Indholdsfortegnelse for August 1987 i MotorTrend

Typical car buyers today avoid cars that do not offer electronic fuel injection, electronic fuel and spark management, disc brakes, or other technological breakthroughs that have become standard equipment on most automobiles. Even non-enthusiasts are taking the time to learn more about automobiles before making their purchases. After all, cars cost more than ever and are becoming more important than ever in our lifestyles. Hardcore auto enthusiasts who just a few short years ago preferred a carburetor-based induction system and an old fashioned points and condenser ignition to a dreaded “electronic black box” are the first to demand these “newfangled” electronics today. Why? Because these innovations have both improved the fuel economy and the performance of the typical automobile. Drivers from the old “I can fix anything with a hammer”…

GM Europe has run an early release on the new Opel/Vauxhall Senator, which goes on sale in September. It is based on Europe’s Car of the Year, the attractive Opel Omega, with the same 107-in. wheelbase. From a clean sheet of paper, stylist Wayne Cherry has evolved a stylish, even dramatic sedan, with a strong family resemblance to the Omega. The drag coefficient is a class-leading 0.30, and top speed is raised to 130 mph, or 137 mph in the case of the 3-liter manual. Power units are all 6 cylinders, the 2.5-liter inline version producing 140 hp, and the 3-liter inline producing 177 hp. New manifolding and mufflers have improved the torque while reducing interior sound levels. The Getrag gearbox has been replaced by GM’s new 5-speed manual, also…

There are few more torturous tests of a 4x4 than the rugged harshness of Baja California, Mexico—or “Baja” as the world knows it. From sun-bleached deserts and long-dried lake beds, to boulder-strewn hills and chisel-peaked mountaintops, a trip into the heart of Baja can be as mean and nasty on a 4x4 as anything on earth. Baja’s warning is clear: This is a harsh place. You enter this barren land at your own risk. When you enter with the new Mazda Cab Plus 4x4, however, you have what it takes to tackle the mean and nasty Baja. Under the aerodynamically sloped hood is a 2.6-litre SOHC engine with the mid-range muscle for tough workouts. Down below is an advanced, long-travel suspension that gives a smooth ride on the rough stuff,…

It’s a Saturday morning and in the background, cartoon characters are scooting hippity-hop across my hotel room color TV. I’m at the mirror brushing shaving soap on my face as the cold water splashes into the sink. Nothing too unusual. This could be one of a hundred Saturdays when I’m on the road doing my best to cover the car world for all you Motor Trend readers out there. Except for one thing—I’m deep in the heart of Yugoslavia, not necessarily your number one resort destination unless you have some vampire blood (if you’ll pardon the expression) in your veins. And after a rather bleak flight that arrived at an even bleaker airport, I’m wondering what the hell I’m doing here. Of course, I know. I’m here to drive the…

Except for a small, easily overlooked badge on each side of the car’s nose, most folks will never know this is a new and very different-performing Pontiac GM20 until its taillights are receding toward the horizon. We’ve reviewed the Grand Am SE before, of course, with mixed results. In the last Grand Am story (July ’86), we didn’t like the 3-speed automatic 3-liter V-6-powered car all that much. The image Pontiac sought for the compact Grand Am was, from the very beginning, a sporty, performance-oriented one, and last year’s test vehicle failed to live up to its stated objectives. With our coldest objectivity, though, we note the frontdrive Pontiac N-car is actually rather innocuous. With the V-6 and a manual gear changer, it’s suitable for regular, average driving. But even…

The car-or perhaps we should say the automobile, thereby indicating our reverence for its distinguished heritage—we have chosen for our Retrospect feature is a poignant reminder of how far automotive civilization, and civilization as a whole, has progressed—or perhaps we should again choose our word with respect for tradition and say regressed. Yesterday, in the days of the great classics, an automobile was, at its best, a work of art, designed by an artist, built by a few dedicated craftsmen, and sometimes so passionately loved by its owner that it was never sold. Today, at its worst, a car is built by a multitude of anonymous hands with dedication that borders on the nonexistent. And, horror of all horrors, many cars aren’t built by hands at all, but by robots.…

NEW 944s: ENGINE IN THE TRUNK, ROOF IN THE TRASH CAN Having just begun deliveries of its $200,000 959 supercar, Porsche has now started developing a similar model based on the 944. Spied during secret high-speed runs at Porsche’s Weissach test track in West Germany, the 944 pictured here is believed to have an advanced 4-wheel-drive system, with variable torque split governed by traction sensors at each wheel, anti-lock braking, and variable ride height, adjusted manually as wished at slow speeds and lowered automatically for cleaner aerodynamics and greater stability at high speeds. Predictably enough, power for this prototype comes from the famous flat six, but now it is located behind the cockpit. Optimists would like to believe that the new car could be called the 949, that it could…

THE DIMOND-STAR CAR? According to an investment analyst source who reportedly has seen it, the car from Chrysler/Mitsubishi joint-venture Diamond-Star Motors is “a working girl’s Ferrari.” The project is now building its factory in Illinois. According to a sketchy newspaper report, the car is sort of a cross between the Porsche 944 and the Mazda RX-7, with hints of Starion/Conquest. It has a rounded, grilleless front end and a tall, blunt tail. Chrysler Treasurer and Vice-President Fred Zuckerman reportedly told the analysts the car, as yet unnamed, should sell for a base price of around $8000. Popular options are expected to push the price to more than $10,000. ’88 FORD TEMPO/TOPAZ The Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz aren’t cars we normally would give this much space, but nice photos mean we can…

While not exactly a primeval rain forest, the heartland of Ohio in mid-April most certainly can be a good approximation. We sat at breakfast, dejectedly watching the solid-gray overcast dump water on our assembled seven fastest American cars. Our despondence was well justified; it had been raining for our arrival the night before, it was still coming down in sheets, and the locals’ comments were, “Yup, it ain’t lookin’ like quittin’.” Apparently, our odds for determining the fastest-of-the-fast American automobile were, at least on this day, about as low as the overcast. Since we (and quite a few engineers from Detroit) had invested much time and energy getting all the cars and people assembled for this test, we decided to slosh out to Transportation Research Center (TRC) in spite of…

Why die the richest man? You certainly can’t take it with you. Even as you read this, there are incredibly expensive homes, boats, planes, and cars being built to help alleviate this problem. Granted, not all of us have such a concern, but the possibility does exist of winning the lottery, discovering oil in your backyard, or inheriting an anonymous $50 million. Of the automobile companies that have elected to build for the cost-be-damned market, Mercedes-Benz is the most prolific. Unlike many of its contemporaries, Mercedes-Benz offers a wide range of models from which to choose, starting at a mere $30,000 for the little 190 to its near-$75,000 560SEC Coupe. Priced around three times the average national family income, the Mercedes’ top-of-the-line coupe must be heaped into the dream-car category.…

Baby selling. To the automotive enthusiast, that’s what an auto auction most closely resembles. Numbered, tagged, and treated with less respect than Rodney Dangerfield, previously beloved dream cars are displayed and sold like cattle. At bid, callous and devoid of all emotion, automotive wholesalers buy their inventory based on sales potential. Forget the fancy reviews a product may have received some years ago in a buff book. Forget the claims of victory at LeMans, say goodbye to once record sales results and the best advertising endorsements. Here, merit is based on the ability to be sold “used.” Either it’s hot or it’s not. Our first visit to this automotive phenomenon was quite a shock. Richard Conner, a San Clemente, California, used-car dealer, invited us to spend the day with him…

You know how they say your father gets a lot smarter as you get older? Well, I can tell you right now that my father is a veritable genius, because, long ago, he taught me the value of cars that don’t run. I was 15 and in the midst of that first blossoming of car lust that seems to swoop down and smite male youth like some crazy Cupid. Some begin to yearn for hot-rods with small-block Chevy engines, chromed headers, and Jag rearends. Others exhibit a fixation for tiny sports cars of the drop-top variety. For a reason I haven’t been able to fathom to this day, I developed a strong affinity for antique cars from the ’20s and early ’30s. Don’t ask me why, I just like them…

DOIN’ THE CONTINENTAL-’88 STYLE We quite look forward to putting the tester’s wheel on this new big Lincoln, the attractive ’88 FN-9 replacement for the Continental. Unseen in this view, and missing as well from other surveillance shots of mules, is the Lincoln-trademark rear decklid hump, a reminder of when spare tires weren’t space savers. That absence, as much as other evident styling cues, shows Ford is serious about spreading the Taurus/Sable design philosophy to as many products as can be managed. This virtually finished example, showing sporting wheels and tires, originally was photographed in a Ford comparison caravan. The new Lincoln’s undisguised looks were perfect camouflage among Tauruses and other similar cars in the group. —Daniel Charles Ross ANOTHER ANGLO-ORIENTAL PACT Following the successful collaboration on Project XX, the…

Innovation has become a hallmark of Japanese auto makers. At present, none appears more adept than Honda at continually evolving the forefront of practical tech. The latest member of its expanding corporate lineup to benefit from this enviable capability is the Prelude, a pere-nially hot-selling sport coupe that has been winning new friends on the enthusiast market for nearly a decade. The third and latest iteration is destined to do an exceptional job of carrying on the tradition of its tremendously successful predecessors. The Prelude debuted in 1979. Trading on a kind of offbeat low-key cuteness, it immediately became a cult favorite. But the model line really didn’t come into its own until the second-generation car was introduced in 1983. A far more mainstream effort, its handsome low-profile design introduced…

Something had to be done. The powerful V-8, so beloved by so many American car buffs for so long, appeared to be in danger—serious, mortal danger. In the honest words of Ted Louckes, chief engineer of Oldsmobile: “We felt an urgent need to find a suitable replacement.” At the turn of the ’80s, even the most loyal American car buyer could see that GM’s engine technology was threatened with losing ground. GM’s last truly ambitious attempt at a world-class modern-technology powertrain, the Chevrolet unit destined for the mid-’70s Cosworth Vega, had been a flop. It was an all-alumi-num 4-cylinder unit, with—wait for it!—four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts, and electronic fuel injection. That’s right: It was ahead of its time, ahead of the Germans and the Japanese—but Chevy’s development…

So you say you want a good car? Have I got a car for you! It isn’t just a good car, it’s a great car. In fact, this is the best car in the history of the world. If Fred Duesenberg, Henry Ford, and Zora Arkus-Duntov got together to design a car, this would be it—the Isuzu I-Mark Turbo. Catchy name, right? And take it from me, Joe Isuzu, no car maker in the world will ever be able to build a better car, no matter how hard they try. He’s lying, but the I-Mark is a well-built, attractively designed subcompact, just the kind of car we’ve come to expect from Japan. With its new turbocharged, fuel-injected 1.5-liter engine, the newest version of the I-Mark is the fastest car we’ve…

Though BMW traditionally has built motorcycles with a strong touring orientation, the company has never built a full-dress touring bike in the style of the Japanese Supertourers. The Oriental land yachts come with everything from air-adjustable seats to four-speaker stereos and cruise control, but until the K100LT came along, BMW was not even in the hunt. BMW has taken a more sensible, mimimalist approach to building touring bikes. Its emphasis is on keeping the motorcycle’s weight and size down to a manageable level, while providing just enough performance and comfort items to get the job done. To illustrate this, the Japanese full-dress bikes weigh between 700 and 840 lb; the BMW weighs 560 lb without gas. The K100LT is as loaded a motorcycle as BMW is currently willing to build.…

FRICTION GUARD is a superb fortifier that can increase the ability of your oil by over 500% to keep moving metals apart. The product, used in a 5% solution, can reduce the acids in your oil and remove the sludge and varnish deposits from any engine. Parts wear is greatly reduced by decreasing friction and eliminating engine acid. Friction Guard can give your equipment longer life while reducing down time and saving you money. For more information, contact North American Products Lubrication Laboratories, Dept. MT, P.O. Box 789, Ogden, Utah 84401; 801/393-9309. Increased mileage, reduced knocking and pinging, and boosted horsepower are just a few of the results you'll get from your car when you use PJ1 OCTANE PLUS GAS ENERGIZER from PJ1 Corporation. One of the many additives in…

“Fame is only a problem if you wish it to be a problem.”—Bruce Springsteen Thursday, 7:15 a.m., the calls start. What does she want? “Guess,” says Ayrton Senna. He smiles that ever-questioning smile. “She was drunk, I think. She was at the party last night. And she calls at 7:15 in the morning. I didn’t know what to say and she keeps talking. So I finally say, look, sorry, but there’s two of us in the room-my friend Junior is sleeping here, too. And she says, Okay, that’s no problem…” Another grin, the slightly lopsided one that’s plastered over billboards across Rio de Janeiro every April. “This, you understand, does not happen in Belgium.” Ayrton Senna is working at home and the pressure is building. He flew into Rio from…