The Opel and the MINIs

Kia knows it has a lot to do to shed its sensible image and convince would-be buyers it is sexy, inspiring and aspirational, and the Kia Track’ster concept is the first step down that road. Revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in February , the Optima Limited Track’ster channels Kia’s potential design direction for the next-generation Soul, with “immense LED driving lights” and a 250 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

That’s 66-percent more powerful than the regular Soul, and puts its power down through a short-throw six-speed manual transmission to HRE-K1 monoblock billet performance wheels clad in 245/40-19-inch front and 285/35-19-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 high-performance tyres. 14-inch Brembo vented and cross-drilled disc brakes – with by six-piston calipers – in front, and 13.6-inch discs – with four-piston calipers – at the rear make sure you can stop, too.

“The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog” chief designer Tom Kearns says,  throwing flared wheel arches, a huge grille, lots of lights and splashes of orange paint at the concept. The Soul normally has rear doors, but they’ve been ditched in favor of longer front doors that open to reveal suede-covered racing seats and a leather-wrapped dash. A sizable touchscreen handles navigation, entertainment and HVAC.

Rather than rear seats, Kia has used the space for an equipment tray and spare-tyre well, somewhere to keep your racing kit and emergency supplies. Unfortunately Kia has no plans to produce a commercial version of the Track’ster concept, though we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the next-gen Soul will borrow more than a few details.

All I know is that if you could buy one this would go to the top of my list!

Obviously here at Beastie HQ we are big MIN fans and this car gets our vote by a er... Country mile. We began by loving it when it was first shown as a concept then went quite cold to it by launch date to the point of being very negative towards it when we first saw it to now being totally sold on it. It really is a love it or loathe it car, not mant people will be neutral on this one but for us it is a winner. Now I must go and buy that lottery ticket for tonight!

Back in August 2010 we  reported on the rebirth of the Morgan Three Wheeler  and now the car that was unveiled to the public in March at the Geneva motor show is here. Our first glimpse of the car in the flesh was at the Donington Historical racing Event in April.

This week we caught up with the car again at the factory, photographing the demo car which Pistonheads recently drove around the malvern Hills. Their review, which you can read here is well worth a read! 500 confirmed orders before  anyone had even seen the car in the flesh bodes well for Morgan and Pistonheads noted, "Reviving the 3 Wheeler might yet prove to be the best thing Morgan has ever done, the incredible enthusiasm and nostalgia for this modern interpretation of Morgan's earliest cars proving an unexpected sales smash before it's even hit dealers." The Three Wheeler is certainly keeping the factory busy.

This is our Car of The Week because we noticed one at Merry Hill shopping centre a few weeks ago and were really impressed by it and have not stopped wanting one since. No doubt next week something else will come along to tempt us  but for now this is flavour of the week.

The Patriot is reviewed below courtesy of MSN and you can read their oroginal article here.

Jeep Patriot

Key rivals – Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Qashqai. Ford C-Max, Subaru Forrester, Golf PlusSummary

New entry-level Jeep Patriot promises on road agility and off-road ability at a remarkably low price for the brand. But does it deliver? And will we ever get over American attempts at interior plastics?

Likes: styling, price, driving on- and off-road, clever 4x4, diesel economy, value

Dislikes: interior plastics, cramped rear seats, smallish boot, lack of steering feedbackGALLERY: Jeep Patriot

First impressions

Ok, so that's a lot better looking than I was expecting. So went my opening thought on glimpsing Jeep’s Patriot in the wild for the first time. A new entry-level model for the brand, it's much smaller than I'd anticipated – helping defuse the unadventurous Jeep identity it assumes in photographs. With its relatively low ride-height and chunky wheelarches the Patriot hunkers down into the road surface, styling that's tough but not aggressive – thanks, I think, to the round headlights – somehow suggests it means business. As a road car. I immediately want to like it, but on recent Chrysler group experience there’s a nagging suspicion the driving will ultimately disappoint...

Performance

The Patriot has two engine options: a 2.4-litre 168bhp petrol, and a 2.0-litre 138bhp turbodiesel. It weighs slightly the wrong side of 1.5 tons – actually quite light for an authentic 4x4 – so no prizes for guessing it's not exactly a rocket ship. Only the diesel was available on-road, which has a claimed 0-62mph time of 11 seconds dead. It feels like you'd have to be trying pretty hard to replicate that kind of performance, and in any respect this lags behind 4x4 rivals from Honda and Toyota. However, once you're on the move 229lb ft of torque ensures there's plenty of real-world shove.

The six-speed manual gearbox you get with the diesel isn't the most cooperative, either, resisting quick movements but feeling mechanical tolerant to abuse in the process. The petrol has to make do with just five-speeds as standard, but the version available was actually fitted the optional CVT automatic. This adds a half second penalty to the petrol's 10.7 second 0-62mph time, but replicates six cogs if you choose to use the awkward side-to-side manual shift option. Does just fine off-road in fully-automatic mode, however; just shame I couldn't try it on it.

Ride and handling

The Patriot looks so good in its low-slung Jeepy way you can't help hoping it'll be fun to drive on the road. The bad news is the steering – it's not very direct or especially precise, the assistance is a little too light and there's virtually no feel through the rim. But everything else the Jeep does with aplomb. After an initial moment of lean – hardly surprising given the high centre of gravity – body roll is swiftly checked, the well-judged damping keeping everything under control without becoming intolerably hard over less than perfect surfaces. Rapid progress is easy and unflustered – aided by the clever 'Freedom Drive 1' 4x4 system.

In normal road driving the Patriot is front-wheel drive only. Between 25 and 65mph, the system can help cornering grip by switching on the rear wheels via some fast-acting electronic trickery (above 70 it's two-wheel drive only 'for efficiency'). It also steps in if you're in danger of becoming the scene of an accident, as part of the standard-fit ESP. For off-road use there's a four-wheel drive 'lock' up to 10mph, and special ABS and traction control settings. Sounds like a gimmick – until you actually try it. Standard road tyres, a proper off-road course and Welsh mountains with the worst rain in years? No problem, and very impressive.

Interior and safety

If you're expecting the Jeep to let itself down a bit in the interior department, sad to say you won't be disappointed. However, compared to other recent Chrysler brand cabins the Patriot actually acquits itself rather well – which is a surprise considering its pricing, on which more in a moment. The trim appears hard-wearing, the controls are all sensibly laid out (if also a little cheap feeling in places; air-con knobs, I'm looking at you) and whoever's responsible for speccing the interior plastics has at least restrained themselves to one type of finish. Which is a relief.

There are only two trim levels – Sport and Limited. Sport is what passes for entry-level – and comes complete with everything essential. Limited comes with everything essential plus leather, cruise control, front fogs and different coloured fittings. The only options are metallic paint, and a better stereo featuring the odd 'Sound Gate' fold-down speakers in the tailgate, previously seen lurking in the Dodge Caliber's accessories list. So no bluetooth or satnav. Room is generous in the front but tight in the back; the boot's not that big but the seats fold flat easily. There are six airbags, ESP with Electronic Roll Mitigation, and ABS with Brake Assist – all standard.

Economy

This is where things get really interesting. Jeep has managed to price the Patriot not only undercutting other entry-level SUVs – Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 – while also offering genuinely capable off-road 4x4 hardware. It's also designed to tempt family hatchback and MPV buyers. The Patriot costs from just £15,995 for the petrol Sport, rising to £18,795 for the diesel Limited (or petrol Limited with CVT auto). This, given the on- and off-road performance, plus decent equipment and safety levels, is a bargain. Environmentally speaking, the petrol manages 32.5mpg, the diesel 42.2mpg – both admirable, neither ground breaking.

The MSN Cars verdict: 4/5

The Patriot doesn't disappoint. It looks good, drives engagingly on- and off-road, and is extremely competitively priced. If you want rugged family transport, or simply something a bit different, check it out.

Ratings out of five: Jeep Patriot

Performance***

Ride & handling****

Interior***

Safety****

Price*****

Practicality****

Fuel economy***

MSN Cars verdict**** 

Need to know

Petrol engines 2.4

Diesel engines 2.0

Power (bhp)138 - 168Torque (lb/ft)162 - 229

0-62 (secs)10.7 - 11.3Top speed (mph)112 - 117

Combined mpg29.7 - 42.2

C02 emissions (g/km)/tax (%)180-226 / 26-32

Captured here at the first ever Donington Historical Race Meet in April 2011.

This was the only DBR1 that was built for a private owner. Completed in 1959, it was sold directly to Peter Whitehead. He raced the car extensively that year and scored some podium finishes. In 1960 the car was only rarely used and a year later Whitehead sold the car to an African owner. It was briefly used in South Africa. The current, German owner, campaigns the car regularly in historic events such as the Goodwood Revival.

1959 AND ASTON MARTIN. By 1959, Aston Martin had completed two more chassis, DBR1/4 and DBR1/5 (Shown above). The first car was actually a conversion from a DBR3, while DBR1/5 was a spare chassis sold to privateer Graham Whitehead, the only car to do so. With four chassis, Aston Martin would again concentrate on the World Sportscar Championship. The season started slowly, with a sole DBR1 failing to finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, then followed by the team not appearing at the Targa Florio. Luck returned again for Aston Martin, as the sole factory entry again won the 1000km Nürburgring, with Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman driving. However, Aston Martin's success would continue with what is considered their finest motorsports triumph. DBR1/2, driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, took victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. DBR1/4, driven by Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frére, managed second. The next closest competitor was a distant 25 laps behind the duo.

With the constructors championship now closely contested by Ferrari and Aston Martin, the team appeared at the final round at Goodwood. Aston Martin entered three DBR1s, as well as privateer Graham Whitehead's DBR1/5. During the race, DBR1/3 caught fire in the pits, destroying the car and leaving Aston Martin without room to refuel their other cars. To salvage Aston Martin's hopes of a championship, Graham Whitehead withdrew his entry from the race in order to allow Aston Martin to use his pits stall and finish the race. Able to continue, Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby and Jack Fairman in DBR1/2 were able to secure victory and the championship over Ferrari, the only World Championship won by Aston Martin.

Wikipedia gives us the background on this  beauty.

The E60 M5 was introduced in 2005. It has a 4,999 cc (305.1 cu in) BMW V10 S85 engine redlining at 8250 rpm, and developing a peak output of 507 PS (373 kW; 500 bhp) and 520 N·m (380 lb·ft) of torque. Unlike some other BMW engines which utilise Valvetronic to infinitely vary valve lift to eliminate the throttle plate, this engine has individual throttle bodies per cylinder.

Other key features include a stiffened aluminum chassis and a 7-speed SMG III sequential manual gearbox, also known as a single-clutch automated manual transmission. Front fog lights are unavailable for the M5, as the amount of air required to cool the brakes under spirited driving applications requires the spaces under the bumper, normally occupied by fog lights in other E60 cars, to be reallocated for air cooling ducts.

Despite the criticism of the Chris Bangle-designed chassis, the difficult iDrive interface, and the lack of smoothness of the SMG III transmission, the E60 M5 was the most successful M5, despite being on the market for one year shorter than the E39 M5. During its five year run, 20,548 units were built composing of 19,523 saloons and 1025 wagons. 8800 were sold in the U.S., all of the sedan variety.

Great Britain and Ireland claimed 1776 examples, followed by BMW's home market of Germany with 1647 units, and 1357 were sold in Japan. Italian enthusiasts claimed 512 units, and 339 examples were sold in Australia. This then is a reasonably rare sight on British roads,

Powertrain

The BMW M5, along with the E63/64 BMW M6, were designed to use the new Getrag SMG III single-clutch seven speed semi-automatic transmission. Gerd Richter, the head of BMW M, defended the decision to use a single-clutch sequential manual gearbox rather than a twin-clutch unit, saying "True, the dual-clutch system has a smoother automatic mode, and it performs seamless upshifts. For a 7-series, this may be the way to go. But an M car should always combine efficiency with emotion. That's why there are six shift speeds to choose from, from velvet glove to iron fist. That's why we cut the torque into seven slices. That's why we added special features like a hill holder, a designated drive program for steep climbs and descents, and a downshift assistant, which briefly dips the clutch to avoid destabilizing wheel spin." The SMG III transmission, while responsive at the track, has been criticized for its general lack of smoothness in everyday driving, and by 2010 it was considered outdated as most manufacturers were using dual clutch transmissions instead.

The M5 features several Formula One inspired engine and transmission controls. There is launch control which allows maximum performance standing starts automatically. The Getrag SMG III single-clutch semi-automatic transmission has the option of changing to either automated or manual, as well as the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programmes in total forming what BMW calls Drivelogic). Manual shifting can be done with either a console shifter, or the steering wheel mounted shift paddles, both of which are fitted to all SMG M5s. The console shifter is the type used on manumatic transmissions; tipping it backward (toward the "+") shifts up, while a forward tip (toward the "-") shifts down. The shifter can be moved to the left to access neutral and reverse. The car also features a "power" button on the navigation panel (labeled "M") which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 PS (294 kW; 395 bhp) for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 PS (373 kW; 500 bhp)), and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response, selectable only from the "M Drive Settings" in the iDrive menu). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using iDrive and then activated from P500 S using the "M" button.

Performance

The E60 M5 took the title of the most powerful midsize sport sedan when released, Along with direct competitors the Audi RS6 (C5) and the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, all three vehicles are quoted by their manufacturers to reach 0-to-62-mph in a time of 4.7 seconds.

EVO did  a road test of the M5 pitting it against the Lamborghini Gallardo. Below is an extract from the review.

And then, just to rub it in, as you see the corner open out and your right foot feels for the carpet once more, the Gallardo's superior traction punches you onto the next straight with a vehemence the rear-drive M5 simply can't answer. And that's in the dry.

Does this make the M5 a bad car? Hardly. If you've never experienced what a real supercar is capable of, and you don't have the funds to purchase one, the M5's demented pace and animalistic cry are your passport to new and exotic territory. That it costs half the money, forces the Lamborghini to dig deep to save face, seats four in impressive comfort and possesses more high-tech hardware and electronic driver aids than a whole herd of Lamborghinis only reinforces its fearsome reputation as the world's most accomplished supersaloon.

Ultimately, though, it's physics that defeats the M5. That wailing M Power V10 comes close to challenging a few of old Sir Isaac's Laws, but hurling an 1800kg saloon down the road at supercar-rivalling speed generates such gargantuan quantities of inertia that unleashing the V10's full potential is tantamount to declaring war on the rest of the car. The outcome is inevitable, brakes and tyres succumbing to the onslaught, with deftness and delicacy the early collateral casualties in the battle to contain the M5's rampant performance.

The M5 packs an engine every bit the equal of the Lamborghini's, but even M Power's spectacular fireworks can't disguise the fact that while the Gallardo was born great the M5 has had greatness thrust upon it.

Thoughts from Beastie Folly

Yesterday an M5 appeared at Beastie Folly giving us a chance to try and make head or tail of the Evo viewpoint and the thoughts we had read on Wikipedia.

First let's be clear about this, supercars - and this is one - don't appear at Beastie Folly on a weekly basis as they do at Evo and such like. This makes it easier to impress us let's be honest about that. Cutting to the chase then, yes we were impressed, very impressed.

The car is understated with a meaningful but still understated burble, hoof it though and you are rewarded with a beautiful symphony of sound, that whirls around your ears urging you to go faster. This was intoxicating. The BMW M5 comes packed with a Heads Up Display (HUD) that shows your speed, revs and gear in the windscreen fighter pilot style. Quite simply I loved this and when you can get to the speeds this car can do as quickly as this car does them, this feature was invaluable. The car has saloon qualities of comfort which can shelter you from what is going on and it is very easy to come onto a bend at 90 mph while feeling that you are doing 50. The HUD ensures that your speed is there for you to see without taking your eye off the road. Quite simply I thought this was brilliant and if anyone can now point me to where we can buy an aftermarket HUD let us know because suddenly we need one!

Let's have a quick look at the negatives.

First, Wikipedia mention the "the lack of smoothness of the SMG III transmission". Well yes, we have to be honest this was exposed in the afternoon we had to play with this car. Reversing can be frankly scary as there seems to be no way of delicatiely touching the throttle and I could see it being very easy to reverse this into a brick wall that would appear far quicker than it should!

Selecting automatic for the gears and pressing the M button was not a happy combination either. In M mode with the extra torque and horses available the power is more than the auto box can handle and it hesitates selecting the right gear for the job. More time with the car and paddle shifting while in M mode would doubtless sort this out, but nonetheless it is clear that at times it is hard for the transmission to tame the power of the V10!

Secondly, Evo refer to the "physics that defeats the M5. That wailing M Power V10 comes close to challenging a few of old Sir Isaac's Laws, but hurling an 1800kg saloon down the road at supercar-rivalling speed generates such gargantuan quantities of inertia that unleashing the V10's full potential is tantamount to declaring war on the rest of the car." This results in a bit of a compromise. The car has supercar performance capabilities but the roads have to be the right roads for this and all too often  you can only utilise half of what the car can do, as the bend demands braking and hard wear on the tyres. This harks back to why I love the HUD, as the car's saloon like refinement exacerbates this problem by disguising the speeds you are attaining, the bottom line is, you will need to back off for the corner!

Thirdly, there is no thirdly. That's it they are the cars flaws, everything else is Larkin perfick, the toys and technology on this car shame all the supercars, the comfort is amazing and the punch is superb.

Conclusion

The flaws are there, but live with them, without those flaws you could be fooled into thinking this car was a Stepford Wife and think that for a minute and this car will bite you - hard! The combination of saloon car comfort and supercar performance is truly an intoxicating  cocktail, that will hook you every time you turn the key in this beast. Consider that these cars were the wrong side of £60,000 new but now can be bought for a sinful £20,000 and it becomes a very tempting beast indeed. Drive one and you wont be thinking about economy, car tax or running costs, you'll be thinking about fast cars, fast women and cool watches. You'll be rushing home to trawl the internet for available models. You will have moved out of the norm of your life and glimpsed a faster world that promises fun, excitement and danger!