Showing posts with label british. Show all posts
Showing posts with label british. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

McLaren Artura Spider

Being around for three years, the hybrid McLaren supercar called the Artura is now made even better for the 2025 model year. It's not just the power increase to its V6 hybrid powertrain but the addition of the new Spider variant makes sense.

2025 McLaren Artura Spider
2025 McLaren Artura Spider

2025 McLaren Artura Spider
2025 McLaren Artura Spider

Starting at 221,500 Pounds plus additional costs, the first-ever Artura Spider delivers the open-air experience to the Artura you know while blessed with numerous improvements to get hooked with it for longer.

At first glance, it looks just like the Artura but with a retractable hardtop that can be opened or closed at the touch of a button. It's hard to differentiate it from the normal hardtop Artura, but expect the added weight compared to the normal Artura because the Spider adds 137lbs of weight, Spider's 3212 vs Artura's 3075.

Despite the weight penalty, the performance is almost intact. Thanks to its updated PHEV powertrain with its 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine mated to an axial flux motor and a refrigerant-cooled 7.4kWh Li-ion battery producing 700PS of power output, it does 0-62mph in three seconds and a top speed of 205mph (330km/h). Like the hardtop equivalent, the Spider is mated to an 8-speed SSG.

In terms of efficiency, the Spider, like its hardtop equivalent, has a fuel economy of 58.9mpg (4.8L/100km) based on EU WLTP standards and running on electric power alone, it's good for 21 miles (33km), good while you're in the suburbs or in streets of London.

For speedo boys channeling their inner Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, the Artura Spider, like its hardtop equivalent, is McLaren at its best on the road and on the track because of its near-perfect weight distribution courtesy of its carbon bodywork, front double wishbone, multi-link rear, Proactive Damping Control, electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, Carbon Ceramic Discs, forged aluminum brake calipers, and Pirelli Cyber Tyres that provide real-time data on temperature and pressure to the car and driver, crucial for safety on and off the track. It even has Variable Drift Control that can adjust its drifting angle as well.

With the upgraded hybrid power and the new Spider variant, the first-ever McLaren Artura is now made even better than when it was new three years ago. Be ready for it.

Photo: McLaren

Friday, March 22, 2024

My FH5 Log: Euro Trash

Would you look at that? The European Automotive update of Forza Horizon 5 is constantly littered with European junk cars out from the junkyard and into the ever-growing FH5 car roster. The cesspool of junk cars keeps on growing.


First up is the Lancia Fulvia from the Hot Season Playlist. Powered by a 1.3L V4 engine, it's the car that made Lancia win its first World Rally Championship. Not bad for a front-wheel-drive coupe that costs more than the Jaguar E-Type when it was new.


Next up is the Citroen DS 23 from the Storm Season Playlist. This is the iconic hatchback that first introduced Citroen's signature hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system which uses liquid hydraulic and gas-pressured suspension instead of springs, giving it a comfy ride on all kinds of road surfaces. It was the first to use disc brakes.


Fresh from the Dry Season Playlist is the Series 4 Lotus Esprit, the last V8-powered Lotus ever made and one of the last production cars with pop-up headlights.


The Hot Season Playlist featured a double bill of German garbage; the Volkswagen Double Cab Pick-up and the Mercedes-Benz 500 E. The Doka is basically the pickup variant of the Volkswagen Type 2 minibus while the 500 E is the V8-powered variant of the W124 E-Class made from a Porsche factory.






Let's give the quintuplet of European garbage a good dirty driving just showcase just how good these rusty beaters from the Old Continent were. Roll the tapes.






These rusty beaters proved their point but as it turned out, they were nothing compared to the worst European toxic waste of the pack; the AMG Hammer Wagon from the European Automotive DLC Pack.


The AMG Hammer Wagon is a one-off W214 wagon built for a client from the USA. Started out in life as a diesel-powered W214 wagon until the original owner commissioned AMG to convert it into a super wagon, armed with a 6.0L V8 engine producing 375hp of power while mated to a 4-speed AT. It even comes with a locking differential to help the rear axle endure the punishment from the V8 engine, among others.

Want to see how the AMG Hammer Wagon roars? You're in luck because let's get the tape rolling.



The latest batch of toxic waste dump proves that the cesspool of rusty beaters never stops growing, giving Gen Z players uncontrollable anxiety, complaining about why the Forza producers keep dumping junk cars in such a wonderful racing game.

Are we seeing more junk cars in the next FH5 series update next week? Yes, there will be junk cars next week so brace yourselves for more rusty beaters ruining your FH5 experience.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

My FH5 Log: IMPOSSIBLE. DRIVEN

You may remember back in the Winter Wonderland update on Forza Horizon 5, you have been given access to Aston Martin's ultimate masterpiece, the Valkyrie. Now, in the European Automotive update, its track-only equivalent, the AMR Pro, bursts into action.


Having obtained this car in the update's Wet Season Playlist, it's time to get to know about the Valkyrie's track-only equivalent.

Based on the Valkyrie hypercar, the AMR Pro is a track-only version that delivers the same performance and dynamics just like a Formula 1 car.

In addition to its more aggressive aerodynamic upgrades that add more dimension compared to the normal Valkyrie, making it capable of achieving lateral acceleration of more than 3G, the AMR Pro ditches the Valkyrie's hybrid system, trading power for weight loss. The 6.5L Cosworth V12 NA engine remains, producing over 1000PS of power.

During testing, the Valkyrie AMR Pro lapped the Le Mans circuit in 3 minutes 20 seconds, delivering the same performance as an LMP1-class race car.

Only 40 were made and sold. Customers who bought the Valkyrie AMR Pro have gained access to a bespoke track day experience at select FIA-approved circuits worldwide as well as other privileges.



The Aston Martin Valkyrie is known for being the road-legal Formula 1 car thanks to its space-age aerodynamics and dynamics derived from its F1 know-how. With the AMR Pro, well, let's find out how good the track version is by pitting it against its road-going version at the festival grounds. Roll the tape.


And now, the results...

Valkyrie - 1m00.344s

Valkyrie AMR Pro - 59.343s

Even in race-spec configuration, it's too close to call between them. Still, even without hybrid power, it's just as good as its road-going equivalent.


The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the engineering triumph a century in the making, combining most of its racing pedigree from Le Mans to Formula 1 to create a space-age hypercar that shatters expectations and the AMR Pro brings the Valkyrie's trademark performance to greater use. Here's hoping Aston Martin's 2025 WEC ambitions will come to fruition with this one.

This is IMPOSSIBLE, DRIVEN. 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

My FM Log: King's Weapon

The McLaren Senna and the Aston Martin Valkyrie are British hypercars performing exceptionally well not just on the road, but also on the track. With its track-only equivalents roaring in the Forza Motorsport game, it's time to exploit them further.


How do these two hypercar-turned-track weapons differentiate themselves? Let's begin with the McLaren Senna GTR, the track-only version of the King of McLaren Ultimate Series.

Revealed as a concept in 2018 and spawned into a limited-production model moments later, the Senna GTR transforms the already track-proven hypercar with even more potential.

The 4.0L V8 twin-turbo engine from its road-going equivalent remains the same, meaning it still produces 814hp of power, but it's mated to a racing transmission McLaren says it's faster in a straight line compared to the normal Senna.

In addition to its race-tuned aerodynamics that generate 1000kg of downforce, the Senna GT-R comes with a revised double wishbone suspension and slick Pirelli tires for improved grip.

The track-only Senna GT-R is limited to 75 units sold.

Now, let's get to know the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, the closest thing you can get from a Formula 1 car.

Based on the Valkyrie hypercar, the AMR Pro is a track-only version that delivers the same performance and dynamics just like a Formula 1 car.

In addition to its more aggressive aerodynamic upgrades that add more dimension compared to the normal Valkyrie, making it capable of achieving lateral acceleration of more than 3G, the AMR Pro ditches the Valkyrie's hybrid system, trading power for weight loss. The 6.5L Cosworth V12 NA engine remains, producing over 1000PS of power.

During testing, the Valkyrie AMR Pro lapped the Le Mans circuit in 3 minutes 20 seconds, delivering the same performance as an LMP1-class race car.

Only 40 were made and sold. Customers who bought the Valkyrie AMR Pro have gained access to a bespoke track day experience at select FIA-approved circuits worldwide as well as other privileges.



To bring out the anger of the beast from these two track versions of British hypercars, I'm heading to Silverstone and find out which of them is the superior king. Let's roll the tapes.



And now, the results...

Senna GTR - 2m11.792s

Valkyrie AMR Pro - 1m52.599s



Thanks to its F1 know-how carried over from its road-legal equivalent as well as other track-based improvements, the Valkyrie AMR Pro massively sliced the Senna GTR into bits around Silverstone.

Regardless of today's result, I'm extremely satisfied that the Senna GTR and the Valkyrie AMR Pro are truly at home in the new Forza Motorsport game because this game served as a chance to demonstrate their de-restricted track capabilities against the world's most demanding race tracks.

Come try Britain's most extreme track weapons in Forza Motorsport if you're brave enough. You're welcome to do so.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

My FH5 Log: A not-for-UK MG flagship saloon

When the UK was under the rule of the Labour, the MG Rover lineage offered us the luxury executive midsize saloon called the Rover 75 and its sporty MG ZT counterpart. Although flawed compared to its German rivals, both the 75 and the ZT proved their point until the fall of the MG Rover lineage to the Chinese overlords.


As MG is under the thumb of SAIC, they've created what's known to be their answer to the Audi A4, something that will drive Brits to tears because this is not available in MG's native land, the United Kingdom.


This is the MG7, the one that I obtained from Forza Horizon 5's Lunar New Year Hot Season Playlist after hitting the 20-point target.


Unveiled in 2022, the second-generation MG7 serves as the flagship of the MG lineup in the Chinese market. When it was launched, two variants were offered such as the entry-level 300 VTGI variant with the turbocharged 1.5L petrol engine producing 188PS of power while mated to a seven-speed DCT, and this, the 405 VTGI Trophy model with the turbocharged 2.0L petrol engine producing 261PS of power while mated to a 9-speed ZF automatic.


As a code of honor, I do not like sampling cars that are not offered in their native land. MG is a British car company from the start and this car is not, much like the un-Korean Hyundai i30 N from last week, the MG6 XPower from a long time ago, and the others.

Riding shotgun with it, I'm starting to have thoughts about the MG7 but still, my mind remains the same despite the sporty handling it delivers. It behaves like a European car but no. I'm still not bothered with it because, like I said, this is a not-for-UK MG flagship saloon that drives Brits to tears, wondering why this A4 rival is not sold in Britain.


Before the sulking continues, the MG7 wants me to take a quick drive on the Marigold against a pack of sports saloons, demonstrating its Euro-tuned dynamics fit for a Chinese-made British saloon. Let's roll the tape.


Not bad but I'm not happy about it.


After spending the whole day driving the MG7, I've learned nothing because if the MG7 did sell in Britain, I would be grateful to drive what's known to be Britain's answer to the Audi A4 but no. MG has no plans to bring the MG7 to the Brits and that's final.

This is a complete waste of time for me because I just drove a not-for-UK MG flagship saloon for all the wrong reasons and I got spiraled.

Dismissed.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

The Grand Tour presents Sand Job

The Grand Tour returns for its biggest and longest adventure yet. Because being the biggest and longest adventure yet, it will take about the length of a Marvel superhero flick to fully watch it.

The Grand Tour presents Sand Job

The latest Grand Tour adventure is titled Sand Job, and in this ultimate adventure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are sent to the remote African country of Mauritania (yes, it's a real place) to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally while driving used Grand Tourers modified for offroad use.

Clarkson drives a Jaguar F-Type Roadster, Hammond drives an Aston Martin DB9 Volante, and May drives a Maserati GranCabrio.

Started out with the encounter with the longest coal train with the cars attached between it and the guard car, the trio traversed through war-torn Mauritania by surviving the harsh elements of the Sahara desert. 

From a bat-filled cave that led them to a minefield, an Aston went autonomous (sort of), an exploding fuel tanker, a visit to the British embassy, a drag race at a traffic-filled runway, to a shocking ending, it really is the biggest and longest Grand Tour adventure yet. It's worth watching it over and over again if you find it relaxing and funny at the same time.

Although unconfirmed, the Sand Job proved that The Grand Tour really came out with a bang. A big explosive bang.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

My FM Log: The McLaren 650S

Having fought Update 3.0's Open Tour Series until the January 17th deadline, I got my hands on the McLaren 650S, an instant classic that made its way back to the new Forza Motorsport game.

650s

McLaren Automotive presented the 650S, in coupe and spider variants, at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and promises that this new model will be their fastest, most engaging, best equipped, and most beautiful series-production supercar yet.

Although some components came from the MP4-12C, McLaren says that the 650S is not the direct replacement for the 12C, even though production of the 12C halted due to the 650S' high demand. It also comes with some components from the now-sold-out McLaren P1 hypercar. The engine, as usual, comes with the same 3.8L Twin Turbo V8 engine, but the power output is a titular 650PS of power output and 500lb-ft of torque, mated to a ‎7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It will do 0-100kph in under three seconds and a top speed of over 333kph.

The 650S was replaced by the 720S in 2017.

650s

It's time to have a one-lap time attack around Silverstone with the 650S and see if it's still as good as it was made.


It may be a 12C bearing the P1's front but the 650S got what it demanded; the demonstration of its track-honed capabilities you would expect from a McLaren.

Enjoy your new ride!

Friday, January 5, 2024

My FH5 Log: Community Day Classic (PART 1)

The Community Choice series update in Forza Horizon 5, running through the whole month of January,  features fan-voted events and challenges as well as a cesspool of returning cars from past installments. What a way to kick off the new year with a blast from Horizon's pasts.

So, the Hot Season Playlist of the FH5 Community Choice series update features an old McLaren supercar and a Bond car. What are these, you may ask?


First up is the McLaren MP4-12C, which can be yours after hitting 20 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. It's the first all-new McLaren model since the F1. Purely McLaren inside and out, the 12C is powered by a 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine that produces 592hp and 442ft-lb of torque while mated to a 7-speed SSG. Apart from the engine, the 12C features Carbon MonoCell, a first in a segment, as well as a Proactive Chassis Control system, double wishbone suspension with coil springs, a Brake Steer, and many others. If you have seven and a half minutes to spare while taking a break at the Ring, this is the McLaren for you.


Lastly is the Aston Martin DBS, which can be yours after hitting 40 points on the Community Choice Hot Season Playlist. Based on the DB9, the DBS is the replacement of the V12 Vanquish that is powered by a six-liter V12 engine producing 510hp and 420ft-lb of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. Inside the world of 007, the V12-powered DBS appeared in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.



Let's give these classic supercars a quick spin with the 12C battling against other modern supercars in a re-enactment of the streets of Cairo, Egypt, while the Aston Martin DBS drives through the touge roads at the dead of night without rolling over just like what happened in Casino Royale. Let's roll the tapes.



Job well done to these two, that's all I can say.

Next week, let's tackle the Koenigsegg CCX and the Lykan HyperSport at the Storm Season Playlist of the Community Choice update. Insert Fast and Furious joke at the latter, please.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Rolls-Royce Spectre

Rolls-Royce has officially braced electrification and unlike most luxury carmakers began their road to electrification with nothing but SUVs, the most exclusive carmaker of all kicked off electrification with a grand tourer.

2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre
2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre

This is Rolls-Royce's first-ever electric vehicle, a grand tourer with a dramatic name called the Spectre. Yes, the first electric car is named after the terrorist organization from the world of 007. Villainous the name is, the Spectre is all about blending with the crowd quietly with its classic Rolls-Royce looks, comfort, and silence with a performance unheard of.

2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre
2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre

2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre interior

For a fully electric grand tourer with prices starting at 275,000 GBP but can skyrocket to half a million pounds, the Spectre features the widest Pantheon grille for a production Rolls-Royce road car with individual active shutter panes for aerodynamics. While the sizing is broadly similar to the Wraith, the Spectre's styling is surprisingly dramatic as well as the interior that can be tailor-made according to clients' desires. As expected, it's a four-seater electric coupe, meaning it would be challenging to gain access to the rear seats even with the electric switches to adjust the front seats. Still, you can't complain about the top-notch level of handiwork done to bring out the best of the Spectre inside and out.

The electric powertrain is the hallmark of the Spectre and powering this dramatic grand tourer is a pair of electric motors with one for each axle, making it an all-wheel-drive luxury coupe with 585PS of power and 900Nm of torque. It sprints from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and is electronically limited to 155mph. As for driving range, the Spectre is good for 329 miles on a full charge and it’ll charge from 10-80 per cent in 34 minutes via a 195kW charger.

Despite being an electric car, the Spectre runs on the same bits and bobs as the Cullinan and today's Phantom but with a stiffer chassis because of the integration of the 106kWh battery into the structure as well as the use of extruded aluminium sections. Although not recommended to be thrashed because of its heavy structure, the Spectre is as quiet and as comfortable as a Rolls-Royce should be.

Although villainous by name, because it was named after the terrorist organization from the world of 007, the Spectre is the ultimate personification of silence Rolls-Royce has ever crafted and if you're in the mood for a fancy road trip, consider this. The classic Rolls-Royce styling, handcrafted interior, and electric powertrain are what made the Spectre special, and that is the bottom line.

Photo: Rolls-Royce

Aston Martin DB12

Aston Martin's glorious era of crafting V12 engines is well and truly over as the DBS 770 marked the end of an era. This is the newest chapter of Aston Martin's 110-year history.

2024 Aston Martin DB12
2024 Aston Martin DB12

2024 Aston Martin DB12
2024 Aston Martin DB12 interior

This is the Aston Martin DB12. Priced at 185,000 GBP plus additional costs, this so-called Super Tourer rewrites Aston Martin's 110-year history with controversial but exciting features that will make you beg to drive one someday.

At first glance, the DB12 is more of a refined version of its DB11 predecessor but with a bigger front grille and the new Aston Martin logo to contemplate the new GT's aesthetics. As for the inside, the DB12 features a rather dramatic cockpit view with a fully functional touch-screen made by Aston Martin themselves rather than the Mercedes-sourced one from the DB11. Despite being a super tourer, it's got two extra seats at the back that can only fit your pet or your extra stuff so clearly, the inside is driver-focused indeed.

Because the DB12 is the "new normal" Aston, the engine that powers it is a controversial 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine that produces 680PS of power and 800 Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, it does 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and flat-out in 202mph, faster than its DB11 predecessor.

Apart from the performance, the DB12's dynamics are dramatic but jaunty behind the wheel thanks to its e-diff, all-new adaptive dampers, revised EPAS, improved suspension setup, improved brakes, and a multi-mode ESP with six-axis inertial measurement unit, among others. When you drive it on the road, the DB12 is beyond compare to other grand tourers because, as Aston said, this is no mere GT. On the track, however, the DB12 is as elegant as chewing a Kouign-Amann cookie served on a golden platter. Divine.

The DB12 truly is a sign of things to come for Aston Martin's future sports cars and with its glorious era of crafting 12-cylinder engines now behind them, it seems that the only way to go is V8 power for the time being until the times demand to eschew it altogether. Sounds controversial but despite the V8 power, the DB12 is a must-have for every Aston Martin fanatic and you can't escape the envy of driving one someday.

Photo: Aston Martin

My FH5 Log: British Scrap

The Winter Wonderland series update on Forza Horizon 5 brought back three British track weapons fresh from Britain's scrapyard for everyone to enjoy.


The first on the list is the Lotus 2-Eleven, obtained as a prize car in Week 1 of the Winter Wonderland playlist. Based on the Exige, the 2-Eleven is a track weapon powered by a supercharged 1.8L 2ZZ-GE engine mated to a 6-speed manual. The track version of the 2-Eleven weighs a devilish 666kg, although an optional extra made the 2-Eleven fully road-legal.


Second on the list is the Morgan Aero GT, the final edition of the Morgan Aero 8 based on a GT3-class car that won a certain race it competed. Limited to 8 units, the final edition of the Aero 8 is the last to be powered by a BMW N62 V8 engine producing 367HP of power and 370lb-ft of torque while mated to a six-speed manual. Obtained from Week 2 of the Winter Wonderland playlist.


Last on the list is the Lotus 340R, a series-limited model based on the first Lotus Elise. Limited to 340 units, the 340R is powered by a 1.8L K-series engine mated to a 5-speed close-ratio gearbox. It produces 177bhp of power output and 172Nm of torque, although an additional extra bumped the output slightly more, making it capable of going 0-60mph in four-and-a-half seconds and flat-out in 133mph.




Let's give the trio of British scrap metal a quick drive around the limited-time Winter Wonderland circuit and see if they're still as good as they were built in the first place. Let's roll the tape.




They may be scrap metal, but they still run smoothly as they were made. That's endurance to you.

The Winter Wonderland is the last FH5 series update of 2023, and as we kick off 2024, expect more junk cars to arrive in FH5 because January's Community Choice update features a dumpsite full of junk cars to obtain. Yes, Horizon Mexico's kicking off the Year of the Dragon with nothing but junk cars.

As they said, brace for impact...er...turbulence, because Forza Horizon 5's nearing its peak for 2024, I believe, but peak aside, Horizon Mexico's packing lots of surprises in store in the new year.

Our fun in Mexico's not over yet even in the next turbulent year we're facing head-on.

Good luck and Happy New Year.