Convertible Reviews

It was the most hideous hairdresser's car on the market. It made a pudding-bowl haircut look like the height of fashion.The mangled, bulbous concoction that was the Z3 Coupe looked like the deformed lovechild of a delivery van and a Bladerunner hearse, and was as polarizing as a pair of sunnies.In fact, the only way to look at it without a grimace was to wear shades with a very, very dark tint ...In contrast, the new Z4 Coupe is sharply focused, and its hard top and rounded bottom is no longer a nasty afterthought.It is now something to have nasty thoughts about.The Z3, both in Roadster and Bread-van M Coupe form, was not the success BMW had hoped for, particularly in this country. Of course, the Yanks loved it.The next-gen Z4, released in 2003, has been another story.Still polarizing, designed as if attacked by a blunt end of a corkscrew (and likely with the help of a few bottles of red), but with a look so distinct from the competition, that even if you don't find its flame-surfaced face attractive, you can't help but look twice.Then there is the drive; a dynamic bum-on-rear-axle seating position, perfect 50/50 weight distribution, and that trademark 3.0-litre straight six that joyfully sings through the revs like an angel on opiates.Now to the three-strong Roadster lineup, add two hard-top Coupes.The new Z4 Coupe comes in two forms; a 3.0si, starting at $87,900 and the top-shelf M model at $127,200.The Z4 Roadster's base 2.5-litre engine is not available in Coupe form.Both cars are $3,300 less than the drop-top Z4. And as the pricing suggests, the two coupes offer a very different drive.The 3.0si Coupe is powered by Beemer's 3.0-litre magnesium-aluminium inline six-cylinder engine, developing 195kW and 315Nm and served through a short-throw six-speed manual or smooth six-speed auto ($90,500).A 1320kg kerb weight allows for a frugal 8.9 litres per 100km combined consumption (and runs on 91RON fuel) and a 5.7 second time for the 0-100km/h.The divine Miss M model has the infamous 3.2-litre six from the E46 M3, developing 252kW and 365Nm and propelling it to 100km/h in five seconds flat.It's 100kg heavier than the lighter-engined 3.0si, and comes in six-speed manual only.Both engines sound beautiful, burbling behind the ears through phat twin pipes (quad in the M), but the M's screams to 8000rpm under throttle to sound a screaming banshee compared to the 3.0si's harmonious wail.The difference between the two model's acceleration and aural intensity is only the start.The 3.0si sits on softer suspension, but runs on BMWs much maligned run-flat tyres.The lack of flex in the sidewalls produces a harsh ride over bumps that can cause sideways skipping and occasional tramlining due to the lack of absorption.Though supremely stiff suspension-wise, the M's "lack" of run-flats allows for greater absorption and less resistance through rough surface changes (there's no spare at all).On normal tyres, the M's steering is sharper on turn-in with almost no kickback.The even weight distribution of the Z4 Coupe allows stupid entry and mid-corner speeds, though the tail is happy to wiggle on exit if the throttle is too keenly felt.A Sport button on the console bumps it up another notch, heightening the throttle response and speeding up the engine's heartbeat.The brakes are brilliant, with M3 CSL stoppers on the up-spec M.The pedal has loads of feel, and works with a deep ABS and intuitive two-step ESP stability control that can be either rigged or completely neutered.But it is best to leave it on; the program is non-invasive and subtly calibrated, and is particular help on the 3.0si's stiff sidewalls.Enveloped in leather and highlighted with chrome or fake carbon, the Coupe is quieter and seemingly less raw when cruising than its convertible sibling (though tyre noise particularly on the M is invasive).It is sometimes difficult to get exactly the right angle between hip to foot, and shoulder to hand, but once found, the drive is pure and involving.The 3.0si has only a few small options to close the gap with the M spec on the inside; sat-nav, Carver stereo, voice recognition, M sports suspension, and M seats and steering wheel will add several thousand dollars.But the more angular lines and projections of the exterior M sports styling kit or M colour palette of red, blue and bronze are not available as a final differentiation between the two Coupes.This allows the discerning Bimmer buyer a choice of two very different drives within the one slick body shape.The intensity of the M almost justifies the massive price jump - it is the pointy end of the spectrum, a hardened athlete with a mean streak, while the 3.0si walks a delicate line between sportster and tourer.According to BMW, almost 90 per cent of buyers option the $2,600 auto, and this would be fitting for the 3.0si.Over 600km of Tasmanian Targa roads, the 3.0si was a more enjoyable drive on the long haul, with power for pound when the roads tightened, but settling down on the touring stages.The M remains hard, loud and full of itself even at 3000rpm, like a stallion next to a gelding.But the competition between stablemates will be the least of Beemer's worries.It is predicting 200 units a year at this stage, with 55 per cent choosing the M model.But the battle for niche market dominance against the superb Porsche Cayman and elegant SLK roadster will be the real test.It may not be able to dominate the high-end sports coupe segment, but at the very least, its cutting-edge shape and knife-edge performance will spare this Coupe from populating the hairdressers' staff parking lot. Samantha Stevens is a roadtester on the CARSguide team. Her work appears here and in the Sunday Telegraph CARSguide. A version of this review, as well as other news, reviews will appear in the Sunday Telegraph.

Jaguar's new XKR has those traits in abundance, yet it can be as docile as a house tabby.There are few more unforgiving environments than the luxury sports tourer market, inhabited by the likes of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It really is a jungle out there.Jaguar was well aware if its newest top cat — recently launched world-wide in Spain — was going to survive, let alone thrive, it had to have the right stuff."When we started down this track there were some truths we knew we had to face," Jaguar senior body engineer Mark White explains."The goal was to create the ultimate sports GT and to do that we set the target of exceeding the XK by some 30 per cent in a whole range of performance criteria."What the Jaguar engineers aimed for was a performance benchmark of five seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint — they achieved a 4.9 for the coupe and a five flat for the convertible. But more importantly, the performance had to be accessible in the crucial mid-range for overtaking and it had to be refined."Torque ... and how it was delivered ... was the key to meeting our performance goals," White says. "I have to say the result has exceeded initial expectations."Australian owners will start taking delivery of their XKRs about April next year.Jaguar Australia will not say how much the cars will be, other than to suggest a 30 per cent premium over the XK models. That would see the coupe about $245,000 and the convertible tipping over $270,000.Based on the strong demand for the basic XK and with the XKR historically comprising about two-thirds of XK sales, Jaguar Australia is expecting sales of about 80 a year. A large part of the XKR's credentials come from the high standards set for the new XK; the "base" car."In the XK we had a starting platform that was simply outstanding," White says. "In a way, that posed some difficulties in that realising the 30 per cent improvement benchmark we set was always a challenge because of how high the bar was to start with."While there was no need to further stiffen the already superbly rigid chassis and all-aluminium body of the XK, the XKR engineers concentrated on providing an engine with extra heart, suspension that delivers a stiffer ride without additional harshness, and brakes capable of reigning in a rampant XKR when required.Strapping the supercharger to the 4.2-litre V8 was the obvious first step and with it came variable valve time on both inlet and outlet cams. The power boost was some 40 per cent over the XK, taking maximum power to 313kW at 6250rpm and a thumping 560Nm of torque from 4000rpm.The whipcrack engine has been coupled to the latest of the ZF automatic gearboxes. Featuring shift changes as smart as 600 milliseconds and as smooth as custard, the box can be driven as a full automatic in cruise mode, a sports automatic with computer-generated blips on the downshifts or as a full-control manual utilising the wheel-mounted paddle shifts.To keep the extra urge from its attempts to separate car and road, the spring rates were stiffened 38 per cent at the front and 28 per cent at the rear, rollbar thickness was increased by a millimetre and damper response improved by 25 per cent.The CATS (computer active technology suspension) system — that switches the dampers between soft and firm — has a similar response time to the XK but has been tweaked to switch from soft to firm earlier.The other critical area of improvement is in the braking. Compared with the XK, the R car has 26 per cent greater swept area on the discs and a huge 37 per cent improvement in cooling efficiency. The heftier brakes can haul the XKR down from 100km/h to zero in a most reassuring 2.5 seconds.One of the joys of the XKR, particularly the convertible, is the oh-so angry exhaust howl at full throttle. If you happen to be in a tunnel through the Spanish hills, so much the better.Unlike the Aston Martin with its clever engine-speed-activated butterfly valve or Maserati's push-button arrangement, the XKR's throaty exhaust note is a simple affair. The more you poke it, the louder it growls. The XKR does utilise active exhaust technology, which alters the flow through the primary silencer, depending on throttle position and revs. But it is progressive rather than arriving with a howl at about 4000rpm, as does the Aston.However, poke it really hard and you risk scaring yourself. In any event, you will certainly draw the attention of anyone within a considerable radius. What is not immediately obvious is the expected induction whine of the supercharger. It is far more muted than the outgoing model — or than the same engine tuned for the S-Type R.At full roar, it adds a menacing undernote to the exhaust but is surprisingly absent at anything from idle to comfortable cruise ... just the way the engineers planned it.What is absolutely reassuring about the XKR at full charge is the rock-like stability through the most testing of mountain roads.With the stability control in operation the intervention is gentle and unobtrusive.Each time you think the limits of adhesion are approaching and push that little harder the chassis finds even more suction-like grip.It was a test of nerve that the XKR eventually won. We simply couldn't push hard enough on public roads to reach the dynamic limits of the car.The styling variations for the XKR are subtle. There's a chrome mesh grille and side airvents and a couple of discreet R badges.The sports seats are firm, comfortable and sensibly bolstered. General trim is stylish, the standard navigation system simple to use and, in the convertible, the flip-up airblocker behind the seats proved effective in reducing cabin buffeting with the roof down at speed. As with many of the 2+2 GT cars, there's a pointlessness to the rear seats which are so cramped as to be almost useless.FAST FACTSPrice: estimated $245,000 (coupe), $270,000 (convertible)Engine: 4.2-litre DOHC 32-valve V8, supercharged, 313kW@6250rpm, 560Nm@4000rpmTransmission: 6-speed automatic with sequential shift; steering wheel mounted paddle shiftsPerformance: 0-100km/h 4.9sec (coupe), 5sec (convertible); top speed 250km/h (limited)Fuel: 12.3L/100km combined cycle (supplied); 71-litre tank

I’ve often pondered the strange yet undeniable connection between going bald and buying a convertible.Are bald blokes trying to distract us from their follicular failings by driving something flashy and dashy, or are they, subconsciously, trying to draw attention to the fact by buying a car that apes their receding hairline with a receding roof?The launch of the staggering new BMW M6 Convertible is about to add more confusion to the issue by creating another potential sub-set of nude nuts: people who weren’t actually bald when they bought one but have had their hair removed from its roots by the sheer force of its acceleration.Even baldies like to tout the term "wind-in-the-hair motoring", but in the case of the rag-top M6 it’s more like tornado-in-the-hair transport.When you put your foot down in this V10-engined V-max machine you rip holes in the air around you, both with your pace and the race-bred noise that it makes.Anyone tall enough to have their head sticking above the line of the windscreen is in serious danger of being lobotomised as well as Yul Brinner-ised.The 5.0-litre engine huffs out a faintly ridiculous 373kW of power and 520Nm of torque and can hurl this highly luxurious grand tourer from a standing start to 100km/h in a supercar-standard 4.8 seconds.That figure is all the more implausibly impressive when you consider that the Convertible weighs in at 2005kg – up 220kg on the M6 Coupe.Logic, and indeed physics, dictates that two tonnes of car simply should not be able to move that rapidly, but this M6 forces you to redefine what you think you know.Overtaking maneouvres that would seem suicidal in other cars are performed with the flap of a paddle gearshifter, the flick of a right boot and an almost irresistible hoot of joy from your lips.And scuttle shake, that curse of all convertibles, which sees the frame flexing and the steering wheel shickering in your hands, is banished, entirely.Then there’s the fact that no two-tonne teuton-mobile should be able to handle, and change direction, as well as this car does.You’re always aware of the weight, obviously (and personally, it’s the reason I’d still choose a mere M3 over a monstrous M6) but it simply doesn’t hinder you, even through tight, twisting switchback sections of road.Throw in the marvelously meaty steering feel and you’ve got one hell of a car in your hands.The thing is, BMW have already been offering a very similar and slightly faster (4.6 seconds to 100km/h) car, the M6 Coupe, for some time, so why the need for this drop-top version? Is it just the ultimate bald man’s car?Well, no. The M men admit quite happily that this car isn’t really necessary, as such, in any logical way, but it does have a strong emotional element.And that emotion is linked, essentially, to the heart through the ears.As one M insider put it, "this is a sound machine".The mad, metallic shriek the V10 engine makes is impressive enough in the Coupe, but hearing it, untamed, with the roof down is something else again.It’s the kind of car that has you hunting for tunnels like a mole.And when you find one, it’s impossible to resist dropping it back to second and exploring the volcanic volume that erupts above 8000rpm.As wondrous as it is in most ways, the M6 Convertible does have its failings, including an A-pillar that’s so big you have to bob your head from side to side to see around it.I also still found myself wishing it had a manual gearbox instead of its super high-tech seven-speed SMG, which rolls back on hills because you can’t control the clutch take-up and, at full noise, changes cogs with all the subtlety of someone hitting you in the coccyx with a telephone pole.Indeed, in some countries – Canada and the US – they’ve wished this so hard that it’s coming true, with a conventional six-speed manual set to become available for V10 M customers this year.In the rest of the world, we’re told, there simply isn’t enough demand for a three-pedalled version. For shame. Then there’s the styling, which might politely be described as grandiose, or less politely as just gross.In the white livery the car was presented in at launch, it looks like a florid, Florida kind of car, which would make it a Miami sound machine, I guess.And yet, this is a car that you could buy despite its looks, not for them, just to get your hands on that engine.It obviously appeals to plenty of people, too, with the first production run already sold out in Europe, before it’s even gone on sale.The M6 Convertible will break cover locally at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next month before going on sale in December at a price tipped to be in the stratospheric $290,000 to $300,000 range.Stephen Corby is a senior roadtester for the CARSguide team whose work also appears in the Sunday Telegraph. A version of this review plus more news and analysis can be read in the Sunday Telegraph.

It's funny how you always find women's magazines in doctors' waiting rooms, because I think they actually cause a mild form of illness themselves.

Fans of the old MGs were somewhat taken aback when the F abandoned the traditional MG mould of front engine and rear drive for the more contemporary mid-engined layout. While it was a big departure from the old school, it brought the brand right up to date.The F was a smart little two-seater with smooth flowing lines that gave it a sense of speed even when standing still.Inside, there was adequate room for two adults, although taller occupants could feel cramped. Apart from that, the interior was attractive with cloth trim in the base model and leather in the VVC-powered model.The instruments were cream and brown, the minor controls were well within reach and simple to use, and the steering wheel was a nice size for a sports car.The roof was manually operated, but it was easy to use and folded out of sight behind the seats. When raised, the space it left behind the seats was handy for storage.There was also plenty of equipment in the F, including power windows, power steering, dual airbags, central locking with an engine immobiliser and audio system.The engine, a 1.8-litre twin overhead camshaft four-cylinder unit, was mounted transversely behind the cockpit. There were two versions, the base engine which produced 90kW at 5500 revs and 165Nm at 3000 revs, and a more powerful one with VVC variable valve timing, which produced 107kW at 7000 revs and 174Nm at 4500 revs.The transmission was a slick shifting, five-speed manual with the drive ultimately distributed to the rear wheels for a thrilling drive. Underneath, the F had Hydragas suspension, which gave it a comfortable ride and contributed to its brilliant handling.Brakes were four-wheel discs with ABS electronics to keep tabs on the action at the tyre-tarmac interface. On the road, the F was simply brilliant once you squeezed yourself into the cockpit. The mid-engine layout gave it a balance front-engined cars could never achieve, with an agility and responsiveness that few cars could match.Most notably the MGF suffered from head gasket problems, with gaskets blowing with as few as 20,000km on the clock.MG specialists worked out that the steel cooling pipes running between the engine and the radiator at the front of the car were corroding. The head gaskets were eventually improved and the problem was fixed.The Hydragas suspension also proved a problem area. The system uses a combination of nitrogen gas and a fluid instead of conventional springs and shock absorbers. But over time the nitrogen leaks out of the system and the suspension sags. It's possible to return the car to its correct ride height by pumping the suspension full of the fluid, but that adversely affects the ride. The system was replaced by conventional springs and shocks on the TF model that replaced the F.Look out for signs of the car being caught in the rain with the roof down. If there are water stains or damp smells, it means it has been left exposed to the elements.Parts are readily available for the F and generally less expensive than the parts originally supplied by the factory.Dual airbags provide good passive protection in the event of a crash, while the combination of an agile chassis, four-wheel disc brakes and anti-skid electronics provide a good level of active safety.

And there is always the opportunity for a super sprint to 100km/h in only five seconds.But . . . the BMW Z4 M Roadster is a flawed car. It is not as good to drive as an M3, it demands total attention every time you do more than just trickle down the road, and the design work and final finishing is nowhere near what we expect in a BMW.Let alone an M car costing $130,500.How can that be?In some ways, the M Roadster is a step too far for the Z4 design. We think the droptop two-seater is nicest at the most basic level — with a 2.5-litre engine and a $77,600 price — because the package is swift, well balanced, comfy and responsive.It also wins out over a range of fresh-air rivals including the cheaper Mazda MX-5, the softer Mercedes SLK and the less refined Nissan 350Z.The M-car, in contrast, is a rowdy rocket that tries too hard in some ways and doesn't do enough in others. And it never beats a Porsche Boxster.It's the same with the M Coupe, which we drove at the world press preview in Spain.It is great on a racetrack when you are absolutely hammering and tapping all its M strengths for speed and cornering enjoyment, but it is far less satisfying on an ordinary road at legal speeds.Even the boss of M admits that his two newest children, the M Coupe and Roadster, were rushed through the system at the hot car division.SOME corners were trimmed to get them going as soon as possible, and — don't mention this to BMW Australia — some things could, and should, have been done better.The Z4-based Ms are also out in time to get them going before BMW unveils the next M3, which has a complete body change and will also come with a compact V8 powerplant that will make the current in-line six look as fresh as yesterday's fish.Even so, BMW Australia is big on the car."The arrival of the Z4 M Roadster version establishes it as the most exciting sports car in its segment. It is the epitome of the BMW slogan: the ultimate driving machine," managing director of BMW Australia Dr Franz Sauter says.He is talking about a car with clear ties to earlier BMW sports cars, and classic long-nose styling with rear-drive power delivery.The M Roadster comes with 252kW of power, 365Nm of torque and a six-speed manual gearbox, with no chance of an automatic or the clutchless SMG semi-auto that has polarised opinion on the M3.There are huge brakes, sharpened steering, tweaked electronics — including full M settings for the stability control and an off switch — and 18-inch alloys with extra rubber on the rear to cope with the go.The M car picks up some nice stuff, including leather seats, bi-xenon headlamps and a punchy sound system, but there is no spare tyre — boot space is too tight — so BMW fits a sealer system with pump.It is easy to pick the M Roadster, thanks to a deeper front spoiler, twin exhaust pipes and a race-look aero swoosh below the number plate. Interior reminders run to the M wheel, gear knob and M logos on the door sills and head rests.ON THE ROADThe M Roadster is a feisty critter. It likes nothing better than a good strop and the chance to show what it can do.What it can do is pole-vault past slower traffic, crush corners with arrogant grip and fire itself into the future with a rasping howl from its straight six as it rushes up to the red-line action at close to 8000 revs.Oh, and it can do it all with the top down and the sun shining in to warm the parts that the performance misses.But you have to work hard to get the best from the M Roadster, which is never as balanced or enjoyable as an M3 or a bunch of lesser cars.It feels narrow and a bit jittery on all but the smoothest roads, and you have to be very delicate with the sharp steering and the just-as-sharp throttle if the engine is turning anywhere beyond 5000 revs.It takes a lot to get the M car seriously out of shape, and that only happens if you deactivate the electronics, but it is never as settled as a Boxster and feels a touch nervy.It is better to take things a little easy through bends, braking early, then firing the car away with the ripper engine.There is a lot of other stuff to like in the car, from its excellent grippy sports buckets to the sound system and those xenon lamps.It can also be surprisingly light on fuel, running better than 10 litres/100km at highway pace.And it is good fun to stir through the slick six-speed gearbox and balance the car in the old-fashioned way, using the throttle to get the back tyres hooked up and driving.But the cabin is cramped for anyone taller than 180cm, vision is restricted if you have the top up, the dials can be hard to read, and the wheel is too fat in the rim for many people.Worst of all, the test car had more squeaks and chirps and rattles than anything we have driven in recent times. We would slam a Kia or a Proton that was this bad.And the cabin quality, including the fake carbon-fibre padding on the dash, poor plastics and even the outdated switches — the M Roadster does not have the one-touch signals fitted to the newer BMW models — let the car down badly.Does it sound as if we were disappointed? Yes. Still, there are some people who will absolutely love the M Roadster. They will rave about the performance, smile when the top is down, and delight in unleashing the tasty morsels in the M package.But the M3 is a nicer car if you don't want the full open-air experience or need extra seats.The Boxster is a more complete package and a speed machine if you get the 3.2 engine, and our favourite speed machine — the Audi RS4 — would stomp on the M Roadster and do it carrying four people and their holiday luggage.The Chrysler Crossfire is more relaxing and the 350Z is a lot cheaper.So the M Roadster is fun for a while, but we were not sad to see it go. THE BOTTOM LINEGreat for fun runs but not a car for the long haul or a serious relationship.73/100

The British brand tried for a breakthrough with its luxury XJ flagship but looks to have the real deal with its new XK sporties.This is not the return of the classic E-Type. The new Coupe and Convertible are much more than just a remix of old ideas and old parts.The design is smooth and modern, the packaging is good, the performance is classy and the cars are finally being built to world quality standards, not just an outdated British idea of classic construction.It takes only a couple of kilometres in a new XK to see and feel that Jaguar - running hard under the direction of Australian CEO Geoff Polites - has a winner.The car is a total package that delivers on all its promises. It still has a classic Jaguar look and feel, but the XK has been brought into the 21st century with the equipment to finally go head-to-head with pacesetters from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and the rest."The XK is critical for Jaguar," Polites says matter of factly.He is right. The XK has to prove to Jaguar's owners at Ford that it has the right stuff to drive the company forward.The new XK was designed by Ian Callum, who wanted to head Jaguar design from his boyhood, and he has delivered a modern take on a classic car and shape.The newcomers are not radical, but they are instantly recognisable as Jaguars and are a lot more successful than the previous XK.British car fans will love the shape, though they may take time to adjust to the minimalist cabin. It still has classic Jaguar touches, and can be ordered with dark wood and green leather, but looks best as a piece of modern design in light colours and lighter timbers.Jaguar says the XKs are "the first of a new generation of beautiful, fast Jaguars".They made the running with an all-aluminium construction Jaguar claims is the most rigid body in the class, with stiffness up 50 per cent in the droptop. Using a 4.2-litre Jaguar V8 producing 224kW the XK has a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds.The XK picks up a new six-speed automatic with sequential manual change, and the outdated J-Gate shifter from the 1980s has finally been dumped.The new cats will be in Australia before the end of this month, when Jaguar Cars Australia will confirm final specifications and prices.ON THE ROADA cold wet and wintry day is not the best time to drive the new cat Convertible. Even if it is what passes as a spring morning in the British Midlands.The XK convertible looks smooth but fires with a grumpy, solid exhaust note that hints at more than just lazy cruising pace. It was specially tuned to convey the sound of speed.The Jaguar cracks away from a standing start with real purpose and, finally, does not feel like a British speedboat.That's been a problem with XKs back to the XJS in the 1980s. The cars always felt as if they were skating over the road and not digging down for grip and go.The new XK feels like one piece and all together, solid like a good German car.Cabin quality is good, the controls are solid and work well, and the seats are comfy.The convertible roof works well and there is little buffeting or noise at Australian highway speeds, but the new cat is not a particularly quiet drive on rumbly British bitumen.It's called a 2+2 but the rear end is cramped and we wonder about things like usable boot space, fuel economy and suspension tuning for Down Under roads.It will take a home-track run to see if the car works as well in Australia, but the first impression is good. Very good.

BMW's new 650i Coupe is one significant car. It sits high on 18-inch wheels and with its striking exterior (in corporate silver of course) this machine ensures you are going to turn heads. With a pricetag of $204,000 you would certainly want to be noticed.It hardly seems fair to be testing this car around Sydney where it stops being legal, even on open motorways, at 110km/h. Its 250km/h top speed was made for German autobahns, however you can still enjoy the awesome power of this machine through its acceleration. It hits 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds.The new 650i model replaces the old 4.4-litre 645Ci. Its larger 4.8-litre V8 engine boasts 270kW of power at 6300rpm and 490Nm of torque at 3400rpm. That's an improvement in output of 10 per cent in both figures over the previous car.Administering the power is a six-speed Steptronic auto transmission. Features over the old model include revisions to the still-confusing iDrive controller that sits in the centre console for functions ranging from operating the gorgeous sound system to the 3D satellite-navigation mapping. BMW copped flak when the iDrive was launched a few years ago and subtle changes have improved it. Nonetheless, a serious read of the instruction manual and a decent hands-on practice session is needed to master it.Without any directions on the button itself (everything is displayed on the dashboard screen) you need to adopt some logical thinking. The screen also offers television viewing but not until you are stopped.Just like with in-home TV sets, reception varies widely across Sydney.However, the true technical gizmo that makes you marvel when you first drive this car is the Head-Up speed display, which is projected on to the windscreen ahead of the driver. It can be distracting at times, particularly in traffic, but generally it achieves its aim of keeping the driver's eyes focussed on the road and not on dashboard gauges. Inside, the 2+2 configuration clearly stamps the notion that this is a driver's car.There isn't a lot of storage space and while head and leg room in the rear is good for a coupe, it's not sensational. It does, however, provide all occupants with enough creature comforts and bells and whistles to remind them they are travelling in luxury.The driver has a wealth of functions to play with. These include the ability to alter the driving mode to suit road conditions with the quick press of a button.The steering, gearbox and accelerator respond faster for sportier driving and the headlight display is impressive.BMW's adaptive bi-xenon headlights beam around corners while the high-beam setting is active. It can judge traffic and lighting conditions to automatically turn high beam on and off. So, all in all, I'd love to have one in the driveway. It's just the small matter of $204,000 (which buys a two-bedroom unit in the outer-Sydney suburbs and whole houses in country NSW).BMW packs a range of standard features into the price including dynamic stability control and dynamic brake control. Safety features include parking distance control front and rear. This not only chimes loudly when you get close to anything, it also provides an on-screen display to see which bit of your super coupe is in danger.Extras include 19-inch wheels for $2200, a climate-control windscreen for $600, active cruise control for $4500 (cruise control accessed by a switch on the steering column is standard) and an even better sound system with 13 rather than the standard 11 speakers for $1760. For $470 you can even have a heated steering wheel.Now that's luxury.

Except, perhaps, Sydney.If ever there was a Volkswagen conceived with our country's climate (and roads, for that matter) in mind, it's the Eos — a car which, at the press of a button, reverts in 25 seconds from as chic a metal-roofed coupe as you'd wish to see to an even more chic open-top.A star of last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, where this unique CC was memorably unveiled amid a sea of sunflowers, the Eos will be a local heroine when it reaches our shores early next year.It combines the excellent engines, transmissions and chassis that have made the Mark V Golf the leader in its class and the most successful VW in this country since the old Beetle.It's a superior car in every respect to the New Beetle cabrio — more of a spiritual successor to the classic Karmann Ghia of decades past.Perhaps more important, in a segment that's hardly defined by practical requirements, the Eos is possessed of a subtle "I want" quotient.For VW Australia — which has doubled its passenger-car market share with the addition this year of the Jetta and Passat — the Eos will be something of a halo model, a glamorous figurehead on top of a range that is becoming a byword for value and quality, but hardly sexiness.It reaches Australia early next year with a two-litre turbo diesel engine (yes, an oiler-powered drop top), direct injection petrol, and a turbo version.The likely starting price will be in the mid- to high-$40K range. If that's not enough to frighten Peugeot, Renault and Saab, the 3.2-litre V6 FSI version, soon to go into production, surely will.That folding metal roof has been engineered to the nth degree and is apparently able to withstand torrents of high-pressure hosing without dampening the occupants.It's mounted on a long-wheelbase version of the Golf platform with Passat architecture — proven builds to match the aforementioned working bits. But in terms of perception and appeal, the Eos is about as departed from those cars as anything so grounded in the tried and true can be.The lid is properly known as a Convertible Sliding Coupe (CSC) roof.With top up, the front section, which is encased within glass, becomes a sun portal by sliding back a ceiling shutter. It can be opened completely or tilted upwards at the rear.In coupe mode, the Eos's stance is muscular but streamlined, sophistication oozing from its every pore.When you want to expose your own pores, the centre console-mounted button folds the roof into the boot in the time it takes to wind an old-fashioned car window down and up again.Buying a convertible is what marketing people are wont to call a "lifestyle decision", but practicality is not sacrificed at the altar of Eos.Top up, the luggage volume in the boot is a hatchback-like 380 litres. Down, it's a respectable 205, with goods and chattels protected in a covered enclave.Weighing in from around 1400kg, up to 1500-plus for the diesel and turbo petrol variants, the Eos is almost 10cm longer than the Golf.That translates to marginally better than average room in the back, although the lanky wouldn't enjoy a prolonged period there.But that, in turn, translates to a superb driving position — one that's even more malleable than in other recent VeeWees, which is saying something.Once settled in behind the wheel, you discover that no matter which powerplant is in front of you, the Eos is an assured and accomplished cruiser rather than a B-road basher.The test route took Sunday CARSguide from the outskirts of Athens through Marathon and Attica to a particularly pretty promontory on the Aegean coast.It included freeways, Australian-comparable back tracks and some uniquely Greek winding hill roads.Most of this was spent in the 2.0 TDI and 2.0 FSI. A brief exposure to the turbo petrol version confirmed our feelings that, rather than being a topless Golf GTI, it's dynamically akin to a conventionally suspended Golf or Jetta.On those narrow stretches of tarmac that have been scraped from the semi-arid Attican mountainsides, front-wheel-drive understeer came readily to the fore. With minor adjustment of stop and go pedals, and the full raft of electronic safety features providing back-up, this was easily tameable.Despite the build being extraordinarily rigid for a drop-top car, the Eos's ride was compliant and bump absorption proved to be excellent.The six-speed manuals on all models sampled (DSG autos will be available come local release) were slick-shifting and decisive in the VW manner.The Eos won't engage drivers in the fashion of a tautly toned roadster, but it's not meant to. What it does is provide comfortable open, semi-open and closed-top motoring in a stylish and comparably affordable package.And it will look even better breezing across the Harbour Bridge than passing the Parthenon.The writer flew to Athens courtesy of Volkswagen

Reliable, economical, ruggedly built, practical and affordable — with few vices. If you drove a Beetle, you were personally releasing those characteristics. You were, in effect, living the car.The Beetle is dead, but embodying motoring in one of its simplest, most captivating forms, is a rising star — the Mazda MX-5.I didn't think this little convertible could so magically sway a person until I watched an old mate of mine, who, while admitting to appreciating cars was never one to become enthused, fall under the MX-5's spell.Jim bought an old MX-5, the one with the flip-up headlights. It came from Japan, second-hand, painted red and with over-width, non-original wheels. Not tired, just used.Jim drives it with the roof down. I asked about the state of the fabric roof. He didn't know, given he has not seen the car with the roof up.The weather didn't bother him. When it came, he was always dripping wet and tinged with blue.But even though he wasn't a car enthusiast, he never stopped raving about the MX-5.The latest one is just as lovable, just as simple and just as much fun.Though the 2006 MX-5 is bigger, more powerful and more lavish, little of the original car has changed.It seats two, has some room for luggage, a 50/50 weight distribution, an engine in front and rear-wheel-drive, and the manual fabric hood can be erected more quickly than any electrically driven job.The latest MX-5 gets the two-litre engine from the Mazda3, a standard six-speed manual and the option of a clever six-speed automatic, more fruit for the cabin but not too much more.The price starts at $41,860 and rises by optioning the automatic gearbox and a hardtop, or the higher-spec Bose sound system.Not a cheap car, certainly, for something that appears quite small. For sports enthusiasts, it's also right on the money for a Subaru WRX, which has faster acceleration, quicker cornering and four seats.But that's not the point.The MX-5 is in a different league.This is a car that became a classic in its first year of manufacture.Despite its popularity, and the numbers on the street, people still gawk when one drives past.Women yearn for one, men yearn for the ladies and so want an MX-5. It's foreplay on wheels.In the metal, this is a small car. Yet, despite its exterior dimensions, it will take a 1.85m (6ft 2in) driver with ease, with plenty of cabin width and without this driver having to stare under the windscreen top rail.It has a superb dashboard highlighted by piano-black horizontal trim, big dials, neat switches and everything is accessible.The boot will take a fair amount of luggage, but that's only because there is no spare wheel. Mazda supplies a compressor and an aerosol kit, so lots of luck.If you get a puncture, quickly choose between the passenger and the beautiful 17-inch 10-spoke alloy rim and its punctured tyre because there's no room in the car for both.Other than that, the MX-5 has a lockable personal storage binbehind the seats, a centre space with two cupholders, a lockable glovebox and door pockets.The high engine revs when cold and on overrun are annoying, and the steering wheel appears to be bigger than before and is no longer made in Italy. But ignore all the above if you love driving.The more you drive this car, the better you start to appreciate the art of driving.You don't need speed for it to relay how accurate it is at turning a corner, how responsive the accelerator is at putting power to the road, and how cleverly it quickly starts to become an extension of yourself.On the track it was such a simple car to punt: Point at the corner, turn the steering wheel. If the front slides wide, lift the accelerator to correct. If the back comes out, lift the accelerator to correct. Even Homer Simpson couldn't fail.The ride may be firm and the bumps may hurt your butt, but this is a car that is almost raw in its relationship with the driver.The six-speed manual box is crisp and the throws between the ratios are quick and sharp.The clutch is light, the steering responsive and the brakes are simply magnificent.When the harsh summer sun goes down, it's a single-handed movement to retract the hood.Only on the freeway at 100km/h does the cabin become a bit windy, though that's solved by winding up the windows.Swapping to an automatic, I thought the whole game was over. But it actually got better.The six-speed auto has almost all the handling acumen of the manual, but with a lot less stress.The box is controlled by moving the gear lever or by flipping paddles on the steering wheel. Or, if you're slack, just put it into "D" for Drive and enjoy the ride.Certainly, in the city and suburbs, the auto makes more sense. It's easy to drive and you lose very little performance. Hell, you can only do 60km/h, anyway!I just love this car.I don't believe this is a car of the year (it isn't that good), but it's still possibly as close as anyone's going to get to the perfect two-seater convertible.