News: Aston launches new Rapide saloon. Drool.

Bought a Lotto ticket this week? Good, then read on... The stunning new Aston Martin Rapide S is making its debut with yet more luxury and yet more power on offer in its quintessentially elegant four-door silhouette.



The iconic British car maker’s new luxury GT has been sympathetically redesigned andpainstakingly re-engineered to reassert its position as the world’s most beautiful, and beautifully balanced, four-seat sports car.

Aside from the extensive design and engineering improvements, the luxurious new Rapide S – which replaces the outgoing Rapide in markets worldwide – is now even more refined thanks to a range of additions to the four-seater’s sumptuous interior.

Still instantly recognisable as an Aston Martin, of course, the new Rapide S now boasts an imposing and assertive new ‘face’, created by virtue of the impressive and striking new full grille.

Imbuing the new car with an even more sporting, forceful demeanour, the revised front end design is matched at the back by a striking new rear deck profile which includes a more pronounced boot lid ‘flip’. The aerodynamic and aesthetic upgrades both reinforce the sporting nature of new Rapide S and work to counteract lift at higher speeds.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The Rapide S is to me, without doubt, the most beautiful four-door sports car on the market today. This is, very clearly, the power of luxury in action.

“The car’s stunning visual appeal is now matched by a much more powerful and yet more efficient engine – our exceptional new AM11 V12 – which increases massively both the excitement and performance potential of the Rapide S.

“It is a four-door sports car that uniquely combines luxury, style and sporting excitement in Aston Martin’s most flexible and accommodating silhouette. Purity of proportion and exceptional elegance are mixed with truly sensational dynamic performance – this is the four-door sports car in its most versatile form and I am sure our customers around the world are going to love it!”

Road Test: BMW 640d Gran Coupe

Price as tested: €120,033

+ Gorgeous, balanced chassis, mighty engine, comfort, economy, noise
– Nothing much
= Makes you feel like Batman. No higher recommendation.


Much as I foolishly did when I first drove the new BMW 6 Series convertible, I came to the Gran Coupe with some unfortunate preconceptions. Too big. Too bloated. Too much of a plutocrat barge for this day and age. A €100k car in 2012 Ireland? C'mon, that's like €30k more than Audi asks for the A7 or Mercedes wants for a CLS. Etc etc. And so on.But, just as I did with the cabrio, I (spoiler alert) came away utterly loving the car. Which just goes to prove two things. One, never underestimate BMW and, two, review the car on the road, not the car in your head...

So, what is a Gran Coupe? Well, it's the latest in a burgeoning line of car makers either adding extra doors to existing two-door coupes or chopping the rooflines of existing saloons to create saloon-coupe hybrids. The idea is to create cars with the looks and panache of coupes with most of the easy-access practicality of saloons. Thus the afforementioned CLS and A7 but also the A5 Sportback, the Volkswagen CC and sundry others currently in development.

In the specific case of the Gran Coupe, BMW has taken the standard 6 Series shell, given it a 113mm wheelbase stretch (taking to just beyond the 5-metre long mark) and crammed in a couple of extra doors. The result is a long, low wide chop-top that manages to avoid looking like a 6 Series that's turned back, Cinderalla-at-midnight-style, into a 5 Series and is frankly, pretty gorgeous. Especially in the black of our test car, which in true Father Ted fashion, wasn't actually black at all but instead very, very, very, very, very dark blue. It's gorgeous and I'm going to shut up now and just let you go and look at the photos.

Done? Good, then I'll continue...

Behind the sharks-nose grille and lights likes the 40d diesel engine, actually a 3.0-litre straight-six with twin sequential turbos – a development of the engine we've been familiar with for many years in the 535d and the old 635d. Now, it comes with some interesting  figures. 313bhp is a good start but 630Nm of torque is even better again and those are combined with a 5-odd-secs 0-100kmh, claimed 50mpg fuel economy and 148g/km of Co2. That is frankly a remarkable set of figures and proof once again that BMW's chief engine designer is actually a Mr. Potter, a youthful man with glasses who displays his diploma from Hogwarts with quiet pride.

It's a truly stunning engine to be in control of, so much so that it eclipses the more headline-grabbing 560bhp petrol V8 from the M5 in my mind. Power arrives in a near-silent rush from below 1,500rpm, shunting the 630d forward in a manner that suggests that the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe express has derailed and smacked you, silently, up the backside. The engine only makes you aurally aware of it at higher rpm, where instead of a diesel rattle, you get a creamy, slightly rough-edged snarl. It's lovely. And addictive. Rather like cream itself.

As for economy, well almost needless to say we couldn't match BMW's claimed figure but our average, which hovered in the mid-sevens in terms of litres burned per 100km traveled (a solid 45mpg-ish) still seemed pretty good, and if we also failed to match BMW's claimed touring range of 1,300km, then a solid 8-900km still seems achievable.

Inside, in spite of the Gran Coupe's extra length, the cabin still feels intimate and tight fitting. The dash and centre console seem to bulge and swoop almost organically around the driver, allowing you to settle deep within the car, wheel pointing straight at your chest. The standard leather trim is gorgeous and inviting and the seats prove endlessly comfortable, something the old-shape 6 Series missed out on.

In the back, while it's not surprisingly not as commodious as a 5 Series, the Gran Coupe is absolutely fine for both head and legroom and unless you're the star player for your local basketball team, you should be able to get very comfy. That practicality is backed up by a 460-litre boot which should be adequate for most purposes.

To drive, that stretch in the wheelbase seems only to have improved the dynamics relative to the standard 6 coupe. Not that the standard car is lacking in any sense but just that the Gran Coupe seems to give you a wider range of options. Selecting comfort from the little toggle switch by the gear selector for the excellent 8-speed automatic transmission seems to be the best option for Irish roads. Sport is fine and won't knock your fillings out, but Comfort just gives you that extra little sense of flex that turns tackling an Irish back road from a chore to a delight. In spite of its size, the Gran Coupe can be cornered on a pin and placed to within millimetres of your desired trajectory. The steering, in any of the four modes, is always a little bit wooly and artificial feeling (something not helped by BMW's continuing insistence on fitting its M-Sport specced cars with fat, over-stuffed steering wheel rims) but the reactions of the chassis itself are wonderfully well balanced and its these that you learn to exploit, and never mind the faintly disappointing steering.

I had expected many things of the Gran Coupe, few of them good. Given the massive extra expense it asks buyers to stretch too relative to an Audi A7 or Mercedes CLS, I was certain ahead of the fact that BMW was overstretching itself, and I remain convinced that the Mercedes actually has the better sorted chassis. But the Gran Coupe, thanks in no small part to its wonderful engine, is actually a star performer and goes so far to justifying its lofty six-figure price tag that you almost begin to forgive the expense. Fabulous to drive, irrepressibly grunty and bewitching to look at, it may be a niche within a niche but that's a niche I'd happily squeeze myself into.

Actually, on a final note, the best drive I had in the Gran Coupe was not up some twisting coast road (although I did do that and it was fabulous) but a gentle 50-60km pootle to my local cinema and back. The Dark Knight Rises, the new Batman film was on, and comic book nut that I am I simply couldn't resist. Coming back out after nearly three hours of Bat-tastic Batmanery and plipping the lock on the low, dark, glowering Gran Coupe felt just perfect, and for the briefest of moments, I was Bruce Wayne. And that might just be the moment at which the Gran Coupe's price tag begins to look worth it...



BMW 640d Gran Coupe M-Sport
Price as tested: €120,033
Price range: €97,110 to €131,520
Capacity: 2,993cc
Power: 313bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Top speed: 250kmh
0-100kmh: 5.4sec
Economy: 5.6l-100km (50.4mpg)
CO2 emissions: 148g/km
Road Tax Band: C €330
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Volkswagen CC 2.0 TDI 140 Sport

Price as tested: €37,565

+ Looks, poise, comfort, cabin, refinement
– Quite pricey, new grille not nice
= Facelift doesn’t dim the appeal

We were always pretty big fans of the original Passat CC, what with its swoopy looks and the fact that it was, in character and styling terms, a Mercedes CLS for roughly half the price. Who cared that it was based on the straightforward mechanical package of a VW Passat saloon? What mattered was that it looked, and felt, like a prestige saloon costing twice as much.

It’s always difficult to approach the facelift of a car you like. Inevitably, in amongst the myriad improvements and upgrades, there will be something gone that once you loved. Some little wrinkle that has been ironed out. And so it proves with the CC (the Passat name has been, somewhat oddly, dropped); it’s the styling. Actually, it’s better now at the back, where the droopy, ovoid brake lights (which always looked as if they were off the back of a different car) have been replaced by a much tidier set of squared-off lights, while the boot and rear wings look a bit more fore-square, as if in sympathy.

At the front though, the old Passat CC’s simple, handsome, square-jawed face has been slightly ruined by the fitting of an ungainly chrome grille. Well, perhaps ruined is a bit harsh. It’s like George Clooney wearing a moustache; still gorgeous George but you wish he’d go have a shave. It’s not enough to spoil the looks of what is a very handsome car, but it’s the wrinkle we wish had remained un-ironed.

Still, pop the door handle on the attractively frameless door and the cabin still serves up the same delights we remember. Yes, it’s a touch plain and unadorned compared to the button-fests that some car makers still think looks premium, but that is its secret strength. Just as a well-tailored suit works best with a simple white shirt and plain tie, so the CC’s cabin doesn’t need any fripperies or add-ons to make it look good. The sheer heft of the quality seeping from every pore (do car cabins seep? Do they have pores? Never mind...) is enough on its own to create a premium ambience, but the fact that the ergonomics are rigourously perfect, that the dials are handsome and clear, that the seats (Alcantara and leather on this Sport model) are superbly comfortable; all these things add up to make a near perfect interior.

And it’s practical. Yes, the rear bench is shaped specifically to be a four-seater, but two adults fit entirely comfortably back there, once they learn to duck their heads beneath the sweeping roofline when getting in (thud!). The boot might lie beneath some low-slung styling but it’s a perfectly respectable 532-litres, so even a family with growing kids shouldn’t feel short-changed.

But can a Passat chassis cash the stylistic cheques the bodywork is writing? Well, kinda yes and kinda no. There’s nothing wrong with it, for a start. The ride quality, which feels a touch too firm around town, supples out beautifully on the open road and, like pretty much all Volkswagens (yes, even the Up) it’s a superb motorway crusier. Get it on the twisties, and the responses are fine, but you can tell that it’s been set up for comfort and cruising, not for blasting the back roads. The well-weighted steering is just a touch slow to spin across its locks, and while the suspension keeps up fine most of the time, when you start to ask it some serious questions there is a slight corkscrew effect, as if the front and rear roll centres are off slightly.

Nothing wrong with the engine though. It’s VW’s familiar 140bhp 2.0 TDI diesel and it’s a belter, with muscular performance (320Nm of torque will do that), impressive refinement and, with a believable fuel consumption claim of 4.7-litres per 100km (we managed mid-fives) and Co2 emissions of 125g/km, impressive frugality too. Our only quibble? While the standard six-speed manual gearbox shifts accurately and cleanly, the optional seven-speed DSG semi-automatic would suit the character of the car much better. Worth the extra €2,400 for the upgrade.

One final quibble, while we’re at it. The start system uses the long, flat key which you must push into the hole in the dash and then keep pushing while the engine starts. It’s a slightly odd system that doesn’t do the car any favours because it emits a cheap-sounding (and feeling) clunk as you shove the key in, and does it again as the key comes out. A simple start-stop button would work better and feel classier.

The CC’s final stumbling block is its price. On the face of it, €37k for this Sport model, or €34k for the basic model, doesn’t feel too steep for such a classy, capable machine. But that does push it into direct competition with the mighty BMW 3 Series and, indeed, its own VW Group stablemate, the Audi A4. And while VW has chosen to drop the Passat name, there’s no getting away from the fact that a mechanically identical Passat saloon is at least a couple of grand cheaper.

Mind you, a stylistically similar Mercedes CLS is still twice the price...


Facts & Figures

Volkswagen CC Sport 2.0 TDI 140
Price as tested: €37,565
Range price: €34,910 to €42,385
Capacity: 1,968cc
Power: 140bhp
Torque: 320Nm
Top speed: 214kmh
0-100kmh: 9.8secs
Economy: 4.7l/100km (60.1mpg)
CO2 emissions: 125g/km
Tax Band: B. €225 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

Road Test: Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited

Price as tested: €38,000 (approx)

+ Fabulously rugged, more practical and refined than you’d think, so cool
– Boot’s a bit small. emissions a bit high
= Quite simply, the coolest car we’ve driven all year

If I tell you that the Jeep Wrangler turns out to be a bit of a surprise, would you be surprised? You might be, especially if you’re expecting some thundering, lumbering heap of Detroit iron, bludgeoning all in its path with a war-mongering “Yeee-haw!” and a distinct lack of Euro-style refinement.

Because while the Wrangler can trace its lineage directly back to the original 1941 Willys-Overland General Purpose 1/4 Ton Truck (GP, or Jeep for short), the reality is that the resemblance lies mostly in the styling and marketing departments.

So, while there is a seven-bar grille, round headlights and a pervading sense of squareness, there are also sophisticated Panhard linkages and coil springs in the suspension, there are comfy, heated leather seats in the cabin and there is even a Bluetooth phone connection. Disappointed that there’s not hand-cranked Bakelite phone in the back to put you in touch with brigade HQ? Yes, a little but that’s the way of the modern world.

The Wrangler’s only real rival, in both the heritage and off-road stakes, is the Land Rover Defender. But while you would, happily, make excuses for the Defender’s crudity, discomfort and rampant thirst, all because it looks so cool, the rather nice thing is that the Jeep simply doesn’t ask that much of you.

Haul yourself up into the cabin and you’re presented with a simple, workmanlike cabin. There are no soft-touch plastics, and more consideration seems to have been given to making its hose-out-proof than slush-moulded, but there’s a sense of purpose, a sense of rightness and, just as importantly, a sense of decent build quality. The seats, as we’ve mention, are comfy (and they warm your bum, in Sahara spec) and the steering wheel adjusts to help you find a comfy driving position.

Fire up the 2.8-litre CRD diesel engine and, yes, it’s noisy and grumbly, but once it warms through it’s not too bad. It’ll propel the Wrangler to 100kmh in an entirely reasonable 11.1secs, return a claimed (and believable in our experience) 7.4-litres per 100km on the  combined cycle and emits, in four-door unlimited guise, 194g/km of Co2. You can drop that to 187g/km (and get a €630 road tax bill) if you downsize to the less practical three-door Wrangler Sport.

The long, wand-like gear lever makes you think that it’ll have the shift accuracy of a drunk teenager on Valentine’s night, but actually, as long as you don’t rush it, there’s quite a pleasant gearshift to be had, in a moving-big-bits-of-metal-around steampunk kind of way.

Rolling refinement in the Wrangler is surprisingly good. Clearly, with a (removable, if you have a hoist or enough tall friends) plastic roof, big wheels and a very upright shape, wind and tyre noise are prevalent, but the engine shuts up quite nicely in a sixth gear cruise, and the standard fit stereo is man enough for the job.

Long motorway runs? Just fine actually. Your ears will ring a little at the end, but other than that, the Wrangler takes long hauls in its stride. Actually, in town is its Achilles Heel. It’s a big car, bigger than you think at first, with a broad turning circle, so tight car parks are a bit of a nightmare. With practice, it’s fine, but some parking sensors would be helpful.

While we’re criticising, the boot’s too small. 498-litres sound big, but it’s oddly shaped to cover the fuel tank hump, and there’s no luggage cover, so everything’s on show through the vulnerable, lift up flap that makes up the rear window. Don’t plan on leaving valuables in your Wrangler.

Honestly though, who cares? Get out on the open road and the Wrangler handles with surprising (there’s that word again) aplomb. Yes, there’s slack in the steering and apparently wood in the suspension, but it’s fundamentally well behaved and won’t do anything bad.

Get off the open road and into open country and, well, this vehicle is Trail Rated, meaning it will climb up Jeep’s fearsome Rubicon Trail in Utah, a mountain pass littered with trees, escarpments, dust, dirt, boulders and the occasional bear. Yank the hefty lever back to select four wheel drive, low range (the Wrangler’s best left in two wheel drive on tarmac to avoid transmission wind up) and there is probably no decently solid surface that you cannot traverse. And whether this winter brings snow, floods or both, prepare to be called on by stranded friends.

If you haven’t already guessed it, we loved the Wrangler. Compared in saloon car terms to its SUV rivals, it’s nowhere. But there is such a thing as fitness for purpose, and the Wrangler is not only the origin of the species, but it could pummel any SUV into the dirt when the going gets tough, and isn’t so far behind them in terms of everyday driving that they could relax. It’s the anti-Evoque, and for that, and for being four-square and dependable in a world slowly but surely going mad, we salute it.


Facts & Figures

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
Price as tested: €38,000 (approx)
Range price: TBC
Capacity: 2,776cc
Power: 200bhp
Torque: 410Nm
Top speed: 172kmh
0-100kmh: 11.1sec
Economy: 7.4l-100km (38.1mpg)
CO2 emissions: 194g/km
VRT Band: F. €1,050 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested