Innehållsförteckning för April 2009 från MotorTrend

Swiss Show Still Has Sizzle With auto shows around the globe seemingly being canceled every week, it’s good to know that at least the venerable Geneva Motor Show, now in its 79th year, is still going strong, promising a lot of top-shelf sheetmetal on display in the land of watches and chocolates. Show stars include Porsche’s wicked 911 GT3 (pictured), the Mazdaspeed3, and the most powerful Bentley ever produced, along with the usual assortment of weird, wild, and wacky creations. Join us during the show press days, March 3-4, for all the latest direct from the Palexpo floor: www.motortrend.com/auto_shows…

ROLLS-ROYCE coyly calls this the 200EX, saying it’s merely a concept that shows the design direction for an as yet unnamed smaller, less-expensive sedan designed to sell alongside the stately Phantom. But the production version of this car, codenamed RR4, will look virtually identical. The RR4 will feature Rolls-Royce’s now signature headlight graphic, first seen on the BMW-designed Phantom, and the laid-back grille treatment that bowed on the Phantom coupe and convertible. It’s a much more rakish-looking sedan than the Phantom, though, at 212.6 inches long and 61.0 inches tall, it’s still an imposing car. Despite rumors the RR4 would be heavily based on the new BMW 7 Series, Rolls-Royce says the car has a unique unibody, “which is not shared with any other vehicle.” The company also says 80…

NO ONE expected Chrysler LLC would reach 2010 without a new owner or at least some sort of deal with a stronger automaker. But no one expected Italian automaker Fiat to be riding to the Pentastar’s rescue. Fiat is hardly the picture of financial health, but that can be said for virtually everyone in the auto business right now. Unlike GM, which contemplated a merger last year, Fiat has synergies with Chrysler. The only overlaps in each automakers’ product lineup seem to be minivans. Fiat wants to return to the U.S. market (Ferrari/Maserati belong to a different unit of Fiat SpA, and thus don’t count). It has been trying to relaunch Alfa Romeo here since 2006, but that’s been put off due to the euro-to-dollar relationship. Chrysler needs a better…

WHAT A DIFFERENCE 10 months makes. After our May 2008 story on the Cadillac CTS coupe, $4.50/gallon gas brought down sales of big, powerful cars and trucks. Then the most dismal financial crisis since the Great Depression brought down sales of virtually everything else, from pickups to Priuses to iPods. Amid the mayhem, General Motors delayed the production CTS coupe to at least summer 2010, three years into the life cycle of the sedan on which it is based. Meanwhile, President Obama says he’s willing to grant California a waiver on Assembly Bill 1493, proposing stricter-than-federal fuel economy and CO2 standards. GM has procured $13.4 billion in federal loan guarantees. And it must present to Capitol Hill a financial turnaround plan by March 31. Enter the Cadillac Converj concept, undisputed…

1. INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE: Non-turbo version of Chevy Cruze 1.4-liter four. Generates power for electric motor and to sustain battery charge. 2. POWERTRAIN CONTROL UNIT: Switches electricity source from battery to internal-combustion engine as battery charge is depleted. 3. ELECTRIC MOTOR: Delivers the equivalent of 150 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Powers the front wheels at all times. 4. RECHARGING PLUG: Allows standard household 120v outlet or 240v for charging battery. Charging time is eight hours on 120v and less than three hours on 240v. 5. LITHIUM-ION BATTERY: 16 kilowatt-hour unit will be built by GM in a new battery pack manufacturing facility to be opened in Michigan in 2010. 6. GAS TANK: Allows internal-combustion engine to power the electric motor and sustain battery charge for several hundred miles.…

FORGET the DBS. Seriously. Compared with that V-12-powered moviestarmobile, the 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage—updated with a newly enlarged, more potent V-8—is easily as quick, lighter and nimbler, and arguably every bit as good-looking. Yet the Vantage sells for about half the price. That’s the story in a nutshell: If you’re shopping for an Aston, we’ve just saved you about $140K (we accept 10-percent honorariums for our services; please mail checks to “Those Americans at the Bar,” c/o Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat). A larger question remains, though: Do you really want this Aston at all? The last time we tested a Vantage (April 2006—a head-to-head matchup against the Porsche 911 Carrera S), we praised its pizzazz but wanted more power from the 4.3-liter V-8 (rated at 380 horsepower). Aiming at…

YOU’RE FORGIVEN for not noticing at first glance that this is a substantially new car, so iconic, familiar, and evolutionary is its reskin. Heck, Porsche even forgot to index its in-house model moniker to 988, despite having filled this Boxster with myriad delights like two new engines, new sound and nav systems, and such technical treasures as the spectacular twin-clutch seven-speed PDK transmission. The redesign butches the Boxster up with snortier air inlets and angry-eye headlamps that ape a 917 race car’s in front and LED taillights that squint a similarly sinister glower in back. Backing up the visual testosterone are 10 horses more and 13 extra pound-feet (for 255/214) in the 206cc-larger base engine, and an extra 15 horses and 14 pound-feet in the S (now 310/265), courtesy of…

TECHNICAL editor Kim Reynolds got a flat tire in the T&C. “The digital display came to life showing a countdown of the right rear tire’s pressure: 29 psi, 28 psi, 27 psi. And it was raining hard. I immediately headed back to the office.” For those interested in knowing what’s involved with changing a tire on a Chrysler T&C, pay attention. “Changing it was a riot as you’ve got to lower the space-saver spare with a crank thingy working through a receptacle in the floor between the front seats. This lowers the tire into a position below the vehicle that’s very difficult to reach. There’s a cable that has to be disconnected, and the best way to get at the tire at all seems to be to lie on your…

OVER THE winter holiday, online associate editor Kirill Ougarov took the CX-9 to Brian Head, Utah, a small resort town in the Dixie National Forest. With the weather forecast calling for highs in the teens, it didn’t take long for the CX-9 to garner much respect from Ougarov. “As the forecast predicted, it was snowing, uh, the snow equivalent of cats and dogs. Road conditions were such that, if we’d been in California, the road would have surely been shut down. Despite all this, the CX-9 was as surefooted as a mountain goat. Tire slippage? Drifting? Traction control going berserk? No, no, and no. Bottom line: The CX-9 is a great winter SUV for all but the absolute worst conditions. And in those conditions, you’re better off sitting inside wrapped…

“THIS IS A vehicle with enough style and sex appeal to serve the younger generations,” notes photographer Julia LaPalme. Nonethless, LaPalme did come across one geriatric feature. “I was exiting the freeway the other day and engaged the turn signal to indicate my changing lanes to the off-ramp. I left the turn signal on as I was planning to turn right at the end of the off-ramp. Suddenly, the turn signal noise ceased, and a loud dinging sound began emanating from the vehicle. I checked all dash warning lights—nothing. Then I noticed the dash message screen read: ‘Turn indicator on.’ Wow! Really? Talk about an overly zealous nanny feature. While the styling of the Caddy has been updated for younger generations, it’s features like this that scream of senility (“Grandma,…

HONDA’S CRZ hybrid coupe remains on track as a 2011 model, on sale in late 2010. Honda wants sportscar enthusiasts to buy it not because it’s green, but because it’s fun. The carmaker considered doing a non-hybrid version of the CRZ, but it desperately wants to be seen as a hybrid supplier on par with Toyota and believes it needs a range of dedicated hybrid-only models to achieve that. So the CRZ gets a lively 140-horse, 1.8-liter Civic-derived engine. The IMA system—motor, battery, electronics—will be like the Insight’s, as will the platform, to save cost. A senior engineer says, “It must be fun to drive, must remind you of the original CRX.” And a manual gearbox will be offered. “CVT is fine for the market, mostly. But we are Honda!…

INK HAD barely dried on the “non-binding term sheet” forming an alliance between Chrysler LLC and Fiat Group when word leaked that the Americans might quickly try to prepare one of Italy’s most successful models for import. Chrysler is considering a “crash program” to import the Fiat 500 for sale here, as a showroom traffic-builder for Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealerships. If Chrysler greenlights the project, the 500 will get new bumpers to meet U.S. offset standards and will be here in “well under 18 months,” a source says. That means a U.S.-spec 500 by the middle of 2010, in time to compete with the 2011 Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Volt, showroom traffic-builders for Chrysler’s domestic competitors. (The 500 won’t be imported to Canada because bumper-crash standards there require cars hit a barrier…

voice of authority I was a CHP officer for 33 years and have investigated thousands of collisions. I qualified as an expert in traffic collision reconstruction and for several years reviewed other officers’ reports. My background indicates “Inattention” as the most apparent collision cause. An obvious related cause, more difficult to appraise, is “Driver Ability.” The Collision Investigation Manual requires, whenever possible, that the collision cause should be recorded by showing a vehicle code violation. Things such as “Inattention” or “Driver Inability” are not normally allowed as the primary collision factors. For that, there is the basic speed law, 22350 CVC, which is possibly the most abused law in California. It was written when life and laws were much simpler. It is a short law, requiring drivers to maintain a…

IN LATE 2005, Bob Lutz was losing patience. Toyota was getting huge P.R. mileage out of its Prius hybrid, even as the automaker was gearing up to make inroads into the least energy-efficient segments of the market, large SUVs and pickups. Adding insult to injury, Lutz heard in late 2005 about a Silicon Valley company called Tesla Motors that was developing a high-performance electric car, which would sell for $100,000. Such a car would not be commercially viable from GM’s perspective, but the idea that a start-up company in California could be doing something so technologically sophisticated—when the mighty GM couldn’t—ate at Lutz. But the GM hierarchy was extremely skittish about batteries, hybrids, or electric cars, especially after the misadventure with the EV-1. In terms of commerce and public relations,…

IT IS SAID, “Bad news is best delivered at the earliest opportunity and in the greatest possible detail.” That’s where our story begins. Pontiac first teased the notion of a coupe version of its Solstice roadster concept at the Detroit auto show in 2002. Slow-forward seven years and it’s finally here, in naturally aspirated and turbocharged, 260-horsepower GXP form. That original 2002 design study was a fixed roof hatchback, somewhat similar to a BMW Z4 coupe. On its way to production, the Solstice coupe grew a removable roof section in place of the convertible top. On the surface, it seems nice of the GM design folks to add the option of open-air motoring. The removable panel is sturdy, uses the same front latching points as the soft top, is framed…

VOLKSWAGEN’S last overall victory in the grueling Baja 1000 was 23 years ago. It was in 1985 that veteran desert racers Steve Sourapas and Dave Richardson used a hopped-up, air-cooled Beetle engine to secure the iconic design’s 13th overall victory in the world’s most iconic desert race. In those early pre-sport/utility days, innovative competitors employed dozens of different engine and chassis combinations to beat the recalcitrant Mexican desert. But only five water-pumpers ever succeeded in outsmarting those who were persistent—or stubborn—enough to stick with VW’s archaic yet effective pancake four. The reason VW power dominated the fast-growing sport of off-road racing was the combined development and practical experience of the hundreds of air-cooled proponents. Their reign lasted until that final, overall Baja 1000 win by VW power in 1985. Early…

MINI IS the new Saab, having become what Saab wanted to be: a quirky brand that’s growing despite its quirkiness. This is the conclusion an admittedly cold brain reaches when driving a new Interchange Yellow Mini Cooper S Convertible around twisty Alpine roads in Austria. The top is down and it’s snowing. Not bad, though. The pinstriped cloth seat’s bunwarmers fry your derriere if you keep them on “high” for more than two minutes. An aerodynamic black Mini cap is required and the windows are up—a nerdy look on any convertible except the boxy Mini and the 9-3 ragtop, the car Saab tried to market as a “four-seasons convertible.” Mini’s marketers are far savvier with their slogan, “Always open.” Most everything is unaltered from latest Mini hatchback, including the aluminum…

WHILE MOST of our staffers are fond of Volkswagen’s DSG dual-clutch automatic, photographer Brian Vance is not. “Tranny characteristics are hard to get used to. Yes, it shifts smoothly, almost undetectably, but there’s a lag with the DSG matched to the diesel. The more I drive VW’s DSG, the less I like it—too much slop. Granted, not all DSGs are created equal, but all these first-gen ones still suffer from lack of refinement. And just like our DSG-equipped long-term Audi A3, the Jetta loves to roll a few inches after it is placed in park on anything but a flat surface, which is more an annoyance than a flaw; just be sure to set the handbrake.” Vance did appreciate the Jetta’s ski pass-thru, which allows for four passengers plus two…

“THE COCKPIT is superb,” says editor at large Arthur St. Antoine, “light years better than the old car’s, and one of the best in the class.” A fan of the interior? Yes. A fan of the car as a whole? Not really. “For cruising around town, the Maxima works well enough. But after a while the CVT and its peculiar, non-sporty behavior get tiresome. In my opinion, it wrecks this car. And the front-drive layout finishes the job. If Nissan’s intent really was to build a ‘four-door sports car,’ the choice of FWD seems absurd. Why would you ever buy this car over an Infiniti G37?” On Web producer Melissa Speiring’s baby seat test: “I had to have Kirill’s strength to help me attach the two lower latches to the…

OUR long-term CR-V reported to our H.Q. in time for the January 2008 issue. We got acquainted with it during its “arrival” interview. In a year’s time, the staff has appreciated its charms. So now we present its last hurrah. Motor Trend: Well, CR-V, it appears you’ve got one year and 21,427 miles under your belt. You know what that means, right? CR-V: It’s time to go back to Honda in Torrance, I know. My job here is over. Geez, just when I thought I found a place where I really belonged. Motor Trend: Let’s not get emotional. It’s policy that we ask you a few questions before you go. For starters, when you rolled into our garage, you had a sticker price of $28,595. Correct? CR-V: Correct. Motor Trend:…

THESE ARE strange times at post-bailout GM. Having taken taxpayer money, the company is no longer master of its own destiny. It was bad enough when, late last year, new-model programs were halted to conserve dwindling cash reserves. Now, though, there’s another thread running through GM’s product planning process: not, should we build this vehicle, but is this a vehicle we should be seen to be building? The Camaro Z/28 is one of those vehicles. Sources inside GM say the new Z/28 is basically done. The image you see on these pages is very close to the final signed-off design, based on photos of a scale clay model we’ve seen. Key details to note are the deeper front bumper fascia, with larger front aperture under the grille and the spotlights…

VOLKSWAGEN’S Concept BlueSport went straight to clinics after it appeared at Detroit’s Cobo Hall for the North American International Auto Show. VW chief Ulrich Hackenberg likened the car to the Mazda MX-5 Miata in price and necessary volume. It’s a global car, he says. “And not just for one brand.” A highly placed source in the VW Group design community told us the Audi version is already done. It’s badged R1. Designers had a lot of freedom, says BlueSport designer Thomas Ingenlath. “It’s not like doing a new generation of Golf, which has to evolve. It’s a new type of car for VW, with no predecessor.” The big issue with a small roadster, he says, is to keep it low-slung, so it doesn’t look like a tarted-up front-drive car. Getting…

REMEMBER the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO? Forgotten the ’96 model? You’ll like this. Hot on the heels of the new 2010 Taurus comes the SHO version, sans engine work from Yamaha. The new SHO’s twin-turbocharged Ecoboost 3.5-liter V-6 was done in-house and is rated 365 horsepower. A paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmits power through part-time all-wheel drive, in order to handle 350 pound-feet of torque. An optional SHO Performance Package adds upgraded brake pads, recalibrated electronic power steering, sport mode for the AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, a shorter, 3.16:1 final-drive ratio and 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires on premium painted wheels. Trim upgrades are subtle: a decklid-mounted spoiler, twin chrome exhausts, unique grille design and parking lamp bezels, and aluminum interior trim with Miko Suede seat inserts and leather-wrapped wheel.…

HOW TO DRIVE A BARGAIN ATTENTION, car shoppers: 2009 is your Blue Light Special. Overstocked dealerships not only mean a mass of factory incentives and rebates on new vehicles, but also dealers desperate to rid their lots of cars they are paying finance charges on. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for a Malibu or a Mercedes-Benz, there’s never been a better time to buy than right now. Go to the dealership with your homework done. Have your vehicle of choice figured out, your maximum out-the-door price firmly in mind, and an understanding of your credit situation. Financing is a weapon, but who wields it is your choice. Learn your score or seek pre-approval from a credit union or bank. The latter provides an APR guide (or a competitive number),…

TWENTY-ONE hundred rpm. That’s about the perfect engine speed at which to launch the new 2010 Mustang GT—at least one equipped with the optional $1495 Track Package, which includes a shorter 3.73 rear axle, a significantly racier ratio compared with the standard 3.31 or even the available 3.55. Spark the gas, and the 315-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8’s 24 valves grumblingly sigh to life. A “Good Morning,” it seems from Ford’s significantly revamped racehorse. Notch the Tremec 3650 five-speed manual into first gear, drop the clutch just right at 2100, and the rear 255/40 Pirelli PZero summer tires (also part of the Track Pack, along with 19-inch alloys) twitter for a couple beats and then spin in virtual silence until 40 mph, when a forceful one-two shift snaps another chirp from the…

DO MODERN DIESELS STAND A CHANCE AGAINST THE HYBRID VERSION OF THE WORLD'S BEST-SELLING LUXURY SUV? "YOU KNOW, there isn’t a stinker here,” muses St. Antoine while exhaling a gray-blue cloud of cigar smoke. Our esteemed editor at large is correct in more ways than one. Despite our proximity to the tailpipes of three idling diesels, the dissipating haze of his Partagas Spanish Rosado is replaced by nothing but the cold clean scent of an eastern Sierra winter. Equally striking is the conspicuous lack of traditional diesel clatter. That's to be expected of the fourth member of our quartet, the brand-new, eerily quiet 2010 Lexus RX 450h. It is a hybrid after all, but what about the BMW X5 xDrive 35d, Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC, and Volkswagen Touareg TDI? What does…

AS WITH all our Sport/Utility of the Year winners, the 2009 Subaru Forester received an invitation to join our long-term fleet and, naturally, it rsvp’d yes. Rather than sample the available turbocharged 224-horsepower engine, we opted for the naturally aspirated version for a few reasons: First, we’ve played extensively with the more powerful 2.5-liter turbo in our long-term Impreza WRX and felt the standard flat-four would be a nice change of pace. Second, the N.A. Forester is Subaru’s volume leader, so why not get a taste of what most people are living with? Subaru offers its non-turbo Forester in three trim levels: standard 2.5X,2.5X Premium, and 2.5X Limited. If you reside in a state that’s adopted California’s emissions specifications, your 2.5-liter gets a Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) stamp, which…

“DRIVING THE Jaguar XF S/C is like spending time in your favorite chair,” writes managing editor Rusty Kurtz. “It just glides down the road with little fuss.” Speaking of fuss, Kurtz found the Jag’s cabin mostly devoid of it. “The controls are easy to operate once you’re used to their location. The door-lock button is in the center of the dashboard, under the navigation screen, not on the door where it should be. The air vents open when the car is started or when the air-conditioning is turned on. It’s fun to watch, but what’s the point? My only real complaint about the this Jaguar is that the emergency brake lever on the center console became very hot during my commute to the office. I’m not sure if that is…

AFTER A STINT in the Maxima, St. Antoine took a more pleasing drive in the Evo. “Not as sharp-edged as its predecessor, but the X is a far finer car. ‘Getting beat up’ and ‘great handling’ are not synonymous; thus, my preference for the softer X. I don’t notice that much—if any—handling loss, yet the driving experience is far more rewarding. The X turns-in nicely, rolls over a bit, but hangs on fine. The IX just smacked at you. Paddle shifters work quite well, and the X is great fun to spur along a twisting road. This isn’t the kind of car I’d normally turn to—it’s a bit too flagrant and boy racer—but I enjoy driving it. That’s something I didn’t say much about the IX.” Web producer Carlos Lago…

A FEW months ago, the world watched aghast as the CEOs of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors sat before Congress, apologized for their missteps, and begged for money in order to stay in business. It was a much different environment in the 1950s, but in good times or bad, there are always new cars. In this issue, we cover 50 of them, many of which will have been revealed at recent international auto shows. Most manufacturers participate in these shows, but eight times from 1949 through 1961, General Motors produced its own. GM’s traveling Motoramas were dazzling spectacles, staged at such venues as the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. A Motorama show was an elaborate combination of new production models, concept cars, and good old-fashioned showmanship, replete with spotlights,…