The Continental: Rally Monte Carlo, a Big New Lambo, and the VW Group’s MSB Large-Car Platform

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. My visit to the Rally Monte Carlo, held from January 19 to 22, was a fantastic experience. Rally racing is making a strong comeback. Unfortunately, today's cars are nothing like the legendary Lancia Stratos or Audi Quattro that dominated the scene in the 1970s and early '80s. Current World Rally Championship (WRC) regulations call for all-wheel-drive vehicles with a length of at least 157.5 inches and a minimum weight of 2646 pounds; power comes from turbocharged 1.6-liter engines and is restricted to around 300 hp. Fighting for the title are the Citroën DS3 WRC, the Countryman-based Mini John Cooper Works WRC, and the Ford Fiesta RS WRC; next year, Volkswagen will join with the Polo R WRC. Watching these cars is pretty exciting, and just listening is a delight in itself, as each is marked by a characteristic engine note: the Citroën has a high-pitched, high-tech sound; the Mini entry sounds metallic and aggressive; the Fiesta emits a dark rumble. I spent two days with my Citroën hosts following the cars in a van and helicopters. Our guide was former Saab test driver, rally driver, and co-driver Per Carlsson, who runs his own company called Rallytravels. It couldn't have been better organized. The rally was crowned by the victory of the unbeatable Sébastien Loeb driving a DS3. Daniel Sordo Castillo piloting the Mini JCW WRC came in second, and Petter Solberg was third with the Fiesta RS. VW's entry will undoubtedly give the series another decisive push. Personally, I enjoy WRC far more than Formula 1, which maintains a personality cult that is approaching NASCAR proportions, is short on exciting driving, and runs cars with very little in common with anything you can purchase or drive. On the other hand, you can drive a piece of WRC technology yourself: Citroën offers the limited-edition DS3 Racing with 207 hp; Ford has the Fiesta ST; and there is a considerable number of sporty Mini derivatives, although the brand has failed to make the connection to rally racing so far. It would be nice, for example, if Mini came up with a better racing web site. There is precious little corporate information on the Cooper WRC, even though it may be the most spectacular of the current WRC cars to watch. Citroën Gets Sportier and Less European While in Monte Carlo, I had the chance to speak with Citroën managing executive Frédéric Banzet about the brand's strategy. He emphasized the role of the upmarket DS range as "a lever to transform Citroën." Like the legendary DS, which was launched in 1955, the cars are design-oriented and characterized by premium technology features. They also are far from retro-styled; in fact, Citroën advertises the DS3 as being "anti-retro," a swipe at BMW's Mini. Banzet hinted at an upmarket sedan and a large crossover, and there's possibility of a number of sporty vehicles topping the DS range. Banzet calls Citroën "far too European" and aims to grow abroad. So is a return to the U.S. market possible? Don't hold your breath. "Like Europe, the U.S. market is mature," says the Citroën executive. Growth will come from Asia and Latin America. News from the Volkswagen Group Lamborghini will show a concept car previewing an SUV very soon. If it comes to market, the five-door will be built on the next large SUV platform shared with VW, Audi, Porsche, and Bentley. The engine will be a dedicated Lamborghini unit—which doesn't exclude shared components with Audi, as on the Gallardo V-10. Speaking of the next Gallardo, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann tells me that a dual-clutch gearbox is the way to go. The sophisticated Graziano single-clutch unit in the Aventador is too extreme in character—and, I presume, in cost—and the take rates for the manual are woefully low. It won't be offered anymore. Why did Lambo not go ahead with the Estoque? The feedback was very positive, but the timing was wrong, says Winkelmann, referring to the economic crisis a few years back. It's not entirely off the table. A four-door sedan could come back, but the SUV has priority (although it isn't 100-percent finalized yet). I spoke with engineers about the MSB platform—Modularer Standardantrieb-Baukasten, or modular standard architecture, "standard" here referring to the conventional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. This platform is being developed by Porsche for the next Panamera, as well as future Bentley and possible Lamborghini models. Audi is not part of the plan, although that doesn't exclude it from joining at a later stage. The MSB will be rear- or all-wheel-drive, and it will weigh at least 200 pounds less than the current Panamera platform. The body and structure will use a steel-aluminum mix, similar to the 991, and carbon fiber may be utilized as well. Will the next Panamera be offered with a manual? Porsche won't say, but it admits that take rates for the Panamera and Panamera S with the manual box (which isn't offered here at all) are woefully low. A low-single-digit take rate, sadly, is the best that our favorite transmission can muster. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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