First Impressions: Chevrolet Corvette 427

 

In all my years as an Automotive Journalist, I've yet to put my hands on a Chevrolet Corvette. Stubbornly, I've always shunned the Vette as an "all engine, no poise" poorly built muscle car without really driving one. Well, know I have and I’m beginning to change my tune.

Where I got it right, the interior is painfully ugly and went out of style in the late 80’s. Really, it still uses buttons from that era. The seats feel as though they are planks of plywood with a bit of low-density foam tossed on top. The steering knocks about, the clutch pedal is longer that a tractors and it drives like an old pickup when not pushing it to the limits. Finally it’s the poster car for the man’s midlife crisis, as not one 20 or 30 year old gave me the thumbs up, but every guy over the age of 50 were drooling at the sight of it.

 

Where I got it wrong, it is a beautifully balanced car, the magnetic ride and super sticky, super wide Michelin Pilot Sports will have it bending physics theories in corners, the brakes are some of the best I’ve ever experienced, the seating position is that of a proper sports car. When you do start to push it, the truck feel of the controls goes away and everything starts to make sense, and finally, it’s just really good fun to drive, while having no refinement, no real technology, it harkens back to when sports cars where no nonsense, no frills, single minded speed demons. Other than a USB port to play you favourite music, a GPS unit to save the real man from the embarrassment of asking for directions and traction control to keep everything on the straight and narrow when in civil environments, there is nothing else added to the 427 Vette that doesn’t make it go faster.

So do the old guys know something we don’t? I’m beginning to think they do, or I may be in denial of how much my hairline is degrading. Either way, the Vette is a proper sports car, a car that nostalgically brings back the true joy of driving.

Factory Tour: Koenigsegg

Remember the days when the mere sight of a Lamborghini Diablo, or Ferrari 308 was a memorable experience. Yes, the prestige of a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Porsche seems to dull when you begin to see each multiple times on a daily basis’ being driven by people who don’t seem competent enough to tie their own shoelaces. However there is a new breed of supercar working their way to the top. Italian builder Pagani, the rejuvenated mark of Bugatti and the unsuspecting Swedish builder Koenigsegg; represent today what Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari where in the 60’s. They are true low production hand built supercars that exude soul, character, cutting edge style and most importantly, unfathomable performance.

So what makes these marks so prestigious? I went to Sweden to look in and get a behind the scenes look at how Koenigsegg takes passion, ambition and acute attention to detail to build one of the worlds truly great supercars.

After a fire in 2003 burnt the companies small factory to the ground with all tools, molds and spares inventory, company founder Christian von Koenigsegg decided that the show must go on. He set up shop in a Swedish Air Force hangar at the airport just north of the small town of Angelholm. Ironically enough, the hangers prior residents was the Swedish Air Forces 1^st Flight Squadron, whose soul purpose was to test highly secretive experimental fighters. Now instead of building some of the most deadly aircraft in the world, the building produces the once fastest production car ever made. Fastest, before the Gumpert Apollo took the title a few years ago. As a tribute to the hangars heritage, each Koenigsegg has the 1^st Flight Squadrons insignia; that of a ghost, emblazed into the rear window of every vehicle.

Building one of the worlds most expensive, and most manic cars to be street legal bears little resemblance to the robotic production lines of Volvo’s Torslanda factory a couple hundred kilometers north, just outside of Goteborg. Torslanda pumps out 1000 vehicles per day and employ’s over 5000 people, while Koenigsegg employs 54 people and handcraft 20 cars per year. While I was there they had 3 cars in production and one chassis hot from the kiln. These cars are not a mass of stamped sheet metal welded together. Von Koenigsegg wanted to build a truly special car, a car that would be lighter, more powerful and faster than anything else on the road. For this you need a factory that resembles a Formula One Constructors shop more than car factory, and for this, a Koenigsegg has more in common with F1 than your basic commuter.

The building process starts with skilled hands cutting and laying out sheets of Carbon over a honeycomb aluminum core. These soon-to-be body parts are vacuum-sealed and cooked in a kiln. Then these newly formed pieces t get sent to the finishing department where they are either painted in the customers preferred colour, or for those getting the Limited Edition, all the carbon is sprayed with a clear coat then meticulously polished to a mirror finish. 

While skilled hands are creating these bodies, and readying them for finishing, a machine shop goes to work creating the magnificent V8 engine that pushes the CCXR to 254 mph. Casting their own blocks in house, the engine has two uses. Power delivery and being the rear structural member; much like an F1 car. Coupled with twin superchargers, the engines are capable of 870 hp, and 1018 hp when tuned to run on biofuel. Mated to the engine is a 6-speed Richardo gearbox, which we saw in a ready state in the engine shop with rear suspension and massive composite brakes.

With the engine and gearbox section ready, the cars begin assembly on the production line as all the glorious bits get pieced together. At the first station the car is just pieces, but further down the line at the final stop, the alignment is measured and the car is ready for test drive on the companies private track on a nearby runway. When the car is mechanically sorted, it is sent out to have the interior installed, then is readied for shipping to its lucky and wealthy owner.

To visit the factory is an amazing experience and the skill and passion that all the staff put into each and every little task in a cars production is inspirational.

Review: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

The Porsche Boxster is easily one of the best sports cars on the market today, and by all means I love the car. The coming together of a mid-engine sports car with excellent fuel efficiency and impressive cargo capacity for this segment is truly impressive. However, it still feels a little watered down for a Porsche. Brought in as an entry level Porsche, the car just feels like it’s lacking the zest for life compared to other Porches. The Boxster S, gave the model a performance shot in the arm, waking it up a little. However, while as good as the S is, there still seems to be something missing.

Problem is, with the increasing availability and ease of use of Porsche vehicles today, the high performance brand is now being bought by not just performance enthusiasts, but by those eager to display their wealth. This means Porsche need to design the Boxster to be attractive to everyone, and not just immature boy racers like me.

However, there is now a third version of the Boxster, and I’m happy to say, it’s an angry one. Yes, the engineers back in Zuffenhausen where let out of their cages, told to go take in a couple track days, have a couple pints afterwards and come up with a Boxster that’s full of energy and life. The result is this, the Boxster Spyder.

 

First thing first, the whole point of this car is to be a lighter more nimble version of the Boxster S designed to give the driver a more exciting driving experience, and let me tell you, they have most certainly succeeded. Short of building a GT3 version of a Boxster, the Spyder ticks off just about every box of modifications that I would do to the car. Make the car 80 kg lighter - check. Give the engine a slight boost in power - check with 10 extra horses. Make it look meaner, with a speedster double hump on the rear deck – check. Give me carbon fibre seats that hold you like full competition seats but are still comfortable enough to go on a 500 km road trip – most definitely check!

So on paper it’s meaner, it looks meaner, but how is it to drive. Well, let me tell you, the Spyder is a breath of fresh air to anyone that is getting tired of today’s cars being packed full of luxury and safety conveniences, spoiling the cars fun-to-drive drive nature. The Spyder is a Boxster on speed, shivering and shacking, wanting to go faster and faster. It is as close as you can get to a Lotus Elise, in terms of driver communication with the car, without all the storage and seating issues that hamper anyone over the age of 16. The steering is surgical, the chassis is near telepathic in its predictability, and the driver can feel a surge of life exude from sitting in the drivers seat. This truly is a driver’s car.

However, that’s not to say there aren’t any complaints about the Spyder. Lets start with the top. The butt of the majority of the complaints about this car comes from its unique top. One of the largest weight savings areas was the top, so this lighter and much more complicated version was created to keep the weight down first, and the weather out second. Jeremy Clarkson even went so far as to call it nothing more than an umbrella. While the operations do take a while to get used to, and in Vancouver it’s not exactly water tight, I actually think its pretty cool, and the immature boy racer in me would much rather have this than the regular Boxster top.

The fabric loops that act like door handles are case in point number two. Most people will not take kindly to these and many of my own passengers were dumbfounded as to how to open the door, but again, the immature boy racer in me loved them. They’re different, basic, like a racecar. Mind you, if I were paying $70,500 for a sports car, I’d rather not have Porsche put a big ugly screw right in the middle of it, at least try to hide it. Along with the minimalist interior you don’t get a radio, or A/C, so posers, turn around and go back to your Escalades and Hummers.

Now many journalists are complaining that with the Spyder, Porsche are tying to sell you Boxster that is missing a whole whack of parts and are charging a premium for the pleasure of being bent over. However, I like to look at it another way. Just look at it. This Boxster is what a regular Boxster is not, exciting, over the top and a true drivers car. Lets not beat around the bush, a regular Boxster is mostly purchased by wealthy parents to give to their daughters for their sweet sixteen, or maybe the wife keeps it for herself for getting to and from Pilates, the spa and a bit of shopping. A true Porschephile would never really want one because it just doesn’t quite offer the excitement and character of a 911. Lets not forget that all those lightweight and unique bits of bodywork, seats and engine modifications come at only a $3,100 premium over the Boxster S. I challenge anyone to buy a Boxster S and equal the Spyder’s power, weight and aesthetic advantages with the aftermarket for such a price. So really, the Spyder driver is getting a great deal. However, start to tick off the options boxes when you make your purchase; well that’s another story, as this test car came in at a whopping $90,425.

So am I angry with Porsche for bringing a car to market with fewer parts, a feeble leaky roof and a higher price tag. No, I applaud Porsche for building a Boxster that stirs the inner driver in us all, a car that is more about the joy of driving than about the badge one wears on the hood. If you are one that wants a Porsche for the badge, go ahead and buy a Boxster and option it out with all the goodies. I you are a driver, and want a car that becomes an extension of your limbs and will always keep a smile on your face, even with no access to satellite comedy, the Spyder truly is the driving mans Boxster.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Base Price (MSRP): $70,500

Price as Tested: $90,425

Type: 2-passenger Sports Car

Layout: Mid-Engine Rear Wheel Drive

Engine: 3.4L Horizontally opposed 6-cylinder

Horsepower: 320 combined

Torque: 273 combined

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual – Optional PDK

Brakes: Four-wheel discs

Fuel Economy (L/100km): 14.2L city, 7.1L highway