Showing blog posts for Make and Model

There was no lying around in bed feeling sorry for myself that morning though, because I was due out on Ferrari’s Fiorano’s racetrack in less than an hour! I managed to hold down a few pastries at breakfast and we were soon whisked off to the track where, waiting for us, were 6 gorgeous Californias all sporting different trim, spec, alloys and paintwork. After the customary safety briefing we took turns with Ferrari’s test drivers to be a passenger and get a feel for the track’s notorious geography which had plenty of tight turns and the odd blind rise. I could feel the sweat beginning to bead across my forehead as I approached the snarling, Azzuro-coloured car in front of me. Maurizio Ceresoli, an experienced touring-car driver welcomed me in to the car to begin a few fast laps. I was determined to try and film some of the drive, so to have some footage demonstrating how these cars could be driven properly by an expert. Effortlessly multitasking, Ceresoli calmly commentated on the laps as my breakfast strived to make an early exit after each tight, hair-pin turn. I thought that by asking him the occasional question, I could hide the fact that my face had turned green and I was now drenched in sweat! “Great laps, thanks!” I managed, as I practically rolled out of the car onto the pit lane tarmac.

Half an hour of gathering myself in the shade and I was ready, my turn to drive. In control of the car and with the nausea behind me I began to get a feel for this superb piece of machinery. The gearbox has to be one of the best around with dramatic acceleration just a paddle movement or throttle squirt away. Despite this, when in the driver’s seat and being constantly encouraged by Ferrari’s finest pilotas, I lost all sense of what gear I was in and certainly never had time to glance at the speedometer. It was easy see why the California matched the F430 in terms of sheer, straight-line acceleration. The gear changes are so fast; I tried and failed to count them as I watched other members of our group negotiate the track. All you can hear is the V8 growl and the incessant pop as car constantly switches via the double-clutch system to find the optimum gear at any given point. With driver aids on, it was virtually impossible to really unsettle the car into corners.

After an extremely generous amount of track time, we were then given a chance to take the cars out to the surrounding hills of Maranello. The weather was fabulous and with the roof now down, I was able to hear the sonorous V8 in all its splendour. Apart from some aggressive posing, the unfamiliar tight hill-roads meant there were not too many new things I could learn about the car. Perhaps what left most of an impression, was just how cosseting the California became when calmly cruising around the Italian villages. The quantum leap in build quality that Ferrari has made in the last 10 years has to be one of the most pronounced of any sports car manufacturer. The levels of refinement that now accompany the customary “Fezza” driving thrills are, I would argue, now second to none. This combination is best presented in the California which by the end of the weekend, seemed to have even some die-hard 599 owners tempted to switch. The versatility-factor is just so impressive that it’s impossible to ignore if you are privileged enough to be in the market for this type of car. Yes, I want one, and if my numbers come up next weekend, it’ll be top of the list.

(Just a quick note of thanks to our hosts from Ferrari Northern Europe and Maranello Egham for providing an unforgettable weekend).

The noise was very distinctive yet recognisable. I craned my neck, and pressed up against the window to view the inevitable. There was a brief flash of yellow and then the trademark Enzo-esque rear. The Ferrari 458 Italia hummed loudly past at about 3000 rpm. You could sense the excitement on our bus from the other passengers. And no, I wasn’t on the usual 170 from Battersea to Victoria Station that Tuesday morning. We were on our way to more hallowed territory that day – Ferrari’s corporate headquarters and primary production facility in Maranello, Italy. My musings some months ago on this forum, with regards to Ferrari’s fabulous California, had given me the opportunity (courtesy of Maranello Egham) to visit the place where it had all started for this iconic company 80 years ago.

The group was eclectic, made up of owners and dealers covering all corners of the UK – united in their shared passion for this coveted marque. Our hotel, the Maranello Palace, was perfectly located and it was certainly the first time I had been excited by having a room and balcony overlooking a factory on an industrial park. Once settled in at the hotel, we were whisked off for a quick tour of automaker’s museum, Galleria Ferrari – where we were reminded of Ferrari’s heritage in not only production cars, but its success and dominance in motor racing throughout the years. The countless racing cars on display were complemented by numerous road-going one-offs including the Enzo, the F40 and 288 GTO. These masterpieces provided great eye-candy but I could sense that the group were growing restless; there were owners and enthusiasts here and the opportunity to view the production line in action was palpable.

As we were shuttled deeper into Ferrari’s nerve centre the double-takes in our group were reaching fever pitch. Brand new 458s here, 599 GTOs there, everywhere you looked there was well in excess of £200,000 worth of motoring scattered around the side streets that intersected each factory building. As we pulled up outside our first stop, the entrance to the building opened and 4 men in suits strode out towards our group. A welcoming party of executives we presumed – nice touch. Among them none other than revered Ferrari Chairman - Luca de Montezemelo! Just as everyone mentally prepared themselves to bow down before one of the most influential men in global automobile production and motorsport, he walked straight past our bus and into a waiting car. We then realised that our chances of meeting the big man were as likely as Michael Schumacher serving me a cappuccino at breakfast the next day in our hotel. One member of our group had us all gawping when describing the Chairman’s commute to his villa in the surrounding hills – he allegedly drives a matte-black 612 Scagletti, with no number plates, and is accompanied by two police motorcycle outriders. Apparently speed limits don’t apply!

The factories were breathtaking with futuristic levels of modern technology and robotics assembling the minutest components within the engine blocks. Dotted among the various production lines were internal patches of green where vegetation sprung up from the floor – the internal gardens helped to create a softer, eco-friendly image set against the backdrop of heavy machinery and automobile manufacture. Ferrari was keen to stress its ecological credentials and informed us that their entire factory operation was self-powered. The final stage of the production process our group witnessed was within V8 plant- Californias and 458 Italias on one vast conveyor system, all at various stages of assembly. One really got to appreciate just how stunning the 458 Italia is; seeing it from every angle imaginable it was not hard to understand that despite the price knocking firmly on the door of £200k, there is two year waiting list for this beast. Red and black paintwork generally dominated the 458s that were rolling off with a splattering of yellow, Tour de France and grey. Prospective California buyers seemed to be more adventurous when it came to choosing from that Ferrari palette, but in truth these cars look pretty sensational in every classic colour. The drawback: no amateur photography allowed within the factory!

The group rounded off the tour with a visit to the famous Fiorano track which housed the Formula 1 preparation bays and development areas. This stunningly manicured facility provides Ferrari with a private, easily accessible location to stretch the legs of new cars and even test Formula 1 models. As the sun was setting we watched in silence as one of the Ferrari test pilotas screamed around the tight hair-pins in a new, black 458. The booming soundtrack on the straights was complemented perfectly by the illuminated glow of the red-hot brakes that shone through the car’s stunning five-spoke alloys. With California driving on this very track the next day, I knew I would need more than a few glasses of Montepulciano to temper my excitement and ability to sleep that night.

Here at Make and Model we are proud to unveil the Hear it, See it, Win it Competition, where a grand prize of a Ferrari vs Lamborghini Driving Experience Day will be awarded to the car enthusiast who can identify a motor vehicle by its sounds or obscure parts. The winner will experience first hand, Ferrari’s undisputed engineering with its dynamically designed body and suspension. Then straightaway indulge in driving the Lamborghini Gallardo's all-wheel drive, with its super power and daringly desirable fast acceleration.

This competition will take place once a week from the 20th of October to the 22nd of December. Every week we will post either an audio clip of an engine revving or a small detail of a car, such as a wheel nut or tail light. Entrants need only to identify the make and model of the car, then send their name, email address and answer to info@makeandmodel.co.uk. Then at the end of the 10 weeks, we will draw from all correct entries the winner of the grand prize, a Ferrari vs Lamborghini driving day.

But before that, each week’s correct answers will be put into a smaller draw to win an 18” x 12” supercar print from Feature Automotive photographer Dean Smith. And just to sweeten the deal even more: if you get the answers right every week, you’ll increase your chances of winning the grand prize 10 times!

Start warming up with our test question below.

(The competition is now closed).

Check out the live questions:

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the Jaguar XF commercial telling us how many awards it’s won but does winning awards make you cool? I guess it makes people more aware of you whereas brands like Aston Martin, because they’re ‘so cool’, don’t feel the need to advertise.

Also in the news this week is the Paris Motor Show (October 2nd – 17th) where BMW will be unveiling their Concept 6 Series Coupe and Porsche with their eagerly anticipated 911 Carrera GTS (Coupe and Cabriolet) and 911 Speedster. All eyes will be on the new 6 series, given the divisive opinions that were formed around the outgoing model.

Could we soon be seeing our first Lacoste designer car? Citroen is another manufacturer who will be unveiling a new concept car next week in Paris – The Citroen Lacoste Concept. Its colour scheme, cloth covering the seats and wheel design are all Lacoste. Citroen is marketing the car as being an ‘emblem for a state-of-mind and a lifestyle.’ The Citroen Lacoste will be the sister model for the Peugeot BB1. We’ll take a look to see if there’s substance and not just style behind this collaboration.

We are always looking for new ideas, different angles on cars and car related stuff – if you tell us what you would like to see we’ll see what we can do!

Well, if that wasn't enough and he left you salivating, wanting to know more, then you've come to the right place! We have a video of that very road filmed from onboard a BMW M3. We hope this completes the picture and shows exactly how good this twisty section of British tarmac really is and how breathtaking the landscape in this area of the country is.

If you have any videos of great driving roads in the UK please email us and we'll post them to the blog.

After a shaky marriage with America’s Ford Motor Corp, Aston Martin has successfully returned to form under the stewardship of Prodrive’s David Richards and more importantly, committed funds from Kuwaiti investment companies.

The Gaydon HQ is an impressive site; with its security guards, modern architecture, water features and contemporary art, you would be forgiven for thinking you were arriving at a Bond Villain’s lair. V12 Vantages and DBS are strewn throughout the car park and our group is greeted by Mark Gauntlett a senior executive of Aston Martin who harks back to the old school of the company’s glory days. We discover his father was once the chairman and as he begins his tour we realise he has lived and breathed the firm’s heritage all his life. There is so much to see and take in and Gauntlett has every detail memorised; as my mind wanders I stare longingly at a DBS rolling off the production line, I am half expecting to hear “pay attention 007!”

The factory is unusually quiet with no heavy-duty welding on site; the cars’ components are assembled and thoroughly stress-tested by countless engineers on the floor. I am amazed to see how manual the process is, but despite some critics’ reservations around Astons’ build quality of old, it is reassuring that the company is able to retain a traditional artisan element in the manufacture of these beautiful cars. A new Porsche, in contrast, is very much order-form driven whereas an Aston is a unique project from start to finish, with details such as body-work colours added from bespoke samples chosen by the buyer.

Test-driving follows the factory tour and I am given the chance to stretch the legs of a fully spec’ed DB9 Volante, followed by the gorgeously muscular DBS coupe. Having driven up from London to Gaydon in a F355 GTS I have low expectations as to how much driver-feedback I will receive through the cockpit of the modern DB versus the analogue ‘90s Ferrari. How wrong I am. The big Aston has plenty to give and with the roof down and with the sun pouring into the stunning hand-built fuselage, I begin to get the joke (I also remember how good the car looked when Vincent Chase and his pals were cruising through the Hollywood Hills in Entourage!). The DB9 doesn’t try and be something other than itself, it exudes pure class – it doesn’t drive you, it wafts you, and in some style. Having witnessed the individual seamstresses just moments ago threading each leather panel to each seat component, I begin to really appreciate what the Aston signature wings are all about: exclusivity and desirability.

These two qualities are delivered in spades in the DBS. Collecting a brand new DBS from Gaydon must be up there, I would imagine, with one of the most memorable supercar-owner experiences. It’s hard to take your eyes off this car because from every angle it makes you want to re-mortgage your house, hit the gym, buy the car (and a tuxedo), drive to Monaco and put whatever is left “on black”. For starters, you sit lower than in the DB9 and the ride is tighter, the exhaust note thunderous and the interior detailing is more “secret agent” than “desperate house-wife”. The car pulls from very low revs, thanks to its V12 power plant which produces a mighty 510 bhp and 570 Nm of torque – this makes overtaking on Warwickshire’s single-lane A-roads an absolute doddle, especially when matched to the smooth-as-silk automatic, paddle-operated transmission on my test-car. When cruising, the DBS is as refined as its older sibling – the DB9 – yet a quick dab on the left paddle, sink your right foot into the well and the signature Aston howl fills your eardrums and deafens whichever poor soul is trying to keep up.

We wrap up the day with a design brief from the visual architects behind the staggeringly impressive One-77, and more controversially, the new Aston Martin Cygnet. The Cygnet represents Aston’s first stab at a mainstream, city car. The car is the result of impending EU legislation around emission averages across a manufacturer’s total product range. By introducing a Smart-esque car, and selling it in large numbers, it is likely to make a decent dent in their emissions output. The prototype in front of us at Gaydon proves to be quite a divisive talking point. Two members of our group, who are proud owners of the V12 Vantage and the DBS, are a little suspicious of the brand dilution that could be the product of too many Cygnets flooding the market. However this Cygnet, which is by no means an ugly-duckling, has a fairly prohibitive price tag of £28k. I still feel that the car will sell, as it looks like a piece of jewellery on wheels and will be too much for the WAGs and teenage oil heiresses to resist.

There are very few places quite like this. Asphalt draped precariously over sharp, steep, shaky passes and long, rolling curves, switchbacks, and s-bends, all strewn through mile upon mile of green hills and bracken-brown moorland. It’d be heaven if not for the glacially slow caravans and stray sheep.

But the tourist problems become moot when you have this kind of metal; a pair of Ferraris, a trio of M3s, a Gallardo, and a chrome wrapped, 628bhp Nissan GTR. There’s a cacophony of noise, from whining metallic rasp of the M3s, to the low, burbling rumble of the Gallardo, the hills are alive with the sound of our kind of music, percussed by the pop-bang of flame firing from the straight through exhaust on the GTR.

Our road of choice for the day is the infamous Buttertubs Pass. Having seen an Ariel Atom chicken out at the bottom and turn around because ‘it’s too bumpy,’ it’s obvious that this is not a drive to be taken lightly. We discover this firsthand when the F430 bottoms out. Lots. This short stretch of tarmac connects Wensleydale to its northern neighbor Swaledale. So called because of the rock formations halfway along, into which farmers would hang their butter to keep it cool, the Buttertubs Pass also just happens to wind across the top of a precarious, steep sided valley, and it is utterly breathtaking.

After several runs up and down this mad stretch of road we head off to the Ribblehead Viaduct for a spot of lunch, and soak up another awe inspiring road. Passing through Hawes, I expect at least one or two jokes about the place’s pronunciation, but without even a giggle we join the B6255 and tear along 10 miles of sheep strewn spaghetti blacktop, eat a plate of whitebait, and go our separate ways.

It’s all well and good owning a machine like this and taking it up and down the motorway, but there is no substitute for a day like this, taking the best machines in the world over the best roads in the world, it’s impossible not to crack a smile.

So if you want to take your four-wheeled toy out for fun and games, bring it to here. You’ll have the time of your life.

Before the groans begin at the thought of more badly written buyers’ guides, don't worry, this won’t be dry and dreary news stories. We won't waffle about changes in government policy that impact manufacturers. You won't find the monotonous ramblings of “yet another used car road-tester”, writing their 17th review this week about auto-dimming headlights in mid-priced family saloons. No, we intend to do things a little differently…as we've tried to with every aspect of the site.

Obviously, reading about random, “vaguely-car-related-stuff” we saw on our way to the office, our views on the best hot-hatch £7k can buy, or a blog post about the latest team go-karting event won’t keep you tuned in, so we’ve decided…we’re going to open this blog up to YOU, the readers!

Whether you're writing your own “personal long term road-test” about the car you know intimately and are selling on the site, or if you’re simply a car enthusiast who wants to blog about your passion, we want to hear from you. We want to know about YOUR experiences: anything from an epic road trip to the Stelvio Pass, or a review of charge-points for your Toyota Prius in central Manchester, if you feel it’s interesting and want to tell the story, please contact us.

You’ll be pleased to know we already have an exciting pipeline of material that our team have been working on over the last few months. Over time we’ll be running some interesting competitions for both readers of the blog and contributing writers, so, whether it's ideas, events, news, stories or pictures of Gorillas driving M3s, we want you to share them with us here! Let the posts begin...