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The following was previously published in the Americana at Manhasset’s Concours d’Elegance Magazine.

At one time, all racing drivers were “gentlemen.” In a vintage photo collection, one probably won’t find an energy drink company’s logo adorning the side of a 1920s racer, and thank heaven for that. Rather, in the nascent days of automobile racing, it was almost always the car’s driver who footed the bill for everything—from gasoline to tires to après-race Champagne.

Marketing and racing hadn’t yet formed their hand-in-hand relationship and it was considered tacky to slather logotypes and trademarked phrases onto a car that Monsieur Bugatti or Mr. Bentley built to one’s exacting specifications.  The money came the old-fashioned way: the young scions of Britain or France or America had family funds to lavish upon their dangerous pursuits.

These days, with a Formula One team costing upwards of a half billion dollars a year to run, car manufacturers are the ones who are bringing the “Gentleman Racer” back. Ferrari has a Customer Racing department, and for a couple million bucks they’ll sell you a racecar, they’ll transport it to tracks for your use, and they’ll even throw-in a driving suit. For over 20 years now, Porsche has promoted the Carrera Cup race series, which mixes pros and amateurs in custom-built 911s. Heck, even Aston Martin will sell you a V8 Vantage or a DB9 racer. Here is a random list of some of our favorite “Gentleman Racers*.”

*They’re not all gentlemen.

Woolf A. Barnato

Woolf A. Barnato—Wolf Barnato was a true English gentleman. In the sepia-toned days of the automobile in the early part of the 20^th century, cars were the toys of the rich. To get from point “A” to point “B” with reliability meant riding a horse. Racing cars, then, were the toys of the crazy rich, and Mr. Barnato certainly fit the bill. In an era when “the tires were skinny and the drivers were fat,” Champagne was de rigueur in the pits, as were raccoon-skin coats and household chauffeurs who acted as team mechanics on weekends. Barnato was one of the “Bentley Boys,” and in the 1920s, these daredevils banded together and they beat all who challenged. Barnato also financed the Bentley marque. This son of South African Jewish immigrants inherited a multi-million-pound fortune at age two and then went on to win the 24 Hours of LeMans three times. In fact, Barnato only entered the 24 Hours of LeMans three times, so that means he has a perfect wins-to-starts ratio. Sadly, Barnato lost money in the Great Depression and sold Bentley to Rolls-Royce. Boy, were those the days.

Pat Moss

Pat Moss—This British racer of the 1940s through 1970s was the daughter of a racecar driver. She is also sister of the “greatest driver never to win an F1 World Championship,” Sir Stirling Moss, and with a lineage like that, the “feminine stereotype” of bad driving didn’t stand a chance in the Moss household. You see, Patricia Moss was literally born to drive. In an era when females were thought of curiosities in the sporting world, Miss Moss dominated the sport of rally driving in her homeland, and later, Europe. This plucky pilotte won the hearts of many fans, and when she married fellow rally driver (and legend) Erik Carlsson, it was clear Pat Mos had conquered the very best.

Not Johnnie, but Rob Walker.

Rob Walker—Another Brit from another fortune, but this “well of money” ran very, very deep. If the name “Walker” seems familiar to you, chances are you’ve sampled some of Rob’s family’s Scotch whiskey. You know: Johnnie Walker. This gentleman in a top-hot and cane probably would’ve approved of his great-great-great grandson’s racing exploits. Rob Walker not only piloted cars, when he retired from driving, he started his own team and eventually contested in Formula One, the pinnacle of motor sport. Then, when Rob retired from team ownership, he took up that noblest and greatest of professions: automotive journalist. Perhaps the most fun fact about Walker was what was printed on his British passport:, under “Occupation,” he wrote, “gentleman.” Well said, old boy, well said.

John Fitch

John Fitch—This American, born in 1917, is still with us and living in Connecticut. Not only was John Fitch the first American who went to postwar Europe and found success on the racetracks, but he is also an accomplished inventor and businessman. In fact, each day, we’re touched (and saved if we’re touched) by the technology he pioneered, the Fitch Barrier, which can be found on the side of most highways. (You know ‘em—they’re like large barrels, filled with sand or water.) Fitch’s father was an executive of Stutz, the automaker who marketed the first sportscar, the Bearcat. When he was young, John built his own cars, from junk. This passion for engineering and speed took him to Lehigh University, where he graduated, before joining the US Army Air Corps in 1941. Incredibly, Fitch, in a P-51 Mustang fighter, shot-down a German jet fighter; however, two months before V-E Day, John was shot-down and spent time as a P.O.W. After WW2, Fitch opened an MG dealership and resumed racing. In 1951, he won the Buenos Aires Grand Prix and was named “Sports Car Driver of the Year” in 1953. John was named leader of the Chevrolet Corvette racing team and took them to a win at Sebring in 1956. In fact, in 2005, at age 88, Fitch drove a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at the Bonneville Salt Flats and did a respectable 155 mph..! Yet, Fitch is just as easily known for being a safety pioneer, for the aforementioned devices, to the Fitch Compression Barrier to the Fitch Displaceable Guardrail to the Fitch Full Driver Capsule. Am I forgetting anything? Yep: Fitch’s Cervical Spine Traction Therapy, which helps relieve disk pressure in hospital patients. John Fitch, thank you!

Peter Revson

Peter Revson—Almost every woman in America has a connection to Peter Revson.  That may be exaggerating, but what lady hasn’t tried Revlon cosmetics? Peter Revson was heir to the makeup fortune, and rather than living his life swaddled in silk while dodging canapés, Revson chose to live fast and hard. He began racing while at Cornell University and, in 1968, was signed by AMC for its new Javelin racing program. Two years later, Revson teamed with actor Steve McQueen for the 12 Hours of Sebring and finished second. Clearly, this mascara heir could drive. In 1971, Peter became the first American to win the Can-Am racing championship, driving for McLaren. That same year, he finished second in the Indianapolis “500,” after taking pole position. In 1972, Revson was promoted to the McLaren F1 team and, in 1973, he won both the British Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix. (In fact, he’s the last US-born driver to win an F1 race.) In 1974, while practicing for the South African Grand Prix, Revson’s suspension failed, sending the 35 year old to an early grave.

Lance Reventlow.

Lance Reventlow—One wouldn’t think an “all-American boy” like Lance was really named LawrenceGraf von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, but he was. Okay, so LR wasn’t an “average boy.” His step-father at one time was Cary Grant. His mother? That would be Barbara Hutton—you know, once the richest woman on earth and the heiress to the Woolworth’s fortune. The notoriously erratic Babs’ second marriage (out of seven) was to a Danish count and that union produced Lance. Barbara and her husband split-up, which meant that their son was raised by nannies and shipped off to boarding schools. Yet, when he was 12, Lance’s mother married a Russian prince who was a successful racing driver. Lance was bitten by the “speed bug” and his bottomless bank account meant that he could own any high-performance car he desired. In Los Angeles, Reventlow counted James Dean as a close friend and car buddy and he was one of the last people to speak to the actor before his demise on a rural road. Lance spent some time in Europe, racing the “junior Formula cars” of the day, but soon returned to the Golden State to establish his very own racecar company, Scarab. Remarkably, Lance had put together a crack team and their cars won many races. Riding even higher, Reventlow married actress Jill St. John and the glamorous couple became “tabloid fodder” in those flash bulb and newsprint years. Yet, the pair would divorce after four years of marriage and Reventlow soon lost his passion for racing. In addition to being a skilled driver, Lance was an airplane pilot, sailor, hiker, and skier. When he was 36, Reventlow was scouting Aspen, Colorado, for a location to construct a ski resort. The small plane in which he was flying was helmed by an inexperienced pilot who stalled the aircraft in a canyon, killing all those aboard.

No DUI’s for beer’s namesake, Courage.

Piers Courage—Yet another Brit from yet another liquor fortune… What is it with these families who are literally “drowning” in money? It seems a couple generations after ol’ Grandad invented a good drink, the scions of the family wanted to dance with danger. Piers Courage, who was heir to a British beer fortune, was educated at the prestigious Eton school and raced his very own Lotus when he began his career. At age 23, Piers was competing in Formula Three and he racked-up several wins. This led the BRM Formula One team to sign Courage in 1967. However, his wild driving style and the propensity to spin meant that his time with BRM was short-lived. In 1969, Piers was hired by the fledgling Williams team to compete in F1 again. The next year, Courage was in a Williams for the Dutch Grand Prix, when the chassis on his car suffered a failure at speed. The 28 year-old was killed almost immediately; Piers Courage was survived by his wife and two young sons.

The 7th Marquess of Bute.

Johnny Dumfries—John Crichton-Stuart, the Earl of Dumfries, was actually Ayrton Senna’s teammate at Team Lotus in 1986. I’ll ask everyone to re-read that sentence, because “Johnny Dumfries” (his nom de course) was so good that he partnered with the greatest driver of all-time. Er, well, maybe… Or maybe he brought so much money to the struggling Lotus team that they let him take a spin in one of their fancy F1 cars for a year. Okay, we’re being hard on the 7^th Marquess of Bute, because in 1988, he actually co-won the 24 Hours of LeMans in a Jaguar. The Earl retired from racing in 1991 and now presides over a fortune estimated to be worth in excess of $200 million.

The prince.

B. Bira—“B. Bira’s” real name was, His Highness Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh of Thailand. Born in 1914, Prince Bira was the first Southeast Asian driver of any recognition and the first F1 driver from Thailand. After graduating Cambridge University, this talented nobleman first raced with his cousin, Prince Chula, and he established Thailand’s national motor racing colors (pale blue with yellow). Bira later shined in Formula One and raced a Maserati to third place at the Brooklands circuit in England. After World War II, Bira continued to race and in 1955, he won the New Zealand Grand Prix. He hung up his helmet soon after and died at age 71. (Bira was also an Olympic sailor, participating in four olympiads for his country.)

AND, IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN,

Senor Peppermill.

Porfirio Rubirosa—How can one sum-up, in a paragraph, the life of a man who supposedly served as the inspiration for James Bond? Here’s a go: in many Manhattan restaurants during the 1950s, the largest pepper mill was nicknamed “the Rubirosa.” Think about it. This legend began life as the son of a Dominican Republic diplomat. Rubi grew up in Paris and returned to his homeland at age 17. When he was 22, Porfirio met President Rafael Trujillo at a country club. Developing a close friendship with your head of state is a good career move, and Rubi was soon a “diplomat,” with postings in such exotic locales as Havana, Rome, Buenos Aires, and Brussels. Porfirio was a big-spender with his government’s funds, yet Trujillo didn’t mind because he enjoyed the social connections that Rubi made. In the salons of New York, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and Washington, Porfirio was in demand as a raconteur and a lover. Porfirio Rubirosa was romantically linked to Marilyn Monroe, Eartha Kitt, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Joan Crawford, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and even Eva Peron! He was married to French actress Danielle Darrieux; to American heiress Barbara Hutton (there she is again); and to teenager Odile Rodin, Rubi’s last missus. And we still haven’t talked about his skills in an automobile. After the second World War, Porfirio dove into polo and car racing with passion, becoming highly proficient in both. As a privateer, Rubi raced in the 24 Hours of LeMans and the 12 Hours of Sebring a number of times. In fact, he entered a Formula One race in 1955, but couldn’t compete due to illness. Sadly, in the early morning of July 5^th, 1965, 56 year-old Porfirio Rubirosa crashed his Ferrari 250 GT into a tree. He was returning from a celebration (of course) at a trendy Paris nightclub (of course); Rubi had just won the Coupe de France polo championship. But of course.

This article was previously published in Elements Magazine.

The name “Ferrari” is synonymous with the most pedigreed sportscars on earth. With over 60 years of racing success and legendary models such as Testa Rossa, Dino, and Boxer, another familiar moniker has been dusted off in Maranello, Italy: the California. Best known as the coveted convertible that “Ferris Bueller” and friends used in the 1986 blockbuster, today’s California is just as sexy, just as stunning, and just as desirable as the 1960 iteration, which today commands more than $11 million at auction. Welcome to the Ferrari California.

Ferrari's California

Ferrari Firsts

The  California is the company’s first hardtop convertible, with a power-operated roof that folds into the trunk in a speedy 14 seconds. Amazingly, this roof is lighter than the canvas folding top fitted to the entry-level, late F430 Spyder. Perched in the Ferrari family tree below the FF (which has a front-mounted V-12 engine and can seat four comfortably), the California is also the first Ferrari with a V-8 in the front. The engine is actually mounted aft of the front axle and when the roof is down, the car has a 49% front, 51% rear weight distribution, which Ferrari considers almost ideal for handling prowess. Displacing 4.3 liters, this sweet-sounding powerplant produces 460 horsepower and can propel the Cali to 60 miles an hour in under four seconds, according to the factory. This figure is faster than that of the mid-engine F430, which is considered more of a “sportscar” than the California. Incredibly, this is the most environmentally friendly Ferrari ever, with the lowest CO₂ emissions in the fleet. Stopping the glamorous machine are standard-fit Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, which are optional equipment in the F430. The seven-speed transmission is Ferrari’s first “dual-clutch” unit, which ensures lightning-quick gear changes with the smoothest possible operation.  Rounding out the package—literally—are 19-inch wheels in front, with 20-inchers in the rear. Low-profile Pirelli P-Zero tires aid the car’s road-holding abilities.

The hardtop disappears into the trunk.

Living Legend

The California’s body is as sexy and sleek as anything we’ve come to expect from Ferrari’s favored design partner, Pininfarina. The car’s nose is an exercise in “elegant simplicity” and evocative of the carmaker’s offerings from the “classic GT age” of the early 1960s: There’s a large, “egg crate” grill that allows the engine to breathe, flanked by headlight arrays. Along the sides of the Cali, the most noticeable feature is the side air vent detailing (an homage to the original California Spyder) that flows into the door, and then helps form the car’s “haunches.” The rear, however, is decidedly 21^st century, with two vertically stacked exhaust pipes on either side, a la the Lexus IS-F. The figurative “cherry” on top of this dessert is each tail lamp, which evokes those of the legendary Ferrari Enzo supercar and its F430 little brother. Nestled below these lights, and slightly above the rear diffuser, are ancillary units that illuminate for reversing and braking. Ferrari is proud to declare that this car is the most aerodynamic offering they’ve ever created for the road. Overall, the California is yet another tour de force of form, function, and Italian sex appeal that looks better with the top up than lowered—something rare in a drop-top.

The tail lamps are an homage to past Ferraris.

Sporting Luxury

With the California’s cockpit, Ferrari has embarked on a new course of sporting opulence. The amount of buttery-smooth leather inside contributes to sensory overload: it covers the doors, the dashboard, the console, and the seats. In fact, the thrones are constructed of high-tech magnesium and carbon fiber, for strength and weight-savings. There are two vestigial rear seats, which are suited for very small children or shopping bags from Giorgio Armani. Pop-up rollover bars behind the rear headrests are included for safety. A Bose “infotainment” center dominates the center of the dash, and it includes navigation functions, satellite radio, and a hard disk drive for music storage. With a top-up trunk capacity of almost 13 cubic feet, the California can haul more luggage than the 612 Scaglietti or even a VW Rabbit! Controls for the power top reside in a brushed aluminum console that rivals any of Lord Foster’s architectural masterpieces. Simply touch a switch and the sunshine is all yours in a quarter-minute. In keeping with Ferrari’s F1 heritage, a mannetino is found on the steering wheel. This rotary dial controls the car’s stability programming and traction functions—just like in World Champion Fernando Alonso’s racer.

Buttery-soft leather adorns the cockpit.

La Dolce Vita

Clearly, Maranello’s magicians knew when they set out to create a “Ferrari of firsts,” they had to acknowledge the past, too. Yet, the Italian company is obliged to recognize customers’ needs as well. As people grow attached to electric seats, navigation functions, and one-touch power roofs, Ferrari knows it must accommodate in a manner befitting the marque. Typically, the end result astounds, amazes, and causes excessive drooling. With the new California, Ferrari has created a modern interpretation of La Dolce Vita in 2012.

Specifications

The corral, where the 460 horsies live.

• 0 to 60 mph: under 3.7 seconds
• Drivetrain: 4.3-liter V-8 with direct injection, 7-speed semi-automatic gearbox or 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
• Power: 460 horsepower
• Base Price: $250,000

…Last month, a Ferrari owners’ group in Japan were traveling in a caravan of Maranello’s finest when the unthinkable happened.

Here is a YouTube video of the “Ferrari Graveyard,” where the unlucky machines now reside.

Here’s the original story, from USA Today:

Even if it was a “gathering of narcissists,” as police say, you’d think the owners of super-expensive Ferraris and other exotics would take a little more care while driving in the rain. Instead, they ended up with a mass of twisted Italian high-tensile steel.

Eight Ferraris and a Lamborghini were part of a 14-car crash in Japan yesterday that wrecked more than $1 million of vehicles, Bloomberg News reports.

“The accident occurred when the driver of a red Ferrari was switching from the right lane to the left and skidded,” Mitsuyoshi Isejima, executive officer for Yamaguchi Prefecture’s Expressway Traffic Police unit, was reported as saying by Bloomberg News. “It was a gathering of narcissists.” The drivers were aged between 37 and 60 years old, he said.

The morning accident on a rain-soaked highway in the Yamaguchi Prefecture also involved three Mercedes-Benz vehicles and two Toyotas. The damaged exotics were all headed en masse from Kyushu to Hiroshima when the accident occurred. No one was killed, but 10 people sustained minor injuries. All involved sustained major injuries to their wallets. Reports Bloomberg:

The person suspected of causing the accident, a 60-year-old self-employed man from Fukuoka Prefecture, may face up to three months in jail or a fine of as much as 100,000 yen ($1,280), said Isejima. The accident included a Ferrari F-360 that costs more than 18 million yen. It took longer than six hours to clear the highway of wreckage, Isejima said.

TV footage showed a Ferrari that had plowed into the outer guard rail, while another one had its hood almost ripped off.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8532538

Above is a link to story about a man who, having just taken delivery of his new Lamborghini Aventador, crashed it into a crowd of people and other cars.

I’ve got to admit that I always get a chuckle when I see a supercar bent out of shape. I’d wager to say in 99% of such mishaps, it’s stupid driver error. People don’t realize how difficult it is to drive a mid-engined car and how even more challenging it is to correct such a machine as it begins to pirouette out of control.

The problem, of course, is not with the automobiles, it’s with the owners. They have no idea how to handle their steeds, as admitted by the driver in the above article. It’s amazing that someone would drop a half-million on a machine and not learn how to use it by taking a three-day driving course for about $3,500.

In such a course, a student would learn about the physics of driving in a classroom, and then, out on a racetrack, they’d put everything they just learned into motion–literally.

Yet, it’s just easier to take a car home from a dealer and think big money also means big brains.

Just sayin’…

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/02/03/1155055

Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies use Taser on woman blocking McDonald’s drive-through

Deputies used a Taser on a woman who wouldn’t surrender to them after she cut into a McDonald’s drive-through line and then refused to move her car without being served, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Evangeline Marrero Lucca, 37, of the 100 block of Snow Hill Church Road, pulled up to the window of the McDonald’s on Legion Road, near Black and Decker Road, on Friday afternoon and held up the line for about 20 minutes before deputies arrived, said Debbie Tanna, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.

Staff at the restaurant reported that Lucca drove her Ford Taurus to the pickup window, bypassing the order screen and payment window, and tried to order her food there, she said.

“She did not want to wait in line,” Tanna said. “They told her she had to go around and wait like everybody else did and place her order that way, that they weren’t set up at that window to take her order or take her money. … She wasn’t having any of that.”

The woman refused to move her vehicle and became confrontational with the employees, she said.

“When we arrived, she really got mad,” Tanna said.

Attempts to reach Lucca for comment were unsuccessful Friday.

Customer Anthony Rich said he pulled into the parking lot to order lunch and found a long line of cars at the drive-through. He said he got in line and waited, eventually getting up to the first window, where he commented about the long line.

An employee told him the woman was refusing to move, Rich said.

The employee told him the woman frequently comes to the restaurant and cuts in line, and that, “We’re not having it anymore, so we called the cops,” Rich said.

Lisa Powell, who owns the franchise for that McDonald’s location, said in a prepared statement that employees called deputies “after lengthy conversation with the customer” about why her actions were unsafe.

Rich said deputies soon arrived at the scene and ordered Lucca to get out of the car, but she refused. The deputies continued their orders for about 20 minutes, until they finally removed a young girl, he said.

“Two or three officers entered the car with her and started trying to forcibly drag her out of the car, and that’s when you could hear the clicking sound of the Taser one time,” Rich said. “They pulled on her a couple of times, and then they Tased (stunned) her again, and when they Tased (stunned) her the second time, she just flopped out of the car like a fish.”

Lucca was charged with second-degree trespassing. Social workers took custody of her 3-year-old child who was in the car, Tanna said.

Tanna said deputies are not allowed to use Tasers on a person who simply refuses to comply with orders without danger involved, but in this case Lucca was engaging in “threatening behavior.”

“Our top priority was making sure people weren’t hurt because we didn’t know if she was going to drive the car off and run over somebody,” Tanna said. “Then there was the baby in the car we were concerned about.”

The deputies performed a “drive stun” on Lucca, a technique that does not involve firing probes into the target’s skin, she said.

A drive stun involves removing the Taser cartridge and touching the weapon directly on the skin to create a “pain compliance effect,” according to the Fayetteville Police Department’s use of force policy. A drive stun is applied to pressure points on the surface of the skin and allows officers to restrain a suspect without full incapacitation. Staff writer Gregory Phillips contributed to this report.

The following was previously published in Elements Magazine. 

AUDI Q5 and BMW X6

The world is changing and, as expected, two of Germany’s most technologically trailblazing automakers have reacted in suitably stylish ways. One vehicle is small, nimble, and perfectly matched for the tasks ahead; the other can best be described as something that’s not been seen before on the road.

Audi's Q5 sport-ute

Audi is arguably the most innovative German car company today—their R8 showed Benz and BMW that the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer can even challenge Ferrari, much less their compatriots. Fleet-footed and quick reacting to the marketplace, Audi has released a smaller, more fuel-friendly family hauler to complement their massive Q7 sport-ute: behold, the Q5. If the basic shape of the Q5 looks familiar, it’s because this vehicle, the new VW Tiguan and the upcoming Porsche Roxster baby-utes are all similar under the skin. (The larger Q7, VW Toureg and Porsche Cayenne are similarly related.)

My initial impression of the Q5 is that of a vehicle that looks more high-tech than any other truck, bar the Q7. The signature Audi grille looks suits this truck and sculpted sides appear to be stretched over a skeleton of steel and muscle. At the bow, headlights with LEDs shout “2012” and complement the LED-equipped tail lamps at the stern. In short, while other SUVs look like something from the Sony Walkman years, Audi’s state-of-the-art look says “Apple iPod.”

The Q5's quality interior.

As I eased inside, I was glad I didn’t have to climb over a step-rail or hop up into the vehicle, much like mounting a horse. “High-tech and dignified—this is a good start,” I thought. Yet that’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from Audi cabins, and the Q5’s is no exception. BMW and Benz can take lessons from Audi on how to construct a quality-looking dashboard without shiny, hard plastic surfaces. Befitting a driver’s-oriented brand, the center control stack is canted towards the helm. Toys abound: There’s Audi’s new multi-media interface for the entertainment system, a triple-zone climate system, and even an optional Bang & Olufsen stereo. Other optional equipments include a navigation system with real-time traffic info, a rear back-up camera, a massive glass moon roof and lane departure warning alerts.

Cutaway of the Audi Q5.

Driving the Q5 is a delight. It feels like a heavy car, not a cumbersome, gas-swilling truck. Equipped with a standard 3.2-liter V6 mated to a six-speed Tiptronic transmission, the Q5 can be described as sporty and peppy. Since this is an Audi, their legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive system seamlessly motivates each 18-inch wheel, while sharp and responsive handling is the order of the day. Looking back at the parked Q5, still ticking from cool-down, I mused that if I required a vehicle with a high seating position and four-wheel drive, Audi’s latest offering would be in my top-five choices.

While Audi has responded to consumers’ “Qs” with an impressive “A,” another Teutonic carmaker beginning with a “B” desires to take a road previously untraveled, yet what could be more appropriate for a truck?

BMW's "answer to a question nobody asked," the X6

BMW claims their new X6 is the first-ever Sports Activity Coupe. Overlook for a moment that a “coupe” is defined as a two-door car. In this case, the first two words are the most important—sports and activity—owing to the X6’s sleek, low roofline (a BMW X5 can loom over it) and fastback tail. However, as I approached the X6, my mind filled with questions: What is it, a car or a truck? If it’s a car, does it drive like a truck? If it’s a truck, why does it look like it can’t haul as much cargo as a 1996 Buick wagon? Yet, after opening the door and being greeted by a familiar BMW dash, my questions stopped…for a little while.

A familiar BMW cockpit: luxury and function.

Inside the X6 xDrive35i, anyone familiar with a 5-series interior would feel at home. There’s leather, multi-adjustable seats, a color monitor dominating the décor and a hockey stick gear selector placed ahead of the iDrive control wheel. Electronics abound, from a navigation system and a 12-speaker audio system to an optional heads-up instrument display. The overall feel is typical BMW, which is to say, “modern Euro luxury.”

Driving the X6 is where the incongruity continues, as the questions are raised again: If this is a truck, can I drive it like a car? If the X6 is a car, why does it sit high up, like a truck? Thankfully, there are answers. The X6 has great steering feel and more than adequate acceleration for a truck. (The vehicle is available in six- or eight-cylinder models.) However, the last thing I wanted to do was hustle the X6 around corners like a BMW Z4 because I felt like I was in, well, a truck. That matter settled, I adopted a somewhat slower pace and began to think about all the uses for this vehicle.

A caboose only a mother------ could love.

“Just who is the BMW X6 for?” I pondered. Large families would find the X6 too small to handle a fully packed weekend getaway, as the cargo space behind the rear seats is inadequate for all their belongings. People who would normally drive a Porsche Cayenne would probably eschew the X6 for the more sporting Stuttgart product. Moreover, in the age of not-so-low gasoline prices, the most important question could be, “Do consumers need such a heavy vehicle just because they wish to sit a few inches higher than surrounding traffic?”

True, there are rides, just like the Infiniti’s FX series of trucks, that make the same compromises as the X6, but we’re talking about Bayerische Motoren Werk here, not Nissan’s Infiniti. For the past 10 years or so, BMW has paved new roads with the trend-setting styling on the 7-series sedan and the neo-classic sexiness of the Z8. James Bond used to drive BMWs, for Pete’s sake! Indeed, Chris Bangle (the carmaker’s American-born design chief who just left the company) has single-handedly rewritten automotive design. Yet, as I climbed out of the X6, I spotted the new BMW 1-series, and thought, “That car is the future!”

We’ve seen two responses to the ever-changing luxury SUV market from two of the world’s most sophisticated automakers. One is small, yet just large enough to do the job; the other is large outside, yet just small enough inside to have occupants wondering, “Why?” Yet, the Audi Q5 and the BMW X6 couldn’t be better examples of the state of the car market (or the world) in that there are many approaches to a predicament. Sometimes, however, a path must be blazed by those who dare and ultimately the proper combination of “sport” and “utility” will be decided by the consumer.

Audi Q5 3.2

• Drivetrain: 3.2-liter six-cylinder, 270 horsepower; six-speed Tiptronic transmission and four-wheel-drive
• 0 to 60 mph: 6.7 seconds (approximate)
• Wheels/Tires: 18” wheels with 235/60 tires
• Mileage: 18 mpg city / 23 mpg highway (estimated)

BMW X6 xDrive35i

• Drivetrain: 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged, 300 horsepower; six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive
• 0 to 60 mph: 6.3 seconds (approximate)
• Wheels/Tires: 19” wheels with 255/50 run-flat tires
• Mileage: 15 mpg city / 20 mpg highway (estimated)