Test Drive BMW M3 Convertible E93 since 2008 Convertible
You give an angle!
Choose the most fun car for a shrouded winter ride.With each snowfall, the Moscow roads stand in the deaf plugs until late night, and hundreds of drifters are chosen under the coverage of darkness and parking. We are against such frills on public roads, although we love sideways and yourself. That's why Motor assembled on the ice of the Motodrome, five cars of different classes to find out what will deliver more kayfa on the winter road?
For this test, we chose the most clockwork, in our opinion, cars. And, of course, mostly rear-wheel drives: the most fashionable coupe of 2012 Toyota GT86, the good old Roger Mazda MX-5 and the most driver hot hatch in its BMW M135i class. And let the rear wheel drive not the fastest, but the most driven!
Good, of course, in winter and four-wheel drive, but here's the question: who else, except Subaru and Mitsubishi Motors know how to make gambling all-wheel drive cars? We decided to give a chance to the stylish crossover Mini Cooper SD Countryman, and as a heavy artillery from the window of supercars, Audi R8 V10 was called.
Let's see what the German-Italian coupe is capable of raised asphalt in the conditions of a harsh Russian winter.
We deliberately not included in this test Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Evolution X - only lazy wrote about them. We also wanted fresh blood!
All cars are completely different power: from 143 to 525 horsepower, and all for completely different money: from 1 million 300 thousand for a simple router Mazda up to six more than millions for Audi. Let's say right away: we did not measure the time of passing the circle and make special tests to the cars.
We were worried only one question as widely the driver's smile will be after the trip on each of these cars.
In addition, all machines were completely different tires: Audi R8 and BMW M135i were equipped with high-speed unsuccessful tires Pirelli Sottozero, Mini was in the unsuccessful tires of Scandinavian type Nokian Hakkapelitta R. Mazda MX-5 flailed by Michelin X-Ice North II tires, with spikes, And Toyota GT86 is not enough that I was content with the modest Velcro Bridgestone Blizzak, so still her rear wheels were lys as the head of the wine diesel!
On the straight line Audi R8 easily disappears from competitors. And not only on asphalt
Supercar Price for six million rubles on ice? Why not? After all, Audi positions R8 as a car for every day. We are familiar with the summer operating conditions of R8. And what will happen in winter whether the spectacular sports car is helpless? After all, he has a clearance with thimble, and the bus widths with a rink of asphalt paver.
On the test, we got another dorestayling version of the machine with a 525-strong Motor V10. From the renewed machine, it differs mainly by a robotic gearbox with one clutch instead of a two-shit, and the usual headlight headlights instead of LED. So, it still annoys jerks when switching up, but this is not the worst.
Because Hichkok himself could be removed from the Audi R8 manner to pass slippery turns!
In theory, the winter road should not become a problem for Er-eight, because it is all-wheel drive. True, on the front wheels under normal conditions, there are 10 percent of the thrust, and at the limit of the Vussoft, it is capable of up to 30 percent of the torque. But it is in theory
Audi salon is good! Qualitative materials, sufficient (but not excessive) set of options, class seats. That's just landing is imperfect: the legs bent slightly stronger than necessary, and the steering wheel I want to move a little more
Batz! And the car in the canopy turns into the deepest demolition. Reset gas, straighten the steering wheel waiting until the supercar stops to go past the turn slightly add gas, and it fails into a sharp drift! And so all the time: Despite the rear-wheel drive transmission settings, the Audi R8 coupe has become the most incomprehensible test of the test.
Drift on ice on a narrow track is not about her. The features of the control will have to get used to and get used to a long time. The most important thing is to carefully monitor the combination of the front wheels, or no longer.
There is nothing to receive pleasure, but just confidently go through the ice track already achievement.
However, on the snow-covered roads of the Moscow region with the enabled stabilization system, everything is excellent: R8 does not twitch from side to side and does not seek to turn around in each turn. It can really ride in winter! Powerful V10 rather linearly responds to pressing the gas pedal, so that the wheels do not seek to go to the slip at each acceleration. Even jerks when changing gear do not destabilize R8.
We never got used to Audi's unstable behavior on a slippery coating. To learn about R8 on ice, you will have to change your driver's skills and even reflexes
Clearance only funny and pleasure from such a ride is not enough. So on the winter tires, the owners of the Audi R8 are better not to spend money let your superkupe say the winter in the garage.
Okay, can all-wheel drive mini, which is cheaper than R8 four times, will give more fan? After all, MINI of the new era has always been famous for their bright riding haggards. And let his 143-strong diesel engine are weakest in the test, but the torque is enough for two.
Countryman on ice is fast, but not very gone
In terms of speed, MINI is wonderful. Even on the unwanted tires on the ice track, the cantrifer is very fast, the four-wheel drive allows you to accelerate at the outlet of the turns very quickly. Only here is not very gone.
The system of the plug-in full drive on Mini Countryman is traditionally arranged: a multi-disc clutch in the rear wheel drive distributes the torque constantly, it works preventively, and its control algorithms are tied to the gas pedal, accelerometer testimony and stabilization systems.
Such a scheme is practical and works adequately, but no more. In civilian mode, Mini practically does not slide, but rides quickly and efficiently. In this, the ESP Countryman integrated into the All-wheel drive scheme, the ESP Countryman struggles with demolitions, not only with the help of selective rotation of the wheels, but also due to the active redistribution of torque.
Mini goes hard on sideways, but it is necessary to handle it in old school to put sideways a few meters to turn and then smoothly straighten the gas trajectory
But if the stabilization system is disabled, then the five-door crossover will be able to effectively go sideways. True, Countryman is not the most groan all-wheel drive car: so that everything goes as it should be, you will have to closely monitor the front wheels. You will lose it and fly to a snowdrift: the car will go only straight, and even under the discharge of the scale of the desired correction of the trajectory does not occur.
Therefore, it is better to handle mini without ceremonies in advance to put sideways before turning so that it goes to the turn in the slide of all four wheels.
It is only necessary to get used to a high landing behind the wheel. According to the standards of crossovers, it is not bad, but the range of adjustment of the steering wheel is missing, and the chair is flat. The central speedometer in Countryman is traditionally blind: while you consider testimony from him, you have time to get from Moscow to Peter. It is good that in the tachometer on the steering column is built in the digital double-meter dubler, he albeit tiny, but it is better than nothing.
MINI COUNTYMAN Salon pleases design, but saddened the quality saved where only you can! Plastic is mostly cheap, the equipment is not ahti. And the landing behind the wheel disappoints: the legs are very bent, and the steering column chronically lack the range of adjustment by departure. And is it a premium?
The chairs look quite sporty, but in fact, lateral support is weak.
The price of Countryman is also strange. Not only is the base car costs 1 million 350 thousand rubles, so there is nothing for this money! It is not even about xenon, but about things like heating mirrors, side computer or fog lights. Fortunately, MINI buyers do not have to pay extra for the wheels and the emblem on the hood.
Everything! Enough. Only rear-wheel drive, only hardcore!
Beauty Mazda MX-5 is a long-time familiar. We chased on her on the roads of Crimea and Stavropol, along the alpine serpents and even participated in the ice race. We went to the extremely lightweight concept-kara MX-5 Superlight, which and the windshield is not in general, we know it as irradiated!
But every time Mazda opens from the new side, and each time it is pleasant to sit down in it, even if just got out of the supercar. A two-liter 160-strong motor is simple, but still cool. He is not so responsive as his opposite colleague on Toyota, but gives out a lightweight (equipped mass with a driver of only 1173 kilograms!) Machine with excellent dynamics. Until hundreds of MX-5 accelerates 7.9 seconds for almost the same as the 200th Toyota GT86!
Of course, due to the studded tires, Mazda MX-5 became the fastest on the track in the ball, but it was not so easy to control it in slipping.
The point is whether in the shortest among the participants of the wheelbase test (only 2330 millimeters), or in a relatively soft suspension, which causes more carefully to change the dynamic drifting of the machine. But writing a spectacular arc, playing by changing the corner of the drift, on the MX-5 it was more though than on other machines all the time you have to work more actively and the gas pedal is more active, because of what the trajectory of motion was usually obtained more torn.
On Mazda, you must go boldly! The car gladly slides sideways, but requires a solid hand. The main problem is not to hold the desired corner of the drift (there is no problem with this), and on time to pay it on the outlet of the turn
However, swearing on MX-5, especially in the Sport configuration (and it is equipped with the locking of the rear differential) sinful. Good because, damn!
Slightly bargain, but after all, you get a buzz from such a character much more!
The car forgives even gross mistakes, so you still need to turn on it. But at the outlet of the turns, the piercing Mazda MX-5 stabilizes reluctantly: at the beginning, straight it is already wants to accelerate, and you are still forced to extinguish.
There is another thing that will annoy high drivers a vague fit. The steering wheel wants to move towards himself, but it is adjusted only in height. Put the back seat vertical? We brain your head in the ceiling. However, all this MX-5 can be forgiven.
Salon Mazda Prostotsky, but, oddly enough, it is not annoying. Irritating landing behind the wheel: the steering wheel adjustment is not, and the drivers above 180 centimeters are resting on their heads into the ceiling. Eh!
Recaro Chairs are good wonderful side support, excellent profile! Well, large seats, as well as drivers in dense winter clothes, will be closed in them.
Mazda MX-5 is not without flaws. The motor is weak, the suspension could be slightly collected, and noise isolation better. And since then it went, the salon here comes from the nineties: both in the quality of the finishes and in ergonomics and to equip. Even in the maximum configuration there is no USB input or banal bluetooth. And this is 1 million 300 thousand!
MX-5 bribes balance and drive: I don't want to change anything in it. All good and so! The Japanese Roger provides incendiary riding on public roads and does not pass at the ice track at all. Moreover, this machine is the only one in the entire company has a folding roof. So, in summer, all emotions from driving can be safely multiplied by two.
Thanks to the studded tires, Mazda MX-5 did not leave competitors a single chance
But no matter how good the Mazda MX-5 design is good and the design of MAZDA MX-5, there are cars and twists in our test. For example, the current King of hot-hatch-hatch BMW M135I is one of the first intermediate cars of the M Performance line, which should fill the gap between ordinary BMW and evil emails.
Under the hood of a half-epimem, a 320-strong six-cylinder turbo engine. Hot?
At least fast! BMW is gaining the first hundred for supercar 4.9 seconds, and if you order a full-wheel drive car, the hatchback will perform the same standard for 4.7 seconds almost at the same level with an eight-cylinder Audi R8!
It's not a hamster - this is a penny BMW, smiling, happy to go sideways even in a straight line
Moreover, even the rear-wheel drive version is incredibly effectively accelerated through the winter asphalt, compounded by slippery reagents. All you need from the driver to press the gas pedal to the floor. Dosing the craving is optional: the stabilization system will stare exactly to the extent that it can most effectively realize its power.
The same thing in the snow. And with a disabled stabilization system, a powerful motor (it develops the brutal 450 nm already at 1,300 revolutions per minute) will allow you to send M135i into a power slip just as simple as switching tracks in the radio. No need to put it on gas, you do not need to rock the car: just clicked on the pedal slightly, and BMW is already riding sideways.
Box at BMW - good! It seems to be a machine, but to control the burden as convenient as on the mechanics. In addition, the box has an honest manual mode, and the selector also has the correct algorithm: you swing away from myself down, on myself up.
It seemed to ride the ice of the ball on such a powerful car without spikes that try to cut the flea sledgehammer. However, the unit has always remained incredibly fast and obedient.
Even with a fully disconnected stabilization system, the car does not try to bury the driver in the first snowdrift!
On the contrary, it extremely effectively accelerates at the exit and is incomprehensiblely pulled out even from very deep drifts. The steering wheel is informative, the thrust and responsiveness of the motor is simply amazing.
Ride quickly by our BMW M135i did not interfere with even an eight-stage automatic (there is also a six-speed mechanic). On the track you can use a completely honest manual mode, but there is no particular sense box and so everything makes perfectly. And when they transplanted with BMW into a car with mechanics, the sensations are like changing a sports suit on a leopard skin.
In the salon M135i Hightec! But the landing seems too high, and the steering wheel is too fat rim. However, the last to the amateur.
BMW chairs have a huge number of adjustments and adjust to any shape.
What the BMW lacks on ice is the malice. Unlike the oak Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GT86, the BMW M135i has a fairly comfortable and not the most energy-intensive suspension, an excellent lounge and gorgeous insulation all this slightly reduces the degree of emotions that can give the rear-wheel drive hot-hat. On the other hand, if you ride on a unit not only along the track, then all these flaws will probably turn into dignity.
Approximately in such angle BMW M135i will be remembered by most thread neighbors. Especially in the summer
In general, the BMW M135i is a wonderful car. He is amazingly fast, obedient and practical. And even the price of almost two million does not look overestimated until you look at the basic configuration. Leather? No. Xenon? Missing. Dual-zone climate control? Wake up air conditioning. Or pay extra. If you screw the BMW M135i by the navigation system, good music, electric wheelchairs and the testing system of testimony on the windshield, then its price will need to be close to three million.
Uh so can find the car easier?
Yes! Toyota GT86 for funny 1 million 300 thousand with kopecks. It is simple, like boots: Even if you collect a car interior from Lego designer, he will also look less plastic. This in the photos of Toyota's salon looks good, and climate control adjustment arms in the form of washers and a variety of sinks hint at Nissan GT-R. But in business
In winter, yes also on absolutely bald tires two hundred forces for this car too much. But in the summer such a cool chassis sooner or later want to add power
Keys, as in Chinese, Plastic Stone, and carbon inserts disappoint even street racers on priors. Noise isolation at the Toyota coupe, it seems no fully: if you go through the rough asphalt at a speed of 60-80 kilometers per hour, then communicate with a passenger is better through the rally negotiation. Finally, Toyota GT86 has obvious problems with comfort: as a car for every day it is suitable only conditionally.
But how comfortable here! Planting driving perfect: better than in Audi R8 and BMW M135i combined. The class chair is installed extremely low, the steering wheel is almost vertically, the adjustment ranges are sufficient to be comfortable to grasp even two-meter versions. Location of pedals of exemplary. Want to brake with my left foot, you want to show off the peg of the sock.
No trendy steering wheel in the form of a piece of plasticine chunted in the barnings. Round, perfect cross section Barca comfortable and honest.
Honesty is general about GT86. Oh gods, how tasty and honestly rides this little beast with a two-liter opposite engine and rear-wheel drive!
Six-speed manual gearbox ideal. For clarity, it is very similar to the mechanics from the charged Subaru Impreza WRX STI: the lever has short moves, quite a lot of effort and perfect selectivity. Only in Toyota is every little better. The moves are still shorter and more accurate, and the step in force when switching below. Therefore, it is possible to juggle by gears with the speed of the guys from the Furious movie. The only shortcomings of the Subarovsk pedal of clutch is still little informative, but she has at least less.
There is no unnecessary electronics in Toyota like sports mode of motor, suspension or steering amplifier. Want to go smoothly just do not hook pedals! You wish the car to show the character of the hysterical saleswoman in Selpo all in your hands! A two-liter atmospheric motor is not too powerful than 200 forces, but amazingly responsive: you get smooth as much as I pressed. And you get without a single hitch.
Suspension bulletproof. In the city, she at first seems to be furiously tough, but in the first serious irregularity you understand that its energy intensity is extended.
Pits, joints? Nonsense. Slow down in front police officers? No, I did not hear! Rolls? There is none of them!
And it is not surprising because Tovyotov, the center of gravity GT86 (only 460 millimeters from the Earth) is lower than that of Porsche Cayman! On the asphalt, the machine reacts to the steering wheel without a single delay, and the steering wheel itself is ideally informative. On slippery coating, no worse: you feel perfectly. It is a pity that because of the worn tires GT86 could not boast a high speed. But mutual understanding with her was utterly.
To spectacularly drive on GT86 in drifts, you will need stable rear-wheel drive control skills. Because the stabilization system will have to completely disable: in the usual and even sport mode, it works extremely topologically. First, yawns, giving a small drift, and then rudely and unceremoniously intervene, stabilizing the car hard. About any delicacy and preventiveness of work, like BMW, Audi or Mini cars, do not talk speech.
In the hands of the skillful driver Toyota creates wonders! You can send it to a skid of a slippery coating at least a million different ways: you want, under the dumping of gas, you want to counteract or on braking, and you want to trustly excess thrust. GT86 on bald tires slid and when switching to reduced gear, and in response to sharp drives with a steering wheel, but it remained crystal clear and obedient.
Toyota GT86 is a real time machine carrying the driver for 20-30 years ago. When the cars created engineers, not marketers and owners of ipadov.
And let the Toyota GT86 ask more than the 250-strong hot hatch Renault Megane RS, which on the track will split it into sinters. After all, real pleasure from the car do not measure seconds and horsepower. A small coupe of Toyota is a pure fan! Sitting behind his steering wheel, you get pleasure not from speed as such, but from the control process itself. This is a buzz recommended for use! And for us this is the most important.
A source: Magazine Motor [February 2013]