Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2014 i MotorTrend

In a market where Generation Z is losing interest in cars and car culture, Nissan tried to reignite some passion for motoring with the IDx sports coupes revealed at last October’s Tokyo Motor Show. Chief designer Satoru Tai said the IDx was inspired by the Datsun 510, Skyline, and Laurel from the 1960s and ’70s. The automotive press loved the concept, which our own Jonny Lieberman was allowed to “drive” a few hundred feet when the cars visited Motor Trend HQ. Now, a source close to Nissan tells us that designers have taken another step in a different direction by adding more aggression and more muscular lines to the IDx concept, which actually has a shorter wheelbase than the FR-S/BRZ twins. Sharing more in common with the Sports Sedan Concept,…

It was the best of times, it was the worst … Oh, who am I kidding? Best Driver’s Car is always the best of times. It’s that special time of year when we gather all of the hottest, best-handling, performance-first new vehicles on sale in the USA and do impossibly cool things with them. Like having our pals at the California Highway Patrol shut down a 4-mile stretch of one of the Golden State’s great roads as we run up and down it. We also invade Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca—this year for three days with 62 people!—where pro shoe Randy Pobst whips all the contenders around the 2.2-mile track. Finally, we line ’em all up and drag race ’em because—to quote Angus MacKenzie—we can. To wit, and in alphabetical order,…

Randy Franklin Pobst pops open the driver’s door, pulls off his helmet, and starts looking for who’s holding the digital voice recorder. He’s eager to download his subjective impressions. But while there’s nobody better at describing what it’s like “out there,” it’s still a recollection. An after-the-fact mental reconstruction, inevitably pockmarked with missing details when some greater urgency interrupts his brain’s Record button. But what would it be like to be behind those black-framed glasses—in real time—as Randy threshold-brakes at the top of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca course and tilts the steering wheel left for the famous five-story Corkscrew drop? What are his hands doing? How hard is he working? What is he feeling as it happens? To get a better idea, we surrounded Randy with some data-gathering tech…

Dramatic, lightweight, and arriving with a futuristic plug-in hybrid powertrain, the BMW i8 garners more gawkers than Justin Bieber at a Dave & Buster's. Everyone wants to look at it, touch it, and coo over the winged doors, which you can open as you pull into any parking lot to add to the drama. The i8 deserves every bit of attention it gets. Its sumptuous exterior closely resembles the concept vehicle we’ve been seeing for the past four years. It also surprised a lot of editors with its mettle on the road. “It felt extremely light, very small, with immediate reactions,” said Nate Martinez. Christian Seabaugh opined, “The i8 is the first of the current-gen BMWs to actually feel like a Bimmer should to me—a true driving machine.” “I love…

“This thing’s gotta make 500 horsepower.” That thought kept echoing around my brain every time I floored the pedal in the shiny new (and oddly colored) BMW M4. The acceleration feels like a Corvette Stingray, but on paper the C7 Corvette makes 40 more ponies (than the M4’s new 425-hp 3.0-liter, twin-turbo inline-six) and weighs about 150 pounds less. Still, the bigger, heavier, Bavarian feels just as fleet. But is it? Close, but not quite. The Stingray hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, while the M4 requires 4.0. However, look at the quarter-mile numbers. The Chevy needs 12.0 seconds flat at 118.4. The BMW takes 12.2 seconds at 117.8 mph. Power-wise, the new BMW M4 is a monster. Here’s what Carlos Lago had to say: “It’s just so fast! Holy…

“THIS IS THE MAGIC. LIGHT, QUICK, AGILE, FREE.”Randy Pobst, Motor Trend racer As I dropped down behind the wheel of the pristine white first-gen, first-year Miata on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s pit lane, a tsunami of memories rushed in. First and foremost, the view of that retro-classic dash (retro even in 1990) took me to the front straight at the Mid-Ohio SCCA Runoffs in 1994. Someone crashed hard in Thunder Valley on the first lap, and we were parked on track under a red flag. My beloved mom had died just a week before, and her sweet spirit had swept over me then, bringing tears to my eyes, just like right now. I gazed upon the 7000 rpm tach and the stubby black shifter, and heard the friendly four-cylinder thrum…

The power curve builds and builds and builds as the screaming 7.0L V-8 races to redline. If you’d asked us five years ago whether the then-all-new Chevrolet Camaro would be invited to Best Driver’s Car, we would have scoffed. Had you suggested that a Camaro would win Best Driver’s Car, we’d have all had a good belly laugh at the very notion. Who’s laughing now? The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from “musclecar that handles pretty well” to Best Driver’s Car winner is astounding. Few other cars we can think of have made such an advance in a single generation. Says Lieberman, “Perhaps the Corvair, but even by 1965 it wasn’t anywhere near this good.” Nowhere is this more evident than in driver confidence. Many a judge remarked on the…

“Don’t ever awaken the IS’ stability control, lest it put you in unnecessarily long timeout from acceleration.” @MT_Evans Service life / 3 mo/7497 mi Avg CO2 / 0.83 lb/mi Energy cons / 145 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $43,995 As tested / $48,389 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 19/28/22 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 23.3 MPG The entertainment system is just one aspect of a car, but when it controls so many vehicle functions, there’s no getting around the fact you’ll be dealing with it on a daily basis. Lexus calls its technology Remote Touch. It’s unique among infotainment systems in that it doesn’t use a touchscreen or a rotary knob controller like the rest. Instead, Lexus has developed…

“Mash the pedal and there’s no waiting for the power to arrive; it’s a steady stream of pull.” Service life / 5 mo/12,113 mi Avg CO2 / 0.63 lb/mi Energy cons / 109 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $82.60 (oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $27,290 As tested / $30,285 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 28/38/32 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 30.3 MPG My parents came to town for a weekend visit, and on our way to dinner my mom asked me if I like “this little Mazda.” I didn’t hesitate to reply, “I really like it a lot. It’s such a solid small car, and a great fit for my lifestyle.” I pointed out how premium it feels, inside and out:…

“Sad the Mazda6 is leaving but glad to see it’s going to good home. Our company IT guy just bought it. Apparently it was love at first sight.”@edloh Service Life / 12 mo/ 24,316 mi Base Price / $24,240 Options / Soul Red Metallic paint ($300) Price As Tested / $24,540 Avg Econ/CO2 / 28.1 mpg / 0.69 lb/mi Energy Cons / 120 kW-hrs/100mi Problem Areas / None Maintenance Cost / $178.96 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection) Normal-Wear Cost / $0 3-Year residual value* / $11,779 Recalls / None *Automotive Lease Guide EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 25/37/29 AVERAGE FUEL ECON 28.1 MPG If you flip back to the December 2013 issue and the start of our Mazda6’s long-term loan, you’ll see that our initial plan was to spend six…

CHRYSLER IS DEVELOPING a new seven-passenger crossover to take on vehicles such as the Chevrolet Traverse, according to brand president and CEO Al Gardner. Per Fiat Chrysler’s five-year plan, we know this vehicle will launch in 2017. What we didn’t know until recently was what platform it will be built on. Per Gardner, the Durango simply isn’t large enough for many customers in the segment, and it’s too aggressive. Gardner suggested that the vehicle will follow the established formula closely, in that it would be a front-wheel-drive platform with an all-wheel-drive option and powered by a V-6 engine. Naturally, then, the Durango platform is out. Gardner also spoke of the need to build more models off existing architectures to maximize investment in those platforms, so we think the new crossover…

It’s not easy to roll two sedans into one, but that’s the task Acura engineers were given with the all-new TLX sedan. Designed as a replacement for the luxury-driven TL as well as the sporty TSX, the TLX combines the attitudes of both in a midsize premium entry to fill the range gap between the existing ILX and RLX sedans. Power comes from two updated engines, Honda’s familiar 2.4-liter I-4, now with direct injection for 206 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque, and the direct-injected, 3.5-liter V-6 with 290 hp and 267 lb-ft. The former is paired with Acura’s new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, which employs a torque converter to smooth out around-town driving. The latter gets the brand’s first nine-speed automatic, which is not only lighter than the old six-speed…

Eric Bana is a happily married, successful Hollywood actor, but his heart truly belongs to the world of automobiles. He’s starred in some big-budget, blockbuster action movies (“Troy,” “The Hulk”) and smaller, independent movies (“The Time Traveler's Wife”), but no matter how many lines he has to learn, engines are never far from Bana’s thoughts. To this day, when he’s not shooting on location, you’ll find him at home in Melbourne tinkering in his garage. The actor’s regular A-to-B car might be “a boring four-wheel drive” but it has its uses. “It’s a practical car, something I can attach the trailer to and take the wife, the children, and the dog out on road trips.” Anyway, Bana saves his pride and joy for race days. His Australian-market 1974 Ford Falcon…

2015 ALFA ROMEO 4C PRICE AS TESTED $69,545 DRIVELINE Mid-engine, 1.7-liter/237-hp/258-lb-f turbo I-4, 6-spd twin-cl auto, RWD SUSPENSION, F; R Control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar BRAKES, F; R 12.0-in vented disc/4-piston caliper; 11.5-in vented disc/2-piston caliper CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 2440 lb (41/59%) 2015 BMW i8 PRICE AS TESTED $138,650 DRIVELINE Mid-engine, 1.5-liter/228-hp/236-lb-f turbo I-3 plus 129-hp/184-lb-f front and 8-hp rear motors, 357 hp/420 lb-f (comb), 6A, AWD SUSPENSION, F; R Multi-link, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multi-link, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar BRAKES, F; R 13.4-in vented, drilled disc/4-piston caliper; 13.0-in vented, drilled disc/1-piston caliper CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3378 lb (49/51%) 2015 BMW M4 PRICE AS TESTED $86,200 DRIVELINE Front-engine, 3.0-liter/425-hp/406-lb-f twin-turbo I-6, 7-spd twin-cl auto, RWD SUSPENSION, F; R…

Let’s start by answering the first question on your mind: Why didn’t we include the 290-hp, all-wheel-drive, 4.9-seconds-to-60 Golf R? Trust us, we begged and pleaded with the powers that be at VW, but, alas, they couldn’t get us one in time. (The R doesn’t go on sale until the first quarter of 2015.) We were left with the next best thing: the 220-hp, front-drive, 5.9-seconds-to-60 Golf GTI. Not a shabby consolation prize, especially considering it was hot off the heels of winning our most recent performance-compact shootout. But around such legendary nameplates as STI, GT-R, 911, and Z/28, the latest iteration of the original pocket-rocket could muster only last place. It’s important to keep proper perspective here. Dead last here simply equates to the 10th most remarkable performance machine,…

Past STIs have a driving characteristic I always loved: As you go into a corner, the car rolls a little and then takes a set. You steer with the wheel and throttle so you can set up the corner exit, where you can just flat-foot it out. The car has always been more capable than it felt. But this new STI eliminated that body roll—which I initially missed—making it one of the most composed vehicles we tested. “So buttoned down,” said Frank Markus. “It feels like a proper supercar disguised as an econosedan.” Driving the STI around town doesn’t do it any justice. It doesn’t beat you up, but this car’s home is on a twisty road, and California Route 198 is the perfect winding road to play on for…

We’ve admired the GT-R for years. Back in 2008, it was an alien in a segment replete with similar-looking, equal-performing, pricier choices. It was, and always has been, a beast. Each year, Nissan refined its sound recipe, but this year Nismo did the tinkering. And, amazingly, it successfully dialed up the feel. “This is the first GT-R since the original that’s left me in awe,” noted Carlos Lago. “This is also the first special edition where I’ve noticed a difference from other GT-Rs.” Its thin Alcantara-wrapped helm is connected to a revised hydraulically assisted setup that communicated California Route 198’s nuances clearly. “The steering feels the most pronounced,” continued Lago. “It offers good feedback and accuracy, making this large heavy car easy to point around.” It wowed us with its…

So, you’re in the market for a sensibly sized and reasonably styled hatchback. You want to be able to hunt parallel parking spaces without anxiety (“I should have bought a smaller car…”), accommodate four adults in comfort, and be able to inflate the cargo volume at the drop of a second row. And you want to spend less than $30K? Smart thinking, customer. Our Big Test’s compact-class hatches are, by straight averages, $27,332 as tested, and boast 60 percent more storage area than their respective sedan counterparts despite measuring 9 inches shorter in exterior length. And that’s before folding the back seat. The comparison rules were simple. We asked the handful of C-segment hatchback manufacturers to share their booty, as long as our haul came with backup cameras, navigation, keyless…

“Fits my dog, fits my gear, and looks great doing it. Wagons rule!”@MT_DubDub EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 25/37/29 MPG BASE PRICE $36,225 PRICE AS TESTED $45,625 This marks the third Volvo long-term test car we’ve had in recent years. The first two, a 2012 S60 T6 hot rod and a quick 2013 turbo five-cylinder model, both featured all-wheel drive and were praised for their comfort, styling, and performance. So when we got the chance to get our hands on one of the new, super-cool V60 wagons, we went another direction. Front-wheel drive. Four-cylinder. Station wagon. Words that don’t normally inspire enthusiasm. Well, you would be wrong. Our Powder Blue Metallic V60 T5 Drive-E is quite the stunner. Powered by a direct-injected, 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 240 hp and 258 lb-ft,…

“Detailed service info provided by iDrive means you won’t feel like you’re being rooked at the dealer. That scheduled maintenance is free makes it even sweeter.”@CarlosLago Service life / 6 mo/10,761 mi Avg CO2 / 0.60 lb/mi Energy cons / 104 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $43,875 As tested / $59,200 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 31/43/35 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 32.4 MPG One morning, the 328d’s odometer crested 8000 miles and the service minder appeared. BMW does a good job of illustrating service requirements. When the car nears an interval, the minder appears in the gauge cluster during startup, informing you the recommended miles and days before the next stop. Dive into the iDrive service menu and the…

“The Forester offered tons of versatility. So much that I wish I had it for another year. It will be missed!”@nate_martinez Service Life / 14 mo / 24,962 mi Base Price / $30,820 Price As Tested / $33,220 Options / Option package 30 ($2400: eyesight driver-assist system, keyless access, HID headlights) Avg Co2 / 0.76 lb/mi Energy Cons / 132 kW-hr/100mi Unresolved Problems / None Maintenance Cost / $0 (3-oil change; 2-rotate tires, inspection; 1-engine-air filter) Normal-Wear Cost / $460 (4 Falken tires, mount, balance) 3-Year Residual Value* / $17,721 Recalls / carpeted floor mats *Automotive lease guide data EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 24/32/27 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 25.6 MPG For the past 365 days, I have been completely content with the vehicle at my disposal for one uncomplicated—and…

The next version of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be mid-engined. That’s right, kids! Multiple sources told us so. One of these sources even stated that the next-generation Corvette—the C8—will ship with its engine mounted in the middle. The renderings seen here, by Tom Matsumoto, show what the mid-engined Corvette could look like. Yes, yes, we know: another story about a mid-engine Corvette. Will this madness never end? This particular fantasy tale has been continuously reported since the first Corvette was built. The father of the Corvette—Zora Arkus-Duntov—seriously wanted to build a mid-engine ’Vette in the 1950s. Only GM’s cement-shoed board stopped him. Chevrolet tried again in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s with the CERV and XP concepts. In fact, pre-bankruptcy, Chevrolet was working on a mid-engine C7, but it…

The long wait for the 2016 Mazda Miata is finally over. The new MX-5 ditches the smiley front end of the outgoing generation for a decidedly less friendly-looking Kodo-fied face. The car is wider and lower than the model it replaces, with a hood that's “impossibly low,” according to Mazda design director Derek Jenkins. The bonnet's curves flow into the fenders and across the doors until finally angling up over the rear fenders. The low grille and rising hood are attributable to strict pedestrian impact regulations, Jenkins said. The front fenders were pulled back to give the car a more cab-rearward look. The rear end features a dramatic taper that accentuates the wide fenders and redesigned taillights. Overall, we see hints of contemporary British and Italian style creeping into Mazda’s…

Coupes are “me” cars, not “we” cars, their back seats more hypothetical than practical, so the smaller the sedan you coupe-ify the better, right? Replacing the CTS coupe with this new light, lithe Alpha-platform ATS, then, seems like a step in the right direction. Like the BMW 4 Series this car targets, the sedan’s bodywork is completely changed, except for the hood. The track widens by 0.8 inch courtesy of deeper-dish wheels and the fenders are sensuously flared accordingly, adding 1.4 inches to the width. The roof drops 1.1 inches, slicing an inch off front headroom and 1.7 off the rear, but rear legroom matches the sedan’s at 33.5 inches. The decklid is lower, and the shorter, squatter taillamps that go with it give the car a noticeably lower and…

By the numbers... Total cost of cars .............$1,802,265 Average cost of each car ...$163,842 Total horsepower.........................4959 Average horsepower ..................... 413 Total torque (in lb-ft) ................... 4742 Average torque (in lb-ft) .............. 395 Cylinders ...........................................65 Turbochargers ................................... 11 Superchargers ....................................1 Hybrids ................................................2 Support vehicles .............................. 10 Camera operators ........................... 10 Video editors .................................... 15 Photographers ................................... 7 Editors ............................................... 12 Raw video footage........................ 5 tb Raw photography ................... 280 gb Digital images ...........................14,000 Camera drones ..................................3 *Does not include 1990 Miata…

We take many precautions during BDC. We hire California Highway Patrol officers to shut down Highway 198 during our road looping, and order EMTs for our days at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Before we even leave our garage, we try to make sure every car is protected as well. We ask each manufacturer to supply a clear plastic protector for the vehicles they send, to guard against stone chips and road debris. If they can’t, we supply it for them, with help from our friends at Southern California-based Service Group Distribution, distributors of Nano-Fusion Paint Protection Film. It’s not easy getting this stuff on—even an expert technician needs up to two hours to wrap a hood, fender, and bumper package—but it's worth it. Our visuals crew loved that the clear…

Remember that 1994 Pirelli ad campaign featuring Carl Lewis (then the fastest man on Earth) poised in the starting block wearing stiletto heels, with the tag line: “Power is nothing without control”? A week spent driving this F-Type R coupe had that Annie Leibovitz image flashing in my mind, as this is one car that needs a whole lot more inherent, engineered-in control. Sure, the electronic chaperone can douse the 550-hp fire-breather’s wheelspin, but a better-engineered tire and chassis setup wouldn’t lean quite so heavily on the electronics to maintain control—nor would it allow the body to bound around so much on lumpy pavement. Please note that our test car DOES wear Pirelli P Zeros. Logbook entries from the first day of ardent driving on our closed section of California…

The Fiesta isn’t the smallest Best Driver’s Car contender, but it is the least powerful. It has the smallest overall tire footprint and the best non-hybrid fuel economy rating. It costs the least. It seats five. And it looks like a rental car. It’s also the highest-placing front-drive entrant in Best Driver’s Car history. Its greatest strength is its effect on the driver. “How can you not love this little scamp?” said Christian Seabaugh. Senior features editor Jonny Lieberman agrees: ”I bought one!” The Fiesta represents not only the best fun-per-dollar ratio of this group, but perhaps in the entire new car market. Few cars inspire such giggling and reckless behavior. How fast can we take that off-ramp? How long can I stand on the throttle through these corners? Is…

Let me get this straight, you’re probably saying. The car with the best weight-to-power ratio (6.4 pounds per hp), the one quickest to 60 mph (2.7 seconds) and through the quarter mile (10.9 seconds) does not win Best Driver’s Car? The very same car that laps Mazda Raceway a stunning 3.6 seconds faster than last year’s winner does not even place second? Even though it has a Porsche badge on its nose and 911 on its butt, like the last two winners? Say what? Says who? Well, just about everyone. Every driver who spanked the Turbo S ranked it third, save Scott Burgess and Frank Markus, whose fourth- and second-place votes canceled each other out. All heaped praise upon the $193,000, 560-hp slot car for its flat-out speed, confidence-inspiring demeanor,…

The Alfa Romeo 4C was an easy favorite going into this year’s competition—and why shouldn’t it have been? A look at past winners such as the Porsche 911, Ferrari 458 Italia, and Audi R8 reveals they all have much in common with the Alfa: mid-/rear-engine, automated-manual transmission, and a European origin. So why didn’t it win? That was a pretty hotly debated question, since there was no car more polarizing than the Alfa in this competition. Some loved it, while one guy plain hated it. Despite two votes, the Alfa has plenty to like. It drives exceptionally well on the right roads. Its 237-hp turbo-four combined with its six-speed dual-clutch is more than enough to get the flyweight rocking and rolling down the road. The pricey carbon-fiber tub helps to…

“So fresh! So mean-looking! I’ve never driven a long-termer termer having so little starting miles … or with footwear as golden.”@nate_martinez EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 17/23/19 MPG BASE PRICE $38,190 PRICE AS TESTED $38,190 The last time we had a long-term Subaru WRX STI in the fleet, I was but a fresh recruit unversed in the ways of sports cars. So it was quite memorable when former senior editor (now executive editor) Ron Kiino threw me the keys to our silver hatchback one Friday afternoon. It was mine for the weekend. I couldn’t believe it. Six years later, it was once again Kiino who gave me the keys to our long-term STI. This time they belong to a Launch Edition sedan with just 53 miles on its odometer. It…

“The Acura MDX is almost the perfect all-around vehicle—they just need to figure out a way to get that price down a bit.” Service life / 11 mo/ 23,718 mi Avg CO2 / 0.94 lb/mi Energy cons / 163 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $363.16 (2-oil change, tire rotation, inspection; 1-rear diff fluid change) Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $45,185 As tested / $57,400 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 18/27/21 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 20.7 MPG It’s not just my family who finds the MDX to be a perfect road-trip vehicle—the MDX has taken several staffers on a number of adventures. Senior art director Andy Mock and his family of four took the MDX on a road trip to South Lake Tahoe, California, covering more…

“The valet key is a feature I’ll use again and again, to keep my stuff safe.”@Emiliana505 Service life / 3 mo/ 3690 mi Avg CO2 / 0.68 lb/mi Energy cons / 118 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 Normal-wear cost / $0 Base price / $28,495 As tested / $28,730 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 24/34/28 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 28.5 MPG I wanted to turn off the honk that sounds when the Passat’s door is locked via the key fob. When parking late at night in my densely populated neighborhood, I’d rather not disrupt the quiet. It was easy: The manual told me to go to the Convenience menu using the steering wheel menu control button, choose the ATA confirm, and un-check it. Done. While…