Need for Speed: First Issue
Test drive: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – a horse named Enzo.
"When I first saw the capabilities of this car, I was amazed. In it you can overtake Porsche, Lamborghini and even Ferrari. I drove the most amazing car America has ever produced..." - Enzo Ferrari.
The history of the Chevrolet Corvette goes back a very long way. The first sports car was presented back in 1953 by GM (General Motors). It is no coincidence that the Corvette even has a personal emblem developed specifically for it: the crossed Chevrolet flag and the checkered racing flag used in auto competitions for the finish wave. This car made a real revolution in supercar construction in America and made a huge contribution to the development of motorsport.
But let's not talk about the past. Now before us stands, as if having tried on a strict business suit, a black Z06 coupe. Climbing into the interior, you don't immediately realize that you've gotten into exactly that car – the Corvette's seat adjustments are very extensive. And apparently, right now they were cranked all the way, since the seating position seemed very high to me. But even a basketball player can adjust the soft, properly shaped seat to suit himself. Speaking of the contents, the interior does not resemble the spartan cabins of past years; the equipment includes the full set befitting a gentleman: leather interior, full power accessories, climate control, various electronic assistants, xenon headlights, etc. However, the materials evoke mixed feelings – soft plastic sits alongside coarse plastic, an abundance of aluminum – alongside excellent quality leather. The car's interior also has, in American fashion, a decent number of boxes and hiding places, but, truth be told, even that is not the main thing. The main thing is the trunk. In the Corvette it is simply incredibly huge for a supercar; a whole 640 liters! The car's exterior is magnificent; the Corvette was not copied from Italian sports cars, but they clearly made a certain contribution to its design. Although, for fairness' sake, it is worth noting that the car has not changed much compared to the previous generation.
On the road the car shows tremendous spirit, but one should not forget that under the hood is a V8 with a power of a whole 507 hp. If you sharply hit the gas, the car will spin its wheels and start scrubbing the tires, and will also become completely uncontrollable, so for novice drivers the only thing to do behind the wheel here is adjust the seat. The car, according to unconfirmed data, accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.8 s. The top speed of the "charged" Corvette is electronically limited to 320 km/h. At revs up to 3-4 thousand, the engine quietly growls in its baritone, not letting its full potential out, which allows you to drive in a city manner. However, when you hear how it asks to show what it is capable of, you understand that the urban environment is alien to it, especially since Corvette owners will have very serious problems with parking in the city – the ground clearance is simply tiny! Only 90 mm!
But now the kilometers of road are behind us and we are out of town. And here the Corvette becomes... no, not a cruise liner. The suspensions are very stiff, shaking the riders considerably on bumps, but fortunately the car leans very little in corners, and the seats turned out to have very well-developed lateral support, which always lets you stay put in it. The rear wheels of the Corvette Z06 are shod in tires of size 345/30 R19. Confident braking is handled by the brake mechanisms of the world-famous company Brembo. Up front are six-piston calipers, at the rear – four-piston ones. They are clearly visible through the alloy wheels made specifically for the Z06 Corvette modification. The main competitors of the Corvette at the moment are the Dodge Viper SRT-10, Nissan GTR, Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560, Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 turbo. Agree, quite worthy competitors, but the Corvette also has a very strong trump card – price. For the price of one Gallardo or F430 you can buy 2 Corvettes. Agree, a tempting offer!
We are not saying goodbye to the Corvette yet; it will still take part in comparative tests, but for now... for now I myself have been thinking hard – maybe I should buy one, because looking at such a car, parting with $70,000 is not a pity.
Secondary market: Ford Focus SVT
An unpopular athlete.
Find me a car enthusiast who doesn't know the Ford Focus. One of the main people's cars of the 21st century, for many long years it has remained a competitor to the "cool" Japanese hot hatches. In this case we are talking about the SVT modification (Special Vehicle Team – a tuning studio, similar to AMG, BMW M, Chrysler SRT – author's note).
The second-generation Ford Focus SVT saw the light of day in 2002. The price of the car reached $18,000, and, despite good equipment, with a Zetec engine displacement of 2 liters and a power of 170 hp, the model did not enjoy the demand the manufacturers had counted on, which was explained by the high cost of the car itself and its operation, incomparable with more renowned Japanese competitors.
The SVT Focus is the first Ford car to be fitted with a dual-mass flywheel, which reduces gearbox wear and lowers vibrations. The ABC system is 4-channel and acts on all wheels. In addition to the already mentioned ABS, the standard equipment includes: 2 airbags, full electric package, heated seats, central locking, radio, heated mirrors, alarm, air conditioning and cruise control. For individual orders, apart from the Recaro leather seats, only three options were available: a built-in CD audio system, a sliding roof and a winter package that includes heated seats and an engine pre-heater. One of the drawbacks of the interior can be called the creaking of the rear seat and the knocking around the roof area in the car when it's cold. Another minus, but of the whole car this time – the absence of the AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system, which is present on the previous Focus model. It's strange why the engineers didn't use it in the second Focus as well. The standard seats with leather inserts and good lateral support are quite decent, but after 200–300 kilometers on the road your back starts to ache, and this is not just my observation. The seats in the Focus are already mounted too high, and the driver's seat in the SVT is a couple of centimeters higher still — because of the electric cushion height adjustment mechanism. Which, by the way, is completely useless: even in the lowest position, at my height of 178 cm, I sit higher than I'd like.
On the road the Focus demonstrates confident behavior. At first I liked the suspension: in terms of comfort the "hot" Focus was almost as good as the regular one, yet it handled noticeably sharper. However, the first long trip on the highway brought an unpleasant surprise: it turned out that at high speed the suspension, as they say, doesn't take a hit. Bottoming out occurred even on seemingly harmless gentle waves of asphalt. The reason is clear — the suspension travel is too short. The 6-speed manual gearbox is made by the renowned German company Getrag and is distinguished by convenience and durability. The shifts are practically imperceptible, and the lever travel is moderately short. But still the main advantage of the Focus SVT is the powerful and elastic engine. The variable intake tract length and intake timing provide not only a ringing surge from 5500 to 7000 rpm, but also, which is much more pleasant in city driving, excellent torque already from 1500 rpm. The "hot" Focus, unlike many other sports cars, does not impose its driving style. Want to drive sedately and measuredly — by all means, and without any discomfort. Want to "light it up"? Pleasure guaranteed!
However, running the car, as already mentioned above, costs a pretty penny. But you can avoid numerous expenses, provided that you drive quietly and calmly.
Tested in action: Audi A3
Briefly about the test: I and a team of test pilots will be operating the car over 50,000 thousand km, checking reliability, cost of use and, most importantly, the car will take part in certain types of racing.
Car: Audi A3 3.2 quattro
Test start: 2005
Mileage at the moment: 52000 km
It's a great pity, dear readers, that you won't get to know the 2005 Audi A3 anymore. But don't be upset – it will be replaced by another Audi, but an S6 of the 2009 model year. To be honest, I would have liked to get a new A3, but it hasn't yet arrived at the nearest dealerships, and waiting for one from abroad would have taken 2 months.
Well, let's stop thinking about the future and send the old girl into retirement. The A3 served honestly and at the moment of sale is practically no different from the one that was purchased in 2005. The interior especially pleased: the seats haven't lost their appearance and still look like new, the paint hasn't peeled off the plastic knobs and buttons (!), unlike the older model – the A4 (though that one is from 2002 altogether), and the perfect fit of the parts left no chance for dust to accumulate. Besides, the quality of Audi's interior materials has always been top-notch.
As for road qualities, here the situation has only changed for the better – over such mileage the car has "loosened up" and now accelerates to a hundred in 6.2 seconds instead of the claimed 6.4 seconds, besides which fuel consumption dropped from 10.5 liters to 9.6 in the combined cycle. The car also never let us down with unexpected breakdowns, so reliability can hardly be called into question. The suspension also pleased – it is quite energy-intensive, and fortunately I have never yet managed to bottom it out. Driving the A3 every day is very pleasant – it feels like you're in a car a class above. The 6-speed manual gearbox pleased with its precise shift throws. The only thing you could scold is the engine; no, it is, of course, very brisk, but at the same time demanding about fuel. A couple of times it happened that I had to fill up wherever I could, and as a result put low-quality fuel into the tank. The engine died literally as soon as the gas station disappeared from view, and I had to call a tow truck…
Well, let's wish the car good luck, its life is just beginning. And the S6 is already waiting for us.
Author: Airslasher.