Here are our previous blog updates from the SMMT test day at Millbrook. To return to the most current update and comments page
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As promised here are some quick views on the cars I drove today at the SMMT test day; Matt will be chipping in with his but as you can see we took a pretty diverse selection of cars out, all on the hill route and ranging from a Dacia to a Maserati via a 70s Corvette in a thunder storm. Which was as terrifying as it sounds -
tippy toes vid here
The hill route isn't like driving round a race track, but then it's not meant to be. Imagine every B-road you've ever driven down condensed into a couple of miles and that's it. Just minus the oncoming traffic. Hopefully. There's a 55mph limit in place which, frankly, for much of it is plenty. It's a pretty extensive facility but even so you realise quite how miniscule it is compared with the Nurburgring and how valuable a resource the Nordschleife is for assessing a car. That's another blog though...
First car out was the Audi RS Q3, a car I'd read a surprisingly positive reviews of. I was sceptical though. But not for long. Got your Fast Audi Review Bingo card ready? Vague steering, brittle damping, grabby brakes, nose heavy turn-in, nice interior, will look good in Waitrose car park ... HOUSE!
So to the Dacia Sandero Access 1.2, a car so philosophically opposed to the Audi in every respect it was laughable. 6,295 as driven. Its 75hp meant wheezy progress up some of the steeper hills but its back to basics honesty - grey bumpers, steel wheels - were rather refreshing. I rather liked it.
Cooper more rounded package than S
Minis next, this being my first go in the
third-gen
car
. Matt went out in the base Cooper first while I took the S. Golly what a lot of buttons and gadgets. And how far away is that windscreen now? Feels like you're looking through a letterbox. The ride on adaptive dampers is on the firm side but the S feels solid and weighty and rapid too, gushes of turbo noise and bangs and pops from the exhaust all adding to the character. Frankly I preferred the Cooper though. It looks a helluva lot nicer without all the extra intakes on the front, feels lighter and the thrummy three-cylinder is eager and fun. If the S feels like its trying too hard the Cooper is like a proper (new-school) Mini.
With the clouds finally breaking I headed over to Volvo to try the V60 Polestar. The Swedish dude from the latter endeared himself by immediately saying "I'll show you how to switch the ESC off, that way you feel the modifications we've done better." He was right too. Expecting a nose-heavy cornering stance the V60 impressed with its neutrality into bends and punch out of them, the wet track letting a sense of the power transfer to the rear through to palms and seat of the pants. With the Ohlins dampers set (via manual adjustment) to the default midway setting the ride was firm but the whole package felt honed, bursting with character and very, very rapid. Impressive.
You're doing that wrong, etc...
As the rain poured down Matt and I wandered over to the Fiat group in hope of a 4C. And ended up with a Panda 4x4 we duly got stuck in the mud on the off-road course. It was the Defender in front's fault - if he hadn't stopped nor would we and lost our momentum. The Millbrook marshal's choice of towing point - namely the rear damper and bodywork - didn't end well either. "It'll push back into place," he muttered hurriedly as he jumped back into his Land Rover and scarpered.
Having not driven a Kia Cee'd GT in any form (Pro or otherwise) before I was keen to make up for that and came away very impressed. Onboard lap below and if it doesn't excel in any one area it's a damned impressive package as a first time hottish hatch and cracking value for money at 20,500 too. Decent control weights, discreetly rapid, well screwed together and handsome too.
I was eager to try the Maserati Ghibli and managed to bag a diesel for my first taste. Lovely looking thing and suitably seductive at first encounter. And the diesel is smooth, punchy and rapid and sounds pretty good too. But the damping was all over the place, the jittery, nervy body movements over even small bumps undermining any faith you might have had in it. In the showroom any thoughts of a 5 Series would be forgotten. After the test drive you might suddenly remember. Pity. I was hoping to go out in a petrol too but that didn't happen unfortunately.
Looks great, lacks finesse - surprised?
High on the list to drive was
the Macan
; box ticked in that respect with the Turbo. Obviously. I have to confess I don't like it as a thing. But I can't help respect it as a hell of a piece of work. The engine is effortlessly smooth, linear and strong, the damping brilliant and the control weights all beautifully harmonised. I don't like the looks or what it stands for but realise they'll sell them by the truckload and resistance is futile. The front of them in making a high-riding crossover and then dry sumping the engine to lower the CoG sums up to me all that is brilliant and absurd about this car.
And the Corvette C3? Given the conditions frankly terrifying. I don't want to be rude about what was someone's pride and joy generously provided for our entertainment so I'll be as diplomatic as possible and say it was everything you'd expect of a 70s 'vette. And then some. It rattled. It shuddered. The engine wheezed its way to a heady redline somewhere in the 4s and when I tried to turn the lights on the switch came off in my hand. But driving it in the lashing rain with bolts of lightning streaking across a slate grey sky is something I won't forget in a hurry. And I brought it home intact.
A lap of Millbrook in the Kia Cee'd GT
THIS is the kind of thing we're here to drive
The SMMT test day is one of the highlights of the motoring hack's year. Well it is for me anyway. Basically all the manufacturers bring a selection of cars along from their press fleets - over 160 in total this year - and plonk them on the steering circle at Millbrook. You then wander over, look hopeful and, if you're in luck, get to take out the car of your choosing on the high speed bowl or hill route. It's basically like a driving game made real; you have the screen where you select your car, the screen where you select your track and then you hit go. While obviously sticking religiously to the 55mph limit.
Attempting to put a veneer of professionalism over the whole proceedings it's a really great chance to get familiar with some of the cars we might have missed over the previous year or, in the case of PH, we might not otherwise get around to booking in on test for a full week. But remain curious about nonetheless. More and more manufacturers are bringing down random picks from their historic fleets too. I see Honda has an NSX on its stand, a car I've never had the pleasure of before. On the list...
What else have I got highlighted as must drives? Well, it's an eclectic selection. I don't want to like it but I've heard lots of good stuff about the Audi RS Q3 so will give that a go. The S3 Saloon appeals too. BMW have the i3 here and I haven't had a go with the M235i yet either. With the BTCC angle I'm curious to try the Honda Civic Tourer and I see the Maserati Ghibli is here too. That's a definite. I should have a go with the Macan, the Corsa VXR Clubsport appeals and the new Mini should be driven too. Then there's the odd stuff like the Sprinter 4x4 van which I'm really hoping has the brown sticker in the window that means it can go on the off-road course. I did once do that in a Panda 4x4 a few years back, took a wrong turn and ended up going through a water splash that pretty much came up to the wing mirrors. Thankfully the little Fiat hauled itself out intact. Matt meanwhile finds himself age restricted out of a lot of the juicy stuff so his expressed interest in the MG3 might be a case of being careful what he wishes for.
Now the interactive bit. Below is the full list of cars. We'll put it to the floor so if there's anything you want us to drive just let us know and we'll do our duty and put it to the test. Yes, the list includes Ssang Yong. We're here to serve - give us our orders in the thread below or via Twitter on @Trent_Dan and @PHMattB with the hashtag #PHSMMT.
We'll report back in a bit.
