Hey remember Jack Baruth’s Porsche lime green Audi S5? No?! Here’s a reminder. Well that was a unique whip and he sold it *insert sad face here*. Regardless Nick Salvatore from SpeedSportLife just purchased this Audi S5 in Glut Orange. This vehicle was part of the Audi Exclusive program, the same program that Jack’s car was ordered through. This car is Glut Orange with a black interior. The car is located in Texas (quick someone alert the troopers). Nick already has plenty of upgrades both on the way and some arrived before the car even arrived. The bottom line? There are two very bright citrus colored Audi S5′s in this country.
If you asked me about Lincoln around five years ago, I would have said “Town Car what?” Yes, the Navigator hit it big during the large SUV boom and the LS was an interesting car, but Lincoln has not revisited those old glory days in a while. And when I say a while, I am talking long before I was born.
Now,they are in the midst of what I would almost call a rebirth – or a reboot, if you will. They are trying to build a brand identity and bring the team together. So how does the MKT play a role in that? Is this what Lincoln should be? Lets find out.
Exterior
As I mentioned above, Lincoln is rebuilding brand identity. There is no question the exterior of the MKT is polarizing. Some will like it, some will not – few will be indifferent to it. When the MKT first rolled up, I was on the fence but leaning towards liking it. After spending a week with it, (are you sitting down for this?) in my opinion this is exactly how a Lincoln should look. The front is bold, with a strong crease running up from the Lincoln emblem on the front clip into the hood.
The large (read huge) dual-winged grille sits on both sides of the Lincoln emblem, and two sculpted character lines run from the front fenders into the side of the MKT. There is also slight sculpting down near the bottom of the doors to bring the sides in a bit. I even like the window line dip on the side near the rear. The rear features large light pipes that make up a big rear light. It looks terrific and really unique at night. For me the exterior is a huge win.
Interior
The interior in the MKT again makes a strong statement. The perforated leather is thick and feels of good quality. The seats are road trip comfy and are both heated and cooled (a great feature). The touch screen navigation/climate control/infotainment/etc system worked quite well and never appeared washed out by sunlight. Physical buttons get you around to the function screens you want quickly, and you then manage the details via the touch screen. It was an easy system to learn and operate quickly, although it does lock you out of certain navigation functions while driving.
The THX sound system simply rocked! Everyone seems to agree this is one of the finer sound systems in the industry offered by an OEM. With HD radio and Sirius satellite radio available, you have some great choices on board. Lets also not forget about the Microsoft Sync system, which paired with my iPhone 3Gs seamlessly and operated easily.
The rear had the flowing center console option with a small fridge/freezer in between the rear buckets. The third row was power-operated and folded flat when not in use. The interior materials were first class all around. Everything was soft touch with a nice finish, while all plasticsl felt of high quality.
Powertrain and Driving Impressions
This MKT was equipped with the (awesome) 3.5 liter EcoBoost engine, which pumps out 355 horsepower and 350 pound feet of torque to all four wheels. The power goes through a one-choice six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The bottom line? This thing is a rocket ship for its size. Seriously, it is just silly! The torque curve is flat from 800 rpm to 5250 rpm. That is nearly the entire power band. That is thanks to the twin-turbo direct-injection set up on the V-6. Essentially the concept is V-6 fuel economy with V-8 power. Bravo! The transmission actually played nice and I had no gripes with the programming.
The MKT Ecoboost rode on 20″ wheels and it can actually handle better then you would expect a vehicle of its size to handle. The steering is light but not overly so. The adaptive cruise control worked terrific on the highway all the way up north and the active park assist worked as advertised (though a little creepy the first time you do use it, and the second).
The EcoBoost engine is completely worth the $3,005 price. The MKT with all-wheel drive and EcoBoost is rated at 16/21. During my week with MKT, I averaged 17.2 in a mix of city and suburb highway driving. That was without really trying to achieve the best mileage possible. On the open road loaded down with four adults and the rear packed with gear, I averaged 21.2 with the cruise control set at 77 mph. Neither of those numbers are bad at all. I would call those good considering the MKT has three rows and weighs quite a bit.
Gripes? Well, the A-pillars are quite large. I am not sure what it is with this recent trend, but it is almost a safety hazard on some vehicles. Also that touch screen system I mentioned earlier – it had a melt down. I am talking a 13-year old girl tantrum melt down.
I started the MKT after leaving it in the sun for four hours. It was approximately 92 degrees outside. Upon entering the car, I went to input a destination into the navigation system. The entire screen/system froze up. After restarting the vehicle and realizing that was not going to fix it, I had no choice but to drive using my iPhone as my navigation. I was going to be late for a meeting. About five minutes into the drive the screen changed to a inform me a system fault has been detected and I would have limited functionality of the screen. Terrific.
It also informed me I should head to my dealership. Luckily for me, my appointment was at a client that happened to be an auto repair shop. They pulled codes and found the yaw control sensor and something to do with the cruise control sensors had both faulted. After resetting the sensors, we could not get the system to malfunction again. I will note that Ford reached out immediately to try and resolve the problem, without me prompting them or making contact, Seeing as I only had the vehicle for a week and cannot fully determine what happened or how it was caused, I am saying it was a fluke. However, it did happen and I wanted to note that incident.
The MKT I was in was pretty much fully loaded. The total sticker price rang in at $56,980,which included $7,780 in options. The bottom line is this segment (like many of the luxury segments now) is packed with great options. I would put the MKT right next to the Audi Q7 TDI (along with other competitors) and say drive both.
They are very different vehicles both in personality and execution. The Lincoln MKT is most definitely a winner. You would be missing out if you did not consider it when purchasing a vehicle in this segment. I truly believe this is what a Lincoln should be.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Ford
Another month, another gathering of man and machine. Of course I speak of Cars & Café, out at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen. This month promised, as usual, to be eventful. I woke up a little early (4:40 am), as I did poor planning. I had not washed the 300ZX (note to self: next month wash the 300ZX before the morning of Cars & Café). So, I washed the 300ZX and popped off the T-Tops.
As I was cruising out West to meet up with my buddy in his S2000, I saw black sky in front of me – then lightning – and then I saw a car come over the hill with windshield wipers on (this was not going well). I hit the gas and made it to his garage with the 300ZX still clean and dry. We ended up taking his daily driver and leaving the 300ZX and his S2000 there, as it started pouring down rain right after I pulled into the garage.
Upon arriving, it was clear the rain, which was at this point a nice steady rain coming down, had affecte turn out. Nooooooooo I cried to the car gods. Luckily some of the cooler rides still managed to show up. As I was admiring a nice Ford F150 Lightning, I heard something loud pulling into the complex.
I turn to see a true hard core car guy (you would have to be) driving a Cobra in (remember no top) through the rain. Two Dodge GLH Turbos sat next to each other, both in ridiculously good condition. I also counted not one but two Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbos (I drooled a little). Quite a few Acura NSX’s showed up, along with a Lexus IS-F.
Two BMW’s caught my eyes this month. One was a early 90′s 540i manual white on black with only 28k on the odometer. The kicker? It is for sale and they are asking only $25k!
Someone buy that car or buy me that car! There was also a mid 80′s M6 in fantastic condition that caught my eye., along with an early 2000′s black Audi S8 that is a regular at Cars & Café. I just love that car!
So good story, I am walking by the club house and hear tires squealing like a burn out. I look around and am quite confused. Suddenly I realize that the sound is coming from behind this building in the VIP section. I go running through the crowd, and as I turn the corner I almost fall over.
This Lamborghini Miura owner clearly had put the car in reverse instead of first gear (as best I can tell from the situation). The car had gone backwards off the cement and onto the pebbles directly below. Part of the car definitely was resting on the cement. The tires were squealing and these two guys were pushing the back of the Miura trying to get it back onto the cement. Finally after a few minutes they accomplished this task, but not before you could smell the clutch and tires. It was quite a scene.
Also filed in the – ahem – interesting category, was the Toyota Camry Solara parked in the American muscle section. Hey at least it was on dubs! Sitting next to that was a Chrysler 300C. Not just any Chrysler 300C, but one riding on 24′s – and wait – it gets better.
The person had welded extensions (eyebrows?) onto the leading edge of the hood. You can still see where the person welded and sanded them. They were not painted yet (I am assuming they are going to paint them….at least I hope so). Let’s not forget the white Toyota Yaris hatch with lime green wheels.
Jensen
On the list of awesome cars I would include the RUF 911, Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and a Jensen that showed up. The red GMC Typhoon that was for sale earlier this year was on hand, along with two Ford GT’s (they are Cars and Cafe regulars). A new Lotus Evora made the trip, along with a Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake.
One of the cleaner Oldsmobile 442′s I’ve seen was on site as well. Obviously I have already mentioned the two Dodge GLH Turbo’s but I want to just mentioned them again in this section of awesome. Last but not least was the regular BMW 200ti. It is a work in progress, but hot all the same.
One cool thing was this garage that had a Corvette Z06 in it. Ok that car was nice but you know those bag chairs you take to soccer games and such? Well they had one of those. and then they had a ginormous one that was literally super sized. To get a idea of just how big it was they let me sit in it and I got a picture!
Overall the rain really put a damper on the attendance, or at least it felt that way. With most of the people clearing out before 10 AM, it had to be one of the shortest Cars & Cafés I have attended yet. Thankfully, the doughnut holes provided by Imola Motorsports stayed dry in the clubhouse.
Yes they were tasty,and yes I ate some. Just for the record, doughnut holes always seems to taste better when they are delivered in a BMW M5. I can not prove that, but that seems to be my experience. Here’s hoping for a dry Cars & Café next month!
Anyone that has been on the internet lately has probably heard of the Fiesta Movement. The car’s unique marketing has definitely stirred interest into a vehicle that has not been in the American market for quite a while. This small vehicle is a hit in Europe and many Americans have been requesting the vehicle. With the car finally here, the question is how much was lost in translation? Is the American Fiesta as good as the European version?
Exterior
The exterior has not changed much from the European model. Gone are the normal fog lights and projector headlights. Instead, you have LED light pipes where the fog lights would normally go. The sedan version of the Fiesta also wears a chrome three bar grille instead of painted insert. The hatch back does not have the chrome three bar grille rather it sports a painted insert that is closer to the European models look. I think they are the same size and you could swap the painted insert in place of the chrome three bar setup if you wanted to. Personally, I like the look of the painted insert better. From the front fender to the rear quarter panel, a strong character line runs down the side of the car. While the headlights are up swept and unique, the tail lights wrap around the sides and are a basic non-offensive oval shape. The overall sedan is better looking then I thought it would be. Much better then the comparable Toyota Yaris.
Interior
The interior of the Fiesta is really close to the European counterpart. The gauges look very European while the radio controls are supposed to remind you of a cell phone. While I am not sure of that, there are definitely a lot of buttons in a tiny space. I found it easy to operate and the interface was clean. The small 4-inch display glowed red and was easy to read in all lighting conditions. The Microsoft SYNC system operated as advertised, and was really quite handy. One thing that is different from the European model is the climate control. No automatic climate control is offered, though it was extremely warm while the Fiesta was here and it always kept the interior nice and chilly. The seats were comfortable, with adequate side bolstering. I did find the seat bottoms a bit flat when driving on a road trip. The graining on all plastics was very nice and the seat fabric felt like great quality material. With a soft touch pad for the top half of the dash, if it doesn’t feel quality it certainly looks the part. Rear seat legroom is somewhat short, but if you are under six feet tall you will be OK. I am not sure an adult would enjoy a road trip back there, but it is doable. The steering wheel was the perfect size and the electric power steering had great feedback and on-center feel. At night the Fiesta I was in had “mood lighting” with seven different color options. My girlfriend settled on a color resembling teal for the week. If you find it distracting the lighting, can be turned off. Overall the interior is a huge win. Everything from ergonomics to style, the Fiesta fits the bill and then some.
Powertrain
The Fiesta comes standard with a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine pushing out 120 horsepower and 112 pound feet to the front wheels. That power goes through the standard five-speed manual or optional six-speed dual clutch dubbed PowerShift. Off the line ,the Fiesta is no rocket. In fact, it almost seems a little sluggish. Once you get revs a little higher the car starts to feel faster then it really is. Driving the car I always seemed to have a stupid grin on my face, even though I was not going that fast. The Fiesta I had was equipped with the five-speed manual. Personally, I liked the gearbox. It was fun with clean shifts. Though on the highway I will admit at times I longed for a sixth gear. Not because of engine drone or anything like that (engine and wind noise was in check), but because the car probably would have gotten better mileage. The five speed manual is rated at 29/38 while the six speed dual clutch is rated at 30/40 (with SFE package, 20/38 without SFE package). I averaged 29.9 mpg in the city during the week, which was good considering I was definitely not trying to get the best mileage. On the highway I managed to average only 34.5 mpg. It is worth noting I had the cruise control set at 77 mph on the highway trip. I can only assume going slower and or having another gear would have significantly increased that average.
So how much of the car was lost in translation? Frankly, not a ton. In fact some of the technical changes when coming across the pond made the car better. For instance, the addition of knee airbags gave the people up front more leg room. The car is a blast to drive and many people commented on how fun the car was. Everyone seemed to the like it. An Audi A6 owner commented on how great the car looked, both outside and inside. This car is a huge value and a win for America. If you look at the direct competition such as the Toyota Yaris, the Fiesta almost puts it to shame. The Fiesta SE I had was somewhat optioned with the Rapid Spec 203A package (nowhere near loaded) and had a sticker price of $15,990. That is without a question a value. I definitely would take the Fiesta over the Toyota Yaris. The Honda Fit has many tricks of its own, so it really depends on what your uses will be. With the Mazda2 coming, the Fiesta has a ton of competition in this segment. In the end, it has the goods to fight off the competition.
Photography- Alex Bellus
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Ford
Mirko Reinhardt found this lime green Dancia Sandero. This looks quite similar to the unique color of Porsche lime green found on Jack Baruth’s Audi S5. The question instantly turns to is this Jack Baruth‘s new ride none of us know about?
That’s right, you read the title correctly. No, this is not a dream. The man – the legend – Jack Baruth, has put his Porsche lime green Audi S5 up for sale. It is currently on eBay for those that are interested. This fine piece of sexy is nicely optioned with a six-speed manual transmission and Tuscan Brown leather interior.
Not to mention, there is the Audi navigation system package, technology package, carbon inlays and the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Yes, I would love to own this car! This car (correct me if I am mistaken) has participated in many track days, including the Cadillac CTS-V challenge with Bob Lutz. This, my friends, is a piece of Jack Baruth history.
Someday it could even be a collectors item (no promises on that though!). Do not let that bit about the car participating in track days scare you folks. Mr. Baruth is a very very very very skilled driver.
He knows how to handle a car around a track, and I assure you this gem is in good condition. This car will get you lots of attention (did I mention it is Porsche lime green?!). If you do not like attention……well than this car is not exactly for you.
I know what you are thinking, why is Mr. Baruth selling his S5 that is so awesome? Well, it sounds like he has been dreaming of a Switzer P800. You can check out the eBay listing here, and it has more pictures to check out. Last thing, who has an extra $49,995 laying around I can borrow?
Back in the days of yore if someone suggested there would be a Porsche SUV you would be laughed out of the room but not before getting slapped in the face. Flash forward to the current year and the best selling model in the Porsche line up is a SUV! Whoa how did that happen? It is simple really; a small 2 door car coupe/convertible/etc is not practical for everyone. To build on that success Porsche figured why not build a four door “sports” car. People seem to want to purchase a Porsche and some people care about practicality. The two combined equals a need for more then just two door sports cars. Now we have a new four door (it is really a five door but more on that later) Porsche sedan. The real question I had was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest?
The exterior of the Panamera is recognizable as a Porsche without question. The front end has styling elements that make it look like an enormous redone 911. The two round headlights have LED strips hanging below them on the bumper. The LED strips are day time running lights and at night the same housing has another set of lights that come on. These act as fog lights or driving lights in a sense. The side profile has nice sculpting from right behind the front fenders down the side. The rear is what is truly controversial. Let’s just get something out of the way quickly. I like this car. I like the way it looks. I am apparently weird and I am ok with that. Ok now moving on, the rear is what some call hunch backed or carrying too much baggage. Some are saying it is droopy. Call it what you want but I see Porsche design in it. This car is nothing short of huge. It is right around the size of a BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 to mention a few. Technically speaking the Panamera is a five door since the rear does not have a trunk lid rather a rear hatch. The quad exhaust peak out from the rear to remind you of the power that lurks in the engine bay both on the naturally aspirated V8 and the Twin Turbo V8.
The interior is not quite as controversial as the exterior. It is pure sporting luxury. The seats are comfortable and supportive. They hug you in all the right places. These are not barcaloungers and no they will not massage you. They are meant to hold you in place firmly. The center console between the driver and passenger runs the length of the car. In the front it rises up and meets the PCM (Porsche Communication Management System). This design cue is somewhat similar to the center stack in the Carrera GT. That center stack houses a dizzying array of buttons though they are all clearly marked and clumped together by function. The PCM is a touch screen along with plenty of buttons to choose from to help operate it. This was definitely a complex system but I was able to use it without the owners manual though others in this segment have easier systems to operate. The interior fit and finish is definitely without question up to Porsche standards if not raising the bar within the company.
The engine in this car was a 4.8 liter direct injected V8 pumping out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels. Since this was a Panamera 4S all wheel drive was standard. The one choice transmission was Porsches newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) dual clutch transmission. Launch control is activated by pushing the sport plus button then hitting the brake and then the gas. You get a visual confirmation launch control is activated and let go of the brake. You will hear a noise and then suddenly all four wheels grab the pavement and launch the car. You are thrown back into your seat as the car launches hard and fast. (PSA – Do this on an empty road two lane road). You can use the transmission in full automatic mode or shift yourself using the buttons (hate those things) or by moving the gear shift to the manual gate. The 911 Turbo is getting true paddles this year so hopefully they will trickle down and replace those buttons. The car without question handles like a true Porsche. Yes I have driven a different Porsche recently and yes, this does handle differently. It is a big car, but with that said, the faster you go the smaller the car seems. It shrinks as you go around corners and off ramps. It shrugs off speed. Handling is very impressive.
The particular Panamera 4S I was in had quite a few option packages. I will skip going through them all though the options rang up to a total of $17,550. That was on top of the base price of a Panamera 4S which starts at $93,800. When all is said and done the total sticker price out the door would be $112,325. That is a lot of coin, but the reality of it is that the Panamera is in the thick of it with the rest of the high priced luxury cars.
The original question was whether the sedan was a true Porsche or does it just wear the crest? This car is a true Porsche. Sure manyPorschephile’s will say this is not a true Porsche because it weighs nearly 4,300 lbs and has four doors (by the way, that is light for a car this big). My only question to them is: have you driven one?While it will not be for everyone the reality of it is simple, higher volume selling vehicles like the Cayenne and possibly the Panamera help keep the lights on for future development of lower volume cars like the 911 and whatever the next halo car might be.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership
I have read all the brochures and online materials, I have seen all the pictures – and the reality is none of that does the Fisker Karma justice. I could sit here and list all of its specifications, but I won’t. Mainly because that is not what this post is about. Many of you have not had the opportunity (yet) to see the Fisker Karma in person. When you do, you will remember it. The lines and curves on this car are just gorgeous.
Lets back up a minute. What the heck is a Fisker and what is the Karma? Funny you should ask. Fisker Automotive is a new car brand founded by Henrik Fisker, who is also the current CEO (funny how that works). He was previously known for being the design director for Aston Martin and the president and CEO of BMW’s Designworks USA. Maybe that does not mean much to you, but it equates to this: he is responsible for cars such as the BMW Z8 (one hot piece of metal), Aston Martin DB9 and the V8 Vantage (also both hot pieces of metal). Needless to say, he has a sense of style when it comes to designing a car.
The Karma is the first car from Fisker Automotive. With demo cars arriving at the end of the year, production should (if it stays on track) start in the very beginning of next year. The car will be built overseas in Finland initially. In fact, it will be built in the same factory as some Porsche’s and other vehicles. In 2012 production will move to the Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware. This plant was recently purchased by Fisker from General Motors. With the plant already up to date with tooling and a local trainable workforce, it is an ideal location. The plant was previously producing the Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT.
One last thing before we get to the actual Karma – If you have not seen pictures I will tell you that this the car is a saloon. It will fit two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, but getting in and out of the rear seat isn’t exactly graceful. Another car is coming in 2012 from Fisker, and it will be a more mainstream, higher volume vehicle. Currently the project is code named Nina and it will be a midsize sedan. I was informed it will be about the size of the BMW 5 Series, but with much more usable interior space (read really practical). The Nina should come in somewhere around $45-48k. Also coming sometime between the 2012 Nina and 2011 Karma is the Karma Sunset. The Karma Sunset is essentially a convertible version of the Karma, featuring a retractable hard top.
Upon seeing the Karma in person, I really was stunned. Yes, from the front it looks somewhat like the Joker from Batman. It still looks great though. Some of the design cues from the front translate to the rear and interior. This gives the car an overall cohesive design. Each rear fender has a “fuel” door. On the passenger side is the gasoline, while on the driver side is the plug-in for the rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. The front headlights feature LED running lights, while the rear tail lights are also LED. The roof features a full length solar panel to help charge the car and provide cooling for the interior cabin while the car is parked. I remember the early 2000′s Audi A8s had this as an option on their sunroof. The wheels are 22 inches (!) and are made from a lightweight alloy. The brakes are the same Brembo setup used in the Cadillac CTS-V. The door handles have a electronic push pad under each handle that you merely push and the door opens. This is similar in concept to the Chevrolet Corvette and new Cadillac CTS Coupe. As you can see in pictures, the exterior is just gorgeous. Some might say breathtaking. I do suppose some could say it is controversial but I am in the “it is definitely gorgeous camp.”
Ok, I can understand how someone might be mixed on the exterior of this car, but the interior is simply stunning. This is a whole new take on luxury. This interior feels so different from all the other luxury sedans out there. When I think of high end luxury cars (we are not talking small volume cars like the Rolls Royce Phantom), I think of cars like the Audi A8, Lexus LS 460 and many others. This car is completely different inside. To be honest, when I got inside of the Karma I felt like I had just stepped inside one of the older Chris Craft boats. With rich thick leather and real wood, the interior just felt so natural and polished, yet elegant. Keep in mind this was a pre pre-production car. The 10.2″ center touch screen, which controls most of the cars functions (A/C, Radio, etc) was stuck in a black loading screen (I’m guessing the software was not ready) and the car could not turn on, though the gauges were lit up and the windshield wipers worked (I checked). Oh something to note, the engine in the Karma is being sourced from GM – though that is not the only thing. I noticed both the turn signal/cruise control stalk and the windshield wiper control stalk were both parts bin GM. In fact, I am 99% sure they are the very same stalks in the Cadillac STS. Whether these are the exact stalks found in the production sedan is yet to be seen. Also, the rear view mirror is GM sourced too. The gear shift level (if you could call it that) has a button on the left that I assume starts the car due to it’s power symbol and the lack of any other power button on the console or near the steering wheel. The right hand part of the gear shift level is actually a switch that gets flipped into different positions to select your gear (PRND). Down the center of the interior is the battery pack, but it is packaged beautifully behind glass and leather. The front seats are downright sporty, comfy and are terrific. The rear is awkward to get in and out of, but once in the car, the seats are comfortable. Leg room is acceptable but not amazing. The roof line does cut into rear headroom. Overall, the interior is stunning.
The power will come from a battery pack with a 50 mile range. Beyond that 50 mile range, the 2.0 liter turbo range extender engine kicks in and produces 260 horsepower. This motor is sourced from GM and is the same engine used in the Saturn Sky Redline and the Pontiac Solstice GXP. The total range between the battery and the gasoline engine is 300 miles. You can forget range anxiety – this is a series hybrid just like the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. That means the gas engine is in no way driving the wheels. Rather, the engine is connected to the battery which powers the two electric motors connected to the rear wheels. We will get into all the technical stuff in another post some other time.
The cars sticker price before tax rebates is $89,000 and change. I know there is a government tax rebate and certain states (I think Minnesota does) also has tax rebates on qualifying vehicles. The dealership here, which is the one and only one for the state of Minnesota has pre-sold and took deposits for 3 Karmas. I was told varying numbers for how many total cars the dealership has pre-sold, but the most common number I heard was 17. Not bad at all.
So what are my final initial impressions? Well, I can not wait to get my hands on a production model. Considering I did not get to drive or start this one, and the infotainment system did not work, I cannot give a full impression post. I can say it does not feel “kit car” in anyway. The interior is just ridiculous (in an amazingly good way). The exterior I love, but some will not. This is for sure a legitimate automobile with a company that I frankly hope succeeds in many ways. As for the Karma, I’ll see you soon!
After taking time to digest everything I wanted to share some experiences from the MAMA spring rally. MAMA is the Midwest Automotive Media Association, a non-profit group that brings automotive journalists and public relations people together. A quick recap: the spring rally was a two day event spanning a Wednesday and Thursday.
Getting right into it, we were first unleashed onto the track at Road America Raceway on Wednesday morning after a quick breakfast and safety seminar. During breakfast the various manufactures in attendance gave quick speeches about what they had brought with them for the rally.
Once we were unleashed we had choices; cars were lined up and each car had a sticker on the windshield stating either “road” or “track”. If a car had a track sticker we were allowed to take it on either the public roads or the track. Cars with road stickers were not permitted on the track.
Some things to note about the day: we were asked to keep stability control on at all times in the cars. They were trying to avoid people over-reaching their abilities and wanted to minimize any damage or injury that might occur and while this most likely hindered some people’s lap times and severely hindered some autocross times, it was fine because part no major incidents occurred.
I focused much of my attention on the track in the early morning. I drove everything from the Mazda RX8, Audi S4 and Mercedes Benz C63 to the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec. I instantly found the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0t R-Spec underwhelming. I was not in love with the manual, it felt slightly mushy and the shifts were not clean and crisp. The engine needed to stay high in the revs to keep going around the course. When I asked the Hyundai rep about this he admitted that this was too much track for the car and went on to state that the car is better in shorter track scenarios. I can easily believe that.
The new 2010 Audi S4 was just tackled the track. I set all the settings to dynamic mode and took off. I loved the six speed manual transmission in that car. Through the corners, the car felt much more neutral then the last generation with the heavy V8, though I will admit I do miss the V8 exhaust from the previous generation S4. The car pulled itself through the corners pushing power to different wheels with the sport differential in the rear.
I did not take the time to properly set up the Mercedes Benz C63 or the E63 before hitting the track and this hindered some of the fun. I did not tinker with all the settings, thus the car was not to my liking. The paddles did not seem to do what I wanted them to do, the steering was not how I predicted through the corners, and the E63 was just simply hard to place in the corners. You really need to play with the settings to get these cars to your liking and I did not take the time.
For the road portion I took out the upcoming Suzuki Kizashi Sport with the CVT transmission. The paddles responded nicely and overall, the car was very nice. The slightly more aggressive exterior body kit is welcomed and the larger wheels and tires looked great. This was no barn burner but it went well enough.
The Rolls Royce Ghost was another trip all together, hitting near illegal speeds in no time. The interior of the new Rolls Royce Ghost is just plush. Everything is made of quality materials. I determined if I can ever afford a house with carpet as nice as the floor mats in the Ghost, I have made it. The umbrellas in the doors have ventilation ducts that dry them, giving the ability to put away the umbrellas wet (coming in quite handy when Jeeves picks you up at the gallery opening). Speaking of Jeeves, this car is much smaller then the Phantom (though still quite large) and many owners may prefer drive it themselves instead of having a chauffeur. Sorry Jeeves, you’ll be taking the other car.
I also took the new Ford F150 Raptor with the 6.2 liter V8 out on the roads. This big truck finally seems to have the much needed motivation to move like it should.
You know what they say, it’s not a party until a tree falls on an Aston Martin Rapide. If nothing else, many people will remember this from the 2010 MAMA spring rally. Upon getting back to our hotels (tired and stinky from being in the sun all day) it started to downpour and I mean a torrential downpour. Within minutes of the rain hitting, hail rolled through. The chunks of hail were about the size of a pea. Of course, my thoughts quickly rolled to the millions of dollars worth of cars sitting outside of the hotel and the track. Once the storm passed, I walked to dinner. As I was walking everyone was heading to the parking lot. I asked why and they only could utter something about a tree and the Aston Martin. Uh oh, that is not good. To my (and everyone else’s) horror, a pine tree had fallen on the Aston Martin Rapide. We lifted the tree off as they backed the car out from under it. Upon closer inspection, the passenger side mirror was gone, the hood was dented, the windshield broken and the worst part was that wood had gone through the windshield and into the dashboard, more then likely ruining the dashboard. Not good.
Thursday morning we had an autocross course set up next to the track. The Ford Fiesta was a ton of fun due to its handling. The new 2011 Ford Mustang V6 was much better then I anticipated. The Mercedes Benz C63 was a beast though the E63 was a boat through the course, mainly due to it’s size. Its power was what pushed it through.
The rest of the morning was spent off roading in everything from Range Rovers to the Ford F150 Raptor 6.2. The Raptor 6.2 was my first vehicle I took off road and its size made it a handful. The course was somewhat tight in some areas and I had to back up to make some corners. The truck handled everything like the beast that it is. After going through the course in the Raptor, I decided to go for something a bit smaller. The new 2010 Range Rover Sport was next up and this thing was ridiculously nice. Something crazy to note is that the Range Rover Sport was also labeled Wednesday as a track car. This vehicle was put through its paces both on the track and off road. Not many vehicles can be pushed through the track one morning and then stuck onto an off road trail the next. I was curious as to how the stock 20 inch wheels and tires would handle the off road portion seeing as they had been used on the track the morning before. To my surprise, the Range Rover Sport (I should not have been surprised) was an off road machine, shrugging off everything I threw at it. Driving the Range Rover next was a very cool experience. The all digital gauge cluster is really useful. Being able to change what is displayed based on what you are doing comes in handy when off road.
The entire experience gave me the opportunity to drive many different cars in varying situations throughout a two day period. The track portion was a blast, as was everything else. The people were friendly and inviting. Sitting and having lunch with two gentlemen from Consumer Reports lead to quite an interesting conversation. Everyone from freelancers to Cars.com writers were in attendance. Overall it was a great first experience and I look forward to whatever the next MAMA rallies should bring.
Leaving work this week I spotted a very large parking fail. Essentially the Audi TT is for lack of better words, screwed. The Pontiac Grand Prix and Dodge Stratus boxed him in really good. The Grand Prix is actually touching the rear bumper while the Stratus at least is not touching though is very close. Talk about a huge parking fail. I would be irate if I owned this TT. I have yet to figure out how some people can be so bad at parking.
Episode 32 features many different dreams either coming to realization or turning into nightmares. Tony Pimpo, from GMInsideNews, is this Episode’s guest along with Joel Feder and Justin Loyear.
