Motor Mag Awards 2011/12 Part 1

4 August 2012

 

Motor Mag Awards 2011- 2012  Part 1

 

 

SUV/4×4 of the Year 2011/12

This award is for Off Road Cars and SUV’s. This is for cars such as the Dacia Duster or Cadillac Escalade. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Range Rover Evoque 5-Door

Described as the ‘baby’ Range Rover the Evoque has been given many awards across the world and will now receive another for it’s amazing ability to be good off road yet a cool and luxurious SUV when cruising down a motorway. With a 0-60 time of 6.9 Secs, a Top Speed of over 137 Mph and around 240 Bhp, it’s certainly not a slacker either. It has a spacious cabin and a 1445 Litre boot, but is smaller than it’s the smallest car range rover currently make, but is still very practical. But if your main focus is not this then you’ll be pleased to know it has other good points too. It is not as thirsty as it’s relatives, but they were not exactly Prius’ in the first place. A nice fact to know also is that this car was actually designed by Victoria Beckham which means it is quite funky too.

Another downside is the price, it is £27,995 which is quite expensive, although you do get 17″ Alloys and many gadgets inside. Overall very good and drives great, just like a sports car, and that’s why it’s Motor Mag’s best SUV/4×4 of 2012.

 

Small Car of the Year 2011/12

This is for the small, agile pocket rockets. This is for cars such as the Renault Twizy or Seat Mii. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Audi A1 Sportback

The A1 is the smallest car in Audi’s current range, the model that has won this award is the £21,270 Sportback, and £560 more for the 5-Door.

This model has a 1.4 Litre Supercharged and Turbocharged engine with 183 Bhp and does 0-60 Mph in 7 Secs. Impressive, but even more so for the Top Speed, which is 138 Mph. But despite being a very fast small car it will do 47.9 MPG. That’s certainly not best in class but for a car as sporty as this these figures are very good. Strangely though this is not the fastest A1 there is, there is also an A1 2.0 Litre Sportback and added on to that is a VERY fast 252 Bhp Quattro version, which also has a 2.0 Litre Engine.

So why not choose that. Well, it is quite a lot sportier suspension and less practical. Whereas the 5 door Sportback has (with the rear seats down) 920 Litres of boot space. There not only is it best in category for this, But the Motor Mag’s best Small Car of 2012.

 

Cheap Track Car of the Year 2011/12

Awarded to Track focused cars and lightweights only, it must also cost under £40k. This is for cars such as the RenaultSport Clio RS or Volkswagen Golf R. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The RenaultSport Megane RS 250 Cup

With a tough-twister of a name, the Megane RS is not only complicated to say, it is a very sophisticated car itself. Although it has a very simple turbocharged 2.0 Litre engine with 247 Bhp (Hence the 250 part of the name). With an impressive 0-60 time of 6.1 Secs, and a top speed of 156 Mph. The RenaultSport and Cup part are very difficult to get your head around. The complicated suspension is an optional extra and is certainly worth it for track days and racing, as it makes it stiffer and better round the corners. Therefore it makes it one of the best handling cars in the world, and many others thinks so too. But i suppose that you think that for all this it will be massively expensive but actually at £21,995 it is rather reasonable considering that its closest rival, the Ford Focus RS, is £5000 more. It is also very practical, with space in the cabin with lots of room in the back seats, not to mention a big boot. And with this, great suspension and some change in your pocket, it is certainly a better buy than the Focus RS. It may be slower in the straight line but in the corners this would easily beat the Focus and therefore an obvious track car choice. It also is a brilliant car to cruise around in, although the suspension is rather stiff, and the great handling makes it an amazing car to drive as well. Because of this it makes it the best cheap track car to buy on the market today.

 

Sensible Hatchback of the Year 2011/12

This award is for any sensible hatchback with 5 seats and not a huge amount of power and a average and unsporty design. This is for cars such as the Ford Focus Eco-Boost or Volvo C30. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Volkswagen Golf GTi Edition 35

Yes, once again your popular and common choice of car has one yet another award. And you must be thinking surely after all these years there must be something better by now, considering the Golf has been king of this award for nearly 40 years now. Though it has had some very close rivalry through that time. But the particular model we have chosen is best this year is the special edition, Edition 35. This is to celebrate the 35 years of the Golf GTi. At first glance, or any glance, you can notice no body change. This is because there isn’t any. But there is change to the engine, up from 207 Bhp to 232 Bhp and 0-60 time decreased from 6.9 Secs to 6.6 Secs. Plus a top speed of 153 Mph, up from the normal GTi’s 149 Mph. Making this impressive for a car as reliable, practical, spacious and quick as this. But this luxury does not come cheap, at £27,000 it makes it more expensive than our track car of the year, a lot more expensive than it’s rivals and more expensive too than the Hot Hatches on the market too. But for a special Edition like this what do you expect. Overall this is a great car to drive, like nearly all Golfs. And has every box you’d want ticked, expect price, and that’s the only criticism i have. Well done to Volkswagen.

 

Hot Hatch of the Year 2011/12

This award is for the crazy, and very fast Hatchbacks that would give some sports cars the run for they’re money. This is for cars such as the Vauxhall Astra VXR or Volkswagen Scirocco R. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Ford Focus ST

For this category there are many choices to pick a favourite from, but in the end the Brand New Ford Focus ST was chosen by Motor Mag as the best Hot Hatch on the market today. First impressions of the crazy ST when pictures were released were that it was going to be a bonkers car. With its body kit, fantastic ‘Tangerine Scream’ paintwork and tinted rear lights it was assumed to be a Boy Racer’s kinda car. When figures were released it seemed even more so as it’s 2.0 Litre 4 cylinder Eco-boost engine was to produce 252 Bhp and 270 lb-ft. As well as be able to do 39 Mpg and 60 Mph in 6.5 Secs. The top speed is limited to 154 Mph, making it very quick. Also with a prices starting at £21,995 its good value for money too, of course there are optional extras such as different coloured paintwork, a range of more comfortable or firmer seats, despite the standard seats being reasonably soft already. Not to mention better window wipers and more. 

There is also an ST wagon with some optional extras too with base prices of £23,095. This means that with a few necessary extras the hatchback ST is exactly the same price as the much slower Golf GTi. But with nearly all optional extras its the same price as its main rival the Vauxhall Astra VXR, which is £26,995. But the Focus is much more agile and better to drive than the Astra, although the VXR might just be better in a straight line because of it’s power advantage, but heavier. Plus if you spend the same money as the base Astra VXR’s on the Focus ST your getting a lot more stuff for your money. It also makes a much better noise.

The Focus also is much lighter at 1362 Kg and looks it too, the Astra though looks wide and fat and is compared to the Focus as it is 1475 Kg. Though this is quite obvious as the ST looks sleeker and more poised. So because of all of this of course the ST is a better buy than the Astra VXR, and is therefore the best Hot Hatch on the market today.

Green Car of the Year 2011/12

This is for a car that is either a hybrid, electric car, hydrogen car or a very economical car. This is for cars such as the Lexus CT200h or Fisker Karma. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Tesla Model S Signature Performance

The Tesla Model S was only launched recently but has been a big hit over the past 4 years, when Tesla announced that they would make the car, after releasing a few teasers and testing to see if it would work. Obviously it would be a part or fully electric car since this was Tesla, famous for making electric cars. But after they’re flop with they’re sports car, the all-electric Tesla Roadster, it was quite clear it would be a hybrid. But what engine would they use and how big would the battery be?

After a while and a few more teasers, Tesla then showed in full to us what this 4 door sports car would look like, then came the figures. There would be two models, the Signature Performance and the Signature. The basic Signature has 362 Bhp and 325 lb-ft and a 85 Kw-h Battery. The Signature Performance has 416 Bhp and 443 lb-ft though. However these car are the limited editions and only 1,000 of them will be made and are already sold. Still with the Signature Performances top speed of 130 Mph, and 0-60 time of 4.4 Secs it may not be the best in class, but for an electric car that is not bad. The standards will be a lot slower though so will you’ll be able to a longer range battery, the standard car is in fact able to do 160 Miles*  alone on the 40 kw-h battery and 230 on the 60 kw-h battery. But with the Performances battery being an 85 kw-h it is able to do 300 Miles.

This is an amazing achievement for Tesla but only is it can be proven true as it has not yet been so. This is also meant to be a luxury vehicle and with all the leather and luxuries inside it is very comfortable. It is also very practical with lots of room inside and a decent sized boot. But best of all are its look which are amazing, for a 4 door!

This is an amazing car and has definitely deserved the award Motor Mag’s Greenest Car of the 2011/12.

*This is at 55 Mph and is claimed by Tesla Motors

Supercar of the Year 2011/12

This has to be a 450 Bhp+ sports car beater, this is for cars such as the Ferrari 458 or Noble M600. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

After the last of its predecessor was finally rolled off the production line back in 2010, the Murcielago LP670-4 SV, we all wondered what its descendant would look like and obviously how much more power than the Murcielago it would have. After a long wait the Aventador was finally revealed and along with it came 691 Bhp. The official name, Aventador LP700-4 may have lots of digits and was the same on previous Murcielago’s. The 700 part is how many Bhp it has and the 4 means this is a four wheels drive car. What the numbers do not include though is this cars top speed of 217 Mph and 0-60 time in 2.9 Secs, quicker than a Ferrari Enzo. Also included is 510 lb-ft.

The one downside though is its economy, as usual with Italian Supercars it is very poor at 13.9 Mpg. But not as bad as the Ford GT’s awful 11.6 Mpg or maybe a dragsters 0.024 MPG. Mind you, with a 6.5 Litre V12 what do you really expect. Good ol’ Lamborghini though haven’t ditched they’re thirsty V12’s for 1.6L-electric-hybrid-i-intelligent-ecoboost engines. This why Lamborghini are soon going to make the fastest car in the world where as Maserati, Ford, Chevrolet even Ferrari are refusing to makes proper hardcore supercars to make planet-friendly ecomobiles. Believe me i’m certainly not against it, but surely you can at least try to make a fast hybrid supercar.

But back to the Aventador, and once again into the future where it is looking bright with a rendering SV version, which is a current trait for all Lamborghini’s, not to mention a Roadster version. But this is in the future and now we are focusing in the brilliant standard version, which i must note is not only very fast but brilliant to drive too. It may still be unpractical, but then when was they’re a Lamborghini that wasn’t. Besides, the whole point of a Lamborghini is to be very fast, unreliable, unpractical, expensive (and at £201,900 is so) and crash every time you press the throttle to hard round a corner. That’s why the Aventador is Motor Mag’s Best Supercar of 2011/12.

 

Cabriolet/Convertible of the Year 2011/12

This is for a car that can be any type of Convertible or Cabriolet. This is for a cars such the Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet or Fiat 500c. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The BMW 650i Cabriolet

If i were asked to describe the first generation 6 Series Convertible in a sentence then i’d probably say “there is more ugliness than there is power”. And most of the people would probably agree. But this was 8 years ago and now there is the second generation 650i Cabrio and facial areas have been improved and the as for the rear end. . . WOW! There is certainly an improvement. The face is hardly Aston Martin beautiful but then BMW were never best known for making handsome cars.

But what about power, considering the power in the previous 650i Cabrio had quite a shortage of just 359 Bhp, although it do have a 4.8 Litre V8. But the new Cabrio, has more power at 407 Bhp, despite having a smaller 4.4 Litre V8, the same in the current 550i and 750i models. It is also lighter and has more torque. But with a top speed still limited to 155 Mph, like all BMW’s nowadays, it is not faster.

It somehow though is not quicker to 0-60 Mph as the previous gen did it in 4.9 Secs but the exact same 4.9 Secs.  But with a luxurious cabin and fancy gadgets it certainly a better GT car than the old 650i Cabrio. But as we all know well fancy toys are quite expensive, and at £73,490 the 650i Cabrio is no different.

But despite this the 650i is still a great Cabrio, with just enough power and luxuries, that’s why Motor Mag thinks it’s best in class.

 

Coupe of the Year 2011/12

This award is for any 2 door coupe, but must not be a supercar or convertible. This is for cars such as the Scion FR-S or BMW M3 Coupe. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

But this is not the only car we have chosen . . .

The BMW 1 Series M Coupe and Subaru BRZ

This award is quite different from the others as it was simply too hard a decision to choose the best coupe around, there a just too many, but it has been slimmed down now into just two. The Subaru BRZ and BMW 1M are two of the best car on the planet, not just coupes. They are finely balanced family cars with enough power to be a sports car. But lets have a lowdown on the names first. To begin with, the BRZ, and you may of seen this similar car around, but not as a Subaru. It comes in a Scion version, named the FR-S and Toyota version named the GT 86. The Subaru is slightly more unique than the other as between the Scion and Toyota there are nearly no body differences at all. As for the BMW it is quite obviously based around the 1 Series, and it is an M car, so why not call it an M1. Well back in 1978 when BMW made they’re first supercar, name the M1. But because BMW don’t want any confusion between the two they just decided to give it the longer name of BMW 1 Series M Coupe.

But what about speed does these cars score well on that, well to start off with lets discuss the 1M which is the fastest. It has 340 Bhp, also 332 lb-ft, a 0-60 time of 4.5 Secs and top speed of a limited 155 Mph. The weight is also 35 Kg lighter than the standard 1 Series despite the distinctive extra body kit, at 1495 Kg. It is also very expensive too, at £40,040. Thats gonna hurt the bank, but with only 2,700 cars being made, this price is no surprise.

So what about the much anticipated BRZ. It is very cheap at just £25,000, but this does certainly not mean thee thrills this car delivers are. With 197 Bhp and 151 lb-ft packed into this cars 2.0 Litre flat 4 Subaru engine. The car can do 147 Mph and 0-60 Mph in just 7.5 Secs. This is surprising for a car with less power than a Golf GTi, the reason for this though is that it weighs just 1256 Kg.

So two brilliant cars with very different specs, but there is one thing these two cars have in common. Which is both have built mainly for the same reason, to be brilliant drivers cars. That is really the point of a coupe isn’t it, not to be practical or economical, which somehow these cars are both good at too. But to be fun to play around in and great to drive. And these cars are both at good at this.

Above shows the reasons why the Subaru BRZ and BMW 1 Series M Coupe should be serious contenders for the best car this year, but they are the best Coupes to come out of the last 12 months.

 

Craziest Concept of the Year 2011/12

This is for concepts only, the car must not of made it to production yet or must be labeled a Concept or Prototype. This is for cars such as the BMW i8 Concept or Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .
The Volvo S60 R-Design Polestar Concept
This car has also featured in Motor Mag previously, but since has progressed nowhere closer to a production car. This car will be built though, eventually. There are a few points why it should too. To start off with lets mention another polestar tuned Volvo, the C30 R-Design. This was quite a powerful car with nearly 400 Bhp which does set the tone for the rest of the cars figures. This wasn’t sort of made into production though, they did make a production car, but only 1 was made and cost £40,000. Not only though is the Ford Focus RS500 it’s rival, but also shares the same engine as the C30. Another reason why the S60 Polestar will make it to production is that Polestar race Volvo cars, and the S60 Polestar is too Polestar like the DBR9 race car is to Aston Martin. Like the F360 GTC was to Ferrari. What the A4 Touring Car means to Audi. So of course it will be built, just in 1 digit numbers.
But what are the specs of the car considering the previous Polestar was quite a surprise. To start off with once again, POWER! And the S60 has 507 Bhp which is the same as the first Gen BMW M6 Coupe and more than an more than a 2012 Audi RS5. With this sort of power there is no rivals for the S60, it is in it’s own class or is it . . .
 
 Yes it may seem an unlikely pairing but the Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series has almost exactly the same amount of power and it a stripped out fast coupe, former saloon. So look at the table below to see which is best, Volvo Vs Mercedes . . .
                                                    Mercedes                          Volvo       

Power:                         510 Bhp                         507 Bhp       

Top Speed:                   186 Mph                       186 Mph+    
Torque:                        457 lb-ft                        424 lb-ft  
Weight:                        1738 Kg                         1640 Kg  
0-60 Mph:                    3.9 Secs                          3.9 Secs  
Engine:                      6.2 Litre V8                      2.5 Litre T6 
Economy:                     19 Mpg                           26 Mpg  
Price:              £102,000 Approx     £120,000-£140,000 Approx                                             
So who has won well the Merc scored 4 and the Volvo scored 3, meaning the Mercedes C63 BS has won. But as a concept the S60 Polestar is out of this world, and to think a 500 Bhp car is coming from Volvo. It is insane and that’s why it has been chosen Motor Mag Craziest Concept car of the Year!

Best Front End of the Year 2011/12

This is for a beautiful or handsome front end of any car. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Aston Martin DBS Volante

This is simply a beautiful front end to look at, and is also a very fast sports car. But speed is irrelevant when you have such a curvaceous and beautiful car to admire. Another award this car would win too is engine noise of the year as the 6.0 Litre V12 in the DBS is simply the most ear-friendly noise to come from any automobile. The noise makes you feel amazing inside. Aston Martin has perfected this and for that i say Well Done!

Rear of the Year 2011/12

This award is for best rear end (of a car) to come out of this year. But there can only be one winner and that is . . .

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta may not be as beautiful at the front as it is at the back, but the front is still very good looking compared to other cars. But when i see the back of one of these cars it makes me think how did Alfa Romeo actually manage to make such a masterpiece. The amazing lights, especially when they are lit up look stunning, the way they curve round. There is also the brilliant small but necessary spoiler just to make it look perfect, not like a race car though. And usually beautiful car are supercars, but this 1.75 Litre Cloverleaf maybe the fastest in the Giulietta range, but is not as fast as some beautiful coupes or saloons driving about. But there is rumors of a saloon shaped coupe version coming and that should look even better. I can’t wait!

Author: Ryan Thrift

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