Innehållsförteckning för September 2003 från MotorTrend

What U.S. carmaker first offered a V-8 engine in a production automobile? History leaves room for conjecture. It was possibly the Hewitt Motor Company of New York. In 1907, Edward R. Hewitt sold his five-passenger Touring model with a V-8, rated at 50 horsepower and apparently cribbing from Levavasseur’s Antoinette. Hewitt, however, might have been beaten to the market by the H.H. Buffum Company in Abington, Massachusetts. Buffum had previously built a race car—called the Model G, for Greyhound—using a flat-8 and, around 1906, began making a road model named simply the Eight, using a V-configured engine, also borrowing ideas, and maybe even cylinder dimensions, from the Antoinette. Hewitt or Buffum, Buffum or Hewitt. Who can know for sure? What we do know is the impact of the V-8 layout.…

The Next GTO Pontiac’s first Holden Monaro-based GTO isn’t even out yet—and here we are, speculating on the next model. So is General Motors, as the powers that be at GM are deciding where to take the next-generation halo Pontiac. Timing remains one of the many questions for the car, which could appear as early as the ’07 model year and as late as 2010. We do know this: The next Goat will be designed in the United States, but will be built, like the ’04 model, in Australia. Building it for several markets makes the GTO economically viable. It also creates conflict because Holden needs a car that appeals to its customers’ tastes. While the Aussies tend to like big, rear-drive V-8-powered cars, like we do, Holden is…

Luxury SUVs lead the way Get used to it: Porsche is also now a truck company. Luxury SUV sales were up a phenomenal 72 percent in May 2003 over May 2002. This helped luxury brands see a seven-percent year-to-year sales increase through May, compared with a two-percent decline for the industry overall. The Cayenne represented 46 percent of Porsche sales in the U.S. after three months on sale, while the 911 and Boxster were off by 25 percent compared with 2002. Lexus’ new RX 330 helped push SUVs to 51 percent of the brand’s sales. Infiniti has the most growth, up 36 percent over 2002 due largely to the FX35 and FX45, although the G35 was also a hot-seller. Likewise, Cadillac sales rose 15 percent thanks to the success of…

“King of the Boards, the Life and Times of Jimmy Murphy” Gary Doyle began a family research project on his grandmother’s cousin, racing driver Jimmy Murphy. By the time he finished, it included several hundred black- and-white photographs, color reproductions of many paintings of the era, including a few that were commissioned for the volume, and 296 pages of fine prose. It opens with a well-researched overview of the first three decades of the 20th century to bring the beginning of American-style motor racing into perspective. Not least important in this volume are 20 pages of bibliography and 11 appendices of racing data to support the title’s assertion. Jimmy Murphy won 19 of his 60 races, most of them on the wooden-board tracks that were most popular then. He also…

Forty years ago, Maserati introduced its first Quattro-porte: a full-size, handbuilt, V-8-powered sedan that combined a high level of luxury with gran turismo road manners. Why change the formula now? Modena’s exotic carmaker will go back to the premium-performance-sedan well when it introduces its all-new, fifth-generation Quattroporte at the Frankfurt auto show in September. ItalDesign Giugiaro and Pininfarina both bid for the design job, with the latter getting the nod. And the Quattroporte’s look is impressive: powerful, elegant, well proportioned, and embodying important familial styling cues. With an overall length of 198.9 inches atop a 120.6-inch wheelbase, this Maximum Maser is about the same size as a 745i. Power comes via a 395-horse (in U.S. spec) derivation of the 4.2-liter all-aluminum DOHC V-8 currently motivating the Spyder and Coupe.…

We recently had a chance to test drive where Buick has been, and where it may be going. The first was the ’38 Buick Y-Job, regarded as the first modern “dream car” and the definitive example of what legendary GM design chief Harley Earl could accomplish. The other was the Buick Centieme, a handsome crossover concept that made its debut at the 2003 Detroit auto show. Buick says the Centieme (French for 100th; pronounced sen-tee-em) could be built or at least foreshadow future products, but it also said that about the Blackhawk concept, the Cielo, the LaCrosse, the Bengal… Our time behind the wheel of the Y-Job (which is powered by its original 141-horse straight 8, cornering on tiny 13-inch wheels nestled under a body 10 inches longer than…

The Corvette has enjoyed a legendary presence and colorful history since its debut in 1953. The current, fifth-generation Corvette, now seven years in production, remains the most complete and potent Corvette package offered—though its reign will come to an end as a new, more aggressive sixth-generation car appears in ’05. The C5 exits in grand fashion, however, in the form of an optional Commemorative Edition that celebrates Corvette’s back-to-back class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Available in Coupe, Convertible, and Z06 models, the Commemorative Edition emphasizes visual punch rather than power upgrades. Most notable is a special Le Mans Blue paint, the same hue used on the two C5-R contenders that returned to Le Mans this year and narrowly missed a three-peat class win at the famed…

Time flies: It’s been two years since we drove an early S7R. the racing version of Saleen’s upcoming, mid-engine supercar and the company’s most ambitious project to date. The mission was to scratch-build a world-class American exotic that could win at the track as well as be certified for the street. We said, in August 2001, “The real question remains: Can this S7R monster, which we estimate to be making over 650 horsepower, be tamed down and safetied up enough to become a DOT- and OBD-certified 550-horsepower S7 road car?” Exactly a year later, Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith spent time behind the wheel of one of the first production S7s and, in August 2002, wrote, “The engine is emissions legal, the six-speed transaxle has full synchromesh, spring and shock tuning is…

“Brutal, raw, immediate, and scary” are words first-time drivers—and unsuspecting passengers—utter after exposure to the performance capabilities of a Mosier MT900. While it may produce “only” 435 horsepower, the handbuilt, lightweight ultrasports car warps one’s perception of what a road car can be. Driving the Mosier requires a thorough recalibration: Muscle memory needs to be retrained. Eyes must be forced to look further ahead. Expectations need to be sharpened. No bones about it, the overriding philosophy of the Mosier is a favorable power-to-weight value. An MT900S with a full tank of fuel moves just 5.4 pounds with each horsepower. As a comparison, a Corvette Z06 computes to a 7.7-pounds/horsepower figure and a Ferrari Enzo’s is just 4.6 pounds/horsepower. As the spec suggests, the performance of the MT900S falls somewhere between…

Ford SVT chief John Coletti has been waiting for competition like this. Chrysler’s Performance Vehicle Operations launches the ’04 Dodge SRT-10 in December. It’s a Ram pickup truck packing the Dodge Viper’s 8.3-liter/505-horsepower, 525-lb-ft V-10 and six-speed Tremec gearbox—even a real Hurst shifter. It’ll do 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds—the same as our latest number for the ’03 Ford SVT Lightning—and the quarter mile will take just 13.8 seconds, says Dodge. Top speed is 150 mph plus. Coletti believes such competition will help improve the breed that SVT created with the original F-150 Lightning pickup. PVO chief Dan Knott will have King of the Hill (Heavyweight Division) bragging rights by default—for a little while, anyway. Why? Timing. With the new F-150 just out, it’ll be late 2004 or early 2005…

According to the “Hollywood Handbook for Automotive Authenticity & Flames,” a fast car should look as follows: roofline lower than prime interest rate, chrome-plated engine parts protruding from hood, rear wing capable of lifting C-130 cargo plane, and—if needed to enhance machismo rating of unusually diminutive male lead—full-length “Starsky” racing stripe. By those standards, the two discreetly attired sedans pictured here, with their upright four-door profiles, roomy cabins, and distinct lack of peel-’n’-stick “You and What Army?” graphics, should be about as exciting as a midnight rerun on C-SPAN. Except that the slower of these two cars does 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. You read that right. Each of these seemingly stoic German sedans will transport four adults (five in a pinch) and their luggage as comfortably as a Gulfstream…

2003 MAZDA6 We’ve eagerly awaited the arrival of Mazda’s 626 replacement ever since our first glimpse of the 6 at the 2002 North American International Auto Show. The all-new 6 delivers willing powertrains plus a comfortable and feature-rich interior encased in sexy bodywork—all for about five grand less than you might expect to pay. Our Lapis Blue Metallic S model came with all the right trimmings: A 3.0-liter/220-horsepower V-6 with five-speed manual tranny (the sportiest offering, though the new 160-horse four is no slouch), leather seats ($860), power moonroof ($700), Bose audio package ($635), and side airbags and curtains ($450). We also added the $860 Sport Package, which includes 17-inch alloy wheels, dual exhaust, sport side skirts/airdam/spoiler, foglamps, and electro-luminescent gauges, and the $220 Comfort Package (heated front seats and…

Show us what’cha got The Theme In this “Fast & Furious” age, the 2003 California International Auto Show/Motor Trend International Design Contest theme is to create the tuner cars of the year 2020. “Tuning” is nothing new, whatever the era. Car owners love to personalize their ride—whether it’s a ’32 Ford, ’55 Chevy, early Mustang or Camaro, a cafe racer of the ’70s and ’80s, or today’s popular Civic, Focus, and WRX. The Challenge Tune the car of your dreams by first selecting a model (past or present, in production or discontinued), then incorporating modern performance themes to create a year-2020 version of the vehicle. Will aggressive body kits, touring wings, and large exhausts endure? What’ll be the next generation’s neon lights and carbon-fiber trim? Will alternative fuel and hybrid…

In this forum, we’re not referring to kids’ toys. We’re talking about special vehicles often bought to celebrate a tough birthday, a streak of luck in Vegas, or most often, the joy of driving. In the mid-’70s, rocketing insurance rates, 55-mph speed limits, daunting emissions regs, and fuel scarcity drained the fun out of showrooms. With such rare exceptions as Porsche’s 930 Turbo, fun was flatlining. Indeed, the Pinto-based Mustang II—packing a “mighty” 2.3-liter four—was born during this era. Today, nearly every carmaker is trying to revive performance with elite internal engineering and development groups filled with enthusiasts. Speed and style are back. But why? Simple: for pride and profit. And what’s the new-wave paradigm? Mercedes-Benz AMG. Started in 1967 by the Aufrecht brothers and Erhard Melcher, it was originally…

Ford recycles Firestones Ever wonder what happened to all those tires that were part of the Ford/Firestone fiasco a couple years ago? You may be driving on them—but they’re not on your car: Many of the tires were turned into black sand, a paving material used to make highways quieter and smoother. The material also goes into athletic fields and equestrian facilities. “When you have lemons, you make lemonade,” says Andy Acho, who in 1990 was appointed head of Ford Motor Co.’s “Rat Pack,” its Recycling Action Team (his official title is worldwide director of environmental outreach and strategy). Each year, Acho’s rats and Ford suppliers recycle 50 million two-liter soda bottles, one billion beverage bottle caps, and 27 million square feet of used carpeting (stuff that otherwise might go…

The family-sedan market is a tough playground. Consider that Honda and Toyota combined sell more than 800,000 of their midsize four-doors annually. Ford and Chevy used to own this turf, and each wants some of it back. The Blue Oval is readying the Futura and 500, but Chevrolet’s at-bat comes first, with the all-new Malibu. It shares much of its Epsilon platform with the Saab 93 and the next Pontiac Grand Am. Chevy will serve two variants: a conventional four-door and the Maxx sport hatch, which rides on a six-inch-longer wheelbase. New cars like the Nissan Altima and Mazda6 have cranked up this segment’s low design volume. Unfortunately, the Malibu wears uninspired sheetmetal more befitting a work truck. But it’s also structurally solid, roomy, agile, and well equipped. Our…

Buick begins its second century by jumping on the SUV bandwagon. And why not? It’s the last GM division, besides Saab, to get a truck-based SUV, in this case, a version of the well-regarded Chevy TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy/Olds Bravada (dubbed T360 by GM). The Rainier inherits many bits and pieces of the soon-to-depart Bravada, including sheetmetal from the doors back and most of the interior, then mates them to a LeSabre-like front clip. The Rainier is available only in the short-wheelbase (113-inch) configuration—no seven-passenger stretch version will be offered. It comes loaded with such standards as leather seating, OnStar, heated front seats with memory, dual-zone climate control, and blue-on-silver-finished instrument faces. In addition to the more-than-adequate standard 275-horse Vortec 4200 DOHC l-6, the Rainier is available with the torquier 290-horsepower…

Who says a V-8 is the only engine choice for an affordable car that runs 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds? Well, nearly any American powertrain engineer will, though the folks at Mitsubishi and Subaru have had a lot to say about that lately. But what would you get if you started with one company’s tried- and-true 4.6-liter/305-horsepower DOHC V-8 residing in a used-up test car destined for the crusher, then added a vivid imagination, some serious know-how, a deep parts bin, a stray company credit card, a tanker load of midnight oil, and, oh yeah, two extra cylinders? Answer: one of the quickest Mustangs ever built within the walls of Ford Motor Company. If you do the math, this all-aluminum, DOHC V-10 based on the current Modular 4.6 comes…

FIRSTDRIVE 2004 Calling the 400-horse, V-8-powered CTS-V a “four-door Z06” instantly brings its performance profile into focus. Yet it also does this polished hot-rod sedan something of an injustice. The V’s acceleration, braking, and handling are indeed just a whisper shy of the super Vette’s, based on our hot laps of Germany’s infamously challenging 75-year-old Nürburgring race course—but there’s an iron-fist/velvet-glove component here, too. When we backed up our hard-driving impressions with roadwork on the winding two lanes through the French and German countryside, we also discovered a pleasing ride, nicely weighted controls, and a quiet, feature-rich cabin. Hmmmm—a well-balanced, luxurious sedan with a 400-horse-power V-8 and a six-speed stick. Remind you of our favorite BMW? Comparison to the fire-breathing Z06 is inevitable, too, because the CTS-V shares with the…

If today’s streets are any indication, you’ve got the wrong best friend. We’re not talking about your dog here: Americans are making happy homes for Land Rovers and other sport/utility vehicles to the tune of 2.5 million SUV sales per year—and growing. Luxury vehicles and SUVs were once considered separate breeds: one parked in the garage, the other banished to the back stoop for having muddy paws. SUVs simply didn’t tread in the plush, cut-pile world of luxury cars. But that changed big time once carmakers figured out how much tail-waggin’ profit was to be realized by selling luxury-branded SUVs. Soon nearly everyone was off to the dog races. What started as the exclusive territory of the Range Rover soon became the well-traveled domain of the Acura MDX, BMW X5,…

Subaru launched the most recent station-wagon-as-SUV movement with its original Outback. Volvo and Audi, having no sport/utility platform in their product mix at the time, took the concept upmarket in the form of the Cross Country and allroad quattro. Can a luxury-branded sport wagon take the place of an SUV in America, as it does so successfully in Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Milan, where the notion of a sport/utility generally remains a truck? We had a year to find out. Our Atlas Gray Metallic over Platinum/Black allroad came well equipped for its $41,900 base price. Included was a 2.7-liter/250-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 (the only engine offered in this model at that time), quattro full-time all-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Audi’s trick four-position variable-height pneumatic suspension system, dual-zone climate control,…

Honda always manages to give more car for the money than expected, and the Civic continues this trait. The previous-generation Civics, introduced in 1996 and sold through the 2000 model year, remain high on the budget-minded enthusiast’s list. These Civics have a firmer, more sophisticated front suspension than the current car, are easy to modify, and are plentiful. Three body styles are available: two-door hatchback, two-door coupe, and four-door sedan. For the enthusiast, the coupe is the standout, available in three or four trim levels including base DX, upmarket EX, fuel-sipping HX, and, beginning in ’99, the hot-rod Si. Trim level defines power choices, too. While all Civic engines are aluminum 1.6-liter fours, the CX/DX’s produces 106 horsepower, the VTEC-equipped EX/LX puts down 127, the super-efficient HX with VTEC-E makes…

It’s a Speed Thing I don’t know what it is about an Armco barrier, tilted up in the air and blurring by at a sick rate. But I can’t resist. “Speeding” (June) gave me a great sense of what it’s like to aim a seriously fast car around the high banks. Michael WinthropPortland, Oregon Justin Bell is certainly a Lucky Genes award winner (I’ve followed the career of his charming dad, Derek) and seems articulate and smart, just like his father. He was a good choice for your “Speeding” exercise in Arizona and made a bunch of really sexy cars even more interesting to contemplate. William FrostLondon, England A question about your methods: Why did some cars have their governors deactivated (i.e., the CL55 AMG) and others did not? Being…

Another Diesel Headed Stateside Volkswagen will import the direct-injection turbodiesel version of its new Touareg sport/utility. The Touareg 5.0-liter TDI V-10 joins the Jetta/Golf 1.9-liter TDI inline-four in VW’s North American lineup in 2004, possibly as early as the first quarter. The V-10 TDI is rated at 308 horsepower and 553 Ib-ft of torque (more than a Viper’s) and is mated to the same six-speed automatic as in the V-6 and V-8 gas versions of the Touareg. In Europe, the best-selling version of the new Phaeton luxury sedan is powered by the same TDI. VW of America says it’s considering importing the Phaeton TDI, but has yet to determine if we’re ready for a diesel-powered luxury sedan, despite the overwhelming popularity of such cars in Europe. A New Latitude Honda…

New tranny is for V-8 cars Mercedes-Benz will leapfrog automakers that have six-speed automatics in their parts bins when it introduces a new seven-speed automatic for V-8-powered models this fall. Benz’s 7G-Tronic transmission will be standard in the ’04 E500, S430, S500, CL500, and SL500. The tranny replaces the current five-speed automatic in those cars, just in time for the 5A to trickle down into the ’05 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum. One cool feature is that the new seven-speeder can skip gears when downshifting for faster acceleration. When the driver kicks down, the trans can jump immediately from seventh to fifth and then to third, just as you might manually downshift a gearbox to pass. The 7G-Tronic can reduce 0-62-mph times by as much as 0.3 seconds, Mercedes claims,…

You might call it a “cute ’ute,” but BMW insists on describing its X models as “sport/activity vehicles.” This contrived category has included only the larger X5 until now. The 3 Series based X3 appears in September at the Frankfurt show with sales beginning early 2004. BMW promises a low center of gravity, thanks in part to a front driveshaft that extends through the oil sump, offset by a “command” seating position. The X3 also features xDrive, which BMW describes as its new intelligent all-wheeldrive technology. xDrive is an infinitely adjustable and fully variable distribution of torque from front to rear, determined by drive conditions. Sensors tell it to feed the optimum drive force to any wheel to significantly cut understeer and oversteer, BMW says. The system combines with standard…

We’ve seen the misleading spy photos, heard the underestimated performance claims, and doubted the production delays (exaggerated, by the way). The SLR is a breathtaking 600-horsepower super Gran Turismo that leapfrogs its steel-bodied GT rivals. It’ll be here next spring—there’s already a two-year (1000-car) waiting list—and we’ve driven it. Well, at least a near-production prototype. Rocketing away from a stop, the SLR’s acceleration is severely limited by grip. The AMG-built supercharged twin-intercooled 5.4-liter V-8 (now said to be producing about 600 horsepower and just under 600 Ib-ft of torque) overwhelms the specifically designed Michelin rubber. While the engine shares its displacement, architecture, and location of manufacture with other AMG products, we’re assured the overachieving V-8 is SLR-specific and takes almost twice the time (about five hours)…

Henry Ford didn’t invent the V-8 engine. He did popularize it, however, realizing that this smooth and powerful configuration shouldn’t be reserved only for expensive luxury cars. Thus the original “flathead” Ford V-8 was created to power the new-for-’32 Fords. And the rest is history. General Motors and Chrysler picked up the V-8 pace after World War II. Cadillac and Oldsmobile unveiled new overhead-valve V-8s in 1949, delivering levels of performance so high that the Olds version was named “Rocket.” Beginning in 1951, Chrysler employed a hemispherical combustion chamber design for its top-rung V-8s. thus the legendary name ’Hemi.” Chevrolet came out with its own OHV V-8 in 1955—the Small Block Chevy—and American V-8 power was literally and figuratively off to the races. Automakers really never looked back until the…

Team Corvette had a lot at stake, as it approached the world’s most brutal endurance race of 2003. Since Le Mans 2000, the factory-backed Corvette racing effort has accrued 29 consecutive podium finishes in Automobile Club de l’Ouest, American Le Mans Series, and Grand-Am competition, of which 20 were wins. Not only was Chevrolet trying to preserve this impressive stat, it also dearly wanted a three-peat in the GTS class in France, having won there last year and in 2001. The team had two new Pratt & Miller C5-Rs, incorporating revised Katech 7.0-liter V-8 powerplants and key aerodynamic changes. But there were those wicked-fast Ferrari 550 Maranellos entered by England’s Prodrive. Another headache was the 10-percent-smaller air-intake restrictors mandated for the Corvette V-8s, intended to equalize the playing field among…

We’ve been watching the SSR’s development for about three years. It first appeared as a design concept at the Detroit auto show in January 2000, and a “we’re going to build it” announcement followed that August. So everyone’s had a lot of time to think about what the SSR is, and isn’t. Is it a truck? Is it a street rod? Is it a sporty convertible? Is it retro or modem? Does it matter? Irrespective of where you think it fits, two important questions come to mind as the production SSR comes to market: How does it drive? And will people line up to buy it? The first we can now answer; the second is up to you. A brief primer on the SSR’s makeup: Its body-on-frame architecture comes courtesy…

2005 “C6” Corvette In our April issue, we revealed the chassis, powertrain, and styling details of the next Corvette. As outlined, the car’s overall engineering brief is unchanged, although many major and minor components are extensively upgraded. The ’05 Vette remains a mid-front-engine full-frame rear driver with a plastic skin. An improved Gen-IV version of the standard LSI Small Block V-8 making about 400 horsepower provides ample motivation—with rumors of 500-horsepower Z06 variants lapping GM proving grounds. The edgier bodywork will ride atop a reengineered version of the C5’s hydroformed steel frame with a new, independent composite-spring suspension and reworked four-wheel discs. The spy snaps shown here confirm our story’s detailing of dramatic bodywork, interior upgrades, and a powered ragtop. But they also demonstrate that our April issue’s rear-quarter illustrations—containing…

In the mid ’90s, Chevrolet resurrected its legendary Impala SS nameplate in the form of an attitude-laden, LT1 V-8-powered, aggressive-looking muscle sedan. The short-lived ’94-’96 Impala SS engendered an enthusiastic following that continues today. Mercury picked up on the formula this year by offering the muscular Marauder. Oddly enough, it hasn’t caught on like the Chevy did, despite having more horsepower, a tighter suspension, and a beefier wheel/tire package than the Impala SS. As soon as the Mercury hit the showrooms, sales flagged (we hear the program is unofficially cancelled). To have succeeded, we feel the Marauder needed to be more aggressive still: more punch, better brakes, and even more attitude. And that’s where VT Competition comes in, filling our wish list in Costco-size portions. The first step in VT’s…

In 2002, the all-new third-generation Altima represented a total rethinking of Nissan’s midsize sedan. The automaker took an underpowered ugly duckling and transformed it into a pavement-ripping sporty family sedan, especially in SE V-6 guise. The Altima was a strong contender in our ’02 Car of the Year competition, and we were curious how the latest version would fare over a year of hauling the kids to school, making multiple home-center runs, and taking families on vacations. Wasting no time, we ordered a 3.5-liter SE for our One-Year test fleet. The Opal Blue Metallic-hued, five-speed manual Altima was base priced at $22,349, to which we added the leather package ($1390), premium Bose in-dash AM/FM/six-CD changer ($899), power glass sunroof ($849), sunroof deflector ($69), rear spoiler ($399), floormats ($79), and in-cabin…

Three decades ago, there was no such thing as a retro-themed, sport/utility-based, street-rod-flavored pickup truck like the new SSR. Chevy’s lineup was power packed with musclecars: Corvette, Nova SS, Chevelle SS, and the new-for-’70½ second-generation Camaro. The Mustangfighter’s model roster included SS and RS option packages plus the Z-28. The ’70½ Z was equipped for handling prowess and straight-line performance. It was powered by a high-compression 350-cubic-inch Small Block V-8 good for 360 SAE gross horsepower. Even with two aboard (that’s how track testing was done back then), an automatic-transmission-equipped Z-28 clicked our stopwatches at seven seconds flat 0-60 mph and covered the quarter mile in 15.4. While the ’67-’69 Camaro enjoyed considerable success in SCCATrans-Am racing in its first three seasons, Bud Moore-prepared Mustang Boss 302s took home the…