Innehållsförteckning för April 2005 från MotorTrend

THERE’S NOTHING auite like the adrenaline rush of introducing a new car—the buzz that comes from knowing you've rolled the dice on $500 million, maybe even a billion dollars, and now it’s all down to whether the consumers think you've hit the mark. No automaker ever believes it'll launch a flop (though you wonder what the guys at GM were thinking the day they signed off on the Pontiac Aztek), but no matter how smart your market-research gurus think they are, there's no second-guessing customers. In the end, it all comes down to gut feel and good luck. There's plenty of adrenaline rushing around the Motor Trend office right now, and you're holding the reason for that in your hands. By now you've probably noticed this issue looks different: new…

AUDI IS readying a new allroad, based on its latest A6, for the 2008 model year. A concept version was a surprise at the Detroit show, as the seven-passenger, Touareg-based Q7 would essentially replace it next year. But the new allroad, again a five-seater, arrives within a year of the Q7. Audi says the allroad is for mature, sophisticated drivers who've tired of the crossover SUVs they bought because they were tired of truck-based SUVs. While not a success in the U.S., the current allroad sells well in Europe, and Audi now has an air suspension for lower production cost. Engine: The new 4.0-liter common-rail turbodiesel V-8 shown in the concept will be imported to the U.S. Audi claims it meets tightening emissions standards running on the low-sulfur fuel arriving…

GM IS WORKING on two all-new additions to the Cadillac range: a big, powerful luxury $120,000 sedan and a compact crossover—neither will be built on the Sigma platform that’s been reserved for GM's premium division. The unnamed small crossover—we'll call it BRX—will be key to Cadillac’s attack on Europe. Expect a major upgrade in componentry from the Theta-based Chevy Equinox/Pontiac Torrent on which it’s based. The CTS's 2.8-liter V-6 should be the BRX’s standard engine, with the 3.6-liter V-6 fitted to top-of-the-range versions. There'll be no third-row seating; Cadillac doesn't think it’s needed in this segment. The so-called Cadillac Ultra Luxury Sedan (ULS) looks like it’s being built on a“premiumized” version of the new Zeta platform that'll underpin the 2007 Buick Velite, Pontiac G8, and GTO. The thinking inside GM…

CHRYSLER REPORTEDLY is close to green-lighting a four-door convertible 300, designed and built by American Specialty Cars. And why not? ASC already turns Solaras into convertibles for Toyota and does the vario roof for Chevrolet's SSR, to name two projects. The 300 Helios could be built for the 2007 model year, just in time for the car's midlife update. It features a lattice-like structure with a cross-car bulkhead and a tunnel doubler. The doubler necessitates turning the five-seat sedan into a four-seater, and trunk space is reduced. ASC claims no loss in rear-seat legroom and good side-impact protection, and the car retains its wheelbase, body shell, and decklid. Net weight gain is about 300 pounds, and ASC could build it for a sticker $4000 higher than the sedan, same as…

WITH LEXUS in its sights, Buick has liposucked, lifted, stretched, and tucked last year’s LeSabre into a contemporary—some might say elegant—new shape. The resulting Lucerne has a finer edge to it, like a freshly pressed suit—and unlike the LeSabre that preceded it, not one for the big and tall rack. Body gaps are Lexus/BMW tight, in the neighborhood of three to four millimeters. Bob Lutz is reported to have spent a considerable amount of time with the design staff on this one. While the new car has gained three to four inches in length, grown an inch taller, and is carrying 200 to 400 more pounds than before—it carries it well. Lucerne’s waterfall grille gathers cues from the recent Velite concept car. The long rear doors suggest 7 Series BMW,…

NAIVE? US? SURELY NOT Perhaps we’re trusting, invariably on the lookout for the good in our fellow men. And women. When Janet Jackson says it was a wardrobe malfunction, who are we to argue? When Donald Trump insists that’s really his natural hair color, we just marvel at his lucky genes. When a race driver says he didn’t cheat, and if he did cheat, he didn’t mean it, and if he did mean it, it was because everyone else was cheating even worse—well, we try to be objective and open-minded. We try but we don’t always succeed. Late racing legend Mark Donohue called it “the unfair advantage,’’ and he patterned his career after it. What it means is this: Make the absolute maximum use of what the rules say and,…

NEED A practical family car that hauls butt? Check out GP Moto’s Stage 4 package for the Saab 9-2X. Looking to increase sales, Saab released the 9-2X—effectively a Subaru WRX wagon with a sportier nose and trim and an upgraded cabin. This Saabaru offers the fun and performance kick of the WRX in a more refined looking/feeling package. Beneath the GP Moto’s 9-2X is a warmed-over 2.0-liter H-4 that produces 320 horsepower—a 93-horse bump over stock. Thrust comes by way of a K&N-filtered short-ram inlet system that feeds to an oversize IHI VF-34 ball-bearing turbocharger. A stock STi intercooler, larger than the WRX intercooler, is used to better cool the 18psi inlet charge before meeting up with fuel delivered by a high-output 255-literper-hourfuel pump. Timing and air/fuel ratios are kept…

IT DOESN’T take much to ruin an otherwise outstanding ride. We love just about everything the Touareg has to offer, but there’s one glaring flaw nearly every staffer has griped about:The jerky transmission is at times downright intolerable. It seems to hang onto a gear way longer than it needs to and makes drivers look down at the shifter quadrant to see if they’re in Sport mode—but no, just in Drive. Part of what we’re experiencing may be an overly sensitive gas pedal. Throttle tip-in is too jerky. It might not be the engine’s problem, but something to do with the electronic throttle; many electronic-throttle-equipped vehicles we’ve driven have an artificial feel with an overly abrupt tip-in. One editor called out both areas as suspect, saying he wished the throttle/transmission…

THE TL went on a road trip to Las Vegas, earning praise as a great highway cruiser (with supportive seats and plenty of interior amenities) and a terrific place to spend time on the road. Acceleration is smooth, and the car has excellent passing power. CDs are usually brought along, but thanks to XM Satellite Radio, many don—t get played. The TL has more miles on it than any other long-term vehicle currently in our fleet—evidence enough of how much fun this car is to drive. Around town, it has the ability to play with stoplight racers, yet also makes for a comfortable recliner for the long hauls. The TL suffers from torque steer, however, especially during hard first-gear acceleration—s when launching up an on-ramp. A few staffers also aren—t…

The 2006 MxX-5 stays true to its soorts car roots KISS THE MIATA goodbye, come 2006—the Miata name that is. Mazda will drop the car’s North American moniker on the 2006 version in favor of the alphanumeric MX-5 designation used elsewhere in the world. The new version of one of the world’s most popular roadsters grows wider, sports a longer wheelbase, and packs significantly more power. Technology trickledown from the RX-8 nets the MX-5 a new multilink rear suspension design and front-end structure and lots of aluminum parts. The engine is moved rearward and lower in the chassis to add crush space, lower the center of gravity, and help maintain the car’s 50/50 weight distribution The aim was to keep the nimbleness of the 1989-1997 model, but increase stability. Mazda…

2007 SUZUKI "Concept-X”: You'd think Suzuki could come up with a more original name for this GM Theta platform-based midsize concept. It has GM’s 3.6-liter twin-cam V-6, a higher-tech engine than the 3.5-liter pushrod in the Chevy Equinox. Roughly eight inches longer than the Equinox, it has an extra row of seats in a Buck Rogers sci-fi interior. Suzuki hopes to incorporate such gadgetry as Bluetooth technology, heat-sensing perimeter cameras to prevent driving over objects, automatic 911 callinga, and active cruise control.…

Liberty-based Dodge sport/ute launching in late 2006 as a 2007 model is one of the stars of the Chicago auto show. Called Nitro, it features a cute version of the macho Dodge crosshair grille and frontal styling similar to that of the 2002 M-80 pickup concept, including the Mercedes/Land Rover-like side vents in the upper fenders below the A-pillar Designed as a midsize alternative to the Durango SUV, the Nitro has a 210-horse, 235-pound-feet 3.7-liter single-cam V-6 (no, it doesn't have a Hemi), full-time 4WD, and a four-speed automatic. It has a textured vinyl cargo floor that slides to the rear for easy loading and unloading. Just don't park it next to the Chrysler Firepower.…

A YEAR AFTER Mercedes’s 2006 R-Class hits the streets as a luxury threerow minivan-SUV-sportwagon crossover, the company will launch the much smaller B-Class in the U.S. Although only 169 inches long, it takes up the same road space as a new VW Golf; the interior room is said to match the 1972-1980 Benz S-Class. The 15-cubic-foot trunk has a dual-height floor, making either a single deep space or two smaller compartments The rear seats fold flat or remove completely. Engines are four-cylinder eightvalvers of just over 2.0 liters, delivering 190 horsepower with a turbocharger and 135 horses in naturally aspirated form. The engines are designed with a slanted profile that, in a frontal impact, allows them to slide downward and rearward into a cavity beneath the driver's and front passenger's…

THESE DETAILED photos show Mitsubishi's Evo IX, about to make its debut at the New York auto show. The IX gets a number of goodies from the Evo MR, including an aluminum roof, six-speed manual, and possibly Bilstein shocks. Its turbo four gets MIVEC, Mitsubishi's variable valve timing, good for more low-end grunt with no sacrifice—and perhaps even an increase—in top-end power. The IX is the last Evo on the current platform before the allnew Evo X is launched for 2007.…

dumb and dumber One of your letters (“Mail,” January) stated that putting DVDs in our cars was the quickest way to dumb down our children The writer obviously has never had to drive 11 straight hours with a screaming one-year-old in the backseat. Installing DVDs is a perfect way to maintain sanity on a long trip. If my choices are to install a DVD player in my SUV or listen to my daughter scream for 11 hours on a cross-country trip, I'll sing along with the chorus to “Beauty and the Beast” one more time. Amanda M. Houser Jacksonville, North Carolina Good point, Amanda. But are we there yet?—Ed. the year of living dangerously I applaud your pick for the 300C ("2005 Car of the Year,” January). You're going to…

THE BMW 3 SERIES, the folks from Munich will have you believe, heeled, raffish, Euro-centric buyers 30 years ago could pick an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a Triumph Dolomite Sprint, or a Saab 99EMS. History is written by the victors, and the meticulously evolved 3 series defines and dominates the segment. Last year, BMW sold more than 450,000 3 series worldwide, 106,000 of them in the U.S. alone, comfortably beating rivals from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, and Jaguar. But heres something even more remarkable: GM had only seven car lines that sold more than the 3 series in the U.S. during 2004; Chrysler had three, and Ford two. And that includes giveaway rental-fleet dross like the impala and Taurus, The 3 Series has made the premium mainstream and in the…

YOU MIGHT THINK the Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe looks conservative for a concept car. It has no curiously levitating body parts. No doubledigit-cylinder engine. No 24-inch handcarved “not-for-highway-use” tires. No faked-up plasma instruments hanging in a milled-titanium dashboard that’s airbag-and aircon-free. Instead, it looks ready to park in your driveway. There’s a reason for that. This is basically the 2006 XK8 coupe you’ll be able to buy from your friendly local Jaguar dealer, its show-car disguise is as transparent as a false wig and plastic strawberry nose. Fortunately, in getting the feasibility in, Jaguar didn't let all the desirability drain out. This is one wow of a luxury sport coupe. It’s also a signal about what Jaguar isn’t—heritage can be used as inspiration without being abused into rehash. Jaguar is…

IT’S HARD TO MISS admiring glances when you’re behind the wheel of the new Mustang GT. Even those who don't necessarily care for its heritage-inspired attributes recognize the icon on sight—and with General Motors' Camaro and Firebird long gone, there’s nothing quite like it Lowering the top of the 2005 Mustang GT doesn’t mean lowering performance—that’s good news for al fresco advocates. The extra six inches of wheelbase gives the car a road-ready look and a more classic dash-to-axle perspective in keeping with the Mustang’s 1960s roots. The added length and structure does pile on some pounds—nearly 200 of them—but the new three-valve iteration of Ford’s modular 4.6-liter SOHC V-8, with 40 more ponies than last year’s two-valve version, makes up for the added girth. These six inches are also…

THE CONCRETE RAMP trembles underfoot, even though the Mustang. Viper, and Corvette lined up in front of us are just sitting there, engines switched off. Milliseconds later, the silence explodes as two jet fighters burst from the burning blue sky and scream into a tight left-hand turn. Twin tail fins identify the leading aircraft as an F-18 Hornet, the U.S. Navy's principal strike fighter. The Hornet's pursuer is drab brown and carries the distinctive red star of the Soviet air force on its single fin. We brace ourselves for the deadly rattle of 20mm cannon, but the Soviet jet breaks right into a wide sweeping turn and begins its landing approach. What looks like a Russian MiG-21 is actually an old Navy F-5 Tiger in Soviet war paint Have we…

But we were only pausing at 170 mph-for morning tea. The hot-climate high-speed tests earmarked for this sunny South African morning were to be done on standard tire pressures, hence the tireimposed speed limit. High-speed pressures on the placard go up by 10 psi at each corner. And with them, the new Bentley goes up to undisputed four-door daddy-dom at a claimed “190 mph plus.” The Flying Spur is the mechanical twin to the two-door (198-mph) Continental GT coupe, sharing the awesome 6.0-liter, 552-horsepower W12 engine, six-speed Tiptronic trans, all-wheel drive, and the biggest braking package of any current production car. The sedan is some 19 inches longer overall and sits on a wheelbase 12 inches longer than the coupe’s, which completely transforms the character of the interior—from the rear…

WHEN THE LIGHTS went up after the 2005 Toyota Avalon’s PowerPoint presentation, the thought that hung in the air was: No more front bench seat? “Not enough demand, anymore,” a Toyota representative sighed. Normally what sticks in your mind after these inevitable new-model introductions isn't what the car no longer offers. Freshly Jolted with an injection of chic, the Avalon's mood is now quiet style. Longer and lankier (growing 5.3 inches in length, 3.9 inches in wheelbase, 1.2 inches in beam, and 1.4 inches in height), Toyota's flagship sedan looks as if it's been stretched by a Photoshop effect. Whereas the previous edition (the second) wafted down the highway as a sort of elevated, big-window motor carriage Emperor Akihito might politely wave from, now the side glass is fashionably pinched…

HOW COOL would it be if you could buy a vehicle designed and built by Rolex, Oakley, Coca-Cola, Apple, NASA, or Playboy? That’s the challenge we posed to this year’s Motor Trend/C1AS International Design Contest entrants. The theme, “Brand It Your Way,” challenged designers from around the world to create a product emblematic of their favorite—but currently nonautomotive—brand. The results were impressive and even introduced us to a few brands we’d never heard of before. Entrants participated in four categories: Amateur, 17 years and under; Amateur, 18 and over; Design Student; and Design Professional. An initial judging session was held at the MT offices in Los Angeles to determine five finalists in the Student and Professional categories, plus the 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Place winners in the two amateur categories and…

STUDY THESE FOUR VEHICLES CAREFULLY, and you’ll notice something missing: compromises. Time was, a Series II Land Rover was ideal for hauling gear or slogging through the bush, but if you wanted a burst of speed, you had to drive it over Victoria Falls For a Sunday morning romp in the California foothills, you might choose a low-slung Corvette or a Lotus—nothing but grins, at least until the party headed off-road and left you high-centered on a tarantula. Or perhaps your priority was sumptuous trappings and lots of electronic gizmos to fiddle with, in which case you'd simply lock away your camping gear and driving gloves and wrap yourself in a tufted-leather Buick the size of Oklahoma. Ah, the wonders of modern science. An emerging class of premium GT SUVs…

“We can get 1280 hp out of it…” VW BOSS Bernd Pischetsrieder has finally signed off the production version of the awesome Bugatti Veyron. And, yes, it'll have 1001 horsepower (that's 987 horses SAE net) as promised by Ferdinand Piéch when the car was announced back in 2003. Power has never been a problem for the Veyron, which boasts a midmounted, 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W-16 (think two Passat W8 engines joined) driving all four wheels through a sevenspeed DSG paddle-shift manual transmission.“We could do more, but we kept it back,” says Pischetsrieder.“We can get 1280 horses out of it.” One of the performance targets for the car was 0-to-186 mph in 14.0 seconds. The Veyron’'s biggest problem has been ensuring high-speed stability and tire durability for a 3520-pound car with a…

THE GREATEST Formula 1 driver of the 1960s, Jim Clark, wore the coolest racing gloves on the grid. Had ‘em specially designed for his magic hands. They were leather. Black. Perforated With a stitched “JC” on the side. (Watch the beginning of “Grand Prix,” and you'll see them.) We always wanted a pair but, stupid us, we never bought them. Then they went out of production. D’oh! Happily, the story doesn’t end there: Jim Clark Driving Gloves ($79.95) are back. Produced in Great Britain and modeled after an original pair, these beauties are exactly like the gloves Clark wore. Slip them on, adjust your goggles, and go for pole position—ojurst drop off your kid at prix school. Available exclusively at Griot’s Garage. Telephone: 800/345-5789 www.griotsgarage.com…

EVEN BEFORE the Daimler-Benz takeover, Chrysler sold Neons in a number of markets outside the U.S. But with DaimlerChrysler taking the Dodge brand to Europe, the 2006 Neon replacement, the Caliber, essentially becomes a world car. It's a good fit: The Caliber is a taller hatchback/wagonstyle small car that tickles the edge of Europe's burgeoning multipurpose vehicle segment, and it also fits in with the Dodge wagon/Chrysler sedan strategy. CALIBER TALKING POINTS Platform: Mitsubishi GS. Size: 60.4 inches tall; should have an easy step-in height. Grille: Dodge crosshair in chrome; large headlamps and foglights. Roof: Black graphic applique runs along roof into spoiler. Engines: Most likely 166-horsepower, 2.4-liter and possibly a 144-horsepower 2.0 for the U.S.…

ALERT READER Ryan Sorensen snapped photos of this supersize 2007 Ford Expedition in the desert near his Chandler, Arizona, home. The truck is the extended version of the all-new 2007 Expedition. Ford is trying to decide between three possible names: Everest, Expedition Max, or Excursion. With about 16 extra inches of overall length over the standard Expedition, it’s designed to replace the current Super Duty-based Excursion and compete with the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL. All Expeditions will get the 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8 as the standard engine, with the all-new 6.2-liter Hurricane V-8 and a V-6 turbodiesel on the way, a year or more after launch.…

BENTLEY’S NOT the only European carmaker to use this secluded corner of South Africa for testing. In just three days there, we spotted test vehicles from Peugeot, Audi, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, although each (apart from a three-box Peugeot 206) was a current shape, very likely testing new drivetrain components. But why South Africa? Surprisingly, if your idea of a motoring escape from the European winter involves extreme heat, choking dust, and completely barren landscapes, options are limited. Throw in the logistical needs of test vehicles and engineers, and you’re looking at either California, South Africa, or Australia. Death Valley has been done, dare we say, to death: The accessibility and services that make it suitable for car testing also make it easy pickings for professional spy photographers and regular,…

WHO CARES how well a boutique exotic car performs? Ordinary tax-paying enthusiasts do, but they’re not writing the down-payment checks. Exotic-car buyers tend to live in Beverly Hills, Manhattan, and Miami Beach, places where performance is measured in valet-parking proximity to the bistro entrance. Fewer than 400 of these svelte coupes and roadsters have been produced since 2000—creating so little awareness that owners could fabricate their own pedigree for them at cocktail parties. “It’s an Esperante, lovingly assembled in total silence by Cistercian monks in Spain.” The all-aluminum Panoz Esperante is instead designed, built, and raced by a small company in NASCAR country, an hour north of Atlanta. Prices start at $93,756 for the roadster, $99,729 for the fixed-roof coupe. This year, the company is introducing a hotted-up version dubbed…

Best in Show ■ Guilherme Albuquerque Knop Parana, Brazil Armani Gran Turismo Design Professional Category ■ 1st Place: Steve Cook Portland, Oregon Victorinox Bernia ■ 2nd Place: Magnus Gustafsson Trollhattan, Sweden Lockheed Martin X-2 Lightning ■ 3rd Place: Hilgard Muller Santa Cruz, California Bell Aegis ■ Finalist: Armando Mercado Villalobos Mexico City, Mexico Swiss Army Design Student Category ■ 1st Place: Mauricio Bedolla Gasca Umea, Sweden Urban Victory Vehicle ■ 2nd Place: Csaba Wittinger Budapest, Hungary Boeing 7C7 ■ 3rd Place: lavor Todorov Toronto, Canada Oakley Monster ■ Finalist: Khaleel Melbourne Sunrise, Florida Kodakar ■ Finalist: Zsolt Tarnok Budapest, Hungary Sony Spark Amateur: 18 Years and Older Category ■ 1st Place: Jose Alfonso Tavera Sanchez Mexico City, Mexico Armani Passion ■ 2nd Place: Stephane Caron Quebec, Canada Gravity ■ 3rd…

FORD’S global C-1 chassis architecture has birthed some fine machinery: the acclaimed European version of the Focus (crying shame we’re stuck with the old one until at least 2007), the Volvo S40/V50, and now, a premium compact four/five-door from Mazda. The Mazda3 offers a fine balance of ride and handling, with a substantial feel and what appears to be significant high quality—enough to warrant a year’s look. We spec’d out our Mazda3 S 5-Door in blue with black cloth interior. To keep the price under $20K, we chose just two options: a package bundling anti-lock brakes with side-curtain and front-seat torso side airbags for $800; and the moonroof and six-disc CD package for $890. Add $545 in destination charges, and the total came to $19,340—under our target price, yet nicely…

DURING last year’s Florida hurricanes, our Titan saw a lot of duty to keep on-line editorial director Jeff Bartlett’s home protected against the forces of nature. With so much going on, we blew past the 7500-mile due date. The first service included an oil/filter change, tire rotation, and visual inspection, plus the dealer reattached a loose wheelwell liner and replaced the passenger-side sunvisor, which was coming apart. The dealer also investigated poor AM radio reception, attributed to a defective head unit (the part is on order). We were more timely on the second service, which included oil/filter, rotation, inspection service, and replacement of the cabin filter. The dealer checked out a dead power point and a glowing ABS warning light; we also reminded him about the still-on-order radio head unit.…

AFTER MORE THAN 40 years in production, the Mini Cooper has become synonymous with underdog motorsport victories, European urban commuting, and daring skirts. The original Cooper had a shape, personality, and heritage similar to the Volkswagen Beetle’s—and when it came time for BMW to launch a second-generation, 21st-century Mini, expectations were the same as those for the New Beetle’s: Mess with the formula, and you’ll end a legacy. The alchemic recipe was to take raw Mini essence, offer the latest comfort and safety features, infuse BMW-grade performance, and complete it with engineering finesse. For our staff, it was love at first drive. The intimate packaging, communicative chassis, feisty supercharged engine, and irrepressible fun factor made it a prime candidate for a year-long evaluation. Could the tautly sprung Mini cut it…