Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
This powerful Peugeot bowed at Goodwood.
Mere weeks after our very own John Lamm went for a spin in the Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour, the one-of-a-kind concept suffered a literal blow at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We hope the crashed, Lamborghini-powered sports car/SUV, which required some 50,000 man-hours to build, will be fixed.
Besides hosting some crashes, Goodwood also served as the backdrop for a few new vehicle launches. There was the 154-mph Skoda Octavia RS reveal, and now Peugeot has unveiled a 266-horsepower variation of its two-seat RCZ sports car dubbed the RCZ R. It is powered by a version of the 1.6-liter “Prince” engine that was co-developed with BMW; a version is used by Mini, as well as several Peugeot and Citroën models. The RCZ R’s mill is called EP6CDTR, and it is force-fed by a twin-scroll turbocharger to deliver 243 lb-ft of torque. The sprint from 0 to 62 mph takes 5.9 seconds, and Peugeot governs the top speed at 155 mph. Based on the 308 compact sedan, the RCZ is a beautifully executed and fun-to-drive sports car that competes directly with the Audi TTS and Nissan 370Z.
I hear that Audi is celebrating 30 years of its quattro GmbH subsidiary with three special editions. The brand will make 30 units (each) of the A5 cabriolet, the RS6 Avant, and the RS7 Sportback. They are distinguished by their color schemes and equipment level, but they don’t have exclusive performance options. There’s no word on whether the A5 or the RS7 variants will be offered in the U.S.; regardless, I predict they will be sold out in no time. Besides, the RS6 Avant is not sold in the U.S.—sorry to bring that up again.
For the 2014 model year, Volkswagen has killed the V-6–powered Touareg in the German market. Only the V-6 TDI and V-8 TDI remain, as well as the annoying hybrid. Other markets keep the V-6 (actually a VR-6), and the Middle East even gets the fantastic 4.2-liter V-8. For an SUV that once ruled the segment with a W-12 engine—it was available on the first-generation Touareg, and almost ruined me when I tested it for two weeks thanks to its vociferous appetite—killing a regular gasoline option is kind of sad.
No need to apologize to the birds: The Golf BlueMotion doesn’t need wind power.
GTD, Diesel Impresses
Of course, VW’s diesel engines are fairly impressive. At the launch of the Euro-spec SportWagen in Amsterdam last week, I had the opportunity to drive the Golf BlueMotion, which, despite a sprightly 105-horsepower 1.6-liter TDI, is rated at 73.5 mpg in the European cycle. I managed a real-life 60.9 mpg, without any effort or the typical alteration of driving style that is required of hybrid drivers to extract maximum efficiency. A piece of good news: The most-efficient Golf is fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, not the company’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, even though that dry-clutch box is one of the most efficient automatics out there. VW tells me that the auto wouldn’t have made the BlueMotion any more efficient than it was with the six-speed manual. Win-win.
As amazing as the BlueMotion was, I was even more impressed by the (manual-transmission) GTD, which I tested for two weeks. It is powered by an ultra-torquey, 184-horsepower 2.0-liter TDI diesel four. While officially rated at 56 mpg, I got 48 mpg out of it during a driving cycle comparable to my trip in the Blue Motion. And the consumption over more than one thousand miles under extreme conditions was unbelievable: Through a mix of 10 percent city driving, 30 percent of country roads with no police presence and an accordingly heavy right foot, plus 60 percent autobahn driving with prolonged 140-mph-plus stretches, I still got 30.2 mpg. Incredible. Down the road, the GTD might become even more interesting. I am told that VW is strongly considering offering the limited-slip differential that does miracles to the GTI, where it is available with the Performance package. The package enjoys a 50 percent take rate in Germany.
As previously reported, U.S.-bound Golfs and SportWagens will be built in Mexico, and I am told the GTI is included among those models. The next Golf R, on the other hand, will not be assembled there. Instead, the all-wheel-drive, 300-horsepower-plus Über-Golf is so full of complex and unique technology that it will most likely be imported from Germany. As of today, no final decision regarding the Golf R has been made.
- Comparison Test: 2015 Volkswagen GTI vs. 2013 Ford Focus ST
- First Drive: 2014 Maserati Ghibli
- First Drive: 2014 Audi RS7
More Diesel Updates
Chrysler is betting on diesel with a 3.0-liter V-6 provided by VM Motori; it will be fitted not only in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but also in the Ram 1500 pickup. Coincidentally, it is the same engine that powers the diesel iterations of the Maserati Ghibli III and the Quattroporte VI. Chrysler and Maserati tech-sharing is almost retro—just think back to the LeBaron-derived TC by Maserati. That car’s nearly the spiritual equivalent of the VW/Porsche 914, if slightly more heinous.
GM and Ford are more cautious when it comes to diesel pickups; both companies have decided against them in the F-150 and the latest Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500. Ford tells me that the fuel savings wouldn’t compensate for the expected price hike. The same is true for the Fusion, I am told: The diesel engine is too expensive. Wait, can it be more expensive than a hybrid powertrain? A diesel-powered Fusion won’t come here before the price of the fuel drops significantly, Ford says.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/X4EMW_Tx7To/
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