the E92. As luck would have it, a kind mate at the local club allowed me to take his new Jerez Black pride and joy out for a drive. On my own too at that. Yeah, you’re all going “he must’ve wrung its neck”. I didn’t, so there... I’m not the last word in handiness behind the wheel but I do pride myself in having good mechanical feel and sympathy. So, no clutch slipping, no snap changes – just proper, smooth driving. And 8000 rpm. Because honestly that’s what this oversquare, 75mm short-stroke, individually throttled 8 cylinder S65 masterpiece is all about: the Epicness of the last 3000 rpm. The power delivery at these upper rpm reaches is sensational – this is one of those rare moments when you can feel mathematics at work: Power = Torque x RPM. This is the naturally aspirated concept at its zenith – I can’t possibly imagine what an LFA or 458 must feel like – and I’m haunted by it now. I have to, have to damn-well-bloody-effing HAVE to have one. This experience for me was completely dominated by that engine and interestingly more so than the much more muscular M156 in the C63 AMG because of the greater increase in drama as that rev-needle swings north. And it swings north with alacrity. Man, that’s some insane throttle response; does that engine not have any internal inertia at all? I think it has more zing even than the S54 in the M3 CSL. [Can any of you tell at this point that I was impressed by the engine?]
Quite interestingly the car was a manual – rather unusual for an M3 these days. I’ll be perfectly frank here, if asked by someone if they should go for a manual or M-DCT equipped M3 my answer would emphatically be the latter. This car’s just too good for us regular folk, if you want to maximise the potential of your M3 then it’s a no-brainer to opt for the electronic shift version. For me? Well, I’m not looking to maximise my special stage time to the local supermarket and I am wholly challenged by M3’s enormous potential. I’d go for the manual and be very happily engaged for many years in trying to be the best I could be in such a potentially rewarding machine.
The steering wheel’s too thick and I struggled to measure my inputs out accurately. Maybe I was imagining it, being influenced by all those editorials stating a lack of outright feel, but I swear there’s a glassiness to the M3’s steering that I wasn’t expecting. That said, it turns in. Boy oh boy does it turn in. My WRX would leave its engine on the pavement if it could turn in as quickly as the M3. And as for the handling balance, you know, it’s got that classic M3 rear end squat-and-twist trait where you can literally feel how the load is shifting around at the rear axle depending on steering and throttle loads. Just super.
Yes, in the end the brief but all too insightful drive in the E92 M3 left me feeling exactly how I expected to feel: absolutely thrilled. It remains, undiminished, my favourite car of all cars.
Regards,
Martin
I remember when I drove the M3, third gear and doing 160km/h what a great feeling.
