Innehållsförteckning för April 2011 från MotorTrend

With 1.7 million Twitter-driven views, Mercedes-Benz sits atop our list this month with its “Tweet Race” social media campaign. Apparently, this social media campaign sent competing teams racing to the Super Bowl in vehicles harnessing the power of “tweets.” Yeah, we don’t know either. We do get the cute concept behind Audi’s “Goodnight Moon” campaign, which made its debut at number five. * 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.…

SINCE the 1980s, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler have all had poor images in California. If you see a late-model domestic car—not a truck or truck-based SUV—in a coastal metro area wearing California plates, you’re pretty safe in assuming it came from an airport rental lot. Toyota cars started outselling Ford and Chevrolet car models not long after Ronald Reagan left the state for Washington, D.C. Asi an and Euro brands rule. So Ford has a “California Strategy” to improve retail sales in the nation’s largest market, although Mark Fields, the company’s president for the Americas, is careful not to give it a formal name. “We’ve had a focus on California probably for the last four years,” he says. The F-Series and Mustang have for a long time been Ford’s…

VOLKSWAGEN AG Chairman Ferdinand Piëch has given up on his attempt to purchase Alfa Romeo from Fiat Auto, and now his company is determining whether its Spanish brand, Seat, has a future. VW has tried to reposition Seat as its Alfa competitor, a sportier brand with a slightly upmarket alternative to mainstream Volkswagen models. This also recalls General Motors’ charge to Pontiac general manager Bunkie Knudsen in 1956 to “fix or kill” the division. Knudsen pushed Pontiac upmarket and added some sportiness, saving the marque for 53 years. Despite more curvaceous styling on its product than that of VW and Skoda platform siblings, Seat hasn’t been able to shed its discount Spanish VW image. Skoda, meanwhile, has expanded production into China and is having better luck moving into new markets,…

letter of the month gone to plaid I completely understand why there is no navigation option in the Bugatti Super Sport (“The Biggest, Baddest Bug,” January 2011). If there were, the instructions would go something like this: “Turn left in 300 fee-…calculating… calculating… Make legal U-turn at next state line.” Fred Osborne Brentwood, Tennessee write us at 831 S. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245 e-mail us online at motortrend.com or send an e-mail direct to motortrend@motortrend.com ■ letter of the month We were braced for your letter to say “Turn left in feet….off a cliff….into a pit of alligators…for picking the Volt as your Car of the Year.” Fred, because you stayed positive and didn’t call us names you win this sweet Moshi Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit so you…

WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD “supercar,” your brain might be flooded with an image of a lava-hot, zillion-horsepower engine wailing at redline, melting tires and your heart; or a sleek silhouette slicing the sunset at supersonic speed, stopping for a split second to pick up a sexy supermodel, then vanishing into the horizon; or a window sticker whose six- or seven-figure bottom line demands it be placed under crystal, framed in gold, and hung between your doctoral diploma and POTUS handshake pic. “Wow, you met the president? And I had no idea your Bug-a-tea cost more than a million dollars.” “That’s ‘Boo-GAH-tee,’ and yes, if you want play at 250 mph, you have to fork out the big bucks. Care for a glass of Henri IV Dudognon cognac?” Now, back…

JETTISONING THE “C” moniker and the V-8 drops $11,000 from the window sticker and 246 pounds from the curb weight. Yes, engine output suffers, but only by 71 horsepower. Reaching 60 mph in 7.2 seconds remains respectable, and it means the still-portly 300 will show its taillights to a Buick Regal CXL Turbo. If the other drivers aren’t looking closely, they may think this dragracing madman is in a V-8. The 300 suffers little visual punishment compared to the topline model. V-6 telltales come in missing chrome pieces here and there, different badges, and foglights. But opt for the Limited trim and the differences vanish: The 300 opens its total options suite, allowing you to have a fully loaded car without the V-8’s fuel economy (the 300 returns 2 mpg…

“OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE VOLKSWAGEN THE NUMBER-ONE AUTOMAKER BY 2018, BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY.” VOLKSWAGEN sold two Type 1 Beetles here in 1949. By the ’60s, with the Beetle, Squareback/Fastback, Microbus, and Karmann-Ghia, VW was the States' most popular import, peaking at 569,696 units in calendar year 1970. It hasn’t matched that number since. After the Japanese invasion and the Westmoreland, Pennsylvania-built Rabbit ordeal, VW sales dipped to 49,533 in 1993. Rumors had Wolfsburg following the French and Italians and exiting the U.S. market. Improved product and aggressive advertising playing up VW’s European flair saved it in the late ’90s and 2000s. VW’s 2010 sales of 256,830 units trails Subaru’s, though, while VW Group global sales, including Skoda, Seat, Audi, and the super-premium brands, totaled 7.1 million last year.…

What Matters to You? 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…

A GUY named Karl Benz recently filed a patent for this here contraption, something he’s calling a “Motorwagen.” The idea is that you burn a substance called gasoline through a small internal-combustion engine, and somehow this is roped to two of the three wheels and will magically propel the contraption forward. It will never fly, as surely as my horse’s name is Ed. First of all, where will you get this magical fluid? I’m not saying it doesn’t exist—it actually does, in large quantities, under sand in the Middle East. But what I am saying is that gasoline-powered personal mobility is little more than a pipe dream. Mr. Benz might as well have developed a machine that runs on good intentions! Now, what’s actually underground in places like Persia, Guzarat,…

THE NISSAN NV line is aimed squarely at owners of fleets of vehicles or less, and individuals who need vans. The company has done extensive research on the van market, and learned that owners in this segment are the least satisfied with their vehicles. Nissan saw this as a huge opportunity. After all, there’s the rugged Titan platform. Put a van body on there, and—presto, change-o—you have a van, right? Not quite. By the time the engineers were done, the only things the NV line of vans shared with the Titan were an engine and transmission. The vans will be sold as the S or topline SV trim NV1500, NV2500 HD, and NV3500 HD, with a standard roof or high roof, and either a 4.0-liter, 261-horsepower V-6 or the Titan’s…

LONG BEFORE taking the keys to our Azurite Blue Pearl 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited (our 2010 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year, by the way), we decided to forgo ordering its 3.6R flat-six sibling packing 256 ponies and a traditional five-speed auto. At first, it was a move that had some staffers wishing for more Boxer might. Once we received the Outback, doubters quickly changed their opinions. Entries praising the crossover’s 2.5-liter flat-four and its smooth Lineartronic continuously variable transmission poured into our logbook after only a few days in the fleet. “The four-banger has plenty of grunt,” wrote associate online editor Kirill Ougarov. With steering-wheel-mounted paddles allowing drivers to select predetermined gear“ratios,” digging for extra highway speed or engine braking rpm was as simple as a quick tug on…

“THE CAR IS MORE THAN A UTILITARIAN TRANSPORTATION DEVICE; IT’S ALSO ABOUT EXCITEMENT AND EMOTION AND ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.” I HAD one of those omigod moments at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed as Jochen Mass drove past in a 120-horsepower Benz that had competed in the 1908 French Grand Prix: I was watching a 100-year-old racing car being put through its paces. When you’re in the business of evaluating new cars, you tend to live in the near future; you always see the world through the prism of next year’s models and the next decade’s technologies. It comes as a shock to realize the car has now been around for a very long time—125 years, in fact. It was fitting my omigod moment was sparked by a Benz, because on…

FORD engineers say they know what sort of car a new Focus RS would be. They also say it would make a profit. (The previous Europe-only Focus RS sold out.) But if top management thinks the development cash would get a better return used in another way, there’s no certainty the Focus RS will get the investment. The engine would have to develop about 350 horsepower. The last Focus RS did 300 horses, with a special 350-horsepower final edition, using a modified Volvo five-cylinder 2.5-liter engine. The new one would be a hot EcoBoost four. Can capacity stretch beyond the 2.0 liters of the 250-horse Focus ST? It can, according to Ford’s global hot-car and competitions strategy chief, Jost Capito, though he won’t say by how much. The hottest Focus…

MITSUBISHI will kill the Eclipse and Galant models to concentrate on B- and C-segment models, including the Lancer, Outlander Sport, and a lineup likely to be based largely on the Colt, including a small crossover. We first revealed the product plan, sort of, a year ago in April 2010 “Trend.” We presented two scenarios. One, reported from Tokyo, said Mitsubishi was considering a hybrid-powered Evolution XI. The other, from Detroit, suggested the concentration on B- and C-cars, though it didn’t predict the expiration of the long-forgotten Eclipse. The second scenario is much closer to the automaker’s emerging plans. If there is an Evo XI, it will probably be based on the B-segment Colt. Think of Ford’s Fiesta-based rally car, and you get a good picture of Mitsubishi’s direction. As a…

“FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, BUYING A MINIVAN IS AKIN TO FIRING A DISTRESS SIGNAL THAT READS, ‘MY LAST CRUMB OF COOLNESS JUST FLEW OUT THE SLIDING DOOR.’” NOT LONG AGO, my friend Dan sent an e-mail seeking advice on a new car for his wife, Amanda. Raising three kids who are as active as Yoplait cultures, Dan and Amanda were looking for a vehicle that could comfortably cater to their expanding and demanding familial needs. They had just a few stipulations, most notable of which was—surprise—no minivan. Per Dan’s note, “For reasons I won’t bore you with, a minivan is not going to happen.” Those reasons, I could only assume, were their distaste for the minivan’s mommy-mobile stigma and generally big-blob styling. Many parents no doubt harbor similar feelings.…

WHAT HAPPENED when our trio’s total of 1585 horsepower was unleashed on the Streets of Willow’s 1.55 miles of corner-knotted asphalt? Driver (and communicator) extraordinaire Randy Pobst answered that question for us within 4 minutes and 4.16 seconds of tail-wagging, brake-keening, and dirt-flying driving. The finish line said the GT-R arrived first with the Corvette a car length and a half astern, while the GT500 was way back, exiting the last corner 346 feet out of the picture. But how did they get here? While the Shelby drifted back from the get-go, the confrontation between the Corvette and GT-R was a real tussle all the way around. Were they doing their laps simultaneously, these two would have spent much of their time banging doors. On these pages is a selection…

“DELIGHTFUL!” Thus spake Kim Reynolds, our handling and ride-quality guru, when I asked him how Fiat’s ballsy little 500 was to drive around our patented figure eight. Mr. Reynolds’ seal of approval is high praise indeed for the diminutive newcomer, as I’ve seen him yawn while climbing out of ultracars worth several hundred thousand dollars. No, really. So why the big love for such a tiny car? Well, in a teensy-weensy Italian nutshell, the 500 deserves it. Technically speaking, the 500 fits into the A-segment, along with the Smart ForTwo and the upcoming Toyota iQ. But the Fiat is much bigger than the Smart and close to within half a foot of a Mini Cooper in most dimensions, even though the latter rates as a B-segment player. Here’s the thing:…

WHAT WE have here is some Alanis Morissette-style irony. No, not ra-ay-ain on your wedding day. Rather it’s the one week when you have a pair of RWD, manny-trannied, V-8-powered, 400-plus-horse convertible ponycars, and Southern California decides to experience the “Storm of the Decade.” Did I mention both cars had summer tires? Ironic isn’t the word we’d use, and we can’t print the one we would. But to reference Hunter S. Thompson, we’re here to cover the story. Reviewing convertibles with the sun shining (so to speak) is sine qua non. Knowing that we had to remove the roofs despite the weather, we donned full rain gear, dropped them tops, and drove the new Camaro SS Convertible and Mustang GT Convertible in the rain. Besides, can you think of anything…

FOR AS LONG as any of us cares to remember, car fans have been kvetching about the amazing, world-beating, do-no-wrong Ford products that Europe gets while we Americans sit here and stare like kids locked out of a toy store. No more. Thanks to the much-lauded “One Ford” initiative, we’re finally getting a taste of what Ford of Europe has been cooking, and, boy, can they cook. Enter the 2012 Focus, an automobile so radically improved from what we’re used to that it’s frankly surprising they kept the name. That’s not to imply that the old U.S.-spec Focus was a bad car, it’s just an outdated, uninteresting one. This new Focus, now, that’s a whole other story. It looks better, drives better, and offers more content than the old car…

Mad Max Museum curator Adrian Bennett is known to bet the museum itself he can answer any question about his beloved movies, says wife Linda. Chief among the attractions in his museum are photographs, scripts, props, and an extensive collection of vehicles from the “Mad Max” films. You’ll find the museum up the hill from the Silverton pub (you can’t miss it, because, honestly, there’s not a lot in Silverton). And Adrian is always keen to chat. He looks the part driving the tough-ass Interceptor, too.…

THE 2011 Aston Martin DBS is a unique machine. It’s not quite a pure exotic, and it’s not quite a pure luxury car. It’s a hybrid of the two—a luxotic, if you will. And, aside from a few quibbles, the DBS pulls it off. Propelling the DBS is the same 5.9-liter V-12 as in the DB9, but with 40 more horses. The DBS is difficult to launch while testing: We managed 4.2 seconds to 60 mph and 12.4 seconds at 117.4 mph in the quarter. The Aston comes standard with carbon ceramic brakes, which means 60-0 requires just 107 feet, very respectable for a car weighing more than 3800 pounds. The DBS came alive on our figure-eight course. “This car’s handling and behavior are expertly resolved; all its motions suggest…

THE STAFF has been impressed with the styling of the Volkswagen version of the Town & Country, agreeing that the Routan has a better-looking exterior than its Dodge or Chrysler siblings and also a more elegant-looking interior. Everyone was just as happy with the interior’s versatility and amount of storage space. However, editors are torn over how different the suspension is (VW touts it as having European tuning). Most comments about this minivan, though, surround two issues: first, why Volkswagen, a company that has generated a cult following for its unique, cool vans over the last 40 years, would settle for a badge-engineered van; and second, what is up with those brakes? The first subject keeps coming up because of quality issues, many of which were seen in the last…

AMEDEO FELISA, Ferrari’s chief executive, says his all-new Ferrari FF is as fast around a track as a 599. “Not the GTO,” he adds hastily, “but the regular 599.” With four adult-size seats, a hatchback, and AWD, the FF shreds notions of what a Ferrari is. At 8000 rpm, the FF’s new 6.3-liter direct-injection V-12 generates 651 horsepower. (We thought that would get your attention.) Its power-to-weight ratio is better than the 599 GTB Fiorano’s; never mind the 612 Scaglietti it replaces. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is mounted as a rear transaxle for weight distribution. Cargo capacity is 15.9 cubic feet with the rear seat up. To keep the AWD lightweight, the front wheels drive off the nose of the crank instead of a driveshaft, with a unit containing an…

PETER YATES directed “Bullitt,” the 1968 San Francisco cop movie that launched a car-chase craze in American movies. The scene features Frank Bullitt, played by Steve McQueen, in a Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT followed by, then chasing, a black 1968 Dodge Charger driven by stuntman Bill Hickman, and it accounts for roughly 11 minutes of the 114-minute-long feature. Though McQueen was known for his driving prowess, stuntman Loren Janes did most of the driving for the scene. Yates wanted to conclude the scene at the Golden Gate Bridge, but San Francisco could not shut the bridge down for filming because of the level of traffic. Englishman Yates began his career directing episodes of the British TV series “The Saint,” starring Roger Moore and his Volvo P1800, and…

ONE QUICK drive reveals the Volkswagen XL1 prototype is real, nearly as tangible as a Chevrolet Volt. Lift the gullwing door, step over the wide rocker panel and into the driver’s bucket, and hit the starter button. You’ll recognize switchgear and interior pieces from late-model Golfs. Slip the gearshift into “D.” Let off the non-assisted brakes, tip in carefully, and the VW quietly, gracefully eases into traffic. There’s some GM EV-1 in the profile, and the louvered roof panel replacing the rear window is right off the Tatra T77—on a car no taller than a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Sideview mirrors are tiny cameras in the door panels, their interior video screens set low to reduce glare. The XL1 doesn’t feel harsh, with only slight body roll in the corners. The…

THERE’S AN UNWRITTEN rule in the exclusive world of luxury sedans, or at least an expectation, that a contender must offer a V-8 engine to be taken seriously. Just ask the Acura RL. It doesn’t matter ifV-6 models sell better or claim better fuel economy—the V-8 engine carries its own prestige, and its presence beneath the hood is nearly as important as the badge on top of it. THE OVERRIDING DIFFERENCE IS HOW THESE VEHICLES GO ABOUT DELIVERING ON THEIR PROMISES. There’s no greater testament to this phenomenon than the 4.6-liter TauV-8 powering the Hyundai Genesis. Unlike its luxury competition, Hyundai hasn’t been buildingV-8s for years; it’s been building small cars. There was no other vehicle—car or truck—to pull an engine from. That Hyundai spent millions developing aV-8 just to…

FERRARI AND MCLAREN are two of the oldest and most successful Formula 1 teams in history. They have 24 constructors’ championships between them (16 for Ferrari, eight for McLaren) and duke it out every season on circuits around the world. But now McLaren wants to take this fight to the street with the all-new MP4-12C, a carbon-fiber-intensive, mid-engine supercar powered by a twin-turbo V-8 that makes 592 horsepower. Though McLaren is at a considerable disadvantage compared with Ferrari’s 61 years of experience producing road cars, it’s not a complete novice. Founder Bruce McLaren attempted a homologation special in 1969, called the M6GT, but it was canceled before the program got off the ground. From 2003 to 2010, the Woking, England-based company helped build the controversial 208-mph Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Most…

IT’S GO TIME. THE 245/40R19 REAR MEATS CHIRP IN SECOND AS THE DOUBLE SNAILS FURIOUSLY SPOOL UP, AND THE V-8 ROARS LIKE AN AFRICAN LION. NICE. WE’RE TWISTING and turning along a spectacular stretch of canyon road when suddenly we clamp down hard on the excellent vented discs that stop BMW’s new 6 Series: We’ve got baboons in the road. Yes, baboons. A whole crew of them strutting their stuff, big red butts and all. Things are a little different in Cape Town, South Africa, and environs—it’s awash in sunshine when much of America is shoveling their driveways for the 50th time. It’s a near-perfect locale for the international launch of the 2012 6 Series Convertible, a car that absolutely must be driven with the top down to experience its…

FORD AUSTRALIA had an embarrassing problem with its high-performance six-cylinder Falcon sedan: The Ford Performance Vehicles F6 was, er, faster than its V-8-powered counterpart, the FPV GT. The F6’s 4.0-liter straight-six might have had the same bore-center spacing as the straight-six fitted to the first Australian-built Falcon a half century ago, but like Grandpa’s axe, everything else had been replaced or renewed over the years. With its twin-cam, four-valve cylinder head and Garrett GT3540 turbocharger, the F6’s all-Aussie six delivered 415 horsepower and 416 pound-feet of torque. The U.S.-built 5.4-liter V-8 that powered the GT boasted just 7 more horses—and 10 pound-feet less torque. As a result, the GT was a second slower over the quarter mile and, because it weighed more, less fun in the twisties. While the GT…

SOMETIMES things just click. Time turns to slow motion, senses switch to high-definition, and the rest of the universe melts into the ether. The new CLS AMG has just that effect when used correctly. Brake hard and late into a corner, turn in, and feel the front tires push just slightly as the big carbon rotors exchange speed for heat. Unwind the perfectly sculpted steering wheel until the nose tucks in. Snipe the apex and roll into throttle. Thick torque oozes out of the big twin-turbo V-8 like warm fudge. The outside rear corner sinks toward the asphalt until the power is too much and the tires reluctantly give up, squirming sideways in an unnatural direction. Straighten the steering as the car still rotates with pendulumlike momentum; at the edge…

YOU’D be hard-pressed to see the changes Subaru made to its 2011 STI. Aside from a new grille, reworked nose, and polished tail-pipes, the exterior retains its wide, muscular form. Strap into the driver’s bucket, and you’ll note a brighter speedometer and tachometer sporting additional numerical increments. The dash design retains its attractive bird-wing influences and incorporates an easier-to-use navigation system with Bluetooth connectivity. The once-optional All Weather Package (heated seats, windshield wiper de-icer, heated mirrors) now comes standard. Subaru’s throaty 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder boxer motivates all four 18-inch BBS forged wheels with 305 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of pull. Every eager pony and pound-foot gets transferred to the Dunlop rubber through the crisp six-speed manual gearbox and the brand’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. You’ll find it difficult to feel…

READING THROUGH the notes on “Big Blue,” our 2009 Challenger, you almost begin to wonder how many people actually drove the car. Every entry is almost formulaic, hitting the same highs and lows and reaching the same conclusion: “I loved the look of the car and the big V-8 engine. The pistol-grip shifter is awesome and the soft springs make it a great cruiser. On the other hand, the car’s too big, it gets lousy fuel economy, and the nav/stereo system is awful. But despite its flaws, I just love this car.” Whether it was the brilliant blue paint; the shiny, throwback five-spokes; the perfectly formed pistol-grip shifter; the retro styling; or the all-American attitude, everyone found something to love about the Challenger. Editors waxed poetic about the nostalgia the…

JUST MONTHS before dying in a horrendous on-road accident, a handsome young James Dean drove his Porsche Speedster in the SCCA/Cal Club/Long Beach MG Club Palm Springs Road races in the desert just east of Los Angeles. Dean competed in the under-1500cc F-Production category. Even though it was ostensibly an amateur meet, there were many big-game pros driving that weekend, in an interesting variety of stock class and purpose-built racing hardware. Dean, listed in the program as “Joseph Dean” in a vain attempt to maintain anonymity—or at least not attract so much attention—acquitted himself well that weekend, driving his white Speedster to a second-in-class finish. Interestingly enough, Steve McQueen launched his racing career at an SCCA meet in Santa Barbara in a nearly identical machine, except McQueen’s car was black.…