Innehållsförteckning för September 2006 från MotorTrend

MERCEDES-BENZ builds the torquey 3.0-liter common-rail turbodiesel that’s under the hood of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD. You're going to hear MORE about that when the sport/utility goes on sale in the first quarter of 2007—Chrysler Group won't be shy about the DaimlerChrysler connection. We got a limited drive in the Grand Cherokee CRD and can report it’s a much better Jeep diesel than the discontinued Liberty CRD, which Chrysler says sold beyond expectations. The Liberty’s turbodiesel was an ancient four that won't meet stringent new NOx standards. The Grand Cherokee’s Benz diesel is a quiet, smooth V-6 that comes to the States first this fall in the Mercedes E320CDI. It’s a worthy first diesel in a U.S.-market full-size SUV, good for off-roaders or those who need to tow…

LOTUS’S long-awaited new Esprit will go into production in Hethel, England, in the first half of 2008. It replaces a car old enough to have starred in a James Bond movie with Roger Moore as 007. That model premiered in 1976 and was last sold in North America in 2004. The new Esprit will be composite bodied over an aluminum structure made up of castings as well as extrusions and plates. The engine is a turbo V-8, thought to be Toyota's, although there’s speculation in Britain it might be a BMW unit. The company’s consulting arm, Lotus Engineering, has released renderings of a “possible” supercar chassis and even a complete car, badged Esprit, on its wall calendar last year. Lotus Cars doesn't deny these are early renderings of the real…

THE production version of the MD-X concept we saw at the New York show last spring is cleaner and less snarly looking. These spy shots show a big brother to the new RDX, with a more expressive interior featuring motorcycle-style gauges. The second-gen MDX carries forth some of the 2001-2006 models’ underpinnings, but with a longer wheelbase and wider track to provide a sportier look and feel. It’s expected to get the RL’s 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, with cylinder deactivation.…

conspicuous consumption I agree that Detroit and manufacturers doing business in the U.S. cater to America’s taste, which at present is for large sedans and trucks (“Big Picture,’ June). I also agree it’s wrong for the government to regulate, through CAFE or some other bureaucratic process, what we drive. But you're way off with the proposal to influence America’s driving habits by increasing the tax on gas. The assertion that gas is 25 percent cheaper than 25 years ago is correct, but what’s the overall cost of driving compared with 25 years ago? A gas taxis a regressive tax that affects lower-income families more than upper-income. Usually the closer one lives to a job or the mass transit (suburban rail, etc.) that serves that job, the more expensive real estate…

IN ORDER TO relive the Rent-a-Raccr experience, we head for the tight curves of L.A.’s Mulholland Drive, the famed site of decade’s worth of illicit road-racing battles. The GT-H’$ tighter suspension, increased power, and more aggressive 3.55:1 rear gearing make for a lively drive compared with that of a stock GT. Handling is crisp and predictable, and when pushed the GT-H delivers controllable tailout oversteer and wide grins. Later that day, we cruise to Irwindale Speedway for some heads-up drag racing on a VHT-prepped launch pad with proper Christmas-tree starting lights. In the staging lanes, our GT-H receives mixed reviews. Young guys think it looks cool but have no idea who Shelby is. and they're clueless to GT350H history. The over-40 crowd knows exactly what the black-and-gold Mustang is all…

WE KNOW what you're thinking. How on earth can these folks hope to connect the name of the progressive Democrat president who steered America through World War I to this pair of plutocratic hardtop roadsters? Here’s how: Wilson’s likeness adorned the short-lived $100,000 bill, and Cadillac is asking precisely one Woodrow for its new XLR-v, including guzzler tax and destination charges. That’s a one with five zeros, and it’s more than four Grover Cleveland K-notes above the opening price of Mercedes Benz’s new SL550, the benchmark in the stratospheric sun-tanner segment. Holy dead presidents! Can a Caddy legitimately command a six-figure price tag? Its credentials are impressive, starting with a supercharged 4.4-liter Northstar V8 that spins 443 horses and 414 pound-feet of torque back through a rearmounted six-speed automatic that…

00.1 AUDI R8 On sale spring 2007, the Lamborghini Gallardo-based R8 launches with Audi’s new 4.2-liter FSI V-8 from the RS4. A 500-plus-horsepower version using the 5.2-liter V-10 from the S8 will follow, with a 280-horse, 3.6-liter V-6 coming in 2009, A seven-speed DSG transmission will be optional on the V-8 and V-10. (Le Mans quattro concept shown). 00.2 ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE Due in 2008, the sexy V-12 Aston Martin Rapide should beat Porsche’s Panamera into production by at least a year. Built on the flexible VH spaceframe architecture, it’s nearly a foot longer than the DBS, but only 1.6 inches taller. It'll replace the Vanquish as Aston’s flagship, allowing development of a more powerful DB9. 00.3 BMW M3 BMW’s fourth-generation M3 arrives late in 2007. Under the hood is…

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES who've seen me run through a series of used high-end collector cars during the past two-plus decades were surprised to learn I'd never bought a new car for myself. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, when interesting stuff was much less expensive, new cars couldn't touch the performance and personality that second-hand exotics, luxury, and muscle cars offered. Flash forward to 2006, and it’s a different ballgame. For around $30,000, Ford’s new Mustang dishes out the cachet and fun of a classic car (and more) without the headaches. I was bitten from the moment it was introduced. That’s how I found myself at Salinas Valley Ford, walking the lot with general manager Lars Frieberg. ‘The green Stage 1 Roush caught my eye’! told him. Frieberg said the…

ANY TIME you're handed the keys to a roadster, odds are it’s going to be a good day. The odds get even better when the keys belong to the 2006 Mazda MxX-5. Sure, we had to get used to the alphanumerics—even when it came out in 1989, MX-5 was part of the name, but it’s always been referred to as a Miata. At its core, however, this third generation is still the same lovable, European-inspired compact droptop. The MxX-5 is all-new for 2006: The platform, structure, engine, suspension, exterior design, cabin, and steering have been completely redesigned or significantly revised, qualifying it for Motor Trend’s Car of the Year competition, where it proved impressive enough to merit a longer look. Our Grand Touring model was sprayed in Winning from the…

THIS WAS THE dream Hertz, Ford, and Carroll Shelby were selling (or renting}: The sun is shining. It’s just you and your date out for a lazy, hazy, crazy summer drive. Maybe you didn't have the scratch to afford your own Shelby Mustang, but you could always rent one. Heck, she didn't have to know it wasn't yours. Even though the new GT-H coupes will all be trimmed in black and gold, and all of them will have automatic transmissions, that wasn't the case with the original GT350Hs. They were available in other colors, although black/gold was the predominant combo. A few were built with stick-shifts; can't imagine how many came back to the Hertz lot with smoking clutches. Strange as it may sound, the original H cars were considered…

THERE WAS no chance for instrument testing. tends wasn’t even the chance to do a standing-start 0 to 60 by watch, but with one lap of Ford Motor’s oval test track in Dearborn, it was clear the new 3.5-liter V-6 is going to be a winner for the company. It won't surprise you with dent-the-seatback acceleration, but now, at least, it’s acceptable in cars like the midsize Lincoln MKZ—known as Zephyr. Too many Fords have been anchored with the 203-horse, 3.0-liter V-6. With the new 3.5 making an impressive 263 horses and 249 pound-feet, the V-6 is a match for the Japanese competition and for GM’s 240-horse, 3.6-liter “high-feature” engine in the Buick LaCrosse. The Linc gets a six-speed automatic, which helps. The 3.5 also bows this fall in the…

ASTON MARTIN CEO Ulrich Bez says the Rapide four-door Detroit show concept is going to reach production. It was an unplanned announcement, made in his native German to a German interviewer—Bez’s P.R. minders didn’t realize he'd said it until a few days later. Using a stretched-aluminum DB9 platform and the same 500-plus-horsepower-plus V-12, the Rapide will continue Bez’s personal mission to upset his ex-employer, Porsche, where he was chief engineer. The Rapide will go head to head with the Porsche Panamera. Intro date is likely to be 2008, because first the tiny company has to get James Bond’s DBS and the V8 Vantage convertible into production. The DBS and Rapide will cost $200,000 to $250,000 and will probably edge the Vanquish out of the model range, though the Vanquish gets…

AUDI WILL build a convertible version of the A3 compact, planned for sale by the end of 2007, Erich Schmitt has confirmed to Motor Trend. Audi probably will build the A3 Cabrio alongside the TT at its Hungarian factory, according to Schmitt, the Audi board member in charge of purchasing. The plant also makes Audi’s 2.0 turbo FSI and V-6 and V-8 gas engines. The two-door softtop will have an engine range similar to the A3 hatchback’s, with FWD and Quattro drivetrains and the DSG (now renamed S-tronic) sequential transmission. Meanwhile, Audi has already introduced the high-performance S3 in Europe. It’s a three-door A3 (not sold in the U.S. to avoid biting into VW GTI sales) with a 265-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter FSI turbo engine. The weight savings versus…

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IT’S 1966 and you, Mr. Jet Setter, are blowing into Malibu for the weekend. Being a hip man-about-towner, driving a rented Galaxy or Belvedere isn't your scene, even with Bobby Darin playing on the eight-track. You have people to see, parties to hit, and skirts to chase. But don't sweat it, sport. There’s a better deal: Drive into a Hertz location and sign up for a 306-horsepower Shelby GT350H. Sure, $17 a day and 17¢ a mile is a lot for a rental car. But not for a high-roller like you. Such was the dreamscape Hertz painted for its original Shelby GT350H rental car program: a fast, beautiful ride available to fast, beautiful people at the flick of a Diners Club card. The visuals were accurate, and the dazzling (mostly)…

AT THE 2006 24 Hours of be Mans, Audi clinched its sixth overall victory with an R10 TDI—a 650-horsepower prototype race car propelled by a twin-turbodiesel V-12—making it the first diesel-powered car ever to win Le Mans, the world’s most historic endurance race. What does this have to do with the 2008 TT? Not much, really. Except for the fact that a TT led the race, giving the two front-row Rl0s a good look at its curvaceous posterior and new square-light-cube taillamps. Okay, so it was the official pace car, and it was for only one lap. Besides the R10 and TT sharing a presence at this storied event, they also share high levels of shock value—the R10 for jolting the motorsport world by winning Le Mans (not to mention…

MARLBORO was considered a women’s cigarette until some marketing genius placed a guy with a cowboy hat on a horse and a Marlboro in his mouth and filmed him riding into the sunset. From then on, macho hombres as well as women enjoyed Marlboros. Jeep is doing the opposite with the Compass. Ever since the Willys Jeep helped win WWIL it’s been the most macho hombre of nameplates, a credible substitute for the Marlboro Man’s horse. Now it has to risk that equity on a FWD car-based four-cylinder “crossover” without bringing down the brand’s well-honed reputation. With Wranglers priced firmly in Toyota FJ Cruiser territory, there’s room for a new entry-level Jeep. The company offers two for 2007, saying the Compass and Patriot were equally well received in clinics. Both…

00.1 PORSCHE CAYMAN S You could buy a more powerful Chevy or a flashier BMW, but the Cayman’s mid-engine chassis dynamics, sublime steering, flat-six engine song, and slinky, sinuous styling make this Porsche the most satisfying two-seater for the money. Don’t be dissuaded by its modest-looking specifications sheet, this baby’s the real deal. Frank Markus 00.2 DODGE MAGNUM SRT8 “Wagon” was a dirty word until Dodge shoved 425 horses’ worth of Hemi under the hood of this broad-shouldered bulldog. Trust us: That word carries no negative baggage when you're laying a 40-foot patch or knocking down 13,.1-second quarters at 108 mph. Perfect for when the groceries need getting, now. Frank Markus 00.3 FORD SHELBY GTS500 Here’s the surprise: The GT500 is no raw, sweaty musclecar, but a fast and remarkably…

ASSEMBLY starts at 8.50 p.m. with a freshly painted, empty metal shell hanging in an overhead cradle on the tilt line at a 45-degree angle. Twenty minutes later, the car moves onto stands on line two, a conveyer belt, and is ready for assembly. By, the instrument panel is ready to be put together on the pre installation line. The engine is completed on the engine-production line between and At the instrument-panel assembly is united with the body, and at, the engine is placed into the engine bay. Wheels are added to the car at 1.50 in the morning, and at robots install the front and rear glass. The interior nears completion as the seats are installed by 2:10. Doors, initially removed for interior work, are reattached at 2:35. The…

2006 AUDI A3 Total Mileage 9249 POSITIVE declarations are filling the logbook about our A3’s Direct Shift gearbox: "The DSG is as close to perfect as a sequential manual gets. Downshifts are so smooth and seamless you sometimes don’t know they're happening, except for the hyper-quick tach-needile movement. The best part is that there’s no upsetting of the chassis when downshifting fora fast, tight curve. Hit the paddle twice and you go from fourth to second, and the chassis stays perfectly settled. So much fun!" It isn’t just the gearbox that’s causing the staff to fall in love with the A3 after just one drive—this is a sweet car all the way around. ◼ Average fuel econ 21.8 mpg ◼ Unresolved problems None ◼ Maintenance cost $0 (First service) ◼…

FORD MIGHT be down, but it’s not out. Although the sweeping cuts of Mark Fields’s “Way Forward” plan likely mean the end of the road for the Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Ford Crown Victoria (MT, August 2006), Ford’s product mavens are working on a number of key new models to take the Blue Oval into the 21st century. The hugely successful Mustang is scheduled to get a major makeover in 2008, just in time to meet Chevy’s new Camaro and Dodge’s new Challenger head on in this century’s musclecar war. While the underpinnings will be largely carried over, we hear every exterior panel, apart from the roof center, will be changed. It'll still look like a Mustang, say insiders, but will be less retro than the current…

GM SOURCES have confirmed what we predicted in our July 2005 issue: Chevrolet will launch a super-Z06 by mid-2007. Back then, we suggested the car could bring back the hallowed Super Sport moniker, but word is the 600-plus-horsepower Corvette is expected to revive the famed Stingray name. The car gets its 911 Turbo-pounding power from a supercharged version of the 7.0-liter V-8 and is expected to come in at 2900 pounds, roughly the same weight as the 170-horsepower Pontiac Solstice. That means what’s left of the Z06’s noise-stifling insulation is likely to come out. But with a maximum of 4.83 pounds per horsepower to haul around, the Stingray ought to be able to steal the American supercar performance crown away from Ford’s GT.…

NO QUESTION the all-new Mercedes-Benz CL-Class will trigger arguments over its styling. The next-wave Mercedes design melds an especially wedgy, rakish coupe shape with the 2006 S-Class’s bulged fenders and clean, minimalist details (note especially the taillamps). Technologically, the CL is pure Benz übercoupe. Mercedes estimates 0-to-60 mph in 4.5 seconds for the CL600, with its 510-horsepower/612-pound-foot 36-valve 5.5-liter V-12and 5.4 seconds for the CL500, which has the 382-horsepower/391-pound-foot 36-valve 5.5-liter V-8. As with other models, the V-8 is coupled with a seven-speed automatic; the V-12 has a five-speed autobox. Preliminary EPA numbers are 16/24 mpg for the CL550 and 12/19 mpg for the CL600. STYLING DETAILS ◼ Intelligent Light System headlamps are mounted in polished tubes, designed to look like an expensive camera lens. ◼ Chrome strip on the…

IT’S NO secret Volkswagen is preparing a modern, decidedly nonretro Scirocco sport coupe for the last part of the decade. But it’s also working on a new version of its retro cutemobile, the New Beetle. Volkswagen, which has slipped to sixth place among seven major-volume imports in the U.S., with about 244,000 units per year, is still Europe’s biggest automaker, but it’s facing General Motors-like labor-cost problems. It has to repair Ferdinand Piéch’s plans to compete with Mercedes, in light of the VW AG board’s vote of confidence earlier this year for corporate chief Bernd Pischetsrieder. VW division’s stout Germanic craftsmanship and envy-inducing quality interiors have created cost problems—it’s said to lose money on every Golf it builds—on top of poor initial quality scores in the U.S. “We're in the…

MAZDA’S MX-5—still Miata here unofficially-has always been the paragon of lightweight design. It’s never even had so much as a power-operated ragtop. Now. Mazda is going beyond that with a folding metal roof option available this fall. To be called Mazda MX-S Power Retractable Hard Top in North America. Mazda hasn't announced a price yet. but $30K or so seems likely. Nor has Mazda said how much extra weight the retractable top adds, but we'd guess the car now weighs as much as a Pontiac Solstice/Satum Sky.…

could’ve fueled me An enthusiast magazine that chastises car enthusiasts for outrageous gasoline usage (“Big Picture”)? Proposing that we pay more for gas to curb its waste? Scandalous! Don't you know you're supposed to say nice things that make us feel good about ourselves? You've offended a lot of people with your editorial. Thank you. The truth hurts—and takes guts to tell. Luke Salava Las Cruces, New Mexico Whattayanuts? A tax incentive for people to buy more efficient cars? If you really think that’s the answer, try this one. Using the CAFE regulations as the standard, an annual tax would be charged as follows: Vehicles getting one mpg below the standard would pay $1000/year; two mpg below, $3000/year; three mpg below, $9000/year—ad infinitum. The revenue could be used to invest…

FROM 1965 THROUGH 1967, Shelby Mustangs were built by Shelby Cars were assembled by Ford to a certain spec and then delivered to Shelby’s Los Angeles area facilities. Mustangs were converted using a combination of Shelby and aftermarket parts, then reserialized and delivered to Ford dealers or. in the case of the H models, to Hertz. With the exception of the shop now being located in Las Vegas, and the fact that this model isn't available new from Ford, today’s GT-H program is startlingly similar to the original. The assembly building—the same used for the Shelby Series I—is outfitted with six lifts, each of which is the epicenter of a Mustang’s transformation from GT to GT-H. Two-man teams are responsible for the process from stem to stem. They receive the…

THESE NEW GMT900s aren't just better than the trucks they replace; they're out to change the way people think about trucks. We got an early look at the new Silverado platform and spoke with engineers who've spent the last five years developing the GMT900 trucks. They re ready to tell their story, and the first thing they want you to know is that much of the technology that went into the currently popular full-size SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban, Avalanche, Escalade, Denali) came from the work they were doing on the GMT900 pickups. They're pleased the Tahoe, Escalade, and Yukon are selling well (all three sales numbers far exceed last year's), mostly because it could be a predictor of what happens when their Silverado hits the market. As with the SUVs,…

00.1 BUGATTI VEYRON Do you have $1.25 million burning a hole in your pocket? Then why not extinguish it with the quickest, fastest, most expensive production car ever sold. The 16-cylinder, 1001-horse Veyron rips from 0 to 60 in just over 2.0 seconds, maxes out at over 250 mph, and costs the equivalent of five Ferrari 599 GTBs. 00.2 DEARBORN DEUCE None of the Rare Grooves lets the good times roll quite like the Dearborn Deuce, a back-to-the-future interpretation of a 1932 Ford hot rod. Manufactured to contemporary standards by Hot Rods & Horsepower of Connecticut and ASC of Michigan, the Deuce sports a computer-designed body, a commodious cockpit (compared with the original), and a small-block Chevy engine. 00.3 FISKER TRAMONTO Penned by Danish designer Henrik Fisker—Z8, anyone?—the Tramonto, based…

THROW traditional out the window. Get rid of common, too. Clear your mind of all preconceived thoughts of normal. Now strap on a helmet and throw your leg over the 2007 GG Motorrad Technik “quad.” Don't mind the fact that you've never tidden a street bike, just fire up the BMW twin-cylinder boxer engine, let out the clutch, and set out for adventure. For years, Walter Gruter has been building, selling, and riding his Swiss-made, TUV-approved, street-legal quad in Europe. And now it’s headed for America. As of this writing the quad is under the persnickety eye of DOT officials in Washington, D.C. If approved for roadworthiness, U.S. importer Keith Smith will be taking orders before year’s end. So what exactly is the Motorrad Technik? It’s part motorcycle (engine, handlebars,…

THOSE WHO'VE been keeping their eye on Mazda know that lately the company’s been doing a good job of making practical, solidly built transportation with just the right amount of sporty intention to draw buyers away from the bigger, blander Japanese manufacturers. Case in point is the Mazda3 5-Door. First impression? This car looks, feels, and drives more expensive than it really is. When it hit the market in early 2004 as a 2005 model, it became one the best small cars for the money, dethroning the then-aging Civic and kicking the Corolla down a notch on the benchmark pole. And though Chevrolet launched its new Cobalt at about the same time as the Mazda’s debut, the compact from GM doesn't measure up to the Global C1 platform underpinning the…