RE: Chris Harris video: Bentley Conti vs Audi S4
Discussion
Cupramax said:
topless_mx5 said:
Why does the S4 say V6T on the side if it's Supercharged? I assume most people would think T stands for Turbo, no?
Because a supercharger turbocharges an engine, it doesn't have to be a turbo to do so... 
Maldini35 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Still seems silly to me putting V6T on it imo...just another little reminder of why I dislike Audi's so much.
Strange thing to say considering you bought a brand new TT last year and judging from your profile you seem pretty happy with it If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
Edited by cerb4.5lee on Thursday 14th March 17:04
Maldini35 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Still seems silly to me putting V6T on it imo...just another little reminder of why I dislike Audi's so much.
Strange thing to say considering you bought a brand new TT last year and judging from your profile you seem pretty happy with it 
do you find that an Audi is a letdown to drive or is it just because I like beemers that I find Audi's wanting in the driving experience department? When all said & done its good that we all like different brands
cerb4.5lee said:
It was a massive mistake neither of us are terribly keen on it now we have had it a while, but you learn to live with its short comings when you have parted with £40k, it has seriously tarnished both our personal views on Audi's which is a big shame, Audi's are like a expense handbag just a fashion statement but there is very little substance to them.
If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
An S4 Avant is a very nice thing. Very fit for purpose. You don't expect or want it to be a sportscar but rather an awesome all rounder. It does this very well indeed.If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
The TT is quite different. I recently had a go in the TT RS and thought it was a dreadful thing. TT is definitely style over substance to me. You should have asked around here before you got it, it isn't an uncommon view !
If the S4 Avant would promise to be reliable ( not a foregone conclusion, as Audi are measurably below average for quality and reliability in the major surveys and audits ) I would definitely consider one.
The S4 is a very nice thing indeed. Cars like the S4 are what Audi do best IMO.
toppstuff said:
cerb4.5lee said:
It was a massive mistake neither of us are terribly keen on it now we have had it a while, but you learn to live with its short comings when you have parted with £40k, it has seriously tarnished both our personal views on Audi's which is a big shame, Audi's are like a expense handbag just a fashion statement but there is very little substance to them.
If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
An S4 Avant is a very nice thing. Very fit for purpose. You don't expect or want it to be a sportscar but rather an awesome all rounder. It does this very well indeed.If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
The TT is quite different. I recently had a go in the TT RS and thought it was a dreadful thing. TT is definitely style over substance to me. You should have asked around here before you got it, it isn't an uncommon view !
If the S4 Avant would promise to be reliable ( not a foregone conclusion, as Audi are measurably below average for quality and reliability in the major surveys and audits ) I would definitely consider one.
The S4 is a very nice thing indeed. Cars like the S4 are what Audi do best IMO.
I accept we dropped a clanger with the TT 
I suppose I shouldn't stay so narrow minded about Audi's & perhaps give another model a try, don't get me wrong I think virtually all Audi's are lovely to look at just dabbled in the wrong model... I wouldn't say no to a R8 or RS4! Light n Hairy said:
The genericised nature of VAG cars is something which has been around for years- why bring it up as an 'intriguing' point now CH?
From zero to hero, from Lupo to Murcielago, there is a language of flat-panelled, fairy-lit digitalness that rules the exteriors, accompanied by a darkened hellishness within.
It seems a lot more than the result of the arrival of standardisation, parts-sharing or quality control. It feels like some kind of 'way of being' has invaded all VAG cars, maybe morphing them into some kind of super-manufacturer one day with no pretensions to having different brands. The key on the Veyron is the same flick-out job as a humble A6, just with a measure of quilted redness to it to tart it up.
To defend it all using seemingly benign reasons is easy: quality and market success have their self-evident narratives. Good, inoffensive and sometimes striking angular designs, having nonetheless something samey about them. But in all that convergence, something is being sapped away from the motley, haphazard crew of companies that VAG swallowed up in its amoebic, exponential growth cycle the last 20 years. Something that surely didn't need to happen as perceptibly as it has done, if the brands needed to survive?
Borgswagen. We were fed up of spending money on different logos.
Borgswagen 1.0 to 89.4, from £9,000 to £1.4m, and everything in between being a gradient of imperceptible changes, a set of chinese whispers in design that leave one feeling as if Derren Brown has taken over the (inevitably universally-fonted) satnav.
You're my Hero. From zero to hero, from Lupo to Murcielago, there is a language of flat-panelled, fairy-lit digitalness that rules the exteriors, accompanied by a darkened hellishness within.
It seems a lot more than the result of the arrival of standardisation, parts-sharing or quality control. It feels like some kind of 'way of being' has invaded all VAG cars, maybe morphing them into some kind of super-manufacturer one day with no pretensions to having different brands. The key on the Veyron is the same flick-out job as a humble A6, just with a measure of quilted redness to it to tart it up.
To defend it all using seemingly benign reasons is easy: quality and market success have their self-evident narratives. Good, inoffensive and sometimes striking angular designs, having nonetheless something samey about them. But in all that convergence, something is being sapped away from the motley, haphazard crew of companies that VAG swallowed up in its amoebic, exponential growth cycle the last 20 years. Something that surely didn't need to happen as perceptibly as it has done, if the brands needed to survive?
Borgswagen. We were fed up of spending money on different logos.
Borgswagen 1.0 to 89.4, from £9,000 to £1.4m, and everything in between being a gradient of imperceptible changes, a set of chinese whispers in design that leave one feeling as if Derren Brown has taken over the (inevitably universally-fonted) satnav.
Edited by Light n Hairy on Wednesday 13th March 21:05
Very good video.
And the whole homogenisation thing is spreading across groups as well, at least at the bottom of the market. Platform and engine sharing is very common, and as a result engines are built to a spec rather than designed for a specific exact model, so they are generic without character.
An old m3 engine is designed specifically for that chassis, engine bay, weight of vehicle etc and is as a result perfect for the car.
The new Audi twin turbo v8 is designed to go in everything from a cruising luxury saloon to a sports car, a 4x4 and a Bentley...
And the whole homogenisation thing is spreading across groups as well, at least at the bottom of the market. Platform and engine sharing is very common, and as a result engines are built to a spec rather than designed for a specific exact model, so they are generic without character.
An old m3 engine is designed specifically for that chassis, engine bay, weight of vehicle etc and is as a result perfect for the car.
The new Audi twin turbo v8 is designed to go in everything from a cruising luxury saloon to a sports car, a 4x4 and a Bentley...
Lowtimer said:
Chris -
Good film as always...
But..
PLEASE can you persuade whoever mixes the sound to ditch that incredibly irritating tinny low-volume music that runs under the whole thing?
Especially when you are talking.
It has exactly the same effect as sitting next to someone on the train with their earphones turned up to full. It's actually starting to put me off watching.
What he said. I have stopped watching because of it. I was enjoying the first minute thinking "ah it's gone" and then slowly but surely it crept back.Good film as always...
But..
PLEASE can you persuade whoever mixes the sound to ditch that incredibly irritating tinny low-volume music that runs under the whole thing?
Especially when you are talking.
It has exactly the same effect as sitting next to someone on the train with their earphones turned up to full. It's actually starting to put me off watching.
I ask one simple question: "What does the music add?".
I'm not sure I minded the music this time but a really good example was on the Gary Anderson BBC F1 website round up of the 2013 cars from testing. So he's talking about them over some annoying pop tune instrumental.
So even the BBC can't resist having music behind narration. I wasn't impressed.
I think these AV types and Mac meddlers can't resist using all of the bells and whistles. The software is capable of doing it so they can't resist adding music on it.
So even the BBC can't resist having music behind narration. I wasn't impressed.
I think these AV types and Mac meddlers can't resist using all of the bells and whistles. The software is capable of doing it so they can't resist adding music on it.
toppstuff said:
cerb4.5lee said:
It was a massive mistake neither of us are terribly keen on it now we have had it a while, but you learn to live with its short comings when you have parted with £40k, it has seriously tarnished both our personal views on Audi's which is a big shame, Audi's are like a expense handbag just a fashion statement but there is very little substance to them.
If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
An S4 Avant is a very nice thing. Very fit for purpose. You don't expect or want it to be a sportscar but rather an awesome all rounder. It does this very well indeed.If you have the slightest interest in driver involvement I recommend you steer clear from an Audi they are not drivers cars just something nice to look at on your drive, once you get over the relative quickness of the TT you soon realise there isn't much left to go at.
You live & learn but we won't go anywhere near an Audi again when it's time to swap.
The TT is quite different. I recently had a go in the TT RS and thought it was a dreadful thing. TT is definitely style over substance to me. You should have asked around here before you got it, it isn't an uncommon view !
If the S4 Avant would promise to be reliable ( not a foregone conclusion, as Audi are measurably below average for quality and reliability in the major surveys and audits ) I would definitely consider one.
The S4 is a very nice thing indeed. Cars like the S4 are what Audi do best IMO.
t.I'm glad I did though, enjoyed the vid didn't realize the S4 had such a following, I love mine and wouldn't change it for anything.
Chris has lost credibility for me for suggesting that the Bentley has a "footballer image".
It's such a stupid lazy and above all inaccurate stereotype and I thought only the terminally hard of thinking held such ridiculous notions. If things like this are given any credence at all than I'm afraid it doesn't say much for him as someone that can appreciate cars.
What next, that the Boxster is a "hairdresser's car" and a BMW is a "reps car"? Yawn
Expected better to be honest.
It's such a stupid lazy and above all inaccurate stereotype and I thought only the terminally hard of thinking held such ridiculous notions. If things like this are given any credence at all than I'm afraid it doesn't say much for him as someone that can appreciate cars.
What next, that the Boxster is a "hairdresser's car" and a BMW is a "reps car"? Yawn
Expected better to be honest.
JREwing said:
Is it just me, or was Chris suspicious that the speedo on each were in similar places? As well as the satnav screen and the gearlever and the handbrake switch. Are those things not in broadly similar places in the majority of cars?
I was thinking exactly the same. What does he expect, the steering wheel to be in the boot and the handbrake switch on the roof? 
Dr Z said:
^I don't think CH said he thought the Conti GT has the footballer image.
I thought he said the unfortunate public perception is like that, no matter how much you shun such stereotypes.
Public perception may or may not be important to you.
Fair comment, but it's people like him commenting on it that perpetuate such utter tosh.I thought he said the unfortunate public perception is like that, no matter how much you shun such stereotypes.
Public perception may or may not be important to you.
Most people that latch on to such lazy stereotypes lack the wit to think them up themselves, so it takes seeing them on Top Gear or videos like this to impart them.
I'd have hoped Chris would have been above such things, but hey ho.
Ari said:
Fair comment, but it's people like him commenting on it that perpetuate such utter tosh.
Most people that latch on to such lazy stereotypes lack the wit to think them up themselves, so it takes seeing them on Top Gear or videos like this to impart them.
I'd have hoped Chris would have been above such things, but hey ho.
Fair enough, I agree with that. Most people that latch on to such lazy stereotypes lack the wit to think them up themselves, so it takes seeing them on Top Gear or videos like this to impart them.
I'd have hoped Chris would have been above such things, but hey ho.
For me, some of the styling of this Bentley seems to pander to that stereotype (chrome surrounds in the tail lights and round the side windows), so in that context, I'd say it's a fair comment.
I saw a much older (but still VAG) Conti Gt the other day and it had much more style/class about it than the one reviewed in this vid.
Ari said:
JREwing said:
Is it just me, or was Chris suspicious that the speedo on each were in similar places? As well as the satnav screen and the gearlever and the handbrake switch. Are those things not in broadly similar places in the majority of cars?
I was thinking exactly the same. What does he expect, the steering wheel to be in the boot and the handbrake switch on the roof? Take for example the Toyota GT86 and the Toyota Verso, both from the same manufacturer and both built down to a price, yet totally different character. The controls are in a broadly similar place but if you closed your eyes there's no way you could mistake which car you were driving.
See also the current crop of hot hatches for cars that have broadly similar controls yet display different characters.
As hairyben said earlier:
hairyben said:
Why it's such a suprise they feel, ergonomically, so simular? Why wouldn't VAG, having spent a considerable sum of money to arrive at what they consider the ergonomic ideal, apply it to everything they produce? If they make any particular car a bit different, then by definition they're deliberately making it worse.
If the VAG way is an 'ergonomic ideal' it would suggest that the Lexus LFA is worse, that the Mercedes SLS is worse, indeed that every car that isn't a VAG is worse because it doesn't conform to this mythical 'ergonomic ideal'.We all have our own take on what makes the perfect car yet VAG seem to have restricted themselves to only one version of perfection.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff