Naked Motoring - the all new Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design driven

Never before in the history of motoring has any one car been so long awaited and anticipated, except maybe the first car ever. I know this because I actually owned the previous generation S60, which was a 2005 model, and even then there was talk of the new S60.

However it has finally arrived, and our particular test car is the top of the range, of the top of the range T6 AWD R-Design and it pack a hell of a lot of punch!

The engine is a 3 litre turbo charged devil that produces 224kW and 440Nm, which is a massive amount for a car this size.

In the old S60 range there was a creature called only the S60 R, and it was (for its time) biblically fast, yet completely refined. This new R-Design I believe has come, sized up and conquered the old R in as many ways as it is possible.

Now to clarify… the difference between a standard T6 and the R-Design are aesthetics. Dynamically and technically they are identical in every respect. The R-Design just comes with a higher and sportier trim selection, which admittedly really works very well. So much so that in my opinion, even though the R-Design is a few Rand more, it is definitely the one to get.

The new car is really nice to look at. It is sculpted and styled without fault and every line flows seamlessly into the next. In short you will enjoy walking out to it every morning.

The test car came with very comfortable two-tone black and white electrically adjustable and heated seats, which admitted would not be my personal first choice, but in so saying I got used to them very quickly. If I was the man in charge plain black leather with the same white stitching would have been my choice, but then again each to their own. Aesthetics and styling is very much a thing of personal choice and no person is entitled to say what is right or wrong… unless of course they are bright yellow with pink stitching! The floor mats were also neatly framed with the same white stitching which was a really nice effect.

Seating in the rear is spacious and comfortable enough for two adults and a child, and ISOFIX child seat mounting points are standard.

The boot is large, but the boot hinges intrude into the boot space by quite a bit… one of those things that just looks odd, but may not be of concern.

Safety needs no introduction… it is a Volvo and the one thing they do very, very well is safety.

2008 BMW 335i Convertible – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews ...

The BMW 3-series is without question one of our favorite cars, reigning on our yearly 10Best Cars list for the past 16 years. The current and much-praised, fifth-generation E90 version is no doubt the best, and is among the most rewarding cars to drive at any price. For 2008, and to no one’s surprise, BMW is adding a convertible version, just as the company has for the past 20 years.

But, this is BMW’s first foray into the expanding, hardtop-convertible parade. Other notable features are a much-improved, rapid-shifting six-speed automatic; special reflective leather to keep the seats cool (up to 30 degrees cooler than conventional leather) when the top is down; and, of course, the spectacular 300-hp twin-turbo inline-six that was introduced in last year’s 335i coupe. In the U.S., the convertible will be offered as the aforementioned 300-hp 335i—the model we got an early drive in—as well as a 230-hp 328i when it goes on-sale at the end of March. Pricing isn’t yet finalized, but the convertible premium will likely not change much from the outgoing model’s, so expect to pay about $7000 more than comparable coupes; roughly $43,000 for the 328i and $48,000 for the 335i.

Changes from convertible to coupe in 23 seconds Hardtop convertibles offer numerous advantages over their soft-top competitors, including coupe-like quietness and excellent visibility when the top is up. BMW reports that the rear side windows have grown 30 percent in the new 3-series convertible, while overall visibility is up 38 percent. To our eyes, visibility out of the convertible is essentially equivalent to that of the coupe.

Looks-wise, you probably won’t spot the new convertible by its 3-series-coupe-like front-end, but rather from the rear, where the coupe’s flowing roofline is replaced by a distinct line where the convertible’s roof meets the trunk.

BMW’s new top is a three-piece unit and, at the push of a center-console button or the key fob, stacks the front panel on top of the center panel, then the rear panel on top of both of those before disappearing into the trunk in 22 seconds. It takes a second longer to reverse the process, which is about seven seconds quicker than its closest competitor, the Volvo C70.

The downside of folding hardtops is that they’re heavy and that the top can hog most of the trunk space when down. In the 3-series’ case, the top itself adds 300 pounds, while the extra chassis reinforcements pack on another 150, so expect a 335i convertible to weigh about 4000 pounds. To BMW’s credit, however, the convertible retains a 50-50 weight distribution and is claimed to have 50-percent stiffer torsional rigidity than the previous 3-series convertible. From the driver’s seat, we can tell you that the new 3-series is among the stiffest in its class, with almost no perceptible quivers felt through either the seat or steering wheel.

Sports Car Market magazine - January 2008

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Kiplinger's Personal Finance

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Factor in the space for four and the delightful performance of the turbocharged inline-6 and the BMW 335i Coupe makes very good sense, other than that hefty ...

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Flip, How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head--and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings

Another very close friend recently purchased a BMW, despite saying he never would. He used to say, “Everyone has a BMW,” which is why he never would. ...