Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2008 i MotorTrend

EUROPEANS will be able to buy the new Chevrolet Cruze compact beginning in March 2009. We'll have to wait at least a year. Cruze production will take place in Germany, Russia, South Korea, and finally in 2010, in Lordstown, Ohio. The European/Asia-Pacific market cars won't be powered by the 1.4-liter turbo-charged four slated for North America. Instead, they get 112-horsepower, 1.6-liter and 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter gas engines, and a new 150-horsepower/236 pound-foot 2.0-liter turbodiesel. Don't expect that diesel in the U.S. until Americans are ready to pay maybe $30K for a compact. The 1.4-turbo will probably need to make 150-170 horsepower to be viable in the U.S. market, but anyway it won't be marketed as a car for enthusiasts. At roughly 181 inches long, It’s one of the bigger cars in…

PORSCHE is advancing in its conversion to direct gas injection. Following the Cayennes last year and 911s recently, the Boxster S and Cayman S also get the system late this autumn. The Cayman S goes from 295 horsepower to 320, even though engine size remains 3.4 liters. Torque rises from 251 pound-feet to about 275 pound-feet. All Boxsters and Caymans, not just the S models, also get the option of the seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission, replacing the Tiptronic S. As with the 911s, this trans will mean the two-pedal Cayman will be quicker to 60 and about as economical as the manual. In fact the PDK Cayman S$ will crack 5 seconds to 60 mph, we hear, and will be available for the first time with a limited-slip diff, bringing…

CADILLAC wants its “Standard of the World" slogan back. Toward that end, the brand is mounting a sort of “wreath-and-quest’' global crusade to convert the heathen masses currently worshipping roundels, three-pointed stars, linked-rings, and the like. Its arsenal of enticements includes a small car (the Swedish-built BLS), diesel engines (including a new state-of-the-art 2.7-liter V-6), and even a sleek and slinky CTS Sport Wagon due next year. But it needs a big-dog halo car—something to run with the Ms, AMGs, and RSs, capable of laying down big bragging-rights numbers at the Niirburgring. This CTS-V aims to be that car. The easy part of the project was the engine. The supercharged small-blockV-8 was co-developed and cost-shared with Chevrolet, which uses it to power its halo-wearing Corvette ZR] Nirburgringer. The roomy engine…

NOBODY KNOWS ceter than the engineers and designers at Dodge that its 2009 Ram needs to break the mold. It’s not helping that huge hurdles are in the way—oil breaching $120 a barrel, economy cars flying of dealer lots, and that Ford’s about to unleash an all-new F-150 (check out our next issue). It’s also no secret that Chrysler is suffering from the backlash of foisting too many mediocre products onto the public. Will the new Ram make a difference? To begin, much of the Ram is not modified (the frame is largely carryover, there are three cab configurations, three engine choices—auto and manual gearboxes are the same—and three box lengths). Still there is plenty here to separate the new Dodge Ram from its other half-ton competitors, especially the two…

YOU MIGHT for give the styling if the 2008 WRX handled anything like its less-ungainly predecessor. Subaru understands that and has resharpened the WR\X’s chassis just one year into the new model cycle, while adding 41 horsepower and 18 pound-feet, making it a better match for the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart’s 237 horsepower and 253 pound-feet. The newfound power comes from a bigger turbocharger the size, but not the configuration a of, the STI's, as well as new intercooler, larger-diameter exhaust, and low-density catalyst. Turbo boost is up from the old engine’s 11.4 psi to 13.3. Front springs are 43 percent stiffer; rears are up 42 percent, and anti-roll bars are up 1mm each, to 21 mm front/16 mm rear. For 2009, Subaru has bifurcated the Impreza line. Last year’s…

WE’VE HAD wo previous-generation Evos in our long-term fleet, and neither of them ever spent a night alone in the garage. They were moving all the time, thrilling everyone who drove them, and turning even boring commutes into events. So, the addition of the newest version to our roster should come as no surprise. It also shares parking space with a new Subi STI, giving us a year-long version of one of the most popular comparison tests in magazine history. Mitsu didn't short-sheet us on this one. Not only is our tester the hottest-of-the-hot MR version, but it packs the SST twin-clutch automatic tranny that everyone wants to know about. Early returns are good. Although the new Evo isn't as manic as the previous model, it’s a better car in…

NOTE: In this article, automotive enthusiast John Bond was asked to describe his idea of the most advanced of the 1949 models. Before making his selection, he considered all models, ranging from the Jeepster through the Lincoln and gave serous thought to the engine, appearance, and handling characteristics. His final choice may be subject to controversy, but it definitely has merit—Editor So said Walter Woron, MT’s founding editor in chief, in our November 1949 issue. Cadillac and Olds mobile introduced new overhead-valve V-8s that year, and they represented increases in power and efficiency. The Caddy just nipped the Olds for the first Car of the Year honors because the former’s engine put out more power and weighed a few pounds less. Technical innovation played a part in the award criteria…

YOU MIGHT tesalivating at the possibility of driving a 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, but this car is designed mainly to give Cadillac credibility in Europe and may be little more than a blip on American roads. Cadillac expects to sell only about 4000 CTS Sport Wagons in the U.S. per year, though given the enthusiastic reception to the photos we posted on motortrend.com a while back, that number may be conservative. How well is Caddy doing in Europe? Not so well, so far. It’s a slow process. Sales rose to 4508 units in 2007 from 3272 in 2006, and Cadillac expects to sell 5000 to 5100 in 2008, with help from right-hand-drive CTS production just now underway for the U.K. market. Still, that’s miniscule for a brand that wants…

WHY NOT? Cadillac’s breakout hit began life as a gussied-up Chevy Tahoe. How big a hit? Word is Cadillac paid off tooling for the current Escalade just three months after it went on sale. And that’s why the division can consider a new SUV—okay, a crossover SUV—just as it’s putting the big DT7 DTS/STS sedan convergence on ice for a year. The fact that the Lambda platform already is oversubscribed, with the Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave is why a Cadillac version makes economic sense. And since General Motors had considered, but canceled, a V-8-powered Enclave Super, we know a Lambda Escalade will easily package a V-8, in this case a small-block, since the Northstar replacement that was supposed to power the Enclave Super also has…

HYUNDAI’S first v-8 developed in-house, the Tau engine optional in the 2009 Genesis luxury sedan, can be bored and stroked to as much as 5.5 liters. As the timing isn’t good for ever-bigger V-8s here in the U.S. (Hyundai expects only 20 percent of buyers to choose the 4.6-liter Genesis V-8, even in its first model year), the 5.5-liter version may never get out of Korea, where it will likely power the larger, long-wheelbase version of the Genesis set to replace the Equus as its home country’s limousine flagship. For the North American market, the Genesis Tau engine will go up to 5.0 liters, says Hyundai U.S. product chief John Krafcik, but only after the automaker can get the same EPA fuel mileage out of it as the current 4.6.…

voice of the people My dream job would be to test drive and give my opinion on new cars. Who am] kidding? I would do it free of charge. 1 do it anyway. I go to dealerships and test-drive new cars when they come out. You guys test cars all the time and are trained to pick up on things anormal guy would overlook, When itcomes to a Lamborghini or another high-end car, I listen, understand, and take your word for the things you print. On the other hand, when it comes to average, everyday cars, you should seek the opinion of average people. For starters, the Passat, which is a nice car, but the average person would care to knowhow much it would cost to change a Passat’s headlight.…

AMERICANS ARE GETTING A TASTE OF WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS EXPERIENCED FOR DECADES IT MIGHT BE SMALL, but the Ford Fiesta carries a heavy weight:a mass of expectation for a Ford Motor Company that’s drowning in a potentially toxic combination of red ink and gasoline that costs double what it did a year ago. In Europe, where Ford is actually faring well, the Fiesta has the straightforward, if difficult and vital, job of serving as the next generation of one of the core products. But in North America, it’s more than that. Here, the Fiesta is the test bed for the new process of designing and engineering cars for a global audience, and it’s a strategic move into a new market segment. American car buyers are getting…

EVERYTHING is about to change for Alfa Romeo, and nothing exemplifies this fact more than the MiTo (named for the cities of Milan and Turin). Unfortunately, the newest and smallest Alfa will not be coming to the U.S., as it was designed and engineered off a platform variant (the Fiat Punto) that doesn’t meet current U.S. safety and service regulations. And then, of course, there’s the problem of having no dealer network. As the first Alfa in the minicar class, this B-segment player is specifically designed for younger buyers who know little, if anything, about Alfa Romeo. Based off its Fiat sibling (a fairly nondescript Euro-compact), the MiTo sports significant chassis modifications, the new Alfa nose, similar to the Alfa 8C supercar’s, and a host of interior upgrades. The back…

IT CAN get 30-plus mpg or dash to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. Its Agility Control suspension corners racetrack flat, yet its undercarriage can be armored for ramming over rough stuff. It’s targeted at female fans of “Sex in the City,’ but it wears sharp, angular styling that apes the butch GL-Class. Does this fuel-crisis trucklet suffer multiple-personality disorder? Globally, yes, but there will be some exorcisms before the GLK arrives in January. The Land-Roverish off-road package is out due to lack of interest (similar packages are dropped on ML and GL, too). Sad to say, the diesels are also banished, both the 34-mpg 2.1-liter twin-turbo four and the 30-mpg 3.0-liter V-6. That'll leave us with a 22-mpg 3.5-liter gas V-6 spinning a seven-speed and 4Matic all-wheel drive (rear drive…

FOR AN annual hiking trip in the eastern Sierras, photographer Brian Vance utilized the Veracruz toget himself and five friends to the trailhead. “We piled six people into the Hyundai, plus a half-dozen hiking backpacks and a big load of groceries. It was tight, to say the least, but everything fit. We had two people in the front row, three in the middle, and one in the third row, with the right side of the third row folded flat. We slid the left side of the middle row a bit [it sits on adjustable tracks] to give the third-row passenger a bit more breathing room.’ With the Hyundai loaded to the ceiling, Vance notes its performance thanks to the refined and robust powertrain. “Perhaps what’s most impressive about the biggest…

THE BMW 3 SERIES-SIZE Alpha RWD Cadillacs are scheduled for the 2011 model year to replace the failed Epsilon front-drive Cadillac BLS in Europe while expanding the division’s car lineup in North America. The Cadillac Alphas will include a sedan and either a folding hardtop coupe ora conventional coupe and convertible. Later, possibly for 2012 or 2013, GM will build two-seaters off the Alpha platform: the next Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. Both will be easily able to package V-6 engines, if GM so chooses, but new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards may dictate otherwise.…

FORD Motor Company president of the Americas Mark Fields has confirmed that Lincoln will sell the Ford Flex-based MKT crossover next year after a January Detroit show reveal. Lincoln showed the concept last January at Detroit (pictured). And Lincoln will unveil a refreshed MKZ at the Los Angeles auto show in November. While an embargo prevents us from saying too much about these two models, we can say it looks like Lincoln will try to fill the price and prestige gap between Buick and Cadillac. While Lincoln would like to compete with Cadillac, it won't go after the European business the GM brand covets. Lincoln’s reliance on front-drive platforms with AWD variants places it a half-notch below its American competitor. Like the concept, the production MIT will have the 1941…

IF THERE’S a company that sweats the details, it’s Honda. When times are good, Honda is up two or three percent. When times are bad, it’s down two or three percent. Right now, times are good for Honda. It’s the only major player in the U.S. to show a profit this year, and for good reason. Take the Fit. Honda brought it into the U.S. in 2006, reluctantly and with low expectations, hinting it would be happy to sell 50,000 units. Fuel prices jumped and now Honda’s looking to sell a tick over 90,000 units by the end of this year. Which is perhaps why Honda is introducing an all-new Fit for 2009. The first thing you'll notice about the Fit is its more stylish and aerodynamic look. It’s as…

NOPE, YOUR EYES AREN’T PLAYING TRICKS. And no, we haven't been fooling around with Photoshop. That really is a Dodge Challenger SRT8 parked on Waterloo Bridge in London, England, all testosterone and torque and Hemi Orange attitude. We're a long way from Motown, Toto… And we have a long way to go. Almost 3000 miles across Europe, in fact, on a journey that will see the big Dodge—one of just two Challengers outside the U.S.—tackle some of the Continent’s greatest roads, from flat-out autobahn, to steep and writhing Alpine passes, to famous racetracks where hard-muscled legends once diced with death. Why? Underneath its retro skin, the new Challenger SRT8 is a thoroughly modern musclecar, with the suspension, steering, and braking to match its V-8 performance. This is a musclecar you…

ALTHOUGH aging hippies may never forgive VW for shelving the iconic Microbus concept it showed at the 2001 Geneva Auto Salon, expanding the brand’s scope and reach with a people-mover aimed at U.S. buyers never left the automaker’s wishlist. The question was how to do it in a timely, cost-effective manner—sad to say, never an option on the Microbus menu. The answer? Find a partner who'd already done most of the heavy—and expensive—design lifting. With an all-new iteration of the world’s most popular minivan rolling out for 2008 from its underutilized Windsor, Ontario, assembly plant, Chrysler became the obvious choice. Just how different are VW’s new Routan and its closest kin, Chrysler’s Town & Country? Plenty. The only body panels shared by the sleeker and arguably more attractive VW are…

PORSCHE’S rollout of anew 911—C2, C4, Targa, Turbo, and GTs—is as predictable as the summer storms that sweep across Germany, so it was no surprise that thunder and lightning punctuated our first drive of the 2009 all-wheel-drive Carrera 4. However, contrary to form, the rains held off, and our dry-weather frolic proved the C4 to be more than just a foul-weather friend. Built on the same platform as the Carrera 2, the C4 also is offered as aCoupe or Convertible, powered by either of two new flat-sixes with 345 and 385 horses and mated to a matchless six-speed manual transmission. If two pedals are preferred, the PDK twin-clutch seven-speed automatic is, in contrast to the Tiptronic box it replaces, a highly rewarding alternative for $4080 on top of the $82,650…

THE ORIGINAL, mic-1960s Shelby GT350 began life as a Mustang that was built by Ford to a certain equipment standard, then sent to the Shelby American for a spa treatment. Carroll Shelby’s hot-rodders added bolt-on, go-faster parts for the engine and suspension, a few splashy bits to make it look racier, a Shelby ID number, those iconic Shelby stripes from nose to tail, and the rest is musclecar history. Fast forward to today, and, well, not much has changed. The current-generation $197-platformed Mustang takes to performance mods like a celebutant to the paparazzi. So why not have the work done by the outfit that did it four decades ago and is still in the Ford tent? Since Ford didn’t loan out current-generation Mustangs as magazine long-term testers when it was…