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Automobile Oct.2003

Automobile magazine

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Laith Alhaddad
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2K views126 pages

Automobile Oct.2003

Automobile magazine

Uploaded by

Laith Alhaddad
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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gcroBER 2003 ane Tee a Ma Nene) PNT ce ara xT Mazda Weicectel te Mitsubishi HOW DOES THE 3-VALVE TRITON INE MAKE MORE LOW-END TORQUE "THAN ANY OTHER IN ITS CLASS?" IT STARTS WITH THIS SPARK PLUG. It takes a special spark plug to helpaexgnklede the mostlow-end torque Mad The new Ford F150 happens to have — eight of them, and their proprietary construction ignites the fuel within the all-new 3-valve Triton® VS. The cleaner burn helps the new Triton® hit 80% of its peak output at‘Whly 1,000 RPMs - making it easier for you to pull heavy loadsifrom a dead Scop. Why do we build our new Triton® engine with a spark plug unlike any other? Because it wasn’t enough for you to have more low-end torque ~ we wanted you to have the most low-end torque. Call 1-800-301-7430 or go to fordvehicles.com and find out how this truck earned the right to be the next Ford F-150. Css fll pacups der 8, 09 GW, staring bd $4570) La Bie a tie Ren THE FULL-SIZE NISSAN TITAN EMCINE 5 GL DOHC VB TRANSMISSIONS SPEED AUTO TORQUE 375.1 B-FT @ 3200 RPM HP 300+@ 4900 RPM row Po500 LB MAX RELEASE DATE DECEMBER 2003 CC Cee en ee ate eco b oie ise Cel Coe Uo MPa sb Bau) AE a CCL ee ee eee riding visibility. The Na Peon el Caueat Aaa nee eae Co Me eee terer To ene eee ELC ed tot of tooo ere ee eats acer See ee ee er ee Cee te eee ee eee ee Be eee et ue eee eee Ser oe ene ce eee EASE Se A YT Pia ea lon Log Cheb tse onto 6 nn ry em re ct re tb a ene ch You didn’t think it got better than mile 8,453. Then mile 8,454 comes along. “The fon disoppears in escondk, With 258 ho mid-mounted flats, 30 do you. And your memories ofthe lst mie? istantiy ecinsed by the joy that lies ehead. The Boxster. ‘There's even ove fen waiting areund the naxt corner, Porsche. There‘ no subsite The Boxster S BORSCHE ‘Alitomobile 44 The $30,000 Personality Test BY MICHAEL JORBAK Thereisa sweet spot in the market for ‘sub-$30,000 sport scans, ar thece cars have real charac: We drive. ast and of them. 56 super Smart ‘by tone wACHER The riotous 1os-horsepower Smart-Srabus resdstar-eoupe biturbo V6 lust mint spearhead the bans sttackon the United States 58 Trucks Deluxe 15 AUTOMODILE MAGAZINE STAFF othe iondon on the ast new trucks and srt ues, which are beeing ver eve ods 64 Lighting Strikes Thrice 2 slide Rulers 72 7A ay Manx e1LLIES ‘A preview ofthe tke generation of Fords fastest pick, tho outrageous ‘SVT F150 Littsing. All-Natural SUVs By BRUCE MeCALL Environmental ‘iendly spot itiss eput atthe Lifemanship Global Serenity Expo ina Bravia rainforest MG Whiz ‘by noseRT cumacnroas (te ofthe standouts ofthe 1950s road ‘aieg score was Ken Miles MG R2, also krown a the Fiyina Shingle Not tony ist testament oles’. engineoFng Sas, butts 2 biast to drive [BY PRESTON LERNER Eig professionals and one ater tt ther metilen ou second anual Sideways Cilorge Wo cn side a Porsche 91 and 8 Dodge Viper ‘the farthest and tha widest? 90 The Chain Attraction Noted ‘Four Seasons tests The already desirable ‘Audi A430 is entareed by its ‘Muttironie conthwousty variable transmission, Which comes as standard upner oried reas Pre aay SS aA * \ » A AS Daven un NESS SAVOY * 2S SSS ee. a a 2 EEE a a ES - = a Oa os 98 ren ay 120 ose, Vibration 38 American Driver from around te wer &Harshness SAVIDE DAVIS, Je Baral, cheval! AMIE KITMAN Teeter Hal Seva Seraoio Th Foc ae passports to engan vs Tela cay Solr, thing of beat ete aaa {bale a Geri, Bere and Toyota Pris tb ookator ware clan Pemeram sentra ane t ener eet poe) emma ern) ener acremecioad Paes Perens a eed SURELY write 40 traffic citations every week. 4 Pt reward drivers who don't get one. DNR CNA Sac Pere eater ICE = Santen Pee Cah omer cram co WEIGHT IS THE ENEMY. Becouse every pound you sove improves performance in every el 4 dimension: Accelerotion. Broking. Hondling. Which is why the new Ore Sc RA Choe RENESIS engine is so revalUtionory. Ee Psa eh Ur oe eae ee Rrra Pe ed Ree eect Road & Track, Apri 2008). eee “ ee Ct ene eon] Perera ta oe aca cag distribution before ner _ een aoe ee | instead of two) and hondling and } Pare Cr ace encd : Ro Cae essed Scone ee ata PCR a mL ADMIRING HIS HANDIVIORK Autemotve cosign eitor Robart Cumborford! mest: theFiving Shinde forsee years aftr he oda hand in desing tn _rahnchi oven theurh be isl was only id when he worked Mark Lovell, a Real Driver | ally divers dont dic nowadays, do they? And why him?” Somused executive ecitor Mark Gillies when he learaed of the death of Subant Rally Teum USA driver Mark Lovell Lovell, who was forty-three, and his co-driver, [Roger Freeman, perished Guring July's Oregon, Trail SCCA Prokallyin Hillsboro, Oregcn. Lovells connection with Avrontonite Maca: ange began two yearsago, when he was Gillies Griving instructor in the Subaru Impreza WRC." He showed me the difference between areal driver and an amateur like me” Gillies reall, Hedescribes Loyllas “sof spoken and ‘ery gentlemanly with "a noel se-deprecat- ing sense of humor, the kind that only comes from having @ very settled sense of who you fre? Lact year, Lovell wae a raced ard game perticpant in this magazine’ first Sideways Challenge (the storyof this year’s event, “Slide Rulersis on page 82). Gillies says that Lovells death raises some questions about how the Sperts Car Club of rica rans is rallies. World Rally Cham- xn the st pionship events allow enews Feforehand in detuned cars and then writs up their pace notes ahead of time. (The FIA is norten the time avaiable, then which co-drvers are ster, Cunerford calle to cari See "Mis Whiz on page 73 [AFRIEND LOST Raly river Mark Lovell den. ‘eatin ly lors with eorver Roger Freeman. “reocies."instead giving crews prepared notes, ‘which, Gillis says, aren't necessarily relevant to the fastest ers. Lovell and Freeman were using these notes when they crashed. Tncideataly, Gilies adds, SCCA-sps have more power than those running in. the WRG, where they heve run the stages before- hand. Many people invoived in rallying say i swould be far safe to man WRC-spsc cars and dither allow ill pacenotsby decrews or se ‘old-fashioned tulip-ype books, which would Leep the sponds down. Windy Warren Keebler | Seer fee oe Peet ester feces) Cer reeoey Coed erent . SUBARU OUTBACK’ L.L.BEAN’ EDITION ‘an take you to the ends ofthe earth ts 6-cyinder, 212-horsepower engine Is ‘enough fo conquer most teirain. And with fazturos like OnStar; you're equipped | M=ie1=Ja\miun It just what you'd expect (rom two outdoor experts, 1-800-WANT-AWD. ‘DRIVEN BY WHAT'S INSIDE ‘subarucom BFGoodrich TAKE CONTROL news! Industry news updated daily @ EDITED BY JOE DEMATIO The Fifth Dimension Volkswagen's fifth-generation Golf finally breaks cover, but Americans will have to be patient. Ee? [sitcoms ae i theca it Sat sir a inexop is ett Gate das eo 9H petit ks ery mee = Paar near a eee aera tron Tigh’ aes hoi tore-snaincin more proonunced the res are bigger an in the rear, the wi coulartallighs ako are indicative of current WW desian The adomark thick C llorcntinacs to dominate the erie. (Compared wth the outoping car the new olf isan nt wider, more than two inches longer, a anne and al taller Bath ek arelarger and the body shel has Vara, 2sitsnew 80 percant more rigid Amultinkstup fia Iyreplaes the aa bear ater ing ae Wille ingrved vie eletromecharscal owe steering re on er fear bt ste, hers abn and ‘soled wt zecortng to Hoxzom jebase engine, with an optional 200 horsepower tube the base encne in the GTL re ineling sl, Tiptronic and the Aad TT ie rent R32s 250-horseoower 32 eertualy to bejensd at come point by 3 a makiag 300 hors 6 (Now tht Europes presge automekers are routely dl fering A00chorsepewor agin, 3 30C horsepower elf enc uithnkabie seerisit so urbelievobe aro) Vs ANotcn ‘stom mit make an afpearance in North America as wel Unfortunately the new Golf is mare than a year away. I wil ebut atthe 2005 Dstt show altho shuld reach del ‘esintime abe under a fotos by Ohctrae 2008. Manerrg ‘oranew GTI? Prepare to wat evenlonger. —voe beat om batwoen the esr you ear You'lfind slong drive 200-point i Recchechit. And checkit agein. I's part of an inspection so tnorcugn, 0 detailed, i’s an idea only the Germans could love, No athe koiny manufacturor pute ite vehicles trough more rigorous test. ‘Two-yeer!100,000 total-mile limited wa nty. Your Audi is covered by a comprahansive werranty and backed by 24-hour roadside assistance, both of which make ownership as rewarding as the drive. audiusa.com/preowned. Online, you can nc actully select from hundreds of medals and colors Orvisit yourlecsl dealer, and drive away with alot more luxury fora lot less price. NEVER FOLLOW™ Certified CSED CAN A SECURITY BLANKET BE MADE OF SHEET METAL? We designed the firstcarsest to help protect children ‘And we invented the modern-day front crash test ‘dummy. We were the first to make air bags aveilable 10 the masses. And we introduced drivers to infrared Night Vision. Qver the yesrs, our dedication to safety hhas helped seve countless lives. Today, we continue to set the standard with Onst cone of the most important safety innovations ever. This GM-pionested system helps keep drivers in contact with 2 live Advisor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year* Wherever you are, OnStaris there. Ifs the peace of ming ‘over two milicn GM divers have come to trust. Which is hy we offer it on over 40 different GM cars and trucks. ‘Our safety measures dent stop there. Later this year, we're introducing the first ever Advanced Automatic Crash Notification system. This groundbreaking technclogy reports vitel erash data to the OnStar Center, such as the severity and direction of impact, helping emergency response teams prepare before they even arrive And this is just the beginning. Because et GM, we're dedicated to building safe cars and trucks. And making sure you feel protected every time you gat behind the wheel, NIGHT VISION. ALLOW US TO SHED SOME LIGHT. Alot of companies are using thermal imaging technology from cameras these deys. But only a the military to help drvers GM is using ene Hike thi: 3 see beyond the range high-powered, feroelectic of low beam headlamps, haatsensing cerera — aa, By projecting infrared Night Vision. Offered excuivey rages onto the windshield in the Cadillac DeVille, this NontVsioncanaive cers some OnStar is on the scone fact. When a crash occurs, 2 quick medical response can mean the diference between lifeand death, “The OnStar AirBag Notification Systom* eanelp fret-oid get to the scone faster if 9 vebile’s front ait bag deploys, an emergency signal is sent automatically to the OnStar Center ‘An Adkitor will attempt to eommunieste with the vehicles occupants there sine response, or if the cars occupants report an eme‘aencs, the dchicor will eantat the nearest aporspriate (NHTSA) gave Crery impala five stars for Fonta cash [Bfey, ahignest ovemmantratng eyoam the ing ext ofthe Satumion 2 iniany seal soscelrame. The reinforces 3) Aosistle or the The latest news, reviews and a glimpse of the road ahead. Sae it all at wwn.gm.com/story. ee CHEVROLET PONTIAC OLDSMOBILE BUICK CADILLAC Gmc SATURN HUMMER SAAB is 0 HARLEY EARL TERRORIZES TECH CENTER Worer, Michigan — (ose8-door cesian briefing far General ard then | developed an uncontraliabl urge to Motors beard members fl into pandema- chrome things” Ezewhere inthe Teh Genter, ¢ iumlast month when a tll vellressed, preproduction 2004 Monte Caro bogan filing tleembodied specter toc form over the presen- wit human bbe, ard the erie Ponte Aztek {ation stoge and anounced, "Tin Harley Earl arddsign team vas sucked down fry halmouth The come hack to lk Your assoc” Several ful- Reached at hls Calforna fame, retired design ‘ale models ofa proposed Saab SUV then lel- chief Chaves Jorn to recor.“ fel for the fated into the ai, oly to come crating back pocr saps~Harfey Earl was terfjing enough down in a dad of sattred clay ‘when he was alive Stil you have toast they Ti was him, al ight said a Vly clan wore acking for? cryptic nares on chalkbnad aed speakina in desin chick Wayre Chery folowing the ecto- Ina related incident, paranormal investigators tongues The lara was proved flse when Flow plasik powerplay. rat cncod acai unholy recently rushed to the scene of 2 GM Restor bon member Robert Ltzpoited out tht "he's emminess fom somewhere beyond the gave, _reeth when CFO dobn Devine began making —_ahvoys that war.” ay Lame Bug Squished ‘The Ford Model T put us on wheels, but the Volkswagen Beetle shifted the cultural revolution into overdrive. After a 58-year run, WW has pulled the plug on the original Beetle. We take a look hack. WoO fesondioncte NIRV arontut Regn Mee yersas pom Iohewerkonabwester forNuifneioun ise ies epyre 9M verter Wet toheabiontin caer etershelyomage cory sets orerioqurts. 1972 WW Bete S100 shan te ren unde itso Meesiirnanebuigl — podician rend soeeeerat 2647 Fett tied Rt tig Bees ‘ADIOS, AMICO The final VW Dect rolls of the lie in Mexico. 1537 Two reaps eres 1955 Oem Eetels—_ ptiton cee lid KFA Stents Glsenne anes the scar fo it rocealcnreyinames bags Tink Sear m9 Lo ‘aerate evrtum cnpage ote Ader aen corer Te ae Pretest re beth. to Baye es ¥ Scovwmsogen a Se 1 DEM OEE Luc crew was immediately impressed with Borla.” Se oe Se eee oy Bee ics ee ee ote | it pike up your Jly 2008 ise ae re arileor thee Ford GT Ccrasng the Pas i or jis stick tothe eign spoesoftho vehicle and erleese a casi vather than make a rica ith ook pers? Yar atide det meron that Ford ned to sequre era vhanit waneed to ‘compete In racing nthe 60s after which tc theGTA0.Thebenity of the original was thst wae tecnologealy advanced for its day. The new GT ‘seems to be far behind by toys standards Ford wants to carpete with the mos! technical ad vanced rca machine marufacurer inthe worl? al comecting reds—get Forscie GT3 engine off the shelf, end you get tani How abot tha brakes? Ly rcig, thas = ‘only ene rare Brembo, Come cn, Ferd get with. seal those dlrs anal that so-called techrobay the ee OAR Res iI ede as tagaere Pepe ere te > ren cea Ce Tack eee «nbc cries sl Toke a stock = ate 33 cece UI | en cfr Pee SR ed a ate Why didn’t Ford just stick with the original specs of the vehicle and re-release a classic, rather than make a new car with stock parts? DARAN THOMAS Raleigh, North Carolina image, much the way the Viper (which st look esactly Ikea Sly Cobra) i or Dodge. rene a Dodge Viper when Tas ai, bt {Nis new Ford does absolutly nating to mabe biood bol or even ciange my perceotion of Frc Treetng pple my age might fave 9 mee lasting fle on othe past pease tay boomers loon to folew the Focd G20 in‘ otscunty would proba dle knowing the bect-kept cert Ferd hae ever had “Ther, as ale theugh the loca magacie ster y-arer shoe withthe Familia ime lines and shape that cons 0 stare: the GT40. | thou ts m9 tying Yo expe ‘on te beauty and are io reasen ot took at te pictures" But walt T cout ead fast enough My dream has come try Fore actly letting the secret out The the story the pictures the history, and fon te Wed coubt thie sor hit the mul Ft stuskme ut youlihave me ken fom n0W on. Int new CT. Ieaptures all the ee-peasng ines of ts procenitor whut stray ing far trough amisauied attempt tobe meder (OF nearly 0, anyway. Does anyone male Wheels that hew clocer tothe perio tems than the misr: Tm lo For is tun able excrescences parked a ech cores he new meds? The Sa ber 90 2 Spry and muscle form toa Hot Wheels ca ore ely the application of any color of paint ove then ord, check your fle! Wes re ‘modem tye while stil ling far short ofthe mark, would be a such better ho STEVE CARR, ena Nes Beating a dead horse The dy fe of ALTON Maca rent ier bi ck dn or BMW. On Ue oe ard secre tat. deste br it with he fan sick thc pew 5 cles nants the beta aperoe sev dacs hat BMWs re aed fo CFV Seats orwar’) On the other hand we ame fat BMW is now rn by aman who “nor ine ssid in progres than in rods The Unley lions Asan MBA cert aca had nents or now, seeanemnous rea oi wae Tred suk lide oti oar rile ® Strategy, an thee. As ayane who cbsered what tho Wer owor manager con Sates dd t Detok (Fememnber” OM Zari Ise low the sy fetes of Aman corte: darts Before he ges cid avay wt fish theres weld baw. Parka 16 sat the kg rn, matter ts the Predict Sti! ony one strategy Te bucks says that in less than tve years, Chris ‘aod Halt Pans angele (Gestion the syle. ers rlitonary hana slckescaitv, wisely ds. tanclog mse fom product. ‘ams wrapped ina cone (s, Penk runrng a fanitar gare kxown 2s the 4 Ms martatne, marketing, mark gonth of a conpsny havea way of ‘pes. Pease Caloris “he restyled BMW 5-seres reminds me of the eon ‘woversily cesgned Jchn Hancock uana, Upon compltion, the dare hung structure with expoted beans was attacked ty ees avoss the country 2a bight on the Chicagn seine. When 2n inte ‘viewer sigsted tone ofthe Fst ents anoler lad, that he mus ke thearctectare she said. "No Tr fact Thats butt the ely place in town whore [can look oct the window end not ste the damned thing” Tsppose fr that an many ether rss the chives ea isa great plo: tobe ‘TON CATTHER vis internet ties revoliton that works. Ac an nde teal sigs and a ENN over, Tve been keon to watch Chris Beneles praduct dewlopment. The row A, urresdved at Lest. Its headlights ‘atrarly cut into the body contours, andthe rea” trunks the worst ody ct Ine in automotive hi ‘ory. The 24 fas outstaning side surfacing but 2 rear end that 3 good Japanasa interoratation of ‘an Tilian car, The las thing it sf German, Bangle hrs made a strong language it st hasrt worked Firaly ke Fn (or the momen, the sere Fl design ard wil tae tho test f time. Form fellows functin, and tre forms are well resale Yes the hsaightntegrate et tho fond & contours, cv, Get over tt ay sir fom folowing the T-series. biti wll bo 3 fature asic as people start to murmur that they actualy ie the way loos in perso. Stk to your TALL TALES ABOUT THE UGLY, PE ORES te eal ceed ee en es ee oe cae Seg From Seb Dustan came the following “I Clatenktap see ea) Ge et eta deka rh eee pearance en eras ee ete ey ated pagrus ee eet eal ee er sit dt its onions ft "One tional ese ee ee Rotematiae tae De OT RA i Si ee et See et Cn a Sie wador Oa Eerie ele aay rt-Brabus 6). eae Se RA og ee Aner ees eon Shingle" special (see page 74), uns Mr Bangle litle reveltion sa good tira noward then, ORE LEK wiolrteret Harley's Le Sabre [jst ished reading the July issue and realy en- joyed the excl arco on to GM Le Sabre CA Dream Core tLe". as 1 ih school en the [Le Sara was eval and what a wonder it was to behold, Like lls of Arvericans Twaited all year to sae the fal presentatirs of the ne cars 2nd 1 Stl yet e Wek hen ae modblcit to road. Micha! Jordans artide wasfabulos, and o trark hin or firing up the memories of high sca boy who ‘reamed that someday I nght own a Cadec “AMES €. ST IONE via Tora [Nichol Jordans fantastic article on the Bulk Le Sabre exempiies the kind of thing Tt Ike to see more frequent. di, however, irda miner aror in the arlele. I was stated thatthe Le Sabre was the ist American test ca to havea tactometer insted int. in atte inctallston ofa tachore- ter in the Le Sabre happened cut twelve years after installations 1am aware of in other cas. To ‘oubie-check my fact, and just ove fon T went to the Gilnore Car Nuzeum where Trequlary vo! tte aspected several Duesenberg thee a of whic Have tachometer as do te V2-poweet ‘Auburn Alo, ify memory serves crrcly bt the E10 and 812 Cords are so equpped.Inerest- ingy ths Duesenberg tachometer ontheesthy 929) ‘Model was a bara ype of anuge rather than a oe gavge. Ina ater (1935) supercar car the tachometer wasthe more moder needle type. The 1934 Aubum 12's also eauipped wen 2 needle tachorratar While nithor of the ears ted above 4 tigi-rolie production car, they earl coun 25 Sst ears plas they are a att dive mew. mAciz00 Kalaranoo,Wieioen ‘Afterseeinatearticein the cul Bsbe abot Herkey Eas Le Sabra, Lam now certain that CMs crop 4 piano on the ghost of te gocfy television ads Havey Earl justo make surche doesnt comeback Steal LoREZO R cUERAL, Bathonem Pannstharia Seeing red Taming o exes ny concem wt thearticle inthe dy te Red Later Day” sb our Four Seasois Acura RSX Type, Tere a sentence in Ut story tht says th @SCezn do Ota 60 hin 65 seconds an the qurerile 153 seconds “Thats fie bit the net le sys "Tat about as feasa V8 pomred Musing CY bat re to CT itgets 24 moa cy As a 2008 stay GT owner Tam essed. On the ctor hae 65 dose to oy and 15315 cise fo 140, thea gues iy OTs “abr a fast" asa Dodo Viper rinht? Pus it ets beter mileage. HVE PITSoMUIe ‘hicage,Hiaos Excuse me ule T compose nyse Iwas ring on the for laughing cat ow Ya decaved that your SK wes sales. have an 03 RSX TypeS nthe carage. We've had ono Integra frem every gen tratan, and Im used to reacing that my Iniegras “Tak seul” So Te formed 2 epnin: Many ju alsts conse a cars sol with the artifacts of is eect, 2n overvelming narcissism trem the de signers nat even to meet the usr halfway bit to ‘ore the driver to adapt ora. For example my 08 ‘Ata Rome hud for of sual it It tree down alte tine, geting parts would est Jo's patenee. Se rered concentration tostift. Oh, yes it had Sou a ou tht had ben soto the dei. exorised the car every morning, and sometimes & woud cowaen and tke me to work ‘So, pease, gst your writers to ne with 2 given x for longer tems net jist honing from cart car i an akterept to over the sol du ur Get them tosperiene firsthand what we consumers tave to put up with when a car fas sol rd then come beckandlet them tel es whether the carhad soul or was jst 2 bunch of expensha. parvinthebtt Wars. In te eantine, 11 keep exjoying my RSX. Fitting that lefty retine and using my cel phone to ‘allyou a tow truck when your brite cars beak ‘down and Bae ther ev sous to you by these of the rad Irvine. Clfeia A marriage made in heaven Tooukit agree with Mark ilies moe. A SaabSUV most defintely shoul te based onthe Chevrcle TadBiaze platfors [ows Jul ‘But [ao could saree with Gilles more A Sstanr-barod Saab shout stame Saab in any ‘wa. Mere cout be two autemakers more se — T wenidt even blink an ee, 25 [envision a Saab- Sutra canbiation no diferent from Toyts- esas. Turbos ae front-whee! de or turbos and rive drive (gotta bea hetchtock thoagh) Tt Saab nests a bigger SUV, it needs someting more along the Ine ofthe Uclvo wagons Maybe Suse ‘Sacb could corneup witha Kigger later to share. (GM should seethis, Or maybe tsjustme wanting to see two of my favorite brands together. Tt males nore sense o me than Prac Holden. SOOTT A. PATYNSKC Va ineret Weve eters from syono, 8 ay sect Suamissions may be edited as necessary. [Addrose correspondence to: Letters, Automobile Magazine ZO East Liberty treet ‘Ann Abr, Michigan 46104 Send email Tettere@autemotilersg com Der AL et ere ac Ces nc oe tae Re ue ac ere GC are Intrepid, Neon, and Stratus Sedan/Coupe all have great performance, eee au eas eral i BERS S. OIL, EVIDENTLY, IS NOT OIL. Mercedes-Benz AMG exclusively recommends Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution recommends Corvette exclusively recommends Mobil 1 Aston Martin exclusively recommends Mobil 1 Deer et ua eee Se ere) eens ee eee itevery day on the track and on the road. And Mobil1 with Sree eee et econ) Ce ee ee ec ee eee ea Duncan Rec e Meg taste Lesa ULO eC Lan Lae 1 Motor Oil of Viper exclusively recommends Mobil 1 ‘Cadillac XLR exclusively recommends Mobil 1 NASCAR Mobil command performance An All-Star Burns Ever Brighter Don't you love it when you're so very right about something? That's how we feel about our All-Star Mazda 6. 0 ‘EOF OUR FAVORITE SUMMER DAYS ‘ AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE IS THEE one when we put the phone on night ring, rent Waterford Hills Race- way, and take the entire staff across town to driving school. Yes, even professional automotive journalists need an occasional tuneup, especially howe of us who are retired from racing cars lr who don't race them regulalyand those ed rorswho have never spent any competitive time ona tack Because this magezine's simature road testis ur one-year Four Ssssons review (we nan ton so each year), we have a whole fleet of cars needing miles and opinions. Therefore, wealso want our art staf, our production staff, and our support staff—ail of whom take our Four Seasoas cars home forthe night and on vaca tion—to know whats what behind the wheelin all sorts of vehicles, {wil admit tha the whole thing makes my stomach hur Notenly dees our level of exp: rence range fiom “could go pro” to “cant drive a stick” the curs we were taking to the track ‘his year promisod to be a handfil. Executive ‘ctor Mark Giles, fresh oma vintage racein England, isa lean, mean fighting machine on the racetrack, a tighteningly quickand smooth dsiver whose telemetry eadingsat Fiorano afew years ago nearly Cuplicted those of Michael Schumacher He lined up the filling cas for cour track day: a Lotus Hlse 115, a Porsche 911 (Carrera and 2 Horses, a BMW MB and 2 7430 rredster, a Merowier Benz ESSAMG.a Ford SVP Mustang¢Cobra,asoth Armiversary Conti, oar Four Sersons Nissan 3507 test ear Are you getting the picture? Can you fel my sion? Rose test coordinator Tony Qui- roga was in charge of organizing the cars, and suggested that he might want to add a nice sedan of 69 t0 calm the proceedings down abit for the bss experienced drivers. Enter the Subare Impress WRK ST and the Mitsu bishi Lancer Evolution, Adda Ford SVT Focus Boys, boys, boys. Not quite what I meant by I was relieved to see the Saab 9.3, the Mini Cooper S, and our Four Seasons Mazda 6 roll upto pitrow. TRACK TESTED Focusing on the Maza sedan (left) turing laps at Waterford kept etorJensings from worrying about the hot lps excculive eitoe Biles was ving the stat Giles hots court (cere) wth motor gopher Stuart Fowe ad roa test coordinator Tory Quioca. The WRK ST (rt) rocked ‘was an uneventfl day-no off-track ex- ‘carsions, no bent metal, no popped engines: Instead, we discovered that our managing edi tor—the petite terror with the red pen, Amy Skogstiom—is so fat and smooth, she could possibly go professional And.we found out that ‘our production editor Jen Misaros-former member of the Girls Under 19 US. national ‘soccer championship team and amere wisp of ‘woman —could be Skogstromts teammate, ‘The thrill ide ofthe alemoon was with the raster of car contro, Gillies and itvas talea number for beter service. Right behind him was technical editor Don Sberman, but the thrill there was more ofthe funhouse varity 2s hh battered his wy on opposite loelemost of the ‘way around the track. Notte fastest but eer tainly the siding-est Despite the expertise of these ood timers ‘mostof theeditors wanted to ride with roa test coordinator Quiroga to learn the sere to his perfec ine through every treacherous tum oa the track Tuya al fnand games, as only a day burn ing rubber ata racetrack can be. But we also ‘made strides in bringing evergone on the sa ‘up anotch instill Evel. By the end ofthe da, ‘one of the family had even quietly learned the ar of shifting for hersel, working the ken successfully combine performance and excitement with safety and stability? You can. With the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP with the Competition Group Package which inclides the Bosch Electronic Stability Control (ESP). Bosch, We bring innovation, ® stick nf the Mave 6, This led to disenssion ofthe Mazda 6's all-around loveliness asa di ered car, as paragon of family sedan-ness, a: thedeal ofthe year (bas price $21,620), and as the prototype of how to make a thrilling ‘sedan, At the halivay mark, this 2003 Avto- MOBILE. MAGAZINE. A ‘brghily as it dil when we gave i our aan mous vote. Aix eight months and many fresh ‘experiences, we are convinced tiat the b family sedan for sale in America today is sil the Mazda 6, “The Mazda 6s grownii cur affcton. Yes, ‘we loved itlastyear, but these felings have a say of etting down over the course of using ‘car alot. And we're not known for coming back months after the big All-Stars drive and ‘aking a microssopi look: a your base family ‘sedan, even sien i looks as good as this one dressed in the Sport package (stong trontand rear fascias, deep rocker panel extensions, slick seventeen-inch fiv-spoke aluminum wheels, and a sporting reer wing). But this time, we were smart enough t impor 6 into ur Four Seasons fleet three monthsago, I¢has sinceinsinuated iselfin thelappiest way into oareveryly lives. Shortly alter it arrived, I took it on a long northem Michigan weekend witha singled and one piece of aggage. Lou the Chesspeke [Bay retriever is nota happy trader, prone to sitting rigidly uprightin the seat, agitate, for {icenticeduratio ofthe drive. She sno judge ‘ofride comfort. Ion the other hand, loved the fit and comfort of the seat, how great the instruments looked, and how every primal specs of the driving experience (steering, brakes, sccleraios txisnision) lj rig. ine, a 3.0-liter aluminum V6, pro- 220 horsepower at 6300 rpm, which i against ts 6400-rpm redline. Torque is substantial 162 pound-feet. That, ashore frst gear, and a 413: final-drive rao move this sedarie 3278 pounds off the line wth authori ‘yalthough you wouldet call 71 seconds from Oto 60 mph blistering, Sl this is some family’sedan, Drive it afier ‘spending time behind the wheel of « Honda ‘Accord, a Toyota Camry or « Ford Taurvs, and you will be ficing the nex: grocery run and Your farure asa.car-peoler with a lighter heart. ‘The Mazda 6 has (as the ad jingle goes) the seul of sports car. Ibis as happy, lithe, unas suming, joyous, and rewarding asa Mista, Justaboat thetime we took delivery ofaur6 with the Sport package, so did my school teacher sister-in-law, Karen Curie, Karen had 1 626 and wanted another. I talked her into walling. Sue’ sort ofa pushover for her Zour Kids, which translates into having a driveway fall of cars that she has never sold, just 50 ane can have something to drive. There's for family vacations (they drive ‘These’ a'93 Ford Esco: wagon and a '98 scort sed, parked beween Uncle Freds old pickp and a year-old Chevy Avi- lance. And then ther’ the 626. She ha seen a luminous sage green color (Sepang green) in the Mazea catalog and de ide wo onder, the frst time in her five docades:hatshe hid speced our a brand newear. Itwasso ec citing, the only op- tions the didr get were caryo neting in the tnmk and = e everywhere). Cums oes her aide the familys Sepang green Manta 6 ure § cap. ‘Theunuisial exte- rior colorand the fect that more poople ‘ordered Mazda 6s withthe Sport pack- ‘age and manual transmission than ‘Mazda ad anticipated left her high. dey for several menths. Whe 1 pick it ep in June, she could barely wrest it fiom the dealers grasp “Several employees at the dealership wanted i end tried to tlle me vt of it” she said. “Fhe salesman told me he could have sod thre different timesthe day before I picked it up, Then he tried to buy it ‘Thereal test asa home, though, where the picky ceenagers and colege graduates waited ‘th noses ready to fiptraghtup, Did hap pen, Our twenty-two-year-old nephew Jon then gave i a big thambs up. Nieses Susan ube Dianna were relieved that Mom had done so-well by them, and Dianna leamed how to shift faster than her siblings before he: And now Mom isntleting them drive it. Word has spreed as slowly «2 grod news always spreads, Mazda 6 sales have climbed very month since its November 2002 intro~ Auction, fueled by more dan fifty alawaris in addition to our All-Star now rocketing. At the end of June, Mazda 6 sales were up 55 peroent over May, and July saw apother 50 percent jump. Ics already being touted as a runaway success in Europe. Ag mich as we love the Nissan 3507, we ma have missed the beat when wedi Maada 6 our 2008 Automotile 4 year of tough and exciting competition, thi sport sedan irom the company that brought us the magnificent Miata roadster and the tary engined RX isan unexpected breath of fresh ain, the family mar'sanswer taonrrallsingery, *No Boring Cars” Iysimpl to by Credit Card Hotline 1-800-7 "IME (1-800-733-8463), 24 hours « day; seven days a week, fe code AUT/310CS, www:timepiecesnsa.com _ not have seen the sign. It sure didn't feel that fast. | My flight leaves in twelve ~ minutes. | could’ve sworn it was 65. Ich verstehe nicht Englisch. You sure it was me you saw? They must have changed that recently. I'm late to a very important meeting. Sorry sir, it won't happen again. 260 horsepower. Please use responsibly. ‘The Infiniti G35 boasts an award-winning V6 engineand sport-tuned suspension. With power comes responsibilty, Please watch your speed. Visit Ininiti.com. > \ » wy INFINITE Ten years of great adventures go into the memorabilia file. My Passport Has Expired T.. WEEKS AGO, I FLEW10 ENGLAND TO VISIT THE BRIGHT AND SHINY new Bentley works housed in the old Rolls-Royce works —at Crewe, not far ftom the Welsh border. After that, we flew to a wonderfil old hotel ion the Seottish seacoast, the Ackergll ‘Tower, only thirteen miles from John O'Grats the northernmost point of land ‘on Great Britain's mainland, AvroNoaie ‘Macazmne’ Joc DeMatio was among any trav ling companions, and we were there to drive the new Bentley Continental GT on the ex tremely narrow and challenging roads of north- cen Seatiand: [fllin Iove withthe Continental (Gt atthe Paris motor showa year 2g0,and that Jove afar was rekindled by eight hours oF high: spirited driving through the Scct'sh coantsy- side. The car i an extremely fst, comfortable ‘wo-plus-two,and ifyou were to make a listo all the things inthe world that can be bought fr $150,000, the Continental GT would be right upin the top rank. Tessas fitting and proper that the las trp on iy expiring passport would be to England and then to Scotland, because by far the greatest numberof stamps on the pages ofthat pesspor ae ‘rom the immigration people at London's Heathrow airport. It has only been inthe past decade or 20 that our neighborhood aispot, Dettoi’s Mexopoltan has ofered direct ights to Buropean cites other than London. Thus, London was always the place where we shangee planes for cities on the Continent. 1 stil fly duroagh London for a lt of European trips, partly because ove fling on British Air vways and party beenuse I could seal a dey oF favorite sed-hook sores apd galleries and share a ‘meal with one old friend was no extention. BA ewe to Lordon, took the train ffom Heathrow 58 | avrowoziLe to Pacdinggon Station and a cab ftom Padding ‘ton to the Athenaeum Hotel, and at en inthe morning, Iwas tying ona suit at Anderson & Sheppard in Saile Raw That wasfolloved bya Ieisurely brcaklast at Brownis Hotel in Albe smarle Steet, which was followed by anap, "Thatnight,Ihaddinnerat the Guinea Grillin ‘Briton Pace: The Guineaisknown ris steals and its celebrated steak and Kidney pie, and] ‘vas halfvay through the latter iter when Nail Ressler, a senior technical advisor and former vice prosident st Ford, strode through the door ‘with fiends and family in tow. He had shown, the new Ford GT atthe Geodwond Festival of | ‘Speel the previous weekend to great acclaim, and hed atended aboard meeting ofthe Jaguar Tormla 1 team and was brimming with op6- mism, We vowed to get toyetber tack in Ann. “Atbor, and he was avy like the wind. As one ‘who has missed no opportunity criticize te ‘Jaguar Fl effort, T mst say Im pleased to see things staring look upon that Front. ‘Strolling back to my hotel in the warm sum- mer aight, tought chour the expiring passport fn the breast pocket of my jacket [ts been over scas about thirty times in the past ten years and Thow cany it on domestic flights es well, be- couse of security requizenents since Sepiember 11,2001, soit prety badly beaten up, The of cialsealof the United States of Americas mise- ing from its cover because I lef it inthe pocket ofasuitthat wentto thedry cleaner seven vears ‘ago, There are saamps from Argentina, Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Hun- gary, Irland, Healy: Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Swiverland, and Uniguay. Unfartunatey, with the open borders that prevail in Europe today. it bears no stamps ‘Fem European Usion cours tiles that I entered by car, where bored officers slanced a the offered passport and saved me trough. | even asked a coupl of them to give mea stampanyway, jst because In still ave- struck atall the placesmy tavelshave taken me, butthey wererdloctant io comply ‘My new passpor wll expire in ten years, ‘yhien Il beetter eghty-100 years of age oron the other sie of the grass. Fiowever it works ‘out, my tarels undoubtedly will have become less frequent Inthe meantime, 'l neve: tire of England, Scoland, or ireland, and very badly ‘want toget back to Argentina and Uruguay: The ‘works "night plane to Buenos Aces” resonate trough myimagination, Ivebeen to Chile oaly ‘once, very briefly, on my birthday in 1998, when oneleg ofthe Argentine Mil Millas tock uc over the mountains from Patagonia to an oddball Chilean resor hotel fr kunci. Martin Surg and drove his 1951 Kiekhaefer Chrysler stock car that day, and we had the time of our lives. feel. as though T ought to know ctiss ke Vienna, Graz, and Prague better I weat to Botswana ‘with 1 band of frends fora hunting and game- Viewing uipon the passport before this one and want to gn hack. I know that the AIDS epi- demic has wreaked havocon that Aifican pars ise Dut | want fo sleep ina tent, sce all those birds and animals from the bed of Toyora pice ‘up, and havea cheeseburger and asker ber atthe Duck Inn in Maun again. My new pass- ports going tonced «few good samps. FN The Best Disposable Razor You Ever Threw Away. In tests against the leading triple-blade disposable, more men choose Gillette Sensor3. It’s the only disposable razor with three spring-mounted Sensor blades to adjust to every curve of your face. Plus a unique non-slip handle for better control. And a strip with Aloe for extra lubrication. ees fee ate Ga crs wep Eas rorseave ma, oars sam Sas. o tas p gion. Sih sro a ee pasties Rove: penee ne pas ees Heber eatin nau nw Ingo ge at ar scones fetta Sgr, Son essa sor ming she abot invisiblegiass.com 40 | avromosiLe A Swell Personali The Subaru BUS is a bit gawky but worth meeting. she/he is uels, bu it does mean that standard ‘canons of atsactiveness won't be met. And sometimes—no: often—it ally means that a _gemninely splendid pecsorality is involved ane ‘Youre glad to have me: the person. Sabanthas een making prety god cars for 1 very long time, ever since someone at Fuji Heavy Industries bought a Borgwarl Arabel, took i apart, and copied every detail to make the frst Subaru fat-four ffoatwheel-drive cars. For those who ido noe remember Bony ‘yard, tras marginal West German compa ny thatheda certain adventurousness in eng neering and an unfortunate lack of sensi to ‘styling. Car Borgward funded 1500-ce spor racing cars that were worthy competitors fo Porsche Spyder, built sedans of surpassing ‘ugliness shaped zecording tothe aerodynamie precepts of Wunibald Kamm, a brilliant engi ‘eer withno sense of syle, and then turned out the Liter, sx-seat Isabela sedan that would un 100mph backin the mid-19505. Borgwands ‘comapamy crashed aboat forty-two years 360. ‘Als, Sabant ecems to have copied Carl BY ‘unforeinate penchant for unsalable styling as well as hie gond engineering. There was a rnoment when Olivier Boulay, heof the proto type Maybach and curentiyhead of Mitsubishi Syling, reshaped Subarus tobe atleast Sly cconvertional and more accxpiable, but tha moment has gone, as witness the current WRX. Today, Andreas Zajatinas, late of Alta Romeo, isin change of Subaru svi, buthe has ‘nothad time to put his imprine onanything yet. The BIS concep shown at Genera last March is the work of Fuore Design in Barcelona, founded and run by Bxwin Himinel, who has 600): 3 N.. T can't say tHar I REALLy Lise THE SunARU BIS FoUR-DoOR coupe, but I do find it extremely interesting. It’s like a blind date set up by friends who say, “Oh, you'll really like her/him. She/he has a swell personality” We all know how to translate that. Itdoesn’tactually mean ‘said thatitcame from 2 Subaru brainstorming session aimed at finding a “new frontend ‘Naw salways tricky word in car design. The cutline ofthe central grilles very much that of the 1913 Baga Type3, eventohaving the val badge on te raditor frame outsidethe cellular sca. Himmd has given the Subaru mach the ‘une tecure and, of course orlte the notes atthe bottam that Bugati provided forthestar- ing crank. That Bugati mdiater outline lsted ‘well into the 20s, when the fat-bottom horse- shoe shape arrived for the Type35 mcing cars ‘The BilS is Gefined by aniaginary hosizon- tal plane threugh the body. Fights are plunked dowa on that plan, ands bump behind thetdp ofthe giles the only thing apart from exag- _gerted whedhouse surrounds to break through . Thisraw desi needsa lotof refinement, but the basic ideas are intriguing and definitely ‘Wurth developing. The soguy bumper endsatthe bortam comers, punctuated with big holes for lamps or exhaust, do the concept no fvor, and the fac that the point of greatest length isatthe bottom of the bampers betrays Himmels jermanic origins, Compare the Hanomag Konimisorot, the earliest Porsche 356s, andthe recent Audi TT to sce this Teutonic tendency. A touch gawy and marred by odd detils, the BIS has teemendus pozential, and it will be fiscinating to see whethes Zapatinas usesit asa haseor goes ina completely ciferent direc- tion, Thaxe owned some ugly cars because 1 liked the mechanical package beneath their jumpy skins, but [ have never been able 20 bring mysefto own a Suberu despite their fan- ‘actio performance. T hope that will lange, because they do have swell personalities. 1

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