Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2013 i MotorTrend

Rarely do we get to combine “more than 500 hp” and “Volkswagen GTI” in one sentence, but once again the Wörthersee Festival in Austria comes to our rescue. The crazy Volkswagen Design Vision GTI is a race car that’s sure to whet the appetite of VW enthusiasts. Unlike the GTI W12-650—the mid-engine, rear-drive 12-cylinder GTI from 2007 with 650 hp—the GTI Design Vision uses all-wheel drive with a seven-speed dualclutch automatic transmission. The GTI is powered by a 503-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 413 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, but Volkswagen points out that 369 lb-ft is available at 2000 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is a claimed 3.9 seconds. For comparison, Audi’s 430-hp R8 V8 coupe accelerates to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, with the new…

Ferrari sold 7318 cars in 2012, but if you ask chairman Luca di Montezemolo, that’s at least 318 too many. “A Ferrari is like a beautiful woman: She must be worth waiting for and desired. I base my ideas on what I learned from Enzo Ferrari. If we produce fewer cars, we will not flood the market, and it makes our used cars more desirable, too,” di Montezemolo explained. While that may prove true, we wonder if Ferrari is really trying to get out ahead of an expected downturn in supercar sales, as predicted by di Montezemolo’s counterpart at Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann. Selling fewer cars (within reason) won’t hurt Ferrari’s bank account much. According to British research firm BrandFinance, Ferrari is the most powerful brand in the world, besting even…

One of General Motors’ goals with the second-generation Chevrolet Volt is to cut $7000-$10,000 in production costs per car, compared to the current model, without reducing content. “Every new technology takes a while to get traction. You’ve got to work out all of the associated issues,” CEO Dan Akerson told Bloomberg. As previously reported, GM loses money on every Volt produced. Not surprisingly, the Volt, which currently carries an MSRP of $39,995 (before tax credits), continues to be a source of controversy mostly because of its high production costs and GM’s struggles at meeting sales goals. GM has acknowledged that the Volt will take “longer to become profitable” than a normal car. In addition to reducing production costs, Chevrolet has said the Volt’s technology will carry over to other GM…

POLL PARTY! We asked our readers: Which would you rather drive on a daily basis? 2014 Audi R8 V10 Plus 66% 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Pack 34% For the Cost of 1 Lamborghini Veneno You Could Have: OR… With destination, delivery, gas guzzler tax, and options.…

The Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival are two of the world’s best-loved and best-attended motorsport events. This year is the Festival’s 20th anniversary, and, as every July, some 190,000 people will brave the fickle British “summer” (and one billion globally will watch on TV) to see competition cars and bikes of all eras and disciplines run up a hillclimb course on a stately home’s lawn. At the September Revival, cars from the 1940s-’60s will be seriously raced by worldclass drivers in front of a huge crowd dressed in period costume. It’s a total time capsule: One British supermarket chain even sets up a store selling groceries in period wrappers. The Festival and Revival fit no template. There’s nothing like them. So we asked the man behind them,…

The decision to build an ultra-high-performing, plug-in hybrid concept for the 2010 Geneva show was made just six months before the doors opened at the Palexpo. It would be the first hybrid supercar to be displayed to the public, and it would not be a science-fiction fantasy. So a team of 40 engineers in Germany and 20 fabricators in Italy sharpened their pencils, developed a rational design that leveraged racing experience with kinetic-energy recovery systems (KERS), and made it happen. In July of that year, the board of management gave the gas/electric hybrid all-wheel-drive 918 Spyder the green light for production, with the seemingly disparate goals of achieving 3.0-liter/100 km (78 mpg) fuel consumption and a quicker Nürburgring lap time than any previous Porsche supercar had achieved. The strategic point…

Every driving enthusiast knows the 1991-2005 Acura/Honda NSX’s legacy is large and legendary. That legacy is inescapable if you’re tasked with bringing the next NSX to market. Now imagine you’re Ted Klaus, a 22-year Acura/Honda veteran with tremendous experience working on chassis and vehicle dynamics, stability control, and all-wheel-drive integration. He’s been named the Large Project Leader (essentially chief engineer) for the new-generation NSX, and his American engineering and assembly team have orders to give the revived supercar an AWD hybrid powertrain. The purists’ outrage is palpable. What’s a guy like Ted going to do? “The first thing you do is you go and talk to the people that were there and developed [the original NSX],” Klaus says. “I went and took the entire development team, and we met and…

“With a big car, you have lots of power, but lots of electronics to hold the car on track,” says Alex Fiorio in rhythmic, Italian-accented English. “But with this car, you put the electronics off, and it doesn’t slide at all.” As if on cue, Fiorio hucks the 4250-pound, $102,500 Maserati Quattroporte off a steep left-facing drop. A full second and two heavy ka-thunks later, we’re back on terra firma, and Fiorio gleefully yelps, “See!? Perfectly flat!” That’s the first 20 seconds of my lap with Fiorio, a former World Rally champion who raced Lancia Delta HFs in the wild and crazy ‘80s. We’re at the Fiat Group’s gorgeous Balocco proving grounds just outside of Milan, hustling the car around the Langhe handling track. It’s like a mini-Nürburgring Nordschleife, flanked…

The English language is as confusing as it is beautiful. There are different versions: American English, British English, Australian English. Each is spoken and written with specific quirks and foibles. The Chevrolet Silverado has become the newest homonym and homograph in the American lexicon. It’s spelled the same, pronounced the same, and in many ways, looks the same, but don’t mistake the 2013 model for the all-new 2014 pickup. They’re as different as nouns and verbs. The new Silverado is more comfortable, more efficient, and more powerful. So powerful, in fact, it can metaphorically haul that elephant out of the room. (Max towing for the full-size Silverado is 12,000 pounds, depending upon its configuration.) Yes, the new Silverado looks a lot like the old Silverado. Oh, there were changes. The…

“Life’s better without too much leather, especially when you have good seat bolstering, a six-speed manual, and a real e-brake.@carloslago EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 26/35/29 MPG BASE PRICE $25,450 PRICE AS TESTED $34,550 I met the arrival of a long-term Mini Coupe with excitement. It doesn’t have rear seats, so it must be lighter. Smaller, too, right? Lightness, balance, and efficiency—here’s a hint at a revival of the philosophy with which Sir Alec Issigonis imbued the ordinal Mini. None of this is actually true. Versus the hardtop, the Coupe is 0.2 inch longer and no narrower. There’s a 0.9-inch drop in height, but despite less roof and seats, the Coupe is 11 pounds heavier. But after a few weeks behind the wheel, I’ve become a disciple of its…

“As the miles pile up, the ILX continues to rev and run like the first day I hopped in it, with no loose trim, rattles, or other quality issues.”@MT_Floyd Service life / 10 mo/16,830 mi Avg CO2 / 0.72 lb/mi Energy cons / 124 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $293.35 (2-oil change, inspection, 2-tire rotation) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 22/31/25 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 27.1 MPG With its B1 service light going off and the Acura ILX’s oil level getting within an inch of its life, it was time to head back to Glendale Acura for the ILX’s second scheduled service. Oil-change intervals have been running around 7000 miles or so, and while at $100-plus a shot it isn’t cheap if…

You’ll make quite an impression driving your toys to the racetrack in the Volkswagen Amarok Concept, with its extended wheelwell arches and gunmetal-colored 22-inch wheels wearing 295/35 tires. While regular Amaroks are powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel I-4, the Wörthersee Amarok gets a 3.0-liter V-6 with about 270 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the U.S.-spec Volkswagen Touareg TDI manages 406 lb-ft from its 3.0-liter turbodiesel. The sport truck makes the most of that engine with an eight-speed automatic and AWD; acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is said to take 7.9 seconds. Visually, the Wörthersee Amarok is distinguished by its red and black accents on the side of the truck, with what appears to be a carbon-fiber accent on the lower front fascia, as well as red…

Tesla has made a profit for the first time in its 10-year history reporting revenue of $562 million, resulting in an $11.2-million net income. The automaker then repaid its Department of Energy loans with interest nine years early. The Model S, which we named the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year, plays a huge part in this, as the company sold 4900 vehicles in the first quarter, exceeding the original 4500-unit goal. Tesla said it produced 400 or more cars a week, totaling 5000 for the first quarter. The company also raised its full-year forecast to about 21,000 worldwide deliveries (from 20,000) thanks to demand and reductions in the time it takes to assemble a Model S. Tesla’s stock price surged after the profit was announced to over $90…

Nearly four years after the Chrysler ENVI alternative-propulsion program’s demise, we’ve finally had our crack at the automotive group’s first battery-electric vehicle that will be sold to the “general” public (California only at time of printing) and isn’t a neighborhood electric vehicle (GEM). Driving the Fiat 500e isn’t very different from driving a run-of-the-mill 500. You open the door, plop into a high-mounted, plush seat, twist the “ignition” key, and get ready to go. Next, you press the D button on the center console to put the single-speed transmission in Drive, very much like the process in a modern, automatic-transmission Aston Martin. Then, completely unlike being in an Aston Martin, you whirr away from your starting point nearly silently, thanks to the quiet electric motor and extensive NVH-suppression package. Fiat…

The media presentation told us McLaren Automotive’s 10-man senior engineering team boasts 108 combined years of supercar development experience and another 63 years of working in Formula 1. Which sounds like plenty to guide the P1 plug-in hybrid supercar from idea to production. While there’s no doubt the P1 will be a technological masterpiece, it was refreshing to learn that McLaren didn't know where to start with the whole shebang. True, the P1 was one of the originally planned products in the lineup, and in the works since August 2007. But there were many unknowns at the outset: whether the car could generate as much downforce as an FIA GT3-spec race car, whether the car would achieve less than 200 grams/kilometer of CO2 on the New European Driving Cycle (the…

The modern German car industry is miraculous, if for no other reason than the multitude of methods employed to skin the same old cat. Take the three sporty convertibles we’ve assembled for this comparison test: the Audi R8 V8 Spyder, the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, and the Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet. Please note the differences. The AMG is front-engined; the Audi’s motivator is directly behind the driver (mid-engine); and the Porsche still hangs its engine out behind the rear halfshafts, just as it has since 1963. America produces just four convertible cars: the Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, and the rental fleet superstar Chrysler 200. All four feature engines in one place: in front of the driver. Rest assured, if the Germans could think of another place to stick the motor, they…

In 1976, Volkswagen created the “hot hatch” with the original MK1 Golf GTI. Since then, many competitors have come and gone while the GTI has become bigger, stronger, and more refined, all while keeping its original character. By all measures, this should be the best GTI yet. Volkswagen has a habit of underrating its 2.0-liter turbos, and the 210-hp number attached to the third-generation EA888 feels as underrated as ever. If that’s not enough, for the first time, Volkswagen will offer a Performance Package with an additional 10 hp, among other things. The bigger news is the additional 51 lb-ft of torque on both trim levels. Standard and performance package cars deliver 258 lb-ft starting at a mere 1500 rpm. Even with more power and substantially more torque, VW is…

“The Gran Coupe looks exactly like a 6 Series coupe with a couple of extra doors, though that’s the opposite of what it is.”@Angus_Mack EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 17/25/19 MPG BASE PRICE $87,995 PRICE AS TESTED $112,845 Automotive engineers and designers call it the occasional imperative. It’s a function or attribute that justifies a vehicle’s purchase, even though it may be rarely used. The back seats in a 911 give it a fig leaf of practicality, while even the most dedicated urban air-hauler will brag about what he could tow with his new F-150. My occasional imperative is four doors and four seats. For the first time in years, Mrs. MacKenzie and I don’t need an SUV or even a large sedan. All the kids have left home. I…

“Like the camera and simple TomTom navigation, the 40/20/40 split rear seat makes life a little easier.”@Nate_Martinez Service life / 11 mo/21,375 mi Avg CO2 / 0.75 lb/mi Energy cons / 130 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $202.20 (2-oil change, inspection; 1-tire rotation) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 26/32/29 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 26.0 MPG Moving sucks. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. But with an appropriate vehicle and some strong object organization skills, you can get a lot done very effectively. At no other time have I really appreciated Blue’s generous 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space (second row folded) than during my recent escape from L.A.’s San Fernando Valley to its South Bay. First, Blue accommodated three 20-gallon Rubbermaid…

“Big White has the style and class to be a fitting Vegas ride.”@kougarov Service life / 5 mo/9390 mi Avg CO2 / 0.92 lb/mi Energy cons / 160 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $93.22 (oil change, rotate tires, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 19/31/23 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 21.1 MPG Big, comfortable sedans have always been a solid choice for epic road trips on long, flat highways, and since our 2013 Chrysler 300S arrived, it’s gone on a day trip to the Salton Sea, plus voyages to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Redlands, California. In all cases, the 300’s quiet cabin, comfortable seats, booming stereo, smooth ride, and adaptive cruise control made the experience enjoyable. Fuel economy on these long-range trips ventured…

“I was informed by our local VW dealer that from the tire wear, they suspect someone has been drifting our Passat.” 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI SE Total mileage / 12 mo/25,332 mi Base price / $26,765 Options / Monster Mats ($235: floor mats, trunk liner), First Aid Kit ($35) Price as tested / $27,035 Avg CO2 / 0.56 lb/mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (2-oil change, inspection; 1-cabin-air filter, tire rotation) Normal-wear cost / $0 3-year residual value* / $15,140 Recalls / None EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 31/43/35 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 39.4 MPG *Automotive Lease Guide 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.5 SEL Total mileage / 12 mo/25,521 mi Base price / $29,165 Options / Monster Mats ($235: floor mats, trunk liner), First Aid Kit ($35) Price as…

The S-Class has always been the car on which Mercedes introduces new technologies that tend to trickle down to less expensive models and across the industry. For starters, loaded S-Class sedans will feature lighting from nearly 500 LEDs, including about 300 in the interior. The LEDs can be lit in seven colors with five dimming levels and four dimming zones. Mercedes is particularly proud of the Magic Body Control system. With help from Road Surface Scan, if the car’s stereo camera detects unevenness ahead, the car can prepare the standard air suspension. On the subject of technology with sight, the updated automated parking system can recognize parking spaces nearby and not only parallel park automatically but park at pull-in spaces as well. Mercedes claims the S-Class’ system can also get…

Imagine you were in your late teens to early 20s, and given free rein to build your dream car. That is exactly the premise behind this 328-hp Volkswagen Golf Cabrio concept. A team of 13 apprentices from Austria and Germany ranging in age from 17 to 23 put their heads and hearts together to build this awesome drop-top Golf. Although the Cabrio is available with up to 265 hp from the factory, the team of young enthusiasts turned the wick up to 328 hp on the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The red and white color theme reflects the colors of the national flag of Austria. The Recaro front seats have the word “Austria” stitched into the headrests, while red is applied to the door sides, the side mirror caps, and…

While extended-range electric vehicle maker Fisker Automotive has been having some high-profile issues, electric vehicle maker CODA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After a year on sale in California, the EV startup had only sold about 100 cars. CODA will use the bankruptcy to leave the automobile business to refocus its efforts on energy storage for utilities and building operators, Reuters reports. The CODA EV sedan was based on a gas-powered Chinese economy car that itself was based on an ancient Mitsubishi architecture. Using that platform helped offset the cost of expensive lithium-ion batteries (also sourced from China from Lishen Battery). The 134-hp, 221-lb-ft of torque motor and battery management system were American made, while final assembly took place in Northern California. CODA claimed the $37,250 EV sedan could…

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ faces the monumental task of rejuvenating the storied brand’s premium image by erasing the notion that its vehicles are simply rebadged Fords. With the MKZ Hybrid, the Lincoln Motor Company hopes to lure younger, affluent, and openminded coastal customers to the brand. The plan might be working, as 30 percent of the 4012 units sold in April were hybrid models, with 60 percent of those sold in Los Angeles. With the same $36,820 base price (including destination) as the gas-only front-drive MKZ sedan, the hybrid model trades the 240-hp, 270-lb-ft, turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 and six-speed automatic for a 141-hp, 129-lb-ft, 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 mated to a continuously variable powersplit transmission and 118-hp electric traction motor. Total system power is rated at 188 hp. Along with…

When you’re worth about $7 billion, you can afford to be picky. The buzz around the Formula 1 pit lane is that Red Bull impresario Dietrich Mateschitz wasn’t entirely overjoyed by Infiniti coming aboard as title sponsor on his Red Bull Racing F1 team. Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner was delighted to be able bring a major automaker on board to help fund some of the $250- $300 million his team spends on racing each year. Insiders say the billionaire Austrian energy drink magnate, who spent $675 million on Red Bull Racing between 2005 and 2011 and also owns a second F1 team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, indicated he would have preferred to spend more Red Bull money to keep Infiniti’s profile lower…Ford might be shutting down its Australian…

By the numbers, the Mazda CX-5 outperformed all comers. Families evolve. A single person finds someone, and that partnership flourishes. “Me” becomes “we,” and then “We need some new wheels.” That’s when the spawn of the traditional SUV will likely appear in the new family’s driveway. Buyers can keep the sport/utility segment’s good features—such as cargo space, a comfortable second row, and the high riding position—and dump the rough ride, bad gas mileage, and a body so big the garage needs bay doors for it to fit. These little crossovers affirm automotive evolution through intelligent design. They also serve as the missing link for young families, filling the gap between a single life and a life of Little League games, ballet recitals, and PTA meetings. They provide extra space for…

Is BMW’s new M6 Gran Coupe the best M money can buy? It’s certainly the M product that requires the most money to buy, ringing in at $115,225 to start, including the $1300 gas-guzzler tax. To these eyes, it’s the best-looking M, and its 560-hp, 500-lb-ft, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 ranks it as the most powerful M yet (tied with the M5 and other M6s, and not counting the M-produced McLaren F1’s 6.0-liter 627-hp/479-lb-ft V-12). On paper, it looks like the ultimate M, but how is it to drive? Let’s strap in at BMW M’s Garching H.Q. in Bavaria and find out. Before tossing us the keys, development chief Maximilian Ahme explains the M6 GC’s place in the M5/M6 pecking order, noting that springs, dampers, anti-roll bars, and electronic damping system…

“The world would be a better place if everyone drove small, light sports cars.”@roryjurnecka Service life / 10 mo/16,477 mi Avg CO2 / 0.72 lb/mi Energy cons / 126 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / Underhood chirping noise Maintenance cost / $0 (2-oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 22/30/25 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 26.8 MPG The BRZ went in for its second service recently at 15,000 miles, during which it received a complimentary oil change and inspection as part of its initial no-cost maintenance program. While it was at Subaru Pacific in Torrance, California, I also decided to mention an annoyance to the assistant service manager. Over the past few months the BRZ had been making an irritating noise, mostly noticeable at idle with the…

“After driving a G63 AMG, I’m thankful for the Altima’s lower center of gravity, but its engine note? Not so much.” Service life / 7 mo/12,940 mi Avg CO2 / 0.73 lb/mi Energy cons / 127 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $0 (oil change, inspection, rotate tires) Normal-wear cost / $0 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 27/38/31 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 26.5 MPG The best feature in the 2013 Nissan Altima’s cabin is the Advanced Drive-Assist Display, a 4.0-inch instrument cluster info screen that’s tilted back 17 degrees away from the driver. Short of a full head-up display, the specially angled info screen is an optimal alternative for reducing the time a driver spends looking down at the instrument cluster. The screen can show details on the…

“Is it the runt factor? Based on the (lack of) signouts, the Rio appears to be in the running for ‘least popular long-term vehicle.’” Service life / 7 mo/17,028 mi Avg CO2 / 0.56 lb/mi Energy cons / 98 kW-hrs/100 mi Unresolved problems / None Maintenance cost / $74.66 (2-oil change, inspection, 1-cabin air filter, 1-tire rotation) Normal-wear cost / $98.41 EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 29/37/32 MPG AVERAGE FUEL ECON 34.4 MPG From past experience, Hyundai and Kia products with manual transmissions tend to be noticeably easier on gas bills than their automatic counterparts, even if the EPA ratings are close. Now closing in on 20,000 miles, the Rio SX’s observed fuel economy continues to hold above the EPA’s 32 combined mpg without aggressive fuel-saving driving techniques. On freeways, the…