Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
The German newspaper Handelsblatt is reporting that Ferdinand Piëch will soon retire as head of Volkswagen’s supervisory board due to health reasons. Volkswagen “emphatically denies” the report, a press release says today, and continues to insist that the 76-year-old “is in excellent health and will remain Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG for a long time to come. Furthermore, Martin Winterkorn will remain Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for a long time to come.” I was fed similar speculation on Piëch’s supposedly flagging health more than half a decade ago, but I saw no reason to report it. In fact, Piëch takes a very active part in the decision-making process at the Volkswagen Group. I am told that he is focusing on Audi right now, and his wife Ursula, herself a member of the Volkswagen group’s supervisory board, is keenly observing and participating.
The Suzuki iV-4 concept.
A Sad Panda Partnership
Suzuki is launching the iV-4 compact SUV concept at the Frankfurt auto show, and it previews an upcoming series-production model. The brand came up with the motto “Grab your field” for the vehicle, which was supposed to be co-developed with the Volkswagen Group—before that partnership turned sour. Volkswagen executives were less than happy with Suzuki’s proposals for the joint project, and both brands are putting their respective compact SUVs through to completion independently.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen and Suzuki are trying to find ways to mend their unhappy partnership. Volkswagen still holds almost 20 percent of the Japanese brand; Suzuki views this as an imposition, alleging that VW reneged on an agreement to share technologies. Currently, there is a charm offensive going on: Volkswagen realizes it still could use Suzuki’s small-car expertise, while Suzuki would like access to the German automaker’s “green” technologies.
Opel claims that its Monza concept is “a role model for the next generation of Opel cars” in a press release titled “The Opel of Tomorrow.” But the buzz in designer circles is that this is not quite true. One confidant predicts that “it bears no implication for future Opel products and it will be forgotten soon.” Let’s hope that is not true—the Monza is a beautiful idea, both in concept and in execution.
Requiescat in pacem, Renault Wind.
A Friend of Quick Decisions
Under Carlos Ghosn’s reign, a lot of decisions at Renault and Nissan are made swiftly and executed unceremoniously. So went the death of the ultra-compact Renault Wind, a clever and fun-to-drive two-seater based on the Twingo minicar. It was fitted with a Fioravanti-style targa top and powered by a turbocharged 1.2-liter or a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine. Less than three years after the start of production, Renault has pulled the plug.
It reminds me of Nissan’s decision to pull the funky Cube from the European market about a year after it was launched without any meaningful marketing campaign. Or the story that was relayed to me about the Twizy electric vehicle. The legend goes that when Ghosn was shown the concept, he requested that it be built “just like this.” That’s why its front end, with those clunky off-the-shelf turn signals, looks like a golf cart, my informant groused.
- Instrumented Test: 2013 BMW 135is
- First Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI Diesel
- First Drive: 2014 Audi A6 / A7 TDI Diesel
These tires don’t last long.
Autobahn Tested: BMW M135i
Waiting in my driveway right now is a five-door BMW M135i, powered by a 316-hp version of the brand’s ubiquitous 3.0-liter straight-six. The engine is force-fed by a single turbocharger, and it revs freely beyond 7000 rpm. The test car I requested came with a six-speed manual transmission, which is really the only way to go in this type of car, isn’t it?
The turbocharged “N55″ engine has won me over entirely. There is little turbo lag, and it is elastic even at low rpm—easy to tell, as the manual ‘box wouldn’t allow any glossing over in this regard. The power never stops, and the M135i charges into its 155-mph speed governor viciously. Quite unlike the N54 engine, which I have sampled in the last-generation 135i Coupe and the 1-series M Coupe, the N55 is very efficient. Maxing out the car over a 400-mile night drive, I got an incredible 18 mpg. And it is very easy to get 30 mpg and more with a lighter right foot. Painted in classic Estoril Blue, the M135i is almost impossible to resist. It is a great preview of the upcoming M235i coupe, which will be launched in the U.S. market next year.
Source: CarAndDriver
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