Indholdsfortegnelse for December 1990 i MotorTrend

If we’d listened to Bob Nagy, we would’ve known it was too good to be true. Of course, if you listen to Nagy, everything’s too good to be true, so he’s not the best prognosticator who ever lived. In fact, compared to Nagy, Nostradamus was a cockeyed optimist. But there’s one thing the staff curmudgeon was right about—after a second renais-sance of performance cars in the late ’80s, and thus far into the ’90s, it seems as if the vehicles we like are under siege. The threat actually extends beyond what we might term “hot” cars to the traditional family car, and it’s a threat that takes many forms. The first and most obvious is the situation in the Middle East. As this is being written, the Iraq/Kuwait crisis is…

RACER FOR THE ROAD Taking a leaf out of Porsche’s book, Lotus Cars, USA, will market a Club Sport-style Esprit Turbo SE. Only 20 will be built, the cost of such exclusivity being approximately “$125,000.” The “race car replicas,” as Lotus calls them, celebrate the marque’s successes this year in the Sports Car Club of America’s Escort World Challenge series. (At this writing, the Esprits of Doc Bundy and Scott Lagasse had won four of seven races.) Available only with a monochromatic white exterior, they feature larger wheels, tires, and brakes; stiffened suspension; and a driver-side seat harness. Meantime, the Lotus Elan SE, which was supposed to arrive here in June with a sticker of $33,900, should finally reach U.S. showrooms in December, asking for a snip less than $40,000.…

Until now, high performance radar detection required a messy power cord. Plugged into your car’s lighter. Dangling across your dashboard. And tangling in your pocket. Now, there is a better way. No Power Cord SOLO is a totally new concept in long-range radar detection. All you do is clip SOLO to your visor or windshield, and switch it on. It’s that simple. You’ll never need a power cord. Unlike any other radar detector, SOLO has its own power source—inside its compact magnesium housing (SOLO is ¾” × 2¼” × 4½”—just 5½ ounces). SOLO comes complete with all accessories, including visor and windshield mounts that instantly conform to any car, but fold flat for convenient carrying. Both designs are patented. How It Works After years of research, our engineers (who also…

As you turn the wheel of a Prelude Si with 4WS, all four wheels respond. Without hesitation you have safely switched lanes. And driving has suddenly changed. REVIEW AUTO UNION V-16 SUPERCHARGED: A Technical Appraisal, by Ian Bamsey. Haynes Constructors Series, 1990; Softbound; 8¼ × 10¼; 96 pages; 50 Illustrations. ISBN: 0-85429-804-5, $19.95 As a boy, I hungered to know what made things tick. That accounts in part for my fascination with automobiles. In the case of a Grand Prix race car, what makes it tick is a complex and detailed story. Ian Bamsey, a respected and prolific automotive writer, has left little unsaid in his book about the Auto Union V-16 Supercharged racer of the mid to late ’30s. This technical appraisal, as it calls itself, includes a wealth…

We all know that the fastest-growing segment in personal transportation is the truck, but it’s safe to say that a full-time all-wheel-drive American street pickup with up to 14 pounds of turbocharging and a 4.9-second 0-60 time is unprecedented. Those madcap MBAs at GMC have created just such an animal in the remarkable Syclone regular-cab pickup. This extremely high-performance variant is built from an S-model Sonoma core vehicle, but the panorama of genetic code tinkering mutates the two-seat baby pickup into a radically aggressive new shape. We recently drove and tested the Syclone prototype at a local Detroit dragstrip. The fact that GMC had chosen a dragstrip for our initial look-see is your first clue to the truck’s outlaw view of life. Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to…

FISHER-PRICE SPORTCAR Everyone loves a sports car, but sometimes, in play as well as in real life, you need to carry a passenger. Sibling rivalry? Twins? The solution is this two-seat tyke ride Sportcar from Fisher-Price, a well-known name to any parent or child. If you want realism, this is the car. The two-seat Sportcar runs on two 6-volt batteries and makes a variety of sounds, from engine gear changing to screeching tires to the starter motor to the cute beep-beep of the horn. And if the driver’s a bit more mechanically inclined, he can work under the hood “changing” the plugs, checking the imaginary oil and fluid levels, or just tightening the engine with the five-piece tool kit that comes with the car. The interior is complete with decaled…

Some high-performance automobiles are created because one or more executives of a car company have some Grand Plan. Others, like the Sunbeam Tiger, happen because of a coincidental series of happy circumstances. Sunbeam (which was part of the Rootes organization) introduced its Alpine two-seater sports model in 1960, but while the car received praise from almost everyone who drove it, all agreed it needed more power. The 1600cc OHV inline four was easily modified, but the car was still no match (in sales or performance) for its competitors, mainly the Jaguar XK-E, Chevrolet Corvette, and Austin-Healey 3000. First coincidence: Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss co-drove an Alpine to second place in the Saturday production car race at the 1962 Times-Mirror Grand Prix at Riverside. After the real race, when the…

FREQUENT FREIGHTER PROGRAM It had to happen sometime. Specialty automobile transporter Intercity Lines, Inc. (Old River Road, Warren, MA 01083, 800/343-0802) is taking a cue from the airline industry by offering its own version of the “frequent flyer program,” designed for dealers, collectors, and car club members who regularly ship cars long distances. No, you don’t have to ride in the back of one of Intercity’s 15 fully enclosed, insulated, and pneumatically suspended Kenworth tractor-trailer rigs to earn valuable travel credits. But your exotic or collector car does. Like first-class travel, vehicles are treated to the finest in transport—individually suspended vehicle platforms within the trailer, luxury loading and unloading via hydraulic liftgates, even a comfortable nylon covering to drive away the chill or keep dust from mirrorlike body flanks. Intercity’s…

LEXUS VERSUS INFINITI: LUXURY BATTLE—ROUND TWO It’s been a little more than a year since Toyota and Nissan launched their Lexus and Infiniti luxury models. Both brands attempted to establish a beachhead in what was previously uncharted territory for the Japanese and have tested American buyers’ willingness to buy an unknown luxury brand. The test continues, but the initial results are clear. In a little over a year, the Japanese have demonstrated that a good product can win converts even against the world’s most respected and talented auto companies. They’ve proven that the mystique, pedigree, and tradition of established luxury car makers haven’t prevented newcomers from succeeding in the luxury-car sector. Lexus and Infiniti each approached consumers differently. Lexus’ approach was consistent with the conservative product and marketing philosophies that…

Proud Americans I really enjoyed your articles on the Chrysler mini-vans and Dodge Spirit R/T in your Oct. ’90 issue. It’s about time Dodge got the recognition and praise it’s long deserved. Of course, I have to admit that half of that has to do with it building automobiles of higher than respectable levels. At any rate, it’s great to see Americans building American products so that Americans can be proud to be seen driving American again. Moe ParfanSan Angelo, Tex. What an exciting car, the Dodge Spirit R/T! It’s amazing what you can do with a 2.2-liter engine with the right technological approach. The rest of the car is just right, too. It’s got everything the enthusiast driver needs. And it’s all-American. Bravo, Chrysler! What makes it even more…

CHEVROLET CANCELS BERETTA CONVERTIBLE After at least three years of development by supplier Masco/Cars & Concepts, Chevrolet has finally disowned the innovative Beretta Convertible project. Division spokesmen and GM insiders say insurmountable buildquality problems motivated the cancellation. One source at GM told us, “Chevy really wanted the car, but it was a noodle. A case, ultimately, of oversold engineering capability on the part of the vendor.” The ambitious engineering of the Beretta into a convertible was a more daunting task because it was supposed to be a relatively bargain-basement project. The unusual vehicle was first shown to the press in the summer of 1987, at the ’88 product preview. The prototype was a popular stand-out with a surprisingly finished look. Its targa appearance is the result of the effort to…

Those who bemoan the loss of the Golden Age of the Automobile should quit whining; this is it and we’re in it. Cars today are so good it’s like going to the candy store, eating all you want, and never getting sick. And it’s been getting even better. Within the past year or so, car guys have been swamped with a binge of marvelous sports cars, each one new, fast, zoomy, full of technology to sizzle your brains, looks to pop your eyes, and performance to clear your sinuses. And there’s no danger from calories or cavities. Just get in and drive. Which is what we did, all to answer the age-old question: Wot’ll she do? Somewhat chronologically, this onslaught of high-tech hot-rods began with the introduction of the Nissan…

When the 240SX burst onto the scene in 1989, we went on record as being mightily impressed. A far cry from the perennially disappointing 200SX that proceeded it, this all-new frontengine/rear-drive platform was the essence of a true sports car wrapped in eye-pleasing sheetmetal. Yes, it was a tad light in the pure muscle department. But it still possessed enough residual charm and handling prowess to ensure that the 240SX in our long-term test fleet seldom went looking for a driver. For model year ’91, Nissan has acted decisively to make the car an even more competitive player in a market segment that thrives on head-to-head combat. Visual changes are fairly limited. A revised front fascia dispenses with the original grille slot and integrates the bumper, making the 240SX look…

One of the biggest changes to come to the automotive business world in the past 10 years is the practice of using common-vehicle platforms to build and market a variety of semiclone cars. General Motors is perhaps the most adept at this, spawning diverse automobiles off the same basic design. The most recent example is the GM-10 platform, which serves as the underpinnings for the Chevrolet Lumina, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac Grand Prix. But what began as an economical way to produce a new line of cars for a given manufacturer or division has gotten a bit out of hand of late. Nowadays, many vehicles in competing showrooms are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Aside from the nameplates on their respective flanks, certain cars being sold by company…

You can drive it like a gentleman, or you can flog it like a wildman. Either way, the Porsche 928 GT cooperates. With chassis limits so high and power so linear, it’s hard to imagine a situation where you’d be surprised by the road or the car. Of course, that’s precisely how a GT car is supposed to behave, and it sums up Porsche’s latest, greatest 928 perfectly. The term “GT” stands for the Italian “Gran Turismo” and the Americanized “Grand Touring.” In the case of the Porsche 928, the label is quite apt. Touring doesn’t get much grander than this. Porsche’s 928 is one of the most familiar faces in the current sports car world, and another example of a Porsche body style that somehow transcends the fickle styling…

TOP SPEED: AN EXERCISE IN PEDAL TO THE METAL Vehicle top speed is a subject of much debate, and more than a little mystique. Interested in your vehicle’s acceleration or braking? Just find a deserted road and try it out; a stopwatch and a measuring tape are all that are needed. Top speed, on the other hand, is much more difficult, requiring lots of controlled space and some way to measure tripledigit speeds, since most speedometers are notoriously inaccurate. The Fast Five story in this issue examined, among other things, the top speed of some fairly exotic vehicles we tested at the Arizona Test Center. Questions arose during testing about what factors actually determine the top speed of a given vehicle. Obviously, engine power is a factor, as is aerodynamics,…

INJECTION CURES Many motorists consider electronic fuel-injection systems both a blessing and a curse. When throttle-body (TBI) and multipoint injection (MPI) systems are working well—and that’s most of the time—they epitomize the art of engine efficiency. But when facing expensive injector repairs, these modern marvels may instead be perceived as the antithesis of “userfriendly” electronics. The engineering staff at Holley Replacement Parts Division (11955 East Nine Mile Road, Warren, MI 48089, 313/553-3582) cites two common types of injector problems faced by today’s drivers. The most publicized injector malady is varnish. When a hot powerplant is turned off, fuel will form into a varnish around and inside the fuel injector. This occurs because fuel movement through the injector stops instantly, while the hot powerplant takes some time to cool down. The…

NEW LEGEND UNVEILED Since their introduction in 1986 as the original Japanese “second-channel” offerings, the Acura Legend coupe and sedan have enjoyed resounding success. A recent excursion to Honda’s Tochigi proving grounds left no doubt that the second-generation heirs to this enviable legacy embody a logical extension of the fundamental Acura philosophy brought into step with the ’90s. Key challenges faced by the engineering team involved raising both the luxury and sportiness quotients while moving the product slightly upmarket (albeit still below the Lexus LS 400 and Infiniti Q45). Based on our experience, it appears these objectives have been well met, indeed. Continuing on in base, L, and LS trim, the new Legends have grown a bit. Wheelbase is up by 5.9 inches in the sedan, 4.9 inches in the…

Although nine different errors have been documented for traffic radar, the most common source of wrongful tickets is mistaken identity. It’s hard to believe, but traffic radar does not identify which vehicle is responsible for the speed being displayed. It shows a number and nothing else. The radar operator must decide who is to blame. Traffic Radar Is Blind Traffic radar works differently from military, air-traffic-control, and weather radars. The others use rotating dish antennas in order to track many objects simultaneously. Traffic radar uses a far smaller, far cheaper, antenna. This requires traffic radar to ignore all reflections but the strongest. The number displayed is the speed calculated from the strongest reflection. The Best Guess Remember, these reflections are invisible. Truck reflections can be ten times stronger then car…

When we introduced the original ESCORT, its superheterodyne design revolutionized radar detector performance. Now our all-new ESCORT will revolutionize radar warning again. Its secret? Digital Signal Processing (DSP), an incredible advanced new computer technology. DSP Technology DSP is used by NASA to create detailed space photos from blurry images. It’s used by military radar to distinguish enemy aircraft. And now we’re using DSP to find radar signals too weak to be detected by conventional means. Intuitive Warning System The result is an incredible increase in sensitivity. This means ESCORT picks up radar signals farther away than was ever possible. But this additional range would be of little use without a clear, informative warning system. Upon radar contact, ESCORT’S amber alert lamp glows and its variable-pulse audio begins a slow warning.…

There are some things man was never meant to understand. Creation. Death. Why Roseanne sang the national anthem that way. From our shallow ground-level perspective, the earth curves away in all directions, leaving so much of the universe just out of sight and so much a mystery. Not to worry. The Italians have built a machine designed to give mere mortals an expanded view of the universe, a real insight to the meaning of life. The machine is called the Lamborghini Diablo. And to the automotive enthusiast, a full-throttle run through third gear in this car will tell you more about: the mysteries of the universe than a whole decade in a monastery. Trust me. Here’s how I came upon this realization. At Chrysler’s behest, I was invited to go…

What are the first thoughts that go through your head when someone says, “I drive a Cadillac?” Perhaps you picture an older couple, a balding man at the wheel and his blue-haired wife at his side. They’re lumbering down the busiest street in town, having a difficult time keeping their rolling yacht in their lane at a speed that vaguely resembles the posted limit. When you move out to pass them (and pass them you undoubtedly will), you discover it takes longer than you anticipated to cover the ground, since the Brougham proudly wears the mantle “longest production car built in America.” We’re talking nearly 18.5 feet of solid automobile here, friends. And beyond the Caddy’s pure expansiveness, maybe the thought of wealth comes to mind. Perhaps you picture it…

Okay. Your kid’s going off to school and needs some kind of car. Being a good parent, you want nothing but the best for your brood. But being no Donald Trump, you’re on a budget. You can buy a used beater or an inexpensive, practical (read boring) piece of automotive utility. Or you can opt for a sporty coupe with the personality of Tinkerbell. Enter the new Scoupe from Hyundai, which goes out the door for a base price of $8395. Up to now, Hyundai’s offerings have been the best-selling subcompact Excel and the four-door Accord-sized Sonata. The new member of its family is based on the second-generation Excel and is positioned squarely between its siblings. Hyundai’s planners had a production code name for the new kid on the block:…

CHICANERY Unless you’re among the blessed, you missed it. Probably forever. What’s that? Merely the last true test in European road racing. Its name was the Mulsanne Straight, a 3.5-mile stretch of brutally fast pavement running south out of LeMans, France. Of course, in truth, Mulsanne belonged to another era. After World War Two, there was an informal competition between various European nations for the fastest racetrack. The chief contestants were Monza in Italy, Spa-Francor-champs in Belgium—by a hair, fastest—and proud, old LeMans, with Rheims putting in a second French bid. But those were vastly different times. People don’t talk about it much these days—about how racing has changed, about the fundamental, fate-filled, crucial qualities that have vanished. Nor do they talk about how international motor racing has been warped.…

STRAIGHTAWAY • R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International, Inc. is using its leading brand, Camel, to sponsor the Benetton Formula One racing team in ’91 and ’92. Benetton drivers Nelson Piquet and Alessandro Nannini have been racing successfully with the Ford-powered B190. Both placed in the top six in the Driver’s World Championship. • O. Burton Smith, board chairman and founder of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the common stock of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Inc. Smith, who developed the Charlotte speedway into a real success story, is looking to do the same with his new acquisition. The deal is expected to turn into a solid sale upon the ratification of the board of directors and the shareholders of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Inc., and the approval of…