EuropeanCarBlog

In turn to offer an affordable car to the U.S. citizens, Volvo restores one of its model in the 2008 Volvo C30. Alike the Mini Cooper, this classic hatchback represents much of the Volvo P1800ES of the early ‘70s, with the legacy of an easy backseats access and foldable long doors to reveal a large cargo space out of the blue. However, the glass finish, a curved front and the rear fenders impart a rather sporty look to the C30 with the flexibility of customizing the car up to any extent an owner may like, including a 9.1 channel, surround sound Dynaudio/Alpine hybrid audio system for the ultimate in audile pleasances.

But things related to the ears don’t stop there; press them on the hood and you shall get skeptical whether the Volvo T5 truly exists there. For a transversely mounted turbo-charged five-cylinder 2.5L 227 hp engine, it is remarkably silent. And even subtle is the 236 ft-lbs of torque, even at 1,500 to 5,000rpm. Equally responsive is the C30’s five-speed automatic transmission, though the standard manual six-speed would have proved a better match. It’s a crime to curtail the power the T5 delivers and the automatic transmission does just that, even when in the manual-selection mode. At the best, it’s plain sluggish.

However, the sport-tuned suspension makes up for that particular flaw. This is the Dynamic Chassis technology and delivers just the right amount of rigidity when bumps are to be handled. That said, any veteran motorist shall understand how the DC minimizes the body rolls at the hard corners, thus eliminating the chances for rollovers at the hairpin bends.

But oh, when it comes to the automobiles, power and money seldom travel the same road and the Volvo C30 is no exception either. It’s a 19mpg within the city and a flat 27mpg on the highways that we received as the best mileage in this car; however, other features like the BLIS lane-change warning system strikes the fine balance in the equation. It’s not a very common thing to see this kind of a security feature available in the less expensive cars; thus, at a tagged price of $25,700 and $22,700, it seems, hatchbacks are again back in style, especially with the young crowd. Thanks go by and large to the racks and the walnut steering wheel; it adds the necessary charm a sports car purist can never deny.

As a person who always denied the set conventions, I had to face (and still facing) raised eyebrows from the class who abide by the norms; I think I don’t need to elaborate any further on the responses when I finally agreed that ‘D’ precedes ‘E’. Now you must be wondering what brought about the change. In a simple word – it’s Mercedes!

Did that sound like a riddle? If it’s so, then I assume you are not much into the hi-tech cabins on four wheels. Being an ardent automobile enthusiast, it has become a ritual for me to keep track of every set of wheels hitting the road for the first time and when I heard that a diesel model from Mercedes is about to show its sweet face, it revved up my own engines. After all, the new stunner from the E-series deserves some attention and for me, it’s DIESEL that stole the show. I think you solved the D preceding E riddle by now.

What astonished me most is the name behind the technology for the Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC Sedan. I’ve known one thing since my college days; if blue is the color of the smoke then blue is the state of mind (or soul?) of the engine. But Mercedes, we know you being the wizard; the BLUETEC® clean diesel technology reflects cleanly the blue-blooded thought processes that made this sedan the winner. Of? The 2007 World Green Car award.

I won’t lie; I have driven quite a few Mercedes over all these years but none has been able to blend this extraordinary a fuel efficiency together with really low noise levels and that too without sacrificing on the sheer muscles of Diesel. I love to tune cars; therefore, I swept the exhaust pipe insides with my right index finger. Surprisingly, all I could see is nothing! It proves one thing - the soot and other pollutant emissions have been reduced to significant levels. Later, I found out the specialized filter and catalytic converter being the trickster, but I had reached the point of no return with this mantrap. Powerful, efficient – and it’s not even a minute by the time you realize she is going to respond by thrust for thrust (of the gas pedal).

Now, I somehow believe that $52,675 is not at all a bad price for this 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V-6 diesel engine Merc and how much ever the majority hate speed, I’m going to gun this baby at least once for squeezing out the entire 210 hp. I’m sure the aluminum cylinder block and the cast-iron cylinder sleeves can handle the heat as much as the 7-speed automatic can handle my adrenalin. But somehow, I haven’t had been able till now to outgrow the all-mechanical headiness but the E320 deserves the e-controlled shifting features to match its entire outlook. You cannot expect a memory –driven, power-tilt sunroof and selectable light-sensing headlamps to ride the same boat as a noisy, old-fashioned transmission would; an absolute Adonis won’t date a Plain Jane.

What disappoints me most about the Mercedes-Benz 2008 E320 BLUETEC Sedan is it takes out the challenge from driving; agreed that the driver-adaptive programming makes shifting the points a lot more comfortable, but taming something more powerful than I am is something that I always prefer. And where is the ground to test the expertise of the driver? The Optimum Gear Programming takes just a touch for selecting the best gears to churn out maximum acceleration (engine braking as well). Driving a car is different from sleeping! But talking about the average men, the OGP and the ESP (electronic stability control) shall see them reaching out for the expressways all the more and reaching the full 3,800 rpm this time is not going to be tough. And I also believe that at a net torque of 400 lb. ft when the engine is running between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm, anyone’s childhood dream of flying a rocket shall be fulfilled. But that’s for the people not residing in the states of California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island or Vermont. Forget about me, for right now, I’m in a dreamy state; not only for the sheer diesel power but also because of the fact that this CDI-engine can feast heartily on the B5 bio diesel and turn you topsy-turvy with ecstasy as much as it did to the mileage. Another riddle, isn’t it? Not quite, for the city mileage of 23mpg just turns to 32mpg on the highways.

So what waits? I’m expecting a state-of-the-art diesel luxury draped in performance, wrapped in comfort and elegant with stylish sophistication in the New Year. Wish you one as pleasing as the E320 itself.

Here is a short video clip on how to make your own bio diesel using commonly available items like vegetable oil, Methanol and lye. This should work in all the VW TDI engines as well as in all the Mercedes diesels that were and are available in the US. While this is an interesting idea I am sure there are regulations that prevent us from having large containers of the vegetable oil, methanol and lye mixture in our homes.

Go Green! Homemade Diesel - video powered by MetacafeIf you wan to try this method, please take all necessary precautions and wear gloves and googles. We are not responsible for any damages or injuries.

This post is completely unrelated to the rest of the blog, but it was too hilarious to not post this one.

I found this magazine ad at a local hotel while I was waiting in the lobby for a business partner:

I wonder why the doctor in the middle has that funny smile and his face turned all red. What is he doing to the nurse on the right? I am not sure I want to know…. If I had to find a doctor’s office for an annual exam I don’t think I would chose them.

This has been around the web for a while, but it is just too good not to list it here:

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. “Do you need some help?” I asked. She replied, ” I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote keyfob. Now I cannot get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a store) would have a battery for this thing?” I replied:” I don’t know, does your car have an alarm?” She replied:” No.” as she was handing me the keys. “Why don’t you drive over to the store and ask?” I told her as I inserted the key into the lock and manually inlocked the door. “it is a long walk.”

Do you have any other funny stories or jokes related to cars? Send them to us or leave them as a comment.

The LA Auto Show had  some very cool cars on display.