Every man’s sports car!

On May 5, 2024May 5, 2024 By ChristofferIn News, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

Car shows are no longer what they used to be and will probably never return to their grandest formats from some years ago. We can certainly blame Covid which put everything to a halt, after which it never quite resumed, but next to that, the electrification trend also caused a lot of insecurity for a number of years among manufacturers about the direction things were taking and thus what to put on their very costly stand.

One of the main attractions at car shows attraction has always been the more or less spectacular project cars that never become reality, but are used as attention-catchers and from which certain elements are eventually carried over to the following production vehicle. Exactly how much of course varies, but one brand which through the years has retained significantly more than most others from the show stand to the production band, is Audi.

*There’s a bit less glamour now than 10 years ago…*

Today we’re going to look at a car that you’ve all seen, and perhaps driven, more times than you can remember, since it’s been with us in different iterations for 25 years, until production stopped in 2023. When it was presented on the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995, it showed a design which to everyone’s surprise, except for the side window line, would be carried over 1:1 to the production car in 1998, including on the inside.

That made the Audi TT sports coupe revolutionary in its looks, with no one being indifferent to it. I’m one of those who have always liked it, especially that rounded, slightly heavy-looking first series, which you can today have for pocket change, and in that segment (the pocket change one, that is), it’s probably one of the best cars you can buy! Let’s look at why.

*Purposeful, cool – and revolutionary for its time*

The TT’s name was derived from the Isle of Man’s motorcycle race called the Tourist Trophy, at which back in the day, NSU, one of the brands which later merged to become Audi, had seen quite some success. It’s however also said to stand for Tradition and Technique, which rhimes rather well with Audi in general. The coupe was launched in 1998 with the roadster following the year after. The car was front-wheel drive as standard with four-wheel drive being optional, and up until 2003, all TT’s were manual, using a five- or six-speed stick shift.

If the exterior and interior design were both rather spectacular, especially at the time, the mechanical parts were less so. The TT was always intended as a sports car for the masses and therefore used the same platform as notably the Golf Mk IV / Audi A3 / Skoda Octavia. It also had an identical powertrain to its Golf siblings, meaning a four-cylinder between 1.8 and 2 litres with 180 to 225 hp, from 2003 complemented by the 3.2 litre VR6 engine with 250 hp from both the Golf and the Passat.

*The interior was in line with the exterior’s looks – nice!*

The TT design was said to be Bauhaus-inspired (a German artistic design movement form the early 1900’s) which is a fine source of inspiration for furniture, but perhaps less so for cars. Despite looking like a soap, at 0.35 the drag coefficient was ok but certainly not spectacular, which was a bit surprising. Even more suprising and rather disconcerting was that the car became involved in quite a few mysterious high-speed accidents, mainly in its home market Germany.

Slightly more mature readers may remember that when it first came out, the TT didn’t have a rear spoiler. What became apparent a bit too late, i.e. after the launch, was that the shape led to a lack of rear downforce at high speeds. The legendary German rally driver Walter Röhrl described it as a feeling of the car travelling backwards if you lifted the pedal in the middle of a high-speed corner, and added in his typical, dry German humour: “driving backwards is something only Röhrl is good at”.

*A cleaner shape – but a dangerous one…*

Audi took action by retro-fitting the rear spoiler and also making an ESP system standard, which the TT originally hadn’t had. The problem was solved, but some TT owners chose to ignore the recall such as to have a car in the original shape. Finding one of those today is probably close to impossible, and also not very advisable. Unless you’re Walter Röhrl, that is.

Since the downforce problem was solved, the TT has always been a safe car to drive, even if it’s never been the most fun sports coupe. After all it’s a Golf on the inside, and even if the looks and the interior give some real sports car vibes, you shouldn’t expect miracles. At around 1500 kgs that mostly sit at the front, it’s also not especially light, even if at only 4 metres length, it’s quite handy. All in all, it really is an everyday sports car for the masses, and as long as there’s only two of you, it’s also quite practical with a lot of luggage space if you fold the rear seats, which are unusable for people anyway.

Focusing on the first series that was built until 2006, finding low-mileage cars is getting difficult, proving that everyday usability. That doesn’t have to be a problem though, as long as the car has been properly maintained. As with all cheap sports cars, there will always be the risk that it’s been used a bit harshly, so a close inspection and owner history is as always important. The good thing however, is that even good cars from the early years can today be yours for a few thousand EUR, which is also interesting since the first series starts becoming rare.

I would go for a coupe with the 2-litre four cylinder, more potent than the 1.8 litre and lighter than the six-cylinder, combined with a stick shift, front- or four-wheel drive. I’d look for one of the classical colours (silver is by far the most frequent, but the kind of petroleum blue is quite nice as well) and pay attention to owner and maintenance history. The TT is no Ferrari, but it’s a German built coupe with VW servicing costs which is much more enjoyable than a regular Golf to find in the garage in the morning!

Street finds – the bragging car!

On April 21, 2024April 21, 2024 By ChristofferIn NewsLeave a comment

In my native Sweden, “April weather” refers to the usually unpredictable and unstable weeks in early spring. This year, that goes for most of central Europe, including freezing temperatures and as I look out the window, snow falling over the lake of Zurich. Luckily though, yours truly was able to spend some time in southern France recently, where April is more associated with perfect temperatures before the big summer heatwaves.

It is thus for meteorological reasons that any kind of street finds in or around Switzerland so far this year have been non existent. In southern France that was a bit different though, and to me, none was more interesting than this rally version of the legendary Renault 4L, a model sold more than eight million times during more than 30 years. Next to the Citroën 2 CV, it was the R4 that led the mobility revolution in France, neighboring countries and slightly later, also more globally. In Sweden, a legendary marketing campaign went under the title “the bragging car” – more on that below.

It all started in 1956, when Renault’s chairman Pierre Dreyfus said he found the car industry had become far too conventional in that all cars were basically sedans with four seats and a separate boot. Dreyfus imagined a car with far greater volume for families’ various needs, and so Project 112, later also referred to under the far more poetic name Marie-Chantal, was born. The brief was for a car that would work as well on the country side as in the city, for weekdays and weekends, for work and holidays.

When the Renault 4 was launched at the Paris Auto Salon in 1961, not only was it Renault’s first model with front-wheel drive, it was also the world’s first hatchback. And the launch event was also unlike anything previously seen. Renault had lined up 200 cars so that everyone who was interested could take the new car for a test run. The event was a huge success and over the coming weeks, over 60.000 people in France and other places got the opportunity to experience all the advantages of the new model. In the coming five years, more than a million Renault 4Ls would be sold.

*Although built as a road car, the R4 still worked pretty well outside them as well…*

Citroën had of course launched the even more legendary 2CV more than 10 years before the 4L, so Renault was able to take the successes and shortcomings of the 2CV into account when designing the new car. The 2CV was a genius concept, but one built for France in the 50’s where roads were still very rustic, and on those and in the countryside in general, the 2CV excelled. Things were however improving quickly, and the 4L was always more intended as a car for the new motorways. To that effect, Renault gave it a more powerful and refined engine than the 2CV ever had, a 600 cc four-cylinder producing around 30 hp and giving the car a top speed of no less than 104 km/h! The engine would grow over the years to at most 1100 cc, but power would not exceed 34 hp in the standard versions.

As mentioned above, the R4 was the world’s first hatchback, so the concept of a big tailgate opening all the way up was revolutionary, and very practical. The car was also generally priced in line with the 2CV, at a price point making it available also for the larger masses. That and the booming economy in most of Europe in the 60’s with improving living standards is no doubt what drove its success – but it wasn’t only a European story.

*One of many R4 rallies, this one in Marocco*

In parts of south America, the 4L became very well known and was produced under license. In Northern and Eastern Africa, it’s still a common sight, and within Europe, the 4L reached as far as ex-Yugoslavia in the east and Scandinavia in the north. In most of these countries, the car also earned very affectionate nicknames such as “Amigo fiel” in Latin America (Spanish for “faithful friend”), “Roho” in east Africa (Swahili for “spirit”), and “Tipparellu” in Finland, perhaps less poetic but referring to the car not leaking water or producing any grease, and only needing one drop of fuel.

As mentioned initially, in Sweden the 4L was launched under a marketing campaign that became a standard example in subsequent marketing literature. Someone came up with the idea of calling it “Skrytbilen”, Swedish for “the bragging car” or the car to brag about, which was of course exactly what the car wasn’t. But again, the tone was set that it was cool to drive a simple and practical car, and that is the profile the R4 managed to retain during all its lifetime. Unfortunately though, that lifespan was quite short up north, since corrosion protection hadn’t really reached the French automobile industry yet…

Back to the car I spotted. I didn’t meet the owner, but no doubt he or she was a rally enthusiast, as could be seen not only from the outside, but also from a log book from a rally in Northern Africa on the passenger front seat. Actually the Renault 4 had a pretty successful rally history, including participations at the Paris-Dakar rally, albeit with a more powerful engine.

Whether the rallies this car had participated in happened a long time ago or more recently isn’t clear, but as it stood there, it was clearly in excellent condition and a great testament to things not only being smaller (a 4L is only 3.7 metres long!), but also simpler before. Don’t confuse simple with better though, after all the death toll on French roads in the 60’s rose even quicker than the number of cars!

*Not a wild guess that the owner is in the car (Mini?) business…*

The last Renault 4L was built in 1992, and at that point, more than 8.2 million cars had been sold in more than 100 countries. Apparently there’s a current project to try to revive the Renault 4 design with an electrical drivetrain. Be that as it may, I’m pretty sure that neither Chairman Dreyfus, nor any one else at Renault could imagine the success the new car would see when they launched project 112 in the late 50’s. In the end, Marie-Chantal became the car that Renault has perhaps had most reason of all to brag about!

The sand pile is crumbling

On April 7, 2024April 7, 2024 By ChristofferIn ev's, News, OpinionLeave a comment

If you’ve studied economics like me, the name Hyman Minsky may be familiar. He was an American economist who developed the financial stability theory, basically saying that stability breeds instability. Think of a sand pile: at some point, adding one more grain, although infinitely small in itself, will make the pile crumble. That’s more or less what we’re witnessing right now for the sand pile called “Ev’s for all”, crumbling far quicker than even I had imagined. I wasn’t planning to return to the topic anytime soon but sometimes events force your hand, and there’s just too much that’s happened in the last weeks and months not to take note of, as it is kind of important for the whole car world.

The starting point as I remember it was sometime back in February when two things happened. Mercedes boss Ola Källenius, roughly at the same time as presenting the stupidest EV of them all this side of the Hummber EV, the electric G-class, came out and said that electrification of the whole Mercedes fleet would take longer than expected. That’s of course another way of saying that demand is lacking. Mercedes have pushed the date for the last combustion engine forward from 2030 to 2035, where it most certainly won’t stay.

*Time will tell, but this could go down as the symbol of when the tide turned…*

Roughly at the same time, the FT ran an article on Lucid Motors, where Lucid boss Peter Rawlinson said that his company cannot rely on “bottomless wealth” from its 60% Saudi owners. In other words, the sheiks in the country of many sand piles are thinking of turning off the tap, if they haven’t done so already. Lucid has close to USD 5bn in the bank but is currently burning USD 1bn per quarter and lost close to USD 3bn in 2023. Given they’re not close to making a profit anytime soon, they will thus need to fundraise again before the end of the year to survive. In the current market, I wish them luck.

Luck is also what Rivian still needs, and this one hurts a bit more since I find it a really innovative company that have brought something new to the market, and have plans for continuing to do so in the future as well. A friend of mine drives the Rivian SUV and is thrilled about the car, its features and gadgets. However given a lack of Rivian car buyers, the company urgently needs to save money and announced in March that production has been paused in their new factory in Georgia and that instead, they will fall back on their old production plant which is cheaper to run. And whilst we’re on SUV’s, if anyone is curious about Fisker, they’re so close to the brink that they can go belly up at any point in time, and contrary to Rivian, the SUV called Ocean they’ve launched is crap in most testers’ view.

*A small opening side window in the back is the only attraction of the Ocean. Literally.*

Moving on to the EV wannabes, Porsche is making all kinds of strange sounds around the all-electric new Macan. The idea was that the combustion one would be taken out of production in 2025-2026, and the all new E-Macan, launched as we speak, would then fully replace it. Now, the talk is of not replacing the ICE one until 2030. The issue for Porsche is that the new Macan is built as an EV from the first screw, meaning it’s not made for a combustion engine. Therefore, it’s most probably the old Macan that will be updated such as to live a bit longer. That’s certainly very far from what Porsche, blinded by the general EV trend, originally intended. It’s really terrible when client demand isn’t where you want it to be.

To round it all off, even the king of the hill Tesla has come down the hill, at least a bit. Firstly in stock price, where it’s down about 1/3 this year, making it by far the worst performer of the so called Magnificent Seven. That said, it’s still worth more than twice what Toyota is. Then there’s production numbers, where Tesla not only ships less cars than a year ago, but also produced around 70′ less cars in the first quarter than analysts were counting on. Tesla has also lost around 1/3 of its market share in the all-important Chinese market, falling from 10.5% to around 7% as per the Chinese Passenger Car Association, all due to the intense Chinese competition discussed in earlier posts.

*As the headline says, things improved in March, let’s see if it’s the start of a new trend.*

You’ll note that all of this has to do with falling client demand, and nothing has to do with the other fundamental EV issues, such as not even being close to having enough metals and related stuff to produce the EV’s our politicians plan for, and that the battery production with all its required input materials is both highly polluting and highly unethical. That comes on top of the waning demand, and as Ineos’ founder Jim Rathcliffe says, you can’t force EV’s down people’s throat – although I’m sure at least some politicians will try.

I yelled at European luxury automakers pathetic efforts to build competitive EV’s a few weeks ago, and also said the cheap part of the market risks being taken over by Chinese EV’s. That’s exactly what’s happening, and in addition, growth has stalled in the developed world for all the reasons we’ve already gone into. A challenging capital raising environment means that many of the new EV brands risk going under, and (especially European) politicians who are still incapable of delivering a charging network commensurate to the growth they want to see have done the rest. I’d say they should take most of the blame.

At the same time, I was surprised earlier this week to see the Biden Administration’s projection for what the US car market will look like in 2050. As can be seen above, EV’s aren’t expected to take over anytime soon, although they are projected to grow quite a lot. Hybrids continue to grow too, which we’ve been discussing here, and what for example Toyota has said all along. Most people drive short distances, and thus splitting a big battery pack in one car into five smaller packs in five cars makes most sense when materials are limited. Anyhow, by 2050, 2/3 of all cars are still expected to be what should be called combustion engine cars, since by then, I’m willing to bet we’ll have other stuff than fossil fuels to power combustion engines with, which also means they may be around for far longer than anticipated.

If you really want an EV, then as I’ve said before, there really is no better alternative than a Tesla, pretty much wherever you live. But if you don’t, be aware you’re part of a growing crowd and that your petrol car will be fine for years to come. As I was finishing this post, I saw the news that the European car safety organization Euro NCAP has come out with new rules, requiring a car’s essential functions to be handled by physical buttons, not over a screen, for a car to get the maximum five safety stars starting in 2026. Trying to sell a car in Europe that has less than five safety stars is all but impossible, so this will obviously cause further pain for many, especially most EV manufacturers. If we keep going at this pace, the future starts looking really bright!

The world’s rarest, luxury SUV!

On March 24, 2024March 24, 2024 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

In my last post, I discussed the ultra-rare MVS Venturi, one of many attempts from typically small manufacturers, this time in France, to challenge the traditional sports car monopoly of the big ones, one of them obviously being Ferrari. The same week, a good friend in London mentioned a car from a similar period that I had never heard of, which doesn’t happen very often. Surprisingly, this wasn’t another small sports car manufacturer, but rather one of the first luxury SUV’s from Ferrari’s home country Italy. So in this current thread of ultra rare cars most of us have never seen, meet the Rayton-Fissore Magnum!

Of course Italy has much more of a sports car than an SUV tradition, with the latter being quite a recent phenomenon through cars like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Lamborghini Urus and Ferrari Puros…. oh sorry, that’s of course anything but an SUV. And then there was of course the one that counts like the first, the monstrous Lambo LM002, built between 1986 and 1993. However, the LM002 was actually one year too late to count as the first, as that honor goes to the Rayton-Fissore. It takes another prize as well, which is that of completely failing as a brand, in spite of having a car that time-wise came right at the point when SUV’s started to become popular, and not being without attraction points, as we shall see.

*The LM002 was not the first, but still the biggest Italian SUV!*

The brand had its roots in the small coach-building family Fissore, and it was established by a niece in the family together with her husband in 1976. As far as I’ve been able to determine, the Magnum was the only car ever to appear under the Rayton-Fissore brand, and it was originally intended as a military vehicle, built on a chassis from the Italian truck manufacturer Iveco who also supplied the differential and the brakes. Not very glamorous perhaps, but as a small manufacturer Rayton had to buy in most parts, from the drive train to the interior, from other brands. The first cars were certainly not luxurious, especially as they were powered by the slow and unrefined diesels of the time.

*80’s looks that weren’t to everyone’s taste. It’s bigger than you think!*

Rayton however had bigger plans for the Magnum, and whereas in Europe, the Magnum was available with a variety of engines, from diesels to the same V6 that was used in the Alfa Romeo GTV6, things were different in the US. For the top version that Rayton entered the US market with, they had bought the 5-litre V8 from Ford which also powered the Mustang at the time, and slapped a supercharger on it. Not very Italian perhaps, but tried and tested!

The Rayton was thus sold both in the US and in Europe, but the only version ever intended for the other side of the pond was the top luxury V8 version. And whereas the chassis may have come from Iveco, the interior certainly didn’t. The V8 Magnum was an ocean of leather, wood, and for the time, high-end interior equipment. You see a lot of similarities to the Maserati Biturbos from the same period, Maserati also being part of the Fiat family. That’s the family where Rayton found other parts such as switches and parts as well, making for a bit of a contrast with the luxury of the rest. But there is no doubt that no brand, not even Range Rover, had an SUV with an interior as luxurious as the Rayton at the time!

*A surprisingly nice place to be, making you forget the exterior looks!*

The Magnum was designed by Tom Tjaarda, one of the leading designers at the time with cars like for example the Saab 900 and the De Tomaso Pantera under his belt. He created what looks very much like an 80’s design, however with front and backlights that quite obviously came from some other car and don’t really fit the body. Neither did the minuscule side mirrors, for that matter. What he succeeded in was however the famous lady’s shoe design, i.e. a car that was larger on the inside than it looks. The Magnum was all of two metres wide – not remarkable today, but very much so in the 80’s. This made for a very roomy cabin, with notably room for three grown adults in the rear.

*Note the not very fitting rear lights and minuscule mirrors.*

Rayton entered the US market in 1989 and had then renamed the car the Laforza. Rather incredibly, they would build it until 2003, i.e. for close to 20 years, by which time Rayton had gone through at least two restructurings, engines during a period had come from BMW, and the final assembly had at times been handled by Pininfarina. In 20 years however they never managed to crack into neither the US, nor the European market, in spite of the SUV segment gaining in popularity.

One reason was certainly the looks, that weren’t to everyone’s taste. Another was probably the fact that a car from an unknown brand with a relatively basic Ford V8 cost as much as a Range Rover, but had turn signal sticks from Fiat (not that Range Rover was a wonder of quality at the time, but at least it had brand recognition). Then there was the weight: at more than 2.3 tons, the Magnum/Laforza was very heavy for the time, no doubt also because of those truck parts from Iveco. The combination of weight and a truck chassis both made the Laforza quite slow and also gave it a relatively harsh ride, not really in tune with the luxury profile Rayton wanted the SUV to have.

*A couple of facelifts improved the looks of later, Laforza versions somewhat*

In spite of a very long production time therefore, the best estimates for how many Rayton’s were built talk about a few hundred Magnums and less than a thousand Laforzas, most of them sold in the US. How many have survived until today is also unclear, but there’s a US owners’ club that estimate there are still around 50 cars in the US. I’ve never seen one live, neither there nor in Europe, and doubt I ever will. There’s also not a single one currently for sale, at least in Europe. Whether it’s worth looking for one is of course up to you, but there is a bit of a trend currently in early SUV’s becoming more popular. If that’s your thing, the Rayton is no doubt the most exotic of them all!

Sports Car Maker!

On March 10, 2024March 7, 2024 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

Have you ever dreamt of creating your own sports car? I can’t say it’s something I think of on a regular basis, but when I was younger, I remember sitting with pen and paper, trying to draw a spectacular shape on a piece of paper. Given my extremely limited drawing skills I failed every time, however, when I was at it and thought about what I would call my future brand, at no time did I have the idea of naming it “sports car maker”.

Some people did though, and today we’ll look at a car that I’d honestly be surprised if any of those reading this has ever seen live. I certainly don’t mean to sound condescending, but a French brand from the 80’s building less than 1000 cars during its lifetime is not what you see on every corner. I hadn’t either until I all of a sudden did so, last week, at a red light in Nice. If you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m talking about the MVS Venturi, later only referred to as Venturi, a French creation from the late 80’s from a brand called MVS, Manufacture de Véhicules Sportifs, French for, you guessed it, sports car maker.

The Venturi story starts in 1984 when the French engineer Claude Poiraud meets the designer Gérard Godfroy. The latter had worked at Peugeot, notably on the 205, and was also responsible for other design masterpieces like, well, the Citroën Visa. More relevant perhaps was the fact that Poiraud had worked at Alpine, the only real sports car maker in France at the time, where he had led the development of the A110, that I wrote about almost four years back.

*The Citroën Visa – perhaps not the best design reference…*

The two decided to put some fresh air in the French sports car scene by starting a new company called Ventury, a name that was supposed to lead thoughts to “aventure” (adventure in French), and the Venturi wind effect, coming from air flow analysis. By writing it with an “y” at the end, they apparently also felt they made the name more European. Be that as it may, but a first mock-up was produced and shown at the Paris auto salon in 1984. It was met with instant success and people reportedly didn’t believe it was French, given they hadn’t exactly been spoiled with sports cars up until then – and as it turned out, wouldn’t be so going forward either…

From here on things accelerated for the company, and the first production cars were introduced in 1987. The “y” had then been dropped for some unclear reason, with the first car called the Venturi Coupé. it was equipped with the well-known V6 engine from the collaboration between Peugeot, Renault and Volvo, referred to as the PRV V6, mid-mounted with a power output of 210 hp. It wasn’t the sportiest engine around, but with a body built in glass fibre, the Venturi didn’t weigh more than 1300 kg.

*That the Venturi is Ferrari-inspired is an understatement…*

In 1989 power was increased to 260 hp from the same engine, in a version suitably named Venturi Coupé 260. The last cars in that series would be referred to as Atlantique, as would the last road version of the last Venturi, the 300. You will have guessed it had a power output of 300 hp, however now from a newer Peugeot-Citroën, six-cylinder engine, and Atlantique referred to a sportier and lighter interior, contributing to a weight saving of around 165 kg, making a light car even lighter.

Given all these looked pretty much the same from the outside, which is pretty much like a Ferrari F355 without the Testarossa-like wind intakes, I can’t say which version I saw, and naturally I didnt’ get my phone up in time before the light turned green. The Venturi looks very stylish though, in an 80’s supercar kind of way. At just over four metres in length it’s a small and low car, and next to the F355, other natural references are the Honda NSX and also the Lotus Esprit. i would say it’s less spectacular than both those, but also has a more classical design.

The few who have driven a Venturi talk about a slightly chunky gearbox but a very nice and precise hydraulic steering. The car may look like a Ferrari but the engine has precious little in common with Maranello, with a red line already around 6.000 rpm, and a sound that’s only exciting if you’re an EV driver. Venturi compensated that with a very nice, and leather-rich interior, far more luxurious and well appointed than most cars of the time.

*A nicer place to be than many other 90’s cars!*

During the 90’s, Venturi went through several ownership changes and with that, more business strategies than you can count. There were notably plans to build a family car that were never realized, high ambitions for making Venturi a racing brand, and notably no less than seven Venturis participating in the Le Mans race in 1993. In the end Venturi ran out of money, and having been saved by a Thai group when it was first placed in liquidation in 1995, the subsequent Asian crisis meant that the lights went out for good in the Venturi factory in 2000. It also meant that of the 44 Venturi 300 Atlantique that had been ordered by then, only 13 were ever delivered. Those that have survived certainly belong to a lucky bunch of people!

All in all, no more than 641 Venturis would be built in total. Such a small series obviously means they’re very rare 30 years later. There’s not a single one for sale in France, neither in Germany, but there are two in Switzerland, a first series at around USD 40.000, which is the red car on the photo above, and an Atlantique of the 260 series, seen below. That’s by the way the first car of that series, in other words the first Atlantique ever built, making the price of around USD 60.000 very reasonable. Unfortunately though, it’s also a bit of a renovation object…

*If you’re up for renovating the first Venturi Atlantique, let me know…*

If you’ve always dreamt of a Venturi, Switzerland thus seems to be a good place to start. And in terms of spare parts, it’s actually not as bad as you may first think, given that as a small brand, Venturi had to buy what they could from other brands. The PRV engine will not be a problem, neither will many of the switches or side mirrors, coming from Citroën, or the rear lights from Ford… The list goes on. Not much to fear in other words, and if your highest dream is a car you can be certain of not seeing on your neighbour’s drive, it’s hard to find a better option than a Venturi!

F1 season 2024 – the calm before the storm?

On February 25, 2024February 24, 2024 By ChristofferIn F1, NewsLeave a comment

If you read this on the Sunday of publication, it means the F1 season 2024 is only one week away with the engines revving up for the first time on March 2 in Bahrain. 24 races are planned this year, making it the longest season ever if they all take place. The season will end not far from where it starts, in Abu Dhabi, in early December, and as I finish this post, the last day of official testing is already underway!

In a way, the 2024 season is shaping up to be a repeat of 2023. No one really doubts that Max Verstappen will add another world champion title to his and Red Bull’s belt, at least not yet, all drivers are in the same seat as last year, and all teams are the same, except in name. And yet, there have been two pieces of news before the season kicks off that have made the headlines: the first was Günther Steiner being fired as team head of Haas, and the second that Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season.

To start with the Lewis, this is of course both surprising and exciting. Surprising since Hamilton has been part of Mercedes since what feels like forever and is in reality 11 years, a very long time in F1. He’s of course one of the most successful drivers of all time, but we also know of the difficulties Mercedes have seen in the last seasons, probably making a change feel like a good option, both for Lewis and the team.

I think we all look forward to seeing Lewis in a red car from Maranello, and we should also be thankful that the news was this rather than that of him retiring, which could also have been the case. It does leave the question however why the announcement comes now, given it’s a year away, but it’s probably as simple as once the decision was taken, the news would have come out anyway, and no one really doubts that Lewis is professional enough not to be distracted by this in his last Mercedes season.

Yet another reason for announcing the move now if of course also to leave Carlos Sainz enough time to find a new seat. Ferrari have very little reason not to be pleased with Sainz, who together with Charles Leclerc has formed on of the best driving duos the last years in a car that hasn’t always been as good as it should be. The decision to replace Carlos with Lewis cannot have been an easy one, especially since Lewis probably won’t hang on for the next five-six years. So far, it’s unclear if, and if so, for what team Carlos will drive in 2025, but I’d bbet a lot on him doing all he can in 2024 to prove Ferrari wrong!

*“What the f* Gene? It wasn’t my fault!”*

The other piece of pre-season news was that Günther Steiner, one of the most carismatic profiles of F1, is no longer at the helm of Haas. He’s being replaced by Ayao Komatsu who’s been an engineer with the team since 2016. Let’s just say that I’d be very surprised if a Japanese engineer reaches the same level of flamboyancy as good ol’ Günther… He for one isn’t happy about the decision, although he’s made clear that Gene Haas as owner is in his right to do whatever he likes.

To an outside observer, it seems pretty obvious that Haas’s issues have very little to do with Steiner as a team head, and a lot to do with Haas suffering from too small a budget and resources to keep up, and thus have a car that simply wasn’t fast enough. I’d be very surprised if Komatsu-San can do a better job result-wise than Günther, but I guess time will tell! If the testing that just ended is anything to go by, it doesn’t look good, since both Haas cars ended last…

Coming back to this year’s season, I really can’t think of a year when there was as little movement between drivers and teams as now, given we’re at zero. Daniel Ricciardo is now confirmed as permanent and not just a replacement for Nicky de Vries, next to Yoki Tsunoda in the second AlphaTauri, this year renamed to RB. Those who follow F1 know that Ricciardo’s career has been rather shaky in the last years and not characterized by the best decisions, so let’s hope this works out for him.

*Whether first or last on the grid, Sauber will certainly be seen!*

Next to that, the only piece of news on the team and driver side is that what used to be the Sauber team and then became Alfa Romeo Racing is now again called Sauber (or rather Kick Sauber, with Kick being the new sponsor). For someone living less than 10 kms from the factory here in Switzerland that’s pretty cool, especially since the team has managed to hang in there since 1993, and has nurtured some of the best drivers out there, including Kimi Räikkönen and Sergio Perez, among others.

Of course all 2024 cars are new, but technical changes are largely absent, knowing that 2025 will be the last year with the current V6 engines. We’re not fully clear on what will replace them, but let me stick my neck out and say that it will probably not be rumbling V8’s…

With such calm before the season starts, will there be a bit more storm when the lights turn to green next Sunday? Let’s indeed hope so, since yet another season with Red Bull and Verstappen dominating proceedings as has been the case in the last years would be slightly…. boring? I’ll leave you to guess who was fasted in the last pre-season training session…

*Anyone wants to bet against this ending?*

My favourite Youtubers revisited!

On February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 By ChristofferIn Fun stuff, NewsLeave a comment

A bit more than 3 1/2 years ago, I did a post on my five favourite car Youtubers that saw a lot of interest. Youtube has obviously developed quite a bit in the last three years, with the offer getting ever larger, be it on cars or anything else, but sticking to automobiles, I thought an update on what is worth watching today could be of interest – as well as checking where some of those highlighted three years ago are today!

Starting with the latter, Shmee is as active and irritating as he ever was. His following has grown to over 2.5 million, and his car stable has grown by much more, in millions of pounds… Some of his latest adventures include taking possession of a Koenigsegg Jesko, driving around in a McLaren 750S Spider, and taking a tour to Germany in his new Ferrari Purosangue. Doing so he made a big thing of getting a nail in one of his tires. I strongly doubt anyone felt sorry for him.

*Shmee with the big man himself, Christian von Koenigsegg*

Doug DeMuro has also made it rather big, in various aspects. Firstly his channel is now up to almost five million subscribers, which is noticeable as Doug hasn’t really changed his approach since he started in 2013, which in Youtube terms is an eternity. Even more importantly though, Doug founded his online auction business Cars and Bids in 2019 and sold it last year to the Chernin Group, netting a very healthy USD 37m. And of course, he also bought a white Lamborghini Countach, which in my book is about as cool as it gets.

*Doug has made it kind of big – and an 80’s Countach is a good proof of it!*

The other guys I mentioned 3 1/2 years ago are still there, but the only one I feel has really evolved is Throttle House by the Canadian-British duo Thomas and James. Sure, they’ve grown in subscribers, but also in format and types of videos, and these days also get invited to various launches, so they also travel beyond Canada, even to Europe last year, where they completely killed the new MB E63, which is nice to see (that they travel to Europe that is, not necessarily that they killed off the Merc…).

Next to Throttle House, I also want to mention Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), a well-known Youtuber making the others look like midgets with his more than 18 million subscribers. Marques is actually most well-known as a tech guy, doing lots of tech reviews, with a special affinity for Apple. That has however also led him to cars, starting with EV’s, but now also broadening out beyond that. What’s very likeable with Marques is his modest and very down to earth-style, in stark contrast to the two first guys mentioned in this post.

*When the time came to get a sports car, Marques knew where to go…*

Marques is the guy who drove a Tesla Model S Plaid with the carbon kit and ceramic brakes that you can’t even get in Europe, but then still went for a 911 Turbo S when the time had come for him to get a new daily driver. If anything, that proves he knows what he’s doing!

Finally, good old Harry Metcalfe and Harry’s Garage also gets the tremendous honour of being included on this list. Harry is the founder of the UK car magazine Evo that is dear to this blog and from which we’ve taken our tagline. Harry these days lives on his farm (for which, by the way, he has a separate channel, if farm life is your thing) with a huge barn where he keeps his respectable car collection, and regularly tests other automobiles. It’s low-key, down-to-earth, and in a factual way that I personally really like.

Actually I like Harry even more than usual this week, since his latest video on his new RR Sport Diesel (yes!!) is very much in line with my latest post from a couple of weeks ago. In it, Harry adds another couple of points to the long list of EV problems, notably that of battery degradation depending on climate and charging.

*Another Countach – but a good old Diesel as daily driver*…

Just to give you an example, a Nissan Leaf, what you would think of as the type of small, more efficient car an EV should be, if driven in a warm climate such as California and charged to a large extent on fast chargers, as anyone not having a charger at home would do, loses 50% if its battery capacity in a few years. Harry also quotes Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda, who last week said he doesn’t see more than 1/3 of the global car fleet being battery-powered in the future. Could it be that a few voices of reason are starting to appear, ever so slowly?

Anyway, do watch Harry, Marques and the Throttle House guys, since if you read this blog, chances are you’ll like them. And if you feel I’ve missed someone that I should be aware of, please don’t hesitate saying so in the comments!

Heading for a fall

On January 28, 2024January 28, 2024 By ChristofferIn News, Opinion1 Comment

Is the European, and especially the German car industry heading for a fall? As we enter the new year, it’s a good time to ask the question. Why? Because the full turn towards electric, the inability to sell EV’s without subsidies, bringing cars to market that nobody wants and a whole block of new brands from China undercutting the market are all part of what I believe will be a very bleak future for European manufacturers, unless a change of strategy happens pretty soon. Let’s dig in.

With financial conditions turning for the worse in the last couple of years and inflation making a rather spectacular return, it’s no big surprise that consumers think twice about capital expenditures such as getting a new car, especially when there’s so much insecurity as to what the future of mobility will look like. And what goes for consumers also goes for states, especially when those in Europe have a whole set of geopolitical worries to think about, and spend money on.

*With the US pulling back, Europe’s bill for Ukraine will keep increasing*

Therefore, in their infinite wisdom, European politicians in various countries have decided to scrap or heavily reduce subsidies on new EV’s. This is not because they’ve read this blog and come to better thoughts, at least I don’t think so. Rather, they probably believed their own propaganda and that everyone had bought fully into their electrical mantra, so that subsidies were no longer needed. Oh how wrong they were…

According to EV-Volumes.com, a database tracking worlwide EV sales, the sales growth rate has fallen from over 100% YoY to around 10% in the last two years. And let’s remember this is starting from a low base, so that when Ola Källenius, Mercedes-Benz CEO says like he did a few weeks ago, that Merc’s EV sales in the last year grew by 70%, it really doesn’t mean that our streets are crowded with EV’s from Stuttgart.

But wait you’ll object, haven’t you told us that the Tesla Model Y and 3 are among the bestselling cars even in Europe? Yes I have and indeed they are, but this is a sign of Tesla doing this right rather than a general market trend. We’ll come back to that a bit later, however anyone doubting the correlation between EV sales and subsidies can look back to a I wrote piece back in 2018 using the example from Hong Kong.

*The word “subsidy” is missing after Hong Kong in the title…*

In April of 2017, EV subsidies on more expensive cars like Tesla were removed in Hong Kong, and during the rest of the year, sales dropped from almost 3.000 sold in the one month of March of that year, to a few dozen during the remaining nine months. And then Hong Kong went over to China who are very keen to subsidize the EV sector in general, so now sales have short up again. That same mechanism is exactly what we’re now seeing in Europe.

As we start 2024, EV’s still make up less than 2% of the European car fleet. That’s how big what the press likes to describe as “tremendous success” really is, and that shows you how very far we still have to go if the EU is serious about its ban on combustion cars in 2030. It’s also a bit of an issue if, as an automaker, you’ve committed yourself to go all-electric, and then produce cars that in value for money are frankly so awful that they shouldn’t have made it to market in the first place.

BMW has just presented the top-of-the-line new electric 5-series called the i5 M60. The new 5-series generation is over five meters long, or as big as a 7-series used to be, to offer enough room for the electric version’s battery pack. That pack also means the EV version weighs in at over 2.300 kg, around 500 kg or half a ton more than the combustion version of the same car. In spite of that it only has an 80 KwH battery, meaning a realistic range of something like 250-400 km depending on driving style, season and conditions.

*It really looks far better than it is…*

The inside is nice as it should be, however quality-wise, the previous generation that I drive myself is as superior as a Merc S-class is to an EQS. The increased use of cheap materials is of course to save weight, and instead electric gimmicks like games and movies are the new selling points, supposed to keep you entertained while you’re charging. For all this, the i5 M60 with options will cost you around EUR 150.000, or almost double of what the diesel version of the same car costs – which as said, weighs half a ton less, has a range of about 900-1000 km on one tank and takes two minutes to refuel.

If you think that really is a lot of money you’re completely right, but it’s still less than you’ll need to buy the new Lotus Eletre, which in its cheapest version starts roughly there and goes up to a rather incredible EUR 200.000. It’s an even bigger car, Range Rover-like in size, as gimmicky and plasticky as the Beamer on the inside, but with even more range issues and an efficiency loss vs. a Tesla of over 50%. It also has an infotainment system heavily over-estimating the remaining range, creating a real possibility that you’ll be stranded with an empty battery.

These are two rather awful examples, but at least they look rather stylish and have an excellent wind drag coefficient (or CW-factor) of below 0.30, which is obviously critical for an EV. So what does Mercedes do? It’s preparing to give us an EV version of the G-class, called the EQG, that will launch in 2025 at prices above USD 150.000. The current G-class has a wind drag factor of 0.54, but I’m sure Mercedes will bring that down to below 0.30, right?

*And here I thought a low drag coefficient was important for EV’s. Silly me!*

In the year 2024, no one in their right mind should put up this much money to buy a BMW they can drive 300 km, or for that matter, give 200.000 to an English manufacturer with less than a stellar reputation for a car that cannot be relied on to tell you how far you still have to go. It’s frankly both embarrassing and scary to see that in the decade they’ve had to prepare for what they knew was coming, leading car manufacturers still can’t manage to build a car that is better, or range-wise not even as good, as a 10-year old construction from Tesla, costing half the money.

Tesla on the other hand are doing great, and models Y and 3 are now established as some of the best-selling cars in Europe. They may look the same as they always have, but constant efficiency improvements mean that on a technical level, they’ve maintained the distance to other manufacturers. Also and critically, the strategy to launch a functioning charging network themselves rather than relying on governments, was a genius move. This is still a factor that heavily hinders sales in some markets, especially when many park in the street and can’t charge overnight.

Tesla proves that there can indeed be a demand for EV’s if the packaging, price and range are reasonable. A Tesla Model S was never a luxury car, but at its current price point and with considerably more range than the three examples given above, if I were to buy an EV today, it’s the only one I would consider.

*10 years old and still ahead of a pack that still haven’t figured it out*

Of course not everything is about luxury cars, and the bulk of sales is of course in lower segments. But of course, cars there may be cheaper but they’re certainly not better than the top of the line, rather the contrary. Also and increasingly, the competition in these lower segments doesn’t come from the US, but rather from China, as a number of Chinese EV makers are now entering Europe, with an increased number of cars on our roads.

They’re of course cheaper than both Teslas and European EV’s, also thanks to very generous, Chinese state subsidies, and the almost complete integration of the production line, from the mines in Africa over the battery production in China, to the finished car, is of course a far more efficient way to produce. To this, you should also add a 1.5 billion domestic market, meaning they definitely have scale in their favor.

The cars themselves are, at least so far, inferior products. But exactly how inferior? In terms of range, they’re pretty close to European EV’s not only in the luxury segment but overall. In terms of build and ride quality they’re getting there, especially since this is much easier than for a traditional car, given EV’s score points not primarily on how it drives, but rather on how much it costs and how many gimmicks it has.

In summary therefore, EV sales are stalling, subsidies are being removed, and the Chinese undercut European manufacturers in price. Surprisingly enough, all of these seem to have been fast asleep at the wheel for the last years. And at the end of this decade, we’re supposed to stop producing combustion cars, which still made up 80% of car sales in 2022 and are thus, you have to think, what people want to buy.

If Europe wants to keep a car industry in the future, manufacturers need to start building cars that people want, which make economic sense, and that can differentiate themselves against Chinese imports. That probably means leaving a large part of the lower EV market to the Chinese, and instead reverse the full electrification strategy, rather reverting to diesel and petrol hybrids, in a mix with modern, non-polluting diesels.

Manufacturers will tell you EU politicians haven’t given them any choice, and this is all policy. But policy can be influenced and if they want to have a brand at all in a few years, they should probably get in a car (preferably not an EV), drive over to Brussels and make the case for why the current strategy and timetable for the phasing out of combustion cars is a death threat to the industry and thereby to the one million people it directly employs.

In view of the mass protests against fuel prices by farmers in Germany in the last weeks, which have now spread to France, that might actually be an argument these people are inclined to listen to. At least they wouldn’t be able to claim that they hadn’t been warned.

Street finds – the BMW 3.0S!

On January 14, 2024January 14, 2024 By ChristofferIn Fun stuff, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

The snow had fallen overnight and it was the coldest morning so far in 2024, as I spotted it standing there in all its modesty, just next to my office. The BMW 3.0S was in tune with nature, not only for the color, but also since somewhat unexpectedly, it was on winter tires! Compared to BMW’s latest luxury sedan, the i7 that I had seen earlier the same day, you can’t help but admire the modesty of designs back in the day.

*Truly in mint condition, with modern winter tires!*

As always when seeing a car from an older generation, the first thought (or actually the second, after how modest its design was) is how small it is compared to today’s cars. After all, this was the predecessor to the first 7-series and already set to compete with notably the S-class, and yet it wasn’t bigger. That said the 3.0 always led a discrete life, very much in the shadow of that younger, more beautiful sibling everyone prefers…

Street finds are rare in winter and stumbling upon a BMW 3.0 was certainly not what I expected on the way to work last week. BMW’s then luxury sedan was launched in 1968 after several years when the brand had lacked a larger car, and going through a period that had been very economically challenging.

A few years earlier they had however launched the mid-sized BMW 1500 which had become a success, so ever so slowly, the finances were improving. The 3.0 was launched to re-establish BMW as a luxury maker for those with a thicker wallet and was a clear break, also in production technique, with its closest predecessor the 501, built since the early 50’s and discontinued in 1964.

*From a 3/4 view, it actually looks pretty much like a 70’s E-class…*

It’s completely unthinkable these days that the luxury line of a brand wouldn’t have a name (even if in some cases, you would wish they didn’t…), but the 3.0 was always called just that. Internally it was however known as the E3 and was the first BMW to have the E designation. Why, given that, it wasn’t called the E1, I can’t tell you.

The fact that the grill is black and the rear lights larger tells you that this is a second series 3.0, produced after 1971, however before 1974, when the six-cylinder engine was increased to 3.3 litres. At the time it was the top of the line engine, and its core would live on until the 90’s.

Back in the early 70’s however, far more potent engines were also in development, including a 5-litre V12. Four 3.0’s were actually built with a V12 engine, just around the time of the first oil crisis, which quickly put stop to any further developments in that direction. I wonder if one of those is still around, and exactly how nose-heavy it is to drive…

*Cooler and more beautiful – especially without US bumpers*…

So what about the beautiful sibling? I’m of course referring to the 3.0 CS, internally called E9, the beautiful coupé that was built by Karmann in parallel to the 3.0. Far more of these are still around today and they’ve really taken off in price, contrary to any 3.0 you may find, which will likely still be sub-30.000, or about 1/3 of a good CS. That probably tells you that a coupé was more of a Sunday car, already back in the day…

I’ve actually seen this particular 3.0 another couple of times since I first spotted it, so it clearly belongs to someone living in the neighborhood. I hope to meet the owner one day, not only to congratulate him/her on the perfect condition of the car, especially since it’s clearly driven all year around, but also to learn more about its history, because I’m sure there’s a nice one to tell. If I do, the story will be continued!

The Bavarian sports shoe!

On January 7, 2024January 7, 2024 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

As we start off 2024, I want to update you on a change that you will soon notice on the blog, namely that I will no longer keep up the weekly posting frequency. My rather hectic work life is one reason for this change, but another is also a certain pressure to come up with interesting content and write about it on a weekly basis, as the time from one Sunday to the next can be awfully short sometimes!

My priority has always been, and will continue to be, to bring you well thought-through, quality content written in a way I’m comfortable with, and on that I will never compromise. From now on however, that means posting less frequently, and in the meantime, give you time to look through the several hundred posts written so far, that you can find on the blog. I hope you’ll enjoy the reading!

____

With that out of the way, for the first post of the year we’ll go to Bavaria and look at a car that I believe is well on its way to become a modern classic. Design-wise, it stands out compared to basically everything, in what many would say is a cool and certainly a quirky way. It’s so rare that you probably haven’t seen one in quite some time, and it also brings a number of traditional qualities associated both with the thrill of driving and BMW! It became the first “test” car I drove this year, and boy was it a good start!

*The Z3 was BMW’s first model series exclusively built in the US*

I’m of course talking about the BMW Z3 Coupé, a car on which opinions have been divided since its launch in 1998. The coupé was part of the Z3 family, with the Z3 convertible as its older and more popular sibling. The convertible was launched three years earlier, in 1995, as a more luxurious alternative to the Mazda Miata that had shown the potential for modern, two-seat roadsters in the years before.

The Z3 convertible may well have been a neat little two-seater, but it was far from a rigid one, which is what tends to happen when you cut the roof off the car, as many convertible owners will know. It was notably for this reason that a bunch of engineers down in Bavaria got together in their free time and started to develop a coupé concept to complement it.

The shooting break shape that resulted wasn’t met by acclamation by management but was half-heartedly given the go ahead, and the fact that BMW never really stood behind it certainly explains the low production numbers and why it’s so rare today. What it did achieve however was certainly to make the wobbly Z3 convertible more rigid – actually 2.6 times more, making it one of the stiffest cars on the market at the time!

*Is it a shooting brake? No, it’s a sports shoe!*

All Z3 coupés were rear-wheel drive and equipped with six-cylinder engines under the long, front hood. The base version initially had BMW’s 2.8 litre straight six putting out 192 hp, which was increased to 3 litres and 231 hp in 2000, in connection with the only smalle face-lift during the short production run of the car. The M Coupé had the E36 and E46 M3 engines, as we’ll see below.

Herein also lies the reason why BMW didn’t support the new coupé whole-heartedly. Especially the M version sat a bit too close in the line-up to the shining star, the M3, with which it was also price-wise on par. This was also the reason why for a bit of a step-motherly treatment of the Coupé in some instances, for example never getting the six-speed manual box from the E46 M3, having to settle for the simpler, five-speed box.

The base model’s straight six engine was shared across all coupés produced both for the US and Europe. In the M Coupé however, the US version up until 2000 had the S52 engine from E36 M3, whereas the European version had the so called S50 engine. The benefit was more power (315 hp vs 240 hp in the US version), the downside a more complicated build requiring more maintenance and adjustments. From 2000, all M Coupés shared the 320 hp strong straight-six from the E46 M3, an engine that also requires a fair bit of maintenance, notably with individual valve adjustments.

*The E46 M3 engine from 2000 onwards is amazing – but needs a lot of TLC!*

The Z3 series was BMW’s first car line completely built in the US, correctly judged as the main market for the convertible. However, the coupé didn’t see much success there either. Apart from BMW’s positioning issues in the model range and the divisive design, competition was of course harsh at the price-point, both since you could get an M3 for the same money, and also since that money would also buy you quite a lot of car from other brands. In the end, only some 17700 coupés were built in total across the three versions 2.8i, 3.0i, and M Coupé, to be compared to the more than 170.000 BMW sold of the convertible, i.e. 10 times as many.

As I neared the 3.0 litre coupé I drove earlier this week, I couldn’t remember when I had last seen one. I’m in the camp of those who have always liked the “sports shoe” design, also since it looks like nothing else on the road. That it also has some benefits becomes clear as soon as you open the glass tailgate and find a surprisingly large luggage area, and also on the inside, which ample space for two. The car in question was a 2000 model with the 3.0 litre straight-six, a manual box and around 110′ km on the clock. It was in good, if not mint condition.

Two other things become noticeable before you turn the key. Firstly, the Coupé is quite a small car, only four metres long, and only weighing around 1400 kg, around 150 kg less than the E36 M3. Secondly, everything in the inside of course comes from the 3-series. Except for the colors that is. Thankfully, “my” car had a unicolor beige leather interior, but quite a few cars have bi-colored creations mostly in red-black or blue-black, which must have been seen as cool 25 years back – at least in Germany.

*The German idea of sportiness. There are unicolor interiors as well…*

The drive that followed quickly put a smile on my face. The 231 hp from the 3-litre six are plenty for the small car, and boy is that engine a peach! So well-sounding, smooth at every speed, and very happy to rev far beyond what you should do on summer tires in January rain at 4 degrees… The balance is exquisite, no doubt helped by the rear-wheel drive, and you can basically drive the car like a hot hatch, should you want to.

The chassis is definitely stiff enough, and there we no squeeks anywhere in the car. The manual gearbox could be tighter and the steering more direct, then again, this is a 25-year old car. That said, a 911 from the time is definitely more precise (but also more expensive). In summary, the Z3 Coupé is a car you fell at home in very quickly, that is a joy to drive on a daily basis, and that is both comfortable and practical enough for longer trips for two.

The reasons I see this as a pretty sure bet for a coming classic is of course all of the above. The Z3 Coupé is rare, has a design that stands out, a great engine, rear-wheel drive, and although the non-M Coupés could be had with an auto box, most are manual, and they are the ones you should go for. ideally in combination with the optional, glass sunroof, that help lighten up the cabin.

*The car I drove earlier this week sat slightly lower, as many do.*

Price-wise, a good regular Z3 Coupé will still be yours for EUR 25.30.000, whereas you pay roughly twice that for the M Coupé, meaning it’s already trading in classic car territory. Interestingly, that means that the M Coupé still costs roughly the same as an E36 or E46 M3. It is however not only lighter, but also far more rare, and at least for two, also more practical. To me, it’s also way cooler.

It wouldn’t be my choice however, because that would be the version I drove, i.e. the 3-litre coupé. Power is plentiful, the design is roughly the same, and there’s really no reason to pay double for the M Coupé, also in view of higher maintenance. But at EUR 25-30.000 for a 3-litre Z3 Coupé, you really can’t go wrong. A good sports shoe is always useful, and this one is arguably the coolest one around!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

On December 31, 2023December 31, 2023 By ChristofferIn NewsLeave a comment

If the end of 2023 was nigh last Sunday, it’s definitely upon us today and I sincerely hope that most of you have more important things to do on this big day than reading my modest lines – for example, opening the champagne! As you know though, I’m extremely thankful that you stay faithful to this blog, whatever day you choose to read it on.

In the last post of 2022, I noted that it had been a new record year in terms of readership, but I’m happy to say that the record didn’t last long. 2023 is thus the new record year, so again, a big thank you to all of you, and I truly hope that you enjoy the content. In an increasingly visual world, I’m obviously also happy that you remain committed to the written medium!

As in 2022, most readers come from the US, followed by the UK and Sweden, and then other English-speaking (Canada, Australia) or European countries. Unfortunately I seem to have lost the Indian readership though, which is a shame!

As for what you read, it’s clear that eight cylinders seem to be a popular theme. The quite recent post on the Audi RS4 (B8) came out as the most popular post of the year, followed by the Ferrari F8 Tributo in third place, even though the piece is from January 2022. Since then however, the F8 has continued up in price with a median now well above EUR 300.000, so buying one back then when they started around EUR 250-260.000 would have been great in several respects!

The second most popular piece of the year is also an old one, on the very peculiar (and very Swiss…) number plate auctions, that help put quite a lot of money into new road projects by letting rich people pay for a “special” registration plate. Nothing new with that you may think – until you read the post, that is. After that came the two legends Enzo Ferrari and Horacio Pagani, the latter for his own cars, the former for his fascination with the Jaguar E-Type.

*if you ask ChatGPT to define elegance, this is what should come up!*

As we’re about to start 2024, the whole car industry seems to be in a state of flux. The official policy for most brands is of course still to go all-electric over the coming years, but buyers don’t seem as convinced and interested as they should be, especially since they now need to worry about higher interest rates, inflation and other things, at the same time as EV subsidies are cut back.

If that wasn’t enough, with people then potentially turn to cheaper EV’s, these tend to come from new Chinese brands who have the great advantage of cheap labor and a fully integrated EV production line. There’s quite a lot at stake here, especially in countries like Germany and France where the car industry is a major source of employment, and how this unfolds will be interesting to watch, not only in 2024 but certainly also beyond.

*A Chinese EV, coming soon to a garage near you*

So for those of us with a preference for combustion engines, what were the great new cars in 2023 and even more importantly, which are planned for 2024? To start with the former, I’ll give three examples that have something special about them. The first is the BMW M3 Touring, because it’s a station wagon, and as all lovers of the RS4 Avant and C63 T know, that’s been missing for too long. The M3 also sounds like a great car, and I hope to get a drive in in 2024.

The second is the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, the terrain version that will be the Huracán’s kiss of goodbye, because they chose to end it in style and in addition, had the audacity to let the terrain kit look very much after-market. The third is the first SUV from the brand that would never launch one, i.e. the Ferrari Purosangue, because it’s far better-looking than you would ever have thought it would be, and has a 12-cylinder engine under the sloping hood!

*Three-liter straight six with 500 hp, no EV here…*

2024 doesn’t look like the best year ever, but not too bad either, which I guess we should be thankful for. I’ve selected three planned launches here as well, and the first is the new Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, which in spite of rumours to the contrary, will feature Mercedes’ four-litre V8, in two different versions with slightly below or above around 500 hp. It also has two minimal backseats, probably in an effort to lure away more 911 buyers.

The second car is also one that has also been much talked about and will feature the same engine as the AMG GT, but here supported by two electrical motors for a total of 950 hp – the Aston Martin Valhalla. It looks absolutely spectacular, but so does the third, the new Ford Mustang, that will not be an EV, at least not yet, but rather hit us both with a five-litre V8 and a manual gearbox. Yes, you read that right, and here in Europe, we can just wish that the European version of the brand was a bit more like the American, and hope that as many Mustangs as possible make it here!

*I hope many make it to this side of the pond as well!*

The new year will certainly bring a lot of other stuff as well, and I’ll do my best to cover it for you, in hopefully interesting mix with classic cars and other themes around the world of cars. I would love for that coverage also to include some breakthrough technology in the alternative fuel department or for that matter, in batteries, to help our beloved cars evolve in a better and more interesting direction that currently seems to be the case. As always, if you have suggestions of things you’d like to see, or for that matter, not see on the blog, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments. Until then, a Happy New Year 2024 to you all!

Closing out 2023…

On December 24, 2023December 24, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, OpinionLeave a comment

It seems yet another year is coming to an end and at least if you ask me, it’s been one that’s passed quicker than most! I guess that may be a sign of our accelerating society, where everything seems to move at an ever increasing pace. Except for the adoptions of EV mobility that is, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As usual, in expectation of a hopefully good 2024, I’ve compiled a few paragraphs of stuff that we’ve seen, may see, or is just interesting to think about, following the first letters of the 12 months of the year. Enjoy the reading and the holidays!

January

The J for January this year is for Japan, not because of the exciting cars they bring to market (they don’t), but rather because they’ve become the last bastion of some kind of realistic thinking around future electric mobility, continuing to largely ignore full EV’s in favour of various types of hybrids, and with a number of projects also in e-fuels. It’s actually a rather simple calculation to see that if for all the reasons we know, your battery producing capacity is limited, then splitting what you have between several cars and complementing it with a combustion engine is far more efficient than building a small number of full EV’s. Let’s hope Japan can export its thinking to other countries in 2024 – but I wouldn’t hold my breath…

February

The February F is for Ferrari, and the fact that the Maranello company is doing better than ever before. Looking over the last 10 years, production numbers have more than doubled, the product range receives praise from motor journalists and is up to date. and had you bought the stock five years ago, you would have tripled your money. Not only that, if you were one of the lucky few to get your hands on a Purosangue, the most elegant SUV (kind of…) on the market, you could re-sell it for around twice what you bought it for – if you find one. There’s currently not a single one for sale in Germany, as an example. In two words already used when I wrote about the FF a few weeks ago: Forza Ferrari!

*The first Purosangue I’ve seen in Zurich, as late as last week. Worth a fortune!*

March

We’ll take the March M to mean money, since no month starts with an E, in which case I would have said Euros. Because it’s largely in Europe that money is getting increasingly scarce, and nowhere more so than in Germany, where the government is trying to find enough money to fill a small EUR 17bn budget hole that was “discovered” a few weeks ago. One of the measures taken is an immediate scrapping of the EUR 4.500 cash premium for buying an EV, and I’ll let you guess how that will affect already slowing sales numbers. Things are getting harsher, or let’s say less subsidized for EV’s in many other countries as well, so at least for now, the party looks to be over before it even started. Except for Tesla that is, more on that in May…

April

Before May though we have April with A for Alfa Romeo, that returned to full form five-six years ago with both the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, a 500hp sedan and mid-sized SUV that received praise all over, and to everyone’s surprise, saw Alfa all of a sudden being able to compete with cars like the BMW M3. Given many of us enthusiasts are Alfistis at heart, this looked like the new dawn we had been waiting for since the 80’s – but then nothing happened. No further exciting models, an ageing line-up, and with as latest addition the small SUV called Tonale, which is unexciting, uninteresting, and overpriced. C’mon Alfa, time to wake up before it’s too late!

*The Giulia was the most positive Alfa Romeo surprise since the 80’s!*

May

Even though this is a blog for those of us favouring combustion engines, I’ll take the second M for the year to mean Musk, as I continue to be fascinated by the man. As mentioned last week when writing about the Cybertruck, it’s amazing what he has achieved with Tesla in only 10 years, and at the same time, it’s rather pitiful how the traditional industry still isn’t managing to produce good alternatives. This is something we’ll come back to next year, but looking at it now, the Model Y is the best-selling car this year in Europe, it ranks no 4 in the US, and the motoring press seems to agree on the Model 3 currently being the best EV out there. So was I wrong about e-mobility not taking off? No, but Tesla is the shining exception. I still don’t want one, but I’ll take my hat off for Elon!

June

J for June or a Jubilant Max Verstappen, who took his third consecutive F1 title in 2023 and by June of last year, had basically already settled the whole thing. Max is the best driver on the grid and also has the the best car from what is currently also the best team. He also has the aggressiveness and sometimes carelessness that can be irritating but, that almost every true champion has, and although the other teams came closer towards the end of the year, as discussed in the last round-up of the 20230 F1 season, it seems unlikely that he will not be on top again when we sum up 2024. Well done Max!

July

The second J is for Jaguar, that a bit like Alfa, I can’t really get my head around. Jaguar has all the tradition and brand name you can ask for, but currently a line-up which is not only small, but also pretty unexciting. In Europe as we end 2023, there’s only three models: the obligatory EV SUV called the I-Pace, a conventional one called the F-Pace, that is mildly exciting at best, and the F-Type sports coupé or convertible, that in V8 shape sounds really good, but is also getting rather old. The sedan called XF isn’t even on sale here anymore, neither is the smaller, E-type SUV. Given Land Rover has a fully up to date line-up, let’s hope it’s time for Jaguar in 2024, but it currently doesn’t look like it.

*As mentioned in the post, it’s a good-looking car, but it’s getting old…*

August

The second A of the year is for August and the auto shows, which are no longer the same, especially not in… you guessed it, Germany. The IAA used to be one of Europe’s largest auto salons, that would alternate with Paris every other year, and that has been at home in Frankfurt for longer than anyone can remember. In its old form it’s gone, replaced by a smaller event that will alternate between different German cities, and of course focus on EV’s. The show saw a 30% drop in visitors during Covid and somehow never recovered, at the same time as auto makers prefer invest the millions these events cost in more lucrative parts of the world, i.e. Asia and especially China. At least we still have the Auto Salon in Geneva – for now…

September

The only month with S in its name is September, that will here represent senses. This is something I’ve thought quite a lot about lately, and that became painfully obvious when re-acquainting myself with the wonderful Ferrari FF recently. Like most cars featured on this blog, it very much appeals to all your senses at once. But the EV’s we’re supposed to drive going forward don’t have much going for them in this regard. I think there’s very few people who would choose between accelerating to 100 km/h in sub-3 seconds in an EV, compared to doing it in sub 4 seconds in a V8, V12, or for that matter, turbo four-cylinder. And that’s before even looking at the car, since for efficiency reasons, every EV looks like a soap. How will our senses get any form of excitement from our future mobility? You tell me…

October

The O of October goes to Opel (Vauxhall in the UK), a brand that will never be a regular feature on the blog, as with very few exceptions, Opel builds practical cars of average looks, average quality and average size, that have absolutely zero attraction for anyone with an interest in cars. So what are the exceptions? I can think of three: the Speedster, a sister car to the Lotus Elise which was said to actually work, the Lotus Omega, an early kind of super-saloon from the 90’s that Lotus helped develop, and of the course the Opel Manta, that in certain circles in its native Germany has a very loyal following which has even been caught on film, as you may remember from the post back in the spring of 2022. So here’s to Opel, probably for the last time.

*The Manta – probably the only Opel to ever be featured on this blog!*

November

The N for November stands for Nio, one of the many new Chinese car brands, mostly electric, that sell literally millions of cars in China and that are now increasingly making it to Europe. Others include names such as BYD, Aiways and of course also MG, that has gone from a stylish UK builder of roadsters to a Chinese producer of basic EV SUV’s. Supported by their domestic market and rich on capital, many of these groups have now become a serious threat to especially European manufacturers, who still can’t get their act together when it comes to electrification and also can’t compete on price, something we’ll look closer at in 2024. The Chinese of course have the huge advantage of also controlling a lage part of the global battery market, which certainly helps!

December

We close out with a D for December and for the good old Defender, Land Rover that is, in the generation prior to the current one (that is also cool, but doesn’t quite have the same personality). Although becoming less frequent, you still see them more or less regularly, and they still have as much presence. These days, they also represent a simplicity that is otherwise long gone in a world where cars are judged by the size of their infotainment screens and the number of interior light colors. They still hold their value really well, even though you’d be forgiven for thinking that should no longer be the case. I have no idea where they will go, but I wouldn’t be surprised if people continue to be attracted to them, in our increasingly complex world. I’ll have a 90 version please, in dark green or black, with the optional Recaro seats!

*It’s still the only car you’ll ever need – and the coolest!*

A tech revolution dressed in stainless steel!

On December 17, 2023December 17, 2023 By ChristofferIn ev's, News1 Comment

This is not a post on the Cybertruck. After all, if you follow this blog, you’ve hopefully realized that I try to cover things at least slightly out of the ordinary, so adding another post to the hundreds that have already been written on the Cybertruck isn’t really the spirit. To say nothing about the fact that this is, at least mostly, a blog for petrol heads.

It’s also not a post on Elon Musk. I personally find it fascinating how one man year after year continues to stir up such emotions with all kinds of people, and I have a lot of respect for a man who built a leading car brand from zero, using new technology. Not to speak of the fact that he also built a few rockets pretty much from scratch in a backyard, shot them into space, landed them again and then sold them to NASA. He still does by the way.

It’s also pretty clear that no one but Elon would have come up with the idea for something like the Cybertruck. And also, that only Elon would use it to premier some technological developments that the world has been waiting for in some cases more than 50 years. That to me is what’s exciting in the Cybertruck story, not really the truck itself. And that is indeed what this week’s post is about!

Before we get into it however, this is after all a car blog, so a few words on the Cybertruck are warranted. The saying goes that it was Elon’s son who asked his father why the future doesn’t look like the future, alluding to the fact that pick-ups have looked more or less the same for the last 50 years, and neither the Hummer EV, nor the Rivian have really changed that.

That’s apparently what gave us the Cybertruck that at least Tesla thinks looks like the future. At 5.7 metres long, 2.4 metres wide and a weight exceeding 3 tons, it’s a giant car that also has the biggest windscreen of any car ever, as well as at 1.2 metres, the biggest windshield wiper ever seen. It also looks very much not like any other truck on the road.

The stainless steel body makes it pretty clear why we typically don’t build cars in steel. Sure, you can throw rocks at it (not sure why you would) and it’s also light, but it can’t easily be formed and can thus only ever be used for a design resembling something Elon’s son would draw, and perhaps did. As for the inside, there’s a lot of Tesla minimalism, and a lot of plastic.

*Minimalistic, Tesla-like interior, rich in plastic*

No matter what you think of the looks, I have no doubt Tesla will sell every Cybertruck they build in the US and elsewhere, however not including Europe, since there’s really no chance that something that large, and without sufficient pedestrian protection zones, makes it here.

So what about the technological developments? There’s three things worth mentioning: the induction engines, the 48V system and the steering by-wire, each of them a small revolution in their own, and far more so than the car itself.

To start with the engines, in the strongest version of the truck called the Cyberbeast, there’s three of them, together putting out 845 hp. Only one of these is however a permanent magnet engine, the other two are so called induction engines. This is a type of electric engine the first Tesla (Nikola, that is) patented already back in the 1880’s, and the big difference to a magnet is that it doesn’t use any rare metals.

As you know, this is one of the things that has gotten me really excited about the EV “save the world” talk, so this is definitely a big step in the right direction, which will hopefully give the children in the Congo a longer life. Induction motors are said to be slightly less efficient than magnet motors, but also much cheaper to produce, so we’re likely to see more of them in EV’s in the coming years.

*The load space is huge, and various tents and other gimmicks will certainly come with time…*

Continuing along the same path, let’s talk power. The Cybertruck’s engine runs on 800V which is a lot, but something for example the Porsche Taycan also does. More importantly however is that the rest of the car runs on 48V system rather than the 12V of every other car. This is a number that in spite of improving technology, hasn’t evolved in the last 70 years!

Power equals voltage + current, so the higher the voltage, the less current you need. And by reducing the current you can reduce the wiring, which both saves weight and many kilos of copper and other things. Going from 12 to 48V thus means a reduction of 75%. If we keep going at this speed, I guess EV’s may actually become environmentally-friendly one day!

The last and clearly most visible technical revolution is the by-wire steering, which is only made possible by the 48V system. The Cybertruck is the first mass-produced car in the world without a physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. Instead, these have one motor each (plus a third for the rear wheels, since the Cybertruck has rear-wheel steering), which together use more power than a family house in the 70’s, hence the requirement for 48V.

The fact that a computer tells the steering what to do means it can be adapted such as never to have more than one turn lock to lock (or whatever you decide on), and also makes it highly adaptable at speed. Crossing hands is thus a thing of the past. This of course takes some getting used to, but contrary to the yolk, is definitely a big step forward.

With a CW-value of 0.34, the Cybertruck is not only heavy but also not very aerodynamic. But with a 2.6 seconds time to 100 km/h, the Cyberbeast still kicks the behind of both the most powerful Rivian and the Hummer EV despite being less powerful in hp – and on mud tires. This is thanks to lower weight (yes, astoundingly the others are even heavier!), but also to efficiency, which is perhaps not a technical revolution, but an area where Tesla also shines.

*The Cyberbeast also outpaces a 911 Turbo – whilst trailing another 911…*

Starting with the battery cells, these are far larger than anything used so far, meaning they’re more efficient. They are designed and produced in-house at Tesla, as are the engines, and it’s no secret that controlling the whole production line makes Tesla’s EV’s more efficient than other brands, resulting in a longer range. It’s really surprising that a company that manages all this under the nose of established car brands at the same time doesn’t manage to fit a few body panels properly!

Of course, the technology introduced in the Cybertruck is already making it over to other Tesla cars, or will do so over the coming months and years. You can love or hate the the Cybertruck as much as you want, but that really is besides the point. Because the point is that once again, it’s Tesla that is the disruptor to an industry that still doesn’t manage to get its act together.

In spite of the billions invested, the fact of the matter is that the the traditional car industry still can’t manage to build an EV as efficient as Tesla’s. In parallel, Tesla cars are improving quality-wise, and the Supercharger network continues to be a huge advantage.

*The Supercharger network is still globally unrivalled*

I’ve said all along that the traditional industry didn’t miss the EV wave, they just waited until it made economic sense. I may have been right on that, but I was definitely wrong in terms of my expectations on what the industry would deliver, once it got up and running. The sad truth is that in terms of technology, they’re still not competitive with a company that is less than 20 years old. That will have global implications that we’ll look at more in detail in the coming weeks.

Induction engines and a 48V system will revolutionize the EV industry for the better, which is great. I still don’t think the future will be fully electric for a number of factors that long-term readers will be well familiar with. However, what Tesla has hidden beneath the stainless steel body of the Cybertruck makes at least Elon’s dream of an electrical future somewhat more realistic!

FF = Forza Ferrari!

On December 10, 2023December 10, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

One of the funny things with writing a blog on a weekly basis is that you’re sometimes not sure if you’ve covered a car or not. So when I went by a Ferrari dealer close to my home last week and saw a beautiful FF, I was quite certain I had already written about it, given I have fond memories of it from previously, and it is, after all, one of the most capable cars ever built – but was pleasantly surprised to discover that wasn’t the case!

All the more reason then for doing so this week, for a bunch of good rasons: firstly, it’s my all-time favourite among Ferrari GT’s. Secondly, it has a 12-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine of a kind we’ll never see again. And thirdly, whilst still pretty much a bargain, FF’s seemed to have reached a bottom and may slowly be on their way upwards in price, making it quite a rare opportunity from Maranello, given it’s one of the most complete cars Ferrari ever built!

*Pininfarina’s design language is the same as notably for the 458*

Big GT cars with four seats and a big 12-cylinder engine up front (although typically behind the front axle) have a long tradition at Ferrari, although the four seats have usually more been of the 2+2 kind, such as in the 612 Scaglietti that the FF succeeded when it was launched in 2011. Although there’s no way to compete with that name, the FF itself is definitely a more interesting proposition, and not only in terms of backseats.

People tend to have opinions of the negative kind of the wonderful, Pininfarina-designed FF looks, especially from the 3/4 rear angle. Well, anyone not appreciating the sublime shooting brake shape urgently needs a (new) pair of glasses, in my completely objective opinion. But be that as it may, the advantages the shape brings both in rear and booth space are quite astonishing.

The two back seats are of adult size and set slightly higher than the front seats, meaning they feel less cramped. In addition, the luggage space behind them is impressive, and should only two of you travel, the FF is as spacious as a hatchback. But that’s where the similarities end…

*You can fit a lot in here and if you’re four, it’s not too bad either*

Before we get to the main course, i.e. one of the most wonderful engine ever built, let’s look at another FF perk, namely its first four-wheel drive system. You see, not only is the FF Ferrari’s first-ever 4WD car, but it is so thanks to one of the most advanced systems in the market – for good and bad.

When the decision was taken that the FF should drive on all four wheels, Ferrari wasn’t happy with the compromises a traditional 4WD system would give, notably in additional weight moving the weight distribution upwards. Instead, they went ahead and developed their own system in the shape of a simplified, second two-speed gearbox (plus reverse) that sits behind the engine, allowing the latter to be positioned as low in the car as in any other Ferrari.

The system is called 4RM and can in a simplified way be described as the two gears having two clutches that constantly slip, thus meaning the system doesn’t need a differential. It’s only active in gears 1-4, and never with more than around 20% of the car’s 650 Nm of torque. The FF remains fundamentally rear-wheel drive, but thanks to the so called PTU (Power Transfer Unit) which transfers power to the front wheels independently when required, the front wheels can complement the rear ones.

*This is not the road to Verbier, but the FF will definitely take you there!*

There’s no doubt it’s a highly advanced system from a technological point of view, and one of its advantages is the weight saving, given it’s around 50% lighter than other 4WD systems. Unfortunately it’s not all rosy though, as we’ll see later.

So what about that engine? Well, it really is everything you could ever ask for. As a naturally aspirated, 12-cylinder, 6.3 litre piece, it was the biggest engine in the world when the FF was launched, and putting out around 660 hp, it ensures that even at close around 1900 kg, the FF is seriously fast at 3.7 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of around 330 km/h. I don’t need to tell you how well the engine sounds, and it’s paired to a seven-speed, DSG box from Gertrag that does an excellent job.

So with all this said, who is the typical FF-buyer? Some Youtuber suggested it’s someone who would otherwise consider an Audi RS6, which I personally think is utter b’shit. I would rather think of three types: the supercar driver with need for more room, the parent with small children and an understanding other half, or the parent with grown-up children, thus only looking at transporting himself and his partner. If it weren’t for the dog cage, I would fit perfectly into that third category…

If you feel like this describes you, there are a few things you should consider before parking a 6.3 litres V12 in your garage. The first is that the FF is a big car. At almost five metres long and two metres wide, it’s only marginally smaller than a Range Rover, meaning it’s not a car for narrow streets or congested cities, but rather for long stretches of motorway travelling. That also means you will manage a few more km before re-fueling, which is something you’ll be doing a lot of, in spite of a 90-litre tank. It all depends on your driving, but 1.7-2 litres per 100 km is what you’re likely to see.

*Intsead of worrying about fuel costs, enjoy the wonderful interior!*

And then there’s the PTU issue. As ingenious as the construction may be, it quickly became a major issue for Ferrari, since the PTU would leak in a large number of cases. At first Ferrari would replace it under warranty, then at cost, meaning more than EUR 25.000, but after that, specialist companies have come up who can renovate the box without replacing it, cutting the cost to EUR 8-10.000. So before buying an FF, make sure the PTU has been replaced or renovated, and otherwise negotiate the price heavily!

Next to that however, the FF rather has less issues than other supercars. It’s quite simply a great and very capable proposition, with the added advantage that it looks to have bottomed out, price-wise. Even if it was built during five years between 2011-2016, only some 2300 cars were produced in total, which is certainly one factor in keeping prices steady. The fact that most PTU’s have been fixed is another, as is of course one of the last true engines out there!

*The glass roof adds a lot of airiness especially to the back seats*

Most FF’s sold as new for EUR 350.000-400.000, depending on equipment, and most can today be had for EUR 100.000 (early cars with around 90.000-100.000 km on the clock) to 150.000, meaning less than half of their value as new. You will typically see higher mileages than for other Feraris, as FF’s tend to be used, which is a good thing! The condition, the PTU and the equipment are more important than the year of production, but if you have the choice, go for a newer car such as to avoid some small issues early cars may have. On that equipment list, the glass roof is a great option if you will regularly carry people in the back, but it’s one that will push up the price.

I could go on, but I think you got it by now. The FF is a car which as a package we will never see again. It’s far sportier than a Bentley Continental GT, and it it’s not only prettier, but also far roomier than the Aston Martin Rapide, which isn’t four-wheel drive. What’s more, it’s successor, the GTC4, is basically a face-lifted version of the same car, for which you’ll still pay around EUR 50-70.000 more, which there really isn’t any reason to do. Thus, if you have the passion and the money (including a budget for things that shouldn’t, but could go wrong), at least this blogger can’t think of a better option. FF is officially short for Ferrari Four, referring to both wheels and seats. I’ll take it to mean Forza Ferrari!

F1 pit stop: a record breaking 2023 season!

On December 3, 2023December 3, 2023 By ChristofferIn F1, News1 Comment

The F1 season 2023 has come to an end, and in terms of the the title, it’s been a very unspectacular one from start to end, and at any point there in between. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are very much the uncontested champions of this year’s season, of which there was really never any doubt – except for yours truly, who at some point was at least hoping things would heat up a little…

*The title was his already after the sprint race in Qatar on 7 October.*

Looking a bit more in detail at the numbers around Max’s triumph makes it even more impressive. His 19 wins this season is more than anyone has ever achieved, as are his 21 podiums (which of course means that when he was on the podium, with only two exceptions he claimed P1. That most definitely says a bit about the character of the man!). 10 of those 19 wins were also consecutive, which, you guessed it, is yet another record.

Max of course excels not only in driving skills but also in consistency and mental strength. This is perhaps best illustrated in a comparison with Sergio “Checo” Perez, his teammate. There is really no doubt that Checo is one of the best drivers on the grid, but as we sum up the season, he is still lightyears away from Max, especially in consistency and mental strength, which I would claim contribute more than you may think to Verstappen’s success.

*The season had ups and downs, but in the end Checo managed P2*

There was thus never any question on who would become world champion, but it was far more unclear that Checo would manage to hold on to P2, especially in the latter part of the season when he faded quite considerably. In the end he did fight off Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes by a relatively healthy 51 points, making it a 1-2 for Red Bull. For team boss Christian Horner, it also means beating his arch rival Toto Wolf at Mercedes for the third year in a row, which is probably almost as important as the title itself…

All was not gloom and doom for the other teams though, especially in the second part of the season. Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all became more competitive basically with every race. The biggest surprise was perhaps McLaren where Lando Norris made seven podiums this year, all in the second part of the season, and Oscar Piastri added another two. McLaren are clearly on a positive trend, and Piastri is still young, so next year could be really interesting for the team!

*McLaren and Norris are now on par with Mercedes and Ferrari, and sometimes above!*

Especially in the second part of the season, Ferrari also looked like a much better team than at any time in the last years, which is down both to improvements with the car, but also with Cédric Vasseur as new team boss, clearly bringing some well-needed strategy, and reminding the team of how to execute a pit stop properly. In the end Leclerc and Sainz finished fifth and seventh respectively, with only six points and one Lando Norris in between them.

The biggest surprise in this year’s first races was no doubt Aston Martin Racing and Fernando Alonso, who managed to score six podiums in the first eight races of the year. Unfortunately he faded after that, only adding another two in the latter part of the year, but still ending the year in a very impressive fourth position, giving a good illustration of the potential of the car, in stark contrast to his team mate Lance Stroll, who was nowhere to be seen.

*Alonso proved both him and the car (still) have a lot to give!*

Looking further down the ranking, there really isn’t much to write home about. Renault Alpine is stuck somewhere in the middle, better than the teams behind but no longer comparable to McLaren, as they’ve been in previous years. Behind them, Alpha Tauri, Williams, Alfa Romeo Racing and Haas (roughly from best to worse) are as far from the top as Elon Musk’s ability to stick to deadlines.

Tsunoda produces more f-words than points in most races, Alex Albon manages to get more out of the Williams than should be possible from time to time, Bottas and the Alfa Romeo car he’s driving both look about as tired, and not even team boss Günther Steiner can make Haas feel like an attractive proposition for next season, unless something changes pretty dramatically.

Thus, as we close the books for 2023, it looks pretty much the same as when we did so in 2022. Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are all closer to Red Bull than they used to be, but right now it’s difficult to see how they would be able to challenge neither the team, nor Max Verstappen as a driver next season. I guess the risk that Max’s ego no longer fits into the Red Bull car needs to be taken into account, but assuming he manages to squeeze it in, at this stage the money is on a fourth Verstappen-Red Bull title a year from now!

Classic races – the Monte Carlo Rally!

On November 26, 2023November 26, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic races, NewsLeave a comment

If there’s one classic car race that is special to me, it’s the Monte Carlo rally. When I was seven, I moved to Monaco with my family, and in the three winters we were there, my father and I went up into the French hills above the Principality where the race takes place to watch it.

Of course in those days, watching rallies from the road side was a bit more intense than now, given there were practically no safety measures whatsoever. In terms of childhood memories that stick, I can thus tell you that standing right next to the road in complete darkness and hear an engine roar building long before you see the headlights, and then have the car pass one meter before you at a speed that if it hit you, would send you fly all the way back down to the beach – that’s definitely one of them!

First run in 1911 when it was inaugurated by Prince Albert 1, the Monte-Carlo Rally actually counts as the oldest rally in the world, and no doubt also as one of the most famous. The organization of the race has since the beginning been the responsibility of the Automobile Club de Monaco, in turn founded as early as 1890.

*It’s unclear how long it took Rougier to reach Monaco…*

As with so many races in the old days, things were a tad less organized. The 23 cars in the first ever race started from nine different locations in France, with a certain Henri Rougier, who was the main dealer for his car brand Turcat-Mery, starting with some others in Paris. From there they drove the more than 1000 km to Monaco, where Rougier was judged as winner in his Turcat-Mery 25HP.

It’s a bit unclear if he arrived first as the judging also included some rather arbitrary categories such as elegance of the car and its condition at arrival. Far from everyone apparently agreed with Rougier’s win, but it didn’t change the result. A gentleman named Justin Beutler finished third but would win the race the next year, after which there wouldn’t be any further races until 1924.

Moving forward to the post WW2 period, the race was resumed in 1949, with an array of different cars and drivers winning it in subsequent years. A Hotchkiss Gregoire is perhaps not what we imagine under a rally car today, but it was part of the winners, as were notably also the Lancia Aurelia GT and the Jaguar MK VII. And then came the Swedes…

*Erik “on the roof” showing some inspired driving!*

In 1962, Saab entered the Monte Carlo Rally with the Saab 96, driven by Erik Carlsson. He was one of the world’s best rally drivers in the early 60’s, and in Sweden carried the nickname “on the roof”, since that was where he had landed his car during a race early in his career.

He was however also known as Mr. Saab as he would never drive another brand, and he won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1962-1963, finishing third in 1964. That year, the next car that would dominate the race in the coming years won for the first time – the Mini!

Mini would win three races officially in the coming years, and four years unofficially. In 1966, no less than three Minis were the fastest, but they were all disqualified for having incorrect headlights. That was apparently a bit of a scandal, but it only increased the Mini’s popularity over the coming years.

*Two of the four Minis finishing 1-4 in 1966, only to be disqualified*

Since the start, the Monte Carlo Rally had remained a so called concentration rally, meaning cars would start at different locations at roughly equal distance to Monaco, around which there would be a few special stages. This would be the case all through 1991, making the rally very special – as did no doubt the fact that it was run in the winter when there would typically be snow in the final mountain stages.

It was these stages, especially those run at night, that captivated me in the late 70’s and early 80’s. And the stage that has always been the most captivating is the one on the 31 km between La Bollène-Vésubie and Sospel, passing the famous Col de Turini. In some years it’s been run at night, officially referred to as “the night of the long knives”, a reference to the headlights I mentioned initially cutting through darkness.

In some years when spectactors have felt there wasn’t enough snow on the road, they’ve brought shovels to add some from the side of the road. That notably led to both Marcus Grönholm and Petter Solberg crashing heavily in 2005, being surprised there was all of a sudden snow on the road. That’s the Monte Carlo Rally!

*1977 was a snowy year – and the Stratos reigned supreme!*

In the late 70’s, the Lancia Stratos was by far the coolest car, and also won the rally a couple of years. The king of the rally in this period was however German Walter Röhrl, who won the rally four times – in four different cars! In the 80’s it was then all about the Audi Quattro, before recent history has seen a mix of the same cars winning other rallies.

With a lot of non-French drivers dominating the rally over earlier decades, in the 2000’s it’s mostly been about Frenchman Sébastien Loeb and his countryman Sébastien Ogier. Loeb won a total of eight races since the 00’s, and Ogier no less than nine times since 2009, making him the most successful Monte Carlo driver in history.

*Sebastien Ogier killing it in the 2023 rally*

The next Monte Carlo rally will be run on 21-24 January 2024, and includes the famous Col de Turini stage. If you happen to be in southern France then, you know where to go!

If you’re not, check this link for a 5-minute video showing Walter Röhrl driving the Col de Turini in an Audi Quattro on its 30-year anniversary, perfectly illustrating that neither the car, nor him haven’t lost the magic! And if that’s too old for you, you may want to see Sébastien Ogier giving lessons in inspired driving in this year’s rally by clicking here!

V for Valkyrie!

On November 19, 2023November 19, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream GarageLeave a comment

It was in the spring of 2019, almost five years and one pandemic ago, that I travelled to Geneva to attend the annual Autosalon, of which I did the only video featured on this blog – so far. Maybe it’s me but I found it quite funny to watch again today. Five years is not a long time in car development, but as you’ll see for yourself, a few things have happened since.

Charging a battery to 80% in under five minutes as Piëch Design promised hasn’t happened, and the company seems to have wholly disappeared. Side mirrors replaced by cameras as was then featured on the Audi e-tron hasn’t become a success either, at least not yet, but the car we’ll talk about today has them, along with a lot of other fancy stuff.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie is thus now out on the streets for real, which arguably is more important than mass adoption of side cameras, given it’s pretty much the greatest supercar out there.

The Valkyrie is featured in the video from 2019 as well, but took longer than anticipated to reach the market, as was the case for so many at the onset of the pandemic. As I had the opportunity to chat with someone knowing far more about it than me recently, it became clear that it’s such a fascinating car that its story needs to be told!

Aston likes names beginning with “V”, and Valkyrie is taken from the Nordic mythology. When the first cars were finally delivered in 2021, it became clear just how much of the development had really happened with Red Bull and F1 technology. The Nordic Gods would certainly have been impressed!

The street car weighs around a ton, which is impressive but still around 250 kg more than the track version. What is not carbon is 3D-printed plastic, of which Aston is apparently very proud. An extreme illustration of weight-saving is the paint, which including all sub-layers weighs 3.5 kgs for the whole car, and is so thinly layered that you can see the carbon structure under it. Wrapping your Valkyrie is thus very highly recommended, since repairing scratched carbon is not a cheap past time.

*Wind channels all over, including on the roof to cool the enormous engine*

The F1 heritage is visible in the design of the whole car. There’s a lot of wind tunnel testing that has helped shape it, not just in terms of aerodynamics. The shape also produces close to two tons of downforce and an elaborate way air-cooling the (mid-mounted) engine, just like an F1 car does. The front suspension also comes straight from F1.

The 6.5 litre V12 engine is a true monster, reinforced by an electric engine that in a Kers-like way produces an additional 150 hp for short boosts, to be added to the V12’s paltry 1015 hp. The total under acceleration is thus 1165 hp, which the downforce helps the rear wheels get onto the road. Even more incredibly, this huge V12 revs to 9.000 rpm!

When it does so, it’s loud as hell. The interior sound has been measured to 107 dB, which is louder than standing next to a chain saw. Since that’s an activity that isn’t recommended, the Valkyrie comes with two noise-blocking headsets, just like in a helicopter. These are connected to the seatbelts, and also allow the passenger and driver to chat.

*The doors are said to be as light as paper, the headlights see through corners…*

Given however that driving a car with a headset is not allowed in most countries, Aston could only get an exception granted by making sure that the sound of emergency vehicles in every country the Valkyrie can be sold in, can be heard through the headset. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Almost as cool is the windscreen, which is more curved than on any other car. Curving glass to that degree is not easy, so Aston turned to NASA, who have developed the front screen along the same lines as for space rockets. You don’t want to know what replacing one would cost, but you could buy a few Chinese EV’s for the same money.

Other technology highlights include the side mirrors mentioned above, the headlights that like a submarine periscope can see around corners, and of course the titanium wheels that cannot be repaired should you scratch them, and of which the new price for all four is apparently EUR 120.000. And I almost forgot, the fire extinguisher button is located in the center of the inner roof. Given it’s red, a number of clients have apparently mistaken it for the starter button…

*Clean and minimalist, getting in reqjuires removing your shoes*

Speaking of the inside, it’s follows a very minimalist design. There’s not a single button or switch outside of the steering wheel, and the center screen is of a modest size. That said, the street car still has modern comfort features such as AC. The cabin is for two, but it’s an advantage if they like each other, since saying the cabin is cramped is an understatement.

Like in a true race car, you sit with your feet higher up than your bottom – in other words, a lying position. To get in, you need to remove the steering wheel and place your feet on the seat, meaning you should preferably take off your shoes. But once you’re in, you probably won’t be able to put them on again. Go figure…

As new, the Valkyrie costs around GBP 3m, and of course you have to apply to get one. The delivery time is around two years, and just to get on the list of potential buyers takes you a down payment of GBP 500.000. Should you then be approved, you will have to do a second down payment of GBP 750.000 within seven days.

This is of course Aston trying to make sure that whoever buys the car isn’t some car of trader or dealer. As is common practicen in the supercar world these days, the lucky owners are also subject to a minimum owning period of 18 months. That said, the street value of a Valkyrie is today around EUR 4m, and it will certainly not be less in 18 months from now!

The Valkyrie is an incredible car and no doubt the closest you can get to a street-legal F1 car. Unless you have regular access to a race track, it’s unclear what you would use it for, and it’s unfortunately safe to assume that most Valkyries will spend their time in a garage before switching owners for much more than the original price a couple of years from now. But for the lucky ones who will actually drive it, what an experience!

Dreaming of the 250 GT TdF…

On November 12, 2023November 12, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream GarageLeave a comment

This week is for dreaming. After all, with all the sh* currently going on in the world, I’m quite confident that I’m not the only one feeling a need to flee reality a few minutes. Doing just that, If someone says Tour de France, or TdF in short to you, you most probably think of the world’s most famous road cycle race. Or even dream about it, depending on your disposition to cycling.

As so many other middle-aged men, I’m a road cyclist refusing to realize I’m getting old, and I certainly dream regularly about some of the legendary ascents in the Tour de France such as the Tourmalet, the Col de la Madelaine or the legendary Mont Ventoux, and climbing these at some kind of speed resembling what the pros do. Which of course is never going to happen.

If we go back in time though, there was another TdF as well, namely a car race carrying the same name, which with breaks for various wars ran more or less regularly from 1899 to 1986. As so many other things, the race was especially popular when it resumed after the second world war in the 1950’s. And in the second half of the 50’s, no other brand dominated the race like Ferrari.

*The 250 GT LWB Competizione, nr 15 of 17 in the third series*

So much in fact, that Ferrari chose to call the new, successful 250 GT Berlinetta the “TdF”. And if ever there was a representative of an era when car design was not bothered with safety constraints and aerodynamics but quite simply by designing strikingly beautiful cars, the TdF is certainly an excellent representative of it, and thereby a perfect dream car!

The TdF dominated the race every year between 1956 and 1959, and until it was succeeded by the short wheelbase 250 GT Berlinetta (same name, but with its introduction the original car was from then called LWB), it was built in four different, distinct series.

And yet, no more than 72 cars were built all in all, of which nine in “Competizione” race configuration. The car pictured above is one of those and was nr 15 of 17 in the third series. As you’ll note, the design was quite different to the earlier car from 1956, pictured below.

What all the TdF’s had in common however, was the beautiful, lightweight coachwork, designed by Pininfarina, and subsequently built in aluminium by Scaglietti. Actually the first body was designed by Scaglietti, as were apparently also some later ones. Things were a bit less organized in the old days.

Anyway, sticking with Pininfarina’s design, I don’t think it requires much in words – just look at it, whether it’s the two cars above, the second of which by the way won the Best of Show“-Trophy at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance in 2021.

On the mechanical side, the V12 (what else?) was developed and improved across the different series, but is said to have produced around 260 hp. It was coupled to Ferrari’s “Competizione” gearbox with a limited slip differential, and mechanically the car was seen as far ahead of its time and was therefore also an important milestone for Ferrari.

*This later, SWB 250 GT could become yours!*

It goes without saying that the 250 GT, be it as LWB or SWB, is today among the most treasured and pricey classic cars out there. The car shown at the top was up for sale at Sotheby’s in Monaco five years ago an estimated at EUR 6-8m. And if you read this on the day it’s published, be aware that tomorrow Monday, 13 November 2023, the red 1962 250 GT SWB shown above is going up at Sotheby’s in Monaco, this time estimated to fetch USD 60m. Inflation anyone?

Like many other classic Ferraris, the 250 GT is thus best enjoyed as a dream – but what a dream! Of course things weren’t better in the 50’s than today, but coming out of a World War, optimism was slowly returning, and creativity was high. The 250 GT is a great illustration of that and thereby also of what we would need a bit more of today!

Auto legends: the story of Carlos Ghosn!

On November 5, 2023November 5, 2023 By ChristofferIn Auto Legends, NewsLeave a comment

Before we start off, just a note to say that the fact that last week’s post came out on Friday rather than Sunday doesn’t mean a change of schedule, it was quite simply a mistake by yours truly. Sunday night European time it has been, and Sunday night it will stay! And with that, on to this week’s program.

____________

When you set out to write about a legend from the automobile industry, you have a pretty good feel for what it will run like. From the youth and dreams of making it big, over education, the first jobs, through the career to the older days. The story usually doesn’t include murders (indirectly), prison escapes and financial fraud. Until you get to Carlos Ghosn, that is, because writing about the man who revolutionised first Renault and then Nissan, is like writing a pretty good thriller story. So buckle up for the ride!

Carlos Ghosn is Lebanese, born in Brazil in 1954, but the family then moved back to Lebanon in 1960. HIs father was a diamond trader who after the return was convicted in Lebanon of murdering a priest. Given murder usually doesn’t do wonders for your reputation, he would move back to Brazil when the Lebanese civil war broke out in the mid 1970’s.

*One of few pictures of Ghosn as a young man, here as a student in Paris*

Carlos, after his graduation, moved to France instead where he would spend close to 20 years at Michelin, the tire maker, making a name for himself in the 80’s notably by turning around first Michelin’s failing South American operations in two years, and after that the one in the US. He reported directly to Francois Michelin, the company’s CEO, and would then move on to Renault.

At Renault, Ghosn performed roughly the same trick at the company’s South American operation as he had done at Michelin, which made Renault’s then CEO Louis Schweitzer notice him. The French automaker had just recorded a loss of over USD 500m the year before (doesn’t sound like much today, I know, but this was the age when money was still worth something…), one of the first in its history.

Schweitzer was looking for help to turn the ship around and for the right man to do it. He had also started to think about his own successor a bit further down the line. It took him only one face-to-face meeting with Carlos Ghosn to decide that he was the one. This may not sound too surprising, but we have to take a step back here to put it in the local context at the time.

*Schweitzer (right) and Ghosn, when things were still going well*

Renault is the crown jewel of the French car industry. It was founded in 1898 and the French state has held a minority stake since the end of WW2. It was completely unheard of that the coming CEO of Renault would not be French, and would not come from the inner circles of the French establishment. Ghosn certainly didn’t, and was at the time only a Lebanese citizen. He would later also acquire French citizenshop.

It wasn’t just that Ghosn didn’t come from the inner Parisian circles, it was also that he had no desire at all of becoming part of them. He was certainly not the party-going, champagne-drinking small talker seen at parties among other bosses in the French capital. He hated these occasions, meaning no one really knew him. And what you don’t know, you sometimes don’t like. This has a certain relevance for the rest of the story: Ghosn has always been the outsider, and although a power player, he never really created a support network around him.

*The closure of the Belgian Renault factory didn’t go down very well*

When Ghosn was called upon by Schweitzer as head of production for Renault in the mid-90’s, he went through pretty much every single of the thousands of parts making up an automaker. He analyzed each function, gave out objectives for each division, and started cutting excess fat, meaning laying people off. In 1996, 3.000 workers thus lost their job in Renault’s Belgian factory. A couple of years later though, Renault had turned the largest loss in its 100-year history to over USD 1bn in profits. The man dubbed “Le Cost-Cutter” had done it again.

Schweitzer was at the same time making strategic plans, since in spite of his right-hand man’s good work, it was clear to him that long-term, Renault was too small to survive as a stand-alone manufacturer. His vision was for an alliance with an Asian manufacturer, and when Renault acquired 1/3 of Nissan in 1999, Schweitzer took a big bet on not only Renault’s future, but also on Carlos Ghosn whom he made CEO of Nissan, and without whom he’s said that he would never had done the deal.

*The Nissan line-up in the 90’s was…. yeah. Here the Nissan Pulsar*

When Ghosn came to Nissan, he found what he was used to: a loss-making company without great hope. Its line-up was out of fashion and according to insiders, Nissan had forgotten how to build attractive cars. In addition, with USD 20bn in debt, the company was on the brink of insolvency. Ghosn wasted no time in pretty much rebuilding the company from the bottom and up. He did so spending as little time Japanese cultural courses as he had drinking champagne in Paris, realizing that he would anyway always be the outsider in Japan.

As he had done a few years earlier at Renault, Ghosn travelled through Japan, visiting every Nissan factory and shaking a lot of hands. He then developed a three-year plan to return the company to profitability, based partly on the cost-cutting approach he had become known for, and which Nissan no doubt needed. As a consequence he would fire 21.000 employees, 14% of Nissan’s work force. In the consensual Japanese culture, this was unheard of.

It wasn’t all about cost-cutting though, as another, arguably even more important part, was re-creating the model line-up. For car enthusiasts, the most important here are on one hand the 350Z, a very well balanced sports car that also has the benefit of being easy to tune, and on the other of course, the legendary rebirth of the GT-R, partly referred to as Skyline in Japan.

*Peak Nissan and peak Ghosn: the GT-R Nismo launch*

The success followed shortly thereafter. In just a few years, Ghosn had changed Nissan’s whole line-up, launched two sports car considerably improving its reputation, and turned USD 20bn in debt to USD 15bn in the bank. Nissan also produced and sold twice as many cars than just a few years before, meaning more than 5.5 million.

The launch of the GT-R in 2007 was no doubt Ghosn’w peak moment at Nissan, and also the start of his downfall. Ghosn was by now hailed as a superstar and was very smart about cultivating his profile and media presence. His aura was so bright that no one really paid attention to what happened behind it, for example the fact that Ghosn owned about seven times more than the CEO of Toyota, and still felt he was underpaid. He had also made sure Nissan hadn’t reported his salary according to stock market rules.

When Louis Schweitzer stepped down as CEO of Renault in 2005, Ghosn succeeded him, but in spite of promises made previously, insisted on staying on as CEO of Nissan. He thus managed to global car companies 10.000 km apart, something that everyone but him clearly saw didn’t work.

*Ghosn’s globetrotter lifestyle didn’t go down well with the low-key Japanese culture…*

Clearly losing touch with the wider world, Ghosn now started to create companies on various warm islands around the world, that he filled with Nissan’s corporate money with the official purpose of investing in riskier ventures and start-ups. In the resulting lack of transparency, it then became clear that some of the money had rather been used for everything from private houses to family holidays. Mr. Cost Killer was certainly not cutting costs for himself…

As can happen to people with nothing but yes-sayers around him, Ghosn started to develop a certain paranoia. So in 2010, when he received an anonymous letter claiming that three highly placed executives at Renault were involved in selling company secrets to the Chinese, Ghosn had them all fired in a major public exercise, only to admit a few months later that the claims had been unfounded.

The scandal was so big that French president Sarkozy was asking for heads to roll, so Ghosn sacrificed his COO without blinking. The French did not approve, and if you remember from further up, Ghosn didn’t have a powerful network in France to protect him. That was starting to show.

*Sarkozy (right) wasn’t amused. Ghosn was happy to drop his COO to make him happier*

In 2018, after close to 20 years at the top at Nissan, Carlos Ghosn was arrested by Japanese police when landing in Tokyo, and charged with fraud. The charges came from a Nissan internal investigation that had been going for months, and no doubt also triggered by Ghosn’s failure to report his salary.

The former yes-sayers at the top of Nissan didn’t just want him gone – they wanted him in prison. And for that, Japan is a great place since once you’re arrested, there is a quasi-certainty that you will also be found guilty. Which, by all probability, Carlos Ghosn was.

The fact is though, that we’ll never know. Ghosn was held in captivity for 130 days, being interrogated every day. His lawyers tried to have his trial moved to France, but with no one in France was really interested in that and as said, Ghosn lacked a strong personal network.

*A similar box to the one Ghosn escaped in*

He was finally released on bail awaiting the trial, but it would never come to that. In a masterful exercise, the details of which go beyond this blog, Ghosn escaped Japan on a private jet, hidden in an instrument box, and fled to Lebanon.

As per today, Carlos Ghosn lives in Beirut and will most probably stay there, as there is an international warrant for his arrest if he leaves Lebanon. He has always claimed his innocence and says he would be happy to stand trial in any country but Japan because of, in his words, the biased judicial system, but that will probably never happen. Nissan has an outstanding personal claim on him of EUR 83m, that will most probably never be paid.

The Renault-Nissan alliance still exists and these days also includes Mitsubishi. In the current setup a co-CEO system is in place, and there is no more reliance on one person. That’s probably good, but It’s also difficult to find three car companies with a less exiting model line-up than these three.

*The “corporate” Nissan house in Lebanon Ghosn now lives in…*

There is no doubt that Carlos Ghosn was exceptionally good at turning businesses to profit and also understanding what customers wanted. It’s also true that he spent 20 years on the other side of the world, in a completely different culture and language, which most certainly contributed to the rest of the story. It’s a shame that it ended like it did, but it’s yet another proof that even the most brilliant men and women often are their own worst enemy. And while Ghosn is gone, quite a few of us are thankful to him for creating the wonderful GT-R!

Talk of the (car) town – October

On October 27, 2023October 25, 2023 By ChristofferIn NewsLeave a comment

This is a new theme on the blog (that will run under the sub-heading “News” such as not to complicate things), where the idea is to bring you a few items currently talked about in the car world from time to time. No strict plans so most probably a bunch of different things with a few weeks’ interval. In this first piece, we’ll travel from Germany to China and back over Italy – enjoy the reading!

Germany used to be the place to start for pretty much anything car related but today, unfortunately, you do so mostly for other reasons. This is however a funny one. In 2022, some 2.6 million new cars were sold in Germany, but only around 400 of those were Ferrari F8’s. That’s perhaps not very surprising, but what is more so is the fact that that number is almost identical to something very far from any kind of Ferrari, namely the good old Land Rover Discovery.

*The Family F8, where you’ll never see it….*

The latest Disco has been around a while and is one of the roomiest and most offroad capable SUV’s out there, if ever you were to venture outside of the beaten path, which of course 99% of all buyers never will. It’s also one of the boxiest, and I guess one reason for its lack of success is that not many people want to confuse their car with their fridge.

Other downsides include the price (superior to a comparable X5 or a GLE), running costs (on par with a Range Rover and not something I necessarily want to go into in more detail, but it’s bad…), and a questionable quality reputation, as is mostly the case with anything from the Land Rover brand.

On the plus side though, next to the roominess that comes with its shape, is sublime comfort, as said unbeatable terrain capability and, as it turns out, the fact that you won’t see one on every corner. So as long as you don’t confuse it with your fridge, the Disco is the Ferrari F8 for the family!

*The say you should always buy a car in the press color. Not convinced…*

Staying in Germany, the next theme is far less funny, but unfortunately very typical of what goes on today. Next to the country’s completely failed energy policy, the Green finance minister Habeck has now removed subsidies on EV’s, which – surprise! – has caused such a drastic fall in sales that VW have had to let go of several hundred workers in their new model EV factory in Zwickau.

One of the reasons EV’s don’t sell very well once subsidies are gone is the fact that they’re not very competitively priced. A good case in point is the VW ID.3, basically an EV Golf, which sells for no less than EUR 40.000 in its basic configuration with a 55 KwH battery, to which you need to add another EUR 10.000 to get the larger 77 KwH battery. As a comparison, a combustion Golf in the same country costs from EUR 30.000 and upwards.

Where it gets really interesting though is when you learn that the same ID.3 costs less than EUR 20.000 in China. The reason is simple: China continues to heavily subsidize its EV industry and it’s only at this price that VW can hope to sell any ID.3’s at all. The practical implication is thus that German EV buyers subsidize Chinese ones, which I don’t believe Herr Müller was necessarily informed of by his VW salesman…

*The original Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale from 1967*

We’ll leave Germany for now and go to a happier place and happier news, namely that Alfa Romeo is planning to build a new supercar! This is of course something that makes any car enthusiast’s heart beat faster, especially since it’s been longer than anyone cares to remember since the 33 Stradale, which Alfa says is the new car’s predecessor, hit the roads.

The new car will thus be built 33 times and before you start making plans, all of them are already sold. It looks neat, much nicer than the Maserati MC20 if you ask me, the car with which it shares its six-cylinder turbo engine, here developing 620 hp.

*The new looks good, but not as good as the original…*

That’s if you opt for the combustion version, because Alfa also gives you the option to order the new car as a 750 hp EV as well. And although the order book is already filled, they haven’t yet divulged how the two version split between the 33 sold.

My guess, especially if the trend we saw last week with the SF90 Stradale is anything to go by, is about 33 petrol. As for the price the 33 lucky owners have paid for the pleasure, it’s a pretty chunky EUR 3m. That would get you no less than 75 VW ID.3’s in Germany – or of course twice as many if you happen to be in China!