Roadsters aren’t the big-volume players in BMW’s line-up, but this genre has thrown up some of the Bavarian marque’s most iconic models over the years, dating back to the timeless 328 (1936-40) and sublime 507 (1956-59). In more recent times, we’ve had the offbeat Z1 (with its unusual vertically sliding doors) and the beautiful Z8 that served as James Bond’s ride in the 1999 blockbuster The World is Not Enough.
Remember the BMW 8-Series? A large, eye-catching coupe built from 1990-99, it was in many ways a pioneer for the Bavarian brand. Apart from the low-volume M1 sold in the early-’80s, the 8-Series is the only BeeEm to date with pop-up headlights, and its other claims to fame include being the Bavarian brand’s only V12 model to be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. What’s more, it was one of the company’s first vehicles to feature a multilink rear axle.
In terms of sheer volume, there is no bigger automotive segment than the one comprising compact SUVs. Jeep recognised this more than a decade ago and rolled out the Compass and Patriot to target the horde of (mainly) young buyers snapping up crossovers by the hundreds of thousands. It was a new foray for a brand that had until that point focused on larger, heavy-duty SUVs that embodied Jeep’s conquer-all-terrain roots.
This is a case where it would be all too easy to write a paint-by-numbers story. Every single measure and statistic relating to the Chiron is so plain absurd that the numerals in themselves make interesting reading. Fifteen hundred horsepower, 1600 Nm, 0-200 kph in 6.5 seconds, 420 kph (electronically limited for safety!), 16 cylinders, four turbochargers… and even that’s barely scratching the surface.
Audi’s svelte A5 coupe has now been around for nine years, but it’s aged with the utmost of grace –- so much so that one could argue it’s still as visually appealing as the much newer BMW 4-Series and Mercedes C-Class Coupe it competes head-to-head with. But it’s clear an all-new model was due if the A5 was to remain competitive with Teutonic rivals in terms of performance, dynamics, cabin layout and mod-cons. Right on cue, here’s the new second-gen 2017 A5, which we had the opportunity to sample at its recent international launch in Portugal.