Innehållsförteckning för November 2010 från MotorTrend

GENERAL MOTORS’ next-generation Zeta reardrive platform will be heavily updated from its current form, with lots of high-strength steel to bring down weight. The price point of the cars that will use the platform makes this possible. They will include a new Chevrolet sport sedan on the shorter of two Zeta wheelbases. Think of it conceptually as a kind of four-door Camaro, even as the ’14 Camaro moves to the new, smaller Alpha platform. GM is still working on a flagship for the brand (see “Trend,” August 2010), a Sixteen-inspired low-volume car, likely with a small-block V-8, designed to give Cadillac street cred in Europe and Asia as the resurgent Standard of the World. With postbankruptcy GM ramping up and adjusting product development at a rapid rate, future product plans…

AUDI is looking at an unusual engine for an E-REV. It is testing prototypes of its A1 subcompact with an electric drivetrain and a Wankel rotary range extender. “We will start a pilot project at the end of the year,” Michael Dick, head of research and development, told us. “The first prototype car is running very well at the moment. We hope to make a small series at the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013.” Apart from Mazda, Audi’s predecessor brand NSU was one of the very few companies to mass-market a rotary-engine car, the brilliant and elegant—if unreliable—NSU Ro80. Audi’s e-tron EV department is developing the new car, as it works on the e-tron all-electric supercar. Audi unveiled an A1 rotary-extended electric at the Geneva show last…

IN MANY ways, these two supercars make for a logical comparison. Both cost more than $100,000, and both are extremely fast and wickedly capable. But one’s a GM product and the other, well, it’s a Porsche. Meaning that most people looking to buy a Corvette would never dream of even thinking about a Porsche, whereas your average Porsche owner would rather die than visit a Chevy dealer, let alone own a Corvette. Luckily for you (and us), we get to pretend that comparing these two monsters makes perfect sense. We can make believe those interested in straight-line performance will spend a little more and purchase the Porsche Turbo, while the guys interested in the best track-day experience will rush out and purchase the ZR1. Sure, you’re more likely to see…

EVERY MUSTANG-PHILE has a list of favorite ponies. Topping many of those lists are the Boss models, sold from 1969 through 1971. The first, and likely most legendary (because it’s the one that won all the road races), is the 1969-’70 Boss 302. There also was the hemi-headed “shotgun” 429-cubic-inch monster that sold in very limited numbers those same years. And the Boss’s first run wound down with the underrated solid-lifter Boss 351 of 1971. The current-gen Mustang body style has cried out for the Boss treatment since its introduction in 2005, and finally Ford has the motor and the interest to do the job. The new-for-2011 412-horse, 5.0-liter V-8 makes all kinds of things possible, including the return of the Boss 302. If you want one (and many of…

THIS ENCOUNTER feels a bit like LeBron James meeting the australopithecus named Lucy. Science tells us that Miami’s “King James” is likely descended (as we all are) from Lucy and her 3.2-million-years-ago bipedal peers, but, good heavens, look how much bigger he is! The earliest known example of Honda’s peoplecarrier dates to Minivandom’s Pliocene era, circa 1995-1998, when the overarching design dictum was that it fit through the machinery that built the (then much smaller) Accord. Sure, it was smaller than most minivans of the day and offered only a 140-150-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, but it was lithe, maneuverable, and highly flexible. (Today’s de rigueur disappearing third-row seat originated in the Odyssey.) The well-loved 1997 example pictured here has covered a quartermillion miles as my sister’s mount for the past decade.…

AS IS USUAL when the Germans launch a car that doesn’t obviously slot into one of the decades-old market segments, the manufacturer tells us it has invented a whole new kind of car. So it is with the Mini Countryman—a “compact sports activity vehicle,” apparently. Like, d’oh. How exactly is this a new category? Toyota RAV4? Kia Soul? Mitsubishi Outlander Sport? In the real world, the Countryman can’t succeed by being a new invention. It has to succeed by being better than the opposition. Well, being a Mini, at least it has performance on its side, with an uprated version of the familiar Cooper S engine (Valvetronic throttleless induction is added to the existing direct-injection and turbo), an electronically controlled center diff for its optional AWD system, and a sophisticated…

THE 2011 Jaguar XJL Supersport sits at the top of the XJ heap. With the most powerful engine in the lineup, a 510-horse, 461-pound-foot version of its supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, and unique touches inside and out, the Supersport caters to the serious Jag enthusiast. Take a quick glance and there isn’t much to tell the XJL Supersport apart from its lesser brethren. The 20-inch Mataiva wheels with red center caps are unique to this version, along with “Supersport” script on the front fender vents, and a sportier-looking mesh front grille. Inside, Jaguar uses higher-quality materials everywhere in the XJL Supersport. Tipped leather for the dashboard and center console, semi-aniline leather for the seats, a leather headliner, premium wood veneer accents, and illuminated dash vents and door sills are all part…

OVER THE last few years, there have been a lot of changes and improvements to heavy-duty 3/4- and one-ton trucks, as well as to half-tons. What has been the quieter story is that compact trucks have gotten bigger and more capable, too, and many of them are now as big as half-tons used to be, with comparable towing and payload capacities. (This Equator, as equipped, does have a payload of more than 1000 pounds, the reason trucks were originally called “half-tons.”) Why did Suzuki get into the compact-truck market? It manufactures motorcycles, ATVs, and motors for boats and had to watch as other automakers’ trucks served as tow vehicles. It made sense for Suzuki to get a pickup, and partnering with Nissan proved cost-effective. So when the Suzuki Equator arrived…

RUMORS are circulating in Dearborn that Ford Motor Company is considering a new, high-priced, low-volume halo car to follow up the GT40-inspired Ford GT built for its 100th anniversary in 2003. The new model may not be a traditional performance car. Some high-level execs within the Blue Oval are suggesting the next halo should be a highly fuel-efficient, or electric, low-/no-emissions “green” model. With chief rival General Motors’ $41,000 Chevrolet Volt all but launched, this decade’s Ford GT would have to be a sports car or luxury car, not a more conventional sedan or hatchback with an unconventional powerplant, in order to justify a six-figure sticker. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have made such a product possible, thanks to the 918 Spyder plugin hybrid, and SLS AMG E-Cell electric, respectively. Amid its…

TWO STRAIGHT quarters of modest profits have been enough to compel the world’s third-largest automaker to free itself from the chains of majority government ownership and issue its first Initial Public Offering since its July 2009 bankruptcy. Say “goodbye” to Government Motors. On its way to Wall Street, GM’s management revealed some numbers previously kept from the public. They’re the numbers behind the abbreviation ATP, which has been popping up in monthly sales analysis for a couple years now. It stands for “average transaction price,” and when the number is good, it means an automaker has sold its average car or truck with a lot of profitable options and accessories, without excessive incentives and discounts. The car has become more valuable, and that often translates into better resale, a boon…

LAND ROVER is less than two years from launching its new flagship model, which will replace the current Range Rover. The sport/utility makes a switch from a steel hull (with some aluminum panels) to a full aluminum monocoque. The aim is to cut at least 1100 pounds from the current 6000-pound mass, which would place it in the Jeep Grand Cherokee weight class. The company also intends to cut consumption with radical plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle powertrains. Even so, the vehicle will instantly be recognizable as a Range Rover. The design, done under the auspices of design director Gerry McGovern, has been frozen. McGovern’s first full Range Rover design is the Evoque, which sticks very closely to his LRX concept car. McGovern is keen to introduce more jewelry into Range Rovers,…

IN ADDING Performance Traction Management (PTM) to the ZR1, Chevrolet engineers had the noble goal of making you more confident, more consistent, and ultimately faster around a racetrack. Let’s be clear: PTM isn’t a safety system. It won’t save you from your own erratic inputs, nor will it clamp on the brakes in a safety-crazed fit and ruin your fun. But does it work? THE THEORY: By looking at a dizzying array of sensors, PTM attempts to anticipate how much torque it can deliver to the rear wheels to maximize exit speed. When you reach the place in a corner where you would normally begin asking for small amounts of throttle, you go flat on the gas. All you need do is steer while the system modulates engine output. To…

THERE WILL BE two Boss 302 models, the totally streetable Boss 302, and the track-optimized but still street-legal Boss 302 Laguna Seca, a limited run of which has been planned. The latter gets virtually all the hardware upgrades that make a Mustang a Boss 302, and the Laguna edition will be offered in black or silver with red on the hood, roof, C-stripe, mirror caps, rear wing, and on the cross-brace that replaces the deleted rear seat, improving torsional rigidity by 10 percent. Another visual cue: The faux gas cap in back says “Laguna Seca” and features the track map. Other improvements: Pirelli Corsa tires on unique wheels (looking like they came smack off the 2010’11 GT500 coupe) that are a half-inch wider in back, though the tire sizes are…

THE ONLY new car my sister has ever owned (a ’95 Neon) was totaled in a rain-induced Southern California chain-reaction wreck in 2000. Her second call was to me. “What should I buy?” she asked. I prescribed the Honda Odyssey/Isuzu Oasis for its blend of tidy packaging (my nephews were ages 2 and 4), versatile people/cargo hauling, economy, and astonishing reliability. “Shoot for one with less than 100,000 miles,” I suggested. In 1996, New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission expanded the list of vehicles approved for taxi duty to include the Odyssey (on the recommendation of the commissioner’s 7-year-old grandson). I predicted the mean streets and ornery taxi drivers would make quick work of these lightweight, independently suspended vanlets, but they proved popular and astonishingly sturdy. Laura’s van has held…

FOR THOSE on staff who weren’t part of 2010 Truck of the Year testing, the first time driving the Ram was a bit of a shock. “Man, is this truck big!” was the most frequent initial reaction, often followed by, “but it’s really nice.” The combination of sheer capability and refinement is a big part of why the Ram won Truck of the Year honors for 2010, and the long-termer Ram Truck sent us reflects the best of both of those worlds. We chose a four-wheel-drive 2500, a crew cab with a short bed (6 feet, 4 inches), and Laramie trim. This would give us the chance to try out most of the interior amenities offered by the manufacturer in a package that included plenty of capability, too. To get…

DEAN PAUL “DINO” MARTIN (yes, son of singer/actor Dean) wanted something special. No Corvettes for him. Not even a garden-variety production Ferrari quite got the job done. So, through bodyman and restorer Lee Brown, he purchased an ex-Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari P3, then set Brown to work legalizing it. The car needed a ton of bodywork, and the engine required lots of carb and ignition and cooling system reengineering to make the P3 even semi-tractable for street use. An exhaust system using four glasspack mufflers was fabbed up, and of course a full complement of street-spec lighting was added, as was a fully upholstered interior. By all accounts, Martin the younger was a serious car guy and later purchased a used Porsche Turbo Carrera from Steve McQueen. He dabbled in racing,…

MERCEDES-BENZ struck styling gold with its first-generation 2006 CLS-Class, creating a new segment that sent rivals scrambling back to their design tables. Things are different the second time around. The ’12 CLS, which made its debut at the Paris auto show in October, steps into a market suddenly littered with four-door sport coupes, with more on the way from rivals Audi and BMW. With the 2012 CLS-Class, Mercedes has focused on improving the one area that defines its existence: design. The profile of the car features much more pronounced sculpting, starting with the front wheelwell and ending with a fresh set of LED taillamps. The new CLS also has LED daytime running lamps and full headlamps. Love it or hate it, this is one four-door that will draw your attention.…

“There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.”—Andre Gide TALK ABOUT a reversal of fortune. For how many years now has the Corvette versus 911 story gone something like this: Yes, the Porsche is faster around a track, built better, and more fun to drive; stops shorter; pulls more gs around a skidpad; and is the waking dream of every member of our staff. But…in a straight line, the Corvette will kick the German’s engine-stuffed ass back to Deutschland? I’d say close to 50 years now, give or take. Well, what if we were to tell you that on the dragstrip a 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo that gives up two cylinders, more than 2 liters of displacement, and well over 100 horsepower to the Chevy…

WANT ANOTHER reason why these two cars are so comparable? For the last decade or so, Corvettes and 911s have been duking it out all hot and heavy in ALMS. True, they were in different classes for years, but in 2009, ALMS eliminated the usually Corvette-only GT1, and now the C6.R Vette goes head to head with the Porsche GT3 RSR, as well as the Jaguar XKRS, Ferrari F430 GT, BMW M3, and the odd Spyker C8. Two drivers in particular have captured our fancy: 22-time ALMS winner Jan Magnussen for Corvette and last year’s GT2 champ and Daytona 24 Hour winner Jorg Bergmeister for Porsche. Fans of ALMS will never forget the Chevrolet-on-Porsche violence during the last lap at Laguna Seca 2009. (Of course, depending on which side you…

OVERSTATING THE importance of the tC to Scion is difficult. Since Toyota launched its youth-oriented brand in 2003, the two-door tC has accounted for more than 40 percent of Scion’s nearly 800,000 sales. That means the tC is the standard-bearer for the brand. Obviously, then, getting the tC’s second act as pitch-perfect as possible is essential for Scion. “We built a very good car” chief engineer Masayuki Nagai beamed over dinner. But did they? One of the most surprising aspects of the 2011 tC is that it didn’t grow a whole bunch. Typically, when a manufacturer updates a car, it adds a load of bulk. Look at what Scion did to the xB, taking the svelte, Kei car-like first-generation vehicle and packing on an extra 600-plus pounds for the second-generation…

HYUNDAI, the company that makes those cheap little runabouts, is building a big luxury sedan with dreams of slaying German and Japanese standard-bearers. This sounds familiar. You’ll be forgiven for confusing the Genesis’ and Equus’ stories. After all, the playbook hasn’t changed. Both are large luxury sedans with the same V-8 engine driving the same automatic transmission and rear wheels. They also share the strategy that has made Hyundai a powerhouse in the market: more content for less money. The expected base price of $60,000 includes a list of standard features as long as your arm, and covers all the uber-luxury standards. In fact, to get the same level of content on a Lexus LS 460, which starts just $6,000 higher, you’d have to tack on $10,000 in options. With…

THE M35 Hybrid is Infiniti’s first vehicle powered by Nissan’s all-new, in-house-designed, full-parallel-hybrid powertrain, a 3.5-liter V-6 engine working in conjunction with a single electric motor and two clutches. Not surprisingly, it will also be Infiniti’s cleanest ride ever. The M Hybrid’s secret sauce is a gas engine/electric motor combination including twin clutches: one dry, one wet. The former finds a home between the 3.5-liter Atkinson-cycle combustion engine (good for 302 horsepower) and the lithium-ion-battery-powered electric motor (67 horsepower). The dry clutch sits last on the same propshaft as the motor and seven-speed automatic transmission and is always engaged. Basically, the lineup goes (from front to rear): gas engine, dry clutch, electric motor, transmission, wet clutch. Nissan’s technique employs the twin clutches to decouple the gas engine from the transmission,…

WITH JUST under 20,000 miles on its odometer, our long-term Mazdaspeed3 had accelerated, braked, and torque-steered its way through the original-equipment Dunlop SP Sport 2050 tires. For replacement, we opted for a set of Toyo’s Proxes T1R, also a Y-rated (186 mph) summer tire. Cost for the set, including mounting and balancing, came to $980. Wearing its brand-new, sticky shoes, the Speed3 paid a visit to the track, where it laid down slightly inferior numbers compared with when it had the O.E. Dunlops: Lateral acceleration dropped from 0.90 g to 0.87, 60-to-0 braking increased from 106 feet to 112, and the figure eight slowed from 26.0 seconds at 0.70 g to 26.7 at 0.66. In the real world, though, those Toyos seem to deliver comparable handling and, even better, less…