Indholdsfortegnelse for October 1984 i MotorTrend

Ace lensman Jim Dunne snapped this Buick Somerset Regal 4-door as it was being put through its paces in the wilds of southeastern Michigan recently. The 4-door N-car was first presented to the press last July, when Pontiac displayed a Grand Am SE quattroporte as a teaser of potential N-body developments. We weren’t allowed to bring cameras to that showing, so we present the family N-car here in prototype guise. When the 4-door model goes on sale this time next year, it is expected that Oldsmobile as well as Buick and Pontiac will offer up variations on the N-sedan theme. The Somerset Regal pictured here is in T-Type trim, with less brightwork, larger, more aggressive tires, and 14-in. aluminum wheels. Concurrent with the introduction of the 4-door N-mobiles, Buick will…

The ’85 Subarus, which should be on sale. sometime around the first of the year, have undergone substantial changes. The new cars share nothing with their predecessors except the opposed 4-cylinder motor. Even at that, the engine has swapped pushrods for overhead cams. The sedans and wagons will be available with a normally aspirated 1.8-liter engine producing around 95 hp and an optional turbo version that produces around 110 hp. For the first time, a manual 5-speed will be available with turbo motor. The new Subarus will also offer more interior room, 4-wheel drive is available throughout the entire product range.…

Lee Iacocca must love getting the jump on the competition. Back in 1964, Mr. I took some components from a big-selling but slightly homely looking compact, the Falcon, and rearranged the package into the ‘64 Mustang. The rest of Detroit was playing catch up for nearly three years. Since those fateful days, of course, Iacocca has jumped ship at Ford and joined forces with Chrysler, but no one’s forgotten his tricks. So few were surprised when Chairman Lido took some components from ChryCo’s big-selling K-car, and whipped up the first domestic small bus, the T-115. However, unlike Iacocca’s ponycar ploy, this time the competition wasn’t completely asleep. Toyota was ready right from the start, Ford is waiting in the wings, and GM will release its own small van, in either…

When Chevy announced the advent of a Z24 model for ’85, we were skeptical. Obviously, this was going to trade on the hallowed Z28 reputation. And just as obviously, it was going to be something less than a Z28. Then we learned that this not-quite-a-Z28 badge was going to be attached to a Cavalier. And our skepticism hard-ened into a cynical certainty that Chevrolet, GM’s hardware division, was sliding into that bottomless vat of automotive vanilla known as badge engineering. With stern faces, we marched up to the gate at GM’s Milford, Michigan proving ground to confront this upstart Z. If this be disguised vanilla, let us taste it straight away and be done with it. Preview test sessions are always too short, of course, but we came away from…

Since the introduction of the SVO Mustang, hyped as the new-generation or future-di-rection Mustang, there has been heated speculation concerning the future of the iron V-8 GT. The high-tech SVO has not exactly knocked ‘em dead in the showrooms yet, and the GT Mustangs still outsell their sibling by a sizeable margin. The essence of the SVO is high performance from a small-displacement powerplant that can be fuel efficient and performance oriented. And to achieve this, the 2.3-liter SVO must be turned at high engine speeds and use relatively high boost levels; and this is perhaps part of the buyer resistance to the car. (The other part is a $6000 price disparity in favor of the V-8.) To use the SVO in a performance mode, you have to drive it…

The New Chrysler Corporation is coming off the most successful year in its history. Based on its upcoming ’85 models, the rejuvenated firm shows every sign of extending its roll throughout the next 12 months. While still not completely out of the financial woods, the Legions of Chairman Lido have made believers out of many staunch skeptics. Along the way, Chrysler has shown an uncanny ability to extract maximum utility from its original front-drive K-car platform and create luxury and performance variants that are both capable and cost efficient. Changes will be minimal on quite a few models, but there are a number of very significant cars in ChryCo’s ’85 fleet. And virtually all of the carryover product will also benefit from a number of upgrades, primarily to the basic…

First there was the Quattro. Four-wheel drive. Turbocharged. A sure-enough supercar, and the basis for a rally program that has the other guys pleading for mercy. Audi acquired an instant performance image, something no one had associated with the four interlocked circles since the days of the thundering Auto Unions. The bad news was that most of us were priced out of the fun. When the original Quattros hit U.S. showrooms, they wore $36,000 window stickers. Too much by any reckoning. Obviously, Audi had a response to this criticism, which you’re looking at here: the Audi 4000 Quattro. Although it lacks the 160-hp turbomotor that distinguishes the Quattro coupe, it has all the mechanical goodies: an outstandingly flexible fulltime 4wd system, replete with independently lockable differentials. Audi bolted in the…

We receive a significant volume of mail relating to the controversial question of front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive. The automotive marketing mavens have led the buying public down the primrose path on this issue, and it is now almost universally accepted that fwd is superior to rwd in terms of traction and handling. Don’t you believe it. Front drive offers some advantages compared to rear drive, and vice-versa, but in general, fwd plusses are in areas other than traction. The major advantage of fwd is in space utilization. Locating the engine/transmission package transversely at the very front of the vehicle (often ahead of the axle centerline) maximizes interior volume for the occupants by eliminating the familiar rwd tunnel and the trunk “hump” needed for differential clearance. The result is a…

Ready or not, here comes the mini-Eldorado. These prototype ’86 Cadillac Eldorados show that the General’s trend to downsize high-volume high-profit models will continue. Since its introduction in 1978, the current El-do has enjoyed a steady upward sales spiral. Now at its income-producing zenith, the front-drive luxury coupe will shrink like a cotton T-shirt in a hot dryer come the 1986 model year. Next year’s Eldorette looks to be some 1114 in. shorter in the wheelbase department with somewhere around 100-103 in. between the front and rear wheels. Similar shrinkage is expected overall, with the new Eido measuring a scant 191 in. from bumper to bumper. Thanks to the marvels of superscience, front seat room should be about the same as today’s giant species of Eldo, with some downsizing occurring…

New LeCar The Renault 5 (LeCar in the U.S.) has for years been the hottest-selling car in Europe. The new Peugeot 205 has recently claimed the best-selling honor and in response, Renault will soon introduce the replacement for the 5. The new 5, although similar looking to the old one, will offer more interior volume and will reportedly have a Cd of around 0.30. The engine family (from 900 cc to 1700 cc) will be fitted transversely as opposed to longitudinally in the old R5. At Large Temperature Scales You’ve heard of putting a tiger in your tank? Well, how about getting a gator in your grille? While cruising to work recently, Jeff Gray of Port Neches, Texas, heard some strange noises up front and noticed his engine was overheating.…

“Lyn St. James’s Car Owner’s Manual for Women,” by Lyn St. James, a Tilden Press Book, Penguin Books, 40 West 23rd St., New York, NY 10010; 160 pages; $5.95. Lyn St. James, if you didn’t already know, is a very busy lady. Besides being one of the world’s top female drivers, she is a principal spokesperson for Ford Motor Company, conducts clinics on “car owning made easy,” appears on radio and television, and is owner and president of a wholesale automotive parts distributorship. She is not afraid to stick her perfectly manicured hands into an engine. And she is now an author, as well. In the introduction to “Lyn St. James’s Car Owner’s Manual for Women,” St. James states that of the $75 billion spent annually on new cars, $35…

Consider this. In a 250-mile race between a Convair and an IROC, who would emerge victorious? We recently participated in just such an event, which we’ll tell about later, but first—what the hell’s an IROC? Sounds like it could be Conan the Barbarian’s pet lizard, but in fact it’s an acronym for a race series. The International Race Of Champions series has been around for 10 years now, and was originally conceived to bring together drivers from many racing disciplines, to compete for vast quantities of glory and money in (this is the important part) equal cars. The equal cars theory is supposed to guarantee that the winner will be that driver whose specific type of racing background has developed skills superior to the others. It hasn’t worked out that…

Once upon a time just a few years ago, as the American auto industry lay writhing in agony with a bad case of Fuel Crisis II, it was assumed that gas would cost $2-2.50 a gallon by the mid-1980s. The CAFE fleet fuel economy-requirements loomed large on the horizon, and it was painfully clear to GM upper management that they’d never cut the mustard without another round of serious downsizing. The new front-drive A-cars (Celebrity, 6000, Ciera, Century), intended to replace the aging midsize As, were first to emerge. Soon to follow, according to plan, were smaller frontdriver replacements for the “A-special” coupes (Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, et al.), the “personal luxury” E and K-cars (Toronado, Riviera, Eldorado, Seville), the full-size Bs, and the still-larger luxury Cs. But a funny…

When we sit down to assess all-newness at Ford Motor Company for 1985, we find ourselves looking not so much at product as at the company itself. This is a much different operation than the one that gave us all those bluff-bowed, characterless creations of just a few years ago. Lean, modern, and intensely conscious of quality, Ford has replaced its middle-of-the-road product philosophies with a daring bid to take the lead in design among North American manufacturers. This is reflected in the exterior of the company’s new cars during the past couple of years, with a commitment to the future-think aero look that can be attributed, in large measure, to the steady influx of talent cycling through Ford’s highly successful European operations. And it’s reflected in an increasing emphasis…

The French Connection at American Motors looks to be even stronger for 1985 as Renault products and engineering play a larger role in AMC’s new offerings. With the Regie now holding a 46.4% equity share in Southfield, Michigan-based American Motors, it comes as no surprise that more of the French manufacturer’s development expertise is showing up in AMC’s products. This year, Renault’s techno-braintrust leveled its big guns at the powertrain lineup. Two new Franco-American engines have been added: one for passenger car application, the other for use in the recently downsized Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer models. Now, Renault Alliance and Encore buyers will be able to order a new 1.7-liter L-4 as an extra-cost option in most models. The 105-cu-in. powerplant, the first OHC engine for a domestically produced Renault,…

Quick…cover the picture. This is a snap quiz. Question One: In 25 words or less, what’s a Chrysler LeBaron? If you said something like: “Solid, conservative sedan for people over 50,” you’ve been paying attention. Question Two: What’s a LeBaron GTS? “Ah,” you say, “a new high-performance version of the same solid, conservative sedan.” Nice try, but guess again. The ’85 LeBaron GTS (Grand Touring Sport) is Chrysler’s answer to state-of-the-art mid-size front-drive sedans like the Honda Accord and Mazda 626. In optional turbocharged form, its closest domestic competitor is the Pontiac 6000 STE. Code-named H-body and offered as a 5-door hatchback only, it replaces the Chrysler EClass, which was really a stretched LeBaron. Though it sits on the late EClass’ 103-in. wheelbase and offers the same impressive interior room,…

The Hispano-Swiss-Anglo-Franco-American connection This is a charmingly complex tale, involving America’s most daring and prolific automotive coachwork designer (known as “stylist” in Detroit, where the profession is held in no great repute), Dutch Darrin; the world’s most brilliant and admired automotive engineer, Marc Birkigt; what may one day be recognized as the best car there ever was, the Hispano-Suiza J12; and Baroness Rothschild, member of the British branch of the international banking family, whose monetary support of good taste once made this grand car and now makes this modest narrative possible. The dedicated Motor Trend reader will recall that La Fabrica de Automoviles La Hispano-Suiza S.A. was formed in Barcelona (from the ruins of a couple unsuccessful previous attempts to make cars there) when the money men backed Swiss engineer…

As General Motors reorganizes into two camps, the corporation’s design philosophy is also undergoing a kind of change. It seems as though the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac group will walk an extremely conservative line when it comes to shaping sheet metal, while the Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM Canada staff will be zooming down the aero highway with some shapes that could make Ford’s most slippery forms look like the old Fairmont. Come the 1986 model year, Oldsmobile will replace its aging but successful Delta 88 line with a series of front-wheel-drive cars derived from GM’s proven A-body. The new 88 will be smaller outside without sacrificing interior room. Visually, the new front driver is as distinguished as another Cutlass Ciera variant. This conservative design approach seems to indicate the Olds (as well as Buick and Cadillac)…

The British bout; que auto maker, Reliant, is preparing a new 2-seater sports car for market. The as yet unnamed car will have a fiberglass body and be powered probably by a Ford XR3i engine. Reliant wants to fill the gap left when the TR7 and MGB sports cars were retired. Reliant will sell the car initially in England but is hoping to find an export market for it. The mildiy disguised car was shot while undergoing final testing in England. It was designed by Italian stylist Michelotti.…

There’s no denying the fact that the IROC-Z will probably grab the lion’s share of attention this year if for no other reason than its evocative name. The very word IROC still has a certain magic about it. You can’t help but be reminded of what most people consider to be the golden age of American big-bore racing, when guys like Doriohue swapped paint with guys like Foyt and Andretti, when Chevy engineering hemorrhaged racing parts out the back door like a hemophiliac popping an aorta, and every fevered mechanic in every funky garage in every sleepy burg from Bangor to Redondo Beach massaged his Chevy small block and sent away for them fiberglass pieces to make his car look just like them race cars in that IROC series. At…

Last April, when General Motors’ three luxo divisions, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac, introduced the front-wheel-drive replacements for the full-sized Electra, Ninety-Eight, De Ville, and Fleet-wood models, more than a few GM execs were concerned about the accept-ance of the nearly mid-sized luxury sedans. Now, with almost six months of sales under their respective belts, Buick, Olds, and Cadillac brass all agree the front-drive C-cars are a success. This is most evident at Cadillac, where the division is in the enviable position of having a scant eight-day supply of traction avant De Villes and Fleetwood sedans. As Cadillac General Manager John Grettenberger admits, “The short supply of ’85 DeVilles and Fleetwoods is accentuated by the [production] line rate at GM’s new Orion plant. The start-up speed is slower than normal, so…

Pardon us if we didn’t get all slobbery over the AMC/Renault Encore hatchbacks when they were introduced last year. Essentially Alliance 2- and 4-doors with shorter rear decks, blackout trim, and wraparound glass hatchbacks grafted on, they did everything Alliances did, had all the same solid attributes—roominess, comfort, quality, fuel economy, good handling, in-novative engineering—hat made Alliance our 1983 Car of the Year. And they were billed as youthful, sporty, fun to drive. But the Encores’ exterior appearance struck us, to be charitable, as less than aesthetically pleasing. And since they were mechanically identical to the family/economy Alliances, powered by the same 55-hp 1.4-liter, we found them equally unexciting to drive. At least in terms of straightline performance. Knepper summed it up pretty well last year: “The Encore’s one significant…

In a far distant past, when people thought the Beatles were shocking and ladies’ skirts ended halfway between knee and navel, Carroll Shelby convinced Lee Iacocca (then of FoMoCo) of the need for a cast iron V-8 in a light English chassis, and the Shelby Cobra was bor—a hot-rod in the best tradition. For 1983, Iacocca (now of ChryCo) convinced Shelby of the need for a new-generation hot-rod—and the Shelby Charger was born. In the years separating the two events, fundamental changes occurred, and we now have a number of government agencies to protect us from such demonic pastimes as having fun with cars. The Shelby Charger is an example of a modern-day hot-rod from the lacocca/Shelby mold, built within the confinements of EPA, NHTSA, DOE, and DOT, to name…

Three kinds of Classified Ads are available to advertisers. Commercial Classified: $110 for 25 words. $3 for each additional word. One-inch photo or illustration, add $120. A 5% frequency discount for ads in six or more issues. Car Club Classified: $70 for 25 words. $1.15 for each additional word. Add $40 to include photo. Personal Classified: $40 for 25 words. $1.15 for each additional word. Add $40 to include a photo. Name and address free on all ads. 25-word minimum. Count telephone numbers as one word. Advertisers using P.O. boxes are required to supply permanent street address and telephone number. Closing date: All ads must be received by the 15th of the third month preceding publication date (e.g., April issue closes January 15). Payment must accompany order. Send order and…

Mario Masters the Meadowlands Mario Andretti and the Newman-Haas Budweiser Lola T-800 have become the hottest of properties in the 1984 CART/PPG Indy Car show. The veteran road racing ace and his favorite 4-wheeled femme fatale did their part to help celebrate the return of major league motorsport to the greater New York City area by winning the inaugural United States Grand Prix at the Meadowlands. In claiming their second conquest of the season, Mario and Lola displayed the same convincing style as in the CART series opener on the streets of Long Beach. Weather played a major role in determining the outcome of the Meadowlands contest, held on a twisting, manufactured-for-racing, temporary track that snaked around parking areas and access roads in the East Rutherford, New Jersey, sports complex.…