Car Review: 2015 Ford Mustang | Driving

Car Review: 2015 Ford Mustang | Driving
Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster UK first drive Review | Autocar
Qoros 3 saloon first drive Review | Autocar

Posted: 19 Sep 2014 07:20 PM PDT

The 2015 Ford Mustang rides extremely well.
Derek McNaughton, Driving

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. — Who among us has not been touched in some way by the Ford Mustang? How many children, teens or adults vowed to own one after falling for its shape and its simple down-to-earth appeal? How many people tried to convince their spouses the Mustang was an ideal family car? How, after 50 years in the marketplace, can one car so dominate our dreams of driving fast, wild and free?

Blasting through the twisty canyons of Angeles Crest Highway, the exhaust from the 2015 Mustang GT and its V8 engine roaring through the open windows as loudly as the California wind, the new car feels immediately alive and more comfortable than any Mustang before. There's a sure-footedness as the car attacks canyon arcs, the GT seemingly asking, "Is that all you got?" Power, while not endless, unfolds smoothly across a broad range to the 6,500 rpm redline. The new, bigger brakes react instantly without fade. In a sense, this GT feels like a refined Boss 302. It may have taken 50 years to get here, but it sure was worth the wait.

2015 Ford Mustang
Derek McNaughton, Driving

Under my feet and at my hands are the controls to 435 horsepower, a sum that brings us full circle to the muscle car era of the late 1960s — indeed, marking a new high for horsepower in a Mustang GT. But instead of going back in time, the Mustang pushes through it, revealing itself to be a car that won't stand still, the new front suspension and new independent rear suspension — a first for a full-production Mustang — returning a level of grip not seen in a Mustang before. Replacing the solid rear axle of yore, which wasn't as terrible as many made it out to be, the geometry, springs, dampers and bushings of the rear suspension have been tuned for performance. The effect is profound. Not only is this the best riding Mustang, it may be one of the best riding, best handling coupes.

2015 Ford Mustang
Derek McNaughton, Driving

More importantly, the question Facebook has been demanding to know — how effortlessly will the 2015 Mustang perform a burnout? — is answered. Indeed, many Pirelli P Zeros were harmed in the quest for this truth, but it can be said without embellishment the 2015 Mustang will rotate its rear tires for as long as the driver desires in the execution of full-throttle starts. A "line lock" switch, accessible in the track apps feature, will also activate just the front brakes for burnouts so spectacular your significant other will impose the silent treatment for weeks, something line lock itself seems to acknowledge: after a couple of onboard confirmations that pretty much ask "are you sure you want to go through with this?" line lock will allow the driver to stand on the gas and create more rear tire smoke than a eucalyptus-tree fire. Clearly, Ford has not forgotten what it means to own a 'Stang, nor what many owners will undoubtedly do with their cars.

Gallery: Celebrating 50 years of the Ford Mustang

About 40 kilograms heavier than the outgoing car, the 2015 Mustang GT weighs in at about 1,680 kilograms. That weight can still be felt when driving as though running from the sheriff through mountain twisties, especially in the front end, but understeer is noticeably absent. Indeed, the new Mustang GT drives with a degree of sophistication that belies its $36,999 starting price. The larger cabin, smaller dash, and lower, longer hood create decent visibility that allows the driver to feel at one with the car quite quickly.

The interior of the 2015 Ford Mustang feels much richer than before.
Derek McNaughton, Driving

That refinement is also evident in the Getrag manual six-speed transmission. New linkage means shifts are short, clean and easy to place, with the lever much closer to the driver. The clutch delivers good control without being too stiff. A six-speed automatic is also available, and comes with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles with rev-matching downshifts.

The new car is roughly 40 mm lower, wider by some 70 mm in the rear track — a move that required building a special press to stamp the steel rear hips — with a reduction in roof height. More importantly, the car simply looks correct — possibly as sharp as the 1966 GT 350. The front and rear glass is more steeply raked, there's some handsome creases in the right places, and three-dimensional, tri-bar tail lamps with sequential LED turn signals harken back to Mustangs of old while still looking current. All models get HID headlamps. Signature LED lights that look like shark gills add to the aggressive look. Canadian models will use the LED fog lights for daytime running lights.

2015 Ford Mustang
Derek McNaughton, Driving

Of course, the darling in the Mustang stable is the GT. Receiving a reworked 5.0-litre V8 that now bribes 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque from an engine rooted in engineering the 2013 Mustang Boss 302, the new GT was developed to "beat the Boss," say Ford executives. This new engine could seemingly, right out of the box, run in the 24 Hours of Daytona, blessed as it is with forged connecting rods, a re-balanced forged crankshaft, larger intake exhaust valves with pistons to accommodate, plus revised camshafts to make the engine breathe better and idle smoother. And, gosh, does it sound good — clean and crisp, with a deep hollow resonance that never seems overbearing. With the windows closed, the car may be quieter than many BMWs.

Also read: Looking back at five generations of the world's most famous pony car

Without the V8, the magic in the Mustang still does not secede. While some might go into cardiac arrest at the thought of a four-cylinder in a Mustang (recalling the awkward Mustang II), writing these numbers down eliminates shock: 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. That's better than the third engine option — a 3.7-litre that draws 300 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque from a V6. There is a price premium, though; the base V6 coupe starts at $24,999, the base EcoBoost coupe at $27,999.

2015 Ford Mustang
Derek McNaughton, Driving

So, how can that much power be whipped from a comparatively small inline four powering the rear wheels? Turbocharging, of course, more specifically a low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger. Direct injection helps a little, as does a cylinder head that integrates a unique exhaust manifold that separates the inner and outer pairs of cylinders into each inlet passage to the turbo, allowing it to suck and blow with the force of a pissed off Yeti.

The effect is supposed to be similar to using twin turbos, and, for sure, the engine exhibits no noticeable turbo lag. While it will never return the level of excitement of the V8, it delivers a good snarl and is smoother than a four-cylinder ought to be. The four-cylinder appears tough on paper, too, with forged components, piston-cooling jets, die-cast aluminum cylinder block with ladder-frame bearing caps and a deep sump oil pan.

2015 Ford Mustang
Derek McNaughton, Driving

Inside, the 2015 Mustang takes another step up. The GT receives real aluminum trim, softer and better materials that are not dominated by plastic, and some extremely comfortable bucket seats. Recaro seats are an option, but they don't include heat or power controls and don't offer substantially more support. So stick with the base seats; they're excellent. Instrumentation has also been vastly improved, with larger numbers in the central gauges and an improved centre stack that includes toggle switches on the console. The toggles can adjust steering effort, engine response, and transmission and electronic stability control settings through a selectable drive mode feature.

Catch all the latest Mustang content here

Push-button start is standard across all models. The seats now return to their original station if you move them to put something in the back, which has legroom for more than just kids and contortionists. The trunk also has room for two sets of golf clubs.

Somewhat like the enduring charm of the Porsche 911, the Mustang keeps its grip on our collective imagination by evolving instead of transforming, by maturing with each generation without ever abandoning the magical design ingredient that made it so popular since that day in April 1964. The No. 1 most liked vehicle on Facebook, the Mustang has always been special. The 2015 Mustang, arriving in showrooms mid-October, will have no trouble carrying on the tradition.

A push button start and new toggle switches come standard on the 2015 Ford Mustang.
Derek McNaughton, Driving

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster UK first drive Review | Autocar

Posted: 23 Sep 2014 04:01 PM PDT

What is it?

The noise alone would be almost enough to justify the £147,000 asking price of the elegant new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster.

To be fair, though, the V12 Roadster has an awful lot more going for it than a loud and very lovely exhaust note.

It also happens to be the fastest, most powerful convertible that Aston Martin has yet produced and features upgrades to its steering, styling, chassis, brakes and interior that make it very nearly as wonderful to drive as it is to listen to, albeit with one fairly major caveat that we'll come to.

The V12 itself has been massaged to produce a thumping 565bhp at 6750rpm alongside 457lb ft at 5500rpm. Claimed performance is thunderous, yes, but not quite in the same league as the fastest rivals at this level; 0-60mph takes 3.9sec and top speed is 201mph.

A Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet is a fair bit quicker off the line and to three figures, beyond which the longer-legged Aston gradually starts to reel it back in. Overall, though, it's way more than quick enough, thank you very much.

Not that tyre-shredding performance is ultimately what the V12 Roadster is all about, despite its prodigious reserves. Arriving at your destination in maximum style, having had the maximum amount of fun en route, is more what this Aston has been designed for.

Visually, the V12 S can be distinguished from lesser Vantage Roadsters by its beautiful leather-clad rear buttresses (with its electric hood down) and by its feistier-looking black grille, as well as its handsome new 19-inch wheels front and rear.

There's also a fairly brazen-looking V12 Vantage S badge on the bootlid and, if you look closely enough, you might also spot that the brake discs are freckled in appearance because they are made not from steel but from a carbon-ceramic composite instead.

What is it like?

On the move, the V12 Roadster feels and sounds every inch as dramatic as you'd want it to be. At 2000rpm, it feels comfortable, relaxed but primed. At 6000rpm and beyond, it is utterly magnificent.

But there are issues, one in particular that's hard, if not impossible, to overlook.

It concerns the seven-speed automated manual gearbox. Despite Aston's claim that the V12 Roadster's Sportshift III paddle-shift gearbox endows the car with the feel and gearchange characteristics of a contemporary racing car, it does nothing of the sort.

In practice, the upshifts are painfully slow beside the best, and the downshifts are only a touch better. In any of its settings (Normal, Sport, Track), the gearbox is the one element that lets this otherwise fantastic car down.

Which is a shame because the rest of it – not just the noise and performance but also the ride, the steering, the brakes and the overall levels of handling sharpness, on road or track – are right up there with the very best in this class

Quite why Aston Martin didn't fit the V12 Vantage S with the excellent eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox that has just transformed the Vanquish S – which uses the same engine – is a mystery that can be explained only by the constraints of an increasingly tight engineering budget.

Should I buy one?

Don't let this lone aspect put you off too much. To look at, the V12 Roadster is breathtaking; to drive, it is deeply rewarding and highly entertaining for myriad reasons, and to listen to, it is pure heaven.

For these reasons and more, it is a car that, as an enthusiast, you cannot help but fall in love with, no matter how infuriating its gearbox might be.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster

Price £147,000; 0-62mph 3.9sec; Top speed 201mph (limited); Economy 19.2mpg (combined); CO2 343g/km; Kerb weight 1820kg; Engine V12, 5935cc, petrol; Power 565bhp at 6750rpm; Torque 457lb ft at 5500rpm; Gearbox 7-speed automated manual

Qoros 3 saloon first drive Review | Autocar

Posted: 22 Sep 2014 03:45 AM PDT

What is it?

The unveiling of Qoros at last year's Geneva motor show caused quite a stir. Based in China but with a multinational staff poached from some of Europe's top manufacturers, the firm has big plans.

So far it has continued to milk the PR gravy train with stories such as its car gaining the top score for 2013 in the Euro NCAP test. The question is, how does the 3 saloon actually stack up?

While cutting a smart look the saloon lacks anything distinctive to make it really stand out. Currently only on sale in China and Slovakia, it was designed to compete with the Volkswagen Jetta and Ford Focus while also bringing new premium features to the sector.

Qoros's three watchwords are design, safety and connectivity - and the brand is targeted at young metropolitan drivers.

What is it like?

One of the first things you notice inside is how uncluttered it looks. Very much aimed at the iGeneration, the central dashboard is dominated by the touchscreen infotainment system.

This is controlled by one and two finger swipes and has four functional groups - each with a further control screen off them. Navigation uses real time traffic information and can show points of interest such as restaurants and parking spaces, and you can send pre-programmed routes to it using a phone app.

It is also connected to social media outlets such as Facebook, allowing you to 'check in' based on your location.

Build quality is good with a decent use of premium materials. There is an impressive attention to detail with items such as the under passenger seat storage compartment and the fully adjustable rear headrests.

In the back it can seat three adults in comfort thanks to one of the widest stances in its class, and is only 13mm narrower than a Ford Mondeo. Head room however is not great.

The bonnet is supported by a gas strut yet the boot gets cheaper goose neck hinges and also suffers from flimsy feeling sides and floor.

Currently new petrol, diesel, and hybrid powertrains are under development for the full European launch in 2016, but there is a choice in China now between a 1.6-litre DVVT petrol in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.

Coupled to a dual-clutch automatic transmission the turbo proves responsive enough for normal driving. While adequate for China and returning good fuel economy it is lacking in power compared to the latest European offerings. We averaged an impressive 38mpg over the duration of our test.

The Qoros 3 was designed with a long wheelbase in mind. Partly this was to offer Chinese buyers the preferred leg space for adults in the rear, but it also helps the car soak up bumps and joins in road surfaces. With considerable attention paid to noise and vibration levels, it offers a very smooth ride and quiet cabin environment.

Steering is light by European standards but it doesn't suffer from the vagueness that is common among Chinese cars. Driven on a number of different surfaces and a mixture of highway, country road and inner city routes there were no nasty surprises from the handling.

Visibility on the passenger side, though, is lacking and currently there is no option of blind spot warning indicators - a short-sighted omission given the emphasis on safety in the design.

Should I buy one?

Already the Qoros 3 is a strong car in its segment with an impressive list of kit. The upcoming new engines and Qoros's policy of continual improvement mean that by the time it has a full European launch it will be up there with the best. It could even prove to be a match for more premium rivals.

Mark Andrews

Qoros 3 saloon Elegance

Price £17,000 (est); 0-62mph 9.7sec; Top speed 135mph; Economy 44.1mpg; CO2 na; Kerbweight 1410kg; Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbo, petrol; Power 154bhp; Torque 155lb ft; Gearbox 6-speed dual-clutch automatic

Car Reviews

Thursday 25 September 2014