Car Enthusiast

We car enthusiasts indulge into the simple pleasures of open top motoring in high end yet powerful cars. Sometimes it’s not necessary to be a rev happy person. Simple open top motoring in a luxurious and powerful cars emits outstanding pleasures which are exclusive to soul and mind car enthusiasts.

We comes across many types of open top sports car and luxury cruiser, named differently by manufacturers, for example Mercedes Benz S500 Cabriolet or Ferrari 488 spider. Both have soft top electronic closures. But names differently by manufacturers. Why? Because both car represents different heritage of the open top cars.

By my own understanding and research in car industry, I have narrowed down types of open top cars and a practical meaning of every type.

Cabriolet - A very sophisticated and luxurious form of open top motors. Cabriolet can accommodate four people but mostly made for two adults and two children. This simply translates into the a loving wife, a good wife and two children. The most romantic form of car ever produced by all manufacturers. Cabriolets are more practical yet powerful for daily uses and for winding country roads.

Roadster- A purely 2 seater open-top car. These are mainstream of performance oriented and two seater highway mile muncher of all time. Roadsters have outstanding handling abilities because of main frame is from hardcore sports car. Roadsters are completely for the driving enthusiasts who enjoys high speeds and wind in hair driving experiences. Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage S Convertible are the best example of a roadster. It’s long, sexy and beautiful stance with roof down makes it a true roadster.

Spider - These are supercars with convertible roof top, sometimes fabric roof tops or some may go for hard top versions. Spiders are made for simpler pleasures from the hardcore supercars. Hardcore supercars can’t be airy and relaxing all time. For those who love simpler yet powerful pleasures of life, manufacturers have created Spider open top cars. Why powerful supercars called spiders? Because lightweight carriages with movable tops were called phaeton spiders long before cars. So when cars came along, they applied the same term.

Landaulet - Landaulet are extremely luxurious form of transportation, used mostly my majesties and popes. An outstanding way of showing wealth and power. Most landaulets are owned by superior and powerful personalities around the world and very rare and beautiful to look at.

Drophead coupe - The drophead coupe can be simply defined by the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead coupe! It’s a most majestic convertible I have ever driven on the planet. The only real genuine full size convertible luxury car!

These are terminological meanings of a philosophical side of open top motoring romance.

I remember my first encounter with BMW’s 7 series line up when I was 14 years old, I saw it in Bond’d film, Tomorrow Never Dies, I was stunned by the gadgets and gizmos which was shown in car in that movie. But after that I was not at all familiar with the 7er. Though I loved the 5th series clean effortless styling and meaty stances, and I do feel 5th series is a scaled down car of 7er. These all thoughts were one and half years old. I never driven 7er till this Christmas. All things happened sudden. Called up for BMW for 7er’s drive as I was over curious for the car. Got car after a nice Tis the season charm. Car was already parked for us, Singapore Grey colour, 730Ld, I’m fan of BMW’s paintjob for years and this current generation G12 was not exception to this, I simply loved the paintjob. Smooth, refined, shaded upright. Initial impression was timeless. When I grabbed the door handle, the solidity of German built was absolute. Door padding was in dark tanned quilted nice non sweaty leather, wrapping all the way till inner edges of the doors. Door thunk was heartily satisfactory.  Steering was typical BMW 3 spoke, i8 style, new design language can be seen through the steering itself, speaking of dash layout, was less cluttered, cutting edge techno are used in every inch of dash. AC blower functions were touch screen too. I spend my solid 20 minutes to understand how the whole system works. To my surprise most the commands are operated though the in air gestures of our hand. I was surprised and confused at a same time, I do feel owners will take some time to get used to it. After understanding how technology has grooved the car, I fired up engine, 3 litre i6 engine came to life with refined and non clutter manner. I can’t even hear engine noise from inside. It took less than a minute to know that I’m driving a car which is over 5 meters and have L in her name! Sheer length, though her design has been designed in a way that no one car feel the car length from driver seat. Engine have a creamy response, subtle power delivery and very minimum body roll. The body roll was there, but being car of over 5 meters with extended wheel base, handling was tight and grippy. there was some amount of tyre noise coming from A pilar on higher speed. I loved the way she tackles corner, for car like this it was a delightful expierence. For this engine, it’s same as the outgoing inline 6 we find in 5th series. A bit noise I felt over 3000rpm.

Me being an avid Mercedes lover, in back of the mind, I was searching for flaws in car, but at the end of the drive, I didn’t found any flaws. The only flaw I felt was a missing 3 pointed star, but no, it’s a BMW, the says new 7er is a driving luxury, and yes she is. Quality of interiors, wood accents, fit-finish was at par with German rivals. She is made for Autobahn. She have a young appealing charm, perfect for young multi millionaires. Will she last generations and generations? If you ask me, I’ll say how much young we’ll feel after 20 years from now? The same she’ll be. She can be a luxury sleeper for a wealthy mid-aged gentlemen, or she can be a luxury driving machine for rich young men. Will I go for 7er over S class? A bit tricky question for everyone out there, but for me, yes I’ll definitely go for 7er as my young car.

Starting with Meguairs products was not a first step, couple of months been using Formula 1 and 3M detailing products, I switched to the Meguairs for some serious cleaning and non shiny deep polishes. Not all products of 3M can give you deep shine. Yes they’re good for quick detailing purposes, but not for long lasting results. Period.

Here coming to the Meguairs Natural Protectant costed me £9.72 including shipping, does it worth? Yes and No, it depends upon how you apply it and by what you applies it. Meguairs have long history of making car detailing products and natural protectants aren’t new from them, this have new car fragrance with thick milky based components. Results are best when you are a matte lover, and results are dull when you wants shine all way. 

For application I used Meguairs’s only applicator pads which I had earlier from detailing works, just spray it on the surface you want, excluding windows and glass areas and rub it off with their pads, it’ll take a little time to spread evenly but spreads with confident manner, covering all gaps in leather textured embossed dashes and slight scratches. It does not really fill up scratches but it can make them disappear for a week. 

Before directly applying this protectant I particularly wiped all the interiors with 3M car shampoo and water, because I don’t wanted an shiny dash board again. This helped a lot with minimising residue and grease of dust gathered on AC vents and knobs.

To my surprise it came with 3M scrotch-brite technology, is it really a Meguairs or 3M? I would rather say It is best of both worlds, it does the job of cleaning and nourishing like meguairs and gives protection of 3M scratch-brite.

Is I’m recommending it? for those who wants shine should look elsewhere not every one is a dull look enthusiasts. It’s not dull for who loves it in dull way, it’s just Matte!

Since childhood, I’ve seen E class legacy, the legend w124, on which I honed my driving skill, legendary E class. Period. The most favourite E class of mine was 500E, which was practically assembled at Porsche’s factory, involvement of Porsche in making of 500E was also remarkable. That was a legendary car with legendary M119 5.0L V8 naturally aspirated engine with 322 hp. Thought I was not lucky enough to hone my driving skills with her, I’ve used 200E with 2.0L naturally aspirated. 

This remarkable W124 series been vanished with time, but with w210 to all what to 212 models, nothing suited an enthusiasts taste throughly, I had W211 AMG with big aspirated V8 engine, but this was not as pleasing as W124 for me. 

Now in 2016 they’ve introduced W213 Series in Geneva Motor Show, with their family face philosophy, S class like interiors and rare ends, making it looks like her sibling. S class. 

in LA Motor Show, Mercedes has showcased the latest generation E63S with over 600 bhp with legendary 4.0L twin scroll two turbochargers, which will churn out whopping 850nm of torque via 9 speed multi clutch gear box as standard across variants, however standard E class gets 571 horsepower on tap with Mercedes 4MATIC+ all  wheel drive system. This 4MATIC+ gives grip of glue on tarmac making cornering more fun and agile. The one thing we never heard about this performance sedans is fuel efficiency but this E63 gets cylinder deactivation  system which will deactivates 2 or 4 cylinders to improve efficiency. Cylinder deactivation comes as standard across the variants of E63.

Front and rear are clearly imposing the character of car, this car have that AMG charm which was missing in the outgoing model. Mercedes’s racing arm has made an significant improvements in this model. With prominent power bulge on the bonnet makes this E class AMG more mightier. 

By this E63S sports sedan, Mercedes has shown that they’ve taken huge approach towards the vehicle dynamics, look at those front radiator grills for instance, clearly emphasising character of performance.

With this E63S Mercedes AMG is reaffirming their brand’s motto, “Driving Performance.” 

Mercedes has mastered the convertible formula with the introduction of AMG GT Roadstar, but AMG GT was a performance oriented convertible, known usually for raising the pulse, but this Maybach Cabriolet seems to be a different story. It sits just at par with the top of the line S65 AMG Cabriolet. AMG have all performance orientation sedans and cabriolets but Maybach have blend of Power and luxury in a single package. 

Mercedes’s Head of the Desgin has stated in interview at Beverly hills Mansion that "It’s always our job to make it better,“ Wagener says. "Each little detail, the wood, the wood under cover of the cabriolet, the leathers. All the super luxury details that make a luxury car into a super luxury car. The key is to make a modern luxury design and not a traditional luxury design. There is definitely a market for traditional luxury, but we always wanted to have Mercedes, Maybach in particular, as a modern luxury car. That’s why we chose this location here in the hills because the car is maybe more tasteful, in terms of beauty, according to our hot and cool philosophy – it’s really hot but it’s also really cool. So I love this definition of super luxury. ”

Super luxury? Stunning? Exclusive? is that all about this new Maybach? Absolutely YES. It is, Mercedes is producing just 300 units of this particular car, in three different colour, White, Red, and Blue, with the combination of white leather and black leather with some woods options. 

This Maybach rides on the same ‘Regular’ platform of  S class cabriolet which is on sale now worldwide, it have the same V12 BITURBO engine with 630 Horsepower claimed with Mercedes AIRMATIC Suspension setups to iron out all the roads. And with 7G transmission power is delivered all way to rear wheels.

Out 300 vehicles produced only 75 will be coming to US with the price tag of $247,900, making it in completion with Rolls Royce Dawn Convertible, yes Dawn have 100,000 more of this price but when someone is considering 245,900 for a single convertible can of course spend more 100,000 for Dawn, but yes Dawn current offering from Rolls Royce with unlimited production capabilities. This Maybach convertible have only 300 units worldwide, which makes it thoroughly exclusive. 

When Mercedes made SLS Final Edition which was limited to 350 units only, was the most exhilarating and famous car among celebrities and enthusiasts.

Mercedes has already mastered their limited edition philosophy with SLS and SLS Black edition series. Mercedes knows how the luxury limits can be pushed in the exclusivity. This time Mercedes has taken Convertibles at aim, and we’ve all huge expectations with that double MM badged cars, but that exceptions will live up till 300 cars. 

All people who asks for the limits of the automative luxuries and exclusivity, Wagner says, NO, there is no limit, and Mercedes-Maybach has shown it with this Maybach Cabriolet. 

The one obvious thing with this car is, every lifestyle and luxury enthusiast is going to love this car, for the love of leather, wood and ultimate driving and luxury pleasure. Mercedes has mastered this lifestyle game a long back.