Ferrari 430 Scuderia - Car News

A quicker, lighter F430 to tide us over until the next gen.
BY JAKE HOLMES

It’s no secret that we like Ferrari’s F430—in three comparos, it has won three times—so when Ferrari confirmed a newer, lighter version, we got very excited, indeed, as this is in fact the replacement for what we thought would be called the Challenge Stradale. As we cool our heels awaiting the eventual F430 replacement, a lightweight F430 sounds just fine.

The 430 Scuderia takes all the best parts of a regular F430—the screaming 4.3-liter V-8, upped 20 horsepower to 503, a quick-shifting sequential-manual, and carbon-ceramic brakes—and subtracts 220 pounds. We’re not exactly sure how Ferrari cut the weight, but we assume it involves lots of carbon fiber.

At an expected 3100 pounds, this lightweight version of the already-fast car will carry just 6.2 pounds per prancing pony, and that’ll make for a seriously quick ride. By comparison, a stock F430 weighs in at 6.9 pounds per horsepower and an Enzo has just 5.0 lb/hp. It also appears to be Ferrari's response to Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera, which also dropped weight to gain track supremacy.

But wait! Ferrari has more tricks in its scuderia (or stable, for you Anglophones). With a software update called “F1 Superfast,” the six-speed sequential manual can knock off gearchanges in 60 milliseconds. And the F430’s electronic rear differential has been coupled with the F1-Trac stability system for goof-proof handling.

Ferrari says the car shows how the automaker’s Formula 1 racing expertise can be applied to road cars. To make sure we get the connection, Michael Schumacher is set to unveil the Scuderia at the Frankfurt auto show in September.












2008 Porsche 911 GT2 - Car News

Torrid sounds too tame.

If you’re a 911 cultist concerned that the iconic Porsche may be marginalized as the company seeks to broaden its market with SUVs and—gasp!—sedans, fear not: Stuttgart’s rear-engined rocket is far from finished.


The proof of this assertion will be revealed at September’s Frankfurt motor show, when Porsche unveils the latest 911 GT2, a muscle-bound brute that makes the potent 911 Turbo seem demure by comparison.

Intercooled and force-fed by a pair of variable turbine turbochargers, the GT2’s twin-cam, 24-valve, 3.6-liter flat-six whomps up 530 horsepower at 6500 rpm—50 more than the 911 Turbo—and 502 pound-feet of torque across a plateau that ranges from 2200 to 4500 rpm.

The keys to the power increase are bigger turbos, higher boost, and a new expansion-type intake manifold that uses oscillating air to help keep the fuel-air mix cooler than in the 911 Turbo.

The rear-drive GT2 will come only with a six-speed manual, and Porsche claims a 3175-pound curb weight—339 pounds lighter than the all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo we tested in the Sports Car World Cup—so we expect blistering acceleration.

Porsche forecasts a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.7 seconds. Since our “World Cup” 911 Turbo sprinted to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, we look for the GT2 to be a touch quicker, although the Turbo’s all-wheel drive provides a definite traction advantage.

More significant, Porsche predicts a top speed of 204 mph, 11 mph faster than the 911 Turbo, just 1 mph slower than the limited-production Carrera GT, and the first regular-production 911 capable of exceeding 200 mph.

Other nifty weight-saving touches: The muffler and the tailpipes are titanium, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are standard equipment.

Lightweight will not apply to the GT2’s pricing. When the car rolls into German showrooms in November, its pretax price will be €159,100, or $219,272. How much will a U.S. edition cost? We can only guess, but $1000 for each mph of top speed capability is probably a good starting point.


2007 Lamborghini Murci้lago LP640 - Previews

We test-drive Lamborghini’s new $320,000 superญwedge, and a while later, one of their guys crash-tests it.
BY AARON ROBINSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VALENTE

Lamborghini’s smiling senior test driver Valentino Balboni celebrates his 38th anniversary with the company the day before our arrival at the factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese on a quiet Saturday when the air is still, the traffic relatively light, and northern Italy seems to be down for a nap.

Soon we are driving the 632-hp Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 behind Balboni, who is in his green Audi A4 diesel, and we can’t keep up. That’s because the narrow farm roads around the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata, Italy, have three lanes, two visible ones for routine traffic and one invisible lane just for Balboni. He darts into it frequently to pick off slowpokes, the obliging Fiats moving to the right with barely a flashed headlight of complaint. The 81.0-inch-wide LP640, in our abnormally cautious hands, snorts and burbles and falls steadily behind.

When the road clears, the new Murciélago, expected in U.S. showrooms by about the time you read this, at an estimated base price of $320,000, slips its leash with a mighty wail from its goggling mono-pipe. The road stripes blur as usual in a Lamborghini, but the vibe is different. The sluggish preamble, the trawling through lower, lesser-energized revs before the megaton explosion that was noted in our previous Murciélago test [C/D, July 2003], is gone.

The windup to warp speed happens in one long, startlingly smooth blast of intoxicating bull power. Better still, the clutch engages with a light pedal and facile fluidity, the bulky all-wheel-drive powertrain as tractable and complacent as a Honda’s from stoplight to stoplight. The LP640 is still a supercar by an older definition, meaning that it pushes and pogos and feels generally gargantuan. But the Murciélago now serves horsepower every bit as civilized as that from its nearby competitors at Il Cavallino Modenese.

What happened was an engine redesign. The 572-hp, 6.2-liter dry-sump V-12 became a 6.5, going up a millimeter in bore size and 2.2mm in stroke. Everything from the crank mains up was redesigned to extract more power, flatten the delivery of the 487 pound-feet of torque, and improve emissions, starting with reshaped combustion chambers in new cylinder heads. Variable-valve-timing mechanisms on both sets of cams are now rotary-type with infinite variability; before, it was a two-step system. The multichamber intake plenum changed from a crossflow to a vertical downdraft, the air ramming through oval tubes straight into larger valves.

Lamborghini, which proudly makes its own engine computers, completely rewrote the software (no doubt with some input from parent company Audi) to accommodate the new hardware. The engineers say they also cut 60 pounds out of the engine compartment.

You’ll know the LP640 by its larger oil-cooler scoop — there are almost 13 quarts on tap — on the driver’s-side rocker panel. A chin spoiler, a rear aerodynamic undertray, and a see-through engine cover are other cues to the LP640’s newness, as are redesigned taillamps and bumpers. Inside, the leather is crisscrossed by a modish diamond-pleat stitch pattern, and the dull instrument cluster finally gets — ta-dum! — a Lamborghini logo. In a few more years it may get chrome rings, too.

Ironically, for a car built in Italy, the Murciélago seems less suited to pinched Italian roads than any vehicle made — except for maybe Jay Leno’s tank rod. It’s a daunting challenge to make it look fast in pictures, so we asked Balboni, a man with more miles in Lambor­ghinis than anyone else alive, to steer for a few cornering shots. On the second run, the LP640 abruptly lost its footing in some sand, spun backward, and clonked a sign post. We stared, too shocked to speak, weep, or laugh at our rotten karma. Balboni got out and studied the mildly dimpled bumper and cracked taillight with an embarrassed frown. “Game over,” he said.

Even after 38 years, Balboni’s game, like Lamborghini’s, seems far from over.

Vehicle type: mid-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
Estimated base price: $320,000
Engine type: DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 396 cu in, 6496cc
Power (SAE net): 632 bhp @ 8000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 487 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm

Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 6-speed manual with automated shifting and clutch
Wheelbase: 104.9 in
Length/width/height: 181.5/81.0/44.7 in
Curb weight: 3850 lb

Performance ratings (mfr’s est):
Zero to 62 mph: 3.4 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 211 mph

Projected fuel economy (C/D est):
EPA city driving: 9 mpg
EPA highway driving: 13 mpg

2008 Lexus LX570 - Auto Shows

After nearly a decade of service, the mongo Lexus luxury-ute finally gets a makeover.
BY JARED GALL

Toyota’s colossal Land Cruiser and Lexus’s luxury spin-off, the LX470, have outlived some of their smaller stablemates by two lifecycles. In New York, Lexus finally shows the replacement for its aging ute, the LX570 which goes on sale in early 2008.

As the name implies, the old 4.7-liter, 268-hp V-8 has been replaced by the new 5.7-liter iForce mill from the Tundra pickup, which shames its predecessor with an impressive 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. This engine manages to whip the Tundra to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds, a feat that the LX should come awfully close to matching. Of course, the downside is conspicuous consumption—figure fuel “economy” numbers in the low teens around town. The six-speed slushbox from the Tundra replaces the five-speed in the old truck. Towing capacity is up 2000 pounds to 8500.

The skin of the LX470 was as much in need of an update as the engine compartment, and that hasn’t been overlooked. But, we're not exactly smitten with the LX570's new sheetmetal, which makes it looks somewhat like a bloated Toyota Highlander. The trapezoidal grille remains as upright as ever, but the odd dual-headlights are gone, replaced by more graceful lamps better matching the rest of the Lexus lineup. In the lower half of the front valance, the hard corners of the fog-light housings and the lower air intake have been rounded and smoothed for a more contemporary look. Gone, too, is the awkward lower-body cladding with its clumsy running boards, replaced by cleaner sheetmetal and gracefully integrated steps. At this stage, Lexus appears unprepared to match Cadillac’s offering of 22-inch wheels on the Escalade, venturing only as high as 20 inches.

Likewise, the interior of the LX570 has been updated to bring it into harmony with other Lexus interiors. The gauge cluster gets updated with a small, rectangular information display in the center and a small gauge on each corner. Flanking the center cluster are a large, round speedo and a tach. The button-intensive center stack is coated in silver plastic like other Lexii, and the transfer case shifter has finally become a button, following suit long after much elegant vehicles gave up on the baseball bat.Underneath, the LX570 rides on a new global body-on-frame platform that will also underpin the upcoming Toyota Land Cruiser and, Lexus claims, shares nothing with the Tundra. It has the same 112.2-inch wheelbase as its predcessor, but the eight possible occupants will be thankful that its four inches longer and an inch wider on the inside.

The suspension is a new cross-linked electro-hydraulic setup that drops the truck two inches for entry and exit. At highway speeds, it lowers the LX by an inch in front and a half-inch in rear for better aerodynamics. Lexus claims that this new suspension reduces body roll by a much-needed 30 percent in the LX570.

Four-zone climate control will allow both front occupants and the outboard second-row passengers to choose their own temperature. Optional fineries include keyless entry and ignition, power-folding second- and third-row seats, a “cool box” center console for chilling beverages (although we don’t yet know if it will be refrigerated as Land Rover’s is), XM radio with real-time traffic information, a nine-inch rear screen for watching DVDs, and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson stereo. There's also a blindspot warning system that uses cameras in the grille and under the side mirrors.

Lexus always focused more on off-road capability with the LX470 than it seemed it should. The new LX570 is no different, with a Range Rover like arsenal of off-road adaptivity programming including height-adjustable suspension, Multi-Terrain ABS said to reduce stopping distances on sand and gravel, and “Crawl Control,” which numbs the throttle sensitivity for better modulation during the precarious off-road maneuvering no Lexus will ever be subjected to, no matter how well equipped.

Koenigsegg CCGT and CCXR - Auto Shows

More than 1000 horsepower on E85? This is getting ridiculous.
BY STEVE SILER

Koenigsegg, perhaps the quintessential boutique supercar maker, is at it again with two road rockets making their debut in Geneva. The first is the CCGT, based on the 806-hp CCX but—get this—detuned to comply with GT1 racing regulations. The V-8 engine was bored out to 5.0 liters from the CCX’s 4.7 but lost the superchargers, resulting in “just” 600 horsepower. However, weight was reduced to a supermodel-skinny 2200 pounds, which should leave the CCGT plenty fast, thank you.

The other sweet Swede on the Koenigsegg stand would make anyone want to, as GM might say, “go yellow.” The Koenigsegg CCXR is basically a CCX engineered to burn E85 ethanol. And whereas a supercar that burns corn oil might seem ridiculous, consider the outcome of Koenigsegg’s efforts: 1018 horsepower at 7200 rpm and 780 pound-feet of torque at 6100 rpm. This is due to the fact that biofuel has a higher octane and different cooling characteristics, according to Koenigsegg, which claims that even its own engineers were surprised with such results. Not that owners would care, but fuel economy—typically 30 percent worse when running E85—will certainly never exceed the single digits.

Otherwise, the CCXR is pretty much identical to the CCX, which is certainly no toad from a looks standpoint. Indeed, it’s bound to be the only E85-burning vehicle of any genre or vintage to make it onto the bedroom walls of teenagers around the world.

What’s wrong? You already have a CCX and want the extra potency of the CCXR? Not to worry, you can bring yours into the shop (in Sweden) for a factory conversion.

Opel GTC Concept - Auto Shows

A toothy Geneva concept lays the groundwork for Opels and Saturns of the future.
BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VALENTE

Saturn showrooms have been looking much better these days, thanks to GM’s European Opel brand, whose cars have been showing up on our shores badged as Saturns. The Saturn Sky is an Opel GT, the Saturn Astra is an Opel Astra, and the Saturn Aura is blessed with some underpinnings and styling inspiration from the Opel Vectra. But as innovative and edgy as Opel styling is for Saturn, in Europe, this look is old hat.

Enter the GTC, a concept that previews the look of the next round of Opels, the Vectra in particular. Judging from the low-slung two-plus-two, we feel future Opels will have a stronger, more upright nose, with a smiling pentagonal grille like those found on new Mazdas. A pair of fang-like vertical intakes flanking the grille feed air to the concept’s 295-hp turbocharged V-6, but they would look overly aggressive on a roadgoing sedan, like a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on a nun. Ditto the muscular fender bulges and pinched greenhouse. Likely, the intakes are there to emphasize the new nose styling, which sets the grille forward of the headlights on a prominent beak that emerges from the hood’s raised center section, similar to the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu.

The coupe concept’s sweeping fastback roofline suggests the next Vectra will get a more aggressive greenhouse and a bobbed trunk. The thick C-pillar and notched rear window mean that plenty of trunk space will remain behind the back seats. Angular, oversized taillamps are a virtual carry-over from the current Vectra and Saturn Aura, and the trunklid retains Opel’s signature vertical crease. Massive stylized exhaust tips integrated into the bumper will give way to more demure tailpipes on production cars. Matte-metallic paint—a theme at the Geneva show this year—likely won’t reach showrooms anytime soon, as it can’t be washed without looking cloudy.

Stretch this concept a few inches, shorten the door to make room for another door aft, squint, and you’ll be looking at the next-generation Opel Vectra, which we expect will debut within a year. Given that the Saturn Aura is new for 2007, styling cues from this concept likely won’t appear in Saturn showrooms until 2010.



Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 2008 – Official Photos & Info

Mercedes-Benz debuts its glamorous half-million-dollar SLR McLaren roadster in our inboxes.
BY STEVE SILER AND JARED GALL

Usually, automakers debut important or exciting new cars at a major auto show, all the better to drum up consumer interest, my dear. We expected the same to be true of Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming SLR McLaren roadster.

’Twas not to be, however. Just as the day was winding down and we were rinsing our coffee mugs after another productive day, Outlook perked up with this little tidbit: the first official photos and information on the SLR McLaren roadster.

When we were all partying like it was 1999 (because it was), Mercedes-Benz teased us with not one, but two mouth-watering Vision SLR supercar concepts. One had a roof, the other was a convertible. The Vision SLR coupe eventually became the stupidly fast and stratospherically priced SLR McLaren coupe, which Mercedes-Benz builds with racing partner McLaren Cars.

Now, four years into its product cycle, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are finally giving their SLR coupe a droptop playmate, to be called the SLR McLaren roadster, and slated for sale this fall.

The just-revealed roadster, built at McLaren’s Formula 1 factory in Woking, England, will spawn one of only a handful of droptops ever to break the 200-mph barrier. It could prove to be the fastest open-topped automobile ever sold in this country by a major manufacturer when it appears on our shores as a 2008 model.

The SLR roadster will be pretty much identical to the current SLR McLaren coupe in terms of its lovely long-nose proportions and front and rear styling. It will also share the hardtop’s carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, carbon-fiber body panels, and cool butterfly doors. A semiautomatic fabric top (opens in fewer than 10 seconds), as opposed to a heavier retractable hardtop, will be fitted in the interest of cost saving.

Good thing, because we figure a premium of about 10 percent over the coupe’s $455,750 starting price. Although we can swing $499,000, once we crest that half-million mark, the missis is going to start nagging about dipping into the kids’ college fund.

Expect little or no diminution of performance from the 617-hp, 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 with 575 pound-feet of torque that powers the SLR hardtop. Mercedes is claiming a 0-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph for the roadster, with an AMG Speedshift R five-speed automatic transmission.

The carmaker also promises the ability to converse at speeds above 120 mph with the top down, courtesy of its “aeroacoustics.” We imagine such conversations starting with “yeah, baby” and ending with “hope that wasn’t a speed trap.”

As appropriate as it would be to offer the roadster in the intensified 641-hp “722” guise—considering the original 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR racer that Stirling Moss drove to victory in the Mille Miglia three consecutive years was actually a roadster—Mercedes disclosed no such plans.

TechArt GTstreet - Auto Shows

Faster. Meaner. Oranger.
BY STEVE SILER

When too fast still isn’t fast enough, who you gonna call? We suggest the torrid tuners at Germany’s TechArt, whose stand at the 2007 Geneva motor show includes its brand-new TechArt GTstreet. Based on the already screaming-fast 997-series 911 Turbo, this sequel to the 2001 TechArt GTstreet (which was based on the similarly screaming-fast 996 911 Turbo) offers similar modifications to amp up the scream factor even higher than can be mustered by the base Turbo’s meager 480-hp flat-six. Specifically, the twin-turbo 3.6-liter engine has been injected with an additional 150 horsepower (!) for a total of 630 at 6800 rpm, and torque rises in similar measure to 605 pound-feet at 4500 rpm, from the standard Turbo’s 505 (with overboost).


As such, TechArt claims the GTstreet should hit 62 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds (a modest claim, considering we’ve done 60 mph in 3.4 seconds in a standard 911 Turbo) and 124 mph in just 10.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 214 mph. And it sure looks fast, too, with sexy black wheels, a lowered suspension, and a more aggressive body with contours honed in a wind tunnel, offering what TechArt calls “an optimal symbiosis of aerodynamic downforce, minimized drag, and striking design.” And lots of orange paint.








Maserati GranTurismo 2007

This sexy coupe promises to banish the banality of the car it replaces.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VALENTE

The Swiss love exotic cars, so it’s hardly a surprise to see Maserati’s most important product introduction of the year come to light at the Geneva auto show. Behold the Maserati GranTurismo coupe, penned by Ferrari’s favorite designer, Pininfarina. Recall that the previous Maserati coupe was a Giugiaro design. Built on a short-wheelbase version of the Quattroporte platform, the coupe carries on with a Ferrari-derived 4.2-liter DOHC V-8 upgraded to produce 405 horsepower.

That’s nine more horses than the previous GranSport coupe could boast and 11 more than the Quattroporte. The only transmission, at least initially, will be the six-speed automatic recently introduced on the Quattroporte, and there are no plans for a convertible in the near future. We estimate the new coupe will wear a $100,000-to-$120,000 price tag when it goes on sale this summer.













BMW M5 Touring 2008

Sorry, kids! BMW keeps its hottest wagon ever from crossing the pond.
BY STEVE SILER

BMW has once again expanded its M5 lineup to include a sizzling wagon version—called the Touring, of course, in BMW’s language. Like the M5 sedan, the M5 station wagon is powered—abundantly—by BMW’s glorious race-bred V-10, which sends no fewer than 500 horses and 383 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via the controversial seven-speed sequential manual gearbox. Zero to 60 mph takes a tick or two longer than in the sedan, about 4.5 seconds, but still damn scant in wagon terms. Styling tweaks mirror those of the sedan’s, including the deeply sculpted air dam, side vents and skirts, and a rear valance panel with quad exhaust tips. Shaving the roof of its luggage rails makes the M5 Touring particularly sexy, as does the installation of the M6’s lightweight five-spoke wheels and razor-thin tires.

Here’s the bad news: As with every one of its M-powered Touring predecessors (the last of which was based on the E34 M5 from the early 1990s), the E60 M5 Touring will not be sold on U.S. shores due to lack of anticipated interest from anyone but us car freaks and the occasional wit who loves the deliciously sick joke of a 500-hp station wagon. This leaves DaimlerChrysler’s 425-hp Dodge Magnum SRT8 as well as its 507-hp Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon as the undisputed kings of the car pool. In Europe, however, the M5 Touring faces not only the Benz but also the upcoming 435-hp Audi S6 Avant, another car we’re unlikely to get in the U.S.

Toyota Blade 2009 - Car News

The Matrix replacement should get more power and a sharper name.
BY DAVE VANDERWERP

Rumor has it that when Toyota replaces the aging five-door Matrix hatchback in the spring of 2008, the Corolla-based vehicle will take on its Japanese-market name, the Blade.

The Blade currently sold in Japan is powered by a 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, the same power source as in numerous Toyota products, including the Camry. That would be a useful improvement over the Matrix’s current 126-hp, 1.8-liter four. All-wheel drive is optional, as it was on the Matrix until 2007, when it was dropped along with the more-powerful, high-revving 164-hp, 1.8-liter engine choice.

However, the Blade will get unique sheetmetal for the U.S. that will be substantially different from the Japanese-market Blade shown here. The Matrix never sold all that well in the U.S., and insiders say Toyota will be targeting the popular Mazda 3 with the Matrix’s replacement.

Toyota Highlander 2008

More power, plusher interior, and RAV4-like styling for Toyota’s mid-sizer.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY SEELHORST

While the domestic automakers scramble to put out their first crossover vehicles (unibody, ostensibly car-based SUVs), Toyota is preparing to launch the second generation of its Highlander crossover utility. The new Highlander will face far more competition than did its predecessor when it first went on sale in 2001. When the 2008 Highlander goes on sale in July, its rivals will include the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia, the Ford Edge, the Mazda CX-9, the Suzuki XL7, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz, as well as the long-in-tooth, but Car and Driver favorite, Honda Pilot.

Loosely based on the current Camry platform, the Highlander is four inches longer, three inches wider, and rides on a three inch longer wheelbase than the previous generation. As one would expect, there is commensurate increase in interior space. Second row occupants will find more legroom and adjustable captain’s chairs that recline and offer 4.7 inches of fore/aft travel. For those who want a second-row bench, the Highlander hides a center seat in a compartment between the front seats that provides room for three. Toyota doesn’t specifically mention an increase in third-row space, but we expect a more spacious third row; the previous Highlander had a small third row that was really only good for kids under 10. Front-row occupants are greeted by a particularly Lexus-like dashboard. Interior materials look first rate and more upmarket than before.

The sole powertrain in the ‘08 Highlander is a 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a five-speed automatic (the 155-horsepower four-cylinder model is dead). While the 3.5-liter has 55 more horses than the previous Highlander’s optional 3.3-liter V-6, the dimensional increases add a claimed 500 pounds to the new Highlander’s curb weight which we expect to be around 4500 pounds. Despite the increase in power and weight, Toyota promises that fuel economy will be nearly on par with the previous Highlander which was 19 city/25 highway for front-wheel drive models, 18/24 for all-wheel drive.

Three trim levels will be offered (Base, Sport, and Limited) and buyers will also be able to choose between front-drive or all-wheel drive. Sport and Limited models get a standard rear-view camera that does not require purchasing the optional navigation system. Major options include leather seats, heated seats, a touch-screen navigation system, an upgraded stereo, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, and a towing package that increases towing capacity to 5000 pounds.

Exterior styling is in the current Toyota SUV idiom—that is, it looks like a bloated RAV4. Toyota calls it “intelligence over toughness” which is just the sort of thing that people say right before they get punched. In the interest of safety, the hood and fenders are designed to accommodate pedestrian impacts, and the Highlander comes with seven airbags including a driver’s side knee airbag and curtain airbags for all three rows. Other safety equipment includes stability control, ABS, traction control, and brake assist that adds braking force in an emergency. No pricing information was announced, but we expect the 2008 Highlander to start at about $28,000.

Saturn Vue Red Line 2008

Saturn’s small sporty utility ditches the Honda engine for something from the corporate candy bin.
BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY SEELHORST

It was a dirty little secret that Saturn tried to hide, but the press just couldn’t let it go. The last generation Saturn Vue Red Line’s 250 hp came courtesy of a Honda V-6. Nothing quite like using your competitor as a supplier, eh?

For 2008, Saturn is rectifying that predicament by using the same DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 as is found in the Chevrolet Equinox Sport and Pontiac Torrent GXP as well as optional in lesser Vues. The Vue Red Line still makes 250 hp, but now it’s 250 hp with a clean conscience, and that should be good for a few tenths to sixty. The V-6 routes its power through a six-speed automatic with a manumatic function to either the front or all four wheels.

Of course, this largest canvas for the Red Line styling team must be exploited. The Vue’s tall doors and rising beltline already lend it a sporting appearance; with the roof rack gone and the trucklet squatting over 18-inch wheels on a lowered sport suspension, the Vue Red Line becomes a surprisingly attractive mini-SUV. The gaping air intake in the lower front fascia looks capable of inhaling a good-sized mutt, and the smaller intakes flanking it could suck up entire litters of Chihuahuas and dachshunds one at a time, although their size fits with the Vue’s high waistline.

Around back, the Vue Red Line gets unique, multi-element taillamps and a fascia with two chrome exhaust tips. Saturn makes a point of mentioning the spoiler on the Red Line, but it’s the same spoiler as the hybrid Green Line gets. Lowering drag aids both speed and fuel economy, right?

Whether you want speed (Red Line) or economy (Green Line) the price should be right around $25,000.

Volvo V70 2008

Volvo strays even farther from its boxy style with its next big wagon.
BY MIKE AUSTIN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VALENTE

Volvo chose the glamorous Geneva auto show to debut its new station wagon, but all is not irony: the totally redesigned Volvo V70 wagon looks like a spaceship compared to the boxy Volvos of the past. The taut, curved surfaces of the V70 are even a significant step forward from its predecessor, which redefined perceptions about Volvo style. The most noticeable feature of the V70 is the rear, where the taillights are partially incorporated into the tailgate. The vertical portion of the rear lights are lit with LEDs.

The only engine that will be offered in the U.S. market will be the 3.2-liter inline-six, making 235 horsepower. It’s the first six-cylinder for the V70, but the engine is also found in the XC90 sport utility and S80 sedan. The V70 is based on the S80, so we expect the wagon to share a number of chassis components and underpinnings with Volvo’s flagship sedan.

The interior is larger, and boasts new interior innovations like a pair of child boosters built into the 40/20/40 three-way folding rear seat. A power tailgate and sliding rear load floor will also be offered. As for safety, the V70 has more acronyms than a NASA project: SIPS (Side Impact Protection System); WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System); Extended IC (Inflatable Curtain); HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist); OBA (Optimized Hydraulic Brakes); RAB (Ready Alert Brakes); and FBS (Fading Brake Support). If that sounds like a lot of brakes, don’t worry, the V70 has four normal discs. All of the brake-related systems combine to provide more brake pressure during emergency stops, increase brake pressure with hydraulics when vacuum pressure is low, shorten brake response time, and use greater brake pressure to account for brake fade. In other words, the V70 will do everything it can to bring itself to a stop in an emergency, provided the driver actually hits the brake pedal. And, if the V70 doesn’t stop, there are plenty of airbags and crash structures to protect the occupants. Just like you’d expect from a Volvo, only now even better looking.

Nissan Pathfinder 2008

Nissan’s mid-size sport-utility gets a competitive V-8 to play with the class leaders.
BY JARED GALL

Nissan’s Pathfinder SUV plays in a segment where the domestic leaders—Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet Trailblazer—have had V-8 power for years. The Honda Pilot has never had a V-8, but Honda doesn’t seem to need one to sell a bunch of trucks.

For 2008, the Pathfinder will be joining the big guns of the segment with the 5.6-liter “Endurance” V-8 from the juggernaut Armada and Titan full-size trucks. Nissan hasn’t confirmed that the new engine will retain the exact output it has in the bigger trucks (317 hp, 385 lb-ft), but it should be a gain of roughly 50 hp and 100 lb-ft over the Pathfinder’s base V-6; more than enough to offset the additional weight it will plant on the Pathfinder’s front tires. The last V-6 Pathfinder we tested ran to sixty mph in 7.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.9 seconds at 87 mph. That means the V-8 Pathfinder should be capable of 0-60 in less than seven seconds, out-accelerating cars it has no business actually beating in drag races, and tearing over sand dune crests at deadly speeds.

To highlight the new engine, all 2008 Pathfinders get a very minor facelift. The center portion of the tripartite grille expands, pinching the sidepods a little tighter
against the headlights, and the faux skidplate on the truck’s chin is subtly restyled. Pathfinders with the base 4.0-liter, 266-hp V-6 will come standard with 17” wheels, while V-8 models will get 18s. No info on availability or pricing yet, but figure on seeing V-8 Pathfinders at your local dealer later this spring for around $30,000.


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