2018 Lexus RC Receives Minor Updates, 5-HP Bump for V-6

Lexus is giving its RC coupe subtle updates for 2018, revising the infotainment screen and endowing V-6 models with an additional 5 hp. If you had a problem with the way the RC looked before–too bad. The coupe’s polarizing exterior design soldiers on for 2018. V-6 models, including the RC 300 AWD, RC 350 RWD, and RC 350 AWD, make 5 more horsepower than before. The 3.5-liter V-6 in the RC 300 now makes 241 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque and is still paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. The higher-output 3.5-liter now makes 311 hp and 277 lb-ft, and comes mated to an eight-speed automatic. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the base RC still makes 241 hp and 258 lb-ft and gets the same eight-speed as the RC 350, but the trim level has been renamed from RC 200t to RC 300 RWD. Lexus also adds two new driving modes for F Sport models, including Sport S+, which tunes the Adaptive Variable Suspension for optimal handling, and Custom, which lets the driver tinker with certain powertrain and suspension settings. Opt for the available navigation system and you get a new, larger 10.3-inch screen. All RC models now receive Enform Safety Connect and Enform Service Connect free for 10 years. The former provides 24/7 emergency response in the event of an accident, while the latter sends you alerts when your RC is due for service and also notifies your preferred dealership (if you opt in). Meanwhile, Enform Destination Assist and Wi-Fi have been made free for one year and Scout GPS Link now comes with a three-year trial period. The Lexus Safety System+ suite of advanced safety features, which includes Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Intelligent High Beam (IHB), and High Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, has been made standard for 2018. Lastly, Flare Yellow has been added as a new exterior color for F Sport models, joining the other exclusive hue, Rioja Red. It’s not a full mid-cycle refresh, but assuming pricing stays relatively the same, the updates will give RC buyers slightly more bang for their buck. Source: Lexus  The post 2018 Lexus RC Receives Minor Updates, 5-HP Bump for V-6 appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2018-lexus-rc-receives-minor-updates-5-hp-bump-v-6/

Majority of drivers believe motorway traffic is getting worse

Hugo Griffiths 2017-11-01 12:43 Survey finds 61 per cent consider UK’s motorway network is worse than it was last year; responses tally with official statistics Drivers believe Britain’s motorway network is more congested now than it was a year ago, according to a new survey. Over 1,700 people responded to the poll, and of these, 61 per cent felt motorway traffic is worse now than it was at the same stage in 2016. Those results are in line with official statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT), who reported that 323.7 billion miles were driven on UK roads last year, up 2.2 per cent on 2015 figures. • Traffic jams costing UK economy £9bn annually According to the poll, carried out by the RAC, drivers have a clear idea of what should be done in order to tackle motorway traffic. Almost half (48 per cent) want tougher rules introduced to tackle lorries overtaking each other, while 47 per cent said they felt roadworks were a major cause of congestion. 45 per cent cited drivers hogging the middle lane as another cause behind congestion. Away from the UK’s 2,300-mile motorway network, 58 per cent of respondents to the survey felt high-speed dual-carriageways and urban A roads had become more congested over the last 12 months. 55 per cent said traffic on urban B roads and other urban roads had also got worse. Blame for congestion in our towns and cities was laid at the feet of bus lanes by 29 per cent of those responding to the survey, with 16 per cent feeling cycle lanes made traffic worse. Of those who felt cycle lanes were to blame for poor urban traffic, the majority (54 per cent) said cyclists should be forced to use cycle lanes in areas where these were available. David Bizley, the RAC’s chief engineer, said Highways England should be doing more to speed up strategic road improvements, which have recently been hit by delays. "With unwelcome evidence of increased congestion, it is essential that the schemes to increase capacity of the strategic road network which form part of the first Road Investment Strategy are delivered to plan. "The recent news from Highways England that some projects have been delayed is therefore very unwelcome." A Highways England spokesperson responded by saying: "Rescheduling some of our work was a sensible and responsible way to deliver major national investment in road infrastructure [and] we will continue to deliver schemes that make a positive impact on people's lives, the economy and the country as a whole." A Department for Transport representative echoed Highways England’s position, highlighting: "This Government is investing a record £23 billion in our roads to improve journeys for motorists - the biggest investment in a generation. "We are also giving councils record amounts of capital funding - more than £7.1 billion up to 2021." Is congestion getting worse in your area? Tell us about it in the comments area below...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/101572/majority-of-drivers-believe-motorway-traffic-is-getting-worse

Memoirs of a Best Driver’s Car Newbie

So what’s it like being a Best Driver’s Car judge? Everything you’d expect and then some. On the surface, it’s what you see in the glossy pictures in the magazine: I’m piloting some of the most amazing cars in the world in a variety of high-performance situations. At my disposal I have two Americans, two Italians, two Japanese, and six Germans. But I’m not a Motor Trend editor. So how did I wind up participating in one of the best group tests around? When I graduated from college, I was hell-bent on being an automotive journalist. When I sent my résumé out, I just knew that I was going to land a job at one of the car magazines. I had the credentials, or so I thought: I was a car nut, the senior editor of my college newspaper, and, by all accounts, a decent writer. How could they say no? But I was one hopeful in a sea of thousands. Each rejection letter was an incremental nudge down a different path. So instead I became a freelance writer, amateur racer, and driving school instructor. But as they say, chance favors the prepared. Almost 20 years to the date of my college graduation, I was approached by Motor Trend to be a guest judge at BDC. All those years of writing and racing and driving allowed me to carve out my own space in the auto industry and catch the attention of the Motor Trend editors—that, and Ed Loh stalked me on Twitter. Although I knew I had the requisite chops, I still felt like I was parachuting into a dinner party when everyone else had used the front door. The Motor Trend team is like family, and I was the new in-law. You learn very, very quickly if it’s a good match. Thankfully, it was. I hit the ground running without knowing most of the staff, but there was an instant chemistry that made it easy to fit right in. Throughout the week, these BDC contenders aren’t just competing. They’re commuting. Transporting. Supporting. Trunks and frunks are packed with personal baggage and cleaning supplies, and camera gear might sit in the passenger seat during an impromptu photo shoot in the canyons. Travel days can span hundreds of miles, so although it might be a road trip in a spectacular car, it’s still a road trip. You learn the car’s practical weaknesses and strengths. You might fall in love with a car in performance testing but have it disappoint you on the I-5 slog, or vice versa. It’s these finer details that put the job in dream job. Part of the responsibility is to explore the unique traits of 12 automobiles and commit them to memory in short order. Just think of the traits that normally take days—if not weeks—to master in one’s own personal car. Now you have mere moments to memorize them. How does it start? What’s the shift pattern? Where’s the parking brake? How do I adjust the seat? (In the McLaren, that’s a challenge.) How far do the doors open on the first detent? (Or again in the case of the McLaren, how high does that scissor door go?) What’s the range of the fuel tank? It’s important to know this stuff not only for those high-speed blasts but also for when you find yourself positioning lots of expensive sheetmetal for the cover shoot. You don’t want to be the guy who holds up everything at the golden hour because your car is running on fumes. So was it worth the wait? Absolutely. If anything, I’m glad it took so long to be part of something like this. Instead of showing up to the event young and clueless, this became an opportunity to put all the skills I’ve learned over the past 20 years to use in what was once my collegiate dream. Now that I know what I’m in for, I can’t wait for next year. Read more about our 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Aston Martin DB11 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Ferrari 488 GTB Lexus LC 500 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club McLaren 570GT Mercedes-AMG GT R Nissan GT-R NISMO Porsche 718 Cayman S Porsche 911 Turbo S The post Memoirs of a Best Driver’s Car Newbie appeared first on Motor Trend.

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'Today’s buyers really like innovation and difference'

Steve Fowler 2017-11-01 11:15 Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler looks back at the exciting 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, and talks of the importance of concept cars The Tokyo Motor Show really is unlike any other – as our team out in Japan revealed. The home car makers really go to town with wild and wacky concepts that promise so much, but in the past have tended to deliver so little. However, I’m hopeful that could be about to change as there seems to be a new wind blowing through the Japanese car industry. At long last, they seem to have woken up to the fact that today’s buyers really like innovation and difference. • Best cars of Tokyo Motor Show Toyota is one step ahead on that, with cars like the innovative C-HR SUV on sale and providing a refreshing (and popular) point of difference in a crowded sector. There’s more to come from Toyota including sports cars under its Gazoo sub-brand. Honda followed up its brilliant all-electric Urban EV concept from Frankfurt with a similarly stunning Sports EV concept (above) in Tokyo – in our view, two cars that Honda simply has to build.  Similarly, we saw concepts from Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Lexus, Subaru and Suzuki that could all help to boost their maker’s fortunes if – and it’s often a very big if – they can get anywhere near production. One company that has a very clear idea of what its concepts can do for the bottom line is Jeep. It’s also probably the most prolific company when it comes to producing concept cars – giving clues to exciting new models or tempting owners to spend more cash modifying their cars. I was invited to Jeep HQ in the US to meet the team behind the latest concept cars – and to drive them! FCA group design boss Ralph Gilles has a clear view on the role of concepts to his business. He describes them as ‘endlessly valuable’ – we’d echo that. The concept car plays an important part in the car business and we love ’em. Which was your favourite car from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show? Let us know in the comments below...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/tokyo-motor-show/101571/today-s-buyers-really-like-innovation-and-difference

2018 Buick Cascada Adds Three New Colors, New Package Configurations

For 2018, Buick introduces three new colors for the Cascada, injecting the soft-top with some individualization and sportier appearance options. In addition to the existing palette, the cabriolet can now be ordered in Rioja Red Metallic, Dark Moon Blue Metallic, and Carrageen Metallic. While two of these colors appear to be available across the Cascada range, buyers interested in Carragreen Metallic have to pony up for the top-level Sport Touring trim, a package previously only available in Sport Red or True Blue Metallic. Opt for the Dark Effects package for the Sport Touring Cascada, and Summit White and Ebony Twilight Metallic are added to the mix of paint options. No matter the color, each 2018 Sport Touring arrives with now-standard 20-inch black wheels. According to Buick, these three hues were developed as a response to customer preferences and global design influences. “While 80 percent of the exterior colors purchased globally are neutrals—black, silver or gray—many customers are starting to move away from these neutral tones and have an appetite for entirely different colors like dark navy and maroon,” said Catherine Black, lead designer of Buick’s Color and Trim Studio, in a release. In addition to the fresh paint, the car can be ordered with two new convertible top colors as well—Sweet Mocha and Malbec. These colored tops are available exclusively on Cascadas equipped at the Premium trim level. Regardless of color or trim, each 2018 Cascada is outfitted with navigation as standard. Source: Buick The post 2018 Buick Cascada Adds Three New Colors, New Package Configurations appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2018-buick-cascada-adds-three-new-colors-new-package-configurations/

Auto Express Issue 1,497

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/auto-express-issue-1497

Choosing the 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

Patron saint of literary cool Joan Didion—who stalked the steamy, smoggy canyons of Los Angeles in a Daytona Yellow 1969 Corvette Stingray—once said, “Rationality, reasonableness bewilder me.” If only Didion were along for this year’s Best Driver’s Car competition. There is nothing rational or reasonable about holding the keys to $1.9 million worth of the world’s dreamiest sports cars, exotics, grand tourers, and supercars. It’s one thing to parse the packaging of family-friendly compact SUVs. That’s our day job. Best Driver’s Car is about the way a car makes you feel. It’s about the bees in your belly as you clip an apex, the giggles induced by the slingshot launch of barely restrained acceleration, and the sense of satisfaction that comes from the melding of man and machine. Where’s the cupholder for my latte in the McLaren? Can you fit anyone in that back seat of a 911? How much does that Ferrari 488 really cost? Don’t know. Don’t care. Our Highway Patrol–assisted closure of California State Route 198 and subsequent invasion of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca are the highlights of this event. But the Best Driver’s Car format actually began two weeks prior at Auto Club Speedway, when our testing trio of Kim Reynolds, Chris Walton, and Erick Ayapana took their first crack at our contenders with our battery of standardized instrumented testing. To earn the title of Best Driver’s Car, a vehicle must deliver a balance of usable performance, intuitive handling, and driver-friendly design. The winner should be a vehicle with a multidimensional personality, a car that will delight and reward the enthusiast driver on any road at any time, regardless of weather and traffic conditions. We had quite the field this year, with representation from Italy, Germany, Japan, England, and the V-8 thunder of American freedom. But as the test team crunched the test results, there was no clear leader. A storm was brewing. Highway 198 Revisited A four-hour drive along I-5’s trackless wastes brings us to our hotel in King City, California. Most of the other judges had convoyed up together around noon. But with most of California tucked into bed, associate editor Scott Evans and I made great time in the Aston Martin and Corvette. We rolled into the King City Days Inn a tick past midnight. We were the last to arrive, but our hotel clerk couldn’t have been happier. It isn’t every day you get to meet a YouTube hero, a certain “Mr. Lieberman,” who earlier had given an impromptu car show to our host. His fan club is everywhere. Highway 198 is a magical place, an undulating public two-lane roadway filled with tight switchbacks, sweeping curves, midcorner bumps, long straights, and panoramic views. It’s a gorgeous 4.2-mile stretch of roadway that climbs about 1,000 feet, allowing Motor Trend judges to test each contender at its (and their own) limits. Any shortcomings of either car or driver will be quickly identified on this passage. It is the mill that grinds the grist. Just past daybreak, the ground fog still clearing, we pulled to the side of the road to set up camp, clean cars, and wait for the California Highway Patrol’s black and white Ford Explorers to close the road so we could begin. After a team meeting, we fired up all 86 cylinders and commenced our first runs up the beckoning hills—each of us starting in the familiar car we had driven from L.A. That meant the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, intimidating in looks and sound, for me. The ’Vette is really a sweetheart once set up properly—Driver Mode Select in Sport and the steering wheel set to Tour. In those modes, the throttle response is linear and quick, and the suspension is dialed in to maximize the car’s speed around corners. The steering is light and direct, though you need to make a conscious effort to slow yourself down because turn-in is still very quick. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. “Needs 100 extra horsepower! Felt slow!” Jonny shouted after his turn behind the wheel. Also, the crowded seven-speed manual gearbox has rubbery, ropey throws and doesn’t like to be rushed, and the gear ratios felt too tall for the track-oriented Grand Sport. Said executive editor Mark Rechtin: “It seems like there was a big gap between the powerbands in third and fourth gear.” Chevy used to sandbag the Camaro to avoid stepping on the Corvette’s toes, but those days are gone. The Camaro ZL1 1LE is an uncaged race car. As he pulled into our makeshift pit lane, Jonny could be heard screaming, “Yeaaaah!” and clapping his hands. You’d think power would be why the Camaro works so well, but it’s actually grip that’s the key to this muscle car. Those steamroller-wide, superglue-sticky Goodyear tires work hand in hand with the DSSV dampers and the added aero aids to ensure that the Camaro can use each and every one of its 650 horses. “You quickly learn you can trust the tires as you unleash the power,” Detroit editor Alisa Priddle said. Scott added: “There’s a lot of vertical movement in the cabin, but the car never jumps sideways a foot when it hits a midcorner bump; it never moves around laterally at all.” The downside to the Camaro’s grip is its ride quality—basically there is none. “I’ve encountered smoother paint mixers,” guest judge Derek Powell said. “The bouncing was so bad that I found myself reacting to that instead of focusing on the sheer act of driving. The nuclear-waste green Mercedes-AMG GT R  provoked whoops and hollers from all of the drivers. A brutal supercar that rewards fortitude, the AMG needs to be driven flat out in order to properly enjoy it. Dig deep into the 577-hp twin-turbo V-8, and you’re compensated by a violent surge of power and the soundtrack “of a small arms factory exploding behind your hips every time you come off the throttle,” as Jonny put it. “Let it rip,” Alisa added. “The AMG has the power to get unruly, but it holds the road incredibly well.” Although the Mercedes’ nose bites with ferocity—only fighting back once you approach its limits—the rear end wasn’t as well behaved even at sane speeds. “There were several times when the rear would hop side to side or even produce drop-throttle oversteer or on-power oversteer,” Chris said. Unlike the Merc, it’s hard to get into trouble in the Mazda Miata RF. Like any good naturally aspirated engine, the Miata is happy to rev its way to redline, growling sweetly as you stab the clutch and flick the six-speed manual into its next gear. The Miata is not fast, but it rewards a driver’s skill. Entering corners, the Miata RF is surprisingly tail-happy. Mazda rehashed the ragtop’s suspension for 2017, but the RF is unsettled. “It’s always dancing on the top of its springs and edge of its tires,” Scott said. With traction control on, the Mazda’s electronic systems are constantly grabbing at the brakes to keep the Miata’s tail in line—sapping the little power the RF has to give. A better beginner sports car to explore one’s limits might be the Porsche 718 Cayman S. “The chassis is so beautifully balanced, the handling so predictable,” Derek said. “Each movement is connected directly to the brain’s synapses.” Scott agreed, adding: “Steering is among the best here—talkative and light, quick enough but not too much. I wish the Miata handled like this.” The 718’s 350-hp mid-mounted turbo flat-four is a good match for the platform, too–even if some of our judges wish it sounded less like a garbage disposal eating a fork. Alisa silenced those critics: “There are those who miss the sound of the old throaty engine, but the trade-off for a nice, wide powerband is worth it.” There isn’t much room for improvement in the 718, but the Aston Martin DB11 could use some help in the braking department. Its 600-hp V-12 is more than capable of getting its nearly 4,200 pounds of British aluminium going (and quickly at that), but it lacks the brakes or suspension to handle that heft on a twisty road. The DB11 has three suspension settings, but all feel inadequate for spirited performance. Its body control was subpar, the car displaying a tendency to porpoise through corners and over bumps. “It’s a wonderful GT car and is happy at high speeds, as long as the road doesn’t twist too much,” Scott said. Upsides: The V-12 provides epic thrust, and the steering is beautifully weighted, light, and linear—just as a British GT car should be. As the Aston’s counterpoint in the grand touring department, the Lexus LC 500 was a revelation, having done its homework on chassis and suspension tuning. “The fundamentals are all there,” Jonny said. Scott provided further details: “Weight transfer is nicely handled, and the car sits in a turn nicely.” The Lexus provides light, progressive feedback from the wheel, and its four-wheel-steering system helps make the LC feel smaller than it is. The LC’s 5.0-liter V-8 makes a good match for the 10-speed auto, though the gearbox was frustrating for its abundance of overdrive gears. “How can this car have 10 gears and never, ever be in the right one?” Chris asked. “There were at least a dozen rejected downshifts.” You’d expect the lone four-door sedan in our group to be soft, but it’s clear the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio “is a sports car regardless of how many doors it has,” Derek said. The Alfa’s sportiness is baked into its chassis; it’s a car that rewards smooth inputs yet begs to be driven hard. “This might be the best-handling sedan I have driven in 25 years of automotive journalism,” Mark said. “And yes, that includes the W124 and E39.” The 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 is laggy down low, but it hits you in the face with a sledgehammer once you’re above 2,000 rpm. Its eight-speed auto rattles off shifts as if it were a dual-clutch transmission. Complaints? A few. The engine, for all its power, doesn’t communicate what it’s doing at redline, making shifting by ear difficult. Some also found the Alfa’s Italian electrics a little buggy, with inconsistent brake-by-wire feel and a seemingly overeager overheat protection mode that would impose a 5,000-rpm rev limiter on the engine and limit torque vectoring at the rear axle. The other Italian in our group, the Ferrari 488 GTB, delivered thrills on an epiphanic level. After piling out of the Ferrari babbling a red-mist rant, Mark calmed down enough to say, “This delivers every teenager’s fantasy when they think of Ferrari.” The Ferrari 488 is one of those rare cars that makes you feel immediately at home despite its exotic appearance. The cabin is open and airy with a driver-focused interface. There are no distractions. Your hands hold a flat-bottomed, carbon-fiber and leather steering wheel, and all the needed controls are a finger’s reach away. Not only does the 488 GTB feel magical merely sitting still, but it’s also glorious to drive. The Ferrari’s small twin-turbocharged engine makes 661 horsepower. “It’s a force of nature, like being picked up by a tornado,” Scott said. The 488 also carries tenacious grip “with a flat attitude and fingertip control while cornering at speeds 10 to 15 mph faster than other vehicles—with the same if not greater confidence heading down 198 as up,” editor-in-chief Ed Loh said. The Achilles’ heel for the Ferrari is its brakes—the carbon ceramics have a slightly wooden feel and squeak like the midnight subway to Coney Island. If on the emotional scale the Ferrari is an embrace from a Victoria’s Secret model, the McLaren 570GT is a polite but firm handshake from gritty Bruce himself. Last year’s winning 570S was a highly rewarding and technical car, but in softening the 570 for grand touring duty, McLaren seemed to scrape away some of the special sauce. “It’s not what I would have expected,” Chris said. “This one feels far more ass-happy and less balanced and composed.” The 570GT feels stuck between sledgehammer and rubber mallet—it no longer drives like a supercar, but it’s not soft enough to drive like a proper GT. The issue is especially apparent if you’ve forgotten to press the “Active” button. Turn on the Active Panel, and dig into the 30-some-odd possible drivetrain configurations, and that sharpens steering and throttle response. But then the handling becomes unpredictable. “There were times when I’d exit a corner and the engine and transmission would be ready for it, and I’d rocket out onto the straight at full boost,” Derek said. “Other times it felt like I caught the car unaware.” When the McLaren is awake, there’s a hint of that 570S magic in its fingertip-light steering, supple ride, and peaky but powerful little engine, but the 570GT’s inconsistency hurt its credibility. If you want instant confidence bordering on immortality, the Porsche 911 Turbo S is your machine. Despite the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch doing the shifting, despite the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system constantly shuffling around the twin-turbo flat-six’s 580 hp, and despite the four-wheel steering making the 911 feel smaller than it is, the Porsche makes its driver feel responsible for it all. “Right out of the box, the 911 Turbo S lets you drive as fast as you dare, brake as hard as you can, and turn as much as you wish,” Derek said. “It doesn’t just inspire confidence. It inspires a relationship with the driver.” Still, some, like Jonny, thought the 911 made things too easy. “This thing is weaponized speed,” he said. “It’s maniacally capable but not the most engaging car, let alone 911, I’ve ever driven.” Added Ed: “It is a focused tool intended for one purpose: going very fast. Really hard to find a flaw here; if I’m being really critical, it’s a bit anodyne.” He quickly followed with: “I take it back about it being boring.” Now eight years since it made its debut, the latest Nissan GT-R NISMO still remains very proficient at hauling ass. Defined by what should be physically impossible levels of grip, it’s a car that you chuck into corners, mash the gas, and let the all-wheel-drive system sort things out. Godzilla’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 is indeed a monster worthy of the name—boost hits strong, and the power keeps coming. “This engine pulls and surges effortlessly,” Erick said. Ed said it was “noticeably sharper, like they ran the GT-R over a Japanese whetstone.” But some things don’t change. The programming on the GT-R’s six-speed dual-clutch is lacking, making manual shifting a must for performance driving. The ride is literally a sore spot. And then there’s the steering—it broke. Nearly every judge had a bizarre issue after hitting a midcorner bump, where the steering wheel would go cockeyed at a 20-degree angle, yet the car would be going straight down the road. Then the steering wheel would correct itself as if nothing had happened. Chris had it happen multiple times, with GT-R chief engineer Hiroshi Tamura riding shotgun. “It was an unusual electro-mechanical anomaly,” Chris said. “Tamura-san was as curious about it as I was.” As Motor Trend en Español editor Miguel Cortina nursed the NISMO back to our makeshift Highway 198 paddock, he handed the keys to Tamura-san and the Nissan team for repairs. The question as we pointed our field north toward Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was whether the GT-R would be fixed in time for our staff champion racer Randy Pobst’s hot laps around the track. Hot Shoes, Cool Fog Monterey, let alone Mazda Raceway, has its own microclimate. Monterey proper was warm and clear, but the track was cool and foggy. It would be lousy for visibility but great for the turbocharged cars that Randy would run that day. After a quick sighting lap in our long-term Honda Civic to scout the conditions, Randy, Ed, and the test team determined which six cars to run on day one. 718. Corvette. Ferrari. McLaren. Camaro. 911. The assembled teams scrambled off to start prepping the cars. Meanwhile, a local Nissan dealer was attempting to bandage Godzilla. The Cayman was ready first. Randy hopped in, fired up the rumbly little four-pot, and set off for his hot laps. Not long after—1:40.22 to be exact—Randy pulled the ticking 718 into the pit with a huge smile on his face: “People! Marry this car! This is not like the crazy, scary girlfriend who will give you the time of your life and then boil your rabbit in the morning. The Cayman S has such beautiful balance; it’s so good that I felt like I could push it harder and harder.” Not long after, Randy set out in the red, white, and blue Corvette. But when he came back, Randy’s smile had been replaced with a scowl: “It wasn’t until the second timed lap that the tires started to get some temperature, but the car still wanted to power oversteer at throttle tip in. The front is ready to turn full blast, and the rear isn’t. Or the rear is ready to accelerate, and the front’s not too happy.” Going out in the Ferrari 488 GTB seemed to cheer Randy up before he was flagged for breaking Monterey’s punitive noise regulations: “I talked about marrying the Cayman, but this car is your mistress! This car accelerates so quickly that I needed to apex a lot later. The turbos on that Ferrari V-8 give it a big, fat torque curve. The transmission is such a beautiful match for that engine.” He did caution that the brakes did not provide a solid initial bite and that pedal pressure and brake force were not in cahoots. And like that, Randy was off in the McLaren 570GT, choosing to leave the stability control on because it felt fairly easy to break the rear end loose. “Track mode gets into a nice place where it allows some drift,” Randy said. “But it’s controlling the throttle a bit for me, and it’s less satisfying because I’m not the one driving. I could even feel the stability control activating significantly in Turn 1. The McLaren is fast enough that we’re arriving there at over 140 mph, and the car gets light and a bit oversteery.” You’d think the Camaro ZL1 1LE that Randy lapped next would be as oversteery as the Brit, but its claws stuck into the track. “This thing handles so well,” he said. “For a front-engine, rear-drive car with 650 horsepower, the traction was incredible. It put power down extremely well. Stability controls aren’t necessary for the average good driver.” The same rules applied for Randy’s last car of the day, the 911 Turbo S. “I don’t want to get out,” he said. “This car is the one you married, and it’s your mistress. It’s the whole package. I’m so utterly blown away by its capability. It was incredibly rewarding to drive. I was driving that car hard because I could.” As we wound down for the day, the Nissan GT-R arrived—but after a quick spin, Chris and Tamura-san quickly shut it down. Not ready. Nissan PR called for an identical white GT-R NISMO to be shuttled up from L.A. the next morning. It needed to arrive before the track went cold at 5:30 p.m. The Final Countdown As the clock started ticking for the NISMO on day two, we turned our attention to the remaining cars’ hot laps. Or warm laps in the case of the Miata RF. Its lap around its namesake track is not surprisingly the slowest of our 12, but it’s probably one of the most fun. “The MX-5 makes every trip to the grocery store feel like a Grand Prix at 34 mph,” Randy said. “I have to really slow my hands down because it leans over a lot. I like to trail-brake into a corner, and the Miata does not like that. But you can go around screaming at redline all day and not end up in jail.” By comparison, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is a go-directly-to-jail card. “This AMG really has personality in its engine,” Randy said. “It’s satisfying to pull all the way to redline. The fat torque curve makes it easier to drive, too, because it’s more controllable.” But the brakes started exhibiting signs of heat soak by the time Randy was on his final lap. Although the Lexus LC 500 might not spring to mind as a track car, Randy found it to be a delightful experience. But he also had some caution. “When attacking the corners, the Lexus is reluctant to change direction,” he said. “But once it finally comes down the apex and I go back to power, it’s beautiful from then on.” Randy was pleasantly surprised with the other front-engine GT car in our group, the Aston Martin DB11: “My expectations were low. I thought it would be a boat, but I was wrong. Well behaved on the track. Surprisingly good handler. Responsive and well damped in the Sport Plus suspension setting.” But the Aston’s brakes were shot midway through its second hot lap. With still no sign of our missing NISMO, Randy hit the track in the Giulia Quadrifoglio, returning with queries about cornering inconsistency: “I think there are electronic variations with the torque-vectoring differential. When I started at a quick pace, small steering changes really brought the car into the corner. Then when I go flat out, I get a lot of understeer in the middle of the corner under some circumstances but not others. I noticed the brake pedal doing something similar, too. It’s a lot of fun, it’s fast, it’s quick handing, but I’m not a fan of variation.” The Return of Godzilla All available cars having run, there was still no NISMO. Ed called a meeting; the manufacturers who wanted another lap would get one. Porsche wanted the Cayman to run again, citing the fog on day one. Ferrari wanted a run with flushed brake lines and new calipers and pads. The Corvette would run in Sport mode. And why not? The AMG GT R and McLaren 570GT could rerun, too. But if the GT-R showed up, bonus laps would cease. The Cayman, Corvette, McLaren, and Ferrari improved their times—the Italian by nearly a full second, leading some to suspect Ferrari’s mechanics did far more than change the brakes. But the AMG was actually 0.2 second slower. With 45 minutes on the clock, our replacement NISMO rolled into the paddock. The garage buzzed around the NISMO. The test team hooked up our data-logging gear, replaced wheels and tires, torqued lug nuts, and checked pressures. Video mounted and prepped cameras. Sound strapped down microphones. Everyone else stayed the hell out of the way. Some Formula 1 pit crews aren’t this in sync. At 5:15, Randy hopped in the GT-R and blazed a 1:35.01 lap. “The GT-R has been around for a long time,” he said. “It has gotten better and better, and the NISMO is the best version, but after it brakes pretty well once or twice, it starts getting hot. And when you first tip into this thing, it gives you full power and throws the car completely off balance. All-wheel drive or not, it suddenly makes the car run wide.” It was 5:30 on the dot. Time to hash out the winner. Final Tally When you have such a closely contested field, it is almost harder to pick the last-place car than the winner. Someone has to come last even if we really truly love our cellar dweller. And love, love we do, the 12th-place Aston Martin DB11. The DB11 is a great car to drive, but it’s not a good driver’s car. It’s a little too heavy, a little soft. There’s still plenty to like, though. “It’s beautiful inside and out,” Miguel said. It has a killer engine, too. Derek described the sound of the starter as “God Himself wound a pull cord around the flywheel and gave it a wondrous yank.”   Coming in 11th place is a car that was minutes away from earning a DNF: the Nissan GT-R NISMO. Mechanical issues aside, the Nissan’s 11th-place finish is a testament to how competitive this year’s field was. Yeah, it’s a bit heavy and a bit vague through corners, and it isn’t as fast as some of the new kids on the block. “It’s impressive that there are still improvements to be made,” Ed said. Godzilla might be old, but he sure as hell can still breathe fire. Tenth place goes to the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Club. Miatas are the go-to for entry-level racers, and that ain’t just because of its price point—it’s because it is an exceptionally well-composed sports car with approachable, unintimidating limits. But although the Miata ragtop finished in third a few years back, the package isn’t improved by adding 125 pounds worth of complicated hardtop, which doesn’t accommodate a helmeted driver. Also, Mazda’s suspension tweaks fell out of favor of our judges. Oh how the mighty have fallen. After winning it all with the 570S last year, McLaren comes in ninth place this year. The 570GT is unsure of its place on the road. There are moments of brilliance in the delicacy of its steering, its surgical precision, and its tremendous brake feel, but the 570GT never gives you the confidence to go for more. “Somehow the magic of the 570S didn’t translate into the 570GT,” Chris said. “It’s a brilliant car, but it’s no winner.” Jonny had argued against bringing the Lexus LC 500 because it’s so big and heavy. But chastened, following its respectable eighth-place finish, he said: “Folks, we have an athlete on our hands.” We were all impressed with the Lexus’ sonorous V-8, quick-shifting automatic, and crisp steering feel—even if the LC was too eager to default to understeer at its limit. “Tighten this thing up, cut some weight, add some power, and you’ve got a really good GT car here,” Scott said. It seems that the Chevrolet Corvette is always this close to perfection, and that remains the folly of the seventh-place Corvette Grand Sport Z07. First the good: Its 6.2-liter V-8 is fantastic. It’s got a big, meaty powerband, and although it could probably benefit from an extra 100 horsepower, it’s tremendously rewarding to drive. The Corvette’s biggest issue is its transmission—its gearbox doesn’t like to be rushed, and its gear ratios are ultimately too tall and too widely spaced for performance driving. Sixth place goes to the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Alfa is high strung, but that’s part of the fun—the engine is laggy down low and peaky up high, and the steering is so quick off-center that you’re liable to drive off the road if you so much as sneeze. “LOL-fast steering, short gearing mixed with a turbo-tickled powertrain,” Ed said. This is where things get real close; any of our top five could have justifiably won the whole shebang. Finishing a few points shy of fourth place, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is a helluva car. “The harder you drive this thing, the better it gets,” Erick said. But it needs to be driven at ten-tenths to get the most enjoyment out of it. Wring it out for all it’s worth, and it rewards you with endless grip and lightning-quick shifts. But it isn’t as gratifying at five-tenths as it is flat-out. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE’s fourth-place finish was a contentious one. We could agree on power and grip. The fact that all 650 of the Camaro’s horsepower is usable without instantly vaporizing the rear rubber is an engineering feat. But some of us maintained that a car couldn’t win Best Driver’s Car if you didn’t want to drive it every day. “I’ve probably lost all my fillings, and my kidneys are bruised,” Derek lamented, to which Jonny retorted: “Some judges thought the ride was too harsh on their way to Pilates class, but who cares? Finishing fourth is a failure of democracy.” One vote is all that separates our second- and third-place finishers. One. Earning the bronze is the technological tour de force that is the 911 Turbo S. It never seems to run out of grip, power, or brakes. “The 911 Turbo S is so amazingly competent on every level—without having any visible compromises—that it’s easy to forget how high its limits are,” Derek said. “Some might be tempted to punish the Porsche for its unflappable greatness. Big mistake.” Life’s funny. The Porsche 718 Cayman S wasn’t supposed to be here. We didn’t invite it until a last-second dropout had us scrambling to fill a hole in our lineup. Now the 718 Cayman S is tootling away with a silver medal. “There is something really spirited and sweet about this car,” Alisa said. “It’s so well balanced and smooth, so seamless in its power delivery and responsive to the slightest steering input.” Mark agreed: “It’s an exacting corner-carving machine that entices you to push your limits even more.” Erick, who did his best to hog the Cayman most of the week, called it “lovely,” adding that it “felt impossible to do wrong in this car.” Simply put, the 718 is a phenom. Deus ex Machina You’d think a mid-engine supercar would be a one-trick pony, but our 2017 Best Driver’s Car proves that wrong. First place goes to the Ferrari 488 GTB. This Ferrari makes you your best self behind the wheel. It grabs your attention, it focuses you, and it helps you improve. The 488 GTB lets you know when you screw up and pushes and prods you to do better next time around. The Ferrari 488 GTB’s powertrain is an endless assault on your senses, with wave after wave of devastating power. The engine pulls all the way to 8,000 rpm and then, bam, the seven-speed gearbox upshifts, and the engine digs deep for more. The powertrain is happy lugging around, too. “This car is amazing even loafing along I-5,” Mark said. Derek agreed about its cruising manners: “Very little engine noise makes it into the cabin despite it being inches away from the back of my head.” Chassis, steering, and suspension tuning are equally impressive. “The steering is very lively and requires constant attention—this car needs me,” Chris said. The 488 GTB does it all. “The Ferrari fulfills the complete list of needs, from extreme exotic to dauntless touring car,” Mark said. It’s memorable, too. “This is one of those cars, one of those drives, one of those moments that will forever be seared into my synapses as an epic moment,” Chris said, “a true deus ex machina experience in my life.” Joan Didion once described driving in Los Angeles as requiring “a concentration so intense as to seem a kind of narcosis, a rapture-of-the-freeway. The mind goes clean. The rhythm takes over.” The Ferrari 488 GTB is that rapture. It is that rhythm. It is our 2017 Best Driver’s Car. Read more about 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Ferrari 488 GTB Porsche 911 Turbo S Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Porsche 718 Cayman S Lexus LC 500 Mercedes-AMG GT R Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT The post Choosing the 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

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Toyota C-HR R-Tuned lodges ‘world’s fastest crossover’ claim

Richard Ingram 2017-11-01 07:30 World’s fastest crossover has been revealed at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Toyota C-HR R-Tuned offers 600bhp and trick suspension Toyota has revealed what it calls the “world’s fastest crossover” at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Called the C-HR R-Tuned, the souped-up SUV gets a 600bhp 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, Brembo brakes and special suspension. A surprise debut at SEMA, the R-Tuned C-HR is said to have outguned exotic muscle from the likes of McLaren and Porsche – by posting the fifth fastest lap ever, of the 2.5-mile Willow Springs International Raceway in California. No official time has been revealed.  • Best cars of SEMA 2017 The R-Tuned crossover follows in the footsteps of the Sienna R-Tuned MPV, which featured at the 2015 SEMA Show. Toyota North America spokesman Steve Curtis said: “[Sienna] redefined the perception of what a family minivan could become with a bit of racing inspiration. With the C-HR R-Tuned, we took it to another level entirely.”  Image 2 of 13 Image 2 of 13 Powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the C-HR R-Tuned also gets a DG-spec Garrett turbo to produce its eye-watering power and torque figures. All that grunt is sent to the front wheels, with the benefit of an OS Giken limited-slip differential. Brembo racing brakes also feature, covered by 18-inch wheels and Toyo Proxes RR tyres. The imposing front bumper, splitter and rear wing are said to develop over 130kg of downforce at “triple-digit speeds”. Inside, the interior has been stripped, with no rear seats and new carbon fibre detailing. Toyota insists the C-HR R-Tuned is not all show and no go – and has been to the track “every month” since the project started late last year. The C-HR sat among 18 Toyota models at the SEMA Show, which runs until Friday 3 November. What do you think of Toyota's creation? Let us know in the comments... Associated Advanced Gallery  Toyota C-HR R-Tuned lodges ‘world’s fastest crossover’ claim - pictures

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/c-hr/101569/toyota-c-hr-r-tuned-lodges-world-s-fastest-crossover-claim

Ferrari 488 GTB is the 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

When a car is as good as the Ferrari 458 Italia that won Best Driver’s Car in 2011, you don’t need to change much. Ferrari did anyway, and it produced the even more impressive 488 GTB. Although much of the front half of the car has been reused, it’s all been tweaked. The new bodywork has been designed with slavish devotion to aerodynamics, and the 488 features both an electronically controlled drag-reduction system in the rear diffuser and a Formula 1–inspired blown diffuser in the rear bodywork. The new 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes a staggering 661 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque and carefully controls boost levels at lower engine speeds to keep the turbos spooled and the acceleration linear. The second-gen Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system now controls the adaptive dampers, the traction control, the stability control, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, your only choice, receives new ratios and shifts quicker. The rear suspension, meanwhile, is wider than ever. It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Don’t miss the incredible story of how we chose the 2017 Best Driver’s Car right here, and stay tuned for the World’s Greatest Drag Race, coming soon. With 661 horsepower and only 3,412 pounds of carbon fiber to move, the 488 GTB screams to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and past the quarter mile in a stunning 10.6 seconds at 135.2 mph. Let it loose on the figure eight, and it’ll post a 22.6-second lap time at 0.99 average g. In steady-state cornering on the skidpad, it’ll pull 1.02 g. Stopping from 60 mph takes just 94 feet. We Say “Wow. That’s a super car. Ferrari proves here and now why it’s the gold standard. The speed is absolutely incredible. It’s so incredibly powerful and yet so linear. It’s a force of nature, like being picked up by a tornado. There’s zero turbo lag. Even still, it’s easily modulated. The ESC is magic. I see the light blinking, but I have no idea what it’s doing. Completely invisible. I know from the figure eight it’ll snap sideways left to its own, but not in Race mode. The handling is perfect. It flows like whitewater rapids through the corners. The weight transfer is just enough to make you feel like you’re pushing it (you’re not, really), the grip is unending, and yet it’s so light and responsive. The steering is fantastic. You think. It goes. You almost don’t have to think. Instinct happens, and the car responds. My only complaint is the brakes. They’re very strong, but they feel very wooden to me. If you need to scrub a lot of speed, you need to stand on them like you’re trying to break the pedal off.” – Scott Evans “Holy crap. How can a car this powerful be this easy to drive? It has the most horsepower in this group, and it takes some bravery to floor it for the first time. This thing has limits way beyond what I’m capable of, but that doesn’t make it any less fun at lower limits. This is a car that makes you feel like a superhero. Part of that is in how usable every single one of its 661 horsepower is. True to exotic form, responses are heightened everywhere but not dramatically so. The steering is quick with no dead spot at center—just a consistent flow of alacrity lock to lock. The transmission is even more telepathic than Porsche’s PDK, intuitively anticipating all upshifts and downshifts. “The drive up 198 was literally a blur. I was going so fast. Only after I rounded the last corner coming down 198 did I realize I had been holding my breath.” – Derek Powell Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Porsche 911 Turbo S Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Porsche 718 Cayman S Lexus LC 500 Mercedes-AMG GT R Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT “I got a couple of instances of bump steer, but otherwise it was glued to the ground. The steering is very lively and requires constant attention (this car needs me), if only to keep it pointed where I want to go, but it does go there with obedience and authority. The engine is brilliant … everywhere in the rev range, and the brakes were unflappable and the soundtrack was intoxicating. This is one of those cars, one of those drives, one of those moments that will forever be seared into my synapses as an epic moment—when all that is good in the world was heightened/bristling for the 4.2 miles up and then down the hill. A true deus ex machina experience that I will add to four other ones in my life.” – Chris Walton “This is what every teenager’s fantasy is when they think of Ferrari. Sometimes in the past, Ferraris have been more about image and beauty and grace and style, but the performance has been just OK. The 488 is razor sharp, blisteringly quick, and finely tuned. The engine note is simply animalistic. This fulfills the complete list of needs, from extreme exotic to dauntless touring car. On Highway 198 it immediately became clear there is only one true supercar in this batch. There is immortality in its forgiveness in going at least 10 mph quicker around corners than its nearest competitors. How you can wad up this car is unknowable. Downhill, the brakes seem like they were a bit softer than I would assume a really fast Ferrari would have, but you get used to them. Besides if you grab a shorter gear, the engine braking is phenomenal.” – Mark Rechtin “This is one that forces you to keep both hands on the wheel and your foot on the gas (or brake) at all times—no fancy lane following/departure stuff. In that sense, at the most basic level of car control, it demands that your full attention. But that doesn’t mean it’s hard to drive—it’s effortless at very high speeds, completely poised yet responsive. A flat attitude and fingertip control while cornering at speeds 10-15-mph faster than other vehicles is difficult to achieve—as is the same, if not greater confidence heading down 198 as up. Only this 488 and the 911 Turbo S gave me that exhilarating feeling of invincibility (I had no issues with the brakes), and I only give the 488 the nod over the Turbo S because the V-8 twin turbo wail at WOT sounds more lurvly.” – Ed Loh “Faster than everything else by 10 mph, at least, in every situation. Blazing speed. In love with it? No. Not as satisfying to drive as some of the others, even in Race mode. But in terms of athleticism, a benchmark. As Randy said, it’s more like a Moto GP bike than a car. Also, I did not trust the brakes. “I understand the intoxication of the 488. It’s an out-and-out supercar that within 3 seconds of behind-the-wheel time, you’re able to confidently take to your limit. Perhaps that’s really what makes a Best Driver’s Car: a machine that not only makes you confident, but one that does so almost instantly.” – Jonny Lieberman Randy Says “Whoa, that’s a thrill. Entering a corner, the front is very strong and turns in really hard. And then through the middle of the corner, I think the stability controls are doing things. I found that if I went to an early maintenance throttle, it didn’t like that. It would create quite a bit of understeer, and I’d be pushing enough that I couldn’t go to power. So I realized the best strategy was to stay off the power longer and let it get turned more for a really late apex, so I could straighten up and just shoot down that next straightaway because it gains speed with amazing rapidity. “Its engine is absolutely a delight. It’s so fantastic. There’s no turbo lag on the track, it just feels like a very powerful engine with a fat torque curve, and it’s not very picky about the shift point because the torque curve is so fat. “I felt what I think was like traction control or stability control coming in, and it was very smooth. It allowed a lot of slip angle in the tire, and that got to be quite a lot of fun. Especially the last time I went out, when I kind of figured it out. Things were all happening so fast. This was a car where it was not easy to go fast in right away because it took so much getting used to. “I was not real happy with the brakes. I didn’t get that initial bite, you know, not like the Corvette. You know good old GM? It’s just so good at designing brakes right now. With the Ferrari, I had to push really hard, and after a point pushing harder didn’t cause the brakes to be better, they made them worse. A couple times I started thinking about explaining to these guys how I got in the wall, and I think I was braking early enough. I really was. But there was not a linear relationship between pedal pressure and brake force. And there was not a lot of bite. It took a lot of pedal effort, and it didn’t get a lot better as you pushed harder. So I found myself having to brake what felt early, like real early. “The car is relatively soft to me. It feels compliant, and if I still had a lot of weight on the nose when I turned, I could feel it roll. It wasn’t terrible but it rolled in there. It would rotate, the rear would move out a little bit, but it was best to let it do that and not go to throttle. Have the entry speed, slow hands, a little bit of brake maybe or at least off-throttle, and be patient and get it pointed way down at the late apex because then when you go it was amazing how it just pinned me back in the seat. It just felt so good, like if you could take the seatbelt right out of the car then it wouldn’t matter while your accelerating because you’re pinned to the seat. It feels really, really good. The engine is an absolute home run—it’s just unbelievable.”   2016 Ferrari 488 GTB POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Mid-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Twin-turbo 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 238.1 cu in/3,902 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.4:1 POWER (SAE NET) 661 hp @ 8,000 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 561 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm REDLINE 8,000 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 5.2 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 4.38:1/2.81:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 11.9:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 1.9 BRAKES, F; R 15.7-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc; 14.2-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 9.0 x 20-in; 11.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 245/35R20 91Y; 305/30R20 103Y Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 K1 (Tread 180) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 104.3 in TRACK, F/R 66.1/64.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 179.8 x 76.9 x 47.8 in TURNING CIRCLE 38.7 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,412 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 41/59% SEATING CAPACITY 2 HEADROOM, F/R n.a./— in LEGROOM, F/R n.a./— in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R n.a./— in CARGO VOLUME 8.1 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.2 sec 0-40 1.7 0-50 2.2 0-60 2.7 0-70 3.4 0-80 4.2 0-90 5.0 0-100 6.0 0-100-0 9.7 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.2 QUARTER MILE 10.6 sec @ 135.2 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 94 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.02 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 22.6 sec @ 0.99 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:31.68 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,600 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $249,150 PRICE AS TESTED $365,793 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 4: Dual front, front side/head BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/Unlimited miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 3 yrs/Unlimited miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 3 yrs/Unlimited miles FUEL CAPACITY 20.6 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 15/22/18 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 225/153 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.11 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium The post Ferrari 488 GTB is the 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

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44 UK towns and cities breaching air pollution limits

Hugo Griffiths 2017-10-31 12:00 New research finds Glasgow, London, Leeds, Southampton and 40 other urban areas have hazardous pollution levels A new study has found 44 UK towns and cities have dangerous levels of air pollution. The findings, discovered by researchers from the Royal College of Physicians, indicate levels of ‘PM2.5’ – microscopic particles suspended in the atmosphere – are over and above recommended levels in several urban areas in Britain.  • Euro 6 emissions - what do they mean for you? The World Health Organisation says PM2.5 levels shouldn’t exceed 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air, but average concentrations of these particles in Glasgow and Scunthorpe were 16 micrograms per cubic metre in 2016, while mean levels in London, Leeds, Southampton and Salford were recorded at 15 micrograms per cubic metre over the same period. Of the 51 UK towns and cities in the World Health Organisation’s ambient air pollution database, 44 breached recommended limits in 2016, with residents in Leeds, Bristol, Eastbourne, Birmingham and Manchester among those affected. People living in Bournemouth, Sunderland, Aberdeen and Reading, meanwhile, will be reassured to learn their home towns met or undercut recommended PM2.5 levels. PM2.5 particles are defined as solid or liquid particles under 2.5 microns in diameter that are suspended in the atmosphere. These particles are produced by any number of sources, but research indicates road transport is responsible for a significant proportion of kerbside PM2.5 levels. Excess concentrations of these particles is associated with a number of health conditions, including cardiovascular illness and respiratory ailments such as asthma. The report’s authors said initiatives that aim to tackle urban pollution – such as the recently-introduced T-Charge in London  - were “much needed”, but Dr Toby Hillman, one of the researchers behind the study, cautioned: “we know the effects of poor air quality run from cradle to grave; it’s a lifetime threat to human health.”  WHO's UK ambient air pollution list Town/city Mean 2016 PM2.5 levels (μg/m3)   Glasgow 16 Scunthorpe 16 Eastbourne 15 Leeds 15 London 15 Salford 15 Southampton 15 Armagh 14 Birmingham 14 Cardiff 14 Chepstow 14 Gibraltar 14 Oxford 14 Port Talbot 14 Portsmouth 14 Stanford-le-Hope 14 Stoke-on-Trent 14 Thurrock 14 Warrington 14 Bristol 13 Leamington Spa 13 Manchester 13 Newport 13 Norwich 13 Wigan 13 Belfast 12 Carlisle 12 Hull 12 Liverpool 12 Nottingham 12 Plymouth 12 Prestonpans 12 Swansea 12 York 12 Birkenhead 11 Brighton 11 Londonderry 11 Middlesbrough 11 Saltash 11 Southend-on-Sea 11 Chesterfield 10 Newcastle upon Tyne 10 Reading 10 Stockton-on-Tees 10 Wrexham 10 Aberdeen 9 Bournemouth 9 Grangemouth 9 Sunderland 9 Edinburgh 8 Inverness 6 Is your town or city on the list? What should be done to reduce air pollution? Join the debate in the comments area below...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/101564/44-uk-towns-and-cities-breaching-air-pollution-limits

Porsche 911 Turbo S: 3rd Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

Long the performance flagship of the Porsche 911 line, the Turbo S adds a healthy dose of crazy. Rather than mess with success, this 991.2 iteration tackles the only criticism of the previous Turbo S: It wasn’t wild enough. Some will feel even this version is too sterile; they’re nuts. Porsche fitted two new variable-geometry turbos to the 3.8-liter flat-six engine, which now conjures 580 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque—or 553 lb-ft in temporary overboost. An anti-lag system keeps the throttle open but cuts the fuel during shifts to keep air flowing. Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic transaxle remains, as do the all-wheel-drive system, electronically adjustable shock absorbers, carbon-ceramic brakes, front splitter, and rear wing. A new Sport Response button gives you 20 seconds of on-demand sharper throttle response, and a new rear-wheel steering system sharpens the handling. It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Don’t miss the incredible story of how we chose the 2017 Best Driver’s Car right here, and stay tuned for the World’s Greatest Drag Race, coming soon. The result is the hardest-launching car we’ve ever tested, at 1.26 g of horizontal force. Tesla? Nope. Demon? Nuh-uh. From a stop, this 911 will dust a Bugatti Veyron to 60 mph—just 2.5 seconds. The quarter mile flashes past in a stunning 10.6 seconds, at which point you’ll be traveling at 129.6 mph and pulling hard. It pulls hard in corners, too, registering 1.05 average g on the skidpad and 0.95 average g during a brief 22.9-second figure-eight lap. Stopping the 3,557-pound missile from 60 mph takes only 92 feet. We Say “My litmus test for whether a car has a shot at taking the BDC crown is what I’m doing with my head and shoulders when driving. If I’m cocking my head and leaning into the turns along with the vehicle, I am in sync with my steed. We are one; the man-machine interface is engaged, the singularity has occurred. It happened with the winning McLaren 570S last year. “I’m doing that head tilting, lean in thing whilst carving the canyons in the Turbo S. It is nearly the complete package. So fast and completely unflappable. It’s really hard to find a flaw here. Just so fast. Smooth. Lovely to hear the wastegates dump as you lift throttle and the beats of silence between gearshifts. But yes, a more thrilling sound from the back would be appreciated. Unbelievably fast. It is really a focused tool intended for one purpose: going very fast.” – Ed Loh Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Ferrari 488 GTB Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Porsche 718 Cayman S Lexus LC 500 Mercedes-AMG GT R Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT “Goose bumps—it’s so easy to handle. Steering is stiff, but it gives you exactly the kind of feedback that you want to feel on a road like this. The sound coming from the engine is superb. Suspension is rigid but comfortable. I felt the confidence to go faster on the corners and push for more. The 911 stands out not only for its handsome looks, but also for that great feeling of confidence that it delivers when you drive on windy roads.” – Miguel Cortina “So, so, so capable on 198. But the trade-off of having such a highly capable car is that it’s quite a bore to drive in normal situations, which is likely how the 911 Turbo will be driven 91.1 percent of the time. It’s really boring on the road. But again, great car to drive hard.” – Erick Ayapana “To me, this is the perfect driver’s car, in that you can do it all: drive for hours and hours on an interstate, then suddenly twist a dial to sport plus, put the hammer down, and the 911 leaps to life, assured, forceful, and pragmatically intense. It is so composed, so nailed down, so very fast, and so full of grip. There is never a hint that something might go awry. It squirts out of the apex and fills you with so much confidence. If you carry too much speed into a corner, lay into the brakes through that entry portion of the curve, and the 911 just tucks in and says, ‘Yeah sure, we got this.’” – Mark Rechtin “My god it’s so capable and so easy. The engine almost feels lazy while piling on the speed. It’s really deceptive how powerful it truly is even at low rpm. It’s amazing how much confidence this car gives a driver. Not just the brakes, but the steering and the stability. The car shrinks around you and becomes an extension of you. I’m looking for a complaint, and I can’t find one.” – Chris Walton “There’s a reason this car is at the top of the rankings in any competition. The 911 Turbo S is so amazingly competent on every level—without having any visible compromises—that it’s easy to forget how high its limits are. Right out of the box, the 911 Turbo S lets you drive as fast as you dare, brake as hard as you can, and turn as much as you wish. It doesn’t just inspire confidence … it inspires a relationship with the driver.” – Derek Powell Randy Says “Yeah, the 911 Turbo S was super great, but it almost seemed a little bit unsatisfying. Somehow? This 991.2 has so much more torque than the last GT3s, any GT3 I ever drove. And it’s just so satisfying to drive. The balance under power is amazing to me. Knowing how little weight is on those tires especially when you’re under about 0.9 g acceleration in second gear, and it doesn’t push under power. This car seems more rewarding to drive to me, and it really … it blows away some great cars. I guess ‘cause it’s easy? But it’s rewardingly easy. It’s not boring; it’s satisfying. It just makes me feel like I could drive better than I really can. I literally said that to myself, driving off of turn 11. “In the slower corners, when the revs are down, there’s no sense of lag whatsoever. I love the way it’ll dig off the corner without understeer. I could go to the power really early, and I’d just know that a lot of cars would want to understeer under this condition. And it doesn’t, it just comes on. Just fascinatingly, thrillingly good. “You have to be just a wee bit careful about entry oversteer. Don’t leave that weight on the nose for too long on a high speed corner. It takes a real specific combination of great on-the-nose, aggressive turn-in, and off throttle to bring the tail out. A couple of times when it came out it still was not scary. It was a pleasant experience. Back to the power, and there you go. I’m just really, really impressed. “With PDKs you’re just wasting your time shifting manually. It might be fun just to do it for the fun of it, but it’s completely unnecessary to shift yourself. The brakes held up completely; even the tires held up. I mean, the loads, what they’re going through is mind-bending. The amount of speed, the amount of braking, and how hard those tires are worked—they still hold up. The car retains its balance. I just seem to be able to repeat my braking performance. I was in so deep a couple times halfway through the brakes I thought maybe I wouldn’t make this. But then it would slow down enough and ride into the apex, and away we’d go. It’s a nice, firm pedal, and that means the braking performance is repeatable. It also made me push it harder. “I don’t feel the rear-steer except that, maybe, it’s my guess that it’s one of the ways they keep the front traction in the middle of the corner when it really shouldn’t have any, but the car responds to the steering wheel in the middle of the corner. Low-speed, high-speed, anything you want. I think I set my speed record over the corkscrew. “It’s a real testament to what’s possible with modern technology when you are creating a sports car and you know what you’re doing. It’s an amazing piece of machinery. A living testament to how good a car can be with the stability control off.” 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Rear-engine, AWD ENGINE TYPE Twin-turbo flat-6, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 231.9 cu in/3,800 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.8:1 POWER (SAE NET) 580 hp @ 6,750 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 516 lb-ft @ 2,100 rpm* REDLINE 7,200 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 6.1 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch auto. AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.44:1(f) 3.33:1(r)/2.06:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 12.5-15.0:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5 BRAKES, F; R 16.1-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc; 15.4-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc, ABS WHEELS 9.0 x 20-in; 11.5 x 20-in forged aluminum TIRES 245/35ZR20 91Y; 305/30ZR20 103Y Pirelli P Zero Corsa N0 DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 96.5 in TRACK, F/R 60.7/62.6 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 177.4 x 74.0 x 51.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 60.7/62.6 in CURB WEIGHT 3,557 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 39/61% SEATING CAPACITY 2+2 HEADROOM, F/R 37.7/32.2 in LEGROOM, F/R 42.2/27.1 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 51.3/47.9 in CARGO VOLUME 4.1 cu ft (+9.2 cu ft beh fr seats) TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 0.9 sec 0-40 1.4 0-50 1.9 0-60 2.5 0-70 3.3 0-80 4.1 0-90 5.1 0-100 6.2 0-100-0 9.7 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.3 QUARTER MILE 10.6 sec @ 129.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 92 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.05 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 22.9 sec @ 0.95 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:33.21 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,500 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $189,150 PRICE AS TESTED $196,360 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, fr side, fr curtain, fr knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 17.9 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 19/24/21 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 177/140 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.93 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium The post Porsche 911 Turbo S: 3rd Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/porsche-911-turbo-s-3rd-place-2017-best-drivers-car/

New Hyundai i30 N 2017 review

Image 1 of 30 Image 1 of 30 31 Oct, 2017 9:15am Lawrence Allan The new Hyundai i30 N may lack the power of some hot hatch rivals, but it makes up for it in almost every other way Hyundai has gone to great lengths to banish its image of being a bargain basement carmaker over the last decade, with a range of competitive, quality small cars, family cars and SUVs on the books. But up until now it’s shied away from performance offerings, leaving European rivals to dominate the market. Finally, after the hiring of ex-BMW M division head Albert Biermann in 2014, Hyundai has launched its ‘N’ performance sub-brand with this: the i30 N. We were impressed with it out in Germany earlier this year, yet this is the real acid test on our broken and scarred British tarmac. It’s also our first chance to try the cheaper 247bhp base car, which is £3,000 less than the 271bhp Performance Package model we drove previously.  • New Hyundai i30 Performance Package review Hyundai’s engineers did hundreds of laps of the Nurburgring during development of the i30 N, though thankfully the company isn’t feeling the need to shout about it too much. The quietly aggressive bodykit, wider wheelarches, bigger wheels (18-inch items on this car, an 19-inchers on the top-spec model), red details and large twin exhausts give the game away to enthusiasts, but those after showiness and extravagance from their hot hatch will be better served by cars such as the Honda Civic Type R.  Image 2 of 30 Image 2 of 30 It’s a similar story inside. Hyundai has transferred over the solid yet unexciting cabin of the standard i30, with only the drive mode selector on the steering wheel and a pair of nicely supportive sports seats added as distinguishing features. But that’s the same as you’ll find in most rival hot hatches, and the i30 N’s cabin is well-finished, spacious and intuitive to use. We’d forgive you for having some scepticism about the i30 N’s driving experience. Even putting the fact that this is Hyundai’s first hot hatch to one side, the standard i30 is far from an entertaining steer. That’s what makes the N all the more surprising when you get behind the wheel and find out that it is, in fact, a true challenger to the current hot hatch elite. With the Civic Type R, plus four-wheel drive competitors like the Ford Focus RS pushing beyond the 300bhp mark, the i30 N looks down on power even in Performance Package form. But the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine seems almost as energetic as more muscular rivals, partly thanks to the short gearing. We drove the standard and Performance Pack models back-to-back, and while you can notice slightly more pull at high revs in the latter, the former feels just as fast most of the time.   Image 3 of 30 Image 3 of 30 It rips right up to the redline with urgency and with almost no lag, meaning you can rifle through the gears with the i30 N’s slick manual shift and find yourself covering ground at a surprising rate of knots. It’s not the most exciting hot hatch powertrain on the market, but the switchable exhaust uses sound generators to add to the hard-edged snarl in the mid-range and deliver a cacophony of pops and bangs. We also love the rev-matching tech, allowing quick and smooth downshifts without the need to heel-and-toe. It’s happy to quieten down at a cruise and deliver diesel-like low-rev torque, too.  • Best hot hatchbacks on sale The engine is strong and willing, then, but the handling is even more impressive. Doing without the Performance Package means this car lacks the electronic differential and bigger brakes, yet it hasn’t suffered too much. While the diff in the pricier i30 N keeps it locked into its chosen line out of a bend no matter what you do, even this standard car grips and holds on keenly. The steering is quick, direct and surprisingly feelsome, boosting your confidence in the car’s abilities.  Image 5 of 30 Image 5 of 30 Adding to the tremendous feeling of agility is the impressive body control, with the i30 N feeling remarkably well tied-down regardless of which mode you have the suspension in. The drive modes are endlessly configurable, unlike in some rivals, so you can leave the adaptive dampers in Normal mode and ramp up the throttle response, exhaust noise and steering weight separately. We’d recommend doing this, as the i30 N’s ride is firm but well damped in the standard setting – ramping up to Sport or (in particular) N mode simply makes it too stiff and easily unsettled for British B-roads. The standard car is better in this area than the Performance Package, though, as the slightly smaller wheels remove a layer of harshness from the i30 N’s bump absorption, and reduce road noise.  The i30 N’s rounded abilities and exceptional sharpness make it one of the finest front-wheel drive hot hatches around. That’s quite something, considering most manufacturers have been perfecting their offerings for years. If you’re planning on doing some track driving then the Performance Package is the one to go for, but on the road the base car offers very nearly as much excitement for significantly less cash. At £25,000, it undercuts basically every rival, making it look fantastic value for money.  5 Whether it’s the base version we have here, or the kitted-out Performance Package, the Hyundai i30 N is a genuine surprise. It excels on UK roads, making up for its slight power deficit with a willing engine and sublime agility. It has the talent to give the Honda Civic Type R a run for its money with less divisive styling to boot. It’s also as easily to live with as a regular i30, despite a slightly firm ride, and the icing on the cake is that it even looks great value. Model: Hyundai I30 N Price: £24,995 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol Power/torque: 247bhp/353Nm 0-62mph: 6.4 seconds Top speed: 155mph Economy/CO2: 40.0mpg/159g/km On sale: January 2018

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/hyundai/i30/101559/new-hyundai-i30-n-2017-review

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE: 4th Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

We’ve all heard about the bad old days at GM when no car was allowed to challenge the Corvette’s performance supremacy. Those days are long dead. Team Camaro has applied its 1LE handling philosophy to the monstrously powerful ZL1, and the resulting monster is the most track-capable road car GM has ever sold. Up front, the standard Camaro ZL1’s 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 still makes 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque because frankly it didn’t need to make more. Being an enthusiast’s car, a six-speed manual is the only transmission on offer. An electronically controlled differential rounds out the powertrain. Out at the corners, magnetic shocks are replaced with Multimatic spool-valve shocks, and like the rest of the suspension, they’re hard-mounted with metal bushings, not rubber. The ride height, front camber, and rear anti-roll bar are all manually adjustable. A bigger grille improves cooling, and dive planes on the front corners and a massive rear wing provide downforce across the car. Equally massive carbon-ceramic brakes do the stopping. It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Don’t miss the incredible story of how we chose the 2017 Best Driver’s Car right here, and stay tuned for the World’s Greatest Drag Race, coming soon. Put it all together, nail the launch, and you’ll see 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and an 11.7-second quarter mile at 123 mph flat. Going the other way, the 3,837-pound ZL1 1LE will stop from 60 mph in a scant 91 feet. Put it on a skidpad, and it’ll pull 1.11 average g. Fling it at the figure eight, and you’ll get a 23.0-second lap at 0.93 average g. We Say “This car needs five-point harnesses because the dampers are so unforgiving. It’s true this 1LE has incredible grip; however, the compression damping is way too harsh while the rebound damping is just right. I’m not sure where they tuned this, but it clearly did not have a lot of bumps and jumps. The steering is freakishly quick. It took me three corners to calm my hands down, so I didn’t steer into and across the apex. The power seems to be well matched for the chassis, for a change, unlike the Z06. Third gear seemed very tractable and had a wide bandwidth. This feels like what I imagine a ’60s-’70s Trans Am car would be like.” – Chris Walton “I know Jonny loves this car, but I just can’t warm to it. Probably because I’ve lost all my fillings, and my kidneys are bruised. With the exception of the best roads, the ride in this Camaro is punishing. I’ve encountered smoother paint mixers. I had to remind myself that based on the numbers, this car is fantastic. Endless grip, fade-free brakes, abundant horsepower. But the thing is, I didn’t care. The bouncing was so bad that I found myself reacting to that instead of focusing on sheer act of driving. The Camaro might be brilliant on the track, but I wouldn’t want to drive this to get there.” – Derek Powell Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Ferrari 488 GTB Porsche 911 Turbo S Porsche 718 Cayman S Lexus LC 500 Mercedes-AMG GT R Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT “Simply tremendous … tremendous grip, tremendous brakes, and tremendous power. And how about that third pedal? This added that special connection to the vehicle that the Ferrari or 911 Turbo simply can’t match, which is why I ranked it higher than those two fancy (and expensive) machines. With the Camaro, I felt like I—not some fancy software—had a big part in conquering 198.” – Erick Ayapana “That’s a driver’s car! When the aero and the tires shake hands, it’s a moment of revelation. You are suddenly driving a hard-mounted race car. Unreal. So much power, so much control, so much stopping ability. An absolute monster of a machine. This is an uncaged race car. Being able to actually use all 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque is mind-boggling. I’m not sure how this car isn’t a podium finisher.” – Jonny Lieberman “Long name, amazing results! Everywhere a competitor put a wheel in the air, the Camaro stuck like glue. There’s a lot of vertical movement in the cabin, but the car just sticks no matter what. It never jumps sideways a foot when it hits a mid-corner bump, never moves around laterally at all. Even when it feels like you’ve carried too much speed into a corner, it sticks. I can’t count how many times I put the throttle flat on the floor. In a 650-hp car this stiff on this bumpy road, that’s seriously impressive. The eLSD takes a little getting used to. If you start to feed in power mid-corner, the car turns in more as the diff gets to work. Steer with the throttle? Yes, please! “Brakes have huge stopping power and great pedal feel. Squeeze, don’t stomp, and get exactly what you want. “I thought this car would be too stiff for the road, and that’s coming from someone who drove the Z/28 for a year. I was wrong.” – Scott Evans Randy Says “It was not perfectly balanced for me. I’m really trying to smear a little lipstick from the perfection here, but it would go from a little teeny bit of understeer, which was perfect, to a little bit of oversteer, which is almost perfect. But when we put it in the context of what it is, which is a front-engine rear-drive car with 650 horsepower, the traction was incredible. It put down power extremely well, I could drive it with everything turned off, and for me, that’s just so much more satisfying. “The dampers felt great. Basically I never thought about it. Which means nothing came into my awareness as being, oh, this is too stiff. Or that is too soft. I don’t sense roll. So when I just turn for the corner, it just lies over there. That’s not good terminology because I don’t feel it roll. I’m sure it does, but I don’t feel it. Which means it’s got good damping. When I’m down in the corner, in the middle, I still have a steering response, and I can still tighten it up. “It was happy coming out of the corkscrew. That’s always hard in a powerful rear drive car. Put the power down. When you’re in a low gear and it’s a hard right. It wants to power oversteer. But this one was pretty damn good. Especially at that power level. See, we have to keep this in context. “The car generated a tremendous amount of braking force, but for the first time in any high-performance Camaro, it had a long pedal. I was pumping it a little bit, and I remember going up that Corkscrew thinking, ‘Jesus and Heaven above, let these work.’ And boy did they work. It stopped so well. It was very, very pleasing and satisfying how late I could brake in this—what is a relatively heavy car. It’s light for a Camaro, a supercharged Camaro. A bad driver could crash it immediately, but for a reasonable guy who can drive really fast and doesn’t need stability control, this is the ultimate pony car right now.” 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (1LE) POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Supercharged 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN OHV, 2 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 376.1 cu in/6,162 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.0:1 POWER (SAE NET) 650 hp @ 6,400 rpm* TORQUE (SAE NET) 650 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm* REDLINE 6,500 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 5.9 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.73:1/2.00:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 11.1:1-15.1:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.3 BRAKES, F; R 15.4-in vented, 2-pc disc; 14.4-in vented, 2-pc disc, ABS WHEELS 11.0 x 20-in; 12.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum TIRES 305/30R19 98Y; 325/30R19 101Y Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3R (Tread 100) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 110.7 in TRACK, F/R 64.1/62.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 188.3 x 74.7 x 52.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 38.7 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,837 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 55/45% SEATING CAPACITY 4 HEADROOM, F/R 38.5/33.5 in LEGROOM, F/R 43.9/29.9 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.0/50.4 in CARGO VOLUME 9.1 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 0-40 2.2 0-50 2.8 0-60 3.6 0-70 4.4 0-80 5.3 0-90 6.6 0-100 7.9 0-100-0 11.3 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.5 QUARTER MILE 11.7 sec @ 123.0 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 91 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.11 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.0 sec @ 0.93 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:34.30 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,900 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $71,295 PRICE AS TESTED $73,090 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/60,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 19.0 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 14/20/16 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 241/169 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.20 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium The post Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE: 4th Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/chevrolet-camaro-zl1-1le-4th-place-2017-best-drivers-car/

Lotus SUV images leak online

Dan Smith 2017-10-30 15:30 Lotus plans to introduce a lightweight crossover SUV in 2019, which coincides with the patented images leaked onto the web Patent drawings of what appear to be the upcoming Lotus SUV have appeared online, which is planned to enter production in 2019. The sketches reveal a typically sleek and sporty crossover SUV that bears similarities to the Porsche Macan in terms of proportions. From the front, a large grille and air vents under the lights can be picked out, but the SUV doesn't appear to adopt any design cues from Lotus' current product range. • Best 4x4s and SUVs on sale right now Sketches of the rear show a more coupe-like roofline, similar to the BMW X4. Another notable feature at the back is a prominent rear diffuser, roof spolier and two large exhausts, hinting further high performance.  The new images could indicate that Lotus' plans to build an SUV have been accelerated since Chinese manufacturer Geeley took a majority stake in the Norfolk-based car company.  Back in 2015, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales told Auto Express about the brand’s plan to introduce a lightweight SUV “within the next five years”, with an eye to selling it in the Chinese market first. He said: “[It will be] much lighter and faster than any other SUV currently on offer.” Lotus is the latest sports car brand to join in on the performance  SUV craze, with Lamborghini and even Ferrari joining in on the act. Alfa Romeo recently set the Nurburgring lap record for SUV’s with a time in under eight minutes courtesy of its Stelvio Quadrifoglio, lapping it quicker than most sports cars. Would you be tempted by an SUV with a Lotus badge? Let us know what you think below!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/lotus/101553/lotus-suv-images-leak-online

Porsche 718 Cayman S: 2nd Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car

As the Porsche 911 roars deeper into supercar territory, the 718 Cayman S assumes the mantle of a pure sports car. The latest iteration is a midcycle update so big Porsche gave it a new generational designation. The major change: a turbo flat-four replaces the flat-six Caymans have had since birth. Displacing just 2.5 liters, it pumps out a flat-six-beating 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque. Both manual and automatic transmissions are available; we went with the PDK dual-clutch automatic. With it comes a Sport Response button, which unleashes 20 seconds of sharper throttle response. Lift, and the throttle stays open with the fuel off to keep the turbo spinning. In addition to new chassis tuning, the rear suspension is wider, and the steering rack has been lifted from the 911 Turbo. It’s Best Driver’s Car week! Don’t miss the incredible story of how we chose the 2017 Best Driver’s Car right here, and stay tuned for the World’s Greatest Drag Race, coming soon. The Cayman’s boosted four is more than enough to get 3,190 pounds hustling. Zero to 60 mph happens in 3.6 seconds, and the quarter mile passes in 12 seconds flat at 114.9 mph. Braking from 60 mph requires only 99 feet. It’ll rip off a 23.7-second figure-eight lap at 0.89 average g and pulls 1.01 average g on the skidpad. SE We Say “Is this a four-cylinder engine? ‘Cause it sure has a lot of power. Good push from the turbo at the start and great handling in the corners. Those tires stick to the ground, and the 718 feels natural. The body roll feeling is very small. The 718 gave me the confidence to keep going and push for more. The suspension is just what you want to feel in a car like this—stiff, sporty, rigid. You get a very good sense of what is happening on the road. That’s a great sound coming from the engine, as well.” – Miguel Cortina “It’s a fantastic chassis and can use every single horsepower back there. Just the right amount of power. Steering is excellent. Among the best here. Talkative and light, quick enough but not too much. It’s a great sports car, very much in the same vein as the Corvette. It doesn’t set my hair on fire, but then, most people aren’t as jaded to quick cars as I am. I could see this being a real dark horse. Problem: it sounds like someone put a muffler on my garbage disposal.” – Scott Evans Read about other 2017 Best Driver’s Car contenders: Ferrari 488 GTB Porsche 911 Turbo S Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Lexus LC 500 Mercedes-AMG GT R Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Aston Martin DB11 Nissan GT-R NISMO Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 570GT “There is something really spirited and sweet about this car. It is so well balanced and smooth. It’s so seamless in its power delivery and responsive to the slightest steering input. It handles speed with ease. It is light and nimble, generating a fast, enjoyable, comfortable, and balanced ride. There are those who miss the sound of the old throaty engine, but the tradeoff for a nice wide powerband is worth it. The car was not hurting for power, even going uphill. You just feel good in this car. It makes you feel like you are a better driver than you are.” – Alisa Priddle “The 718 Cayman S feels like one of those cars that needs no introduction. Probably because the chassis is so beautifully balanced, probably because the handling is so predictable, probably because each movement is connected directly to the brain’s synapses. Nothing requires a second thought. The Cayman does everything right, and it never feels like it’s trying too hard. This is a car that’s best explained by simply driving it.” – Derek Powell “I’m blown away with how good this car is to drive. It manages to be approachable and yet so good on the edge. I know the Cayman is helping me out in ways that I can’t even begin to understand, but I don’t care. It’s so good that it lets me focus on driving. It’ll let me know when I screw up or do something wrong, but it doesn’t hold it against me. Even when the car intervenes, like traction control pulling power, it’s so subtle that it makes me think that I did it. It’s an exceptionally balanced car. Driving this car feels like using a broken-in baseball mitt—it just fits. Feels right. Under-braked, though. Real mushy pedal at the end of the downhill run. This car is so fast that I want more brakes from it.” – Christian Seabaugh Randy Says “The car is one of those rare kinds of cars where from the first time I turn the wheel I get a smile on my face. The steering response is relatively quick, and it’s easy, with the polar moment of a mid-engine design, it makes the chassis not work very hard to change direction. That’s part of the advantage of it. The other advantage of the mid-engine design is you get the majority of the weight over the drive wheels, which is really good for traction under acceleration and for braking but without the tricky polar moment of having the engine all the way out in the back. “The advantage of the four cylinder turbo here is the midrange torque. There’s a big punch in the midrange. And I’m not waiting for the revs to build for the power to build. It’s already here now. And the transmission knows it. PDK is just so smart on track. It holds the gear at a relatively low rpm like in the low 5,000s. With the six cylinder, I bet it would have down shifted in those situations, and this car doesn’t. And the shifts are really quick and accurate. “The brakes are really good. They’re not oh-my-God downforce R-compound carbon-ceramic good, but they’re very good. And they didn’t change. There’s a little more pedal travel than I would want in a perfect world. But the braking force was good. The car has a little bit of push. Enter the corner with a little bit of patience. Don’t go to power early. If you go to power early, you can create understeer with the Cayman S because it’s a mid-engine. The front end is light. Keep weight on the nose or even trail-brake it a little to get it to come into the corner. The advantage of that little bit extra understeer is the stability that comes with it. And I found that this is a car that I could drive harder and harder. “The car rewards aggressive driving, for me anyway. And I was never in a position where the power broke the rear tires loose. I don’t slam the gas down, anyway. But it puts power to the ground really, really well. “Marry this car. This is the kind of car you marry because it’s so fun to be around and it’s good-looking and shows you a good time and never tries to stab you in the back. And it might not have the extremes of the 600 horsepower sports car, but it is so rewarding to drive and hang around with and have with you for long periods of time.” 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Mid-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Turbocharged flat-4, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 152.4 cu in/2,497 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 9.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 350 hp @ 6,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 309 lb-ft @ 1,900 rpm REDLINE 7,300 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 9.1 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.62:1/2.24:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 12.5:1-15.0:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5 BRAKES, F; R 13.0-in vented, drilled disc; 11.8-in vented, drilled disc, ABS WHEELS 8.0 x 20-in; 10.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum TIRES 235/35R20 88Y; 265/35R20 95Y Pirelli P Zero N1 (Tread 220) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 97.4 in TRACK, F/R 59.6/60.6 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 172.4 x 70.9 x 51.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 36.0 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,190 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 44/56% SEATING CAPACITY 2 HEADROOM, F/R 39.1/— in LEGROOM, F/R 42.2/— in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 51.3/— in CARGO VOLUME 5.3 (front), 9.7 (rear) cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.3 sec 0-40 1.9 0-50 2.7 0-60 3.6 0-70 4.7 0-80 5.9 0-90 7.3 0-100 9.0 0-100-0 12.7 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.8 QUARTER MILE 12.0 sec @ 114.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 99 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.01 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.7 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) 2.2-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 1:40.05 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,600 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $67,350 PRICE AS TESTED $95,475 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes AIRBAGS 8: Dual front, fr side, fr head, fr knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 16.9 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 21/28/24 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 160/120 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.82 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium The post Porsche 718 Cayman S: 2nd Place – 2017 Motor Trend Best Driver’s Car appeared first on Motor Trend.

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New BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car unveiled for 2018 campaign

Dan Smith 2017-10-30 12:50 2017 MotoGP finale in Valencia will see debut of new BMW M5 Safety Car, based on the upcoming M5 The new BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car - based on the next M5 - is set to clock on for its first shift at the final round of the 2017 season on 12 November, ahead of a full 2018 campaign. It replaces the M2 coupe as BMW’s MotoGP Safety Car and is based on the all-new F90 M5 on sale next year. It will be the first M5 to feature BMW’s xDrive four-wheel-drive system bespoke to the fifth-generation M5. • BMW to join Formula E in 2018 Power comes from the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from the previous generation M5, but has been boosted to 591bhp and 750Nm of torque. The power increase and four-wheel-drive system results in a 0-62mph sprint of 3.4 seconds. Image 15 of 37 Image 15 of 37 While the MotoGP Safety Car shares similar performance to the new M5, there are a number of features exclusive to the vehicle that differ from the road-going variant.  Numerous carbon fibre components have been added in order to distinguish it from the standard motor, along with its unique multi-colour paint scheme, MotoGP Safety Car decals and the light bar on the roof.  Image 36 of 37 Image 36 of 37 An all-new splitter exclusive to the safety car has been fitted to add further grip and help keep up the pace for the motorbikes behind, along with bucket seats lifted from the M4 GTS. The 2018 campaign will be BMW’s 19th season as the “Official Car of MotoGP”, having been in partnership with the premier motorcycle racing series since 1999. The 2017 Valencia Grand Prix commences on 12 November and is the final round of the season. It will feature a title showdown between championship leader Marc Marquez and Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso, who trails by 21 points.  Do you like the look of the BMW M5 MotoGP Safety Car? Tell us what you think in the comments section... Associated Advanced Gallery  BMW unveil new M5 Safety Car for 2018 MotoGP campaign - pictures

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/5-series/101552/new-bmw-m5-motogp-safety-car-unveiled-for-2018-campaign

This Electric Bus Drives 1,100 Miles on a Single Charge

It’s been a long time since we’ve written about electric bus manufacturer Proterra. Back in 2011, General Motors invested $30 million in the startup from South Carolina. At the time, Proterra’s EcoRide BE-35 model could hit an 80-percent charge in only 10 minutes, giving it a 40-mile range. But the latest bus from Proterra has a drastically longer range—to the tune of 1,100 miles. This week, Proterra announced that the Catalyst E2 Max electric bus traveled 1,101.2 miles on a single charge at the Navistar Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, Indiana. That’s reportedly long enough to set a world record for the longest distance traveled by an electric vehicle on a single charge. “For our heavy-duty electric bus to break the previous world record of 1,013.76 miles—which was set by a light-duty passenger EV 46 times lighter than the Catalyst E2 Max—is a major feat,” said Matt Horton, Proterra’s chief commercial officer. “This record achievement is a testament to Proterra’s purpose-built electric bus design, energy-dense batteries, and efficient drivetrain.” Compared to the Chevrolet Bolt’s 238-mile EPA range and the Tesla Model S 100D’s EPA range of 335 miles, the Proterra Catalyst E2 Max’s range looks absolutely bonkers. Then again, it has a massive 660-kWh battery, so you’d expect it to go pretty dang far on a charge. Proterra says the Catalyst E2 Max seats 40, has a top speed of 65 mph, and can recharge in less than five hours. If it were a regular passenger vehicle like the Bolt or the Model S, that recharge time would probably be way too much, but considering that buses are parked overnight, that shouldn’t be a problem. Plus, even when loaded down with people and their belongings, a 1,100-mile range should be enough to avoid running out of electricity during the day. Even better, the running costs are said to be far lower than a fossil fuel-powered bus. So will your city’s new buses all be battery electric? It’s possible. But even if the concept of an all-electric bus takes a little while to catch on, it’s still impressive that Proterra was able to build any type of vehicle that can travel so far on a single charge. Source: ProterraThe post This Electric Bus Drives 1,100 Miles on a Single Charge appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/electric-bus-claimed-1100-mile-range/