Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2010 i MotorTrend

THE HUGELY profitable, high-volume (for a premium car) 3 Series gets some new side-surface treatment and the familiar new BMW hood bulge dictated by European pedestrian crash standards. BMW already has confirmed a four-cylinder option for the U.S. You can count on the direct-injection turbo four being readied for the Z4 and the next-gen 1 Series’ M edition. BMW also makes a naturally aspirated, 143-horsepower, 2.0-liter four for the home-market 3, and it may include an Efficiency Dynamics version, with an inline-three battery range extender drivetrain, solar roof panel, and brake regeneration. The 3 Series is slated to go on sale early in ’12. A six-cylinder M3 should be ready about a year later.…

THE 998 gets reshaped, more aerodynamic sheetmetal while retaining the iconic 911-design theme. Rumors persist Porsche is working on a boxer eight for the car, with displacements of 4.2 liters, 4.5 liters, and 5.0 liters, plus at least one biturbo later. Other rumors say the boxer six needs to lose displacement for emissions and fuel-economy standards, and there may be a lightly breathed-on turbo for “base”versions. Whatever the case, we do know the launch date has slipped a bit, thanks to the economy and the whole VW-Porsche fiasco. And we know that the 998 will launch in the usual 911 cadence, with the coupe and S coupe first, then convertible and Carrera 4 a year later, the C4 coupe and cabrio, 998 turbo, and GT3 successor a year after that,…

IT’S OFFICIAL: Porsche’s 918 Spyder concept officially stole the 2010 Geneva show. Known internally as project XG10 (XG10 stands for X1, Geneva 2010), the 918 Spyder is a not-so-subtle look at what will most likely become the next Porsche supercar. While not a true spiritual successor to the Carrera GT, the 918 will don the brand’s halo and could potentially spawn a number of variants from its extremely versatile platform, including a coupe, an all-electric, and full race RS/RSR models. Most intriguing is the mean, green performance potential of this concept. The 918 Spyder concept employs a normally aspirated 3.4-liter V-8 that develops 500 horsepower at a stratospheric 9000-rpm redline, which is 24 horsepower more than in the RS Spyder, but 112 horsepower less than the Carrera GT’s V-10 unit.…

HYUNDAI’S 2012 Veloster concept-inspired hatchback has been spied cold-weather testing. The car is expected to go on sale in late ’11 and give the Honda CR-Z a run for its money. At a Hyundai event, the company indicated its goal for the coupe, which will not be called Veloster, is to attain 40-mpg highway without benefit of a hybrid powertrain. That’s hybrid CR-Z territory. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but we can see through the concept’s black cladding on this prototype. It’s a compact three-door with proportions similar to the CR-Z. The Hyundai sport hatch will be powered by a 1.6-liter gas direct-injection four-cylinder making about 140 horsepower. The spy car appears to be wearing 17-inch alloys from a Kia Forte sedan, so don’t be surprised to see…

SINCE 1989, America’s best-selling car has been a midsize sedan. In fact, only three cars have held that title in the last two decades: the Ford Taurus, the Honda Accord, and the 12-time top-selling Toyota Camry. But the tsunami of bad news washing over Toyota this year has prompted recalls, production stoppages, and a crisis in consumer confidence, the combined effect of which will make it difficult for Toyota to earn its 13th best-seller title in 2010. That leaves the top-sales spot wide open to one of the Camry’s competitors in this white-hot segment. One of the most incendiary newcomers is surely the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, resplendent in swoopy four-door-coupe styling and powered by a state-of-the-art direct-injected 2.4-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission, boasting best-in-class weight-to-power. Another strong contender is…

SURPRISINGLY FUN TO RENT RELATIVE TO our last 2.4-liter Malibu test car, a top-shelf LTZ model, this LT wears less aggressive Firestone tires (that may be geared more toward fuel economy), and the final-drive ratio of its six-speed transmission was made taller to coax out three more precious highway mpg (now 33, though our test mileage matched the LTZ’s respectable 22.5 mpg). These changes blunted the Malibu’s straight-line performance a bit and its handling a lot. Acceleration times barely eked ahead of the porky AWD Subaru’s, but braking (130 feet from 60 mph), lateral acceleration (0.75 g) and figure-eight results (28.7 seconds at 0.58 g average) all ranked a solid seventh. Nevertheless the Malibu managed to glide around the test loop with a degree of body-motion control that astonished several…

SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE SUM OF ITS IMPRESSIVE PARTS “DEAR MOTOR TREND: Cancel my subscription immediately, ‘cuz you guys are obviously ignorant, biased idiots. Otherwise how’dya explain that that smokin’ hot Sonata scorched the competition in acceleration and handling performance and still finished third!?—Angry in Ulsan.” Dear Angry: You forgot to mention Hyundai’s best-in-class EPA fuel economy and longest warranty. We admit this looks difficult to explain, but permit us to give it a shot. First off, we were huge fans of the previous model (which finished second by a whisker to the considerably more fun-to-drive VW Passat the last time out), and we agree with you on the new styling. But perhaps in its zeal to close the driving-fun gap with this potent new powertrain and chassis, Hyundai has…

THIS SEGMENT is so important and the major players are so attuned to it that all seven of these cars can be configured to nearly the same price point, performance level, or options load. All are likely capable of delighting their owners, but each is special (or dreadful) in its own little way. Here are a few highlights. ■ SUBARU ■ Widest gear-ratio spread (6.32) maximizes performance and economy ■ Easiest to parallel park (shortest length, camera) ■ CHEVROLET ■ Lowest people/cargo-mpg (2914 cu ft miles/gal) ■ Only car with acoustic front side glass ■ Lowest ALG residual value (2-yr: 53%; 4-yr: 36%) ■ FORD ■ Biggest, most useful trunk (16.5 cu ft) ■ Most features/amenities/tech goodies ■ TOYOTA ■ Roomiest back seat (47.7 cu ft) ■ Only car w/std…

LUXURY weighs heavy. Power weighs heavy; and the chassis systems to rein it in, they weigh heavy too. Strength, safety, quality. Yep, they cost pounds. Audi has packed more—in some cases much more—of all these characteristics into the all-new 2011 A8 quattro. But it’s managed to shave about 15 pounds off the total weight. Now 15 pounds is just a hearty lunch for each of the five passengers, but it’s remarkable engineering in the face of all the above contraindicators. The 4.2-liter direct-injectionV-8 goes up to 372 horsepower. It gets an eight-speed transmission now. Its longer top gear, plus the fitment of energy recuperation (an alternator that works only on the overrun, basically), plus reduced engine friction, all help push economy up by 13 percent in the Euro drive cycle.…

GENE HACKMAN’S false-tooth character, Harry Zimm, drives a late ’60s Merc convertible in “Get Shorty.” It’s probably a 280 SE, and he drives it around L.A. with the top down perennially. John Lurie’s soundtrack music for the film is called “To Be Alive and in a Convertible’ Mercedes-Benz’s new E-Class Cabriolet is that sort of car. It recalls those old Mercedes ragtops far better than the two-generation CLK ever could. The automaker’s quest to compete with the BMW 3 Series is over until it introduces the imminent C-Class coupe. Meanwhile, Mercedes is emphasizing the new, larger car’s four-seat capacity. This is the kind of convertible you drive top-down when it would be too cold in other convertibles, the driver’s seatback tilted at a aunty angle, your right arm wrapped around…

IN THE decade or so it’s been on the market, the Audi TT has become world renowned for its avant-garde style, but it’s never ranked high as a true sports car. That perception changed recently thanks in large part to quattro GmbH, the performance division responsible for the mighty R8. The result is the new TTS, a potent blend of speed, flair, and liveability. Watch out, Porsche. With the “S” onboard, Audi’s small 2+2 has evolved into a mechanical ensemble that delivers as many smiles on its drivers’ faces as it catches stares from passersby. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder is fortified with a strengthened block, an aluminum-silicon alloy head, a bigger Garrett variable turbocharger, reinforced internals, and a remapped ECU. How does 265 horsepower sound? Audi says a sprint to 60…

TURNS OUT the new rear-drive Alpha platform General Motors is developing for its forthcoming BMW 3 Series-fighting Cadillac ATS is inexpensive enough to underpin an all-new 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, which begins production early in 2014, and flexible enough for a new, bigger CTS. Following a leak by consultancy firm Grant Thornton to the Automotive Press Association, GM sources have confirmed the coming Alpha platform will underpin the ’15 Camaro as well as the 2014 Cadillac CTS. The next-generation CTS will grow in size and be sold initially as a sedan. While the new CTS coupe will be discontinued after just three model years, don’t count out a next-generation model further down the line, one that would be closer in size and purpose to the BMW 6 Series. Alpha reportedly could…

BENZ’S flagship is on a serious diet and, from these spy shots, gets a leaner, more air-slick look as well. Like the BMW 3 Series, the S-Class likely will drop two cylinders in base form for the U.S. market, which means an S350. Can it lose two more? Mercedes is readying an S300 Bluetec Hybrid for Europe, with a 204-horsepower, four-cylinder turbodiesel plus a 20-horse electric motor. If Mercedes significantly boosts its CAFE elsewhere in the lineup, a four-banger S-Class is unlikely for our market.…

THE LEAST likely of General Motors’ castoffs has survived, with Spyker Cars completing the deal to buy Saab Automobile for $75 million, plus $326 million in preferred stock, redeemable in 2013. The Dutch company Spyker received a $550 million loan from the European Investment Bank to complete the deal. While the Swedish automaker will continue to rely on GM platforms and components for the short term, it will have more freedom to shop around other original equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The handsome new GM Epsilon II-based 9-5 sedan is scheduled for a summer launch as a 2010 model. The 9-4x will begin production in Mexico early in ’11, where it will be built alongside the Cadillac SRX. The 9-5 SportKombi wagon begins production later in ’11. A new 9-3, likely…

NUMBERS CRUNCHER HERE’S THE natural timeline of a modern-day upstart automaker. First it builds ugly, crummy cars—often designed by somebody else—super cheaply. Then it builds slightly better cars with huge warranties that just look like everybody else’s cars. Eventually it builds really good me-too cars at a decreasing discount. When a car company finally develops the confidence of a top-tier player, it builds world-class cars that bear their own unique design language. With a flurry of concept cars, the production Genesis Coupe, and now this Sonata, Hyundai is demonstrating its matriculation to the league of developed automakers. Certainly the outgoing fifth-generation Sonata had arguably achieved top-tier functionality and build quality, but its styling still strove for anonymity. This car’s so-called “fluidic sculpture” design originated in Hyundai’s California design studio, and…

MARCHING TO A DIFFERENT (LOUDER) DRUMMER NOBODY EVER accused Subaru of me-too car design, and indeed the Legacy’s tall greenhouse, exaggerated wheel flares, standard all-wheel drive, and longitudinal boxer-four engine are unique in this group. The Fuji Heavy folks do their own thing, and they apparently work a little magic in the process. Despite the Legacy’s driveline friction and weight penalty of up to 227 pounds relative to the rest of the field, it achieves better EPA fuel economy ratings than three competitors and its as-tested mileage topped all but the Honda. Much of the credit goes to the CVT, which enjoys the widest ratio spread in this test and savvy ratio-shifting logic that provides instant kick-down torque in response to a throttle jab or a flick of the left…

THE BMW OF BIG-SELLING SEDANS IN OUR LAST sedan-a-palooza, the first-gen Fusion finished fifth, drawing praise for its chassis dynamics and fire for its anemic 2.3-liter engine and loathsome five-speed automatic. 2010’s reboot of the Fusion lineup addressed these concerns and more—mostly. A bump in displacement to 2.5 liters helps elevate output to 175 horses and 172 pound-feet. Combined with the upgrade to six transmission ratios, this new powertrain boosts EPA mileage from 20/28 mpg to 22/31 and hastens acceleration by a half-second to 60 and through the quarter mile, moving the Fusion from the back of the pack to the middle. The revamp also increased rear legroom by almost a half-inch and boosted trunk volume to a test-leading 16.5 cubic feet (this is the trunk-utility champ, with its remote-controlled…

THIS CAR isn’t kidding. The dramatic new shape speaks of a shift in direction for the XJ nameplate; the driving experience follows up on the promise. It’s true the previous XJ had an aluminum body and roughly the same chassis architecture, so you could argue this is little more than a reskin and a repowering. But in the first few yards, you realize it represents a comprehensive rethink of what a large Jaguar luxury sedan should be. It’s shifting away from the S-Class or A8 or 7 Series. The XJ feels distinctly sportier. The ride is no longer the waft it was with the old XJ. TheV-8 isn’t intended to be silent. The steering is quick, the cornering agile. The design isn’t meant to communicate formality or businesslike status: It’s…

UNTIL RECENTLY, Ford has had an exasperating habit of introducing cars that, while initially offering lots of promise, aren’t followed up with the sort of painstaking polish a flat-out world-beater needs. So imagine our astonishment when we climbed behind the wheel of the 2010 Fusion during our most recent Car of the Year program. Not only had Ford so substantially revamped it that it qualified for the contest, but the Fusion’s newfound refinement, greater solidity, and broad spectrum of impressive variations propelled it straight into the winner’s circle. Among those drivetrain choices was this new hybrid edition, an entirely Dearborn-bred integration of gas-electric elements (despite its being patterned after the Prius’ familar configuration). Piston power comes from a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder offering 156 horse, which collaborates with a 106-horse electric…

TO UNDERSTAND our main issue with our long term Nissan Maxima, you need only examine its optional paddle shifters. Flanking a handsome, leather-wrapped steering wheel, these sleek metallic arcs are artfully shaped and slightly cool to the fingertips—as though forged from a chunk of Pandoran unobtainium. Except that they aren’t shaped from an alien alloy, or even a common metal. They’re plastic. Even more disappointing: These synthetic slivers change only ratios, not actual gears, as all Maximas come with a continuously variable transmission. Though they look so sweet and promise so much, the paddles ultimately prove disappointing. As does the car. Nissan heralded the 2010 Maxima as the return of the four-door sports car (4DSC), a tag its marketeers surely rue to this day. At the very least, these mavens…

CADILLAC has tried, and failed, to reestablish itself as the Standard of the World in Mercedes/BMW-intensive Western Europe twice. Remember the front-drive BLS? The second try was blunted when GM ran out of money and had only one world-class model, the CTS, ready to sell there, just as importer Croymans ran into its own financial troubles. Now GM has created Cadillac Europe, to “manage importation, distribution, and marketing of a selected range of Cadillac models specified for the European markets.” That means three CTS body styles, plus V-models and the new SRX and the rear-drive ATS, which is a little more than two model years away. Finally, another sign Cadillac has built up some international mojo is news that it’s adding a Recaro seat option, heretofore available only in the…

VOLKSWAGEN Group will be the world’s largest automaker by 2018, CEO Martin Winterkorn promises. He and his brand chiefs have said that continuing the rate of new-model launches in the recession is a key way to gain market share. It exploits the weakness of the opposition, and, goes his theory, this increased share will translate into increased absolute sales numbers when markets recover. Winterkorn has VW walking the walk. This is what the VW brand will launch this year alone: ■ JETTA Due to be unveiled late summer, the new Jetta will have the same silhouette and basically the same interior as the New Compact Coupe concept shown at Detroit. VW does not plan to build a coupe Jetta, however. The 150-horsepower, turbocharged, 1.4-liter direct-injection gas engine mated to a…

DESPITE its name, the most intriguing part of the Mercedes-Benz F800 Style concept isn’t its style at all: The Geneva show concept is also an amazing rolling showcase of future powertrain and convenience technologies. With the possible exception of its sliding rear doors, expect to see many of the gee-whiz gadgets on the F800 on an E-or S-Class sedan in the coming years. The F800 is also a not-so-subtle look at the exterior style of the next CLS-Class. The concept is about 20 inches shorter than the S-Class and about half a foot shorter than the CLS. Mercedes says the F800 has a multidrive platform, which means it can be fitted with either a hydrogen fuel cell or plug-in hybrid system. The fuel-cell application, essentially the same setup employed on…

WITH PONTIAC’S passing, it’s instructive to take a quick look at the career of Semon E. “Bunkie” Knudsen, son of William E. Knudsen, General Motors president from 1937 to 1940. Bunkie became Pontiac general manager in 1956 and was told to “make Pontiac special or kill it.” Here’s what happened: 1957: Knudsen took the Silver Streak chrome off the Pontiac line’s hoods and created the (MY57) fuel-injected Star Chief Custom Bonneville convertible. He’s credited with the axiom, “You can sell an old man a young man’s car, but you can’t sell a young man an old man’s car,” while he was in his mid-40s. 1958: Fuel injection was dropped for ’58, and the Bonneville became a separate model with a lower price. 1959: Model year the Wide Track Pontiacs launched,…

TREADS LIGHTLY, QUIETLY, CONSUMPTIVELY THE ALTIMA is a rather quiet entry here. Literally: It registered the least noise during full-throttle acceleration and was second quietest while cruising at 70 mph; and figuratively: The car draws as little attention to itself as possible with its familiar styling, bland interior design, and mid-to back-of-the-pack rankings for interior space, trunk room, and performance. Its continuously variable transmission is geared tall for gas mileage, and indeed its EPA ratings of 23/32 mpg city/highway are second only to the new Hyundai’s. Actual families trundling though suburbia might achieve that kind of mileage, but when magazine editors go whizzing through Wine Country, the tranny obliges them by keeping the engine boiling away between the power torque peaks (unless the editor at the helm opts for manual…

AN AGING STAR THAT’S LET ITSELF GO A BIT NOT MUCH has changed with the historically second-best-selling Honda, and some change is way overdue. The Accord’s exterior dimensions are largest, but its interior space ranks fourth and its oddly shaped trunk is the smallest and least useful—adding up to a worst-in-test space-efficiency ranking. Honda’s peculiar non-planetary five-speed automatic has the smallest ratio spread in the test, contributing to its back-of-the-pack performance ratings and worst-in-class EPA economy rankings of 21/31 mpg city/highway (despite which it topped its rivals, returning 23.4 mpg in our driving loops). And not only is the tranny shy a gear, “the 1-2-D3-D straight gear lever is useless for manual changes at a playful gait”, noted St. Antoine. Despite our transmission carping, most editors agreed the Accord (and…

ONCE AND FUTURE SEDAN KING? NOBODY WANTS to like this car. Everybody knows it’s an automotive appliance and appliances are not fun. They perform specific tasks without making the blood boil or the endorphins rush. Besides, we come to bury Camry not to praise him—er, it—which should be easy, considering it finished third the last time out, right? Well, not exactly. Like the Fusion, the 2010 Camry gets a powertrain upgrade to 2.5 liters and six transmission ratios, elevating output to 169 horsepower and 167 pound-feet (179 and 171 for SE models) and EPA fuel economy to 22/33 from 21/31 mpg. Other spiffs include a freshened grille and bumpers plus standard Bluetooth connectivity and stability control. As we don our Ma ‘n’ Pa Middle America hats and take a walk…

THE LAST TIME we had an Infiniti M in a comparison test (February 2010), a 303-horsepower, seven-speed M35 S, it finished eighth—out of eight cars. Or, as the seven other luxury brands are happy to point out, dead last. For the 2011 model year, though, Infiniti has put to bed the last-place second-gen M and pulled out from under the covers a third gen that’s more stylish, more powerful, more fuel-efficient, and more technologically advanced. As you can tell, it’s got more of just about everything, a fact that will no doubt make it a formidable participant in the next shootout. But until we can amass another lux-sedan showdown, let’s examine whether the 2011 M truly has the goods to be great. Up 0.6 inch in length and 1.5 inches…

“SO, WHAT IS YOUR favorite part?” asks Ivan Capelli, ex-Formula 1 driver, now Maserati’s head driving school instructor, as we stand next to the GranTurismo Convertible on a cold day in Rome. He looks surprised when I answer, “The sound” All the Italians do. They’ve spent the day extolling the work they’ve done to the frame. How they’ve added just 220 pounds in reinforcements. How immediate turn-in is. How the fabric top doesn’t balloon at speed. How the chassis doesn’t flex through corners. And here’s this American saying the best part of the car is the noise it makes? It is though. It has been with the Ferrari-derived 4.7-liter V-8 that’s served for the recent hot versions of the GranTurismo and Quattroporte. But those cars have roofs that insulate you…

YOU’VE LIKELY seen the guy in the local haberdashery holding a blue necktie in one hand and a red tie in the other. He squints to assess the paisleys on one, eyeballs the dancing circus elephants on the other, then sweeps back and forth between the two. (In the background, the salesman slowly disappears under a web of spider silk.) Finally, after a half-hour, it does indeed come down to a tie: “Can’t make up my mind” says the shopper. “Guess I’ll just take ‘em both’.’ The guy undoubtedly drives one of the cars you see here. Hardtop convertibles may just be the ultimate wheels for the indecisive. Their best-of-both-worlds boast is the quiet and security of a coupe and the fragrant air and unlimited headroom of a conventional ragtop—the…

“I REALLY like the Genesis and feel pretty comfortable recommending it to anyone who is looking to save a few bucks on his next luxury sedan,” logs associate Web editor Rory Jurnecka. “The Tau V-8’s power is ample, never feeling overwhelmed by the car’s heft. The cabin is really very well trimmed. I wouldn’t quite put it on par with those of Mercedes or BMW, but it’s a sure rival for Lexus and Acura interiors. The car actually handles pretty well, with less body roll and more willingness to turn than I’d expect. And the rear-seat room is impressive. Lots of positive remarks from those who find themselves on the rear bench.” Alas, senior photographer Brian Vance likely wouldn’t recommend the Genesis, at least not until the second generation makes…

THE 3500 GT of 1957-1964 was Maserati’s first real series-production road car. By that we mean not born directly of a racing model and built more than one at a time with generally standardized coachwork and specs. It was a great success and took Maserati beyond the scope of race-car producer or maker of low-volume one-offs. The coachwork was by Touring of Milan; the original design brief called only for coupes. Touring also tried its hand at a Spyder convertible version, and just a handful were built. Vignale designed and built the ultimate open 3500 variant. It’s beautifully proportioned and nicely detailed; consider it a forbear of today’s new GranTurismo convertible. Vignale is nowhere near the picture. The current coupe and convertible (now a four-seater) were designed by Pininfarina. Today,…