We drove for you the new 2020 Stelvio and Giulia in Puglia: revised interiors, infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems make Alfa driving even more stunning… Here we parked it in fort of the Borgo Egnazia Hotel, where the event was held…
Driving an Alfa should be on the bucket list of every car enthusiast, and indeed blessed are those who can sit in their daily life behind the iconic three spoked steering wheel of an Alfa, and even more, can call it their own.
The ever more elegant Giulia in the alleys of Borgo Egnazio Resort…
This unique driving pleasure is now further brought into the digital age, adding to the sheer driving dynamics and bringing it to an even higher level.
Alberto Cavvagioni, Head of Alfa Romeo Brand EMEA, presented to us the further steps of Alfa entering into the digital age…
We flew to beautiful Puglia to see and try it out for you, and soon you will read in these columns here the full report of our delightful Alfa experience in the stunning surroundings of Bari and the Borgo Egnezia resort hotel.
Hans Knol ten Bensel
The Giulia and Stelvio now benefit from a new interior, revised materials and dashboard layouts. The infotainment has also been overhauled with connected services, touchscreen, completely redesigned human-machine interface, and new ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and level 2 autonomous driving systems, of which (much) more soon.
The iconic names used on the Alfa’s of the sixties and seventies are also back, and sound wonderful to the Alfa connoisseurs’ ears: Veloce, Veloce TI and Sprint for the Stelvio, and TI, Super for the Giulia, with a Business badge thrown in to suit the fleet market in these modern times.
Last but not least, there is also a whole new colour range, to fully express new emotions, closely linked to the brand’s tradition.
At the event, Leasys and FCA Bank introduced “I-Link” by Leasys, a service designed to strengthen the link between Alfa Romeo customers and the new forms of shared mobility.
Marcella Merli, Head of Sales and Marketing, FCA Bank, explains to us the merits of sharing the Alfa experience through i-Link…
Indeed, sharing the Alfa Romeo driving experience could or should be on the cards, we think!
Much more of all this later in depth with separate reports…
Of course, we had the opportunity to drive classic Alfa’s too…
Driven personally from Turin across the Alps to Brussels…for a unique premiere
The people from Abarth Belgium have their car loving heart at the (very) right place. In order to treat the Belgian public with a very special gem, the Interclassics Brussels 2019 salon seemed to be the perfect stage to present the new Abarth 695 70 ° Anniversario for the first time in our country.
Staring from the Turin based FCA heritage HUB …
They drove personally the Abarth show car across the Alps from Turin to Brussels, and not only that. They filmed it too.
Indeed, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the brand, an accompanying video of the model was created with a perfect mise-en-scene. The ideal setting of FCA Heritage in Turin, where all collection cars are housed, served as a perfect setting and bears witness to the immense prestigious heritage that served as a source of inspiration for this unique model.
This exclusive video was produced specifically for Interclassics Brussels 2019.
One sees a pilot who takes place at the wheel of a vintage model and then takes a seat in the new Abarth 695 70 ° Anniversario.
It then follows the road from the Heritage Hub of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Turin to arrive at the Interclassics salon in Brussels.
The iconic lights of the “pure” historic Abarth 500…
A route of approximately 1,000 kilometers to reach the European capital. You can see it by using the following link: https://vimeo.com/372916951
On his way from the Turin Heritage Museum to Brussels…
This video will of course serve to promote the presence of this exclusive model in avant-premiere in Brussels.
Starting away in Turin…
The production of this model is limited to 1949 copies, this number refers to the year that Abarth was founded…
Indeed, between the raindrops, other magnificent events were to be enjoyed, and beautiful cars came before our lens…
The ZOUTE CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE® by Degroof Petercam is another yearly highlight not to be missed. It is an excellent opportunity for your servant to take those timelessly beautiful photos of pre- and post war classics and supercars. Also this year the cars on show were absolutely stunning to say the least.
The concours was carefully scrutineered by both the expert jury members and illustrious collectors like Roland D’Ieteren… (to the left).
Hans Knol ten Bensel
I was totally impressed by a beautiful Pegaso coupé, (see photo below) and stood also eye to eye with a magnificent Alvis and 3,5 litre Delahaye.
This 1953 Pegaso Z 102 Touring Superleggera was designed by Wilfredo Ricart, who had worked then already with Ferrari and Alfa for a few years. He himself asked “Mr. Touring”, designer Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni (1916-2003) to design this body. This one-off Pegaso was the focus of a lengthy promotional tour around Europe. It won the Concorsa d’Eleganza di Stresa in 1953…
Stunning is also the dashboard of this 1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 “Praho” Touring… This car was an attempt to secure for Touring the production of the Alfa 2600 Coupé. This car was displayed in 1960 in the Turin Motor Show and was a one-off.
I had a lucky encounter with Skoda Belgium Import PR Director Catherine Van Geel and her colleague from the Skoda Museum, who both proudly showed me a very impressive 1948 Skoda Superb, which had finished a total ground up restoration just four days before this Concours. We tell you more about this unique Superb in a special report.
But there was much more. For example, in the presence of 75-year-old racing legend Jacky Ickx, Porsche unveiled a unique Porsche 911 4S Belgian Legend Edition (made on 75 copies). In addition, there were 5 super rare hypercars on Saturday and Sunday: a Bugatti Centodieci, a Bugatti Chiron Sport, a Dallara Stradale, a Pininfarina Battista and a De Tomaso P72.
The unique 3,5 litre Delahaye…
Of the more than 100 participants in the competition, the international jury named a 1936 Mercedes 540 K Cabriolet A (pre war) and a 1949 Ferrari 166 Barchetta Touring – Le Mans Winner (post war) as Best of Show winners.
And its fabulous straight six engine, which was idential in the Le Mans winning car…
Following Bugatti’s 110th birthday there was also a special “110 Years Bugatti” category this year. Winner was a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 C Coupé – Le Patron. (See first photo). Other eye-catchers were the “Beach Cars” category in which a 1958 Fiat 600 Jolly with the main prize went. The prize for the most iconic car went, finally, to a 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.
Eternally cute and endearing are also the Joly beach cars based on the Fiat Cinquecento and Seicento, and on the Concours we stood eye to eye with two magnificent examples.
Last but not least there was a very impressive 300 SL roadster to be admired, brought to the Knokke Golf Course by the works Mercedes Benz Classic team,
who lovingly and carefully dried the car with a soft chamois after every rain shower…
The fabulous collection of cars at the
grounds of the Royal Knokke Golf Club were judged by an international 25 head
jury led by Philip Kantor of the Bonhams Auction House.
More to see and admire…
Besides these highlights there was much more. Last but not least the ZOUTE SALE® by Bonhams. This auction can be considered par with the Grand Palais Sale in Paris, and the Quail Lodge Auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Carmel (USA).
The total revenue of the auction was not less than 11,710,104 euros, a record for Belgium. One of the eye-catchers was a unique 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Long-Nose. The car went under the hammer for a record amount of 2,875,000 euros. A 1931 Invicta 4.5-Liter S-Type ‘Low Chassis’ was sold for 890,281 euros. A Ferrari Enzo knocked out at 1,506,500 euros.
This custom built Aurelia GT had endless panache…
Then there was on Sunday the ZOUTE GT TOUR® by EY. This drive is 120 km long, and is reserved for exclusive modern GT cars, younger than 20 years old. More than 200 cars participated, and Rob Van Loock en Jens Aerts won this event in an 2019 built Audi R8 Coupé.
We just let you enjoy the photos here of this 10th edition, and tell you here already that the ZOUTE GRAND PRIX® launches new projects in 2020,
with amongst others the RALLYE DE DURBUY®. Read soon much more in these columns!
This magnificent event is all about enjoying cars to the full, and what’s more, a very large public can participate and witness the ZOUTE GRAND PRIX® events up close, see and touch the cars, which embody the pinnacle in automotive heritage and panache.
It’s a truly stunning event, which has now grown to impressive proportions. Last year’s figures amply prove it: What to think of 645 cars, 1040 participants, 263.000 visitors?
The organisers look already into the
future, and after a decade of successes are planning even grander events. They
told us all about it at their press conference, held at the prestigious Royal
Zoute Golf Club, of which more in a further report.
But here we tell you more about this year’s
event…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
The weather gods were not altogether with us this time, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of both participants and spectators. The ZOUTE RALLY® started for its first leg on Friday morning, and not less than about 200 pre- and post-war classic cars participated.
Media celebrities like Veronique De Cock participated…
One can choose between a “regularity” drive, where the ideal average speed is of paramount importance, with special Regularity Tests being also included in the daily 250 km course.
Exotics like this Fiat “Otto Vu” were also seen…
Enthusiasts who were looking for a more leisurely drive, opted for the “Balade” formula, and received a road book of the untimed course, which they could drive and enjoy at their own pace.
The route is different from the “regularity” drive, albeit in the same region. On Friday, the route went through the Flemish Ardennes, and lunch was enjoyed for all in the grounds of chateau Kluisbergen.
The cockpit of the “Otto Vu”…
On Saturday the ZOUTE RALLY® went through Zoutelande for a luncheon stop at the biggest Dutch yacht builder Amels Shipyard in Vlissingen. Winners of the regularity class were Ruben Maes and Bjorn Vanoverschelde with their Porsche 356c.
The founding father(s): ZOUTE Grand Prix Creator and Organiser Filip Burgoo on the left…
At the finish line, many happy faces were seen again of course. All lucky finishers got of course a fine glass of Ruinart champagne, and congratulations from David Burgoo and his colleagues.
The team Feltes/Feltes in their Bugatti T35 Grand Prix de Lyon with starting nr. 1 also finished the event in good form, with David (left) and Filip Burgoo (right) congratulating!
We just let you enjoy the photos here of this 10th edition of the ZOUTE RALLY®, second part follows with more tales and images…
Charles Fuster taking the 500X Sport to the football field…
When Fiat presented the 500 X Sport, they had the very good idea to draw a parallel between its excellent sporting and stylish qualities and embed it into the language and philosophy of top football. Therefore the venue of presenting this new Fiat was at the the “Luigi Ridolfi” Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano (FIorence), a centre of excellence for teaching, training and sport, as well as the historic seat of the Italian Football Federation.
The presentation “in the field” was expertly done by Charles Fuster, Product Marketing Manager 500 X, and the qualities of dynamism, precision, control
Echoing the qualities of the National Team in the Fiat 500 X…
and Italian style of this 500 X Sport were echoed on the accompanying screen by the coaches and specialists of the Italian national team, indeed the same characteristics that lead a player to wear the blue jersey of Italy with pride and joy…
Reason enough to have an interview with
Charles Fuster here…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
HK: How did you communicate the enhanced
sporting characteristics and properties of the new 500 X to the top people of
the Italian Football Federation, how did they tune into this? What was their
reaction?
CF: Actually, the starting point and the basis was and is the car. It arrives with important improvements. The balance, the road holding, the performance, the style, and of course, when we had created this story about the car, we focused ourselves on the world of football. This had very good reasons: like Fiat, it is a very democratic world, it is a very accessible sport for everybody. And so we started to work with the Italian Football Federation to draw all these parallels, between the world of the automobile and the world of football.
Charles Fuster on the playing field…
This proved extremely interesting because all this storytelling proved extremely natural. Also the persons of the federation, who we have presented today is somebody who has worked all his life with football and has an incredible experience.
Top performance is top performance, whether one speaks about cars or people…
These people prepare the future stars of tomorrow. So we arrive at an allegory with a well perfected industrial product and a sports player, and this can be very eloquent…
HK:
indeed, this is very unique in your presentation today… we saw the comments
of Roberto Mancini, Italy’s National Team Head Coach and others…
CF: Thank You, it is indeed the work of our
whole team!
HK: Can you tell a bit more what is the
mission of this sporting version of the 500 X…
CF: Just have a look at its position within the range. The Cinquecento is a typical women’s car. 75 % of the clients are women. This is different with the 500 X, where the buyers are about fifty-fifty between men and women. The 500 X Sport will also be bought by independent women who want to be seen having personality and character.
But this is a car which is targeted to a large public. We will not discriminate. Of course the car has a look which distinguishes it from the others in the range.
HK: Can you tell a bit more about the
future electrification of the Fiat models? We think about PHEV…
CF: There will be something new in 2020.
There will be an important electrified range at FCA in 2022. That is the only
thing I can tell you right now… The first models will be launched in 2020,
and this will continue throughout 2021 to 2022. It is the strategy of the group
to be present in all forms of electrification. It will also be very important
for the fleet market.
HK: We thank you for this interview.
Of course there is (still) more. We will
treat you also shortly with further interviews with Danilo Coglianese, Head of
Fiat & Abarth Communications, EMEA, and also have a long talk with
Alessandro Grosso, Head of Fleet and Business Sales, EMEA, about the European
Fleet markets and FCA’s position therein.
We already told you, dear reader, in our “teaser” about our venue to the “Luigi Ridolfi” Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano (FIorence), to have a stint at the wheel of the new Fiat 500X Sport.
The 500 X is the most global model of the
Fiat range. This iconic compact crossover is designed and engineered in Italy
and built in the FCA factory in Melfi. It was launched in 2014, but has lost
none of its appeal, as it has been renewed last year. Now the 500 X accentuates
sportsmanship, and emerges as an alternative to compact C-segment cars with a
sporty look.
When you launch a sporting version of your crossover bestseller, you want it to be somewhere (very) special. And so the dynamic PR department of Fiat did. They invited us to nowhere less than the “Luigi Ridolfi” Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano (FIorence), a centre of excellence for teaching, training and sport, as well as the historic seat of the Italian Football Federation.
This had its good reasons. First of all, the
FIGC Federation headquarters was chosen to honour the 20-year cooperation
between the Fiat brand and the Federation, as well as to express the shared
values uniting the new Fiat 500X Sport with sport in general.
Indeed, what better location could there be for displaying “in the field” the qualities of dynamism, precision, control and Italian style highlighted in this new version of the already iconic 500X, a car which has won the hearts in all parts of the globe.
We will soon tell you more here
about the excellent sporting qualities of this 500X Sport, and we will also
bring you again some interviews, notably with Charles Fuster, the product
marketing manager of the 500 X, and Alessandro Grosso, Head of Fleet and
Business Sales, EMEA.
Stopping under the tree shadow, in front of the church at Humain…
Summer has arrived, and therefore it is time to get our cars out for long drives. We didn’t hesitate when the invitation dropped in our mailbox from her Royal Highness Princess Léa of Belgium and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Belgium to get our BMW up and ready for a drive to her Château in Humain (close to Marche-en-Famenne), where we would start for a 120 km long trip through the scenic Ardennes roads and enjoy a subsequent Garden Party and dinner at the grounds of the castle.
Our BMW was of course fit for the trip, and we enjoyed its smooth pulling power and excellent road manners on the winding roads through dramatic countryside’s and historic village centres.
Magnificent vieuws, like the Tombeau du Géant at Bouillon…
As this was a touristic drive with no emphasis on performance or speed, we adopted a more leisurely driving style, and our BMW with its 140 HP 2 litre petrol engine rewarded us with an average consumption over the 443 km trip of a good 6,6 litres/100 km, which goes a long way to demonstrate that also more than 20 years ago, engine thermal efficiency was not an idle word.
On our afternoon 120 km circuit, we stopped for coffee at the Hostellerie Le Charme de la Semois, at B-5550 Alle-sur-Semois
Don’t forget, this engine has double overhead camshafts, ideally shaped combustion chambers with 4 valves per cylinder and electronic multi-point injection, just like its present day brothers. For refinement, it also has a balancing shaft, so this rather big four is smooth as a straight six both at low and high revs, which brings of course even more pleasure at the wheel…
We just let you enjoy the photos, with
understandably, for reasons of discretion, no photos of the royal castle and
its grounds…
A swift Gran Turismo drive to an iconic destination: Deauville/Trouville, the beach town of artists and celebrities…
Testing the very good looking Fiat Tipo SW,
we were invited to have a drive in it to Trouville-sur-Mer, a stone throw to Deauville,
and have a stay at the Les Cures Marines Trouville Hotel Spa & Thalasso, where
we had the opportunity to see and drive the brand new and good looking Tipo Sport
version. More on this Sport version soon, we show you here some photos and
impressions about the drive, the hotel and the beautiful Normandy coast…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
The Tipo Station Wagon we drove proved an excellent companion on this more than 400 km long trip from Brussels to Trouville-sur-Mer. The 120 HP 1,6 litre Multijet II Diesel delivers magnificent pulling power: its 120 HP are already available at 3750 rpm, and has an impressive torque of 320 Nm at merely 1750 rpm. It is coupled in our test car to the smooth 6 speed DCT transmission, and this combination is just magnificent for fast, effortless motorway driving. It picks up speed in swiftly after the numerous “péages” and holds the 130 km/h cruising speed in total silence and with very good economy indeed, which hovered during the trip at around 5,3 liters/100 km.
On the trip itself, one of the spectacular spots is of course the bridge of Tancarville, crossing the estuary of the Seine near Le Havre.
No need whatsoever to intervene with the gearbox lever on the narrow Normandy winding roads and frequent roundabouts and crossings, when we approaching Honfleur and Deauville. Just leave it in “D” and the powerful engine does the rest. The official performance figures amply show that this is an ideal companion on your Gran Turismo voyages: 0 to 100 km/h is reached in 10,4 seconds and top speed is 200 km/h, which lets you mix in with the superfast GT’s, if need be. We were just pleased with the absence of wind noise at cruising speeds, the excellent comfort of seats and suspension, the very good overall stability.
More about the car soon in a test report, we just show you here the pleasing looking SW at its arrival in Normandy and at the Hotel.
Trouville itself has style. French literary giants, Flaubert and Proust were here to be found. As to Monet and his Norman master, Boudin, they painted memorable scenes of 19th century bourgeois in their finery promenading along the broad beachfront here. In fact, Trouville was one of the first-ever coastal resorts to be developed in France. Artists may have started the trend for coming here, but by the time of Emperor Napoleon III, from the mid 19th century on, the rich and fashionable flocked to Trouville too. They ordered grand villas and palaces of entertainment, like the impressive casino.
Trouville casino was built surprisingly close to the lively fishing port, backed by a classic covered fish market, with lively seafood restaurants all around. Scallops, sole, prawns and mackerel are traditional specialities.
Marguerite Duras, perhaps France’s most famous female writer of the 20th century, was a great cultural figure who became a devotee of Trouville, spending her summers here.
She said that everyone she had ever met who had come to the resort for a first time said they dreamt of returning.
The hotel, Les Cures Marines Trouville Hotel Spa & Thalasso, breathes the atmosphere of elegant yesterday. It is nestled in the right wing of the Casino in the heart of Trouville.
Inspired by the first seawater baths, the Cures Marines Institute revives its visitors with the comforts of a magical renovation project, overseen by Monuments Historiques and the expertise of the MGallery and Thalassa Sea & Spa from the Accorhotels group, retaining style of palaces from the beginning of last century.
We just show you here some photos, and remember
fondly the place and the car…
Driving the already legendary Grand Cherokee Trackhawk along the scenic villages around the beautiful Lago di Garda…
One of the absolute highlights of two days of Jeep driving amidst the beautiful scenery of the Italian Lago di Garda was a stint behind the wheel of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the SRT. The Jeep® Grand Cherokee is the flagship of the Jeep brand and the most awarded SUV ever, and this gem of a car created the premium SUV category 27 years ago and with more than 6.4 million units sold since its introduction. More about this Jeep Grand Cherokee in its “normal” version(s) later, we focus here on the stunning Trackhawk and SRT versions.
Indeed, it had to happen, and the whole car world was actually expecting this: the more than 700 HP V8 of the Dodge Hellcat, the “muscle car” par excellence, was to be dropped in the engine bay of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It all happened last year, and now we had the chance to drive it: the supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI® V-8 engine, delivering 710 hp at 6000 rpm, mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission. High-strength, forged-alloy pistons, powder-forged connecting rods and sodium-cooled exhaust valves all add to the power of the Supercharged 6.2L V8 engine. Do not expect a hissing monster though.
The massive V8 burbles smoothly through slow urban traffic through the villages around the Lago di Garda, and progress is silky smooth. Until you floor the throttle. Supercar acceleration is the instant answer, and the engine growls away. 0 to 100 km/h is reached in some 3,7 seconds, the top speed is 289 km/h, if you only dare.
The Drive Mode selector, and the “launch” mode at the push of a button.
Of course, good traction is provided for with all this power. A “Quadra-Trac” active on-demand four-wheel-drive system, which also includes a rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential (ELSD) and a single-speed active transfer case is at your disposal.
A 6,4 litre V8 Hemi in the SRT…
Not yet an expert in unleashing all this
power and putting it “just right” on the tarmac? Good to know that there is a “Launch
Control” on SRT® and Trackhawk® , which optimizes track performance
by coordinating the engine, transmission, driveline and suspension for a
textbook launch and consistent straight-line acceleration.
The traction management system has been specifically retuned for the Trackhawk and SRT versions as “Selec-Track.” It features five vehicle setting – Auto, Sport, Track, Snow and Tow – to allow the driver to achieve the best driving experience on any surface.
Beautiful instrumentation with a centrally placed rev counter…
The suspension is of course
well tuned to this extra power, as well as brakes, and the Grand Cherokee
remains eminently drivable.
Don’t forget there is also the Bilstein® Adaptive Suspension system, which can adjust the dampers for sport or track performance if desired, while the rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential features a four-point axle mounting to better distribute the massive power to the wheels.
For the heavier terrain work, the Quadra-Lift air suspension system allows you to change the ride height of the Grand Cherokee up to a maximum ground clearance of 28 cm.
We were deeply impressed by its handling and ride when driven with more abandon, and how perfectly balanced the whole car was. The unique driving experience is further enhanced by excellent seats and instrumentation, with not only a beautiful central rev counter, but also a special “Performance Page” on the central touch screen, where you can see anything as time of your acceleration, G-Force, all engine data like oil temperature, etc.
We enjoyed also having a stint at the wheel of the more suave SRT. Not that on the urban scenic roads around the Lago, you could test fully the difference in performance compared to the Trackhawk. Under the hood of the SRT version growls the 6417 cc V8 Hemi, good for 344 kW or 468 HP @6250 rpm. The same 8 speed auto transmission as in the Trackhawk knows this engine also needs to be revved to reach all out performance, as maximum torque of 624 Nm is reached at 4100 rpm. Of course, also here the Launch Control and the choice between five dynamic Drive Modes with the Selec-Track® System, as described above.
We enjoyed the same beautiful well balanced handling, indeed an SUV which also truly stands out if you expect that extra performance. Using launch control, it will still be able to catapult you from 0 to 100 km/h in 4,9 seconds.
We just coloured this image in front of this old factory a bit more (fiery) red to enhance the Trackhawk spirit…
We let you
enjoy the photos here, and we dream along with you about this unforgettable
experience… and there is more Jeep news to come with driving impressions of the
full range!
Autoprova - for the Connaisseur 