Innehållsförteckning för June 2009 från MotorTrend

■ Need To Know—Now Every month, we strive to bring you the most up-to-date news and analysis possible in the pages of Motor Trend. But in today’s world, news blazes across the Internet at lightning speed. So when you need to know the latest on the fate of GM and Chrysler or the top auto news of the day, we’ve got you covered at mt.com. Our blog section (blogs.motortrend.com) has the latest staff takes on the biggest news in autodom as it develops. And for a daily dose of what’s happening around the globe, stop by our constantly updated Wide Open Throttle section (wot. motortrend.com).…

SINCE THE X5’S introduction in 2000, BMW’s M division has refused to tune any of the brand’s SUVs, even though that crossover’s basic architecture comes from the 5 Series. Now with the intro of the X5 M and X6 M at the New York auto show, BMW is giving in to competition from the Porsche Cayenne GTS and the Mercedes-Benz ML65 AMG. In more certain times, the X5/6 Ms would be surefire profit-makers. Instead of the M5’s 500-horse, 5.0-liter V-10, the X5/6 M are powered by a new version of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, this one featuring a new exhaust manifold set in the engine’s vee. The manifold has one turbo inlet for every two cylinders (normally, it’s one inlet per turbo scroll) and swaps out cylinders to get a…

WHENEVER General Motors has too little cash to serve too many divisions, the result is too much badge engineering. The 2010 GMC Terrain doesn’t suffer badge engineering like its predecessor, the Pontiac Torrent. Based on the second-gen Chevrolet Equinox on sale soon, the Terrain has distinct sheetmetal and a slightly upgraded interior featuring lots of red ambient lighting, including along the center-stack-control outline, the CD player opening, and in the door handle openings. The Terrain will come with slightly more standard equipment than the new Equinox, and we’d expect base prices for the SLE and SLT trim levels, both available in front or all-wheel drive and I-4 or V-6 configurations, to start in the mid-$20s. Underneath it all, the Terrain will be familiar to those of you who have studied…

donut connoisseur Arthur St. Antoine claims he was “seated next to a guy scratching his navel through the hole in the jelly donut balanced on his belly.” (“Asphalt Jungle,” March). As any connoisseur of fine breakfast pastries is keenly aware, there is no hole in a jelly donut. The key to a high-quality jelly donut (or any filled breakfast pastry for that matter) is the complete lack of an orifice, which holds in all the gelatinous goodness. This calls into question whether any pastry lacking a hole is even a donut. This is a debate that could rage on more furiously than that of whether you should push or pull a paddle shifter to downshift, and as a simple-minded car nut, I’m not one to ponder topics of this depth.…

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, the word “Watergate” was being re-Webstered from meaning “a snazzy apartment building in Washington, D.C.” to “a cover-up investigation involving the White House and two reporters who don’t look anything like Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.” That year, 1974, would also mark the final moment for decades in which America’s streets would be prowled by all three current-gen versions of the most iconic-ever ponycars: Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang. Defying the oddsmakers, though, America’s three trick ponies are back. Those days of yore are indeed long gone—but only because the new Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang are so far evolved from their famed predecessors they’re recognizable almost by name only. What remains unchanged, however, is a degree of brand loyalty and fan mania the likes of which…

THE CHEVROLET Cruze has different jobs wherever it’s sold. In the U.S., where it goes on sale mid-2010, it will be a locally made rival to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. But in Europe, where we’ve just driven it, it’s GM’s Korean-made budget-brand entry and sits beneath the same-size Opel (and sometime Saturn) Astra in GM’s price and brand hierarchy. GM’s been promising Americans an “import fighter” small car for years—and has consistently failed to deliver, whether it be with homegrown products like the Cobalt or with rebadged Opels like the Astra. So here’s the key question: If the Cruze is positioned as a bargain car in Europe, does it really have the quality and style, the functionality and value, to seriously rival Honda and Toyota in America? Out…

IT’S EVERY HOST’S worst nightmare. You fuss and fret to make everything perfect, redecorating inside and out, upgrading to the best, most powerful entertainment systems, and then…nobody comes. You can’t blame Ford for overpreparing. The ruffians that were expected to crash the Mustang’s perennial sales party looked tough—particularly the 500-plus-horsepower Camaro Z/28. Then the global economic buzz-kill hit Ford’s competitors hard, kyboshing politically frivolous projects like gas-guzzling two-doors. Now Ford stands alone at the top of the pony/musclecar hill, but is this de-facto king of the hill worthy of his crown? We Nancy-boy, string-back-glove sorts are quick to carp at cars carrying 58 percent of two tons on a strut-suspended nose with the rest on a live axle, but a spirited drive up California’s Highway 1 in Ford’s latest Shelby…

THIS IS kids-in-candy-store stuff, plain and simple. You can quit looking at the cars on this page and struggling to imagine a narrative hook that logically connects such disparate players as an out-of-production Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR coupe and a Maserati GranTurismo—both front-engine, rear-drivers, with mid-engine superstars like a spanking new Lambo LP560-4, last year’s Audi R8 4.2 quattro, and a 2007 Ferrari F430. There isn’t one. This is like a rich collector’s dream garage with all the doors open and all the keys in the ignition. We’re playing with five cool cars that all gasoline-blooded MT readers would give their eye teeth (or $1695, if that’s more convenient) to drive. No, these stallions aren’t freshly minted, factory-fettled, buffed-to-perfection press cars: They work for a living, touring the country in the…

MAMMA MIA, now we’re getting our money’s worth. If you somehow miss all the cavallini rampanti, the F430’s novel steering wheel manettino switch and big yellow tach will confirm this car was engineered by folks who’ve won seven F1 titles this decade. Thumb the steering-wheel-mounted starter button to ignite that flat-plane-crank V-8 (sounds like two fours), switch off CST (stability), engage Launch Control—wait, that switch is gone. Without it the best this 33,000-mile clutch can manage in a near-bogging engagement is a 1.8-second 0-30, adding a half-second to our 2005 model’s times. The F1-gearbox permits shifts at the 8500-rpm redline, whereupon the engine’s tenor crescendo is at its most operatic. A 120.7-mph trap speed (second only to the McLaren’s) suggests the engine’s working just fine. Braking from 100 mph is…

THE GEAR: We’ve recently added two new satellite-based speed/distance measuring devices to our arsenal. Joining our current Racepak V500 data logger are two Racelogic VBOX units, one of which samples speed and distance 100 times per second, and one that does so 20 times but employs two antennas in order to measure slip angle. The VBOXes are exceptionally compact, easy to set up, and can provide instantaneous test results on an onboard laptop, making them ideal for acceleration/braking tests. The Racepak unit is larger and mounts rigidly to the passenger footwell. It incorporates dedicated gyro and g sensors and can record input channels for steering-wheel position, ride height, etc., which makes it a better tool for assessing vehicle handling. THE TEST PROCEDURES: VEHICLE PREP: Check fluids, torque wheel lugs, fill…

AT $26,695 TO START, the four-cylinder, front-drive Venza costs $1825 less than its V-6 sibling. Yet, in this case, fewer greenbacks means more miles per gallon—21/29 versus 19/26. But it’s slow, right? Well, slower, but by no means a slug. With an all-new 2.7-liter engine producing 182 horses and 182 pound-feet, our all-wheel-drive tester, which dented the dirt with a rather hefty 3942 pounds (31 more than the FWD V-6), needed 9.1 ticks to hit 60 and 16.9 at 82.2 mph to nab the quarter. That’s well behind the speed freak V-6, but well ahead of a Honda CR-V or a Subaru Forester 2.5X. Plus, in front-drive guise, the four-cylinder Venza would weigh in closer to 3700 pounds, probably dropping a couple tenths from those times. For routine, everyday motoring,…

SHOPPING for a drop-top but tired of dealers pushing folding-hardtop coupes? Want a convertible that looks like a convertible, even top up? Well, suffer through a fixed-roof summer, and this fall Audi will reward you with A5 and S5 Cabriolets. So why did Audi opt for cloth rather than folding metal? The softtop results in a genuine Cabriolet facade, making the A5/S5 Cabs instantly recognizeable as convertibles, not coupe wannabes when the rain clouds open up. Plus, the softtop boasts Audi’s Acoustic Roof technology, which features 0.6-inch-thick sound-deadening foam that creates a serene, coupelike ambiance. Moreover, the cloth top that opens in 15 seconds and closes in 17 (BMW’s power hardtop on the 3 Series needs 22 to open and 23 to close) allowed Audi to reduce weight and optimize…

MUCH OF the Lexus ES’s sales success (64,000 sold in 2008 versus 30,000 for the Lincoln MKZ) can be attributed to a tranquil driving experience—its smooth ride, coddling accoutrements, and pin-drop-quiet cabin. According to Lincoln, though, the significantly freshened 2010 MKZ betters the ES in those respects and, at $34,965 to start, does so for $180 less. To improve ride and handling, Lincoln retuned the springs and dampers, tweaked the rear-suspension geometry, and, for enthusiasts, added a sport package that includes firmer springs, larger anti-roll bars, and 18-inch alloys. New variable-assist power steering system and larger brakes round out the chassis upgrades, while a revised AWD system remains an $1890 option. Lincoln’s signature split-wing grille highlights the list of exterior mods, among which are fresh sheetmetal for the A-pillar, a…

“TOOK THE JAG out for a road trip up to the Bay Area,” writes senior editor Ed Loh, “and discovered a few interesting things. While it’s a fast and smooth long-hauler, the seats don’t agree with my back beyond the four-hour mark—I started to get lower back pain that wasn’t alleviated by fiddling with the inflatable lumbar pad. Nothing seemed to relieve it, even resting for an hour or two at the outlet stores in Gilroy.” Other annoyances? “Jaguar has this image of being a more mature, adult brand of luxury. I see it in its ‘Gorgeous…’ campaigns. So why don’t they treat me like an adult and let me enter addresses while I’m driving? (The Hyundai Genesis does.) Gorgeous Ed would like to know where he’s going. “Another minor…

“WHILE THE seats were cooling my backside, I noted the F-150’s overall quietness,” notes associate Web producer Nate Martinez. “A majority of exterior noise and tire drone is suppressed in the F-150, unlike in my brother’s Chevy Silverado, which jounces over bumps and has numerous squeaks and squawks.” Additional pros? “The Ford rides abnormally smooth for a full-size rig, and the interior storage space—particularly the cavernous center armrest bin—is respectable, as are the wood trim and handsome seat stitching. The many cubbies, cupholders, and bins contribute to the cabin’s utility and comfort, while the Sony stereo provides loud and clear road-trip entertainment.” At 7500 miles, the F-150 went in for its first service, a $48.21 oil change, inspection, and tire rotation. ■ Months/miles in service 3/8184 ■ Avg econ/CO2 15.0…

IN THE 1960s, the Indianapolis 500 was a hotbed of the new and unusual. This is the decade when the front-engine roadster gave way to the mid-engine racer. As time went along, the cars sprouted wings and engine choices ran from stock-block, overhead-valve V-8s to aircraft turbines. One of the strangest cars ever to contest the Indy 500 was the Hurst Floor Shifter Special, from the fertile, rule-challenging imagination of Smokey Yunick. Resembling a torpedo with a sidecar, Yunick’s strange machine was among the first to pay serious attention to the car’s frontal area and its aerodynamic effects. It was powered by the seminal Off enhauser DOHC inline-four, which rode in the center fuselage, while the driver was hung out in his own separate pod on the left side of…

BMW PLANS on bringing two new M cars to market in the 2014 model year; the next-generation M3 and an all-new M coupe based on the second-generation 1 Series. Both the next 3 and the next 1 Series production models will bow in late 2012 for the ’13 model year. In keeping with M’s new philosophy of cutting cylinders/displacement while cutting weight to maintain performance levels, the next M3 will return to a six-cylinder engine. The question, M division CEO Ludwig Willisch says, is whether it will be an inline-six or a V-6. A V-6 would provide better balance and more packaging versatility, while an inline-six would be lighter, a key quality for BMW’s future, and avoid uproar among Bimmerphiles. The new six-cylinder M engine isn’t based on the current…

LAND ROVER’S announcement that it plans to move forward on a production version of the stylish LRX concept—and badge it as a Range Rover—following a $37 million development grant from the U.K.government is significant news. Even more significant, however, is the revelation from Land Rover North America sales and marketing chief Chris Marchand that “for the vehicle to be successful, there will need to be a five-door [version].” The beautifully detailed and artfully proportioned LRX, designed under the direction of former Lincoln design chief Gerry McGovern, is a sporty three-door. McGovern insists the LRX, based on the Land Rover LR2 platform, could be turned into a production vehicle with relatively few cosmetic changes. The three-door version would likely be the entry-level model, while the five-door would compete with top-end versions…

THE 2010 MazdaSpeed3 four-door hatchback made its debut at the New York International Auto Show with the same 263-horsepower, 280-pound-foot, 2.3-liter turbo as the outgoing version, but with plenty of other upgrades. These include a new air intake for better intercooler efficiency, a hood-mounted intercooler scoop, revised gear ratios with taller second through fifth gears, a recalibrated torque-management system, and a stiffer body structure with more high-strength steel. And, of course, the Speed3 benefits from the 3’s updated styling, but with exclusive front fenders and bumpers, a new “floating” rear spoiler, and new 18-inch aluminum alloys using the RX-8 R3’s design. A new tachometer has the MazdaSpeed logo in red and electronic brake assist control is standard.…

THOUGH ITS BIGGER, more potent sibling, the Camaro SS, is grabbing all the extra-bold type, the Camaro V-6 is by no means a page-20 story. In fact, after spending a day hustling a V-6 LT Coupe through the same mountain roads as our three V-8 ponies, we’re convinced the big news actually lies with Chevy’s entry-level Camaro. Consider: The base Camaro LS Coupe starts at just $22,995—and that’s no rental-fleet special. Included is a brilliant, 3.6-liter V-6 with direct injection and variable valve timing that kicks out 304 horsepower at 6400 rpm (more than the V-8 in last year’s Mustang GT) and delivers EPA city/highway fuel economy of up to 18/29 mpg (with optional six-speed automatic). A six-speed manual (17/26 mpg) is standard, as is 18-inch rubber (on cool-looking Heritage…

LONGER, WIDER, LOWER. As America embraced the consumer economy in the 1950s, America’s automakers did their level best to persuade American consumers that more was, well, more. Between 1949 and 1969, the footprint of the basic Ford sedan grew 19 percent, for example. And even today, despite the oil shocks, the incursion of small cars from Europe and Asia, and today’s financial meltdown, bigger is still regarded as better by many Americans. It’s easy to understand why. This is a big country, with a lot of wide open spaces. Gas is still cheap. And a full-size pickup with a V-8 engine and most of the trimmings costs less than many well-equipped six-cylinder midsize sedans. Put simply, America has had no real need to think small. But it will soon. The…

1. 2006 CHEVROLET HHR LT PRICE: $10,598 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $28,683 FEATURES: A/C, AM/FM STEREO, CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS 2. 2007 CHEVROLET AVEO LS PRICE: $8646 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $21,471 FEATURES: A/C, AM/FM STEREO, CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS 3. 2007 FORD FOCUS ZX4 S PRICE: $9738 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $23,278 FEATURES: A/C, AM/FM STEREO, CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS 4. 2006 CHEVROLET COBALT LS PRICE: $8404 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $23,418 FEATURES: A/C, AM/FM STEREO, CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS 2009 HYUNDAI ACCENT GS PRICE: $10,665 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $23,038 FEATURES: NONE 2009 NISSAN VERSA SEDAN 1.6 PRICE: $10,685 FIVE-YEAR COST OF OWNERSHIP: $21,870 FEATURES: NONE THE PHONE RANG at work: “Your mother had an accident this morning, totaled her car,” my wife said. “A young girl pulled…

THIS CAR is most unlike the others. Bigger, heavier, softer, prettier. A lot prettier. (When did voluptuous beauty go out of style in exotics?) Big doors open onto a sumptuous black-over-red interior trimmed in rosewood with wide, relaxed-fit buckets. Key the ignition, engage sport mode, switch the tranny to manual, kill MSP (stability control), brake torque a bit, and—whoosh!—you’re off with a modicum of wheelspin. The baritone wail is every bit as delightful to the ears as the Pininfarina bodywork is to the eyes. You prepare to flick the + paddle at the 8000-rpm redline, but the tranny-preserving computer does the job for you at 7200. Performance is on par with our last test car’s: 5.2 seconds to 60, 13.6 through the quarter at 104.6 mph. Ferrari-inspired steering and brakes…

MORE WOW. Take the best elements of the Audi R8 (quattro AWD, reliable mass-market components) and Ferrari (Italian style, mechanical music, and essential brio), and this is what you get. Starved for attention? Never in this bull. This is extreme motoring for the bold-hearted. Ready to rock? Engage Corsa (race) mode, turn off ESP, brake, floor the gas (it revs to 5000 rpm), release the brake, and you’re off like an arrow from William Tell’s crossbow. The uneven firing pulses in this common-crank-pin 90-degree V-10 impart a visceral snarl that’s more appealing than that of any other 10. It launches as hard as the R8, but pulls way harder, hitting 60 mph in 3.8 seconds (best of the day) and keeps charging hard to 170 mph in just 25.7 seconds,…

UNSPRUNG WEIGHT, or parts of the car the suspension is not supporting—e.g., wheels and tires—is the enemy of high performance. The heavier the wheel/tire combination, the less responsive it is to steering inputs and the less adept it is at absorbing bumps. If you’ve ever wondered why elite sports cars, sport sedans, and race cars feature the lightest wheels possible, this is the reason. But just because crossovers aren’t intended to spend all day hot-lapping at the racetrack doesn’t mean they should be burdened with huge and heavy rolling stock, even if it makes them look cooler than a penguin wearing Oakleys. As luck would have it, our three crossovers came with big and even bigger wheels—18-, 20-, and 22-inch-diameters—allowing us to examine the weight penalty as size increases.…

WITH REGARD to the all-new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the 3.8 Track has thus far received the lion’s share of attention. Zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds, quarter mile in 14.0 at 101.0 mph, 60 to 0 braking in 111 feet, and lateral acceleration of 0.91 g can do that. Of course, all the greatness that is the 306-horse 3.8 Track comes at a price—$30,250, to be specific. But what if most that greatness came for about three grand less? Well, say hello to the 2.0T Track. As its badge suggests, the 2.0T Track receives a 2.0-liter, 210-horsepower, 223-pound-foot turbocharged four mated to a six-speed manual (base and premium 2.0Ts can be had with a five-speed automatic). Further, unlike most turbo engines, the Hyundai’s runs on 87-octane and posts frugal fuel…

FOUR HUNDRED twenty-five. That’s how many pound-feet of torque the BMW 335d produces. In BMW’s North American lineup, only the twin-turbo V-8 in the flagship 7 Series and X6 xDrive 50i makes more (450 pound-feet). Even more impressive is that BMW chose to stuff such a monstrously powerful diesel into its relatively lightweight 3 Series. A standard X6 50i tips the scales at 5200 pounds, and a 750Li checks in at roughly 4700. Our 335d weighs under 3800 pounds. So what’s it like to drive a sport sedan with the stump-pulling grunt of a John Deere? We decided to find out. With a base price of $44,725, our 335d costs $2600 more than a standard 335i sedan. We ordered our oil-burner in sharp Montego Blue metallic paint (a $550 option)…

“SHE CREAKS, she groans, her driver-side mirror whistles at high speed,” says Loh, “yet I dig the Caravan for two reasons: (1) The flexibility and usefulness of Stow ‘N Go. Loaded up two bicycles and camping gear and never once had to consider storage or stowage problems. A piece of advice for future updates: Have duplicate controls for the power front seats in the rear cabin so users don’t have pop over to the first row to adjust the front seats to make room for folding the second row. (2) The powertrain is a little rough when you do weird things (i.e., abruptly getting off the gas while accelerating), but is otherwise a hoot to drive. And all shifts have that smooth, uninterrupted feel.” ■ Months/miles in service 11/27,495 ■…

ACCORDING TO Spiering, “The Blind Spot Monitoring system is completely distracting. It causes me to look away from the road every time I see out of the corner of my eye the sideview-mirror lights come on. Second, when I want to change lanes, I turn on the signal and, if there’s a car next to me, the BSM beeps until there’s enough room to move over. Okay, I get that, but when you’re in traffic and it takes a while to change lanes due to people not letting you in, that noise is totally undesirable.” Senior editor Ron Kiino has a different perspective: “I find the BSM very useful. It’s really a third line of defense—first, look in the mirror; second, glance over your shoulder; third, check the mirror again…

AFTER SPENDING a few days in the Jetta TDI, associate Web editor Kirill Ougarov has officially hopped aboard. “The Jetta is the second diesel I’ve had the chance to drive for an extended period of time, and I’m now fully on the diesel bandwagon. This is a great little engine. It’s quiet to the point of being virtually inaudible on the highway, shockingly fuel efficient (300 miles and it’s just under half a tank? Sweet!), and while not a missile off the line, it’s surprisingly quick when accelerating for a pass and accelerates with very little fuss. Impressive.” Any niggles? “The DSG transmission doesn’t quite know what to do from a stop. It takes as much time to engage as a traditional manual would. Left-foot braking can be necessary when…

* FIRST DRIVE * FITTED WITH lightweight carbon-fiber body parts, no rear seats, world-beating carbon-ceramic brakes, a high gear boost control, unique fixed Bilstein suspension, and extragrippy Bridgestone rubber on ultra-high-performance 20-inch Rays rims, the new GT-R SpecV is the most radical roadgoing racer Japan has ever produced. The SpecV’s 3.8-liter V-6 twin turbo only makes 5 more horses than the 2009 R35, 480 horsepower (as will all 2010 GT-Rs). While chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno claims the car will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and the quarter mile in under 11.5, even with a revised VDC unit that he requests we leave on for our test drive, his aim was to take the car’s handling to the next level. The car feels marginally quicker out of the…

REVEALED barely months after the launch of the new E-Class sedan, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG marks a departure from the usual AMG formula. A big-horse, big-block V-8—in this case the AMG-designed, 6.2-liter M156 V-8, which punches out 518 horses and 465 pound-feet of torque—remains the heart of the car, like all AMG E-Class models since the E50. But Mercedes-AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg promises a radical improvement in handling as well. Until the 2008 C63, AMG Benzes have tended to do their best work in a straight line, lacking the clarity and response in the steering, and the impressive front-end grip, of their BMW rivals. But canyon-carving agility, rather than brute horsepower, is the new mantra at AMG (at least for its smaller sedans; sources say the next AMG S-Class and…

THE IOSIS MAX concept first shown at the Geneva auto salon is the first external clue as to the Ford’s global C-car—the next-generation Focus. Due for 2011, it will replace the two very different models currently sold in North America and Europe and provide the basis for Mazdas and Volvos, even though Ford has sold its equity stake in Mazda and might well be out of Volvo in the next year. The Iosis MAX is a tallish hatchback. Ignore the insanely complex and expensive parallelogram-hinged door frippery, which is strictly concept; the car does provide some design clues. Its height is about halfway between the hatchback and the current C-Max, which sells in the very large compact minivan class in Europe. Ford insiders claim the Iosis MAX is neither a…

“ THIS HAS BEEN A ‘HOLY GRAIL’ ACHIEVEMENT SOUGHT BY ENGINEERS AND RUBE GOLDBERGS ALIKE FOR ALMOST A CENTURY. ” ON DISPLAY at the recent Geneva motor show were two new nails in the light-duty diesel engine’s coffin. These two variations on the traditional spark-ignition engine promise diesel efficiency without the pricey fuel and pricier emissions gear. And while the engines are quite different, the four-cylinder MCE-5 VCRi engine installed in a Peugeot 407 sedan and the single-cylinder Lotus Omnivore test engine displayed by itself, can both vary compression ratio on the fly This has been one of those “holy grail” attributes that engineers and Rube Goldbergs alike have been striving to achieve for almost a century. As you may recall, the compression—and, conversely, expansion—ratios are geometrically defined as the…

REMEMBER how Rabbit Cup cars of the early 1980s would lift an inside rear wheel in tight corners? How the first imported ’83 GTIs would dance around that tight road course in those commercials set to “Klein GTI,” by a Germanic Ronnie and the Daytonas? Even though the solid rear axle is long gone, the new GTI’s character suggests an affordable, well-balanced hot hatch that leaps about corners with tossability, defying and yet celebrating its front drive. Volkswagen’s Mark V GTI recaptured that spirit even after two generations of hot hatches that were well mannered in their benign understeer to the point of feeling overweight and uninteresting. Good news. The Mark VI GTI on sale this fall as a 2010 model, like the Mark V, doesn’t feel overweight and it’s…

THE AMC PACER was the quirkiest car to come out of mid-’70s Detroit, and not the least because of its unusual proportions. The Pacer, 171.5 inches long overall and 77 inches wide, was less than two inches longer than a Chevy Vega, but almost six inches wider than a Cadillac Seville. Interior room bettered most contemporary intermediates such as Ford Torino and Chevy Nova Though extensively derided, Dick Teague’s rounded, two-door-hatchback exterior design was in fact thoughtful and innovative, featuring details such as a passenger door 3.6 inches longer than the driver’s door for improved curbside access to the rear seats, hidden rain gutters, and a sloping nose that contributed to the car’s impressive (for the time) drag coefficient of 0.32. But the Pacer looked too avant-garde for mainstream American…

THE ARRIVAL of BMW’s second-generation Z4 brings us one step closer to the end of the sports car as we know it. Each international press launch tester in Alicante, Spain was an sDrive 35i model painted in Champagne Metallic and equipped with the optional ($1525) twin-clutch seven-speed sport automatic and the first iDrive in a BMW Z, featuring an 8.8-inch screen. Even if the paddle controls released one’s inner Kubica on the wonderfully winding mountain roads nearby, it’s still an automatic. The Z4 has morphed into a different kind of sports car. An aluminum two-piece electrohydraulic folding hardtop means this Z4 replaces both the Coupe and roadster, BMW says. Thanks to the optional twin-turbo engine, there’s no need for a Z4 M, says M Division chief Ludwig Willisch. The 35i’s…

WOW, THE PRICE has only climbed $8850 and the nameplate’s mainstream, but this thing’s exotic. Striking, if not gorgeous—especially with the ($1000) bodycolor “blade” panel—the R8 is trickier to settle into. Still, the familiar-looking controls are easily to use and everything works with Teutonic precision. To launch this 420-horse all-wheeler, engage ESP Sport, hold the brake, depress the gas (revs climb in 2000-rpm increments) to 6000, and release the brake. Wham! With just a wisp of tire smoke from each corner, you’re hurtling down the runway toward a 13.1-second quarter-mile. The launch feels solid, but that’s a half-second off our best time, thanks largely to clutch wear. The brake pads may be a touch glazed too, resulting in the day’s longest stops from 60 and 100 mph (other R8s have…

HERE'S WHAT happens when Germans let their metaphoric hair down and build an outrageous, over-the-top automobile. Behold the EuroViper, complete with a long, phallic hood, ridiculously powerful engine, gills, strakes, and scissor doors. This is the priciest, quickest, lowest-production model here, and yet in many ways it’s no more exotic than the Maserati: front engine, rear drive, five-speed automatic, big doors, easy in-and-out. But, sheesh, does this thing accelerate. Feather the throttle through all of first gear or risk total tire-tread immolation, then press foot-to-floor as scenery blurs like stars in the Millennium Falcon’s windshield. Hit the brakes and the rear wing rises as an air brake, helping stop from 100 mph in 300 feet, second best. The floor-hinged brake pedal offers no retardation for the first bit of travel,…

MOST DAYS a common, boring, good ol’ four-door sedan makes all the sense in the world. It can comfortably swallow a nuclear family, even Lassie and Garfield, as well as a week’s worth of groceries or travel bags. It is easy to step into or hop out of, offers a nestled-to-the-pavement driving feel, and swigs fuel at a more miserly rate than a big sport/ute. Yet, some days, when a stroller won’t squeeze into the trunk or the old kitchen table needs hauling away to Goodwill or the family is itching for a weeklong camping trip, it’s the huge, gas-guzzling sport/ute—not the frugal, frustrating sedan—that seems the ideal transporter. And, let’s face it: It’s days like those that convince a majority of SUV-buying Americans a hulking rig is not only…

BENTLEY’S 2010 Continental GTC Speed belongs to that rare class of vehicles to which the standard array of automotive superlatives simply does not apply. After all, how can one adequately convey the sensation of accelerating a 5500-pound, leather-clad convertible from rest to 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds? Of hitting 195 mph with the top down. Of returning to a standstill via the world’s largest production automobile brakes—eight-piston calipers and 16.5-inch carbon-ceramic discs? Though essentially a performance variant of the Continental GTC convertible, the Speed is not some stripped-down racer. Sure it has drilled aluminum pedals, but there’s no stereo delete option here. Bentley went the other direction and serves up an 1100-watt Naim audio system—the most powerful available in any production car. The knurled-chrome and leather-paneled gearshift lever…

IT USED TO BE that Japanese car companies were just copy machines: They seldom came up with anything original, preferring to replicate (while refining) someone else’s idea. That hasn’t been the case for decades, but there’s no doubt that Infiniti keeps a close eye on what BMW does. If a sporty, well-appointed, front-engine, rear-drive, retractable-hardtop coupe with a lusty six-cylinder engine is good for BMW, it must be good for Infiniti. Turns out it is. The G37 Convertible is only the second drop-top in the brand’s history. No mere chop-job this, as the body panels and chassis components aft of the A-pillar are new for this application. The top is built by Germany’s Karmann, an outfit known for this kind of thing. Its opening-and-closing act takes about 30 seconds either…

FOR 2009, Acura made drastic changes inside and out to its fourth-generation TL. With edgy, albeit polarizing exterior styling and a sporty, tech-laden interior, the new TL shows no signs of getting lost in the entry-luxury crowd. Long Acura’s best-selling model, the TL is now available in either front- or all-wheel-drive configuration, with the former offering a 3.5-liter, 280-horse V-6, the latter a bigger 3.7-liter rated at 305 ponies. Both are backed with a five-speed automatic; a slick six-speed manual will be available with the 3.7 for the 2010 model year. Per Acura’s usual approach, the TL comes in base trim or with a $3730 Technology Package that adds a 440-watt ELS audio system, navigation with traffic rerouting and Zagat restaurant reviews, Bluetooth, and a decklid spoiler with backup camera.…

“I SPENT the majority of the last two weeks in the CTS while my Mini was in the body shop,” says Truck Trend Web producer Melissa Spiering. “This was the first time I’ve driven our 2008 COTY long-termer, and now I regret not having gotten behind the wheel sooner. It’s one of those vehicles you can’t help but look at on the highway: It has a face that simultaneously screams, ‘look at me’ and ‘get out of my way.’ Love the power and the ride—smooth and easygoing on my long commute and even pleasant to drive in stop-and-go L.A. traffic.” An aunt who often babysits her nephew, Spiering appreciates the CTS’s back seat. “On a 1-to-5 scale for baby-seat install, room, and accessibility, I’d have to give the CTS a…

PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Vance recently took the Maxima for a spin and logged, “The car’s steering ability in highspeed sweepers is impressive. Climbing the Grapevine on I-5 South, while hopping from the 5 (Los Banos) over to the 101 at Gilroy, I appreciated the car’s ability to hold a set on a sweeper with little to no correction required at the wheel. The steering at those speeds feels properly weighted with a solid heft to it.” And the interior? “Well thought out and pleasant to look at, but still sports signs of cheapness—the harder, glossier plastics on the steering wheel and instrument panel surround off set the primo soft-touch dash. The iPod integration is excellent, with the plug in the center console cubbie, allowing full control of content using dash buttons…

WHEN KIA first handed us the keys to the Rondo back in October 2007, our biggest debate had been what to call this vehicle. It has three rows of seats, yet no AWD or 4WD (so it isn’t a crossover or an SUV), no sliding side doors (calling it a minivan is out), and a cargo area (could that make this the only seven-passenger hatchback in the U.S.?). Perhaps it would be best to refer to it as a wagon. Whatever you call it, the Rondo has proven a reliable, capable, and frugal SUV alternative. For an as-tested price of $23,495, our EX came with the 182-horse, 2.7-liter V-6, optional third row, heated (front) leather seats, power sunroof, and an AM/FM/CD system. The small-size/big-cabin combo appealed to many staffers, who…