"YES!"? No. We don't like the name of the concept Volkswagen of the future, "Space UP!" which the company has been busily exhibiting this year and last in the big world auto shows, and we're pretty negative on the name of the Euro sports car featured below: "YES!". As with both Mini and Smart (BMW wanted us to always use smaller case when writing the name, ie, "mini" and, similar lower-case being pushed by Daimler, ie, "smart"), the marketing people at these companies want all of us to remember their respective vehicles in the font and case used by the manufacturer, always including the all-important "exclamation mark!". I don't blame the companies for trying to muscle us into doing their job for them, but why do so many journalists and publications always give-in without complaint? Let their advertising convince people why they should try their cars, and we journeys don't always have to be their marketing partners. Reminds of the times in year's past when the Toyota people wanted us all to pronounce the company's name as it is said in Japan, with the emphasis on the last of three syllables, as in: Toy-yo-da'. But thankfully, better minds in Japan saw fit to make the name something we westerners could pronounce (something Mitsubishi, Hyundai and a few other car-making outfits should seriously consider).
That said, Yes does appear to be a winning combination of styling and horsepower, as those Germans absolutely know how to package cars for we here in the Colonies. To be honest, we have not driven one, here in in Europe, so we'll tell you the facts from the company's own PR material, and when we do get one (which should happen sometime around this coming April) we'll let you know how close Yes cars are to their PR fluff.
Since 2001, Funke & Will AG, located in Grossenhain near Dresden, Germany (and we know the
company name sounds like an old "Rowan's and Martin's Laugh-In" joke) has been making their hand-built little sports cars with plenty of under-hood oomph! available outside their home country. This time, it's our turn here in the states, as the company has an exhibit at the Chicago Auto Show and is making lots of noise about their car, already in their second generation, being available in the US starting sometime around June, 2008.
Now, although dealers have not yet been named, we expect that with Yes making some news during the big Chicago Auto Show, and that news being covered in Automotive News and other industry pubs, and with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention taking place in Las Vegas between February 2nd and 6th in Las Vegas, a lot of dealers will be talking about these cars at their annual convention. Our best guess is that Yes dealers will start springing up in major cities in the US' north, from New York City straight west across the nation through Detroit, Chicago and winding-up in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle (these three west coast cities have a very Euro-sensibility when it comes to their cars; residents see themselves as ultra-sophisticated, certainly more so than their cousins in So Cal, but it's all a bunch of auto BS). And naturally, there will be plenty of dealers along what's known as the "Smile Belt", starting in Atlanta, swinging south to Miami, then across the Gulf of Mexico to Houston and Dallas, then through Phoenix, Las Vegas and ending, finally in World Car Headquarters, Southern California.
The standard Roadster 3.2, which starts at $77,995, has an Audi 3.2 liter, V6 making 225 horsepower. For $97,995, there's a turbocharged version with 355 horsepower that can hits 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, the car-maker claims. An extra $7,995 upgrades the Roadster 3.2 Turbo with a 415-horsepower engine that hits top speeds of 200 mph. Just looking at photos of Yes, I just don't know if it's something I'd be comfortable hitting 200 in; for that matter, who could be comfortable at those speeds, outside of a professional racer?
As for styling, some have said the Yes cars' two doors are "gullwing-like", but a true Gullwing (as in Mercedes-Benz) must have a hard top on which to balance and hold the open doors; no, the Yes' doors are better-described as being "vertical doors", exactly the kind sold by a company in Southern California which helped start the recent vertical door craze, called, believe it or not, "Vertical Doors".
As for safety and comfort, for the first time Yes is available with a removable hardtop, and the company goes to great lengths in their PR material (below) to convince readers that what might have been a fairly pedestrian interior, it's been upgraded to the point where some Americans might well pay $80,000-or-so to get their Yes thrills. The hardtop would no doubt help the car's handling to some extent, and keep driver and passenger warm and quiet, if they should wish. All Yes cars have metal hoops on the top of the bucket seats in an attempt to keep everyone safe and inside the car should a rollover occur; an in-place hardtop would do that job much better.
One problem is that no hardtop version was displayed at Chicago, nor shown in their PR material. We also don't know for certain whether or not the cloth top can be stored in the car. Yes might be a good purchase for someone who has also bought one of those hardtop removers/holders for one of their Mercedes SL models. Those cars' roofs weighed over 50 pounds, and even with two people taking the top off or installing it, it was a difficult operation.
Our take? Call us when you develop an automatic hardtop convertible, which the Mazda people have done with a sports car perhaps not as fast as yours or as luxurious inside, but MX-5 Miata also costs less than half what your Yes does. And someone has to say this: Doesn't this car look a hell of a lot like the old Triumph TR8, with a little Audi TT up front and Honda S2000 in the rear? Look at the photos below and you be the judge ...
And now, Yes' corporate people have their own unexpurgated say:
YES! 3.2 Roadster
The second generation of YES! is larger and more individual than its predecessor and
increases in comfort and safety leaving nothing to be desired. With the introduction of the YES! Roadster 3.2 in 2006, the Funke & Will AG in Grossenhain near Dresden/ Germany mark the start of the second generation of this unique sports car. The uncompromising vehicle was presented to the public for the first time at the international automobile show AMI in Leipzig in April of 2006. The overwhelmingly positive response from media, customers, experts and business partners reflects the great interest of the public in the puristic lightweight and proves once again the successful implementation of this concept, true to the motto: PURE DRIVING
PLEASURE.
Due to the equally positive feedback from America, Funke & Will AG has extended distribution of the YES!
Roadster 3.2 to North America this year. For this purpose the company has founded YES! North America Inc in 2006. Car enthusiasts from all over the world, from New Zealand to the United States have expressed great interest in the individual two-seater with the unmistakable YES! design, as reflected by increasing sales. The design of the new YES! again shows the contours of the Stuttgart designer Oliver Schweizer. The striking features of the YES! sports car are retained in the wedge-shaped lateral contour and the racy front and rear fenders.
The new generation, however, can be equipped with an optional hard top. The YES! can thus be transformed into a luxury coupe on cold days. The level of comfort was significantly raised in comparison with its predecessor. However extras such as heated seats and navigation system are available as option, because the weight of the sports car should be kept at a minimum. The interior of the new YES! was refined using high-quality materials and now, with the multi-media sound system, offers extraordinary sound enjoyment. In addition to the increased comfort, the new
YES! has a longer wheel base and larger motor.
The current model is equipped with a V6 Volkswagen motor. With its 255 hp, the 890 kg two-seater can accelerate to 60 m/h in just 4.8 seconds and gives you the driving pleasure typical of the YES! If that's not enough for you, set your sights on the YES! Roadster 3.2 Turbo. With this turbo version, Funke & Will advance into the realm of super sports cars. Thanks to an exhaust gas turbocharger, the same original aggregate yields 355 hp, catapulting the driver of the merely 930 kg roadster to 60 m/h in just 3.8 seconds. A specially developed rear spoiler ensures the necessary contact pressure to keep the 355 hp safely on the road. The two thoroughbred sports cars with the attractive performance levels have been available since 2006 in other countries in all regions of the world such as New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, France and Spain, in addition to the local distribution partners in Germany.
The domestic and international distribution network of Funke & Will AG has been continually built up and other competent partners will be added in the future. For this reason among others, the global vehicle manufacturer and DIN ISO certified engineering services provider Funke & Will AG is able to meet the high standards of YES! customers. Funke & Will AG will of course be attending several events, galas, races, and shows. And the YES! Roadster has been awarded again with the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award 2007, one of the most prestigious design awards. Current information and exact dates as well. (End of Yes PR release)
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