Innehållsförteckning för February 2001 från MotorTrend

◼ CHRYSLER may soon offer an ’02 PT Cruiser with a special Recaro seat package, including nifty navy and orange leather seats, seat-mounted back packs, pullout thigh bolsters, and adjustable lumbar support. Other goodies include 17-in. six-spoke wheels and a premium Onkyo sound system. Expected price is about $3700 over that of a Cruiser Limited, or roughly $24,000. ◼ OLDSMOBILE quietly rolled this Alero convertible onto the SEMA show floor in Las Vegas to test consumer interest for possible future production. Expect a convertible version to come only with the Alero’s optional 3.4L V-6. At a fully equipped price of less than $30,000, it would be aimed at the Chrysler Sebring convertible. ◼ DAIMLERCHRYSLER’S replacement of Chrysler President Jim Holden (with Jurgen Schrempp protégé Dieter Zetsche) coincides with several moves…

Ford’s Focus was the ’focal point for some serious customizing fun at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show held recently in Las Vegas. Although many aftermarket companies displayed all manner of lowered, big-tired, brightly painted Foci, we were most impressed with three customs by various entities within Ford Motor Company itself. One is called the “Made in Detroit” Focus, based on the two-door hatchback ZX3. Ford offers this funky little co-branded panel wagon as an edgy, urban vehicle for young industrial-strength buyers. Detroit Motor Company is the producer of Made in Detroit brand clothing, aimed at young buyers interested in techno/hip-hop/hybrid rock music and industrial culture. This intriguing mini-panel concept features 18-in. wheels, aggressive rubber, a more upright rear hatch, a flat top, and clever interior storage options. Ford officials…

Chevrolet’s full-size trucks and sport/utilities are among General Motors’ best products. Take the relatively low-volume Corvette and the high-profit—but undriveable—DirecTV subsidiary out of the equation, and this argument becomes even more persuasive. Chevy knows what it’s got and is busy beefing up its truck line with appealing tuner toys and lust-inducing concepts. Three such vehicles stood out at the SEMA show in Las Vegas: the Silverado SS, the Avalanche Base Camp, and yet another Tahoe Z71 concept. The Base Camp and Z71 take the active-lifestyle image to extremes, while the Silverado SS says muscle truck all the way. Even though the Silverado SS hints at what the production version will look like when Chevrolet finally gets its Ford SVT F-150 Lightning-challenger on the street, many components are strictly conceptual: Its…

Spy photography of the ’03 Porsche Cayenne are finally giving a clear look at the face of this controversial sport/utility vehicle. The massive front end seen in earlier spy shots has given way to a more 911-like nose, with swept-back headlights and a three-piece grille under the bumper. Porschephiles have slammed the company because they felt it sacrificed its Le Mans effort last year to concentrate on the SUV. This year, Porsche returns to the famed 24-hour enduro with its Carrera GT (“News,” Jan. ’01), which should go a long way toward satisfying the purists. Stuttgart managed to develop both the GT and the Cayenne at the same time—with impressive results. To show how serious it is about the Cayenne, Porsche Cars North America has even become a member of…

When it comes to a truck getting the job done, power is everything. Truck engines today are being asked to do it all: move mountains, last forever, deliver some modicum of fuel economy (certainly relative to the size and capability of the vehicle), run smoothly and quietly, and, for many owners, make a truck fun to drive. The balance of the powertrain is important, too: Automatic transmissions make towing a snap, but you lose the ability to select any gear you want, when you want. How do you get power to the ground? Will rear drive suffice or will you need the capability of 4WD for deep snow or slippery launch ramps? And, now, there’s also all-wheel drive for surefootedness under all road conditions. This year’s roster of contestants ran…

Any truck’s “living room” is where owners spend their time, and in the tradition of the proverbial couch potato, seating should be comfortable, supportive, coupled with a pleasing decor, with all controls close at hand. In evaluating our testers, we don’t just take this notion of liveability into account, but the quality and usage of materials as well. Are they comfortable, pleasing to the eye, yet able to take years of abuse? Do all the parts fit properly, or has the switchgear been sourced from a cheap video game? The GMC Sierra C3 is the luxury leader of this test, with its tone-on-tone, heated leather seats, steering wheel and rear-seat audio controls, black cherry “plood” (plastic wood) trim surrounds, and driver information center that calculates endless data in no fewer…

There’s more to a truck than what’s under the skin. Sure, they have to be rugged, powerful, and able to carry heavy loads, but It’s the little extras the engineers put into their designs that make the vehicles easier to live with, more comfortable to ride in, and fun to drive. Ford realizes that people, like trucks, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. While the driver’s seat adjusts fore and aft, individuals with small torsos may not be able to properly reach the pedals. Ford introduced electrically adjustable pedals in the Lincoln Navigator several years ago, and that same mechanism has found its way Into the F-150 for ’01. The Explorer Sport Trac impresses with a host of cool goodies, like a removable, soft-sided center console, an aluminum…

Exclusivity, performance, style, and craftsmanship are all Jaguar hallmarks. Happily, each is unquestionably intact in the ’01 XKR Silverstone. It represents the next step beyond the “standard-issue,” 370-hp XKR, adopting the XK180 showcar’s suspension, wheel, and brake components to raise the XKR’s already outstanding abilities to an even higher level. It’s breathtaking to look at and represents the most impressive, agile, and (ties for the) quickest production Jaguar we’ve ever driven. A combined total of only 250 coupes and convertibles are headed our way—each commanding a lofty $96,905 base price and unusual in that, most times, ragtops cost more. By the time you read this, a full 90 percent of the entire U.S. allotment will be presold—thus the term “exclusive” takes on new meaning. Discounting past gray market, streetable race…

2000 LINCOLN LS We continue to enjoy this competent, attractively priced luxury/sport sedan in both V-8 automatic and V-6 five-speed manual forms. They’re both structurally stiff and rock solid; we can only imagine how these cars would handle equipped with premium shocks and top-flight performance tires (such as the Pirelli P Zeros on the like-chassis’d Jaguar S-Type). Our V-8 LS’ five-speed manumatic transmission, repaired as part of a recall prior to our last update, is still shifting fine. A new problem surfaced shortly thereafter in the form of an exhaust leak. It ticked like crazy upon startup, though the noise went away when the car was warm. It was back to the dealer doctor for a new driver-side exhaust manifold, as the old one was cracked. Everything’s up to snuff…

As sport/utility vehicles grow to the size of small nations, Suzuki is supplying the entry-level segments with good-quality low-priced vehicles that don’t have to stick out of the garage. Suzuki took the body-on-frame Grand Vitara, stretched the wheelbase 12.6 in. (to 110.2), added 19.1 in. in overall length, and threw in a third-row seat to create the XL-7. The top GV engine has been enlarged from 2.5 to 2.7L, the aluminum twin-cam V-6 now boasting 170 hp and 178 Ib-ft of torque. Take your choice between a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Available with either rear drive or 4WD, the XL-7 is fitted with MacPherson struts in front and a solid axle out back. Four-wheel-drive versions are true 4x4s, offering a low-range transfer case for extra hill-climbing prowess. But…

If looks can indeed kill, then the Chrysler Crossfire concept qualifies as deadly force. Check out the weapon: ground-hugging stance, wide track, low-profile rubber, and a 275-hp supercharged D0HC V-6 under the hood sending power to the rear wheels. We remember another Chrysler sports car concept that ultimately made it to production: It’s called the Dodge Viper, and it’s still a hit, to say the least. Could the Chrysler Crossfire—which will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show about the time you read this—be next? We spoke with Trevor Creed, vice president of design for DaimlerChrysler, to understand the overall mission of the Crossfire. We also discussed its hardware and build with Jon Rundels, director of Concept and Specialty Vehicles, and William Presley, supervisor for Concept…

The sport/utility vehicle ’pond is a big one. Yet, into the water jumps another entry, the ’01 Toyota Highlander. Built on a modified Camry floorpan, Toyota’s newest SUV is a midsize rig that slips into its product lineup somewhere in between the RAV4 and 4Runner. While the truck-based 4Runner qualifies as a more serious off-roader, the new Highlander is positioned as an on-roader with light off-road and extra all-weather capabilities. Two engines are available: an all new2.4LD0HC inline-four and a 3.0L DOHC V-6. Both aluminum powerplants are typically Toyota-smooth, the four-banger making 155 hp at 5600 rpm and 163 Ib-ft of torque at 4000. The even-firing V-6 puts out 220 hp at 5800 rpm and 222 Ib-ft of twist at 4400 rpm. Both engines are quiet and unobtrusive, until you…

They hide behind signs, hang out of trees, run through parking lots, and literally chase cars down the street. They’ve been threatened by security forces, had their film confiscated, and even been injured in the line of duty. They’re “spy” photographers: phantom camera jockeys who live to nab some poor, unsuspecting, and uncamouflaged prototype vehicle on film. Here’s a look at some of their latest work. READY FOR PRIMETIME? Hyundai has a sales hit on its hands with its first sport/utility—the Santa Fe—and it’s also nibbling at the toes of the luxury market with the new XG 300. Now it looks as if Hyundai will attempt yet another leap forward as a more multifaceted car company with the next Tiburon, likely to appear in the spring on 2002. Accompanying the…

From the Chevrolet and GMC B camps come a pair that represents each brand’s new lineup of 3/4-and one-ton trucks—a four-wheel-drive Chevrolet Silverado HD Crew Cab packing the impressive new 6.6L Duramax 6600 turbodiesel/Allison five-speed automatic powertrain combo and a GMC Sierra HD Extended Cab with the new Vortec 8100 V-8. Chevrolet also brought out its latest variant of compact S-10, the Crew Cab model (which, interestingly enough, has been available in South America since ’94). A GMC version also is available, though Chevy doesn’t offer a clone of the new super-luxury, Yukon Denali-like all-wheel-drive 1500 Sierra C3. Ford checked in with yet another variation on the F-150 theme—the SuperCrew—along with the new-for-’01 Explorer Sport Trac. Even though Ford markets the Sport Trac as an SUV, it looks and works…

With trucks being used more frequently as family transport. safety issues are as closely scrutinized as they are for cars. For instance, nearly all the trucks tested were equipped with dual front airbags, the passenger side of which can be turned off (except in the Tacoma Double Cab) if a child seat is being used. Similarly, the majority, sans the Mazda and the S10, have child-seat tethers. Side-door intrusion beams are now the norm in trucks, adding structural integrity and helping protect occupants in a side impact. It’s curious that only the GM heavy-duty trucks had side airbags as standard equipment. The other manufacturers don’t even offer them as options—yet. Like the rest of the Ford lineup, the extensive use of computer-aided modeling has enabled the Sport Trac to benefit…

Hot Stuff: • “Stray Cat” Brian Setzer’s personal ride• Metalcrafters “panel van": sheetmetal workover• Erbach 1.5-in. lowering springs• Intro Pentium 18-in. wheels• Custom grille, body kit, and Oriental Blue paint www.performanceparts.mopar.com PT TUNERS The aftermarket goes crazy for Mrs Car of the Year It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to surmise that Chrysler’s new PT Cruiser is hot. But nowhere was this more evident than at the recent California International Auto Show and the 2000 SEMA Trade Show. Not only were PTs the rage, but they were clogging DaimlerChrysler and aftermarket parts manufacturer display booths dressed in customized looks ranging from mild to wild. Based on the outstanding response to the customized PTs, this month we’ve dedicated our two-page featured product spread solely to aftermarket-accented PTs that caught our eye…

Liberty Auto Shows Motor Trend International Auto Show MT’s marquee event kicks off the New Year in Baltimore The upcoming MT Show in Baltimore is sure to be a showstopper. Since becoming a Motor Trend International Auto Show, the annual Baltimore car event has undergone a transformation. It will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center from 2001 onward, giving it a world-class home. Auto manufacturers have more than doubled their commitment to the show and promise to display some of the hot new products that will debut in Detroit the week prior. MT readers can look forward to over 300,000 square feet of the best the auto industry has to offer at the Motor Trend International Auto Show in Baltimore. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND January 17-21 Motor Trend International Auto Show…

future forecast It’s hard to believe Dodge’s brutish, tire-melting Viper has been on the market for nearly a decade. DaimlerChrysler is ready to freshen its lethal snake, and while the new-for-’02 model should be an improvement over the current car in just about every performance parameter, don’t expect it to stray fap from the formula that made it a legend in its own time. It’s not difficult to get a good look at the new Viper by studying the Viper GTSR concept car, first shown at last year’s North American International Auto Show. Contrary to early rumors, the Viper will retain its V-10 powerplant. Some thought a high-tech V-8 would replace it, but not so. We expect the V-IO’s displacement to remain around the current 8.0L, although horsepower will increase…

The Blackhawk is to the Ford Crown Vic what the Impala SS was to the standard Chevrolet Caprice. Although Ford officially calls it a concept car, insiders say this bad ride is headed for showrooms next year. Power is provided by a4.6LSOHCV-8 ’ making 235 hp and 275 Ib-ft of torque, exhaling through large-diameter exhaust pipes and low-restriction mufflers. This output is up from 220 hp and 265 Ib-ft in the quotidian Crown. Vic’s 4.6. Strangely, the Crown Vic Blackhawk will compete with Ford’s own Mercury Grand Marquis Marauder, a 5.4L V-8-equipped big sedan originally scheduled for production this year. The Marauder will now appear in showrooms after the Blackhawk debuts. The Crown Vic Blackhawk’s 4.6L muscle is fed to the rear wheels through a high-stall 11.25-in. torque converter, a…

It’s nothing new: Show a lightly disguised future production car as a “concept” to get early reaction from the media and public. While Chrysler has done it successfully for years, GM (and others) are following suit. The General’s ’01 auto show cars, for example, debuting at Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, New York, and overseas venues, hint at the direction in which each division is headed. At least one concept—the Cadillac Vizon, which debuts at Detroit—is a blatant sneak preview of an upcoming product. One notable trend, visible on several of this year’s GM show toys, is the designers’ tendency to stretch wheelbases out to the edges of the bodywork, making the most of interior space—in other words, make them bigger on the inside and not larger on the outside. It’s…

When Jeep announced that its all-new Liberty sport/’utility would include an independent front suspension, Jeep purists were outraged that DaimlerChrysler would dilute the tried-and-true solid-axle formula and risk changing the new KJ into—dare we say it?—a car. To prove this latest Jeep was true to its lineage, we tagged along with Jeep engineers and two Liberty prototypes as they assaulted one of the most difficult off-road challenges in the U.S.: the Rubicon Trail in Northern California—not a place for those worried about scratching their vehicle. It’s the ultimate 22-mile 4x4 torture test. Tow hooks, a winch, and rock rails are mandatory equipment. Just for good measure (and to give us a feel for how the rest of the lineup held the trail), Jeep also brought along a couple Wranglers, a…

Ford acknowledges that most sport/utility owners spend little of their actual drive time off-road (anthills in the mall parking lot don’t count!). But that doesn’t mean buyers who use these rigs in urban or suburban environments don’t enjoy some cargo room and the “I’m too cool for a station wagon’’ image that comes with SUV ownership. We have no reason to expect Ford’s all-new ’02 Explorer won’t continue to impress these buyers either, with its smoother-riding independent rear suspension, new all-wheel-drive and stability control systems, more powerful engines, and beefier look. So Ford put together a special concept version of the Explorer that features city-style sport-sedanlike cues inside and out. The exterior is dressed up with five-spoke 20-in. alloy wheels and performance rubber housed inside flared wheelarches. Ford’s design group…

This isn’t about cupholders. Integrated GPS nav systems that download your horoscope? Couldn’t care less. And please don’t ask about 47-way adjustable nine-position-memory heated-and-cooled reclining seats that massage your butt and are upholstered in the finest Norwegian mouse fur. No. These, folks, are sports cars. And. they’re built for one spectacularly single-minded purpose. It’s called “driving,” the modified version of which is called “driving fun.” Remember fun? The reason we used to love to drive before we all got so damn busy that the concept somehow morphed into a never-ending root canal called “the daily commute’? Want some behind-the-wheel excitement? Hey! Let’s haul the gang to the mall! The Mazda Miata and Toyota MR2 Spyder are two examples of what real enthusiasts spend their weekends driving around in. Just because.…

At first glance, trucks look pretty much the same. But beneath the cab and bed is an abundance of hardware that makes each vehicle unique and, in some instances, differentiates them as sport truck, luxury ride, or heavyweight work tool. As previously mentioned, the S-Runner’s mission is clear: It takes the sport truck theme to the masses, with less emphasis placed on maximum capacity. Its lowered, sport-tuned suspension includes custom springs, Tokico shocks, stouter anti-roll bars, and stiffer bushings. Toyota then adds a tuned exhaust system, color keys the exterior, and mounts 16x6.5-In. aluminum wheels and performance rubber. The standard 190-hp 3.4L DOHC can be fitted with a fully warranted supercharger system from Toyota Racing Development. The optional TRD blower boosts output by 40 percent at 260 hp. If handling…

Way back when, the average truck buyer probably didn’t care if body seams were a little askew or if the dash pad didn’t mate well to the center stack. Today, that’s all changed, as squeaks and rattles aren’t tolerated and materials quality is expected to equal that in premium automobiles. Nearly all the vehicles we tested were clad in excellent interior fabrics, vinyls, and leathers that looked good and also were designed to survive a hard life. The S-Runner won the “least attractive seat pattern” prize; on the cool side was the black-leather-with-red-stitching seat design on the supercharged Frontier, a look that only enhanced the mucho macho stance. We were pleasantly surprised at how well the GM line of trucks were screwed together—save the S10, which didn’t feel up to…

Before you sign a contract to purchase or lease that dream truck, you’d best ask yourself one question: “Does this thing give me the best bang for my buck and still serve my needs?” Additionally, MT editors ask: “If I were spending Joe Q. Reader’s hard-earned dollar, would I buy it?” But good value doesn’t always mean a low price either. Price is what you pay; value is what you get in return. For instance, our 3/4-ton Chevrolet crew cab (with Duramax diesel power) topped the charts at an eye-popping $42,632. Forego the diesel in favor of the 8.1 L Vortec, and the price drops by $3210. Stick with the base 300-hp Vortec 6000, and the bottom line shrinks another $1100. That’s right on par with the fully loaded Sierra…

CHEVY HD POWER VERSUS DODGE AND FORD…

1 COMPTECH ACURA CL TYPE S SPORT SPRINGS Acura’s CL Type S delivers great handling, but Comptech’s new Sport Springs will help your Type S handle even better. The springs generate a 1.25-in. lowered ride height, deliver reduced nose-dive during braking, and quell rear squat on hard acceleration—all without hurting ride quality. $329.95; 916/933-1080; www.comptechusa.com 2 JET POWER CONTROL UNIT Invigorate your Chrysler, Ford, or GM four- or six-cylinder engine with JET’s new Power Control Unit. The PCU uses a 20 Mhz RISC microprocessor to optimize ignition advance and recalibrate the fuel map, while an LED readout makes adjustments and viewing super easy. $259.95; 714/8485515; www.jetchip.com. 3 NOS PERFORMANCE FUEL INJECTORS Nitrous Oxide Systems is famous for big power increases, so it’s no surprise that it now offers performance fuel…