Innehållsförteckning för September 1995 från MotorTrend

Ferrari’s new F355 Spider is expected to find as many buyers in the U.S. as in all other worldwide markets combined, and its attractions are readily apparent: This is Ferrari’s newest softtop model and its first ever with an electrically operated roof. It complements the F355 Berlinetta coupe, but will eventually replace the GTS lifttop variant. The Spider’s five-layer roof, like the car itself, is shaped and engineered by Pininfarina. The folding mechanism, powered by six electric motors and hydraulic rams, also affects the seats. They magically move forward while the roof folds behind them, and then they return to their original positions. But the sun worshipper’s ritual isn’t entirely automatic: The roof must be unlocked manually from the windshield header rail, and its tonneau has to be clipped in…

he car shown here, a from-the-ground-up, compositebodied electric-vehicle prototype built by Boston EV developer Solectria, has just become a media star. Its claim to fame: a 238-mile single-charge dash during the recent five-day Tour de Sol electric-vehicle road rally from Connecticut to Maine. Solectria’s four-passenger Sunrise is the fruit of an ongoing $5-million effort to create a purpose-built, manufacturable electric vehicle. The prototype displays the skills of this small R&D firm, as well as the expertise of the many notable mainstream companies costsharing the project. The Sun-rise’s development is partially funded by Boston Edison and the Pentagon’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, with administration by the Northeast Alternative Vehicle Consortium. Solectria’s aim isn’t to manufacture this vehicle, but rather to license its technology to a third party, one of its partners,…

Audi will fortify the volume end of its lineup for ’96 by replacing the veteran 90 model with a bigger, better, and more sophisticat-ed vehicle, the new A4. We first encountered this smartly styled compact sedan, on sale in Europe since spring, on a recent whirlwind tour through Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Save for minor trim items, the cars were identical to those scheduled to appear in U.S. Audi showrooms this fall. Although inclement weather and uncooperative traffic conspired to prevent us from fully exploring the A4’s performance envelope, we logged enough quality seat time to develop a good feel for its basic personality. Our efforts focused on two specific A4 variants, the 2.8-liter V-6, which will be the only engine initially offered in the U.S., and a new five-valve…

Sometimes, the best way to move for-ward is to look back-Awards. Take Pontiac’s Ram Air system for the 5.7-liter LT1 V-8-powered ’96 Firebird Formula and Trans Am. Even the name is old; Pontiac first used the Ram Air designation back on the 400-cubic-inch V-8 in the ’69 GTO. The basic idea is even older: Let the engine breathe. The ’69 Ram Air option consisted essentially of a hood with scoops that were purported to force air into the engine. The ’96 Ram Air option consists essentially of a hood with scoops that, at speed, purportedly force air into the engine. Is it merely a coincidence that the model-year integers are transposed? Or is it a sinister conspiracy? The basic LT1 V-8 m all ’96 Camaro Z28s and uplevel Pontiac Firebirds…

ROAD TEST The United States covers 3,787,428 square miles, has roughly 3.88 million miles of roads and, according to the last census, has 248,709,873 residents. Altogether, we’ll make about $6 trillion worth of products this year. There are a lot of us, we’ve got a lot of stuff, we like to move it around, and we’ve got a lot of room to move it around in. It’s why we love sport/utility vehicles. At one time, there was no such thing as a “sport” utility vehicle; utility vehicles were commercial trucks built to transport personnel and equipment from one job site to another—trucks like the GMC Suburban and its twin from Chevrolet. The introduction of the full-size two-door ’69 GMC Jimmy/Chevy Blazer (essentially converted short-wheelbase pickups with liftoff fiberglass rear roofs…

A Cheeky New Import Sedan Takes On the Subcompact Establishment Some people just love rising to a challenge. American Suzuki Motors, flush from a year that saw sales increase by 32 percent and starting its second decade of marketing vehicles here in the U.S., certainly qualifies for that status. This spring, it introduced the new Esteem, the largest passenger car the firm has ever sold here—becoming the latest high-value alternative buy to compete in what’s already the most densely populated automotive market segment. Estimating annual sales of 12,000 units, Suzuki is hoping the Esteem will bolster both its image and its profit picture. Anchoring the Esteem lineup is the bud-get-oriented base model, which starts at $11,399. That price brings a formidable array of standards including dual airbags, power rack-and-pinion steering,…

ON TH RIGHT TRACK The dampers in mobile CD changers have gotten good—quite good. But sometimes when you hit a sustained patch of wicked pavement, even the best changer will skip and interrpt your cherished tunes. Until now Sony has had the only remedy for the worst jolts: Electronic Shock Protection, a RAM buffer chip situated downstream of the laser and upstream of the D/A converter. The chip stores three seconds of musical data, enough time for the laser to retrack. The result is seamless music, even when your ride hits a real sinkhole. Now Pioneer (2265 E. 220th St., Dept. MT, Long Beach, CA 90810; 213/746-6337) joins the party with the Sure Track System, now available in the company’s Premier Model CDX-P2000 12-CD changer ($560). Sure Track’s skip buffer…

MULTIVALVES (OVER) SIMPLIFIED Just a decade ago, so-called multivalve layouts on production-car engines were very rare. But now, luxury sedans, econoboxes, station wagons, airport rentals, and even pickup trucks all can and do have engines with multivalve cylinder heads. The conventional piston-engine concept implies two valves per cylinder: one intake, one exhaust. “Multivalve” means more than two valves per cylinder. Three-valve layouts have two intakes and one exhaust, four valves means two of each, and five means three intakes and two exhausts. There has been at least one example of six valves, with three of each. Remember that a piston engine is simply an air pump. If the engine can take in more air, it can make more power. Thus, most performance-enhancing processes involve moving more air into and out…

TURBO TURMOIL For all those who are enthralled with the all-new Ferrari F355, it is my duty to open your eyes and fill them with tears. The ’96 Porsche 911 Turbo is the new sports car of dreams. Just look at the numbers for 0-60 mph, the quarter mile, lateral acceleration, and base price. The 911 Turbo: 3.7 seconds, 12.1 seconds at 113.1 mph, 1.00 g, $99,000 base price, versus the Ferrari F355: 4.7 seconds, 12.8 seconds at 110.2 mph, 0.93 g, $120,000. The Porsche even gets better gas mileage. So why does the Ferrari get its doors blown off by the new Porsche? That’s easy: Ferrari was once again striving to be second best. Maybe next year they’ll strap a pair of turbos on the V-8 that was supposedly…

’96 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA FIRST DRIVE With Chevrolet and GMC Truck selling all the Blazers and Jim-mys they can make, Oldsmobile dealers have been chomping at the bit to get the new-generation Bravada sport/utility on their lots. As of the beginning of next year, they’ll need chomp no longer. The ’96 Bravada is based on the same platform as the new Blazer and Jimmy, but Oldsmobile is positioning it as a more upscale edition with a higher level of content and a few exclusive features. Visually, the Bravada is separated from its GM cousins by a number of changes. A handsome new front fascia combines a Blazer hood and Jimmy headlamps with Olds’ own bumper and dual-port grille design. Located in the front airdam are both standard foglamps and tow hooks;…

Get ready, folks, ’96 is shaping up to be one of the most spectacular and meaningful years in recent automotive history. Expect to see a potpourri of new technology, new vehicles, and substantive upgrades to established players as automakers feeling the pressures of a hypercompetitive market attempt to lure consumers into their showrooms. We’re currently hard at work putting together our annual comprehensive Buyer’s Guide of the entire spectrum of domestic and imported passenger cars, which will appear in next month’s new car extravaganza. To help tide you over until then, we’ve compiled this early look at some of the more interesting offerings that will be tantalizing buyers during the upcoming model year. A green flag waved off The Movement way back in ’83, when Ford stopped hobbling the Mustang…

The dilemma has been dramatically clear-cut: stick or automatic? Control or convenience? Jolt Cola or Sominex? As traffic congestion has gained a greater stranglehold on our cities and suburbs, it seems that all but the most sporting diehards are choosing to go clutchless, opting to sacrifice the enthusiastic spirit and precise control of a stick for less wear and tear on the left leg muscles. But no longer does it need to be an either/or decision: Thanks to the miracle of electronics, we can now have our automatic pampering and engine-revving fervor, too. Porsche, with its dual-mode Tiptronic transmission (introduced in ’90), was the first in the modem era to bridge the gap, offering a choice of fully automatic operation or clutchless manual shifting. Audi has since adopted the Tiptronic…

Here are the first factory-authorized photos of the new BMW Z3 roadster, on sale in the U.S. next spring. Pilot models are already being built in the firm’s new assembly facility near Spartanburg, South Carolina. Utilizing the basic floorpan and suspension hardware from the existing 3-Series, this rakish two-seater initially will carry the 3l8i’s 1.8-liter/138-horsepower DOHC four-cylinder engine under its elegantly sculpted hood. Sometime later in its fe cycle, a higher-performance luxury version with a 2.8-liter inline-six also will be made available. The standard transmission will be start around $30,000. The Z3 will a five-speed manual, with a four-speed make its first public appearance in automatic offered as an option. The January at the North American Interbasic Z3 package also includes power national Auto Show in Detroit; how-rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel…

FACTORY NEWS PONTIAC READIES SUPER GRAND AM Nearly three years ago Pontiac revealed a proposed successor to the GTO based on the Grand Am platform. Proving that the concept is not yet dead (even if the name is), Pontiac displayed this Ram Air Grand Am at the media gathering for the new Ram Air Firebird. Using its Ram Air induction system to good effect, the 3.4-liter 60-degree OHV 12-valve V-6 produces 200 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. Power is transmitted to a surprisingly sharp-shifting five-speed manual transmission and out to 225/50ZR16 Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires on the appropriate l6x7.0-inch wheels. Though it eschews such fashionable elements as overhead cams, four-valves per cylinder, or a balance shaft, the overall package works exceptionally well. Let’s hope Pontiac adds its Ram Air…

RACE-CAR TEST: LE MANS CORVETTE ZR-1 In addition to some seriously muscular street machines, Doug Rippie has crafted successful stock-based race cars. When organizers of “Le 24 Heures du Mans” opened the event to productionbased racers, Rippie pictured an all-American car in victory lane at the historic endurance event. Despite a lack of funding that would terrify the less-determined, Rippie’s vision took shape. After its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Rippie offered us the exclusive opportunity to test the ZR-1 Team Corvette USA’s Le Mans at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway. Our first impression was of the steel tubes blocking the windshield: It was like placing fishing rods across the front seat of a car and trying to drive from the rear. At speed, the tubes weren’t a problem:…

’94 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA SPECIAL EDITION SL At the dawn of the ’90s, General Motors’ large customer base of first-time buyers was driving around in the boxy original J-body-series of econo-cars (Buick Skyhawk, Chevrolet Cavalier, and Pontiac Sunbird) that dated in design back to ’82. While the second generation of J-cars wouldn’t arrive until ’95, in the meantime GM readied a new line of cars designed to capture the business of repeat customers wanting to move a notch up in size, yet do so on a budget. Hence, the birth of the current-generation Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Achie-va, and Pontiac Grand Am, known in GM-ese as “N-bodies.” Customers expected these new frontdrivers to be roomy, trouble-free, relatively fun to drive, inexpensive to operate, and priced to please even the most modest budget—a…

SLP (Street Legal Performance) is moving up and branching out. Midway through the ’95 model year, this dedicated go-fast group located in Troy, Michigan, created a run of 200 Pontiac Trans Am Comp T/A coupes fitted with BFGoodrich 275/40ZR17 Comp T/A tires, Firehawk-style l7x9.0-inch aluminum wheels, a Ram Air hood, and various other accoutrement. Timed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of BFG’s original performance tire, this new Trans Am is the first SLP product not equipped with Firestone rubber. (SLP Firehawks will continue into the ’96 model year, still wearing Firestone radial tires of the same name.) Even grander news: SLP plans to deliver a hot new Camaro for ’96. Dubbed the Z28 SS, the SLP-modified Chevrolet will produce approximately 300 horsepower with base equipment that includes a NACA-ducted cold-air…

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AT THE MVA? Anyone who has ever applied for a license, title, or tags at the local Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) office is familiar with this scene: long lines, surly help, and general chaos. But that scene is changing, according to W. Marshall Rickert, Chairman of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), who admits, “Our agencies have a captive customer base. If we were running a McDonald’s and we provided the service that the MVA traditionally provides, we’d be bankrupt in a year.” Rickert says that customer ire, technology, and a changing political climate that has tightened funds are giving the administration a new look. The MVA started the turnaround five years ago by immersing its staffs in customer-satisfaction classes and sharing technological and program ideas…

THE ROCKET 88 REVIVAL WITH A SUPERCHARGED V-6 Were it not for the Aurora, the 98-year-old rocket brand might have already fizzled its final spurt. But now that Oldsmobile is temporarily restabilized in orbit, the immediate challenge is to spread the Aurora’s heavenly glow throughout the rest of the lineup. That’s precisely the mission of the ’96 LSS: Think of it as an 88 sedan liberally sprinkled with Aurora stardust. The LSS badge was first used three years ago to offer Eighty Eight customers an alternative to wire wheel covers and whitewall tires. For ’96, the LSS is a standalone model that no longer wears any Eighty Eight identification whatsoever. Consistent with the Aurora strategy, rocket logos and Oldsmobile badges also are downplayed on this large touring sedan to help…

To follow up the successful launch of its Sebring coupe this spring, Chrysler is expanding the model range by releasing this handsome convertible in the first quarter of 1996. Although the Sebring hardtop (and its Dodge Avenger platform-mate) is based on a chassis derived from the Mitsubishi Galant, the Sebring JX shares a good deal of its basic mechanical heritage with the JA-platform Chrysler Cirrus/Dodge Stratus. Unlike the JA sedans, however, the Sebring softtop was developed by Chrysler’s small-car-platform team and shares no common sheetmetal with its four-door relatives. Because it was intended to be a convertible from the start, all necessary structural reinforcing has been built in, not added on. Chrysler plans to offer the Sebring convertible in two trim levels, JX and upline JXi. A power top will…

Why do wild horses rampage across Southwestern plains? Mustangs run because that’s just what they do. They don’t think about it, they just feel the wind grab their ears or see a movement, and bolt. Stampedes are their natural state of excitement. For over 30 years, the normal state of excitement for the Ford Mustang has been to run. From the moment a driver grabs the wheel, his first urge is to drive fast. It’s what V-8 Mustangs are built to do. Making Ford Mustangs go faster has become an industry and art in and of itself. In the ’80s, a great cult of 5.0-liter believers arose demanding more and more performance from their ponycars. Today, warehouses across the country are stocked with enough Mustang go-fast, stop-quick, and turn-brisk components…

Strolling through the courtyard of San Francisco’s historic Fairmont Hotel was like walking through a time tunnel. Lined up on either side was a cornucopia of exquisite vintage cars—mostly European sports cars from the ’50s—immaculately restored, detailed, and, yes, ready to drive. There was an assortment of Porsches, Jaguars, Ferraris, MGs, Alfas, and a ’56 Corvette Sebring, as well as a sampling of more-exotic fare, such as a ’48 HWM Stovebolt, ’36 Bugatti 57 SC, ’31 Chrysler CD8 Roadster, ’27 Mercedes SSK, ’16 Lancia, and… a ’96 Dodge Viper RT? 10? This was the starting point for the ’95 California Mille Miglia, an annual vintage-car rally based on a legendary Italian auto race, the Mille Miglia (1000 miles), that wound through the hilly countryside between Brescia and Rome, and has…

Huge strides have been made in improving vehicle dynamics during the past several decades, and these changes are destined to continue as we head into the 21st century. The next significant enhanced-stability control advance has just become a production reality. Designed to prevent dangerous oversteer or understeer conditions, this new strain of anti-spin/anti-plow driver assist integrates the main elements of existing ABS and traction control with a more powerful electronic brain and the latest iteration of decision-making software. While the new system can’t override the basic laws of physics, it does promise a safer driving experience over virtually every type of road surface, and in any weather condition. A number of automakers plan to introduce stability-control systems during the next several years, but this spring Mercedes-Benz and BMW became the…

’95 CHEVROLET BLAZER LT Our Blazer has won many converts to the sport/ute contingent during these past few months. Its intermediate size, comfortable seats, strong V-6 power, ergonomically friendly interior, and numerous other attributes have proved the Blazer a worthy all-weather, day-to-day alternative to a car. We had the opportunity to drive off-pavement during several skiing excursions, where the four-wheel-drive system excelled in the slippery snow. The 7500-mile checkup was a reasonable $53.02. While replenishing the Blazer’s fluids, the mechanics corrected a couple of chassis problems through a front-end alignment and a brake adjustment—all covered under warranty. The 15,000-mile service totaled $589, including a $235.52 front brake job; our technician replaced worn brake linings and serviced the rotors. All four shocks were replaced under warranty at 17,802 miles because they…