Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2002 i MotorTrend

briefs The ink had barely dried on last month’s “Give Us the GT40” campaign plea when Ford gave the car the production go ahead (that raucous noise you hear is Blue Oval fans rejoicing). After the Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and New York auto shows, is there any doubt that tallish station wagon/crossover SUVs are the next big thing? This month, we have news of entries from Nissan, Ford, and Mitsubishi, plus a tasty bit regarding VW’s Magellan concept. Enthusiasts of “car cars” won’t be left out: We’re here with sports cars and sedans, including the next Honda Accord and what might very well become a future Pontiac GTO. THAT’S NO VEE-DUB—Hot rumor of the month is that the Volkswagen Magellan sport/utility crossover concept that appeared at Detroit (April ’02)…

Ford will produce the heritage-inspired GT40, Ford Motor Co. Chairman and CEO William Clay Ford Jr. has announced. “Our revitalization plan,” said Ford, “is centered on products. The company that delivers the best cars and trucks wins, and we’re going to win. I can’t think of a better symbol of that winning attitude than the GT40.” This mid-engine exotic will play an important morale-building and PR-generating role as Ford celebrates its lOOth anniversary in 2003. Representing what may be the ultimate “halo car,” the GT40 could easily do for the financially challenged corporation’s reputation what the Dodge Viper did for Chrysler’s a decade ago. The strict two-seater is 18 in. longer and 4 in. taller than the racing version that dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 to…

Undaunted by the fact that it sold just 108,863 Tundras in the U.S. last year (versus 911,597 Ford F-Series), Toyota has major plans to expand its lineup of full-size trucks. First is the upcoming Lexus GX 470 sport/utility vehicle that debuted at Detroit. The GX 470 is not, as earlier believed, based on the Toyota Sequoia (which, in turn, is based on the Tundra pickup). Rather, it’s based on the Japanese-market Prado SUV, which is smaller than a Sequoia. The Prado is larger than the current Tacomabased 4Runner and will serve also as the platform for that venerable sport/utility’s replacement due in the ’03 model year. The new 4Runner will be available with an optional V-8, probably based on the same 4.7L engine used in the Tundra, Sequoia, and GX…

DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY its cover. And don’t judge ar automotive system’s capabil ity based solely on its mechanical complexity That’s what our test-drive route and an in-depth engineering look at each competitor taught us about these solid sedans. In most cases, we found a fairly direct relationship between obvious design sophistication and great acceleration, strong braking, or chassis function on the road. But sometimes, as is often the case, elegantly simple solutions worked surprisingly well. Fortunately, we didn’t have to test any of the safety systems (except the brakes) during our drive. But it seems reasonable that some vehicles might do a good crash-protection job without offering all the obvious safety features that others do. In the case of the Altima, a sophisticated powertrain setup pays sweet dividends…

Break the automotive market into its various segments, and one stands larger than any of the others. Gotta be full-size pickup trucks, right? Wrong. You mean, midsize sport/utility vehicles now outsell pickup trucks? Not quite, although they’re closing quickly. There’s still a segment that’s larger—by something like half a million vehicles a year. That segment is the good old family sedan. “Not everybody wants a truck,” says Don Parkinson, brand manager for the Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo. Not everyone wants a truck, but a lot of people seem to want a trunk. “Your stuff is hidden,” explains industry analyst and Auto Pacific President George Peterson, “and there’s a perception that it’s safer [because that trunk takes the hit in a rear-end crash].” Remember when plumbers and farmers were about…

BMW MAKES NO BONES ABOUT ITS ALL-NEW 7451 flagship sedan. It wants the car to be “out there,” ahead of the crowd in terms of design, technology, and performance. Munich accepts the fact that some will like it and some won’t. And that’s okay, as long as those who like it actually buy it. There are really three issues to come to grips with: • The 7’s uniquely proportioned exterior design, with its husky stance and bustle-backed rear deck • Its driving dynamics as an automobile • Its clearly new and innovative driver interface system(s) called iDrive. There’s so much going on here that this last rates its own sidebar (next page). We’ve previously covered the “everything’s new” aspect of the new 7 Series (Oct. ’01 and Jan. ’02), but,…

1 Company: Airaid Vehicle applications: 21 Newest/hottest kit: '02 Ford SVT Lightning Claim to fame: Seamless mandrel-bent tubing; powder-coated airbox with hood seal to keep out hot underhood air; aerospace fasteners; high-flow air filter Filter facts: Washable cone-style “four+one” cotton gauze plus one synthetic layer air filter Approximate power gain: 18 hp Installs using OEM holes/mounts: Yes Smog legal: Yes Approximate cost: $259 Telephone: 800/498-6951 Web: www.airaid.com 2 Company: MTI (Motorsport Technologies Inc.) Vehicle applications: 3 Newest/hottest kit: '02 Corvette C5 and Z06 Claim to fame: A true ram-air system that picks up cool air from directly under the vehicle's nose; completely assembled one-piece kit drops in place of factory unit in just 30 minutes; looks very stock Filter facts: Washable K&N Filtercharger multilayer preoiled cotton gauze filter with aluminum…

’01 Dodge Grand Caravan Since we last updated our Grand Caravan, a couple gremlins have reared their heads: The driver-side window intermittently fails to raise or lower, and there’s a bushing squeak emanating from the front suspension. Unfortunately, these showed up just after we had the (early) 15,000-mile services performed (change oil and filter, replace air filter, inspect belts and hoses, and tire rotation). We’ll catch them next time. We’ve become smitten with the GC’s roomy interior and family-minded creature comforts; it’s the vehicle most requested for family vacations, long weekends, and hauling missions. With our tester’s full three rows of seating in place, carrying the scout troop is a no-brainer. Pull out the second and third rows, and it easily swallows 4x8 sheets of plywood or enough tires to…

BNW M Roadstar With its short wheelbase and315 hp driving the rear wheels the 01 M Roadster is a dedicatedly engineeried car built tore ward the well trained en thesis's novices need not apply Ford SVT Focus SVT has done what other domestic manufacturers have failed to do: support the streetracer look with real performance upgrades at a reasonable price—plus a valid warranty. Hyundai XG350 Value is the trump card for this manufacturer. We especially like the price-to-value-to-content ratio served up by the XG350:3.5L V-6, seating for five, and luxury S94KI Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Standard equipment A superb 349-hp five-speed automatic powertrain. high-speed 155-mph stablelity, and a pampemg (albeit button-rich) interiot Even near the end of its life cycle. it’s a great piece. Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V In a…

Porsche's amazing new GT2 easily establishes itself as one of the marque's most potent street models ever—even when compared to exceedingly rare, pricey, and barely street-legal race cars such as the 959 and GT1. But if you're looking for high watermarks among pure racing machines from Stuttgart, you need only dial 9-1-7. It's hard to find a sentence written about the 917 that doesn't include “all-conquering.” And conquer it did. The 917's highest high in terms of ultimate performance came late in its career in Can-Am trim. The lethally fast 917/30, for example, was good for well over 1000 hp—and the rumor mill put it a lot higher than that in qualifying trim. This spectacular shot, taken during the Can-Am sprint at Riverside International Raceway on Oct. 28,1973, defines the…

Since it was first introduced in ’76, each allnew Accord became more “expressive” than its predecessors in terms of styling. Think of the ’86-’89 Accord versus its previous generation, and the ’94-’97 Accord versus its forebear. So, time for another expressive model for ’03, building on the engineering of its previous generation. The new Accord will be slightly larger, with enough added interior space to keep it competitive with the upsized ’02 Camry and ’02 Altima. Its 2.3L/150-hp 152 Ib-ft VTEC 1-4 will be replaced with a version of the 2.4L i-VTEC 1-4 that debuted this year in the CR-V It may have more horsepower compared with the CR-Vs 160-hp/162 Ib-ft. The 3.0L V-6 will be carried over; it’s rated at 200 hp and 195 Ib-ft in the current platform.…

Ford didn’t want Chrysler’s segment-busting Pacifica to get all the credit for starting the next trend, so it showed this drawing of the D219 Taurus-based crossover at the Chicago Auto Show. When we say “Taurus-based,” we mean the next-generation Taurus, and when we say Ford doesn’t want to be beat to the market, we mean, not by that much. Chrysler plans to have the Pacifica on the street by this time next year, about the same time Cadillac will launch its Sigma-platformed SRX crossover. The D219 isn’t due until early 2004, which means it may beat the Mercedes-Benz GST to market. Its name is Crosstrainer, it’ll take the place of Taurus production in Chicago (leaving Atlanta’s Ford plant with the conventional sedan), and it’ll spawn a Mercury variant. The Crosstrainer…

CHEVROLET IMPALA LS FORD TAURUS SEL HONDA ACCORD EX V-6 NISSAN ALIMA 3.5 SE TOYOTA CAMRY SE V-6 Industry insiders jokingly refer to midsize, mid-priced family four-doors as automotive Tupperware. And that’s no slam on the handy, well-made, food-storage containers. As with Tupperware, these cars represent high value, lots of function, and a generally utilitarian appearance. You seldom appreciate them for what they are, but you value them for what they do. This particular grouping represents the high-volume heart of the huge midsize-sedan market. Frankly, when car nuts talk about what’s hot. these no-nonsense nameplates are rarely mentioned. But nobody can ignore their sales volume, and thus, their importance in the marketplace and to the companies that build and sell them. Indeed, together with their coupe and wagon siblings, they…

THE AVERAGE BUYER for these cars usually doesn’t care how many camshafts the engine has or how elaborate the subframe is. People use them to commute from A to B—the very definition of basic family transportation. A trunk large enough to haul a 27-in. TV or cupholders that actually hold a Starbucks Venti Cappuccino reign supreme in the world of midsize sedans, along with safety, comfort, and reliability. Based on that, we focused extra attention on learning how these cars perform in everyday life. We rated how appealing they looked inside and out. We also gave a letter grade to often-minimized items such as rearward visibility, small item storage, and rear-seat comfort. Our findings both supported some commonly accepted notions, and revealed a few surprises. The Impala interior is good…

“Less is more,” the mantra of minimalism, is making an appearance on this year’s auto show circuit in the form of the Pontiac Solstice and Dodge Razor concepts. Apply the philosophy to automobiles, and you get small, lightweight, nimble, and cheap. They offer little or no chrome or cladding. No clutter of NAV systems, DVD players, or Internet connectivity crammed between rev counter/speedo and radio. No back seat and, if the purists are on alert, no automatic transmission option. It’s the automotive equivalent of the little black cocktail dress, sporting an uncluttered, classic look that never goes out of style—with dynamics that give immediate feedback. With product portfolios of manufacturers filled with every possible variation on the sport/utility vehicle and crossover theme, all designed to let you take everything with…

Getting To Know BMW’s Innovative Driver/Car Interface BMW Designworks President and CEO Adrian van Hooydonk, who designed the 7 Series exterior, summarizes the notion of iDrive in two words: “Cleaning up. If you give every function a button, you get an enormously cluttered dashboard. It’s a real solution that works for the customer. Think about it: You don’t look at a computer mouse when you’re operating it; you look at the screen. iDrive is the same; the system screen sits so high in the dashboard that you don’t have to take your eyes completely off the road to see it. Driver safety and driving pleasure were foremost in our minds.” The “driving areas” of iDrive encompass things we’ve already described: the multifunction remote fob, start/stop button, e-brake, transmission gear selector,…

Many a Porschephile has declared the ‘95-’98 “993”-series cars “the last true 911s.” Without reopening the aircoolec versus water-cooled 911 debate, these 993s certainly represent the development pinnacle of the original platform. A thoroughly revised suspension finally neutralized the 911’s off-throttle, tail-happy attitude. The 993 offered more power, better brakes, an updated interior, more aggressive rolling stock, freshened styling, and your choice of a six-speed manual or revised Tiptronic S sequentially controlled automatic transmission. Some experts opine that 993 build and materials quality exceeds the current 996-generation Carrera’s. The 993 was offered in rear-drive coupe and cabriolet versions upon its introduction for ’95. A glass-roof Targa (a design different from that employed on all previous Targa models), the AWD Carrera 4, and the 400-hp AWD Turbo came along a year…

This is American muscle, true to musclecar traditions. Motor Trend magazine has collaborated with Mercury to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to win this exciting 302-hp machine with 318 Ib-ft of torque, which is assured to become a collectible car. You'll also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to customize your Marauder just the way you like it (choose from a custom paint option, custom interior seating surfaces, a sport package, or choose to take your Marauder as is-fast and black). Introducing “The VIP 2003 Mercury Marauder Sweepstakes.” Not only will you have a chance to win a customized Marauder, you’ll also have a chance to win a VIP race weekend (all expenses paid) to the NASCAR Busch Grand National and Winston Cup Quality 500 UAW-GM races at…

Chicago used to be the Midwest’s dominant auto show. Even though Detroit and, to a lesser extent, Los Angeles and New York, have minimized its thunder these last dozen years, the Windy City is still home to a worthy list of new-product introductions. And it remains number one in terms of visitors who march through its turnstiles. The only true concept vehicles at Chicago this year were the Saturn Sky, a convertible designed to give General Motors’ only remaining money-loser (after Olds goes away) some added personality; and the Hyundai HCD-7, a car intended to give the home-market Equus sedan an improved look. Mercury was out to prove itself alive and well with the audacious Marauder convertible. Other highlights included a new Subaru Forester and Kia’s ninth model for the…

Why isn’t rock-’em sock-’em rallying popular in the U.S.? Michelin is lusting over such a series here, and it’ll take something like the Race of Champions to make it work. Since 1992 on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria off the West African coast, ROC has attracted the best World Rally Championship drivers along with several hotshot guests invited from other two- and four-wheel sports. The format uses best-two-out-of-three knockout rounds. Circuito Islas Canarias is a 1.62-mile two-lane loop with an over-under crossover about two-thirds of the way through. A living PlayStation2 game, it’s all dirt, apart from a quarter mile of tarmac under the start/finish arch. This year, the three chariots most flogged around the circuit were 110Occ Honda CBR-powered autocross buggies, Mitsubishi Evo VI Group N rally cars,…

DRIVES LOOKS TESTS FIRST DRIVE '03 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT Turbo good! When Motor Trend named Chrysler's PT Cruiser its 2001 Car of the Year, we noted a few updates we'd like to see in its next iteration: more power, more aggressive wheels and tires, additional seat bolstering, and bodycolor bumpers. Chrysler's handily answered all these requests with the PT Cruiser GT. Boosting power output by 55 ponies over the normally aspirated PT, a 2.4L7205-hp I-4—replete with a Mitsubishi turbo set to deliver up to 14 psi of pressure through an air-to-air intercooler—motivates the GT. It's available with either a Getrag five-speed manual or four-speed AutoStick automatic. New 17-in. alloy wheels are shod with Goodyear RSA rubber. 240 Ib-ft of torque deftly places you back in the seat, whichever…

PERSONALITY PROFILE CHEVROLET IMPALA LS Assembled in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Present generation introduced as a 2000 model Largest sedan in Chevrolet lineup Chevy’s all-time best-selling vehicle nameplate Unique feature: Only vehicle here to offer tire-pressure monitoring and telematics (OnStar) systems ■ WHAT’S HOT • Dual HVAC temp controls • Audio-system sound • Tire-pressure monitor system ■ WHAT’S NOT • Bouncy ride quality • Exterior styling • No rear HVAC vents PERSONALITY PROFILE FORD TAURUS SEL PREMIUM Assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, and Chicago, Illinois Reskinned and significantly revamped for model year 2000 Fits between the Focus and the Crown Victoria in Ford’s sedan family Top-selling passenger car in U.S. from 1992 to 1996 Unique feature: Only vehicle in the mix to offer a power-adjustable pedal set ■ WHAT’S HOT • Adjustable…

YOU WON’T GO FAR wrong by choosing any of these five midsize contenders. Each can handle your commuting and family transport needs and do so in relative comfort and safety. A deeper look, however, reveals one winner and four runners-up. Our least favorite among this group is the Ford Taurus. True, it’s the only one offering adjustable pedals, and a six-CD changer is nice. But we couldn’t get past some of its engineering shortcomings, such as its mushy-shifting transmission and archaic reardrum brakes. Even though we rated the exterior styling above average, the Taurus ends up reminding us of a rental car fresh off the airport lot. At $25,850, we feel our tester offered the least car for the dollar. Next up—or down—the line is Chevrolet’s Impala. With a sticker…

ALTHOUGH THERE’S NO SIGN OF THEIR SALES declining (yet), the days of conspicuously consuming, over-capacitized, underutilized sport/utilities are numbered. Should gasoline prices suddenly fall in line with those around the world, 5000-7000-lb trucks will be thick on the used-car lots. Sure, there’ll always be those who still require heavy metal to tow a boat, horse trailer, or race-car carrier, but most of today’s sport/utility buyers do none of that. When fuel gets truly costly, the most sensible and sporty vehicle for many current SUV drivers will be, as Europe has already discovered, the sport wagon. We saw a hint of the future popularity this type of versatile vehicle will enjoy with the ’01 Chrysler PT Cruiser (we named it Motor Trend’s 2001 Car of the Year). Granted, there’s a new…

WHAT’S HOT • 83-lb-ft torque boost • serious brake system • tasteful body kit with nice wheel/tire package WHAT’S MOT • Big power/brakes will likely cost big bucks • should’ve lost externally mounted spare • where’s manual gearbox option? During our ’02 Sport/Utility of the Year test, we took a strong liking to the new Land Rover Freelander. It combines sharp styling, a just-right size, and an upmarket nameplate. Our big criticism is that it’s way shy on power. It could stand to gain at least 5 to 10 hp, but 50 would suit us fine. Well, maybe we weren’t the only ones to think so, as Land Rover and Callaway Companies recently teamed up to design a special Freelander Supercharged-Performance by Callaway prototype package, intended to give it genuine…

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