Auto.class-november.2018.pdf

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NOVEMBER 2018 - € 8,00

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NOVEMBER 2018 - # 7 1

CONTENTS

6

NEWS

56

A1FA ROMEO 4C

22

ELEMENTAL RPI

68

ABTSQ5

28

DS7 CROSSBACK

78

GINO LUXURY & MOTORSPORT

36

FORD ECOSPORT ST-LINE

82

AUTO EMOTO D'EPOCA PADUA

40

CATERHAM SEVEN 275R

Fl 'S H E I R

lt ha, bttn r..-vealed as the heir of the Pl, but above all the

nephew of the Fl, the famous superrar with central

dn­

vmg position that opened a new world and a new concept o f understandmg the word, perfonnance and spttd. Th e Spttdtail has finally bttn unveiled and represc,nt• the f a ­ stest and most powerful McLaren ever produced until now

Defined a, hyper

GT because ,t can combine a maximum

spttd of 402 kph with the convemence of a great able

t o

coex,st

pmnade

of

resc,arch,

with

zation

with

the

McLaren's

thank,;

almost

real

world,

engmet,nng

infinite

to a program

the Sp.,.,dtail and

pos.s1b1hty

tourer IS the

technological

of

personali­

that w,11 follow the requests

and n.,.,ds of its ....ealthy clients we have a hybnd pow er umt

As for the Pl

that m th1'1 case

delivers l,035 horses, while from the legenda ry Fl

picks up the dnvmg poS1t1on, with �

dnver SJtlmg m the middle and m front of the tw o passengers, one on each SJde. The active aerodynam,cs, a chassis and a car body enh rely

made

suspension

o f carbon and

fi�r.

acllve

powerful

alwmnum

carbon-cerarmc

brakes help movmg and stopping the l.430kg of the Speedtail a t hyperspace speeds, taking advantage of a dean, mmimahst and d1ame tncally opposed design to the edgy one (and more

track-focused)

seen

with

the

Senna.

As part of the Ultimate Sene., the most exdu

sive segment of Wokmg's brand, the Spttdtail will � produced m Jllill l 06 umts, iust hke the ongmal

production

starting

from

I

of the

m1llion

Fl, each

and

o f them

750,000

poun

ds

In case you started checkmg your savm

gs,

resign

rourn,lf,

they

have

all

been

sold.

FERRARI 488 PISTA SPIDER

.seems

lt

to

hke

know

w-,r

of

the

heir

mething hke the

488

._..,.,,

Well,

the

twm-turbo

exceptional

ta

yesterday

properly

to

P,sta, came

the

out

VS

" "'

the

learned

the

488

ltaha.

Ferran

most

o f

of

458

the

yesterday

that

po­

ov,,rwhelmmg

And

gave

hardcore gates

in

GTB,

so­

birth

to

berlmet­

Maranello.

now ifs the tum of the topless version,

obviously named 488 Pista Spider and ready to

me.s.s up

your hairstyle

m a defimt1ve way.

Th e rN:tpe ts b asnl on the 488 Ptsta coupe and therefore made of a settmg pumit

,;,,arch

for

wer compared to

the

ability

t o

more prone t o the

performance, the GTB

reach

8,000

(720

,._..,._

+50

hors-,po­

m total)

Also

and

m thIS

cas,,, as for the coupe counterpart, there are mneaSN! mtercoolers, turbos with mtegratNI reVll s,,nsors, as well as upgrades to the bra­

king system

and

aerodynarmcs

transmission, as w,,ll

worthy

of its

as an

racing stepsuter

TOPLESS PERFORMANCE

Another

nde,

be honest, the

final

ce this

gift

...

nothing specific

another

is

pnce,

is

but

w e

so

to

Sf"'ak.

yet known

hypothesize

T o

about

that

sin­

a limited .ser,e., the pncc tag will cer

tainly not be comparable to that o( the new Ma­ c an

1,984 of those

of the

year

among

the

in

will

whKh

first

be produced,

the

colors

on

adventure

m honor

began

display w e

ha""

and the

Guards Red that characterized the "88 911 Sp.,.,d ster,

T o

an authenhc

make

,con

m the Stuttgart

catalog.

•P"cial a seemingly simple 9l\

based

on a Carrera 4 Cabnolet .,.,e have cha..,,, dnve tram and gearbox o( the GT3, but abo,·c all the epic 500-horsepower flat -su coupled to a 6-sP""'(I manual

transmission.

There

arc

dedicated

al­

loy wheels and special retro style rear-view mir­ rors, as well as a lightweight canvas roof and the dassJC

domes

and relegate on

that

charactenu

boo.rd fon

the

for two

Speedster

people only.

lt

has

bttn

mon at

pr�ntNI

at

the

Rennsport

Reu­

Laguna �ca. W e are talking about one

o f the many gifts for Porsche"s 70th anmversary. Paying

tnbute

t o

the legendary 935/78

which

was prec1sdy mcknamed Moby Dick be-cause of its

unmense aerodynamic5, ,t IS nothing more

than the result

of a work m complete freedom

for deSJgners and engmttrs, who were able to give

free rem to

their

mnennost desitts,

sm­

ce thIS car will not he rq;;1sterNI f o r road use.

Based on the new GT2

RS - one of the most

dudly performance weapons out thue - only

will he produced and will he the ultimate

77

Joy of those w ho dust

m

so rt

some

luxunmis

of collage,

o f the

will not kttp them colle-ctlng

nues

1ts

wheels

the

tributes

mspucd

model

that

70s,

the

Hybnd LMPl

919

rowed from the 91 l

by

racNI

while

a t

o r

RSR,

the

to

the mirrors bor­

Moby

Mans

m the cockpit

D,ck conti­

race car with

design

Le

a

LED headlights

ongmal

the

Through

garages.

thank.. t o

fittNI on

at

there

the

on

end

are

of

refe­

ttnces t o the c-qually mythical 917, f o r exam­ ple

the

wooden

lacquered

gear

lever

knob.

In addition to havmg the pos.s1b1hty of askmg 11 with a second seat, there ,s obviously a sa­ fety

structutt.

t1omng,

GT2

deliver

PDK to

while

RS)

six-pmnt

belts and au cond1-

the engme {borrowNI from

is a J 8 flat six

twm-turbo,

690hp through a 7 speed

gearbox

Finally,

seYeral

the

able

to

dual-dutch

posstbH1t1es

set dnvmg aJds and choose first-hand the

levd from

of hero

JUSt

you

over

want

t o

E 700,000

be

Pnces starting

(exdudmg

taxes).

As ,f the already numerous v:anants were not enough, sort

of mtennediate

th,s

lime

the

GTS

step that

tr,,atment

m all g oes

respects

t o

the

Porsche

has punctually given

birth

to

r,,presents the ,deal compromise m the whole

Panamera

and

the

Panamera

Sport

Tumnno

that

range,

Under

the

hood both have the same 4-hter twm-turbo VS o f the Turbo, but detuned to deliver 453 horsepower, exactly 97 less than the top of the range model and +20 compared to the previous generation GTS.

W e

have

four wheel

dn"" comhmed with an

8-spttd

dual-dutch

PDK gearbox

and

the ability

to

accelerate from Oto 100 kph m JUSt 3.9 seconds, despite the fair weight that both vanants carry with them.

As for the

aesthetics w e find

GTS versions much

the

typical

pack.age

more sports-focused and therefore

that Sport

charactenre,;

and makes the

Chrono pack.age,

Porsche

Akantara's mtenor,

thre,,-chamber air suspension and sports <'Xhaust and Panamera Design 20-inch wheels, all startmg from€ without

l 19 879. g,vmg

Also m thts case, the GTS badge manages to combme up

the

comfort

that

the

sedan

and

the

shooting

sportiness and performance

brili can

offer

t o

,ts

customers.

.... _,.

' .

......

J J •

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.

·-

,

•

... . ... I

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I

:

r

x.

.

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AlJTC>

•

c:1.Ass ..._ ..

Smc.- ,t has s.-en th.- hght, th.- RS has always repres.-ntnl a t bes t the traits of the typ,cal super­ perfn:tly ab!.- to be used """Tf day, thanks to ao ncd­

car with mus.cl� and lmrs.-power, but lent

on

board

""luipm.-ot,

more

aod

rous aesthet,c

o f comfort

and

an aggr.-ss1ve

look all

m all

sober,

in

per­

With the s.-cond sen� pres.-oted m 2015, th.- performance bar has been raJSt"d

fect Aud, style even

plenty

now

and

'"

the

moment

mn:hamcal

of th.-

touches

that

mid-life k ttp

, t

facd,ft,

with

among the

the

best

mtroduct,on

today's super

o f nume­

sports cars.

lb.- front has bttn partially revis.-d thanks t o the oew and wider smgle frame mask aod with a new layout of"'' intakes, new splitter and slots a t the base of the hood. 1her.- are oew 19-mch wheels and yo u can opt for a s.-t of 20-mch ultralights, as wdl as for the carboo c.-ranuc system, but what matt.-rs most beats obvmusly b.-hmd th.- dnver's Mal, wher.- you cao hav.- an asptra­ te
YID FSl capable o f del,vermg 570hp aod SSONm of torque or a 610hp aod 580Nm VlO o f

the Performance verSJoo. Both, mdudmg th.- sl"der boast a O 100 m the order of 3 steonds (3.4 and

3 5 r�pect,vely f or the 570hp Coupe and Spider, 3.1

and J 2 for th.- Performaoce Coupe

and Sl"der) aod top speeds r:mgmg from 322 per hour to 331 of the most performing of the two.

lt

has

and

bttn

nnt

m

too

Mn, the Roll,

BMW

mrnbat1on

far

shows

from

that

"

a

very

delicate

it

ts

alm..d

hut

the to

an

because

it

of

accommodate

ding

on

the

intends

of the

at

grandeur

f o r

a

re]eas,,

Royce Cullman, ifs how i t

alongside

le,

the

SUV

suhJecl,

tn

a

ready giant

6 o r

Over 5 meters lnng and 2 meters wide In cuddle

cou­

dnver and passengers with the utmost techno­

here. name

not

hecau""

only

wealthy

on

rnnfigurallon

finally

keep ,ts

time

The

tn

even

,ts

-"'gment

extremely IS

long of

combme whed,

7 people, o f

the

X7

diente­ a t

best

lngy and the most metirulous attention

as always supported b y a new generation mu] llm..dia

CLAR

with a

12 3-mch

engmes, between

both the

die""l 26Shp

the

400hp of the

he

challenging,

BMW

Live

puts

and o f

MS()d.

m the

but

petrol,

the

he -"'Vera[

game,

Pnces

,t

with

xDnve

given

Cockpit

T o push the new

modular platform there will

depen­ ""ats.

system

display m front o f the dnver

smtable

rear

to de

tail, thank,; In fine leather and noble matenaJ.,

will

the

se,,ms

power

30d

and

obvious.ly offer

that

pretty leg:il

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

ELEMENTAL RP1

TRACK-FOCUSED STREET-LEGAL BARCHETTA \Vords by Max Gonzaga

lt

s.ttm•

havmg

another

ultralight

commg

from ..,me ham lost m the Bnttsh countrysi­

Photos by Tim Brown

W e will not more

the vu-s1on

talk about

peaceful

I O Ecoboost,

but

with

the

the

angry

d e and m fact it's pr..-tty much hkc this, if only

st•ter driven by the 2 hter, still Ford-sourced,

,t were not for the mamacal work earned out

and able to deliver the beauty of 320 horses,

behind the RPI project, where ..,me ex Mcla­

once

ren and ex Ford men arc moving around. The

because making the driving cxpenence even

Elemental takes a rightful step - m the true

more nigagmg there ,s precisely the possibility

sense of the word

of scttmg different param..-ters of the car, such

m that volcano of track day

selected

the

most

(double

aggressive

wishbone)

map

and

Yes,

weapons crowded b y BAC Mono. Anel Atom.

a• suspension

power

but a1.., Cater ham and Rad,cal, enJoying a ro­

delwery, whKh o n a total weight of6J-Okg ma­

ckmg nigmecrmg and regular hcensc plate to

kes a pretty interesting difference. Everythmg

drl\'<' o n the road, maybe on a Sunday after­

revolves around a structure entirely made of

noon after having set a fast lap o n the track

carbon fiber, m wh,ch two ng,d hke marble sc­ ats are immersed and mounted with ad,agonal

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

23

angle that nffer• yo u the same approach ynua ha,·e o n a Formula I car

Right over your bot­

tom there is the petrol tank and this guarante­ es an ophmal 50-50 weight distnbut1011

As for

the cockpit, do not expect to find an y kmd of comfort, ,mce the Elemental

is

reduced to the

bone, with a srnall steenng wheel with paddle ,hiften, a digital display and buttons fo r the rnam fu11ct1ons m the center of the "dashbo­ ard'; among wh,ch you find "Map+· and "Map -· through wh,ch

muease the power supply

and mh1b1t traction control, while the pedals, ,tra1ght hke those of a racmg car offer the pos­ sib,hty to choose for an even more racing bra­ ke

Just b y varymg the car's response y ou im­

mediately nohce the difference m behavior and you start feeling the fury of its 450Nm actmg 011 a bunch of pounds more than

half a ton.

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

ELEMENTAL RPI

La)OUI

mid-rear engmed, rear wheel dnw

Engine 4 cyhnder 2.
Transmission 6 speed sequential gearbox

Power 320hp 450 Nm@l 2.000 rpm

Weight

630kg Accderation

< 2,5 sec.

Top Speed 265 kph ca.

Price from 90 900 f. (tax excluded)

NOVEMBER

2018

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

25

Ki.ssmg the ground and with an extn,mely low cen ter of gravity thanks to the fact that 11 IS a "barchet ta� the RPI IS a real rocket and after having pro perly heated the lire• 1t allow• you to start takmg measurements through corners, where only when you accept the fact to g o beyond what until mmu tes before attmed the gnp hmit, fun really starts. It " able to generate up to l ,200kg o f downforce and th1S suggests that ,t IS one of those hardcore weapon in whkh the rule IS "the fastu you g o, the more the car will be glue
gh ,t has no conspicuous aerodynamic appenda ges ,t IS JUSI hi«, that and once you move the first few meters helpe
pedal, you can

chmb gears simply hy calling the next one from the paddle behind the non servo-ass1Sted steering wheel, wh,ch transmits you every shght change o n the ground. Movement• are sudden and although the nm• measure 17 inche, at the front and l 8 m ches at the back, the Elemental does not seem to follow at all costs the imperfecllon• of the asphalt hi«, many of ,ts comrades, but greatly supports the inputs o f the dnver - another aspect which maUs it all m all user-friendly from the first approach

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

A crazy car llM

the

RPI,

however,

must

be

taken with strong manners and after a bit 'of pull

and spnng you have

step

that

to g o beyond that

divides a discrete pace

from

heart

attack s�Nis. It is very fast and not only be­ cause ,tis able t o g o from Oto 100 ID I= than 2 seconds and a half or to reach a top spet,d o f 265 kph, but because 11 changes dtrn:l1on with the same

1Dstantaneousness of thought,

all without the slightest uncertamty and alwa� mamta1Ding a �rfect balance, useful to set the next curve and attack ,t m the most feronous way possible. Like all these weekend to�, al­ though the Elemental ., regularly eligible f o r use on the road, ,t IS not cheap and ID fact re­ qmres a t least 90 thousand

Euros (exdud1Dg

taxes), but ,f yo u are lookmg f or g ood excu­ ses to offer your wife, know that the space on board is not limited as on

other cars of thIS

type and that the eng1De/transm1ss1on group IS

made

even

more reliable

by the

fact

that

there is a dn:tromc control umt that prevenl.'i errors ID

sh1ft1Dg, otherwise potentially fatal.

..... I

�"DS7

CR

Words by Richi Mackie

The DS7 Crossback Is the product of a completely white shee , taste, fantasy and desire to amaze. At the wheel acts as a compact that takes advantage of tlie experl"!'Ce of the PSA group, awtl:etlcally Is a breath of fresh air ancl sure lnsplratt11t for tile enttre seg11ient.

'

NOVEMBER 2018

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

T o

let

you

know

something

about

the

new

DS7 Cros.shack, l could start out in thousan­ ds o f different waf", but no one would give a good idea of what kmd of rar you are fanng. Maybe, 11 would be appropriate to start from the bottom and 1mmed1ately make it dear that , t

is

one of the most interesting cars w e have

ever had at our office. dering

For

all

that

Why?

brings

yo u are won­

together

with

11,

for the way in which , t manages t o deal with the neccs.s,ties of daily use, but also fo r bemg able to satL'lfy those who arc look.mg for so­ mething

more,

something

the

DS

brand

-

luxury branch of Citroen and authentic spe­ arhead o f the PSA group - proves to be able to d o, year after year and model after model.

Th e DS7 Crosshack

by

Judgmg

,ts

size,

ts defined crossover, but the

Imposing

front

and

the decent height from the ground, ,t would be

more correct to call 11 a compact SUV. In

any

case,

talking

apart

about

from

the

rategorizatmn,

most

ambitious

w e

model

ace of

the French house, a proicct that sits in a dense segment For

,ts

and

part,

affordable

crowded

the DS7

pnce

by fierce competition. resides

range.

in

a still

another

rather

important

aspect for a car that has everything to prm·c. Price tag that enters deddedly more important terntones, cc

bemg

dragged

during

the

chm­

of the optmns or looking among the most

exclusive model,

packages.

a bit

hke

with

our

test

the ,deal one to touch a product that

refreshes a very umfonn segment , regardless of the various brands that fill ,t to the bonier

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

4.57meter,long, l.63 meters high and I 90 meters wide,

Returning to a purely aesthetic analysts, the SJde profiles

the DS7 i• not afraid to show off ,ts=, also focusing

and hack arc less particular than the front. but no less

on an impressive presence thank,; to a massive front,

elaborate, with DS logos scattered here and there and

made such thanks to a honeycomb trapezotdal gnlle,

two showy chrome frame, that incorporate the exhaust

authentic f ocal poml that gives character and sportiness

tips.

to the whole car. In between, the large chromed DS logo

Crossback JS a special car, wait unttl you open the door

shows off and all around you can appreciate the squa­

and g et o n board. I can hardly believe ,t myself that a

r e shapes created b y the interse-ction of the profiles and

transalpine car can impregnate a similar luxury, perfu

the LED running hghts. lt ts prec1sdy here that you can

me leather and let itself be caressed as usually happens

notice one of the first styhstJC features of the DS7, nght

with a Bentley or an Aston Martin. And yet 11 JS just h ke

when you tum the engine on and , t gives way t o the ro­

that and as [ dose my mouth wide open in amazement,

tation of thre,, diamonds per stde, whKh show that the

I start

designers not only have left nothing to chance, but wan­

shape of the steenng whe,,l and the central tunnel that

ted t o make a car practical and at the s.ame llme able to

seems borrowed from a Lamborgh,m. Wanting t o be pi

If you ar e starting to convince yourself that thts

to admire

the

surfaces of the

dashboard,

the

amaze and intngue. Th e DS7 ts in fact a completely new

cky, at least on the first dnvmg occasions, this setting ,s

model, the result of a white she,,t that ha, given shape

not enllrely intmti,·e, but after understanding where to

to a car with a thousand facets and undoubted dynamic

find the button• yo u wtll use more frequently. your love

qualities. Although petrol engines are available, l think

for the

DS7 will increase dramatically. There are two

the diesel (at least for the moment) i• the nght chmce and

12-inch displays, one nght behind the steering wheel

the 4 cylinder 2-hter with 180-hp w e are testing Sttms

and through which you can control instruments such as

to be best in the lot, at least waiting for the new hybnd

the satellite navigator, on board computer or the most

umts, which should take the four wheel dnve with "em,

classic instrumentation composed o f a tachometer and

perhaps the only real gap o n an

rev counter, while the second 1s located in the middle o f

SUV o f thts caliber.

the dash, touch screen and allows you to manage all the other parameters o f a car full of gadgets and complete wi th every devilry you would expect to find on board. A t

2473m

81140

-

•

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

33

DS7 CROSSBACK

Layout front-engmffl, front-whecl-dnve

Engine m-hne 4 cylinder l.997cc - turbod,esel

TransmiS&on 8-speed automatic gearbox

Power l 7 7 h p @ 3 7 50 rp m 400 Nm

@2.000 rpm

Weight l.610 kg

Acceleration 9,4 sec.

Top Sp<'Cd 215 kp h

Price from €30.650 (€ 53.350 as tested)

the bottom of the scrttn there are a dozen phy51cal buttons that act as shortcuts, nseful to recall the mam

funcllon.,

an

aspect

that

51mphfies

, ts nse. especially with the car movmg around.

Fmally,

to accentuate

there

a soft leather mtenor that

I S

the sense of refinement, I S

part of one

of the exclusive packages offered b y DS. the "Ri­ voli",

wh,ch

,s

completed

by

18

mch

Gmevra

wheels and the Advancffl Traction Control sy­ •lem, not identical t o an all-wheel dnve system,

but better than a traditional front-wheel dnve.

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER

2018

34

PreS!lure on the power button and something

that seem to be created exclusively for sports

whJCh quJCkly become

amazes me again, a B.R.M. chronograph ma­

cars. In thIS last case, , t IS prensely the fact that

and the,r luggages on board.

kes ,ts entrance, the dashboard hghts up hke a

,t IS an unusual model and full o f innovations

from

Christmas tree and I can finally move the han­

that

rightfully a bargain, olfenng a great deal with

dy gear lever m drive to walk the first steps ma

mon for chmbing on some mountain pass. 1he

a more than hono,st expense,. 1he specimen of

mako,s this Cros.sback the

,deal

compa

about

£ 30,000,

1,800 with two peop\o,

the

Finally, starting

DS7

CroS!lback

IS

ground clearance and the discrete shoulder o f

our test, top of tho, range and enrn:hed b y tho,

2 hter turbod,esd is not very qmet when sta­

the !,res solve without problems the need to

Rivoh treatmo,nt and by an y sort o f optional

honary, once m motion ,t never annoys and the

face some stretch o f rough road, but only with

costs £ 53,35-0, now a pretty important figu­

8 speed automatic transm,s.s,on works throu­

the arrival of the all whttl dnve hybrid w e will

re, which overcomes the ,mtial amaument to

gh the gears without ever requmng the inter­

be able t o understand 1f this model will also be

iusttfy itself without maior problems. You will

vention of the driver, still possible through the

excellent off-road or on snow-covered roads

love the DS7 Crossback, r m sure. And do you

c:rr that smells offuture from every pore

I( the

two paddles behind the steering wheel. There

know why! Because, ifs wonderful. Just the fact

is a lot o f fun playmg bet>,ttn the various fun­

ofhavmg d""oted more space to ,ts many de­

ctions and the drivmg modes of the DS7, but

Infrared cameras and adaptive suspensions arc

tails than tho, excellent dnving skills, demon­

l decided

iust among tho, many aspects that make the DS7

strates how much ,t amazes and brings with ,t a

t o

concentrate

ma:mly on

drMng,

a fundamental aspect o f a car that repro,snits

one of the most :mto,resting innovations o f r o,

real breath o f fresh arr of whJCh the whole SUV

such an important challenge for the brand. Th o,

co,nt years, while in terms of fuel consumption

world will benefit and should take msptrallon.

177 horsepower o f this model does not mako, ,t

w,,

found values in the order of those declared

a blaster, but in any case no owner of compact

by the brand, exco,pt

SUV s mako,s their purchase based on the 0-100

moro, spnnt t o tho, engino,, for example during

or the maximum speed, respectively of 9 4 ..,_

our daJ"' o n tho, mountains ln the nty you cover

corn!,; and 2 I 5 per hour. Rather, we reason in

about l OOkm with 5 61 of diesel, in o,xtraurban

terms o f usability and :m th IS case the DS7 pro­

area consumption

ve s to be agilo, in ntytraffic, fast and convenient

ned cycle of 4 91/IOOkm, not ha d ,f w e kttp in

on long distances and even fun on thos., roads

mind that you carry around l .6 l Okg of weight,

is

when

w o, have

required

4.41/IOOkm for a comb,

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

Words by Carlo Brema

First seen

m 2013 and updated at the begm­

mng o f 2018, the Ecosport

represents

Ford's

umon l,.etween a compact budget car and an all-round

crossover,

four wheel

dnv,,,

now

also

as long

available

a• you

with

choose

the

12S hp TDCl. W e had the opportunity to dnw what m the pnu hst sits ,mmed,ately 1,.efore that, the I.Sec diesel with 100 horsepower, with traction only on the front axle and a 6 •peed manual transm1Ss1on, a compromise that does not know ahout g,vmg up to anythmg, ,mce

the Ecosport keep• ,ts excellent abiht1es o n city road, a• on dirt roads, thanks to the corunde­ rable height from the ground of about

16 cm.

Bwlt m Rornama, the Ecosporl contmues the speech undertaken five years ago. making avai­ lable to future owners a car that can respond positively to all requests, but without costrng unattainable figure .. It has l,.een improved m aesthetics, where above all SC13

gives

,t

an

the new front fa­

aggres.s,ve look.

emphasized

by the ST Lme aesthetic package of the model of our test, also finished with two-tone parnt and burmsh.ed rims. Optional to neglect that of the

spare

whttl

hanging

on

the

tailgate,

always hmged on the left and that despite of­ fering the

an

best

front

mtenned,ate solution

of another

when car

opemng you

and

step,

haw

you

,s

not

parked

m

realize havmg

Photos by Bartolomeo Lazzarini

NOVEMBER 2018

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER

2018

FORD ECOSPORT ST LINE

Layout front-engme, front wheel dnve

Engine m-hne 4 cylinder L49&c

Transmission 6-speed manual gearbox

Po..-cr 100 [email protected] rpm 215 Nm@ 1.750 rpm

Weight l.357 k g

Acceleration 14 sec.

Top Speed 160kph

Price f ro m

left

somethmg

situation the

has

m

improved

use of softer

sembly.

What

habitation

the large

with

the

and

the

new

Fiesta

Ecosport

and

board

with

too,

a better

everythmg

else

better

ls the new multimedia system, in

On

considerably

plastics

a bove

trunk.

with

overall milis

than

the

as co

before

the same y ou find

an

8"

touch

screen,

more responsive and m tune with ,ts competitors.

1here ,s

room fo r five people and a wink t o con

sumpt1on, diesel,

with

a

mixed

also thank,; to

cyde

a weight

o f

4.21/lOOkm

o f

and that does not

exceed a ton and a half with the drwer on board. 1he dutch s,on on

t oo

the

very prense.

125hp)

Ecosport t oo

,s

{there"s

and

manages

much

the

manual

an automalK despite to

difficulty.

free

transm,s

ophon,

only

but

l 00 horses,

mtersecllons

The torque

only the

without

rurve ,.

a bit

h

mid, with only 2l5Nm, but what really matters o n thIS type of car is the fact that passenger but

with

comfort

half the

worthy

cost,

i t

offers dnver and

o f a higher

almost.

Th e prices

new Ecosport start from around€ version

with

3-cyhnder

I .S.cc 4 cyhnder,

£ 25,500, while

the

ruches € 30,000. has

been

Ecosport ,t

a

real

taken, t o

ln

up with asks you

,·ers,on

be Ford's

no

ugly

m

the

package

to spend a t

with

all-wheel

longer

a

A specimen

S T Lme

any case, a big

whKh

alternatiw

the

Ecoboost, but rise with

that of our test, set

and a

of the

19,000 for

handful o f options and diesel engmes hke

segment,

least drive

step forward relegates

duckling, crossowr

but

the

milis

battlefield

E 25.250

turbod,esel

YOUR

YOU If your

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NOVEMBER 2018

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

Today

I S

very hot, the sun

I S

high

m the sky

with ,ts ,mpassiv,, at11tude and every patch of shadow

hke an

I S

m the desert. The hot

oasIS

asphalt glues the tires and turns the curves min a kmd of track, on whKh the Caterham can draw Imes of any kmd, without the slightest ef­ fort If s me, l still hav,, to first understand how to dnve a Seven, compromise with its anorexK body and that constant fedmg of makmg you fttl pmseJ o n the blade of a razor that ran cut yo u at any moment 1he fact ofbemg s,thngclo­ se to the ground

IS

• '

'

•

the umptttnth comprom=

•

that you have to accept t o embrace the glory of

•• maximum dnvmg mvolvement on a rar equip­ pe d

with

a slttrmg

wheel

That's ,t The Caterham

I S

and

four

not stuff for famt of

sion are inst a couple o f examples, let alone if l mtend to be mtmudated b y one of the hottest days of August. I will thmk about the possible sunstrok<, later, now I'm too busy to kttp th.­ Enghsh

bullet on

the

road, something

that when the asphalt becomes d1sconnn:ted, yo u

bett.-r

not

take

, t

for

grante
especial­

ly when you're Sltlmg so dose t o the ground.

Forget

all

the

fantasies

about

the

Austrian

countryside, forget th.- fresh an of VIilages do­ mmated by mount:uns and immaculate mea­ dows, do it for a t 1.-ast a moment o r at least ,f yo u dende not to stop m the most dass,c Al­ pme locahon, but heading north-.-ast towards Lmz.. wher.- Caterham welcome
•

. ...

wheels.

heart, the hard dutch o r the damn stiff suspen­

small

• •

me for the

test o(the 275R, a more than valid step for tho­ se who are ready for thnr first contact with the

'

'

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

Britt,h manufacturer. You know very well what ,t ts, but ,f yo u have just awaRned from a deep sl'""p, Caterham

l.'i

a small Brittili manufactu­

rer that ha, detected the project Seven

from

Lotus, however kttping ,t fmthful to the "less "more" ultimate mantra, where m thts cas.e m add1t1on

to engine, gearbox,

,u,penSlon

and

brake,;, there" really httle el..,. This translates mto an overall mas.,; that remain,, kilo more kilo Jes.,;, around 500kg and with a whole ran­ g e of pos.s,b,htu,s to make your Seven a httle but devastating rocRt, capable to spank Por­ sche and �mm on track and kick you along the way that

, t

home,

taking advantage of the

fact

" peifectly usable o n everyday road,.

In a world a bit "wend we would drive a Se­ ven to go from home t o the office, but our back thanks

the

extstence of sedan,,

wagons

and

any other type of car that doe, not force you to unspeakable acrobatJCs for getting o n board. 1bat saJd, I'm JUSI Jumping at the wheel o f the 27SR, a• said probably the best one in terms of

power/weight ratio available m the Caterh:un price hst, more powerful and reactive than the entry level

160 and Jes.,; nervous and deman­

ding o f the .310, 360 o r the exaggerated 420 and 620, where do/nding on the country there,. a further d1fferent1at1on, JUSI a• in the cas.e of the old contment (UK excluded) where mostly you"d find the 275 o r the 485. Time t o figure out

in

my mind what really mean• a Slmtlar

power/weight

relationship

and

l find

my,..,lf

literally glued to the httle but all in all comfor-

NOVEMBER 2018

•

•

•

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

45

table

leather

=ts

The

adjustments

are

nnt

their strong pnmts, but while comenng they hold you tight, especially thanks to the 4-pomt belts that once connected allow to move your legs

and

arms

1he

Caterham

for one

Seven

show one bit the sign.

h's JUSl

purpose

is

a car

only

that

dnve

does

not

50 years of ,ts ongmal de

updated

and

made

contempn

rary thanks to aesthetic mtervent,ons that d o not dL'!tort the appearance and that keep alive the spark that gives y ou the courage to throw yourself headlong mto a twisty road. 1he car m my hands

I S

.. �.

not a standard 275R, but has a

whole senes of upgrades that make 11 even pu rer, a 6-speed manual transmission (mstead o f 5), venttlated disc brak,,s, I 3-mch Apollo whe

els and

lO extra horses, iust because the basic

135 seemed a few

I'm ioklng of course, but l

properly realize this only after a few kilometers spent takmg measurements, where I learn not t o anticipate too much the corners and above all to trust a gnp apparently unknown to an y other car that costs at least over E 150,000. In addition side

t o m e and the photographer by m y

there

ts

a

l.6 hter

Ford

a 4-cyhnder coupled

to

s,on

dnve,

and

rear-wheel

Sigma

a manual

engme,

transm,s

o f course,

what

did you expect� On the nght side the exhaust pipe spits out a l>oarse vrnce, barely covered

by the air that overhangs the small passenger compartment tials

are

m wh,ch only the bare

placed.

I'm

talking

about

es.sen

the small

...

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

Momo stttnog whet,l, a ceotral tunnel covc­ rNI

m soft

leather,

the very short

g ear

lever

an d a carbon fiber dashboard through which to control what you net,d to achieve heart a t tack spttd

m the

most

ms.ane

way possible

�hmd the wheel there IS a spttdometer and a tachometer, with addillonal LED indicator that helps when you turn off your common sense and you can't for any reason in the world take your eyt,s o ff the road m front of you. Next, ml md,cator,

water

tcmpaature and

fuel

gauge,

but [ doubt you"ll look at " em while spttdmg. The roads around Munzbach seem to be de signed csp«ially for Caterhams, with a fairly rough asphalt to allow the small A,'Dn tires t o bite and take advantage of the high tempaatu res m their favor. Now, after a few kilometers

of dnvmg, I f.,.,l I can smk more dec1S1vely on the throttle and explmt a greater range of engi ne revs and 11 is here that l reahze how much the Seven 27SR ,s capable of It IS a car to dnvc with strong manners, you have to be rough m your movements, JUSI hke when the widemng o f the rear rcmmds you that there IS not even electromcs helpmg you out there

N o electro­

mcs means no external control, it's only you an d the proof that 500 horses arc not always

\ •

.

-

... •

CATERHAM SEVEN 275R

Layout front-engmed, rear wheel dnve

Engine m-hne 4 cylmder I 596cc

Transmission 6 •P"NI manual gearbox

Power 145 [email protected] rpm 160 Nm@ 5 200 rpm

Weight 525kg

Acceleration 4,9 sec.

Top SpcNI

201 kph

Pric� from£ 31 095 (€ 47.645 as tested)

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

the ans,,.,er for gmng fast, let alone havmg fun. I put down and lighten � heavy dutch as 11 should be , thi,; i,; � ,deal way to bnng a he­ art attack to those next to you, wi th the road that

IS

seen

from

a lowu

perspective

than

usual and without any kmd of harner betwe­ en your face an d the ro w s o f tree,; o n the Si­ des. Th e engme almost seems to emit a hissmg sound and every mimmal mechanical fricllon ., perceived nght to your spme. 1he steering wheel must be kq,t tight as ,f 11 w ere the only barrier bet......,en fact

, t

you and a iliameful end

'" so), but once you

start

gettmg

(m the

feel, the Seven does not fear narrow and tor­ tuous roads JUSI like longer and faster stralghl'l. which give way to keep down the gas pedal, a l least as long as you have the hver to do that.

Although the Caterham IS mOJe a car f or dn­ vmg

involvement,

rather

than

pure

perfor­

mance, the numbers of the 275R ar e equally 1mprc,;S1ve, with a 0- l 00 kph of JUSI 4.9 se<:on­ ds and a top s peed that i,; d ose to 200 per hour, but here , t really takes a lot of hair o n the sto­ mach. The one r m testmg also features a lowe­ red floor, although efforts to make the driver seating poS1hon comfortable end exactly whe­ re the fun begms and that means immediately. 1bere IS a lever to acllvate the md,cators and yo u will ask your pas.senger to deactivate it as soon as possible, given the deafening nmse 11 emits, but these are details. small nuances of a much larger unage that can be appreciated even

when

loosen

your

seatbelts

you'll

pro-

NOVEMBER 2018

•

.

--

•

-

• •

•

hably have to book a �,on with the osteo­ path

commg

Moving

down

a few

from

meters

the

the

small

car

and

codq>lt. you

will

earn a standmg ovation from env1ronmenta­ hst.s, smce w e preferred t o put in neutral and push, rather than restart the Sitting procedu­ re from scratch

The doors are removable m a

second, but m thIS w:a y yo u give up the rear­ view mirrors and a small but comfortable shel­ ter from pebbles that evade the front fenders. Th ere is no glove compartment, you ha w to look behind your back and under

the

luggage

conwmently

compartment

stow

folded

that

e,..,rything

roof,

m

surprisingly

the can

accommodate at least a couple of backpacks.

The

Caterham

IS a demanding car, especial­

ly ,f you want to expl01t i t at least at 60% on what i t

ts able to offer, but in return it giws

you a completely different view of ""erythmg on four wh�l• that money can buy. You can touch

the

moving

ground

from

the

with

your

dr1ver's

seat,

hand yo u

without can

shp

mto comers h ke a crazy missile, all with low runnmg costs thanks to the minimum weight

-•

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER

2018

54

with wh,ch the braks have to oppose. And then the engine IS still a I 6-hter Ford, but a � evcrythmg without electromcs, wh,ch IS not a httle, "'pecially for those wl>o love to g d their hands dirty m the garage. A 275 comes home with you with at least E 31,000, but if you get c.uTJed away and check the "R Pack" then 11 reqmr"' E 6.000. A specnnen h kc the one of my test comes to cost a httle less than 50 thousand Euros, which IS by no means httle money for a toy, d.,.p,te being so exceptional, v,sceral and umque

\\'hat IS certain is that ,f you have the opportumty to try one,

a world that you did not believe could exist will open and yo u will be assailed b y the feeling ofhav,ng to learn everything from scratch, wh,ch in fact IS so at least m part. You iust nttd a fast car for dnving fast, to go fast with a Seven yo u must be able to pull the tngger and face the conse­ quenc.,.. You do not have to fear to see the bumper o f a truck a few inches from your nose o r dust a barrier with that tail that lov"' t o go side wa ys and allow yourself t o be pulled away by the narrow muzzle betwc.,n the two partially-covered front whttls. You have to get your hands on it, you"ll not be able t o master it man afternoon, but once you g et dose t o 11 you"ll g et richer (in experiences) than before

At that pmnt yo u will

miss it, you will accept the back pains and you will want t o come back o n board, not necessarily between the curbs, 'cause you can also enJoy that part of the ioumey that does not relegate the Caterham t o be a racing track instrument, but the best way to feel happy behind a stc.,ring wheel.

DON'T KISS THIS PAGE

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� 0 0

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I

REF

M119

13

94

67

I

SWISS

MACE

C

1850

NEW TIME. NEW CODES.

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

58

The little Alfa

Romeo coupe is a rough diamond.

violence and in with a driving

return will

years

(,t

this ts a defect, stop readmg now. With the 4C

that m one wa y o r m the other case 11 ts one

you deal with somethmg de,ugned and cn,ated

o f the best sports cars ever llVed at our office.

pun, hghtweight sports car paymg homage to

with the sole obJecllve of dnvmg, to taki, the

the golden age o f the Italian Company. Only

wheel violently and transform every moment

W e drov,, a g ood bunch of 4Cs, coupes and SP1-

a handful o f Y"ars later a couple of other cars

mto somethmg special, not JUSI a mm·e from

ders, but this white lady who catches m y eye is

of a dIStmctly sporty nature such as the Gm­

one pomt to another

The 4C, as ,t should ht,

undoubtedly the best aample we've ever had

ha QV

is a car that not only divides, but literally sphts

available. Specced as a launch Edition with a

the Stelv,o QV

was

2013),

Photos by Andy Williams

Romeo has first re\eas,,d the 4C, the

and

paSSfi!

repay

sm­

ce Alfa

have

know how to

involvement that knows no compromises.

Words by Chnsllan Parodi

Fiv,,

It must be taken with

SUV }Otned, but

neither share with the small coupe what for a

m two and accentuates the gap between ,ts ad

plethora of carbon fiber details, 11 is also rqmp­

dnvmg enthu,uast represents the fulcrum o f a

muers and detractors. It's not a perfect car, no

ped with the optional Akra:povic sport exhaust,

visceral expenence and mhmate h ke the one

doubt about this, but ,ts flaws are probably tho

somethmg that further raises the volume o f the

that only a m,d-engmed superhght can offer.

se nuances that will make you fall m love, whKh

small 4-cyhnder, ready to roar hki, a dark and

No fnlh, no compromises, there is no room for

will pee k mto your mght dreams and that at

obscure bantone as soo n as 1t mm·es ,ts first

anything other than necessary and ,f y ou thmk

least for us here a t Auto Class have sanctioned

steps, but that dean and screams roughly as

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

59

the revs mcrease, up to the r ed \me, where a mighty puff of air escapes from tailpipes

aod

shoots

you

agam

the titanium as

the

speed

mueases and the expeneoce begins to sculpt through your whole body. Th e 4C

IS

a sensory

car ba:ause you can feel ,t through all o f your five senses, and what you can not feel phyS1cally comes a t you emohonally the precise moment you approach that low and wide white Sl!houet te edge
I declare myself and I get a last ride, a last dan­ ce, before d,scovermg how much w e wlll have the

g ood

fortune to

ha,·e

this

fantastic

mo­

del, an apensive toy that does not hate your midweek comm1tments, but that certamly will not be the ,deal solutton to g o to the grocery store

or

rport

accompany

1he recipe

IS

grandparents

at

the

ai­

based on the Lotus verb -

J es,, is more - so the carbon monocoque allows you

to k,,ep the center o f gravity low and to

hm1t the total weight of the 4C around 990kg. This

aplams why you

d o

not

nee
a big 8

cylmder or an equally expensive and cumber­ some 6 cylinder seats beats the ged

Immediately behmd the two

l,7SOcc 4-cyhnder turbochar­

that "" saw on

you already know , t

the Giulietta Veloce, but It delivers 240 horses and

,s mated t o a 6-spttd dual dutch gearbox, ma-

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

nagcable automatically o r sequent1ally, via the small plastic paddles behmd the stttnng whe el. For thos,, w ho had hved on another planet, I emphasize that the fact of not having any kmd o f comfort IS also reflected b y the absence o f unnecessary extra weight and therefore then, IS no power st.,.,nng to help dunng maneuver, the only time when you accuse the heaviness o f

the

front

axle.

Once

moving

everything

changes, but this does not make thmgs simple

With DNA m manual

in Dynamic

mode and the g'box

[ head for thos,, roads that make

the 4C an absolute star, it's not time to hve o n catwalks or

capture

the

looks

o f thos,,

who

have not yet undentood that Alfa Romeo has returned to the lustful ones. Today ts the big day, she IS dressed up and I want to take all [ can bles

from

thlS last dance

behmd

us and

the photographer)

1he exhaust

whtle

Andy

has given

up

mum

(Williams,

most of his

eqmpment, stowing what he could m the small luggage

compartment

iust

behmd

the

eng,

ne. [ ask the DNA to exclude traction control through the us,, of the Alfa Romeo Race mode The digital display changes again and gives me mformation hke the G force exerted through cornen, but

I'm too focused on

keeping

the

small steering wh.,.,l tight, always eager to fol low the imperfections of the road below us W e are sittmg o n a table, an expensive carbon ta

•

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

ble used fo r the most important task that a car can recewe, amuse ,ts crew. The turbo htssn and when you reach ,ts torque peak, at around 2100 rpm, the httle Alfa pushes like a posses­

sed woman.

1bts is a lady at

first

sight, but

under the elegant dress there are witch daws and destre to hurt you a t the first distraction.

Through tight comers you have to use all your energy to touch the ,deal Imes and make the most out of the 350Nm of torque, when there ts

a stretch hold down the gas and yo u rely on

the ucellent brakmg

system,

entenng

faster

than y ou would with any trad1t1onal sports car.

NOVEMBER 2018

ALFA ROMEO 4C

Layout mid-rear rngme, r,,ar wheel drive

Enginr 4 cylinder l.75
turbochargOO

Transmission 6-speed automahc gearbox

Pown-

240 hp@) 6000 rpm JSO Nm@ 2100 J7SO rpm

Wright '}95 k g

Accdrration 4,5 sn:

TopSperd 258 kph

Prier

from€ 65 000

•

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

65

Do not fear d1rcct1on changes. not even the most sudden. but 1f yo u widen the tail. i t is there that the light l,.ecomes more exntlng. Th e absence o f power stecnng does not faahtate the spttd o f mO\·ements necessary to keep the nose straight and

one of the many controvermal aspects o f

is

the 4C. Some call ,t a defect. hke the fact that they

complam

of

from the stttnng

a

lack

of

commumcatlon

I rail 11 punty and as such

11 1s not always predictable, but , t must b<, m terpreted, understood and tamed

Inside o f me

I'm wntmg some of the !,.est chapters o f my e x penence as an automotive journalist, all thanks to a 65 thousand Euro toy, a t least as a starting pnce.

without

the extra

carbon

lil,.er

and

the

optional features of this model. All m all. cm braced even ,.

b y a fantastic r ed leather saddlery and

,f the mstrumentation m front of my nose

pure

plasllc. I prefer to possibly recr1mmatc

the savings on the climate controls. but to pra1 se

the emotions [ feel and the mcred,ble tight

ness ,t grants me through comers of all kmd.

A car ,. a

that takes 4 5 seconds from O t o 100 kph

real sports car, but t o reach 260 per hour m

this and a few centimeters from the ground With a steering wheel that trembles as if t i were bitten by

a tarantula takes a g ood dose of courage.1he

hardest th.mg, once at the wheel o f the 4C. stop.

You wtll

is

t o

have to ha,·e a good reason to get

off this carousel for overgrown children and 1f ,t were not for the small "'"' of the tank, the stops at the gas station would b<, even less than photographer next t o me would ask for

the

I look

nervously a t the dock and I realize that the hours escape qmdJy, l decide that the time has come to go 1,.eyond that hmlt that marks a day at work

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

66

from a day destined t o be mine forever. She dances betWttll the curves.. with her nervous behavmr and that destre to scream all her power and trust me that 240 hors.es on a weight hke this., are a g ood amount of6re. Ok, a handful more would be perfect, but ,t IS here that I realize that despite the exci­ tement and the involvement that can give, is not exempt from some small flaw. Time to talk about ,t?

Let's start with the fact that the choice of the engme IS conecL The turbo makes 1t hvdy, ,tis simple and inexpensive t o main tam and contnbutes to the cause m favor of the hghtnes,; of the car itself. Putting hands m there and managing the umt can lead t o cut that gap that would make ,t ""en sharper, without becoming t oo nervous

That , t is not practical w e do not care, but ,f y o u have

to sacn6ce some baggage, at least the two people on board wdl be comfortable and not suffoca ted. After all, the only real defect of the 4C hes in ,ts drivmg prec1S1on, where after some logical measurements starts to give exciting fun, but you always perce,.,.e that roughnes,; m the dnver/ stttnng

marnage

Sometimes

And ,f

,t wue Just the nervousnes,; that makes the beautiful ltahan lady who ts it?

unpredictable, almost dangerous, but still able t o draw a smile on your face. Beautiful,

incredibly beaullful, no1Syand

unwdhng t o compromise, you already know that everyllme you get

on board ,twill be an adventure, ""en ,f you JUSI ha"" t o go from home to the office. And if that was

the scenario, the 4C JS the car that lets you write the story, makmg sure ,t h"" a proper plot.

Q VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

If

before

now

it

is

a

the

SQS

was

werewolf

is

wolf

thrown

Words by Alessandro Marrone

Wh""ver s,ud that entertamment

a

Just f o r a

in

in

sheep's

the

middle

NOVEMBER 2018

clothing,

of

a

flock.

Photos by Giorgia Rossi

you can find m the Aud, catalogue

lf befor-,

fewr And abov,, all, who states that you can't

the SQS was a wolf m sheep's clothing, now 11

combme

IS a wernmlf thrown in the middle o f a flock

tamly

practKality

not

Aud,

and

bos.ses,

perfonnance?

which

a,;

you

Cer­ know

were among the first t o fit what was anything that a boring engme m a seemmgly qmet fa­ mily car, all thanks to a valuable collaboration

For

with Porsche thu, giving birth t o the legendary

wheel of the crazy RS4-R, one of the mo,t vi­

RS2 Avant

vid dnving expenences I've ha d the good for­

But w e haw, alr-,ady talked about

the

record, your

editor has JUSt

left

the

this on our February art,de dedKated t o the fu

tune to hve m recent times and I find mysdf

nous four rmgs station wagon, while about its

havmg to reset

ultimate heu, the ABT RS4-R, you find a pretty

the

my thoughts before gomg to

following one.

Although

the type o f car

interestmg review on September's Auto ClaSli

IS not so different - w e g o from a wagon to a

1bis time w e enter mtovery contemporary ter­

medium sized SUV - the two cars emphasize

ntones ,uch as those of the SQS performance

the distance between the two ongmal models

SUV, the sports mcarnat,on of the best selling

{RS4 and SQS), where the first one turns itself

medmm s,:r.e Aud, has to offer, designed to tac

into a race car lent t o the road and the second

kle any kind of road without however carrymg

instead manages to mamtam all round quah­

weight and st:r.e m excess. But ,fthe traditional

t1es o n n·ery day roads, thanks to the advan­

SQS hides an exceptional versatility behmd a

tage of a slightly better ground clearance. Of

sober look, once passed under the daw,; o f ABT

co=, ABT put all of its usual and meticulous

the musK takes a completely different tone, t o

attention to detail, immediately puttmg bod y

the benefit of dnvmg involvement and purest

and soul

entertamment

ts

more aggressive than before. T o g1v,, ,..,nt to

At

this

poml

the

que,t1on

to make the look of the SQS much

"Will they ha,.., managed t o keep mtact the

this desue f or greater charactenzat10n "" haw,

ability to represent a complete car, or the spmt

a wide body kit in duding a new front bumper,

o f adventure have taken over, leading to some

more generous wheel arches, side skirts and a

logKal

new rear bumper that mcorporates the sports

renouncement

in

terms of usabil,tyr

exhaust system with two couples of terminals fimshed in carbon fiber and ,unk in the middle o f a showy diffuser. Option• indude the use of T o

be hone,t,

when

you

ar-,

deahng with

a

ded1Cated 20 or 21-mch wheels, or the mam­

car out o f the ordinary, the last of your thou­

moth 22 mounted on the umt o f our test and

ghts goes t o the typKal home-work route, but

whKh

fit

equally generous

265/35/R22

tires

smce ABT ts not a Simple tuner, but the most authontahve personahzat1on Signature for the VW-Aud, group, tickmgout all the ,tem,at the bottom of our personal assessment table will

Needle.,, to say, at first glance ,t seems to be in

be important to en,ure the succeSli ofthts SQS

front o f a completely different car from the on­

o n stermds. And ,f you gave a sneak pttk even

gmal one, every comer ha, been ,trengthened

o n a Single photo yo u understand that ther-, ts

and the myriad o f ABT badges spread all ov er

a maSli1ve use o f steroids here, smce an SUV

also continues m the cabin, where [ am wel­

that before leaving Kcmpten would have pas­

comed by an environment more faithful to the

sed completely unnotJCed m traffic, now do,,s

ongmal but still able to earn that bit o f sporti­

nothmg but attract the glances o f passersby and

ness thanks t o the beautiful rhombmdal

other dnvers, not canng about the useless low­

tern embroidered on comfortable leather seats.

profile attempts by the beautiful Nardo Gray,

But how ,s th,s SQS dnve! Yes, the mam que­

one of the Simplest but most distmct,ve colors

stion that w e asked ourselves at the begmnmg

pat­

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

70

seems to have gone mto the backgrouod and all that mterests me IS to start the 3 liter V6 and give frtt rem to the performaocc package that pours petrol o n the fire

Th e TFS! was brou­

ght from 354-hp to 425-hp with a consequent I 0% increase of the maximum torque that g oes from SOONm to 550Nm

It IS a conSJderable re­

sult, rspcc1ally takmg mto account that,,...., have to move a

mas,;

that does not exceed 2 tons and

plays with adjustable suspenSJon that can vary from 35mm t o 60mm less than before mean,; mode

that and

when move

you the

select

big

the

gearbox

All this

"DynamJC" knob into

sequential mode, 11 will seem to be back on a pure sporl.'i car

1he height from the ground

re
bone

to

the

IS JUSt

one

of the

key

points of the dnvmg experience and the power and readiness of the V6 do the rest of the Job.

I throw myself in the curves and in

my eyes

there IS only space for the next one. The SQS, whKh previously knew how to behave admi­ rably, has turnNI mto something 11log1Cal and damn

fun.

1he

exhaust

releases

the

fury of

the 425hp and every shtfhng IS accompanied

by an

addictive

grrss,on

explosion and

towards

some of the

a steady most

pro­

isolated

roads south of Kcmpten. W e were also lucky enough to find an area dosed to traffic, v.he-

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

71

r e [ could push even mnre on the throttle and touch with my hands how 11 is not necessary to Sit a couple of centimeters from the ground to fed adrenalme flow through your vem,. Th e 8 spet,ds dual dutch

gearbox IS the best ally

and supports the ,deal exploitat,on o f an engi­ ne that finds its red lme a t around 6,500 rpm, tracllon ts v,rtuallyendless and combined with

the enonnous gnp exerted hy the fat tires ma­ kes you enter and a,t comers at spttds you would never thmk possible m a car that ts das­ Sified as "one of the qmckcst ways to brmg your children to school� In th1S case, after the ABT treatment,

you can

afford

to

have

breakfast

five mmutn before the bell nngs, regardless of the kilometers that separate your house from the school, prov,ded

that

no one suffers the

unleashed pace that this SQS ts able to offer

In an ,deal world, each of us would have the poss1b1hty to prmt cash m the cellar, but un­ fortunately- so f ar - 11 d� not Sttm to be the case, and so ,t IS g ood and nght to tackle the costs argument.

After all, w e ar e sttll talkmg

about an SUV and not a traditional sports car wh,ch

would

better

represent

a big toy

use­

ful to g et a smtle o n your face every lime you

ABT SQS 3.0 TFSI

layout front eogmed, all-whed-dnve

Engine V6 cylmder 2.995<:c - turbocharged

TransmiMion 8-•pttd automalK gearbox

Power 425 hp f 550Nm

' W ei g h t

l.900

kg ca.

Accderation

5,2 s.ec.

T o p

S pe ed

250kph

Prke from € 86 800 ca. (lat ABT as

t � t ed,

from£ 16.998 VAT md.)

- -�

-,

'

-·--..

2 -,

.,

' · -

':>

•

-

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

76

get on board. On the other hand there is the polyvalence o f its 5 seats, the large trunk and all the comforts deriYed from a latest genera­ tion multimedia system. virtual cockpit and lo­ gically the QUATIRO four-wheel drwc system always ready t o face the winter or some slippe­ ry roads. Takmg mto account the 6 9 thousand Euros needed for a standard SQS, the ABT pri­ ce hst imposes 3,117.65 £ for the perfonnan­ ce

upgrade

and

5.747,90

£ for

the aesthetic

Ju t (mdudmg assembly, exdudmg VAT). 1he immense 22 wheels, wh,ch are demanding du­ ring parkmg maneuvers, add an extra value to the car's macho look rnstmg E 3,899.16, wh,ch added to the rest o f the package natlable on the model of thIS review bnng the conversion kit at around 17,000 £ (VAT not mduded). At thi,; pomt it depends only on you and what yo u

look for m a car, regardless of how yo u UM 11, but w e know very well that the fun factor ts deadly important m hfe and despite not bemg a small amount of money, the extra Euro you haYe to put here radically transform a g ood car m a more than excellent car ready to d,spen­ se fun

at the whed,

maybe o n a daily basis.

•

•

\

1'

••

•

•

1

•. ' ' ,,

' •

'

•

AUTO ct, MAGAZINE

-

--,

DRIVING I N P-IEIJ .

�

=Will HAVE A TRUlY D I F . •

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER

2018

GRUPPO GINO NEW FRONTIER ASTON M A R T I N M I L A N O Photos by Luca R,va

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

79

Gruppo Gmo, important plarer m the field o f

I

luxury cars smce l 959, enhancrs ,ts

luxury

and

Motorsport project byiommg the British brand Aston

Martm

through

Aston

Martm

Milan

Many

prestigious

Born

m

t e

1913,

has

rderence

sports

cars.

the

Bntuh

�come m

the

"We

over

automaker the

panorama

are

thnlled

years

Aston an

ch

pttst1gious

of

to

represent

that

make

us

'""en

futu

r e stratq:y m Europ,, and esp,,cially m Italy" Italy

ts an important

m Europe. The

Martm

news

more proud to� part o f Aston Martin's

market

for luxury cars

products already availabl.- m

the Aston Martm range and the new ones that will � mtroduced m the next

few yeaJS wtll

surely sec Aston Martm Milan playmg a lea dmg role m the growth of the brand, both for

Aston Martm and ,ts JComc and art,s.anal ma

po!llhonmg and sales. In Aston Martm Milan,

sterpieces

the Group Gmo has found a strong passion for

s.andro

Gmo. Italian

m the

Gmo

"After

Italian

- �neral

the

market

recent

of two

market," Manager

says

mtroduction extremely

Ales

o f Gruppo

o n

the

mterestmg

new products, the Vantag.- and the DBI I V o lante,

the

new

DBS

will

soon

� presented

the brand and an excellent knowledge o f the product

and

o f all

the

models o f the

range

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

81

"BEAUTIFUL IS ABSOLUTE: Its t,.,auty lea­

Also o n display there was the brand new DB l \,

With this brand o f pnrnary importance m the

ves n o room for doubt." Here IS the philoso­

designed to excite with ,ts mim,table and re­

panorama of luxury and performance

phy around whKh the new DBS Superleggera

cogmzable design thanks to the immense po­

tourers, the Gruppo Gmo enter,; the Milan and

develops

wer of ,ts

Italian

With

a stunning

hexagonal

gnlle

VS o r Vl2, and then the

Vantage,

economy and business

beatmg

grand

heart.

and rapllvatmg and elegant Imes, the DBS Su

charactenud by an cxcepllonal class and the

"1hts IS one o f the most t,.,autiful challenges

perleggera features a carbon-fiber shell

beating

for us m the next few years and we are happy

ho n

heart

of a supercharged

4 hter

VS.

m the

Mi­

net, which reduces weight, lowers the center of gravity an d expels hot air through a senes

With 4 cars

of intakes can,ed m the same paoel. ThlS su

lan

perrar allows you to live ao unforgettable ex­

stomer

penence thanks to the powerful 715bhp en

vmg

gme and the mcomparable sound of its V 12

an

Just m recent days th1S new aerodynamK ma

All this and much more will represent the new

sterp,ece has been tested, with test dnves orga­

strategic approach of Aston Martin Milan, with

nized byGroupGmo and AstonMartm Milan m

a partKular focus on the recently used product,

the exdustve sett m g of the Castello di Guarene

Classic and Future Oassic, thus creating a se­

On that ocraston, some customers of these two

cond market fo r a product that w1ll mcreas,, and

prestigious compames v.ere able to appreciate

emphasize the value of the Aston Martm brand,

what the DBS concept has always represented

considering the timeless mterest m classic cars.

smce

the

beginning of its legacy:

maximum

elegance, speed, comfort but also performance

aV31lable

showroom,

for

special

ts a key factor,

emotions ,come

testmg

attent1on

focusmg on

transmitted

brand

such

to

as

by

the

Aston

the

cu­

the dn­ rars

of

Martm.

to be able to start i t

wi

o f

ncludes

ton

As

Mart m " ,

th the help

co

l

d support

an

sandro

A es

o.

Gm

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

82

AUTO E MOTO D ' E P O C A PADUA

A J U M P I N T H E PAST A N D A LOOK TO T H E F U T U R E words by Tommaso Mogge

Photos by Giorgia Rossi

Tha t of Padua ts an unmissable event for enthu-

for those who want to buy, ..-11 or Slmply talc.- a

even if someone tries t o ask ynu 2(1'!1, more out

51asts, whether th.-y love two or four whed,, or

trip m the past, always givmg a look toa future

o f the latest kiosk's rdeases, 11 is always wnrth

for th<>M" who

mnr.- and more turned towards susta111abihty.

bringing horn.- a souvemr

n� to refre,h their memory

a l/43 car will not

about thos,, cars that hav.- wntten the htstory

make ynur wif.- angry after all. Ynu leave th.­

of motorsport, m partKular the world of ral­

fir.;! two pavdion• and you are assaulted b y th.­

1mmeTS111g ourselves straight 111 th.- spare parts

o f all kmds and then the Sicilian confect1oners,

teworthy accomphsh.ment b y itsdf, if it were not

ar.-a, but if ynu ar,, nnt restnnng anythmg you

whKh are confirmed as nn.- of the undtsputed

for the r,,cord entnes that touched the 120,000

can

highlights o f the whole show, diet apart. On th.­

vmloT!l 111 th.- 4 da ys o f the .-vent. Of cour..­

v111tage sign• and pieces that wdl ,urcly rermnd

out5lde area there

w e could not m, .. 11 and w e took advantage of

you of the

days o f your childhood.

retatlers and private look111g for the nght custo­

the pn,VIew day to cxpenence the true .-s.sen­

Die-cast models, finally more orderly and l ess

mer o r perhaps an exchange that can still mak .­

ce of th.- Padua fair, authenlK rder,,nce po111t

labyr111thm.-than before, ar.- anoth.-r must and

the Venetian tnp us,,ful. Wid.- space for bigg.-r

spend

hour.;

exntmg

it easy tn .-nter,

pork meat, s.auc.-s

1he well ..-! paVIhons

D'Epoca fair to reach the 35th birthday, a no­

still

mak e

perfumes nf the f ood stands

hes. Th.- 2018 Millon allo....00 th.- Auto.- Moto

between

metal

plat.-s,

ar-,

s.-veral cars brought by

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

83

retailers m the other covered pavilion,. where although we recogmze some pieces that ha w already tread the ground m Padua la,t year and sometimes

even

the one before and the one

before that, we find W4'U-preserved model, at pnces not always optimistK as last year or so. Let's be honest, someone really need to under­ •tand ,f they want t o coUect cars., o r JU•I sell it.

Not iust das.sic cars, because along11de Italian classics,

Enghsh,

German

and

a handful

of

American muscles. w e also ha w more recent models,

the

inevitable

youngtuners

(today's

fashion) and more recent supercars., indudmg a LaFemm Spider. Probably th,s will not have bttn

the most photographed this year, mamly

because

o f the bunch

nothing short placed

nut

of Stratos which

were

of impre,s,ve, especially when

t o a Lancia 037 Stradale o r a Del­

ta S4 Stradale. The •makelannagreatagam �­ wr help•

revaluations

a lot and in m ca.s.e of

s.ales makes two people

happy mstead of only

one, but pas.smg nut to some Group B rally cars you really g et goosebumps

not

be

mis.sing

that

those

the

have

Porsche could

appointment,

no

doubt

undergone a maior revalua­

tion (or JUSt pnce-leap) in recent years, with models rangmg from latest

911

OnlyOne along

other

the first

356

up to the

GT3 RS. Catchy has been sttlmg

with

the

at

das.sic

interestmg

the EC.

the Mistral Motors stand, lot

pieces,

of ,upercars

not

t o

mention

and

the

91 l 3.0 SC Roth mans Rally not f ar from there, still

marked by one of the many battles faced

before

findmg

,ts

well-deser.·ed

retirement.

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

Padua has always been a pomt o f rderence for car

maken

and

their

official

dealen.

which

take advantage of the occas,on to celebrate the most vaned anmversanes and so "e admired old glories from Citroen, Peugeot, Volvo and the

FCA group - represented by its

branch - nght

next

to

new

Heritage

models that

aim

t o write the history o f the brands m the fo l lowing years. Alpme was there t oo with two A I !Os.

the

grandmother

and

the

new

one,

not to mention Bentley and Mclaren and the undisputed

star

of

Benz. who took care

this

edition.

Mercedes

not only to all the d e

tails with an 1mpress,ve array of new models and

classics

prototw tely

- mdudmg

- but

namers<,

allowed

themselves

the legendary Ci l l vmtors

to

comple

m a vmtage

world

thanks to the total mvolvement of those who want to retrace the history of the three po m t ed star. between mfo displays and the hkes.

AUTOCLASSMAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

86

Fmally, the pusttgious confirrnat100 of Bonham, auchon house, with total sales exceeding 2 rnilhoo Euros, mdudmg the 1960 Ferran 250 GT Sem,s ll Coupe sold for€ 508,197

Quantity therefore,

but �tter quality than prev10us years I'd say, for a fair that has managed to carve out ,ts position as a rnam event m the dass,cs panorama and beyond The feeling w as that of a greater awareness o n the part

of many

(not everyone though)

exhibitors

and unlike other occasions there seemed not to � a dominant trend b y wh,ch aim m g to mcrease the value of one or two models only

It was a fa,r

to visit, fun t o experience and that has certamly made more than a f ew people happy, rcgardlcs.s of whether they came bade home with their dre­ am car or have only been able t o admire 11 closely.

,.

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