Mercedes - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT [w/video] - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Now, this is a story about a car, not a spirit. (Don't drink and drive, kids.) But there was a moment, working my way quickly through downhill switchbacks amidst redwood trees in those hauntingly lovely stretches of California state roads between San Francisco and Laguna Seca, where the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S triggered the same pathways in my brain that were formed when I took that sip of whiskey. Something in the elixir of power, grip, sound and balance that made a few corners of that drive feel like the close cousins of the best corners I'd ever turned a wheel on.

Later that day, driving the familiar route of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Mercedes-Benz' newest coupe, the AMG GT's technical abilities and few shortcomings would almost overwhelm the romance of those earlier, perfect seconds. Science cannot hold all art, after all. But like that perfect hit of whiskey, gifted from a wolverine I'll never drink with again, this is a car that has the capability to be beautiful at any given second you're at the helm.

The proportions of the GT could almost be comical if they were used on a less artful assemblage of body panels.

You don't need me to tell you that this is a striking car – I took a lot of pictures, have at them.

It does bear mentioning that this new GT is easily the most head-turning Mercedes-Benz I've ever driven. Be it because of its outright beauty of form, its newness on the road or some cocktail of those things and more, the sensuously curved Benz garnered craned necks and hand gestures of admiration wherever I drove it.

The proportions of the GT could almost be comical if they were used on a less artful assemblage of body panels. The parabolic rear deck is severely short in relationship to the massive prow, which deserves the Imperial Star Destroyer panning shot to go with its magnificent stretch. The overall effect is both classically inspired and original, a bit like the SLS AMG when it debuted, but without that car's juxtaposition of hard lines and rounded corners.

Inside, meanwhile, anyone who's had the pleasure of sitting in or driving the new S-Class will find commonality in this coupe's cockpit. That isn't to say that the two spaces look the same; rather to point out that the attention to detailing and high material quality is at the same level here. From the carpets padding the sides of the transmission tunnel to the contrast top stitching on the dash leathers, every piece I touched or looked at felt sumptuous.

The looks of this driver's office are outranked by how it functions.

I should note though that the car you seen in these photographs doesn't wear my favorite interior treatment available for the GT. The piano-black surround for the instrumentation on the central tunnel can be swapped out for a nicer, less smudgy matte aluminum finish, which, to my eyes, better highlights the cool shape of that centerpiece.

The looks of this driver's office are outranked by how it functions, as soon as the starter button is pressed and the turbo-fed V8 out front snarls to life. Here, the basics of a good sports car are almost all accounted for: the seats offer lateral support from top to bottom; the steering wheel is shaped and sized perfectly for aggressive use; and even at my almost-Gigantor size (six-feet, five-inches and 240 pounds) getting comfortably positioned was never an issue.

The route I drove from downtown San Francisco to the track in Monterey County was, as I mentioned at the start, perfectly suited to showing off the GT S as a, well, GT car. Grand Touring, in the proper sense, involves athletic behavior on both high- and low-speed roads, with as few compromises to comfort or performance as can be managed.

It took just minutes on the first highway stretch out of town to see that power will never be an issue in real world driving for this Benz. That "S" following the GT name means 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque from the biturbocharged 4.0-liter V8, a bump up from the 462 hp and 443 lb-ft under the hood of the base car.

I found practically zero delay between tipping into the throttle and feeling the GT leap forward into space.

Bear in mind that AMG used a mix of steel, light alloy and magnesium to body this aluminum spaceframe car, meaning the engine has fewer than 3,500 pounds to pull around. That's lighter than competitors like the Porsche 911 Turbo, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe and the Audi R8 V10.

Working through an ultra-responsive, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, I found practically zero delay between tipping into the throttle and feeling the GT leap forward into space. Passing lesser cars (almost all of them) on Highway 1 was addictive and effortless, while jumping past slower traffic on two-lane roads was only more dramatic for the sound of the exhaust ricocheting off the nearby trees and boulders.

Of course, if quiet reflection at 100 miles per hour is more your thing, the GT S can do that, too. I ran almost exclusively with the dual mode exhaust in its sport setting, but adjusting that to the default allows for a remarkably calm cruiser. With the radio off, the only highway noise that's higher than average comes from those massive rear tires, but even still, this is a very hushed, wind-noise-free place when it needs to be.

There is a similar hard/soft duality to the GT where ride and handling are concerned. Of course, the car is fitted with Mercedes-AMG's Dynamic Select modular drive system, in this instance able to offer drivers their choice between four distinct personalities: Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Race.

It was dangerously easy to hustle the coupe around narrow switchbacks with grace and precision.

I'm so used to AMG products expressing their handling capabilities in a brutal fashion – heavy steering, tremendous grip – that I'll admit to be taken aback by the way the GT danced through the redwood forests and over coastal hills. The car was like a live thing under my hands in these environs. Set to Sport Plus – my favorite of the default configurations of transmission and throttle response, suspension firmness, steering weight, etc. – it was dangerously easy to hustle the coupe around narrow switchbacks with grace and precision. Some of that was down to the supremely balanced chassis underneath me, to be sure, but a lot more was due to the excellent steering feel offered up. Though not so talkative as to be tiring over the long haul, the levels of feedback through the wheel were really impressive. Turn-in was especially quick, too, with rapid changes of direction executed as if I were exactly the center of mass for the fast-moving car.

The Mercedes-AMG GT S is a frighteningly complex machine, one in which electronics play a lead role in creating the driving experience. So I was shocked to see how natural and un-tech-like the experience of driving through Northern California really is; feeling for all the world like a simple, balanced, throwback sports car rather than a spacecraft for the road. If you're looking for a reason to own this car, you'll find it somewhere desolate and winding, where your confidence will grow with every well-turned corner, your admiration for the machine expanding on the same trajectory.

But as I alluded to at the top of this piece, the second sip of a new favorite whisky might never be as perfect as that first one, and the circumstances that had me falling a little bit in love with the GT S were similarly fleeting.

I can deal with the poor side and rear visibility issues, but the dead-ahead vantage should be as clear as possible.

Even before putting the car to the ultimate dynamic test at the raceway, issues with visibility started to gnaw at me a little. The low roofline and those fat A-pillars are the primary offenders; they cut pretty severely into my direct line of sight whenever coming into a corner, especially turning left. Going the other direction, the rearview mirror intrudes, as it takes up a much larger percentage of the total forward view than in most normally shaped vehicles. Given the looks of this car and predilections of the segment, I can deal with the poor side and rear visibility issues, but the dead-ahead vantage should be as clear as possible.

Finally, when lapping Laguna (which has a lot more left turns than right), the same damned pillar cut into view as I worked to position the car for each upcoming corner. I'm not a racecar driver, but coupled with a helmet, the visibility issue was quite real (and something that I've never struggled with in the über-competitor Porsche 911).

Whereas on the street I felt at liberty to really enjoy the AMG GT's balance and fine steering, on a fast track, my driving experience was dominated by top-end engine response and tires. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, 265-section at the front and 295 at the rear, provided phenomenal mechanical grip at high speeds when I placed the car just right in each curve, and allowed for excellent transmission of power when getting on the throttle.

Lapping in both Sport Plus mode and Race, I found the former to be slightly too controlling for the motorsports life, while the latter really loosened up the rear of the car. Set to Race, I probably had just as many power-oversteer moments as I did knife-like corners, but that was down to my skill and not the precision of the machine. There's no question in my mind that the AMG engineers have a raceworthy platform here, should its coming owners demand that capability.

I expect the early shock and awe of seeing this beautiful Mercedes design will open more than a few checkbooks.

Let push come to shove, though, and I'd rather drive the GT on the road than on the track, which is something you'll very rarely hear me admit to. Of course, the coupe can be (and will be) very fast around a circuit, but the effortless way it does the Grand Touring bit is just more impressive to me. In that style, the Mercedes feels like the best car in the class – on the track it's one more face in the high-dollar crowd.

Just how high you'll have to stack those dollars to own the GT S is still an open question. Mercedes hasn't given us official pricing yet, though word around the car-journo water cooler is that $110,000-ish is likely for the GT, with perhaps $130k being asked for the GT S. The more powerful S version will be the first to American dealers, in the spring of next year, so we'll be looking for firm figures over the next weeks.

Assuming my price predictions are quasi-accurate, the GT should be right up in the rearview mirrors of its competitor cars from BMW, Audi, Porsche and Jaguar. There are interesting tradeoffs to be seen in terms of power, weight and/or price with all of those rivals, but I expect the early shock and awe of seeing this beautiful Mercedes design will open more than a few checkbooks.

Unexpected instants of excellence bubble up in every life now and again. If they occur to me at parties or on pristine roads, I'm happy if I can simply recognize them and oblige the universe for sending them my way. When a vehicle is special enough to dole out those treasured instants, on golden afternoons or stolen mornings, I say grab it and drive on.

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Seyth Miersma / AOL

source: autoblog

by Seyth Miersma

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Next BMW 7 Series interior spotted - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Happy Thanksgiving

The next BMW 7 Series looks to be leading a rather dramatic change of the company's interior styling, judging by this new series of spy photos.

In the trio of shots, we can see that the next 7 Series will replace the high-quality plastic buttons of the brand's iDrive, HVAC and secondary audio controls with some very, very pretty aluminum pieces. We can also see what looks like haptic touch controls for some of the HVAC systems. While the 7 Series interior has never been bad, it's lagged notably behind the Audi A8 and new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. This brightwork should be taken as a good sign, then, that BMW is preparing to take the fight to its countrymen. Aside from the handsome new switchgear, the large, wide nav screen looks like a pop-up unit, while it appears to be running a new version of the company's infotainment system.

These spy photos also give us our most detailed look at the 7 Series' new laser headlights. According to our spies, these will be an optional extra, while LED headlights will be standard. The high-output lights will flank a wider pair of kidney grilles that our spies claim will give the 7 a sportier look. Changes in back are still camouflaged, although our shooters claim the new lamps will be more angular than the current car's.

Image Credit: CarPix

Source: Autoblog

by Brandon Turkus

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - ECU Cooling Fan Squeal/Humming Noise - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Ever had a noise that comes from below the dash board on your Range Rover? Does it sound like a bird or cricket chirping and comes and goes without doing anything to the car whether it is running or not.  That sound is coming from the ECU cooling fan on the passenger side of the car in the engine compartment. This part can be purchased for in the $200 dollar range depending on where you get it.  We can replace this in less then 30 minutes.

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2015 Audi A3 TDI Challenge - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

I officially gave up after 758 miles. The 15 or so miles leading up to this decision were spent in the right lane of Southern California's I-8 freeway, hazard lights blinking, climbing uphill at just over 40 miles per hour. After two days of sweating to the oldies (okay, a mix of SiriusXM Classic Rewind and First Wave), I had covered those 758 miles in a 2015 Audi A3 TDI on one tank of diesel fuel. And when I say sweating, I mean it quite literally. In order to maximize fuel efficiency, my co-driver and I kept the air conditioning off, even when the direct sunlight in the California desert had outside temperatures hovering around 90 degrees. I had been doing this hypermiling exercise for two days, the car was getting stinky, and I was ready to hear the sweet "thhhhhhhwack" of satisfaction that would finally come from peeling my sweat-soaked self off the A3's leather seat. Sexy, I know.

Audi had challenged me to drive 834 miles from Albuquerque, NM to San Diego, CA, on just one 13.2-gallon tank of diesel fuel. If you believe the EPA's highway fuel economy rating of 43 miles per gallon, this means I should have sputtered to a stop after 568 miles. But I went a grand total of 758 – that's 59.4 mpg – and I could have kept going. In fact, two teams made it the full 834 miles on their one allotted tank of fuel. That's over 63 mpg. That's twenty miles per gallon better than EPA estimates.

The TDI Challenge took me through three states over the course of two days, and the 834-mile journey wasn't just a simple highway cruise. I negotiated uphill climbs, long series of involving switchbacks through the mountains and elevations that ranged from 220 feet below sea level to nearly 8,000 feet above. I learned that super-crazy-efficient driving like this an incredibly challenging game that takes serious skill. But I also learned that if you're going to attempt to stomp all over the EPA's numbers, the Audi A3 TDI is one heck of a car for the journey.

Audi's 2.0-liter TDI engine is a real sweetheart, making it simple to maximize efficiency.

The 2015 Audi A3 TDI is a pretty simple package. Take one A3, shove the redesigned Volkswagen Group 2.0-liter turbodiesel inline-four under the hood, and you're good to go. Audi will only offer the A3 TDI in sedan guise for now, priced from $32,600, not including $925 for destination. But folks seeking more functionality will be able to opt for a five-door TDI Sportback next year.

Clearly, the vast majority of credit for the 59.4-mpg observed rating goes to the mad skills executed by my co-driver and I over the course of our journey, but I'll admit, the 2.0-liter TDI engine is a real sweetheart, making it simple to maximize efficiency. The same can be said for the standard six-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, which was easily kept in manual mode to ensure I was in the highest gear possible (Audi does not offer the A3 TDI with three pedals, sadly). This engine is essentially a redesigned version of the VW 2.0 TDI powerhouse I've always loved, now rated at 150 horsepower at 3,500 rpm and 236 pound-feet of torque that comes on strong from just 1,750 rpm. That's more than enough grunt for the 3,241-pound A3, and while it would have been foolish to test such claims on the efficiency challenge, Audi says the TDI sedan will hit 60 mph in a relaxed 8.1 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph.

Like all diesels, the beauty of this TDI setup is its way-down-low torque thrust, which would be an incredibly helpful asset for eking out every last mile per gallon on this trip. Before departing Albuquerque, I sat down with mileage expert Wayne Gerdes – you've read his name on the pages ofAutoblog before – who explained how to really take advantage of the car's low-end power. I was instructed to get into third gear at 16 mph, fourth at 26 mph, fifth at 32 mph, and the finally into the top gear at about 40 mph, never letting the Audi get below 41 mph on uphill climbs (otherwise the transmission would downshift on its own, regardless of me having it in manual mode). At these speeds, I used the maximum available torque at the lowest rpm without digging too far into the turbocharger. And in fact, on the entire 758-mile trek, I don't think the tachometer needle ever crested 1,800 rpm. Now that's efficient.

Every time a tenth of a mpg would fall off the displayed fuel economy number, it felt like a personal attack... a failure. I wanted to win. And I was trying so hard.

On the drive out of Albuquerque, feathering the throttle was key. It was sort of weird, suddenly being the guy I normally yell at who's going 50 mph in the right lane of the freeway, takingforever to merge into the fast-moving traffic. Wayne explained that, in situations like this, where you're going slower than the flow of traffic and you're on a busy road, "ridge riding" is incredibly helpful. Drive in the right lane, with the passenger-side tires riding the white line of the highway. Since most drivers tend to focus on the center of each lane, positioning yourself to one side makes you more noticeable. And if you see someone coming up behind you at a faster clip, throw the hazard lights on way in advance, giving them a heads-up to pass.

Oh, and you'd better get used to being passed. With the speed limit at 65 mph and me putting along at 50, literally every other motorist on the road wanted to go around. Gross old pickups, motorhomes, semi trucks, and even the odd oversize load convoy all passed by (I can now say I've been overtaken by a house, so that's neat). But Gerdes' fuel-mizing techniques were paying off. What started as 40 mpg became 50, and as the day progressed, I was well into the high-50s, feeling pretty darn proud of myself, exchanging high-fives of congratulations with my navigator because we were fully confident that there were no men in the world more efficient than us.

The uphill section of Day 1 was mentally tough. It's really disheartening to watch your fuel efficiency drop consistently – those high-50 numbers became 40s with a quickness. I pleaded with the Audi to stay in sixth gear on these uphill runs, and every time a tenth of a mpg would fall off the displayed fuel economy number, it felt like a personal attack... a failure. I wanted to win. And I was trying so hard.

Coasting down mountain roads in Neutral is fun, but doesn't reveal a ton about how a car is performing when all of its systems are firing together.

But what goes up must come down. As I rolled into Sedona, AZ for the night, the sun started to set, the temperature dropped, the elevation lowered, and the roads got really, really good. Managing the mountains in the A3 was an incredible experience, being able to throw the car into Neutral and just coast for miles and miles down mountain roads against some of the most beautiful backdrops I've ever seen. Normally, I'd be working the throttle and brakes, putting power down whenever possible, and using it to plant the A3 solidly in the turns. But this time, with the car in Neutral, I relied solely on the Audi's tires, chassis and steering to get me through bends – the engine was off (well, idling). But the A3 performed admirably.

The A3's steering was predictably light, with the typically dead on-center feel of most compact Volkswagen/Audi products. I found more feedback through the wheel the farther it turned, and the chassis remained relatively flat and composed through corners, even without me sending power to the front wheels. Speaking of which, don't bother looking for Audi's celebrated Quattro all-wheel-drive setup here. The German automaker isn't offering the A3 TDI with Quattro right now, and has no plans to do so in the future.

All-in, the A3 TDI was truly a pleasant vehicle to drive – just like it is with its gasoline engines. I'd wager that it's better to steer than a Mercedes-Benz CLA250, but of course, my only time spent with the CLA was in conditions where I could, you know, really drive it. Coasting down mountain roads in Neutral is fun and all, but it doesn't reveal a ton about how a car is performing when all of its systems are firing together. Coasting did allow me to explore the limits of grip offered by the Continental ContiSportContact 225/40R18 tires, as I tried to keep as much speed as possible through the turns. But really, all I cared about was using as little fuel as possible, as I still had a grueling second day ahead of me.

The TDI's interior boasts good refinement, a tight back seat, and all the onboard tech you could ask for in a compact Audi.

Day 1 ended with a 58.4-mpg average, which put me in fourth place among the nine teams. Not bad, but not great. Still, I was proud, and I was eager to work even harder the following day.

At 5:30 AM the next morning, I left Sedona under a sheet of darkness and cold temperatures, leaving the windows cracked to get as much of the chilly outside air circulating into the the TDi's minimalist cabin as possible. The TDI's interior is unchanged from the rest of the A3 lineup, which means good refinement, a tight back seat, and all the onboard tech you could ask for in a compact Audi.

Day 2 was both the hot one and the tough one – long stretches of nothingness through the desert, sunlight and heat causing fatigue. But I wouldn't settle for 58 mpg, especially when other teams were already seeing numbers over 60.

In speaking to Gerdes once again, he warned me that the "pucker factor" would be strong on Day 2. That's what sets in when the distance to empty gets lower and lower, and I'd just have to power (coast?) through, keeping an eye on the current fuel economy readings and doing mental math to predict just how much diesel was still left in the tank. Wayne also offered tips about managing the route's long stretches of "whoop-de-doos," roads that would roll over hills, offering opportunities to pick up efficiency and momentum while going downhill, and then let the speed drop while coasting uphill. On top of that, because elevation would gradually be dropping through the day, I was told to use a "pulse and glide" technique: accelerate briefly on stretches of flat road, getting up to about 50 mph, and then let the engine coast back down gradually to about 40 mph, staying in sixth gear.

The onboard fuel gauge told me I had run out, and yet the car kept going.

These tips, plus a constant cruising speed of no more than 45 mph through the desert offered massive gains, as I saw the observed fuel economy average run as high as 64 mpg at times. But the last stretch of the journey, entering the hills just before San Diego on I-8 westbound, combined with the heat inside the car, the sweat, and the tension of trying to get every last mpg out of that Audi, made it so incredibly tough. The onboard fuel gauge told me I had run out, and yet the car kept going. I was left wondering just how much diesel was in the reserve tank, and whether or not I should bail out at one of the planned Audi checkpoints or test my luck and just hope I didn't come to a stop on the side of the freeway. If I succumbed to the latter, I'd effectively be betting that a support car could find us before I had died of heat stroke and was eaten by buzzards. (That's totally a normal thought process, right?)

Actually, at this point, I was just glad that I'd be finishing in any place other than last. You see, Audi threatened us a bit, saying that the first team to run out of fuel would have to finish the drive in a vehicle simply named, "It" – a 1994 Ford Aspire with a missing hubcap and a four-speed manual transmission. In fact, to sweeten the deal, Audi officials added more and more odd bumper stickers to the back of "It" as it followed us on the journey, on a trailer behind a Q7. And while there's part of me that really kind of wanted to roll into swanky San Diego in that Aspire with proud "I Brake For Butterflies" and "Cowgirl" stickers on the back, I figured my best bet was to push the A3 as far as it would go. This, despite running in a team named, "Gunning For 'It'."

I was incredibly proud of my score of 59.4 mpg. I bragged about my achievement to anyone who would listen.

But alas, there I was, 758 miles later, saying goodbye to the A3 TDI that had just carried me from Albuquerque on one tank of diesel, preparing to finish the drive to San Diego in a shiny new A3 Cabriolet (stay tuned for that writeup). And even though I didn't win – my partner and I finished somewhere in the middle – I was incredibly proud of what had been achieved. 59.4 mpg. 16.4 better than the EPA's own highway rating in a bone-stock A3 TDI (some of my competitors opted to modify the sedan with wheel spats and the like, but I chose to leave it alone). I bragged about my achievement to anyone who would listen.

"You're gonna blow the EPA out of the water," Wayne told me before departing on this journey. And I did – handily. My journey was difficult, and the speeds and techniques I used aren't necessarily things I'd consider working into my everyday driving routine – let alone recommend for yours. In fact, while we weren't out there drafting semi trucks, hypermiling clearly isn't the safest way to drive. It creates closing speed issues with other traffic, and frankly, you can spend so much time thinking about when the fuel line will run dry that it lessens your mental bandwidth for other tasks associated with driving.

With a TDI engine underhood, an already good package gets even better.

However, it did show me just how capable the A3 TDI is when really pushed – you can drive this car 834 miles on one tank of fuel. Think about that for a minute. Even in real-world scenarios, these TDI cars are commonly good for better economy than their window stickers would suggest, which is more than we can say for most gasoline-powered cars, let alone hybrids. Autoblogfrequently saw numbers over 50 mpg in our long-term 2011 Jetta TDI, if you recall, without even trying.

On its own, the A3 is a solid car. And with a TDI engine underhood, an already good package gets even better, provided you're willing to pay the premium for an entry-level luxury sedan (the Premium Plus tester I drove stickered for about $43,000 which, I'll admit, is kind of a lot). Hypermiling – a word Wayne Gerdes created – isn't in the vocabulary of the everyday driver, but terms like "efficient," "comfortable," "well-appointed," "stylish," and "good to drive" are. The A3 TDI checks all those boxes – it's a premium little fuel-sipper that I'd happily drive again and again, even if I'm not sweating my way to 60 mpg.

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Steven J. Ewing / AOL / Audi

source: Autoblog

by Steve J. Ewing

http://www.boscheuropean.com

VW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - This Or That: 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro vs. 1987 Land Rover Defender - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

As I scoured auction sites and classified ads for the perfect vehicle to take into battle with AutoblogAssociate Editor Brandon Turkus, I knew I needed to find something unique. You see, I'm currently 0-2 at winning a round of This or That, in which two of our editors agree on a category, choose a side, and argue it out over a (mostly) friendly chain of emails.

The first time we did this, my chosen Fiat 500 Abarth took about a third of the popular vote in our reader poll. The second time, my lovely 1980 Oldsmobile 442 did just a little bit better against a 1989 BMW 635 CSi. Despite holding the opinion that my automotive choices, though perhaps a little bit more... obscurethan my fellow editors, are still better, an outright win would go a long way toward boosting my vehicular self worth a few notches upward.

With all of that out of the way, even if three isn't my lucky number after all, I go into battle against Brandon knowing full well that I've made the perfect choice: A 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro. My rough-and-tumble van/'ute has a formidable opponent in the form of a 1987 Land Rover Defender, which, truth be told, is exactly what I was expecting from Turkus, a self-proclaimed Rover aficionado.

Without further ado, join us as we take a look at how our two off-road mounts compare... or, really, don't compare, as the case may be.

Of Contenders, Pretenders And Defenders

The rules were simple: Choose any legitimately off-road capable vehicle, new or old, for under $30,000.

The rules going into this round of This or That were simple: Choose any legitimately off-road capable vehicle, new or old, for under $30,000. The vehicle had to currently be for sale online, but other than those few boundaries, we were free to let our imaginations run wild. Options ran the gamut from brand-new Jeep Wranglers to classic Toyota Land Cruisers – the rules were purposely kept mostly untied in an effort to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Interesting, then, that both Turkus and I chose box-shaped combatants.

The one-box shape of the VW Vanagon used to be a regular sight on American roads. Throughout much of the 1980s, the box-it-came-in Bus appealed to van buyers who wanted something different from the big body-on-frame fullsize vans and their hugely popular shrunken minivan-sized siblings. They found just what they were looking for in the Vanagon, with its rear-mounted, water-cooled engine powering the rear wheels, myriad of seating and interior options (including a full kitchenette and pop-up tent-like sleeping quarters) and European driving dynamics.

This particular Vanagon, though, is equipped with the ultimate option: Syncro four-wheel drive. Syncro, developed by VW engineers in collaboration with Steyr-Daimler-Puch (creators of the legendary Pinzgauer), boasts a viscous coupling between the rear-mounted 2.1-liter flat-four engine that connects to a the front wheels with a continuously variable torque spread. The four-speed manual gearbox includes an extra super-low gear and the rear differential is electronically lockable for when the going gets really tough. Every single bit under the chassis is protected by beefy skid plates and veritable armor plating, and my chosen Syncro features a bit of a lift for more ground clearance, courtesy of the off-road specialists at Old Man Emu. Its somewhat modest 95 horsepower and 117 pound-feet of torque can propel the Syncro to a top speed of about 80 miles per hour.




In the opponent's corner sits a vehicle that really needs no introduction. From its inception in 1983 as a replacement for the classic Series III, the Defender (initially known as the 110) is known all over the world as one of the finest off-road vehicles ever to roll out of Great Britain. It's locking center differential makes its full-time four-wheel-drive system practically impervious to worst terrain that Mother Nature can serve up, in the most uncomplicated way possible.

The Defender chosen by Turkus isn't really a Defender at all, but a real honest-to-goodness military machine that's been legally imported (with distinction, says Turkus) into the United States. As such, it's right-hand drive and is equipped with a 2.5-liter diesel four-cylinder engine (no turbo) that puts out... uh, 68 horsepower and 114 lb-ft. In other words, it will always get to where it needs to go, just not very quickly – with a rated top speed of 55 miles per hour, Brandon will need to keep well clear of the highway while making his way to the trailhead. "Considering you rarely get over five mph on the trail, I'm not bothered by that," says Turkus. Fair enough.






Bringing A Knife To A Gunfight?

Turkus: While I respect your, ahem, bravery, in choosing a minivan to go off road, I'm going to opt for something that isn't just as iconic as the long-running VW Type 2, but can actually handle itself on virtually any road surface. This is a 1987 Land Rover Defender 110, and it is unbeatable. It has a diesel engine, can seat 10, has the steering wheel on the wrong side (which is a positive) and is a convertible. And that's in addition to its brutal good looks and go-anywhere abilities.

My, my. So sure of himself, that Turkus. Indeed, while perhaps nobody on the Autoblog staff has as much love for Land Rover as Brandon, I myself am a fan, particularly of the Defender. I have no interest in pretending he's made a poor choice for an off-road vehicle.

Korzeniewski: I don't have much that's really all that bad to say about the Defender, except that sitting on the wrong side of the car is anything but a positive.

Instead of tearing down your choice, I'll build mine up. There could hardly be a better shape from which to build a do-it-all vehicle than the Vanagon; it has oodles of space inside (about as much as a fullsize van in the US) with a tall roof, boasts what is perhaps the greatest closed-top visibility possible and yet still manages to fit into an almost impossibly small footprint. Engineering brilliance the likes of which hasn't come out of Britain since the original Mini.

Know what else it has? Four-wheel independent suspension. Locking differentials? Check. Ground clearance? Approach and departure angles? Check, check and check. So, while you might, and I mean *might* be able to convince me that your Defender is as capable off road as my Syncro, here's where I easily trump you with my vehicle choice: Comfort. I'll have some. You won't. We'll both get to wherever it is we're going, I'll just be feeling nice and refreshed when I get there.

Time to play dirty. Turkus responds to my Syncro like a Ford Fan responds to a Bowtie.

Turkus: While I appreciate your noble decision not to attack my Land Rover, I won't be observing any such courtesies. How can you argue over space when I can remove the roof and have seating for ten people? Oh, it gets better. Those rear benches can be retracted, at which point my Defender basically becomes a pickup truck. Sure, your vehicle is comfortable, but you and I both know there's something to be said for lack of comfort being an asset. My Defender will deliver a far more elemental, visceral and most importantly, entertaining driving experience.

My Defender will deliver a far more elemental, visceral and most importantly, entertaining driving experience. – BT

Moreover, your Syncro's cabin can't stand up to anywhere near as much abuse as my Defender. How long do you figure that blue carpet will stay clean? On my Defender, there isn't really trim to speak of, and the seats have been freshly reupholstered in "all-weather" material, which I think means they're waterproof. Either way, I'd have no qualms about climbing into the Defender while wearing muddy Wellingtons and hosing out the cabin afterwards.

How long will my blue carpet stay clean? We're already going there, huh? But wait, there's more.

Turkus: You want to talk about off-road tech, let's talk about what your all-wheel-drive Syncro doesn't have – a two-speed transfer case. My four-wheel-drive Defender has a low-range gearbox, as well as a locking center differential, which is what you really need off road. And unlike your VW, the Land Rover has some proper tires, while the Wolf wheels are as classic as can be.

And what do you mean approach and departure angles? Look at all the sheetmetal ahead of the front axle and behind the rear axle on your Syncro. The shorter wheelbase might be great, but my Defender's body is simply better suited as an off-roader. Also, it comes with a tire on the hood. Tires on the hood trump all.

Yes, the Defender does indeed have a tire on its hood. I simply cannot argue with that kind of logic.

Oh, wait. Yes I can.

That Fabled British Build Quality

Korzeniewski: Well of course the Land Rover has been freshly upholstered in "all-weather" material, it simply has to have it. The mere suggestion of a rain drop will leave the Defender sopping wet. Have fun with your 10 soaking wet mil-spec friends, me and my brood will play a game of cards under our perfectly waterproof roof.

We can play a friendly little game of "Anything you can do, I can do better." You have seating for 10 people, military style, which means 10 persons sitting on each other's laps, basically. I have an entire fullsize van worth of space. If you want to put 10 people inside, sure, go ahead. They won't all have seatbelts, but neither do yours. Dirty boots? No problem – I'll bring a little tarp and bungee it up top. You do see that massive flat space on top of the Syncro, right?

Tires? I can't believe I'm talking about tires. It's almost as if my opponent has nothing better to point fingers at, right?

Korzeniewski: As far as a two-speed transfer case, perhaps you're not aware of one of the Syncro's excellent party tricks: a low-range gear added to the standard four-speed manual transmission. Coupled with the locking differentials, if you've gotten yourself stuck, it's your own dang fault.

The Syncro is simply a smarter machine, and the compromises it asks you to make are notably less severe than those of the Land Rover. – JK

You don't like the BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires on my chosen Syncro? Well, I think you probably don't know what you're saying, but fine; I've got well over $2,000 to play with under the price of the Defender you've priced yourself into, so I can always get myself a set of ridiculo-treads if really needed, which they aren't.

And since tires on the hood trump all, I suppose that a full set of extra treads strapped to the roof would make my Syncro otherworldly.

Besides missing my chance to point out that the Defender doesn't have locking front or rear differentials, I've adequately pointed out the fallacy of mocking my BFGs using the time-honored "I have money left over" card. More than $2,000 worth, at the current asking prices, in fact. But it's not the price difference Turkus takes issue with. Instead, he counter attacks my pointed attack on British build quality.

Turkus: You're worried about rain, I'll pack a rain coat. Not that I think I'll need one, because that roof really does look tight as a drum. Ten people sitting on each other's laps? You might want to look again, because those benches easily accommodate four aside plus the two people up front, and as you can see, there are seatbelts for at least four people on those benches. I'm wagering there are actually eight back there, but they simply aren't in the shot.

As for your van's "party trick," do you honestly expect me to believe that single gear will be as durable and capable as my Defender's entire low-range gearbox? I don't think so.

Your vehicle is compromised. It has a compromise for a low-range gearbox and it has a compromised driving environment that favors comfort over the elemental experience of off roading. You even prove my point, by arguing that you need the money saved from your purchase for upgrades. The Defender does not need upgrades. It comes, turn-key ready, to tackle any trail you set your sights on. It does not compromise, and that's why it wins.

Hey now, Turkus. I never said I needed the money I saved for upgrades, I simply pointed out the money I'd have left. As for your conclusion that the Syncro is compromised, well...

Korzeniewski: I'll agree with you that your Land Rover will be as tight as a drum, just so long as that drum has been left out in a field for 30 years and is therefore anything but "drum tight." Cold, drafty and miserable is what all those not-so-safely belted-in friends of yours will be.

I'm not sure you understand the word "compromised." Your Land Rover is full of them. It has compromised safety, compromised comfort, compromised efficiency, compromised performance and compromised value. You can argue that it's uncompromising in its ability to tackle rough terrain, and that's fine, but life and automobiles are all about compromises – you just have to be smart when choosing what compromises you're willing to live with.

And that, Brandon, is why the VW Syncro is a better choice than the military-spec Land Rover Defender. The Syncro is simply a smarter machine, and the compromises it asks you to make are notably less severe than those of the Land Rover.

source: Autoblog

by Jeremy Korzeniewski

News Source: Cap City Motorsports, Autotrader Classics

Image Credit: Copyright Cap City Motorsports, Autotrader Classics

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2015 Jaguar F-Type V6 S Coupe - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

My first, ill-fated job in the auto world was at an exotic car dealer in metro Detroit. The job itself sucked, but the cars, they were exceptional. Amidst a sea of Tiptronic Porsche Boxsters, first-genMercedes-Benz SLKs and abused second-generation Range Rovers, there were some real gems.

In particular, I have fond memories of a trio of un-drivable Jaguar E-Types. Two Series II coupes as well as a Series III convertible (that featured a mostly broken roof) spent the entirety of my brief tenure at the dealership in the back of the musty service garage. I'd make side trips through there just to see the trio of E-Types, which rarely failed to put a big, ridiculous grin on my face.

Since that time in the summer of 2005, there hasn't been a single Jag that's been capable of eliciting the same goofy smile. Not the XFR-S, with its un-aristocratic wing, nor the XKR-S. At the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, though, Jaguar introduced this F-Type Coupe. Sure, the drop-top model had been around for a bit, but I thought it was the new coupe that most captured the E-Type's classic aesthetic, with a swooping roofline, those gorgeous rear haunches and a long, powerful hood. I had to drive one.

It was lucky, then, that a hardtop F-Type V6 S arrived in my driveway not long ago. I'm not sure who at press fleet operations drew the lucky assignment of configuring the company's F-Type media cars, but I'd like to tip my hat to them. My tester showed up in as classically perfect a color scheme as you'll find – British Racing Green with tan-and-black interior upholstery. The 19-inch Centrifuge wheels it wore did their part, too, with the alloys being the closest thing Jaguar offers to the original multi-spoke wheels of the E-Type.

These aesthetic decisions only served to heighten the attractiveness of the Coupe. This is a stunning vehicle in person, with a bevy of interesting curves and angles that force you to stop, linger and stare. The muscular haunches at the back are complemented by the chiseled hood and aggressive front fascia. The roofline forms a single, unbroken arc, as it forms in the A-pillars and runs to its abrupt end at the F-Type's tail. The wide, slim, wraparound taillights are intriguing at night, and are unlike anything else on the road, while the headlights and their LED accents give off a predatory look that similar designs like the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper only wish they could emulate.

This is a stunning vehicle in person, with a bevy of interesting curves and angles that force you to stop, linger and stare.  

The cabin is an equally stylish place. My tester boasted the extended leather pack, which I'll admit is a rather misleading name. It should be called the Leather, Leather Everywhere Pack. The headliner, dash, seats (obviously), steering wheel and door panels are all finished in hide. The only place of note that isn't covered in leather is the center stack, which also happens to be the cabin's sole low point. While the rest of the interior feels suitably luxurious, the plastic-adorned home of the climate controls, infotainment and vehicle systems is decidedly a letdown.

Ignoring that qualm, it's quite clear that the F-Type's cabin is a place for the business of driving. The seat's H-point (the intended location of an occupant's hip) is low and aggressive, and along with my tester's optional, two-piece performance buckets, the cockpit is plenty able to gear one up for a proper thrashing. Those optional thrones, by the way, are must-haves, offering adjustable bolstering and lumbar to deliver plenty of support without being too aggressive or uncomfortable. The driver-oriented cabin is separated not just by the transmission tunnel and center console, but by an "oh crap!" handle for the passenger. This segmentation of such a compact space adds to the business-minded alignment of the cabin, leaving the interfaces for the (still lackluster) touchscreen infotainment system, climate controls, vehicle systems and shifter easily at hand for the driver. Visibility is far better than one might expect of a modern sports car, with ample space over the shoulders and surprisingly good sightlines through the tight rear window, at least until the speed-sensitive active rear spoiler rises and chops out a good portion of the rear view.

Flip forward the reverse-opening bonnet of the F-Type and look past the pedestrian plastic cladding of the engine, and you'll find Jaguar Land Rover's corporate 3.0-liter supercharged V6 on my BRG test vehicle. In S spec, it manufactures 380 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, with peak twist available higher in the rev range, from 3,500 to 5,000 rpm. I've sampled this engine in the Land Rover LR4 and Jaguar XJ, and I'm pleased to report that it's far better in this sporting application.

If you're in the market for an F-Type and are looking at the 550-horsepower, supercharged, 5.0-liter V8 model, I'd strongly recommend you at least give some consideration to the mid-range V6 S. The power on offer here will not knock your socks off quite like the V8, but this engine is still plenty powerful and its lighter weight offers the promise of better balance.

These chromed tubes may as well have been plucked from mortar launchers, as much like their military counterparts, they excel at making people far away take notice.

Set to Dynamic mode, tipping into the sharpish throttle requires a degree of care at first, as there's enough power at your disposal for the car's nannies to sic the traction control on you. Dig in carefully, though, and the engine's power is eager to make its way to the road. The tach can and will climb quickly if you're assertive with the skinny pedal, and before long, you'll find yourself reacting with a tug of the right paddle.

60 miles per hour arrives in a manufacturer-estimated 4.8 seconds, although it feels quicker than that – 4.5 to 4.6 seconds seems a bit more reasonable. The top speed, meanwhile, is 171 mph. Despite this quickness, the F-Type is very much in the Goldilocks zone when it comes to speed – it's never so fast as to scare its driver, yet it can and will set your heart aflutter on every outing.

A large part of this sensation can be attributed to the stupendous sound emanating from the F-Type's active exhaust system and the twin, center-mounted pipes. These chromed tubes may as well have been plucked from mortar launchers, as much like their military counterparts, they excel at making people far away take notice. With the exhaust's baffles set to open, the sound is positively primal, bellowing loudly and grandly under hard acceleration and then belching with all the grace of a beer-swilling frat bro on upshifts. On overrun, the F-Type does snap, crackle and pop far better than any tiny cereal cartoon mascots. If you're ever lucky enough to get behind the wheel, just do yourself a favor and drive it hard through a tunnel. Not only will your ears thank you, but so will every motorist around you.

The fun comes when it's switched to Dynamic and control moves from the computer to the Ignis Orange paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

Part of the F-Type's accelerative joie de vivre comes from the eight-speed "Quickshift" automatic transmission. This is yet another one of ZF's excellent eight-speed boxes, and – no surprise – it's not stymied when used in a performance application. Left in full auto and in the standard driving mode, it performs as admirably as any other eight-speed ZF I've tested. The fun, though, comes when it's switched to Dynamic and control moves from the computer to the Ignis Orange paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. Shifts are noticeably quicker and more aggressive, with wide-open-throttle upshifts coming with a suitably sharp jolt. On downshifts, meanwhile, the trans will easily dispatch two or even three gears at once following the requisite number of tugs on the left paddle. Those paddles themselves look great thanks to their almost anodized appearance, although they could feel slightly more premium and come with a crisper, more dramatic action.

Despite sporting such an eager powertrain and suffering from an extremely excitable right foot, I found the Jag to be a surprisingly efficient companion. Over the course of roughly 300 miles of mixed but fast driving, the Jag's trip computer showed that I was averaging about 19 miles per gallon, matching the F-Type's city economy rating. Considering the way I was pushing the supercharged V6 at every opportunity, I have no problem believing that less exuberant driving will yield the 22-mpg average rating and even approach the 27-mpg highway number.

Opt for the mid-range F-Type V6 S Coupe, and you'll score a standard sport-tuned, all-aluminum, double-wishbone adaptive suspension. Said suspension can be set in one of two modes ­– Normal or Dynamic. Regardless of which mode you select, I must say that the F-Type's ride, even on my tester's 19-inch wheels, is on the choppy side. It's not, however, unbearable.



Set the suspension to normal and take to the highway, and the F-Type becomes a rather docile GT car. You'll feel the road, and you'll be abundantly aware of what's going on and just how big imperfections are, but it's not a disruptive, abusive experience. Jag could have gone a bit softer in the standard mode, but the ride firmness here is far from a deal breaker.

The 3,514-pound F-Type is a great dancer, with hardly any body roll, squat or dive.

Setting the suspension to Dynamic, meanwhile, isn't really recommended if you're just planning on cruising. Bumps and imperfections are decidedly more noticeable and transmit even more clearly through those sport seats. What's remarkable about either suspension mode, though, is how stable the ride is. This is an excellently damped vehicle. There's just enough vertical motion to cushion impacts without leaving the car feeling floaty, as one might experience in the F-Type's older brother, the XK. It gets even better, though, when pushed hard.

The 3,514-pound F-Type is a great dancer, with hardly any body roll, squat or dive. You can pitch it hard into corners and it will respond well, digging in and getting around. It feels flat, planted and mostly neutral, although it's very easy to get this car to misbehave by steering with the throttle, should the mood strike. It is not, however, a terribly talkative kitty. I found feedback through the chassis to be a bit on the limited side for a sports car, as it can be difficult to interpret grip levels or balance through the chassis.

The Jag's steering is arguably worse than the suspension in terms of feedback, which I found rather limited despite the rack's sharp, quick nature. This is a vehicle that's very well setup for rapid directional changes, but it could be better when it comes to letting the driver know what the front tires are doing.

I recommend you immediately step up to the car I've been driving, the $77,000 V6 S.

With such a potent powertrain, it's reassuring to know that Jaguar has really paid attention to the F-Type's brakes. 13.9-inch rotors are standard at all four corners, but my tester boasted larger, 15-inch front pans and red-painted calipers, as part of the optional Performance Pack. These aren't the top braking option – that honor is reserved for the F-Type's $13,450 carbon-ceramic brakes. Still, the mid-level rotors and pads provide ample stopping power, even from high speeds, while delivering the sort of steady, easy-to-modulate pedal feel expected of a true sports car.

Prices for the F-Type Coupe start at $65,000, although you'll only be getting the base 340-hp supercharged V6 variant at that price point. Instead, I recommend you immediately step up to the car I've been driving, the $77,000 V6 S, with its 380-hp, standard adaptive dynamics and standard active exhaust, among other goodies. $12K is a big jump, but it's absolutely worth it.

Of course, no one wants a basic, unoptioned F-Type. Instead, you'll want to dig into the options catalog and snag some of the stuff found on this press car. My car was fitted with the aforementioned Performance Pack, a $3,400 option that adds a configurable Dynamic mode, the upgraded brakes, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and the performance seats. The $2,700 Extended Leather Pack lines those sporty thrones in softer leather, while the $1,800 Vision Pack 2 adds a slew of safety features, including a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, front and rear park-distance sensors and intelligent, adaptive headlights. An $1,800 Premium Pack 2 adds 14-way power adjustability and dual-zone climate control, while a $1,200 panoramic roof allows a bit more sunlight into the low-roofed cabin. A $600 Climate Pack adds a heating function to the sporty steering wheel, while an extra $450 can be spent on HD and satellite radio. Finally, that gorgeous British Racing Green paint demands an extra $1,500. So equipped, putting the car you see above in your driveway would cost $92,475, including a $925 destination charge.

For the average driver, the F-Type will provide more satisfaction every day than the Porsche 911.

I'm going to close by addressing the rear-engined elephant in the room – the Porsche 911 Carrera. When optioned up to this sort of specification and price point, the German is the F-Type's most natural challenger, but despite this, I have come up with an exceptionally simple method of determining which you should buy. If a car's driving dynamics and communicativeness are the most important attributes driving your purchasing decision, buy the 911. You'll love it.

If you have any other priorities, though, buy the Jag. Simply put, for the average driver, the F-Type will provide more satisfaction every day than the Porsche. It has 90+ percent of the 911's dynamic abilities, but its limits are more approachable. Plus, the total F-Type package is far easier on both the ears and – at least to me – the eyes. And as an added bonus, the V6 S is $7,300 cheaper than the base 911 and over $20,000 less costly than a 911 Carrera S (you could actually snag the 550-hp F-Type R Coupe for just $100 more than the 400-hp Carrera S). It's important to note that those savings show up before digging into Porsche's notorious options catalog.

Jaguar has well and truly hit a home run here, so if you're in the market for a premium sports car, you'd do well to consider it.

source: autoblog

by Brandon Turkus

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Brandon Turkus / AOL

http://www.boscheuropean.com