Innehållsförteckning för November 2001 från MotorTrend

ANNOUNCED CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE From concept of car to coustomer-again Chrysler has a habit of creating mouth-watering concept vehicles that ultimately make their way from show car to showroom. Witness the Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, and Chrysler PT Cruiser. And once again, a Chrysler concept has gotten the green light: The production Crossfire sport coupe will debut at the 2002 Los Angeles Auto Show. Chrysler COO Wolfgang Bernhard stated that, visually, the street version will differ little from the two-seater concept vehicle that debuted at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show and appeared on the cover of MTs Feb. '01 issue. The show car's one-piece carbon fiber body and aluminum frame probably won't make the street version. However, the show car's Eaton supercharged 2.7L DOHC V-6 will. Output is estimated at 275…

FIRST DRIVE LET’S BEGIN WITH THE OBVIOUS: Aston Martin’s new Vanquish is one of the most superbly designed front-engine GTs of all time. Whereas professionally made-up, creatively retouched supermodels may not always look as good in person as they do on a magazine cover, the Big V is exactly the opposite: a masterpiece of proportion, commandingly blending elegance, power, and purpose. It’s a credit to its creator, Ian Callum, who serves as design director for both Aston Martin and Jaguar. And a credit to Aston’s management, engineering, and development teams, who so faithfully brought Callum’s lines and curves from drawing board to reality. The Vanquish purposely recalls Aston’s DB4 GT Zagato of the early ’60s. and there’s a bit of Ferrari Daytona in there, too. But it’s by no means…

It used to be called “The Weekend,” J that which took place each year during the later part of August and included the Monterey Historic Races and the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. It might as well be called “The Week” now, as there are so many ancillary events, auctions, club; gatherings, rallies, press conferences—and parties, of course—that you could go for seven days straight and still not see it all. Monterey may be the world’s best source of automotive immersion therapy; here’s a look § at the four main types of treatment. PEBBLE BEACH TOUR D’ELEGANCE This event’s unofficial motto could easily be “No More Trailer Queens.” And it’s an integral part of the activities surrounding Pebble Beach. Open to any PB Concours participant, the Tour d’Elegance takes place…

AFTER SEVEN MODEL YEARS—-ALMOST an eternity in today’s automotive climate—BMW’s most popular model was due for a redux. From ’92 to ’98, the 3 Series set the standard in all its iterations: entry-level hatchback, coupe, convertible, sedan, and motorsport-division-powered M3. It routinely outscored its competitors, earning accolades in not only our magazine, but j most others as well. In ’99, BMW replaced the platform and released the fifth-generation “New 3” Series. With a puffed chest, BMW itself wrote, “Why revolutionize when the existing sedans have proved themselves so dynamic, so successful, so capable of going right on winning critics’ prizes and customers’ hearts?” A nice problem s other manufacturers would love to have, BMW was inclined to go about the redesign in a careful, measured progression. To see for ourselves…

The Ponycar Legend Lives The automobile landscape changed forever when Ford rolled out the Mustang on April 17,1964, ushering in the ponycar era. Now in its 11th generation, the Mustang is still one of America’s favorite musclecars and the best seller in its class. Produced in coupe or convertible forms, the gen-10 (’96-’98) Mustangs are decent handlers with good power, large clear gauges, and comfy interiors—as long as you aren’t in the rear seat. Three power choices are available: a 3.8L/150-hp V-6 (base), the 4.6L/215-hp SOHC V-8 GT, and the 4.6L/305-hp DOHC SVT Cobra. They’re all good performers, though competing Z28 and SS Camaros offer more horsepower per dollar. Aerodynamically styled with a dose of testosterone for good measure, the ’Stang is a natural for aftermarket wings, skirts, and bolt-on…

General Motors' new rear-drive Sigma platform, which debuts with the '03 Cadillac CTS, has inspired myriad new design proposals such as our March '01 Future Forecast car, a CTS-based coupe and convertible. Unfortunately, GM didn't let the coupe and convertible advance past the full-size mockup stage. But before anything else gets slotted into the new state-of-the-art Lansing, Michigan, factory, which has capacity for four Sigmabased models, a new Seville and a crossover luxury wagon will join Cadillac's lineup. The '04 Seville replacement, likely to be called STS, has been described as a “four-door Evoq,” but with larger proportions. The Corvette-based Evoqluxo-roadster will debut in 2003 as the '04 XLR, in keeping with Cadillac's ongoing switch to alphanumeric names. Also debuting as an '04 model is Cadillac's all-wheel-drive luxury activity vehicle.…

Will consumers make that extra click? Racers use six-point safety belts. Why do passenger cars have only three-points? With more drivers and passengers finally using their three-point belts (largely in response to stiffer seatbelt laws in many states), Volvo is researching a four-point system. It would distribute crash forces over more of the chest, reduce pressure on the ribcage, heart, and lungs, and hold the occupant in place better during crashes, the company says. Volvo is researching two designs. The V4 (driver seat in illustration) is similar to a racing harness, with a belt fitting over each shoulder and clicking into the lap belt. The X4 uses a three-point belt, plus a single belt that comes over the shoulder, down across the torso and attaches near the lap belt. Volvo…

Dwindling market share. Aging powertrains. A tendency to emphasize ad campaigns and brand management over product design, investment, and quality. Too many models, platforms, and divisions. The Aztek. These are among the problems—circumstantial and self-inflicted—that have plagued the world's largest automaker. Forging change at this monolith has been likened to getting the Titanic to spin a quick U-turn. But unlike that doomed giant, GM has no intention of hitting the ice or sinking to the bottom. The company appears to be fighting back hard, with less talk and more action, to regain ground in the marketplace and in the hearts of enthusiast buyers. It's hard at work on new platforms and models, high-tech engines and drivetrains, and important global alliances. The production version of the Chevrolet SSR muscle truck and…

WHAT’S HOT: • Musclecar power w/room for five • plain styling nearly invisible to cops • stellar brakes WHAT’S NOT: • Pricey upgrades • supercharger whine gives away secret • too tail-happy in tight curves Forget the scoops, cramped cockpits, deck spoilers, and sill extensions you typically associate with domestic-car performance. If Clark Kent drove a low-profile sedan, Kenny Brown’s P2 Panther (based on the Ford Crown Vic) would almost certainly be the super-dude’s ride. With the exception of this test car’s optional ($2300) 18-in. Ronal wheels and Michelin tires, this package is about as plain-brown-wrapper as it gets. Indeed, until you unleash this wolf’s supercharged and inter-cooled 340 horses and 400 Ib-ft of torque, it blends in quietly with the commuter sheep. Frankly, the P2’s acceleration at the track…

If you think about it, there haven’t been any truly new engine designs in many years. So when Volkswagen invited us to experience its latest creation, the W-8 engine, we asked the same questions you probably have right now: What’s a W-8? Why build one? Is it better than a V-8? To fully understand this engine, it’s important to know why it exists in the first place. When we asked a senior VW technical official (who wished to remain anonymous) why this engine was built, he replied in a very matter-of-fact tone, “Because Dr. Piëch wanted it.” We quickly learned that this short answer was entirely correct. As the head of VW, Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen AG, not only pushed the W engine development…

When the weatherman forecasts snow, then more snow, and more snow on top of that, keeping your vehicle in showroom condition can turn into an exercise in futility. But there’s no reason to write off your car, truck, or SUV’s appearance when the days grow short. A few tricks used with regularity will help reduce the harmful effects of ice, snow, and salt. Cars are expensive. Why let your money literally rust away? The experts at Eagle One, makers of car-care products, gave us a’ few winter vehicle protection tips: • Coin-operated car-wash booths use heated water in winter, which may be preferable as opposed to turning your driveway into a skating rink. • Alloy wheels should be cleaned weekly. Road salt plays havoc with the clear coat on most…

30 Years Ago: Kings of the Hill Long before there were personal luxury pickups, Lincoln and Cadillac ruled the highways with long-hooded, leather-lined big-engined personal luxury coupes. And we do mean Big-Engined: Lincoln’s still-elegant Mark III was born as a ’69 model and packed a 365-hp 460-cube V-8. Not Big enough? Try the new-for-’71 Eldo’s 500-cuber; it was also rated at 365 horses and rippled out 535-lb-ft of torque. As Detroit still used the old SAE gross-output-rating standard back when we tested this pair (1971), the numbers are overstated, to say the least. If nothing else, today’s luxtrucks are faster: The Lincoln hustled 0-60 in 10.25 sec, the Caddy just a tick quicker at 9.88, according to the MT stopwatches of the day. It took a lot of grunt to…

RACE-IT-YOURSELF VIPERS—Dodge will build 25 Viper Competition Coupes off its all-new '03 Viper roadster for use in a one-model race series. The cars will not be street-legal. The Competition Coupe is the first new product from Chrysler's tuner division, PVO, which already prepares the Chrysler Prowler and the ACR versions of the Viper and Dodge Neon. '02 CONNIE—There/san '02 Lincoln Continental. Reports of its demise, including in this magazine (“News,” Sept. '01) were greatly exaggerated. THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE PREMIER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP—Ford Motor Co. has spun off a British luxury brand organization for North America from its Premier Automotive Group. It's called (take a breath) Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America. Mike O'Driscoll is president, after having served in that post at Jaguar North America. It means…

Can it make the most of him? More cars like the new Cadillac CTS. Quicker development of the next Chevrolet Cavalier. Likely approval of a Hummer smaller than the H2, called H3, and based on the next Chevy S10 platform. And—who knows?—perhaps even serious consideration for bringing back the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird in a few years. Expectations are high for what Bob Lutz (pictured, left, with GM North American President Ron Zarella) will do now that he's returned to General Motors where he began his automotive career in 1963. These are the minimum expectations for the 69-year-old former Chrysler Corp, executive vice president and board member, arguably the man most responsible for the Dodge Viper and Chrysler PT Cruiser, to name just two. He has a three-year…

McLaren Fl. Lamborghini Diablo. Cadillac Cien. Yo? How could any Cadillac be mentioned in the same paragraph with these two mid-engine V-12-powered exotic greats? Simple: The Cien has the potential to be a mid-engine V-12-powered exotic great in its own right. If Cadillac would only produce it. Which it can. Or at least should. Equally important to the notion of a mid-engine sportscar concept is that of a homegrown V-12 engine. The Northstar XV12, to be shown along with the Cien, is also billed as a concept. But we're certain that Cadillac should produce it. Which it can. And will. Let's back up a step to understand the purpose of the exercise. Then we'll fire up the crystal ball. Cadillac has rolled out a new concept car every year for…

▀ INFINITI 135 ▀ JAGUAR X-TYPE ▀ LEXUS ES 300 ▀ MERCEDES-BENZÇ320 ▀ VOLVO S60 2.4T So, your career has taken a decidedly upward turn, but it'll be a few years before those stock options kick in. You've got the taste for luxury, but CEO-size payments for a big lux sedan aren't yet in the mix. Why not start with Lux-Lite? Setting an image without breaking the bank is what entry-level luxury sedans are all about. They may not have all the bells and whistles of their full-size siblings, but they can be the perfect place to start when you want to be noticed, and comfortable, on your way up the ladder. THE PLAYERS Three of the five participants in our 1350-mile Central California Affordable-Lux Tour are either all-new models…

VW head Dr. Ferdinand Piech’s goal is to have W engines ranging from 1.8 to 8.0L for use in VW group vehicles, including Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, and Bugatti. He feels that where others use a V-6, he’ll fit a more torquerich W-8 in the same space, and so on up the line. Piech says the W-8 will be fitted into other vehicles following the Passat. “The Passat W8 will not remain long the only model in the new Volkswagen upper range,” he explains. “The Passat W8 will be joined—-in chronological order of their scheduled launch—by a new luxury saloon [sedan], an exciting off-road vehicle, and a supersports car.” The sedan is the D1, while the off-road vehicle is the VW sport/utility, both set to be introduced next year. The most…

2001 Mazda Tribute ES V-6 This is one of those vehicles that just sneaks up on you with how nice it is. We get nothing but compliments on the Tribute’s look, which is slickly Euro in a certain way and nicely differentiated from its more rough-and-tumble cousin, the Ford Escape. Much praise for the Duratec V-6 powertrain: Just the right amount of throttle tip-in at launch, quiet on the cruise, and plenty of all-around punch, if a bit thrashy up near redline. “Taut steering and suspension helps this little SUV use its power” is one recent logbook entry. Servicewise, the Tribute has asked for no more than a quart of oil at around 5000 miles. The interior makes most folks happy. It looks great, has lots of room considering the…