A short drive with S320

The silver S320 on the right corner of my C36 --------------->

I had a short drive of the S320 (W220, a silver color Year 2000). Softly suspended by AIRmatic DC system, the big car did have a good ride and very little road noise. The steering was very light, quick and accurate (well, in a way). Two things stood out from my impression. First it was the road noise. The noise level, if there was any at all, seemed to stay at the same level, regardless of the road surface. This was very different from the LS430 which was silent on smooth surface, but noise level rose very slightly but noticeably as soon as the tires hit the rough surface. However I would not say the S320 was quieter. Second the engine seemed to have good power and torque combination that can haul the 1'800-kg car in all kind of traffic condition between 1'500 to 2'300 rpm. Rarely it did go over 2'700 rpm. Of course I was not in a hurry and went with the traffic flow. On the contrast the 3.6L engine in car seemed to be happy revving between 1'800 - 3'000rpm in normal driving condition. No doubt the C36 was built more for mid to mid-high range power. And it relied on the large engine capacity to provide the torque at low end. If you ask me to choose I prefer the reasonable responsive but lazy style of the S320 engine.

TM Spark Plugs

After a busy week it was a Friday. I took a break from the office and went out to meet a friend Peter. I had the Torque Master Spark Plugs refitted in the C36. The car immediately felt lighter but the engine felt more freely revving. It felt more like a smoother and more refined 3.0L V6 rather than a big-bore in-line 6. Before the C36 felt heavier and the engine torquey and powerful. So they are two different characteristics. Couldn't say which I like more but I think the 6 TM plugs would save more fuel. With fingers crossed I really do hope so. I would have the TM plugs to stay for one week.

Things I don't like about modern cars

I have been test driving or road testing different cars, old or new, as much as I can. Over the recent years, I see an ugly trend of car design which deviate away from the common sense. First it is the increasing weight despite the advancement of materials. Second it is the engine and the amount of catalytic converters to meet the emission regulation. Despite the advancement of technology, our new cars today are heavy and sluggish and not necessary more fuel economical. To say I was disappointed with the direction or trend in the last 10 years would be an understatement. The advancement and technology had been there, but marketing and regulatory side-tracked it. It is also called diminishing return. 10 years ago a 2.0L engine car only weighs around 1200kg. Today it is 1400kg that a 2.0L engine needs to pull. Who really needs or wants to pay for that 200kg baggage? Better crash protection, cleaner exhaust, more comfort? For all that added weight? It is not going to help fuel economy, responsiveness in acceleration & braking, and cornering finesse. Talking about trade-offs!

Cayenne

A friend Eddie asked me to put random thoughts about cars in the blog. One day he asked why there were so many Porsche Cayennes on the streets of Hong Kong. I was wondering why and two ideas popped into my mind almost instantly. First many or a large percentage of Cayenne owners are the first-time Porsche owners. Second many people want Porsche cars but cannot buy Boxsters or 911s because they have a family to lurk around. Porsche Cayenne is not cheap but it would be most people's best excuse to get themself a Porsche. Of course let's not forget the edge on performance, engineering and image associated with Porsche. It is a runaway success. A business owner in Hangzhou, China, told me over dinner he was the first owner in China to have the Cayenne Turbo S just two to three weeks ago. Next time I hope I could get a ride in his new Cayenne.