2017 Automation Geneva International Motor Show

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-20 17:30:15 UTC

Yes this is very late, so sorry about that…and yes i know, there are no pictures, because I cannot photoshop…

# The Independent Review: Erin Berlose VS Zavir Espada Part 1

*phone rings*

Hello this is Matt speaking…ahh Gavin, how was Geneva?
Really? You lucky prick. Hanging out with Airborne in the S4 and Alpha Clubman, messing around in EADC rally cars all over the Alps, having a photoshoot and meeting your ‘fans’ and you’re going to the Geneva after party! Yes, I know that I’ll probably get to review the S4 and Alpha Clubman later, and yes, I know used to drive for EADC’s Rally Team, but I’m still bloody salty! I’m stuck here back in the UK since I’ve got a bloody cold! Anyways, it looks like you’ve got something for me to do. Wait. Did you just say that Erin and Zavir have something for me to review? Oohh boy I’m excited! Alright, thanks for the heads up. Yes this doesn’t make up for anything…okay maybe it does…slightly…

So here I am sitting on the sofa, drinking tea, eating scones and re-watching old Top Gear on Dave (its a TV channel in the UK) when a friend of mine, Gavin rings up. Apparently I’ve got a review to do. Turns out Erin and Zavir were kind enough to send me their latest luxury sedans. Well I guess I’ll have to review them then.

#Review:

#Erin VS Zavir
Erin and Zavir are names that are known throughout the world for making sporty and luxurious cars. The rivalry between both companies is fierce. Erin, a UK based company best known for the Erin Scarlet, possibly the best selling sports coupes in the world and Zavir, a company which combines Italian beauty and design, with mad, brutish American muscle, (something I like indeed) have both revealed their latest facelifted versions of their premium/luxury sedans, the Erin Berlose and the Zavir Espada. And Ive got the ‘luxury’ to review and compare the two.

##Erin Berlose Vox

This slick, beauty sitting on my driveway is the Erin Berlose Vox. The best trim that the Berlose has to offer. On the outside, the Berlose is visually stunning. The sleek profile and the smooth flowing curves really make this car look beautiful. The aluminium panels fit seamlessly with each other, with no panel gaps to see.

Under the hood, is a 3.5L Pureon i6. Running it on the Dyno, we can see that the turbocharged i6 provides the car with ample power, 265hp to be precise, and a relatively smooth power curve. The turbo lag, while almost nonexistent, is still slightly noticeable, but nothing to worry about. However, it should be noted that the exhaust and the intercooler are a tad restrictive, limiting the power on the car, not that it needs any more, it is after all a premium/luxury car.

Looking inside the Berlose Vox, you are greeted to a nice, comfortable interior. The Gecko™ voice control and 10" touch screen display make this car packed with technology, and the RoadSmart Safety Pack make the car very practical. What makes this car even more practical, is the 3 seats in the back, allowing a total of 5 people to fit snugly in the car. The rear boot space is also quite large and the overall running costs of the car is very low for a luxury car.

Now, as this is an Erin, I guess the next thing to do is take it to a nearby track…oh how about Silverstone? Taking this car around the track is a dream. While this car clearly wasn’t designed solely for driving on a track, some of the ErinSport DNA is in this car. With a 6 speed Single Clutch Sequential (found in the Vox models only) and some semi-active suspension, the 1.8 ton car accelerates from 0-62 in under 6 seconds. Furthermore, the Berlose reaches a top speed of 170mph and can do a quarter mile in well under 15 seconds. Now time to do my lap of Silverstone then…

…So after an exhilarating drive around Silverstone, I’ve got the lap time here: 2:56:35. For a Luxury car, that time isn’t bad. Just for a comparison, the i6 Spec of the EADC Corsair, a sports car dedicated as a track car will do Silverstone in 2:49:60, making the Berlose very fast indeed. We’ll have to see how the Espada does in part 2 along with the conclusion and final verdict.

See you tomorrow then Matthew Sierra out…

szafirowy01 · 2017-03-20 17:44:24 UTC

A minor detail - both Berlose and Espada aren’t flagships for our companies, these are respectively Aventa for Erin and Squalo for Zavir But I like the review, and cannot wait to see the second part

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-20 17:44:54 UTC

Woops i will change that now! EDIT: fixed!

abg7 · 2017-03-21 01:18:35 UTC

Looking ahead to New York, I have plans to introduce yet another new model or two. Probably something I had previously submitted for CSR, albeit revised… Or it could be something else entirely.

Also, why isn’t there already a thread about the Automation SEMA Show, where aftermarket tuners get to show off their wares in Las Vegas? I feel like there should have been one on the forums months ago.

DeusExMackia · 2017-03-21 11:25:52 UTC

That’s great to hear, but just a word of warning: New York isn’t until September

ramthecowy · 2017-03-21 11:35:43 UTC

I had a great idea for a show like SEMA and will likely host it in about two weeks

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-21 13:36:34 UTC

I guess then ill have to get the 1960s show started soon, so there isnt any overlap

ramthecowy · 2017-03-21 15:28:08 UTC

Yeah, in fact we should just get the classics show running for a month or so, and then I’ll host mine. That actually is an even better plan because I’ll have considerably more time around then

findRED19 · 2017-03-21 15:34:20 UTC

The 1960s show will be perfect for my company lore, given how long I’ve been slacking…

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-21 15:36:45 UTC

I guess i should start now then.

EDIT: Just posted it, starts on the 27th so i guess we can begin designing

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-21 22:47:59 UTC

Yes it is very late, but now it’s time for the Espada and verdict!

# The Independent Review: Erin Berlose VS Zavir Espada Part 2

##Zavir Espada

Sitting in front of me is a ‘Coffee Brown Silk’ Espada Veloce, what Zavir call a ‘mid-range trim’. This car looks amazing. The front headlights fit perfectly, thanks to the styling from Luceat Studio, and while the car may seem quite cluttered, everything is arranged neatly, just as you would expect from Zavir. The chrome on the car just fits. Everything fits. This is a car that can be placed in Slough on a rainy day and it would still looks good. The high quality aluminium panels and glued aluminium chassis make for a comfortable, and weather resistant ride.

Unlike the Berlose which had an i6, the Espada comes with a nice, simple AS38EC 3.2L V6. Unlike the Berlose, the Espada’s engine is not turbocharged, and instead uses high quality performance parts and aggressive VVL timing. This however, makes the Espada have a much smoother power curve, and even with a smaller engine, the Espada makes more horsepower, 306hp compared to the 265hp in the Berlose. Along with the naturally aspirated engine, the V6 makes use of long tubular exhaust headers providing even more power.

Inside, much like the Berlose, the Espada is packed with technology. With a large touch screen in the middle of the dash and a surround sound system to listen to what ever music you want with studio like quality. In my case, how about some smooth jazz…Anyway, moving on, the Espada is also very spacious, with 5 seats and with a bootspace of 718L, its also very practical.

I guess the only thing left to do now is to take it round Silverstone. Driving it around the track, the Espada handled well. While equipped with Zavir’s ‘Hydraspeed Automatic transmission’ and weighing in at almost 1.9 tonnes, the powerful engine helped the Espada Veloce reach 178mph with relative ease and allowed the car to accelerate from 0-62 in well under 6 seconds. The Espada’s quarter mile time is also very impressive at 14 seconds. Now time for the timed lap…

…After driving the Espada around Silverstone, I have to say, this car is quick. The extra 41hp and the active suspension, really does make a difference. The Espada Veloce made it round the track in 2:53:35. Exactly 3 seconds faster than the Berlose. However speed isn’t everything and thus here is the conclusion and verdict.

#Conclusion/Verdict
So after spending some more time with the Berlose and the Espada, I can say that the Espada is the better car…or is it? You see, the Mid range Espada with the V6 will set you back £41,942 and that is without Zavir’s QuattroForza AWD System, Z-Pack(More Sporty design and trim) or the luxury infotainment and glass roof. On the other hand, the Berlose Vox, the top level trim, will only set you back £37,895 with the basic Vox setup. This is a rather large difference in price, and considering that economy wise, both cars are very similar, with decent fuel economies and relatively low running costs, it doesn’t get better for the Espada. The basic trim for the Berlose, the S 2.5, with a 2.5L Turbo i6, only costs £29,100, and while it only has standard infotainment on board, is much faster than the Espada’s basic trim, the Stilo, which also has standard infotainment and costs almost as much as the Berlose Vox, at £35,912! As much as I want to praise the Espada and tell you now to buy it immediately, the prices for it are very steep, compared with the Berlose (I’m not saying the Berlose is a bad car, but compared with the Espada, the Espada is superior), you get so much more.

Of course, at the end of the day, which car I recommend really depends on what your budget is. If you want a nice sporty premium sedan and you’re on a budget of about £30,000-32,000, the Berlose is the only choice. The Berlose S 2.5 and the Lex are much better than the Espada Stilo, in terms of what you get for you money and performance. If, however, you want something slighly more premium, again, go with the Berlose. The Vox trim, while having slightly lower performance than the Espada Veloce, is just as good and for a lower price gives you better value for money. Now, if price doesnt matter, go ahead, buy the Espada. It’s a great car that does everything well. Heck, if you have large wads of cash, go for the Espada’s top range model, the Sportivo with the massive 4.2L V8! Sure it will cost you an arm and a leg at a whopping £84,350, but what you do get is close to perfection.

##My Thoughts:

####Erin Berlose Vox:
Pros:
-Great Price!!
-Nice Handling
-Decent Performance
-Nice Styling
Cons:
-Engine Power limited due to small exhaust and intercooler(Pureon 3.5 i6)
-Torque curve not so smooth (not really that bad though)

####Zavir Espada Veloce:

Pros:
-Beautiful design
-Great Handling for such a heavy car
-Very good Performance from the V6, not so much from the 2.0L in the Stilo
-Very easy to drive
Cons:
-Expensive
-Espada Stilo with the 2.0L dissapointing for the price point.

Well hope you’ve found this interesting! Matthew Sierra out…

szafirowy01 · 2017-03-21 22:59:41 UTC

Hmm, yeah, I’m not the best at optimising value for money. In other words, my cars are freaking expensive That’s one of the reasons why I’m more or less waiting with actual Zavir releases (with all stats, options, prices and so on) for the Unreal update. Well, the result is more or less what I expected after seeing Berlose prices

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-21 23:04:29 UTC

Matthew Sierra

Yeah, I really liked the Espada Veloce, I am certainly thinking of buying one myself, but for the review’s sake, it’s just a shame that the car was just really expensive. I would certainly put it on my list of top cars revealed at Geneva this year!

abg7 · 2017-03-22 16:02:43 UTC

With the New York Auto Show not starting until September, perhaps anyone who missed Geneva would be interested in showing new models at the Shanghai Auto Show?

DeusExMackia · 2017-03-22 16:05:35 UTC

Brilliant review! Sorry I’ve been so slow to reply, I’ve had a busy 24 hours Definitley seems to me that the Espada is way more performance focused, it’d be interesting to see how a performance-tuned version of the Berlose would do up against it. That’s for another day though

But, in that respect, it’s a fantastic car @szafirowy01 and I was certainly impressed at the higher stats than the Berlose and the styling.

Thank you for the reviews @Dorifto_Dorito!

@abg7 Ah! Good point, forgot about that show. That’s definitely something to plan ahead for.

Deskyx · 2017-03-22 16:11:54 UTC

New York Autoshow is April 14…

DeusExMackia · 2017-03-22 17:50:44 UTC

@Deskyx I’m think of Paris. Thanks for clearing that up!

Geneva at the moment has gone back to normal. But Gavin is still here, for one last test at this year’s show.

“My oh my. It’s quite something to behold, isn’t it?” I think to myself. I still can’t believe that I’m actually looking at thisw thing. It’s been teased, speculated, almost revealed and revised, but this actually is the real Saminda C2000R.

Almost. Saminda still haven’t quite given me the full car. Instead, we have the special version that set the Nurburgring record for a hot-hatch last year. Just your usual roadtest then.

Of course it isn’t. Most of the automotive world has been waited for this car, and I am one of those people. Meaning that when I settle into the bucket seats and put my hand on the steering wheel, I simply cannot contain my excitement. The man beside me in the passenger seat is an anonymous driver for Saminda. He’s been tasked with getting this car to Chambéry Airport for its flight back to Japan. The security around this car is so tight that they aren’t using Geneva International, which is actually next to the Palexpo and is far more convenient.

I’m not complaining though. He’s letting me drive this thing for a short part of this drive, and that’s all that matters. I don’t even mind that it’s 2:33 am and absolutely freezing. I start her up - wow - and the noise is just electrifying. Weird, because it’s a standard hot-hatch power unit in the form of a 2.0l i4. But there’s something about this one that is a little more exciting. I taxi the car slowly out of the parking spot and we head straight for the French border.

Something about the danger of this just makes it a little more exciting. Yet the car itself also feel dangerous; you have to be ready when the turbo’s kick in, it’s like being hit in the chest with a bowling ball. They spool up at 3500 rpm, surprisingly low given the 368 hp this engine delivers overall. Needless to say, you really can feel it. Combined with the RWD system, the C2KR is good for 0-60 in 4.0s and a top speed of over 180 mph.

This is, it should be stressed, is not the final production version, but if the final version is anything like this car, I’ll be satisfied. We blitz through France towards Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, before turning off onto the D991, a twisty route that follows a river valley down to Chambéry. Excellent.

The C2KR is, in short, sharp. Very sharp. Razor sharp. It feels more akin to a race car, responding absolutely immediatley to any input you give it. But it also feels alive; there’s a lot of electric gear on this car, most of which I “can’t know about just yet” according to my accomplice, yet it doesn’t feel like a laptop. Rather, you get the impression that the whole car is working to stop you from crashing, which you are constantly aware that it is very capable of.

Dab the breaks - you do not need to work them very hard - drop a gear and flick the wheel, and you can very easily get this thing to slide. It’s not always keen to do that, thankfully, and can be tamed with enough skill. On the occasional switchback corners of this road, you’re able to fully appreciate how lively this car is, and thus just how much potential it has.

It’s also absolutle solid through the corners. The suspension is hard, to say the least. Not rough, it’s been tuned well and adjusts itself almost constantly thanks to its electronic parts. But that rock-solid feel allows it to corner almost flat every time. The grip too is astounding, but not without its limits, and the sooner you learn that the better.

The impression I really got with this car was a need for skill. Taming it isn’t too hard, it’s using it that really challenges you. But that challenge will be exactly what makes this car a success - at least we think - when it goes on sale.

We arrive at Chambéry Airport, and my first time with the C2KR is over. The car is quickly whisked onto the apron and into a cargo plane, almost looking more like a military operation than just car transport. And that’s it, the car is gone and I won’t see it for some time now.

But if you are wondering, and I’ve a fair bet you do, yes, the C2KR is just about everything you’d expect it to be. Lightning fast, slightly terrifying and masterfully well made. I’ve no doubt that it’s going to set the automotive world alight when it arrives, whenever that is.

Dorifto_Dorito · 2017-03-22 18:40:48 UTC

Gavin you lucky bastard

Matt Sierra

DeusExMackia · 2017-03-23 20:00:05 UTC

#Final Round of Voting
Well! They always say you never can tell and this is just such a case. There are no less than 6 cars that are tied with one another in the top spots, and we can’t really just pick one winner from each group now can we? So, the final vote will be between all of these cars.

Same rules once more etc etc, you have until Saturday 25th March 2017, 18:00 GMT to get your votes in. And at last, we’ll be able to announce this year’s best in show.

0 voters

Show results

Best of luck guys!

anon14927014 · 2017-03-24 00:06:32 UTC

Win or lose, I’m happy about my car being featured in the top 6