The Eos from VW. I had the opportunity to test drive this beautiful car for 2 days for a review. All of 2 litres but with a Turbocharger, it spat out 200 horses.

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Coupé or Cabriolet?
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VOLKSWAGEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN
for producing some of the best cars with a variety of
engine options on offer. Combine that with a new body
form that defies the logic of convertible hard top cars, the new
Eos is all that and a whole lot more.
At first glance, with the top up, the Eos is easily mistaken
for a regular two door coupe with a sun roof. But the rabbit in
VW’s hat of tricks is that the whole roof folds back to reveal
a cabriolet. Though it takes 25 seconds to eventually get the
roof completely down, its well worth the wait and a watch too.
Our test car was powered by a 200 bhp, 4 cylinder, 2 litre
FSI Turbo charged engine, which is one of the most popular
engines in the VW/Audi portfolio and finds itself in many of
their cars. A 6-speed automatic double clutch DSG
transmission tames the wild horses. (Eh? What’s this?) The
double clutch system actually prepares the next gear for
shifting so that there is minimal lag in gear shift and also the
smoothness of the shift is impeccable. So while you’ve shifted
into 3rd gear via the flappy paddle shifter on the steering
wheel, the Eos was keeping the 4th gear ready for you to shift
into before you even wanted to shift. It’s also possible to shift
into manual mode via the paddle shift when in D or S (Sports)
mode. The D mode also has tip-tronic shift system at the gear
shifter. Too many options I feel. Sports mode is the most fun
with the engine red lining in all gears. 0-100 kph comes up in
8 seconds with the roof up.
Running on 215/55 R16 Adelaide alloy wheels, the Eos
tracks straight and tight. Loading 200 bhp onto the front
wheels of a car is often a waste as the wheels have to deal with
both steering and also power delivery. VW have turned this
into a fine art, getting the rear to swing out in a front wheel
drive car is no easy feat, push a little harder and I’m sure it’d
go into tripod mode. The front bumper is a bit lower than
expected so caution at speed breakers in advised. The chassis
seems derivative of a Golf GTi. The standard braking package
of ABS, EBD and ESP find their way into the Eos, reliable.
Feel safe with 6 air-bags to
cocoon you in an impact.
Bi-Xenon lights for high beam and low beam find their
way up front supported by fog lamps in the bumper. Unique
static cornering lights complete the look and purpose in the
front by lighting up the kerb when turning. Parking sensors are
essential as the view from the rear glass is vague. The sensors
also provide important warning about rear clearance in case
the roof has to be pulled up or down. Turn signal indicators on
the wing mirrors are snazzy. The rear view mirror and driver
side wing mirror also tint themselves when the roof is down
at night, useful feature. Efficient and eco friendly LED
braking lights signal the stops.
Ergonomics in the Eos are spot on with excellent
adjustable lumbar support. Driving position is adjustable for
best comfort with height adjustable seats and steering
adjustable for rake and reach. The steering wheel also has
controls for the 6-disc 8-speaker audio and interactive display
in the speedometer console (which doesn’t play MP3’s!) but
can be upgraded to the optional GPS Navigation system.
Though VW claim that the car can seat 4 passengers in
comfort, which would only be possible if the two in the rear
were dwarfs. There isn’t much in terms of rear leg room.
With the seats set for taller
people it’s impossible to get in. The rear
does tend to get a little claustrophobic because the rear
windshield is quite low.
Conclusion
The Eos is without doubt an engineering masterpiece.
Performance on the road with short turning radius and
excellent power to weight ratio give a good overall balance.
Interiors are comfy but practical only for two full size adults.
There is no B pillar, the rear quarter glass and pillarless door
glass are sealed by rubber strip which lets some air in thereby
creating some wind noise at high speeds. Only the sun roof
has auto retract and close option, if you want the whole roof
drawn back, you’ll have to toggle onto a small button for the
whole 25 seconds. The clean classic black interiors don’t
make it a very bright space to live in but the beautifully blue
and red backlit console makes up for the dreariness. Good buy
if you’re a couple and a little more, great for the metro-sexual.
Just bury the pedal for tarmac shredding performance!

1961 Chevy Impala.The Impala was restyled on the existing GM B platform for 1961. The new body styling was more trim and boxy than the 1958-60 models. Sport Coupe models featured a "bubbleback" roofline syle for '61, and a unique model, the 2-door pillared sedan, was available for 1961 only. It was rarely ordered and a scarce collectible today. The rare Super Sport (SS) option debuted for 1961.

The 1962 model featured new "C" pillar styling for all models except the 4-door hardtop "Sport Sedan." Sport Coupe models now featured the "convertible roof" styling, shared with other GM "B" full-size hardtop coupes. This style proved extremely popular, and contributed to the desireability of the '62-'64 Impalas as collectibles. The "overhang" roof style of the sedans was replaced with a more attractive, wider "C" pillar with wraparound rear window. Engine choices for '62 settled down, the 348 V8 discontinued and replaced by the 340-bhp 409, which could be ordered with any transmission. The small-block 283 was enlarged to 327 cubic inches, which added more engine choices for small-block fans. The Beach Boys produced a hit single, "409," referring to the Chevy, which became an iconic song for these cars. Impalas again featured premium interior appointments, plusher seats, and more chrome trim outside, including a full-width aluminum-and-chrome panel to house the triple-unit taillight assembly. Super Sport (SS) models featured that panel in a special engine-turned aluminum, which was also used to fill the side moldings, making the SS more distinctive in appearance. Due to reliability problems, the optional Turboglide automatic transmission was dicontinued, leaving Powerglide the only autobox available until 1965.

Many consider the 1963 model to be the best in terms of styling, although it was mechanically identical to the '62 in most ways. Crisper styling, with pointy front and rear fenders, emphasized the longer, lower look which was so popular at that time. Impalas again featured a rear taillight panel which was aluminum surrounded by a chrome border, which had the engine-turned surface on SS models. Engine choices was similar to '62, which the small-block 283 and 327 V8s the most popular choices. The Sport Sedan featured a new, creased roofline that proved popular. A new "coved" instrument panel was good-looking, but replaced the temperature gauge with "idiot lights" for hot and cold engine conditions. An optional factory tachometer was built into the dash, just above the steering wheel. It was rarely ordered, but gave the Super Sport models an extra feel of sportiness.

For 1964, the Impala was slightly restyled, reverting to a more rounded, softer look. Out back, the signature taillight assembly had an "upside-down U" shaped aluminum trim strip above the taillights, but the lights themselves were surrounded by a body-colored panel. The 409 returned as the big-block option, but the 4X2 carburetor setup was no longer on the option list. SS models continued to feature the engine-turned aluminum trim. Rooflines were carried over from '63 unchanged.