Innehållsförteckning för January 2003 från MotorTrend

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Future Cadillacs will be powered by a version of the 7.5-liter V-12 engine first displayed in last year’s Cien concept supercar. General Motors refuses to say which Cadillacs will be offered with the V-12 and when, although a new, big luxury rear-drive sedan and the Escalade and Escalade ESV sport/utes are naturals (“First,” December ’02). Plans for the new engine also means the Cien, which has been shelved indefinitely, could find a place in the luxury marque’s lineup, if GM can find an appropriate builder or factory for it. The all-aluminum twin-cam V-12 will make more than 500 horsepower, says Tom Stephens, GM’s group vice president for powertrain technology. It’ll be GM’s first 12-cylinder engine since the ’37 Cadillac V-12. Rumor has it that GM got cold feet about showing…

When Audi introduced the groundbreaking A8 in 1994, it was arguably the most advanced luxury sport sedan in the world. With just over 100,000 units sold since then, Audi figured it was time for a major overhaul. The new standard A8, which will arrive here in June as an ’04 model, will have dimensions similar to the former A8L. The short-wheelbase version will pertain to the far sportier, 450-horsepower S8 when it lands two years hence. Audi has improved on the A8’s dynamic and aesthetic package in every way. The revised 4.2-liter engine develops 330 horsepower (up 20) and is now controlled through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Acceleration is authoritative, if not mind-blowing, but its overall handling is excellent for a full-size sedan. This trait is achieved through…

Besides the proliferation of sport/utilities, the brave, new millennium will be marked by a horsepower war as contentious as the storied ’60s. Unlike the big guns of yesteryear, previously unimagined (and impossible) computer-controlled suspension and chassis technology has been applied to make a 469-horsepower 4000-pound Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG handle like an exotic, yet ride like a luxury car. Our drive route in and around Stuttgart allowed us to stretch this maximum-strength E-Class on the infamous German autobahns and in the nearby mountainous regions. Sure, it reaches its 154-mph speed limiter before you can say “nicht schlecht” (“not bad”), but it'll also carve a Schwabish road like a bobsled. Starting with an all-new-for-'03 E500—a seriously good place to begin—AMG adds no less than 167 horsepower via a handbuilt, super-charged 5.4-liter…

This workhorse trio isn’t about posturing, sports-carlike performance, or style. Minivans are about moving passengers—reliably, comfortably, and safely—and their stuff to wherever it all needs to go. If people can get past the often-irrational desire to see the view above traffic in a macho-but-less-efficient sport/utility, there’s a period of life when nothing gets a family’s light hauling and transport done like a minivan. It’s a fact millions have discovered since this product type emerged almost 20 years ago. Dodge, the minivan segment’s sales leader, sold 242,036 Caravans and Grand Caravans as part of a 1.4-million unit North American van market last year (worldwide, the company claims it sells 600,000 mini-vans each year.) Although the second-generation Odyssey was still fresh-faced in ’01, relative to the upgraded fourth-gen Dodge and its Chrysler…

The road to peace of mind seems endless: Bumper-to-bumper warranties, powertrain-protection plans, extended-service contracts, aftermarket repair policies, “Certified” pre-owned cars, trip-interruption benefits. Whoa. All you wanted was a little backup in case something in your car goes boing. Relax. Compared with the tough stuff—say, making sense of airline travel pricing and restrictions—unlocking the mysteries of auto warranties is as easy as losing money in Vegas. Using common sense is half the battle. Beyond that, all you need is a guide to explain a few warranty basics and magnify the small print. That’s where we come in. Basic Training Basic new-car warranties vary in duration from 2 years/24,000 miles (Lamborghini) to 5 years/60,000 miles (Hyundai and Kia). The norm for “regular” cars is 3 years/36,000 miles, with luxury brands typically upping…

Striving to expand and advance its FoMoCo-focused tuning business, Steeda tapped into the SEMA Technology Initiative, a program launched by the Specialty Equipment Market Association to facilitate the sharing of OEM vehicle data with the aftermarket companies. Through a pilot program, Ford agreed to work with non-original suppliers to disseminate Mustang technical data that will enable the efficient development of quality parts and OBD-II-compliant modifications. The Steeda Q400 (as in 400-hp V-8) represents the first complete project to be offered through this program. Based on a Mustang GT, the Q400 features a relatively traditional roster of components elevating most every aspect of performance. The stock SOHC 4.6L V-8 benefits from a Vortech centrifugal supercharger, K&N Filtercharger air inlet, and FRPP 80mm mass airflow meter with 70mm throttle body. Fuel is…

NOT SINCE THE ’92 VIPER SHOWCAR HAS A DOMESTIC manufacturer created such a buzz-worthy new product as the PT Cruiser. This Neon-based, so-called “segment-busting” vehicle first appeared at the 1999 Detroit Auto Show and went on sale in spring 2000 as an ’01 model. Consumers quickly got a lesson in economics as high demand for the PT resulted in a rash of nationwide dealer markups, with less-than-ethical types asking as much as twice the PT’s $16,000 base price. The Toluca, Mexico, plant, which manufacturers the PT, was finally able to meet demand just about the same time Motor Trend named it the 2001 Car of the Year—automatically qualifying it for our One-Year Test fleet. Our Silver Metallic PT Cruiser started with a base price of $15,935 and was optioned with…

NOTABLE QUOTABLE BMW 24, “First,”/October 2002 “Is the 24 the ugliest BMW since the Isetta? The 23 was smooth, curvaceous, completely desirable—like Marilyn Monroe. The 24 is the same principle but bloated and overdone—the Anna Nicole Smith of automobiles.”Drew Mitchell West Bend, Wisconsin Buyers Misguided Is it just me, or does the ’04 Chrysler Crossfire (“New Cars,” October) get its styling cues from the old American Motors Marlin? William A. Waller Clifton Park, New York Apparently, it isn’t just you.—Ed. AMC is not dead! Look at your rear view of the ’04 Chrysler Crossfire. Now dig up a similar view of the AMC Marlin. David A. Umfrid Location unspecified In your “New Car” issue, one thing was glaringly obvious: No American-car variety. If you wanted to buy a Chevrolet 25…

briefs Engines make the (automotive) world go around. Here, at the dawn of Y2K+3, we see signs of some major advances in engine design, advances that result in leaner, meaner, and greener powerplants (all in one!) in the future. BMW Is considering a six-cylinder supercar, while Cadillac gives its V-12 the go. Time to peek under the hoods of all those shiny new models as we prepare for the North American auto-show season. Neon M80?-Dodge's next Neon, now reportedly delayed to the '06 model year to align it with the next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer, with which it will share a platform, is going to be a Toyota Matrix-style hatchback/wagon. We hear the new Neon's design will be influenced by last year's M80 show truck, a concept that generated a lot of…

A 400-horsepower, Bertone-designed Alfa Romeo Brera coupe. The Peugeot RC Carreau concept, a car that looks like a Le Mans racer, but is powered by a surprisingly spunky 2.2-liter diesel engine. A pair of race-prepped Volkswagens, complete with rollcages. An LPG-propelled Westfield Sleight roadster. Even the bubble-shaped electric Bulle concept from the Courreges fashion studio. The fourth Michelin Challenge Bibendum drew a variety of such cars to demonstrate that environmentally friendly and fun-to-drive aren’t mutually exclusive. “We do not want the dilemma of cars or clean air," said Edouard Michelin, CEO of the tire maker that bears his family’s name. What Michelin hopes to promote by its Challenge Bibendum is “clean cars.” After making its American debut in 2001 with a Los Angeles-to-SEMA Show event, this year, the Challenge returned…

More than 17 million new cars and trucks were sold in the U.S. during the '02 model year and one quarter of those sales were represented by just 10 of more than 250 different models on the U.S. market. For the 16th consecutive year, the Ford F-Series pickup truck took the number-one spot as the nation's top-selling vehicle. Indeed, it outsold the best-selling car, the Toyota Camry, by a ratio of two to one. The new Camry was able to oust the Honda Accord as the number-one-selling car, but with a new Accord on the market for '03, look for a tough battle between these two perennial leaders. Despite the woes befalling the Ford Explorer, it easily retained its position as the country's favorite SUV and best-selling passenger vehicle. Undoubtedly…

Sports cars are usually about great handling, light weight, and, generally, selfish proportions. They’re not about needs and practicality. Rear seats, let alone rear doors, add power-sapping, balance-mucking heft. No matter, Mazda will give the four-door sports-car concept a go with its new, rotary-powered RX-8. The RX-8 rear-seat area has enough leg and elbow room for a trip to an out-of-the-way restaurant, although headroom is a bit tight. Its framed, pillarfree doors offer a big opening, like those of a Saturn lon, although the RX-8’s thick door frames break up clean, muscular lines. At 2933 pounds, this car weighs about the same as the last RX-7; an innovative and light “virtual center pillar’ adds safety. Steel pipes under the aluminum skin of the rear doors connect to a brace via…

Nobody’s unhappy that Subaru finally brought us its Rally-bred Impreza WRX. And nobody will complain when it brings us the even hotter STi version late next year. But a lot of people groused about the bug-eyed look that came along with the Impreza’s ’02 redesign. The result is that a freshened front end has already broken cover and appears on all 04 Imprezas. They got it right this time: The new nose is aggressive and well-balanced, blending the look of the previous Impreza, the current Legacy/Outback, and throwing in a few curves of its own. The larger headlights have a more complex design, and the STi’s intercooler’s hood scoop is the most aggressive to date. The WRX retains its signature oversize driving lights, and all Impreza taillights get some…

After a seven-year production run, BMW’s Z3 has been shown off of the stage and replaced with the Z4, a roadster fated to engender strong opinions. While its edgy Anders Warming-penned bodywork will be a love-it-or-hate-it notion, getting behind the wheel elicits a broad grin. The newest BMW two-seater debuts with only six-cylinder engines underhood. Two variants are offered: a 2.5-liter good for 184 horsepower and a 225-horse 3.0. Three types of transmissions are available: manual (Getrag five-speed for the 2.5 and a ZF six-speed for the 3.0), sequential manual, and automatic. The Z4’s platform employs a 99.7-inch wheelbase, longer than the Z3’s by 3.4 inches, making for a roomier interior. Suspension bits include struts in the front and a 3 Series-sourced multilink rear suspension Electric-assisted vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering…

“Superb powertrain, maybe the best avail-able in this price range.” 9 66 “Dynamically, this thing is a winner. So capable, so confidence-inspiring.” “The best-looking new sport coupe on the road today.” “Balance, poise, good driver feedback—finally, a real driver’s car from Infiniti.” “The G35 will keep the folks in Munich working overtime.” “These cars rock….” These comments come from the Car of the Year test logbooks that rode along with the Infiniti G35 Sport Sedan and Sport Coupe during our multiweek evaluation process. There are pages more of these observations, and although the words are different, the sentiments remain the same: These are terrific machines. BMW may have invented the modern midsize sport sedan, and few would argue that the 5 Series in many ways still defines it. But with…

2003 NISSAN 350Z Every sports-car junkie welcomes the return of the Z. As in the beginning, it’s light, nimble, sporty, and affordable. Plus now, it’s fast. The new 350 recalls the original 70 Datsun 240Z, and while the early cars cost just $3526, the new Z moves the decimal point one place to the right, at least in fully dressed form. Our six-speed, Brembo-braked, Le Mans Sunset-colored Track model based at $34,079. To that, we added a set of $69 floormats and nothing else. With the mandatory $540 in destination charges, our as-tested price came toa $34,688—just about as much as you can spend for one of these things, but a well-equipped Z still can be had for less than $30K. We've covered little more than break-in miles, so far,…

Motor Trend’s Car (and Truck and Sport/Utility) of the Year Award have long been symbolized by the “Golden Calipers” trophy. But it wasn’t always that way. Prior to 1971, when the current design was inaugurated, all manner of plaques, plinths, and medals represented our annual “of the Year’ program. The earliest presentation pieces were cast medallions. Later came fairly simple wood or marble towers that carried metal plaques denoting the year, the name of the winner, and a quote from the story about the car. For the 1962 award, Kaiser Aluminum created a new, space age-inspired trophy that featured a silver sphere atop an extruded gold-anodized aluminum shaft. And sitting on that sphere was a set of machinist’s calipers. The calipers went away for a while, as seen on the…

Riffing off the success of the M1 mid-engine supercar of the ’80s and the McLaren F1 supercar of the ‘90s, the next BMW exotic will have none of the retro feel of the current Z8. The new M1 is slated to come with an innovative I-6 and/or a version of the current M5’s V-8 engine. BMW Motorsport and the automaker's advanced design groups are charged with developing a super-light sports car, weighing no more than 1000 kilograms (about 2205 pounds). Its internal-development name is “Smart Ultralight Special,” and it bridges the gap between a BMW road car and its Le Mans and Formula One efforts. Williams Engineering is said to be working on the suspension package, although the BMW-Williams F1 deal is up for renewal in 2004. That would not…

When Pontiacs become BMWs, what will the taste-challenged drive? For ’04, Pontiac has replaced the excess plastic cladding on the Grand Prix with the clean looks of the G-Force show car (“News,” May 2002) and given it a BMW-like twin-port grille. An evolution of the ’97-’03 Grand Prix, the new GP marches toward modernity—hot on the heels of the Vibe and the Z4-like Solstice concept—but on an updated version of that ’97-03 platform. Changes include wider-opening rear doors (82 versus 67 degrees), a 10-inchwider-opening trunk, and nearly six-inch-lower lift-in height—better for hauling mountain bikes and such that otherwise might steer buyers to an SUV. The coupe and the entry-level 3.1-liter/170-horsepower SE are gone; the new base model is the 3.8-liter/200-horse V-6-powered GT. The supercharged GTP and GTP with Competition…

The Nissan/Mercury joint venture that yielded the Quest and Villager minivans has come to an end. The Villager nameplate has been around for decades, and Mercury is reaching back into its history for another one to apply to its newest model: Monterey. Sharing platform architecture with the next-generation Ford Windstar, the Monterey will get its own look, high level of standard and optional equipment, and the largest engine offered in a minivan to date. Its styling appears sporty and clean, based on this design rendering, and will echo the satin-metal-trimmed look of today’s Mountaineer sport/utility. Besides a new torque-rich 4.2-liter V-6, the Monterey will offer a minivan occupant protection first in the form of side-curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. Additional safety-related gear includes front and rear…

Imagine a compact four-door sedan with 215 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque surging to the front wheels via a turbo four. If that makes sense, so does the sport compact phenomenon. If it doesn’t, you probably can’t get over the death of the F-body. In either case, Chrysler’s Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) figures its rorty hot-rod Dodge Neon is for you. Sporting a unique front fascia, a rear wing worthy of an L.A. rodder’s Eclipse, and cloth-covered Viper seats, the PVO Neon gets the PT Turbo’s blown I-4 drawing air in through a functional hood scoop. Turbo boost is 11-14 psi, depending on what the engine-control monitor needs to achieve max power from 3200 to 4200 rpm. PVO’s goal was to avoid the weight of a V-6, yet…

Ina strange-but-appropriate way, each of these luxury-brand sport/utilities owes much of its personality to the people who produce it. The English are world renowned for a steadfast grip on tradition and style, with a loose grasp on the culinary arts (the exception being their malt beverages, which are among the best in the civilized world). The Japanese are generally well mannered, aggressive in their use of technology, and fond of curious design and foods. Here, in the U.S. of A, we’re exceedingly diverse and, as a result, often at odds with one another. Proud at best and boisterous at worst, we have a penchant for power, trendiness, and conspicuous consumption. What does any of this have to do with SUVs? Like the British who build it, the Land Rover adheres…

Michael Andretti and Nicky Hayden have a lot in common. Michael is a legend—he’s won more races than any other active driver in American CART racing. And Nicky Hayden is on the way to becoming a legend—at 21, he’s already the youngest-ever American Motorcyclist Association Superbike champion. Michael is the only American driver in the last decade to compete in Formula One, the pinnacle of four-wheeled racing. In 2003, Nicky Hayden will attack the MotoGP World Championship, the Europe-based two-wheeled equivalent of Fl. Rider and driver use Honda power in their racing endeavors, which is a clue as to how this you-can-drive-mine-if-I-can-ride-yours thing came about. We’ve all fantasized about driving a 900-horse 240-mph CART car like Michael’s Lola Honda. And two-wheeled fans dream of Nicky’s Honda RC-51 Superbike, its 180…

Infiniti’s new G35 isn’t the marque’s first venture into the rear-drive midsize mid-luxury-sedan marketplace. A decade ago, there was the J30, a round-rumped, nicely built entry that attempted to go head to head against segment sales leaders like Lexus’ ES 300 and Acura’s Legend. Marketed as a sporty four-door with an impressive list of standard equipment, the $36,000-base priced J30 used a DOHC 3.0-liter/210-horsepower V-6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Options included a “t” (or touring) package, including upgraded tires on custom alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, stiffer spring rates, HICAS four-wheel steering, and a smaller anti-roll bar diameter. Unfortunately, the J30’s width of 69.7 inches and a full-size driveshaft tunnel diminished interior room, resulting in a tight back seat for three adults. Those up front found supportive seats…

IN NOVEMBER 1983, DODGE TOOK ONE HECK OF A RISK BY introducing the original Caravan minivan, proffering the notion that this oversized breadbox on wheels would revolutionize the way families traveled. Nearly 20 years later, with over 8 million sold, it’s clear the gamble was a smart one. Today, the Caravan is the world’s bestselling minivan, with a 21-percent market share—more than any other brand. The fourth iteration of the Caravan came to market last year. Filled with a host of new features, functionality, and powertrains, it was clearly worth a One-Year look. Living large, we opted for a Shale Green Metallic Grand Caravan ES at a base price of $29,110. To that, we added leather seats ($1250) and the Customer Preferred Package 29S: traction control, four-speed automatic with AutoStick,…