1.Volkswagen Eos
She was a Greek goddess. Her brother, Helios, was the sun. So that
Helios could shine brightly every day, Eos made sure the heavens opened
up at dawn. If you lived in ancient Greece and believed in the Titan
gods, you'd believed she was the reason each day arrived.
And if you live in today's era (as most of us do, hopefully), you'd believe Eos was a vehicle made by the German automaker,
VW.
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| When
the hardtop descends into the trunk, letting the sunlight stream in,
you'll be glad to hand over the near $40,000 starting price just to
enjoy some time behind the wheel. |
Bear with me, there is a connection here. While some automakers
arbitrarily name their vehicles, or make up words, VW called their
four-seater the Eos on purpose. When the car was first introduced in
2005, VW marketed the Eos as being the “dawning of a new era” for VW.
And I think on some level they were right, but more than anything, the
fact that the Eos is a convertible makes the name oh-so fitting.
Coupled with the huge, panoramic glass sunroof that can also be opened
separately, the Eos offers driver and passengers alike the opportunity
to open up to the heavens, let the sunshine in, and really take in the
day. It is in the Eos that the heavens open up to you, and the sun is
let in – just like the dawn in ancient Greece.
Alright, enough with the analogies. What the hell am I going on about?
Well, I'm waxing lyrical about the new 2012 Volkswagen Eos which isn't a
goddess at all, really. In fact, it's far from it. While the connection
is there in the opening of the heavens and all that jazz, that's pretty
much where the analogy comes to a screeching halt.
Of course, some may disagree with me (after all, isn't that the nature
of our business?), but hear me out: It isn't that the VW Eos is boring –
please don't misunderstand me – because it's not. No, the reason it
hasn't quite reached goddess status and ultimately blends in so well
with every other car on the road is because it's just so nonchalant, so
gentle, and so unassuming. This car doesn't try to eat up all the
attention; it doesn't try to steal the spotlight (like the goddess Eos
who let her brother Helios do all the “shining”), which is rare for a
convertible.
Consider most convertibles on the road today; what do you think about
their drivers? Come on, be honest. They're looking for attention, being
all exposed and in the open like that. Add to that that most
convertibles are usually sporty (read:
MX-5,
Z4,
Camaro Convertible, MINI Cooper Cabriolet) and they're just asking for heads to turn.
But not the VW Eos.
Granted, my tester for the week was painted black which didn't help its
wallflower status, but even if it had been bright red it wouldn't have
made a difference. There's something subtly elegant about the Eos’
design that I absolutely love. It's distinctly Volkswagen from nose to
tail with a simple front grille, no-nonsense headlights, simple 17”
alloy wheels and a simple body crease down the sides that offers just a
hint of sportiness.
2.Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible
No model in
Chevrolet’s lineup
is more famous than the Corvette. It stands as the brand’s performance
flagship since its launch in 1953, despite some very potent
Camaros produced over the years.
For 2012, the C6-generation Corvette soldiers on with another round of
improvements. The seats have been redesigned with improved driver
lateral support, there’s a new steering wheel, an optional Bose
nine-speaker sound system, new colours and – included on our test car – a
Chevrolet Centennial Edition package celebrating the 100th anniversary
of the brand.
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| A Chevrolet Centennial Edition package is available for the 2012 Corvette. |
The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Cabriolet may not be the most
sophisticated, the most equipped or the most powerful car your $100K can
buy, but its raw power and brutal behaviour are welcome to those who
like a supercar that doesn’t drive itself using a bunch of CPUs.
Earth-shaking exhaust sounds
A dual-mode performance exhaust costs $1,555; we say take it. When you
do, the 6.2L LS3 V8 belts out 436 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque, connected
to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters.
Hooray for GM: premium fuel is not required.
The optional exhaust makes the Corvette behave audibly at low speeds;
you know, for cruising around town while the cops watch you pass by with
squinty eyes. Hammer the throttle, and the LS3 unleashes an aural fury
that no one would find repulsive. Zero to 100 km/h dashes take just over
four seconds.
Compared to the run-of-the-mill Corvette, the Grand Sport models get the
Z06’s dry-sump engine lubrication, suspension, bigger brakes with
cross-drilled discs, six-piston callipers up front and four-piston
pinchers at the rear as well as wider wheels and fenders. Our tester
also includes the Magnetic Ride shocks, available on every Corvette.
This car can handle and stop on a dime, but amazingly isn’t a bruiser
around town.
3.Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé
Opening its doors for the first time last night, the Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars dealer in Montreal spared no expenses welcoming an eager public.
Freshly made sushi, endless hors d'oeuvres, a spectacularly displayed
open bar for any concoction you could dream up -- oh right, and boatload
of gorgeous Rolls-Royce vehicles strewn about.
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| Precise
handling thanks to the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering; an
adjustable ride height; power sent solely to the rear wheels: I was in
pure automotive heaven. |
After sufficiently gorging myself on freshly made sushi and fried sweet
potato balls dipped in chipotle mayo (oh my God, to die for), I was
offered the opportunity to take a spin in the latest
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.
Really, did they even have to ask? The words were barely out of the PR
woman's mouth and I was already handing over my driver's license.
When the paperwork was sufficiently filled out and I'd signed my life
away for the $450,000 vehicle I was about to drive, I surveyed my stead.
Ghostly silver, with brushed chrome accents and strong, sophisticated
lines, it stood waiting. A creamy, sumptuous leather interior beckoned
and the Rosewood dash with Brown Oak accents were just breathtaking.
Sitting on 21” alloy wheels in a forged star design with middle RR caps
that always remain upright no matter the position of the wheel, this
beautiful beast of a car almost seemed like too much.
Slipping in behind the wheel of the Drophead Coupé (with the 5-layered,
cashmere-lined retractable roof already stored neatly beneath the
Rosewood teak decking in the rear), I instantly felt incredibly
important. Oh, and you'll note that despite the luxe thickness of the
convertible roof (that takes 25 seconds to descend and replace), the
trunk space always remains the same at 11.1 cu-ft. Looking down the long
nose of the Rolls-Royce and past the flying wings of the Spirit of
Ecstasy hood ornament (that's retractable, by the way; thieves be
warned), and suddenly I felt transported.
After exploring the plethora of hidden buttons and knobs to adjust my
seat, the steering wheel and to close the suicide doors without having
to reach out myself – that's right, at the press of a button the door
will gently swing closed for me – I was ready to roll.
For a vehicle equipped with a whopping great 6.75L V12 that produces
453hp and 531 lb-ft of torque coupled with a 6-speed auto transmission,
it literally floats down the road. There were times I felt like the
engine wasn't even on it was so quiet. Add to that the fact that the
suspension adjusts itself every few seconds to accommodate road
conditions, and will even change depending on where the rear passenger
sits, and you truly do feel like you're riding on the most expensive
cloud in the world. It all works together to keep the ride ultra smooth
and oh-so spectacular.
For all the power under the hood, I never felt like I wanted to mash my
foot into the throttle. Though I could have made a 0-100km jump in just
5.8 seconds despite the Phantom's near 6,000lb weight. I was quite
content to cruise in the Drophead Coupé, and it was just as comfortable
to take me along for the ride. Even after the usually tempting Sport
button was pointed out to me, I had no desire to press it.
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| The
suspension adjusts itself every few seconds to accommodate road
conditions, and will even change depending on where the rear passenger
sits. |
Precise handling thanks to the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering;
just over 14” of ventilated disk brakes on each wheel; an adjustable
ride height (that can raise the car by an inch should you encounter a
steep incline or dodgy road surface); power sent solely to the rear
wheels; and all the respect you could ever hope to command on the road: I
was in pure automotive heaven.
Pulling up to the new dealer to bring the Phantom back was bittersweet.
My time behind the wheel of a legendary, prestigious marque had ended,
and yet the new dealer reminded me that I'll surely catch glimpses of
these regal rides in the coming months all over the city. And that alone
brought a smile to my face.
