A bucolic interlude in SA

David Pauline visits Cape Town and the Western Cape

I must ask you, first, to put aside for the moment any preconceptions you may have of South Africa – leastwise the Western Cape region.

If you’re looking to find poverty, you will surely find it in some of the townships around Cape Town. If you’re expecting to look out of your hotel window and see herds of Wildebeest galloping across the plain, you’ll be disappointed. (The serious game reserves are way up north.) And if you’re concerned about unfettered lawlessness, with a mugger lurking on every street corner, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

And from here on in it just gets better and better.



There’s only one place to start. We’ve all seen the pictures, but nothing could quite prepare me for the grandeur of Table Mountain – or the great sweep of the city below me when the cable car reached the top. And out in Table Bay, Robben Island, a brooding reminder of less happy times.



I could have spent a week in Cape Town, but it would have to wait. My destination was the award-winning Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa (www.pezularesorthotel.com) outside Knysna — a 300 mile plus drive east along the N2 and ‘Garden Route’. (Knysna itself — www.knysna.org — has twice been voted South Africa’s favourite holiday destination and is particularly famous for oysters.)

Standing high on the Eastern Head, Pezula is bounded by rugged cliffs, ancient forests and sheltered beaches, with glorious views of the Indian Ocean and Knysna lagoon.

As well as a Championship golf course, the estate is home to the ‘Field of Dreams’ sports facility – and, hidden away in a natural hollow, an absolutely delightful little cricket ground.

The hotel boasts 78 sumptuous suites set in beautifully landscaped gardens. Each has everything you could wish for – right down to deli snacks in a pantry kitchen and a real log fireplace! No detail has been overlooked. Or you can stay at one of two romantic, miniature castles on the nearby secluded and pristine Noetzie Beach. It would be worth getting married just to honeymoon there. Almost!



If you can’t relax at Pezula, you can’t relax anywhere!

But if you really cannot relax, there’s a 24-hour business centre and a gym — and the list of outdoor activities on offer is extensive to say the least. What about archery? Or horse riding? Or mountain biking? And, of course, there’s tennis and a pool. I settled for a fascinating guided walk down through the forest, then canoed the last half-mile along the lazily flowing Noetzie river to the beach. Idyllic.

There are several eating options, by the way. The stylish Zachary’s restaurant was recently named one of the top ten in South Africa — or you could dine down at the beach. (Don’t worry, transport’s provided!)

After the R & R, it’s on the road again. But instead of heading back the way I’d come, I struck north for the stunning Outeniqua Pass and thence west on the ‘Scenic Route’ (as if the ‘Garden Route’ wasn’t scenic enough!) across the Little Karoo on Route 62 towards Montagu – the gateway to The Winelands. And to joy unconfined!

Here I was to discover Mimosa Lodge ‘guesthouse’. Dating back to 1859, the main double-storey building is a national monument. In the tranquil gardens, among more than 200 indigenous Little Karoo plants, you’ll find a swimming pool, a croquet lawn, a boules pitch, seven tastefully furnished modern suites and the secluded Orchard Suite with its own private garden and pool.

Better yet is the multi-award-winning food. No choice, just a set dinner: that night it was Crayfish Tail with Avocado Salsa and Truffle Soured Cream, followed by chilled Butternut Soup infused with Curry and Orange garnished with crispy bacon, Escalopes of Veal on a bed of Swiss Chard with Seasonal Vegetables (from their own gardens) and a Calvados Cream. To round things off, a trio of Mousses – Picasso Fudge, Tiramisu and Chocolate. All exquisite and beautifully presented. The bill? £16. And that included an aperitif! (As I was dining alone, I opted to have a glass of a different wine with each course. That bumped up the price — to £23.)

Forgive me for banging on, but Mimosa Lodge is somewhere rather special. (www.mimosa.co.za)

I could write pages on the wines of the Western Cape. Names like Stellenbosch, Robertson and Worcester are well-known here, but that’s not the half of it: there are no less than 23 wine-growing districts. The quality is rarely less than excellent and there are some truly world-class vintages. The beauty is that a bottle of decent wine can be had for a couple of pounds in a store. Even in a top restaurant like Constantia Uitsig outside Cape Town you’re still only talking around £10, with the really good stuff seldom costing more than £30. (For details of the various Wine Routes go to www.wineroute.co.za)

As an alternative to DIY, what about a guided tour? Wine enthusiast Sue Bevan of North West-based Winter Hill Wines arranges tailor-made itineraries for small groups. Having lived in South Africa for some 25 years, she really knows the country and its wines/winemakers. (suebevan@winterhillwines.com)



Just time left to explore The Waterfront at Cape Town with its incredible array of shops, bars, restaurants and strolling players, then off to the airport.

For me, the Western Cape has everything. The climate is wonderful, the scenery ranges from soft bucolic beauty, through dramatic to absolutely spectacular, the people are genuinely friendly and it’s one of the cleanest, most tidy places I’ve ever seen!

Add to that eating out for about half what we pay here, decent wine for even less, petrol at under 50p a litre and genuinely friendly people, and you begin to see the appeal of this amazing country. I’ve bored my friends rigid since I got back!

FACTS

Getting there:
None of the airlines fly direct to Cape Town from UK regional airports, but there’s plenty of choice from London: I went with Virgin Atlantic. Prices vary greatly from £500-£700, so shop around.

When to go:
Our winter is their summer. Dec-April is best, with August/September for the Spring flowers.

Where to stay:
No need to go to the expense of big hotels. B&Bs in the Western Cape are generally superior to the UK – many have swimming pools! – and even the ‘expensive’ ones cost only about £60 per night for a double room. I stayed at –

Dongola House (Constantia, Cape Town) - www.dongolahouse.com A peaceful suburb, pleasant vistas, comfortable garden suites round a pool and terrific breakfasts. Du Plessis lookalike/soundalike Peter Eckstein as host is a bonus.

Kleinvaterfal Riverside Lodge (nr Franschhoek) - www.kleinvaterfal.co.za Babbling brook, vineyards, citrus groves, superb pool and a mountain backdrop. Idyllic.

Woodlands Guest House (Wilderness) – 082 823 5223 Not as modern as some, but spacious and welcoming. Tiny infinity pool is a nice touch. Wonderful view over the lagoon, but at the price of rather a lot of steps!

Where to eat:
Eating out is inexpensive and, for the most part, quality is high.

Middle-of-the-Road, in no particular order -
Cape Town Fish Market (Almost everywhere!) – www.ctfm.co.za

San Marco (V & A Waterfront, Cape Town)

Pastis (Great Constantia, Cape Town)

The Barn (Riebeek Kasteel)

Wilderness Grill (Wilderness)

Harbour House (Kalk Bay)

At the top end, I can recommend –
Constantia Uitsig (Cape Town) – www.constantia-uitsig.com

Dieu Donne (Franschhoek) – info@dieudonnerestaurant.com

Tokara (Helshoogte, Stellenbosch) – eat@tokararestaurant.co.za

Baia Seafood (Waterfront, Cape Town)

The Winery (Backsberg) – www.backsberg.co.za

And Mimosa you know about already!

What to see:
So much, and so little time. But not to be missed are –

Cape Town Waterfront

Table Mountain

The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (Once in the nature reserve, take care not to confuse the two. Cape Point’s the one with the lighthouse!)

Cape Agulhas – The real southernmost point in Africa!

Whale-watching off Hermanus – about 70 miles south-east of Cape Town. Summer’s best and there’s a Whale Festival every September (www.whalefestival.co.za )

The Penguins at Boulders Reserve – south of Simonstown on the Cape peninsula.

The Cape-Dutch towns of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Kirstenbosch and Paarl.

Useful addresses:
Robben Island – www.robben-island.org.za

Table Mountain – www.tablemountain.net

Garden Route – www.gardenroute.co.za

Winelands – www.winelands.co.za

National Parks – www.sanparks.org

Cape Town Tourism – www.tourismcapetown.co.za

South African Tourism Office – www.tourismsouthafrica.net or

6 Alt Grove, London SW19 4DZ. Tel: 0870 1550044

Final notes:
Only the very large petrol stations take plastic and then not all.

Don’t pick up hitch-hikers.

Don’t flash your cash or belongings.

Don’t get paranoid!

(Pictures also by David Pauline.)

320d refreshes my memory

In this business it's easy enough to forget just how good a car can be. It's just because we drive so many different kinds, from Daihatsu Sirions to supercharged Range Rovers, and the whole length of motordom in between.

It's a recipe for becoming blase. Or, or maybe and, becoming confused.



And there's another thing. Cars in the middle ranges have improved so much in the last decade that from time to time people like me can forget that some particular brands, and particular models within them, can still stand out above the main herd.

That last has happened to me more than once. I've been occasionally so taken with the quality of a mass manufacturer's product that I've suggested it is hard to justify going above it for one of the 'prestige' brands. This isn't to say that I think I've been wrong, but it would be foolish to consider the elites not worth their penny.

I was reminded of this when recently reacquainting with the current BMW 3 Series. In the particular form of the 320d.

The 3 Series is the real bread-and-butter (or should that be cake-and-cream?) of the BMW brand, and arguably the one which most non-BMW owners aspire to in terms of the carmaker from Munich. And it comes in a number of flavours in both petrol and diesel variants. There is a valid position that there's no need to go beyond the 320d.



But first, the car itself. Even before Chris Bangle left the company's design stable, some of his styling excesses had already been smoothed out. But it is fair to say that by the time he came to produce the 3 Series, he had it all right, and this car, especially in saloon form, is one of the nicest cars in the BMW stable.

In format it is a classic three-box, with distinctive lines and a very smart rear roofline flowing into the bootlid. That gives an almost-coupe effect, without any of the disadvantages, and all in all the aesthetic balance of the styling is really good. From the front, the car is unmistakably a BMW of the most modern kind.

But it is from inside that the owner of a car must feel he or she has an automobile that reflects what has been spent, and in this respect I certainly feel it does so. The review car featured light cream leather and a really good representation of wood trim. The sculpting of the dashboard top offers its own part to the overall character of the car, while the level of build quality is as we would expect after shelling out €42,000-€50,000 for a car.

In options terms, the review car had a few high-cost items. The Nav system comes with a tag in excess of €3,000, close to another grand for Bluetooth phone preparation, and something similar for the automatic airconditioning. Parking control front and rear was another €900 plus, while the autobox added another €2,700 or so. The leather and wood interior adds a tad less than €5,000.

So, getting to this particular sense of luxury doesn't come cheap. But at least, the options you particularly want are at your own discretion.



The basic car in the 320d format is still what gives the typical BMW feeling of strong build and serious engineering. And it is that latter engineering expertise which has always underpinned what BMW is all about.

Having a 2.0 engine slotted into the B CO2 taxation band is quite an achievement, even if it is a diesel. It is just one of the real world expressions of what BMW calls their 'EfficiencyDynamics' programme. Being frugal in fuel consumption and emissions doesn't seem to come at any performance cost, either, as a 0-100km/h sprint in around eight seconds is very acceptable. Even more is the 80-120km/h acceleration of 6.6 seconds in fourth gear.

The auto trans worked seamlessly, and my driving experience with the car was never less than enjoyable. I really was reminded of how much value BMW put on their reputation for producing 'drivers' cars.

For the passengers, the accommodation is very good too. And unlike many cars in a similar size segment, there's enough leg and headroom in the rear to have a 6'2" man travel in comfort for any length of trip.

Right, there's money to be spent on acquiring this BMW, even in its basic specification. But I left the car back with the feeling that, more than most, the spend might be regarded to a great degree as an investment. Because I suspect that the 320d could safely be kept for at least five years without the owner having reliability worries, or getting tired of the ambience.

It's a bit like buying a suit. A cheap one will quickly show its age and wear, and might never even be comfortable. An expensive one will show its value for most of its much longer life.

Brian Byrne.

Avensis in its third age

For most years in the past decade and a half, Toyota was used to having top place in the large family segment, with two generations of Avensis and also its predecessor Carina.



Last year it was tipped off that spot by Ford's Mondeo, partly because of the absolute quality of that latter car, partly because Avensis was in a long runout, and partly because there was a bit of a backlash against larger cars.

Well, now the third generation Avensis has arrived. And Toyota Ireland is keeping its fingers crossed, albeit resigned like the rest of the motor trade to this not being the best year to fight back for its crown.

The company's designers and engineers have worked hard, though, to give its customers in this segment a car for the corssover into the next decade. And in respect of the version which I've just been driving, the 2.0 diesel wagon, it might just be right to pick up from the tumble out of large MPVs and SUVs.

I'm old enough to remember when Ireland had a bit of a gra for estate cars in this size. But that was when they were the only option to saloons, before those previously mentioned MPVs and SUVs were ever around. For the family that needed stretching room, the estate was the answer.

Over the last couple of decades, except in the premium segments, wagons have been out of favour with Irish buyers. But perhaps their time has returned? Apart from the new Avensis, there are well designed and attractive estates, or tourers, from the key players in the segment.

For this third generation Avensis, Toyota has changed all. Platform, sheetmetal, engines and gearboxes. The new car is longer and wider than its predecessor, has more perceived room inside thanks to a forward movement of the A pillars and an equivalent backwards shift of the C pillars in the saloon. The body of the estate was designed as an entity in itself, and is a tad longer than its stablemate, though it shares the same wheelbase. There's a wider track too, front and rear, further improving the ride and stability on a nameplate which already had a good reputation in this regard.

The front end design is distinctive, a more imaginative look that was previewed in that on the current Corolla. The profile of the saloon is very smooth and attractive, offering real alternative to the similar side views of competition like the Opel Insignia and Renault Laguna.



Rear ends of estates are hard to make interesting, but Toyota have made a good pitch at it here.

In fairness, Toyota isn't famous for beautiful interiors, but they are practical, easy to live with, and comfortable. Nothing has changed in this department with generation three Avensis.

The quality is better than the initial perception, which in the review model was let down by rather unremitting black. It should be said that in other grades there are metallic and texture variants in the centre stack and other trim. But the feel and fit of the coverings is excellent, and clearly won't get any way shabby over the life of the car. As always, knobs and switches are well labelled and easy to use.



The traditional analogue instrument dials are lit by the now-familiar orange and white backlighting currently favoured by Toyota. Straightforward and unambiguous.

The new Avensis has stacks of room front and rear, and in this tourer variant offers cargo space adequate for any lifestyle need, with a range of special options including floor rails to meet particular storage requirements.

All in all, leaving aside the fact that it isn't AWD, I'd reckon that somebody downsizing from an SUV won't find they have any less capability for carrying people and stuff.

The 2.0 D4D diesel in the review car has been improved on from that in the previous Avensis. Toyota say it is up to 10 percent more efficient, and the 134g/km CO2 emissions are very respectable for a car this size.

It has a reasonable 126hp power output, and a very substantial 310Nm of pulling power. The carmaker is putting a lot of emphasis on overall ownership costs for the new Avensis, and rather than giving an arbitrary servicing mileage for this version, an oil quality monitor will recommend when the next service should take place.

(It's worth noting than in terms of the petrol versions, Toyota has fixed 15,000 kms as the service period which makes the best sense in terms of getting the best out of components and consumables.)

The standard gearbox with the 2.0 diesel is a proven 6-speed, but there's a new 6-speed automatic available with the larger 2.2 optional D4D, which comes in two power versions. The manual in the review car has very tall gearing, in economy terms making good use of the 1800rpm point where top torque comes in.

That said, though, the indicator which suggests best times to change gear is a bit annoying, as most drivers will have their own favourite mix of shift and welly. Most of the time, especially in the difficult conditions we had, I ignored it and went by instinct.

This is a quiet car. So was its predecessor, but this is even more so. Top marks to Toyota in their neverending story of improving the NVH.

Even at entry level, this new Avensis is right up to competitive specification. There's aircon, electric front windows, and a raft of safety stuff including brake lights that flash when you hit the pedal.

As always, it's a lot of car.

Brian Byrne.

Things not to like about the iQ

Y'know, I was prepared not to like this car from the beginning. In general, city cars are not my thing. I'm too tall for most of them, for a start, and while I can temporarily have a fling with one, a long-term relationship just isn't the thing.

Especially one which is especially designed for the city, like a Smart. A brand I could never take to, mainly because of the poppety sound of the engine, more reminiscent of a lawnmower in poor tune than a car.

Toyota's iQ looked to be in the same league when I saw the pictures, and later the metal at the motor shows. And I knew there was some level of marketing sleight involved when they showed pictures of it with teenagers in the back. Officially it is designated as a 3+1 in capacity, the inference being that three people is normal, and an occasional small one.



It's a question of interpretation, really. Or, a question of size. Of passenger size. An asymmetrical dashboard styling allows the front passenger to be a bit more forward than usual, leaving a little extra room for one rear person behind. Any ordinary size of driver, however, makes it impossible for any more than a small child behind, and then at a (literal) pinch.

The short footprint of the iQ also boded poorly for handling dynamics and ride. The car is shorter than an Aygo, for God's sake; it couldn't be anything but bumpy on real Irish roads.



There would also be compromises in instrumentation, controls, and the other creature comforts we take for granted in 'real' cars. Like there were in the Smart. And while the engine was familiar, and likeable in the Aygo, was it not likely be buzzy in this foreshortened beastie?

And finally it was going to be too expensive for a mere 'city' car, priced higher than the larger Aygo and not a lot short of the much more substantial Yaris.

Like I said, I was predisposed not to like this one.

Some of which predispositions turned out to the true. The business of having people in the back, for instance. Emergency only, really. Though at least in any subsequent accident, Toyota has had the wisdom to invent a rear transverse airbag to protect against any impact from behind.

There's compromise in instruments too. Well, in the radio, which for space reasons is operated by a pesky little do-da that actually made me feel the car would be better without a radio at all.



And then there was ...

Well, there wasn't, actually.

In every other respect, the iQ is a machine well worthy of the designation car. Better than a few others out there, as it turned out.

There's nothing claustrophobic for the two occupants most likely to be on board. In fact, there's an amount of headroom that exceeds that in some larger and more luxury cars I've driven.

There's good elbow room, too, as the iQ is wide relative to its length. A matter that also works wonders for its actual instead of its expected stability.

And the engine -- a 1.4 diesel and a new 1.33 with stop/start are due to join the line -- is just as much a likeable little flyer as it is in the Aygo and its siblings (as well as a Daihatsu or two).

Also, whatever they magicked into the suspension, it isn't at all the choppy ride I expected.



The rear space, when not taken up with people under back seat arrest, is very useable for carrying stuff, unlike the Smart because that's where the poppety engine is parked.

And it also made people smile as I drove by. Because the iQ has a perception of character.

The final nail in my preconceptions was the overall driving experience over a number of days. It was fun, and unlike the Smart, the iQ feels real. It drives real, even in the plains and mountain roads where it doesn't make any claims to belong.

it was frugal -- just 99g/km of emissions with the manual, and an automated manual version only bumps up the carbon grammes by a measly five.

And it turned out to be a car that, if it came up, I would be quite able to commit to for the longer term. Even if it is more expensive than the Aygo.

Just goes to show, how fickle we men can be, I suppose. Our heads are easily turned ...

Brian Byrne.

Automatic economy from Peugeot

Traditionally, buying an automatic version of a car meant that one would have to sacrifice a chunk of fuel economy.



That's no longer the case all the time. With the evolution of the automated manual from their original clunky versions to pretty smooth operators, going the auto route has actually reversed the process.

That is no better exemplified than with the new Peugeot 308 Ecomatique. Powered by a 1.6 diesel, this version has an automated version of the standard six-speed gearbox, and it is acyually more frugal than the manual.

To the point that the auto version is a Band A car in CO2 terms, against Band B for the normal manual.



I'm strongly of the opinion that the 308 is one of the nicest of its class in its styling. Very much in the Peugeot family look, it has curves, sculpting, and a wedge shape that is as coherent a design as you might ever want.

Inside, balance is the first thought. A dashboard which is deceptively simple in execution is just one aspect of this. Fitting in with the low scuttle line that helps even short drivers have a very good forward visibility.

The instrumentation comprises a dual set of speed and revs dials, with two smaller ones for the engine temperatire and fuel. All four are quite stunning black on white classic instruments which some competitor makers could profitably copy. The centre stack and its entertainment/climate controls are equally both stylish and easily useable.

The three-spoke steering wheel is well designed to accomodate whatever is your preferred hold, either quarter-to-three or ten-to-two or even a time in between. Five dashboard air vents provide a good range of options to make the best of the aircon and ventilation system.



Seats in this Peugeot are quite up to the mark, a matter which for me in recent weeks has been important as I'm recovering from the after-effects of a fall on ice, and am still feeling a bit tender.

It's a wide car so there's no shortage of elbow room. And the wedge style rather than the coupe kind favoured by some others in the segment means there's quite adequate headroom in the rear.

The 1.6 diesel is familiar from a number of PSA and Ford applications, and in this 308 is exceptionally quiet even at startup.



The combination with the automated manual is a nice and punchy experience with no real lag on urgent downshifts. Moving up through the gears can be virtually seamless with a little judicious shuffling of the accellerator pedal.

It might not be the cheapest 308 on the list, but for the extra frugality and the real comfort of the automatic shifting, it isn't overly expensive at €24,256.

If you are one o the 2009 rare breed who is actually considering a new compact car, don't leave this one out of your considerations. Brian Byrne.

RS stirs pangs of lust

There's an exoticism about the likes of Porsche, or Ferrari, or even the humbler Lotus and Morgan cars, which attracts owners who want to make a statement as much about their financial status as of their driving preferences.



But there's something quite different about those who buy, or lust after, RS Fords. You don't put them into any financial slot, because they come from all sizes of bank balance. You don't consider them to be elite, because if they were they wouldn't be interested in being behind a Ford badge, even one which can whip Porsches and Ferraris betimes. In fact, you don't consider them special at all.

They're just what they consider themselves to be. Enthusiasts. Enthusiasts for one pair of automotive letters, granted, but just Ford motorheads, really. Even in my own small circle of friends and acquaintances, I know a doctor who used to own one; a musician too, who has a day job as a solicitor to allow him the luxury of playing music; a former banker, who got out of that business before it became synonymous with villainy; and a motor mechanic, the kind who still can get his hands dirty in an engine sump.



All of them will fondly remember their RSs, whether Escorts, Sierras, or whatever. All of them will tell you stories about them, except that, unlike golfers or horse-racing enthusiasts, they won't bore you with shot by shot or jump by jump detail. They won't tell you about their former loves at all unless they know you're interested.

That's probably because owning and driving an RS is both a kind of private pleasure and an everyday one. RS Fords have never been 'extra' cars, used only on weekends while something more prosaic did the daily commuting duty. An RS had to be a car for all days, for all seasons, for all reasons.

There have been 22 Ford models with the RS badge. And for some time, Ford has been working on the latest, knowing there's a pent-up demand not satisfied with the ST variant of the current Focus.



Well, it'll be here in a few weeks. Focus RS as I saw and drove it a while back will certainly satisfy the lusts and expectations of those fans I've just mentioned. Those with the wish and the will to spend around €43,000 on the second Focus to carry their favourite badge will get something that first and foremost looks the part.

A substantially more muscular styling front, side and rear sets the car off well from the ordinary car. But it's style that is useful, not merely for the look.

For reasons of stability, among others, the new RS has a wider track, and the sheetmetal had to accommodate that. The new apron incorporates both a required larger air intake and the aerodynamic elements to help keep the nose down at speed.



The double wing over the rear window will make a boy-racer's heart race, but when a car has the performance indicated by a 0-100 km/h sprint of 5.6 seconds it is also a real necessity to pin the car to the road.

No sports hatch is properly finished without the sound, and the Focus RS's engineers have tuned the car's exhaust system to provide an invigorating crackle when the loud pedal is pushed with brio. Just in case the car behind doesn't know where this is coming from, the RS sports a brace of very visible large exhaust pipes.

There's real power behind that crackle. The latest Focus RS is the fastest production Ford ever built in Europe, a performance punched along by 305hp from the 2.5 5-cylinder engine. A hefty variant of this Volvo-sourced powerhouse is already familiar in the Focus ST, but in this application it has been very substantially modified indeed.

Metal-sprayed bores in the aluminium block, and a more powerful turbocharger, capable of up to 1.8 bar instead of the ST’s 130 bar, are a couple of the changes. The 6-speed gearbox was also toughened up, and the suspension stiffened.

Getting all that power to the ground in an FWD car posed special problems. Traditionally, to avoid very troublesome torque steer, a carmaker would go AWD. Ford say they considered it to the level of actually building a prototype AWD, but for cost and weight reasons, decided not to go the route.

The guys on the WRC desk in Ford Performance Vehicles Division had been working up a brand new idea aimed at dealing with just that problem. So the RS team adapted it for their baby, and it works a treat. Patented, and branded as the RevoKnuckle, the system separates the power and steering forces, offering a driving feel that retains the edginess of FWD without the disruptive torque steer.

To drive in the hills at the back of Nice, the new car showed a very sporting and punchy personality when pushed to show what it can do, especially by a co-driver with rally experience and an ability far beyond mine. On the other hand, as real owners of RS Fords require, it was well suited to the city commute, if a little wasted on it.

I'll be driving one in Irish conditions soon, and will see if the very evident fun factor from Nice can be replicated here. I have a couple of routes in mind, but for obvious reasons I'm not saying where.

Meanwhile, maybe 50 or so will roll out onto Irish roads this year, if the optimists in Ford Ireland are proved correct. The fact that the first dozen allocated were sold out well before launch here is a good indicator.

RS lives again. I know a doctor, a lawyer, a former banker, and a mechanic with oily fingernails who are already feeling nostalgic pangs of lust. Brian Byrne.

Mini: new taste from an old recipe

There's a folklore out there that the original Mini was a cheap and cheerful car, and that when BMW brought out their version it became a much more expensive one.



True, but not true. When first launched, the Austin Mini was actually more expensive than its competitors of the time, and smaller than them too. But it was so different, everybody wanted one. Especially when it was picked up by the 'beautiful people' of that swinging Carnaby Street time.

(Masters of the Universe born since that time, Google 'Carnaby'.)

My mum, though beautiful herself, wasn't one of those. But she bought a Mini anyhow, and having access to it helped me to drive myself out of my teens and into my next important decade.

So, for my generation, Mini has fond associations. And some not so fond. Like the howling breeze that would come through the side windows, sliding affairs rather than wind-up. And the heater that didn't much. And, until Hydrolastic suspension came along, the thumping underpinnings on poor Kildare roads. Rust caused depradations too, but did so on every car of the time.

Still, even the lowliest basic Minis had a verve about them. They were fun cars, felt sporty even if they weren't because they sat so low to the road. And they oozed youth. I bet, though, that not even designer Alec Issigonis expected they'd still be coming down the assembly lines four decades after launch, hardly changed.

Enter then the New Mini, a BMW creation using many of the original cues but bigger, more comfortable, and incorporating the best of the Munich company's engineering expertise. Many doubted, but it turned out to be a runaway success. It's hard to believe that we're already well into the second generation of this incarnation of a 60s icon.



But we are. Nearly three years, even. And now there are more choices, with the Clubman 'estate' variant, and a new generation of the Cabriolet launching in March. There's even an 'Urban SUV' one in the planning, though they'll probably call it a crossover if it gets to production.

They didn't do many obvious changes in the Mini One (Mk II). Some slight exaggeration of the more important style cues, a bit of fiddling with the detail of the interior, and that was about it. But it's a BMW thing that they must keep trying to improve, even on excellence. So in terms of driving dynamics, and handling, it got better. New suspension ideas, and improved steering feel. Most important, though, the engines were changed.

A brand new aluminium 1.6 petrol unit introduced in the Cooper variant would have been enough in itself, but a 1.4 derivative of this became the entry level in the new Mini One. Although, at 95hp only 5hp more powerful than the first BMW Mini's Chrysler built 1.4, it is torquier, 15 percent more frugal and a lot cleaner than that one.

A completely new 1.6 diesel also came along with the new lineup, outputting 110hp and with a grunty 240Nm of pulling power, which can be overboosted by a further 20Nm for a limited time. Both engines have a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The top ratio is a tall one, contributing significantly to motorway economy.

All the current engines have been developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

It's fair to say that anyone who doesn't know the cheerful exterior look of the BMW Mini hasn't been on the planet for most of this Millenium. Those who don't know the interior can be forgiven, for it is not everyone who's been inside one.



It is bright, brash, and ... well, quite blatantly plastic. There's no trying to disguise trim and buttons as being anything else, even to the point of it sometimes seems as if the car is from Toys 'R Us. The massive speedometer is centrally mounted, true to the original concept but a wild exaggeration. The little rev-counter pod mounted on the steering column incorporates a handy digital repeat of the speed, so turning to look at that last isn't necessary. The switchgear for the entertainment and climate needs to be learned, but then is easy.

A toy this car is not, though. If the original Mini had the sense of solid build that this one has, they'd still be making them. In creature comforts it arguably eclipses even standard BMW offerings. A snow-weather very long drive to Dublin, with the remaining lower back symptoms from a previous fall on ice still causing discomfort, proved just how comfortable the front seats are.

(Comfort in the rear is dependent on how big those in front are. This is, after all, a supermini sized car.)

I've driven most versions by now, including the John Cooper Works (JCW) that's a real ball of frantic fun. The Clubman estate variant is an acquired taste in visual terms, but retains all the underpinning elements that make the modern Mini such an outstanding car. My favourite is the Cooper D. I'm generally not in favour of ponying up extra cash for a diesel in a supermini sized car, but in this case I'd recommend spending the extra three and a half grand.

It is a credit to BMW that they managed to give a really old icon such a resurrection. Others have tried, like VW with their own Beetle, Fiat more recently with their new 500. The former, a Golf in drag, has had moderate but extended success. The latter, a legend shapeshifted onto understuff from both Panda and Punto, may well be eclipsed by the much more contemporary Ka which is built for Ford on the same assembly line.

With Mini, BMW has won a significant automotive achievement. Not by trying to keep an old model going, nor by trying to graft nostalgia onto one of their existing platforms. They took the name, the concept, the style DNA and the ethos. And from it built a whole new car. That it has already moved through to its own second generation is the proof that they not only got the recipe right, but they cooked it correctly too. Brian Byrne.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: Mini Cooper D by BMW.
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h - 9.9 secs
Top Speed: 195 km/h
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Economy: 4.4 l/100km (64.2mpg)
Price: From €23,705 (1.4 petrol €20,346)
CO2 Emissions: 118 g/km

Diving on the Barrier

It was the shock of the cold of the water that brought me to my senses.



What on earth was I doing out in the Pacific Ocean off Queensland, 30 nautical miles from land, and preparing for a lengthy swim in a high tide!

We’d booked a day cruise to the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas, the nearest Aussie town to the Reef. Up in the Tropics, only it wasn’t typical Tropics weather!

Made up of almost 3,000 individual reefs of different sizes and at different distances from the mainland, the GBR extends some 2,300 kms along this east coast of Australia. It is the largest marine park in the world. A must for the inquisitive visitor. Non swimmers can opt to go close to the reef with a different company, Quicksilver, who have a permanent activity platform facility with marine biologists on hand near the Agincourt reef, equipped with an underwater observatory. You stay dry. But for me this simply wasn’t an option and it wouldn’t gain me any bragging rights back home!

We’d chosen to go on the magnificent Aristocat catamaran — because it was seven metres longer than the opposition, which meant greater stability, and the wind was up. It was the only operator licenced to get up close and personal with whales, should they appear.

The adverse weather resulted in only 30 bookings that day instead of the usual 90, which thankfully gave us more space to move about the boat.



However, the first 30 minutes as we traversed the rough waters of the shipping lanes was pretty hair raising stuff and resulted in a few cases of sea sickness and the sound of delph crashing around the kitchen area. We’d be warned earlier to go to the back of the boat if we felt unwell, for obvious reasons in the high wind! Most of us remained glued to our seats and wished for the comfort of a safety belt.

The trip was to take in three reefs. The first was at the Undine, where our boat parked at its designated buoy ... to my consternation, about a hundred feet away from the reef’s edge, so clearly visible because of its calmer, shallow, turquoise waters, and defined by big white breakers on the far side.

I was scared stiff of getting my face in the cold water as we’d be wearing goggles (and flippers), and I’d never tried them before. I’d heard it said that if they didn’t fit right, your eyes could pop out from the pressure. And what if Jaws lurked below?

But determination — and the fact that I’d shelled out around €200 for the day — meant I wasn’t going to be a shrinking violet and stay on board!



The divers went in first. And promptly disappeared from view.

I’d opted for a wet suit and a buoyancy noodle as the swell was not at all to my liking, and nervously I eased my bum off the lower step at the back of the boat, facing the reef. Swimming away from the safety of the boat, to avoid the big waves crashing on my head, I decided to bite the bullet and stick my head into the water.

Wow! It was crystal clear beneath the waves and I could see clear black shapes moving around below, but soon realised these were the divers moving about. There was no sign of Jaws and I was happy to think the graceful divers would make tastier meals should one put in an appearance.

Another very different world soon unfolded as I swam even closer. Such fantastic colours! Bright ochre sand and shoals of colourful small and bigger, fish everywhere. Some inquisitive ones were actually coming up to meet me! The depth at this point was only about 16 feet.



On finally reaching the edge of the reef — where the best corals are to be found — nothing prepares you for the sights below. Beige corals of all sizes and shapes and you could have touched them with your hands or feet as you hovered. However, this was a strict 'no no'.

We’d been well briefed earlier on what to do, and especially what not to do, by the professional crew on board. Top priority was the hand signal to be used in case we needed urgent assistance. Second was not to attempt to touch or remove anything from its place. All too soon we were signalled to return to the boat.

Our second and third swims were at the nearby large Agincourt reef, by which time the wind had gathered pace and progress proved most difficult. On the third one, after swimming furiously for ten minutes I was still a long way short of the reef and didn’t feel too bad when others also found it too difficult to attempt and turned back to the safety and warmth of the boat.

Our marine biologist told us that the entire reef area — the size of Japan — is the largest coral reef in the world. It was the first Australian site to be listed as protected by the World Heritage Trust, to make sure its beauty is there for future generations to enjoy.

The reef is a giant, living organism with thousands of species of fish, coral, molluscs and sponges. It is vulnerable and fragile and the strictly licenced boats must moor at a designated distance from the corals. Hence our long swim.

However, it is humans who can cause the most damage to this environment and should you decide to take home a souvenir from your trip, there are very severe penalties. The reef is also under threat from the huge number of Crown of Thorns starfish which eat live coral, bleaching it white.

At 10,000 years old, the corals we saw are very young compared to the dead corals and plants below them, some of which are 2-18 million years old. You feel very insignificant indeed amongst such ancients.

No one knows how many types of fish inhabit these reefs as some can change colour — and sex — and can even then reproduce, like the orange coloured Clown Fish (made famous by Walt Disney’s Nemo), depending on circumstances. You can also come across turtles, rays and lots of shoals of beautifully coloured fish — bright yellows, oranges and silver blue. Butterfly fish, Parrot and Angel fish move in what is almost like synchronised swimming. Big ones include the Queensland Grouper which seems absolutely huge below water. One big, ugly, ochre coloured brute with black spots hovered close to the back of our boat and I learnt afterwards that the crew feed him on each trip, just so they can tell folk to watch out for him. Luckily, he was harmless.

You’ll also see the odd small ‘harmless’ shark, (I didn’t see one!) rays and of course, turtles. The Reef Cuttlefish is one of the weirdest of all with its huge snout. Sponges abound and it’s weird seeing them here as animals in their natural habitat. Big Sea Slugs move gracefully along the sand, and Sea Urchins are everywhere.

Our expert told us that it is not true that giant clams can trap a dangling foot as you swim over them, as often appears in comics or films. This was quite a relief as I encountered a few during my swims. They can look quite menacing when only a few feet below your toes.

Real nasties are the stinger jelly fish that arrive during the summer season from October-April and swimmers must wear protective suits then when visiting the reefs.

Because of the weather, my experience was a far cry from photographs of blue, calm seas as shown on the reef cruise brochures! But as they say, been there, done that! And who knows, someday I may again. But I’ll make sure it won’t be during the Aussie winter months.

That said, the entire experience was one of the memories of a lifetime!

Trish Whelan.