Innehållsförteckning för August 2006 från MotorTrend

LAST YEAR Ford sold more than 380,000 rear-drive cars in the U.S., more than 2.5 times the number GM managed (see chart). So if GM’s bet on RWD is right, Dearborn ought to be in the catbird seat, right? Well, not exactly, as it happens. Apart from the Jaguars and Aston Martins, the only RWD Ford Motor Company product certain to survive beyond the end of the decade is Mustang. Ford’s iconic ponycar will be given a major face-lift in 2008 wherein every exterior panel except the roof center will be substantially changed. Production of the Lincoln LS has already ended; the car will be replaced in 2008 by the MKS, built off the same FWD 03 architecture that underpins the Ford Five Hundred and the new Volvo S80. The…

SENIOR Toyota execs were stunned when Honda pulled the covers off the COTY-winning Civic last year. The radical new Civic, particularly the sedan, was such a step forward from the staid-looking car it replaced they worried the next generation Corolla wouldn't be competitive. So they ordered a redesign. The result is shown here. The revamped 2008 Corolla sedan is still a more conservative-looking car than the Civic. But insiders report Toyota has given the windshield and the backlight more rake than originally planned. It’s a sleeker, less dumpy looking car than the current 330N model. The grille and badging shown here will appear on Japanese-market cars, but U.S. versions will look fundamentally the same. The new Corolla will go on sale next year, and Toyota will offer aversion with a…

JUST AS we were coping with General Motors’s announcement that civilian Hummer H1 production will cease in June, Honda said its last Insight will roll off the line in September. How did the two vehicles compare? Take a look. ▪ TOTAL SERVED, INSIGHT: 13,484 (U.S. and Canada) since 1999 model year ▪ TOTAL SERVED, Hi: 12,000 (est) since 1993 (by AM General; GM acquired marketing rights in 1999) ▪ PEAK SALES YEAR, INSIGHT: 4726 in 2001 ▪ PEAK SALES YEAR, H1: 875 in 2000 (No 2005 models produced during switchover to the Duramax diesel, which caused a 20-percent price hike) ▪ YEAR-TO-DATE SALES, INSIGHT: 320 ▪ YEAR-TO-DATE SALES, HI: 98 ▪ CURRENT PRICE RANGE, INSIGHT: $19,880 to $22,080 ▪ CURRENT PRICE RANGE, H1: $129,399 to $146,622 ▪ FUEL MILEAGE, INSIGHT:…

RUNNING abit behind schedule, the new X5 looks ready for late 2006 release, at least in Europe. The revamped sport/activity vehicle is longer and wider, reportedly to accommodate a third row of seats and catch up with the competition. BMW is said to be considering M versions of this and the RFK tall coupe/crossover variation. But for now engines will include 3.0-liter six and 4.5-liter V-8 turbodiesels for Europe and a 258-horse, 3.0-liter inline-six and 367-horse, 5.0-liter V-8 gas engine for everybody.…

close shave The LS7 505-horsepower engine is one of the world’s greatest engines ("The Big Picture,’ May)? Only a hard-core Chevy fan would say something like that. Doesn't just about every car in your current issue have around the same or better horsepower/liter figure than the great LS7 engine? Except, of course, for the Escalade, another Chevy product. If the LS7 were as great an engine as Porsche’s 3.6-liter flat-six, it would have to make 805 horsepower. Sorry, Chevy, you're not even close to having a great engine. Frank Morgenstern Round Rock, Texas Actually, it would make 631, if you're talking about the similarly priced 911. The figure you quote is for the $107K GT3 (it would be 903, using the $124K Turbo).—Ed. divine revelation Your proposal to change the…

PEEL AWAY their luxury, the added weight of air-conditioning and electronic gizmos we take for granted, and the BMW Z4 M Coupe and Porsche Cayman § are the quintessence of what dyed-in-the-elbow-patch-wool enthusiasts of the postwar era considered “serious” sports cars. These modern minimalists have fixed roofs that add rigidity to the Z4 roadster and Boxster. They have naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines, not musclecar V8s, for low weight and smoothness. The mid-engine Cayman’s engine enjoys ideal placement and a boxer piston configuration for a lower center of gravity. If the Porsche 911 Turbo and Corvette Z06 are about power and grip, the Z4 M and Cayman S$ are all about balance. In April, we declared the new Cayman heir-apparent, lord-in-waiting to the Porsche 911 sports-car-icon throne. The following month, Bavaria’s…

DISCLAIMER: Due to circum-stances beyond our control, we regret to inform you that the vehicle pictured here—the four-door Volkswagen R32—will not be imported to the U.S. We repeat: The car shown here is not coming to a VW dealer near you. (Please read on for another important announcement.) Okay, so the four-door R32 isn't coming stateside. As disappointing as that bulletin is, do you really believe we'd be so cruel as to tease you with several pages of Teutonic excellence only to deliver crushing news that you can't have it? Not even a taste? Truth is, you can and you will—as long you're willing to settle for a bit less versatility. Last spring, Volkswagen invited journalists to sample the all-new, second-generation R32 in Europe, but due to scheduling conflicts, we…

WE LIVE IN A BRUTAL AGE of car design. Aggressive, exciting, belligerent—that’s the new design language. Eye-catching is more important than eye-pleasing. Big, confrontational SUVs that look about as warm and cuddly as Mike Tyson chewing on an opponent’s ear. Pickups marketed or their toughness and strength. BMWs with their Creatures from the Deep form language (different radical, influential, but not exactly elegant). Even Mercedes-Benz, once an exemplar of tasteful conservatism, has a new flagship, the S-Class, that to some looks more like it came out of the workshops of "Pimp My Ride's" West Coast Customs than a production line in Sindelfingen, Stuttgart. So it’s refreshing to sit down with a car design boss, Rolls-Royce’s Ian Cameron, who talks about elegance and the romance of motoring. “We wanted to give…

BACK IN THE halcyon days of $2.50-a-gallon gas, subcompacts were perceived mostly as transportation for college students. If there wasn't a Delta Tau Chi sticker on the back window, you could expect to see a rental-car frame around the license plate. Either way, premium unleaded isn’t getting cheaper, and you have to stop raiding the kids’ piggy-bank to fill up your prized sport/utility. No wonder subcompact gas-sippers are becoming more appealing—and more sophisticated. Variable valve timing, side-curtain airbags, and six-speed transmissions are now standard equipment in some of these cars—and most of them now cost less than $13,500. Add to that three hot new entries from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, and the niche that was once apunchline is now all grown up. The Honda Fit, known as the Jazz around…

“OPTIMA?” that’s generally the response when people hear about Kia’s midsize sedan for the first time. It’s been around since 2001, but most Americans don’t know what an Optima is. Kia hasn't marketed the car in the same fashion as it’s pushed its other models, and the first generation (2001-2006) was about as exceptional as white bread—perhaps the reasons why Kia didn’t attempt to convince consumers the Optima’s as tasty as an Accord or Camry. Kia’s recently introduced second-generation Optima, officially dubbed a 2006% model, has toasted its white-bread reputation and replaced itwith more yeast and a little jam, courtesy of an all-new four-cylinder and an available V-6 and five-speed automatic. Its appearance, albeit conservative, now borders on stylish rather than bland, and its quality and performance are nearly on…

AMERICA was at the crest of her economic prowess in 1964. The year was diverse, spectacular, and frightening—yes, frightening. The Civil Rights Act creating havoc, the Vietnam war heating up, and the Beatles about to make your kids no longer care about getting a haircut. It also was the year of the Ford Mustang, and GM answered back with the Corvette coupe. This fuel-injected Corvette Sting Ray, with its spaceship design and slick sidepipes, became a promising vision of the future at the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. Now you can read all about it in the July/August issue of Motor Trend Classic, coming soon to a newsstand near you.…

TIME WAS when Detroit went to Washington, people paid attention. Doors opened. Opinions were sought. Policy was made. Not any more. Rick Wagoner and Bill Ford, not merely the head guys at GM and Ford, but men who run two of America’s largest companies (numbers three and five respectively in the Fortune 500 last time | looked) have struggled to get an audience with President Bush. Sure, the president’s got a lot on his mind these days, what with the mess in Iraq, the lobbying scandals, and all the finger-pointing over the Katrina screwups. But it speaks volumes about how low Motown’s stock is on Capitol Hill these days. Presidents once saw talent in Detroit and tapped it: Eisenhower made GM CEO Charles Erwin “Engine Charlie” Wilson Secretary of Defense…

THE GOGGLE-EYED, fish-like Camry Solara coupe and convertible won't be replaced. Instead, Toyota’s attempt to win over middle-of-the-road “lifestyle” buyers will be based around a four-door, two-box crossover previewed as the 2005 FT-SX Detroit concept. The concept introduced Toyota’s less than elegant “T-face,” which appears as the grille of the 2007 Camry sedan and Yaris sedan and hatchback. It’s designed as a car for empty-nesters and middle-aged suburbanites who travel and dine out a lot, and directly targets Ford Edge, its first competitor in the personal-crossover category. New Solaras normally follow Camry by two years, so anew one was to have launched in 2008 as a 2009 model. The current car’s life may be cut short, allowing the crossover to be launched as a 2008. The big question: Will Honda…

ALFA ROMEO is to return to the American market. Parent company Fiat’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, told an analysts' conference that a return would begin with face-lifted versions of the current models/Given that the relevant parts of the current mode! range have barely gone on sale in their first pre-face-lift iterations, this puts the US sales date to no earlier than late 2008. The cars are all based on a sporty front-drive platform, with engines including a sweet 260-horse, 32liter V-6 and a characterful 2.2-liter four. Both engines were developed when Fiat Auto was in bed with GM: The V-6 is basically the GM high-content engine, but with Alfa’s own cylinder heads featuring direct fuel-injection and variable camshaft timing. V-6 versions will have all-wheel drive. Transmissions are six-speed manual or six-speed…

bond 101 I'm confused. You say, “BMW claims the M Coupe’s torsional stiffness is more than twice that of the roadster—already the most rigid in its class—which makes the hardtop about as stiffas a 007 martini” (“Kickboxster”). But that would make it weaker! Bond, James Bond, drinks vodka martinis—shaken, not stirred. However, the process of shaking a martini breaks down the vodka molecules and introduces broken (and therefore crushed) melting ice into the mix, further weakening the drink. A stirred martini maintains the strength of the vodka, making it a stronger drink that’s sufficiently chilled. In short, Bond drinks the pansy-ass version—which the coupe most certainly is not. I'm sure that’s what you mean; about the car, not Bond, Aaron Hood Fort Worth, Texas write us at 6420 Wilshire BiVG,…

"I'M A BIG FAN of Vanishing Point, "says Micheal Castiglione, the man largely responsible for the exterior design of the new Challenger. “The photography, Barry Newman’s character, seeing him slam the pistol grip, watching the Challenger getting up and running. Ifs bitchin'.” For Castiglione and his teammates at DaimlerChrysler’s Pacifica studio in Carlsbad, California, resurrecting one of history’s most admired musclecar shapes was a formidable task. "It was tough getting the proportions of the 1970 car onto the LX platform, H Castiglione says, “because on the original the cab is so far back. Also, the LX is tall, while the original was super low and wide." Yet Castiglione was undaunted. "I didn't want the new car to be a body with a Challenger emblem on it. I wanted people to…

Wouldn't it be fun to see for yourself what the Cars we test really look like as we wring them out at the track? The latest in electronic gadgets and software is now helping us to bring you exactly that. For our test day at the Bosch proving grounds and at GingerMan raceway, we equipped the Gayman S and 24M Coupe with the latest in electornic. Gadgets, allowing us to watch their steerin gadgets, allowing us to watch their steering movements, slide angles, plus body roll and 'hat’s in addition to the rich information GPS technology already provides. Below is a Sampling of what we learned. But for a more visceral experience, visit www.motortrend.com to immerse yourself in a virtual 3D animated test-track world where you can zoom in, fly…

CONVERTIBLES are cool. For the first six months. Then you get over looking good in the sunshine and start worrying about melanomas. The wind noise starts to bug you on the freeway. And you get sick of looking for parking spots under a streetlight so some punk doesn't turn your canvas top into something that looks like it was styled by Vivienne Westwood with a carving knife. You start wishing you'd bought a coupe. Then, early on a perfect summer’s morning redolent with the smell of fresh-mown hay, you fall in love all over again with the idea of top-down motoring. Damn! A folding hardtop—convertible when you want it, coupe when you don’t—sounds like the best of both worlds, and you won't be surprised to learn the idea’s been around…

THE UNASSUMING MINIVAN IS EASIER TO DRIVE AND MANEUVER, MORE FUEL EFFICIENT AND IN MANYCASES AS SAFE OR SAFER THAN AN SUV. IT ISN’T SEXY. iso scintillating. Even its staunchest proponents would be hard-pressed to get worked up about driving it. But for one in 15 U.S. buyers, the versatile mini-van remains not only the most sensible but the preferable choice in personal transportation. In fact, two of the players in this four-way face-off currently reside near the top of the best-seller list. What accounts for this popularity? Simply put, the unassuming minivan is easier to drive and maneuver, more fuel-efficient, and in many cases as safe or safer than an SUV. Indeed, its only weakness seems to be an ongoing inability to contend with superstar egos. And that leaves…

HAS TERI HATCHER had some work done? Probably. She certainly looks great, but Hollywood’s plastic surgeons aren't talking. Mercedes has given the E-Class a similarly discreet midlife nip-tuck. Careful study of before-and-after photos reveals subtle revisions to the grille, lights, bumpers, wheels, and decklid. Interior spiffs include a new steering wheel and standard goodies like a sunroof and premium six-disc sound. New Neck-Pro active head restraints that reduce the risk of whiplash and Pre-Safe (the S-Class hand-me-down that tightens the belts, closes the windows, and adjusts the seats when sensors indicate an impending crash) provide class-leading safety. In fact, 40 percent of the car is new or revised. There are four new engines (okay, the 268-horse, 3.5-liter V-6 bowed in the 2006 E350), book-ended by the socially responsible Bluetec 3.0-liter…

AFTER NAMING the all-new Civic our 2006 Car of the Year, we quickly filled Honda’s mailbox with an invitation to join our long-term fleet—MT’s protocol for “of the Year” recipients. Rather than request a bread-and-butter coupe or sedan or the fuel-friendly gas/electric hybrid, we opted for the Ritalin-deprived Si, the one Civic that could best spruce up our stable. We are enthusiasts, after all. The Fiji Blue Pearl Si arrived with 360 miles on the odometer, and within two months of service, it’s already accrued close to 4100 miles at our hands. A tally of the gas card reveals the Si’s fuel economy—just over 24 mpg—is about what we expected, considering the powertrain (a 2.0-liter, 197-horse in line-four-cylinder with six-speed manual) is rated 23/32 city/highway. We expect the fuel economy…

THE 300C’S ARRIVAL into our long-term-test fleet was a most anticipated one. Chrysler’s square-shouldered sedan became a pop-culture It car the day it went on sale and marked the return ofa Hemi V-8 and rear drive to the company’s automotive roster. Its look was hot, the price-point attractive, and who wouldn‘t want 340 horsepower on tap for $35 grand? The 300 lineup won our Car of the Year award for 2005, thus earning a tester an automatic spot in the Motor Trend garage for a 12-month workout. Chrysler obliged us with a Magnesium Pearl over Slate/Graystone example that looked great on its polished 18-inch wheels. What’s the best way to break in a new luxury sedan? Vegas, baby! This editor gave the car a 750-mile introductory trip, and it looked…

STAND BY STAND BY for a wave of rear-drive cars from GM before the end of the decade. With work on the Camaro’s modified Zeta platform underway, GM is now looking at ways of leveraging the architecture across its brand portfolio to amortize manufacturing costs. One radical plan calls for Pontiac to go rear drive entirely, as part of an effort to revive the division’s pitifully faded performance image. This means the Epsilon-based G6 will go away at the end of its model life (it’s close in concept, if not execution, to the direction intended for Saturn anyway), the Vibe will disappear, and the Torrent SUV will probably be reconfigured as an entry-level GMC. The new Solstice will stay and will be joined by a new Zeta-based GTO and a…

TAKE a close look at the black Audi A4 shown here. Notice how far forward the front axle centerline is? That’s because you're looking at a mule of the next-generation A4, due for launch at the end of 2007. To give the new A4 better weight distribution and sportier handling, Audi engineers have devised a new gearbox and front differential layout that’s allowed them to move the front axle centerline forward almost four inches. The new platform will radically change the A4’s proportions: Although the new car will be about four inches longer overall, the front overhang will be dramatically shortened. Audi will build an SUV and a coupe off its next-gen A4 architecture, according to boss Martin Winter-korn. A third variant, called the Sportback and closely related to the…

BUOYED by the success of the LR3, Land Rover is ready for a serious stab at the compact premium SUV market with an all-new replacement for the ancient Free-lander, the LR2. Built off the same architecture that underpins the Volvo $40 and European Ford Focus, the new LR2 promises carlike ride and refinement with genuine off-road ability. Having over eight inches of ground clearance and the capability to wade through almost 20 inches of water, the LR2 also features Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response system, which optimizes engine, transmission, traction and suspension for different environments. Under-hood is a compact new DOHC 3.2-liter I-6 that delivers 230 horsepower and 234 pound-feet of torque. Driving all four wheels through a new Aisin six-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift control and a Haldex center…

YOUR CAR?’S instruments will show you the basics tuff—speed, engine rpm, coolant temp—but how about intake air temperature? Or fuel rate? Or throttle position? For all that—and much more—you need a ScanGauge Il ($169.95). Simply hook up the device to your car’s OBDII port (ScanGauge works on most 1996 or newer vehicles), and your car’s innermost secrets are revealed. You can even download the data to analyze your car’s performance on your computer. For more info and ordering, visit www.scangauge.com.…

BUILD a new BMW 328 off the Z4 and what do you get? Bavarian retro: the 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe introduced at the Mille Miglia historic rally in Italy. An original 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe won the race in 1940, so BMW built a new one to commemorate 22 vintage Bimmer racers that competed in this year’s event. That 1940 BMW set a record the company says survives today, running the 1000-mile race at an average of nearly 104 mph. The concept is based on the new Z4 M Coupe, with 330 horses from its 3.2-liter I-6. It’s slightly longer and lower than the Z4 Coupe, with 245/40 tires on 20-inch wheels. The touring coupe has a hinged roof for entry and exit and apparently no iDrive system.…

ACROSS THE DESERT floor rolls the thunder of a big-bore AmericanV8 at full throttle, sun glinting off insolent hood scoops, driver’s glazed eyes transfixed on a road that stretches hard and straight into infinity—into the future, into destiny. Behind, police cruisers, sirens wailing, struggle to keep pace. Their pursuit is in vain. The car, a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T “hopped up to over 160;’is too fast. Its driver—name: Kowalski—won't be stopped. Not by them. But of course he cannot get away. As the theater lights brighten, the credits roll on 1971’s “Vanishing Point’ Kowalski—‘‘the electric centaur, the super driver of the golden West, the last beautiful free soul on this planet"—has met his fate. Three years later, the original Challenger joins him as Dodge pulls the plug. Both are destined…

HERE’S A LIST of features and components you get with Audi’s raucous new RS, which aren't available on a Cadillac CTS-v: full-time all-wheel drive; direct fuel injection; Dynamic Ride Control; bi-Xenon headlights with automatic leveling, steer tracking, and retractable washers; 19-inch wheels and tires; rear and rearside privacy shades; driver adjustable throtile-tip-in programming and exhaust system; aluminum hood and front fenders; cooled front seats and heated rear ones; and a lap timer. And here’s a list of what you can get with a Cadillac CTS-v: a Mini Cooper. No, a CTS-v doesn't come with a new Mini in the trunk. But you could buy a loaded one for the $22,380 difference in the as-tested price between the $73,870 RS 4 and $51,490 CTS-v you see on these pages. Which puts…

TWELVE CYLINDERS are about power, yes, but they’re even more about the turbinelike smoothness that comes with sophisticated power delivery—not to mention exclusivity, bragging rights, and automotive sensuality. Lincoln, Packard, Rolls-Royce, Maybach, all prewar greats that purred to the V-12 beat. Ferrari and Lamborghini wouldn't be the highly sought marques they are without a high-revving dozen. Presented here, then, are a brace of flagship sedans, each offering not only 12 pistons, but a pair of turbochargers as well. If refined power is good, a big bunch of it ought to be just right. Bentley’s elegant Continental GT coupe begat the Continental Flying Spur sedan last spring. It uses the coupe’s chassis architecture, adding a foot’s worth of wheel-base, a revised rear subframe, retuned suspension and exhaust systems, and, of course,…

TRADITIONAL folding softtop or a newfangled folding hardtop? Each has its obvious advantages (and disadvantages), but in the case of our Mustang and G6, we probed deeper into two areas to get a better handle on both. Interior noise: You expect a solid top to be quieter, but how much? We exposed both cars to 80 dBA of white noise (measured at the driver’s seat with the tops down). Erected, the Mustang*s top resisted 17 dBA of it, suppressing its cabin noise to 63 dBA. The G6 did substantially better, blocking 27 dBA, lowering the cacophony to 53. A 10 dBA difference is significant. Operation time: Raising the Mustang’s lid required about 14 seconds, plus about six seconds for the manual latches. Say, 20 seconds total. Lowering needed about the…

YOU'D GET the feeling, visiting its new cold-weather testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, that BMW wants to become an all-wheel-drive automaker like Audi. You'd be wrong. BMW still considers rear-drive, with near-perfect front/rear balance, its ultimate dynamic expression. But, as a premium European automaker, it can't ignore the call-to-all-wheels trend. Witness Mercedes, VW, and Volvo. The latest xDrive system (available in the 325, 330, 525, and 530 sedans, and the only drivetrain available in 325xi and 530xi Sports Wagons) is designed for a low center of gravity and optimal dynamics with minimal intervention and “extremely fast response times,’ BMW engineers say. (xDrive won't be available on the 7 Series until the all-new 2009 model.) The latest-generation xDrive, an update over what’s in the X3 and X5 (there’s no space for…

SCION HAS builtaname for itself in the competitive small-car market. Smart styling, nice features, and a low price have made it a value leader in its category. What it hasn't been known for, however, is sportiness. With the introduction of the tC, Scion offers customers sporting edge while maintaining practicality and value. More aggressive body panels, tighter suspension, and an energetic 2.4-liter DOHC |-4 (producing a spirited 160 horse-power at 5700 rpm) combine for a fun driving experience. GReddy takes all this to the next level. Known for forced-induction systems, GReddy Performance Products now offer a complete package that gives new meaning to the letters tC—turbocharged. First up in the makeover is more power via a GReddy TDOSH-18G turbocharger, pressurizing the tC’s 144-cubic-inch inline-four-cylinder with 8.5 psi of boost. The…

2006 NISSAN XTERRA Total mileage 11,259 OUR XTERRA went inforthe _7500-mile maintenance and to investigate a warning light from the tire-pressure-monitoring system. We've checked the tire pressures, and they‘ve been within spec. Reader Steve Hertel wrote us that it was his spare tire, low on air, that caused the light. The dealer’s diagnosis on the system found two fault codes. Per a Nissan bulletin, they “inspected the tire sensors and reinitialized” the system. No codes came back so they returned itto us, sans parts replacement. Two weeks later the light came on again, so it’s back at the dealer for a recheck. Otherwise, we're lovin’ it. ▪ Average fuel econ 15.1 mpg ▪ Unresolved problems Tire-pressure monitor ▪ Maintenance cost $79.02 (7.5K service) ▪ Normal-wear cost $0 2006 INFINITI M45…

LIKE THE musclecar era itself, the SCCA Trans-Am series reached its popularity in 1970. Trans-Am was known for top-name drivers and fender-banging competition. Chevrolet dominated the 1969 season, but Ford and AMC were back for more, and Dodge was in with factory-supported effort as well. This Challenger was built by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers and driven by Sam Posey. The Mopar Trans-Am cars ran 340 V-8s, destroked to 303 cubic inches to sneak in under the 5.0-liter limit. Horsepower was about 450, with weight around 3200 pounds. Posey also raced in Formula 1, USAC, Can-Am, the Formula 5000 series, and at Sebring and Le Mans prior to his career as a racing commentator. This photo was taken during the season opener at Laguna Seca, where he finished sixth. The…