The automental Mini Clubman selection

If I couldn't get the Italian job, I'd currently go for the "everything in silver" Mini Clubman, with black alloys and a black roof rail. This comes also very close to the initial concept Clubman. 

And Chocolate leather interior, please, without the stupid beige interior bits. Keep it simple.

I know, pretty unusual, not very Miniish, my choices. And silver is so old school. Yes but the only colour, which can be had in body colour pillars. I liked the previous generation cream white, though the white of the Mk2 Mini seems colder. And a Clubman in white with black pillars looks simply weird. Though it seems quite a popular choice. Is it just me, or do Clubman owners usually order the same colour combinations. Dark silver or white, both with black roof and black pillars. 

The Sky Motoring host had once an orange Clubman long term tester with black alloys. Looked pretty sexy. Try to get that as a Clubman Cooper S or a JCW... Here we go again, the maddening marketing customer restrictions. It is not possible to choose certain combinations, try pure silver, silver pillars and a black roof. Or dark silver, silver pillars and a dark roof. Why making it more complicated and frustrating for the customer? And as I have written about the Scirocco R, manufacturers tend to restrict the option lists for the top sporty versions of the range. That is simply mad marketing.

So my Mini would not feature the typical JCW spoilers, no Miniish go faster cosmetics, no black top (though I couldn't choose one even if I wanted to) and a roof railing on a JCW... try to google pics of a Clubman with this spec, I haven't found one yet. that's why this one is so automental :-)  And with the top half C-piilar in black, why not using black plastic foil? And a bit of chrome / aluminium trim to bridge the "gap". MMmhhh why not blackening the chrome line? Such a detail might make a small but emphasizing difference.

That's my selection after having spent more than an hour playing with the Mini configurator :-)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from automental.com

The best looking Clubman yet - and you can't have one

...unless you buy the Clubman Soho in Italy, and only there. Why, you might say, isn't this simply a white metallic Clubman with nice alloys. Yes to both remarks, but that's not all. Check out the photos and see if you'll agree with me :-)

It took me a few secs and I had my YESSS moment. I have wanted to write an article about the design weirdness of the Mini and my favourite, the slightly awkward Clubman with the interesting but ultimately flawed rear pillar design. Now the Soho, but why for the Italians only? I bet that the Clubman Facelift or revision might address the question that the Soho answers quite successfully.

Maybe the Soho happened, because the Italian customers tended to point out that the Clubman's rear is really not that sexy. And the Italians dearly love their small estates, remember the first Miniconversion by Castagna, remember the Autobianchis, the 500 and 600 estates and Multiplas. Think of the Lancia Ypsilon, Y10 and Musa. The Clubman is quite desirable, but it failed to be quite as sexy as the normal Mini. Here is why...

The Clubman is longer than the normal cute Mini. Though at first glance the Clubman seems just lengthened in the middle, which does influence the harmony of the proportions. To give the Clubman it's personality the designers introduced the suicide door. And - visually far more prominent - the two rear doors, rather than a normal hatchback door. Cute again, though a little overdone, a bit too thick. Especially the C-Pillar which extends down to the bumper. Not just that, the C-pillar is colour coded silver or black just like the roof. And regardless what colour combination of body colour, C-pillar and roof you try, it just doesn't have the same appeal as the normal Mini choices. 

The production clubman was very different from Mini's intriguing Clubman concept.

So a couple of weeks ago we dreamed up a the truly automental Clubman. And most importantly, it meant getting rid of that C-pillar styling as an aftermarket option.A little research showed that some Mini Clubman owners already did some DIY job. Now we don't need to dream up our concept anymore, here it is: the Soho. BTW one small detail is still imperfect. The chrom line is not continued around the C-pillar. That detail will soon be addressed, bet on it. Again we haven't been the only ones noticing.

We would further like to improve the rear door handles, uncluttering the Clubman. this would be followed by the rear bumper design, maybe with a double exhaust à là VW Golf R and getting rid of the useless mesh openings. Furthermore, we would like to simplify visually the interior. Maybe a bit less playfulness would increase the appeal. Now the dashboard is just too cluttered, too many "cute this", "sweet that" design applications.

And lastly we really like those Soho alloys which first appeared in the special versions of the Mk1 Mini Cabrio in the last months of it's production. So now, dear Mini product managers, please don't let the Italians be the only lucky ones to have the Soho.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from automental.com

FastLaneDaily saved from the emergency lane after two weeks

via youtube.com

FastLaneDaily on youtube has become one of the great rough diamonds for cars enthousiasts on the web. They are also on fastlanedaily.com, but I guess most people watch them over youtube with about 15,000 to 25,000 viewers per show. Remember, it's a daily web show where some episodes attract more than 50,000 viewers over time. Even for YouTube standards, that's really good.
FastLaneDaily, or FLD for the fans, is a bit of a raw and acquired taste. When you first watch the show, your likely reaction is: WTF. But then more and more viewers get it. It is great entertainment, politically incorrect, often over the top and awkward. But that's the charm of that "unpretentious" show. FLD wraps up some good info in a couple of minutes and always with a twist. And most importantly they interact with the viewers, they try new things.
Then, over the holidays and new year, some business changes took place. FLD moved locations and for 2 weeks they angered their viewers by replacing the loved and hated Derek D by a voice-over clip which used the same manufacturer car teasers as all the other boring voice-over car shows...

Propaning Diesels :-)

Now that is a technology which is promising. Combining liquefied petroleum gas LPG (Autogas) and Diesel! No, that combination won't save the planet, but if prices come down, it may help to upgrade existing Diesel cars and trucks, making them more efficient, cleaner and more powerful :-).
I didn't know that this combination was possible until the recent article about a converted camper / motor home with more than 200bhp in German magazines and newspapers.  Here is a list of Diesel / Gas converters I found:

Wohnmobil-DIESEL mit Autogas!

via spiegel.de

Der Link zu Firma hinter dem Projekt: Goldschmitt.de , ausserdem haben auch FTD und Süddeutsche darüber berichtet.

Der Hauptknaller ist eigentlich in den Artikeln gar nicht so richtig hervorgehoben, eine Flüssiggaseinspritzung für einen Diesel!!! Bin ich jetzt hinterm Mond oder ist das schon länger möglich?

Posted via web from automental.com

Does this make sense to you?

When a new car gets launched the manufacturer is very carefully preparing the photos for the media. No wonder that the same pics pop up everywhere, on blogs and mags. And there is usually little choice regarding backgrounds, angles and most of all colours. The Scirocco R and Golf R models are blue metallic. Black is difficult, fine. The fashion tends towards brighter colours, fine. But this kind of marketing sophism is becoming ridiculous. Who is really buying those screaming orange, green, yellow and blue cars? People that have no choice, of course

So back to the Scirocco R. A few other annoying WHYs! 

1. Why is there only black leather interior? Cost can't be an issue, this is a premium model. At least give us the normal choice?  Why not?
2. Why are there fewer colour options, no pewter grey for example, or some elegant softer metallic tones? Again this is a premium model, shouldn't there be more colour choices than normal?
3. Why is there no 4-wheel drive like on the Golf R? The only acceptable explanation would be a technological one, ie the Scirocco has not been designed for 4 wheel drive. But don't give me the weight argument...

And VW is by far not the only car maker offering a restricted choice for premium models. Try ordering a Focus RS in black or silver. Try getting a non-black leather interior for sporty versions, for example in combination with the 1-series M-package. And I am not even talking about wheel choices. And while I am at it, try to buy a BMW 135i hatchback! Why can't you? Well I really don't know. That is how the car industry unintentionally pushes potential buyers to car cutomizing companies and tuners. There, the customer is king, not a victim to marketing policy.

BTW This is the first VW I really like... well since I swore never to buy a boring car again after 3 years of driving a functional, sturdy and practical 2-door Golf Mk 2 Diesel in dark blue, someone even forgot to fit the "turbo" - anyway, that promise to myself was made sometime last century :-)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from automental.com

Automental Car Concept - Jaguar XJS Lynx Eventer Knowles & Wilkins

I shouldn't be writing this. So much to do, but today is Sunday and here you are, another feasible dream car project of the automental to-do-list. The second Automental car after the Ford S-MAX SVT. This time, I invite you to share my love for shooting brakes.

For the non-initiated, shooting brakes are 2 door estates or station wagons with a low and long roof-line. Most achingly beautiful shooting brakes are derivatives from great front engine sportscars, or GT cars. Some extremely rich Ferrari enthousiasts like the Sultan of Brunei have such cars built by Pininfarina and the like. Sometimes, some small manufacturers are attempting small series of conversions...

Photos from LynxEventer.com :-)

Det iss schon kurios

Da schaue ick mir GRIPs "Det sucht nach Standuhren an" und denke, Mensch, ick habn Déja-vu, det is ja wie mein Automentor Blog damals...

Mitte 2006 startete ich einen Blog namens automentor.org / automentor.wordpress.com, seit kurzem vermählt an dieser Stelle mit automental.com. Die Idee war/ist per Blog eine Art Tagebuch für die Auftragssuche nach Gebrauchtwagen zu starten. Der erste "Auftrag" war ein Auto mit bequemen hohem Einstieg unter €10.000, aber bitte keinen Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Kombi, Van oder Bus. Er führte zu dem Kauf eines Renault Vel Satis und eine Reihe von Blogposts beschrieben den Weg dorthin. Jeder Fahrzeugtyp wurde genauestens unter die Lupe genommen, mit Verweisen zu Diskussionsforen, Fahrzeugbewertungen, Gebrauchtwagenchecks usw.

Brabus becoming a tuner for show?

Brabus has a tradition of implanting impossibly big engines in normally looking Mercs, or more to the point, they had this tradition.

Brabus like to show off a monster car once in a while but most of the Brabus range had more understatement than the fuzzy design of AMG, which I applauded in an old post comparing Alpina and Brabus. But that design appeal is gone, Brabus now look like AMG on steroids. I can't help but send a plea to Brabus: please, if you have to produce awful monster rockets for some export markets, I understand that, but why not creating another brand, like Brabus Terrible Taste or Brabus Monster Benz or Brabus Extreme Shock or Brabus Brrr or something.  And please bring back to some nice subtle designs and improvements for a connoisseur market that you used to make just a few years ago. I am not a big Benz fan, but Alpina without a counterpart is kind of lonely. Though there are the Audis by MTM...

Another VW jumper ad :-)

The original:

2 Years ago VW pulled the one above.

The new jumper ad:

The translation:

Why just living one life? / Why just living a life? / Just, why living a life?

Der Möllemann Bus oder glaubt VW an die Wiedergeburt?

1. Springt er weil die FDP trotz aller Gewinne an den 18% gescheitert ist?
2. Möllemann lebt(e) - erst nach der Probefahrt sprang er...
3. VW sagt, macht nix, hast ja noch ein paar Leben!
4. Der Sprung in das parallele Universum.
5. Ist VW des Lebens müde?
6. Einmal VW Bus fahren und sterben!
7. Denk an die Fische - und lass den Bus stehen ...
8. Denk an die Bergungsleute - Wenn ihr über die Klippe springt, lasst bitte die Tür offen und die Schlüssel stecken.
9. Denk an die Zurückgebliebenen Hinterbliebenen - Anzug raussuchen und in die Seeluft hängen spart Mühe und riecht besser.

Aber ehrlich, meint Ihr der Fallschirm bringt bei der Höhe noch etwas?

The automental to-do list

The list of automental car proposals, the cars we wish we had, the cars manufacturers never thought of or never wanted to do:

• Ford S-Max SAV RS (read the post)
• BMW 135i 3-door hatchback (ha, you didn't know that BMW does not make this one, did you? We will write about it in the Alpina B1S article)
• Alpina B1S (also hatchback please)
• BMW Alpina B6s Shooting Break
• Mazdaspeed MX-6 AWS (yeah, it's a an old car, a classic)
• Mazda RX-5 Turbo, the MX-5 with a rotary engine from the RX-8 and extended foot room
• Jaguar XJS Shooting Break Lynx Eventer (late model / new conversion) improved by Knowles & Wilkins (another vintage car) (read the post)
• Toyota Prado Land-Cruiser V8 CustomCamper Tom's Fahrzeugtechnik with a double unfolding roof
• Porsche 911 4S Targa 998 with redesigned tail lights and Ruf Dual-Compressor
• Porsche 911 Turbo 998 with RUF Targa (or GNK)
• Citroen DS with Maserati 6 cyl (à la Citroen SM)
• Citroen XM II with SM-styled front and back as well as a cleaned body
• Volvo C30 T Extended Shooting Break
• ...

Anymore ideas and dreams?

The first automental car concept - Ford S-MAX SAV RS

A few cars a prefect. And others could be that much better, if only ...
Automental cars should be fun, sporty and sexy. And most of all they don't exist in the spec we like.  Manufacturers often don't equip the cars with all the engines that could fit, because someone thought this makes sense. Or something spoils the design and it might be a spoiler. Or the interior is inferior :-)  The wheels look awkwardly edgy ...
So we propose our automental version of a great car, that could be so much better. And our first one is a ... minivan, in this case the automental S-Max SAV RS (like the photo on the left).  But hey it is already the best minivan there is, the Ford S-Max with the 5 cylinder engine. Not so great in fuel economy, but good fun and a nice sound. It is the best handling minivan, it 's got loads of space. The seating position is excellent.

Though there is something missing.  

A vote for scottoilr

On my honda cbf600 i just added a Scottoiler. Being pretty new to biking is a matter of learning bit by bit. Now thankfully I have learned this kind of solution for keeping motobike chains in good condition is almost a necessity.

Gemballa - bang on

I can't remember the last Gemballa Porsche I liked.  Or if I ever liked one.  Gemballas are loud, in-your-face monster conversations of Porsches, the Frankensteins of Porsche tuner guild. And now this...

The production Porsche Panamera is a car which I think no one loves outright, but to be honest I haven't seen one in the wild yet.  The interior though is brilliant.  The overall shape is interesting and is undoubtably Porsche.  The shape has potential, but this first production version has are many flaws.  Though many reviewers dislike the Panamera full-stop, I believe that the Panamera is a dormant Cinderella rather than the ugly duckling.  The overall shape is ok and can potentially be fixed as most of flaws are execution details...

So what?

I am pretty sure that I won't be able to drive any of those two supercars anytime soon and I am also sure that it would be a blast to do so.  What I am wondering about is the timing of the presentation of both cars and what it means for both companies. I am also wondering, why these two cars don't excite me at all.  If I had to choose I'd take the McLaren, at least it is an engineering event, where a sportscar and racing team produces a road car which pushes the envelope and still wants to use the postal service in a manner of speaking.  The SRS is more for wealthy stamp collectors, playing the game of historic references as well the necessity of rarity.

It is interesting that there seems no Merc DNA in the Mclaren, whereas the SRS is somehow a cheaper follow up of the Mercedes-McLaren SLR.  Are the two firms preparing us for a loosening of their partnership? Like, "was a great time, let's stay friends"?

Design-wise, I am searching for a word that best describes the SRS, is it ugly? Other than quoting the great 300SL, does the car offer anything super-special?

McLaren on the other hand seems to quote many existing mid-engine supercars, such as the Ferrari 430 and even the Noble, the headlights are a bit Lambo-like.  Whereas the McLaren F1 is instantaneously recognisable, the new MP4-12C is a bit, dare I say, super-bland?

Navis - and the women won 2:0

And the women won two nill. First the voice guidance.  I can't remember being in a car, where the voice was set to the male guide. The female voice guides are so much better, drivers of all sexes seem to agree. We even forgive warnings like "Prepare yourself to continue driving straight ahead."  And we tolerate the persistent nagging, when the navi thinks it knows better than you and ignores the angry "oh, shut up" a number of times.

And then the map style.  Remember the book, "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps".  It listed examples of the gender differences in driving.  One of them was the usage of the map.  Apparently many women like to rotate the map to the driving direction.  Whereas man just open the map and go.  In Britain, there used to be the upside-down map on sale.  The north was at the bottom, and the south was on the top of the map.  Most buyers where apparently women, using the map when driving south.

Anyway again, the womens' view prevailed.  Nowadays we all use navis which are set to maps facing in the driving direction.

2:0 - game over :-)

Why am I writing about this.  Over 2 weeks I was driving a car where the navi was set north south.  It just was so bizarre and unusual.