2014 Tesla Model S vs. 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550! - Head 2 Head Ep 54.
We drive the Citroen SM attractive, rad Renault 5 Turbo and other French classics certifiable.
We went down to Lane Motor Museum in Nashville for a glimpse of his upcoming exhibition of French cars and - we hoped - to understand exactly what it was that made French cars so different and so well loved by those who know.
Well, we never managed to identify this unique element that permeates the old French car with this special francité, difficult to reach, but we managed to drive a lot of really cool things to see our coverage here Helicron and Over propeller powered only one day on highways, however, the experience has given us a true appreciation for the impact of France on the development of the automobile.
France has more cars than any other country in the world until 1907, when the United States took the lead the nation produced more cars than any other European country after World War II, and remained a strength building car for decades after.
Through it all, France has kept innovation - sometimes dependent body lost in dead ends, but walking more often far ahead of global competition if at a slightly different pace between 1924 and 1985, the years covered by the exhibition of the Way, the likes of Citroën, Peugeot and Renault have produced some of the most successful cars, rugged and beautiful of all time - but they were rarely all these things at once.
Again, the Lane Motor Museum French automotive exhibition opens on 21 May - visit for more information on museum website Until then dive into our comments of some classic French cars below, and make you catch our look at some of the strangest cars we drove as well.
ID 19 is simply a nice car Photo by Graham Kozak.
The Citroen ID 19, introduced in 1957 and its premium counterpart predecessor, the DS 1955 to 1975 is a beautiful car, which is something you have to see in person to appreciate - its prospective aerodynamic presence doesn t always come through well in photographs There are countless details to discover and enjoy, subtle dashboard art deco rear brake ornaments top mounted lights flashing.
Of course, the ID 19 front wheel drive, the gear selector mounted on the smooth shift column is easy to handle, and once you are at a cruising speed, you just sort of waft along the famous system notorious Citroën hydropneumatic suspension contributes to the huge luxury mount Yes, it is really as good as everyone says it is, if the killers never take your tires, you'll be able to escape thanks to the dynamics of top driving, as President Charles de Gaulle did in 62.
Beyond mechanical goodies like hydropneumatic suspension, there are many design details to digest Note the photo to climb high traffic lights by Graham Kozak.
It is not only a masterpiece of automotive design, unlike any other product in its time - its road performance and modern overall package feels strangely in a way that few of his day cars do compares to a 1959 Cadillac and you will see what we mean.
Even standing still, the SM seems fast and so smooth if Graham Kozak Photo.
If the ID 19 looks forward, the SM is a flight into the future leap This thing is a spaceship, if spacecraft are exceptionally smooth and Maserati-powered V6s.
We never thought we would say of a French car, but we were hooked almost instantly There's something spectacular about the way the car is in and output designed not to mention how it leads through this without Maserati engine revving it stops as skillfully as he goes brakes take some getting used to, but not because the discs are bad wheel drive - rather, you do not expect a car that old to stop as she does it well.
But the highlight has to be the hydropneumatic suspension It makes trivial things of the road, as you know, but he does it in a very special way modern luxury cars are doing their best to clear the road imperfections - Advanced Systems as Magic Body Mercedes-Benz control for example, active use of field sensors of road surface irregularities, and then adjust the suspension to neutralize.
The Citroën mandate is subtly but significantly different Keep the level of cabin possible at any time, at any jolt prices Don t wheel - steering is a two tight lock turns and there is no comment - or the body will rock a bit until it finds its level just keep it cool, deliberate and smooth, and the car really reward you with a magic carpet road feel.
It takes a minute to adjust to the SM, to get you in the SM state of mind, if you want, but between the avid motor, bright and extremely mechanical feeling five-speed manual transmission, the close direction, and this turn impossibly cosseting once you get a feel for the car, you will not want to give up the wheel.
We never wanted a car over after spending some time driving, except perhaps for the Alfa Romeo 4C Knowing full well the chances of us to take - the disapproving looks of friends and family, the liquid spilled hydropneumatic, the bank accounts drained - us still risk everything for the SM.
Is it tragic, a desperate desire to part of what it means to be French as feels.
Furthermore, as it happened, Denise McCluggage signed this particular center console SM Can you really argue against a car Denise McCluggage saw fit autograph.
Don t even think to call a car Graham Kozak Photo.
As Hotchkiss-Grégoire, the Renault 5 Turbo was actually a Turbo 2 doesn t seem like something really exotic - just another 1980s hot hatch special approval until waittaminute good, this thing is a The bus.
Well, look beyond the flared aggressive box wings, rear-wheel drive configuration and this brilliant engine with forced induction you it won t find under the hood - because why and yes, he was transferred to the trunk, we suppose technically is a LeCar, known as Renault 5 in its home country.
It Sá goofily French take on the hot hatch, but the proof is in driving The first minutes on the road are a revelation Turbo seems to begin to whistle 3500 rpm, but you do not really feel the boost up to 4000 or so - not vicious, jolt-loosening the tail of the power we expected, but a company shove insistent behind that invites you to push the car more difficult Lag course, you can call it that; we prefer to think that the car stopping some time for the anticipation to build.
How turbo Renault turbo Very Photo by Graham Kozak.
We were aware of the Renault 5 Turbo - it doesn t gearhead - but we half belived it comes off as awkward and tinkered You are not inclined to wait much a Frankenstein creation low production, after all, especially when it s is only good for 160 hp.
This thing is really good, even if we can t talk about what it takes to maintain one of these monsters; you need to learn about the quirks of forced-induction vintage, like leaving the car idling after driving dynamics Turbos to give a chance to cool down, but they are sure fun of hell to drive and a distinctive so that modern turbocharged cars often aren t.
If the SM is the ideal car for a relaxing drive to your villa Riviera, the Renault Turbo is the perfect car for dynamic driving through the Alps.
Renault Dauphine was a French decision on car peoples; cheap, relatively gay, rear engine, it seems a bit like the Beetle on paper, but it gets the convenience of two basic rear doors Dauphines by a four-cylinder water cooled 27 hp, but this is a Gordini - opting for the sports complex turned the wick up a whopping 36 hp approx.
After being spoiled by Gordini version one shudders to think what it is like driving the entry-car Because this thing is, how to put this, slow - you go rowing furiously Illusions manual four-speed on land, even slightly wavy, and the engine starts to scream when you spot a hill on the horizon.
Don t get us wrong La Dauphine is a cute car with a good amount of the integrated personality in his sheet, and it certainly helped millions take to the road it to be something to say to take it for a drive without precipitation shifts, but not too hilly countryside dotted with picturesque villages, cloth rolled back up, Francoise Hardy playing on the, uh, Sony tape deck that someone installed at some point in the past that car.
But we can say that about almost all the time cars Apart from the name, there was nothing about the Dauphine who cried French us - nothing to really make contemporary Everyman from Fiat or Volkswagen .
Ironically, the lack of odd francité probably contributed to his immediate worldwide success, he enjoyed almost everywhere except for the United States.
It is hard not to look cool in a Citroen 5HP, until you try to hit the brakes and accelerator swatting the Photo Vicki Garrison.
This was one of the first cars we drove on reaching the Way As Rovin and Helicron we didn t take on public roads; 11 hp and a top speed of 40 mph can only do so much in the modern traffic.
That said, it was a good way to become familiar with the old rates of France When 5HP was introduced in 1924, the French auto industry has been firing on all cylinders, so to speak, and although it is a single vehicle, it is very well -executed nice details, like a hammered metal dashboard, abound, and the back-end of torpedo is an elegant way to complete the flatbed There's a certain degree of mechanical sophistication here as the starter was a pleasant surprise, although it is still a crank starter mounted on the front instead of a transmission shaft, the car uses a torque tube.
Compared with the Model T, we have heard can be difficult for unintiated to lead someone wants to throw us the keys so we can find for ourselves, it was more or less a jump-and-go proposition - not mysterious spark or throttles to fight the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are reversed, as we were warned could lead to interesting scenarios if you have to panic-stop, but once you get the hang him, he is not so bad - - even if the pedals are clustered close together incredibly Heel-toeing was a way of life at the time, apparently.
When we say the French car, what pops into your head, it's probably going to be a Citroen - SM or DS, perhaps, or a pull-Before or that, the 2CV.
According to Lane, the 2CV was the product designers have been challenged to build a car that would transport two people and a bag of 250 potatoes pounds at a speed of 37 mph the country that tried to take the decimal time one thing we say to is actually a surprisingly rational set of design criteria.
The resulting car is an exquisite and memorable form gushing from the pursuit of pure functionality From folding roof with simple fabric tube seats we were told that the designers had originally called for hammocks without hesitation, front wheel drive and a high suspension perfect trip for small bumpy roads, nothing is superfluous 2CV.
C is tricky to drive, though, thanks to a confusing speed selector handle jutting straight out of the Jalopnik dashboard Jason Torchinsky urged us to think like an arm attached to a gear selector classical positioned before the firewall - which, it turns out, is exactly how the car is set up we finally got the car and race and understood how to work through all reports with a little help from the staff the way.
Despite its light weight, the 2CV is very, very slow on the road; it is only 9 horses to work with acceleration and handling could be considered downright agricultural - criteria, given this set of design, it is perfectly suited to the tasks for which it was born.
Of course, the basic 2CV has spawned a wide range of variants, including the twin-engine Citroen 2CV Sahara 4x4 in addition to the advantages of four-wheel drive, Jeff Lane explained, it was easier and more economical to double the power adding another engine that it was to develop a more powerful engine, we were supposed to lead the Sahara, but it is down for the count - brake problems, we were told, no engine failure.
Not visible in this photo a bag of 250 pounds of potatoes Photo David Yando.
We have often wondered what it would be like to drive a 2CV - even entertained the idea of maybe one day, adding to our personal fleet After giving a shot, we are not sure whether of a good way for us the model 12 hp, secondly But if we wake up still stranded in the middle of Algeria with 2CV at our disposal there is a good chance that we will be able to lead us to civilization, and we thank the Lane Motor Museum this sincerely.
Graham Kozak - Graham Kozak led a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot, he thinks what they are doing with fuel injection and belts security these days are pretty nice too See more by this author.
We drive the Citroen SM attractive rad Renault 5 Turbo and other French classics certifiable, training, seductive, Citroën, Renault.