I鈥檒l Just Say It Up Front

I鈥檒l just say it up front, the folks from Stuttgart make some fine automobiles. In years past some might say their appeal has been limited, with a stereotyped audience of the more, shall I say 鈥渨ell-aged鈥?among us. In recent years however, Mercedes-Benz has made a conscious effort to bring the design language and engineering to a wider range of prospective buyers with sleeker, more aggressive exteriors and less angular interiors. With this in mind, I have decided to put the folks at Mercedes to the test with a series of drives, the first of which is their recently redesigned C-Class sedan, specifically the C300 w/Sport Package. OK, I will be 鈥渦p front鈥?again鈥?I was impressed with this car..! The first thing you notice upon entry is the greatly upgraded interior design and build quality. The C-Class is now clearly at the top of the pack among its competitors, the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Cadillac ATS. The exterior design is showing improvement as well, especially from the B-pillar forward. The rear of the car does fall a tad short with too much droop and not enough muscularity to match the forward sections, but a solid design overall. Driving impressions were on the good side of the ledger as well. Minimal turbo lag and plenty of juice from the fine engine and generally overall good performance from the 7-speed transmission. Handling was solid, with enough grip and lightness to feel somewhat nimble at times, although not having the dynamics of the Cadillac ATS or even the Bimmer. What struck me the most was an excellent balance of capabilities, giving the C300 a range of personalities. The car can be a smooth luxury cruiser or a mischievous, sporty ride, depending on your mood and the weight of your right foot.

How many valves does the 2007 Porsche Cayman have? The 2007 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How many valves does the 2014 Porsche Cayman have? The 2014 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How many valves does the 2011 Porsche Cayman have? The 2011 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How many valves does the 2010 Porsche Cayman have? The 2010 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How many valves does the 2008 Porsche Cayman have? The 2008 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How many valves does the 2012 Porsche Cayman have? The 2012 Porsche Cayman has 24 valves. How wide is the 2009 Porsche Boxster? The 2009 Porsche Boxster is 5 ft. 10.9 in. (70.9 in.)12V front power outlet(s) wide. How wide is the 2009 Porsche 911? The 2009 Porsche 911 is 5 ft. 11.2 in. (71.2 in.)12V front power outlet(s) wide. Is the 2014 Porsche Cayman electric or gas? The 2014 Porsche Cayman is a gas-powered vehicle. What kind of transmission does the 2007 Porsche Cayman have? The 2007 Porsche Cayman has a 5-speed manual. Is the 2007 Porsche Cayman electric or gas? The 2007 Porsche Cayman is a gas-powered vehicle. What kind of transmission does the 2008 Porsche Cayman have? The 2008 Porsche Cayman has a 5-speed manual. What kind of transmission does the 2010 Porsche Cayman have? The 2010 Porsche Cayman has a 6-speed manual. Is the 2010 Porsche Cayman electric or gas? The 2010 Porsche Cayman is a gas-powered vehicle.

When a team of engineers from Volkswagen created a hot Golf Mk1 in their own time, the result was the Golf Sport concept, which made its debut at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show. Volkswagen took a lot of convincing that there was a viable market for a hot hatch, but it put the Golf GTI into limited production, and was overwhelmed by the demand. The GTI became something of an icon as it made its mark as a staple part of the Golf line-up, accounting for up to 10 per cent of sales. As the bar was raised ever higher, so the GTI got increasingly powerful. Then, the even more performance-orientated Golf R32 was launched, and that was followed by the Golf R, which reached the milestone of breaching the 300bhp barrier for the first time. 鈥?Volkswagen Golf R Mk7 (2014-date) - Hottest Golf blends fine performance with impressive everyday versatility.

The newcomer was available with three or five doors, and there was a choice of six-speed manual or DSG automatic gearboxes. Power came from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. By July 2015 the R was also offered in a more practical Estate body style, with the same mechanical specification as the hatchback version. An updated Golf R arrived in April 2016 with LED lights all round, digital dials, a new infotainment system, a 10bhp boost and a number of exterior design tweaks. Which one should I buy? Most Golf Rs have five doors and a DSG automatic transmission; if you prefer a sportier look and don鈥檛 care too much about rear seat access, a three-door model might better suit your needs. Both manual and auto boxes are great to use, so which one you go for is just a matter of personal preference. All Golf Rs come with sports suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels and xenon headlights.

A Performance Pack was also introduced in November 2017. Available only with the DSG transmission, it brought 19-inch alloys, stronger brakes and a 166mph top speed (168mph for the estate). There was a sporty rear spoiler for the hatchback, too. The Golf GTI and GTD offer many of the R鈥檚 features and benefits, but in packages that are cheaper to buy and run. After the urgency of the Golf R, these might seem rather anaemic, though, which is why Audi鈥檚 362bhp (later to be 395bhp) RS 3 might hold more appeal for those after a performance-focused experience. Yet while the RS 3 is beautifully built and well kitted out, it鈥檚 also costly to buy and run, with second-hand prices starting at 拢30,000. These factors also apply to the 355bhp Mercedes-AMG A 45 which, as with the RS 3 and Golf R, comes with four-wheel drive. Don鈥檛 overlook the 326bhp BMW M135i and its replacement (from May 2016), the 340bhp M140i, both of which are great fun with their rear-wheel-drive set-ups.