Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2009 i MotorTrend

The (Detroit) Show Must Go On Despite one of the worst auto sales years in recent memory, the Detroit Three literally hanging on by their last billion, and the announcement by several automakers including Nissan and Mitsubishi that they won’t be attending, the annual North American International Auto Show is still one of the biggest automotive extravaganzas in the world. To be sure, a pall will hang over Detroit’s Cobo Hall during the show’s press days, but it’s not all doom and gloom. And as usual, we’ll be there to cover it all, with photos, videos, blogs, stories, and more on all the 2009 show stars. The action begins January 11 at motortrend.com…

WHILE BMW’S next 5 Series won’t appear until early next decade, technical details are leaking out. Codenamed F10, the 2011 5 Series will feature engines based on the new turbo range. There’s a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six in the 540i, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 in the 550i, and a twin-turbo clean diesel. Even the M5 will switch from the ultra-high-revving V-10 to a turbo V-8, we hear. Hybrids will likely be available as both full dual-mode and mild types, depending on how they’re received in the upcoming X6 and 7 Series hybrids. The 5’s wheelbase will grow a couple of inches, but the aim is to maintain current mass through the use of smaller, turbocharged engines and extensive aluminum in the body’s exterior panels, such as closing panels, fenders, and roof.…

THE MINI Cooper proved small premium cars can succeed in America. The new Mini E is set to prove that small electric cars can also work in the land of the Big-Gulp-size SUV. It is an astonishingly capable little car, a normal Cooper with a 204-horsepower electric motor and a giant, 5088-cell lithiumion battery fitted where you’d expect to find the back seat. Redline is 12,500 rpm, every rev producing useful torque. Max torque is available just after idle and tapers off after 6000 rpm. Top speed is 95 mph, electronically restricted. It meets 0-to-62 mph in 8.5 seconds, quicker than a gas-powered (non-S) Cooper. Range is 185 miles and it recharges in 2.5 hours, way faster than existing plug-in electric vehicles. More amazingly, the Mini E was developed, from…

green genes I’m a cashier at Lowe’s. One day, I was working the returns booth and a gentleman came in with an electric garden tiller. He said, “I bought this last week, trying to go green. I purchased an electric tiller, but the first time I used it, it quit after about 12 feet. I guess companies really need to work on electric motors.” I refunded him the money and moved onto the next customer. She came up to the counter and asked, “Did that guy just say he bought an electric tiller to be green? Wouldn’t going green mean using a shovel?” This got me thinking: Are electric and hybrid vehicles really green? Going green would be riding a pedal bike or walking. Buying an electric car or a…

THE 370Z FEELS SHARP, DIRECT, AND BALANCED, A WELL-HONED SANTOKU KNIFE TO THE 350Z’S BLUNTER AND BULKIER CLEAVER. WHEN WE evaluate a group of cars at the test track, it’s often the case that we inadvertently get to compare dissimilar vehicles, be it contrasting type (sports car versus SUV), configuration (coupe versus sedan), engine (V-6 versus V-12), or simply price point. Side by side, these unrelated vehicles can often shed light on one another at revealing angles, making some cars shine and others lose luster. As luck would have it, the day we recorded numbers on the all-new Nissan 370Z was the same day we conducted our very first test of the Aston Martin DBS (see page 112). Surely the DBS would embarrass the Z, no? Looking at the two,…

A GLANCE at the clock: 12 a.m. The final night before having to return Honda’s FCX Clarity to the company’s headquarters in nearby Torrance, California. Midnight. Errr. In slow motion, I straighten up off the couch, wobble over to the kitchen counter, and drop the Clarity’s keys in my pocket. Understand, a dozen chimes from the grandfather clock isn’t all that unusual a starting signal for strangely timed projects at Chez Reynolds. But this time I’ve actually got a reason for the night ahead. I’m off to do a coast-down test. Okay, sounds unusual. Most folks right about now are switching off Leno and dowsing the light. But as the GPS data-acquisition system starts powering up in the passenger seat and a growing sequence of blinking green lights signals satellites…

THE BEST COMPACT SEDAN EVER JUST GOT BETTER WE’VE ALWAYS liked the Mazda3. In fact, in the last few compact head-to-head road tests, if the Mazda3 wasn’t winning, it finished very near the top. So you can imagine our skepticism when we heard Mazda was looking to broaden its appeal with the 2010 version. Happy to say, after a few days and hundreds of miles with the vehicle through the Southern California coastal mountains and cityscapes, our worries have been assuaged. They didn’t screw it up. Yet, their claim that this is an “all-new” Mazda3 might be an overstatement. Sure, it has a polarizing new look (more on that later), but this is still the front and rear suspension setup from the previous model, with only the most subtle of…

FILM STAR Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first civilian to buy one, in 1992. Credit or blame him for making AM General’s HMMWV the post-Desert Storm macho superhero. Governor Schwarzenegger was perhaps the last Californian to repudiate the brand, in 2006. General Motors’ Hummer division went from Operation Desert Storm hero to tree-huggers’ zero about the time its armored capabilities lost credibility in the early days of the Iraq War. Did GM think that Hummer could transcend its short-term macho fashion statement status? That its big-on-the-outside, small-on-the-inside gas hogs would survive oil price spikes? It did, long enough to foist possibly the last, and by default the best Chevy-based Hummer on the consumer, the H3T. It rides on the crude Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon crew cab architecture (with a wheelbase stretched nearly…

IT’S NOT UNUSUAL for Her Majesty’s Secret Servant to employ the same car in more than one movie. The iconic DB5 appeared in “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball,” so why not let 007 have another go at Aston’s freshened flagship, the DBS, for “Quantum of Solace”? For 2009, the DBS offers the optional availability of a six-speed automatic transaxle, 2+2 seating, a new 20-inch wheel package, and a Bang & Olufsen audio system. The DBS shares its layout and architecture with the DB9, but is much sportier and differentiated enough to earn its own name. Available in coupe form only, its sinuous body is crafted of aluminum and carbon fiber. There’s no change underhood: 510 horsepower still boils out the same 5.9-liter V-12 the model was launched with in late 2007. This…

DURING OUR 20,000-plus-mile, 12-month run with the recently departed 2007 Cooper S, editors offered up all manner of opinions about the second-generation, slightly bigger Mini. There was much love for how the Cooper S handled at the track and over smooth stretches of twisty mountain road, yet much disdain for an around-town drive that loosened fillings and jolted spines over even minor road imperfections. Some pined for a manual transmission, while others warmed quickly to the six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and a sport mode designed to hold the revs longer. Just about everyone launched a few broadsides in the direction of the Mini’s cabin, which, much like that of the previous car, proved a borderline ergonomic disaster. But despite everything that annoyed us about it—the awkward seat adjustment, difficult-to-use…

JUST BEFORE the Detroit Three presented their loan guarantee/bailout proposals to Congress, Motor Trend learned that General Motors would shift Opel’s design language from Saturn to Buick. Now we know why. In the short period between the credit crisis beginning in mid-September and the Capitol Hill appearance in December, GM hatched a plan to weed down its eight North American divisions. It will try to sell Saab and says it’s progressing on a deal to sell Hummer. It will “explore alternatives” for Saturn. That sounds like plans to kill off the division, although Saturn’s 400 dealers are considered the best franchises in the corporation. And it will “downsize” Pontiac into a “specialty” car brand, to remain within the Pontiac-Buick-GMC sales channel. Thus, merging Buick design with Opel make even more…

FORD AND MAZDA needed each other, badly, in 1979. Mazda had put most of its U.S.-import engine eggs in the Wankel basket, and the rotary turned out to be more thirsty than reliable. And Ford, which had earlier turned down a chance to buy interest in Honda, needed a Japanese partner. By 1996, Ford Motor Company owned 33.4 percent, controlling interest in Japan, of Mazda. Late last year, however, Ford sold roughly 20 percent of its Mazda stock, thus giving up controlling interest. Mazda bought back 6.87 percent of its shares, and the rest went to several of its business partners. Ford and Mazda will continue to share platforms and parts, although Mazda has not been able to take full advantage of Ford’s parts supply. Shared platforms include the Mazda3/Ford…

GLAD SOMEONE is thinking about us. Honda, which is getting its science-experiment FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell sedans on the road as we speak, surprised the otherwise dour Los Angeles show with its futuristic FC Sport car. Designed to show the flexibility of the company’s V Flow fuel-cell technology, it’s a three-seat sports car with a very low center of gravity and two Lamborghini Countach-style doors. The FC Sport is a lightweight design with a high-performance, modular, fuel-cell-driven electric powertrain. Most of the car’s mass is placed between the axles for balanced weight distribution. It’s configured with the fuel-cell stack between the rear seats and a battery pack low in the middle. “The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” says American Honda…

AT 50 FEET, it’s the scowl that grabs you first. A steeply raked grille and partially shrouded foglights provide a menacing squint not seen in a generation of ponycars. Get closer and the 2010 Mustang GT appears shorter, wider, and lower than the previous generation, a visual trick achieved by adding blackout rocker panels and carefully elevating a few body lines. It sounds contradictory, but the flared-up haunches and stepped hood seem to lower the car and trim its overall length. Those sculpted hips and the slight forward tilt of the rear end also add character and visually (not actually) shorten what was a long and featureless rump. Hop inside, twist the key, and the new GT roars to life with a familiar lean and throaty rumble. Tap the throttle,…

RECESSION? What recession? Not in the cockpit of this $299,000 carbon-fiber bauble. Not in the engine bay stuffed full of 661 horses. Not anywhere near the sumo crouch of the new Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, a limited-edition, twin-turbocharged two-seater that wards off any talk of “recession” like a mirror reflecting sunlight. Does the world need such an extroverted, over-the-top vehicular plaything? Very much so, apparently. Of the 350 examples being built (half of which are headed to U.S. shores this year), a goodly portion were already sold well before the January release. Of course, there’s no predicting how many of those buyers are overzealous, overmortgaged, and headed for a quick wheeled foreclosure, but you get the idea. The auto landscape’s uppermost crust is apparently always hungry for new and…

WHEN IS a Suzuki not a Suzuki? When it’s a Nissan, of course. Say hello to the Equator, Suzuki’s new compact truck, which is essentially a rebadged Nissan Frontier, a pickup that bowed in the 2005 model year. In an effort to lure motorcycle and all-terrain-vehicle owners into automotive showrooms, Suzuki deemed it a bright idea to add a truck to its lineup—not a bad thought, really, considering Suzuki’s bike and ATV customers need to haul their toys to the asphalt and dirt playgrounds. And seeing that truck sales aren’t exactly hot these days, Nissan had the capacity and means to supply Suzuki with plenty of Frontiers, er, Equators. But given that the Frontier failed to capture our Truck of the Year trophy in 2005, could it rewrite history in…

THOSE disappointed with the fatter, heavier, second-gen Scion xB may view the 2010 Kia Soul, as a more rightful successor. Based on a reinforced, stretched version of the Rio platform, the Soul is about six inches shorter overall than the new xB and about six inches longer than the first-gen Scion—and is just as long as the Honda Fit, with a 12-inch-longer wheelbase. North American buyers will have a choice of engines: a 142-horsepower 2.0-liter four at launch and a 122-horse, 1.6-liter later on. The larger I-4 comes with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, the smaller is offered only with a manual. The front-drive Soul will be available with four trim levels; we expect it to start around $15,000-$16,000 and top out at $20,000. We spent time behind…

INFINITI’S FX is not a practical vehicle. It doesn’t hold three rows of people, can carry only 25 cubic feet of cargo behind the second row, and has minimal off-road capability. No, it isn’t practical, but it isn’t supposed to be. It has tons of power and handles corners almost as well as a car and also provides that coveted SUV high-seating position. It’s a sport sedan with cargo space. Our intro to the new second-gen FX was earlier this year, when we discovered the FX50 rocketed to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. That’s only a hair slower than our supercharged long-term Jaguar XF (5.0). Its topline V-8, a 5.0-liter, 390-horse engine features Variable Valve Event and Lift to broaden its prodigious torque curve. The 5.0-liter offers 70 more horses…

YES, IT HAS. If you measure the time from the original ponycar’s launch in April 1964 to that of the 2010 model on this month’s cover (the Mustang will be on the market not long after you read this), you’ll note that four-and-a-half decades have indeed transpired. A significant percentage of the formula (comparing the 2010 GT with the 1964½ GT “Hi-Po” coupe) has survived intact: long-hood/short-deck proportions, V-8 engine, rear drive, manual transmission, rumbling exhaust note—even the live rear axle, for better or worse. In spite of the warm, nostalgic hue offered by rose-colored glasses, the old car could never keep up with the new one. The original took 7.5 seconds to get from 0-to-60 mph, while the new version should do the same in about five seconds flat.…

THE 911 has been a blessing and a curse for Porsche. A blessing in that it transcends the usual planned obsolescence paradigm of the automotive industry; a curse in that it still defines the entire company. For good financial reasons, Porsche has attempted to break free of the 911 numerous times over the past three decades—928, and even 924/944/968. But except for the Boxster, Cayman, and the Cayenne SUV, Porsche has remained in the thrall of the world’s most iconic sports car. Despite the success of the Cayenne, Porsche still fields a lineup of cars that is 75-percent rear-engined. Which makes the Panamera, a front-engine, four-door sport Porsche, a bold move. When it hits the market next year, the Panamera will be fighting a two-front battle against the Aston Martin…

VOLVO’S next S60 may still be more than a year away, as a 2011 model, yet it’s not too early to inject a bit more excitement into the brand. The S60 Concept looks more like a so-called four-door sport coupe, such as the Volkswagen CC or Mercedes CLS-Class. Volvo president/CEO Stephen Odell says, “It gives a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics, and I can assure you the all-new S60 will deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before.” The S60 Concept made its debut at the North American International Auto Show, which at press time was looking like it would be a pretty subdued event. One show car gimmick is the “floating” center stack. Not that it’s floating—production Volvos already have a form of that. It’s the stack’s material,…

“WILL OUR AUTO INDUSTRY GO THE WAY OF GREAT BRITAIN’S, DWINDLING TO A FEW SPECIALTY CARMAKERS AND A BUNCH OF MANUFACTURING FACILITIES UNDER FOREIGN OWNERSHIP?” THIS IS A TOUGH TIME to be a Detroiter. Our elected hip-hop mayor is incarcerated for lying about his tawdry misdeeds. My auto-industry pals face buyout offers, layoffs, or acute job insecurity. They can neither find another job locally nor sell their homes. Will our auto industry go the way of Great Britain’s, dwindling to a few specialty carmakers and a bunch of manufacturing facilities under foreign ownership? There are lots of things our newly elected government could do to brighten Detroit’s future. Leveling the playing field with the off-shore competition in terms of health care costs, trade practices, currency support, etc. should be top…

SUPERCARS are like castles: The best ones come from Europe. Right? For sure, it’s long seemed that way. In the spirit of the old adage “Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?” the premier machines from rarified houses like Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin wear price tags worthy of mortgages. But they also run unlike anything else on the road. Uh, scratch that. For 2008, Nissan launched its ceiling-busting GT-R, a twin-turbo mangarobot on wheels with a price under $80K, but an exhaust boom that rocked ears from the Nordschleife to Maranello. And now Uncle Sam is also strutting in the white-hot spotlight all oiled up and pumped: For 2009 comes the all-new, supercharged Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the most powerful GM production car of all…

STRAFING ALONG a straight-as-astring highway at about a buck-fifty, confusion struck. Were we in America aboard Pontiac’s forty-or-so-grand, Pontiac G8 GXP circa 2009, or flogging a previous-generation BMW M5—a car that cost $70,000 eight years ago—on a German autobahn? Not sure. There’s plenty of high-speed stability here, yet nice ride quality. A rumbling 400-plus-horse V-8 engine and six-speed manual transmission. Just-right-size four-door packaging, supportive leather sport seats, big brakes. Then the radio news guy said “Obama,” and we realized that this was indeed the here and now. The badge on the steering wheel confirmed it. Mention BMW’s seminal sport sedan and a Pontiac in the same breath? In this instance, without hesitation. By now, you know the G8 is based on GM global rear-drive-chassis architecture born and bred in Australia.…

THIS IS IT. Crunch time. The Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram are rolling onto the market like a pair of gigantic craps dice, and the companies tossing them are each betting big on this game. Unfortunately, the rules changed while these dice were in mid-air. Fuel prices skyrocketed, the economy tanked, consumer confidence evaporated, and folks who once chose half-ton pickups more for their Marlboro-Man-image-enhancing qualities than for their towing or hauling capabilities are shopping elsewhere. Ford claims it sells more of its half-ton pickups to work and commercial customers than its competitors do, and Ford predicts this segment will grow to 45 percent of F-150 sales. Toward that end, the truck’s fully boxed chassis is further fortified to provide best-in-class rigidity, payload capacity (up to 3030 pounds), and tow…

WHEN WE schedule vehicles for yearlong stays, we attempt to take a cross section of what’s available to the public—from hybrids to trucks to sports cars. But aside from a Chevrolet Silverado 2500D a while back, diesels have been a scarcity in our garage, though no fault of our own. Few were available and fewer met California emissions. Happy to say that’s changed for 2009, with several automakers, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, producing diesels that offer emissions so clean they’re saleable in the super-strict Golden State. With that in mind, we ordered VW’s brand-new Jetta TDI, whose turbocharged common-rail 2.0-liter with direct injection delivers-state-certified LEV II emissions. Getting our hands on a Jetta TDI wasn’t easy: VW underestimated its popularity and imported a mere 1300 to the U.S.—all…

“I WAS going to hop back in my standby, the Evo X, again last night,” says online associate editor Rory Jurnecka, “but finding the CTS open at the last minute, I snagged the keys and headed for home.” Turns out, going from rally car to our 2008 Car of the Year was just what Jurnecka needed. “After a long weekend at Lowe’s Speedway in Charlotte and the subsequent airplane travel and lack of sleep, the CTS was the ideal remedy. It offers a level of not only interior and exterior refinement, but also of driving refinement that is hard not to love. The suspension is just perfect with its compromise of sport and comfort; the steering is wonderfully weighted; there’s ample power from the V-6; and there’s that feeling from…