Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2000 i MotorTrend

If you’re the shy or anti-social type, stop in your tracks right now. Only the truly outgoing, life-of-the-party types should come any closer to this car. It’s the Chrysler PT Cruiser. And it stops traffic, turns heads, and generally disrupts normal life like no other new car at any price. Thanks to the charms of the affordably priced PT, you no longer need to dream of landing a three-picture deal from Paramount just so you can be famous. Just drive (or even stand beside!) this machine anywhere, and you’ll be flocked by more civilian paparazzi than Gillian Anderson at an X-Files convention. Attention can be good or bad, though, right? (Just ask Steven Spielberg about his hand-cuff-and-| duct-tape wielding stalker.) Yet unlike • the snotty looks, | rude gestures, and…

In a well-timed retaliation to the challenge of Ford’s SVT Cobra R and Dodge’s Viper GTS-R, Chevrolet will offer its own big-gun response for '01 with a magnum-load Corvette. Dubbed Z06 after a Regular Production Order code that harks back to a similar early-’60s performance package, this hardtop-only model features a distinctive appearance, killer suspension, and more powerful engine. Like its production-based-yet-race-ready namesake, the new-generation Z06 promises to be an instant collectible among cognoscenti. Our covert recon efforts yielded a number of key details about this new member of the lineup. Visually, the ’01 Z06 will offer unique front and rear brake ducts, red calipers, split-spoke wheels, three-inch chromed oval exhaust tips, and bespoke upholstery trim along with special fender badging. But the real excitement resides underhood, courtesy of its…

Aimed at buyers who plan to spend more time on road than off, the smartly styled ’01 Highlander shares common basic platform engineering with Toyota’s best-selling Camry but provides greater ride height, ground clearance, and suspension travel as well as a reinforced unibody structure. Available in either front- or full-time four-wheel drive, it offers a choice of a 2.2-liter four, preliminarily rated at 150 horsepower, or 220-horse/3.0-liter V-6. Roomier than a 4Runner, the Highlander adds a new dimension to Toyota’s U.S. lineup and is expected to account for over 70,000 units annually once production rampup is completed.…

Like the Atlanta Braves in baseball. Ford’s bountiful roster of trucks and SUVs has no shortage of all-star players. During the heat of this season’s pennant race, the Blue Oval team will add to its already expansive lineup of sport/utility vehicles with an affordably priced, not-so-mini-ute called the Escape. After some quick drives in prototypes, we can say this svelte rookie will be a productive addition to Ford SUV roster. Like its prime opposition, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and unlike traditional truck-based SUVs, the Escape features a unibody chassis, carlike four-wheel-independent suspension, and a front-drive (or front-drive-based) drivetrain. Unlike the cute-utes—but more like larger SUVs including its big brother the Explorer—the Escape offers a potent V-6. Ford partner Mazda did much of the engineering development and will sell…

Good things happen in twos. There, sitting impatiently in our Motor Trend garage were two of the hottest sport/luxury coupes on the market: the redesigned BMW 328Ci and all-new Acura 3.2CL Type S. Coincidentally, there were two idle staffers casting a lusty eye in their direction. And over the next two days, neither of us could think of anything we'd rather be doing than, yes, driving the tread off of these restless colipes Where would we go? Did it matter? Starting from the Santa Monica Piép—aka western-most point of old Route 66—we’d head east and go wherever the twistiest, widest-open, and least traveled roads took us. It was, well, too much to resist. First, the introductions. The insurgent in this twosome is the 3.2CL, Acura’s answer to those who wrote…

FORGET FLASH. AND TAKE A PASS on those high-decibel exhaust notes, too. If you really want to drive fast on the daily commute, head beneath the radar. To that end, consider this pair of primly understated urbo-runners: the new Nissan. Sentra SE and the Volkswagen Jetta GLS L8T. Affordable, economical, compact sedans by basic design, as equipped here, each possesses a junior bad-boy alter ego that belies its buttoned-down appearance and real-world practicality. A few caveats before this wheel-to-wheel skirmish begins. Aggressively skewed toward the upper end of its segment, the Jetta’s extensive roster of standards (including stuff like anti-lock brakes and side-impact airbags) brings a base price that eclipses an entry-level Sentra by a heady $5000. As tested, our fully loaded GLS 1.8T commanded $22,345, while our moderately appointed…

Classy Detailing Sure, SoCal’s Classy Car Auto Accessories makes pro-quality car care products, but it’s their handy detailing bag that’s especially trick. With net pockets on the outside and elastic straps inside, it’s ready to go for a Saturday morning wash and wax. Or use it as an in-car carry bag. This Small Detail Bag runs $64.95 with product, $34.95 without. 877/CLASSY-1; www.classycars.com. Get a Grip 0X0 Good Grips car-care brushes and ice scraperswith soft, non-slip elastomer handles—are ergonomic and comfortable to hold. More important, though, their matte black finish gives them a spiffy, designer-like look that’ll be the envy of the neighborhood. $10 to $20.800/545-4411, ext. 11; www.oxo.com. Accident Recovery When your brain’s a-flutter after a fender-bender, you can use all the help you can get. The Securit accident…

Recognized as one of the world’s most daring sedan executions from a styling perspective, the cab-forward Dodge Intrepid finally gets a strong dose of hot powertrain and suspension tweaks that make it a worthy American sport sedan. Adding to the car’s enthusiast aspect are unique R/T features: wider 225/55VR17 rubber, bodycolor rear spoiler, R/T badging, dual chromed exhaust tips, foglamps, and taillamps with black surround. At first glance, the also-new flat-faced 17x7.O-inch alloy wheels appear almost too plain for a sport sedan. Hmmmm. Maybe they’ll grow on us. Previously, Intrepid engine choices were limited to a 2.7- or 3.2-liter V-6. The new Intrepid R/T, however, pumps power to the front wheels using an SOHC 3.5-liter/242-horsepower 24-valve V-6. This bigger motor is teamed exclusively in the R/T with a manually shiftable…

Base price..................$34,690 Price as tested..................................$38,400 Body style..................4-door, 5-pass. Engine size/type.................3.9-liter V-8 Transmission..................5-speed auto. Driveline config..................Front engine, rear drive 0-60 mph, sec..................7.2 EPA mpg, city/hwy.....17/23 Total mileage.................3547 Test mileage...................3343 Fuel consumed, gal..................182.7 Fuel cost............................... $288.12 Average mpg.............................. 18.3 Additional oil/cost.....................None Routine maint............................None Additional maint........................None Previous maint..........................None Problem areas.......................... None Total operating cost..............$288.12 Operating cost/mile................... 8.6C 2000 LINCOLN LS We welcome all three Motor Trend 2000 “of the Year” winners to our long-term test fleet. Each vehicle stood out as the most significant new entry in its respective vehicle segment, thus earning our highest accolades. Dressed in bad-boy black-on-black, the luxurious Lincoln LS sport sedan has sharp-edged styling to go with its driver-oriented performance. We naturally selected the 3.9-liter/252-horsepower V-8 model, with an exhaustive list of standard power equipment that could make…

SUVS - 282 TO 10,000 FEET I’ve just finished reading your comparison article entitled “-282 to 10,000 Feet” from the April issue. Your representations of these autos are quite accurate. In fact, last summer I drove my 99 Land Rover cross-country and traveled the same path on which you tested your autos. I realize the Land Rover is more expensive than the SUVs tested, but I was very impressed with its ability to dash through off-road trails at 50 mph, only to be on the interstate minutes later at 90-plus mph. The truck was quite at home off-road (except for the reddish dust all over the leather interior) and was a very comfortable and capable highway cruiser. Craig A. LowyAventura, Fla. Your article reviewing the three SUVs from BMW, Mercedes,…

BIG CHANGES LIE JUST AHEAD for the all-new “midsize” Oldsmobile Bravada. If ever a vehicle qualifies for the often overused “all-new” status, this is it. To be offered only as a four-door, the ’02 model is 10 inches longer, 5 inches wider, and 5 inches taller than the current iteration. It also has an entirely new powertrain, an all-new suspension (front and rear), and completely reengineered body-on-frame construction. The combined effect of these comprehensive engineering changes—which will also be shared with the Bravada’s Chevy and GMC counterparts, yields a far more sophisticated package than any previous GM compact sport/utility. Olds says the 70 percent of the Bravada exterior design cues are brand-specific and include front and rear fenders, headlamps, hood, grille, doors, and wheels. Underhood, the big news involves replacing…

A RESTYLED FRONT FASCIA and new wheels give Ford’s Windstar a slicker look for '01, but the real story is under its skin. Employing a similar formula to the one used on the redesigned 2000 Taurus, the revamped Windstar gets a vast new arsenal of safety weapons that include dual-stage front airbags with a crash-severity sensor, seatbelt pretensioners with energy-management retractors, belt-usage sensors, driver-seat-position sensors, a low-tire pressure warning system, and a seamless steering-wheel airbag cover. From an active-safety standpoint, the Windstar will offer a formal stability control system, called AdvanceTrac, by mid-year. Essentially the same as now offered on the Ford Focus in Europe and the Lincoln LS in North America, AdvanceTrac soon will be offered on U.S. Focus models as well.…

Every auto enthusiast harbors guilt-rid-den sports car fantasies about fire I breathing two-seaters bred for performance. While not all of us can call such a four-wheeled escape vehicle our own, online reality is virtual. Useful sites tailored to the Vette set include the late-model C5 Registry (www.c5registry.com), Net Vettes (www.netvettes.com), and Corvette Forum (www.corvetteforum.com). The Rennlist (www.rennlist.com) guides us to a growing online Porsche community, and there’s the detailed www.boxster.org. Honda enthusiasts get www.superhonda.com and www.hondaprelude.com. Toyota Supra fans have the www.mkiv.com site’s tech article archive, bragging “road kills” section, and multimedia offerings. Nissan loyalists turn to www.ZCar.com and www.twinturbo.com for info and camaraderie, while awaiting word on the new, non-retro Z coupe. Have a performance coupe, or even an economy car, that thinks it’s a Ferrari? Visit the Sports…

In this test, we compared the Acura 3.2CL Type S against the BMW 328Ci. A simple one-on-one, right? Well, not exactly. That’s because, in the real world of car shopping and haggling, things get a little more complicated. For instance, BMW offers two 3 Series coupe models: the 170-horsepower 323Ci, which bases at $28,990, and our 328Ci, starting at $33,990. Each brings a wide variety of options, which allows you to custom tailor it to your needs but also can quickly inflate the sticker price. A full-deck 328Ci, for example, can cross the $44,000 mark. Acura also gives you a choice of 3.2CL models. The standard 225-horsepower CL bases at $27,980, while the sportier, more upscale Type S version in our test carries an MSRP of $30,330. Judging only by…

If BMW and Jaguar combined forces to build a performance front-drive sedan, something like the pumped Cadillac Seville STSi might be the result. This hot rod has the precise, fast-flick steering, the pavement-rippling grip, the 14-inch Ferrari-size brakes, the sweet attention to styling detail, and certainly the muscle for hustle that enthusiasts associate with take-noprisoners sport sedans. Cadillac cut MTIoose at a closed e big-oval racetrack to shake down some filthy, raggedy-looking development mules and several special Space cars. Unfortunately, our test gear was banned, so you’ll have to trust us without the numbers. (The performance numbers in the spec chart are estimates.) We did, how-ever, drive them hard. Reportedly, an hour after we’d left, one burned to the ground. During behind-the-wheel and trackside chats with Keith Nattrass, the assistant…

He’s holding the strongest truck wheel ever built, the new forged, one-piece Weld F-1. He and his staff of engineers spent two years and millions of dollars perfecting the technology. It was not easy. It took thousands of man-hours of work and a passionate commitment to do what others could not. His name? Greg Weld. Greg’s passion for excellence and his ability to overcome almost any obstacle have helped him go from building winning wheels for his own sprint car in 1967 to world leadership in forged wheel technology by 2000. All this in the face of brutal competition. Naturally, Greg is no stranger to competition. A former USAC Sprint Car Champion and a member of the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Greg Weld successfully competed against the best. Guys…

Want a vehicle that protects you from flying bullets, exploding bombs, and terrorist threats? Call the vehicle protection experts at O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt. Never heard of them? Well, O-H&E has built every presidential limo since 1948, when the Secret Service first commissioned an armored limousine. However, not every vehicle that comes out of the O-H&E plants worldwide is a stretched presidential limo. Most are luxury sedans and sport/utilities that look normal on the outside. These fall into two categories: light armored and fully armored. Almost any vehicle can be modified, including Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Rolls-Royce, Hummer, Chevy Suburban (a Secret Service favorite), Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW 3, 5, and 7 Series, as well as almost any Ford sport/utility or Cadillac. Modifications to fully armored vehicles can include bomb and grenade protection,…

VERY CRAFTY Craftsman has developed a new way to make use of what is usually dead space in your pickup bed. Sidebed Storage Systems attach to a heavy-duty 16-gauge mounting bracket bolted to the floor of the bed. A quick release lever makes for easy removal, and the boxes are lockable. The sides of each box are powdercoated, the lid and ends diamond plate, and the units are weather sealed to protect their contents. Only available from the 2000/2001 Sears Craftsman Power and Hand Tool Catalog. At your Sears store; www.sears.com/craftsman. ODE TO BEDDY JO Yakima has introduced a new line of innovative and flexible racks to help truck owners transport their bikes safely. The BeddyJo snaps in quickly, with no drilling required. It mounts two bikes of almost any…

Onee again, Motor Trend invites you to demonstrate your automotive design skill by participating in our second annual Automobiles for the New Millennium international design contest. This program drew more than three hundred entries last year, and several of the winners are now professionally involved in vehicle design. The program has been improved and expanded, and promises to be an ever more exciting event. Many of today’s most interesting new cars, such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser and BMW Z8, have clearly been inspired by great designs of the past. Hence, the question: Which of today’s designs will serve as Inspiration for the future? This year’s contest theme asks entrants to select their favorite 2000 or 2001 model car, truck, or sport/utility and recreate it for the year 2025. Some…

WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS AN exercise in possibility thinking. Whether it becomes a production reality—and the exact form it may take—remains to be seen. During the past few months, wild rumors have flown about a megadollar, megahorsepower super Vette. Our sources indicate there’s at least a grain of truth to be found lurking among the more fanciful aspects of this tale. In part, talk about a limited-production street car that would finally take the measure of the Dodge Viper GTS came about as the result of Chevrolet's fielding a team of Corvettes for international GT competition. Along with a stable of real C5-Rs based on standard production C5s, several lookalike “template cars" also were constructed. Not really homologation vehicles, these unique one-offs are mandated by GTS rules to help…

ON SALE NEXT APRIL AS AN ’02 model, Infiniti’s big rear-drive luxe sedan will grow longer, stronger, and even more luxurious. The Gen III Q45 packs a new 4.5-liter/340-horsepower DOHC V-8 and five-speed automatic transmission complemented by vented disc brakes with ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, traction control, dynamic stability package, and active cruise control. Standard 17-inch wheels mount 225/55VR17 conventional or optional run-flat rubber, with P245/45ZR18 tires an option. Inside, the more spacious Q45 boasts an onboard nav system, dual-zone heating/cooling, rearview monitor camera, and a Bose audio package along with a bounty of wood and leather trim. Front airbags are supplemented by an inflatable curtain that protects against side-impact crashes. Nissan's comprehensive corporate rebuilding process is already well underway. The new Infiniti 045 appears another step in the…

An open-air entry joins the Lexus lineup next spring, when the SC 430 goes on sale here as a replacement for the veteran SC 400. Save for some very minor changes to its exterior and interior trim bits and more conventionally styled five-spoke wheels, the SC 430 will be virtually identical to the Sport Coupe concept (pictured here) that was first shown in Tokyo last fall. Along with a trick power-retractable metal hardtop, the new SC will be fitted with a 300-horse version of the firm’s 4.3-liter V-8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Mass quantities of premium leather and wood accent trim, a Mark Levinson audiophile sound package, and a super-strong and flex-resistant unibody structure should ensure the new SC 430 prime placement in the world of drop-top luminaries.…

The Cobra Jet S/C and the Cobra Competition should put even Vette pilots on red-hot alert. What does the future look like for Ford Motor Company’s performance icon, the Mustang Cobra? Within the next five years, it’s probably safe to say, itll have more power, bigger brakes, and a more responsive and highly refined rear-drive chassis. But we wanted a more definitive answer. Even insiders on the Mustang team said they aren't exactly sure which direction America’s original ponycar will take. Some of that depends on market conditions and certainly fuel prices. But that still didn’t answer it for us. So we asked engineers from the Mustang development team, the director of Ford’s Racing Technology group, and the experts with SVT (Special Vehicle Team) to get a little closer to…

As a 16-year-old, I fantasized about hearing, “Mr. Penske is on the phone. He wants you to drive for him at Indy.” But age fades dreams. Penske doesn’t race at Indianapolis any more, not that he’d let this old showroom stock racer touch his car even if he did. But recently I received a call that rivaled my wildest teenage fantasy: “Lamborghini wants to fly you to Europe to test its new Diablo.” Thirty years—to the day—after I received my driver’s license, I was in Vairano, Italy, charging into a test track corner at 180 mph—a bit too hot, perhaps—in a 2001 Diablo VT 6.0. It was just one of three Diablos I’d sample during a birthday party to make every boy—and many girls—envious. To top off the celebration, I…

Here’s the story: Acura is so proud of the new all-wheel-drive system in its fresh, clean-sheet MDX sport/utility vehicle that it invited us to the Colorado high country—still covered in a four-foot base of snow—just to check out the vehicle’s low-traction capabilities. Basically, Acura has chosen not to follow the new four-wheel-traction-control school of design that’s been popularized by the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and BMW X5, opting instead for a new twist on an old theme. Like the Ford Explorer’s Control Trac system or the Infiniti QX4’s All-Mode 4WD, the MDX uses a system that automatically switches between two- and all-wheel drive as needed. The key differences are that the Acura’s system is electronically controlled with innovative new programming and can provide an infinitely variable transfer of power between the front…

It can happen in an instant. A stone gets kicked up by another vehicle’s tire and ricochets off your car’s windshield. Suddenly, you’ve got an annoying chip in the glass. Worse, within a few days, this chip could easily turn into a foot-long—or longer—crack, costing you hundreds of dollars for a new windshield. It doesn’t need to, though. We recently tried out two inexpensive, do-it-yourself kits that let you seal that chip in minutes and prevent it from turning into a money-gobbling crack. Here’s our take on them. PitStop Both kits seal chips or cracks in the same basic way; a resin is injected that hardens and seals the gap, keeping the glass from deteriorating further. With PitStop Technologies' kit, the resin is preloaded in a syringelike injector, which keeps…

FIRST TEST Saab is working hard at fleshing out its 95 model lineup. An attractive sport wagon has recently joined the roster; now comes the Aero—which, in fact, will be offered in both sedan and wagon forms. The Aero designation means an edgier, higher-performing Saab. Philosophically, the packaging is not unlike that of the 98 Viggen, though a bit more subtle. Here’s what you get: a hot rod version of Saab’s turbocharged, intercooled, 2.3-liter four, good for 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque when equipped with a five-speed manual transmission; that torque number drops to 243 for automatic-equipped Aeros. Chassis tweaks include larger antiroll bars, stiffer springs, and firmer shock damping, front and rear. Front control arms are fitted with new hydraulic vibration-damping bushings, said to crispen-steering response. Rounding…

“But I don’t want a truck…” It’s this comment that’s spurring manufacturers to develop all manner of car-truck-van-sport/utility hybrid vehicle. The goal: more utility than cars, combined with better road manners than trucks and truck-based SUVs. But—and maybe without even knowing it—the same movement is also quietly fostering the rebirth of the station wagon in this country. See, most of the sport/utilities available in the North American marketplace aren’t sold in Europe. So when Italians, Germans, the British, and the French need that proverbial skosh more room, they buy a sport wagon. Banish all visions of the paper-wood-clad Colony Parks and Country Squires of our youth: stylish, well-equipped wagons are “in,” or “cool” or “the bomb” (or whatever means really neat, these days) on the Continent, and we of the…

First off, let me say I’m probably (certainly?) biased when it comes to Jaguar cars. | was ecstatic after my rides/drives in the first Mk VII sedans of the early 50s, and the Mk VIII and IX that followed. Early on, while at Motor Trend, | bought my first sports car, an MG-TC. But only because | couldn’t afford what | really wanted, an XK-120. The radically new, midsize 2.4 sedan that soon followed simply increased my appetite. A decade or so later, as public relations and ad director at Jaguar Cars, Inc., my dream came true—and then some: | was surrounded by Jags. It was the era of the Mk X, the E-Type (XK-E), and 3.4/3.8 Mk 2s, plus the original 3.8 SType sedan. And | drove them all.…