Innehållsförteckning för February 2011 från MotorTrend

Let’s face it. When it comes to scaling icy 45-degree slopes and escorting you to the deep stuff in the backcountry, the snowcat has a clear and decisive advantage over the Suzuki Kizashi and its available intelligent All-Wheel-Drive® system. But before you let your snowboard-loving heart overcome your better financial judgment (a new snowcat runs around $285,000) and you choose a snowcat as your everyday commuter vehicle, we suggest you consider other factors like total performance, comfort and value. Look at these things, and we think you’ll find the Kizashi beats the snowcat by an avalanche. TOTAL PERFORMANCE. While it performs exceptionally on the mountain, driving a snowcat to the mountain could add hours, if not days, to your commute. Most snowcats provide a top speed of 14 mph and…

WITH REAR DRIVE and a punchy V-8 under the hood, the Pontiac G8 was the first real sport sedan from GM in decades, and we mourned its demise when GM killed off the Excitement Division as part of its post-bankruptcy rationalization. But it appears the G8 will make a comback—this time wearing Chevy badges. Three GM sources have confirmed to Motor Trend the Australian-built sedan will reappear on the U.S. market as a Chevy in the coming year. And it won’t be called Impala. “We have a good name for it,” said one of the sources with a smile. Bringing back the G8 as a Chevy seemed such a no-brainer—all the certification and engineering work required to transform the Holden Commodore into a Pontiac was paid for by the Old…

THE CURRENT BMW 3 Series hit the road in 2005, and its replacement will debut in 2012 at a European auto show. Code-named F30, it sits on a new platform shared with the next-gen 1 Series, the F20, which is scheduled to appear in 2011. Both cars run on longer wheelbases and wider tracks than the currrent E90-based models. The 3 Series grows by 2 inches overall, but spy photos reveal it has shortened overhangs, especially at the front, meaning occupants will enjoy more space. Seen in profile, it is clearly a member of the same family as the new 5 Series. The headlamps are more tapered toward the center, with a series of lines that radiate out and back from the corners of the BMW kidney grilles, giving the…

“ONE FORD” assumes that North Americans soon will be buying the same kinds of cars and crossovers popular in Europe. That may be true in the near future. For now, the Top 10 best sellers in the U.S. are significantly different from the Top 10 in China, the single largest automotive market, and in Europe, which collectively is still larger than China As an individual country, China passed the United States some six or seven years earlier than expected, when our market plummeted in the thick of the 2009 Great Recession. China has remained ahead since. For year-to-date 2010 numbers through October, there were 11.1 million cars sold in China, up 35.5 percent. U.S. sales through October totaled 9.6 million, up 11 percent, while Europe’s automotive market continued to suffer…

RECENT experiences with high-profile battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range electric vehicles have inspired industry-wide head-scratching about the best way to measure cars’ energy use. The confusion only gets worse as gasoline and fossil-fuel diesel are joined by greater amounts of compressed natural gas, biodiesel (algae being a promising source), cellulosic ethanol, electrical energy (from various sources), perhaps widespread hydrogen (I’m not counting on it)—and who knows what else you chem majors are stewing up in your garages. If you’ve followed the government’s efforts to produce more instructive Environmental Protection Agency mileage stickers—spotlighted by the Nissan Leaf’s and Chevrolet Volt’s—you’ve noted the subject’s vocabulary is necessarily, and rapidly, expanding well beyond“mpg.” Equivalent gallons? Kilowatt-hours/100 miles? Practice saying them. We’re throwing our hat in with “kW-hrs/100 miles” as a metric to supplement…

2011 DOD GE DURANGO BASE PRICE $36 4,0 5; $42,645* VEHICLE LAYOUT Front engine, AWD; RWD*, 7-pass, 4-do or hat chb ack ENGINE 3.6L/290-hp/260-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6; 5.7L/360-hp/390-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8 TRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT 4889 lb (49/51%); 5307 lb (50/50%) * WHEELBASE 119.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 199.8 x 758. x 70.9in 0-60 MPH 8.8; 7.3 sec* QUARTERMILE 16.6 sec @ 86.1mph; 15.5 sec @ 91.8 mph* BRAKING, 60-0MPH 1201; 25ft* LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.74; 0.76g (avg) * MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.4 sec @ 0.55 g (avg); 28.3 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)* EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 16/22; 14/20mpg* CO2 EMISSIONS 1.20; 1.13-lb/mile* ON SALE IN U.S. Currently *Crew V-6 AWD; Citadel V-8 RWD IN A WORLD of crossovers, old-regime SUVs are feeling the pressure to get…

CHRYSLER Town & Country’s game clock had been rapidly winding down to its last few seconds in the face of the excellent new Toyota Sienna, freshly rebaked Honda Odyssey, and reborn Nissan Quest. So is the 2011 T&C a Hail Mary game-winner? No. But it is a game-changer. Making this so are substantial improvements that extend from the crankshaft to the van’s more elegant skin. Replacing the previous trio of 3.3-liter, 3.8-liter, and 4.0-liter V-6s is one engine: the new Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, producing 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Compared with a 4.0-liter Dodge Grand Caravan XT we just tested, the Pentastar-equipped T&C proves half a second slower to 60 mph, but offers significant mpg improvements, while feeling crisper and more refined. Also notable is T&C’s improved lateral…

STYLIZED, AFFORDABLE, and with a dollop of sport, the ponycar formula has changed little in its 46-year history. The quartet of modern versions we assembled here are draped in rakish, come-hither sheetmetal; equipped with smaller, fuel-efficientV-6 engines; affordable to the masses; and yet still offer satisfying power. If you’re experiencing déjà vu, there’s good reason. We last assembled this crew in July, when the Mustang put a 3.7-liter smackdown on its domestic brethren, but lost to the Korean newcomer. (The resulting outrage ignited Internet forums for months.) Then, we were looking for the sportiest, most fun among them—the best hustle car. But that wonderfully balanced Hyundai? Those manual transmissions? Fanboy fantasy. When it comes to the real world, people buy high-content, automatic/V-6 pairings. In this gang, that combo accounts for…

ALTHOUGH it weighs more than many a sport/utility and looks like a prince’s imperial weekend cruiser, the 2012 Bentley Continental GT excels at doing what you think it can’t—in this case, blasting from 0 to 60 in an estimated 4.4 seconds and hitting a top speed of 198 mph. “Things are not always what they seem,” or so the cliché goes. The exterior of the so-called second generation GT has been thoughtfully and thoroughly restyled. Every body panel is new, and the doors and trunklid join the hood on the Made From Aluminum list. Nevertheless, Gen 2 bears a strong resemblance to Gen 1 that debuted for the 2003 model year—at least upon first glance—and on the surface doesn’t appear to be much of an improved driver in light of…

THE 2011 Super Duty was an easy qualifier for this year’s contest. In some minds, the Super Duty was the one to beat, as Ford recently had huge successes with the F-150 (and several of its variations), and the last-generation Super Duty set new benchmarks for interior quality and pulling power. This time around, the new Ford Super Duty is impressive on many fronts, but is not without flaws. The all-new, in-house-designed 6.7-liter Power StrokeV-8 is the centerpiece of Ford’s new work trucks. To its credit, the new engine is full of powerful technology, and offers the most horses and torque of any truck in the segment. Highlights include reverse-mounted aluminum heads (inboard exhaust outlets); a single turbocharger incorporating small and large turbines to mimic sequential twin-turbos; and eight-holed…

IF THE firestorm surrounding the Chevrolet Volt has taught us anything, it’s that consumers are most interested in how different electric cars are from the gasoline-powered cars already in their garages. With regard to the Nissan Leaf, the answer is: “not very.” Sure, there is plenty of oohing and ahhing for the first 15 minutes or so, but once you’re on the road, the Leaf quickly becomes rather, well, normal. You’ll note how smoothly it accelerates and how quiet the drivetrain is. You’ll realize the regenerative brakes require a lighter touch, and that the standard nav system has a special feature that shows how far you can go on a full charge. After those 15 minutes are up, it’ll feel as normal as driving any other compact hatch. It may…

IT’S A CAR. It’s a hatchback. It’s a crossover. It’s a wagon. It’s all of them. Or is it none, one, or a few? Well, we know BMW’s funky 5 Series Gran Turismo is a hatchback, at least when hoisting its two-piece rear liftgate. Raise just the integrated trunklid, and it’s more sedan. We also believe the 5 GT to be a crossover, given its 61.4-inch overall height (about as tall as a Nissan Juke), 5.7 inches of ground clearance (same as Infiniti EX35 AWD), multifunction interior (cargo capacity ranges from 10 cubic feet in the enclosed trunk to 63 cubic feet hatch-style with the back seats folded), and available all-wheel drive. These are the reasons we invited the GT to participate in our Sport/Utility of the Year contest. BMW,…

BOB D’OLIVO was the epicenter of Petersen Publishing Company’s photo department for nearly five decades. He joined Robert E. Petersen’s growing company in the mid-’50s and shot countless Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Car Craft, and other covers over the years. He also shot many other iconic images, such as STP car owner Andy Granatelli kissing Mario Andretti in Victory Lane after Andretti won the Indy 500 in 1969. The Bonneville Salt Flats were a popular stomping grounds for Petersen staffers, many of whom built, wrenched, or drove cars there in the quest for land-speed records. One candidate was this E-TS-class Borgward Isabella entered by Motor Trend. The Borgward is a rare and mildly collectible sight today, as are these early, lawnmower-engine-powered minibikes. D’Olivo retired in the mid-’90s and still attends…

■ MT Top 10 Online Vid Ads For the first time since Visible Measures began tracking automotive video advertisement traffic, Ford takes the number one spot with its Fiesta Movement campaign—only to have the limelight stolen by upstart Skoda. The Czech manufacturer (and Volkswagen partner) has long been an entry-level player in Europe, but is seeking to reinforce its performance cred with a “Made of Meaner Stuff” campaign. * First appearance on chart Source: Visible Measures (www.visiblemeasures.com) The Motor Trend Top 10 Online Video Auto Ads Chart focuses on brand-driven viral video ads that appear on online video sharing destinations. Each campaign is measured on a True Reach basis, which includes viewership of brand-syndicated video clips and viewer-driven social video placements.…

NEW GM is happening fast. General Motors launched its initial public offering in November with a $33/share price. The U.S. Treasury sold 359 million of the 487 million shares issued, which brought in $13.5 billion for the government while reducing its ownership in the company from the post-bankruptcy 60.8 percent to 33. If U.S. auto sales, and GM, can continue to grow even at the current slow rate, the U.S. Treasury should be able to sell the rest of its GM stock and recoup most of the remaining $36 billion. The IPO came 16 months after GM emerged from its U.S. Treasury-coerced Section 363 bankruptcy, which wiped out billions of dollars in debt and stock value of the old GM. If U.S. auto sales, and GM, can continue to grow…

IT’S RENAISSANCE time for Fiat, absent from the U.S. for some 30 years, and for Chrysler, having suffered an odd combo of war, bloodshed, and brotherly love for the last four years. The first new Fiat to arrive in 119 North American Chrysler dealers is the modern interpretation of the 1957-’75 500. If you’re thinking Mini or VW New Beetle, think smaller. The 500 is an A-segment car and will compete directly with the Scion iQ. Built in North America, our 500 gets a new interior with knee blockers, a glovebox, new front seats with a driver’s armrest, and revised entry system for easier backseat access. Cruise and audio control switches are on the steering wheel. Bose premium audio with six speakers and a subwoofer and Sirius radio are standard…

HERE IS the last and most pertinent sentence of the introductory paragraph to the 2011 Hyundai Elantra’s press kit: “In the very competitive compact-car segment, the Elantra continues to be on a fast four-year life cycle.” It’s pertinent because Honda’s Civic, the industry’s compact car leader in terms of design and appeal, was on a four-year cycle even during the rare times it didn’t lead segment sales. Now it’s on a five-year cycle, and it’s far from certain the new ’12 Civic will retain the current model’s sales magic. The Civic faces serious competition from the ’11 Chevy Cruze and ’12 Ford Focus, but its biggest threat may come from the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. Besides its sharp, expressive junior Sonata styling, the Elantra boasts a $15,500 base price and a…

letter of the month light ’em up With the ubiquity of sophisticated electronics and driver information display capabilities in modern cars, why do we still have “idiot lights?” Wouldn’t it be much more useful if the car told you the oxygen sensor was malfunctioning rather than turning on the check engine light? Is it some sort of conspiracy to get us to spend more money taking our vehicles in for service or buying some device to tell us what error code is causing our dashes to light up like Christmas trees? I know I’d feel much better if my car just told me that the fuel cap wasn’t screwed on rather than displaying an ominous warning that any of hundreds of problems might be going on. So what gives? Why…

THE FIRST DECADE of the new century has not been kind to the Chrysler Corporation. Left bloodied and beaten by a laughable merger of equals with Daimler, then forced into an ugly bankruptcy by an abrupt and ill-played takeover bid from Cerberus Capital, it received a federal bailout only because of an 11th-hour lifeline from Italy’s Fiat. Fast-forward two years, and Auburn Hills is starting to show signs of life. In a remarkable flurry of new metal, Chrysler has introduced no fewer than eight all-new or severely reengineered models. But are the new Dodge and Chrysler cars good enough to lift both brands from also-ran status, justify the bailout, and, most crucially, sell some product? We think so, but we’re still talking about stopgap measures. Despite the glowing review that…

2011 DODGE CHALLENGER BASE PRICE $31,245; $45,430* PRICE AS TESTED $35,300; 47,540* VEHICLE LAYOUT Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE 5.7L/376-hp/410-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8; 6.4L/470-hp/470-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8* TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4078 lb (55/45%); 4260 lb (54/46%) * WHEELBASE 116.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 197.7 x 75.7 x 57.1in 0-60 MPH 5.0 sec; 4.6 sec* QUARTER MILE 13.5 sec @ 105.9 m ph; 13.0 sec @ 111.3 m ph* BRAKING, 60-0MPH 112ft; 117ft* LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.89 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.9 s ec @ 0.68 g (avg); 25.6 s ec @ 0.70 g (avg)* EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 15/24 mpg (est); 14/23 mpg (est) * CO2 EMISSIONS *R/T; SRT8 392 1.08 lb/mile (est); 1.14 lb/mile (est)* THE STRATEGY for the 2011 Challenger…

THE GOLDEN CREST is gone, but the Chrysler name is still spelled out and surrounded by a pair of wings atop the front-grille frame. The eggcrate grille has been swapped for one composed of sculpted slats, as seen on the Chrysler 200 and Town & Country (and, unfortunately, the Hyundai Sonata). Projector-beam headlights evolved to incorporate lux-style LEDs. Although the windshield is more steeply raked, the upright proportions, boxy roofline, and purposeful stance clearly recall the car that nabbed our Golden Calipers back in ’05. But now it’s more refined and less cartoonish. Gone are the slab sides and sharp creases that hint at Gotham City chase scenes. Though the muscular wheel arches remain, softer lines shape the hood and trunklid, while chrome-trimmed taillights round out this top-hat-to-spats reformulation. The…

EVERYTHING ALAN MULALLY has learned, experienced, and changed at Ford Motor Company is encompassed in the 2011 Ford Explorer. A bestseller at 400,000-plus per year in the ’90s, the Explorer met its automotive Waterloo during the Firestone tread-separation debacle. Sales of the body-on-frame Explorer dwindled to 52,190 in 2009, as Ford was launching its new Taurus. Ford redesigned the sedan far beyond its original intentions, though retaining the Volvo-derived D4 platform. Now, thanks to Mulally’s push for quicker updates of Ford models, it’s the Explorer’s turn. QUIET AND CUSHY IN TRAFFIC, THE EXPLORER IS SOFTER AND SMOOTHER THAN JEEP’S GRAND CHEROKEE OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. The new, unibody Explorer borrows the Taurus’ D4 architecture, making it a Taurus-level update of the Freestyle/Taurus X. In the Explorer, the architecture offers better packaging,…

THE SIERRA presents a quandary. Here is the Chevy Silverado’s doppelganger—subtle differences mark the exterior, but you’d have to park the two next to each other to spot the changes—yet it’s supposed to be a different truck, just because the badges say so. Can it stand on its own? With this question in mind, we invited the new Sierra HD to our contest, along with the Silverado HD. The copy-and-paste job is for better and for worse. Better, because the GMC is essentially the same vehicle we’ve dubbed the 2011 Truck of the Year (if you couldn’t tell by now). The powertrain options come over unchanged: Shoppers can opt for either an OHV 6.0-literV-8 with 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque or a 6.6-liter diesel with 765 pound-feet of…

THE BLACK bumpers and a ride quality that gave up too much ride for sport-sedan handling are long gone. And BMW has moved X3 production from Magna-Steyr’s Austrian assembly plant to its own sprawling South Carolina X5/X6 factory. Some things haven’t changed: BMW will export 70 percent of U.S. X3 production. Diesel-powered models, for now at least, won’t be sold in North America. Otherwise, the new X3 is clean-sheet-of-paper thinking, even if you’d swear you’ve seen the drawings before. We get a new dealer delivery system that encourages custom orders, including two engine options: the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter six in the xDrive 28i and the twin-scroll turbo 3.0 in the xDrive 35i. Electronically controlled full-time all-wheel drive with Dynamic Stability Control and eight-speed automatic are standard. The turbo’s raspy note…

WHEN WE first saw Mazda’s tiny 2 at the 2008 Geneva show, we were immediately intrigued. Mazda execs labeled it a global B-segment car, but “global” doesn’t always translate to American-bound. Would it come to the States? If so, would it endear itself to Americans enthralled with SUVs and pickups? By now, the answer to our first question is obvious. As for our second, we thought it best to find out for ourselves, so we called Mazda and asked politely for a Spirited Green 2. With only a couple trim levels available (Sport and Touring), choosing our smiling 2 was a cinch. We opted for the nicely equipped Touring ($16,230 base), which sports foglamps, 15-inch alloys, a rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tips, cloth seats with red piping, and a six-speaker…

WITH THE amazing EfficientDynamics supercar unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, BMW promised a four-seat gullwing machine with the acceleration of an M3 and the fuel economy of a Mini diesel. At that point, the car’s complex hybrid system had never been tested. Now, production is just two years away, in 2013. Testing has proven engineers’ original simulations, so the car will proceed with very few changes. Nestled behind the back seats is a tiny 161-horsepower combustion engine linked to a compact double-clutch gearbox to drive the rear wheels. That isn’t enough to do the acceleration numbers BMW promised: 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds. So between engine and box, a disc-shaped motor adds a peak 51 horsepower. Another bigger motor adds up to 139 horses to the front wheels,…

“OVER THE YEARS I HAD FALLEN SOMEWHAT OUT OF LOVE WITH PICKUPS, BUT A CERTAIN BOY IS REMINDING ME THAT VEHICLES WITH BEDS ARE AWESOME. ” AT 19 MONTHS OLD, my son Julian is already an avid reader—make that viewer. He can’t read yet, and won’t really be able to for another few years, but he has an insatiable appetite for books. And not the kinds of books you and I enjoy. No, these are illustrative, quick tales that almost always have a happy ending. A doctor has written some of his favorites; so has a woman with “Wise” in her name. They’re impressive authors who fill their stories with fascinating nuggets of information—like, how cows can jump over the moon, and that there exists a place called Na-Nupp. These…

2011 DODGE CHARGER BASE PRICE $30,745; $34,745* PRICE AS TESTED $34,930; $40,000* VEHICLE LAYOUT Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 3.6L/292-hp/260-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6; 5.7L/370-hp/395-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8* TRANSMISSIONS 5-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3994 lb (52/48%) 4319 lb (53/47%)* WHEELBASE 120.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 199.9 x 75.0 x 58.4 in 0-60 MPH 7.3 sec; 5.3 sec* QUARTER MILE 15.6 sec @93.5 mph; 13.9 sec @103.6 mph* BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 115 ft; 113 ft* LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.84 g (avg); 0.86 g (avg)* MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.7 sec @0.62 g (avg); 26.0 sec @0.67 g (avg)* EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 18/27 mpg (est); 16/25 mpg (est)* CO2 EMISSIONS *Charger Rallye Plus; Charger R/T 0.92 lb/mile (est); 1 .02 lb/mile (est)* DODGE’S STORY, and believe you me…

SEBRING IS DEAD; long live the 200. That’s what Chrysler would have you think. And on the surface, things looks much improved. The dash-set timepiece wouldn’t look out of place under a French cuff and worsted wool sleeve. Piano black and metallic accents trim the center stack and controls, while the dash and door coverings push back with warmth and fine grain. A thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel greets your hands, and the hooves of 283 horses are easily called forth with a toggle of the six-speed and a touch of the right foot. Sebring who? Not so fast. While the Chrysler 200 is significantly quicker than the Sebring it replaces—thanks to a new class-leading, 283-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6—the new Chrysler’s overall performance is closer to midpack than front. Just look at…

Today, America needs fresh leadership to lead us as a nation out of this economic crisis. Leadership must come not only from our political leaders but also from the average citizen. The exporting of American jobs is a trend that must be stopped and reversed. When I walk into my local hardware store, I typically find 85% of the goods for sale are manufactured 7,000 miles away. Recognizable American brands have been forced by shortsighted management and buyers at large national chains to build factories overseas just to save a lousy $.50 on a tape measure. To these ruthless buyers, it is all about the money. Rarely are product quality, the political system, human rights, animal rights and environmental costs to the planet considered, not to mention the cost to…

A BIG MERCEDES COUPE WOULDN'T BE A BIG MERCEDES COUPE IF IT WEREN'T LOADED UP TO THE SLIDING-GLASS SUNROOF WITH THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN ELECTRONIC WHIZBANGERY. AFTER RECEIVING the invitation to drive the new 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL V-8 variants, we immediately began talking about the big coupes in terms of a comparison test. But we ran into a significant issue: There’s nothing to compare a CL against. Remember, the CL is in practice little more than a two-door S-Class, making it the equivalent of a BMW 7 Series Coupe or a two-door Audi A8. Trouble is, those two cars don’t exist. What about the other end of the spectrum? The Maserati GranTurismo is much more sport than heart-slowing luxury, and Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is rarer than a two-headed unicorn,…

IN THE HEAVY-DUTY truck world, capability is most important. Folks like to brag about numbers—horsepower, torque, and payload and towing capacity—and talk about the monstrous things they can tow. Take, for example, the Chevrolet Silverado HD’s 21,700-pound towing capacity. That means it can tow three other Silverado HDs, or 10 Lotus Evoras. Payload capacities in this category mean that each truck is rated to carry a half-ton pickup in its bed, if you crushed it small enough to fit. These are the trucks that haul horse trailers, massive boats, and huge construction equipment; the ones many people pooh-pooh as being too big and too environmentally unfriendly—until they need to use one, of course. Styling isn’t nearly as important in this category, so when the Great Recession hit and GM’s development…

ONCE UPON a time, buying a new Porsche 911 was a relatively simple task. A couple engine options, the choice of a Targa model or a standard coupe. Just one transmission: a conventional five-speed manual. Today, there are approximately 20 roadgoing 911 variants to choose from in the U.S., leading some to believe the recent addition of the GTS version is slicing a niche too thin. But those people would be wrong. Starting with 1.7-inch-wider rear bodywork and track as in the Carrera 4S, the rear-drive GTS utilizes the 3.8-liter flat-six engine from the Carrera S and includes the horsepower package with a variable-resonance intake system, normally a $16,900 option, as standard. The result is 408 ponies, 23 more than in a base Carrera S. Toss in the rear-seat-delete kit,…

THE Z ROADSTER is being driven mostly around town and through twisting canyons instead of on really long trips—as it should be for a car like this. There are gripes about a lack of refinement under the hood and in the cabin, but most agree the 370’s personality and performance more than make up for its shortcomings. But a debate is raging about whether the SynchroRev match system, offered with the manual transmission, is awesome or annoying. Some comments from the staff: “SynchroRev match is great. There’s no reason to drive this car with that disabled. I could never rev-match as perfectly as the computer no matter how hard I try, so why bother?” writes associate Web editor Kirill Ougarov. Adds assistant Web producer Carlos Lago, “I love SynchroRev match.…

IN THE original story introducing the Honda Insight to our long-term fleet, I had a bit of fun recounting that, when I first encountered the Clear Sky Blue hybrid, my knee-jerk response was “Ack, ack!” I couldn’t think of a better way to greet this otherworldly automotive invader than in the mono-word language of Tim Burton’s alien invaders from his classic “Mars Attacks!” (What? It’s not a classic?) But after 12 months and 19,591 miles living with Insight serial number JHMZE2H7XAS000078, the toughest questions we have aren’t the usual worn sneakers about reliability and cost of ownership and so on. Strangely enough, it’s its alienness. What started as a bit of fun has become the most serious question we have about the Insight. As a rich psycho-emotional dynamic experience—what you…