Toyota may have sold only 3376 Land Cruisers in the United States last year, but the venerable nameplate boasts a longer history on these shores than any other vehicle on the Japanese maker's roster, with a single unit selling alongside 287 Toyopets in 1958-the year Toyota began selling vehicles in America.
It's appropriate, then, that the launch of the seventh-generation Land Cruiser accompanies Toyota's 50th year stateside.
The Land Cruiser trades in its 4.7-liter engine for the Tundra's meaty 5.7-liter V8, which gives the behemoth an additional 116 hp and 73 lb-ft more torque to drag around its 5690-pound curb weight. Output now peaks at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft.
This is all the better because the big ute gets even bigger, gaining 265 pounds for 2008, with 2.4 inches more length (194.9) and 1.2 inches more width (77.6).
The torsion-bar-type front suspension found on '07 models gets replaced by a double-A-arm setup with coil-over shocks, a combination that helps to increase wheel travel to 9.05 inches, up more than an inch. The design of the rear suspension remains the same as on the outgoing model, though the four-link solid axle with coil springs and Panhard-bar setup is engineered to handle increased power from the engine.
SPECS
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $63,885
DRIVETRAIN: 5.7-liter, 381-hp, 401-lb-ft V8; 4wd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 5690 lb
0 TO 60 MPH: 7.3 sec (est)
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 15 mpg
The ride on-road, where 99 percent of U.S.-bound Cruisers will spend 99 percent of their time, feels as close to perfection as can be expected from such a big body-on-frame beast, barely gliding over the pavement. Noise inside the cabin is almost nonexistent, with only the barest whisper from the wind creeping inside at top-end highway speeds. Yet even all its added power can't mask the Cruiser's heft; it drives like a very large vehicle.
New to the Cruiser's off-road arsenal is a feature Toyota calls a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. When KDSS senses the level of one wheel moving out of sync with the others, it automatically decouples the stabilizer bars, allowing for more wheel travel. As soon as the vehicle returns to more even terrain, the stabilizer bars immediately lock back into place.
The 2008 Land Cruiser also gets what Toyota calls Crawl Control, which acts as a sort of off-road cruise-control system. In low range, switching on Crawl Control will allow the vehicle to control the engine and brakes automatically, based on one of three speed settings. For the rockiest surfaces, the vehicle will maintain a speed less than 1 mph; the highest setting will keep pace at just more than 3 mph.
Both new systems add to the Land Cruiser's already impressive rock-crawling prowess, but it's particularly neat to engage Crawl Control and watch the big ute make its way over crumbling terrain all on its own, with the driver simply pointing the nose in the desired direction.
The new truck, a single model configuration equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission (replacing a five-speed box), 10 airbags, smart key, push-button start, park assist and tire-pressure monitoring-as well as a sticker nearly $7,000 more than the 2007 model-should start hitting showroom floors as you read this.
Source http://autoweek.com/
e hënë, 29 tetor 2007
e diel, 14 tetor 2007
Jaguar drops X-Type from 2009 U.S. lineup
Jaguar will pull the entry-level X-Type from the U.S. market next March when the sporty new XF sedan goes on sale. The automaker had been expected to keep the X-Type in the U.S. market until 2010.
Jaguar's most affordable model has always struggled in the U.S., and after peaking with sales of around 5000 cars in its launch year in 2003, sales have tailed off to below half that level, despite a wagon being added to the range.
U.S.-spec production will cease in December when Jaguar's factory switches over to a new facelifted 2009 model X-Type. That model will never make it to the U.S.; cars sold in the U.S. through March will be built to today's specifications prior to the model changeover.
Jaguar blames increasingly tough competition in the compact premium segment and the disadvantageous dollar to British pound ratio, which has affected profitability.
"Over the past 18 months Jaguar has been conducting a strategic review of its positioning in the premium luxury market," said a Jaguar spokesman, "and there were a number of unique circumstances in the North American market."
The new XF is a bigger and more expensive car than the X-Type. Jaguar expects sales of the rakish-looking sedan to compensate for the loss of the smaller Jag.
U.S. specifications and prices for the XF will be announced at the Los Angeles show in November, but the rumor is that XF volume is slated at around 5000 cars a year, similar to the combined volume of the X-Type and the bigger S-Type, the car that the XF directly replaces.
Jaguar's U.S. line-up of XFs is expected to consist solely of two V8 models--the lesser V6 not crossing the pond.
original: http://autoweek.com/
Jaguar's most affordable model has always struggled in the U.S., and after peaking with sales of around 5000 cars in its launch year in 2003, sales have tailed off to below half that level, despite a wagon being added to the range.
U.S.-spec production will cease in December when Jaguar's factory switches over to a new facelifted 2009 model X-Type. That model will never make it to the U.S.; cars sold in the U.S. through March will be built to today's specifications prior to the model changeover.
Jaguar blames increasingly tough competition in the compact premium segment and the disadvantageous dollar to British pound ratio, which has affected profitability.
"Over the past 18 months Jaguar has been conducting a strategic review of its positioning in the premium luxury market," said a Jaguar spokesman, "and there were a number of unique circumstances in the North American market."
The new XF is a bigger and more expensive car than the X-Type. Jaguar expects sales of the rakish-looking sedan to compensate for the loss of the smaller Jag.
U.S. specifications and prices for the XF will be announced at the Los Angeles show in November, but the rumor is that XF volume is slated at around 5000 cars a year, similar to the combined volume of the X-Type and the bigger S-Type, the car that the XF directly replaces.
Jaguar's U.S. line-up of XFs is expected to consist solely of two V8 models--the lesser V6 not crossing the pond.
original: http://autoweek.com/
e mërkurë, 29 gusht 2007
2008 Dodge Viper SRT10
2008 DODGE VIPER SRT10ON SALE: SeptemberBASE PRICE: $83,995DRIVETRAIN: 8.4-liter, 600-hp, 560 lb-ft V10; rwd, six-speed मनुअल
Hurtling up the hill toward a roller-coaster complex, details from an earlier recon run start to blur। Take turn seven deep, turn in late, carry speed through turns eight and nine. Got it. Then brake slightly for 10, and quickly get back on the throttle through 11 and 12 up the hill. So far, so good. But the sharp right-hander at the top is blind from below its crest and calls for setting up properly long before reaching the turn-in. By the time the car rounds the corner and faces the steep downhill exit, it’s off-line and going way too fast. Don’t lift, don’t lift . . .Sometimes the right foot has a mind of its own. It lifts.The rear end starts to swing wide left. Quick hands, to the left, back right, then left again, chasing the tail as it yaws this way and that across the asphalt, horrific visions filling the mind, of black flags, a humiliating walk through the pits, every eye fixed on the bonehead who threw grass and gravel across the track and left the rest with one fewer car to drive, a sit-down with the editor, a tarnished reputation. Weirdly, ambulances and emergency rooms don’t even figure, just a banged-up ego.It feels like an eternity, but in just three or four corrections, the car straightens out, without spinning off-track or even dropping a wheel, and in time to make the left-hand corner at the bottom. The only reminders of the slithery ride downhill are a pair of taxed adrenal glands and knees that won’t stop quaking—and no one has to be the wiser, including the editor. Exhale.Yup, it’s a Dodge Viper, all right, a car that’ll bite you in the butt in a blink if not handled with more respect than you reserve for your own mama. In more ways than not, it’s the same Viper that’s been rolling out of Dodge’s Connor Road assembly plant in Detroit since the big redesign for 2003, only more so. The engine gets a few significant modifications, including redesigned camshafts, a slight bump up in compression and a bit more displacement. The hood has been changed for better aerodynamics, while the only major revision to the suspension involves new tires and the requisite adjustments to shocks and springs necessary to accommodate them.Still, it only took those few modifications. The car now boasts a true 200-mph top speed.Pushing the car to that speed is a V10 now displacing 8.4 liters, up from 8.3, each cylinder seeing a one-millimeter increase in bore diameter. The bigger engine now sucks air through CNC-shaped ports and combustion chambers, uses larger valves with hollow stems and features a cam-in-cam variable valve-timing system, whereby the cam lobes adjust relative to each other as they turn on concentric shafts. Combine all that with a revised air box, a 10.2 compression ratio (up from 9.6), new throttle bodies borrowed from Dodge’s 4.7-liter V8, a fuel system with 15 percent increased flow and a 20 percent improvement in exhaust flow, and the result is a whopping 600 horses of power.That’s 90 hp more than the outgoing model, with 25 more lb-ft of torque (560 lb-ft at 5000 rpm) to boot. Dodge is quick to point out that although power peaks at 6100 rpm, most of the torque can be had between 4000 and 6000 rpm. Truth is, there’s a ton of torque everywhere.Stomp on the gas, and the car flat goes, laying down rubber without the fuss of wheel hop or excessive spin. All the modulation necessary for a good launch comes from a decisive right foot. While the suspension is essentially a carryover design, the Viper does get a new speed-sensing limited-slip differential to help put power to the road. The action from the new TR60 Tremec six-speed manual, upgraded from the former TR56, feels like an improvement, too, with a much-needed reduction in shifter travel. The tranny’s new dual-plate clutch manages significantly more torque while producing 15 percent less inertia than the unit it replaces. The result is greatly improved pedal effort, appreciated not only in banging through the gears on a track but also when negotiating a tight parking lot at low speeds.Carving a line through the twisting north course of Virginia International Raceway, the Viper turns in as quickly and precisely as any car we’ve driven, with more grip than we know what to do with. This Viper handles so well it’s difficult to tell how much difference those extra ponies make; 600 hp sounds impressive, and we appreciate how instantly the car powers out of turns, but the headline-grabbing number does little to tell the story of how incredibly the car handles. All of our ham-fistedness aside, the new Viper eats up the track and spits it out like nothing else with a sticker less than $100,000.We only see 115 mph, maybe 120 down the front straight, though the Dodge folks say this Viper can hit 145 before reaching the braking zone. We take their word; the kink next to the flag stand is nastier than it looks on track maps, and barreling toward it flat-out saps whatever nerve we might have mustered from successfully negotiating the near loop on the hill.Still, we appreciate the new rubber even from those speeds. Michelin Pilot Sport 2s replace the former run-flats and, with help from 14-inch vented discs gripped by big Brembo calipers at all four corners and ABS, erase speed more quickly than expected by the time we stomp the binders. Dodge claims it will come to a complete stop from 60 mph in less than 100 feet; if that pans out in tests, it will match the best yet tested, the current Porsche 911 Turbo (99 feet), for braking.The Viper shares something else with Porsche, if Dodge is correct: a 0-to-60-mph time of less than four seconds. Again, if it’s able to match that time in tests, it will put the Viper in the rarefied company of cars called 911 Turbo, Carrera GT and GT2 and Ford GT. The last Viper tested, the redesigned-for-2004 SRT10, boasted 500 hp but couldn’t come close to Dodge’s sub-four-second claim. This time, there’s little doubt it will hit that mark or turn a quarter-mile run in 12 seconds or better.For all its added go, the Viper looks almost identical to the outgoing model. Even for a mid-cycle refreshening, the design changes are minimal. From the outside, styling differences for both roadster and coupe models involve only the hood, with a bigger air scoop and larger louvers. There are also five new exterior colors to pick from, including Snakeskin Green, which, disappointingly, doesn’t come embossed with scales.The interior is largely carryover, including the push-button ignition and adjustable pedals, but Viper shoppers now have five interior color schemes from which to choose, from all black to black combined with red, blue, slate or tan, and a choice of bezel finishes on the instrument panel and center console. A navigation system and Sirius satellite radio are also available for the first time. Otherwise, the only serious change inside the cabin involves front airbags, which now feature a weight-sensing system that ensures deployment of the airbags with a force appropriate to the sizes of the occupants.As per tradition with the Viper, the coupe will cost more than the roadster when they begin trickling into showrooms this month—but neither will cost more than it did for the most recent model for 2006. With a $580 destination charge included, the roadster will sticker at $83,995, with the coupe coming in at $84,745. That’s a heckuva lot of bang for the bite.
Source
AutoWeek.com
Hurtling up the hill toward a roller-coaster complex, details from an earlier recon run start to blur। Take turn seven deep, turn in late, carry speed through turns eight and nine. Got it. Then brake slightly for 10, and quickly get back on the throttle through 11 and 12 up the hill. So far, so good. But the sharp right-hander at the top is blind from below its crest and calls for setting up properly long before reaching the turn-in. By the time the car rounds the corner and faces the steep downhill exit, it’s off-line and going way too fast. Don’t lift, don’t lift . . .Sometimes the right foot has a mind of its own. It lifts.The rear end starts to swing wide left. Quick hands, to the left, back right, then left again, chasing the tail as it yaws this way and that across the asphalt, horrific visions filling the mind, of black flags, a humiliating walk through the pits, every eye fixed on the bonehead who threw grass and gravel across the track and left the rest with one fewer car to drive, a sit-down with the editor, a tarnished reputation. Weirdly, ambulances and emergency rooms don’t even figure, just a banged-up ego.It feels like an eternity, but in just three or four corrections, the car straightens out, without spinning off-track or even dropping a wheel, and in time to make the left-hand corner at the bottom. The only reminders of the slithery ride downhill are a pair of taxed adrenal glands and knees that won’t stop quaking—and no one has to be the wiser, including the editor. Exhale.Yup, it’s a Dodge Viper, all right, a car that’ll bite you in the butt in a blink if not handled with more respect than you reserve for your own mama. In more ways than not, it’s the same Viper that’s been rolling out of Dodge’s Connor Road assembly plant in Detroit since the big redesign for 2003, only more so. The engine gets a few significant modifications, including redesigned camshafts, a slight bump up in compression and a bit more displacement. The hood has been changed for better aerodynamics, while the only major revision to the suspension involves new tires and the requisite adjustments to shocks and springs necessary to accommodate them.Still, it only took those few modifications. The car now boasts a true 200-mph top speed.Pushing the car to that speed is a V10 now displacing 8.4 liters, up from 8.3, each cylinder seeing a one-millimeter increase in bore diameter. The bigger engine now sucks air through CNC-shaped ports and combustion chambers, uses larger valves with hollow stems and features a cam-in-cam variable valve-timing system, whereby the cam lobes adjust relative to each other as they turn on concentric shafts. Combine all that with a revised air box, a 10.2 compression ratio (up from 9.6), new throttle bodies borrowed from Dodge’s 4.7-liter V8, a fuel system with 15 percent increased flow and a 20 percent improvement in exhaust flow, and the result is a whopping 600 horses of power.That’s 90 hp more than the outgoing model, with 25 more lb-ft of torque (560 lb-ft at 5000 rpm) to boot. Dodge is quick to point out that although power peaks at 6100 rpm, most of the torque can be had between 4000 and 6000 rpm. Truth is, there’s a ton of torque everywhere.Stomp on the gas, and the car flat goes, laying down rubber without the fuss of wheel hop or excessive spin. All the modulation necessary for a good launch comes from a decisive right foot. While the suspension is essentially a carryover design, the Viper does get a new speed-sensing limited-slip differential to help put power to the road. The action from the new TR60 Tremec six-speed manual, upgraded from the former TR56, feels like an improvement, too, with a much-needed reduction in shifter travel. The tranny’s new dual-plate clutch manages significantly more torque while producing 15 percent less inertia than the unit it replaces. The result is greatly improved pedal effort, appreciated not only in banging through the gears on a track but also when negotiating a tight parking lot at low speeds.Carving a line through the twisting north course of Virginia International Raceway, the Viper turns in as quickly and precisely as any car we’ve driven, with more grip than we know what to do with. This Viper handles so well it’s difficult to tell how much difference those extra ponies make; 600 hp sounds impressive, and we appreciate how instantly the car powers out of turns, but the headline-grabbing number does little to tell the story of how incredibly the car handles. All of our ham-fistedness aside, the new Viper eats up the track and spits it out like nothing else with a sticker less than $100,000.We only see 115 mph, maybe 120 down the front straight, though the Dodge folks say this Viper can hit 145 before reaching the braking zone. We take their word; the kink next to the flag stand is nastier than it looks on track maps, and barreling toward it flat-out saps whatever nerve we might have mustered from successfully negotiating the near loop on the hill.Still, we appreciate the new rubber even from those speeds. Michelin Pilot Sport 2s replace the former run-flats and, with help from 14-inch vented discs gripped by big Brembo calipers at all four corners and ABS, erase speed more quickly than expected by the time we stomp the binders. Dodge claims it will come to a complete stop from 60 mph in less than 100 feet; if that pans out in tests, it will match the best yet tested, the current Porsche 911 Turbo (99 feet), for braking.The Viper shares something else with Porsche, if Dodge is correct: a 0-to-60-mph time of less than four seconds. Again, if it’s able to match that time in tests, it will put the Viper in the rarefied company of cars called 911 Turbo, Carrera GT and GT2 and Ford GT. The last Viper tested, the redesigned-for-2004 SRT10, boasted 500 hp but couldn’t come close to Dodge’s sub-four-second claim. This time, there’s little doubt it will hit that mark or turn a quarter-mile run in 12 seconds or better.For all its added go, the Viper looks almost identical to the outgoing model. Even for a mid-cycle refreshening, the design changes are minimal. From the outside, styling differences for both roadster and coupe models involve only the hood, with a bigger air scoop and larger louvers. There are also five new exterior colors to pick from, including Snakeskin Green, which, disappointingly, doesn’t come embossed with scales.The interior is largely carryover, including the push-button ignition and adjustable pedals, but Viper shoppers now have five interior color schemes from which to choose, from all black to black combined with red, blue, slate or tan, and a choice of bezel finishes on the instrument panel and center console. A navigation system and Sirius satellite radio are also available for the first time. Otherwise, the only serious change inside the cabin involves front airbags, which now feature a weight-sensing system that ensures deployment of the airbags with a force appropriate to the sizes of the occupants.As per tradition with the Viper, the coupe will cost more than the roadster when they begin trickling into showrooms this month—but neither will cost more than it did for the most recent model for 2006. With a $580 destination charge included, the roadster will sticker at $83,995, with the coupe coming in at $84,745. That’s a heckuva lot of bang for the bite.
Source
AutoWeek.com
e martë, 31 korrik 2007
Arresting Development
Up front, the Interceptor takes a sedan twist on the theme established by last year’s F-250 Super Chief concept, donning a horizontal three-bar grille similar in form to the truck’s, only sleeker, wider and less brutish। The stacked headlights blend into the grille as they did on the truck but also use their design to point at some well-known Ford muscle sedans from 40 years ago, Galaxie 500s and Fairlanes among them. And like those memorable rides, the Interceptor is a classic hard-top design, using a chrome bead to delineate the greenhouse from the body. The 427, by contrast, took a more monolithic approach by allowing the roofline to blend seamlessly into the body. In fact, all the shapes and lines on the Interceptor are stronger, sharper. That same chrome detailing helps to give more definition to the car’s beltline than is found on the 427; larger wheel flares cut higher into its tall flanks; a single character line running the length of the body side gives the car more surface interest, while both ends feature more detailing, in the bumpers, lights and inlets.Inside, you’ll find a liberal use of Ford’s signature squared-circle—or “squircle”—design element, with examples found just about everywhere the eye lands: on the vents, seats, doors and even the steering wheel itself. Two squircle-shaped gauges—speedo and tach—both have needles that move away from the center, opposite each other. As expected with a concept car, the Interceptor features a few pieces of pure design fantasy. Headrests for the front seats fold downward from the headliner and adjust in concert with the seats, both up and down or fore and aft. The bucket seats themselves are stitched from quarter-inch-thick belt leather, stained black on their faces but with its natural tan color exposed on raw-cut edges. It offers a nice contrast against the brushed metallics and smooth surfaces that make up the bulk of the cabin space. The stark meeting of natural materials and industrial metals evokes a Bauhaus ethic, the Interceptor as a sort of automotive Wassily chair.The concept sits on a stretched Mustang platform, with 13.7 inches of body added aft of the front wheels. It also has 2.5 inches more width to play with compared with the Mustang, which allows for an additional 4.2 inches of front track and 5.3 inches in back. Next to the Mustang, however, the Interceptor gives up almost an inch of height. Combining its 54.8-inch height with its long, wide, low-slung body and high beltline gives the Interceptor a menacing look—a car you might expect to find CIA agents driving, at least in movies. The muscle part of the Interceptor’s muscle-sedan formula comes courtesy of a 400-plus-hp, 5.0-liter Ford racing Cammer V8—the very same motor that delivered Ford the 2005 Grand-Am championship in the GS class, powering a Mustang FR500C. The motor is housed under a clamshell hood, with a cutout for a true shaker intake—all the sort of throwback stuff you’d expect from a big, American muscle sedan. What you wouldn’t necessarily expect is that it’s a flex-fuel motor, capable of running on E85 ethanol. From there, power gets shuttled through a six-speed manual transmission to the car’s 22-inch rear wheels, while stopping duties fall to brakes lifted straight from the Ford GT, with 14-inch vented, cross-drilled discs in the front and 13.2-inchers behind.Freeman Thomas, Ford’s North American strategic design director, says what the Interceptor represents is very realistic—and that Ford is seriously looking into building it, or something darned close.“An actor like Steve McQueen can do things other actors can’t,” explains Thomas. “Ford can do things other brands can’t, and this is one of those things.”
Source - http://www.autoweek.com/
Source - http://www.autoweek.com/
e mërkurë, 11 korrik 2007
2010 Porsche Panamera Latest Look
Porsche’s four-door Panamera keeps lapping the Nьrburgring, as these photos taken hours ago near the main entrance of the “ring” show.
Due for a formal unveiling at the 2009 Geneva motor show, Porsche’s Panamera is expected to be a strong competitor for the Mercedes CLS and the future Aston Martin Rapide, as well as Volkswagen’s coming four-door coupe.
Though the Panamera takes design elements from the 911 range, there are obvious significant differences. While the 911 has always kept its rear-mounted boxer engine, the Panamera will have a choice of three front-mounted powerplants, though they’ll be set back toward the center of the car as much as possible and behind the front axle for balance.
The entry-level mill will be VW’s 3.6-liter, 300-hp V6, while Porsche’s own drivetrain will be a direct-injection 4.8-liter V8 borrowed from the Cayenne, available in naturally-aspirated guise at 350 hp and with twin-turbos at 560 hp. A range-topping model equipped with the Porsche GT’s 700-hp V10 engine is also a rumored possibility.
Panamera is intended to be a true sports car, while at the same time offer a family a car for everyday use with four full seats, easy access to the rear and a good-sized luggage compartment.
When it hits the road in ’09, Porsche hopes to sell 20,000 to 30,000 annually, with a third coming to North America.
Source www.autoweek.com
Due for a formal unveiling at the 2009 Geneva motor show, Porsche’s Panamera is expected to be a strong competitor for the Mercedes CLS and the future Aston Martin Rapide, as well as Volkswagen’s coming four-door coupe.
Though the Panamera takes design elements from the 911 range, there are obvious significant differences. While the 911 has always kept its rear-mounted boxer engine, the Panamera will have a choice of three front-mounted powerplants, though they’ll be set back toward the center of the car as much as possible and behind the front axle for balance.
The entry-level mill will be VW’s 3.6-liter, 300-hp V6, while Porsche’s own drivetrain will be a direct-injection 4.8-liter V8 borrowed from the Cayenne, available in naturally-aspirated guise at 350 hp and with twin-turbos at 560 hp. A range-topping model equipped with the Porsche GT’s 700-hp V10 engine is also a rumored possibility.
Panamera is intended to be a true sports car, while at the same time offer a family a car for everyday use with four full seats, easy access to the rear and a good-sized luggage compartment.
When it hits the road in ’09, Porsche hopes to sell 20,000 to 30,000 annually, with a third coming to North America.
Source www.autoweek.com
e enjte, 5 korrik 2007
2007 Lexus GS 350. If a six gives you 300 hp, who still says only an eight is enough?
2007 LEXUS GS 350
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $46,795
DRIVETRAIN: 3.5-liter, 303-hp, 274-lb-ft V6; awd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3869 lb
0-60 MPH: 5.8 sec
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 23/23.3 म्प्ग
When Lexus rolled out its latest GS, all the headlines went to the hybrid edition, the GS 450h, a rear-drive model with performance pretensions। This go-round, though, we sampled an all-wheel-drive model with the new V6 that makes 303 hp। It’s essentially the same engine that’s in the hybrid (don’t let the 450 nomenclature fool you—the 430 is the V8) but without the power boost from the electric motors that comes with the hybrid।This car has a base price about $8,000 less than the hybrid, weighs 300 pounds less despite the mass of the awd hardware (those hybrid batteries and motors are heavy) and comes up only 37 hp short। Lexus says the GS 350 awd gives up 0.6 second to the hybrid from 0 to 60 mph (5.8 seconds versus 5.2), and—for now, at least—this new direct-injected six actually outpowers the 290-hp V8 in the GS 430. The new six is supremely quiet and plenty powerful. It doesn’t shut off at stoplights as the hybrid does, but we’re not sure we’d notice if it stalled—it’s that quiet. Our observed fuel economy of 23.3 mpg isn’t up to the hybrid’s EPA 26 mpg, but it’s not bad for a spacious luxury car. The power rating is the big thing for a six, of course, but Lexus hasn’t really outdone BMW’s 535xi with its 300-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six or Cadillac’s latest direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 in the STS and the upcoming CTS. The Lexus does want premium fuel (as does the BMW). With sixes now making power on par with V8s offered a few seasons ago, it’s worth considering how much engine you need in this world of unpredictable gasoline prices.A six also gets some weight off the nose compared with an eight, which could be a handling advantage if you spec your car right. That wasn’t evident in this example, though, with its awd system adding in what the smaller engine may have saved.Some of our drivers loved the exterior styling of the GS, while others found it amorphous. The interior also divided drivers; they called it either comfortable or eerily numbing. Few were fond of the foldaway control panel for functions such as the mirror adjusters that resides low and to the left of the steering column—if you leave it open, you bang your knee getting in or out. On the other hand, it does reduce the complexity of the dash’s appearance. Some drivers love being surrounded with dials and knobs as if they were 747 pilots, but others find it baffling and stress-inducing.The GS is a soft, quiet car, rather than an enthusiast driving machine like the 535 or the STS. Buyers in regions with unpredictable weather will find four-wheel traction reassuring (Cadillac makes you buy the V8 in order to get awd in the STS), but Lexus doesn’t tune its system for hard drivers the way Audi does with quattro.Our example came with a navigation system, Bluetooth and voice activation ($1,850); rain-sensing wipers, adaptive front lighting and headlight cleaner ($522); parking assist ($500); rear sunshade ($210); rear spoiler ($200); ventilated seats ($200); trunk mat, cargo net and wheel locks ($197); and all-weather floor mats ($99), bringing the price to just over $50,000.For most buyers ready to pony up $50,000 for a luxury ride, the Lexus name and awd will provide the security they seek, and the car will provide all the comfort and accouterments they’d want. And now that there’s so much power in what is nominally the “base” engine, owners of the GS won’t feel they’re missing out on something essential by shying away from the cutting edge of a V8 or even a hybrid.
Source www.autoweek.com
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $46,795
DRIVETRAIN: 3.5-liter, 303-hp, 274-lb-ft V6; awd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3869 lb
0-60 MPH: 5.8 sec
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA/AW): 23/23.3 म्प्ग
When Lexus rolled out its latest GS, all the headlines went to the hybrid edition, the GS 450h, a rear-drive model with performance pretensions। This go-round, though, we sampled an all-wheel-drive model with the new V6 that makes 303 hp। It’s essentially the same engine that’s in the hybrid (don’t let the 450 nomenclature fool you—the 430 is the V8) but without the power boost from the electric motors that comes with the hybrid।This car has a base price about $8,000 less than the hybrid, weighs 300 pounds less despite the mass of the awd hardware (those hybrid batteries and motors are heavy) and comes up only 37 hp short। Lexus says the GS 350 awd gives up 0.6 second to the hybrid from 0 to 60 mph (5.8 seconds versus 5.2), and—for now, at least—this new direct-injected six actually outpowers the 290-hp V8 in the GS 430. The new six is supremely quiet and plenty powerful. It doesn’t shut off at stoplights as the hybrid does, but we’re not sure we’d notice if it stalled—it’s that quiet. Our observed fuel economy of 23.3 mpg isn’t up to the hybrid’s EPA 26 mpg, but it’s not bad for a spacious luxury car. The power rating is the big thing for a six, of course, but Lexus hasn’t really outdone BMW’s 535xi with its 300-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six or Cadillac’s latest direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 in the STS and the upcoming CTS. The Lexus does want premium fuel (as does the BMW). With sixes now making power on par with V8s offered a few seasons ago, it’s worth considering how much engine you need in this world of unpredictable gasoline prices.A six also gets some weight off the nose compared with an eight, which could be a handling advantage if you spec your car right. That wasn’t evident in this example, though, with its awd system adding in what the smaller engine may have saved.Some of our drivers loved the exterior styling of the GS, while others found it amorphous. The interior also divided drivers; they called it either comfortable or eerily numbing. Few were fond of the foldaway control panel for functions such as the mirror adjusters that resides low and to the left of the steering column—if you leave it open, you bang your knee getting in or out. On the other hand, it does reduce the complexity of the dash’s appearance. Some drivers love being surrounded with dials and knobs as if they were 747 pilots, but others find it baffling and stress-inducing.The GS is a soft, quiet car, rather than an enthusiast driving machine like the 535 or the STS. Buyers in regions with unpredictable weather will find four-wheel traction reassuring (Cadillac makes you buy the V8 in order to get awd in the STS), but Lexus doesn’t tune its system for hard drivers the way Audi does with quattro.Our example came with a navigation system, Bluetooth and voice activation ($1,850); rain-sensing wipers, adaptive front lighting and headlight cleaner ($522); parking assist ($500); rear sunshade ($210); rear spoiler ($200); ventilated seats ($200); trunk mat, cargo net and wheel locks ($197); and all-weather floor mats ($99), bringing the price to just over $50,000.For most buyers ready to pony up $50,000 for a luxury ride, the Lexus name and awd will provide the security they seek, and the car will provide all the comfort and accouterments they’d want. And now that there’s so much power in what is nominally the “base” engine, owners of the GS won’t feel they’re missing out on something essential by shying away from the cutting edge of a V8 or even a hybrid.
Source www.autoweek.com
Tips for Your Summer Trips. What to do, how to do it, what to watch for and even where those speed traps might pop up on your drive
With the Fourth of July and the summer traveling season upon us, there are a few rules of the road to keep you safe. The AAA estimates a record 41.1 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home this holiday week—a total of more than two billion miles traveled—with 84 percent of those miles put on cars, trucks and SUVs. That’s a lot of “are we there yet?” questions to endure.The first tip, though simple and effective, is to wear your seatbelt! According to the International Institute for Highway Safety, July 3rd and 4th are the two deadliest days on the road each, due largely to miles traveled, as well as the nature of the holiday week—barbecues beget beer breaks beget drinking and driving. Tip two is, before you leave on a trip, check your tires. Tires are some of the most neglected parts in regards to maintenance, so check that they have the proper inflation, and check the tread. Fluids are the lifeblood of your car and it’s imperative to check them all. The oil, coolant, washer fluid, power steering, transmission, and brake fluids should all be topped off prior to any trip. Running out of washer fluid in light rain can be dangerous, just as running low on coolant can be while in a traffic jam.Don’t forget the old-school of navigation: Take a map. Even with directions from an online service, it is still good to have a hard copy layout of the highways and byways. Not to mention most online services don’t add pertinent traffic or construction information. Bring a cell phone, with a charger; a dead phone is more useless today than in the past with the extinction of the public payphone.After you’ve taken the proper precautions, here are a few more tips, courtesy of Allstate Motor Club (www.allstatemotorclub.com), to heed while on the road. Double-check that all the exterior and interior lights are turned off during pit stops. With the added heat of the summer, your car battery has to work extra hard. All vehicles should have an emergency kit stored somewhere. The kit should include reflectors, jumper cables, a flashlight and tire gauge, drivers should also have some kind of first aid kit handy, in case of an accident. A working jack and a proper spare are also mandatory.Along with the annual tips the insurance companies give for safe travel, AutoWeek would like to throw a few of it’s own into the pre-vacation frenzy.There will be an estimated 35 million Americans traveling in cars this Fourth, nearly equal to the entire population of Kenya. What does this mean to us? Traffic. But don’t fret. The added congestion on the roads can be combated. Traffic.com is a website dedicated to bringing drivers up to the minute traffic data, which can be sent to your home email, a PDA, or that fancy new iPhone. Visitors can view real time traffic info from cities across the country, set up a route to drive and find a time to leave for maximum driving efficiency.To many of us efficiency is important; trying yet rarely succeeding to leave bright and early, turning a two-day drive into one. Shortening the trip has its consequences. Drivers have been straining to avoid speeding tickets in unfamiliar areas for decades. The truckers have their radios, and we have our radar detectors, but that’s not always enough. The National Motorists Association (www.motorists.org) has a list of the top ten speed traps in the United States, and their website, www.speedtrap.org, has nailed down many of the country’s strict enforcement zones. Drivers log on and input speed traps in their own neighborhood, while others hopefully do the same. The goal is to have an online database of the spots with arbitrarily low speed limits which can be checked prior to leaving state lines.Keeping safe over the summer is something many people talk about but few actually observe. The Fourth of July brings a sense of pride and independence for most Americans and the way many of us take advantage of that independence is to hit the open road. These few precautions are easy to take and can save you headaches, heartaches and wallet aches.
Source http://autoweek.com/
Source http://autoweek.com/
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The new C63 cozies up with style and speed
MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG
ON SALE: Spring 2008
BASE PRICE: N/A
DRIVETRAIN: 6.2-liter, 457-hp, 442-lb-ft V8;
rwd, seven-speed automaticCURB
WEIGHT: 3650 lb0-60 MPH: 4।3 sec (est)FUEL ECONOMY: N/A
To put it politely, the question is this: Has Mercedes-Benz finally learned that power alone is not enough? For years now, M-B’s celebrated AMG division has been turning out exciting cars with outputs to match their breathtaking price tags. Big, bold and brassy, there is no doubting their sheer firepower. But while they have all boasted incredible straight-line speed, they have tended to lack an intimacy that would set them apart from the competition.The new C63 is meant to change all that. It has been engineered in a program that its director of development, Tobias Moers, promises will challenge BMW’s new M3 for outright driver appeal. “We have left no stone unturned in efforts to provide our new car the necessary qualities to lift it above the competition,” he says, adding that the C63 has more development miles than any other car in AMG’s 40-year history.The wholesale change in philosophy is no better exemplified than by AMG’s decision to equip the C63 with an electronic stability program (ESP) that can be switched off completely. There’s no cop-out like the system employed on the old C55, which intervenes above a predetermined threshold even when it is supposedly disabled. Hold the button down for longer than three seconds and you disengage the electronic safety net. It continues to operate under braking but disappears under load, setting the scene for lurid oversteer as well as an arcane ability to light up the rear tires in first, second and third gears. “It was the one thing I really pushed hard to incorporate into the car from the beginning,” says Moers. “It is essential our customers can choose to use every last bit of their cars’ performance.” The appropriate word here is choose, because as well as being able to turn off the ESP, there is also a special sport mode that sees it continue to operate in the background but at a newly developed threshold that permits you to tease the rear end out without prematurely robbing power from the engine and applying the brakes. So the C63 is unshackled. The question is, does it make any difference? Oh, yeah. With this car, AMG has achieved a tremendous balance between power and poise. As well as being seriously fast, it also responds intuitively to your actions. Modifications to the third-generation C-Class’ rear-wheel-drive chassis deliver the sort of confidence-inspiring feedback over winding roads that soon prompts you to make the most of the switchable ESP. We can’t remember a more entertaining, more dynamically rounded Mercedes model since the original 190 2.5 Evo.It starts, as always, with the engine. Out goes the old 5.4-liter V8, its place taken by AMG’s latest 6.2-liter V8. The engine is mounted a half-inch farther back than the regular C-Class engines. The complete front-end structure has been redesigned around a series of radiators—a total of six crammed in on top of each other behind the front-end bodywork where they compete for air fed through liberal openings. (Note to self: Keep the expensive- looking nose away from guardrails.)The big V8 kicks out 457 hp at 6700 rpm along with a tumultuous 442 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. Central among the chassis changes is the adoption of the front axle from the CLK63 Black Series. Up in length by 1.3 inches over the standard C-Class and boasting redesigned wheel bearings, it adds true precision to the steering, imbuing the C63 with sharper turn-in and greater feedback than any other AMG model. The suspension, a four-link front and five-link rear arrangement, is related in principle to the standard C-Class but uses more aluminum to keep unsprung weight down. It supports 18-inch wheels shod with 245/40 front and 255/35 rear Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires. It’s all clothed in an aggressive-looking body that turns the C63 into a real head-turner. One thing’s for sure: You’ll never mistake it for an ordinary C-Class. There’s a deep front bumper punctuated with enormous cooling ducts and vertically stacked blades at each side to extract air from the oil cooler. The car also has a twin-slat grille, titanium-colored headlight inserts, a restyled steel hood with a pair of power domes and widened front fenders with bulging wheel arches. It looks menacing but contemporary. Added to all this are chiseled side sills, a trunk-mounted spoiler, darkened tail-lamp lenses and a retroflex rear bumper. The changes continue inside, with contoured sport seats offering electronic cushion adjustments, a terrific flat-bottomed steering wheel with remote shift paddles for the C63’s seven-speed automatic gearbox and new instrument graphics. Fire the ignition, still activated via an electronic key rather than a starter button favored by some rivals. Ba-ba-ba . . . boom! The engine draws breath before erupting to life with a deep bellow through the exhausts, extinguishing any remaining doubts you might have had about AMG’s mission with the C63. Dial in the manual mode for the gearbox via a button on the center console, draw the stubby shift lever back to engage drive and ease away smartly with a determined stab of the throttle and the sound of rubber straining against the pavement.There are no cantankerous theatrics from the driveline, just one linear surge of acceleration. The engine responds with alacrity to every request, igniting power and then dousing it as your right foot demands. For all the apparent athleticism, it is smooth, running up to the 7000-rpm redline without any strain. And it is addictive: We found ourselves dropping back a gear at almost every opportunity, just to experience the sheer explosiveness concentrated in the upper reaches of the rev range. All the while the heavy-metal soundtrack hardens in concert with the V8’s howl. The relentless acceleration is as mind-blowing as the epic exhaust note. Mercedes-Benz claims 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. That’s 0.3-second inside the time BMW quotes for the new M3 and becomes all the more impressive when you realize you are hauling 3650 pounds. Top speed is nominally capped at 155 mph, however, customers who specify the C63’s optional performance package receive a remapped ECU that extends it to a rather more fitting 174 mph. “It’s geared to do more . . . much more,” says Moers, “but we’ve got to consider the stresses being placed on the tires.” So it is no lightweight, but it has legs. Having seven gears to divvy up the power helps, of course. Even so, sixth and seventh are heavily overdriven to ensure fuel consumption remains semi-sane. On the early example we drove, however, the C63’s gearbox didn’t do the engine justice. Despite being reworked to provide a satisfying blip of the throttle on downshifts, it was slow to respond to upshift requests. AMG admits it needs work and says a fix is in the pipeline prior to North American sales early next year. While its engine plays a major role in defining the new Mercedes, it is the determined and entertaining way its chassis deploys its substantial reserves that sets it apart from previous AMG models. It is responsive, communicative and adjustable on the limit—hardly how we’d describe its predecessor, whose bold engine dominated proceedings in such a way that it was to the detriment of the overall driving experience. Pushed hard, the C63 reveals a multifaceted purposefulness we can’t wait to measure against the new M3.For all its inherent tautness, the ride is acceptable even on pockmarked pavement, with excellent rebound control helping to quell any nasty vertical movement. The front end is superbly damped, too, allowing the C63 to track faithfully without too much unsettling movement over bumps. Before long, you find yourself making big demands on the chassis, marveling at the directness and body control. It takes a special road to extract its best—better, still, a track where the new AMG’s high limits can be explored in safety. With the new ESP system switched to Sport, oversteer can be dialed up at will. Barrel into a corner hard on the brakes, tap the shift paddle to engage a lower gear and . . . WHAM! A big application of throttle gets the rear swinging out wide. But rather than premature surrender to the commands of the electronics just as the real action commences (as in other AMG models), the C63 follows your instructions. It is terrifically adjustable, the slip angles controlled via the throttle. If all this is not enough, you can switch the ESP off completely, at which point it becomes an even more willing sideways companion.We won’t see the C63 on these shores until next spring, and prices haven’t been set. We can’t emphasize enough just how much more invigorating AMG’s latest performance hero is to drive. It operates on a much higher level than its predecessor, in terms of performance and overall dynamic prowess. With the M3 waiting in the wings, the scene is now set for a battle royal.
Source:http://www।autoweek.com/
ON SALE: Spring 2008
BASE PRICE: N/A
DRIVETRAIN: 6.2-liter, 457-hp, 442-lb-ft V8;
rwd, seven-speed automaticCURB
WEIGHT: 3650 lb0-60 MPH: 4।3 sec (est)FUEL ECONOMY: N/A
To put it politely, the question is this: Has Mercedes-Benz finally learned that power alone is not enough? For years now, M-B’s celebrated AMG division has been turning out exciting cars with outputs to match their breathtaking price tags. Big, bold and brassy, there is no doubting their sheer firepower. But while they have all boasted incredible straight-line speed, they have tended to lack an intimacy that would set them apart from the competition.The new C63 is meant to change all that. It has been engineered in a program that its director of development, Tobias Moers, promises will challenge BMW’s new M3 for outright driver appeal. “We have left no stone unturned in efforts to provide our new car the necessary qualities to lift it above the competition,” he says, adding that the C63 has more development miles than any other car in AMG’s 40-year history.The wholesale change in philosophy is no better exemplified than by AMG’s decision to equip the C63 with an electronic stability program (ESP) that can be switched off completely. There’s no cop-out like the system employed on the old C55, which intervenes above a predetermined threshold even when it is supposedly disabled. Hold the button down for longer than three seconds and you disengage the electronic safety net. It continues to operate under braking but disappears under load, setting the scene for lurid oversteer as well as an arcane ability to light up the rear tires in first, second and third gears. “It was the one thing I really pushed hard to incorporate into the car from the beginning,” says Moers. “It is essential our customers can choose to use every last bit of their cars’ performance.” The appropriate word here is choose, because as well as being able to turn off the ESP, there is also a special sport mode that sees it continue to operate in the background but at a newly developed threshold that permits you to tease the rear end out without prematurely robbing power from the engine and applying the brakes. So the C63 is unshackled. The question is, does it make any difference? Oh, yeah. With this car, AMG has achieved a tremendous balance between power and poise. As well as being seriously fast, it also responds intuitively to your actions. Modifications to the third-generation C-Class’ rear-wheel-drive chassis deliver the sort of confidence-inspiring feedback over winding roads that soon prompts you to make the most of the switchable ESP. We can’t remember a more entertaining, more dynamically rounded Mercedes model since the original 190 2.5 Evo.It starts, as always, with the engine. Out goes the old 5.4-liter V8, its place taken by AMG’s latest 6.2-liter V8. The engine is mounted a half-inch farther back than the regular C-Class engines. The complete front-end structure has been redesigned around a series of radiators—a total of six crammed in on top of each other behind the front-end bodywork where they compete for air fed through liberal openings. (Note to self: Keep the expensive- looking nose away from guardrails.)The big V8 kicks out 457 hp at 6700 rpm along with a tumultuous 442 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. Central among the chassis changes is the adoption of the front axle from the CLK63 Black Series. Up in length by 1.3 inches over the standard C-Class and boasting redesigned wheel bearings, it adds true precision to the steering, imbuing the C63 with sharper turn-in and greater feedback than any other AMG model. The suspension, a four-link front and five-link rear arrangement, is related in principle to the standard C-Class but uses more aluminum to keep unsprung weight down. It supports 18-inch wheels shod with 245/40 front and 255/35 rear Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires. It’s all clothed in an aggressive-looking body that turns the C63 into a real head-turner. One thing’s for sure: You’ll never mistake it for an ordinary C-Class. There’s a deep front bumper punctuated with enormous cooling ducts and vertically stacked blades at each side to extract air from the oil cooler. The car also has a twin-slat grille, titanium-colored headlight inserts, a restyled steel hood with a pair of power domes and widened front fenders with bulging wheel arches. It looks menacing but contemporary. Added to all this are chiseled side sills, a trunk-mounted spoiler, darkened tail-lamp lenses and a retroflex rear bumper. The changes continue inside, with contoured sport seats offering electronic cushion adjustments, a terrific flat-bottomed steering wheel with remote shift paddles for the C63’s seven-speed automatic gearbox and new instrument graphics. Fire the ignition, still activated via an electronic key rather than a starter button favored by some rivals. Ba-ba-ba . . . boom! The engine draws breath before erupting to life with a deep bellow through the exhausts, extinguishing any remaining doubts you might have had about AMG’s mission with the C63. Dial in the manual mode for the gearbox via a button on the center console, draw the stubby shift lever back to engage drive and ease away smartly with a determined stab of the throttle and the sound of rubber straining against the pavement.There are no cantankerous theatrics from the driveline, just one linear surge of acceleration. The engine responds with alacrity to every request, igniting power and then dousing it as your right foot demands. For all the apparent athleticism, it is smooth, running up to the 7000-rpm redline without any strain. And it is addictive: We found ourselves dropping back a gear at almost every opportunity, just to experience the sheer explosiveness concentrated in the upper reaches of the rev range. All the while the heavy-metal soundtrack hardens in concert with the V8’s howl. The relentless acceleration is as mind-blowing as the epic exhaust note. Mercedes-Benz claims 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. That’s 0.3-second inside the time BMW quotes for the new M3 and becomes all the more impressive when you realize you are hauling 3650 pounds. Top speed is nominally capped at 155 mph, however, customers who specify the C63’s optional performance package receive a remapped ECU that extends it to a rather more fitting 174 mph. “It’s geared to do more . . . much more,” says Moers, “but we’ve got to consider the stresses being placed on the tires.” So it is no lightweight, but it has legs. Having seven gears to divvy up the power helps, of course. Even so, sixth and seventh are heavily overdriven to ensure fuel consumption remains semi-sane. On the early example we drove, however, the C63’s gearbox didn’t do the engine justice. Despite being reworked to provide a satisfying blip of the throttle on downshifts, it was slow to respond to upshift requests. AMG admits it needs work and says a fix is in the pipeline prior to North American sales early next year. While its engine plays a major role in defining the new Mercedes, it is the determined and entertaining way its chassis deploys its substantial reserves that sets it apart from previous AMG models. It is responsive, communicative and adjustable on the limit—hardly how we’d describe its predecessor, whose bold engine dominated proceedings in such a way that it was to the detriment of the overall driving experience. Pushed hard, the C63 reveals a multifaceted purposefulness we can’t wait to measure against the new M3.For all its inherent tautness, the ride is acceptable even on pockmarked pavement, with excellent rebound control helping to quell any nasty vertical movement. The front end is superbly damped, too, allowing the C63 to track faithfully without too much unsettling movement over bumps. Before long, you find yourself making big demands on the chassis, marveling at the directness and body control. It takes a special road to extract its best—better, still, a track where the new AMG’s high limits can be explored in safety. With the new ESP system switched to Sport, oversteer can be dialed up at will. Barrel into a corner hard on the brakes, tap the shift paddle to engage a lower gear and . . . WHAM! A big application of throttle gets the rear swinging out wide. But rather than premature surrender to the commands of the electronics just as the real action commences (as in other AMG models), the C63 follows your instructions. It is terrifically adjustable, the slip angles controlled via the throttle. If all this is not enough, you can switch the ESP off completely, at which point it becomes an even more willing sideways companion.We won’t see the C63 on these shores until next spring, and prices haven’t been set. We can’t emphasize enough just how much more invigorating AMG’s latest performance hero is to drive. It operates on a much higher level than its predecessor, in terms of performance and overall dynamic prowess. With the M3 waiting in the wings, the scene is now set for a battle royal.
Source:http://www।autoweek.com/
e mërkurë, 27 qershor 2007
_Caught! Here’s the next-gen Honda Accord_
Our sharp-eyed spy shooters stumbled upon a group of 2008 Honda Accords out on a brochure photo shoot in the mountains of Canada. At the opposite extreme, an alert AutoWeek reader in Boston also snapped a photo of a lightly camouflaged Accord.Due in showrooms late this year, the new Accords will be powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (a 3.2-liter is also possible) with horsepower in the 270-to-275 range. EX models will get Honda’s second-generation variable cylinder management technology, which deactivates three of the six cylinders when cruising for increased fuel mileage. The other engine will be a 2.4-liter four making 170 to 180 hp.A new hybrid is most unlikely, especially considering Honda axed today’s Accord hybrid. To make up for a hybrid-less lineup, look for a clean diesel engine in about two years.Five-speed automatics likely will be available in all Accords, while the V6 models will get the option of six-speed manuals, and the fours will get five-speed manuals.Both the new sedan and coupe will be bigger; how much bigger is unclear. Honda boss John Mendel would only say that this will be the “roomiest” midsize sedan available.
Source:http://www।autoweek.com/
Source:http://www।autoweek.com/
e martë, 26 qershor 2007
_Audi Announces RS4 Cabriolet Pricing_
Audi-philes rejoiced at hearing the hot, 420-hp RS4 Cabriolet was approved for North American sale beginning this fall। But if they want to drop the top, they’ve got to drop some serious coin. Audi’s announced pricing for the hot 2008 model ’vert starts at a whopping $82,675 (including $775 destination charge but not gas guzzler taxes), nearly $15,000 more than its four-door sibling.Much of the cost differential stems from an extensive list of standard equipment. Features including Bluetooth connectivity, Sirius satellite radio, Bose speakers, a six-disc CD changer and heated front and rear seats. The same features are part of the $4,700 Premium Package on the RS4 sedan.Ordering an RS4 Cabrio is simple; the only options available are interior and exterior hues, and an iPod connector in place of the CD changer. But with only 300 headed to the U.S., they’re bound to sell out quickly, regardless of price.
Source http://www.autoweek.com/
Source http://www.autoweek.com/
e hënë, 25 qershor 2007
_2007 Volvo S80_
2007 VOLVO S80
BASE PRICE: $48,045
AS-TESTED: $56,025
DRIVETRAIN: 4.4-liter dohc V8; awd, six-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 311 hp @ 5950 rpm, 325 lb-ft @ 3950 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 4,065lbs.
OPTIONS: Sport/ZUBRA package including 18” ZUBRA alloy wheels, ventilated front seats with leather, active bi-xenon gas discharged headlamps, speed-sensitive steering ($2,495); audio package including premium sound system, 12 speakers, amplifier, surround sound ($1,550); Adaptive Cruise Control ($1,495); climate package including heated front seats, rain sensing wipers, headlamp washers, heated winshield washer nozzles ($725); electric silver paint ($625); blind spot info system ($595); personal car communicator ($495)
“Take the new S80 for a coupla days and write a blog about it,” came the directive from road test editor Natalie Neff. I proceeded to go out to the parking lot where I promptly walked by this thing a few times before I realized I wasn’t looking at the old S80. Sure looked familiar. It’s all new? Looks like a slightly sleeker, less flabby version of the old car. So I read up on Volvo’s flagship and found it is indeed an all-new car top to bottom, now sharing basic architecture with Ford’s corporate C1-plus platform, also in the new Ford Galaxy and S-Max minivans. C1-plus is itself a bigger version of the C1 platform (Mazda 3, Volvo S40 and in some variation even the Land Rover LR2—Ford is really getting some mileage out of this whole C1 thing) and can be had with front- or four-wheel drive.I slid inside and fired it up and holy crap: the dash and center console lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree. I can’t remember ever seeing so many green and orange and yellow warning lights flashing at me. The interior, by the way, is handsome and well done; the main instruments have pretty chrome-look rings around them and most functions are activated with buttons on the floating center console, like in the S40. Anyway, this baby has more techno-gadgetry than any car I can remember; being a Volvo, much of it is aimed at safety. There are new side-impact airbags, a bunch of other airbags, dynamic stability and traction control systems (carry over), adaptive cruise control (I hate that—I can control stopping distances myself, thanks), a blind-spot warning system, personal car communicator—it’s all here. Wait a sec, what’s personal car communicator? This is a system for the truly paranoid: It tells you not only when your doors are locked, but also can detect the heartbeat of any murderers that might be hiding in the back seat (or if there’s anyone locked in the trunk). When I laughed at the ludicrousness of this, a colleague reminded me of the old saying: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they ain’t trying to kill you.Our test car here in Detroit had the Yamaha-built 4.4-liter V8 (added no doubt to better compete with the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class), shared with Volvo’s XC90 ute. All-wheel-drive is standard with the V8. A Ford 3.2-liter inline six is also available and Volvo thinks 70 percent of S80 buyers will opt for it.The first night I got lucky with a little overnight snow dusting, perfect for trying the 311-hp V8, the six-speed automatic and the awd system. In the dry, Volvo says the S80 will blast to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. This morning in the snow I found I could tromp on the gas and this baby would just smoothly hook up and go; excellent grip and a nice growl coming from the V8. The automatic damping has three positions, normal, sport and dynamic, but I liked the normal mode best: Not too harsh, but the car didn’t wallow and there wasn’t much body roll. I didn’t drive it enough to need to fill it, but the little miles-per-gallon meter on the dash said I averaged 15 mpg. Not great.Overall, it felt quite German, which I’m sure was Volvo’s aim in the first place. There were a couple little glitches: One, this particular car actually had a couple squeaks and rattles, one of which was in the B-pillar right by my left ear—extremely annoying. With less than 2000 miles on the car that kind of surprised me. Two, when I left the office a warning flashed on the dash: “Headlamp failure—get service immediately.” I got out and checked the lamps and they looked fine and I never saw the warning again.Do you want one? With a $48,045 base price ($56,025 as tested) it’s nearly ten grand cheaper than most of the main competition, the BMW 550i (base price $58,500), Mercedes E550 (base price $59,775) or A6 (base price $55,300). The Volvo doesn’t have quite the driving dynamics of the Audi or BMW, nor quite the Mercedes’ panache, but it’s a good combo at a good price.
BASE PRICE: $48,045
AS-TESTED: $56,025
DRIVETRAIN: 4.4-liter dohc V8; awd, six-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 311 hp @ 5950 rpm, 325 lb-ft @ 3950 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 4,065lbs.
OPTIONS: Sport/ZUBRA package including 18” ZUBRA alloy wheels, ventilated front seats with leather, active bi-xenon gas discharged headlamps, speed-sensitive steering ($2,495); audio package including premium sound system, 12 speakers, amplifier, surround sound ($1,550); Adaptive Cruise Control ($1,495); climate package including heated front seats, rain sensing wipers, headlamp washers, heated winshield washer nozzles ($725); electric silver paint ($625); blind spot info system ($595); personal car communicator ($495)
“Take the new S80 for a coupla days and write a blog about it,” came the directive from road test editor Natalie Neff. I proceeded to go out to the parking lot where I promptly walked by this thing a few times before I realized I wasn’t looking at the old S80. Sure looked familiar. It’s all new? Looks like a slightly sleeker, less flabby version of the old car. So I read up on Volvo’s flagship and found it is indeed an all-new car top to bottom, now sharing basic architecture with Ford’s corporate C1-plus platform, also in the new Ford Galaxy and S-Max minivans. C1-plus is itself a bigger version of the C1 platform (Mazda 3, Volvo S40 and in some variation even the Land Rover LR2—Ford is really getting some mileage out of this whole C1 thing) and can be had with front- or four-wheel drive.I slid inside and fired it up and holy crap: the dash and center console lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree. I can’t remember ever seeing so many green and orange and yellow warning lights flashing at me. The interior, by the way, is handsome and well done; the main instruments have pretty chrome-look rings around them and most functions are activated with buttons on the floating center console, like in the S40. Anyway, this baby has more techno-gadgetry than any car I can remember; being a Volvo, much of it is aimed at safety. There are new side-impact airbags, a bunch of other airbags, dynamic stability and traction control systems (carry over), adaptive cruise control (I hate that—I can control stopping distances myself, thanks), a blind-spot warning system, personal car communicator—it’s all here. Wait a sec, what’s personal car communicator? This is a system for the truly paranoid: It tells you not only when your doors are locked, but also can detect the heartbeat of any murderers that might be hiding in the back seat (or if there’s anyone locked in the trunk). When I laughed at the ludicrousness of this, a colleague reminded me of the old saying: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they ain’t trying to kill you.Our test car here in Detroit had the Yamaha-built 4.4-liter V8 (added no doubt to better compete with the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class), shared with Volvo’s XC90 ute. All-wheel-drive is standard with the V8. A Ford 3.2-liter inline six is also available and Volvo thinks 70 percent of S80 buyers will opt for it.The first night I got lucky with a little overnight snow dusting, perfect for trying the 311-hp V8, the six-speed automatic and the awd system. In the dry, Volvo says the S80 will blast to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. This morning in the snow I found I could tromp on the gas and this baby would just smoothly hook up and go; excellent grip and a nice growl coming from the V8. The automatic damping has three positions, normal, sport and dynamic, but I liked the normal mode best: Not too harsh, but the car didn’t wallow and there wasn’t much body roll. I didn’t drive it enough to need to fill it, but the little miles-per-gallon meter on the dash said I averaged 15 mpg. Not great.Overall, it felt quite German, which I’m sure was Volvo’s aim in the first place. There were a couple little glitches: One, this particular car actually had a couple squeaks and rattles, one of which was in the B-pillar right by my left ear—extremely annoying. With less than 2000 miles on the car that kind of surprised me. Two, when I left the office a warning flashed on the dash: “Headlamp failure—get service immediately.” I got out and checked the lamps and they looked fine and I never saw the warning again.Do you want one? With a $48,045 base price ($56,025 as tested) it’s nearly ten grand cheaper than most of the main competition, the BMW 550i (base price $58,500), Mercedes E550 (base price $59,775) or A6 (base price $55,300). The Volvo doesn’t have quite the driving dynamics of the Audi or BMW, nor quite the Mercedes’ panache, but it’s a good combo at a good price.
_2009 Cadillac CTS-V_
All Cadillac will say, with a wink, is that we can expect the 2009 CTS V-Series will be “all one color” and not this black-and-white camouflage checkerboard pattern when it arrives in 2008।But our spies, who captured the second-generation CTS performance sedan running the Nürburgring, say a lot more. Look for the CTS-V—known internally as GMX322 V S/C—to use the LSA engine, a new supercharged, small-block V8 making 525 hp or better.
Like the STS-V, the new blown CTS will feature General Motors’ patented supercharger integrated into the intake manifold—the same setup we’re told will be used in the rumored Corvette SS/Blue Devil/Z07। Automatic and manual transmissions will be available, with an optional paddle shifter likely.The first-gen CTS-V, fitted with a Corvette powertrain and transaxle, suffered from wheel hop. We’re told that’s eliminated in the 2009 model, thanks to a completely redone rear suspension. The ’09 will continue to use massive Brembo brakes all around.GM vice chairman Bob Lutz says the 2009 CTS-V “will be at a power level only described as unexpectedly high” and that it should rival the BMW M5. After driving a prototype, Lutz reportedly said the car is “flat-out incredible” and that he’s “never driven anything like that.” Yes, we’d expect that from a GM insider, but Lutz does have some of the world’s top machinery at his disposal for comparison purposes.CTS-V production should get under way in fall 2008 and will be limited to about 7000 units annually.
Sourcehttp://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070619/FREE/70619001/1065
Like the STS-V, the new blown CTS will feature General Motors’ patented supercharger integrated into the intake manifold—the same setup we’re told will be used in the rumored Corvette SS/Blue Devil/Z07। Automatic and manual transmissions will be available, with an optional paddle shifter likely.The first-gen CTS-V, fitted with a Corvette powertrain and transaxle, suffered from wheel hop. We’re told that’s eliminated in the 2009 model, thanks to a completely redone rear suspension. The ’09 will continue to use massive Brembo brakes all around.GM vice chairman Bob Lutz says the 2009 CTS-V “will be at a power level only described as unexpectedly high” and that it should rival the BMW M5. After driving a prototype, Lutz reportedly said the car is “flat-out incredible” and that he’s “never driven anything like that.” Yes, we’d expect that from a GM insider, but Lutz does have some of the world’s top machinery at his disposal for comparison purposes.CTS-V production should get under way in fall 2008 and will be limited to about 7000 units annually.
Sourcehttp://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070619/FREE/70619001/1065
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