What's this?! The keys to a Dodge? Looks like it is going to be another boring week. With shoulders sagging and a cloud of gloom looming over my head, I take a gander outside looking for what excuse for a car we will be reviewing this week. As I look down the line of cars all I see is bland, blah, boring, mediocre, and hmmm, something shiny and red. I like shiny!
Hit the alarm key fob and the shiny red blinks and my gloom and doom turns into devilish excitement. The nice shiny red thing is a 2009 Dodge Viper... convertible. Oh boy, the gas bill is going to be high this week. With a hop in my step, I scoot on over to the monster and open the door and slip behind the wheel. Hmmm, kinda tight. Maybe I need to shed a few pounds and shrink a few inches. Negligible and not important.
First things first... the top must go down, this is a convertible after all. Looking around, there is no sign of a power top down switch. Fathering this is a pure sports car, they could not be bothered with heavy electrical motors, so we grab what looks to be the emergency release for the cargo drop from a C130 and pop the top flies off. With a quick toss of the hand, I throw it back and uh... Houston, we have a problem. The top will not sit snug. Open the door and fall out (we will discuss this later) and stand there scratching head for about five minutes trying to reverse engineer what the people at Dodge were thinking. Finally, I give up and look for the manual. Ah Ha! The trunk must be open to put the top down. Twenty seconds later, the top is down and I am grinning once again. Sitting in the car going over the dials and cluster, you can see that this is pure sports car, no frills. Insert key, push (and HOLD) Engine start button and the monster beneath the hood roars to life.
Instantly, you know this is going to be fun. Figure while I wait for the monster to catch its breath and warm up, let's take a look and this snarling monster. Looking around the driver's tunnel, there is no sign of a hood release. Check the glove box, the center console, the driver's door jam... Nothing. Argh! Pull out the manual again... OH the release is up front, go figure. Fiddling with the releases, the hood flies open and 8.4L of shimming engine stands before me breathing deeply and patiently waiting for instructions. I must point out that the design of the engine is simply breath taking. The red engine covers, the silver intake manifolds all connected to a very forward air box which reads in big letters 8.4L V10. I start jumping up and down like a little school girl giddy with excitement.
Jump back into the driver's seat and that takes some work as that exhaust tunnel is now breathing hot exhaust on your shoes and it takes quickness to jump in so you don't smell like exhaust fumes. Snug in the cabin, adjust all the mirrors and hmm, can't find a seating position that allows me to see over the rear trunk area. Pfft, oh well... What is behind me is of no consequence!
First thoughts, ugh... gastly. Why exactly is this car so much money again? The steering is heavy, the clutch is super long, the gear shift is awkwardly placed and the throttle response is down right dismal and I haven't even made it to the exit of the parking lot. Ok, I'll give it points for having a extremely awesome exhaust note that will scare the neighbors, but so far... this thing is looking to be a failure. The people driving this car must love punishment, and what's going on, why is the foot well so hot. Too anxious to figure it out, flip the A/C on even though the top is down to help offset the heat.
Muscling the car out of the parking lot and through traffic filled roads really makes me second guess my decision for taking this car out. It is far from comfortable, clutch travel is long and throttle response is quite poor which I'm guessing is just a function of all the rotational mass under the hood. The monster that I thought was there seems to be a snoring bear instead of a snarling tiger. I'm beginning to think this car was highly over rated and I am going to ask for a refund. Flip the visor down to block some of the sun light beaming through the windshield only to find out the sun visor blocks all forward visibility because it extends right down to the steering wheel. Not waiting to give up, I proceed on squinting in spite of blinding sunlight. And why is my seat hot and my legs roasting?!? Please god, let me find some open road before I get cooked.
Up ahead, I see an opening! Blinker goes on manage to get over and make the turn and on to the express way we go. With second gear firmly engaged, my foot goes to the floor to merge on to the highway. Holy hell! The once sleeping bear that didn't want to move has turned into a snarling 400lb tiger that is now sitting on my chest. The force of acceleration is blinding! As the RPM swings near redline, sink the clutch grab third and continue on. The acceleration knocks you back and you watch the speedo fly north. Everything is a blur. The numbers on the speedo have changed from your typical digits to legal, illegal, jail followed by time travel and spontaneous combustion as the needle flies past. Fearing for my life, I come off the accelerator hoping that the fire breathing monster under the hood decides to spare me. As I coast back to sanity, I think unbelievable thoughts to myself. My eyes are bug eyed open and my heart is trying to slow itself down so it does not burn up. For those brief seconds everything in the world did not matter. My only focus was enjoying the car, all my complaints had become null and void.
When driving, acceleration is a mere moment a way depending on what gear you are in. The lower the gear, the wider the grin from ear to ear. Even in sixth gear when cruising at 70ish mph and the engine turning a piddly 1500rpm, the massive monster under the hood has enough torque to increase speed without hesitation. However, this isn't a car to be driven lightly. You want acceleration, drop from 6th to 3rd and mash the gas. Doing that little gear change turns the sedate sleeping bear into a angry tiger who has been kicked in the private parts. Anything around you turns into a blur of color as reality turns into a 80s version of star wars rendition of light speed.
"Enough about the speed already" you say. Well, we will come back to the speed part, but you may be wondering, how does it handle? Can it turn? Yes, it can turn, and turn well. Once moving at a decent speed, the massive 275mm wide tires up front can be turned with minimal effort. Push it through a few corners and you will find that the massive tires up front have tenacious grip but will start to under steer at the limit. Boo, under steer is no fun. Solution? Apply more throttle. That's right, that 8.4L V10 cures under steer with massive amounts of over steer. However, be on your toes as those 345mm tires out back have gravity altering amounts of grip, but when they let go, they let go with a mighty snap and before you know it, you have your hands scrambling for opposite lock over steer correction. Do not ask me how I know this, just take it for what it is.
As you can imagine, with massive front tires, braking ability is down right superb. I recommend often braking as hard as possible from speed because if you are like me always taking advantage of the 600hp for earth rotation altering starts, you have to help contribute to keeping the rotation in check by using the brakes to counter act your fun. That's right, by far, this car has the best braking ability tested from 80mph. Repeated tests from high speeds just were not possible due to the shear capabilities of this car, but I have no doubt reassuring you that if you have to stop more than once from light speed, you should not have a problem. Should you decide to travelling into the spontaneous combustion area of the speedometer though, you are on your own.
What I have learned from having the chance to drive this car though is that it is down right awful. The visibility out of the car is poor, the handling through the city is atrocious, the gas mileage is down right dismal. However, when you are out on your weekend and you have your foot to the floor listening to the angry beast under the hood roar from the exhaust pipes just past the door sill, all of those problems become not important. The only thing you think to yourself is, how far can I go without running out of gas, because I do not want this feeling to end.
Showing posts with label Convertible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Convertible. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
2010 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
Beautiful ... it is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the Aston Martin. The lines are to die for. Ever angle that you approach the car, you find yourself just giggling like a little school girl knowing that you are one of the few people to know what it is and if you are lucky enough (like today) even fewer to be able to drive one.
Yes folks, that's right... I currently hold in my hands, the key fob to an Aston Martin DB9 Volante. Before even getting in the car, I just want to say again, this car is beautiful. Every angle, ever piece of body work... every assembly of the car just fits and fits perfectly. Even the key fob seems to have elegance written all over it due to the large chunk of crystal that is attached to the end of it. Don't lose it though as the key fob alone will set you back a hefty $1000. When you are driving a DB9 though, what is a few thousand dollars between friends?
Open the doors to the car and you will see that the Aston Martin retains its upwards swinging doors to make sure the elegant doors do not come close to brushing the curb should you part on a roadway with an evil tilt. Climb into the plush interior and the seats swallow you up like a cleverly crafted glove designed just for you. The leather is like no other leader found in an automobile to date. The stitching is flawless and the smoothness of the leather feels much akin to the backside of a newborn.
After you are done oooohing over the seat, you take that wonderful key fob and insert it into the dash center console... the emotional control unit as they call it. Conviniently, you push the key fob into this key hole and the crystal on the end of the key fob replaces the crystal that was in the dash covering the key hole. Wow, they thought of it all! Push the key fob all the way in and the electronics come to life. Push the key fob further in and the engine starts to spin. This is when you realize, they really did not think of it all because it is not a simple push button start like many newer cars. You have to push the key in and hold it for the engine to fire to life. A simple push only turns it over once and not enough to fire the mighty motor. Hold the key in and the starter spins bringing the massive V-12 to life.
That's right ... a 6.0L V12 throwing out numbers that would make almost any car envious. At idle, the silky smooth V12 sits there barely muttering a whisper as if not to wake the angry neighbors. Drive away from a stop at mild throttle any a quiet wave of torque ushers you out and away from trouble. People's heads all turn and gawk as you drive by quietly and smoothly. They can't take their eyes off the amazing lines of the car. Plant your foot though and anything subtle about this car is thrown out the window. The quiet V12 starts to rumble and as the tach swing around it passes a magic number an exhaust muffler flap open. That's when the innocent V12 turns into a snarly monster. The volume of the exhaust double and hte sound goes from subtle to snarling. As the RPM climbs, the sound turns into a symphony of mechanical noise and cars and people around you start to move out of your way for fear of being eaten alive.
The speed this work of art gathers is amazing. The gear changes happen quickly and smoothly by the torque from the engine makes acceleartion in any gear almost a piece of cake. Watching the mirror faced guages swing around is almost as if watching the smooth motions of a precise clock being adjusted. While this is not a sports car, but more of a grand touring car, it does a great impression of being just that, a sports car. The acceleration is phenomenal, the nimbleness of the cassis in comparison to it's weight is astounding and the brakes are big enough to serve a small pizza on if you really wanted to.
Cruising in this car is what it is all about. With the top down, the wind noise is there, but not annoying. However, the non-stop vibration of the rear view mirror makes seeing what is behind you well, impossible. It is almost required to have a passenger to help hold the mirror in place so you can make out if that is a car full of beautiful women following you are an angry police officer trying to pull you over. I will be honest, the radio, entertainment and navigation features of this car were not amazing. At least, they were not $200,000 amazing. So we left them off. If we want to sample how they work, we can find another car with a similar setup... probably a Volvo to play with them. That's right, this is all about the drive, not the gadgets, or lack their off.
On the subject... the Aston Martin lacks the latest gadgets found in many other $200,000 cars. I guess because of their limited production they are more focused on the car rather than the gadgets that you would be busy figuring out how to turn off anyway so you could just drive. The only real buttons you are concerned about on the dash -- oh sorry, the emotional control unit are the starter button and the drive button. That's right, button. This car has no gear shift lever or automatic transmission knob. It has button on the dash. P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral and D for drive. You push the button you want and that is the direction you go in. Optional gear changes can be handled by paddles on teh steering wheel. Oh and that's the way you want it to be.
Now... this has to be easily one of the nicest cars in the fleet. Comfortable, fast, quite the looker and extremely unique. It is something that you can buy and drive and don't have to worry about somebody else having one at the local Starbucks. Aston Martin makes a very limited number of cars per year so exclusivity is something that rolls hand in hand with them. Unfortunately though, Jaguar is not. Jaguar is mass produced and the designer for the Aston Martin is also the designer for the Jaguar. That design team has an eye for beauty but unfortunately, to maximize their dollar, has to use a very similar design for the Jaguar cars. One of the biggest turn offs for this car is the fact that everywhere you go, please are going to ask you... "Is that the new Jaguar?" After you have managed to simmer your boiling blood you explain to them it is an Aston Martin and even what an Aston Martin is. Next on the negative list is the fact that the rear view mirror is about as useful as sunglasses in the middle of the night. Then there is the fact that the purchase of Aston Martin by GM has muddled with the cars pristine heritage. To save money, parts from various other automobiles have been added to the DB9. For example... as to my understanding, the key fob for the DB9 is actually nothing more than a repackaged Volvo XC90 key fob with a nice slab of crystal on the end. The wing mirror have a Volvo part number and logo stamped under them and as mentioned earlier, the navigation and radio units look to be the same as those equipped most premium american cars ... all items you wouldn't expect in a $200,000 super car.
If you can overlook the small oddities, this car is definitely a super car to be had becuase of it's exclusivity and awesome design. The attention this car brings is awe inspiring and the smile from ear to ear is almost worth the price of admission. As a whole package, it is wonderful. Plus, the sound it makes blasting around town with the RPMs up is intoxicating.
Ok, I'm off to go check my couches for spare change...
Yes folks, that's right... I currently hold in my hands, the key fob to an Aston Martin DB9 Volante. Before even getting in the car, I just want to say again, this car is beautiful. Every angle, ever piece of body work... every assembly of the car just fits and fits perfectly. Even the key fob seems to have elegance written all over it due to the large chunk of crystal that is attached to the end of it. Don't lose it though as the key fob alone will set you back a hefty $1000. When you are driving a DB9 though, what is a few thousand dollars between friends?
Open the doors to the car and you will see that the Aston Martin retains its upwards swinging doors to make sure the elegant doors do not come close to brushing the curb should you part on a roadway with an evil tilt. Climb into the plush interior and the seats swallow you up like a cleverly crafted glove designed just for you. The leather is like no other leader found in an automobile to date. The stitching is flawless and the smoothness of the leather feels much akin to the backside of a newborn.
After you are done oooohing over the seat, you take that wonderful key fob and insert it into the dash center console... the emotional control unit as they call it. Conviniently, you push the key fob into this key hole and the crystal on the end of the key fob replaces the crystal that was in the dash covering the key hole. Wow, they thought of it all! Push the key fob all the way in and the electronics come to life. Push the key fob further in and the engine starts to spin. This is when you realize, they really did not think of it all because it is not a simple push button start like many newer cars. You have to push the key in and hold it for the engine to fire to life. A simple push only turns it over once and not enough to fire the mighty motor. Hold the key in and the starter spins bringing the massive V-12 to life.
That's right ... a 6.0L V12 throwing out numbers that would make almost any car envious. At idle, the silky smooth V12 sits there barely muttering a whisper as if not to wake the angry neighbors. Drive away from a stop at mild throttle any a quiet wave of torque ushers you out and away from trouble. People's heads all turn and gawk as you drive by quietly and smoothly. They can't take their eyes off the amazing lines of the car. Plant your foot though and anything subtle about this car is thrown out the window. The quiet V12 starts to rumble and as the tach swing around it passes a magic number an exhaust muffler flap open. That's when the innocent V12 turns into a snarly monster. The volume of the exhaust double and hte sound goes from subtle to snarling. As the RPM climbs, the sound turns into a symphony of mechanical noise and cars and people around you start to move out of your way for fear of being eaten alive.
The speed this work of art gathers is amazing. The gear changes happen quickly and smoothly by the torque from the engine makes acceleartion in any gear almost a piece of cake. Watching the mirror faced guages swing around is almost as if watching the smooth motions of a precise clock being adjusted. While this is not a sports car, but more of a grand touring car, it does a great impression of being just that, a sports car. The acceleration is phenomenal, the nimbleness of the cassis in comparison to it's weight is astounding and the brakes are big enough to serve a small pizza on if you really wanted to.
Cruising in this car is what it is all about. With the top down, the wind noise is there, but not annoying. However, the non-stop vibration of the rear view mirror makes seeing what is behind you well, impossible. It is almost required to have a passenger to help hold the mirror in place so you can make out if that is a car full of beautiful women following you are an angry police officer trying to pull you over. I will be honest, the radio, entertainment and navigation features of this car were not amazing. At least, they were not $200,000 amazing. So we left them off. If we want to sample how they work, we can find another car with a similar setup... probably a Volvo to play with them. That's right, this is all about the drive, not the gadgets, or lack their off.
On the subject... the Aston Martin lacks the latest gadgets found in many other $200,000 cars. I guess because of their limited production they are more focused on the car rather than the gadgets that you would be busy figuring out how to turn off anyway so you could just drive. The only real buttons you are concerned about on the dash -- oh sorry, the emotional control unit are the starter button and the drive button. That's right, button. This car has no gear shift lever or automatic transmission knob. It has button on the dash. P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral and D for drive. You push the button you want and that is the direction you go in. Optional gear changes can be handled by paddles on teh steering wheel. Oh and that's the way you want it to be.
Now... this has to be easily one of the nicest cars in the fleet. Comfortable, fast, quite the looker and extremely unique. It is something that you can buy and drive and don't have to worry about somebody else having one at the local Starbucks. Aston Martin makes a very limited number of cars per year so exclusivity is something that rolls hand in hand with them. Unfortunately though, Jaguar is not. Jaguar is mass produced and the designer for the Aston Martin is also the designer for the Jaguar. That design team has an eye for beauty but unfortunately, to maximize their dollar, has to use a very similar design for the Jaguar cars. One of the biggest turn offs for this car is the fact that everywhere you go, please are going to ask you... "Is that the new Jaguar?" After you have managed to simmer your boiling blood you explain to them it is an Aston Martin and even what an Aston Martin is. Next on the negative list is the fact that the rear view mirror is about as useful as sunglasses in the middle of the night. Then there is the fact that the purchase of Aston Martin by GM has muddled with the cars pristine heritage. To save money, parts from various other automobiles have been added to the DB9. For example... as to my understanding, the key fob for the DB9 is actually nothing more than a repackaged Volvo XC90 key fob with a nice slab of crystal on the end. The wing mirror have a Volvo part number and logo stamped under them and as mentioned earlier, the navigation and radio units look to be the same as those equipped most premium american cars ... all items you wouldn't expect in a $200,000 super car.
If you can overlook the small oddities, this car is definitely a super car to be had becuase of it's exclusivity and awesome design. The attention this car brings is awe inspiring and the smile from ear to ear is almost worth the price of admission. As a whole package, it is wonderful. Plus, the sound it makes blasting around town with the RPMs up is intoxicating.
Ok, I'm off to go check my couches for spare change...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
2009 Porsche Carerra 911 S Cabriolet
For 2009 ... Porsche has one upped themselves yet again. Upgraded, yet again... the 911 that we all loved from the past has come with a few tweaks and enhancements to make it even more of a superb car. The new car maintains its level of practicality while still flirting with the performance edge ... but for $102,000, you would expect nothing less. The 911 Carerra S Cabriolet was equipped with the Chrono Package, the Navigation Package and the new Porsche Double Clutch Transmission (DKG) and I must say, even with these few options, the price tag was still busting the six figure mark. Flipping through the 60 page Porsche option book may tag on another 20-30,000 if you are not careful.
First things first. The outside of the car looks well, the same. The most critical and discerning eyes will bark at that statement, but lets face it, to the average Joe... the outward appearance is little changed outside of the cometic upgrades to the lighting jewelry both front and rear. One really nice update is the front bumper is adorned with some nice LED lighting for turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the car still holds the engine and a picture window through which to view it to make sure it is still there and nobody has absconded with it. If you want to impress your friends, you pop the bonnet and show them what is in there... but don't dare try and explain what you see or how to work on what's back there without going under the car.
Interior, little has changed as well because let's face it... Porsche has the receipe for perfect already well figured out. One trick feature is the Chrono Package which adorns the dash board with a stop watch. However, this is no typical stopwatch... this stop watch is only something a Porsche badge could be associated with. The detail and precision with which is glows in the dark makes mere mortals drool with envy or question why you need a stop watch on your dash. The latter type of people do not concern us... Controls for the stop watch are available at the flick of a stalk behind the steering wheel or via touch controls in the navigation.
Another so nice feature of this car was Porsche's new DKG (double clutch transmission). Lets just say, it is not perfect. For their first iteration, it could use a little work, so we will get the negative out of the way first. First and foremost, it feels as if it has a gear specifically for idle crawling speed... booo. As much as it is dubbed as a manual, when you take your foot of the brake, you roll forward just like an automatic. What is even worse, it feels like an automatic which the idle RPM set at about 1500 RPM. So when you take your foot off the brake... you're rolling and you are rolling fast. Second, slow speed control is not quite right. Transitions on and off throttle need some help. Now the good stuff... the gear changes are Porsche perfect. Ask for a gear change and it is almost as if the car can read your mind and begin the execution of the shift before your hand touches the steering wheel mounted buttons or the console mounted shift lever. Downshifts are accompanied by a wonderful throttle blip which sends shivers down your spine with that exotic Porsche boxer engine note. Upshifts are quick and time off throttle is almost inperceivable. If you want more gusto, you engage the sport mode. The sport mode sharpens everything. The shifts are crisper, the throttle responser is faster and well, you will be happy if you have a canyon near by to drive on. Now, for the unfaint of heart, there is a "sport plus" button. Now, I must warn everyone who happens to come across this car and this button. Activation of this button will induce a smile that may be permanent or too wide for your face causing unknown consequences. The "sport plus" button maximizes everything. Shifts are now so fast, your brain will be smashed up against the back of your skull. Throttle response has tuned up to the utmost sensitivity and gear changes are now only executed at optimal performance times... meaning, you are going to shift at redline and when you do the shock to the brain will pull your brain back so far it will drag the corners of your mouth with it. It is the instant fun smile factor and it will make anyone look good. Downshifts happen quickly and with utmost perfection and if the car deems that the RPMs are falling too low, it will go down to the lower gear to keep the engine speed at close to maximum output as possible. Don't be suprised if you find yourself at 6000rpm as the car downshifts into first for a slow speed corner.
Now speaking of corners... let's touch on the handling aspect of this car. Given it's super light curb weight and wonderful balance it is an absolute joy to drive. Sicne you have the engine at the back of the car and not hanging over the wrong wheels, the steering and front tires have less work to do. The suspension no longer has to worry about holding up this massive engine as it tries to maximize grip out of the front tires. This means, the front suspension and tires are all business. Turn the wheel, and the front end goes. When driving this car around corners, the terms surgical precision comes to mind. Find yourself going around a bend and need to adjust your line... no worries. Adjust your steering angle, and the front of the car will follow. It is almost as if you have rubbed a magic lamp and the genie is more than happy to do as you please. Push the car harder and harder, and it is happy to ask for more and more. Finding the limits of this car are going to be dangerous. It has so much capability that when you find the razor's edge, you are going to be going VERY fast and while I have no doubt controlling the car at that speed will be easy as pie, it will probably be the fast pie you will ever eat.
Now let's talk about acceleration. With almost 350 horsepower and a curb weight of about 3300lbs, motivating this chassis forward is simple. Ask for it and you go it. Punch the gas, and you are gone. Acceleration from a stop leaves nice black marks on the road as the systems maximize forward momentum. Ask for more when you are on the highway and the torque from the motor is happy to usher you forward even in the tallest of gears. Want some fun though, downshift to the lowest gear possible and introduce the go pedal to the carpetting and you can almost see the shock and awe and jealousy of the people in your review mirror as you are passing them and disappearing into the distance. It is almost as if, this car was born to run.
Porsche will have a hard time making a better car than this... oh wait, they did. The turbo cabriolet. I can't wait until that one become available to drive. If this car was so good, I can only imagine what another 150 hp would do. Oh, I think I started drooling on myself again...
First things first. The outside of the car looks well, the same. The most critical and discerning eyes will bark at that statement, but lets face it, to the average Joe... the outward appearance is little changed outside of the cometic upgrades to the lighting jewelry both front and rear. One really nice update is the front bumper is adorned with some nice LED lighting for turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the car still holds the engine and a picture window through which to view it to make sure it is still there and nobody has absconded with it. If you want to impress your friends, you pop the bonnet and show them what is in there... but don't dare try and explain what you see or how to work on what's back there without going under the car.
Interior, little has changed as well because let's face it... Porsche has the receipe for perfect already well figured out. One trick feature is the Chrono Package which adorns the dash board with a stop watch. However, this is no typical stopwatch... this stop watch is only something a Porsche badge could be associated with. The detail and precision with which is glows in the dark makes mere mortals drool with envy or question why you need a stop watch on your dash. The latter type of people do not concern us... Controls for the stop watch are available at the flick of a stalk behind the steering wheel or via touch controls in the navigation.
Another so nice feature of this car was Porsche's new DKG (double clutch transmission). Lets just say, it is not perfect. For their first iteration, it could use a little work, so we will get the negative out of the way first. First and foremost, it feels as if it has a gear specifically for idle crawling speed... booo. As much as it is dubbed as a manual, when you take your foot of the brake, you roll forward just like an automatic. What is even worse, it feels like an automatic which the idle RPM set at about 1500 RPM. So when you take your foot off the brake... you're rolling and you are rolling fast. Second, slow speed control is not quite right. Transitions on and off throttle need some help. Now the good stuff... the gear changes are Porsche perfect. Ask for a gear change and it is almost as if the car can read your mind and begin the execution of the shift before your hand touches the steering wheel mounted buttons or the console mounted shift lever. Downshifts are accompanied by a wonderful throttle blip which sends shivers down your spine with that exotic Porsche boxer engine note. Upshifts are quick and time off throttle is almost inperceivable. If you want more gusto, you engage the sport mode. The sport mode sharpens everything. The shifts are crisper, the throttle responser is faster and well, you will be happy if you have a canyon near by to drive on. Now, for the unfaint of heart, there is a "sport plus" button. Now, I must warn everyone who happens to come across this car and this button. Activation of this button will induce a smile that may be permanent or too wide for your face causing unknown consequences. The "sport plus" button maximizes everything. Shifts are now so fast, your brain will be smashed up against the back of your skull. Throttle response has tuned up to the utmost sensitivity and gear changes are now only executed at optimal performance times... meaning, you are going to shift at redline and when you do the shock to the brain will pull your brain back so far it will drag the corners of your mouth with it. It is the instant fun smile factor and it will make anyone look good. Downshifts happen quickly and with utmost perfection and if the car deems that the RPMs are falling too low, it will go down to the lower gear to keep the engine speed at close to maximum output as possible. Don't be suprised if you find yourself at 6000rpm as the car downshifts into first for a slow speed corner.
Now speaking of corners... let's touch on the handling aspect of this car. Given it's super light curb weight and wonderful balance it is an absolute joy to drive. Sicne you have the engine at the back of the car and not hanging over the wrong wheels, the steering and front tires have less work to do. The suspension no longer has to worry about holding up this massive engine as it tries to maximize grip out of the front tires. This means, the front suspension and tires are all business. Turn the wheel, and the front end goes. When driving this car around corners, the terms surgical precision comes to mind. Find yourself going around a bend and need to adjust your line... no worries. Adjust your steering angle, and the front of the car will follow. It is almost as if you have rubbed a magic lamp and the genie is more than happy to do as you please. Push the car harder and harder, and it is happy to ask for more and more. Finding the limits of this car are going to be dangerous. It has so much capability that when you find the razor's edge, you are going to be going VERY fast and while I have no doubt controlling the car at that speed will be easy as pie, it will probably be the fast pie you will ever eat.
Now let's talk about acceleration. With almost 350 horsepower and a curb weight of about 3300lbs, motivating this chassis forward is simple. Ask for it and you go it. Punch the gas, and you are gone. Acceleration from a stop leaves nice black marks on the road as the systems maximize forward momentum. Ask for more when you are on the highway and the torque from the motor is happy to usher you forward even in the tallest of gears. Want some fun though, downshift to the lowest gear possible and introduce the go pedal to the carpetting and you can almost see the shock and awe and jealousy of the people in your review mirror as you are passing them and disappearing into the distance. It is almost as if, this car was born to run.
Porsche will have a hard time making a better car than this... oh wait, they did. The turbo cabriolet. I can't wait until that one become available to drive. If this car was so good, I can only imagine what another 150 hp would do. Oh, I think I started drooling on myself again...
Friday, October 3, 2008
2009 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
If the only thing you want out of a car is a convertible and the ability to seat four, then this car is for you. If it is one thing I can say about this car, it is large and capacity for four is definitely possible. If you value anything else in life, survival, value for money spent, a good driving experience, the ability to feel like you aren't driving a blender without a top... run somewhere else.
Upon first look... the car hides its size well. From the outside, it looks decent sized, but when you sit on the interior, you get a true grasp for how limosine like this car is. The front feels like the hood on a Corvette... it ends in a different area code. The rear of the car feels like you are pulling around well... another car. The front leg room was spacious as was the shoulder room, but the head room was a little crampt. The rear room isn't meant for large adults for long trips, but children or short people would be comfortable back there provided the person in front of them was not a basketball player and they had uh... knees.
Our test car was equipped with the 2.4 liter four cylinder. If you are into fuel conservation, this is the engine for you. If you like getting where you are going... skip it and go for the six cylinder. The four cylinder was economical on gas, has to work really hard at highway speeds negating any savings in gas because it is always dropping down to the lowest gear to accelerate spinning the motor at high speeds and well... sucking up gas.
As with all convertible... the lack of a roof for rigidity plays a huge part on the driving experience and with this car it is no different. The smallest of bumps will upset the chassis and large bumps will make you almost seasick because of the rotational chassis twisting forces. Feels as if you are sitting in the middle of a ladder while people on either end twist in different directions. This is a car to definitely be seen in, not drive and in this case, that's not a good thing. Wind noise from the convertible top is horrible. The radio sometimes has a hardtime overpowering the noise at highway speeds.
However, putting the top down (while a long process) makes many of these problems go away as you are greated with endless headroom and the wind in your hair. Wind noise up front isn't bad, but wind noise for the rear passengers can make having a conversation almost impossible. In all reality, if they are in the back seat, you probably don't want to hear what they have to say anyway... that's why you put them back there.
For it being a cheap four seat convertible... it definitely does the job. However, I would much rather pay more for a car to do that or skip the convertible option all together. Cheap and convertible should not be in the same sentence together.
Upon first look... the car hides its size well. From the outside, it looks decent sized, but when you sit on the interior, you get a true grasp for how limosine like this car is. The front feels like the hood on a Corvette... it ends in a different area code. The rear of the car feels like you are pulling around well... another car. The front leg room was spacious as was the shoulder room, but the head room was a little crampt. The rear room isn't meant for large adults for long trips, but children or short people would be comfortable back there provided the person in front of them was not a basketball player and they had uh... knees.
Our test car was equipped with the 2.4 liter four cylinder. If you are into fuel conservation, this is the engine for you. If you like getting where you are going... skip it and go for the six cylinder. The four cylinder was economical on gas, has to work really hard at highway speeds negating any savings in gas because it is always dropping down to the lowest gear to accelerate spinning the motor at high speeds and well... sucking up gas.
As with all convertible... the lack of a roof for rigidity plays a huge part on the driving experience and with this car it is no different. The smallest of bumps will upset the chassis and large bumps will make you almost seasick because of the rotational chassis twisting forces. Feels as if you are sitting in the middle of a ladder while people on either end twist in different directions. This is a car to definitely be seen in, not drive and in this case, that's not a good thing. Wind noise from the convertible top is horrible. The radio sometimes has a hardtime overpowering the noise at highway speeds.
However, putting the top down (while a long process) makes many of these problems go away as you are greated with endless headroom and the wind in your hair. Wind noise up front isn't bad, but wind noise for the rear passengers can make having a conversation almost impossible. In all reality, if they are in the back seat, you probably don't want to hear what they have to say anyway... that's why you put them back there.
For it being a cheap four seat convertible... it definitely does the job. However, I would much rather pay more for a car to do that or skip the convertible option all together. Cheap and convertible should not be in the same sentence together.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
2006 Chysler Crossfire Convertible Limited
Testing convertible... oooh fun! Well, lets just say if it wasn't for the convertible, this would be a much worse writeup.
First, with the top up, rearward visibility is almost nil. So, down it went. First attempts to lower the roof were met with frustrations and beeps. The convertible top is far from intuitive. Unlatch the roof... unfold, twist, pop, turn and the roof is detached. Push the button on the console... and BEEP. Nothing. Hold the button down, BEEP... nothing again. After about 15 minutes inside and outside the car and one kick of the tire. The top stayed up for the initial part of the test.
Air conditioning control work phenomenally. No confusion there, you can easily get all the cold air you want. The dash, well... it's good, gives you all the information you need, and a little marker down there to tell you what gear you are in. The radio... absolutely ghastly. While the sound is good... as it would have to be with a convertible and it's lack of sound deadening material, the usability of the unit is down right crap. Twist and turns of knobs get the circuitry to do what it is told, but the screen update is horrible slow and I would find myself scanning through stations while not knowing which station I was on because the screen took forever to update. I would often scan from one station to the next and the screen wouldn't update until a second or two passed. Who made this junk... bah. The interior is made of some cheap tacky looking aluminum substitute and causes plenty of glare.
Back to the top... not one to be defeated by any car. I went back to trying to tackle the top. After playing with the unit some, I found that eventually, I got to the top retract, but it required some forceful latching and unlatching to get it to work. I'm guessing a loose contact/sensor somewhere. So, let's try it again.
Fold, Twist, Pop, Fold ... hold the button. Voila... here we go. The top start to retract in a confusion down on mechanical noises and motors. Finally we have unlimited headroof. Visibility is understandable much better, however the glare from the interior is even worse.
Now we are rolling... the car has excellent power. Definitely makes going fast easy and it's easy to go fast with this car. Handling feels decent, but transmission is definitely not up to part ... and the manual selection of gears doesn't even work. Any request to use a wrong gear while in manual mode sends it directly back into automatic mode. BAH. Brakes feel good and are met with good resposne. The massive tires up front no doubt play a good role in stopping ability.
Now, back to the convertible top... now remember earlier that it was broken when I tried to get it to go down? Guess what... same thing happens when I tried to put it up. Clouds rolling in... Thunder grumbling through the sky and flashes of lightning in the distance send me into a panic stop and feverishly attempting to find cover before the skies open up and turn this convertible into a bathtub.
You would think it would be easy easy as following the original steps in reverse... right? WRONG! Hold the button and the mechanical noises start to bring the top out of hiding and return it to it's original position over my head... when half way through the exercise, BEEP and the top feezes in it's tracks.
DAMMIT! The top is half way up... so now I'm stuck. I can't drive anywhere and I can't put an umbrella over my head. I pop the glove box as my 15 minutes I allotted myself in the beginning to figure this problem out were more like 2 minutes now. The manual says, in case of malfunction ... call your dealer. WTF?!
Some forceful manhandling of the roof bring to light that the rear part of the roof is not falling back into place as it should which is not allowing some mechical contraption to grab it and pull it snug there by halting the top closing process. With one hand, I help the top and with the other, I hold down the button and voila... finally the top continues to unfold back into place.
I lock it back into place and then proceed to take this pile of junk back to where I got it. What good is a convertible if the top doesn't work right. I'll tell you, It's as good as driving a car with no soundeadening material with only a windshield to see out of cause the other windows are spray painted black.
First, with the top up, rearward visibility is almost nil. So, down it went. First attempts to lower the roof were met with frustrations and beeps. The convertible top is far from intuitive. Unlatch the roof... unfold, twist, pop, turn and the roof is detached. Push the button on the console... and BEEP. Nothing. Hold the button down, BEEP... nothing again. After about 15 minutes inside and outside the car and one kick of the tire. The top stayed up for the initial part of the test.
Air conditioning control work phenomenally. No confusion there, you can easily get all the cold air you want. The dash, well... it's good, gives you all the information you need, and a little marker down there to tell you what gear you are in. The radio... absolutely ghastly. While the sound is good... as it would have to be with a convertible and it's lack of sound deadening material, the usability of the unit is down right crap. Twist and turns of knobs get the circuitry to do what it is told, but the screen update is horrible slow and I would find myself scanning through stations while not knowing which station I was on because the screen took forever to update. I would often scan from one station to the next and the screen wouldn't update until a second or two passed. Who made this junk... bah. The interior is made of some cheap tacky looking aluminum substitute and causes plenty of glare.
Back to the top... not one to be defeated by any car. I went back to trying to tackle the top. After playing with the unit some, I found that eventually, I got to the top retract, but it required some forceful latching and unlatching to get it to work. I'm guessing a loose contact/sensor somewhere. So, let's try it again.
Fold, Twist, Pop, Fold ... hold the button. Voila... here we go. The top start to retract in a confusion down on mechanical noises and motors. Finally we have unlimited headroof. Visibility is understandable much better, however the glare from the interior is even worse.
Now we are rolling... the car has excellent power. Definitely makes going fast easy and it's easy to go fast with this car. Handling feels decent, but transmission is definitely not up to part ... and the manual selection of gears doesn't even work. Any request to use a wrong gear while in manual mode sends it directly back into automatic mode. BAH. Brakes feel good and are met with good resposne. The massive tires up front no doubt play a good role in stopping ability.
Now, back to the convertible top... now remember earlier that it was broken when I tried to get it to go down? Guess what... same thing happens when I tried to put it up. Clouds rolling in... Thunder grumbling through the sky and flashes of lightning in the distance send me into a panic stop and feverishly attempting to find cover before the skies open up and turn this convertible into a bathtub.
You would think it would be easy easy as following the original steps in reverse... right? WRONG! Hold the button and the mechanical noises start to bring the top out of hiding and return it to it's original position over my head... when half way through the exercise, BEEP and the top feezes in it's tracks.
DAMMIT! The top is half way up... so now I'm stuck. I can't drive anywhere and I can't put an umbrella over my head. I pop the glove box as my 15 minutes I allotted myself in the beginning to figure this problem out were more like 2 minutes now. The manual says, in case of malfunction ... call your dealer. WTF?!
Some forceful manhandling of the roof bring to light that the rear part of the roof is not falling back into place as it should which is not allowing some mechical contraption to grab it and pull it snug there by halting the top closing process. With one hand, I help the top and with the other, I hold down the button and voila... finally the top continues to unfold back into place.
I lock it back into place and then proceed to take this pile of junk back to where I got it. What good is a convertible if the top doesn't work right. I'll tell you, It's as good as driving a car with no soundeadening material with only a windshield to see out of cause the other windows are spray painted black.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)