Emojis and very good-looking cars – what a way to celebrate the day
To mark this year’s World Emoji Day, we’ve tried to sum up our favourite cars of the past year using only – you might’ve guessed – three emojis.
And if you look at our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram you can have a go yourself, to be in with a chance of winning £20 in Love2Shop vouchers. Can’t say fairer than that.
Without further ado, the cars. We’re kicking off with the model we most recently reviewed in our online car review series, The Shortcut.
BMW 330i
When it first launched, the BMW 330i was one of the highest-spec models you could get hold of in the new 3 Series range.
🤵 The model that we drove, pictured above, was an M Sport edition, with the dropped suspension and sportier bodykit. And with the optional M Sport Plus pack, 19-inch alloys too.
💡 It’s a stylish motor, no doubt, but also backs that up with a fair whack of substance – BMW’s thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at this thing. From voice recognition to the manufacturer’s Gesture Control, the 330i is a very smart car.
💨 But it’s not too sensible. With 254bhp and a 0-60 sprint of around 5.5 seconds, it’s got enough under the bonnet to topple the VW Golf GTI – no easy task.
Head over to our YouTube channel to see our video review on the BMW 330i.
Skoda Kodiaq vRS
Skoda made quite a thing of the Kodiaq vRS’ launch, which is no surprise considering it’s the first time the carmaker’s stuck their performance badge on the front of an SUV.
😈 No matter which angle you look at it from, it’s an imposing machine. The redesigned front and rear bumpers give it a more aggressive appearance, while the 20-inch ‘Xtreme’ rims and squared exhaust tips finish off the look.
🌪 It might seem odd that a performance motor only has the choice of a diesel engine, but the 2.0-litre twin turbo is an impressive thing. The 240bhp power count is enough to get you from 0-60 in seven seconds, but also returns a pretty decent mpg score under normal driving.
👪 Here’s the surprising part. It has seven seats too. In fact, the Kodiaq vRS is the fastest seven-seater to lap the Nurburgring. So, there’s space for the whole family to travel about in a hurry.
We were lucky enough to take the vRS down the Northumberland Coastal Route for an episode of The Shortcut.
Jaguar I-PACE
The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE has made waves since it was announced at the frontend of last year.
🥇 A quick search online will bring up a list of awards as long as your fortnightly shopping receipt. Auto Express alone voted it their Car of the Year and Premium EV of the Year. It’s also the current European Car of the Year.
⚡ Jag’s doing its best to tackle Tesla head on here, giving their I-PACE a lofty 394bhp from two electric motors. That power’s put to the road through an all-wheel drive system and will carry the car from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds.
🌳 A big bonus is the zero emissions label. There’s a been a surge in EV interest over the last year, and many are crediting the I-PACE as being a main driver behind that.
Professional racing driver Johnny Mowlem featured on our YouTube channel, talking through the I-PACE’s tech with Giles Lenthall, Jag’s Global Product Manager.
Renault Megane RS
Renault Sport’s take on the French brand’s family hatchback has about as much in common with the standard model as it does a tandem bike. Although the car it’s based on is also a solid performer, the Megane RS is a true driver’s car.
🔥 When it was first released, driving mag evo praised its “sharp and engaging handling” – quite the compliment, from a performance-savvy publication. Browse other reviews and you’ll see how well it fettles against hot hatch rivals.
😍 It looks smashing. The chunky rear diffuser, central exhaust and properly wide wheel arches give the Megane RS a look that’s completely its own, and we’re all over it. In Liquid Yellow with black alloys, it might be one of the best-looking cars on the road.
💥 When it comes to that performance, Renault Sport have managed to tap between 276 and 296bhp – depending on the model – from only a 1.8-litre petrol engine. Stick it in Race mode and the exhaust’s howl will have you feathering the accelerator at every red light you hit.
We also rated the Megane RS highly in our review of the car over on the Lookers Blog.
Ford Focus ST
The latest fast Ford is one that we’ve been waiting on. Powered by the same engine found in the last-gen Focus RS and dressed up in an even more athletic-looking kit, it’s bound to be just as popular as the last ST.
😰 There are enough styling extras here to make it look a totally different machine from the standard Focus. The twin exhaust pipes either side of the rear bumper have us weak at the knees.
👊 It’s hard to argue that Ford Performance Blue isn’t the ST’s best shade. There’s the even louder Orange Fury paintjob, but we’d have to go for the blue. It certainly packs a punch.
🚀 There’s punch in the performance as well. The 2.3-litre petrol engine that’s been donated by the RS takes the power count to near-on 280bhp – enough for a 0-60 time below six seconds. This is going to be a serious machine.
Keep an eye on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages today to be in with a chance of winning £20 in Love2Shop vouchers. When you see our posts on the Ford Focus ST go live, like the post and comment with the three emojis you’d use to describe it.
You can enter on all three platforms too, with one winner from each – there’s no excuse not to get involved. The winners will be picked at random and announced around 3pm tomorrow afternoon.
Keep an eye on LookersWebTV and the Lookers Blog for more on the what’s what in motoring.
