Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo 166

This weeks car is another quickie and one that I hope gets back to the premise of my whole blog; the reality that interesting European cars can be had in Australia for surprisingly little money.  This week is the Alfa Romeo 166 complete with stonking V6 and enough Italian style to out catwalk any big saloon rival.

Totally unique 

So on the theme of catwalks lets examine just how beautiful the 166 is starting with what I've always felt is it's most striking feature, those tiny headlights. Unlike other cars bestowed with massive units the Alfa makes do with 2 little ones pushed right into the front wings that make it look a bit like a hamerhead shark, not traditionally beautiful but certainly striking. Small lights also mean your attention is drawn to other aspects of the car, the crease that runs down the sides for example, connecting said headlights with the rear lights eliminates any worry of the 166 being slab sided. At the risk of using an Alfa cliche, the 166 really does oozes character compared to its contempory rivals.

 A rare beast

This cars other rather characterful feature lurks under the sculpted bonnet, Alfa's venerable 3 litre V6 as featured in a previous car of the week, the 147 GTA. Australia was only ever offered this engine, so it seems it was a case of go hard or go home with no 4 cylinder or diesel available like it's euro rivals. This probably accounts for the 166 remaining a niche choice when new, it's reported that globally less than 100,000 cars were sold. A real shame as reviewers rated the 166 rather highly. The NRMA thought "when driving the 166 the sports nature of the model is immediately apparent" thanks to direct steering and a firm yet still pleasant ride. Unfortunately though the 166 was only offered with an auto box in Australia, that at times was a little bit slow to react. But to offset this it was at least Alfa's top of the range car so it came with a fair amount of standard kit; like heated leather seats, climate control, cruise control and rain sensing wipers to name nut a few.   

Will it break down?

Now as we are talking about an Alfa, that ugly word reliabilty is going to rear its head again. However reports seem to suggest the only major fault is rear suspension arms wearing out, everything else with regular servicing should be just dandy. Of course everything being fine doesnt account for how well the car was put together in the first place so each individual car might have its own unique problem, again though a full service history should protect you somewhat.

Go get yourself one

My hope though is that when you relise just how little this super rare, super sexy sedan could cost you to buy you might forgive some of its flaws. As you will see from the car I've picked below a decent 166 should cost you no more than $8000, not a lot of money for a car that will definately make you stand out in a crowd. The car I have picked is at a dealer, but it is very well priced given its low km's, recent cambelt change and importantly it's service history. It looks immaculate from the pictures and given it was probably a bit of a car enthusiasts who bought it in the first place I reckon it has been well cared for.   

2002 Alfa Romeo 166, $7990

The New Jaguar XF is here and it's rather splendid

I bet the Jaguar execs breathed a sigh of relief when the high wire stunt used to reveal the new XF went without a hitch yesterday. Thankfully for the rest of us it was good news too, with no shiny new XF's harmed in the making we can all be treated to the beautiful lines of Jags new medium sized saloon, lets take a closer look.

Distinctly Jaguar 

More design evolution instead of complete reworking, the XF is still distinctly a Jaguar, good, as this means it's unlikely to be confused with German rivals. It also means that picking the Jag remains the thinking mans choice, it shows that one dares to be different and there's nothing wrong with that. But with Jag lately playing on the idea their cars are the villains choice, does the XF make the grade? Well for starters that big grille with new, less rounded LED headlights either side certainly makes the Jag look angry. It flows into a long bonnet with adequate power bulge before the line flows over the car and down to quite a short rear, it truly is a gorgeous car and if you don't think so, there's clearly something wrong with you! On the white car pictured, an XFS there's also some suitably aggressive air intakes on the front bumper and some wonderfully spokey wheels. I should also point out those beautiful new panels are also light weight, the whole XF architecture utilises aluminium to make sure the Jag is one off the lightest cars in it's class. It's a slippery bugger too with a drag coefficient of just 0.26, an Aston Martin DBS is a brick in comparison, managing only 0.35, come on Bond, the baddies car cuts through the air better than yours!

New features

Look closely and the car clearly takes ques from some of its smaller siblings too, those rear lights for example, total F-Type while the whole silhouette is very much an enlarged XE, or should the XE be a shrunken XF? It doesn't really matter, both cars look superb. Inside things have changed too, there is a new 10.2 inch touchscreen for the infotainment system and instead of traditional dials drivers get a fully configurable 12.3 TFT instrument cluster. A 17 speaker Meridian surround sound system can also be spec'd, just in case you want to blow your ear drums out.

Wonderfully Evil

Full details of the new XF will be revealed at the New York Auto Show on April 1st. Meaning for now just sit back and enjoy the pictures. Perhaps while stroking a white cat and smirking because the Jag is still very much a villains car and it's all the better for it. Australian release is scheduled for the first quarter of 2016 with pricing to be announced closer to the time.

     

Zip lining New Jaguar XF almost here

What's the main criteria you look for when buying a new car? That its economical, safe, comfy, affordable perhaps? How about its ability to zip down a high wire line? Well Jaguars brand new XF posses this rather unique ability. Tomorrow will see the Jags 5 Series rival revealed to world live online by way of a zip line. Yes that's how the one and a bit tonne luxury motor will be revealed before its full public debut at the New York Auto Show on the 1st of April. Watch the teaser videos below for the build up.

Ever since the original appeared in 2007 I thought the XF was a beautifully proportioned, elegant saloon and if Jaguars latest F-Type and XE are anything to go by the new XF should be spectacular. I'll be tuning in tomorrow (8am AEDT on the 25th in Aus) to see what the next gen XF has in store, there's also a chance the whole stunt could go horribly wrong and that's surely worth tuning in for too!

Teaser shot of the new Jaguar XF

 

Car of the Week Review: Jaguar XJS

Variety is the spice of life they say, well when your buying second hand cars the same is true. To prove this point my car of the week today is a million miles away from last weeks humble Polo. I give you the Jaguar XJS and yes I've driven this one too.

Isn't it a bit rubbish?

Arriving in 1975 Jaguars XJS was mocked as an unworthy, poorly built E-Type successor. And to be fair at the time this was understandable, the design icon and symbol of the 60's that was the E-Type was a hard act to follow. This meant the XJS was for many years an ugly ducking, however looking at one now I struggle to see how this could still be the case. With its long bonnet and sweeping tail and those buttresses the XJS represents everything a GT Coupe should be. Honestly if there were a book titled "A Lesson in GT Coupes 101" the XJS would be on the cover. Reliability though was an issue and one that tends to get worse over time, so I'll go into more detail on that subject later.

Whats it like inside?

Soft, squishy and comfy in a way that only a car designed in the 70's can be is the best way to describe the interior. From the second you open the door your nostrils are greeted by the sweet mixture of  wood, leather and the faint whiff of oil just to remind you its British, old and may test your mechanical know how at any minute. Naturally coming from an era when Jag was bit strapped for cash you can tell the parts bin was raided for the majority of the switch gear but none of this really matters when its wrapped in shag pile and mahogany. You sit low and far back with the wide transmission tunnel separating you from the passenger, the array of switches and dials laid out in front of you, with just enough visible out of the narrow windows that surround you, it's a car that taunts you to turn the key and go for a drive.

This is an American spec car, ignore the stupid seatbelt's and you get the idea

Whats it like to drive?

Turn that key select D and the first thing you notice is the swell of power that lifts the nose. The soft springs squat at the rear as what from the inside appears to be a plush 70's hotel bar hurtles towards 100km/h in 8 seconds. Its at this point the reality of how wide and wallowy the XJS is really hits home. With the bonnet stretched out for what seems like a mile in front of you knowing exactly where the front wheels are is a challenge, but with Jaguars lovely thin rimmed steering wheel in your hands and less pressure applied to the throttle the XJS is a pleasure to point down a country road. Any speed lost in the corners is made up for by the tidal wave of torque unleashed as soon as you exit the bend and hit the big skinny pedal on the right. The simple auto box has no manual mode, this was the 70's after all but there is a sport ratio that holds onto the gears that little bit longer, allowing the engine to howl a little more in search of its 213kw (there was a manual available, but these are rare). On the highway though the big cat really comes into its own, the cars dynamic flaws on the back roads morphing into a superb level of ride comfort on big straight pieces of bitumen with highly illegal speeds worryingly achievable if you just happen to twitch your right foot. The only real complaints with the Jag are brakes that cant quite handle the cars considerable mass and some wind noise at cruising speed, most likely due to those sizable 70's panel gaps. Honestly though, whatever the road driving an XJS is an occasion. Its exciting, but by no means a car your meant to commute in. Instead its a car for one to take on a drive purely because, one fancies going on a drive!

 

Racing pedigree 

Of course in race guise the XJS handled slightly better than it did in road going form. Categorically wiping the floor in the 1984 ETCC, Tom Walkinshaw brought his Jags Down Under in 1985 and won at that most Australian of Australian races Bathurst. Watch and listen to his pole lap below, it's fairly epic.

Reliability 

Back to reliability and unfortunately it's not great news, the XJS's 5.3 litre V12 did have a few issues. The most catastrophic being its ability to set itself on fire in multiple ways, allow me to explain. Firstly the fuel hoses going to the injectors, if these are left to get old and brittle they can crack, the result is fuel meeting hot engine, not good. The other fiery problem is the distributor failing, resulting in half the cylinders not firing and the fuel that was meant to go into them being dumped into the exhaust, again if this is hot, fire can ensue. Keeping with the hot theme the big V12 is also partial to overheating resulting in warped cylinder heads and broken engine internals, equally not good. There are steps you can take to protect yourself from a Jaguar themed bonfire though. Firstly like any car past a certain age a full service history is key, things will without a doubt have gone wrong over the years, but if there is a receipt to prove its been fixed you can feel more at ease about your purchase.

Buy right and you might not need to lift this quite so much

Of course you might want to do a bit of tinkering yourself and not mind a patchy service history. This is also fine as long as your prepared to spend a little to make sure your big cat keeps purring. Part availability Down Under actually isn't too much of a headache especially if you join one of the many Jaguar owners clubs like www.jaguar.org.au and specialist parts suppliers do exist. There is also the option of buying your parts from Europe and getting them shipped over, it might cost less than you think.

To conclude

Maybe I'm just being all patriotic and wistful because I'm a Brit in Aus but I actually think the XJS is a spectacular machine that's shaken off its chequered past to become a desirable classic car. And if the ever increasing values of XJ's are anything to go by I think others have cottoned onto that fact too.

Go get yourself one 

If you needed proof that these cars are rising in value take a look at the classifieds, prices are all over the shop for cars that on paper at least sound pretty similar. Owners just don't know what to ask, some can be had for as little as $6000 while others are approaching $40k, in fact at the time of writing someones asking $50k for one, which is a bit ridiculous if I'm being honest. From an investment point of view an earlier 1970's car is probably the best buy. These cars looked a little less fussy with smaller bumpers and prices are definitely climbing, however a later 80's car will cost you less to buy and that's why I've chosen one of these this week. It does have slightly high km's but looks to be very clean and it comes with that all important service book!

1987 Jaguar XJS, $6000

Car of the Week Review: Volkswagen Polo A03

This week I'm picking a small car and going back to basics with something that for me has always felt a cut above the rest, the Volkswagen Polo A03 or as it's known in Europe the 6n2. And for the first time I've actually been behind the wheel of this weeks car, so today will mark my first proper review on TheGearbox.

A bit of background

The 6n2 was a development of this, the 6n 

Released in 2000 the 6n2 Polo was a thoroughly reworked and facelifted 6n Polo a car which dated back to 1994 in Europe. In Australia I should add that the Polo was known solely as the A03 for its whole production run (1996-2001). Remaining relatively unchanged under the skin 6n2's main differences were sharper styling and a whole new interior which helped usher the Polo into the 21st century. Visually the 6n2 looked like a 6n that had lost some flubber and toned up. In my eyes the gym time was a success and helped the Polo look more at place in VW's increasingly upmarket range of cars at the time like Mk4 Golf and B5 Passat.

How does it drive? 

Power and there's not a lot of it, only 55kw, comes from a 1.4 litre 16 valve 4 cylinder. In Europe this engine was also offered in the Mk4 Golf and it really struggled to move the Golfs considerably heft around, in the Polo though it feels much more at home only having to deal with 1021kg. Inside the driving position is a little high but you can move the wheel around in a bid to counteract this. The seats themselves are comfy although not very supportive, but your hardly going to go tackling a rally stage in one so that doesn't really matter. Long suspension travel ensures the ride is good and the MacPhearson struts up front mean the Polo hunts out apex's well. The gear sticks a bit light and vague around neutral but it slots into gears nicely enough and feels good with a golf ball like knob on top. By no stretch of the imagination is the Polo quick though, but by stirring the gears and using the little steering wheel to point the Polo exactly where you want to go some fun can be had in the otherwise serious little German.

   

Whats it like inside? 

The 6n2 had a much improved interior

The trouble with small cars of this era is that in my experience at least, no matter how well they might drive, they always feel a bit cheap. It doesn't matter what manufacturers do the materials just aren't up to scratch. In fact many are just plain scratchy and horrible, and while yes I understand this is usually due to keeping the sale prices low it really isn't acceptable. The Polo though is a model which has always bucked this trend and the 6n2 stepped it up a level. The materials in the cabin feel hard wearing and although there is plenty of plastic inside it feels solid not cheap and brittle. From experience there are also very few squeaks and rattles, impressive given that even the youngest cars are now 14 years old. Two binnacle's one for speed the other for revs are the standout of the revised 6n2 dash and they are lovely, especially at night when illuminated by VW's red onto blue colour scheme of the late 90's early 00's. They also sit behind a lovely thin, simple 3 spoke steering wheel. Space wise, front seat passengers get lots of room to move but the back seats are only good for taking people short distances. Despite it's practical 5 door layout I wouldn't fancy being in the back seat for a long journey. As far as insulation goes, the quality fit and finish of the interior helps to keep most road noise out but some does seep in, especially wind noise, at highway speeds. Standard equipment was pretty basic, but expect air con, front fog lights, 15 inch alloys and a CD player.

Running costs, whats likely to go wrong? 

As previously mentioned even the youngest of this generation Polo are 14 now so age related things such as rubber bushes, engine hoses and belts may be perishing and in need of changing. Paintwork and headlight plastics too might also be showing signs of over a decade in the Aussie sun and be needing some attention. Mechanically the 1.4 is a simple engine so with regular servicing should be fine and with quite a few Polo's finding homes in Australia the cost of getting one fixed shouldn't be wallet emptying. In saying that though if you really fancy saving money and are a capable D.I.Y mechanic there is an abundance of parts for the Polo on Ebay UK that sellers can ship down under for very little money. To buy a whole car you won't need to spend much either, you'll see from the car I've chosen below, but to get a good one there's no need to spend more than $5000. Combined fuel economy of 8.6l/100km is reasonable too.

To Conclude 

At this price point I think the Polo is an excellent second hand buy and a much more appealing proposition than something like a Yaris. Made from quality materials, robust mechanical's and finished to a high standard the Polo also happens to be a fun car to drive, as long as your not expecting hot hatch levels of performance.

And here's one I found earlier   

Yes it's from a dealer but wow is it cheap, low km's and appears to be in reasonable condition bar a few visible scratches and a dent just under the back window I'd be very tempted to go have a nosey around this 2000 Polo if I was in the area.

2000 Volkswagen Polo 16v, $2,999




Image credit: australiancar.reviews

Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R sets Albert Park record

Renault, clearly not happy with setting production car records at both Suzuka and the Nurburgring last year have taken on Melbourne's Albert Park F1 circuit to set another record. In the hands of newbie RedBull driver Daniil Kvyat the most hardcore of sporty Megane's the Trophy-R has set a production car record for Albert Park with a time of 2 minutes 23 seconds.

By completing a lap Renault's Trophy-R also happens to be the first ever production car with an engine no bigger than 2 litres to lap the Albert Park circuit. If Daniil had just pushed the car around he would have walked away with the record, but unless you enjoy watching Russians push Renault's that wouldn't have been much of a video would it?.Thankfully Renault filmed the full throttle attempt which you can see below.    

Kvyat spoke after the lap praising the Renault for it's on track ability, he also noted that the Trophy-R is noticeably more hardcore than the already fairly bonkers RS 275. Delivering 275bhp (hence the name) from a turbo charged 2 litre to the front wheels the Trophy R comes as standard with Renault's Cup chassis. It also has a mechanical limited-slip differential, titanium Akrapovic exhaust system, Öhlins one-way adjustable dampers with composite springs and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that are specifically designed for the car. The R is also considerably lighter than the normal RS, all these things help improve the way the car communicates with you on the road. 

Australia is only being allocated 50 of the global 250 production run Trophy-R's so if you want one best be quick and have a spare $65,000 lying around! It might cost a lot but if an F1 driver thinks it's a good car the chances are you'll think it's pretty awesome too. Find the Trophy-R here.

 

Volvo Polestar aiming for a V8 win in Melbourne

Since moving to Australia I've had to get to grips with a car culture very different to one I left behind. I'm gereralising a little but on the whole small euro hatches, BBS wheels and a static coilover endued stance are not the norm in Australia. Down Under the rear wheel drive V8 sedan is still king despite it's imminent demise, with big power, big noise and massive burnouts they define Aussie car culture and naturally there's a race series too. To my surprise and delight though it wasn't just Commodores and Falcons on the grid when I first tuned in to the V8 Supercars Championship.

This weekend sees the V8's playing second fiddle to the F1 circus in Melbourne, however last year saw the Polestar Volvo team score their first ever win in the V8's at this non championship event. Since then more trophies and some enthralling on track battles have ensued for the Volvo team confirming that V8 powered bewinged Volvo S60's are my new favourite race cars! The team are obviously very keen to repeat last years win, with Kiwi driver Scott McLaughlin saying he's aiming for the win again, his co driver this weekend is another Kiwi Chris Pither who's sitting in for an injured David Wall. I'll be sure to tune in to see if the boys can do it.

Not since my 90's childhood watching the British touring car championship (BTCC) had I seen racing Volvo's. They are a welcome addition and I hope that Volvo although with an eye towards safety and efficiency rather than racing will not turn their back on the V8 series. With the big Holden's and Fords slated for retirement in 2017 too, I certainly hope that podiums keep coming so that the lovely directors' at Volvo keep funding the team and hopefully in the process entice some more European manufacturers into the empty grid boxes. It could be just like a 90's BTCC grid again, except with bigger rear wings and more burnouts, I rather like Australian car culture.

  

A quick car of the week: BMW 1 Series

The eagle eyed among you might have noticed that this Monday there was no car of the week. That's because I was in Sydney, seeing the sights but mainly car spotting because I'm a bit sad like that, have a look at my Instagram for proof. Anyway it's mid week and off the back of my piece earlier on BMW's 2 millionth 1 series I was inspired to do a quick car of the week search for one of Munich's most successful and controversial cars.

It would appear that 1's still command high prices, probably due to their premium badge. However if you are willing to spend around $10,000 you can get a nice mid noughties car with low km's and good spec. Here is my pick, a 2007 120i with a manual gearbox and crucially the M Sport kit fitted. Not only was the original 1 Series facelifted in this year but the addition of the M kit means lovely seats and more aggressive bumpers/side skirts. I think this car looks the absolute business and with a manual, as the seller points out, you get to experience the full BMW driving experience. There appears to be some nicks and scratches noticeable in the pictures and the mirror covers missing but I think its a bit of a diamond in the ruff.

2007 BMW 120i $10,499

BMW builds it's 2 millionth 1 Series

It has been almost 11 years since BMW gave the world the 1 Series. The companies first proper hatchback designed to liven up the compact segment with sublime RWD driving dynamics and superior quality. BMW's Golf rival was a brave move a decade ago but one that now in it's second generation appears to have paid off with the announcement that a lucky buyer in Japan is to receive the 2 millionth 1 Series.

First generation 1 Series came in for a lot of stick when it came out, with awkward styling a harsh ride and limited rear space many thought the 1 could never be a serious hatchback heavyweight. However, the power of the badge prevailed, a much improved second generation was released, a formidable M135i was launched and now the 1 is going from strength to strength.

Almost by coincidence the 2 millionth 1 Series also coincides with the second generation car getting a little mid life nip and tuck. The fresh faced 1 Series is due for full public debut on the 28th March but a few details of what customers can expect have been shared. For the first time there will be an option box for full LED headlights, radar based cruise control with stop and go and updated ConnectedDrive so you can sync your latest smartphone to the car and if you so wish browse the internet all from the comfort of the drivers seat. Engine choice will remain the same, with customers being offered everything from the super frugal 116d offering claimed economy figures of 3.4l/100km to the tarmac torturing twin turbo straight 6 M135i. There's also an option to add xDrive all wheel drive to 118d and 120d models.

It appears that despite early critics BMW's baby has done the business globally and I can't see demand waning any time soon. Despite some flaws the 1 series has opened up the joys of rear wheel drive motoring to an audience that otherwise might have never considered that driving could be pleasurable as well as a necessity and for this reason I'm pleased BMW took the risk 11 years ago.
       

Bruce's Car of the Week: Skoda Octavia RS

How much do you think a Mk5 Golf GTI would set you set you back? 15, maybe 20k? Well this weeks car gives you all the GTI's performance in a more practical package for under $10,000. Lets move the stigma aside and welcome on in the Skoda Octavia RS.

It's just another bloody Golf

Released onto the Australian market in 2007 the 1Z generation Octavia, essentially a Mk5 Golf with a bigger seden esque hatchback body on it failed to set sales charts alight. And this is a real shame as the Octavia RS is a very capable car with some lovely Volkswagen underpinnings. I feel it's only right I explain those underpinnings in more detail. The Mk5 Golf platform was released in 2004 and replaced the squidgy, lackluster Mk4 setup. Not since the late 80's had we seen a Golf with a capable chassis underneath it, so the world waited with baited breath for a GTI that could actually live up to the name. Thankfully Volkswagen delivered, slotting a sweet 2 litre turbo motor into that very capable chassis, with 147kw of torquey turbo power the GTI was reborn.

Styling

The Octavia RS utilities exactly the same setup, the only difference is that by dressing it in a Czech suit people won't pay as much, making the RS an incredibly good value modern hot hatch. Visually the RS is understated in that typically European way. It's not overly designed and definitely not ugly but just different enough to make people in the know look up and take notice, personally I love it.

 

The practicalities

From a practicality point of the view the RS has smaller hot hatch rivals licked. Available as a big hatch or wagon reviewers at the time concluded the Octavia to be the ultimate Jekylle and Hyde car. It could be sensible family transport during the week and a back road barnstormer at the weekend. The turbo engine managing to deliver respectable economy when driven gently and blistering performance when wound up to its red line. The icing on the cake for the RS is that being a top of the range model it wasn't short of standard equipment either, heated front sport seats, duel zone climate control, tyre pressure monitoring, 18 inch alloys and sports suspension were just some of the things which came as standard.

 

A good value, practical, economical but fast car that can carry the family with ease? Come on Australia get over your preconceived ideas about Czech cars, Skoda's are good and the RS Octavia is great.

My pick from the web this week, a 2007 car advertised by a dealer. High km's on this car might explain the asking price, but this should not put people off. These engines are strong and with regular servicing will just keep on going. I think this cars an absolute bargain.
2007 Skoda Octavia RS, $9990