Mercedes tests the water
In the world of hybrid cars, Mercedes has often seemed rather conservative.
However, with the release of this amphibious cousin to the new 6 series,
the Sea Class Merc offers ocean liner luxury in a two door coupe.
Aimed at the powerboat set and the whimsical rich, the Sea Class is
£95,000 worth of hermetically sealed style and James Bond cool.
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Wreckered road test
First problem: to take full advantage of the Sea Class' amphibian
features, you'll need a Certificate of Competent Crew from the Royal
Yacht Association. This will allow you to drive around British coastal
waters and up and down most inland waterways. Having done that, you'll
find the lightweight coupe (aluminium wings, composite bootlid, thermoplastic
wings) a joy to handle in the wet or the dry.
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On the road
I took the car for a spin up the Thames. Needless to say, I
turned a few heads as I roared past sedate old barges, working
ferries and haughty old buffers in their river cruisers. Still
familiarising myself with the workings of the retractable rudder,
I
happened to ram a police launch at 30 knots and found myself
being pursued by angry river cops . A high speed chase ensued
with the Merc consistently outperforming two inflatable dinghies
and the now sadly listing launch. Just past London Bridge however,
I hit a pod of porpoises and badly damaged the driver side wing.
Fortunately there was no serious breach of the car's hull and
the powerful new wipers were easily up to the task of removing
bits of porpoise from the windscreen. Full marks Mercedes.
Heading west at speed towards Hampton Court Palace, the Merc's
Hazard Control Software alerted me to a blockade of the river.
The police had changed their tactics and radio'd ahead to colleagues
who had scuttled half a dozen river cruisers in an attempt to
halt this remarkable car. Well, call me a pig-headed old goat,
but I like a challenge and so I simply put the foot down and
aimed at a handy water ski ramp which was just visible in front
of the sunken vessels. The Merc's 4.4 litre V8 engine (combined
with a high performance outboard motor) slammed me onto the
ramp and I went sailing over the hapless police and their blockade.
Unfortunately, I underestimated the power of the car and flew
towards the riverbank and landed heavily on top of a horse which
was pulling a barge towards Teddington Lock. Imagine the surprise
of the barge's owner to see his faithful old horse crushed underneath
an amphibious luxury car. |
In the cabin
First things first - there is no cabin boy included in the
cabin. Shame, that. However, the plush interior includes an
iDrive controller for viewing non-essential functions (with
optional HUD for satnav and speed projections). Climate control
and top end Linn hi-fi are standard features as are the emergency
flares and inflatable escape podule which are tucked beneath
the parcel shelf. The onboard systems also include Active
Cruise Control which slows the car automatically if another
car or vessel pulls out in front and a handy fish-finder sonar
display which will detect shoals at up to five fathoms.
Ride comfort is superb with multi link suspension and Adaptive
Hovercraft Ballasting which keeps the car stable in even the
choppiest seas. Plenty of head and legroom in the back, proper
wood and proper leather, good visibility throughout and while
the seats may not be the zenith of sporty lateral support,
nevertheless they are comfortable and heated and the driver's
seat not only swivels 30 degrees but has curved armrests
which give it the feel of an old fashioned "captain's
chair".
Boot space is generous. I managed to pack in a set of golf
clubs, a picnic hamper, a suitcases, fifteen breadfruits and
a collection of exotic plants. The back seats fold down to
provide a galley space for cooking and relaxing.
Overall, I can find little to fault in the Sea Class but doubts
do remain as to whether there is a large enough market for
such a ground breaking car. "Water" dilemma for
Mercedes. (Geddit?) |
Overall rating: 
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 Mazda
MX5ly
The future is here. Or so says Mazda with the remarkable flying MX5ly.
Claimed to be the first true flying car, the MX5ly has undergone extensive
tests in Japan and is set to wow European motor shows (and airports)
early in 2006.
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Wreckered road test
Since the dawn of time, when Man first gazed in wonder towards the
stars, he has dreamed of a flying car. Well, that dream became reality
for me when I took the car for a spin around the mountains of Kyushu
in the company of Mazda engineer Shoji Nakata. I was even allowed
to take the controls for the short flight back to Mazda's top secret
testing facility. (And yes - there is a wing mirror on the wings).
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On the road
The cut-down Cessna engine powers the 5ly from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds
and when in terrestrial mode the car behaves like a rascal RX-8.
Perfect weight distribution keeps you composed over bumps and
smooth round corners and that high pitched engine wail lets
the world know you are coming. But what is it like in the air
? Well, I hit the Airoflight button and was pleased to see the
fold away wings swing smoothly out - subsidiary rotors at each
wingtip telescope vertically and fold out to provide rotary
wing stability at low speeds and hovers.
We swoooped happily over tree tops for a while
before climbing to a dizzying 2,000 ft and then diving like
a Stuka to buzz an ice cream van. The MX5ly handles well in
the air, with none of the bump and rattle you associate with
most two seater planes.
In hover mode, the car performs admirably and even I was able
to hold her in a steady hover for four minutes only 20 feet
above some slack-jawed drug addicts in a park.
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In the cabin
The Airoflight function rotates the dashboard like a tombola
drum to reveal the flight desk controls - including onboard
radio systems which link automatically to the nearest air traffic
control tower.
The dual dash features aluminium trim with the main instruments
sunk in snazzy deep dials. The cloth seats are comfortable and
smart and the cabin overall echoes the layout of the RX-8, even
down to the digital speedo (if not the altimeter).
Taller drivers will find leg room limited by the black box flight
recorder in the foot well. In keeping with the dual roles of
the car, Mazda engineers have adapted the airbags to function
as emergency parachutes. Shoji demonstrated this by manually
releasing the passenger side airbag and, with a cheerful wave,
leaping out of the car. Sad to say, he sustained fearful injuries
on the way down when he was hit by another MX5ly flying along
100 feet below us.
Until Mazda fit a decent radar sytem to this car I'm afraid
my jury remains out. |
Overall rating: 
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