Innehållsförteckning för November 2006 från MotorTrend

HOLDEN SPECIAL VEHICLES, the Holden hot shop Jointly owned by GM’S Australian subsidiary and former F1 team owner Tom Walkinshaw. has launched its versions of the all-new. Zeta based Holden Commodore. More powerful and more aggressively styled, the new HSV cars show how GM could put together performance versions of a rear-drive Impala or a Pontiac Grand Prix off the same architecture. Base engine across the HSV range is a 412-horse version of the 6.0 liter LS2 V-8 used in the Holden-based Pontiac GTO. Transmission choice is a Tremec T56 six-speed manual or GM’S slick new 6L80E six-speed auto. Holden sources claim test mules have consistently run 0 to 60 in under 5.0 seconds. Standing quarter-mile times should be In the 12 second bracket. Brakes are monster 14.3-inch discs up…

REPORTS OF the EZs death have been greatly exaggerated. If independent testing can back Tesla Moton’s claims. Its new lithium ion-battery sports car is to the electric golf kart what a 911 Turbo is to a gas riding mower The San Carlos. California, company claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.0 seconds, a range of 250 miles per charge (EPA highway cycle), and a recharge time as low as 3.5 hours. At the current price of electrical power, its battery pack can be filled for about $2.50 at off peak rates. That’s not a misprint. And if you pop for the optional solar panel you can attach to your garage roof, you II enjoy 50 miles of free driving every day. The first 100 Tesla Roadsters have already been sold at…

FORMER MCLAREN engineering genius Gordon Murray has come out of his quiet freelance life and joined the i staff of Caparo, an Anglo-Indian steel and engineering company. Caparo recently bought a small company called Freestream, which has nearly finished developing an amazing and unique new ultralightweight supercar. It’s claimed to be capable of 0-to-60 mph in 2.5 seconds and 0-to-100 in 5.0. Freestream‘s founders are Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead, both of whom worked with Murray on advanced composites at McLaren Cars. Their car, the Freestream T1, has been renamed Caparo T1. Its performance and ability around a track will be unmatched fora road car. The engine is a unique 2.4-liter supercharged V-8, using some motorcycle internals. it makes 480 horses at 10,500 rpm. The transmission is a custom magnesium…

that old fossil Efforts to renew fossil fuels by recycling post-consumer waste are commendable, though much of the damage wreaked on our environment has been caused by the excessive burning of those same fossil fuels (‘Technologue,” August 2006). Growing fuel costs and projected shortages have forced automakers to examine hybrid alternatives that may help preserve our ozone layer and forestall increases in global warming. Perhaps we should be more cautious before touting the benefits of certain innovations. Then again, cheap gas for my new Challenger wouldn't be such a bad thing. Alex Pacheco Hilliard, Ohio write us at 6420 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 e-mail us from motortrend.com letter of the month wins! Celebrate the great cars of the past with this solid billet aluminum clock. Look for your…

IN THIS DAY and age, power comes at a premium. From pricey electric bills and rolling blackouts to rising oil prices and $3-a-gallon gasoline, power and the means by which we obtain it have become especially costly. For the typical American buyer who’s out to purchase a new car, the average transaction price now hovers around $29,000. Finance that debt over five years at a reasonable 6.0-percent interest rate, and you're looking at roughly $560 per month. Ouch. So if you want some muscle under the hood but don't want to empty the bank account, what can you do? Happy to say there are some rides out there that offer maximum muscle for minimal moola. These mini-musclecars deliver levels of power and performance that belie their pennywise price tags. In…

BMW 135k: Stuff Munich’s new 300-horse twin-turbo six into a baby BMW, and you’re bound to get a great driver’s car in the spirit of the old 2002Tii. It’s rumored for 2008. DODGE CALIBER SRT4: Detroit’s first modern mini-musclecar arrives early next year, with 300 horsepower under the hood and a claimed 0-to-60-mph time comfortably under 6.0 seconds. VOLVO C30: (At right.) Initial U.S. version will have 218 horses, but rumors are already swirling of a storming 256-horse version of the 2.5-liter turbo five used in the Focus ST. Let’s hope it shares the same chassis tune, too. Due 2007.…

IF YOU THINK there’s no point spending almost $100,000 for something with a 450-horsepower Lamborghini-sourced V-10 engine no one notices, then read no further. Audi’s new S88 isn't for you. But if you like the idea of a big, fast, elegantly tailored limousine that slips effortlessly—and apidly—under the radar, you'll love this car. In an era when AMG Benzes are getting bolder and brassier with every model and BMW’s M cars are heading for techno-overkill, the subtle new S8 is the stealth-fighier of sport sedans. In our week with this black-over-gray, German-plated 58 tester, nary a single car-savvy Angeleno’s head was turned. And, quite frankly, that’s just the way we liked it. You see, the S8 is a selfish pleasure. Nail the gas and that direct-injection, 5.2-liter V-10 emits a…

“FIRST OF ali, the CX-9 is not a stretched CX-7 to accommodate a third row, and the CX-7 isn't a two-row CX-9. They’re two entirely different vehicles.’ After spending an afternoon driving the new CX-9, that clarification by the Mazda PR. gentleman seemed unnecessary. Yes, the CX-9 is bigger. In fact, it’s startlingly bigger. But Mazda’s new flagship is a lot more than a 9/7ths CX-7. It has a certain solidity-fluidity something the 7 doesn't even try for, even taking into account its higher price, which ranges from about $29,500 for the front-drive, 18-inch-wheeled Sport version to $39,500 for the AWD Grand Touring rolling on 20 inchers. There’s a feeling of structural density here that’s well beyond any previous Mazda, due in no small part to the welding, and more…

GREAT NEWS for bargain-hunting sun-worshipers: The 2007 Boxster’s engines coordinate with Porsche’s stunning Cayman anc; I Cayman S. The Boxster gets the Cayman’s 245-horse, 2.7-liter engine, now with VarioCam Plus variable valve timing and lift to meet California ULEV II standards, while the Boxster S’s 3.2 is replaced with the Cayman S’s 3.4-liter engine, adding 15 horses. Fuel economy is up for both Boxsters. Near perfect as the Cayman Sis, the Boxster, which got a major redo for 2005, restores and invigoratesone’s faith in the "entrylevel" Porsche. The cagey company proved this point with atest drive on the Tail of the Dragon two-lane in the mountains of Tennessee. Some might find the suspension of either Boxster, when not equipped with Active Stability Management, compliant in the turns and might want…

2006 HONDA CIVIC SI Total mlleage 6669 WE CONFIRMED just how good our long term Civic S1 Is at the track after lapping the Streets of Willow for the "Takin' It to the Streets· story (June 2006), where the Si crushed the VW GTI by 1.56 seconds around the 158-mile course. It’s also, inning our adm1rat1on on the road: logbook comments abound about how the torquey yet rev-happy engine, the silky-smooth gearbox, and the push-it-to-the-limit suspension combine to make everyone who gets behind the wheel feel like a race-car driver. For the money, I can't think of a better car; notes one editor. Neither can the rest of us, which explains its selection as Car of the Year. ■ Average fuel econ 23.1 mpg ■ Unresolved problems None ■ Maintenance…

SO YOU'RE dying to have one of those sure-fire collectible Shelby/Hertz Mustangs. But you're loath to wait for one to appear on your Ford dealer’s lot, detailed to camouflage 20,000 miles of abuse accrued 100 miles at a time by renters hell-bent on getting their $300’s worth of fun? Behold the mechanically and visually similar Shelby GT. Mechanical similarities include all the Ford Racing go- and turn-fast bits-low-restriction intake and exhaust plus a computer reflash good for 325 horses and 330 pound-feet, and a 3.55:1 axle ratio, 65-percent-firmer and 1.5-inchlower springs and firmer shocks and anti-roll bars. Improvements Include the Mustang GT’s optional 18-inch wheel/tire package (GT-Hs roll 17-inchers), an available five-speed manual with a Hurst shifter, and a traction-control defeat button that works (you bought the tires, feel free…

VOLKSWAGEN Is making good on its promise of building a new Sciroccp a budget four-seat coupe. It was unveiled at the Paris show in late September as the Iroc concept. Barring such details as seats, wheels. Intenor, and door handles. It’s the real thing The name gives a big clue, too—the middle four letters of Scirocco (nothing to do with the International Race of Champions or the Camaro IROC). The design is sharper and more aggressive than usual for a VW, with a strong hexagonal grille surround (brushed aluminum on the concept, plastic for production), angled-pair headlamps, and wrong rear haunches. But the car has to be positioned as a more practical machine than an Audi TT, so it has a long greenhouse to provide useable rear-seat headroom. The car…

AMID ALL THE hoopla over the Tesla Roadster, it would be easy to overlook another battery-electric vehicle posting impressive numbers—the latest from AC Propulsion. Its converted Scion xB offers an estimated 0-to-60 performance of seven seconds, a range of 140 to 180 miles, and a recharge time of two hours from a 240-volt, 80-amp source. A “bidirectional grid interface” allows you to charge the batteries at night, then replenish the grid on sweltering afternoons when you're not planning to go anywhere. The car has 5300 li-ion laptop-type batteries neatly concealed beneath the seats providing the juice. A 160-horsepower motor delivers the jolt; the shock comes with the price: $55,000. Not including the Scion. Yet, with a four-door model still just a gleam in Tesla Motors’s eye, the AC xB may…

HYUNDAI is about to launch its third and largest crossover sport/utility vehicle, named Veracruz. It’s designed to compete with the Honda Pilot, Subaru B9 Tribeca, and, although the Veracruz comes with a third-row seat, also the Nissan Murano and Lexus RX 350. Yes, Lexus. A 3.8-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic will be standard as well as electronic stability control and side and curtain airbags. All-wheel drive will be an option. The standard third-row seat folds flat into what its maker calls the Hyundai Hideaway Seat. It’s on sale before the end of the year. Hyundai’s forthcoming rear-drive coupe will target the Infiniti G35. Expected next year as a 2008 model, the coupe will be a companion toa rear-drive sport sedan expected by the 2009 model year, But while we've described…

THESE AMPED-up compacts are priced for entry-level (read: younger) performance-minded buyers. Autocrossing is a challenging and cost-effective way for them to play with their new toys in a safe yet competitive environment. We put them through a Sports Car Club of America-style autocross course with AMCI professional test drivers Gary Thomason and George Doganis at the wheels. Both compete in SCCA solo contests, and each is a multi-National Champion and esteemed winner of the “Driver of Eminence” award. These guys know what it takes to evaluate a car for its competitiveness—and drive it to win. No matter who was at the wheel, the Mazdaspeed3 was faster than the Subaru, devouring the course about a second to a second and a on our one-minute, 20-second half quicker course. Grippy tires, quick,…

THE GUY BEHIND the Starbucks counter on La Cienega noticed my Motor Trend cap: "Hey, you work there? Probably drivin' a cool car tonight, right?" “A Kia minivan. But it’s pretty nice. DVD player in back for the kids!" He nodded silently and proceeded to make my green tea frappuccino. Worried that this guys intake of the suave. bring-me-another-Ferran automotive journalist was imploding like Ashley Simpson on "SNL," I absurdly added. "But. um. we'll be testing a Bugatti Veyron in about a week. Ever heard of a Bugatti?" The blender stopped."Of course I’ve heard of it. Sixteen-cyiinder W-type engine. Four turbos. A thousand horsepower A million bucks. It'll do. what—250 mph?" Now 1 was nodding silently. He offered a straw. Exactly when did random baristas start memorizing facts about Bugatti…

YOU’VE TRADED your Audi TT for one wife, two kids, and three carpool buddies. And now you need four doors and four seats. Your heart screams, “550i or ES50 Sport, baby!” Your budget, in a tone resembling your mother-inlaw’s, reminds you about “practical family transportation.” It’ll be okay. Several carmakers have realized average family dudes and dudettes with normal incomes may want a spoonful of driving fun and a sprinkle of pizzazz with their daily commuter cereal and have come up with sportified versions of their mainstream midsize four-doors. You won’t mistake any of them for that rockin’ BMW, Benz, or Audi, but they prove that you don’t have to settle for a vanilla sled resembling the ones you rent on business trips. We’ve assembled a quartet of them here,…

MERCEDES-BENZ has collected 80 million data points that suggest its R-Class is so relaxing its driver’s heart will average 1.6 fewer beats per minute than it would were he piloting two other unnamed German competitors. The speed freaks at AMG apparently interpreted that finding as a challenge and dropped their handbuilt 6.2-liter, 503-horsepowerV-8 into theoddball utey-van to bridge that pulse gap and then some. The engine swap entailed comprehensively redesigning the cooling system (a large oil-to-water cooler gets its own auxiliary water pump and fan that engage during hard driving) and tuning a big, burbling four-cat exhaust system. Naturally there’s also a beefed-up seven-speed AMG Speedshift tranny offering full manual control and quicker shifts. Airmatic suspension comes standard with stiffened spring and damping rates and a bigger front anti-roll bar.…

SUBARU WENT BIG with its new 89Tribeca, which serves up a taller height, more cargo area, and increased passenger capacity while matched with trademark Subee features to generate a well-executed SUV. The new Tribeca delivers an enjoyable, energetic ride through the hills, but ifyou want a dash of STI performance, consider the latest upgrades from Cobb Tuning. Based in Utah, Cobb has cut its teeth developing power upgrades for the WRX and STI, so it’s a logical extension for Cobb to offer wares for other Subaru product including the Tribeca seen here. While the stock DOHC 3.0-liter flat-six engine produces decent power (250 horsepower), Cobb adds a Rotrex supercharger, an air-to-air intercooler, and a highflow intake that force-feeds more atmosphere. An Access PORT ECU programmer generates revised air, fuel, and…

THE SPARPRIG began almost immediately. Was our long-term BMW X3 yet another pearl in a long necklace of sublime ultimate driving machines or just a rough riding Austrian-built anomaly that’s missed the mark? Unusually, the debate would be carried out within the pages of the X3’s logbook (where editors can lob verbal grenades without ever making eye contact.) And Don Quixote-like, the little SUV’s defense would be championed by a sole X3 admirer among us. Ultimately, he was dead wrong—but we'll let the logbook tell this story for itself. In retrospect, the seeds for many of our plot’s ensuing troubles were sown even before the X3 arrived. Giddy at its long list of nifty available features, we filled our basket a bit too full, adding $13,950 in goodies to an…

THE CAR YOU SEE here is a rendering based on one of two design proposals under consideration for the 2010 Chevy Impala, a rear-drive sedan to be built on the same Zeta rear-drive architecture as the 2009 Camaro and—as we revealed exclusively last month—also likely to underpin an alt-new Pontiac Grand Prix. Unlike the Grand Prix, which it being pitched as a mildly tweaked version of the all-new Australian-designed and engineered Holden Commodore, the new Impala will feature unique sheetmetal from bumper to bumper. A rear-drive Impala is a logical move for Chevy. It allows GM to Increase the Impala’s size, making it a clear step up from the all-new Malibu due next year. It also allows Chevy to offer a mainstream car with powertrains of more than 300 horses…

IF YOU’VE been clam oringfora crossover SUV with active steering and iDrive, it’s finally here. The second generation of BMW’s tall but sporty X5 launches in show-rooms by the end of November. BMW says it’s sold 580,000 X5s since it made its debut in 1999, with more than 240,000 of those staying here in the U.S., where it’s built. Highlights of the new model include: 350-horsepower, 4.8-liter V-8 or 260-horsepower, 3.0-liter inline-six in the U.S. (other markets get an optional six cylinder turbodiesel). Next-generation full-time xDrive all-wheel drive. Standard six-speed automatic with electronic gear selector. Active Steering optional. AdaptiveDrive, also an option, combines Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damping Control. Head-Up Display and standard runflat tires. third-row seat (for seven passengers). Yes, iDrive control, with six programmable keys.…

(*scoop*) LAST ISSUE, we provided a sneak peek of the next Mini’s performance and handling. Now, after it made its debut at the Paris auto show, we can reveal the cosmetic details: 175-horsepower Cooper S is 2.4 inches longer than the old model; Cooper is 2.9 inches longer. Mini attributes the increased length to a hood designed in anticipation of pedestrian safety standards. The headlights don’t lift with the hood/fenders, but there are cutouts for the head lamps and the fenders/hood still are one-piece. Front turn signals are integrated into the head lamps; there are new front fog lamps. Interior is subdivided horizontally into three levels. Center speedometer is even larger and includes entertainment and optional navigation functions. A Start/Stop button replaces the conventional ignition key.…

NOW THAT WE have actual performance numbers for the Veyron, it’s trivial to compare them with those of the existing supercar constellation: McLaren’s F1, Ferrari’s Enzo, Porsche’s Carrera GT, and Ford’s GT. Just look ’em up, right? But what would such a supercar showdown look like? Well, that’s another issue. Even if you could cajole, trick, or bribe these five into a high-noon face-off, witnessing them perform their best quarter-mile runs simultaneously, side by side, is nearly impossible. There’d inevitably be a missed shift here and an overcooked launch there to spoil the whole thing. However, through the miracle of Motor Trend’s 3D Virtual Road Test, your fantasy is our command. Together with our partner, CarSim, we’ve added three more lanes to our virtual dragstrip. Our 3D car-modeler, Mike Edwards,…

BRINGING A TOUCH more panache to the package, the new Lincoln Navigator reflects—and with enough gratuitous chrome on its reshaped nose and flanks to outglitz an Escalade, we do mean reflects-FoMoCo’s premium take on the large SUV segment. Although it shares the same upgraded understructure and powertrain elements with the Expedition- and also gets a new long-wheelbase "L" variant—there’s a richer look and feel to the Navigator’s unique cabin styling and trimout that includes a far larger dose of real-wood accenting. The standard-wheelbase RWD Ultimate version we drove felt downright sporty compared with the stretched Expedition, sprinting to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds, finding its way around corners with slightly more brio, and boasting a mere 40.8-foot turning circle. In this configuration, it’s also capable of towing up to 8750…

IF YOU'RE anikea customer, sooner or later you realize you're buying inexpensive furniture that requires assembly. That’s when you aspire to a higher level, say Roche Bobois or perhaps just a roomful of Middle-American Ethan Allen chairs. Nissan’s marketing mavens like to connect their cars to iconic, nonautomotive brands. The new Renault Megane-based Gen VI Sentra, six years in the making in replacing a car that looked old when it arrived, is designed for young people filling their first apartments with stuff from IKEA. So Nissan says its compact sedan is designed for optimum cargo flexibility, taking advantage of the Renault C-platform’s low profile rear suspension with coil springs separate from the shocks, plus a tall step-in height. The manual or CVT gearshift is up off the dash, as in…

IF THE 2007 Sky Red Line is any indication, reports of GM’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Thanks to anew turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter inline-four making 260 horsepower (the highest specific output of any production GM engine ever), the Sky now has moves as hot as its head-spinning bod. Like its sister car, the Pontiac Solstice GXP (winner of last month’s "Reach for the Stars" comparo), the Sky Red Line is a ragtop done right. The turbo engine is GM North America’s first direct-injection powerplant. Combined with pressurized air, pumping fuel directly into the cylinders not only boosts power by a massive 90 horsepower over the 2.4-liter base engine (claimed O-to-60 for the Red Line is just 5.5 seconds), but even helps deliver better fuel efficiency. Also standard on the Red…

WHEN THE SIEDO came to market in 2001, it was big news as the first Korean minivan sold in the United States. Even though it wasn't the dynamic match of the category leaders, people paid attention to its strong value message and long list of standard features. The Sedona now is completely redesigned for 2006, getting additional room and power and is based on an all-new platform. Its longer wheelbase and increased length and width result in a near-15-percent boost in passenger room. Its all-new 3.8-liter aluminumblockV-6 engine has a 25-percent increase in power over its predecessor. Kia so believes in this product, as well as the brand’s much improved quality, that it offered us one for a year’s worth of evaluation (translation: torture). We accepted Kia’s challenge and outfitted…

AUTO-SHOW season always means a convention center full of new sheetmetal. But even though that tradition hasremained a constant in America for more than 100 years, the hardware and the companies that produce it are constantly evolving. Note the nameplates represented around these four-plus decades later, Studebaker and Oldsmobile are not. Brands like Lexusand Hyundai are nowhere to be seen. Note some Lark with the foldback sunroof, the groovy Impala convertible, and the Avanti on the turntable. The art of auto show display craft has evolved, too. What used to be relatively simple stages with some cases, elaborate multiRoor affairs with multimedia displays, Internet access-even video games and driving simulators. coverage november 1976 A KIT CAR on our cover? Yup—that’s how tough things were in the automobile business 30 years…