Indian firm Tata went into the record books by beating the odds of all car competitors when they started selling the world's cheapest car. You can pick one up for about £2,200 in the UK, brand new. That's a whole fully working, brand new car for less the 3 grand from the company that owns Jaguar and Land Rover (and Tetley Tea). You may not get a lot of car for your money, it is only basic on luxuries, but you do get enough space for 4 people. Or if you want, a family! Now, that in this day and age is pretty much a bargain, especially as it's much better than a silly mo-ped. Underneath then, that's great. Until you look at the car, that is.
Yes, granted, you're on the inside driving it. But feel for the people on the outside, looking at you in a car with tiny wheels and an odd face. It's not a very charismatic design, is it? And it isn't the only one like this either.
I give to you the Kelisa (top) and the Kenari (bottom) from Perodua. Both of which, like the Nano, are cheap, economy cars from Malaysia. In fact, the Nano took the cheapest car record from the Kelisa in Britain. But, cheap isn't always the best. Put it this way. If you buy a TV, you're going to want a well known brand that makes good sets. You don't want anything that's going to go wrong. An easier metaphorical principle applies with, let's say, cola. Coca Cola is always going to better than Asda Price 17p Cola which is just water and brown. Coca Cola is more expensive but you get a better product and a better flavour; you pay for the quality. Cheap is good in some respects but you know it's cheaply made and therefore essentially a disposable. The Asians can pull it off but you compare to what can be achieved... (Cars, not cola).
That little Austin Se7en (Seven) is about as iconically British as the Royal Family, Tea and Cakes and the Lancaster Bomber. This then shaped itself into people's hearts as the Mini we know, cherish and love to bits. The whole concept of the Mini was, like the Asian cars above, to be cheap motoring. In Japan, these types of cars are called Kei Cars. They're cheap to run, cheap to buy and are tiny in size perfect for the hustle and bustle of a busy metropolitan network. But knowing that the British were at it in the late 50's, it shows you that we were thinking about that sort of thing back then. If only they were still doing that today. BMW Minis are now big cars and they keep getting bigger and bigger. They're cool and fun like the original but the original looks a lot better and is somewhat daintier. A retro throwback that if it's been looked after extremely well, can fetch a decent price because they're so sought after and collectible. Sir Alec Issigonis probably didn't know that they'd become so popular at the time but Mini's have stood the test of time, still fresh looking today and in no way disposable. And if the original beats the Germans attempt at a Mini, then I'm afraid it's going to beat Asia's too.
However, Kei cars are a great concept. They're little run-arounds that are as useful as they are unique. It's the designs that aren't that great and, like I said earlier, something that looks good is half of the package. You get the occasional one that breaks the mould like the sport car off springs such as Honda Beats or Suzuki Cappuccinos but they should all break the mould. When buying a car, depending on your stance on cars, I should think the car you're after has to have a bit of flair; a sense of fun. Buying a car that looks dull and drab only says one thing - You're using it as a tool. Or you can't afford to buy anything that looks better. Which is two things...So what if you don't fall into the first bracket then? You improvise of course!
With a luxury car, like a Bentley, it shows that you like style and performance. A great combination then, for a money-no-object automobile. Yes, they're owned by Volkswagen but they are still designed, produced and assembled in Crewe in England. VW do the engine, we do the rest; a perfect mix if you should ask me. Below is one of the more recent creations from the company behind that Flying B.
This car above is the Bentley Mulsanne. So luxurious, it was unveiled at the Concours d'Elegance on Pebble Beach in California - arguably the most prestige concourse event in the world. This is for cars that, despite age, look and drive as if they were brand new, under extensive repairs and restoration and generally being well looked after by hard working men and woman who want to preserve a cars beauty and passion. Fitting, don't you think, for a car that drips in high quality wood and leather from cows that listen to Mozart in specialist barns? With an emission friendly V8 in the front, this car is built for those who care about craftsmanship and hard graft. It is not a tool. It is used to pose and waft in and cruise. Now let's see what Japans idea of a car like this.
Ironically, the Galue S50 from Mitsuoka above came before the Mulsanne. However, Bentleys, and of course, Rolls-Royces have always had the same trademarked massive blocky bodies, them googly styled but strong looking headlights and the chrome teeth of them hand built grilles so you can see Mitsuoka have been looking at them for while - Convertible Galues tended to look like the Bentley Azure's of 2001 from the side, ignoring that hideous front end.
(And the Azure below if you're still unaware)
So on the outside, it looks like the Chinese want what we're offering for a knock down price. However, under the hood it isn't all show and no go as Galues can either have a V6 or for the petrol heads among us, it can be fitted with a V8 from a Ford Mustang! This is mad since it was based on a car called Cedric (Nissan). You don't start quaking in fear at Cedric...ahh, but that's dismissed with growly V8 power plant.
Older Galues also looked very reminiscent of Jaguars and Daimlers. So what does that tell you? Mitsuoka's designers are very unlucky with coming up with original ideas or we inspire them? Or do they just steal ideas and present them as knockoffs? With this next car, I don't know which is more fitting.
Above is the Geely GE. It is China's answer to luxury.
This, above, is the Rolls-Royce Phantom. It is Britain's (and Germany's) answer to luxury. Rolls have always built extravagant cars for the rich. It is £300,000 of land yacht. The Geely costs £30,000. Admittedly that Geely is an older model; the newer one looks less like the Phantom. But just by moving the coma, you get a car that looks like the Phantom for less, which is remarkable. You may not get the quality of the Phantom but you do get the basic shape. As a result, I'm yet to decide if it is a rip off (Google likes to say that) or if it's merely inspired by the Phantom. Mind you, Rolls-Royce have always been conscious of their image and they're in a lawsuit over the GE and you have to hand it them, they are staggeringly similar. Even so, out of the two, the Phantom is more striking after all. It is the name you pay for but when it's partnered with the looks, it, like Bentley, is an award winning combination. In a way though, I think Rolls-Royce should be proud of creating such a spark that people enjoy so much, they want it without the expensive drawbacks. Okay maybe that's not good news for Rolls-Royce, as they'd rather not lose customers to China, hence why they made cheaper alternatives (like the Ghost). I do, however, draw the line at the Viewt, also by Mitsuoka.
That, clearly jumping on the Jaguar bandwagon - Mitsuoka - is the horrible love child of the Mark 2 Jaguar and the Nissan Micra...You can keep that one. Just take it away!
So they can do luxury and they can do cheap motoring. But comparing to us, are they left in the dust a little? With that V8 from a Mustang implanted into a Japanese copy, it made me think of what America has to offer the world. Muscle cars and Pony cars gave the soundtrack to America (and even Australia) through the 50's and beyond on the quart'-mile drag strip or between the lights: a big engine in the front, a body as aerodynamic as a brick and a massive amount of power are all the key features of American muscle. Muscle cars were cheap, powerful and fun and sometimes, even practical. When you hear the term muscle car you think Ford, Pontiac, Dodge, Chevvy and Plymouth. You don't think Toyota Celica.
You don't think Mitsubishi Galant GTO.
You don't think Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Truth be told, there's not many Asian Muscle cars out there because they don't seem to be geared towards that area. But when they break loose, they can create some pretty good alternatives. The cars up there are all from the same era that gave us the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger, the Chevrolet Chevelle and the Plymouth GTO. If these above were lined up in with the Americans, they would fit in perfectly without a shadow of a doubt. They may not have the off line grunt of the Yankees but I'd think for cruising in, they're just as good. But again, is it an inspiration or is it copying? More light? Okay...Back to Blighty now as I come to the Lotus Elan.
The original Elan was a happy, little convertible, perfect for the B roads on a sunny day with the canvas down. Whilst America was busy playing with horsepower and churning up rubber, us Europeans were spending our time in gems like this without a care in the world. It was a light weight dream which is now becoming a rare classic. The Japanese, again, wanted to be a part of this too. This Elan ceased production in the mid-1970's but believe it or not this is the result you can see reflected today...
The MX-5 was inspired by the Elan. Even now in the recent models of the MX-5, you can see that there are shades of the old car hiding in there. That air inlet on the front is very similar for a start and car sticks to the same basic ingredients of being a nippy convertible. But to see what they used to be like we just need to turn back the clock 22 years.
The front of the old MX-5 is very Elan-ish. Pop up headlights; again that open mouth; little wheels and the canvas roof, all check the same boxes! Today's MX-5 is basically a modernised old Lotus. And it's not the only 60's sports car, I've seen been imitated either. Look at the profile of this Toyota 2000GT.
And now compare it to the profile of this European sports car - a car described by Enzo Ferrari himself as "the most beautiful car ever built."
Like the Jaguar E Type, the 2000GT has a long bonnet with the reason being that the Jag's hid a V12 and the Toyota was a flat 6, which are roughly the same length. Both have got rounded headed lights, albeit with the 2000GT having pop ups; both have chrome front fenders; they've both got doors that extend beyond the windscreen in a similar fashion; both have air vents on either side of the top of bonnet and both have sloping rear 'fastback' tails. However, the Toyota does win points for rarity over the Jaguar. The E Type sold over 70,000 models (including convertibles) over it's lifespan from 1961 to '74. The Toyota? Only 337. As a result, they fetch high prices at auctions, as of recently, up to $650,000. You could say that they're as iconic as each other then.
Asia is responsible for a lot of pollution. I said so at the start. China create the most green-house gases that are putting our planet in some sort of peril. But can they save the planet? If you've been to London, you may see cars like this go around.
This is a G-Wiz. It's an electric car that isn't a car. It's a quadracycle. Made by REVA in India, it was created to save the planet from pollution, which as we've established comes from Asia. It's got the credentials but that's only the tip of the metaphorical ice-berg. I have in fact been in one and to be honest, it's not the most comfortable car I've been in. Comfort is a major factor in buying a car but let's see what it's like when it comes to safety brought to you - Euro NCAP styly - by our friendly neighbourhood Top Gear.
No matter how many times you see it crash, it's daunting to think that that could be you in the driver's seat, saving the world but evidently not saving yourself. It's horrific from every angle. In a 40mph crash in this, you won't survive. Okay, the Wiz probably won't hit 40mph because it'll run out of electricity before that'll happen, but something could hit it at 40mph and get the same effect. Because it's a quadracycle, it doesn't have to meet regulations of a normal car, hence the reason it wasn't NCAP tested. It also uses Lithium in the batteries, which is mostly found in Chile. That has to be shipped and refined many times before it can go into a car like the G-Wiz or hybrids like the Toyota Prius. Shipping and refining uses energy, so that has to come from somewhere. And even so, the batteries are full of acid so in an accident, if the crash won't get you, then the acid may. It may seem negative but cars like this aren't that good. In order to preserve battery life, everything takes a downer so it's designed to keep as much power as possible. Meanwhile, this is the type of electric car the West can make.
The Lightning GT; a fully electric sports car. Fact. And a lot better looking than the G-Wiz both after and before the accident! Made in Peterborough, the GT's will use an aliminium body to keep weight down but strength up. Lightning say it's lithium-tinanate batteries are good for a minimum of 240km on one charge. That's about 149 miles! No official word on top speed but expect it to be head and shoulders above the Wiz's slow crawl up to 50mph. Something else should apply then. With the G-Wiz, you don't have to pay for road tax, nor, if you're out and about in London, you don't have to pay congestion charge and you get free parking too, all because it creates 0 grams of carbon dioxide per Kilometre. The Lightning offers that too. The same should apply to both. Another point with electric cars is that they cost a bomb! They may pay themselves back but you're going to need 14,000 of your hard earned pound coins to pay for a G-Wiz - which is a lot considering you could buy a Fiat 500 TwinAir for about £11,000 which is a whole lot bigger, a million times better looking and 5 times safer (Euro NCAP rating of 5 - the highest). It still creates pollution but it is still exempt from the congestion charge. The GT is rumoured to be about £120,000 but it does look a damn-sight lot better than that frog eyed monstrosity that is the G-Wiz. I'd know which I'd rather have.
Okay, I'll admit, Asia hasn't come across too well in this round up. I've picked at them for their shoddy designs and blatant copying. But you know what? When they want to, they can produce cars that are as good as their Tv's and Nintendo's. They're pretty good at going mad. Take a look at this...
Heavily modified vans, or vanning as it is called, is part of the culture over there. With these staggering body jobs and tail flares that put any 1950's Cadillac fin in the dark, they could only come out of Japan. And just look at them massive over hangs! I bet they love speed bumps.
Crazy paint schemes with all sorts of cartoon characters and celebrities and more plastic than Katie Price's face adorn these wacky creations. The owners spend a lot of time creating these bizarre vans that would look terrifying in any rear-view mirror. All just to stand out above the rest. And if you don't want to mod a van? You modify a car - by tuning them to the maximum and fitting them with striking body kits, neon under lights, shiny alloys and radical paint jobs, Japanese modification culture has become a big hit over in the states. Ever seen The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift? The cars in that are exactly what you'd expect from Japan. Speaking of which, they also like to drive them sideways in Japan...
The art of drifting was essentially created and pioneered in Japan by Kunimitsu Takahash, the father of drifting. The balance of control, power and grace turns side-ways cars with smoke pouring from the back tires and the smell of burnt rubber and clutch in the air, into a spectacle in itself.
And they also make some pretty awesome concepts. The Mazda Furai is possibly one of the best concept cars I have ever seen.
When I saw this at the 2008 British International Motor Show, the first thing that caught my eye was them headlights. They run down the length of the cars sweeping lines. It sticks to the Mazda shapes but it flows and it's elegant with it's over sized wheel-arches and hunkered down appearance.
They've turned simple cars into common names for the automotive world too.
Subaru have won the World Rally Championship 3 times in their campaign with their Impreza's. Using boxer engines and a 4 wheel drive system under Prodrives regime (who now own Aston Martin), they became serious competitors on the rally scene...much to Mitsubishi's dismay.
The natural born rival to the Impreza has always been the Evolution Lancer series, whether it be on the rally track or on the road. Mitsubishi won the driver's championship 4 times, once more than their rivals. They also had a bit of practice with the Starion before unleashing the force and power of the Evolutions. As a result, Subaru and Mitsubishi have been battling for donkey's years to see who can make the best 4WD cars. Toyota also used to be very good at rallying too, turning the Celica's into dirt track eating monsters.
...And then there's the Nürburgring busting Nissan GT-R SpecV, which, like the stock car, is created in a sealed, scientific environment. Nissan have this awesome and phenomenal technical know-how to hurtle a SpecV GT-R around the Nürburgring in Germany in less than 7 minutes and 25 seconds, which is no small feat as it beats Ferrari's Enzo, Maserati's MC12 and Pagani's Zonda F Clubsport. That's only with a 480 horsepower V6 under the hood, against the might of 651hp from the Enzo, 620hp from the MC12 and 650bhp of the F Clubsport - all of which are fire-breathing thoroughbred track demons that can easily walk to 200mph and beyond - it certainly seems that Nissan have done the automotive equivalent of turning water into wine;
Then there's Mazda 787B racer that won the 1991 24 Hour Le Mans;
Not to mention the F1 designed - by Ayrton Senna himself whilst he was racing with Honda - Ferrari beating Honda NSX, depending on how you look it. It was the same as Michael Schumacher helping out with FXX's of the day;
And now we have the awesome Lexus LFA...
...which I would go as far as saying is the best car to come out of Japan in a very long time. Not surprising seeing that it's £300 grand pricey price tag. With a 4.8 litre V10 producing 552 brake horse power and a claimed top speed of 202mph, it's up there with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. It goes to show, when this part of the world want to make some serious motors, they can really give the rest of the globe a run for their money with their innovations and technical advancements that leave us Brits, Americans, Italians and Germans in awe at how they do it. The challenge is well and truly on!
Just returning back to Geely, the creators of the knock-off Rolls-Royce, before I wrap up, I guarantee you have seen a Geely and you probably hadn't known it despite probably never of hearing the name before you read this. They are, rather oddly, what is known as a modern take on a British icon. They must be well built and reliable machines because you've seen them around and about, at train stations, maybe airports or even just passing you on the road - literally everywhere. You may have even been in one. I didn't know this until recently but these Chinese cars are slowly becoming a part of our culture and it seems we've warmed to them rather well. For a start, London will not be the same without them for sure. They are also exempt from congestion charge and if you're not swindled and depending on where you go, you can get pretty far for little money. They're being designed to run on planetary friendly hydrogen; they can carry, at the most, 7 people (including a driver) with ease; they have decent luggage space and can come with air-con, iPod connectivity and DAB radio. And I literally had no idea...
LFA is wonderful and mind blowing. Great pictures. Thanks for the share.
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