Sports Cars
Mercedes-Benz CL500 – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Mercedes considers this splendid coupe to be its new flagship — its unequivocal statement of leadership, innovation, capability, and sheer automotive attitude. Yes, it’s slightly smaller than the S-class sedan on which it’s loosely based, and at $89,650 (including luxury tax), the CL500 is less expensive than the only V-12 offering for 2000, the SL600 roadster. But the big sedans are, well, so common, and next year’s CL600 will once again trump all other Benz sticker prices.
If the CL were simply a two-door S-class, no one would name it the new leader of the pack. The CL, however, has its own distinctive architecture, interior styling, and technology. It’s easily the most sophisticated car, technically, on American roads right now.
In the U.S., it will be powered, initially, by the 302-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 found in the S-class. A V-12 will arrive for 2001. Interestingly, the V-12 is an entirely new engine, not the current 6.0-liter V-12 available in the SLs. Mercedes seems able to crank out new engine designs the way Ford turns out door handles, and the old V-12 just wouldn’t fit under the CL’s hood.
True to its sober heritage, the CL is not a car filled with inconsequential bells and whistles, tech for the sake of tech. Leading its list of truly functional, useful electro-wonders is Active Body Control (ABC). And a marvel it is, able to computer-control all four corners of the car in both jounce and rebound to keep the body nearly level no matter how fiercely you corner.
What’s interesting is that the selectable sport and comfort settings of the ABC are both highly effective, and the difference between the two is perceptible even to the unturned butt. (Namely mine. There are plenty of selectable shock-setting systems out there that leave me wondering whether the selector is actually connected.) In sport mode, the ABC is taut and instantly responsive. Select comfort, and the body stays just as flat under cornering or hard braking but with a softer, more compliant feel.
CL buyers may not typically be crazed road burners, but at least a few of them are going to suddenly realize they’re doing a Schumacher only when the tires begin to sing, since the normal kinesthetic cues of roll, dive, and sway are virtually canceled by the system. This is a car that can be driven at 8/10ths by anyone with a pulse.
Sometime during the second quarter of ’00, Mercedes will add a truly precedential — and slightly scary — option to the list. Called Distronic, it’s a radar-monitored cruise control, with the antenna behind the star in the grille, that will allow the driver to set a speed and then depend on the car to slow and even brake to maintain a preset distance behind slower cars up ahead. It’s uncanny in operation: On a French autoroute near Nice, driving a Euro-spec CL600 with Distronic that I’d programmed to cruise at 90 mph, I came charging up behind Fiats and Renaults doing 70, and while my foot hovered nervously near the brake, Distronic took care of the disparity. Pull out into the passing lane, and the big boomer accelerates back to 90.
It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for Mercedes to be sued by the first American CL driver who manages to plow into a stopped car despite Distronic, or in some other way manages to misuse it. You need to be aware, for example, of morons who pull out to pass without looking; this is not a set-and-forget system. It’ll only provide a maximum of 20 percent braking, although it sounds a warning beep if more is needed.
If you think all Mercs are made of panzer-quality steel, think again. The CL’s front fenders are plastic; its roof, rear fenders, and hood are aluminum; and the inner doors are magnesium. Only what’s left — mainly the platform and the front crush structure — is steel. Consequently, the car is glued and screwed, riveted and flanged together as well as welded, for a weight saving of almost 600 pounds over its predecessor. That puts the new CL500′s power-to-weight ratio very near that of last year’s CL600, and Mercedes claims the new V-8 will outsprint the old V-12 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/00q1/mercedes-benz_cl500-first_drive_review
Hennessey Venom 800 Twin Turbo Ram SRT10 – Specialty File – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Oh, there have been a few low-volume trucks that perform reasonably well, but currently, neither Ford nor GM comes close to matching Dodge’s pair of blazing pickups—regular and Quad Cab versions of the Viper-powered Ram SRT10. We’d have trouble justifying the stratospheric $50,000 stickers on these beasts, but we know there are at least 4500 people happy with the sheer outrageousness of a 500-hp pickup.
But for the truly lunatic truck lover who can’t come to terms with the fact that his or her 5000-plus-pound pickup isn’t able to outrun Corvettes and Porsche 911s, John Hennessey has a solution. The president of Hennessey Performance Engineering, whose horsepower-crazed cars have graced our pages for years, recently brought his latest toy—an 800-hp version of the Ram SRT10 Quad Cab—to Hogback Road.
Shortly after the SRT version of the Ram went on sale, Hennessey got phone calls from owners familiar with his Viper transformations who wondered what he had available for the truck. The company now sells many upgrades for both regular and Quad Cab models, many originating from the Viper catalog.
The truck shown here has Hennessey’s $39,500 Venom 800 Twin Turbo package, very similar to the setup in the Viper that won our November 2004 Supercar Challenge, although this one retains stock internals and 8.3-liter displacement. The goodies include twin Garrett ball-bearing turbos that force 10.0 psi into the V-10 while a front-mounted air-to-air intercooler chills the pressurized air. Hennessey also added a $950 GReddy PRofec B-spec II boost controller to run the twin TiAL waste gates that bleed off excess pressure. The fuel pump, the lines, and the injectors were all super-sized but work with the factory engine-management system to keep up with the extra gasoline requirements to produce the claimed 800 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque. That’s a stunning 300 more horses and 325 more pound-feet than the factory version.
After we heard those numbers, we weren’t surprised that the standard four-speed automatic, the only transmission in the Quad Cab, had to be upgraded. Hennessey adds a $1750 torque converter that resists a big meltdown. And the transmission gets a $5950 tear-down, after which it sports a significantly beefed-up billet input shaft and clutch packs that can hold onto gears long after the turbos spool up. Skeptics, rest assured. Hennessey backs up the $48,150 powertrain creation with a two-year/24,000-mile warranty.
Rounding out our test truck’s upgrades were a $1950 lowering job (two inches in front and four inches in the back), a $195 trailer-hitch plug, and $4950 for a set of 0.5-inch-wider 10.5-by-22-inch Hennessey wheels that each weigh two pounds less than stock. All of this brought the cost of the “ultimate pickup” to $106,855, a heart-stopping increase over the $51,610 starting price.
This silver six-figure pickup looks similar to the stock version. The tasteful black badges are really the only clue to what lies within. Hennessey’s truck thankfully starts and idles normally and is even quite drivable as long as inputs to the throttle remain light-footed. Once up to cruising speed, we noticed a
whoosh-whoosh alternating from side to side as pressurized air is short-circuited to the atmosphere from the intake passage.
The burly four-speed shifts abruptly and sometimes harshly, but so does the stock unit in the SRT10 Quad Cab. A brief drive revealed that the lowered suspension degrades the truck’s already stiff ride, and it doesn’t improve skidpad grip—we measured 0.82 g versus 0.83 in the stocker.
Kids, we’re here to tell you that launching an 800-hp truck is difficult. A burnout doesn’t describe what happened at the track when we stomped on the gas pedal. After the huge white cloud of tire smoke obscured John Hennessey—as well as the rest of the track—from our view, we figured the tires were amply warmed up. Hennessey’s recap: “Spank the loud pedal on this beast, and you will want to yell out,
‘Yeeeee-HAWWWW,’
even if you’re not from Texas.” We agree.
After a few tries, we found the sweet spot and recorded a 4.4-second 0-to-60-mph blast and a 12.4-second quarter-mile at 118 mph. That quarter-mile time makes the Venom Ram 1.8 seconds quicker than the non-turbo version. That bests the quarter-mile times of the latest Corvette and 911 and ties the test average in our ”
” sub-200K supercar comparison in August, which included a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Ferrari F430, and a Ford GT.
At higher speeds, the shock value of the truck’s numbers increase. For example, Hennessey’s Ram accelerates from 0 to 120 mph in 13.1 seconds, or
less than half the time it takes the stock version. And this truck is just 0.2 second slower to 150 mph than a ragtop Viper. Wow.
Okay, we’ll respect your right to choose a truck, as long as you pick this one.
Hennessey Performance Engineering, 11513 North Petropark Drive, Houston, Texas 77041; 713-466-3420;
.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/05q4/hennessey_venom_800_twin_turbo_ram_srt10-specialty_file
Ford’s latest weight-saving technique inspired by bubbly chocolate
The quest to save weight in new cars is becoming increasingly complicated, but Ford engineers have taken inspiration from Aero chocolate bars on the new Focus.
The company claims that plastic parts injected with microscopic air bubbles are just as strong, but 20 percent lighter.
Metal parts of the car are the easiest areas to make weight savings, but lighter metals that remain durable are also more expensive.
Traditionally plastics have been an area where it has been difficult to cut out bulk, but Ford says the new technology it calls MuCell will be able to play an integral part in slimming down.
Gas bubbles are injected into the plastic during the moulding stage and Ford claims that MuCell parts are also cheaper and quicker to make than standard plastic parts.
The Aero-inspired plastics will first be seen in engine covers on upcoming Fords, but the company has made a commitment to cut up to 300kg per car by 2020, so will no doubt expand the application to other parts of the vehicles.
Ford scientist Carsten Starke said: “We are saving weight in many ways, not just by using this new plastic, because lighter cars handle better, accelerate faster and stop more quickly. For the customer it is win-win, the plastic is 20 per cent lighter without increasing cost or reducing strength and it will help make their Ford better in almost every aspect.”
Source:
2010 Ford Fiesta Will Come as Sedan and Hatchback – Car News – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
Ford said it was going to tone down the trucks and focus on small cars—and follows it up with the decision to sell both sedan and hatchback versions of the B-segment car in North America starting in 2010.
The sedan was always a given for this market, but the automaker was gauging public reaction to different bodystyles of the
shown at past auto shows to determine interest in the five-door hatch—the three-door hatch was never considered a viable option for the U.S.
Ford now announces there will in fact be a hatch offered here, without specifying whether that means just the five-door. We also await details on the powertrain which has been described only as a fuel-efficient four-cylinder of undisclosed displacement and performance.
As a global car, the Fiesta will be produced on all major continents. The North American versions will be assembled at Ford’s Cuautitlan, Mexico, plant with production slated to begin in early 2010. The automaker is converting its
production for the Mexican market to car assembly, with construction to begin this year on the plant changes. Mexicans will import pickups from the U.S. in the future.
Ford also says it is adding a new diesel engine line at its Chihuahua engine plant in Mexico that already makes inline-four-cylinder gasoline engines. The diesels will be used in light and medium-duty trucks globally, including Ford’s first diesel application for the
.
Plans for a new joint venture transmission plant with Getrag in Guanajuato complete what will amount to a $3 billion investment by Ford in its Mexican operations.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/08q2/2010_ford_fiesta_will_come_as_sedan_and_hatchback-car_news
2006 Honda Ridgeline – First Drive Review – Auto Reviews – Car and Driver
In the past four years, Honda has become well equipped on the SUV front, redesigning the small CR-V and introducing the full-size Pilot, boxy Element, and upscale Acura MDX. But strangely enough, until now the company has never tried its hand at a pickup truck. For 2006, Honda is introducing the first H-badged alternative, the Ridgeline, which represents a new generation of truck with a unibody chassis, a four-wheel independent suspension, and even a trunk.
Honda’s truck is targeted at a narrow portion of the small-pickup market. There is no two-wheel drive, two-door model; and neither a manual transmission nor a low-range transfer case is available. This makes Ridgeline options typical Honda-simple. All trucks have the same spacious four-full-doors cabin, 3.5-liter V-6, five-speed automatic, four-wheel drive (Honda’s on-demand VTM-4 system), and five-foot-long bed.
Driving dynamics are a high priority to Honda, so a stiff unibody chassis and a four-wheel independent suspension were necessary to give the Ridgeline a best-in-class ride. But a typical shortcoming of this setup is towing capacity, and Honda didn’t want to settle for a wimpy truck. So, although the Ridgeline’s chassis stems from the Pilot’s, the structure is significantly changed, with 93 percent being unique to the new truck. A respectable 5000-pound tow rating results from the fiddling. The front-strut, rear-multilink suspension design is carried over from the Pilot, but it, too, has been strengthened to handle additional loads.
The Ridgeline’s bed is also different, with a sheet-molding-compound coating that is dent and corrosion resistant—no bed liner needed. But the best part is the hatch in the floor of the bed that opens to expose a nine-cubic-foot trunk—large enough for three sets of golf clubs, a keg, or the Ridgeline’s chief engineer, Gary Flint. Think it would be difficult to load stuff into a trunk over a tailgate? So did Honda. That’s why the tailgate swings open from right to left like a door, in addition to its traditional tailgate moves, making it easy to get at the trunk.
The Ridgeline elbows itself into the four-door, short-bed small-pickup market. It’s smaller than the mid-size Dodge Dakota, closer to the compact Toyota Tacoma or GM’s Colorado/ Canyon, but wider than all the above. Well, wider is better when it comes to interior volume, and the Ridgeline’s Pilot-size interior trumps all the compact and mid-size competition. The Pilot comparisons stop at the interior, though, as the Ridgeline’s 122.0-inch wheelbase is almost 16 inches longer, and its 206.8-inch overall length makes it nearly 19 inches longer. Only the width and height measurements are close—the Pilot is an inch wider and a couple inches taller.
All Ridgelines get a high level of standard equipment, including 17-inch wheels, A/C, cruise control, power windows, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and a heated windshield area where the wiper blades rest. And with this new-for-Honda segment come new trim levels. Gone are DX, LX, and EX; a base Ridgeline is designated RT and costs roughly $27,000. The mid-level RTS should come in at about 30K and adds alloy wheels, a six-CD changer, and automatic climate control. The top-of-the-line RTL starts at about $32,000 and adds heated leather seats and XM satellite radio.
The 3.5-liter SOHC engine is familiar Honda goods and makes 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque in this truck. It doesn’t get the cylinder deactivation from the Odyssey and Accord hybrid, Honda engineers say, because a pickup’s aerodynamics wouldn’t allow the engine to spend enough time in three-cylinder mode to make it worthwhile. Even so, emissions and fuel economy are kept in check—it’s an Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle, and Honda estimates 16 mpg in city driving and 21 on the highway.
Added to the well-known five-speed automatic from the Pilot and MDX are higher-capacity clutches, a new torque converter, and a transmission-oil cooler. So what we have here is a small pickup truck that is competitive in people space, horsepower, towing, and hauling, and drives like a Honda. The Ridgeline probably won’t galvanize hard-core F-150 buyers, but it looks appealing to those who care as much about carrying passengers as they do about hauling hay.
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/05q1/2006_honda_ridgeline-first_drive_review