Techzle 21 will be in the shops from tomorrow or on your doorstep this week. What are you reading this week in our packed magazine?
Number 3 is a frequently recurring number in Techzle 21. More about that in a moment, because first we would like to draw your attention to an interesting double test between two sporty Peugeots. With the 508 PSE, Peugeot has its most powerful series production car ever on offer, which reminds us of another strong mid-size car from Peugeot’s past: the 405 T16. We found a beautiful copy that deserves a place in the spotlights in itself, but we put it next to the 508 PSE to see to what extent Peugeot harks back to its past.
Then the focus on number 3. That already starts with a double test between our endurance tester, the Volkswagen ID3, and a veteran in the electric range: the BMW i3. Despite its age, the latter still looks special and not very outdated at all. Now the question is whether the i3 betrays its age when we put it next to the brand new Volkswagen, or whether the i3 can still be an interesting alternative.
The other ‘3s’ competing are the Mazda 3 and Audi A3. Especially a new engine in the Mazda makes a comparison interesting. As a rule, we are very pleased with Mazda’s idiosyncratic SkyActiv strategy, although the petrol engines sometimes lack a bit of spice. The new SkyActiv-G 150 should solve that problem for the Mazda 3. With an Audi A3 35 TFSI as a comparison, we find out whether that has been successful.
For fans of a little more spectacle, the test with the Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo is something to look forward to. The Quattroporte is no longer the youngest, but now it is there with the 3.8 biturbo V8 from Ferrari. How that works out in the Italian sedan and whether it is a formidable opponent of the crème de la crème from Germany, Marc Klaver investigated for us.
Sportiness for a more modest budget can be found in a Nissan 350Z. Justin Schlüter bought one from 2004 and he has now seen the 3 tons pass on the counter. Although the sporty Japanese can be called quite experienced, the 350Z still puts a smile on the face of its owner. We would like to find out whether the Nissan has what it takes to do that a little longer.
Finally, this week we have a real Chrysler Neon as a guest in ‘On the rollers’. A car that you rarely saw here in its younger years and which is now completely a rarity. What can be expected of it on the dynamometer is a bit of a mystery. All the more fun to lash it down and see what such a Neon still manages to do.
All this and more can be read in the latest Techzle, which will be in stores this week from Wednesday. Would you rather not go out? Order from the easy chair the latest number. Then it will be delivered to your door within two working days.