Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2004 i MotorTrend

“L.A. Is where automotive trends happen, and happen first.” Life’s a journey, they say. Well, I’m still trying to figure out the roadmap that took a car-crazy kid from a working-class suburb in a quiet, midsize Australian city to the hot seat here at Motor Trend. Along the way, I’ve driven some truly memorable cars on spectacular roads all over the world—and sometimes on no roads at all—gotten to know some of the most fascinating people you could ever meet, and edited top-selling auto magazines in Australia and Great Britain. Now I’ve been handed the keys to a true American icon, produced in the very heart of a city at the cutting edge of car culture. Robert E. Petersen sure got it right back in 1949 when he decided to…

If Cadillac’s renaissance proves real through the rest of the decade, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar will be defending their flagships. The erstwhile Standard of the World is working on an S-Class-fighter to be fitted with V-12 and V-8 Northstar engines and is scheduled to go on sale by 2009. Yet unnamed but likely to carry a faux-Euro moniker—but hopefully nothing as dull and unimaginative as “ULS” for “Ultimate Luxury Sedan”—the top-of-the-range Cadillac would be a significant step up in size from the 2005 STS, which is 196.3 inches long on a 116.4-inch Wheelbase and probably even bigger than the current S-Class, which is 203.1 inches long on a 121.5-inch wheelbase. The V-12 model will be powered by a version of the 7.5-liter Northstar engine from the 2002 Cien mid-engine…

GRAND CHEROKEE SRT-8 Mercedes-Benz offers an AMG-massaged G-Class, so why not an SRT-modded Jeep? The new Grand Cherokee gets the full treatment, with a 6.1-liter, 425-horsepower Hemi under the hood, and a lowered ride height for improved handling. Wheels (1) appear to be 20 inch and are fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Front bumper (2) is deeper and has been reprofiled. Radical center dual exhaust (3) recalls Viper; fitting a tow hitch will be tough. MAGNUM SRT-8 The Dodge Magnum SRT-8 is no surprise as it uses identical powertrain, suspension, and brake components to the Chrysler 300C version. That means the 425-horsepower big Hemi up front, the Brembo brake package, and five-speed auto. The Magnum SRT-8 gets a bold new 20-inch alloy wheel (1) shod here with Goodyear…

Buick needs hardware, and fast. Its current roster of aged front-drivers and rebadged SUVs and minivans isn’t going to carry it far for long. First up will be the Lucerne, which will remain on updated front-drive architecture. This high-volume four-door sedan bows for 2006, replacing the current LeSabre. Lucerne will be followed by two new reardrivers. A large, premium rear-drive sedan is due for the 2008 model year. Its design language is derived from this year’s Velite concept (although the latter is a two-door convertible) and may end up wearing that name. A two-door, open-topped halo model—-not to be confused with that Velite show car—may appear shortly thereafter. Think of it as a modern 1953 Skylark. Engines choices will likely be GM’s DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 and 4.2-liter Northstar V-8. These…

A NEW XC, BUT NOT XL Volvo has confirmed it will build a BMW X3-fight-ger—luxury compacts are the hot SUV segment in I Europe. Based on the platform of Ford Motor Company’s Land Rover Freelander replacement, I the XC50 bows early next year as a 2006 model I will have four- and five-cylinder engines. NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CUBES Volkswagen has bumped the size of its 3.2-liter, 15-degree V-6 to 3.6 liters and 280 horsepower for the 2006 Passat, which trades in the current car’s north-south engine configuration for a transversely mounted powerplant The engine will also power the 2007 Golf R36. THE C-MAX FACTOR Ford is mulling over whether to import its C-Max compact minivan to the U.S. Based on the C1 platform that underpins the Volvo S40/V50 and the…

More than two-thirds of Mustang buyers will pass on the macadam-melting GT. Happily, the new rental-grade’Stang is much less of a penalty box. Its SOHC 4.0-liter V-6 is borrowed from the Explorer and tuned with a new intake and camshaft to make 202 horsepower and 235 pound-feet That’s only nine more horses and 10-pound-feet-more torque than its pushrod 3.8-liter forebear produced, but the 90 percent of base-car buyers opting for the five-speed automatic transmission will sense a much quicker acceleration. Relative to the old four-speed, the overall gearing is 36 percent shorter in first and around 50 percent shorter in the next three gears, so there’s a lot more torque multiplication on hand at every speed in every gear. (The same is true of GT automatics.) No 2004 V-6 Mustang…

The LR3 Is a spare, architectural design. Shunning the slightest runt of decoration, it wears its utility on its sleeve. By now you know that a Land Rover can slog through African rain forest, conquer the Mongolian steppes, and survive Arctic blasts, biblical torrents, and Saharan swelter. But would you recommend one to a friend who wasn’t intent on setting a new world record for Guinness? For the daily commute, the trip to the mall, even the family weekend excursion, there are a lot of choices out there. At least 85 different nameplates are competing for your sport/utility dollar, many with far better J.D. Power quality ratings than Land Rovers of the not-so-distant past. For 2005, Land Rover has wiped the slate clean with an all-new design, one that aims…

Baby boomers wary of marketspeak will see the Freestyle as a new-age Country Squire with all-wheel-drive capability and modern safety gear—but without the V-8 and fake wood paneling. It’s an updated, nonretro version of Ford’s midcentury suburban icon. Some would dub the Freestyle a “crossover,” an amorphous word that bumps it into the sport/utility category. Like the Five Hundred sedan, with which it shares its chassis architecture, the Freestyle will be powered by a 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 until a new 3.5-liter is ready. That means just 203 horses have to pull two tons around by the front wheels or all the wheels via the Volvo XC90’s Haldex system. The Freestyle is happiest accelerating through the midrange and is agile through corners, without giving up ride quality. All-wheel drive is a…

AMG-spec C-Classes have always been great drivers, but the mix was never quite right. The original six-cylinder C36 (1995) was pricey and didn’t pack enough punch. The C43 (1998) got it right with V-8 power, but was stuck with bland styling. The 2002 C32 AMG received a new bod, and its blown 3.2-liter V-6 had all kinds of punch, yet lacked cachet. It all comes together for 2005 in the C55 AMG, which combines an updated, upgraded C-Class platform and interior with a burbling, handbuilt, 362-horse V-8. It’s a torquester, too, with a 376-pound-feet peak at 4000 rpm, nearly 300 of it on hand by just 2000 revs. To make the V-8 work in the C’s compact confines, Mercedes grafted on the front clip from the CLK55 AMG—no bad thing,…

Pontiac’s Grand Am is a boring car. It’s average, at best, from a driving dynamics and quality standpoint. And it’s standard fare at many rental-car counters. But it’s a huge seller. So its replacement has to be a direct hit, as there are significant sales volumes and lots of happy customers at risk. GM has changed everything, including the name, and the new G6 is aimed at other midsize high watermarks such as Camry and Accord. It’s hoping to one-up these stalwarts by offering V-6 power and high content value for the same money as four-cylinder versions of the Japanese bestsellers. The G6 comes with an iron-block overhead-valve V-6, at 3.5 liters, 200 horsepower, and 220 pound-feet of torque in the GT sedan and 3.9 liters, 240 horses, and 245…

Is your car cramping your lifestyle? Do you wish you had more spread-out room inside? Space for friends and family to travel under one roof instead of two? Maybe you have toys-big ones that need to be towed to your favorite playground? Perhaps your interests are big and messy and you're looking for a place to ferry farm-fresh fertilizer, dirtbikes, ready-mix, or 4x8 sheets of plywood? Or could it be that the urge to explore the more magnificent reaches of this planet has you pining for four-wheel drive and more ground clearance? You've come to the right place. This 20-page buyer's guide lays out important facts and figures on 119 new 2005 and upcoming 2006 pickup trucks, sport/utilities, and vans from the best information we have available. There are a…

I decided to humor the nice GM PR type who invited me to a seminar about big wheels and tires at the General's Milford Proving Ground. It was only a half-day, it was nearby, and GM’s caterer bakes fab cookies. So even though I'd learned all I wanted to know about big wheels from Kim Reynolds’s definitive piece in our May issue, I went along. In the hope of siphoning off a bit of the lucre currently gushing into the coffers of 100 aftermarket wheel manufacturers at the rate of about $3.2 billion annually, GM has launched 10 different 20x8.5-inch wheels tailored to its line of full-size trucks. We were brought in to learn what that “tailoring" involves. The first part of the briefing recapped our story, as the engineers…

The Chevy Silverado (and GMC Sierra) Hybrid was previously offered only for fleets, but is now available to the public. It’s a mild hybrid that uses a small amount of electric-motor assist while the vehicle is moving (the motor engages to smooth earlier lockup of the torque converter), deriving most of its claimed 13-percent benefit from engine shutdown while the truck is stopped. Our 4x4 half-ton model (two-wheel drive is standard), with automatic transmission, started out at $31,045 with gasoline power only. The electric-hybrid option costs $2500, but forces many other options. Added weight requires the Light Duty Power package (a locking differential and HD trailering equipment for $1675), plus a $95 heavy-duty suspension, and aluminum wheels for $200. Physical packaging around the batteries and motor mandates the Autotrac active…

It was a plain-looking piece: no grille-mounted foglamps, “pony” interior, or sparkling chrome-trimmed, styled-steel wheels. Heck, it didn’t even have hubcaps. Any new Mustang was a big deal back in the summer of 1964. But this early GT prototype, as tested for our August 1964 issue, Was more special yet. Underhood sat Ford’s 271-horsepower, 289-cubic-inch “Hi-Po” small-block V-8, backed by a four-speed manual transmission. With a O-to-60-mph time of 7.5 seconds, a quarter-mile run of 15.7 seconds at 89.0 mph, and a 60-to-O braking distance of 172 feet, the 1964 underperforms (by leagues) the new 2005 Mustang in every category. Yet that matters little, as this unadorned coupe was—in every sense of the term—the start of something big. COVERAGE: JULY 1966 Everyone knows I the first-generation Mustang I was a…

Ferrari has given its volume-selling mid-engine 360 Modena a new powerplant, new sheetmetal, and a new name: F430. As this moniker implies, the F430 is powered by a bigger engine, a 4.3-liter V-8 based on the 4.2-liter unit used in the Maserati Coupe and Spyder, but with lighter castings and a slightly longer stroke and higher-compression ratio. The new engine develops 483 horsepower at 8500 rpm, a sizeable increase over the 425 horsepower pumped out by the race-face Challenge Stradale version of the 360 Modena. Ferrari claims a 0-to-60 time of 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph. The F430 comes standard with carbon-ceramic disc brakes, and the optional F1 paddle shift transmission can now swap ratios in 150 milliseconds. Other tech upgrades include an electronically controlled limited-slip…

This is the seventh-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, codenamed W221 and scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in 2006. Despite the disguise, it’s clear the new S-Class will borrow design cues from DaimlerChrysler’s Maybach über-limo—check that raised trunklid. Insiders say the new car is bigger all round, too—almost as big as the 1991-1998 model—and will have wheel options as large as 20 inches. The body will be steel, but aluminum doors, hood, and trunk will help reduce weight. As you’d expect from a top-of-the-range Mercedes, the new S-Class will be laden with high-tech gizmos, including radar cruise control that works in slow traffic and detects pedestrians, night-vision lighting, and intelligent airbags. Powertrains include new V-6 and V-8 gas engines ranging from 3.0 liters to 5.4 liters and 258 to 306…

Ford has ditched plans to build a new Cobra roadster following the less-than-enthusiastic reaction to the Shelby Cobra concept unveiled last January at the Detroit auto show. That’s the bad news. The good news is Ford’s now thinking of building the hot-looking GR-1 coupe unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance instead. Ford design boss J Mays confirms the GR-1 could be put into production with relatively few styling changes. The car uses the same Ford GT-based component set as the Cobra, so the same business model applies. That means V-10 power a price point of around $100,000, and an on-sale date of late 2005, early 2006. Insiders say the GR-1 would cost a little more to develop than the Cobra, partly because of the need for better NVH in…

This spy shot of the front-drive sedan formerly known as the Future clearly shows the new Ford corporate face, first seen on the 427 Concept, and a look that’ll eventually permeate all Ford sedans. The car, tipped to be called the Fusion after Ford discovered the Pep Boys auto-parts chain actually owned the Future nameplate, replaces? the cramped Contour and is aimed squarely? at Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Fusion's platform, called CD3 inside Dearborn, is based on the MazdaG’s, but with a wider track. This platform also will underpin Lincoln and Mercury versions of the car—called Zephyr and Milan—-as welt as the production version of the cool Aviator, crossover concept shown at the 2004 Detroit Show—for the 2007 model year. The sedans will be front drive, though the…

The last largely new car introduced in this country with a live rear axle was the 1993 Camaro. Has Ford taken this retro thing too far? Forget all that guff about drag-racing customers demanding a live axle, this setup’s a cost-cutter. Ford chose to invest more heavily in powertrain upgrades, and only the live axle can be built cheaply enough to sell in a $20,000 V-6 car and yet strongly enough to withstand 300 horse power in a $30,000 one. All that said, the geometry of the new axle is far more efficient, which allowed weight to be pulled out of the links and springs and reapplied to reinforcing the axle and differential so it can better withstand aftermarket tuning (the engineers will admit to 20-percent overdesign, so beware of…

After years of dormancy, the com-pact/midsize truck market is suddenly boiling over with new products. Last year brought fresh entries from GMC and Chevrolet, and before 2005 is over we’ll see new rigs from Toyota and Nissan, plus the fresh Dodge Dakota pictured here. This Dakota is a ground-up redo, borrowing styling cues and mechanical bits from its family-tied Durango (yet sharing no sheetmetal) and featuring a stiffer and stronger hydro-formed and fully boxed frame. Dodge has decided to ditch its regular-cab configuration and will now offer only extended- and crew-cab versions. The old Dakota suffered from overboosted steering, which hampered control precision, but this truck’s new suspension coupled with an improved rack and pinion results in noticeably enhanced ride and predictability. Although the 3.7-liter V-6 and 4.7-liter V-8 carry…

It’s good to be the czar. Czars can make rash, heretical statements with impunity. Take this one from Czar (Bob) Lutz I: “In a world of $5000 rebates, doesn’t it make sense to spend $500 to make a car sell with only a $2000 rebate?” Sounds like common sense, but trust us—lesser luminaries have been burned at the bean-counting stake for less. A drive in Buick’s new LaCrosse suggests that at least $500 was indeed invested in this replacement (on the same platform) for the Century and Regal sedans. The LaCrosse’s mission is to form a bridge between the current Buick sedan buyer (average age 69 years) and the trailing edge of the baby boom. To retain the greatest generation, the ride remains supple, the cabin roomy (with more hiproom…

The new Spectra is Kias volume leader, so it’s fitting that this model was chosen to lead the brand into the ultracompetitive sport-compact market—in wagon form, no less. The Spectra5 adds an aggressive tone with unique front and rear spoilers, side sills, rear valance, and a black mesh grille that come together nicely. Inside, you'll find sport cloth seats, metal-finish trim, metal pedals, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Power comes from a new 2.0-liter engine that features Kia’s first use of variable valve timing. Horsepower increases from 124 to 138, and torque jumps from 119 pound-feet to 136, compared with the previous model’s 1.8-liter. The Spectra is the least-expensive car in its class with full-length curtain airbags complementing the standard advanced-front- and seat-mounted side airbags. Four-wheel disc…

The five-door-hatchback category has been whipping up a minor vortex of interest of late. And for good reason: Quad passenger doors offer faster seat access, inflated sterns yawn with cubic feet, and stubby dimensions mean they’re zippy through urban snarl. But maybe most compelling is that their previously frumpy shapes have suddenly found style, and none more so than Suzuki’s latest, the Reno, a five-door derivative of the Forenza that’s been sculpted by that very sorcerer of chic, Ital-Design. Beneath the handsome exterior, the five-door Forenza, er, Reno, is underpinned by good mechanical guts, including an eager 2.0-liter, 126-horsepower engine and standard four-wheel discs brakes. Even in base form, the shapely Reno includes such standard accessories as air-conditioning, MP3 and CD player, and finger-reach steering-wheel audio controls—that’s the $13,449 bottom-drawer…

Now there’s only the Döttinger Hohe ahead of us, the long straight that gives the driver a chance to recover from the 179 corners that make up the 14-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. We’ve just exited a labyrinth of twists and turns, uphill and downhill sprints, brutal brake applications, and peaks of lateral acceleration that take the wind out of you. But the guy behind the wheel is as relaxed and content as when we started. I glance at him as he shifts up from fourth to fifth, then into the sixth and seventh gears of the sequential-shift gearbox. “We’ve reached 180 mph,” says Dr. Burkhard Göschei, BMW’s global technical director. “With a slightly longer run-up, the M5 is good for as much as 200 mph, but the top speed probably will…

For 25 years, Pettit has been active in endurance road racing, building a name for itself with upgrades for the Mazda RX-7. How does the new RX-8—a great sports car straight out of the box—respond to the tuner’s touch? Mazda’s stock RX 1.3-liter, 238-horsepower Renesis rotary engine sure revs, but it isn’t exactly brimming with torque and requires an aggressive wringing-out to make full use of its ponies. Pettit offers two different supercharger packages for the twin-rotor Renesis. Both packages have an Autorotor twin-screw supercharger that delivers a 4-psi boost in the low--boost kit ($3800) and an 8-psi boost in the high-boost kit ($5000). With the latter, you also get an air-to-water intercooler system that helps keep charge temperatures down during repeated high-speed romps. Pettit claims a 50-horsepower increase for…

Our last update referenced a problem with the Prius’s touchscreen, which appeared to need calibration. On certain screens, the button touched didn’t always deliver the reaction intended. We demonstrated the screen’s spirit of independence at the 10,000-mile service. This service also had a higher estimate than the first visit—strange, as the regimen for the previous 5000- and this 10,000-mile service are the same. The dealership’s service advisor explained that it charges more money for Prius service, claiming the hybrids are harder to work on. Sheesh. How much harder can it be to change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, and perform a visual brake inspection? After getting our Prius back from the dealer, we were disappointed to learn the touch screen had checked out as having “normal operation.’ A…

It sure took long enough. I Although Mitsubishi has been __ producing Evolution models I for more than a decade—earning four consecutive WRC championships (1996-1999) in the process—it was Subaru that first took a chance on whether an econobox-based, all-wheel-drive, turbocharged rally rocket would find a buyership in America. WRX sales went meteoric, so Mitsubishi Motors North America felt it safe to dip into the pool with the eighth-generation Evo. Since then, Subaru versus Mitsubishi has become as good a battle as Chevy versus Ford was during the heyday of the musclecar, and enthusiasts are snapping up every WRX/STi and Evolution they can locate. Previous Evolution models have been identified by a Roman numeral designation (I through VII), but the car is identified in our marketplace as simply Evolution (except…

The long-awaited Porsche Boxster coupe is expected to hit the road mid-2005. The coupe shares the same front-end styling and doors with the heavily revised Type 987 Boxster roadster that made its debut at the Paris Show in September, but is substantially changed at the rear. Known internally as C7, the Boxster coupe will get base- and S-specification engines, and although the car has required substantial re-engineering, it’ll be less expensive than equivalent roadster models.…

Chrysler’s minivans lit the market 20 years ago. For the next decade, sales of midsize sport/utilities and minivans grew at about the same pace. SUV sales in the mid-1990s boomed, while demand for minivans softened. But now the freshened Dodge Caravan is gaining back lost sales while retaining the No. 1 spot it has enjoyed for 20 years. The Toyota Sienna’s numbers have leapt upward since its redesign this year. As the market’s second best-selling minivan, it’s barely outselling the Honda Odyssey—but that popular player has just been replaced for 2005. GM hasn’t been a big player, but is introducing Saturn and Buick versions of its mini in the hopes of conquesting a few buyers. Ford’s Freestar isn’t selling as well as the old Windstar, and inventories of the Mercury…

Old Glory: America’s favorite ponycar earns back its stripes Only in America could an econobox in fancy dress named for a wild horse become the must-have machine of an entire generation. Where else could a musclecar’s sales rise as its powertrain and chassis were emasculated (mid-1970s)? And in what other land could a manufacturer lie about a car’s engine size in bright chrome numerals for 14 years and even fudge power output a couple times along the way without sales tanking? Nevertheless, two- and-a-half decades, two Corvettes, and five presidents later, Ford has finally done the honorable thing and foaled a brand-new pony. It showed it off, talked about it, and at long last tossed us the keys for a chaperoned drive across Michigan to Gingerman Raceway. But mere subjective…

Don’t ask us how, but we had our way with a 2005 Mustang GT five-speed automatic just long enough to gather real test numbers and send this pony back to the barn wet To say we’re pleased with the results would be like saying it’d be cool to have Jay Leno’s garage keys for a day. Here’s the deal from our man behind the wheel: From a stop, the 2005 GT launches with unexpected ferocity at under two seconds to 30 mph. Normally, this kind of urgent getaway is reserved for cars with clutch pedals and DIY gear boxes. Using a brake-torquing technique at just over 2000 rpm, the new Pirelli tires favor a liberal amount of wheelspin, easily modulated with the throttle. The P Zero Neros hook up more…

Taking luxury brands downmarket is risky business. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are attempting to mine the discount rack, with varying levels of success. But even as Audi attacks its two German rivals at the top end of the market with the fabulous A8, it also wants in on more affordable segments and is finally giving us the new version of its excellent A3—which is anything but closeout merchandise. Learning from BMW’s 318ti experience, Audi is keeping its three-door Golf-based A3 hatchback out of our market. But the redesigned A3’s five-door version has grown 3.3 inches longer and 1.2 inches wider, endowing it with an almost A4-size rear seat and a more vertical sport-wagonlike hatch, so the marketing dice-rollers have decided to bet on American acceptance. Audi is sending the U.S. market…

he Blue Oval needs hits. Nearly 20 years ago, it had them in the form of the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable, benchmark cars at the time that sold big. For the rest of the 1980s and much of the 1990s, domestic marques turned their attention to trucks, while Japanese brands took command of the midsize-sedan segment. Ford is referring to 2005 as its “Year of the Car,” and the all-new Five Hundred and Montego are two of its key weapons in the fight to regain lost market territory. With front-drive dash-to-axle lengths; generous passengers-first cabin spaces; and tall, 61.5-inch overall heights, the Five Hundred and Montego look like strong competition for the Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima. Line one up next to a new Chrysler 300, though, and the…

How, you might well ask, does one increase the sex appeal of a 571-horsepower, two-seat supercar with jackknife doors and a body that magnetizes eyeballs like Heidi Klum in a Saran Wrap leptard? You let the thing run around topless, that’s how. Lamborghini has blown the top off of its magnum-force, all-wheel-drive, V-l 2-powered Murcielago. Nowon sale in the U.S., with a base sticker of nearly $320K, the new Roadster assumes the role of flagship of Lamborghini’s flamboyant fleet. “It is a car very much in the Lamborghini tradition—Italian, uncompromising, extreme,” says Luc Donckerwolcke, head of design at the new Centro Stile design center at Lambo’s home base in Sant’Agata Bolognese. the same time Donckerwolcke adds, “we didn’t want the Roadster go to be a retro cliche. The design had…

Assume for a moment that you won the lottery, or at least married Paris Hilton, so maybe $23,500 doesn’t sound like much. But those of us with more modest means are bound to have a different reaction when it comes to cars like the Ferrari 575M Maranello and its newly available GTC Handling Package, which adds $23,500 to the $235,539 price of the Fl-gearbox-equipped model. A $23,500 handling package? A nice new Mazda Miata—the whole car—goes for around that much. Regardless, that extra $23,500 offers up stateof-the-art ceramic brakes, a stiffer suspension, sport exhaust, stickier tires and special wheels, and adjusted calibration for the paddle-shift sequential Fl six-speed transmission. The 575M GTC Is a crisper, edgier Maraneiio, if not as radical as what the Stradale treatment does for the 360…

Okay, let’s get straight to the point: Any road car with 850 horsepower is going to get your attention, right? And while we’re talking numbers, how does 0-to-60 mph in 2.9 seconds grab you? Or a standing quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds at 136 mph? Yep, that’s a Ferrari Enzo you just went past… And would you really care if this King-Kong supercar just happened to have a Chrysler badge on the nose? Thought not. Chrysler stunned the world when it unveiled its outrageous ME Four-Twelve concept car at the Detroit Auto Show last January. No one could quite believe a company best known for sensible-shoes people-movers and trucks the size of Texas would seriously consider producing a mid-engine V-12-powered supercar designed to blow an Enzo off the autostrada. Rival…

MOTOR TEEND AUTO SHOWS Hot new 2005S Motor Trend kicks off its auto-show season every year when the 2005-model California International Auto Show rolls into Anaheim. With 525,000 square feet filled with the latest vehicles of the newmodel year, exotics, and concept machines, plus the CIAS/Motor Trend \International Design Contest, the CIAS is a don’t miss. While Southern Californians are checking out the newest hardware on the West Coast, East Coasters will be cruising around the Tampa Convention Center at the 2005-model Tampa Bay International Auto Show, October 28 to 31, 2004. California International Auto Show Anaheim Convention Center October 27-31, 2004 Tampa Bay International Auto Show Tampa Convention Center October 28-31, 2004 Central Florida International Auto Show Orange County Convention Center November 24-28, 2004 Arizona International Auto Show Phoenix…

You may recall our Passat’s recent joyride at the hands of thieves. After a thorough service, the transmission still wouldn’t properly engage. We waited a few weeks to see if it would improve with break-in, and, when it didn’t, we contacted Volkswagen to have things looked at again. It seems these lemmings could neither use clutch nor operate a gear-shift lever, as they’d done some tranny damage, too. But the second visit was the charm, and, since the transmission repair, it’s been like buttah. It was fun to get behind the wheel of this car again—until the A/C went out on a Saturday afternoon while driving around Old Town Scottsdale in 100-degree heat. We called VW. Roadside Assistance to seek out a local dealer. We were given a choice of…

Lincoln’s LS was a radical step for Ford’s venerable luxury brand; a bold move to win over younger buyers lusting after a BMW or Lexus. On paper it ticked all the right boxes: restrained styling, crisp handling, and Germanic ride. But Lincoln’s plaid- and-polyester image didn’t quite click with the MTV generation. Built on an all-new platform shared with the Jaguar S-Type, the LS ran with an athletic crowd. A 3.0-liter, 210-horse V-6 was paired with a five-speed automatic or a five-speed Getrag, the first row-your-own Lincoln since 1951. The step up was a Jaguar-based 3.9-liter, 252-horse V-8 mated solely with the automatic. We tested the manual LS (with its standard firmer-handling Sport Package) against the BMW 528i and Lexus GS 300, and it met—and sometimes edged out—the performance and…