Innehållsförteckning för June 2008 från MotorTrend

“YOU ONLY HAVE TO SEE HOW WASHINGTON WORKS TO FIGURE HOW THINGS CAN REALLY GET SCREWED UP.” TALKING ABOUT car is cheap. Actually making one? Well, that’s a whole different story… The longer I'm around this business, the more astonished I am that cars and trucks get built at all. Automaking isn’t for the faint-hearted. Just imagine, for example, you're the guy who has the final say whether your company will spend up to $1 billion—sometimes more—on the design, development, and manufacture of an all-new car or truck. You're the man. It’s down to you. And here’s the zinger: You have no real idea whether the damn thing will be a success. Think about it. It’s at least three to five years before that new car or truck will hit…

THE SATURN AURA is about to become obsolete, GM’s European Wing has officially leaked photos of disguised Opel Insignias on test. The Insignia replaces the Vectra, the Aura’s donor car, and will be revealed at the London motor show on July 22. The insignias the first car on GM’s new globallEpsilon platform; which provides replacements for the Ghevy IE SVE Ta ellLoya erated Cfo), Sy-F-] of 9-3 and 9:5, Cadillac BLS sedan/BLT Wagon in Etrope, a Korean built cars old as a Suzuki; a Holden in/Australia, and the next-generation Buick LaGrossey “All these cars will be radically different from each other, but they'll all use common engineering solutions? Bob Lutz told ius atGeneva. “They'll bedifferentin aesthetics and driving characteristics, so its notone car dressediupin different Ways, The exception is ‘lookshares…

letter of the month the duck stops here Ah, the race to achieve an average of 35 mpg has begun, posing quite the challenge for our nation’s automakers. So many choices: hybrid, electric, ethanol, diesel, direct injection, hydrogen, solar power, etc. Where do we begin? I have an idea, and while itwon‘t raise our average mpg to 35, it should still make quite a difference. Well-timed stoplights. That‘s right, folks, you heard it here first. Think about how frequently you drive down a street and hit a red light at every block instead of being able to hit multiple green lights in a row. Where! live, hitting red light after red light is the norm, and the excessive fuel used to accelerate to speed only to have to stop a…

THIS ISN'T your randfather’s Wide-Track Pontiac Ventura. It’s far from your Widely Cladded Bonneville emenor Visuals betraying tte 6 2-liter, 402-horsepower LS3 hood are the new front fascia amps, 19-inch wheels, new rear badges on the sides, and one on atiac Considered a kid-racer replaced it with the GT’s lip st minute. Who had the good make that Change? ”Bob butz,” says Brian Shipman, G8 product manager. “I agree with his approach,” Shipman continues, as if he’d have a choice. ‘‘He wanted a more refined approach, and he said,‘How many BMWs do you see driving around with a wing spoiler?’” Before GM vice chairman and car guru Lutz arrived, the ‘Excitement Division” measured said excitement by how much cladding and “performance” spoilers it could trowel onto a car. Lutz ordered…

USUALLY, flagship models undergo’ evolutionary styling revisions and carryover desing cues from generation to generation: This doesn't L “Seat the case at Nissan where designers of the 2009’ Maxima apparently carried the previous model’s style guide straight to the wood chipper. Nissan’s new flagship sedan isbuilt upon an all-new front-drive“D platform” that’s shorter between the wheels and overall, yet boasts a wider front and rear track. Why then does it look larger and meaner? Because of a butched-up styling language that Nissan calls “liquid motion.” No slab-sided, antiseptic styling here; the 2009 Maxima boasts an aggressive stance, broadly spaced head and taillamps, and sculpted muscular lines down the sides and hood. Though the chassis and sheetmetal are all-new, performance will come from the standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve VQ-series V-6 engine…

HONDA FIT, Nissan Versa. Toyota Yaris. Sub-toynnjor (qeirdenentole (in darts Manufacturers now refer to as “4B”. class cars. Some thought America didn’t care. Then crude oil passed $100 a barrel and gas j2) (=| 9) 0) Core Cdtel (eltw lb (cy a gallon. People care now and are buying these B-cars. Ford sold its original Fiesta here three decades ago. Itwas a hit, and the Blue Ovals are hoping fora repeat performance with the new one, which hits our shores in calendar year 2010. Ford teased us with several concept cars named Verve; all of Which point to the new production version, whichis globally named Fiesta. It goes On Sale this fallin Europe and) other markets in three- and five-door hatch variants. The sedan version, witha conventional trunk, is currently…

LONG BEFORE you see the new Alfa Romeo 8C, you'll hear it. The Ferrari-based, 450-horse, 4.7-liter V-8 (a bored-and-stroked version of the 4.2 that serves in the Quattroporte) revs with a deep, resonant bellow—a guttural offshore powerboat to the Ferrari F430’s high-pitched hydroplane. As it amplifies, the sound will chomp into your ears and spin your head around. And then you'll see,..those curves. If you were going to bail out of the U.S. auto market, taillights between your legs, and then brazenly reappear a dozen years later, you'd want the 8C Competizione as your comeback special. Say what you will about Alfa Romeo’s past misfortunes (and what Alfa owner doesn't have a horror story to tell?), but for a chance to own andidrive a sports GT this luscious, this quick…

“CAPPUCCINOS?” avsolutely! Thewaiteratthe Star Café, just north of L.A. in Montrose, scribbles our order and hurries off to the espresso machine. Art St. Antoine, Ed Loh, Scott Mortara, Julia LaPalme, and are going to need some seriously distillated java-juice to shakeoffour lunch-induced stupors and formulate some concl ms about these cars. Cars? Those would be the five compas ‘SUVs we've parked nearby and are still occasionally popping ticking to each other after pounding out evaluation loops, whigh have included swift climbs up Angeles Crest Highway, swifter deg. and several miles of choppy concrete freeway. Pull up a chair listen in. I'll tell you, nothing leaps out at me," St. Antoine begins, graciously breaking theice. Nothing leaps out at the rest of us, either, but then again, i iSone of those…

OKAY, of course we're not teferring to the 2008 Corvette. That would be a ridiculous statement, an utter lie. And we wouldn't do that to you. No, no, we're talking about the 1989 Vette that, back in a May 1989 road test, impressed power junkies with its 245-horsepower, 5.7-liter V-8 that could consume 60 in 6.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 15.0 at 94.6 mph. My how times. change—this cute Cobalt SS you see here, with a puny 2.0-liter four-cylinder spinning the front wheels and with help from a new “no-lift shift” launch control can scorch 60 in just 5.5 seconds and the quarter in 13.9 at 102.5 mph. Legit? You should see it at the track. When we say track, we really mean the “Ring,’as in Germany’s Nurburgring.…

FIRST, the new Hyundai Veracruz scored a stunning upset against the Lexus RX—the longtime luxury crossover kingpin—in our July 2007 head-to-head showdown. Then, the Veracruz shined in our 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year contest. After its sport/ute showing, we decided itwas time to get the Veracruz in fora long-term cruise to see how it holds up after a year behind the wheel. Our tester is a2008 Veracruz Limited AWD that starts at $36,445. For that scratch, Hyundai loads you up with a serious amount ofstandard features. There’s power everything, including front seats, tailgate, adjustable pedals, and steering wheel. And ifyou need more juice, there’s a 115-volt outlet. Safety also is covered every which way, with six standard airbags and active head restraints, traction and stability control, and ABS—all helping the…

ONE ASPECT of there designed Pontiac GTO that sold our editors on its worth as Car of the Year for 1968 was its Endura bumper system. The body-colored, high-density, urethane-elastomer foam wasn't new that year, nor exclusive to the GTO. But the car was designed with this feature in mind, so that was a bit of abreakthrough. “For the first time in 20 years; noted our COTY feature article “intelligent cooperation between engineering and styling was possible.’ The Endura material could take minor bumps up to a half inch and “grow” back into its original shape in 24 hours. By this time, the GTO had become a grown-up muscle machine, one more about handling, braking, and comfort in addition to straight-line speed. That said, Pontiac’s latest 62-liter, 402-horse G8 GXP…

PONTIAC daims 260 horsepower for now. The turbo Ecotec is capable of more—much more—and sothe Solstice GXP Targa coupe could be advertised at 300 horsepower or more some time after it arrives in showrooms early next year, posing a serious threat to the upcoming 2010 Nissan 3702, which Pontiac lists as a competitor. Two things: First, the extra horses, courtesy more turbo boost, intercooling, and a new fuel rail, will be available in the GXP convertible, too, and only with the manual gearbox in either coupe or convertible (automatics will be stuck at 260). Second, that’s still about 30 horses shy of the 3702, if the Infiniti G37 is any guide. But the 3.7 is a V-6, of course, and as interim Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards come into effect,…

AUDIPS TTS hasn't made it to the streets yet, but the TTRS is already under test for launch in calendar year 2009. It uses what amounts to half of the RS6’s V-10 engine, a highly turbo charged direct-injection straight-five cylinder, mounted transversely. It will make north of 330 horsepower and is lighter than the 250-horse V-6. It gets teamed with the six-speed twin-clutch S-Tronic transmission. Meanwhile, Audi continues to present the R8 V12TDi at auto shows, as a sign of its serious intent. Several hundred people waved cash at dealers following the Detroit showing. The production version will need major engineering changes, however. The concept car runs with the V-12 diesel from the Q7 SUV. But for production, it will need to be lower, and Audi engine chief Wolfgang Hatz…

THIS COUPE concept, named “Koup,’ is almost certainly headed for production, though Kia denies it has made a decision, yet. Aimed directly at the Civic Si (some might say too directly), all it needs is areal name and a B-pillar. It shares with the Genesis coupe the Hyundai’s base engine, a 290-horsepower, 2.0-liter direct gas injection twin-scroll turbo four and six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Yes, those are Brembo brakes. It could be on sale by this time next year.…

“HE ISN’T DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM EPA TARGETS. HE’S GOT HIS EYES ON FANTASYLAND.” I'M NOT jaded. Two-plus decades in this business, driving new and different cars every week, and still my curiosity lobes light up every time an interesting new car—whether Lamborghini or Kia—rolls into view. And yet, amid relentless headlines about CAFE, emissions, impact standards, rising fuel prices, etc., the automobile business has become so serious. When | was pup, in the 1960s, anything was possible. We were going to the moon. Cars were going to be jet-powered, like the Chrysler Turbine. Soon, they'd fly. Who knew where it would lead? One day, like the Batmobile, cars might even have…telephones. That’s what’s missing from the car biz today: whimsy. Orso I thought, until I reviewed the displays at March’s…

SPORT TRUCK, or ST is just a placeholder. It’s the generic name for the El Camino-style 2010 Pontiac G8 variant based off the Holden Ute. Try saying "Ute" over here without sounding like Joe Pesci describing a young person in "My Cousin Vinny." So Pontiac held an online contest to name this thing, and you ought to know that name by now. It could've been Caballero, after the late-1960s/early-1970s GMC version of the Chevy El Camino. GM is "tripling" its Buick-Pontiac GMC dealerships in the States, and all you'd need is a different nose for this thing. It wasn't the cost of a new nose that made GM pick Pontiac over GMC. It was, to quote product manager Brian Shipman, because of the Ute’s sportiness, and "it probably wasn't the…

OF THE AMERICAN Big Three’s trio of “retro” ponycars—Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Chevrolet Camaro—it’s the still-forth-coming 2010 Chevy that’s the four-wheeled Paris Hilton, the car swarmed by the loudest buzz and blinded by the most paparazzi strobes. Sure, magazine covers exploded with Mustangs when Ford unveiled its sensational, fifth-generation model for 2005, but the Mustang, like the rotation of the earth, isa constant, a familiar face ever since its debut in 1964. And the new-for-2008 Challenger, a great-looking piece that conjures images of the iconic star car from 1971’s “Vanishing Point,’ is inspired by a nameplate that served only eight interrupted years in production; compared with its two pony rivals, it’s nearly a niche model. In contrast, the Camaro, the famed “F-body,’ won hearts nationwide for 35 straight years…

PORSCHE engineers are currently finessing the all-new Panamera, the first Porsche sedan in history. The car is scheduled to appear next year, and Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Durheimer promises it'll drive ieee Belco) sl-m velevapt-mel-liiu-is tele) benchmark performance and handling in the tuxury-sedan sector. Durheimer says the Panamera, which will be assembled at the Leipzig plant that currently builds the Cayenne SUV, has been developed from a clean sheet of paper. “It’s not often you get the opportunity to do that,’ he says. “It means we've not had to compromise” Durheimer claims the rear seat offers roomy accommodations for six-foot-plus adults. The Panamera will likely be powered by a modified version of the Cayenne SUV’s 4.5-liter V-8 and 3.6-liter V-6 engines, Logic suggests the car also will be made available…

IF WE have a complaint with Maser’s elegant GranTurismo, it’s that it may be too gentile. Most buyers in this category will love itthe way it is, balancing tuxury and sport, refinement and performance. But some percentage among them will want an edgier machine, yet still not a hard-core sports car. The GranTurismo S’s biggest news resides underhood, Maserati’s high-winding V-8 gets a bump in displacement from 4.2 to 4,7 liters, via increased bore and stroke. We're talking 440 horses, compared with 400 in the now-base model, plus an increase in torque to 362 pound-feet. Another significant change is the installation of a six-speed autoclutch manual transmission, which replaces the standard edition’s ZF six-speed torque converter automatic, Unlike the lurchy, early-generation DuoSelect transmission that so hampered the first Quattroportes, this…

WHEN I ARRIVE in Chennai, known asIndia’s “Gateway to the South)’ my taxi driver, Arun, informs me that monsoon season may be returning a bit early, the sheets of heavy rain blanketing our car providing some compelling evidence. Trying to peer through the windshield, with the wipers of the Tata unable to dance to the quick beat of the downpour it’s hard for me to disagree. The locals seem rather unaffected, though—one motorcyclist wears a plastic bag over his head, another’s passenger holds an umbrella, shielding both riders from the wet. Indians, obviously, don't suffer from a lack of improvisation. After only a mile of taking in the scene from the back seat,] realize I'm in for a week of utter mayhem. The traffic is heavy, seemingly without rule, and…

THE BULGE, From the driver’s seat, it makes the new Forester 2.5XT hood appear pregnant with added power. To the stopwatch, it’s just one piece of the mechanical puzzle that drops the 0-to-60 time by a third, from 9.9 seconds to 6.6. The rest of the puzzle includes a new twin-scroll turbocharger, larger valves, a bigger intercooler-sum it all up you've got 224 horsepower. Which is, uh, exactly the same as the previous turbo engine. What gives? Subaru’s goal with the XT wasn't greater power, but achieving its power and torque peaks at significantly lower rpm. The horsepower max arrives 400 rpm sooner; the torque's, at 800 fewer revs. That’s a chunk that helps not only driveability but efficiency, too, what with less internal friction to sap off steam. Moreover,…

STOP RUBBING your eyes, you're not seeing double. This is not a reprint of our April 2008 “Pony Expressed” tuner Mustang shootout or a flashback from 1965. Yes, this Mustang looks exactly like the winner of that comparison test, the Shelby GT-California—same Grabber Orange/silver-striped uniform, same finishing school (Shelby Automobiles, Inc., of Las Vegas, Nevada), and all the same upgrades. But while that GT-C graduated with only a dashmounted Shelby diploma, this Shelby GT/SC got full honors. Underhood is a Paxton high-output centrifugal supercharger system, complete with an air-to-water intercooler and exclusive Shelby/NOVI 1200 compressor that cranks out 462 horses and 419 pound-feet of torque. That’s 143 horses and 89 pound-feet more than the naturally aspirated GT-C and a difference that’s immediately noticeable. While both Shelbys can reduce their rear…

2007 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON SINCE its tast update, the Wrangler made a pit stop at La Brea Chrysler-Jeep in L.A. for its second service, a $60.74 maintenance that included an oil change, inspection, and tire rotation. The dealer also replaced the license-plate assembly, including the lamp, for $97.14—broken during one of our off-road excursions. Perhaps it’s those excursions that have caused the Wrangler’s stereo/navigation system to go AWOL intermittently, leaving us lost and audibly deprived, as were photog Brian Vance and senior editor Ed Loh on an outing to Death Valley:“Eventually we made it to the Barker Ranch with the help of a Jeep club that was nice enough to point us in the right direction while admiring the four-door Rubicon with an eye of jealousy.” We'll have the audio/nav…

IT’S INSTRUCTIVE to know that thoroughly British Tetley Tea hasn't changed: inthe eyes of the consumer since Tata Group bought it in 2000. Or that the British/Netherlands company, Corus, remains Europe’s second-largest steel manufacturer, with annual revenues of $22 billion less than two years after Tata bought it. General consensus is: that Tata Motors Limited will let Jaguar Land Rover (as it’s now ececeooee called) run pretty much as is, with most its workforce remaining in England. To recap the deal: Tata Motors pays Ford Motor Company $2.3 billion in cash and: then Ford contributes $600 million to Jag/LR: pensions at closing, expected by the end of: the summer. Jag/LR will continue to buy Ford Parts, supplies, and engineering support. Ford paid $2.5 billion for Jaguar in 1990, then paid…

“AS ANON-VOLATILE, NON-FLAMMABLE, NON-TOXIC MATERIAL IT HAS SERIOUS UPSIDE POTENTIAL—PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE.” I'M BEARISH ona hydrogen economy based on the gasoline-refueling model because H2 just hates being cooped up in tanks and pipelines. So my ears perk up when they hear about schemes for generating hydrogen on board and on demand. The latest one hails from Purdue University and involves separating hydrogen from water on board using elemental aluminum. You've probably never seen elemental aluminum. Because of its affinity for oxygen, your Diet Coke cans and Z06 chassis are all coated with a thin layer of aluminum oxide. But when raw aluminum touches water it hijacks the oxygen molecules simultaneously forming alumina (Al203) and releasing heat and hydrogen gas, as Jerry Woodall was startled to discover while…

THE HYSTERIA surrounding the impending launch of Nissan’s GT-R has prompted amad rush to judge its performance. Various media have strapped their gear to well-worn engineering mule cars and Japanese-spec vehicles with 112-mph speed limiters. Some have tested on sloped track surfaces. Most of the numbers generated and quoted have been heroic, heightening Godzilla’s reputation as a mythological beast possessing supernatural powers, but these early results have raised as many questions as they've answered. The biggie is this: How does a two-ton, 480-horse, all-wheel-drive sled defy the laws of physics to run neck and neck with feathery Porsche 911 Turbos and Corvette Z06s? After two days of rigorous testing we've got answers. DAY 1 DYNAMOMETER PULLS Our quest for the truth took us first to the R&D headquarters of filter…

YEAH, WE KNOW. an the face of it, this comparison looks ridiculous. What business do we have comparing an all-wheel-drive Japanese rally sedan with a rear-drive German luxury coupe? Simple: BMW’s new 1 Series really is just that—the only one in its class. Its smaller stature and lower-cost bar comparisons with the Infiniti G37 and Audi A5/S5—plus, there’s the BMW 3 Series for that. Though the BMW is available as a convertible, the 135i’s 2+2 seating combination eliminates sports cars and roadsters like the Nissan 350Z and CLK350 (and the Z4 already has those covered). What’s left? We put together a matrix to compare (below). There we found the perfect 135i competitor: a 300-horsepower, two-door, four-passenger, rear-drive sports car that comes in at $28,000, but can hit the mid-30s fully…

AUDI HAS completed development of a530-horse V-10-p dR8. Butd d for the regular R8 is so strong here in the United States (we hear dealers are asking astronomical premiums) the company has pushed back the launch of the car until well into 2009. No point undermining a sales success. With more power—at least 110 horses extra—plus upgraded suspension, wheels, tires, and brakes, the V-10 will move the R8 into genuine supercar territory. The easy way to pick the V-10 version from the regular R8 is the extended scoops on the car’s distinctive side blades, needed to get more cooling air into the engine compartment. Is parent company VW Group worried the V-10 encroaches on Lamborghini Gallardo territory? Not really. The Audi will be a quite different proposition, with more room…

ONE OF THE seasons Aston Martin chief Ulrich Bez teft Porsche in the early 1990s was a clash with the board over the development of a four-door sedan. That car, the Porsche 989, made it to prototype stage, but not production. However, it formed the blueprint for the forthcoming Panamera sedan. Bez shocked his old employer by showing a four-door Aston Martin concept at the 2006 Detroit show based on the clever, flexible VH aluminum space-frame architecture that underpins the DB9 and V8 Vantage. Bez claimed the car, fes! (clobentcMst-le) (olmufeletiom ol-r-ta the Panamera into production. Among the interested onlookers at the Aston stand during the show was current Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Durheimer. The Rapide program has been delayed by the sale of Aston Martin, and the car is…

AS I I STEAMED up an on-ramp in the newest £320 Bluetec, my friend asked, “Wow—this thing got a turbo?” There were four aboard, and he was impressed by the tug at his insides. “Yup,"! replied, “bolted to a six-cylinder diesel engine” Such was his disbelief that he got out and checked the badge on the car at the first stoplight. “How come it doesn’t smoke, then?” Welcome to2008 diesel technology. And 1978 diesel perception. The new 50-state version of Mercedes’s 3.2-liter turbodiesel Bluetec V-6 uses urea solution injection technology, called AdBlue, to meet even California’s tough emissions standards. The ammonia-based fluid reduces nitrogen-oxide levels to the point that the diesel is as clean as the E350’s 3.5-liter gasoline V-6, Bluetecis currently available in the E-Class and will be offered…

FERRARI HAS brought along a total of 10 support vehicles—including two Tata Safari SUVs, two Tata Winger vans, and a Fiat Bravo—but none is as imposing as the lveco LMV nor as cute as the Fiat 500. The Iveco, a one-off of the Italian military truck, boasts 12.4 inches of ground clearance, nearly five feet of fording depth, three electro-pneumatic differentials, and 54/44-degree approach/departure angles. Naturally, it has no eyae)e} (Jan) avoiding the hairiest of obstacles, but thanks to an “anti-mine” rating, it can withstand even a Hummer-humbling detonation. Despite weighing nearly 9500 pounds, the Iveco, powered by a 3.0-liter balla oyete| (--1-) mibr-6 mated to a six-speed auto, proves surprisingly sprightly, having no problem leading the pack. Not as Ryelare arany as the adorable 500, of course. At 140…

YELL THE Gebabs THE word “HUMMER” in a crowded room, and you'r likely to get strong reactions. However, as if learning from its H2 SUT (a supposed pickup truck) experience, Hummer has birthed the new H3T and itoffers a real truck bed (in fact, it’s an entirely new bed design with four integrated storage bins molded into the bed walls and will also offer a bed rail system, just like the GMT 900 pickups). To make this happen, Hummer created a completely new platform, lengthening the wheelbase 223 inches over that of its H3 sibling. That length allowed exterior designers to reduce the rear-door intrusion so rear-passenger ingress and egress are vastly improved; but from the B-pillar forward, it’s all H3. The midsize pickup will offer the same 3,7-liter I-5…

IN 1965, Carroll Shelby and the Ford Motor Company teamed up to build and sell amped-up Mustangs. Ford constructed the cars to a certain spec, delivered them to Shelby’s assembly facility where various components were changed to make the cars faster and more exclusive. Fast forward to 2008, and the story is much the same. Shelby Automobiles’ mini-factory is now located in Las Vegas, but Ford still sends them cars equipped just so, and two-man teams swap out a bunch of stuff. Through the new back door roll Shelby GTs. 2008 brings a convertible version and a new color, Vista Blue, which resembles an original Shelby hue. The Shelby GT package adds $11,100 to the cost of a Mustang GT convertible. For that, you get a Ford Racing suspension, engine…

IN 2003, we named the first-generation Infiniti G35, Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. When the second generation came out in 2007, it had enough moxie to make it through to the final cut, but ultimately lost out to the Toyota Camry. Still, it left such a lasting impression that we decided to keep the new G on G3 for a while. After 12 months, 24 days, and 23,681 miles, how did our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport stack up? To many on staff, the G35 is the only serious competitor to the sport-sedan segment’s current standard-bearer, the BMW 3 Series. While Lexus and Mercedes-Benz offerings have nearly identical dimensions, equipment, and specifications, when itcomes down to the drive, the Infiniti G35 S is one of the few that can really…