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2012 Ford Mustang GT Boss 302

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:07:43 PST

DEARBORN, Mich. -- The high-speed track at Dearborn Proving Ground, historic vehicle test facility for Ford Motor Company in Michigan, runs for 2.8 miles in a loop around the park. Pulling onto the two-lane track to burn some fast laps is a high-powered rendition of Ford\'s classic pony car, the fabled Mustang. It\'s the limited-production 2012 Mustang Boss 302 based on the 2011 Mustang GT but packing a kick-butt 5.0-liter (302-cubic-inch) V8 tied to a six-speed manual transmission with a 3.73:1 rear-axle ratio, torque-sensing (Torsen) limited-slip differential, Brembo front brake calipers, adjustable shocks, 19-inch speed-rated performance tires and Recaro bolstered front bucket seats. Holy Seatbelt: This thing, feeling like some vintage rocket-charged racer, rips around Ford\'s track at triple-digit speed while delivering a deep-bleat blast from quad exhaust pipes at the tail. How quick is it? Timed track tests of a new Boss 302 clock the zero to 60 mph stat at four seconds flat as it blows past the quarter-mile post in 12 seconds and change at 115 mph. And Ford lists the top speed at 155 mph. Mustang tracks back decades in the history of Ford Motor Company to the original Mustang notchback coupe, which debuted in 1964 to set a generation on edge with envy. It went down as one of the most successful products in automotive history, accounting for over a million units sold in only the first 18 months of production. Many iterations followed, from the first variation with Mustang Fastback of 1965 and a powerful 1968 GT to muscle machines like the Boss 302 of 1969. Designed as a road race car that would be unbeatable on SCCA race courses as well as local drag strips, the first Mustang Boss 302 sported front and rear spoilers, a blacked-out hood treatment and racy side stripes. Under the hood, that \'69 Boss 302 carried a small-block V8 engine displacing 302 cubic inches (5.0 liters) and producing 290 hp at 5800 rpm with 290 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm. By comparison, the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 scores a new aluminum-block 5.0-liter (302-cubic-inch) V8 with DOHC (dual overhead camshafts) and four valves in each of eight cylinders with high-tech valve controls -- Ford\'s Ti-VCT (twin independent variable cam timing) system. What about horsepower? The Boss 302 V8 delivers 444 hp at 7400 rpm with big torque of 380 lb-ft at 4500 rpm. It\'s easy to detect new iterations of the Boss 302 because each 2012 edition wears either a black or white roof panel, unique front fascia and blocked-off foglamp openings. An aggressive front splitter and low-drag tail spoiler enhance the vehicle\'s aerodynamics. Five exterior paint colors apply to the new Boss 302: Competition Orange, Performance White, Kona Blue Metallic, Yellow Blaze Tri-Coat Metallic and Race Red. In the cockpit, there\'s a unique steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara suede and sport seats trimmed in cloth with suede-like center inserts designed to hold riders in place during racy maneuvers. Optional are the Recaro front buckets off the GT500. A black pool-cue ball mounts atop the shifter stick. Equipment promoting active safety includes speed-sensitive electronic steering and big disc brakes tied to an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and traction control system (TCS) coupled with Ford\'s AdvanceTrac electronic stability control (ESC) device. The Brembo four-piston aluminum front brake calipers work on huge 14-inch vented discs. In the suspension department, Boss models are lowered by 11-mm at the front and by 1-mm at the rear compared to a Mustang GT. Front suspension components include independent MacPherson struts with reverse-L lower control arms, a 34.6-mm tubular stabilizer bar, strut-tower brace and manual adjustable strut damping. At the rear the suspension is a three-link solid axle with the limited-slip differential, performance coil springs, Panhard bar, 25-mm stabilizer bar and manual adjustable strut damping. Special 19-inch wide-spoke black alloy racing wheels apply in staggered widths of 9.0 inches up front and 9.5 inches in back. The wheels are capped by speed-rated Pirelli PZero performance tires -- 255/40ZR19 front and 285/35ZR19 rear. A limited-production Boss 302 Laguna Seca track-oriented model adds race gear by deleting the rear seat and installing a race-ready suspension and aerodynamic components. Named for the California race track where Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am season opener in a Boss 302, the 2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca has increased body stiffness, a firmer chassis and an aero package borrowed from the Ford Racing Boss 302R. The MSRP chart for Ford\'s 2012 Mustang Boss 302 begins at $40,310.

2010 Subaru Forester

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:06:04 PST

Subaru is trying to broaden its appeal. The Japanese automaker has always been known for well engineered vehicles but they didn't look all that great. Still, the company has a loyal following of customers who swear by their Subaru. In fact, Subaru sales are up 20 percent in a depressed economy. It's obvious that the brand is well regarded. So Subaru's challenge to increase sales is on the design side of its business. A new chief designer was hired two years ago and he seems like he's got the right stuff. Still, it will probably be a couple more years before we see his first offerings. But that hasn't stopped the tinkering. I had a 2010 Forester crossover vehicle and even though the utility had been completely redesigned in 2009, Subaru tinkered with it some more for 2010. The Forester now has Bluetooth which is paired with a navigation system available in certain trim lines. That's good but I was more impressed with the revised instrument cluster. The instruments with their new backdrop blue arcs jumped out at me in a good way. They were very clear and easy to see. And my 2.5X Premium model gained a 10-way power driver's seat. The center stack was wide and straightforward. My test vehicle did not have a navigation system, one is available, but the controls were intuitive. Audio controls were on either side of the information screen and the climate controls were beneath it. My test vehicle had a gray cloth interior with matching floor mats. The material had a pattern that made it look thicker than it was. And the matching floor mats didn't hurt the look. Neither did the bottom of the cupholders and the bottom of the storage bins which also matched the carpet and cloth seats. That's attention to detail that is usually reserved for more expensive brands. The interior of my test vehicle was comfortable. Obviously, the front seats were good. The driver's seat had a power lumbar support. But I was impressed with the back set as well. The seat cushions were soft and the seats themselves were spacious. There was plenty of leg room and head room, there was lots of it. I think the back seat could carry three folks abreast in comfort. That's saying something for a small utility vehicle. But don't get it twisted. This generation Forester has grown. The new model has a 3.6 inch longer wheel base than the model it replaced and when the 60-40 rear seats are folded, the cargo floor is 5.2 inches wider at the wheel wells My Subaru Forester had a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four cylinder engine that made 170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque (there is a 224 horsepower turbo version of this engine). And though a five speed manual gear box is available, my test vehicle had the four-speed automatic. The Forester had enough oomph to stay out of harm's way. It accelerated well and responded to driver input smartly. Cornering was good, braking not bad and I really liked the high seating position. Subaru is the only manufacturer that makes all of its vehicles with all-wheel-drive. The automaker has branded its technology as symmetrical AWD. It means that power is being delivered to all four wheels all the time. A lot of brands with all-wheel-drive don't do that. The Forester had a Boxer engine which lowered its center of gravity and enabled better handling. There are five trim levels in the Forester lineup. My 2.5X Premium had a large moonroof and its all weather package featured heated front seats, heated side mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer. My test vehicle had steering wheel mounted controls, CD player with MP3 capability and a tire pressure monitoring system was amongst the equipment. And it had satellite radio capability. The sticker on my 2010 Subaru Forester was $25,394. That was surprisingly less than I expected.

2012 BMW 135i Coupe

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:52:50 PST

DETROIT - One automotive Web site described BMW's 1 Series Coupe as short, squat and compact. You might describe a brick that way but my 2012 135i Coupe was more like a bullet. My test car was powered by a direct fuel injection 3.0 liter inline twin scroll turbocharged six cylinder engine that made 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Though there is a six-speed manual gearbox, my tester was equipped with BMW's seven speed dual clutch automatic transmission. That transmission could be shifted manually by either the stalk in the center console or paddles attached to the steering wheel. The car was also equipped with high performance brakes to slow it down quickly. At 3,373 lbs., the 135i could get to 60 mph from a standing start in 5.0 seconds. It takes it one-tenth of a second longer to get there with a manual transmission. My 135i had Go-Kart like handling qualities. In other words, just a twitch of the steering wheel and my driving direction changed. I thought the short wheel base would make for a rather bumpy ride. But though the suspension was a firm sport set up my test car's ride was comfortable. There wasn't any wheel skip over abrupt bumps, road noise did not into intrude into the passenger compartment and wind noise, if there was any, I never heard. And response to accelerator input was impressive. My test car could easily approach 100 mph with just a bit of pressure on the gas pedal. The car's top speed had been electronically limited to 150 mph. It's been years since I had driven a Bimmer that turned heads as much as the 135i Coupe. That was because of its small size, it was 172 inches long, and its slick styling. It had a long hood, short rump, minimal overhangs and BMW's iconic kidney grille. The car really did look good. There was no mistaking that the 135i Coupe was a BMW. My test vehicle had four seats but the back two, even though they were a fold down 60/40 split, were not meant for adult habitation, at least not under normal circumstances. However, my 3½ year old passenger found the rear environs of my 135i Coupe quite comfortable. The point is that this car is for the selfish or the single or both. And as stylishly stunning as the 135i was, its creature comforts were to me more impressive. My test vehicle had a leather interior which was trimmed with just a touch of Poplar wood veneer. There was a moonroof that surprisingly slid into the roof and not up and over it. I was disappointed that my test car did not have satellite radio but elated that the car would accept my iPod with its own USB cord. That meant that my iPod charged while it was playing, thus, it expended none of its own battery power. What's more, I could operate it using the 135i's audio controls. This is fairly big news. It means that you don't have to purchase and auxiliary cord or a Y cord; you can use your iPod in the BMW 135i Coupe with what came in its box. I expect this relatively simple but extraordinarily functional feature to roll through BMW's product lineup. What's more, in addition to Bluetooth, the 135i will integrate BlackBerry smartphones so that drivers can access email, text messages and their notes. The 135i's voice control system will read text messages and e-mails aloud to allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road. I can't see BMW not being extended this feature to other smartphone brands. Photos of friends calling will display on the navigation screen so will album covers of iPod music being played. Years ago a luxury car executive told me that the most successful luxury carmakers will be the ones who take care of the customer best during the first 100,000 miles. It seems to me that in what's become an Age of Communication, BMW is ratcheting up the communicative ability of its vehicles starting with the 135i Coupe to match the iconic performance virtues of its brand. My test vehicle had a base price of $39,050. Add on options and shipping fee and the sticker for my 2012 135i Coupe was $46,075. If that's too steep, there is the 230 horsepower 128i Coupe that starts at $30,950. And each model of the 1 Series comes in a convertible version. The 1 Series is a great halo car for BMW that has an exclusive cachet because the company sells about 1,500 of them a month.

2011 BMW 328i

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:39:36 PST

CHICAGO -It's been six years since BMW's 3 Series was redesigned and the compact car still ranks as one of the world's best automobiles. I drove the 2011 328i here from Detroit. It was a stripped down model, well, for a BMW, and that allowed me to really appreciate what makes a Bimmer so special - the engine. My test car was powered by an inline six cylinder normally aspirated engine that made 230 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque. The car had the standard six-speed manual transmission and that engine was as smooth as a summertime breeze. By that I mean there was no engine friction that I could hear or feel. BMW said the 328i could get from zero to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. I have absolutely no reason to doubt those numbers. Just a touch on the accelerator and my test car sped ahead as the speedometer topped 90 mph. And I noted that very little wind or road noise found its way into the passenger cabin. Granted, I was on an Interstate Highway which is about as pristine as a road can get in this country. But even after I got on the Windy City's rough and tumble neighborhood streets, the quiet of the passenger cabin was like another world. And handling was a non event. Getting the 328i to go anywhere I wanted, whether turning a corner, quickly changing lanes on the Dan Ryan Expressway, or parking was like maneuvering through fog. There was no resistance. It was awfully comfortable inside that car as well. BMW, for the most part, has stuck with horizontal instrument layouts. The interior seemed expansive in the front though head and leg room were a little close in the rear seat area. Still, sitting in the 328i was awfully relaxing. The car had BMW's value package: iPod and USB adapter, keyless entry, push button start and stop and burl walnut wood trim. My only quibble was the iPod adapter. I could never get my iPod to shuffle songs using the radio controls. As usual, I'm sure it was something I was doing wrong but I shouldn't need to get out the owner's manual to operate what amounts to the radio. I ended up converting the adapter to its auxiliary mode and rolled on down the road to the shuffling assortment of music on my iPod. Speaking of rolling, the fuel efficiency for the 328i was not bad especially when gasoline prices hovered around four bucks a gallon in Michigan and Indiana and approached five bucks in Illinois. My test vehicle was rated at 18/28 in city and highway driving. BMW said on the highway that fuel efficiency could climb to as much a 33 mpg depending on the driver. I had the cruise control on a good bit of time and ended up using a half a tank of gasoline to get here and a matching half a tank to return. The sport package consisted of 17-inch alloy wheels, a fat leather covered steering wheel, a sport suspension and sport seats. Years ago I read that BMW excels in its seat design and that was true of the sport seats of the 328i At times my seat felt like it had inflatable side bladders to hold me in place during my aggressive cornering. It didn't but the sensation was a testament to the BMW designers and engineers responsible for its seats. As sporty as my BMW 328i was I think it would work well as a workhorse. In other words, the car does well as an everyday driver that is reasonably economical to drive. Add in that it can also be a lot of fun to drive gets street credibility because of its styling and says that its driver is cool and it's hard to beat BMW's 328i. Getting all that for $36,575 is not bad either.

2011 Jaguar XK

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:58:58 PST

DETROIT - Jaguar's 2011 XK was about as sleek as anything you're going to see on the common road. It's also the oldest car in Jaguar's new lineup which tells you something about what the British icon has been up to these last few years. My week long test drive took place just after most of the snow had melted from a really severe winter. There were potholes everywhere, some of them deeper than others. And because street crews had yet to get to a bunch of them, loose asphalt was all over the place, too. In other word, the less than pristine roads were perfect conditions for my test drive. The first thing I noticed is that Jaguar had done some work on XK's engine note. The exhaust was deeper and had the menacing growl that was an indication of a powerful engine under the hood. The normally aspirated V8 produced 385 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. It was mated to a six speed automatic transmission and the car could get to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.2 seconds. This engine was exhilarating; gear shifts were precise and the car simply walked away from traffic whenever I pushed down on the accelerator. My only quibble was that there was a bit of a lag in engine response when I aggressively pushed the pedal to almost the metal. I expect that sort of response time shortened with the next Jaguar XK. Jaguar's new midsize and full size luxury sedans give it leeway to let the XK be what it looks like; the company's contemporary successor to the fabled E Type. That means performance, excellent handling, extraordinary style and an abundance of luxury. Much of that already applied to my 2011 XK. The engine featured spray-guided direct fuel injection and dual independent variable cam timing, plus a variable inlet manifold on the naturally aspirated version. All Jags have lightweight body shells made of pressed, cast and aluminum alloy components. That means my XK had a rigid body that felt extremely lightweight. It seemed to me that the suspension had been deadened. By that I mean the car felt much more like a sports car than when I first drove it a couple of years ago. Over undulating roads there was no wheel jump but I could fell every crest and dip which is what you want a sports car to do. Handling was great and I'm glad that it was. The potholes here caused me to practice avoidance driving. In addition to is styling, where the Jaguar XK really stood out was its interior. Lots of wood is a hallmark of Jaguar and the XK seemed to have a wall of walnut veneer. The XK and XKR interiors reflect Jaguar's renowned craftsmanship and attention to luxury detail. All interiors are appointed with luxurious soft-grain leather with contrast stitching and offer a wide choice of interior color options. Wood veneers include a Rich Oak option for the XK alongside the classic Burl Walnut for both models. The XK also offers the choice of Ebony or Knurled Aluminum, while the XKR also offers Dark Oak or Dark Mesh Aluminum Other features included Bluetooth, push button entry as well as push button start and stop, a navigation system, Bi-Xenon headlights, fold back exterior mirrors and front and rear park assist. I still think Jaguar pulled of a coup with its 525 watt Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system. For 2011, all Jaguar models come standard with Jaguar Platinum Coverage, which includes for 5 years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) complimentary scheduled maintenance, no-cost replacement of basic wear and tear items including: brake pads and discs, oil and brake fluid changes and wiper blade inserts, 5 year/50,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty and 24/7 roadside assistance. Along with its suedecloth headlining, that's what you expect when you pay $85,375 for an automobile.

2011 Saab 9-5

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:41:23 PST

DETROIT - It had been years since I drove a Saab. Heck, I think the last time I drove one of the Swedish automaker's products was when the company was actually run by Swedes. In 1990, General Motors acquired a half interest in Saab and then it acquired the other half of the company a decade later. Forced into a quick down and dirty bankruptcy, GM sold Saab last year last year to the Dutch-owned Spyker Car Co. Saab was so broken up about becoming an independent again that it threw itself a party. Anyway, in the global convoluted world that is auto manufacturing, Saab's new 2011 9-5 sedan was actually developed when the company was owned by GM. The short story is that Saab has some work to do but its new 9-5 is an indication that it is up to the task. My test car was the 9-5 Turbo4 Premium Sedan. That car was powered by a turbocharged four cylinder engine that made 220 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque and it was mated to a six speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual transmission is available as well as a 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 that makes 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Still, my turbocharged four-cylinder had plenty of spunk. Saab is a pioneer in turbocharged car engines introducing its first in 1976. Anyway, my test vehicle excelled in handling, the suspension was more than effective on the pothole strewn streets here and of course acceleration was impressive. I was particularly taken with my 9-5's interior. Scandinavian design features clean lines, sharp angles and a no frills application. The template for the instrument panel and center stack looked like one piece of wood and it was about as flat surfaced as anything I've seen in a motor vehicle. The instrument controls seemed flush with the surface and fit and finish were outstanding. Saabs have always had a unique look and though it has been updated, the new 9-5 is no different. Insideline.com put it well by saying that the 9-5 has rediscovered the company's airline heritage with a sleek design that brings to mind an airline fuselage. My test car had a porpoise nose, a high brow and a swept back roofline that dove downwards toward the trunk. Its exterior lines were clean, angular, there weren't many curves and my 2011 Saab 9-5 had presence. It got its share of second glances. Before I move on, I'd like to talk about the 9-5's interior space. It was striking. At about six-feet tall, I had plenty of leg and head room in the back seat. With opera seating, those rear seats were also noticeably higher than the front seats. And the sight lines were great. I just didn't get a closed in feel when I sat in the back seats. If there was an upside to being owned by GM, it would be access to the automaker's equipment bin. My test car was loaded even though it was far from the top of the line Saab 9-5. My test vehicle had OnStar, Bluetooth, adaptive-Xenon headlamps, engine start and stop as well as keyless entry, a lane departure warning system, park assist, a head up display, a panoramic sunroof, a premium sound system that included auxiliary and USB jacks, a navigation system and satellite radio were among my test car's equipment. The sticker on my 2011 Saab 9-5 was $50,140. And therein lay Saab's challenge. The company has to get its prices lower or raise the offerings of its vehicles. Right now, anyway, I doubt that American consumers put Saab in the same category of German luxury carmakers but its prices do. Still, there are American consumers who worship the tread marks that Saabs have left on U.S. pavement. And that is not a bad place for the Swedish automaker to start after regaining its independent footing.

2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:20:32 PST

DETROIT - You know, I just spent six days test driving a new 2011 Range Rover Sport Supercharged and the most appropriate phrase that came to mind is never mind. By that I mean never mind the 5-liter V8 engine that made 510 horsepower as well as the 461 foot-pounds of torque it made. Never mind the six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability that featured steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The direct-injection engine had an Eaton(TM) twin-vortex supercharger and dual intercoolers that were packaged within the engine's V for a low overall engine height. Peak torque was produced from 2,500-5,500 rpm, enabling my test vehicle to get from zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. Still, never mind. And never mind the new headlights featuring LED running lamps. Never mind that those headlights were adaptive and they had automatic high beams. And never mind the surround camera system and the rear view camera lens that somehow didn't get iced over in the freezing weather. The cockpit had the feel of a book-filled study or a well appointed den. Leather was everywhere, wood was abundant and there was a tactile richness and stitching that was a hallmark of quality. And this model year, ambient lighting provided by interior LEDs joined the mix. Still, it didn't matter. The new 480 watt, 13-speaker plus woofer audio system was thunderous. It featured HD radio as well as standard satellite radio. But never mind that either; it really did not matter. What did matter were the 10-inches of snow that fell here roughly 48 hours after I began my test drive of the 2011 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. I've got a snow blower so getting in and out of my drive way was not an issue. But I knew the side streets would be challenging; we had been through this no more than two weeks ago. But I forgot because of the Range Rover's legendary street rep as the ultimate luxury sport utility that it is one of the foremost all terrain utility vehicles in the world and I do mean the entire globe. A lousy terrain, be it gravel, rocks, big rocks, mud, no terrain as in roads of any type, ruts, snow, water, whatever, is what Range Rovers, the luxury brand of Land Rover, are engineered to handle. From pressure die-cast oil pans, to waterproofed belt drives, alternators, air condition compressors, power steering pumps and starter motors my Range Rover Sport was built to handle the tough stuff. So 10-inches of snow were nothing to get overly anxious about. My supercharged Range Rover had an Adaptive Dynamics System that adjusted my test vehicle's body and ride control in response to my driving style and terrain conditions. What that meant was that the bumps lumps and ruts usually associated with heavily slush and snow filled side streets just didn't come into play. Although I drove at moderate speeds, my test vehicle remained relatively stable on the uneven streets. Still, its larger brakes with high performance 6-piston calipers really didn't come into play. I never gained enough speed where braking became an issue on slippery streets. Heck, my Range Rover Sport was so stable on slushy streets I didn't bother to set the terrain control. It optimizes the vehicle set up for any on-road or off-road driving situations. There were five settings and Grass/Gravel/Snow was one of them. The bottom line is that in some fairly nasty conditions my Range Rover Sport Supercharge handled itself, as well as the conditions, with aplomb and class and most important no problems. My test vehicle had a sticker of $77,995.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:42:41 PST

DETROIT - I'm just too through with Lincoln. Not that the automaker has done anything wrong, in fact, the luxury marquee has done something awfully right. I've just finished a week-long test drive of the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. That's right; Lincoln has what I believe to be the first domestic luxury hybrid sedan on the market. And it was impressive. What has me so peeved is that I don't think Lincoln has put a whole lot of money behind marketing the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. According to the information provided by Lincoln, the MKZ Hybrid gets 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. The combination means Lincoln's hybrid MKZ is more fuel efficient than a comparable model from Lexus, the luxury brand leader in hybrids. That's a marketing advantage; one that I don't think Lincoln is taking advantage of - yet. For the uninitiated, hybrids are powered by a combination of electric motors that are used to supplement gasoline engines. When the vehicle stops, say at a traffic light, the gasoline engine shuts off. That's the main reason why hybrids often get better fuel economy in city driving than they do on highways where there is no reason for start and stop driving. Coupled with regenerative braking where energy from braking is recaptured and stored in an onboard battery that is used to power the electric motor and you have a closed hybrid system. In other words, no external power is needed to run the electric motor. My Lincoln MKZ Hybrid was powered by a 156 horsepower four cylinder engine that made 135 foot-pounds of torque. The engine was supplemented by an electric motor that made 106 horsepower. Lincoln said the MKZ Hybrid's net output was 191 horsepower. Power was transmitted through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The MKZ is front-wheel-drive which I appreciated on the slush-filled streets and my snow covered driveway. Power to the front-wheels is the next best thing to putting power to all four wheels. Several things about the MKZ Hybrid caught my senses. First the car was quiet; that's an accomplishment considering it had a CVT. Quite frankly, the gearless gearbox went unnoticed by me it was so unobtrusive to my driving experience. Second, the car seemed to have more power than its horsepower rating indicated. I just didn't get the sense that my MKZ Hybrid had less than 200 horsepower. After all, it was a mid size sedan and it didn't seem underpowered. That might be because of its relatively feathery 3,756 lbs. The car was very maneuverable. It had a turning radius of 37.5 feet which made it pretty nimble. A couple of times I made what amounted to U-Turns from lane to lane which is a pretty tight maneuver. The MKZ Hybrid went where I turned the steering wheel with no problem. The interior was pretty clean; by that I mean it was not cluttered with a lot of dials and buttons or a mouse. My MKZ Hybrid had real wood trim, leather trimmed seats with suede-like inserts and heated and cooled front seats. My only quibble, other than a lack of heavy marketing, was that the rear seat back didn't fold forward creating more cargo room. But many luxury brand sedans don't' do that. The Lincoln MKZ also had what Lincoln called a Smart Gauge with EcoGuide. It provided instantaneous, short-term and long-term fuel consumption. It also provided fuel and battery charge levels, engine output and battery output levels, and an electric vehicle mode indicator, the car can get up to 47 mph on the electric motor alone. I found it awfully reasonable that the amount of technology which included voice controls, a navigation system, satellite radio and Bluetooth, was being offered on the 2011 Lincoln MKZ for $39,270.

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:50:53 PST

DETROIT - Slick; real slick. That's the characteristic that comes to mind when I think of my week-long test drive of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550. In the weeks preceding my test drive of Mercedes-Benz's full-size coupe, I had test driven a couple of luxury cars that were in the price stratosphere of the $114,000 CL 550. Each had its own personality. As I've said, when you get to $50K or $60K and up for a vehicle what separates them are style and the application of technology. It's a matter of what do you like. At these types of price points, quality, performance and good design are givens. I had the CL550 4Matic, for the uninitiated CL is the designation for Mercedes' legendary full-size coupe. This car is the platform for the German automaker's most recent technology. In this case, my CL550 had a bunch of creature comforts like body control with crosswind stabilization, adaptive front air bags, adaptive high beams, adaptive brake lights, attention assist, power door closing and the really long list of equipment continued. But what grabbed my attention was the new base engine in the three model lineup. It was a 4.6 liter dual turbocharged V8 that was rated at 429 horsepower and 516 pounds-feet of torque in my test car. The biturbo (that's Mercedes-speak for dual) was mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The 2011 CL550 can now get to 60 mph from a standing start in 4.8 seconds. In other words, Mercedes-Benz has reduced the displacement of the engine from the previous model while increasing horsepower, lowering fuel consumption and lowering tail pipe emissions as well. The technology has been branded BlueDIRECT by Mercedes-Benz. According to the German luxury vehicle manufacturer, the package includes, among other things, energy-efficient control of alternator, fuel pump, air-conditioning compressor and power-assisted steering system, as well as the ECO start/stop function. It also features the use of low rolling resistance tires and the energy-optimized Active Body Control system. I expect to see BlueDIRECT make its way through the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The CL550 was unbelievably smooth. Other than a guttural low decibel growl from the engine there was no hint of the power that lay under the hood. Handling of course was great and the air suspension operated with near perfection. My car was equipped with 4Matic, Mercedes' all-wheel-drive suspension. The streets here were covered by small patches of ice from a recent heavy wet snow. The wheels on my test car didn't' slip once that I noticed. Mercedes-Benz has been refining its all-wheel-drive system since 1903. The current generation splits the torque between front and rear 45-55, in other words power is being put through all four wheels all of the time. The system has the capability of shifting torque between the front and rear wheels as needed. We often think of all-wheel-drive as an all-weather feature; but an all the time all-wheel-drive system makes handling on dry pavement even better. With option packages that included active blind side assist, active lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, AMG 19-inch sport wheels, bodystyling, front seats with massage, heated and cooled front seats, night vision, rearview camera, side skirts, and a heated steering wheel the total for my test vehicle was $127,565 and I had no complaints.

2011 Land Rover Range Rover

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:12:18 PST

DETROIT - We're several months into the 2012 model year but when I got a chance to test drive an icon, it didn't matter that it was a 2011 model. I'm talking about the Range Rover. It wasn't the snazzy Sport or the new smaller Evoque or the brawnier LR4. I'm talking about a plain old ($80K) Ranger Rover. My test vehicle was powered by Ranger Rover's base engine. That would be a 5.0-liter aluminum alloy V8 that made 375 horsepower and a matching 375 foot-pounds of torque. It was mated to six-speed automatic transmission. Before I write anything more, this powertrain was one of the smoothest, quietest and subtlest applications of power that I've experienced in a sport-utility. And I say sport-utility not as saying but as a fact. One of two main character traits of a Range Rover is its world class off road capability. It had a terrain response system with general, snow, mud, sand and rock crawl settings. My five-seat two row Ranger Rover sat high, very high. It had a 9.1 to 11.1 ground clearance. Without running boards, I almost had to climb into it. Get this: For 2011 the Range Rover gained what it called Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control. With the former, the vehicle retains the initial driver-generated brake pressure long enough for the foot to move from brake pedal to throttle without the car rolling backwards - automatically. Gradient Acceleration Control is designed to provide safety cover on severe gradients when the driver does not have Hill Descent Control engaged. By pressurizing the brake system, GAC slows the car to a limit determined by the throttle position when the car is descending the slope in the driver's intended direction of travel. This includes descending the slope forwards in Drive, or rearwards in Reverse. The word for these capabilities is engineering and that just a bit of it. Yet, when whipping around corners, making u-turns, abrupt stops and under hard acceleration, my test vehicle exhibited little body roll, nose rise or nose dip. According to Range Rover, that was because of its suspension system that controlled body motions through turns. The Range Rover was a heavy vehicle because of its off road gear and full time four-wheel-drive system. Four-wheel-drive versus all-wheel-drive meant my test vehicle had a low gear for real off road running. It weighed almost 5,700 lbs and it could tow more than 7,700 lbs. That weight translated into an awfully solid ride on smooth pavement. And the ruddy pavement I ran across here, the Range Rover's suspension tended to flatten out. . Although the Range Rover's ability to slosh through the woods or climb over mountainous rock strewn hills is almost unparalleled, its on road manners were superb. I maneuvered in parking lots, made lane changes on expressways and drove around city streets like I was driving a luxury sedan. And that's the second characteristic of a Range Rover - luxury it's a class leader. When it came to my Ranger Rover's interior no expense was spared to paraphrase a line from a film. My vehicle had cherry wood veneer that looked like planks of wood and 20-inch wheels. It had heated and cooled leather seats all round with blue piping. A rear seat entertainment system, DVD screens in back of the front headrest, a six disk DVD cassette, two headsets and it was portable. Bluetooth, push button start and stop, navigation system, voice controls, satellite radio and a premium audio system helped to fill out the compliment of creature comforts. What's more, the craftsmanship that went into my test vehicle's interior just cannot be qualified. The passenger compartment of the Range Rover looked like a contemporary old world library steeped in tradition. When you open the door of a Range Rover, it looked like it was worth every penny of my test vehicle's $88,485 sticker. The Ranger Rover is a benchmark for sport utility off road prowess and on road luxury. No manufacturer has come close to matching it craftsmanship. And the really scary part is that in a couple of years, Range Rover will put forth a new model and raise the bar - again.

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:33:40 PST

TEXAS - Infiniti bills its 2012 M Hybrid as a luxury sedan with four-cylinder fuel economy and V8 power. That might qualify as hyperbole - or not. But I can say that after 10 days of driving in Dallas and then to Houston and then back to the Big D, the Infiniti M Hybrid was a lot of fun. That's a verb I have never used in describing my time behind the wheel of a hybrid. In a mix master of Interstates 30, 35 and 45 in downtown Dallas, I found myself repeatedly in the wrong lane needing to quickly get over lest I missed the entrance to the next Interstate. My point is that I needed power, I needed agility, I needed both immediately and I needed them repeatedly. The car's street manners were better than average. Handling was precise, cornering was accurate and acceleration was outstanding. A quibble was that my test car did not have a lane changing signal. In the big metropolitan areas of Texas, where getting to the grocery store could involve an Interstate or a state highway, I found that lack nettlesome. Still, the 2012 Infiniti M35h sedan had a 3.5-liter V6 and one electric motor. Together they generated 360 horsepower for the rear-wheel-drive hybrid. The car had a seven speed automatic transmission and a Lithium-ion battery energized the electric motor. This battery had twice the oomph of a comparable Nickel-Metal Hydride battery and it weighed less. The weight saving, the car weighed a scant 276 lbs. more than a standard M35, translated into better gas mileage and the agile handling that I talked about earlier. It had an EPA rating of 27 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway. The Infiniti M Hybrid's battery was housed behind the rear seat. I think it curtailed the amount of cargo space. That was my other quibble but it happens when a regular model car is converted to a hybrid. The battery takes up space and the car get's heavier because of a regenerative battery that can weigh several hundred pounds and the electric motor or motors. What Infiniti called a one motor two clutch system delivered power and allowed the 2012 Infiniti M35h to operate in full electric mode at speeds up to 62 mph. While using my test car's adaptive cruise control on I-45 to Houston, someone cut in front of me causing the car to automatically brake, my speed dropped from 77 mph to 60 mph, then the odometer plunged to zero, the EV (electric vehicle) light came on and for a second or two, at 60 mph, the car was in full electric mode. Between Dallas and Houston, I-45 was pretty straight and it continuously sloped downward in long and gentle undulations. The Infiniti M35h tracked true, the suspension compression was firm without being harsh, I never felt the extra 276 lbs of weight and the car was pristinely quiet. I heard little road noise but there was no wind noise around the side view mirrors or from flowing over the roof. I stopped in a picnic/rest area to take a few photos of my M35h and that's when I really noticed its wave design. A crease arcs from the corner of the headlight to the C pillar where it is met by a second arc that ends at the taillights. Those arcs gave the car a swept look of movement even while it was parked. My M car had a long hood, short rump and bulging fenders. It really did look good. The wave motif continued inside. The dash curves around driver and passenger creating a dual cockpit. My test vehicle featured white ash would veneer that gave the interior a distinct elegance. The wood trim was carried onto the front and rear door panels and continued the swept look of the exterior. I was particularly surprised by the spaciousness of the back seats and the audio speakers housed on the top of the front seats. There was an extensive compliment of creature comforts but I was impressed with the 2012 Infiniti M35h's power retracting front seat belts. It was nice not having to fiddle with my seat belt to get it to retract every time I took it off. The sticker on my test car said $67,955. However, the price included three option packages: technology, deluxe touring, premium and an aerodynamic kit. Those packages accounted for more than $12,000 in options. In other words, start with the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid's $53,700 and you can order it to your financial liking.

2011 Kia Optima Turbo GDI SX

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:35:19 PST

MIAMI -- I thought I had already driven the Kia Turbo GDI SX. Well, I had and I hadn't. What I test drove several months ago was the Kia Turbo GDI EX. Both cars are powered by a 2.0 liter four cylinder twin scroll turbocharged engine with gasoline direct injection (GDI). Both cars generate 274 horsepower and 269 pound feet of torque. And both are mated to six speed automatic transmissions. But the SX is equipped with paddle shifters, 18-inch alloy wheels, alloy pedals, different front and rear bumpers, LED taillights, side sills, door scuff plates and a rear lip spoiler. In other words, it's a sport package. The starting price of the Kia Optima Turbo SX, when it goes on sale during the first quarter of 2011, will be $25,995. Our test car topped out at a bit more than $30,000. Amongst the options was a panoramic roof and heated and cooled front seats as well as heated rear seats. There was a navigation system with back-up camera, satellite radio and a premium stereo system. The engine is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 194 horsepower V6 that it replaces in the old Optima. The EPA rating for the new powerplant is 22 city mpg and 34 mpg on the highway. In other words, the Optima Turbo has a lot more horsepower and burns a lot less gasoline than the V6 it replaces. The interior was pretty cool, too. Only black is available on the Kia Turbo GDI SX. But it had leather woven seat trim, carbon insert film, a Supervision(TM) meter cluster with LCD display, center fascia and meter housing and soft trim with French seams. Black is a tricky interior color to master. If it's too shiny, it looks cheap. Matted looks good but it can be expensive especially when trying to hold down costs. But Kia did a very nice job in dividing that equation. The Turbo SX's interior wasn't expensively matted but it did not have that cold hard look of cheap plastic either. It was nicely done. On a not too challenging drive from here up I-95 N to the Palm Beach International Raceway, about 100 miles from here, I was able to pick up a couple of character traits of the 2011 Kia Optima Turbo GDI SX Acceleration was impressive. There was no turbo lag accept under sudden acceleration and then it was miniscule, as if the car was asking, 'do you really want to do this.' The Optima Turbo SX was sneaky quick. Any number of times my driving partner and I used cruise control to prevent acceleration creep up 80 mph and beyond without noticing. We wanted to avoid the attention of those folks who wear badges and write speeding tickets. The sport suspension was stiffer without being stiff. It was a deft touch by Kia engineers. The Infinity sound system was really impressive. My only quibble was the steering wheel. I thought it could have been thicker or fatter to convey the sportiness of the car. I'd like something a little more substantive to hold onto under aggressive driving. I liked the horizontal layout of the instruments too which I think is the coming trend in automotive interior design. Controls like the phone, audio, satellite radio, navigation, the display itself were aligned up top while the climate controls were underneath. It was two distinct clusters of controls rather a stack of instruments and buttons. The ultimate test of good automobile design is whether people look at your car and they did look at the Kia Optima Turbo GDI SX as we headed down the Florida Turnpike to return to our hotel. Road and wind noise were minimal. But again we found ourselves traveling at 80 mph and more in a 70 mph speed zone without realizing that we were going that fast. So we set the cruise control - again. There was a little wind noise around the mirror but it was nothing that upset me. The normal driver wouldn't even notice. Kia's Optima Turbo GDI SX is another step up for the Korean automaker.

2011 Jaguar XJL

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:45:45 PST

DETROIT - "That's a beast," a friend said to me with a really big smile on her face. Translated, she was complimenting Jaguar's new flagship, the 2011 XJL Supercharged. It was long, it was sleek, it was slick and it was black. Jaguar called the color ebony. Whatever, it was set off by the XJ's chrome side gills, 20-inch chrome wheels and chrome surround for the side windows. The low slung sedan cut quite the figure as it sliced through the air and down the streets. This XJ is so new that I think people mistake it for its midsized sibling the XF. The Jaguar XJ is as big as the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In fact, those two sedans are its main competitors. And the L on the end of my XJ stood for long-wheel-base. It was about five inches longer than a regular XJ I think because the XJ's design stayed the same for so long, the car buying public forgot what Jaguar stood for: speed, style and technology. My test vehicle was powered by a 5.0-litre 470 horsepower supercharged direct injection V8 direct that could move the XJL from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The engine was mated to a six-speed transmission with Jaguar's dial gear selector as well as paddle shifters. On my long wheel base model I'm not sure the paddle shifters go with the buyers. I never even thought about testing them. My test vehicle also had a sport setting and I didn't bother with that either. If I had a quibble it would be performance equipment that didn't match the psychograph of the buyer. That says something about the character of the XJL, I'm quibbling about equipment that didn't match it seemed to me the aplomb of the car. Most my week-long test drive was confined pretty much to surface streets; I didn't even have to venture onto the expressways that much. That's another way of saying that I never got anywhere near letting the Big Cat's engine loose. Still, mine was a great week-long test drive in the XJL. The air suspension was just what the big sedan needed. It was firm without being harsh. Steering was precise. The short steering ratio on the full-size XJL resulted in it handling more like a midsize sedan. And the car looked good. It had a mesh grille with a leaping Jaguar right in the center. The rear end was low, sculpted and the LED light clusters wrap over the rear wings, forming distinctive vertical strips. In other words, you'll be able to tell a Jaguar XJ or XJL coming or going. The interior of the car was dominated by a sweeping wood veneer that look like one piece extending from the doors to the front of the car forming a U. It had a black piano template over the center stack and console. There were black leather seats with ivory piping, ivory stitching and an ivory headliner. The XJ was one of the first cars to feature an aluminum body and that has been carried over into the new XJ. The aluminum body reduced the XJL's weight by 330 lbs over its competitors. The weight reduction improved performance, handling and fuel efficiency. My test car as well as all XJs had a panorama roof, in other words the glass roof was standard. And where the new technology came in was the virtual instrument panel. In other words, the speedometer, the temperature gauge, RPM gauge, gas gauge, all of it was a projection Couple the virtual instrument gauges with the touch screen control center and the interior of the XJL had a clean egalitarian look. Even the audio system was different - a 1,200 watt set up from Bowers & Wilkins which list Jaguar as its only automotive customer on its Web site. What's more, Bluetooth, satellite radio, USB and iPod jacks, keyless entry and exit, push button start and stop, the navigation system, the premium sound system, Xenon headlamps, all of it was standard on the 2011 Jaguar XJL Supercharged. In other words, for $90,500 Jaguar is saying that its XJL Supercharged has everything you need.

2011 Porsche Panamera

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:48 PST

DETROIT - I must be getting jaded. I had seen Porsche's Panamera at auto shows and such but it never elicited an 'oh wow look at that' response from me. However, it certainly elicited that sort of response from most who saw it during my one-week test drive. And before I was done driving the Panamera I had become an unabashed admirer. The four seat sedan, yep, that's right, the Panamera is a four-passenger car, had a design that said Porsche all over it, yet it didn't look like any other Porsche on the road. It had the Porsche face with those distinctive round headlamps but it sported the roof line and rump of the long gone 928. Porsche said with its compact overall length and short overhangs, low body height but wide muscular flanks, the Panamera clearly speaks the classic Porsche design language. I won't argue with that but still it's the biggest Porsche I've ever seen. However, the Panamera was low, rounded, wide and awesome. The reason I said four-passenger versus four-seater is that the Panamera can carry four adults. There was plenty of rear seat head room, plus rear leg and hip room were abundant. In fact, each of the four seats had the feel of its own compartment. What's more the interior was sumptuous. It was filled with beige leather and a flat finished beige mahogany veneer. But what makes a Porsche is not its interior but the motor under the bonnet. In the case of the Panamera S, it was an water-cooled direct fuel injection 4.8 liter aluminum V8 that made 400 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque. It was mated to a seven speed double clutch transmission. I could talk about the soul of Porches like bores, strokes, displacement, compression ratios, etc. But the most important number is that the engine could move the Panamera S from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The car could get to 99 mph from a standing start in 11.7 seconds and the top "track" speed was 175 mph. That was warp speed for a sedan that weighed almost two tons. At $89,800 my rear-wheel-drive test car was the base model Panamera. There is an all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S that is quicker than the rear-wheel-drive Panamera S. And then there is the Panamera Turbo with 500 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of almost 190 mph. Porsche is a car company that is driven by engineers. A few years ago Porsche's gear-heads were so focused on the mechanics of their cars that the volume of the audio systems was limited. The reason was that Porsche felt nothing should drown out the sound of its engines. But even though the Panamera had its own chronograph to record track speeds, three different sport settings that stiffened the suspension, lowered the car and held gears longer and rear spoilers that deploy at multiple angles to increase down force, what I found really impressive was the audio system. Not that the Bose system was head shoulders better than other premium audio systems. It had what you'd expect: CD player, satellite radio, surround sound, auxiliary and USB jacks, etc. But what impressed me about the system is that it signaled Porsche's ability to understand rather than be understood. And what Porsche understands is that buyers of sedans that start at $90,000 expect luxurious creature comforts stem to stern. And Porsche has given it to them in the Panamera; there was nothing egalitarian in the cabin of the car. The uniquely styled equipment was flexible in terms of options and it was physically and emotionally comfortable. The Panamera had the ability to change its driver which is a hallmark of most extraordinary driving machines. With options, and Porsche has plenty of them, my test car was priced at $105,235. That's big bucks for average people but Porsches, at least most of them, are not for average people. But the other side of the coin is that like most Porsches, if you buy a Panamera, house it, follow scheduled maintenance and treat it with respect you can make plans to be interred with it when the time comes.

2012 Toyota Camry

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:27:33 PST

HOUSTON, Tex. -- Automotive designers from Toyota in the United States and Japan have conspired to reinvent the Camry, perennial best-selling passenger car in America. Meddling with the design of a car which has become the brand's icon -- the nameplate dresses one in five Toyotas in North America and accounts for millions of units worldwide since Camry's 1983 debut -- could be risky business. After all, the current Camry has been a decided hit, topping all sales charts for the past four years. But the re-do of Camry, which has been re-sheathed for model-year 2012 with concerns for passenger comfort and personal safety foremost in mind, results in a generously scaled mid-size sedan that's keen in style, invigorated with more powerful yet more efficient engines and laced with luxurious cabin features to position this car close to the realm of Lexus, Toyota's elite upscale line. Camry's new exterior package appears sleek and shapely with a broader and lower stance, yet it reflects subtle lines and subdued paint colors in the manner of a sophisticated -- and expensive -- vehicle. The slinky design looks strong and athletic with contemporary forms and a long cabin perched above the horizontal underbody. It features crisp and precise character lines on flanks with strongly curved doors and defined rocker panel moldings. Up front the new Camry wears an aggressive grille planted between narrow headlamp clusters which wrap around the corners. A broad intake valence yawns below the grille with top trim versions adding corner foglamps. The aerodynamic body features a long and low-sloping hood and a windshield severely raked leading to an arching canopy over the cabin with deep windows on doors and side pillars muted to create the impression of a sleek coupe. Swoopy back pillars of the roofline slide down to the blunted tail, which looks clean with a wrap-around fascia and restyled corner taillamps. The overall length of Camry's structure remains unchanged at 189.2 inches, as does the wheelbase length of 109.3 inches. And the wheel track width is wide -- 62.5 inches in front and 62.0 inches in the rear. Camry's expansive structure becomes most apparent inside the five-seat passenger compartment, which feels quite spacious with generous room for shoulders and legs. Camry's cabin is a more efficient design and shows improvements in styling and the tone of materials, with more comfortable seats in place and more useful instruments and controls plus more standard equipment aboard. The conventional layout includes a pair of buckets up front flanking a center console which holds the transmission shift lever, with the rear bench built for three but scooped for two. A flat floor also improves legroom for backseat riders. All trim grades now provide a standard 60/40 split folding rear seatback to expand cargo capacity. Seatback sections may be lowered by a remote release in the trunk. Elaborate safety systems, either passive or active, show up in the 2012 Camry. The cabin is surrounded by hidden air bags -- up-front inflators for front seats plus seat-mounted side air bags and two more to shield the knees of driver and passanger, then new standard seat-mounted side air bags on rear seats and curtain-style air bags tucked in headliners above side windows front and back. On tap to help stop the vehicle are four disc brakes tied to the anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). Additional electronic vehicle controls include vehicle stability control (VSC), which corrects lateral skidding, plus traction control (TRAC) to check wheel spin and a brake assist (BA) system to add maximum braking pressure during an emergency stop. Powertrain choices apply to the 2012 Camry, which trims out in L, LE, SE and XLE editions. The standard powertrain is a 2.5-liter in-line-four engine with dual overhead cams (DOHC), Toyota direct ignition (TDI) and Toyota's intelligent variable valve timing (VVT-i). It produces 178 hp at 6000 rpm plus 170 lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm. The four-pack plant qualifies for Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV-II) status and delivers fuel economy numbers as high as 35 mpg. The transmission is a six-speed automatic with intelligent shift control and sequential shifting -- pull the console-mounted shift lever to the left, then tip it forward to move up the gear ladder one step at a time, or click it backward to shift down that ladder. A 3.5-liter V6 -- Toyota's 2GR-FE engine -- becomes the optional power upgrade for Camry's two top trim tiers. The V6 employs chain-driven dual camshafts with dual VVT-i controls. As a result, it romps with 268 hp at 6200 rpm and the torque pushing to 248 lb-ft at 4700 rpm. Entry issue Camry L stocks plenty of gear, but top trims load up the luxe like a dual-zone automatic climate system, leather-trimmed seats and heated front seats. Price points for the 2012 Camry undercut 2011 models, beginning at $21,995 for entry L edition and reaching to $29,845 for the XLE V6.

2012 Ford Taurus SHO

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:50:50 PST

JEROME, Ariz. -- Zipping along route 89A, a cliff-hugging highway carved into the Weaver Mountains of Arizona, Ford's powerful Taurus SHO sedan charts a no-skid track around every hard corner. All four of the low-profile 255/45R19 BSW tires stick to the blacktop like a wildcat scatting zigzag across carpet because all of the engine's considerable torque automatically splits between the front and rear wheels -- up to 100 percent in either direction -- to keep all tires planted on the pavement. Then too there's that lead-foot power surge of a muscle car that comes with Taurus SHO. It incorporates a unique direct-injection and twin-turbocharged V6 engine plus tightly-tuned suspension and steering systems in the package of a mid-size model but the cabin of a big car with high-riding seats for five and a load of luxury gear. The twin-turbo V6 -- promising the fuel economy of a V6 but pumping the power and torque of a big V8 -- is labeled by Ford as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. The twin-cam aluminum twin-turbo engine with direct-injection and VVT (variable valve timing) delivers 365 hp at 5500 rpm and torque of 350 lb-ft spread over a broad band from 1500 rpm to 5250 rpm. For those who count, the power numbers work out to 104 horsepower per liter. The twin-turbo-six ties to a six-speed electronic automatic SelectShift transaxle with steering-wheel paddle shifters and standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction. EPA fuel economy estimates for the EcoBoost V6 come in at 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. And when you plant your foot hard on the go-pedal, this sleek machine rips from zero to 60 mph in less than six seconds, then acts like it's about to soar off the road. That's quite a kick for a plush luxury sedan stuffed with high-tech controls and fancy cabin appointments. Taurus SHO comes with an electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system and a sport-tuned suspension with shocks, springs, stabilizer bars and strut mount bushings specifically developed and tuned to deliver a high level of road-sticking cornering agility. It also carries Ford's multilink SR1 rear suspension setup so named for the 1:1 shocks ratio. The SR1 rear suspension geometry allows increased vertical travel of wheels and accommodates 19-inch and 20-inch wheels/tires. Then the optional SHO Performance Package installs upgraded brake pads, recalibrated steering numbers, a shorter final drive ratio for quicker accelerations, and 20-inch premium painted wheels capped by Goodyear Eagle F1 summer performance tires. Ford's muscular sedan looks classy in a bold design for the body with arching silhouette and taut character lines cut into flanks between bulging wheel arches -- note the powerdome hood and flashy three-bar grille forward of articulated front fenders, or that decklid spoiler flying off the tail. The spec sheet for Taurus SHO '12 lists a load of active and passive safety equipment. Passive devices include smart dual-stage frontal air bags for front riders, plus seat-mounted side air bags up front and curtain-style side air bags front and rear. Active safety systems range from four-wheel disc brakes tied to an anti-lock brake system (ABS), traction control system (TCS) and AdvanceTrac electronic anti-skid mechanism. The passenger compartment of Taurus SHO was designed around body sizes of intended occupants, with more than adequate room for long legs and broad shoulders. Cabin layout pitches a pair of bucket seats up front divided by a multi-function console and followed by a rear bench for three with seatback split 60/40 in sections. Twin front buckets with firm side bolsters -- clad in fine leather with faux-suede inserts -- adjust 10 ways via power controls. The steering wheel is wrapped in perforated leather and accelerator and brake pedals show aluminum trim. The instrument panel houses round analog gauges ringed by thin beads of chrome. Cool ideas make it nice in the SHO cabin: * Intelligent Access with Push Button Start -- a driver totes a keyless fob, taps a touch pad on the door pillar to enter, then cranks the engine from a push-button starter. * Adaptive Cruise Control -- a radar-based system capable of maintaining a precise distance between the Taurus SHO front bumper and the back bumper of a vehicle ahead. * Rearview Camera -- for keeping an eye on the vehicle's rearward path. * Voice-activated navigation system -- tied to Sirius Travel Link and HD Radio. * Ford Sync -- voice-activated control over in-car phones, media players and USB storage devices. Optional gear includes a pre-collision warning system and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert via icons in side mirrors to warn of approaching cars or pedestrians when backing up. Ford sets the MSRP for Taurus SHO 2012 at $38,160.

2012 BMW 6-Series

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:20:44 PST

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Meandering along Sunset Boulevard through Beverly Hills, swank California home to movie stars and media moguls, we're ensconced in a GT-style machine that presents a tightly sculpted body and muscular fender bulges rippling around enormous low-profile tires with a sensuous arch of a roof drawn over the cockpit. And beneath the exaggerated prow there's a powerful engine primed with enough horsepower to spin those rear rollers till the rubber rubs off. Folks in Germany at Bayerische Motoren Werke -- that's BMW to you and me -- classify the new product with an alphanumeric label as the 650i. We slot it into the prestige luxury sports segment, one of those beautiful but rare supercars that seats only two plus maybe two more in the lap of luxury while fully capable of hurling all into warp-speed nirvana. Built upon a super rigid chassis with a stretched 112.4-inch wheelbase, the 2012 650i scores a big new twin-turbo-charged 4.4-liter V8 engine plus a truckload of sophisticated vehicle control hardware and it conforms to two styles as a hardtop coupe or fully-automated canvas-top convertible. A big and powerful GT -- two doors and four seats in 'gran turismo' fashion -- has been a favorite marque in decades past at BMW. There was the pricy 8-Series CSi super coupe appearing from 1989 to 1995 and the 6 Series CSi available in 1976 through 1989. The previous generation of 6 Series coupes and convertibles ran from 2004 to 2011. But BMW forges all-new 6 Series models for 2012. They measure longer and broader than previous versions, and body styling is even more streamlined. The 2012 BMW 6 Series models segment by two different engines which define trim levels (640i and 650i) and both are offered in coupe and convertible formats. Package styling begins up front with the distinctive signature of BMW's twin-kidney grille centered on the long prow in a simple design ringed in chrome with smooth body-colored bumpers below housing a gaping horizontal air intake and LED foglamps. Multi-lens headlamp clusters wrap around the front corners with xenon high intensity discharge lamps that operate with BMW's adaptive light control (ALC) system where a pair of unique swivel lamps -- keyed to the angle of the steering wheel -- rotate during turning maneuvers to keep a light shining on the vehicle's forward path. Flanks flare over the exaggerated wheelwells like muscular shoulders accentuating chiseled character lines while the radically raked windshield flows into the arching roofline above blacked-out pillars that blend with tinted glass in rear side windows to emphasize the sleek style of a sporty coupe. Tail treatment is simple with new LED taillight clusters and the hint of power from twin pipes set low and tipped in chrome. The body consists of a combination of materials -- aluminum and steel plus lightweight composites. Also light in weight is the front-end structure, as it's composed of aluminum with suspension equipment also cast from aluminum, which pares the overall unsprung mass. The suspension, coupled to big wheels and speed-rated tires, enable the pavement-hugging BMW to romp in an agile manner across a winding road as rack and pinion steering gears with Servotronic vehicle-speed-sensitive power assistance carves out the curves in effortless fashion. Another high-tech suspension element -- the optional active roll stabilization (ARS) -- works aggressively yet transparently to reduce body roll when the car rips around those corners. Brakes amount to a key factor for control, and the 6 Series coupe and convertible use ventilated discs linked to aluminum calipers. Everything's tied to electronic controls, with brake proportioning and dynamic control, anti-lock action and a stability control system to stem skidding and slipping. Turbo-charged engines motivated 6 Series cars. The 640i employs a 3.0-liter in-line-six turbo-charged plant with dual overhead cams (DOHC) and variable valve timing (VVT). It develops 315 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The 650i stocks the new DOHC 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with direct injection and VVT. This muscle plant pumps out 400 hp at 5500 rpm plus torque climbing to 450 lb-ft. For fans of automatic transmissions, BMW offers an electronic automatic with eight forward gears and Steptronic mode for clutch-less manual shifting. For sport drivers who prefer to do the shift work, there's a six-speed manual available on the V8. And for sure-grip tire traction at all posts, the 650i lists an optional electronically controlled all-wheel-drive (AWD) mechanism that BMW calls xDrive. Standard equipment on the 650i ranges from 19-inch alloy wheels and adaptive xenon headlights to LED foglights, power-folding mirrors, leather seat upholstery with 16-way power controls for front seats, twin-zone automatic climate system, cruise control, rearview camera, iDrive controller, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation system with voice controls and an audio kit with CD player and nine speakers. Premium prices go with premium cars: MSRP for the 640i is $73,600 (coupe) and $81,000 (convertible); the 650i tallies to $83,000 (coupe) and $91,375 (convertible).

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:27:58 PST

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Heat waves ripple off black asphalt in Pit Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway spread across swampy Florida marshes, where the high-revving engine of a sleek SLK350 two-seat sports car from Mercedes-Benz of Germany purrs at idle as a driver straps into the contoured driver's bucket for some hot laps on Homestead's spaghetti-wiggly 2.1825-mile infield road course. The new styling for this car looks hot too. It hunkers low on big alloy wheels capped by speed-rated 225/40R18 (front) and 245/35R18 (rear) low-profile tires below a sleek package that suggests swift movement even when parked in the pits. An aggressive prow on the SLK350 -- a design homage to the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar -- focuses on a large grille studded with the tri-star Mercedes emblem and flanked by a horizontal bar and optional adaptive bi-xenon headlamps posted on the front corners. Body lines are classic for a roadster with a long front hood that sweeps up the steep rake of a windscreen and over the two-seat cockpit to a brief boot in back. But there's more: Mercedes takes the concept of a breezy ragtop roadster one step beyond the expected by adding a hardtop that folds origami-fashion and tucks away in the trunk. The transformation from a weather-tight hardtop coupe to airy convertible is a high-tech mechanical operation accomplished in only 20 seconds. For the 2012 SLK350, Mercedes offers three versions of the folding hardtop roof: There's the conventional body-color roof panel, a panorama roof panel composed of tinted polycarbonate, or a new Magic Sky Control glass roof panel containing a film with chargeable particles which vary the tint from light to dark at the press of a button. The 2012 SLK350 represents a new generational design built on a new platform. The car measures 1.5 inches wider, 1.5 inches longer and 0.5 inches lower than last year's model. Independent suspension elements are tuned for tight control and sporty traits. Components include MacPherson struts up front with two-piece lower control arms and coil springs, while at the rear there's a multi-link arrangement with anti-lift and anti-squat geometry plus single-tube gas-pressurized shocks. Steering mechanism is a direct and responsive rack and pinion system. The SLK350 also stocks an array of computerized electronic hardware for vehicle control and safety. There are devices aboard to stabilize forward movement and tire traction, rollover sensors to gird for an impending accident, plus smart brakes with anti-lock (ABS) and brake assist (BAS) systems. With the electronic stability program (ESP), sensors measure wheel speed and lateral acceleration and can brake an individual wheel to correct potential skidding or spinning of the car.

2012 Lexus IS 350

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:57:58 PST

CALICO ROCK, Ark. -- So we're pointing toward the White River port town of Calico Rock on a curvy backroad course in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas while steering a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan from Lexus, elite up-shoot brand from Toyota of Japan. Our test car -- the Lexus IS 350 with F Sport trim -- looks like a high-strung rally car, oversized wheels pegged at the corners and a contoured body characterized by the low arching profile, flat side panels and a blunt prow and tail with scant overhangs. It behaves like a road-hugging German touring sedan, a taut suspension tuned to allow tires to dance around curvy mountain corners on the narrow and snaky Arkansas 5 as a powerful V6 engine pushes tall torque to the rear rollers. Unlike some Teutonic machines, however, the IS 350 also carries lavish appointments in a leather-lined cockpit with glossy hardwood or metallic accents. Then there's the high-tech angle with a stunning array of computerized controls. A key element is the VDIM -- Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management -- system. Tapping into a host of sensors -- tracking such vehicle functions as the angle of the steering wheel, the turn rate of each wheel, lateral motion of the car body, and pressure on brake and accelerator pedals -- the VDIM constantly analyzes all collected data and uses it to deploy various traction controllers and maintain stability. Acronyms in car safety include the anti-lock brake system (ABS), traction control (TRAC), vehicle stability control (VSC), brake assist (BA), plus electronic throttle control (ETC) and even a pre-collision system (PCS) to reduce collision damage. The VDIM coordinates the ABS and BA with VSC, TRAC and ETC systems -- it can actually anticipate a vehicle control problem and then go to work automatically to remedy the problem through brake and throttle restraints. In effect, VDIM enables the IS driver to perform at a level that's perhaps a step above innate skills -- you come off as an expert in car control even if you don't realize you are one. The IS series of compact-class sports sedans from Lexus traces to debut editions of 2001. Then in 2006 the series expanded for second-generation designs with three models powered by new V6 engines and six-speed automatic and manual transmissions, plus optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction. Revised body styling applied to 2011 issues and for 2012 the F Sport package works on RWD versions of the IS 250 and IS 350. The F Sport package -- inspired by the Lexus IS F ultra-performance sedan -- brings special suspension and steering tuning with alloy wheels finished in dark chrome. Also, the package attaches a front lip spoiler, rear deck spoiler and dark-chrome front grille insert. In the cockpit, the F Sport gains a sport steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats with microfiber insert and leather side bolsters, and F Sport badging on steering wheel, shift knob and doorsill scuff plates. The stiff platform underpinning the IS series has a wheelbase length of 107.5 inches with the width of the wheel track stretched to 60.4 inches. To this long and broad platform goes the front and rear suspension system. There are double wishbones up front with high-mount upper arms, coil springs, gas-filled shocks and stabilizer bar. The sophisticated rear multi-link arrangement also employs high-mount upper arms with coil springs, gas-filled shocks and a stabilizer bar. The electric power steering (EPS) system uses a quick-ratio rack and pinion setup with speed-sensing variable assistance. Brakes consist of vented front rotors (11.65-inch) and sold rear rotors (11.45-inch). Two V6 engines define the IS models. Standard plant is a direct-injection 2.5-liter V6 with dual overhead cams (DOHC) and Toyota's intelligent variable valve timing (VVT-i) plus dual exhaust. It generates 204 hp at 6400 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. The 2.5-liter V6 drops into the IS 250, with RWD and AWD traction options. IS 250 with RWD mode shows two six-speed transmission choices -- manual or automatic. The manual shifts smoothly and has a respectably short shift lever. The automatic puts shifter paddles on the steering wheel, which allow an aggressive driver to shift up and down sans clutch with only a flick of the finger and without removing hands from the wheel. A robust direct-injection 3.5-liter V6, also with VVT-i, links exclusively with the six-speed paddle-shifted automatic to define top models IS 350 RWD and IS 350 AWD. This plant hits 306 hp at 6400 rpm with torque of 277 lb-ft at 4800 rpm. MSRP numbers for the 2012 IS series start with the IS 250 manual transmission pegged at $33,595, or $34,765 for the paddle-shift automatic, and $37,225 for AWD traction. IS 350 RWD begins at $40,020, or $42,480 with AWD.

2012 Cadillac CTS sedan

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:38:55 PST

TALKING ROCK, Ga. -- We're scooting down narrow and winding Old Talking Rock Highway through the hills of Georgia while putting the pedal down on a new sports touring sedan that's well equipped for the task of tracking quickly but adeptly through so many curves. Our vehicle -- the 2012 CTS 3.6 Performance sedan by Cadillac cast with a new V6 engine pumping top-of-class power below a chiseled hood -- behaves itself superbly on this dicey road, rear wheels throwing torque muscle into each turn as the 245/45R19 Continental SportContact3 summer tires claw for traction. Tap flanking finger paddles posted behind the suede-wrapped steering wheel to play the upshift/downshift game when slicing apexes in the curvy stuff at a swift clip. Or put your foot into the pedal on the rare straightaway but hang on because this thing leaps to action. At its debut in 2003 the car made history as the first rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle in Cadillac's fleet since 1979 and the first to offer a manual transmission for a RWD Caddy in half a century. In 2008 a make-over for Generation 2.0 of CTS brought fresh package styling and a wheel track two inches wider with traction in conventional RWD or on-demand all-wheel-drive (AWD) and two powertrain choices. For 2012, a lighter and more powerful V6 applies to the top two trims of CTS and all editions wear a new shield-shaped front grille bearing Cadillac's Wreath&Crest emblem. The new engine is an aluminum 3.6-liter V6 rigged with dual overhead cams, direct injection technology and VVT (variable valve timing). With direct injection, the fuel goes directly into the engine's combustion chamber and fosters a thorough burn of the mix of air and fuel. The V6 produces 318 hp at 6800 rpm, with torque peaking to 275 lb-ft at 4900 rpm. The standard transmission is a smooth-to-shift electronically controlled six-speed automatic, GM's Hydra-Matic 6L50, with optional paddles on the steering wheel for driver shift control. Traction choices include standard RWD or on-demand all-wheel-drive (AWD). Base powertrain is a 3.0-liter aluminum-block V6 also with twin cams, direct injection and VVT. This plant generates 270 hp at 7000 rpm with the torque pushed to 223 lb-ft at 5700 rpm. Standard transmission for the 3.0-liter plant is GM's Hydra-Matic 6L45 electronically controlled six-speed automatic. Optional for the RWD version is a six-speed manual gearbox made by Aisin, the AY6. The base 3.0-liter V6 also works in RWD or optional AWD traction modes. Four-wheel disc brakes score big high-performance aluminum brake calipers and link electronically to an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and traction control system (TCS) plus GM's StabiliTrak skid controls. All versions stock an independent short/long arm front suspension system with lightweight aluminum upper and lower control arms and knuckles. The multi-link arrangement in the rear mounts on a fully isolated subframe. Three levels of suspension tuning include standard FE1, FE2 sport tuning for the 3.6-liter engine and a RWD-exclusive FE3 sport suspension with 19-inch summer tires, also for the 3.6-liter V6. Package styling of the 2012 CTS sedan brings bold and sharp lines with unique forms marked by angular shapes and knife-edge sharp edges. The aggressive face features a prominent horizontal louver panel in modern interpretation of the Cadillac classic egg-crate grille, and piercing optics with stacked round high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon lamps that swivel in concert with the vehicle's front wheels. Flanks are sheer below edgy shoulders and interrupted only by fenders flaring around big wheelwells. The wheels stand near front and rear corners, leaving curt overhangs at the prow and tail. The roofline remains low, canting in front in line with the windshield and canting in back in opposing lines with blacked-out center pillars to simulate a stretched trapezoidal streak of tinted window glass. Tail treatment for CTS shows a slick slab bumper in monochrome flanked by tall vertical taillamps, a Cadillac hallmark, with round pipes in chrome protruding below the bumper. Inside a spacious cabin with seats for five, the exterior theme of chiseled forms and angular features is expressed in a monochromatic treatment with hand-cut, hand-sewn and hand-wrapped surfaces. Vivid analog instruments are housed in three tubular binnacles and the dashboard center stack of controls is trimmed in a high-tech satin metallic finish or genuine Sapele Pommele wood. The 2012 CTS trim variations are 3.0 Base, 3.0 Luxury, 3.6 Performance and 3.6 Premium. Cadillac posts 2012 MSRP points starting at $35,920 for the CTS 3.0 Base. The CTS 3.0 Luxury lists for $39,060, while a CTS 3.6 Performance tallies to $42,280 and top model CTS 3.6 Premium runs to $48,280.