Indholdsfortegnelse for April 1998 i MotorTrend

Buoyed by the phenomenal success it’s enjoyed with the Outback versions of its Legacy wagon, Subaru has just released a suitable counterpart, the ’99 Legacy Sport Utility Sedan. Officially badged the SUS, this new go-anywhere four-door variant benefits from all of the basic Outback drivetrain elements as well as a megaload of comfort and convenience features. Underhood, the SUS carries Subaru’s 2.5-liter SOHC all-alloy flat-four that makes 165 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a standard electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission and shipping motive force to both axles via the firm’s proprietary “active all-wheel-drive” system, it enables the SUS to run 0-60 mph in 9.0 seconds and slip through the quarter mile in 16.9 ticks at 80.4 mph. Depending on traction conditions, the active all-wheel-drive package can automatically…

MOTOR TREND online www.motortrend.com Travel back in time and experience great American machines from the Golden Age of Detroit dream cars in person at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, or take a virtual tour at Motor Trend Online. This amazing exhibit showcases more than a dozen handbuilt classics and several modern concept cars, including: ’40 Chrysler Thunderbolt, ’52 Buick LeSabre, ’53 Mercury Bel-done, ’54 Packard Panther, ’55 Chrysler Falcon, ’59 Chevrolet CERV, the original Dodge Viper prototype, and the Plymouth Speedster. You’ll find highlights online, with complete coverage posted to coincide with a Retrospect feature to come in a future issue. You can also visit www.petersen.org for museum information. Go behind the scenes of NASCAR television coverage and see the races from a whole new angle in an…

With most concept cars, the designers and builders are usually busting at the seams to tell us exactly what we’re viewing. With the pride of a new father, their press release usually tells us more about the car than we need to know—for now. With the SST (which stands for Sophisticated Sports Touring), Mitsubishi is being selectively explicit, and detectibly coy. They say that the SST’s “geomechanical” theme is expected to appear in future production vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors and previews sports car styling for the next millennium. Does it sound like a year 2000 production vehicle yet? Read on. While many concept cars are mere rolling chassis, the SST is a fully driveable car, designed to accept a full range of Mitsubishi-built engines. Currently fitted with the Eclipse’s turbocharged…

You may recall seeing another Plymouth Pronto concept last year in these pages, but this Spyder is a very different car, indeed. Billed as an exotic European sports car for half the price of comparable vehicles, the Pronto Spyder reduces its cost by using colored thermoplastic body panels that don’t require painting or a skeleton body structure and are more readily recyclable than other plastics currently used in the industry. In fact, the body could be made of the same material as plastic drinking bottles and could potentially reduce manufacturing costs as much as 80 percent over conventional steel-intensive methods. The budget (and weight) dividends could then be spent on things that put the sport in sports car. How does a supercharged 2.4-liter, DOHC transverse-mounted mid-engine inline-four rated at 225…

Already a raging bargain, the Chevrolet Corvette is scheduled for a weight, gadget, and price reduction in ’99 that puts it on the shopping lists of a larger group of budgetconscious enthusiast drivers. Unofficially the new sticker should be within spitting distance of what buyers shell out for T-topped Pontiac Firebird Trans Ams and feature-loaded convertible Camaro Z28s. That’s somewhere close to $35,000. John Middlebrook, Chevrolet’s hyperkinetic general manager, could hardly contain his excitement when he talked about the upcoming new model at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January. Currently, there are just two variations on the C5: a coupe with a removable roof panel and a soft-top roadster. Come summer, Chevy showrooms will sport a lightweight model. In earlier MT Corvette C5 coverage (April ’95 and Sept.…

Coupes have been a distinctly tough sell of late. But Toyota marketing types contend the time for change is here. Backing that belief with suitable hardware, the firm will expand its ’99 lineup with the new Solara. Available in SE and SLE trims, this midsize coupe will start around $18,500 and top out near $27,000. Toyota’s Calty Design Center in Newport Beach, California, was responsible for Solara styling (whose lines remain remarkably true to last year’s concept convertible of the same name), while engineering was a joint effort between the parent company in Japan and the crack forces at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sharing its basic platform with the front-drive Camry, the Solara also will offer a choice of a 2.4-liter/136-horsepower DOHC four or a 3.0-liter/200-horse…

There’s a generational changeover in the offing for Mitsubishi’s stalwart Galant, best-selling sedan in the firm’s U.S. lineup. The eighth iteration of this midlevel frontdriver, which was introduced in Japan back in 1969, goes on sale here this summer as an early ’99. It boasts a host of major improvements from its Japanese market counterpart that debuted as a ’97. We recently drove some early prototypes at Mitsubishi’s sprawling Tokachi Proving Ground on the island of Hokkaido, subjecting them to both the 6-mile high-bank oval and the challenging 2.5-mile road course. Although our encounter was brief and certain hardware specifics hadn’t yet been finalized, the seat time we did grab left us with a largely positive first impression. Between its A- and C-pillars, this new Galant shares much with its…

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAKE FLUSHING Brake fade is somewhat akin to brain fade. Reaction time is slower, usually snappy performance is replaced by a dull, mushy feel, and in critical situations the slow response time can be disastrous. While there are several mechanical reasons for this type of condition, one of the most overlooked causes is contaminated brake fluid. Most car owners are well aware of the importance of maintaining proper fluid levels in the vehicle, and reliably check to make sure that the brake fluid is maintained between the minimum and maximum marks on the reservoir. After all, if there’s too little fluid, it’s possible for air to be sucked into the lines, which can result in a spongy pedal feel and inefficient braking performance. The importance of flushing…

Turbo Performance Center (TPC) considers impatience as a market opportunity and has developed a supercharger kit for those Boxster owners whose fervor for vigor is boiling the platelets out of their blood. That a supercharger system comes from a “Turbo” shop is disconcerting, but the blower is familiar: the Eaton Roots-style air pump. The Eaton, as has been said many times before, was developed for OEM use on cars like the Mercedes SLK and Buick Park Avenue, and in the last few years, has shown up in kits for everything from Civics to Mustang GTs. The $4995 TPC kit uses a Model 62 Eaton and nestles it on a CNC-machined one-piece bracket next to the DOHC 24-valve 2.5-liter flat-six’s passenger-side bank of cylinders. Since the Boxster’s mid-mounted engine is diabolically…

Think of it as a V-8 Plymouth Prowler (with a back seat) that can also tackle a challenging trail with the best of the Jeep family. With its new-for-’99 4.7-liter/275-horse SOHC V-8, which will debut in the Grand Cherokee, and its unique, electronic four-wheel, independent adjustable suspension, you really could go anywhere with confidence—street or stream, boulevard or boulder-strewn trail. The Jeepster’s dashboard-adjustable suspension switch allows the rod/ute a 4-inch range of travel, from a ground hugging 5.75 inches to a rock-climbing 9.75 inches of clearance. The two-plus-two Jeepster, which takes its name from the now rare and collectible ’50 Willys Convertible, has a roster of useful features like water-resistant leather seats, a global positioning system, altimeter, grade and roll indicator, and exterior tempera-ture gauge. Its full-time 4WD system is…

Braving Tanzania’s African wilds surrounded by prowling, blood-thirsty predators while riding in air-conditioned comfort, secure in the knowledge of the four-wheel-drive sport/ute’s dependable terrain-conquering abilities, is not how most Nissan customers spend their weekends, but that is the adventurous spirit the Pathfinder exudes. Like typical SUV buyers, our staff enjoyed an emotional escape from the urban jungle when driving the Pathfinder, even amidst bumper-to-bumper traffic. CINSIMER CHECKLIST As do all great treks, our year-long evaluation began with paperwork. Sorting through the three-tier model lineup, ranging from value-oriented XE, sporty SE, and luxurious LE, we chose a four-wheel-drive SE with an automatic transmission for $28,549. Lured by the attractive option groups, we proceeded to outfit our Pathfinder much like an LE, adding a Sunroof Package ($999) with power sunroof, dual sun…

’97 HONDA CR-V Honda’s adorable sport/cute has proven to offer a good combination of people-toting space, flexible cargo hauling, and fuel economy. The surprisingly commodious interior offers more second-row room than most compact sport/utes. The CR-V stands as an interesting contrast to our long-term Montero Sport, offering similar packaging space and acceleration for $10,000 less, albeit with fewer luxuries and less SUV cachet. The CR-Vs all-wheel-drive system and respectable ground clearance have been exploited on duck hunting outings, mountain climbing expeditions, and traversing flooded urban sprawl in the aftermath of El Nino. However, the burdened, small-displacement engine works hard to accelerate from stoplights, merge onto highways, and ascend long hills. On strenuous climbs, the four-speed automatic hunts around for the right gearing to squeeze the most torque from the diminutive…

ANOTHER…OF THE YEAR As a long-time reader of Motor Trend, it was very interesting to see the winners of the so-called North American Car and Truck of the Year awards touted so proudly on a January Autoweek cover. Wow, the Corvette and M-Class are this year’s standout vehicles—not exactly late-breaking news to MT readers. I must applaud not only your decisions, but your leadership role in automotive awards. After all, it doesn’t take much courage to come up with 10 best instead of just the best. Paul GerwigSeminole, Fla. Since we pioneered the idea of an annual automotive award way back in 1949, there have been numerous imitators of our Car of the Year accolades. That the M-Class and Corvette received the journalist-selected North American award months after our announcement…

The next frontier in auto safety doesn’t involve automakers or government rulemakers: It involves us. Statistics show 94 percent of all fatal accidents are caused by driver error. To make things worse, we dropped driver’s education from high school curricula in the ’80s and have never standardized driver training or licensing. As a result, America is turning out generations of new drivers who, along with their adolescent feelings of immortality, are minimally trained to handle today’s faster, better, safer cars. In fact, fledgling teen drivers are 17 times more likely than any other group to have accidents. The government thinks the only way to stop teen mayhem on the roads is to restrict the times they can drive and “graduate” their licenses. That may help in the future, but there…

Get ready for another helping of high-speed thrills on Motor Trend Television. This month, we’ll reprise coverage of our Corvette Car of the Year testing plus take you along for tire-smoking romps in a pair of mind-bending tuner cars: John Lingenfelter’s 450-horse C5 Vette and John Hennessey’s 600-horse Viper Venom 600 GTS. There’s lots more in store, too, so join us twice each weekend on TNN (The Nashville Network) for the hottest half-hour in television. Check local TV listings for show times in your area.…

You could call it gold-plated baggage. But Chrysler marketing is attempting to make a connection between Chrysler’s all-powerful 300 “Letter Series” cars of the ’50s and ’60s and the most athletic version of the newly redesigned LH full-size front-drive sedans. Let’s face it, heritage sells. Be that as it may, feast your eyes on the car that Chrysler says used such refinement benchmarks as the Mercedes E Class, the BMW 5 Series, and the fresh Audi A6. Targeted competitive labels include the Acura Legend, Lexus GS 300, Saab 95, and Volvo S90. Those image and performance skirmishes with the imports won’t be taking place just on American roads. The 300M was designed from the get-go with 30 international markets in mind. That meant it had to fit comfortably into the…

Project Vantage is just your basic next-century supercar concept. So the engineering and design missions were clear: Set 21st-century standards. Starting with the engine, take power levels to about 400 horses while meeting the world’s strictest emissions requirements with a 6.0-liter 48-valve aluminum V-12. (This required a catalytic converter with a truly monstrous 9.0 liters of volume.) Reduce bodyweight using aluminum honeycomb body structure and carbon fiber body reinforcement in the extruded aluminum chassis sections and roof pillars. According to Aston’s performance estimates, the two-seater should reach 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, do a 140-mph quarter, and still get 20 mpg during highway running. Gear changes are made like those in an F1 race car. Ratios are selected by flipping small paddles on the steering wheel. The transmission can also…

On life’s highway, piloting a minivan has traditionally symbolized moving out of the fast lane and accepting a quieter, slower-paced lifestyle. But Pontiac thinks its Montana Thunder concept van could help change the minivan’s ho-hum image with its bold, wide-track look and strong performance. Most owners are forced into vans in order to transport people or cargo more easily. But frankly, the majority of them dislike the prosaic image a boxy, but useful, minivan projects. Fortunately, the idea of putting sexy styling, great handling, powerful engines, and big brakes in a minivan refuses to die. Indeed, MT tested Dodge’s vision of a fast and fun minivan, called the Caravan ESS, in our July ’96 issue. Of course, Dodge showrooms still lack this tangy variant. Jim Murray, Pontiac’s Firebird/Trans Sport brand…

Take a good look, because you’re likely to be seeing a whole lot more of this basic shape starting in the fall. Code named MV-99, it represents—rather closely, we’re told by our friends at Honda—what the firm’s first midsize minivan will look like when it arrives at dealerships this October. Based on the new Accord platform and dimensionally matching a long-wheelbase Chrysler minivan, the production version of the MV-99 will feature dual sliding side doors, offer generous room for up to seven, and be powered by the same 3.0-liter/200-horse all-aluminum SOHC V-6 used in the new Accord. Inside, the concept MV-99 is packed with all sorts of high-tech touches, including a head-up display, advanced on-board personal computing hardware, and a satellite-linked NAV system. The production model will have a far…

Mercedes-Benz currently finds itself in the midst of a fairly awesome new product launch program. That barrage continues unabated this fall, when two slick variations on the sporty CLK theme will join the German automaker’s lineup. Hottest of these newcomers is the CLK430. Developed in conjunction with performance partner AMG, it carries the firm’s potent new 4.3-liter V-8 underhood and a host of functional and cosmetic tweaks that promise to land it squarely in the forefront of the supercoupe genre. Sharing the same modular architecture and three-valve/twin-plug design as M-B’s 3.2-liter SOHC V-6, the eight-cylinder variant packs a 275-horsepower punch and churns out 295 pound-feet of torque. According to the factory statmeisters, that level of motivational force—shipped through the car’s fully adaptive five-speed automatic transmission—should be sufficient to send the…

When Motor Trend sweepstakes winner Gilbert Quant picked up his 323i Convertible in Munich, Germany, before setting off for a week of driving, he joined the lengthy list of other Americans who participated in BMW’s European Delivery Program. In fact, last year over a thousand buyers made the flight to Munich to drive their brand-new BMWs on the roads that have forged their heritage. Editor C. Van Tune took delivery of our all-black 540i six-speed the same way last year (MT, Jan. 97), and still hasn’t stopped talking about how much fun he had. Besides the opportunity to experience Europe’s glorious high-speed roads and stunning mountain vistas from behind the wheel of your own car, there are several real financial advantages to this method of buying. Participating customers, for instance,…

One look at a ’67 Eldorado and you can almost hear the light touch of whisks on brass symbols, a staccato rhythmed t-t-taaa-t-t-taaa that instantly puts you into the high-roller Las Vegas nightclub scene of the mid-’60s: craps tables, tumbling dice, highballs slugged out of tall glasses, unfiltered Chesterfields dangling from lower lips, tuxedos, bankrolls, leggy dames, diamond pinky rings, thick T-bones medium rare. The musical score in your head intensifies with the added rhythm of a lone pair of snapping fingers, accompanied by Bobby Troup tickling the 88s in a free-verse mix of Cole Porter and Lalo Schifrin. Close your eyes and let it build. It’s “Ocean’s 11,” “Casino,” and “77 Sunset Strip” combined. Under the canopy of the fabulous Sands Hotel, parked in the number-one spot marked “reserved…

Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage that carries a lot of responsibility: to yourself, your passengers, and other drivers. The awareness of that responsibility, along with specific laws of the highway, is what state driving tests are supposed to reinforce. Now, license hopefuls can begin their training at any age—no permit required—with a new software program called Driver’s Education ’98. This Windows-’95-based program is intended to prepare the user for his specific state driver’s test without the fear of any fender-benders. The program’s inter-active Driving Academy preps the user for a state’s written test with over 60 interactive lesson plans (complete with exams), based on the types of questions that you could expect to see in an actual state-specific test. This includes appropriate road signs, signals, markings,…

The sport/utility vehicle market continues to subdivide itself. There are now full-size luxury SUVs, convertibles, and others. To this, add the newest trend: the PUV, or Performance Utility Vehicle. Everywhere we look, someone is slamming, supercharging, brake-equipping, and killersuspending SUVs to perform like—believe it or not—cars. Saleen Performance has been manufacturing steroid-injected Mustangs for more than a dozen years, and decided the top-selling Ford Explorer was an ideal canvas for its brand of performance redo. Steve Saleen and his band of designers, engineers, and assemblers have taken their customary approach to enhancing the Explorer; upgrading not only the engine, but (if desired) the braking, suspension, appearance, and interior accommodations. The Saleen Explorer comes in two- or four-wheel-drive four-door configurations, packing either a SOHC 4.0-liter V-6, a 5.0-liter V-8, or a…

It was wall-to-wall wonder time as hundreds of thousands of car enthusiasts streamed through the turnstiles at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Each of these perennial season-opening events on the world’s major auto exhibition tour provided guests with a close-up look at a spectacular selection of upcoming production cars and trucks as well as spellbinding concept vehicles. You’ll find many of the key players for ’99 and beyond profiled more extensively in our special “Future Cars” and “Truck Trends” sections elsewhere in this issue. Here are some of the best remaining examples from both exhibitions. AUDI ALLROAD QUATTRO Highlighting Audi’s display in Detroit was this intriguing one-off, looking suspiciously like a production vehicle in waiting. Officially just a design exercise,…

The LHS makes a luxurious visual statement with its elegant lines, sculptured headlamp bezels, detailed bright-work, and instrumentation that looks like fine jewelry. (The LHS features an array of white-faced analog gauges, each surrounded by a thin chrome bezel that highlights the entire instrument panel.) Unlike any earlier classic Chrysler flagship, this large, five-passenger sedan has considerably better handling, braking, and performance. The LHS is big sister to the other three LH sedans that are built on essentially the same mechanicals and platform at the Bramalea, Ontario, plant. The emphasis here is on spacious luxury and tuning for smooth ride, bigcar quiet, and comfort. Speaking of comfort, the LHS offers one of the longest lists of standard features in any domestic sedan. Some of the main goodies include heated, leather-trimmed…

No other society on the planet understands the mythical reverence of the pickup truck more than Americans, and nobody builds a better full-size pickup than we do. Year after year, we’ve all seen the Big Three push the envelope far beyond the natural progression of vehicle development. Why? It’s a high-stakes game, and only the high-rollers can play. That said, how has Chevrolet chosen to up the ante with its Golden Child without alienating and otherwise angering a fiercely brand-loyal following? As the flagship of the Chevy truck division, the Silverado’s exterior styling is decidedly conservative, although no one can deny the nod to Dodge for the hood lines. (Ford has recently followed suit, in the design of its new Super Duty series—albeit far more out-rageously.! Refreshingly clean and lean,…

Unless you’ve been living at Ice Station Zebra in the Antarctic, you’ve probably noticed that Chrysler has been busy reinventing its corporate image. With show stoppers becoming production cars (witness the Viper, Prowler, Intrepid, and Concord), the folks at Chrysler are eager to take advantage of this styling renaissance to create an ultimate flagship model. While the Atlantic and Phaeton concept cars were well received, they’re less practical than the Chronos, which has an interesting mix of heritage and technology. The timeless appearance of the frontengine, rear-drive Chronos owes its inspiration to the Virgil Exner/Ghia-designed ’53 Chrysler/Ghia D’Elegance concept vehicle says Chrysler Design Studio Chief Jack Crain. “That vehicle had these proportions, but we updated the surfaces to meet the expectation of today’s automotive enthusiast.” With its distinctive grille, front…

Let’s call it the Kyoto conundrum. Everybody says they want clean air and better fuel efficiency, but nobody wants to pay extra for them. That’s a key message from the American public after last December’s “agreement” in Japan. Yet it’s virtually a given that an ultraclean, ultra-light, ultra-efficient, technology-infused, 70-mpg six-passenger sedan has to cost more. But how much more? Better performance is almost never free. Now, Chrysler Corp, has put a price on that high-volume 21st century family sedan: about $35,000. That’s $15,000 more than today’s Dodge’s Intrepid. Bernard Robertson, Chrysler’s vice president of Engineering Technologies, describes the ESX2 concept car as a snapshot of Chrysler’s best future-think sedan ideas. “We estimated the cost penalty of our first hybrid concept, the Dodge Intrepid ESX (MT, April ’96) to be…

Imagine yourself a cartoonist assigned to transform Buick’s sedate Park Avenue luxury car into a far-out, but useful, vehicle for Roger Rabbit to haul his friends and family around Toon Town. First, enlarge and exaggerate the Park Avenue’s vertical bar grille. Below, pencil in a couple of bulbous curves to resemble the fleshy jowls of Roger himself. Take a finely sharpened pencil to the Park Avenue’s smooth, aerodynamic lines and give them a razor-sharp edge, and square off the front fenders to resemble the broad shoulders of Buzz Lightyear. For contrast, add gentle contours over the rear wheel arches, like the curvaceous hips of Roger’s sensuous wife, Jessica. Throw in a few Jet-son-style gadgets, like televisions on the front seatbacks, glass that darkens depending on the sun’s intensity, and intuitive…

FIRST TEST Any Land Cruiser introduction is a bona-fide special occasion for the folks at Toyota. After all, from 1958 to 1965, this brawny all-terrain runner served as the firm’s sole representative in the U.S. market and played an equally pivotal role in ensuring Toyota’s worldwide fortunes. But for ’98, there’s particularly keen significance. Chief designer Takeo Kondo—better known inside corporate circles as Mr. Land Cruiser—emphatically stresses that this new, fifth-generation model represents the greatest leap forward of any of its predecessors. After extensively flogging several examples both on- and off-road, we wholeheartedly agree. Toyota left no functional area untouched in this comprehensive improvement program. The Land Cruiser design team literally began the process from the ground up, starting with a major revamp of the vehicle’s already robust ladder frame…

According to the locals, only about one of every five visitors to the Denali region actually gets to set eyes on the massive white peak. That’s because 20,320-foot Denali (the Athapaskan name for Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America) is a perpetual weathermaker. More often than not, the famous, but enigmatic, pinnacle shrouds itself in clouds like a mysterious Arabian dancer cloaked in taunting veils. Now, either my stars were in laser-like alignment or my travel agent had inside connections, because my morning in the realm of Denali dawned crystal clear and, in the first glow of daylight, the majestic mountain stood out boldly above the dense Alaskan pines like an Aleutian god surveying its domain. I should have such luck in Vegas. From the perspective of the…

Even if there are no leaks in your car’s brake system, the fluid level in the brake master cylinder will still gradually go down. This is important to keep track of, because it’s a good indicator that it’s time to check the vehicle’s brake pads and/or shoes for wear. As the friction linings on pads and shoes wear down, they are pushed out farther to maintain good braking contact with the rotors or drums. This, in turn, requires that more fluid be drawn from the master cylinder. Eventually, this will be evident in the master cylinder reservoir as the fluid level drops to near the minimum mark. Be sure to check your brakes at this point, and don’t forget to top off your fluid. NEW AND NOTABLE You might have…

Yes, the Mercedes V-8 will fit into the nose of an SLK roadster and the proof of that is German tuner Brabus’ SLK V-8; an SLK230 with its four-cylinder heart ripped out to make room for a 6.5-liter maniacal exaggeration of the DOHC 32-valve V-8 normally found in 4.2-liter displacement in the E420 and as a 5.0-liter in the SL500. With all of Brabus’ tuning tricks applied, the company claims the 11.0:1 compression, 6.5-liter version of the engine makes 450 horsepower at 5700 rpm and a redwood-felling 488 pound-feet of torque 3800 rpm. That the V-8 fits into the tiny SLK isn’t really such a surprise. After all, V-8s are no longer than straight fours and the SLK was designed, we hear, to eventually accept Mercedes’ new family of V-6s,…

With a new series sponsor, a return to an old brand name, and a public stock offering, much about the way Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) does business has changed. So too has the CART lineup, with high-profile teams like Marlboro Penske and Team KOOL Green swapping drivers faster than you can say “free agents.” The most obvious change is the Federal Express Corporation’s new presence as title sponsor of the ’98 FedEx Championship Series. The switch comes after 18 years of support from PPG Industries and reflects CART’S desire for a sponsor that markets itself—and the series—to a wide audience. PPG’s involvement continues through its pace-car program and points fund for the PPG Cup. The term “Indy Car” has been supplanted in the CART lexicon by “Championship Car” in…