Innehållsförteckning för December 2001 från MotorTrend

LIVING IN MALIBU Is the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu a car or a truck? The answer is: no or yes. The '05 model will be another so-called “category buster.” On one hand, the Malibu, which as we reported earlier will be configured like last year's Traverse concept, will be powered by versions of the inline-four and inline-five that come from General Motors' new truck-engine family. On the other hand, it'll rest on a modified Epsilon midsize unibody car platform. Emphasis of the new Malibu will be on comfort, refinement, and smoothness, offering really good ergonomics and big instruments and controls. With a long wheelbase for optimum interior space (including, possibly, room for a third-row seat) and a short front overhang, there's no space up front for the Vortec 4200 inline-six, although…

GM unveils a new high-tech V-8 XV8 makes 300 hp and 295 Ib-ft and has the width of a V-6 and the length of an inline-four. Imagine what General Motors will be able to do with this. The 75° 4.3L engine, developed with partners Delphi and Orbital Engine Corp., features a host of advanced technologies, including air-assisted direct injection and variable valve timing and cam phasing. Running 10.75:1 compression on regular gas, it's also designed to accommodate GM's new Displacement on Demand technology. The XV8's twin cams are mounted in-block in place of the more common overhead configuration. Combined with a three-valve cylinder head (two intake/one exhaust), this results in greater packaging efficiency and effective use of the air-assisted direct-injection package pioneered by Orbital. This also pays off downstream, because…

LOOKS, DRIVES, TESTS At this year's Geneva Auto Show, Volkswagen announced that previously defunct Bugatti will return to the automotive marketplace sometime in 2003 VW's owned this most historic nameplate since 1998, and a breathtakingly handsome design study called the Veyron was heralded as the first production model of its renaissance. At Frankfurt in September, Bugatti displayed another Veyron concept, this one much closer in dimensions and appearance to the final version. It centers around a carbon-fiber chassis and a quad-turbocharged W-16-cylinder engine rated at an amazing 1001 hp. The bodywork is composed of both aluminum and composite panels. A six-speed semi-automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive will attempt to put all that power to the ground. Projected top speed? A Bonneville racer-like 252 mph. The Veyron is roughly…

The new GMC Sierra Denali (launched as the Sierra C3 this year) will be the first truck sold in the U.S. with factory-offered four-wheel steering. Called Quadrasteer, the Delphi-designed system uses a powerful computer to manage an electronically controlled, steerable rear axle. Weighing about 400 lb more than a conventional ½-ton solid axle, rear wheels turn opposite to front at slower speeds (below 30 mph), yet turn with the front wheels at higher speeds (above 35 mph). A dash-mounted multimode control switch allows for standard two-wheel steering (where rear wheels are locked), four-wheel steer mode (where the computer controls the rear wheels), and a separate 4WS Tow mode (essentially, a heavy-duty setting). In 4WS mode, the turning radius is cut by almost 10 ft, from 41 to 32. On the…

We've recommended that performance-minded drivers considering a Lincoln LS shouldn't buy it without opting for the sport-suspension/17-in. wheel and tire package. Though this choice already includes some subtle dechroming and worthy underpinnings, a soon-to-be offered special edition, dubbed the LSE, will look even more the part. The E package will be available on both V-6 and V-8-powered LS editions and in two colors: black or metallic silver. Visual upgrades consist of a new front fascia with round foglamps, a tasteful rear-deck spoiler, sculpted rocker panels, and a more—aggressive lower rear-bumper cover. Said rear fascia is cut out to reveal dual exhausts with twin stainless-steel tips. The LS' 17-in. wheels remain, but the centers are finished in gray with diamond-cut rim edges; the grille vanes are finished in the same…

Few MT readers will have any difficulty understanding this concept. But today's performance means total performance: acceleration, braking (also see Safety), and cornering. General Motors' all-new inline truck engine truly is one of the highlights of the '02 SUV of the Year competition. That the engine is the first in a family of future fours, fives, and sixes for GM trucks, with some of those motors to be tweaked and super-charged, adds to the significance of the Envoy and TrailBlazer. “Awesome, awesome, awesome engine!” Tune exclaims. “As much fun to flat-foot as a Z28!” The Ford V-8 seems the equal of the Vortec 4200 until the six hits about 3000 rpm. In fact, during an informal test of passing-speed acceleration while climbing a 6000-ft pass, the Envoy (and TrailBlazer) outcharged…

Our largest-ever Sport/Utility of the Year field kept the Motor Trend staff focused for weeks. Each SUV contestant covered better than a thousand miles of highway, traversed several 8000-ft mountain passes, endured Death Valley’s tire-shredding rock canyons (not to mention its grueling 115° heat), and was subjected to a full regimen of our instrumented performance tests. We evaluated each vehicle in 10 tough tests, plus the everyday rigors of modern life. All this to help you determine which new SUVs to put on your shopping list. I The Envoy delivers solid performance, off-road agility, premium design, worthy load/low capacity, high feature content, a sumptuous interior, and strong value. From the start, we knew the GMC Envoy would be a serious contender for SUVOY: Its smartly beveled exterior design, neatly detailed…

It’s hard to believe the Mustang and Camaro have been butting heads, burning rubber, and racing for pinks for 35 years. But since there’s a 35th-Anniversary Camaro, it must be so. And it’s. likely to be the swan song for this much-loved shootout—at least for a while, as the current F-bodies evaporate from the Chevrolet and Pontiac lineups at the end of the ’02 model year. With the rebirth of the Thunderbird, Ford has proven that a legendary nameplate can take a vacation, then return to work successfully. Will the Camaro do the same? That depends on which jungle drums you’re listening to at the moment. We hear of unofficial internal efforts to create a next-generation Camaro. Yet there is no announced, or even approved, program to replace it. So…

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ITS R-COUPE concept at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, Jaguar is going places designwise where it’s never gone before—and paying an honorary visit to a few it has. What’s so new? Think about it: One thing Jaguar has never before produced is a full-size luxury sport coupe that enjoyed a design and platform all its own. The XJS was a 2+2 at most, yet wasn’t a sports car either. And there also was the pleasant-looking XJC coupe of the mid-70s, but it stemmed from the XJ6/12 sedans. The R-Coupe is a scratch-drawn four-place luxo two-door. That said, it’s important to understand right up front that the R-Coupe has an even bigger purpose: Although this particular concept car happened to appear as a coupe, elements of its…

When the mercury is hovering around the century mark and you’re struggling up a grade towing your 30-ft LuxoFishing-SkiCruiser. one eye may be glued to the engine’s temp gauge. But v/hat about six months later when the only view out of the frosty wind-shield is snow and brake lights? The cooling system is one of the most important, and most ignored, areas of car care. Some people don’t give it a second thought until steam is the hood. In fact, over 50 percent of engine failures are attributable to the cooling system. Cooling systems work only when they’re clean. Antifreeze has no cleansing effect, and most people add mineral-laden tap water, thus quickly over-coming the additive package in antifreeze. Deposits inside the system can significantly reduce its ability to cool…

In Mercedes-speak, GST stands for “Grand Sport Tourer.” In Europe, it stands for “general sales tax,” so it's no wonder this new E-Class-based crossover will be built only in the German automaker’s Alabama factory. This is part of a grand new Mercedes sport/utility strategy that has the M-Class switching from its current body-on-frame structure to a unibody and (in both two- and three-row-seat versions) going up against the Acura MDX. The big, serious Galaendewagen SUV (now called the G-Class) will remain body-on-frame, but will share components with the M- and GST-Classes—and may be built in Alabama as well. It competes with the Land Rover Range Rover. The new GST-Class will target the BMW X5 and come in rear-drive (mostly for European export) and all-wheel-drive versions, the latter not intended for…

We recently traveled to Japan to assess a new Mazda midsizer said to be the “first fruit of its comprehensive new brand strategy.” The car, named simply the Mazda 6, is the replacement for the competent, yet often forgotten, 626 sedan. Its market is currently dominated and defined by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, so the Mazda 6 was designed and built to separate itself from these traditional choices and align itself more with driver-oriented European sport sedans. When it arrives here in sedan-only form, you'll have your choice of a 2.3L/150-hp DOHC I-4 or a 3.0L/219-hp DOHC V-6; either can be paired J for the four cylinder is a four-speed, while the V-6 is offered with a JATCO five-speed automatic. Both manual transmissions (although not the same component)…

Following the lead of the German sport-sedan makers, Volvo has brought to market an all-wheel-drive variant of its impressive S60. It uses an interesting new system employing computer-managed clutching at the rear differential (the same system will be used in Volvo's upcoming SUV). A driveshaft runs aft from the S60's transaxle and connects to the rear diff via a multiplate wet clutch. Pressure on the clutch pack and, therefore, torque transferred to the rear wheels are managed by the central computer (ECM) in response to front wheels. The rears take some torque, up to an even 50/50 split, to stabilize the car and shove it forward. A day's drive in the S60 AWD (it comes only with the 2.4L low-pressure turbo engine and automatic transmission) showed the system to be…

We don’t list “Semantics” as a test category in selecting Motor Trends Sport/Utility of the Year, but it’s an area that got a lot of attention during our 2002 decision. Today, what exactly is a sport/utility? What qualifies a vehicle to compete in this segment? Why do we even worry about the definition? It all has to do with the very success of the category. Meteoric growth of the SUV market, and the big business it now represents for virtually every major manufacturer, means huge resources are committed to designing, developing, and marketing these products—and to competing for consumers’ interest. Everyone’s looking for an edge, a new twist, and tremendous diversity is springing up under what used to be the simple heading of “sport/utility.” In the search for ever greater…

Simply put: Who wants to spend their money on junk? “Quality” includes not only quality of the raw materials used in any given vehicle, but how they're finished and how well they're assembled. This is one instance where you don't always get more by paying more. A classic case in point is the moderately priced, but decidedly well-finished Toyota Highlander. “Traditional Toyota—build quality,” says John Kiewicz. “Tight, smooth, quiet.” ; “Everything works and feels right, as expected,” Kevin Smith adds. Its body and interior panel fit-and-finish shouts Camry-like perfectionism. The two Mercedes-Benzes are tops in quality, as well, especially the vault-like G500. The G is largely hand-built in the Mercedes way, notes David Newhardt, to a high level of quality and with traditional German over-engineering, with pricing determined afterward. “Built…

If you believe it's the little things that count, you'll understand the notion of liveability. How at home do you feel in a particular rig—not just during the first test drive, but as the miles roll by? Does it ultimately do what you need it to do? Do you want to keep it, or are you counting the days until the lease expires? For more than 400,000 Americans per year, the Ford Explorer is a keeper. Daily commutes will be entertaining and vacation trips up twisty two-lanes will be fun as you toss it into a curve. Keebler describes it as “an American sport/utility with the ride and handling of a late-'80s German luxury sedan.” But as we've mentioned, that handling doesn't translate into the best off-road characteristics. Conversely, the…

Lamborghini chose the active volcano, Mount Etna in Sicily, as the perfect setting for the debut of its all-new super car, the Murciélago. Amid grand-introduction theatrics (manmade smoke-and-ash effects, performance artists rights out of Cirque du Soleil), one fact was immediately clear: The Murciélago may look less audacious than the Diablo it replaces—but it’s a serious piece. And still pure Lamborghini. Like so many Lambos, the name of this new creation finds its roots in Spain’s storied sport of bullfighting (company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini was bom under the sign of Taurus). Murciélago (Spanish for “bat” and pronounced “moo-thee-uh-LA-go”) was an exceptionally strong and able bull, whose life was spared following a fierce fight in 1879. This rare honor was bestowed only upon those animals who showed exceptional courage and spirit…

2001 Lexus IS 300 Everyone hears a lot of talk about Lexus’ (and thus Toyota’s) reputation for reliability. But it’s nice to see the products deliver, and our IS 300 certainly has. We’ve experienced no mechanical difficulty of any kind since our last update (or the one before that), and the IS just rolls along—rather noisily however: Road rumble and “graining” are way too intrusive for a Lexus or any type of car. Granted, it wears fairly aggressive, low-profile 17-in. rolling stock, which serves up good grip and is an important player in the IS’ crisp turn-in and steering response. But at 70 mph on an even moderately mottled road surface, the drumming through the tires will drive you right out of the car. Those who employ the rear doors…

JEEP LIBERTY • Base engine: 2.4L/150-hp I-4 • Opt engine: 3.7L/210-hp V-6 • 0-60 mph, sec: 10.0 (V-6) • Fuel economy: 19/23 • Price range: $17,000-$25,000 What’s hot: Tons of off-road ability What’s not: Lack of powertrain smoothness What’s new: Everything from the around up HYUNDAI SANTE FE • Base engine: 2.4L/149-hp I-4 • Opt engine: 2.7L/181-hp V-6 • 0-60 mph, sec: 11.1 (V-6) • Fuel economy: 21/28 • Price range: $17,000-$23,500 What’s hot: Good value What’s not: Tacky plastics here and there What’s new: All-new for ’01 FORD ESCAPE • Base engine: 2.0L/130-hp I-4 • Opt engine: 3.0L/200-hp V-6 • 0-60 mph, sec: 9.4 (V-6) • Fuel economy: 23/28 • Price range: $18,725-$25,000 What’s hot: Ideal size, good performance What’s not: Limited off-road ability What’s new: Carryover for ’02…

The family man's Cobra If the Mustang Cobra had four doors, comfortably accommodated five passengers, and came only in black, this would be it. Mercury's Marauder, due at dealerships in June, will be motivated by a DOHC 4.6L V-8 making at least 300 hp and 310 Ib-ft of torque. High-flow performance intake and exhaust plumbing gives the car an authoritative voice. A four-speed automatic with a high-stall torque converter sends power to the rear BFGoodrich 245/55ZR18 tires on 8-in.-wide forged-aluminum wheels. Lower springs provide an all-business stance. Inside, passengers are treated to custom Marauder black or two-tone gray/black leather buckets with contrasting French seam stitching, special console with jfjij floor shift, Alpine CD/cassette radio E2S with a 100-watt amp, and center stack-mounted performance gauges including a 7000-rpm tachometer, voltmeter, and…

Bond trades in his BMWs for a return to Aston Martin England's long national nightmare is over. After piloting BMWs in three films—a Z3 in “Goldeneye,” a 750i in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” and a Z8 in “The World Is Not Enough,” Agent 007 is returning to his Aston Martin roots for the 20th official James Bond film. The movie character, played by Pierce Brosnan, will drive a V12 Vanquish with some new high-tech gadgets that'll no doubt make the rockets and ejector seat in Sean Connery's DB5 appear quaint. The movie, code-named “Bond 20” (the producers used up Ian Fleming's Bond-series novels several films ago) will be released in 2002. Rumors have Aston's parent Ford Motor Company paying enough in product-placement money to fund another Bond film or two. Ford…

Audi says design is the number-one reason its customers pick an A4 Avant over an A4 sedan. Like other so-called sport wagons, carrying capacity suffers for a rakish D-pillar. But Audi's done a bit of extra work to ensure its new A4 Avant has some useable space back there. Like the A4 sedan, the A4 Avant has a new self-tracking trape-zoidal-link rear suspension that saves some space in the tail. That saved space made possible a rear floor panel with a double load-area floor cover that can be folded, stood up behind the rear seats, fastened in the center, or removed completely. There's also a built-in plastic pan for dirty objects. Also like the sedan, the Avant will be available here with front drive or quattro AWD and with either…

Hyundai's current Tiburon is a buzzy, cramped sport coupe. Price is its best quality: a fully equipped model costs thousands less than such rivals as the Toyota Célica and Mitsubishi Eclipse. But the South Korean automaker has transformed itself in recent years. With its previously spotty reputation for marginal quality and reliability improved and sales soaring past the 200,000 mark, Hyundai's stretching its legs with stylish, fun-to-drive new models that still manage to pack in a lot of value. Thus the '03 Tiburon (called Coupe in Europe) introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show wears a modern, shrunken Mustang look. Hyundai says it doesn't have a U.S.-spec power figure for the Tiburon's first-ever V-6 yet, although it's based on the Santa Fe's 181-hp power-plant. But it's going to be substantially more…

While in Italy for the Murciélago debut, we toured the Lamborghini plant near Bologna. This modest facility features not only assembly buildings, but corporate offices, a repair shop for customer cars, and a museum. Cruising the grounds, we were—and then again, weren’t—surprised to hear just as much German spoken as Italian. Simply put: Today’s Lamborghini engineering staff includes plenty of Audi transplants, which substantiates the notion that Audi provided much in the way of engine, aerodynamic, and design expertise during the Murciélago’s development. We also learned that Lamborghini plans what one official called “a complete line of super sports cars.” An empty area in the main assembly building reportedly will be used to construct the next Lambo, a somewhat smaller model to be introduced in 2004, aimed directly at Ferrari’s…

As luck would have it, when several lightly camouflaged Porsche Cayenne sport/utilities went on testing maneuvers in Southern California, our intrepid photog John Kiewicz stumbled upon them. No doubt, Porsche engineers were in our neck of the woods to sample some of our fine freeways during rush-hour gridlock and to duplicate the known portion of the EPA’s mileage certification loop. Much has been surmised of the yet-to-be-released Cayenne, and Porsche loves the industry buzz. Fred Schwab, president of Porsche Cars North America, teased gathered journalists at this year’s Chicago Auto Show with talk of an all-wheel-drive Porsche. When revealed, it was the next version of the Carrera 4 coupe, not the Cayenne SUV—very clever. He then added, “Imagine what a C4 would be like with a two-speed transfer case and…

Do you suffer from commuteritis? Are you a sporting person trapped in a sensible car: Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Mirage, or Toyota Corolla? Do you wish you could afford a second car: a sports car you could take out on the week-ends and really fly? You need coupe therapy. There are a few good cars that can do it all: deliver 25 or 30 mpg getting you to and from work and offer plenty of cargo space, but also provide a decidedly sporty driving experience. Economical sport coupes are now better than ever, packing powerful yet frugal and clean-burning engines, sport-tuned chassis, and contemporary and aggressive sheetmetal that says “I like cars and I like driving.” Enter the brand-new ’02 Acura RSX Type-S and current Mitsubishi Eclipse GT and Toyota Célica…

WHAT’S HOT: • 302 keeps pulling to 7500 rpm • small-cube bragging rights • still retains daily-driver ability WHAT’S NOT: • Loud exhaust • Any gearhead worth his gear oil knows the story behind the famed Camaro Z/28. But just in case you’ve been holed up in a cave the last 30-something years, here’s an abbreviated history: Beginning in 1967, Chevrolet built a limited number of high-strung road warriors, aimed primarily at SCCA road racing, that incorporated a high-revving 302-cu-in. V-8 (305 cu in./5.0L was the SCCA class limit), a bullet-proof Muncie four-speed manual gearbox, and heavy-duty suspension and brakes. Getting one was as easy as checking the RPO Z28 option code on the order sheet. SCCA rule changes for 1970 allowed the Z-28 to pack larger 350-cube V-8s. Plainly…

The quintessential family sedan Since it replaced the Corona in ’83, the Toyota Camry has been one of America’s favorite midsize sedans. New and returning customers have fallen in love with it, citing a wholesome and trustworthy combination of durability, reliability, safety, and value. Three models (base CE, upgrade LE, and top-shelf XLE) allowed the previous-generation Camry to be equipped for family life, mid-luxury touring, and anywhere in between. For example, the ’99 models were available with a 2.2L/133-hp I-4 or 194-hp 3.0 V-6 (LE and XLE only) backed by a four-speed ECT automatic: CEs and LXs are available with a five-speed manual. The four-cylinder is a bit anemic (though it represents nearly 70 percent of sales), but the V-6 is a good performer. Braking is adequate, especially if ABS…

“IT TAKES US BACK TO A TIME WHEN A solid, amply equipped, roomy sport/utility could be purchased by a young buyer at a price that still allowed enough money left over to enjoy the active lifestyle that made it appealing. Offering all this built-in value, plus the refinement and technical know-how of a modern, new millennium vehicle, the Xterra is clearly a winner.” That’s how we summarized the new-for-2000 Nissan Xterra in proclaiming it our Sport/Utility of the Year, and after living with one as a member of our One-Year Test fleet. we still fed the same way. It delivers the basics, plus the most popular amenities, in an attractive, affordable, capable package. Even in V-6 form, it costs little more than many four-cylinder-only “cute ’utes.” It’s built around a…