BMW’s striking G29 Z4 M40i comfortably delivers M car performance with the reassurance of a manufacturer warranty. Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various. Market Watch BMW Z4 M40i G29MW’s G29 Z4 M40i is the nearest thing you can buy to a contemporary Z4M Roadster. And with M car performance, impressive handling, rakish good looks and a plush spec it delivers in all the key areas.
What’s the worst car you’ve ever owned? Maybe it was your first car; something bought for next to no money and maintained with crossed fingers and fresh air. Maybe it’s the car you have now, but that’s a fairly depressing thing to think about so try not to dwell on it for too long. Mine was a 1992 Audi Coupé 2.0E, bought in Leeds, in the rain, and in the dark.
Cover up the Chevrolet bow-tie logo and anyone beyond the membership of the Society of Korean Saloon Apologists would struggle to name the manufacturer. It smacks of a car designed by committee to appeal to a global audience. As inoffensive as a local radio station playlist, although arguably more tuneful if you opt for the Porsche-engineered, transversely mounted, straight-six engine.
After a spate of unreliable French hot hatches, Adam Gough did the sensible thing and switched to one of Wolfsburg’s finest. All was going well, in fact, until he discovered DriveToday site and the bug really bit… GOUGH MEDICINE Adam Gough reckons Performance VW, plus a certain Golf we featured previously in our Mk2 Madness edition (back in 2006), has a lot to answer for when it comes to his obsession with the second-gen’ Golf and how his own project spiralled out of control.
The unmistakable boxy silhouette of the Saab 900 has arguably become one of the most iconic shapes to come out of Scandinavia’s automotive industry, perhaps along with the Volvo 850 estate. Brought in to replace the Saab 99, the 900’s primary guise was as a four-door family saloon. However, not wanting their customers to miss out on the brisk Nordic weather – or perhaps more likely to appeal to warmer, overseas markets – the 900 also spawned convertible variants, such as this one.
Mid-engine supercar with Italian connection cops a cruel execution DRIVEN TO EXTINCTIONIf you want a supercar that straddles the lines between exotic, sophisticated, and pragmatic, the main option you once had in Australia is on the way out. If you can still find an Audi R8 in a showroom by the time you read this, it’ll be one of the last. But it’s not for a lack of success. The R8 wasn’t a sales giant here, but nor was it by any means a failure.
We investigate the function of modern vehicle cooling systems and their role in ensuring reliability and operating efficiency. Techtalk Feature: Vehicle cooling systems Keeping it coolIn internal combustion engines, the conversion of the chemical energy of fuel into kinetic energy creates heat as a waste product. This heat, along with the heat created by the friction of various moving components, needs to be reliably controlled and dissipated to protect the engine and its components.
The Porsche 959 A 200mph car that was easy to drive? Porsche invented the 21st century supercar in 1985 The Porsche 959 was the first modern supercar. It was the fastest production road car of its day and the first to approach 200mph in top speed (the claimed 197mph was independently verified). But that’s not why we’re celebrating it. Rather, it was a fast car that was easy to drive. Before its launch in 1985, powerful sports cars required skill, strength and occasionally heroics.
It has often been said that in the event of nuclear war, the only things that will survive are cockroaches and Mercedes-Benz W123s. Hopefully this theory will never be put to the test, but one thing is certain: few companies have been as consistent as Mercedes-Benz when it comes to developing thoroughly engineered cars. But W123s aren’t as bomb-proof as you might think.
The 964 was the first 911 to utilise an active rear wing, but why is it there and how does it work? The 964 model, introduced in 1988, may have given the appearance that little had changed over the previous G-series model. In fact that was partly true for the design, which maintained the existing shape and gave it a clean up, smoothing bumpers, and adding an engine undertray.
The PDK double-clutch automatic gearbox is so good, the decision between manual or automatic can be quite a dilemma for 911s from 997.2 onwards. But where does that leave models that have the previous incarnation of automatic technology, the Tiptronic models? Are they tougher to sell, and take up valuable forecourt space? “In short, no,” says Philip Raby, of Philip Raby Specialist Cars. “We had two in lately, both 996; a Cab and a Coupe. Both sold within 24 hours,” he says.
For much of its existence since 1978, the Ford Falcon XC Cobra has been something of an orphan, a side story in the rich tapestry of collectable Australian muscle cars. But that has changed over the last few years, with the Cobra becoming increasingly appreciated – as well as increasingly appreciating in market value.
The XK140 shares the spirit of the original XK sports car but offers useful practical upgrades over the XK120. If you’ve got the funds, here’s what you need to know. WORDS: PAUL GUINNESS MIDDLE CHILD The car with all the spirit of the original XK120 but some added convenience.
Our second £5k pick is the R170 SLK320. There will always be some debate about whether the 230 is the one to go for, with its smaller, lighter engine, impressive torque, potentially better fuel economy and smaller running costs, but while a supercharged four-pot is fine, a lusty V6 is just so much more desirable, let’s be honest. The idea of a large engine in a small car is always one that will put a smile on the face of any motoring enthusiast.
Doubling our virtual budget puts a lot more exciting machinery within our grasp and so the first thing we’re naturally going to jump on is a V8 – because why wouldn’t you? – and we’ve opted for the C209 CLK55. We’re not going to beat about the bush because the reason we’re here right now is the M113 under the bonnet, here in its pure NA form, and in the CLK55 it makes an impressive 367hp and a hefty 376lb ft of torque.