宝马335i M 4门 2008 VS VXR8( 霍顿)HSV R8 2008
编辑题语： If you’re a fan of oversteer, the VXR8 will oblige in a way the 335i seems incapable of。如果你喜欢房车甩尾，那么VXR8将是首选，因为335i不会给你失控~
（解释一下：HOLDEN HSV R8在英国被通用打Vauxhall的牌子卖，名叫VXR8。和nz的HSV是基本一幕一样的车）
'How big is the engine?’ asks the filling station attendant. He nodsappreciatively when I tell him it’s six litres and delivers over400bhp. This is the third time today I’ve answered this question and itmakes me think that maybe Vauxhall has cracked it this time.
The previous Griffin-badged Holden, the Monaro, didn’t attract thismuch attention, even though the 6.0 VXR version had a near-identicaloutsize V8 and a similar bargain price. But the value of that softlystyled and rather impractical coupe was much less easy to grasp thanthat of the new VXR8. This is a BMW M5-style saloon for 335i money.
And on the other side of the pumps sits an M Sport 335i, although itappears not to exist in the company of the big black Vauxhall because,as well as being built on a larger scale, the VXR8’s slightly menacinglooks hoover up all the attention. In profile there’s a hint of LotusCarlton about it, but its best angle is almost dead-on rear, themuscularity suggested by its tall rump enhanced by the glimpse ofswollen wheelarches and the glint of 19in alloys down its flank.
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At the outset, some 200 miles south of this petrol station on the edgeof the North York Moors, it seemed likely that the BMW would see a lotof the Vauxhall’s rear end, mostly as it disappeared from view, but ithasn’t worked out like that. Improvements in the efficiency of theCorvette LS2 V8 have lifted its output from the 398bhp of the Monaro to411bhp, yet with just half its engine capacity the little BMW hasproved as difficult to shake off as warm chewing gum on a plimsoll.
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We’ve taken the scenic route, naturally, which you’d expect to playmore to the strengths of the BMW with its lesser bulk and greateragility, but it has been as much the 335i’s remarkable twin-turbostraight-six that has kept it in touch. With a small turbo for instantresponse at low engine speeds and a larger one for strong boost at thetop end, the 302bhp engine feels naturally aspirated and at least alitre bigger than its 2979cc.
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Just as unexpected, though, for anyone who’s spent time in Monaros, isthe more European flavour of the VXR8. It’s evident from the moment yousettle behind the wheel. Better quality switchgear, styling andmaterials plus better shaped seats enhance its appeal, the onlyergonomic fumbles being the over-designed handbrake and the fact thatthe wiper and indicator stalks are transposed. More significantly, thismore European tailoring extends to the dynamics. In the Monaro therewas a sense that the wheels and the suspension components were heavyduty and rather softly located. The chassis of the VXR8, meanwhile,feels crisper and more responsive, with less pitch and yaw and a taut,smooth ride on A-roads.
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The one area where the VXR8 takes a backward step is noise,specifically the lack of it from the engine. I reckon the V8 is moremuted than those from Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes (we’d certainlyrecommend the Walkinshaw Performance sports exhaust).
There’s nothing apologetic about its delivery, though, which isinstantaneous, beefy and insistent. The lighter BMW may offersurprisingly similar pace, but there’s something more dramatic about abig, powerful engine getting its shoulder behind a heavy car and urgingit up the road. It lends the acceleration a satisfying, epic quality,though a suitably thunderous soundtrack would make it even morememorable. As with the Monaro, the gearing is long (about 40mph per1000rpm in top) but the shift is a bit snappier and the clutch lightand easy.
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Step from the Vauxhall into the BMW and you’re clearly in a smallercar. It’s not cramped, just a little less airy, while its design andmaterials don’t set it above the VXR8. The straight-six soundsgorgeous, crooning with a rich timbre at idle, and it revs moresmoothly and higher, redlining at 7000rpm. The short-throw shift of thesix-speed ’box makes it a joy to snap between ratios too; the VXR8’sgearchange feels a touch ponderous in comparison.
If anything, the ride of the BMW is more tightly controlled yet morecompliant than the Vauxhall’s, which is a bit of a result given thatits Bridgestone Potenza RE050As are run-flats. Experience has shownthat the 3-series is much less agitated by run-flats than the 1-seriesand Z4, but still every so often the 335i encounters the wrong sort ofbump and the calmness is shattered.
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Even so, dynamically it’s the BMW that’s ahead on points when the roadsget more challenging. According to John Hayman, following in theVauxhall, the back end of the BMW looks a bit ragged when the road getsnadgety. I’m surprised to hear this because the 335i feels superb underpressure, its front end delivering terrific turn-in bite and holdingthe line resolutely. A bit more steering feel would be welcome, and thetraction control is rather busy mid-corner if the throttle is pinnedtoo early, but the poise and grip of the chassis are impressive, whilethe firm lateral support offered by the seats enhances the sensation ofcontrol.
Over the same stretch of testing asphalt the Vauxhall feels a littleless composed and comfortable. It’s nothing to do with its size or thepower that its rear tyres have to cope with, it’s not even an issue ofgrip, of which it has an abundance. No, it’s all in the detail. Earlierin the trip there was the feeling that the damping was having a coupleof bites at controlling the wheels over some quick-fire bumps. Thisroad occasionally elicits the same response and, when it does so onturn-in, it takes the edge off your confidence, especially as thesteering, which is firmly weighted on-centre, feels a fraction lightand lacks feel on lock. As Hayman says, the cornering force feels likeit’s generated by the tyres rather than mechanical grip; he evenwondered if perhaps it had a duff nearside front shock absorber.
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On the upside, if you’re a fan of oversteer, the VXR8 will oblige in amanner that the 335i seems incapable of. Disable traction control, getthe nose hooked into a tight corner on a trailing throttle to lightenthe tail, then nail the throttle. The limited-slip diff spins up bothfat Bridgestones, you wind on opposite lock and some yards later theslide peters out quite gently.
Despite its power, the 335i resisted all attempts to get it out ofshape, refusing to slip more than a few degrees out of line, even withDTC fully disengaged. Most drivers will appreciate this benign nature,because it makes pretty similar speeds between the corners andencourages you to carry more speed in. Indeed, the more pressure youput the 335i under, the more impressive it feels. Off the main routesthat border the moors there are some wicked roads, ribbons of tarmacthat drop and turn unexpectedly, and the composure of the 335i, mostnotably its front-end response and bite, never desert it.
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It doesn’t look much for £34K though, does it? A 318i driver will beable to spot the M Sport wheels and lower suspension, the deeper frontapron and twin-pipe rear valance, but to most people it will look likejust another 3-series. Anyone who thinks this is no bad thing wouldn’tconsider a VXR8, even at just $78000. The Vauxhall is an old-schoolsuper-saloon, big and a bit lairy, the Lotus Carlton remade, or perhapsa four-door TVR.
The 335i is the better drivers’ car, but that was odds-on from thestart. Thing is, the VXR8 isn’t far behind, and could be much closerwith better damping. In a number of respects it’s a much more appealingproposition than the Monaro: it feels every bit as quick, it’s easierto handle, and with four doors and five seats it’s a darn sight moreuseful, which alone should make it a bigger sales success for Vauxhall.But it really should sound better. At 18mpg I’d want to hear my moneyspewing from the tailpipes. And those curious bystanders at the pumpsshould be shaken as the VXR8 rumbles away from the forecourt…
[img]http://www.evo.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_447/car_photo_223628_25.jpg[/img] :victory: :victory: :victory: :victory:
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