Preliminary Review of the 2016 BMW 7-Series

 
The New 2016 BMW 7-Series was unveiled recently. As I am yet to see the car in the flesh, I will be relying on the official videos. On the exterior, its strong and definitive beltline give it a defined stance which in turn makes the whole vehicle look athletic. This is a good thing because compared to its archrival, the Mercedes S Class which (in its current generation) is bland, the exterior of the new 7-Series has got character.

It has a few tricks too. It can park itself by driving into and reverse out of a garage or parking space. This is done with the aid of its key; a display key (a slightly larger key fob with a colour touchscreen display).

2014 S Class: First Impressions

The all new Mercedes Benz S Class (Model W222) was unveiled yesterday and there was nothing new to see in terms of styling; no thanks to several spy shots. In retrospect, Mercedes shouldn’t have released those teaser images of the interior. The numerous leaks didn’t help either. So what’s new? Honestly, not very much. In fact, I think we've seen this car before.

So You Want a C Class?

A colleague mentioned that one of his superiors at work was in the market for a small-size luxury sedan. As expected, he was considering the usual suspects: the Mercedes C Class and the BMW 3 Series and it seemed he was angling towards the C Class. I convinced my colleague to let me speak to Mr. X. An appointment was made and I was invited to his home the following weekend. When I arrived, I observed a 2010 Mercedes E Class parked adjacent to the front door and just as I rung the bell, a woman (whom I later found to be Mr. X’s wife) drive up in a Mercedes M Class. At that point, I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task. To be fair, Mr. X was under the impression that I had come to advise him on which of the two cars he should buy. He had no idea what I had in store for him.

The 3000 New Parts of the 2013 Lexus LS

Much like the update from the iPhone 4 to the 4S, the 2013 LS, Lexus’s flagship sedan, is not an all-new model. Generally, when a manufacturer says a model has 3000 new parts, you should know you are getting more of the same. So much so that the model names of the previous generation, (LS460, LS 460 L and LS 600 hl) have been retained. This is not to say there haven’t been some changes. There are quite many of them.

Analysing the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series 2

The Rolls Royce Phantom Series 2 is out. And after watching the official release video, it’s hard to see the changes.. Rolls Royce did not even bother to address any of the design flaws of the original renaissance. It has the same V12 engine and the same suspension and I imagine it will offer the same supple and impeccable ride to its passengers. Up front, the changes are single strip LED fog lights replacing the previous circular design. The grille also has supposedly been changed to a single piece unit as opposed to the previous three-piece unit. I say supposedly because I have compared it with that of the previous car and I can’t see any difference. At the rear end, there is a restyled bumper. The cars bold and sharp lines have also been slightly smoothed to given the car a sleeker appearance. Those are the major changes.

Intro to my Automotive Articles

My love and passion for information technology is equally shared in the automotive industry. As such, I shall on occasion, review any car or car technology of note. However, many of these articles will have nothing to do with the actual drive, handling and performance of the cars. This is because I don’t have access to many of them. Consequently, I shall be basing my opinions on what I am able to deduce from press releases and online videos. Therefore, many of the articles will focus mainly on the interior.

I will definitely keep trying to get some hands-on time with some of the vehicles but the logistics of doing so are proving very hard to work out. Until then, happy reading. 

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Mercedes Déjà vu

When Mercedes Benz resurrected the Maybach brand in 1997, it was for the purpose of competing in the niche ultra-luxury limousine market segment.  The two primary models, the 57 and the 62, redefined automobile opulence and comfort when they were released in 2002. But exactly a decade later, Mercedes is retiring the brand due to less than stellar sales. Mercedes' new plan is to bring ultra-luxury cars under the Mercedes brand to the market. They say the upcoming S Class (tentatively called the W222 model, will be offered in as many as six variants. Some will be made as the staple flagship S Class and some will be made to cater to the ultra-luxury market. This is an inherently flawed plan.