To celebrate 30 years of the M5, BMW have unveiled the most powerful M5 yet, the special edition “30 Jahre M5”.
The 30 Jahre M5 is limited to only 300 examples, and will come equipped with the same twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 as the standard M5, but with power rated at 600hp – making it 40hp more powerful, and with torque rated at 700Nm (516 lb-ft). Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 3.9 seconds, while top speed is limited to 250km/h (305km/h with optional M Driver’s Package). The claimed combined fuel economy and CO2 figures are 9.9l/100km and 231g/km. It might have a silly name, but by the looks of evo magazine's test drive, the LaFerrari has stepped the supercar game up by quite some margin. It will definitely make McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder owners think if they truly made the right buying choice. Enjoy. The new Cee’d GT is Kia’s very first attempt at producing a hot hatch, which was enough reason for me to travel nearly 260km to Zurich to get a hold of a test car. But apart from being keen to know what it’s like as a first attempt, I also wanted to know how it compares to the already established big names of the hot hatch world. In other words, will it give Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI owners nightmares? Or will they laugh at the poor fools who ended up buying one? I had two weeks to find out.
Ford’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has won the International Engine of the Year award for 2012 and 2013, which made me very eager to give it a try. It isn’t a powerhouse by any means, but it has made it to the list thanks to promises of great fuel efficiency. It powers several of Ford’s models, including the Fiesta, Focus, Tourneo Connect, C-Max, and B-Max – the latter of which will be the focus of this review.
When the Toyota RAV4 first appeared in 1994, it was one of a very few number of small crossover SUVs. Back then, the Corolla-based RAV4 was meant to be a compromise between a hardcore off-roader and a small sedan. While it managed to strike a good balance between the two, there was no denying that it was made on a budget – carrying probably one of the least-inviting interiors of any car. However, fast-forward to 2013 and things have changed quite a bit. Not only is there a seemingly limitless choice for small crossover SUVs, but the new RAV4 feels like a completely different vehicle to its ancestor.
While the design of the new RAV4 isn’t revolutionary, nor does it leave people stunned by its beauty, the sharp angles are well-executed and give it a very contemporary look. Compared to the original RAV4 it’s also bigger in size too, which helps create extra space in the interior. While the car is bigger than its ancestor, it is still a small-sized SUV – it feels like a hatchback with a high driving position. You might have already seen online photo leaks of them, but what are possibly one of the most anticipated cars of the decade have been officially uncovered – the BMW M3 Saloon and M4 Coupe.
What used to be the M3 coupe is now the M4 Coupe, carrying on BMW’s new agenda of naming their coupes after even numbers. Apart from the new model designation for the coupe, the new M3 and M4 now use a turbocharged inline-six engine rather than the high-revving naturally-aspirated V8 engine from the previous M3. One of my personal favourite roads is doing one lap around Lake Geneva. It’s a mix of driving through scenic roads, little towns and villages, as well as the occasional open and empty stretches. You basically start from Geneva and head to Montreux, then into France and onto Evian, then back into Geneva again. In total it’s around 172km, and considering that I haven’t done this wonderful route in years, I was very thrilled to be able to do it in the highly-praised Ford Fiesta ST.
Looking at this “Race Red” Ford Fiesta ST, it’s definitely a car that’s eye-catching. Its 17-inch wheels, low stance and roof spoiler add to that sporty look too. Despite the bright colour, it doesn’t make the driver seem like a desperate attention seeker, and it shouldn’t bring the driver any shame if they were to pull up at a dinner reception or posh restaurant. It’s also the kind of car that seems at home everywhere, whether it’s in a millionaire’s garage or a street parking outside a waiter’s apartment. When someone mentions a classic car, you probably think of something that was highly desirable in its day and over time appreciated in value. Something that’s in pristine condition, costs a lot of money to buy, and is probably brought out to the roads only when it’s 24 degrees and the sky is completely blue. Great examples are cars like the Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 275 GTB, Mercedes Benz 300 SL, or an all-original 1966 Shelby Cobra. At a recent Gooding & Company auction, a 1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL roadster was sold for $654,500!
The Ford Kuga (sold as Escape in North America) is one of those cars you don’t pay much attention to when they pass you by in the street, but that’s to be expected from most small family SUVs. However, spending two weeks with the Kuga has shown that it can be a nice car to live with, and you can always say that the rear looks similar to current Range Rover models (the taillights cut into the body panel like current Range Rovers). With a seemingly great demand for small SUVs, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Ford won’t have trouble selling the Kuga, but the aim of this review is to find out what sets it apart from its list of strong competitors, such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
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