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I’m fairly critical of cars that manufacturers cobble together in a hurry and charge more for whether they be body on frame SUVs, sedan-based coupes, hardtop based convertibles, or the new strain of ‘four door coupes’ (e.g. MB CLS, BMW X6, VW Passat CC) if only because the consumer seems to be getting a raw deal when paying a premium for what is in many ways an inferior, more compromised car.

But as this quote reminds us, in some cases such cars are a second chance for a carmaker to make right a previous attempt. And if I take off my cynic’s cap for a moment, you have to applaud anything that leads to more choice for the consumer and fewer dull, ‘me-too’ cars on the road.

The whole idea seems an extravagant folly, a marketing indulgence of almost Phaeton-like magnitude. But then the regular Passat, while a competent car, is hardly an object of desire. The CC offers a chance of one-upmanship sufficient, maybe, to secure a purchase instead of passing the Passat by. [The resulting car offers] Mercedes indulgence at a sensible price – evo

(As an aside, note a comment that applies to the standard Passat and most front drive sedans in general):

Best version? Not the V6 3.6 4Motion, which feels too heavy and clunky. It’s the entry-level 1.8 TSI with 158bhp, a crisp, punchy engine powering an agile, comfortable car. Less is more here, too.

In an age when advertising and moviemaking’s flooded with computer generated work and even more flooded feature lists, the commercial ‘M3 Revolution’ was a revelation.

You can see the spot – and how they made it – here.

UPDATE: Angus Mackenzie’s blog entry after first driving the X6 is a great read and can be found here.

ORIGINAL POST

“Perfectly pointless.” After taking the X6 xDrive 35i home for a night, that’s how editor-in-chief MacKenzie summarizes the X6. It’s a damning critique of BMW’s latest as a flawless execution of a worst-of-both-worlds concept: sport-coupe practicality with SUV-like handling… While you don’t exactly flop and flail about in the BMW, there’s… a feeling of sitting on top of the car, rather than in it, especially as it leans into corners. Reynolds was ultimately displeased by this driving machine: “The X6 wobbles, shudders, plows at the limit-and does so much damage to BMW’s reputation for building fine driving automobiles, it’s almost obscene… “They’ve missed the target with the X6,” he continues. “It’s ungainly and awkward to drive.” the X6 tends to toss people around… Kiino sums it up: “Unless I really wanted one of the X6’s new engines or was completely smitten by the styling, I can’t figure out why would I buy the X6 over the X5. It’s basically the same car-just less practical and more expensive.”...Slaves to fashion will look no further than this boulevard strutting beauty queen. Shame she doesn’t drive as good as she looks. – Motor Trend

Hard to say whether it was a matter of the chassis not being happy with the needlessly large 20” wheels or that the XDrive with Dynamic Performance Control doesn’t wake up fast enough for quick 5000lbs and sitting this high is going to feel sporty but never sporting.

Actually as a fan of cars in BMW’s past, it’s hard to say what BMW was thinking other to point to this:

says Vance, “I guarantee that for the first six months they’re on sale, the X6 will be the hottest ride in L.A.!”

“As soon as the asphalt cracks up, the ride shifts into hammer time-way too stiff for comfortable motoring, even if you’re in attack mode,” carps St. Antoine. Technical editor Kim Reynolds opines, “Over many areas of non-smooth surface, the car just goes into a blur.” In addition to its intolerable ride over patchy pavement, the 550i disappoints with fatigue-inducing front seats, a still frustrating and unintuitive iDrive, a dark and cold cockpit, and a monster engine that somehow doesn’t feel that monsterlike out on the road. – Motor Trend

the ride – agitated, noisy and totally unable to deal with short, sharp bumps. Body control is good when you do decide to work the chassis hard, but you only discover its excellent neutral balance after ignoring all the signals that are screaming at you to slow down – at seven-tenths the 6 feels ragged and ill-sorted. The Sport package adds 19in wheels – and in combination with 35-profile run-flat tyres they really hobble the big coupe. It’s a confused and confusing car, reluctant to be driven like a sports car and without the sophistication of ride to be a true GT. – evo

what an engine [the normally aspirated 3 liter 6] is. Sweet-spinning, sonorous and powerful… [but] Sold on its sporting credentials, enthusiastic drivers might at first be a little disappointed at the way the 1-Series drives. Turn into a corner briskly and the nose is always a little too keen to wash wide. Despite the impressive weight distribution, this is not a BMW that likes to corner with a tail-out stance… That said, ease off the pace a little and the BMW is still a fine back road companion – and a very quick one at that. Accept the 1-Series… as more of an elegant… mini-GT rather than a sportscar and you won’t come away disappointed. – 4car

There’s a smidgen too much padding in the driver’s seat and steering-wheel rim to make you feel instantly in touch with the road… It’s the front that will eventually let go first, and this, combined with steering that doesn’t feel quite as precise or reassuring as you’d like, can make it difficult to commit on the entry to a bend… in the dry there’s more grip than power. Not an oversteer hero then, unless it’s wet… the wheel control can get vague if you hit a bump mid-corner, unsettling the car disconcertingly. – evo

I point these out not to level criticism at the 1 series specifically but rather to highlight that each of these points to trends at BMW that I’m hoping will pass…

The Infiniti’s combination of instant steering response, taut suspension, brawny brakes, and a hell-bent engine kept the stability control warning lamp winking. The G37S felt as if it left the road in its wake bruised and bleeding. The BMW exhibited a gentler touch with its lyrical approach to speed. Technically, the Infiniti should have the edge, thanks to superior horsepower, a more sophisticated front suspension, quicker steering, and stouter brakes, but the Bimmer knocks stats and specs in the ditch with the way it carves the road into savory, bite-size chunks. Instead of the Infiniti’s series of rapid reactions, the 335i’s moves all flow gracefully to make even mediocre drivers feel like road stars. Each mechanical bit is such an integral part of the whole that the BMW forms an exclusive alliance with the pavement. Car and asphalt gambol in a romantic embrace… the Infiniti G37S easily tops the value chart. Anyone seeking a passionate fling will be well served in this seat. Those more interested in a long-term relationship should dig several thousand dollars deeper into their wallets for the 335i. – Automobile

(Apparently).

And like me, he is floored by what Mercedes has wrought with the new C class.

Watch this video and you’ll see why…

(Makes the 3 series look a bit one dimensional and short sighted just a three years after launch, doesn’t it?)

In this piece on the new TT (worth a read in its own right) one of my favorite new journalists explains the differences between three kinds of cars. So next time someone says one car is ‘better’ than another, ask them to clarify which kind of car they gravitate towards…

The Driver’s Car – It’s hard to explain unless you’ve driven one, but there are cars in this world that are just as fun to drive at 15 mph through a school zone as they are to blast down back roads. They are cars like the first-generation Mazda Miata, the original VW GTI, and the BMW E30 M3. They are cars that read the road surface to your fingertips with all the subtlety of a megaphone, that demand all of your attention all of the time. They don’t necessarily need to be that capable (and by modern standards, those that I’ve mentioned aren’t); they just need to be communicative and involving.

The Atari Car – Cars to which I refer as “Atari Cars” are a modern phenomenon. They are cars that feel like a video game. Atari Cars are immensely capable – they can often out-perform supercars without even breaking a sweat. And that lack of sweat defines them – they shrug off insane speeds and laugh at corners. Nothing unsettles their suspension. They’re so good that the driver has no idea how fast he’s actually driving. These are cars like Audi’s very own RS4, a Mercedes E63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT, and, to a lesser extent, cars like the Subaru WRX STi.

The Sports Car – A sports car (in the World According to Me) is that rare car that combines the communication of a Driver’s Car with the capability of an Atari Car. The quintessential sports car that comes to mind is the Porsche 911. It, like other sports cars (the Ferrari F430 and Lotus Elise come to mind), is among the world’s most capable machines, and yet remains so communicative and interactive that its owners take the long way to the grocery store.