JustDrive There

Flash News: New Bentley Flying Spur teased

Posted on February 4, 2013 by justdrivethere

Bentley Flying Spur Teaser

Now, I know this is not really breaking news, and nothing much is revealed yet, however, from this new teaser, it looks like the new Flying Spur may be a very pretty car indeed.

Bentley is one of my favourite brands, but even I must admit that some of their later cars had some questionable styling choices, such as those headlights on the Mulsanne.

However, this seems to have changed, as this preview for the new Flying Spur promises, we could be back with an impressive looking Bentley once again! Based on the Continental GT, expect the same engines, which is the 6L W12 engine and the twin-turbo 4L V8.

More to come on February 20th!

Posted in Philosophy of driving | Tagged bentley, flying spur, teaser | Leave a comment

Montreal Auto Show, part 5: Mid-size

Posted on February 4, 2013 by justdrivethere

Montreal Auto Show

So here we are, after an entire week, with the final part of my recap of the 2013 Montreal Auto Show, which I cunningly called “Mid-size”. To the more discerning of you, you will notice that quite a few various cars are in this category. Basically, in this final part, I will go through the rest of the cars, which could not fit in the last four parts. However, be warned, this part is just as awesome as the ones preceding it.

To start off, I will make a mention of the Kia Optima. Kia has radically changed in the past few years, to the point that their cars can become segment leaders. The Optima is unbelievably close to that, if it were not for the slightly boring performance. However, fret not, as the racing version was there, which does look capable indeed. The sister company, on the other hand, had some very promising metal. First of which was the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec, the Korean M5 if you will. Powered by a mighty 5.0L V8 developing 429bhp, it may seem tame, until you remember it costs only $48,000, quite a bargain in fact, and Leonardo DiCaprio drove one in Inception. Next to it, the Genesis Coupe looks a bit plain with its measly V6. Still, a very good car.

From Mazda, there was quite a big deal made about the new 6. Given the state of the company, it is no surprise; this car really needs to be a hit. At least it looks the part, a good departure from the very tame predecessor. Nissan on the other hand chose to play safe with the 370Z. A good car, it must be said, but with the Subaru/Toyota BRZ/GT86 on the block, it really must be improved now. Honda were showing off the new Accord, which I must admit, in V6 form looks weirdly appealing. To finish off the Japanese section, a little detour via Lexus must be made. As a matter of fact, the new IS350 was revealed, and as much as an improvement over the older car it may be, that front end is really too much. Who would have thought we would one day wish for a Lexus to have tamer styling? A special mention goes to the ES350, whose interior truly stunned me. I had fun sitting in all the different cars of the show, but the Lexus interior was one of the best quality-wise.

Americans were not all about Muscle Cars though. In fact, at the moment, Ford are desperately trying to revive their aging Lincoln brand. Lincoln is the equivalent to Ford what Lexus is to Toyota, with the bonus that Lincoln is synonymous with airport taxis. With the new MKZ though, they seem on the right track. It looks very good up close, and there is something about those rear tail lights that just makes me want to stare at them all day long. I will admit, I was sceptic at first, but now I actually want to drive one, and I am only 23! Ford also had their Taurus SHO, a car that has been out for a few years, but still is very exciting, being the original sleeper car. However, we all love Muscle Cars, and the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon is the best one of them all, combining mad power from the 6.2L supercharged V8, unique styling that sets it apart from the competition, and a big boot to accommodate the furniture from IKEA.

Audi was at the auto show in full form. Apart from the numerous S8s or S7s, they were presenting the RS5 cabriolet for the first time in Canada. My personal favourite, the TTRS was also there, finally being imported to North America after a lengthy social media campaign! It is also good to see a 5 cylinder engine being used nowadays. Mercedes-Benz had their usual suspects, including my old friend, the C63AMG, the last of the small 6.2L V8 powered AMGs. And where would Mercedes be without the gorgeous CLS, or the king of cars, the S-Class. At the other end of the scale, Volkswagen had the Jetta GLI, a car we really need in Europe. Think of a Jetta, but with the engine and running-gear of a Golf GTI. How can we not like this? Finally, BMW was strong as always, particularly with the M5 and M6. Nothing much to say, apart from, wow.

Finally, what better way to end this part, than with one of the most excitingly renewed brands in the past 10 years: Jaguar. I have to say, from having sat in them, their new cars are really something apart. From the stupendous XFR, to the stunning XKR, even including the noble XJ, their cars are the perfect example of quintessential Britishness. It is good to see the new owners, Tata, are letting Jaguar express themselves in such an amazing way.

All in all, it has been one great auto show. I hope you enjoyed the tour and pictures! Normal programming will now resume….

Kia Optima racecar

2013 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

2013 Mazda 6

2013 Nissan 370Z

2013 Lexus IS350

2013 Honda Accord V6

2013 Lexus ES350 interior

2013 Lincoln MKZ

2013 Ford Taurus SHO

2013 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

2013 Cadillac CTS-V engine

2013 Audi S8

2013 Audi RS5 Cabriolet

2013 Audi TTRS

2013 Audi RS5

2013 Audi S7

2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS

2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

2013 BMW M5

2013 BMW M6

2013 Jaguar XFR

2013 Jaguar XKR

2013 Jaguar XJ 5.0

Posted in News | Tagged 2013, 370z, 6, accord, amg, audi, auto, bmw, c63, cabriolet, cadillac, cls, coupe, cts-v, Ford, genesis, gli, honda, hyundai, is350, jaguar, jetta, kia, lexus, lincoln, m5, m6, mazda, mercedes-benz, mkz, montreal, nissan, optima, r-spec, rs5, s-class, s8, sho, show, taurus, ttrs, v6, v8, volkswagen, wagon, xfr, xj, xkr | Leave a comment

Montreal Auto Show part 4: Exotics

Posted on February 3, 2013 by justdrivethere

Montreal Auto Show

So, I know, it has been a few days since this was supposed to come out, but unfortunately, not everything can always go to plan. Anyways, in order to make myself up, here is all what everyone was waiting for, the part that truly distinguishes the Montreal Auto Show from its Detroit counterpart: Exotics.

Starting with the good old US of A, what better way to start, than to look at a few Muscle Cars? The Chevrolet Camaro, of which I am a big fan, was present, particularly is ZL1 form. Powered by that superb 6.2L LSA V8 developing 580bhp, it truly is a bargain power house. Speaking of which, Montreal may not have had the new C7 Corvette Stingray, but what better way to make up for it with a couple of C6 Corvette ZR1s? With the exception of that plasticky interior, it is amazing what this Corvette can do. You may hate its size or transparent hood-window-thing, but you have to admit, for that price, it really is in a class of its own (though maybe the new SRT Viper can match it). From Ford, no big exotics, though the Mustang Shelby GT500 made an appearance, and with 662bhp, it is the very definition of “too much power”.

The Montreal Auto Show also had an interesting feature, the “Centenary Avenue”, showcasing some classic cars, such as a Model T, an original Mustang Shelby GT350, or even the Burt Reynold-esque Pontiac Trans-Am.
After all this though, the show really started.

We will start off mildly with Porsche, showcasing their entirely refreshed range. The Cayman and Boxster 987 look really good in person, I have to admit, the 911 991 looks very capable. It is the 911 that made me finally fall for them after all. The Panamera was also there, trying to be hip and young with a pair of mountain-bikes on its roof. Success? Well in terms of sales, yes.
After Porsche, Fisker was showing off their Karma, three of them in fact. It is a very big car, and with the exception of that Joker-esque front grille, it looks very good. However, you could feel they are having financial difficulties, given the bare nature of their stand. This was to be compared to the highly exclusive Rolls-Royce stand. The cars (ranging from the Ghost to the Drophead Coupé) where sitting a good two to three metres away from the public, so sorry for the bad pictures. Luxury is not meant to be accessible after all…

After that, it was all about the Gentleman Driver. Aston Martin presented the brand new Vanquish, next to a few Virages in both coupé and cabriolet form. Now, I am not the biggest Aston Martin fan, and though they are pretty, it is hard for me to distinguish the two. Yes, to drive they may be miles apart, but from the outside, I just don’t see the evolution from the DB9. Maybe I don’t get art? Next to them, my favourite brand, Bentley had the updated Continental and the Mulsanne. The Continental really has improved in this new updated form. It does seem like the perfect balance of pure luxury and speed. No wonder Jeffrey Deaver’s James Bond drives one. The Mulsanne though, which could have been my perfect Bentley (after the superb Arnage T), looks a bit funny with those LED lights. When are manufacturers going to work out that LEDs like that are not pretty?

Opposite this very British side to motoring was the Italian one, with Lamborghini. The Aventador was the star of this hall, in its flamboyant orange. If anyone thought this new Lambo was going to be dull, they are wrong. Just look at it! And the sound of that V12 is just pure music! Next to it, the new Gallardo, in white, looked a bit tame. Those new front and rear bumpers look better in the metal though. Now we just have to wait for its replacement next year hopefully (10 years of production this year!).

Oh, and Lotus was even there, with a couple of Evoras!

In the next hall, the big fight was on. For some amusing reason, the Ferrari group were placed just next to their main rival, Mclaren. On the Ferrari side, Maserati was there, with a beautiful Granturismo Sport in red and a white Grancabrio. Ferrari were showing off the FF, California and 458 Spyder. The FF was a new to me, as I had never seen it in person before. Maybe it was because of the black colour, but I find it weirdly attractive. After all, what is not to love in a Ferrari that can be used every day driving down to the south of France and do some of the fastest laps around the track? The California on the other hand does not look very special, it is a little disappointing. The 458 Spyder though is a very appealing car, which symbolizes what Ferrari does best: Passion, speed and frivolity, in an open-top. Next to this, the Mclaren stand seemed a bit empty, though with the new 12C Spider sitting next to the regular MP4-12C, it did look promising. Yes, you may not get the same passion as the Ferraris, but they do look like the most effective super cars.

After that, we had to look at the regular manufacturers for some exotic metal. Infiniti had the brilliant idea of showing a Red Bull F1 (they are a sponsor after all), Mercedes-Benz had a beastly SLS AMG Roadster and BMW had an M3 race car, to celebrate 40 years of the Motorsport division.

Is that all?

No, there was one big surprise at Montreal, from Lexus. Yes, they were showing the new IS 350 (more on that later), but in the middle of all the sensible sedans sat one of the best cars of all time: The Lexus LFA. The car I most wanted to see in person was there, in black. Who would have thought that Toyota, of all people, would come out with this quarter-million dollar supercar, with the best sounding production V10 engine ever? It is what a Japanese supercar should be, very technical, unbelievable attention to detail (no wonder it took 10 years to develop) and an overall thrill ride. You just cannot hate this car. The only problem with it is that only 500 were made. So the chances of seeing one are practically zero.

With that, the exotics part of the Montreal Auto Show can come to an end. One more section to this 5 part series very soon: Midsize cars (basically, all the rest).

2013 Camaros

Camaro ZL1

Camaro ZL1 LSA engine

2013 Corvette ZR1 LS9 engine

2013 Corvette ZR1

2013 Corvette ZR1 interior

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Ford Model T

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Pontiac Trans Am

Porsche Boxster 987

Porsche Cayman 987

Porsche Porsche 911 991

Porsche Panamera

Fisker Karma

Rolls-Royces

Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Rolls-Royce Phantom coupe

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

Aston Martins

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

Aston Martin Virage

Bentleys and Astons

Bentley Continental GT

Bentley Mulsanne

Lamborghini Aventador

Lamborghini Gallardo

Lamborghini Aventador

Lamborghini Gallardo

Lotus Evora

Maserati Granturismo Sport

Maserati Grancabrio

Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF and 458

Ferrari 458 Spyder

Ferrari California

Mclaren 12C Spider

Mclaren 12C Spider and MP4-12C

Infiniti Red Bull F1

Mercedes SLS AMG roadster

BMW M3 race car

Lexus LFA

Posted in News | Tagged 458, 911, amg, aston martin, aventador, bentley, boxter, california, camaro, cayman, chevrolet, continental, corvette, drophead, evora, Ferrari, ff, fisker, Ford, gallardo, ghost, granturismo, gt, gt350, gt500, karma, lamborghini, lexus, lfa, lotus, maserati, mclaren, mercedes-benz, mp4-12c, mulsanne, mustang, phantom, pontiac, porsche, red bull, rolls-royce, shelby, sls, spider, spyder, vanquish, virage, zr1 | Leave a comment

Montreal Auto Show Part 3: Concepts

Posted on January 28, 2013 by justdrivethere

Montreal Auto Show

So after seeing both small cars and trucks, it is time to look at concepts. This part of the fun is unfortunately brief, as you see, Montreal cannot pride itself in being the centre stage for a wide variety of world premieres such as the Paris or Geneva motor shows. However, there were a few surprises.

Kia was very keen on proving that they are a brand for young dynamic people. They had a few race cars around the stand and were presenting cars clearly aimed at a younger market. But the real novelty was the fun-looking Kia Track’ster concept from last year’s Chicago auto show. Based loosely on the Kia Soul, it showcases what that car could be if it were track ready. The idea of having a racing concept based on an everyday car reminds me of the VW Golf GTI W12 concept of a few years ago. Needless to say I totally approve, but could a real performance orientated version of the Soul come out from this? After all, Nissan did a Juke-R, just saying…..

Younger buyers were definitely the main focus of these concepts. On the Chevrolet stand, the 140S (in yellow), and the 130R (in grey) were being shown off. They were first seen as a styling exercise at last year’s Detroit auto show, but given the Toyota/Subaru/Scion GT86/BRZ/FRS’s success with younger drivers, Chevrolet seems keen to bring out a production version of those concepts. For cost reasons, only one will be chosen and you could chose your favourite via a voting system. Which one do you prefer? Personally I prefer the 130R for its more old-school looks, but then again, it does looks like a copy of the BMW 135i coupe. Whichever one is chosen though, please Chevrolet, make it rear wheel-drive!

Finally, Honda had a big surprise in store. In fact it was a world premiere that no one was really expecting, a first for the Montreal Auto Show! Named the Honda Gear Concept, it is supposed to make the automobile attractive to Generation-Y buyers (of which I am part). Now, the idea behind this is that Gen-Y buyers are no longer interested in cars, so this one promises to be endlessly customisable and connected online. In fact, it is supposedly imagined to emulate those BMX bikes we apparently love (seriously, does anyone really ride those anymore?) This really irritates me, as the support for this blog and a recent article I wrote for l’Automobile-Sportive.com prove, there are still a few of us who are into cars, but more on that later. Though I may not like the idea behind the concept, I have to admit that it looks pretty interesting in real life. That front end is much better than Honda’s current line-up, and is a nice wink to the first generation Civic. From the side it looks very back-heavy, but the rear is nice, albeit those Pagani-style exhausts are just overkill. As a future Civic though, I think we could live with it.

So there we go, only four cars today, but tomorrow the main part will be published: Exotics. You will not want to miss that!

2012 Kia Track’ster Concept

2012 Chevrolet 130R Concept

2012 Chevrolet 140S Concept

2013 Honda Gear Concept

Posted in News | Tagged 130r, 140s, auto, chevrolet, concept, gear, honda, kia, montreal, show, track'ster | Leave a comment

Montreal Auto Show Part 2: Small cars

Posted on January 26, 2013 by justdrivethere

Montreal Auto Show

So after the big trucks, one of the most popular segments at the Montreal Auto Show was small cars. A sign of changing times? Maybe, but be warned, small cars in America are not like those in Europe. So yes, there are small things like the Smart driving around Montreal (I might have seen 2 in 6 months), but generally something like a Golf would be considered small.

So to start off, Kia had some interesting cars to present. Yes, there was the new 2014 Forte, which looks pretty good, but my eyes were on the older 2013 Kia Koup (sort of Cee’d sized), a car we do not get in Europe unfortunately. In racing dress it looked very potent. After all, a small coupé for younger crowds, how can you not like that? Unfortunately it is only front wheel-drive, and soon to be replaced, so let’s move on. Chevrolet did have big trucks, but as we know in Europe, small cars are one of their strengths. In fact, the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS Turbo (known as the Aveo in Europe) looked like a fun little warm hatch. 1.4l turbocharged engine for 138hp, in a small light body, an old-school hot-hatch if you will. But it could do with more power to live up to the RS Turbo name….

And then, after a few stands, there was the 2013 Subaru BRZ. Sorry for all the pictures, but I truly love that car. Will it be my first brand new car? Very possibly! It was even chosen as the first JustDrive There Car of the Year. Just look at it, it speaks for itself. I just can’t wait to drive it! On another stand, Hyundai had the Veloster, also trying to aim the same market as the BRZ, which is younger people who want a fun car. As funky as it is on the outside, it does not excite me as much as the BRZ unfortunately… Let us not forget the venerable Mazda MX5 also, which is still alive. It is a fun little roadster, but try as I might, I am having a hard time finding it interesting. Maybe a drive in one could help with that, who knows? Moving on….

Mitsubishi had a very interesting car on display. It may look like a Mirage, but officially, in Canada at least, it had no name (basically, they do not have the rights to the name yet). This was the first time I have ever heard of such a thing, a car, officially presented with no name! Another small Mitsubishi was the electric i-Miev. It is an interesting looking car, but way too overpriced. Nissan however, had the 2013 Leaf. This electric car, on the other hand, is very appealing, principally because it is actually a good car. Inside it is comfortable and modern, and apparently it is good enough to go on longer drives. It is in fact the most popular electric car in the world at the moment, though not meeting sales targets.

Speaking of failing sales, Suzuki, who officially aren’t in the USA anymore, had a stand in Montreal. Nothing much to write about there, apart from the Kizashi which looks good and is actually a nice place to sit in also. It is a pity they are doing so badly, considering the success they are having in India.

After all this sensible talk of electric cars and sales, we can now move on to the fun stuff. Ford were very pleased to show off their world car, the Focus, in its ST form. I am still not a fan of the looks, and the inside is a very acquired taste. It is fast though. However, the pièce de résistance for me was at the Scion stand. The FRS, the sister car to the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ was showcased in its signature orange. Nothing much to say, apart from the fact that I want one so badly. The drift version was also there, for local Canadian racer Pat Cyr. It looks menacing…. Oh, and for European readers, Scion is basically a sub-brand for Toyota aimed at a younger market in North America. Therefore, the IQ is presented as a hip-small car that cool people drive. Scion also have the TC, a small coupe, sort of like the Kia Koup, aimed at first time drivers. It looks fun enough, but like the Koup, it is front wheel-drive. The FRS is really the car you need.

From Italy, the new Dodge Dart GT was shown off in the ubiquitous white colour. I joke, but it looks like a very good car. It is designed properly, seems well made, and the chassis is a big improvement on the Neon. The interior could use some work though. Oh, and the Fiat 500 Abarth was on the same stand, in that other ubiquitous colour, red. Sales are not good as expected, but it still remains a good exciting hot hatchback.

From Germany, Volkswagen were doing what they do best, improving on history. The 2013 Golf GTI may be a few years old now, but it is still one good car. As some people say, it is all the car you could ever need. Now, we just have to wait on the Mk7 GTI. The new New Beetle is the definite example on how to make to improve on a mistake. The old New Beetle was just a round blob of a car, but this new one almost seems like a hot-rod version of the Beetle. The Cabriolet version is very feminine though, even in black. Put it this way, compared to the black cabrio, that light blue model presented with Fender speakers, looks like a man’s car. A desirable 21^st century Beetle? Who would have known?

To finish off, I need to show you two good, but somewhat forgotten cars. First off, the Lexus CT200h. It is a Lexus, so an overall good car, and a hatch-back, to appeal to younger markets, and a hybrid, for the environments sake. Kylie Minogue was the spokesperson for it, yet we never see it in the streets. Same thing for the Mini Coupe. But then, that car has a pretty ridiculous roof.

So there we go, for the “small” cars. Tomorrow will be concepts. Stay tuned, there is a world premiere!