Each year, like other regional motor journalist organizations, our Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ) invites the manufactuers to bring their best new cars for us to drive. Like the major automobile shows, these are excellent opportunities to make headlight-to-headlight comparisons of many different cars at the same time.
But, better than the shows, at these events we have the chance to actually drive the cars, though time in each car is limited to about 20 miles on Monterey, California, backroads, or three laps of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is not sufficient to do a definitive review, but since first impressions can make a big difference in buying decisions, here are ours, starting with the luxury sports cars.
This is an automobile that makes you feel elegant from the moment you walk around it, and the impressions only get better as you open the door and slide into the seat; it’s all that you could possible expect from a car in the $125-150 thousand range.
The exterior is all Lollobrigida curves on the outside, accented by a distinctive trident on the sexiest grille on the road. Inside, the luxurious detailing is only a prelude to the satisfaction of driving, with quiet power under your right foot, a quick-shifting transmission – controlled by paddles mounted on the steering column, not the wheel – and brakes that are iron fists inside velvet gloves. Our first drive of the day, the Maserati became the benchmark against which every other car was judged and none equalled the pleasure it delivered.
On the track, however we did find the truth in the model name; this is a grand touring coupe, not a track car in kid leather. Though confident on the challenging turns of Laguna Seca, the weight of all this luxury made clear that it should be enjoyed on long trips to exotic locations, rather than in quick dives down the Corkscrew.
Redesigned in 2007, the latest generation of SLs is the best yet. Mercedes has found a simplicity of line that evokes elegance, rather than going for the muscular bulges or sex-kitten curves of its competitiors. The interior is quite traditional, using wood and leather in pleasing harmony that evokes road-going luxury rather than trackside high-tech. In particular, we liked the neat little storage boxes under utilitarian ledges in the tonneau area behind the front seats, rather than the pretend rear passenger seats still used in other two-seaters.
On the highway, the 382 horsepower and comparable torque of the 550 was as much as we thought anyone should need, but gear transitions in the paddle-controlled seven-speed transmission were not impressively fast. The handling, relying on eletronically-compensating strut technology rather than standard springs and sway bars, on the other hand, is incredible. The feeling was almost spooky as the car negotiated curves at high speeds with almost no body roll.
Mercedes has managed to make count every one of the 100,000 dollars this car costs. We can’t think of anything better than taking a coast-to-coast trip in this lovely machine.
You want a car that is going to draw a crowd in the parking lot of any golf club or fitness center where males gather? If your budget reaches to $110,000, the Audi R8 is your answer; it’s got all the good stuff out for everyone to see.
Built on the Lamborghini Gallardo mid-engine platform, the tires are fat, the fenders bulge out on the sides, and the 420-horsepower engine is on display under a transparent cover behind the driver and passenger, complete with LED lighting at night.
The only downside to the styling is that huge side trim panel behind the door. Fortunately it wasn’t obtrusive on our black car, but on any light color it just seems like an arrogant “look at me” billboard.
There is enough space behind the seats to stow two golf bags or a weekend’s worth of luggage, but this isn’t a car we’d pick for a long trip.
The leather and alcantara sport seats in the snug cockpit, with the gauge faces all angled towards the driver give a real boy-racer feeling, which carries through to the driving feeling on the street. Acceleration is beyond anything one could use in daily driving, and the electronically-controlled manual transmission can be left in automatic mode for all the difference it makes in traffic.
Positioned to compete against the Porsche 911, and looking like nothing else but a 911 from the rear, the car should come into its own on the track, but unfortunately it doesn’t quite work. It’s competent enough, and in the hands of a good driver can be made to turn decent lap times, but it somehow just feels too heavy to be as satisfying as the Porsche.
Nevertheless, with the incredible styling and the performance numbers, Audi will have no trouble selling every R8 it can hand-assemble. This car is a real crowd-pleaser and in doing that, we think it won’t disappoint its owners.
Just as Audi is moving into 911 territory with the R8, so also is Porsche extending its 911 into Audi’s all-wheel-drive bailiwick. At the WAJ event, we had the opportunity to drive the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, with the 4 indicating four-wheel drive and the S the higher trim level with a 355 horsepower flat-six engine. The version we drove had the five-speed tiptronic transmission, which was quicker with its shifts than any amateur driver could be.
Of all the cars we drove during the day, this was the most satisfying, delicate, precise, and well-mannered in its handling. Though nominally less powerful than the R8, its acceleration was more than enough to satisfy any amateur track driver. More confidence-inspiring, the viscous-coupled clutch, explained as putting all the power to the rear wheels except when wheel slip was encountered, took care of any possibility of the tail-happiness often associated with Porsches.
But when rationality sets in, we have to acknowledge that this car would be no more practical as an all-around daily driver than the R8. With less than six cubic feet of luggage space, a weekend for two at a casual resort would be all this car could handle. Too bad, because it’s such a thoroughly connected delight to drive.
We recently reviewed the Jaguar XKR convertible on Leftlane after a week of daily use, but we were able to drive the XKR coupe on the track during this journalist event. The experience only confirmed our earlier analysis. As we noted, there are some quibbles about this car, mostly concerning the limited visibility of the convertible top when it’s up, and the lack of styling integrity and quality in some of the interior trim. Nevertheless, the combination of driving pleasure, graceful styling, and interior comfort, in our minds ranked it as our all-around favorite among this group of luxury sports cars.
Words and photos by Gary Anderson.
