Innehållsförteckning för October 2018 från MotorTrend

@Lohdown The first time it happened, I was hovering curbside—illegally—in the LAX arrivals area waiting for my betrothed to land. A backpacker sidled up alongside my passenger side on the diagonal. Our eyes met and she looked away—to the front of the car as she walked around it. I could see her brow furrow at the four-leaf clover on the fender and again when she saw the nose. Curiosity apparently satisfied, she wandered away. It happened again minutes later, after I finished loading up the luggage. As the tailgate came down, I caught a guy on the curb staring before mouthing “Stelvio?” Yeah buddy, Quadrifoglio, in Misano blue with black 20-inch wheels. On the way home, we stopped at Trader Joe’s. As we loaded up our groceries, a gentleman came…

Ever the iconoclast, Tesla has never put a “Model 3” badge on the Model 3 (or even the word “Tesla”). You either know what this thing is or you don’t. But you’ll soon be able to spot its first high-performance variant by a simple underline beneath the two stark words “Dual Motor” on its rump. Similar to the Dual Motor Long Range version, there’s a permanent magnet motor in back, joined by an induction motor in the nose—but the Performance version generates 450 hp and 471 lb-ft of torque. Tesla’s acceleration claims (which we’ve repeatedly matched or beaten with other Tesla vehicles) state the Model 3 Dual Motor Performance scats to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Meaning it’ll also scat away from the traction-limited and rear-drive BMW M3 Competition pack…

If you are considering joining the crowd buying a sport utility vehicle or pickup, you should know some essential terms before you walk into a dealership. Here’s a basic primer to ensure you are on the right (perhaps muddy) path. Four-Wheel Drive (4x4) vs. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Four-wheel-drive systems—usually used with pickups and truck-based SUVs—use a selectable transfer case that can shift the vehicle’s power to both the front and rear drive shafts when needed. The transfer case also has low-range gears for difficult off-road situations. AWD systems use a series of differentials and clutches to distribute torque to all four wheels—but in varying percentages depending on the system and conditions. The majority of crossovers and car-based SUVs use AWD systems for their lighter weight and simplicity for light off-road…

San Pedro de Atacama, nestled 7,900 feet above sea level in the Chilean Andes, is home to some 3,000 people and an endless confrontation of stray dogs. Paved roads are scarce, precipitation even more so. Why would Audi choose such a desolate place to introduce us to its Q8 flagship crossover? Making the connection didn’t take long. Whether it’s the volcanic landscape, the temperature swings (ranging from 23 to 73 degrees during our drive route), or the selection of snow, pavement, and dirt roads at elevations of above 14,000 feet, Audi’s newest SUV clicks. Propelled by a 3.0-liter turbo V-6 that generates 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, the 2019 Q8 feels peppy, even at altitude. The engine is mated to a mild hybrid system, its start-stop system helping…

ARRIVAL 2018 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Power Wagon Christian Seabaugh “I couldn’t bring Atlantic Canada home with me, so this Power Wagon will have to do.” EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON NOT RATED BASE PRICE $53,690 PRICE AS TESTED $63,280 There are a million versions of this story. You’re on a trip. Somewhere far away—the polar opposite of where you live—and you fall in love. It could be with the place, the food, the person you’re with, or even the car you’re driving. You adopt this new thing once you get back home, only to discover, disappointed, that it was only a vacation romance. For last year’s SUV Buying Guide, I went to the far reaches of northeastern Canada to trace the (largely unpaved) Trans-Labrador Highway with the Chevrolet Colorado…

Our incessant bleating about BMW’s lamentable deviation from its “ultimate driving machine” ethos appears to have at long last spurred some action. The niche M5 drives pretty ultimately, and now the chassis development team for the crucial G20-generation 3 Series sedan seems equally determined to return the iconic Dreier to the top of its highly competitive heap. To shut us up once and for all, a select few of the loudest complainers were invited to the Nürburgring for an intense day of public road and closed ’Ring driving of early 2.0-liter turbo prototype cars equipped with the M Sport package while there’s still time to tune and tweak some of the final calibrations before the new 330i goes on sale early next year. Every major chassis component is significantly revised—geometry,…

@markrechtin It used to be that sport utility vehicles were for workmanlike pursuits—a nicer version of a pickup, something to carry your horse tack or fishing tackle, something for the rancher to drive when helping out the hired hands on the Ponderosa. The emphasis was on enclosed utility. But a sport utility was still essentially a truck. And although utility still remains a key SUV selling point, today these vehicles have more to do with hauling children, hockey pads, and bags of mulch. SUVs have become the mainstream people hauler, replacing the family sedan and minivan (although, to be fair, the modern minivan still has far better cargo carrying capacity than a similarly sized SUV). The SUV is a lifestyle choice for the glamping survivalist. It’s also a mode of…

BABY BOOMER SHADE THROW OF THE MONTH: “I’ve had a wrench in my hand since before these millennials could even wipe themselves.” Our Sport Compact Car Revival When my August issue arrived wearing a photo of the new Civic Type R, the Focus RS, the WRX STI Type RA, and the Golf R, I could have predicted the outcome before reading the article. I agree with your comments and with the results. The Civic Type R—I’ve test-driven an example—is indeed an awesome front-wheel-drive platform. As a daily driver, I wouldn’t want for more performance, but I can’t see myself sitting in this thing or even looking at it. This is a shame, as I would have easily separated myself from my 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. At 60 years of age,…

Commercial vans facilitate delivery of millions of goods purchased online. They’re also the workhorses of restaurant supply, flower shops, electricians, and plumbers—as well as countless crosstown moves by spurned boyfriends. Change has been slow in the commercial van segment, but, perhaps to the delight of businesses everywhere, that’s no longer the case. Ford has updated its small Transit Connect van and is trying to convince you the wagon variant would be an awesome active-lifestyle sidekick. Meanwhile, Ram offers small and large Fiat-based vans, and Mercedes continues to make an impact with its midsize Metris and the enormous Sprinter, updated for 2019. Then there’s Nissan. Although the NV200’s winning bid for New York City’s Taxi of Tomorrow competition didn’t work out, the small van is an affordable option, just like the…

The Lamborghini Urus has almost twice the horsepower of the iconic Miura, and with a top speed of 189 mph, it’s faster. It’s also a 4,900-pound, four-door SUV you can powerslide down a gravel road. An angry wedge of a thing, hunkered down on massive wheels, with four rocket-launcher-sized exhausts out back, the Urus looks ready to rip the roof off a passing Fiat. But inside is a cabin that’s more Prada than punk—a modernistic mélange of leather and Alcantara, soft-sheen aluminum, and carbon fiber. The V-8 under the hood punches out 641 hp at 6,000 rpm and 627 lb-ft of torque from 2,250 rpm, and it drives all four wheels. Default torque split is 40/60 front to rear, but the system can send as much as 85 percent to…

The auto industry is the globalists’ poster child. It generates billions, employs millions, and offers unprecedented choice. But not everyone believes that’s a good thing. Sergio Marchionne told it like it was. Shortly before his death I asked the FCA CEO whether Donald Trump’s trade wars and Britain’s turmoil over Brexit—its departure from the European Union, one of the world’s largest trade blocs—posed a threat to his company’s business. He paused a moment, then powered ahead: “These are strange times,” he agreed. “We have never been here before.” Indeed. Globalists are out. Economic nationalists are in. It’s a bad time to be running an automaker. With everything from the smallest part to complete vehicles streaming ceaselessly across borders from factories all over the planet, the auto industry is the globalists’…

We knew it was coming. Chevrolet made the Equinox smaller, creating a midsize hole in the crossover lineup between it and the full-size Traverse. And talk of bringing back the Blazer name has been rampant for a while. General Motors finally gave us our first look at the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer at an event in Atlanta, but unlike the Blazers of the past, this one is not a body-on-frame SUV or a two-door, nor does it have a removable roof. Instead, it rides on the same C1 architecture as other car-based crossovers, including the Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia, but with a wider track to give it more character. The five-passenger crossover comes in three trim levels, including the sportier and blacked-out RS and the more upscale Premier, both with…

Everyone has favorite CEOs. Sergio Marchionne, 66, was one of mine. His death due to complications following cancer surgery is a gut punch to me and many of the journalists who covered him for years. I felt a kinship with the Italian, born in Abruzzo, who moved to Toronto when he was 14 and continued to visit his mother there whenever he could. The lawyer, philosopher, and accountant also attended the University of Windsor, in the city where I now live. He was always happy visiting his alma mater. Before an event at the nearby minivan plant, he traveled to Windsor early, taking his entourage with him to have lunch at the dive bar near campus that he frequented as a student. Afterward he laughingly said the floors and furniture…

Sep 3 ROADKILL, Ep. 75 Sep 5 Mobil 1 The Grid, Program 15 Sep 5 PUT UP OR SHUT UP, Ep. 9 Sep 6 FIA World Rallycross, France Sep 7 LIVE! 24H GT Series/24H Touring Car Endurance Series, 24H Barcelona - Qualifying and Night Practice Auto Mundial Motorsport Mundial Sep 8 LIVE! 24H GT Series/24H Touring Car Endurance Series, 24H Barcelona LIVE! DTM Championship, Nürburgring LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Nürburgring Sep 9 LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Nürburgring Sep 10 ROADKILL GARAGE, Ep. 35 Sep 12 ENGINE MASTERS, Ep. 38 Sep 13 British Touring Car Championship, Knockhill Sep 14 Auto Mundial Motorsport Mundial Sep 15 LIVE! Formula Drift, Texas Motor Speedway, TX LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Sandown Sep 16 LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Sandown Sep 17 DIRT EVERY DAY,…

Twice I’ve been dazzled by schemes for scrubbing CO2 out of the atmosphere and turning it into fuel. In July 2008 it was NaOH scrubbers and exotic catalysts; in March 2012, it was ionic amine fluids and a formic-acid fuel cell. Both were tricky to describe, energy intense, and costly; years later, neither is ready for prime time. Then this June my news feed lit up with tales of a refreshingly simple new direct air capture (DAC) CO2-to-fuel scheme that’s already running in a pilot plant. Canadian energy company Carbon Engineering—founded by Harvard professor David Keith with funding from Bill Gates—has been scrubbing CO2 for three years in Squamish, British Columbia, for conversion to liquid fuels. An obvious secret to CE’s success is its reliance on existing industrial technology. The…

5M five-speed manual 6A six-speed automatic 6-sp auto-cl man six-speed auto-clutch manual 7-sp twin-cl auto seven-speed twin-clutch automatic FWD front-wheel drive AWD all-wheel drive RWD rear-wheel drive Max cargo figures may differ for hybrid and other variants. IntelliChoice five-year retained value data might apply to common vehicle variants, not an average of all model variants. Acura MDX Base Price $45,500-$53,000* Body Type SUV MINOR An A-Spec model joins the 2019 MDX lineup and comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, a different front fascia, larger exhaust tips, red or black leather with Alcantara inserts, a thicker steering wheel, and body-colored side sills. The A-Spec model comes exclusively with all-wheel drive and the base V-6. The Technology package adds wood interior trim, and the Advance package now comes with active dampers and wider…

The craft came to a stop in a cloud of dust. A slender figure emerged from inside the swoopy, sleek sheetmetal—loose skin, bulbous head, humanoid but with a hint of something extra—and a swarm of scientists descended, needing feedback. Needing data. Needing to know: Have we finally broken through? I have always been fascinated with Area 51. Stories of secret test flights, of government scientists collaborating with alien pilots to push the limits of what we believed possible, hooked my childhood mind. And seeing Capt. Steven Hiller pilot his F/A-18 through the Grand Canyon, flying saucer in hot pursuit, only solidified my intrigue (Independence Day’s fictional nature notwithstanding). Was that top-secret area in southwest Nevada really the place where the government had hidden the Roswell aircraft? Had we reverse-engineered spacecraft…