Cars Show Room

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In the past we’ve had M3 Sport Evos, GTs and CSLs from BMW, all building on already brilliant foundations, all adding a little more petrolhead attitude. But with the E92 generation’s lightweight CSL project long since canned, the M3 Edition is as close as we’ve yet come to an even more desirable M3.

What’s the difference between a regualr BMW M3 Coupe and this M3 Edition?

The Edition sits 10mm lower than the car it’s based on, but otherwise it’s a cosmetic makeover. There’s a choice of Alpine White as seen on other M3s, or the Edition-only Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue, plus all Edition models are distinguished by darkened kidney grilles, bonnet vents and wing mirrors. The 19-inch alloys, meanwhile, come in either the familiar silver or optional black.

Inside there are body-coloured highlights on the Novillo leather and contrasting stitching, plus tastefully chunky trim to bisect the dash (BMW calls it black carbon-structure leather) while the white cars get a suspect, colour-coded centre console. I’d plump for blue – more saleable than yellow, plus it reminds of the stunning Estoril Blue previously used on the E36 M3.

What’s the damage?

At £53,435 you’ll pay £2.5k extra for your special edition Edition compared with the existing M3. A stretch too far for some, perhaps, but if you spec the Novillo leather and 19s on a regular M3 you’ll end up with a £2k bill anyway. Factor in the ride height drop, the numerous little touches and the extra exclusivity of the Edition and it starts to look like decent value.

Does it feel different?

Not really. Two CAR road testers drove the Edition back-to-back with the standard car on track, and our findings were less than conclusive. I noticed only that the new car was slightly less reluctant to tuck – and hold – its nose into tight, slower corners. Yet tester number two thought it was more stable under acceleration out of corners. Had we not had the standard car for reference we wouldn’t have noticed any difference at all.

The rest is business as usual. There’s a brilliantly well-balanced chassis that’s actually quite hard not to oversteer on track; initially over-light steering; a peach of a high-revving, incredible-sounding V8; and luxurious comfort and space that makes this car far easier to live with than a 911.

Equipped with our car’s double-clutch semi-auto transmission, the M3 is even more versatile, acting as both a smooth auto, and a fast-firing manual that puts the clunky sequential manual M5 to shame.

Verdict

The Edition might lack the kudos of previous special edition M3s, but it does represent good value in combining what are surely the most frequently ticked options boxes (19-inch alloys and the extended leather package) in a slightly more special-feeling package for similar money.

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Autocar First Drive: Mercedes R350 CDI

What is it?

For a while there signs were that Mercedes-Benz was set to give up on the R-class. Launched in 2005, the big MPV has never really managed to fulfill the hype placed on it. It was, or so we thought, destined to be abandoned as part of the German car maker’s cost cutting efforts.

And yet now, despite worldwide sales of less than half those originally projected – many of them at heavily discounted prices, Mercedes-Benz is giving the R-class a second chance – prompted, it says, by efforts of rivals, most notably BMW with the 5-series GT, to muscle in the market it had become used to calling its own.

At the heart of the R-class’s renewed push to win over buyers is a heavily revised appearance. Gone is the odd combination of styling cues adorning the original model, replaced by a more cohesive looking design that gives it an instantly more confident air, especially the front-end which benefits from new headlamps, grille, bonnet and bumper – all reflecting the latest Mercedes-Benz lineage.

The revised R-class continues to come in both short and long-wheel base guise – the latter stretching to 5157mm and supporting a third row of seats to provide space for up to seven in a largely unchanged interior. It’s impressively spacious and versatile.

However, finding a parking space large enough to accommodate its exceptional width of 1922mm can prove difficult and begs the question as to why Mercedes-Benz hasn’t seen fit to equip it with side parking sensors like those available on the 5-series GT.

In a move that is crucial to its prospects of gaining sales momentum in the UK, Mercedes-Benz has also given its up-market MPV a new range of diesel engines in a line-up that supports both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models, including the latest, high power version of its 3.0-litre V6 common rail unit.

With a gutsy 261bhp and 457lb ft of torque, it is clearly the pick of the engines offered in the heavily facelifted R-class, kicking out 40bhp and 81lb ft more than before while bringing a 2.9mpg reduction in overall consumption at 33.2mpg in the four-wheel drive R350 CDI 4Matic driven here.

The R-class is also among the first models to benefit from a revised version of Mercedes-Benz’s 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox. Standard across the line-up, it gets a faster acting torque converter that now automatically decouples the engine at standstill for added fuel savings among other detailed changes.

What's it like?

Together, the new engine and gearbox provide the R350 CDI 4Matic with an energetic step off and good turn of speed away from the traffic lights – the prodigious torque making light weight of its 2175kg kerb weight. Indeed, for such a big car it is quite lively and impressively smooth in continual stop/start conditions.

But with those oversize dimensions and a large turning circle, city driving is not where it excels. It is at a steady cruise out on the motorway where the luxury MPV finds itself most at home. With all that torque at just 800rpm above idle, it devours distance with consummate ease. But while mechanical refinement is always impressive there is a fair amount of wind noise around the large exterior mirrors at speed.

With four-wheel drive helping and a whole armada of electronic driving aids, the R-class hangs on remarkably well when driven hard over winding roads – better than the M-class and GL with which it shares its underpinnings and is build alongside at Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant in the US.

And with air springs and adaptive damping, it also rides with aplomb; the comfort setting provides with a pleasingly relaxed nature while the sport setting gives it a noticeably tauter feel. However, it should never be considered sporting. That role is left to the E-class estate, which is a good deal more agile at all times.

Should I buy one?

If you’re in the market for a large SUV or upmarket estate, it’s definitely worth considering the revised R-class. The various changes, particularly the new top-of-the-line diesel engine, make it a good deal more desirable than before.

Granted, it is not a car that appears to make great sense but it grows on you the more you drive it, especially over longer distances. As always, though, continues to have its limitations around town.

Not too long ago, there was a time when all of the vehicles in an automaker's portfolio weren't required to wear the same uniform. Each model could be its own unique expression of the brand's strengths without being forced to schedule an appointment with the corporate plastic surgeon. Granted, some marques lost a bit of identity with scads of mismatched children running around the lot, but the world's automotive variety pack was considerably more interesting. If you didn't like the face on one product, but wanted to stick with the brand, there were a plethora of options to choose from.

That's not the case anymore. We live in a world of increasingly unified automotive design, and while that's resulted in a few products missing the mark in a big way (we're looking at you, Acura), just as many manufacturers have created some real winners by spreading the corporate face among its progeny. Dodge's decision to share the Ram grille across its line was one of the best moves the company has made in recent history, and Ford and Chevrolet have similarly benefited from strong familial design cues.

Now Mercedes-Benz is looking to walk down the same path by spreading its upright grille to the 2011 R-Class. The move isn't so much of a shot in the arm as a shot of espresso for the Silver Arrow's awkward duckling, but it should help the luxury people mover blend in amongst its more beautiful brethren.

With all-new sheetmetal from the A-pillar forward, it would be easy to mistake the 2011 R-Class as a new generation instead of a warmed-over version of last year's crossover, but the truth is, not much else has changed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Up front, the R-Class now wears a stand-up grille borrowed from the likes of the GLK and SLS AMG, and it looks pretty sharp on the high-riding long-roof. New LED daytime running lights are nestled low into the front fascia, and swept HID headlamps stick close to the fender line. A chrome accent strip along the lower bumper adds a touch of flash.

From the side, the new nose does wonders for the overall profile of the vehicle. Whereas the 2010 R-Class suffered from a terminally droopy face, the vertical look lends a little bit more pride to the R twins. Instead of borrowing from the Pontiac Trans Sport playbook, the R-Class now looks like it belongs with the rest of the Mercedes-Benz clan. Never underestimate the power of a nose job. The rest of the exterior remains largely untouched by the refresh pen, though a faux diffuser has cropped up on the rear bumper and trapezoidal exhaust tips have replaced the round bits of the 2010 model.

Likewise, those familiar with the interior from last year won't find too many shocking revelations. The dash has been mildly restyled with frosted silver air vents and a two-tone leather option has popped up as well. We're not complaining, though. The cabin is still a comfortable place to spend a road trip no matter where you're sitting. Mercedes-Benz is particularly proud of the fact that the vehicle's third row is actually functional, and it's true that full-grown adults who are less than five-foot-eleven can fit in the way back seats without suffering a cramped neck or bruised knees. The bottom line is that unlike many other three-row creations out there, the final thrones in the new R-Class are actually good for something other than child cruelty.

While everything is plenty comfortable from a passenger stand point, we did run into a few issues behind the wheel. Our biggest gripe is that the nav screen is still located low on the dash, meaning the driver has to spend too much time staring down and away from the road to get an idea of where he or she is headed. It's a distraction that would require a significant redesign of the dash to fix. Otherwise, our only qualm is an awkwardly placed cruise control lever that dangles over the turning indicator stalk. After accidentally decelerating five times instead of initiating the left turn signal, we just gave up on the cruise control all together.

Buyers hoping to find a host of new drivetrain options in the 2011 R-Class will be disappointed. M-B has made one big change to the lineup by making all-wheel drive standard on both available versions of the crossover, but engine choices will stay the same. That means a 3.5-liter gasoline V6 with 272 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with 211 horsepower will both find their way behind the headlights, but sadly, the bonkers R63 AMG version with its 6.2-liter V8 hasn't resurfaced. The diesel does have one big trick up its sleeves, though – Mercedes has managed to pull a beefy 400 lb-ft of twist from the sixer, and it makes a huge difference the crossover's driveability.

While Mercedes-Benz technically offers a total of nine variations on the R-Class formula around the world, Americans will only be able to get their hands on two – the R 350 4MATIC and the R 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC in long-wheelbase guise. Both vehicles put power to the all-wheel-drive system by a seven-speed automatic transmission, and the Silver Arrow claims to have (marginally) increased fuel economy in both vehicles. The gasoline R is expected to return around 15 mpg city and 19 mpg highway, while its diesel counterpart should deliver around 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. If those figures seem a little low for what's essentially a big, German minivan, keep in mind that R 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC hits the scales at a mind-boggling 5,145 pounds.……

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