Indholdsfortegnelse for August 1996 i MotorTrend

ALL-NEW INFINITI Q45 FOR ’97 Infiniti’s flagship sedan, the Q45, will undergo its first complete makeover this fall; it will emerge sleeker and more refined while retaining the kind of enthusiast edge that has characterized Nissan’s premium-channel offering since it debuted here in 1990. At 199.2 inches nose-to-tail, the new Q-ship is slightly smaller than its predecessor. Despite a two-inch-shorter wheelbase (111.4 inches), it reportedly offers even more useable rear seat room. The car’s clean, elegant exterior lines are suitably complemented by an all-new interior that boasts an even greater emphasis on luxury while maintaining its driver-oriented flavor. Although the nomenclature remains, this new Q45 will be fitted with a 4.1-liter DOHC V-8 instead of the existing 32-valve 4.5-liter. A mechanical kin to the existing engine, this new, lighter, more…

CHARGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR The vehicle we’re driving is solid, comfortable—and quiet. Propelled by a water-cooled 49-kilowatt brushless DC motor that’s powered by a bank of 24 advanced 12-volt Ovonic nickel-metal-hydride batteries, it exhibits reasonable acceleration and agreeable handling. It feels right. It also feels ready for the showroom—a good thing because this is the Honda EV, the automaker’s long-awaited entry in the mass-market electric-vehicle (EV) arena. Using the term “mass market” seems a bit inappropriate because Honda initially is bringing only 300 examples to market in 1997. It’s an important beginning, however, signaling a philosophical shift in the way automakers such as Honda view the EV market. A case in point: As Honda was rolling out its new electric wares, Toyota was debuting its ’97 RAV4-EV electric sport/utility…

Jon Moss must have warned me about the big-block 572-cubic-inch ZL-1 Camaro about a half dozen times. “It’ll shoot through 7000 rpm so fast you won’t be able to react,” he said. “In first and second, it’ll spin the wheels instantly with the street tires we’re running. You’ll blow the engine if you’re not careful.” By the time I was finally belted into the ZL-1 for a run down the dragstrip, I half expected this god-awful-fast Camaro to rip my organs clean out of my body and grind them into the pavement as I watched in horror. Well, Moss was right. Light the fuse on the 725-horsepower ZL-1 and you’ll wish you’d double-bagged yourself with Depends. The black Camaro quivers and shakes as the eight pistons, each measuring 4.5 inches…

Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs aren’t, strictly speaking, muscle-cars. They’re “ponycars,” which implies compromises in utility because of their size and concessions to style. Classic “musclecars,” like the ’65 Z16 Chevrolet Malibu SS 396, or ’70 LS-6 Chevelle SS 454, retain the utility of the otherwise-regular-production midsize coupes they inhabit: useable back seats, big trunks, and room for wide Americans. Driving Chevy’s rear-drive, 467-horsepower, V-8-powered Monte Carlo SS prototype/toy evokes one clear passion: We want our muscle-cars back! The Monte Carlo SS, its swollen flanks covering massive Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires, looks somewhat like a regular ’95 Monte Carlo but even more like a street-going lime-green version of Dale Earnhardt’s Winston Cup race car. In this case, instead of being stretched over a Laughlin tube-frame, the Monte Carlo skin has been…

If you love cars, few sounds will focus your attention like the throttle snapping open on a free-revving V-8. And for 1997, the Camaro Z28’s LT1 exhales through big, attention-getting pipes. Chevrolet Motor Division allowed us our first taste of the ’97 Camaro in race-pacer form at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This particular car will be used to pace the NASCAR Brickyard 400 on August 3. The standard Camaro seatbelts were in place, but we ignored them and buckled on the wide racing lap belts, tugging hard on the cinching strap. A twist of the ignition key revealed a basso profundo V-8 idle as deep as a Colorado mine shaft. Track officials have specified the 4L60-E electronically controlled automatic transmission because “it’s just one less driver distraction” when trying to…

Honda’s compact CR-V sport/utility has taken Japan by storm this year with its carlike manners, zippy 130-horsepower DOHC four-cylinder engine, and attractive pricing. Outselling the Toyota RAV4 three to one with an average turnover of 15,000 emits per month, the “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle” has exceeded Honda’s original sales projections five times over. Don’t be frightened by the above photo; by year’s end, left-hand-drive CR-Vs will land on U.S. shores. Power is provided by an all-new 2.0-liter engine derived from the Integra’s 1.8-liter inline-four. Developed specifically for the CR-V, the DOHC engine has a steep horsepower curve that peaks at 5500 rpm and a gentle torque curve that gradually rises to a 135 pound-feet peak at 4300 rpm. On the street, our Japanese-spec (right-hand-drive) test vehicle proved athletic from a standstill…

Where were you in ’96? 1896, that is. We doubt many current Motor Trend readers were around when the automobile first became a smoking, coughing, barely-moving-under-its-own-power achievement, so you’ll have to trust us on this: 1996 marks the 100th anniversary of the automobile in America—the year Ransom Eli Olds debuted his first working car on the streets of Lansing, Michigan, and Henry Ford completed his first car (the two-cylinder, four-horsepower Quadricycle). Charles and Frank Duryea already were way ahead of Oldsmobile and Ford, having begun work on their first one-cylinder “motor wagon” in 1892 and building 13 duplicatable cars of their own design for customers by 1896; it’s the Duryeas who are acclaimed for building the first American “production automobile.” Most historians credit Karl Benz with inventing the first viable…

As the lackluster Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz platform was nearing the end of its production cycle, Ford had to decide whether to retire the aging platform or evolve it into a more exciting new-generation product. Entering the ’90s, Ford cars being developed for North America and Europe were becoming more similar in concept, responding to common needs and increasingly homogenized consumer tastes. In an effort to reduce overall development costs and strengthen its worldwide empire, Ford made the strategic decision to develop a compact sedan that could be sold in key markets on both sides of the ocean. Thus, the code-named CDW-27 global-car program was born. Led by Ford of Europe, because of its expertise with midsize sedans, the various engineering teams worked together to develop a common platform for the…

VARDE HURRICANE CAMARO Racers aren’t normal; all they care about is speed, and how to get more of it. Normal people often enjoy such pleasantries as comfort, companionship, and peace and quiet. Joe Varde is a racer, and his company, JVR Engineering, builds the Hurricane Camaro for racers. Normal people may enjoy this car for an afternoon, but they’ll be screaming for release from its fanatical embrace by sundown. Speed requires power, and the 383-cubic-inch version of the LT1 V-8 in the Hurricane has plenty. There’s no mystery to 383s; they use the longer 3.75-inch stroke of the old 400-cubic-inch version of Chevy’s classic small-block to produce more low-end torque—a perfect addition to the LTl’s high-rpm horsepower talents. Someone forgot to tell Joe Varde that that’s how a 383 is…

FROM THE FACTORY: LEXUS LX 450 The premium-SUV category became a bit more crowded with the introduction of the Lexus LX 450. More than simply a dressed-up Toyota Land Cruiser, the LX 450 has a Pioneer-supplied audio system that establishes new benchmarks in sport/utility factory sound systems. Typical of all Lexus audio systems, the standard control center for the LX 450 is a double-DIN 7x4-inch AM/FM/cassette deck, featuring built-in controls for a dealer-installed six-disc CD changer ($1050 plus dealer installation charge). The standard package also includes a separate five-channel, 195-watt amplifier. Following the lead established with the LS 400, Lexus engineers have brought the optional CD changer (not available in the Land Cruiser) into the cabin; it’s mounted in the center console with rear access. As CD changers become increasingly…

SNAKE CHARMERS As much as I am in love with the Viper GTS, your “Survival of the Fastest” story (May ’96) really showed how outstanding the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupes were in their time. Compared to the latest mega-muscle sports car to wear a snake emblem, the original Daytona’s performance is truly remarkable, blowing away the Viper coupe in every test. This is a car that definitely deserves its legendary status, and then some. Ron MyersPhoenix, Ariz. I’ve always admired Dodge for creating a sports car that can compete on a world-class level, and I’ve always thought of the Viper’s styling as nothing short of groundbreaking. That was until I saw your “Survival of the Fastest” comparison between the Dodge Viper and Shelby Cobra Daytona. The similarities are too numerous…

FIRST DRIVE: MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS WAGON Mercedes-Benz’ new E-Class wagon is already on sale in Europe, but it won’t make its U.S. debut until the fall of 1997, as a ’98 model (about the same time Mercedes debuts its other family hauler, the M-Class “All-Activity Vehicle”). Based on our recent test drive in Germany, however, the wagon should prove well worth the wait for those who need a bit more passenger and cargo capacity than is available in its sedan counterpart. M-B wants to debut the wagon here concurrent with the introduction of its upcoming new-generation 3.2-liter V-6 and 4.3-liter DOHC V-8 engines, which will be fitted to the E-Class sedans in late 1997. While a powertrain decision for the wagon has not yet been made, factors weighing in favor of…

Chevy figures that the slammed and tinted crowd deserves a bit of adrenal stimulation. The Coolside pickup will squeeze those atrophied glands dry, courtesy of a 536-horse-power big-block pumping its tasty nectar to four meaty BFGoodrich ZR’s via a full-time all-wheel-drive system. Performance-deprived truckers won’t know what hit ’em. Strap into the Coolside’s conventional-looking cab, turn the key, and the big V-8 sounds stout, but not too raucous. Pull the floor shifter back into Drive, scan the horizon for obstacles, then mash your right foot to the floor. The Coolside lunges forward without a hint of wheelspin, the 8.4-liter engine (each of its eight cylinders displacing more than an entire base Geo Metro engine) booming out a muted low-frequency bellow. You hit 30 mph in just 1.7 seconds, and 60…

As popular and versatile as it is, Geo’s Tracker hasn’t been able to carve out any kind of serious performance image for itself. Lift the hood to find out. why. The one and only powerplant is a 1.6-liter inline-four that wheezes out just 95 horses—enough to buzz out to the beach or venture into the woods, but well short of what would be ideal for powering up the sheer rock face of El Capitan, or tugging bogged-down battle tanks out of Iraqi sandpits. Jon Moss and his band of merry engineers recognized that deficiency, and saw an opportunity to work their own special brand of magic on the little Geo. That’s easier said than done, however, given the Geo’s tight packaging. What the Specialty Vehicle group came up with was…

Not everyone’s going to like the SVT Ranger V-8. But then, Ford isn’t building this truck for everyone. In fact, this one-off engineering prototype was only released to Motor Trend for this exclusive first test. Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering group knows there’s way too much hair on this sport truck’s knuckles to please the multitude of main-street poseurs who’ve slipped into pickups and designer western wear. So even if Ford decides to fire this potent model down the assembly line, we’re expecting only about 5000 a year to see the light of day. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; Ford Motor Co. hasn’t committed this truck to production—yet. Created for Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT), which is responsible for the 305-horsepower SVT Mustang Cobra and F-150 Lightning full-size pickup,…

So you’ve finally made the semi-big time, and at long last, that near-luxury lifestyle is firmly within your grasp. Gone are the days of trolling for econocars and scoping out those $199-a-month bargain leases. One very serious question still remains, however: Exactly what should your next automotive purchase be? With a budget of roughly $30,000, the opportunities are fairly wide-ranging. To help you successfully complete this quest for vehicular nirvana, we’ve brought together eight possible candidates for consideration. While each has its own particular advantages, all can be relied upon to provide years of-driving pleasure in the hands of the right owner. Eight great vehicles but only one choice. Which is best for you? AUDI A4 UATTRO If ever there existed the automotive equivalent of a Renaissance man, it would…

Convertible fanatics generally can be lumped into two categories: Type A sol seekers find total satisfaction in merely being able to put their cars into full alfresco mode; for the more demanding Type Bs, said vehicles must also possess an exceptionally high fun-to-drive quotient to provide a truly meaningful ultraviolet experience. It’s toward the latter group that Mitsubishi has directed its new Eclipse GS-T Spyder. Spawned from the Eclipse coupe, the Spyder is available in two trim levels, both front-drive. As the upline, turbocharged kin to the naturally aspirated GS model, the Spyder GS-T boasts impressive all-around performance credentials. When paired with a five-speed manual transmission, as was our tester, its force-fed 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine churns out 210 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque. On cars fitted with the…

’96 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN ES Our long-term Dodge Grand Caravan ES is an ideal people mover, with every seat in the house receiving raves from our various occupants. In addition to providing abundant elbowroom, the Caravan’s captain’s chairs and rear bench offer living-room comfort, making this minivan seem much like a factory-built conversion van. In driving the Caravan daily, MT staffers have appreciated its subtle touches such as the contoured door handles, plethora of storage compartments, high-swinging rear hatch, and optional dual-zone climate-control system. The Caravan’s logbook cites it as “an easily justifiable family vehicle choice,” with its flexible seating arrangement, rear air ducts, integrated child safety seats, and child door locks. Beyond its functionality, the Grand Caravan ES has been enjoyable to drive, with the strong 3.8-liter/166-horsepower V-6 and…

TAAGA IMPRLR SS After more than 40 years, General Motors is discontinuing production of its rear-drive family sedans. When the last Chevrolet Caprice rolls off the line in Arlington, Texas, late this year, an era will end—likely forever. As a tribute, this month we’re featuring an outstanding aftermarket system, installed in the quintessential American sedan, the Impala SS. The Impala tradition started in 1958 when the vehicle was introduced atop the line of standard-size Chevrolets, then the most popular platform in America. Its engine compartment was home to some of the most famous displacement numbers in V-8 history: 327, 396, 409, 427, and 454. Our black Impala SS, powered by a modified 350-cubic-inch LT1 powerplant, now serves as a signature show car for Targa Autosound (800/999-8274) and its line of…

DAKOTA TO THE LIMIT The ’94 Dodge Ram pickup was a success beyond even what Dodge could have expected. Beyond revitalizing Dodge’s moribund full-size pickup truck franchise, the Ram’s big-rig-inspired looks for the first time have made Dodge trucks a formidable presence in an aftermarket that once was dominated completely by General Motors products. Dodge ain’t dumb, and its next-generation Dakota midsize pickup (see this issue’s Detroit Report) adopts many of the styling cues and convenience features that have made the Ram so popular. That in turn should make the ’97 Dakota one of the most popular smaller pickups among truck enthusiasts. Carrying over into ’97 will be the Dakota’s 5.2-liter Magnum V-8 engine, uprated to produce around 220 horsepower. Because this engine is shared with the Ram and the…

’97 DODGE DAKOTA-A CHIP OFF THE OLD RAM BLOCK Here’s the first factory-authorized look at the all-new Dodge Dakota midsize pickup. As might be expected in light of the success of the full-size Ram, the design squad took its primary styling cues from that market-share gobbler. But while similar in appearance to the somewhat angular Ram, note that the more stylish Dakota has a waistline, most apparent when viewed from directly overhead. Buyers can opt for either a 6.5-foot-or 8.0-foot-long bed with the regular cab; the Club Cab (shown here), which can seat up to six, is available only with the shorter bed. Dodge says class-leading power, ride, handling, interior room, safety, and security are crucial to the targeted buyers. These attributes normally are most critical to passenger-car owners. But…

What’s it like to be the guy who holds the key to Chevrolet Motor Division’s secret high-performance toy box? MT wanted to find out. Most car nuts would say Jon Moss, manager of Chevrolet/Geo Specialty Vehicles, has the best job in the world. And, most days, Jon would agree. Imagine each year being given a budget in the “low millions” to tap Detroit’s savviest engine builders, chassis wizards, and prototype shops to create brightly colored, high-horsepower show-stoppers from some of America’s best-known street machines. These special vehicles are displayed at car shows across the country, and a few very lucky, very careful individuals get to drive them. Working with about five top craft shops in the Detroit area, Moss has served as project manager for two jammed warehouses (approximately 130…

In 1912, the first Chevrolet “Classic Six” went into production with a front-mounted engine driving the solid-axle-mounted rear wheels, and with a steel body atop its frame rails. In 1996, they’ll stop building Chevrolet sedans that way. These two Impala SS sedans are Chevy’s last expressions of how things used to be: big, black, assured, rear-drive sedans, one (pictured below right) packing the classic small-block V-8 and six-speed manual transmission, the other (below left) wielding a 510-cubic-inch big-block and GM’s latest four-speed 4L80-E version of GM’s justly famed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic. Lightly glazed with induction and exhaust improvements, the 5.7-liter LT1 V-8 in the six-speed Impala produces 308 horsepower (up from the standard 260) to stir its Z28-spec Borg-Warner T56 six-speed manual. Add a Corvette clutch-pedal assembly, a suspension torque arm,…

Of all the vehicles in Chevy’s toy chest, it’s the S-Series Hugger pickups that are most likely to be in production by ’97. The Hugger package is Chevrolet’s impression of where the young truck buyer wants to go: a sophisticated pickup already equipped with many of the aftermarket-style items that eventually would be installed by the targeted consumer. Three Huggers have emerged from Chevrolet’s Specialty Vehicle shop: Regular Cab, Regular Cab Sportside, and Extended Cab. Both Regular Cab trucks are propelled by the S-Series’ standard 2.2-liter/118-horsepower four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission, while the Extended Cab model is equipped with the familiar 4.3-liter/180-horsepower Vortec 4300 V-6 and a four-speed automatic. All three trucks ride on the current production ZQ8 Sport Chassis Package, which includes frame reinforcements, de Carbon shocks, a…

Despite the old adage, clothes don’t make the man (or woman, as the case may be). Nor do we put much faith in the maxim that says, “You are what you drive.” But, we assert, how you decorate and surround your body says a lot about what you’d like to be. And the sportingly elegant sheetmetal that graces both the Nissan 240SX SE and Acura’s debutant, the 2.2CL, says, “I’m in a hurry to surpass my current, already enviably elevated state of success to reach the pinnacle of prosperity.” At first glance, the 2.2CL and 240SX SE seem extremely closely matched. They’re both Japanese-branded coupes with nominal seating for five. Their base prices are each within S100 of an affordable $22,200; when equipped as they were for this test both…

Eye-popping yellow, brilliant blue, hot red: What’s Mercedes-Benz coming to? It can be summed up in three letters: SLK. That’s Mercedes’ entry in the new wave of German roadsters, arriving fast on the heels of the BMW Z3 and in pace with the Porsche Boxster. Beyond the actual car, though, the SLK reflects the new, fresher-thinking, more daring attitude that’s beginning to rise to the surface of the traditionally conservative automaker. And in the case of the SLK, that thinking goes much deeper than just the colorful paint. Officially introduced at the recent international auto show in Turin, Italy, the SLK is expected to reach our shores early in 1997 (as a ’98 model) with a pricetag of about $40,000. While that’s considerably higher than the Z3’s $28,750 sticker, Mercedes…

NEWS VANISHING BACK It used to be that there were hundreds of movie theaters and three television networks. Now there are thousands of theaters and dozens of networks, and they all need stories to tell—a lot of stories. One of the most efficient ways to find those stories is to go back and tell the ones that have worked before, including those that fired automotive imaginations decades ago. Reaching back a quarter century, the Fox Broadcasting Company has remade the cult-classic car-chase movie “Vanishing Point,” to air this fall as part of its “Tuesday Night Movie” series. “The original inspired me to get my own ’70 Challenger,” explains the remake’s writer/director Charlie Carner. “While rewatching the original, it struck me how a version of this story could be very relevant…

With a nip here, a tuck there, and a few strategic augmentations, automotive cosmetic surgeon Steve Saleen has transformed the Ford Mustang GT’s already attractive body into a ravishing head-turner he calls the Saleen S281. By this miracle of modem automotive medicine, that alluring girl-next-door has been sculpted into a supermodel. And like a supermodel, looking good is what the S281, dubbed “an affordable Saleen,” does best; while it offers all the show of Saleen Performance Cars’ more pricey offerings, it delivers little additional “go” over a new SOHC V-8-powered Mustang GT. The S281 name comes from optimistic rounding up of the SOHC modular V-8’s 280.3-cubic-inch displacement. Over the Mustang GT’s 215-horsepower, the S281 claims a seven-horse boost from a new Saleen-branded air cleaner and a Borla exhaust system; torque…

Last year, one of Pirelli’s big stories was the P7000 Supersport, its top-of-the-line all-season Z-rated performance tire. The Supersport is designed to provide an enthusiast’s level of traction while still being able to handle the gritty mud-and-snow reality of true all-season use. Now, for drivers in more-temperate climates who see little or no snow, the Italian tiremaker has released a dedicated “summer” version of the P7000 (slotted just below its ultrahigh-performance P Zeros), with equally outstanding wet-pavement performance along with a higher dry-traction envelope. MT had the opportunity to test both tires on numerous occasions at some of Italy’s world-renowned racetracks, including the Monza circuit in Milan and the Targa Florio circuit in Sicily. As is expected from Pirelli, the P7000s performed impressively. Both share the same unique tread pattern,…

Building a high-performance Ferrari is rather straightforward: Use the very best components and charge a fortune. On the other hand, while police vehicles must have outstanding performance, they must cost as little as possible. Ferraris are bought by people with abundant surplus income; patrol vehicles are purchased by stingy municipalities running on deficits. Thus, when Chevrolet set out to transform the Tahoe sport/utility vehicle into a replacement for its long-running cop-car champ, the Caprice 9C1, it had an almost oxymoronic mission: to create an exceptional-performing truck that costs as little as possible. Built around a two-wheel-drive four-door Tahoe, the Tahoe POC (spell it backwards) police package enters production for ’98 as the first truck designed to replace the police cruiser. Other trucks have served law-enforcement agencies as special-purpose vehicles, but…