GranTurismo - Maserati Reborn

Nothing could be worse than being owned by the same company as your
arch rival. For the Maserati however, this has been a boon in disguise.
Fiat has given this great brand a lease of new life.
Under Fiat Maserati have released the Quattraporte, GranTurismo and
GranCabrio, all of which have been successful.

The huge front concave intake grill bearing the Maserati logo is one of
the very best I have seen in sportscars lately.

Beauty is something you don't associate with sportscars these days.
You wouldn't say Panamera is beautiful, or even a California for that matter ,but
this , it changes everything. It's competition may give a million bhp
and planet turning torque, but any given day it's the GranTurismo for me.

Those appealing headlamps, those 3 airvents behind the front wheel
symbolize what this car is all about, Italian style. Sweeping roofline,
 plush interiors, and a body design to die for.

You would want to take this car on long drives on endless twisty roads.It's
not just a sportscar, it's a Grand tourer.
It's nothing less than a piece of art gliding across the tarmac, and with
a Ferrari V8 it onlly gets better. The engine is the heart of this beauty.
At 440 bhp and around 320 torques, it never feels overpowered,
uncontrollable, or insane, it feels perfect.

One can't encapsulate it's beauty in words, simply put you just can't
chose any other car unless you are ,well,  blind or have
lost all sense of style. If only I had enough space in my room, I would
put this beauty on the wall, its that beautiful. If this doesn't convince
people that car designers are artists, nothing else ever will.

Audi R8 - Not a squashed Golf anymore

The last time Audi tried to make a sportscar, the TT for those who forgot,
turned out to be a big mess.It simply didn't have the looks.
It looked like a squashed Golf GTI, so half the battle was lost there itself.
But  Audi decided to finally give us , not only a way better looking car,
but a better performing car as well.
It gave us the R8.

In the world of Lamborghinis and AMG Blacks this car doesn't score huge
points on styling but nonetheless it sure is an eyecatcher.
All the power sits between the two rear wheels and curvaceous lines
running over the back end symbolize that.

The car has a small wheelbase,due to the positioning of the engine
at the rear.This simply means better handling on tighter bends.
This I think is a major plus point for this car, because cars in this segment
tend to give importance to power over handling and comfort.
The Audi however is a sublime balance of power, handling and style.
Nothing over the top .
The swooping roof and the over all streamlines are completely in sync.
Airvents at the front as well as the back dont look garish inspite of their
size because Audi has managed to beautifully integrate them into the
design scheme.

The rear tail light cluster seems to bear resemblence to it's Italian cousin,
the Lamborghini Gallardo, only more curvier.Front and rear light cum
airvent arrangement are part of a similar theme.Not many cars can boast
of that.And the on the Audi it looks particularly beautiful.

The R8 like all Audis is not exceptionally striking,nor is it loud and in
your face. It is sublime, sophisticated, and seeing one is sure a pleasing
experience.
Audi then have achieved what they set out for. A true sportscar.

SL 65 AMG Black - "Insane"taenous Lunacy

Mercedes makes brilliant executive cars, it also makes fantastic
SUV's, but most of all it makes the almost devilish monster of a supercar
called the SL 65 AMG Black Series.

This overpowered street legal car is designed to make almost every other
car on the road run for cover. If you even spot it in your rear view, its only
a matter of  a few milliseconds before you see its tails.

Mercedes have adopted a very aggresive philosophy with this car.
The huge front grille spanning the width of the car has the beautiful
3 pointed star at its center.The headlamps reminds of huge monsters
that gobble up weaker fellow  animals.
The mammoth air vents can swallow a bull whole without a problem.
The front styling seriously scares the hell out of all the cars and some
humans as well.

Huge pumping wheel flares  enhance the already arrogant and aggresive
style theme.
With the AMG badge the SL65 has got a lower ground clearance, stiffer
suspension , bigger wheels and ofcourse the insane 661bhp monster
 under the hood.
The sweeping lines across the body seem to trace the path air follows
around the car when a mad driver takes it to full revs.
Airvents behind the front wheel are more than just noticeable, they are
demeaning.

The rear sports the 4 exhaust pipes that roar when the driver puts his
foot down.As any driver will tell, nothing beats that.
The car all in all has a certain air about itself, which is more than justified
because it simply destroys the other cars on the road in terms of styling
and performance.

BMW 1M- The enthusiasts' car

Most people will agree that BMW M3 is the only car that has a racing
background and fits into day to day city driving with ease.
But for most enthusiasts that car was a tad bit expensive, so BMW has
decided to reward their loyalty with the 1M.
The styling is not groundbreaking or strikingly new, but it is not
ugly either.





The front end has seen no change from the 1 series family face apart
from the purposeful airvents.The headlamps are kinda cute and not mean
or striking as in an M3 and thus give the car a different feel.

It is wider than the regular 1 series sedan mostly because it has to house
that huge powerplant beneath its hood.Flowing hood lines are pretty
similar to those seen in the BMW line up.
Those flaring wheel arches are purposeful because under them are the
wide tyres that are required with this kind of a car.

Looking from the side its hard to spot the difference between the M3
and 1M.Both of then sport the same stance.The 1M is slightly smaller
than its bigger brother but by no means is it any lesser.
What you also spot is the M badging done just behind the front wheel,
and the crease that follows sweeps the length of the car beautifully.

Coming to the rear end you see that typical "pinched" tail that is again
common to almost all bimmers.Tail lights are in sync with the whole
design of the car and contribute to the pleasing rear end.The vents on the
sides of the rear bumper look great and add to that feeling of flow.
But the delight is obviously the 4 exhaust pipes that don its rear.

Overall, this little hot performer from BMW is a well designed car
 incorporating all the dynamics  that make it  worthy of the M badge.