THE BOXSTER is extolled and the 911 drowns in a sea of purple prose, but it’s the Cayenne SUV that keeps Porsche viable, by accounting for 50 percent of all sales globally. And just to rub the purists’ upturned noses in it, the biggest seller is the humble V6 diesel. The good news is that Porsche has obviously been mulling over this issue, hence the arrival of its first ‘performance diesel’. As such things go, the S Diesel is a pretty easy proposition to understand: take a Cayenne S petrol V8, unbolt the engine and drop in the Audi 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8 already used by the Q7 and A8. Of course, to live up to Porsche’s position within the VW Group hierarchy – topping Audi, no matter what – the DOHC 24-valve engine has been tweaked to kick out an extra 23kW and 50Nm, taking outputs to a sizeable 281kW and stupendous 850Nm. No diesel SUV boasts a higher torque number.
Constrained by a limited engine range and uncompetitive prices, Jaguar’s new-generation XJ has struggled to gain traction against top-tier rivals like the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Porsche Panamera. Starting now, Jaguar intends to broaden the choice with an all-new supercharged V6 that’s so good it replaces the previous normally aspirated V8. At the same time, by reducing and simplifying prices, Jag hopes to expand the XJ’s appeal at the entry level.
YOU have to wonder whether corporate fatcats and conspicuous consumers care about saving the planet, let alone saving a Big Mac a week on their fuel bill. So the question then becomes: is the $222,000 BMW Active Hybrid 7 more about polishing owners’ neighbourhood environmental credentials or BMW’s?
After a 300km mountain-hop from Munich to Austria and back, I can report the Active Hybrid 7 is a deft application of a compelling ICE enhancement. I can also confirm this hybrid achieves 250km/h on the autobahns, can climb the Austrian Alps quicker than Maria and is able to glide silently through alpine towns at up to 50km/h.
This, in essence, is the beauty of BMW’s current hybrid-drive system. Employing an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack to meet two distinct needs: electric-only low-speed motoring, and F1 KERS-like boosting when performance is demanded.
The Active Hybrid 7 shares its entire petrol/electric drivetrain – including the hybrid-spec eight-speed automatic – with the Active Hybrid 5 and Active Hybrid 3. In the 7 Series, the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine has been tuned for 235kW and 450Nm. When combined with the 40kW/210Nm electric motor, it gives the driver 260kW and 500Nm to play with.
BMW claims a 5.7-second 0-100km/h for the AH7, commendably fast for a two-tonne limousine and equal to the 145kg lighter (and 14 percent thirstier) 740i. In-gear acceleration is equally muscular, even four-up and with luggage on board, not to mention the 145kg of battery, motor and ancillaries the hybrid drivetrain requires over the standard 740i.
The battery pack is situated behind the back seat as it is in the AH5, and it robs the boot of a not insignificant 140 litres (now 360 litres) and useful depth. The underfloor solution of the AH3 is far more practical.
What’s not particularly practical is the 1.35kW/h battery pack’s life. In the bigger, heavier 7 it can sustain a 50km/h cruise for just four minutes before draining. Full-throttle motoring will empty its reserves in just 30 seconds.
But these are minor quibbles. The Active Hybrid 7 is convincing whether evaluated as a boosted ICE sedan or as a fuel-saving hybrid. Of more concern to prospective buyers will be the lost boot capacity. Louis Vuitton luggage doesn’t carry itself, you know.
Wheels Review: BMW Active Hybrid 7
YOU have to wonder whether corporate fatcats and conspicuous consumers care about saving the planet, let alone saving a Big Mac a week on their fuel bill. So the question then becomes: is the $222,000 BMW Active Hybrid 7 more about polishing owners’ neighbourhood environmental credentials or BMW’s?
After a 300km mountain-hop from Munich to Austria and back, I can report the Active Hybrid 7 is a deft application of a compelling ICE enhancement. I can also confirm this hybrid achieves 250km/h on the autobahns, can climb the Austrian Alps quicker than Maria and is able to glide silently through alpine towns at up to 50km/h.
We drive for years, yet the best moments are over in seconds or minutes. Hours, if we are lucky.
I’ve just had an hour I’ll never forget, on a road I just can’t believe in a car that I’ve just fallen madly, hopelessly in love with.
Now before I turn around and go back the way I’ve come I’ll just sit for a few seconds and think.
But it’s harder to come down from the high figuratively than it is literally. In my mind I’m still snapping the new 991-generation Porsche 911 Carrera 4S coupe left then right, hunting the nose from corner to corner, revelling in its steering purity, instant throttle response and sure, sure grip.
MINI has a problem. It’s a problem Porsche faced and overcame, and now Mini is beginning to do the same. If survival depends on diversity beyond historical constraints – and no brand of decent size can survive on a single model – then how do you diversify when history limits you?
The constraints on this iconic British brand are even stronger than those broken by Porsche. Mini, by its very definition, can only produce small cars; the smaller the better. Cars like the Countryman, and now the Paceman, push the boundaries of what can acceptably be called a Mini.
Pimped and blinged out automotive fashion victims are everywhere, and MOTOR mag is kicking off 2013 with a Top 10 list of cars it loves to hate.
Chuck the following in a blender: Over-the-top jewellery, the most obscene colour combinations imaginable, faux fur, and a solid helping of bad taste. Mix, and throw at your car.
Some iconic figures in the motoring world left us in 2012, and as the year draws to a close MOTOR magazine pays tribute to them.
Engineers, designers, racers, even a famous motorsport media personality reached the finish line this year.
MOTOR’s image gallery remembers their personality and legacy.
The automotive dream factory has pumped out a stunning array of concept cars over the last 12 months, and MOTOR has selected its ‘Top-25 of 2012’.
Everything from hyper-hybrids and mega SUVs, to zero-emission cruisers and luxury limos of the future have debuted at motor shows around the world.
Check out MOTOR’s image gallery of this year’s best and boldest dream cars.
The Porsche 911, one of the most recognisable and desirable shapes in the automotive world, turns 50 years young in 2013.
Having debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the ‘flat’ six cylinder, rear engine 911 has evolved over successive generations to remain at the leading edge of sports car design and performance.
It’s also been the basis for Porsche motorsport success, in everything from the tortuous Paris-Dakar rally, to the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour sport car enduro.
