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It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until mid-day Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals magnet and sticker. Good luck!
Tags: Name That Shifter, Save the Manuals! |
Hertz has announced that it is adding the Lotus Evora to the Adrenaline Range of its Fun Collection in Germany, Spain, and the U.K. The Evora will also join Hertz’s Fun Collection in France as a “special car.” Rental cars rarely evoke romantic motoring imagery— the “rental-grade” descriptor is a barb reserved for the crummiest of new cars—but Hertz has a long history of attempting to inject some fun into its temporary rides, starting with its Shelby GT-H rent-a-racecar program in the ‘60s. Fun history aside, the availability of an Evora for hire is still something of a pleasant surprise given the car’s semi-exotic nature.
The Evora isn’t the first Lotus to grace a Hertz lot; a few years ago the company added a bevy of Elise SCs dolled up in Hertz yellow paint and sporting Hertz-embossed seats to its fleet in Italy. The Evora’s 2+2 seating and greater cargo capacity certainly makes more sense for travelers than the two-seater Elise SC (which may have been able to swallow a plane ticket and its sleeve—but only for one passenger). Furthermore, Hertz feels the “style, elegance, agility, and sportiness” of the Evora will “make driving journeys a dream come true.” If you’re waiting for the pinch that will wake you up, here it is: rates for the mid-engine Evora start at €250 ($359.50!) per day.
Tags: Hertz, Lotus, Lotus Evora |
On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note, but a technical hiccup meant that it was one we’d already posted. So we posted another one on Wednesday, and extended this week’s deadline until today, and then it was business as usual. Our winner in this week’s special DiRT3 video game giveaway is KindOfABigDeal, who identified the sound as coming from a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. To hear (the correct and original) exhaust note again, click play above.
Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)
Tags: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Name That Exhaust Note |
We’re now in week three of the seven-week, seven-picture preview parade Infiniti has undertaken for its JX crossover SUV. In this third detail shot, we can see the JX’s take on the kinked D-pillar that Infiniti promises will be a hallmark of its styling moving forward, as well as the rearmost glass panel of what is likely a full-length panoramic roof. We can also see that the metallic roof rail cleverly conceals the liftgate hinge at its rearmost edge, and that the lower portion of the doors will incorporate a light-catching crease. Also, based on this and the last two shots, we also are left to surmise that Infiniti’s favorite color for its new crossover is a mossy green. Click here to see the first shot and here to see the second, and check back with us next week for the next preview shot.
Tags: Infiniti, Infiniti JX |
Audi’s new 2012 A6 debuted at this year’s Detroit auto show, and Audi stated at the time that a hybrid version was in the works; the company didn’t promise, however, that it would come to the U.S. Fast-forward to today, and full specs on the A6 hybrid have been fully revealed; we still don’t know if we’ll get it. One clue existed in the press materials, though: Audi converted its fuel-economy numbers for the green-leaning four-door to U.S. mpg, and it nets an impressive 37 mpg combined.
The Audi A6 hybrid combines a 211-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with a 54-hp (40-kW) electric motor, and routes a total system output of 245 hp to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid powertrain’s peak torque output of 354 lb-ft is healthy, and it helps scoot the A6 hybrid to 60 mph in a claimed 7.3 seconds. Juiced by a lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the trunk floor, the electric motor can accelerate the A6 to 62 mph or travel up to 1.9 miles at less than 40 mph on its own. (So, realistically, to your mailbox and back.) The A6 hybrid comes equipped with three driver-selectable operating modes: electricity-prioritizing “EV,” normal “D,” and sporty “S.” It should be noted that it’s only in S mode that the A6 hybrid’s full 245 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque are available.
The A6 hybrid is distinguished from normal A6s by unique 17- and 18-inch wheels, plus “hybrid” badging on the decklid, fenders, and door sills. A U.S.-market A6 hybrid isn’t likely to deviate much—if at all—from the Euro car’s formula, but we’ll have to wait for Audi to send it here to find out.
Tags: Audi, Audi A6, Audi A6 hybrid |
BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREAS LINDLAHR AND THE MANUFACTURER
July 2011
The latest in a very short but highly distinguished—and completely nuts—line of Black Series Benzes is here. The C63 AMG Black Series is based on the C63 coupe, which we just drove for the first time a few months ago. Following the lead of the not-for-U.S.-sale SLK55 Black Series, the CLK63 Black Series, and the SL65 Black Series, this C63 AMG is amped up visually and dynamically, with a steroidal bump in output to back up the flared nostrils.
In case the 451 hp and 443 lb-ft in the standard-issue C63 AMG or the 481 and 443 offered by that car’s AMG Development Package aren’t quite cutting it, the C63 AMG BS makes 510 hp at 6800 rpm and 457 lb-ft at 5200. Like cars with the Development Pack, the Black Series borrows its pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft from the be-gullwinged SLS AMG supercar. Behind the motor lives the same seven-speed automatic found in the regular C63, packing four shift modes and a launch-control function for when you really don’t want to linger at this stupid party one more split second. We ran a Development Pack sedan to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds; with wider rear rubber, figure on the Black Series shaving a couple tenths from that and clearing the quarter-mile in around 12 seconds flat.
I’m Going to Eat You
Like the Black Series cars that came before it, the C63 oozes menace and purpose. Air can’t flow through stuff, so there’s remarkably little material remaining in the front fascia, the bumper that once resided there largely displaced by intakes covered by black mesh. A gaping central intake is flanked by two smaller holes through which cooling air enters, and two nostrils atop the hood give hot air a convenient exit from underhood. As if to emphasize its name and purpose, the front splitter comes to a sharp point in the middle of the nose.
Flared fenders widen the car by 2.2 inches up front and 3.3 out back, covering tracks stretched by 1.6 and 3.1 inches, respectively. Vents behind the front wheels and ahead of the rears are both nonfunctional, which somewhat diminishes their awesomeness. The lightweight wheels at each corner have their movements controlled by adjustable coil-overs, while speed-sensitive steering issues directional orders and Black Series–specific anti-roll bars maintain the contact patches during aggressive driving. The brake rotors measure 15.4 inches in diameter up front and 14.2 inches out back. Red paint is standard on the calipers, which have six pistons up front and four in the rear. The rubber measures 255/35-19 up front and 285/30-19 out back—that’s up from 235/40-18s and 255/35-18s on the basic C63 AMG coupe—and a limited-slip diff is standard, as is a stability-control system that will get entirely out of the way if you want it to.
Flat Bottom Girls
You’ll notice hard-shell sport buckets in the accompanying photos, but those aren’t likely to make it to the U.S. We are likely, however, to at least get red stitching on whatever seats we do end up with. Calm down. The rear seat has been dismissed in the interest of weight savings, but can be reactivated if you’d like to frighten more than just one person at a time. And AMG has flattened both the bottom and top of the steering wheel, which makes it way more serious than all those wheels with just flat bottoms. Lest the screaming V-8 deafen your passenger to the point they can no longer hear the V-8 screaming, a Black Series logo on the dash will remind them why they can’t hear.
Those who feel the flared and vented look of the C63 AMG Black Series isn’t quite enough will be able to crank up the appearance even more with an AMG Aerodynamics package that includes carbon-fiber winglets on the front valance and a fixed carbon-fiber spoiler with an adjustable aerofoil. AMG says these bits are functional and increase downforce, but isn’t saying by how much. It also won’t provide photos of a car so equipped, so we don’t know by how much they make it look more menacing and/or ridiculous. The C63 Black’s other major option package is a Track pack that includes even higher-performance rubber of unspecified Dunlop pedigree, as well as a differential cooler.
All Black Series cars to this point have been low-production affairs, the SLK55 AMG, for example, being limited to just 120 units. The CLK63 and SL65 sold in slightly higher numbers, at 700 and 350, respectively. While Mercedes isn’t saying yet how many C63 AMG Black Series it will build, representatives do tell us the number will be capped. Figure on a sticker edging close to $100,000. While that’s awfully steep for a car that shares its basic shape and structure with a coupe starting in the mid-$30,000 range, it is about $40,000 cheaper than the CLK63 Black Series and a whopping $200K less than the SL65 Black Series. So if you’ve got a spot reserved in your garage for what will certainly be the cheapest U.S.-market Black Series car yet, get on the horn to your dealer now. U.S. distribution will begin early in 2012.
Fast and Furious. Smokey and the Bandit. Death Race 2000. Ostensibly, this is a short list of Very Bad Car Films. But all share a special place in every petrolhead's DVD collection (usually the same dusty shelf as a VHS copy of Jurassic Park).
There is now another way to express your passion for all things slightly terrible, and it is with this: ‘The Monster' from 1975 cult classic, Death Race 2000, which has just popped up for sale at Volo Auto Museum in Illinois.
Driven by ‘Frankenstein' (played by the late David Carradine), The Monster's a 1968 VW with a modified Corvette body slapped on top. The indicators, lights and engine work, and you can take off that funny spine thing for extra visibility.
But the best bit is the price. This wonderful sliver of B-movie history costs just $19,998 (£12,256).
Anyone tempted?
This is a video of Falken Motorsport driver Wolf Henzler on a hot lap of the Green Hell during the 24hr race last month. As you can correctly deduce, it's the middle of the night. And very, very dark.
So dark in fact, you need Jedi levels of foresight and control over the force to navigate its bends and avoid a very expensive and painful passage into the afterlife.
But this video is so much more than just another ‘Ring lap video. It is a treatise on the nature of dark and a fear of it, a thesis on nyctophobia, if you will.
To explain, we need to reference Sigmund Freud, who regarded a fear of the dark as a manifestation of separation anxiety disorder, a feeling of extreme stress when isolated from a source of warmth or comfort. And a symptom of SAD is recurrent nightmares. And crying.
We're not at all suggesting Wolf Henzler - a fine driver with years of experience - is afraid of the dark. But tell us you're not afraid of the ‘Ring, in the dark. Tell us you wouldn't cry.
TopGear.com at the 2011 Nurburgring 24hr race
Physics. This biker doesn't care for its rules: instead of simply getting his knee down through a corner, he plants his shoulder, arm and FACE on the curb.
If you do one thing today, watch this video. And prepare to say a very rude word out loud.
Is this the most mental biker video you've seen, TopGear.commers?
The GS is Lexus’s answer to the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class, but it has never quite measured up to those two sedans in sales numbers. As the car enters its fourth generation, Lexus tells us the GS will be sportier and more focused on the driving experience.
That goes for the company, too. Content with more than 20 years of pursuing perfection, it will use the upcoming GS to lead a philosophical change, an outlook it describes as “joy and leading edge.” We’re told that means that the brand is moving beyond the Spock-like purely rational and toward emotional connections with buyers. Driver enjoyment and engagement are vital to the new attitude. Aggression is in. Complete isolation is out. We’ve seen inklings of the shift in cars like the IS-F and the LFA supercar, but the new GS is a volume product, not a limited-edition model. To give us a taste of its new way of thinking, Lexus invited us to drive two heavily camouflaged GS350 prototypes.
I Believe We’ve Met
Powering both prototypes is a warmed-over version of the GS350’s current 3.5-liter V-6. Lexus staffers wouldn’t get too specific about the changes to the engine, but hinted at the possibility of a few more horsepower. We’ve never straight-line tested a GS350, but we have no reason to doubt Lexus’s 0-to-60-mph estimate of 5.7 seconds. For those seeking more acceleration—as well as fuel-conscious buyers—the GS hybrid will return. Running contrary to Lexus’s claims about newfound sportiness, the V-8–powered GS460 is dead.
Even with the cars covered in what look like garbage bags, it’s easy to tell that this new GS is a break from those that have come before. From what we could see, the dashboard and doors are wrapped in leather in a style that mimics the LFA’s interior. The Lexus “waterfall” center console is gone. In its place is a massive 12.3-inch screen that displays navigation and audio information, as well as a host of other vehicle settings. Models without navigation will get a smaller screen. Sit down in the current GS, and it immediately feels stodgy and dated.
Our drive included two different GS models. One represented the mainstream GS350 while the other shows just how far the GS350 might take driver involvement. Standard on all upcoming GS sedans will be Lexus Drive Mode Select. The Drive Mode Select knob allows the driver to put the car in Eco, Normal, Sport S, or Sport S+ modes. Eco dials back throttle response and upshifts the six-speed automatic transmission early to boost fuel economy. Switch to Sport, and the transmission holds gears longer, downshifts under aggressive braking, and increases throttle sensitivity. Move the shifter into the manual gate and downshift with either the shifter or the paddles, and the engine blips itself for rev-matched downshifts. Sport+ is only available on cars equipped with active shocks (as our two prototypes were). This setting stiffens the shocks, as well as quickens the steering on models fitted with the variable-ratio system.
F That
The sportier of the two prototypes available for our drive will be known as the GS F-Sport when it goes on sale in early 2012. Higher spring rates, a thicker anti-roll bar, firmer adaptive shocks, larger two-piece front brake rotors, four-wheel steering, a variable-ratio rack, and 19-inch wheels with summer tires (235/40-19 in front and 265/35-19 in back) give the F-Sport quick responses and plenty of grip. The chassis can easily handle more power than the 3.5-liter V-6 can deliver. Switch to Sport +, and the steering becomes quick (we measured 2.2 turns lock-to-lock) and the weighting increases. Accurate and spirited, the quick steering makes the GS feel like a smaller car. One gripe: The steering effort doesn’t increase in response to front-tire stress. Switch the stability control completely off, and the F-Sport proves playful. It’s possible to coax the GS to power oversteer, but the big sticky rubber in back and the four-wheel steering brings the rear end back in line with ease.
Riding on 18-inch wheels with 235/45-18 summer tires, the second prototype on hand proved to be a less-extreme machine. Compared to the F-Sport, the mainstream GS is softer and has more body roll. After driving the F-Sport equipped with variable steering, the non-variable rack-and-pinion feels slower. Then we drove the current GS and found it to be even less secure feeling, with a very intrusive stability-control system.
Say No to Growing Pains
The new GS will not be any larger than the current car. Wheelbase is unchanged at 112.2 inches, while overall length increases from 190 inches to 190.9. Interior space is up, thanks to a 0.8-inch increase in width and a roof that’s higher by 1.2 inches. The latter provides a boost to rear-seat headroom. Through the use of high-strength steel and more laser welding, Lexus claims its new platform is both more rigid and lighter than before. Unfortunately, any weight loss there will be cancelled out by more standard and optional equipment, and the GS’s curb weight will remain roughly where it is today.
Lexus will debut the GS on August 18. After that, the GS hybrid will turn up at the Frankfurt auto show in September, a few weeks before the GS F-Sport breaks cover at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Lexus wouldn’t reveal the exact on-sale date, but we were told it would be sometime in early 2012. Snow sufferers should see an all-wheel-drive GS350 by the middle of next year.
Having driven only prototypes, it’s a bit too early to determine how the GS will stack up against the competition, but a legitimate sports sedan from Lexus may give BMW and Audi buyers something to consider.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear and 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: GS350, $48,000; GS hybrid, $55,000; GS F-Sport, $55,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 211 cu in, 3456 cc
Power (SAE net): 305 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 274 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.2 in Length: 190.9 in
Width: 72.4 in Height: 57.3 in
Curb weight (C/D EST): 3850 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.2 sec
Top speed: 145 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 20/27 mpg
Chevrolet has just announced that some time in 2013, it will launch a diesel-powered version of the Cruze in the U.S. The car will use a variant of the 2.0-liter four that’s installed in Cruzes throughout the world, but the company is otherwise silent on details, providing no further information on pricing, fuel economy, or output ratings.
Some markets receive a diesel Cruze with 163 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, while others get a version with 148 hp and 236 lb-ft. Our bet would be for us to receive the latter—this is a small car, after all, and Chevy’s play here is to pump up its fuel-economy numbers. Whether the diesel-fueled Cruze will roundly trump other the small cars clustered around 40 mpg—including the Hyundai Elantra and Chevy’s own 42-mpg Cruze Eco, which the company assures us will still be sold when the diesel arrives—is up to the EPA. Considering that Chevrolet offers a six-speed manual transmission in all of the gasoline-powered Cruze models sold here already, we would expect that a row-your-own gearbox will be on offer for this new model, as well.
While we’d love to be able to run down a full spec sheet on the future diesel Cruze, the bare-bones info—a torquey diesel and a likely stick—is certainly enough to satiate us for today. Now, about that hatchback version of the Cruze . . .
Tags: Chevrolet, Chevrolet Cruze, diesel, engines |
Like naturally aspirated, big capacity V8s? If not, you're probably on the wrong website. And if you do, then today is a good day. Mercedes has announced its next SLK55 AMG will get a new free-breathing 5.5-litre eight-pot when it hits the Frankfurt motor show in September.
Sound a bit familiar? Recently the German carmaker's AMG skunk works division has been scaling back the 6.2-litre V8 for the new 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8. We've seen the E63 AMG, the CLS63 AMG, the S63 AMG and the CL63 AMG all trade in their big pots for the smaller units.
Well, the SLK's new V8 is, in effect, the same engine, but without the twin turbos. It also gets new intake air ducting, new cylinder heads, a modified valve drive, adapted oil supply system and an optimised crank case.
And despite the lack of turbochargerising, AMG still insists it has built "a real masterpiece". The new V8 produces 420bhp (60bhp up from the old SLK55) and nearly 400lb ft of torque. It also gets an F1-style cylinder shut-off system, said to significantly improve mpg, available between 800rpm to 3,600rpm in ‘C' transmission mode. As the name suggests, this deactivates four cylinders under lighter loads, springing back into life instantly when you inevitably get bored and floor it.
It also gets a new AMG sports exhaust with integrated flaps that activate at certain engine loads (making it louder), stop/start, combined economy of around 28mpg and emissions of 199g/km of CO2.
Excited by the prospect of a now-more-manly SLK with a 420bhp non-turbo V8?
There is one new Merc still flaunting the 6.2-litre V8. Click here to find out which one...
If there's one thing James May can be certain of, it's the fact that today he has at least one more fan in his The Nurburgring Isn't The Most Smashing Place On Earth club. That fan is Adrian Sutil.
Ahead of this weekend's tortuous German GP, the Force India driver took a Gumpert Apollo around the infamous Green Hell and, well, crashed it. He was reportedly gunning for the previous lap time of seven minutes and eleven seconds set by the Apollo Speed, but instead headed for some barriers shortly after leaving the pit lane.
Thankfully, he wasn't injured, though the Gumpert's carbon-fibre bodywork has probably seen better days. Probably.
Gallery: the Gumpert Apollo Speed
Here's hoping his unintentional union with some Armco won't play on his mind come race day. He's one of six German drivers on their ‘home' GP, and currently sits 12th in the driver's championship with 10 points, just behind Kobayashi (25 points) and Schumacher (28 points). Crucially, he's eight points clear of his British team-mate Paul di Resta.
Let your opinions be known, Internet, and tell us who you think will take the chequered flag on Sunday...
Image courtesy of bridgetogantry.com
The Italian Carabinieri (military police) have enlisted two specially prepared Lotus Evora S sports cars for organ and blood transport duty. These aren’t the first high-performance, mid-engine sports cars Italian authorities have slapped a light bar on: The Polizia famously recruited a few Lamborghini Gallardos for the same task—and infamously crashed one of them. Perhaps that’s why the Carabinieri had to turn to a British carmaker.
The transformation from pedestrian Evora S to four-wheeled life-or-death transport car begins with a dark-blue and white Carabinieri paint job, over which fang-like pointy red graphics are applied. Of course, one needs more than an aggressive livery to get other motorists out of the way when barreling down the autostrada to deliver vital organs in a timely manner, so the Evora sports a roof-mounted light bar as well as lights added to the grille and dashboard. To ensure blood and organs reach their destination safe to eat—er—stitch in, the Carabinieri installed a refrigerated compartment behind the front seats to keep the meat cold. It’s not like they were going to fit perps back there.
The two Carabinieri Evoras will be stationed in Milan and Rome and serve two-year tours. So if you ever need an organ or an emergency blood transfusion and the closest replacement is a far-but-drivable-distance away, you might want to hope your major health event happens somewhere in Italy.
Tags: Lotus, Lotus Evora, Lotus Evora S |
In a hearing today, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission approved the Ford Transit Connect for taxi service in the city. You’re probably thinking “wait a tick, didn’t the City of New York recently hold a competition among manufacturers to determine ‘NYC’s Taxi of Tomorrow,’ and didn’t Ford’s Transit Connect lose that competition to Nissan’s NV200 small van?” The answer to both of your questions is yes.
But the Transit Connect did not completely lose the chance to ferry New Yorkers about, because Nissan’s exclusive 10-year contract doesn’t kick in until 2013. In the meantime, Ford is free to foist its small, high-roof van upon the taxi companies of New York. Ford also won approval for its Taurus sedan at the Taxi Commission’s hearing; while certainly no Crown Victoria, the Taurus is at least a large sedan, which is sure to make it popular among the big-sedan-philic hired car set.
Tags: Ford, Ford Transit Connect, New York City, NYC, taxi |
BY STUART FOWLE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY KGP PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE MANUFACTURER
July 2011
The Chevrolet Colorado has stirred up more buzz than any mid-size pickup has in a very long time—a little surprising, since it hasn’t officially been confirmed for sale in the United States. Is it just another case of us wanting what we can’t have? Perhaps, and Chevrolet seems to want it that way. While some quotes from the division the past few months indicate the global Colorado will indeed be built and sold in America within the next two years, the company’s communications staff continues to give us the cold shoulder when asked for outright confirmation.
Interest has again spiked, because, as you can see in these spy photos, there’s going to be an SUV version. As you’ll remember, Chevrolet stopped producing truck-based mid-size SUVs here with the death of the TrailBlazer; the unibody Equinox and Traverse now represent the bowtie in their respective classes. There is recent precedent for a small-pickup-based GM SUV, however, in the form of the Hummer H3, which used the current Colorado as its base. If the new pickup is in fact headed here (and we think it should be), Chevrolet just might see a market for truck-based sport-utes as well. Nissan serves as an example of car- and truck-based utes living in harmony, with the Murano, the Pathfinder, and the Xterra being sold side-by-side for some time now.
Both the Colorado pickup and SUV are still heavily camouflaged in these spy photos, but imagining how they’ll look isn’t hard. The open-bed version should look nearly identical to the concept shown back in March. Now, remember back to when the Chevy S-10 and the Blazer were both on sale and it’s easy to picture the SUV, even if that tall, boxy camo is throwing off the proportions. If or when Chevrolet launches it here, we expect it’ll be spun as an active-lifestyle alternative to the city dweller’s Equinox.
As far as engine choices go, it’s easiest to imagine a U.S.-spec Colorado getting the corporate 3.6-liter V-6 because, well, every mid-size anything under the GM umbrella makes use of that engine. The Equinox’s naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four is another option, although we’d love to see both a turbo four and a small turbo-diesel (as was installed in a second Colorado truck concept) used to make smaller pickup trucks and any resulting SUVs relevant again. Hopefully, more details will come soon, but we have plenty of time to continue speculating—don’t expect either of these vehicles to show up before 2013.
Jay Leno owns more cars than we have numbers for. In his collection there are many classics (Lamborghini Miura), some rarities (Lamborghini Reventon) and now, a new icon of our age: the McLaren MP4-12C.
In this video, one of TG's best ever stars in our reasonably priced car talks us through his trip to the McLaren Technical Centre in Woking where he got a tour of the factory, and a lesson from test driver Chris Goodwin. And the lesson takes place at none other than our humble little track (where most of the MP4's development took place).
One of the world's biggest petrolheads gets one of the world's fastest cars. Click to watch, and then find out how the MP4 fared against the 458 Italia, via the link below. Want one?
McLaren MP4-12C vs Ferrari 458 Italia
Vaughn Gittin Jr is the 2010 Formula Drift champion. This fine accolade suggests he is possessed of a rare and eminently watchable talent for going sideways.
He was in Saudi Arabia not long ago at the Al Reem circuit for some form of drifting event, and promptly decided to stay on a bit longer for some fun. He also brought along his favouritest toy in the whole world too, a 5.4-litre V8-powered Falken/Monster Energy Ford Mustang.
Click the vid below to see him engage in some smoky shenanigans. Won't somebody think of the tyres!
Last week on Top Gear, Jeremy and James fell quite in love with the new Nissan GT-R's rather smashing launch control function. It made Jeremy's face go all funny.
Had Jeremy had a go in this AMS Performance-tuned Nissan GT-R, his face may well have melted. This is because said GT-R packs 1,300bhp and 1,000lb ft of torque. Even God doesn't have that many torques.
They took the black instrument of destruction to a drag strip and planted a very leaden foot. It recorded a scorching 9.052-second quarter-mile time at 166.7mph. It also recorded a 60mph-130mph time of 3.46 seconds, which in the vast pantheon of absurdity, is frankly, absurd.
The new Nissan GT-R: gallery
Watch the video below and see what happens when a pumped-up Godzilla gets really, really angry...
Click to enlarge
On Monday we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. The presence of the 1990s Honda shift knob helped several of you recognize the car as a 2000 Honda Insight. The first commenter to correctly identify it was DEM, who specified both the year and the model and will receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward.
The Insight pictured here is from our January 2000 issue. At the Insight’s press launch, Honda set up a fuel-economy contest among automotive magazines that would vie for top mpg honors during a run from Columbus, Ohio, to Detroit. We handily won this competition with the, erm, creative use of a Ford Excursion modified to serve as a rolling wind break. The photo of the front of the Insight below was taken from the cargo area of the Excursion. Our trip mileage? We squeezed 121.7 mpg out of the tiny hybrid at an average speed of 58 mph.
Tags: Honda Insight, Name That Shifter, Save the Manuals! |
Just a couple weeks ago, BMW announced that it will offer a $550 Performance Edition package on single-turbo (N55 engine) 335i coupes and sedans; better still, existing 335i owners could retrofit the package to their cars. In a press release today, however, we discovered a small addition BMW snuck in: owners of the 135i with the N55 also can have the dealer-installed package added to their rides.
The 335i Performance Edition package is a massive bargain and includes such goodies as special badging, black grilles and grille surrounds, and an output increase of 20 hp, for a total of 320. Torque increases to 332 lb-ft on cars with an automatic transmission and 317 lb-ft for those with a stick. BMW hasn’t announced pricing for the retrofit package yet—it will do so in August—but we can’t imagine it will be much more than the $550 it takes to bolt this kit to a new Bimmer. We have clocked a stock 300-hp 135i to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds, and we look forward to seeing what sort of whittling another 20 hp could do to that time.
Tags: BMW, BMW 1-series, BMW 135i |
Put a bunch of people in identically prepared cars, stick a seasoned instructor in front of them, and point them toward a race track—boom!—instant racing school. It’s a relatively simple formula, one we’ve experienced in Miatas, through forests, and at the wheel of fully prepped rally cars. Formulaic could also describe accredited engineering colleges, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same—in both cases it’s the quality of instruction, the facilities, and the curriculum (not to mention the heftiness of loans required for enrollment) that differentiate them. Having completed one, we probably wouldn’t jump at the chance to try out another exciting engineering program, but another driver-training school? Just tell us when and where.
The when was last week. The school in question is the Bridgestone Racing Academy, which uses Mosport International Raceway outside of Toronto as its base of operations. The students were mostly Canadian journalists with a couple of Americans tossed in the mix—we were outnumbered eight to two, and they had the home-country advantage. But this wasn’t a competition, despite the lap times printed and passed around on day two, and the word “racing” right there in the school’s name. Fortunately, the cars help even things out.
About those cars: The academy has a fleet of relatively new Van Diemen Formula cars. They weigh about 1000 pounds and are powered by a 170-hp, 2.3-liter Mazda four-cylinder. The terribly un-sexy one-lug wheels are wrapped in—you guessed it—Bridgestone tires. The school uses RE-11 performance street tires as a learning tool—progressive loss of grip is easier to anticipate and correct. Plus, Bridgestone wouldn’t be too mad if students left the class with the urge to buy a new set of similar rubber for their cars.
The real fun came on day two. Despite soreness resulting from day one, we were all getting comfortable with the cars and their quirks, and also starting to learn what to do where. A track walk in the morning helped solidify things. This would have been too much to process on day one, and the instructors were good about limiting the number of things you have to think about at any given time; cone gates show turn-in points, braking zones are marked, and each round of practice had instructors giving feedback about one part of the track instead of forcing us to process our mistakes for every turn at once. Timing sheets for each of day two’s five lapping sessions provided proof of improvement. Some people spun testing the limits. Everyone had a good time.
Some advantages of the academy over similar schools: The track was purpose-built for training and provides a good variety of learning opportunities with very few truly dangerous spots (they call this low risk). And it’s reconfigurable, allowing the instructors to match the complexity to building skill level. The academy is the only one in North America to teach race starts and passing, and it seems to work; graduates include James Hinchcliffe, who was on hand fresh from the Toronto IndyCar race to provide some expert instruction on day two. His exhibition lap just before the graduation ceremony showed everyone what the cars could really do.
We didn’t quite get to his level in two days, but everyone did get better. It’s cheaper than engineering school, a lot more fun, and something we’d be pleased to repeat.
BY JOHN PEARLEY HUFFMAN
July 2011
Here’s what the new Scion iQ has going for it: It’s tiny outside, but not so small inside. Four people can wedge in when necessary. It’s good-looking, the interior design is about the best of any cheap car, and the seats are comfortable. The suspension is simple, but it works well, and the precise steering and its size make the iQ super easy to park. And although the front-mounted 1.3-liter engine makes 94 hp, the iQ weighs just a cheerleader more than a ton.
Here’s what’s wrong with the new Scion iQ: It’s stuck with a continuously variable transmission that drains the fun out of it. Every. Single. Drop.
The Price Is Certainly “Premium”
Toyota—okay, Scion—describes the iQ as a “premium micro-subcompact” and will sell it as such when it goes on sale in October as a $15,995 single-spec model backed by a dealer-installed accessory catalog. That’s a ton of cash when you consider the plethora of larger and more practical cars available for less money, among them the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, and Kia Soul. But, hey, at least the iQ costs less than the mechanically identical Aston Martin Cygnet.
The Scion does, however, look substantial and well detailed for a dink-class runabout. The bumper covers are painted and fit tightly, the headlights are complex units, there are turn-signal lights integrated into the bottom of the side mirrors, and the 175/60-16 tires fill out the wheel wells. Even the wheel covers on the steel wheels almost plausibly pass for metal. Besides its length—120.1 inches, 14.0 longer than a Smart Fortwo but a substantial 26.5 shorter than a Mini Cooper—and 78.7-inch wheelbase, little about the iQ screams “cheap.”
Inside, the driver faces a thick, flat-bottomed, three-spoke steering wheel covered in red-stitched leather and an instrument panel that nestles the tach in the lower right quadrant of the speedometer. And there’s an information screen to the left of those. It’s a compact, logical, and legible arrangement.
The center stack has three simple knobs for controlling the HVAC system and is capped by a pod that contains a double-DIN-size Pioneer audio head unit. If a buyer doesn’t like the standard stereo, Scion will have a dealer-swappable upgraded Pioneer unit and a navigation system available.
The thin-shelled, fabric-covered front seats sort of bend around any awkward body shape. The passenger-side front-seat rails are mounted slightly forward of the driver’s, and the dashboard on that side is slightly forward, too. The arrangement affords a bit more legroom for right-side passengers. A flotsam tray under the passenger seat is particularly useful if that seat’s occupant is a drooler.
Even with the passenger seat thrown forward for ingress, it’s a chore to get to the rear seat. It’s not roomy back there, but that there’s any space at all is a miracle of packaging efficiency and owes something to the engine placement. So the kids feel claustrophobic looking through the pie-slice rear windows? At least there’s an innovative rear-window airbag to protect their heads in a collision.
Damn, Dirty CVT
The 1.3-liter four has a 16-valve DOHC head, variable valve timing, and an aggressive 11.5:1 compression ratio, but it doesn’t have much sporting character and has to be wrung to its 6000-rpm redline to whip up the full 94 horses. The modest 89 lb-ft of torque is available a bit lower peak, at 4400 rpm.
But those pattering pound-feet travel through that cursed CVT. Other markets in which the iQ is sold as a Toyota—or as the shameful Cygnet—are blessed with a manual transmission, but here in North America there’s no choice. So jam a brick on the accelerator, and the iQ’s little engine runs to about four grand and sticks there as the car slowly engineers forward progress with a drone.
Every time the iQ is about to do something entertaining, the CVT intrudes and spoils it. Dive into a corner, the tires bite and…the transmission induces its drone of defeat and the car practically falls on its nose. Scion says the iQ will run from 0 to 60 mph in 11.8 seconds, but a better estimate might be a week.
Scions always seem to promise more fun than they deliver. (We hope the upcoming FR-S–based coupe will prove different.) But tune the iQ’s front struts and rear torsion beam a bit, bolt on some righteous rubber, tweak the engine to about 130 hp, give it a decent transmission, and this car could be a point-and-squirt legend.
Right now, it’s only frustratingly clever.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 3-door hatchback
BASE PRICE: $15,995
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 81 cu in, 1329 cc
Power (SAE net): 94 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 89 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 78.7 in Length: 120.1 in
Width: 66.1 in Height: 59.1 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 2150 lb
PERFORMANCE (MFR’S EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 11.8 sec
Top speed: 100 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
EPA city/highway: 36/37 mpg
We’re visiting an odd spot in the universe where level-headed civility doesn’t pertain. This is a dream destination where the unlikely is the norm and the preposterous is the rule. Here, the ride of choice is a vintage Chevy Camaro packing Corvette ZR1 speed and handling.
True believers call this sect of the car faith Pro Touring (PT). On the sacred tree of motoring, the PT branch thrives several limbs up from hot rods and a couple over from restomods. The essential ingredients are outrageous power, 1.0-g cornering and braking capabilities, and stock sheetmetal. The “Red Devil” Camaro constructed by GM engineer Mark Stielow [see below] is a PT track star masquerading as a street-legal F-body.
In case your subscription to Car Craft has expired: The ’69 Camaro is now and forever the most cherished muscle car ever made. This model year’s combination of classic beauty, tidy size, and ample underhood space makes it a favorite starting point for tuners and collectors. GM vice-president of global design Ed Welburn not only owns one, he all but cloned the ’69 Camaro to renew Chevy’s fight with the immortal Ford Mustang.
The Red Devil is No. 11 in a series of ’69 Camaros massaged by Stielow over the past 23 years. To the casual observer, it’s a survivor that rolled off a GM assembly line the year mankind made its giant leap to the moon. But don’t be fooled: This Camaro packs double the ammo provided by the General back in the day, along with the chassis fortifications needed to taunt the bluebloods from Stuttgart and Maranello.
Proving that he’s seriously hooked on speed, Stielow loaded the Devil’s engine bay with a sinful combination of LS7, LS9, and aftermarket power parts. His 7.0-liter Corvette Z06 block is topped with a ZR1’s cylinder heads, valvetrain, and supercharger. Inside, the best catalog parts money can buy are force-fed 12 psi of boost by an Eaton TVS supercharger spinning 30 percent faster than stock. A Tremec six-speed transmission sends an estimated 756 horsepower back to a 3.25:1, nine-inch solid axle fitted with a Truetrac limited-slip differential and located by a Detroit Speed suspension system. That same vendor also supplied the hydroformed subframe, the front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering gear, and coil-over dampers fitted at all four corners.
The surprise is how calmly the Red Devil behaves. The engine fires instantly and settles into a polite 750-rpm idle, temporarily suppressing its wild side. The clutch is light, progressive in its takeup, and easy to sync with the throttle for a composed creepaway. The pedals are ideally positioned for heel-and-toe footwork, and Stielow’s shifter knows the quick way through the fortified T-56 gearbox.
To dial in the steering to his liking, Stielow trial-fitted three rack-and-pinion units before settling on one with low friction and decent feedback. A similar procedure was used for tires. Testing on a Michigan race circuit, he trimmed precious seconds of lap time moving from BFGoodrich to Michelin radials before installing the final set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 rubber. These 18- and 19-inch run-flats team the standard Corvette Z06 sizes with next-generation construction.
Chilly test conditions kept the Goodyears from delivering their last increments of performance. On our 300-foot skidpad, the Red Devil cornered at a still impressive 0.98 g with minimal body roll and just a touch of understeer. With slight additional throttle pressure, we could easily coax this Camaro’s tail into a stable neutral drift. The securely located rear axle and the effort Stielow invested tuning his dampers, anti-roll bars, and steering system have trained an arthritic Camaro into an agile cornering champion. A few hot laps around the road course and through our slalom cones confirmed that impression. The Red Devil turns in obediently, confidently grabs the cornering line, and exits bends with the steering straight and the rear tires alight.
To achieve modern stopping performance, Stielow added a Corvette Z06 anti-lock system to the Brembo drilled rotors and calipers he fitted to the Red Devil. In spite of a slightly spongy pedal (attributable to imperfect bleeding, says Stielow), we measured consistent, 171-foot 70-to-0-mph stopping distances with no hint of wriggle or fade.
Launching any 756-hp missile without electronic assistance is not for sissies. In spite of the cold pavement and a restricted number of runs, we recorded acceleration figures within sniffing distance of a Corvette ZR1’s: 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds (versus 3.4), the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 127 mph (compared with 11.5 at 128). For a home-built riding on narrower tires and weighing an additional 267 pounds, that’s impressive. And we’re convinced there’s more to be had, but we terminated acceleration and top-speed tests when an overworked supercharger pulley failed, consuming the engine’s serpentine belt. Another interesting comparator is the ’69 Camaro ZL-1 we tested several years ago [December 1997]: That rubber-challenged survivor clocked 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds and the quarter in 13.8 seconds at 105 mph.
When the Red Devil’s throttle is down, the din inside rattles wax from your ears. Spectators a quarter-mile away scatter, fearing that a berserk locomotive is heading their way. Yet this Camaro knows how to behave. It has comfortable Recaro bucket seats, informative instruments, effective climate control, and a reasonably relaxed ride. The three-inch exhaust pipes don’t hiss, rattle, or roar until they’re asked to do so. Overall, the Red Devil drives like a refugee from the GM proving grounds.
For the most part, Pro Touring is a credit-card and catalog exercise. You start with a clean core, choose your parts and subcontractors wisely, and exercise patience constructing the car of your dreams. If you’re lucky, you end up with a car half as good as Stielow’s.
In this instance, that old saw about the devil and the details actually fits. With a dozen Camaros to his credit, Stielow has perfected his craft. His underhood presentation is a van Gogh in matte black, red, and zinc plating. To prepare the ZR1 intercooler lid for its new life, he milled off the factory “6.2L” label to install new “7.0L” lettering. The engine shroud that originally boasted “CORVETTE” now reads “CHEVROLET.” When Stielow advances the Pro Touring cause with his next hero car, count us in for another go.
The Red Devil’s cockpit is furnished with Recaro seats, Sparco belts, a Momo steering wheel, Auto Meter instruments, and Vintage Air climate control. Stielow fabricated the roll bar and instrument panel. |
By day, he fine-tunes future suspension systems as GM’s vehicle-dynamics authority. At night, he constructs the sweetest ’69 Camaros big money can buy. Mark Stielow, Pro Touring’s 46-year-old pope, coined the movement’s name and co-wrote its bible with how-to author Will Handzel (Pro Touring Engineered Performance, $26.95, www.sdparts.com).
Stielow’s path to hot-rodding fame started in the garage of his father’s Kansas City garbage-hauling business. While he was a mechanical-engineering student at the University of Missouri, Stielow captained the school’s Formula SAE team, which he parlayed into a job tracking Camaros racing in the SCCA’s Showroom Stock series.
After receiving his engineering degree in 1991, Stielow joined GM as a Chevy Caprice development engineer. He graduated to GM’s motorsports technology department before becoming Summit Racing’s chief product-development engineer in 1995.
Stielow returned to GM in 1999 to design and develop . . . door handles. In 2000, he was mercifully promoted to a ride-and-handling development job at GM’s Milford proving grounds where he collaborated with the legendary John Heinricy on the development of the company’s SS and V-series models. In his spare time, Stielow built “Mule,” his eighth ’69 Camaro, with which Popular Hot Rodding mesmerized its readers in 22 how-to installments. It was Mule more than any other single car that set the mold—and the bar awfully high—for the burgeoning Pro Touring world. Mule also visited GM’s design studio during development of the current ’69-inspired Camaro.
Building the Red Devil put a six-figure dent in Stielow’s savings and consumed 24 months of his evenings and weekends, time and money he considers well spent. “This is my ultimate hot rod, the best Camaro I’ve built to date,” he notes. “It’s fast, it handles well, and it’s a comfortable cruiser.”
Stielow has no intention of selling Red Devil. If you want a clone, he’ll refer you to his allies Kyle and Stacy Tucker at Detroit Speed. Their estimated cost? $250,000.
Too pricey? Eventually, you’ll be able to race a digitized version of the Red Devil in a future Gran Turismo video game.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $250,000
ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 428 cu in, 7008 cc
Power (SAE net): 756 hp @ 6600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 804 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 108.0 in Length: 186.0 in
Width: 72.3 in Height: 51.0 in
Curb weight: 3617 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.1 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.8 sec
Zero to 140 mph: 14.1 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 4.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.8 sec @ 127 mph
Top speed (mfr's estimate, drag limited): 193 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.98 g
The 2011 model year is the last one for the G55 AMG, a vehicle that, until now, we had never tested. (Lest you worry over the source of your next streetable military vehicle, know that the G550 lives on for 2012.) This tuned version of a luxury-sedan-impersonating take on a late-’70s workhorse also marks the end of the line for AMG’s supercharged 5.4-liter V-8. Consider this test something of an automotive exit interview.
What is your primary reason for leaving?
I got fired, remember? Something about my engine being ancient, and too many anger-management violations. I’d sue for age discrimination, but my body stampings are older than the museum. Seems counterproductive.
What was most satisfying about your job?
Scaring the hell out of people. And confusing them—no one’s quite figured out the purpose of a tall luxury SUV with 500 hp and a bunch of off-road ability.
What was least satisfying about your job?
I got a lot of people asking my owners first what I cost, and then why I cost so much. That hurt. But I’ve wrestled with feelings of inadequacy for a long time. I look at the S-class, with its dynamic seats, powered trunklid, soft-close doors, gadgets everywhere you look. My window frames don’t even have enough room for pinch sensors. I say we should have just added the auto-up windows, stuck another warning label somewhere, and told the lawyers to shove it.
I don’t like it when people question me. What were we talking about again?
Did your job duties turn out as you expected?
Not even close. I started out as a military vehicle, but got reassigned to on-road detail. That’s not at all what I signed on for, but I’m not complaining or anything. I liked the leather seats and the COMAND thingy—I have an iPod like everyone else.
This engine, too, was a bit unexpected. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great—sounds like I’m gargling with gravel. It’s just that I’ve got a three-locker four-wheel-drive system with solid axles. Who needs that kind of off-road capability and then Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires? It made me feel . . . fat. And it’s like I’m not sure who I am sometimes, you know? Sorry, I should save this for my therapist. Next question.
Do you have any suggestions that might help Mercedes choose your replacement?
More power. Lots of it. I hear that 6.2-liter V-8—sorry, the “63” motor—is being phased out of, like, everything. That one would really fit with the mobile-Classics-Center theme Mercedes seems to be developing for the G-class lineup. And keep the side exhausts.
Did you receive sufficient feedback about your performance?
Zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. I’d say that’s more than sufficient. I can hit a top speed of 130 mph. That’s what the engineers tell me, anyway. My hood starts shaking itself loose around 120, so I back off there. Aerodynamics weren’t a high priority back in 1979 when I was born.
There is the matter of my skidpad numbers. With stability control interfering, I’ve hit a best of 0.65 g. With it off . . . well, let’s not talk about it. No one seemed to expect much of me there, but we all just sort of ignored the problem. Oh, and recirculating-ball steering doesn’t offer much in the way of feedback. Ever.
Did you receive enough training to do your job effectively?
Uh, I’d say yes. I’m especially proud of my transmission calibration. Breathe off the throttle at 60 mph and I downshift to fourth gear. Find another car that’ll do that. Heck, find another high-powered shipping container that still uses a five-speed automatic. (Grand Cherokee SRT8 doesn’t count—he copied my gearbox, and his military lineage isn’t quite as . . . direct.)
Were you satisfied with this company’s merit review process?
All things considered, sure. But I got that supercharger back in 2005, and a title change would have been nice to go along with it. I mean, the 55 is meaningless, so why not go up to, like, 70? These days, they slap a couple of turbos on a 5.5-liter V-8 and all of a sudden it’s a 63 car.
Were you happy with your pay, benefits, and other incentives?
I think I was a deal. $125K all-in. No extra-cost options, just choose the paint color (may I suggest black?) and which Designo leather combo. And did you say incentives? On a G-wagen? Don’t make me rev.
What could your immediate supervisor do to improve his or her management style?
Use the pedals more. You can trust those brakes—a 183-foot stop from 70 ain’t bad, you know. And I’ve seen spirited driving yield fuel economy in the single digits.
Did this company help you to fulfill your career goals?
I’m a 500-hp leather-lined SUV. My doors make a ka-chunk sound like a bank vault. The vents in the side of my hood are functional. The Pope rode in me. I think it’s safe to say I’ve fulfilled everyone’s career goals.
How would you improve the workplace environment?
More trips to the ’Ring. I make an excellent engineering support vehicle. And the soda machine keeps eating my money. I’d have that fixed. Not that I have a usable cup holder, but still.
Did anyone in this company discriminate against you, harass you, or create hostile working conditions?
I don’t know if this counts, but some guy in a Passat gave me the finger. Twice. This was after he pulled out in front of me and I had to slow down to below the speed limit. Driving at or below the speed limit makes me angry. A lot of things make me angry.
Would you consider working for this company again in the future?
You line up a bigger, better engine for me and I’m back in a year. But I want a new title.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $125,325 (base price: $125,325)
ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 332 cu in, 5439 cc
Power (SAE net): 500 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 516 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.2 in Length: 184.5 in
Width: 71.3 in Height: 76.0 in
Curb weight: 5817 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 14.0 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.7 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.4 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.0 sec @ 100 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 130 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 183 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.65 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 11/13 mpg
C/D-observed: 12 mpg
*Stability-control-inhibited
How do you re-create an iconic car like the Beetle? VW is trying to answer this question for the second time. While the original Beetle left the U.S. market in 1979, its legacy continued in Mexico until July 2003. In 1994, VW unveiled the Concept 1, a car inspired by the original Beetle and conceived in the company’s Simi Valley design studio in California. Rave reviews prompted VW to make the New Beetle for 1998. Beetle-hungry customers kept supply short for a few years, but after the newness faded, the car sold slowly. Now, more than a decade later, VW is launching a new new Beetle, called simply “Beetle” this time around. It’s more masculine than its bud-vase–bearing predecessor. So which one is truer to the original? We spoke with Gernot Bracht, design professor at the Pforzheim, Germany, transportation-design school to find out.
Click to enlarge image.
Tags: design, German, Inside Design, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle |
In 1987, a California cop let a genie out of a bottle by writing 16-year-old Richard Diamond a speeding ticket. Diamond considered unfair the officer’s technique of hiding in a concealed driveway. Years later, Diamond entered politics and from 1997 to 2003 was the spokesman on technology and privacy for former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas). Among his duties was researching why the federal government was purchasing automated ticketing machines (red-light and speed cameras) for the National Park Service. Diamond investigated traffic ticketing in general and found it to be rife with political influence, confusing revenue streams, and suspect donations. When Diamond’s appointment ended, he moved on to other political roles, but the politics behind red-light and speed cameras still bothered him. In 2004, he created TheNewspaper.com, a website that archives newspaper reports and internet links to legal references and research studies that focus on the ticket industry. Now a senior editor at the Washington Times, Diamond maintains the website at his own expense.
Your website helped eliminate some of Georgia’s red-light cameras. How did that happen?
There’s a state lawmaker down in Georgia who hates red-light cameras—Barry Loudermilk. He wanted to pass a bill to outlaw them. He couldn’t get the votes, although he came close.
He read some of the studies I made available on the site. The biggest one is the Texas Transportation Institute study of 2005 that concludes that a longer yellow light reduces both violations and accidents and documents both. Loudermilk got to thinking, “Well, let’s pass a law in Georgia that if you put up a red-light camera, your yellow light has to be one second longer than lights at similar intersections.”
The law passed in 2008 and was enacted in 2009. I actually checked how it worked. What that took was me calling every city in Georgia that had red-light cameras—and there were a lot of them—and getting them to send reports on how many violations they had before the law was enacted.
I did it all over again after the law. And guess what? The number of straight-through violations dropped 80 percent on average. In any business, if your revenue stream drops 80 percent, you’re not in good shape. So there were Georgia cities dropping red-light-camera contracts like flies. Some of the cities were not increasing the yellow times. For example, Atlanta did not increase the yellow time at its No. 1 red-light-camera intersection. Loudermilk did an interview with CNN at Freedom Parkway and Boulevard, the top moneymaker. He timed the yellow light at three seconds the day before the interview. But the next morning, he pulled out a stopwatch, and—magically—the same light was four seconds. An amazing coincidence. Eventually, the state Department of Transportation shut down the camera at that intersection.
What’s the argument against increasing the duration of yellow lights at intersections?
People say that it will increase congestion because you’ll have to wait a second longer at the light. They also say increasing the duration might work for a little bit, but then drivers would learn the new yellow-light time and adapt to that. These are both absurd arguments. No drivers think, “Hey, the yellow light is longer. I can go faster.”
How many states currently use red-light cameras, and how much money is made?
Fifteen states ban red-light cameras, and 10 are agnostic. So half of the states use them, including Arizona, California, Illinois, New York, and Texas, which make the most money from them. There are about 4000 automated ticket cameras in the United States, so my grand-total guess would be about $700 million annually for all involved.
What’s the next part of the crusade?
I want to find the total amount from increased premiums because of added points on licenses that contributes to insurance companies’ profits.
GREAT MOMENTS IN SPEEDING: 1905 Britain’s Automobile Association is created by car enthusiasts to “help motorists avoid police speed traps.” • 1910 First speed camera is used, and the results are challenged in a Boston court. • 1954 The traffic radar gun is introduced in Chicago. • 1968 The radar-detecting Fuzzbuster arrives. • 1978 Microwave introduces the Escort, a more sophisticated radar detector. • 1998 New Jersey Superior Court Judge Reginald Stanton rules laser-gun readings alone are admissible evidence if acquired at distances closer than 1000 feet.
Mercedes-Benz’s new, naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8, which will be installed in the SLK55 AMG, might be the go-to engine for the next-generation AMG version of the C-class. The 422-hp engine required significant development—there’s a new cylinder deactivation system, among other changes—and we’ve heard from two sources within the company that the mill will be used to power the C-class in the future. Considering that the current C is nearing the end of its life cycle (we expect the new C-class to arrive in 2013 or 2014), it seems likely that the company would hold off on installing the naturally aspirated 5.5 until the next generation hits the market.
We’re not thrilled at this prospect, as the 5.5 makes significantly less power than does the current 6.2-liter V-8 in the C63 AMG—it has either 451 hp or 481 with the Development pack—but it’s possible that AMG’s engineers could squeeze more power out of the engine. The use of a traditional torque-converter automatic gearbox in the SLK doesn’t bode well for a future AMG C-class either; we’re fond of the sporty, quick-shifting MCT transmission in the C63 and other AMG-fettled Benzes.
As much as Mercedes-Benz doesn’t like to admit to such things, the company does have to worry about fuel economy and emissions, and with cylinder deactivation and start/stop tech, the 5.5 uses substantially less fuel and emits less CO2 than does the current 6.2. So long as it’s able to deliver the power and sporty performance we’ve grown to expect of AMG in the hot version of the next-gen C-class, we’ll be excited. But until we hear an official announcement, it may not be a terrible idea to put in an order for a current C63.
Tags: AMG, Mercedes-Benz |
Mercedes-Benz has just pulled the wraps off of the V-8 that will power the 2012 SLK55 AMG. The naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 makes 422 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque in the hot SLK, and will be paired to a traditional torque-converter seven-speed automatic gearbox—not Benz’s MCT transmission, which swaps in a clutch pack in place of the torque converter.
This means that the SLK55 will have significantly less power than do its brethren packing the twin-turbocharged version of this engine, but the output is still an improvement of 62 hp and 22 lb-ft from the old 5.4-liter V-8 in the last-gen SLK55. Engineers at AMG tell us that there was just no room for the turbochargers in the SLK, and we imagine that the company is hesitant to give the lowly SLK power that’s comparable to the upcoming SL63, which will use the twin-turbo motor.
Like its force-fed brother, the naturally aspirated 5.5 will feature a stop/start system as a fuel-saving measure. But the new mill actually will go much farther toward reducing consumption by featuring cylinder deactivation—a first for any production AMG engine. Cylinders 2, 3, 5, and 8 will deactivate depending on speed and engine load, but we’re told the engine will be able to run up to 3600 rpm in four-cylinder mode; if a changeover is required, it takes just 30 milliseconds to fire up the cylinders again.
To accommodate the cylinder deactivation—both the process of deactivating and reactivating cylinders, as well as running in four-cylinder mode—the company had to make several modifications to the engine. For one, the traditional slushbox was chosen as the transmission because it can handle the gear changes more smoothly, and with four cylinders popping on and off, an effortless change to a much higher or lower gear is necessary.
The new engine will also be paired to a new exhaust system which features one flap on each side of the exhaust. The flaps will close most of the way when the engine is in four-cylinder mode so that the car runs more quietly—we imagine the four-cylinder exhaust note isn’t exactly a Symphony in Burning Octane. At 2000 rpm, the flaps begin to open progressively depending on how hard you’re mashing the gas pedal.
Between the start/stop system, cylinder deactivation, and some other minor tweaks, Benz and AMG say that the SLK55 with the new engine will use 30 percent less fuel than did the last SLK55. That car was rated at 14 mpg city/22 highway, so figure on a highway rating in the high 20s when the EPA feeds the new SLK’s data into the government supercomputer.
And in the event that all this talk of stop/start and cylinder deactivation strikes you as completely antithetical to the cause of AMG cars, worry not: The SLK55 will allow drivers to completely shut off the system with the flick of a switch.
There's been a realisation moment at Volkswagen. The last Beetle might have sold well, but it was largely an unloved creature, and it never maintained the initial euphoria. Unlike the Mini, for example, or the Fiat 500.
So, time to engineer a proper car and not just rely on cute marketing and dash-mounted flower vases. Which brings us this, the 21st century Beetle: still based on the Golf platform, but promising a sportier drive and ‘more masculine' characteristics.
See more pics of the new Beetle here
As such, you'll be able to get it with the 2.0-litre TFSI engine out of the Golf GTI, only in the Beetle it produces a slightly lower output of 197bhp and 206lb ft. Other engines will be available, from the brilliant 1.2 TSI to a 1.6 diesel with Bluemotion tech. We only got a chance to try the top 2.0-litre, but reassuringly it's still as smooth as ever. There's plenty of punch in all the gears so 0-62mph only takes 7.5secs.
And the good news is that in this Beetle, the chassis can cope with that power. The steering is more precise and, because of the wider track, there is an impressive amount of grip. But don't go thinking you'll be getting a cute Golf GTI - the Beetle doesn't have quite the precision of the Golf. It's just not as crisp.
Nor does it ride as well. Our car was on normal suspension and 18-inch wheels and it picked up far too many surface imperfections. You can't get the Beetle with the Golf's clever adaptive damping - well, we can't have the Beetle outperforming the halo GTI, can we?
Inside, there's a nod to retro - the weird glovebox, the body-coloured dash plastic, the pulley grab handles - but mostly it's stock VW parts bin switches. Weirdly, though, some of the plastics feel cheap and that glovebox is especially poor. Flimsy stuff, and not what you expect from Volkswagen.
Which is a pity, because this is a better Beetle. Prices will start from about £15,000 when it goes on sale in early 2012, rising to roughly £25,000 for the car we're in. In other words, not bad value at the bottom end, and a tad pricey at the top. But at least now there's a good and interesting alternative to the Mini. Any euphoria with this version should last.
Question of the day: how much hydrodynamic drag does a Ford Focus' backside have? According to Professor Google, the answer's simple: F = 0.5PV²Cdf.
Sadly, we have neither the time nor faculties to work it out. And we're not entirely sure what F stands for.
Luckily, we did find this video; it's a Canadian sewer geyser erupting onto the rear end of Ford's mid-level four-door, shooting it into the air. Which answered our question beautifully: NOT MUCH.
It also looks uncannily like the Focus is suffering from a violent bout of the trots.
This is it, TopGear.comers - official sketches of the Audi A5 DTM racer that'll be competing in next year's German Touring Car championship. And they've been released suspiciously close to BMW's DTM concept. A spot of thunder theft, perhaps?
It'll carry over the 460bhp V8 engine and six-speed ‘box used in this year's A4 DTM, but the body gets a makeover for 2012 regulations - manufacturers are allowed to use bigger rear wings (hence the big rear wing) but have to pare down other aero kit.
See more pics of the Audi A5 DTM
Underneath, Audi's monkeyed with it to comply with new safety rules that stipulate racers have to withstand a static load four times greater than before. This means it's got a full carbonfibre monocoque, integrated fuel tank, steel roll cage and super-tough flanks made of carbon and two other materials that sound like emergency constipation relief - Zylon and Rohacell.
To make sure the cars are up to scratch, the racers are fired against a wall using what we can only assume is an enormous catapult (massive, unfounded speculation) to check for T-bone crash resilience. The front and rear ends are also smashed up to test their fortitude.
Predictably, and as per BMW's pre-release statement, Audi's saying these sketches ‘merely suggest the looks' although we're more inclined to believe the Ingolstadt firm. Firstly, because it's not gone to the trouble of building a concept, secondly because its racer's getting some of the styling revisions from the re-sculpted A5 coupe.
We'll have to wait till the Frankfurt motor show in September to see the grid-ready version of the Audi A5 DTM, but In the meantime, which one do you like best? And d'you think it'll beat the Beemer?
There's been a realisation moment at Volkswagen. The last Beetle might have sold well, but it was largely an unloved creature, and it never maintained the initial euphoria. Unlike the Mini, for example, or the Fiat 500.
So, time to engineer a proper car and not just rely on cute marketing and dash-mounted flower vases. Which brings us this, the 21st century Beetle: still based on the Golf platform, but promising a sportier drive and ‘more masculine' characteristics.
See more pics of the new Beetle here
As such, you'll be able to get it with the 2.0-litre TFSI engine out of the Golf GTI, only in the Beetle it produces a slightly lower output of 197bhp and 206lb ft. Other engines will be available, from the brilliant 1.2 TSI to a 1.6 diesel with Bluemotion tech. We only got a chance to try the top 2.0-litre, but reassuringly it's still as smooth as ever. There's plenty of punch in all the gears so 0-62mph only takes 7.5secs.
And the good news is that in this Beetle, the chassis can cope with that power. The steering is more precise and, because of the wider track, there is an impressive amount of grip. But don't go thinking you'll be getting a cute Golf GTI - the Beetle doesn't have quite the precision of the Golf. It's just not as crisp.
Nor does it ride as well. Our car was on normal suspension and 18-inch wheels and it picked up far too many surface imperfections. You can't get the Beetle with the Golf's clever adaptive damping - well, we can't have the Beetle outperforming the halo GTI, can we?
Inside, there's a nod to retro - the weird glovebox, the body-coloured dash plastic, the pulley grab handles - but mostly it's stock VW parts bin switches. Weirdly, though, some of the plastics feel cheap and that glovebox is especially poor. Flimsy stuff, and not what you expect from Volkswagen.
Which is a pity, because this is a better Beetle. Prices will start from about £15,000 when it goes on sale in early 2012, rising to roughly £25,000 for the car we're in. In other words, not bad value at the bottom end, and a tad pricey at the top. But at least now there's a good and interesting alternative to the Mini. Any euphoria with this version should last.
Repeat after me: 'twit-ar-a'. This is what Shelby Super Cars has named its soon-to-be-latest offering built specifically to reclaim the fastest production car record from the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
This is a fine and noble endeavor. After all, the small company's dusted itself off after the SSC Ultimate Aero lost its 256mph record to the Veyron SS's 267mph (which was achieved shortly after James' comparatively miserable 259mph). Now, with the Tuatara it's ready to take on the mighty Volkswagen Group again, and based on previous attempts we wouldn't write them off. The last effort was, frankly, spectacular.
See more pics of the SSC Tuatara
What's neither fine nor noble is the name. As demonstrated by SSC CEO, Jarod Shelby, in this very clip, the correct pronunciation is twit-ar-a. TWIT-ar-a? For goodness sake.
But it's not nearly as bad as any of the inductees of TopGear.com's Official Best Worst Car Names in the History of Ever Hall of Shame, which you can access by clicking here.
This list needs feeding - can you think of any we've missed?
BY MICHAEL AUSTIN , PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY
July 2011
What Is It?
The hybrid version of Porsche’s bestselling model. Under the hood is a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 333 hp, with a 47-hp electric motor wedged between the engine and transmission. Maximum total output is 380 hp. If that sounds familiar, it might be because the engine is used in various Audis and the hybrid system is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg hybrid, which, by the way, has a base price that is $7290 less than the Porsche’s.
How Does It Drive?
The Panamera might take the prize for ugliest mug in the Porsche lineup, but for many observers, the Cayenne still represents the worst bastardization of the brand that brought us the 911, Boxster, and Cayman. Such prejudice evaporates after a few miles behind the wheel, where the composed ride and tactile steering make you say, “Hey, this is the Porsche of SUVs.” As for hybrids, this is one of the best on the market. Cruising around at 30 mph, the engine turns off and on with nary a shudder through the driveline. Floor the gas, and this Porsche is quick: 0 to 60 mph takes 5.7 seconds, 0.2 second behind the 400-hp Cayenne S.
How Does It Stack Up?
Forget the Lexus RX450h, which isn’t in the same league, in satisfaction or price. The BMW X6 hybrid is quicker but lacks the Cayenne’s ride and smooth hybrid integration. Truthfully, this Cayenne has two main rivals, the Touareg hybrid, which costs less but lacks the brand cachet, and the Cayenne S, which also costs less but comes with a roaring V-8. For general comparisons, we consider the Cayenne S and the Cayenne S hybrid equal; against the rest of the sporty-luxury SUV field, both are as good as or better than the competition, albeit with a price premium in most cases.
What’s the Cost?
The base price is $68,675, $3300 more than a Cayenne S. And that’s really the only problem here. Although the hybrid gets better fuel economy—at 20 mpg city and 24 highway to the nonhybrid’s 16/22—it would take more than 100,000 miles using the EPA combined figures (21 mpg versus 18) and current gas prices to get the additional money back. Hey, it ain’t easy—or cheap—being green.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $86,510 (base price: $68,675)
ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 333 hp, 324 lb-ft; permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, 47 hp, 295 lb-ft; combined system, 380 hp, 427 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.0 in Length: 190.8 in
Width: 76.3 in Height: 67.4 in
Curb weight: 5180 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 31.9 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 6.1 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.3 sec @ 97 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 151 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 20/24 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 18 mpg
