Rams Eye The Track Guy

The wait is finally over (well, it's been over for about 3 weeks now, this is a bit overdue...) but the new 3-series was finally revealed by BMW and there are a lot of changes. I don't know if I am alone in waiting anxiously or not. I have been waiting for a new 3-series for a long time. being a huge 3-series fan but having been underwhelmed by the current generation in two reviews; one was a 2014 335i xDrive M Sport and another was a 2016 M4 DCT. In both cases, I have found them to be hugely capable with almost no compromise on paper but, when you compare them to older 3-series generations, they are missing a lot of the charm and feedback. They are more grown up, more refined, much more capable, but a lot less engaging. My hopes were high for this generation and, judging by what BMW revealed, I have reason to remain hopeful ...


I will get the bad out of the way first. This generation is bigger. Again. It's about 3.3" longer but at least it's lighter and stiffer.…

The last generation BMW M5 (F10) was the beginning of the end for BMW M manuals in the M5. It was offered without a manual around the world but, after relatively high demand, BMW offered a manual in the US and Canada. The current BMW M5 doesn't offer a manual at all, not to mention going AWD. That doesn't bode well for purist fans of the brand since BMW M has clearly thrown crucial traditions of the brand (i.e. RWD and manual) to the curb in the name of performance and/or efficiency. It looks like that isn't the end of all manuals, though, at least not yet.

BMW’s M division boss Frank van Meel told Car and Driver at a press event a couple of months ago that the brand is still committed to manuals. Presumably, he was referring only to the M2 and M3/M4 since all other M cars including the M5 and "SUV" M cars like the X5/X6 M are only offered with automatics now and you can bet that the M6's replacement - the M8 - will be offered with only an automatic. As you …

Cadillac's largest car - the not-quite-a-flagship CT6 - is becoming a little more flagship-y by getting the full V treatment like you can get on the CTS and ATS (for just one more year before they're axed in anticipation of replacements, so grab them while you can). Cadillac calls the CT6 top-of-the-range but won't call it a flagship, clearly wanting to leave that distinction to a larger and/or more grandiose vehicle in the future. It was previously announced in March earlier this year to be getting a high dose of performance enhancements, the highlight of which is a new twin-turbo V8, and was going to join the line-up as Cadillac's skim-V models called V-sport. Think of it like M-performance packages from BMW vs full fledged M models, the only difference being V-sport models typically get unique (and much more powerful) engines. But just a couple of weeks ago, Cadillac announced that it will make it a full-fledged V line model, making the car inch a bit higher in pre…

Rumours of a mid-engine Corvette have been around basically since the C2 Corvette, the first Stingray. I've heard some people argue that the Corvette is already mid engine because the engine sits almost entirely behind the front axle, making it mounted midship. But everyone knows that the classic definition of a midengined car is that of an engine mounted between the seats and the rear axle, not the front axle. That's what everyone pictures if you say "mid-engine". Worse still (for the Corvette), a true midengined layout has a lot more traction - all else being equal - than a front-midship mounted engine like the current Corvette, no matter how far back it is mounted. Chevy knows this, and there has been no shortage of Corvette mid-engine concepts for decades. This time, however, it's different.

For one, manufacturers these days tend to keep very special/high performance models under wraps for a very long time during development, only revealing them when they a…

Yep, it'll have four doors, more ground clearance, and AWD. No, it's not an SUV or a crossover. Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said during an interview conference last week: "I abhor seeing SUV in the same sentence as Ferrari. It just doesn't sit well with our brand and what it represents." He refused to call it an SUV or a crossover. So what is it? Well, it's code name Purosangue, meaning Pure Blood, in case you're worried it will be anything but a Ferrari. He apparently wasn't even on board with the idea at all, until he saw the internal design.

That bodes well, although not much is known about the looks. Drawing inspiration from the GTC4Lusso is probably a safe bet. The GTC4Lusso (pictured) is Ferrari's only current car that has AWD and 4 seats, although it's only got two doors and doesn't have room for much else. It is basically a shooting brake of a 2+2 GT car and packs a Ferrari V12 under the hood. Although the GTC4 is technically AWD,…

"Who's your green student today?" asked a friend and instructor at the BMW Club Atlantic Advanced Driver Training (HPDE) weekend in June this year. I said: "The Saleen." The response was: "Oh, boy." Mustangs, generally, have a reputation for being more power than chassis. Mustang drivers have quite the reputation for.. how to put this nicely? Taking advantage of said power/chassis imbalance. To make matters worse, this particular Mustang was a supercharged Saleen, with a honkin' Shaker scoop sticking out of its hood. Did I mention it was also a convertible? And the owner was someone who's never been on track before but clearly has the speed bug.

Having had a Mustang for years and driven a few on track, they don't scare me - generally speaking - but the combination of being convertible and supercharged with a new and excited owner worried me a little. Nevertheless, I shrugged it off and got excited about chatting with the owner to find out…