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Fishing for Peace with NASCAR Legend Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison’s casts look like outtakes from Bassmaster magazine: long, glittering threads that land in the water with barely a ripple. Then he hands me the rod. My first two throws fall short, then the third floats out in a lazy arc that looks promising—until it hooks itself around the dock and gets more tangled up than a multicar wreck on a superspeedway’s back stretch. Even the fish look embarrassed.
“The right guy or gal could teach you to cast one of these things properly,” Allison says. Then he smiles, and with meaningful emphasis on the second word, adds, “After you untangle it a few times, you’ll catch on better.”
There are two Bobby Allisons. There’s the one who traded paint with Richard Petty on a weekly basis for almost 30 years, whose most famous Daytona 500 isn’t any of the three he won but the one where he punched Cale Yarborough in the face on live national TV. Then there’s the man who will patiently climb into a paddle boat and wrestle with a fishing lure after a journalist who can’t tell a bass from a trout wraps it around the dock’s muddy leg. This Bobby Allison has mellowed from his racing days, some by time and some by grief. At 81 years old, he’s had plenty of both, and he finds peace in fishing.
Still dapper at 81, Bobby Allison has one of the most thrilling and tragic stories in American motorsports. He’s still active in the NASCAR community, but these days he spends more time in the driver’s seat of a paddle boat chasing bass than in a stock car chasing checkered flags.
Luckily for the bass in Lake Norman, North Carolina, we never get back on the water because Allison has a busy schedule. He has a lunch interview and an evening flight. “Staying busy is better than being lonely,” he says. Allison keeps a full calendar. He’s dating a nice lady in Florida. His brother Donnie lives nearby, and his daughters visit regularly, but there are some holes in his life that can’t be filled. Stock-car racing demands sacrifices, and little could anyone know way back in 1955 what it would take from him.
It wasn’t until Allison got behind the wheel of a race car that he found himself not just equal, but better than most of the guys around him. “In my first race there were about 30 cars, and I ran seventh, and I thought I did OK. There were 23 guys behind me,” he says. “Second week there were 40 cars there, and I finished seventh again. Figured I was doing better because there were more guys behind me. Third week there were about 50 cars there, and I won.”
These were local races on South Florida’s flat, paved third-mile Hialeah Speedway, and Allison was still in high school, racing a ’38 Chevrolet. He was doing it with threadbare approval from his parents, in the form of a much-begrudged written permission slip.
“I went to my mom and I said, ‘Mom, if you sign this for me, I’ll improve my grades in school,’” he recalls. “She signed so fast, she didn’t even read it, and that’s how I raced the first week. Then when I got ready to go to the second week, she says, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m going racing.’ She said, ‘I didn’t give you permission for two weeks.’ I says, ‘Mom, you didn’t read it. You gave me permission for 100 years.’”
When they realized they’d been bamboozled, Allison’s parents shipped him off to work for his uncle in Alabama, which backfired when the kid realized how many tracks were up there and how much better the races paid. He ended up inviting brother Donnie and fellow Florida racer Charles “Red” Farmer up to join him, and they won so much that they got the “Alabama Gang” nickname. The Allison brothers stayed there most of their careers.
Allison continued to win. In his garage, he points to old race flyers and advertisements, each displaying a brightly painted stock car. “I won with Ford. I won with Mercury,” he says. “I won with Chevy and Pontiac and Buick and Dodge and Plymouth. AMC.”
Bobby Allison began his driving career in circle-track jalopies and worked his way up to a Winston Cup championship.
To move around so much wasn’t the smoothest way through a NASCAR career. Most drivers settled into a groove by the mid-’60s, becoming a Ford Guy or a Dodge Guy or a Buick Guy and developing relationships with the brands’ important PR men in Detroit. That gave them bargaining power if there were disagreements with tech officials or scuffles with other drivers. NASCAR bigwigs didn’t much care about upsetting a single team, but they sure didn’t want to piss off a big manufacturer.
Allison never had this safety net. After three decades of racing, he had driven for more than 20 teams, rarely more than two seasons in a row with the same make of car. There was nobody to go to bat for him.
It’s important to Allison you don’t feel sorry for him, because he takes responsibility for his prickly reputation. He never quite gelled with crew chiefs and car owners. From his very first NASCAR job driving trucks for Mercury Outboard Motors racer Carl Kiekhaefer to racing for big-budget owners like Holman and Moody or Cotton Owens, Allison just had trouble putting up with his bosses. It’s hard to imagine now because everybody seems to love him, but Allison thinks his biggest hurdle in racing was his difficult personality. “I never knew how to smooth out resentment,” he recognizes. “Sometimes I wouldn’t even know I’d made someone mad.”
In 1988, Allison won his third Daytona 500, with son Davey close behind. It was perhaps the greatest day of his life, but he can’t remember it due to a head injury later that year. The family endured more tragedy in the ’90s, but Bobby and his wife, Judy, made it through to support other NASCAR families.
It’s not in a Southern stock car racer’s makeup to talk much about his feelings, but Allison is a thoughtful man. “I felt like I ended up going it alone,” he reflects. “I blame myself for that. I just didn’t have the communication skills to keep those people in my corner. When Junior Johnson called me to come drive his cars [in 1972], I thought, man, this is it. But I just couldn’t communicate with him, and it frustrated me. And when I drove the Indy cars for [Roger] Penske, I couldn’t make the crew listen to me. They wanted the car their way, and if I had a suggestion, they’d do the opposite. I was a loner. And in racing, I wanted to do it just so.” He holds up his hands, placing borders around an imaginary set of rules. “Perfectly. Clean and neat. I maybe wasn’t so good on a team. You know, your teammate’s right there and he can win if you don’t put extra effort on, but if you put extra effort on, you could keep him from winning. And I would put the extra effort on.”
Unlike many NASCAR drivers, Bobby Allison wasn’t loyal to one make or model. He drove ’em all, and when asked which
he liked best, he answers, “The ones
that won.”
Here’s an example. In 1973, Allison drove a BRE Datsun for Peter Brock’s Trans-Am team as a publicity stunt, and it went great. While at the track, Don Nichols, who ran the Shadow Can-Am team, approached him. “I was asked if I wanted to drive the Shadow, the second car to Jackie Oliver’s lead,” Allison says. “I went 8 mph faster than Jackie Oliver did in that car that weekend, which he didn’t like much. It meant I no longer was welcome to drive it.” Looking back, Allison notes that maybe if he’d only gone 1 mph faster, not 8, he might have had a ride. But it never occurred to him to slow down for political reasons.
His performance in the Shadow caught Penske’s attention, and the famous team owner asked him to test his Indy cars. Allison was quick, but he had bad luck in both the 1973 and 1975 Indianapolis 500s. After the second engine failure, he was done with open-wheel racing. “I took off my fireproof suit and my fireproof gloves and my fireproof everything and threw ’em in the trash,” he says. “Went back to stock cars and won.”
Allison in a McLaren at the 1975 Indianapolis 500.
I’m eavesdropping at this point, because Allison invited me to sit in on his other interview. It’s set up over a lunch table in a big boathouse saloon, and Allison is acting out passes and crashes with his hands over a plate of crab cakes. When asked if his team was purposely cheating when the bumper fell off his car in the 1982 Daytona 500 (he won), he responds, “We won everything with that same car with the bumper on, too.” He denies he gained any advantage and certainly denies it was set up to fall off.
Of course, the story of the 1979 Daytona 500 comes up. It was the first 500-lap race televised live from start to finish and is widely believed to be the event that took NASCAR from a Southern hobby to America’s motorsport. Right at the end, Cale Yarborough went to pass Donnie Allison and sent him into the grass. Bobby pulled over to check on his brother, and that led to the most famous fisticuffs in American auto racing.
“[Yarborough] said it was my fault, and I think I questioned his ancestry, and then I think I questioned his ancestry again,” Allison says. “He hit me in the face with his helmet. I felt like I suffered quickly in any altercation and didn’t want that to happen. But in this case, I felt like if I didn’t do something, I’d be running from him the rest of my life. He ended up beating on my fists with his nose.”
The participants may have been embarrassed to show stock-car racing in a less than sophisticated light, but the audience loved it. The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Daytona Beach, Florida, today has an exhibit dedicated to it.
What really should be in the Hall of Fame is Allison’s smile. It slips in at the edges of his words and then takes over at the end of his stories, like “Heh, can you believe that?”
It’s somewhat incredible he can smile, because his story gets sad. At Pocono Speedway in 1988, Allison wrecked on the opening lap and nearly died. His head injury ended his driving career, but even worse, he lost all of his memories of the preceding 12 months. The only thing he recalls is winning the fishing tournament in the infield at Daytona International Speedway.
“I caught the most fish of anyone,” he said earlier while we were still on the dock. He only caught two, but “nobody else caught any.”
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Rair Air at the Rennsport Reunion VI
There are Porsche fans, and then there are the faithful—the pilgrims who flocked to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Rennsport Reunion VI—a celebration of the German carmaker that has stamped its indelible mark on the sports car landscape.
1. You don’t see a lot of Pre-A split-window 356 coupes, and even fewer wear such a color.
2. Porsche once upon a time built tractors, and plenty of them showed up to race.
3. Today’s 911 RSR race car (left) and the previous generation ran shrieking demo laps between vintage races.
4. Even after more than 30 years, the 962 has a menacing presence.
5. Porsche revealed its new 935 track-only car (left), of which it will build 77. Likely cost: $800,000-plus.
6. The usual Rennsport family portrait at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will never get old.
7. Porsche brought its first-ever 356, the aluminum-bodied 356/1.
8. Attendees ranged from mild to … this Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB) wide-body 911 spotted in the parking lot.
9. Also hanging in the PCA corral was David Sperow, grilling from the front of his 912.
10. Porsche engineering and motorsports legend Norbert Singer was just one of many famous faces in the crowd.
11. The variety of cars on hand was astounding, including this ’74 911 off-road racer.
12. A 953 Dakar Rally car and the 1990 March-Porsche Indy car demoed two ends of the racing spectrum.
13. It’s a fairly common sight at vintage events, but the Sunoco 917-30 remains an enthusiast favorite.
14. Twenty years? The 911 GT1-98 that won Le Mans two decades ago still stuns.
15. Patina is much appreciated in vintage racing circles, and this 550A Spyder delivered plenty on that front.
16. The late Bob Akin’s famous Coca-Cola-liveried No. 5 962, the second 962 delivered in the U.S., caught plenty of well-deserved attention.
17. Sights like this, here of a 1967 910 at speed, are aplenty thanks to Laguna Seca’s beauty.
18. Porsche Classic comprehensively revived this 911 2.5 S/T, which was the “Speed Merchants” documentary camera car and also raced in its own right.
19. Not every moment at Rennsport was run under the sun, as fog at times made for captivating visuals and tense running.
20. These were justa few of the official 81,550 Rennsport attendees during the four-day event.
21. Poster child: This image of a 1969 908/02 Spyder could easily reside on bedroom walls.
22. Porsche North America CEO Klaus Zellmer taps a keg to officially kick off the activities, a Rennsport tradition.
23. No, the 919 Evo did not break the Laguna Seca lap record—Porsche didn’t make an official attempt—but it still thrilled the crowds with demo laps.
24. These parade laps were led by the first 356, a Type 64, and Porsche’s first Le Mans entry.
25. An ex-Paul Newman 1979 935, with Hawaiian Tropic livery, stood out even in this sea of historically notable excellence.
26. This tent, sponsored by Porsche partner Chopard watches, served as a central hub of mechanical greatness.
27. Visuals, sounds, and activities in pit lane were a constant stimulus. Seen here is a 1969 911 S.
28. One of the big appeals of any vintage racing weekend is seeing a great variety of cars engaging in on-track action rather than just sitting still.
29. For Porschephiles, especially of a particular age, seeing multiple pristine 959s in one place was breathtaking.
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Best Cars of the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
The 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta that won the Best of Show prize at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is certainly an amazing machine, but there’s far more to the Concours than naming a single best car. We polled our editors and contributors for some of their favorites spotted Sunday on the 18th fairway.
Tucker 48s Take Over Pebble
It’s exceedingly rare to see a singular Tucker 48 outside of the walls of a climate-controlled automotive museum, so running into 12 Tuckers lined up like a dealership sales lot was surreal. Even in the company of Marmon Sixteens and Hispano-Suizas, the pack of earth-toned Tuckers was an unbelievably special sight. —Conner Golden
1948 Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport Figoni Fastback Coupe
This gorgeous Figoni-bodied Talbot Lago features classic teardrop styling, elegant chrome accent trim, and even a clear pop-up sunroof, a rarity for its day. Post-war cars struggle to win Best of Show at Pebble Beach, but the Czech-based owners of this car can take solace in their First in Class win in the Postwar Touring category. —Rory Jurnecka
(Not So) Fastback
I’m with Mr. Jurnecka on this one. Predicting an overall Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance winner is never as straightforward as it seems, and the Talbot Lago is a case in point. The T26 Grand Sport Figoni Fastback Coupé seemingly has it all: imaginative styling, interesting custom details (including chrome “zippers” above its center headlamp from its original owner, the so-called Zipper King), a heroic rescue following 48 years of storage, and novel styling. Sure, the Best in Show–winning Alfa had understated qualities that could be described as safe, but it goes to show sometimes you never can tell. —Basem Wasef
The Cadillac Mind Melt
Is it a Delahaye? A Delage? Or maybe some other dreamy, French Curvy scoop of rolling sculpture? This kinetic object d’art, it turns out, is actually a good ol’ fashioned Caddy—specifically a rather special, 1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet originally commissioned by international playboy Philippe Barraud. Wrapped in fluid sheetmetal that could best be described as Figoni et Falaschi-esque and powered by a narrow-angle V-16, this particular Caddy’s impossible, 22-foot-long proportions made waves. Many wagered that this swoopy cab would win the top Concours prize, but it settled instead for the class win in its American Classic Open category. Shame, as this Cadillac seemed to have it all: a great story, stunning lines, and elegance for miles. —B.W.
1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet
I see we’re in agreement on some of these choices, which isn’t always a guarantee when it comes to the Automobile staff and its varied tastes. I think that fact speaks to just how exceptional some of these standout cars are. This Cadillac isn’t straight out of The Great Gatsby, and it was created a dozen years too late for inclusion in the novel, but it certainly channels author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterwork. You don’t have to have even a passing interest in cars to take note of this one: a one-of-a-kind coachbuilt Cadillac commissioned by a wealthy Swiss gentleman 80-some years ago—a car many indeed pegged as the favorite to win the Pebble Beach Concours’ top award. No, it didn’t, but it checked a lot of boxes: rarity, an interesting history, immaculate design, and meticulous resurrection. Best of Show recognition or not, no one who laid eyes on it could look away. —Mac Morrison
1970 Ferrari Modulo 512 S Pininfarina Coupe
Jim Glickenhaus, founder of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and owner of some very rare cars, brought this 1970 Ferrari Modulo, which he managed to wrest away from Pininfarina’s long-term ownership. This wild 1970 concept car was based on the low-slung chassis and racing powertrain from a Ferrari 512 S endurance prototype sports car. The roof slides backward to allow entry, and a perforated engine cover allows onlookers to see the race-tuned V-12 that lies underneath. —R.J.
Ferrari Modulo… You Know, for Kids
Did you steal my notes, Jurnecka? Frankly, Pebble’s Pre-War-a-Palooza can alienate some of the younger showgoers who lack a penchant for brass and wicker. For the (slightly) more youthful set, the 1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo Pininfarina Coupe owned by James Glickenhaus ticks a whole lot of boxes: pivotal role in the game-changing supercar wedge movement? Check. Just-in-time engine restoration to make it mobile and Pebble Beach eligible? Check. Racing chassis, 5.0-liter V-12 under Perspex, and boggling doorstop silhouette? Triple check. The Modulo may not have won Pebble, but it certainly did win the hearts of more than a few enthusiasts in the crowd. —B.W.
1966 All American Eagle Special
Now owned by well-known restorer, collector, and all-around performance-car guy Bruce Canepa, this All American Racers Indy car might have been overlooked, especially by some young members of the Pebble crowd. And that’s a shame, as it is flat-out gorgeous. Its provenance might not be as impressive as some of AAR founder Dan Gurney’s other racers, as it never won a race. But it is the car the man himself ran at Indianapolis in ’66. This example, chassis No. 201, is the first of six such race cars AAR built that year; unfortunately, it and Gurney were taken out in an opening-lap crash at the Speedway.
Regardless, it was a gem on display at Pebble, a race car from a bygone era when beauty was appreciated almost as much as performance. The good news is, an even younger crowd will soon be exposed to it after it won the Gran Turismo Trophy (the Concours award associated with the famous video game), meaning this sublime competition car will (sooner than later, we hope) appear in the massively popular racing franchise. —M.M.
And the Best Spare Tire Award Goes to …
The 1966 Ford GT40 Mark IIB. This final version of the GT40 race car is special, even though its favored status at Le Mans was thwarted by a blown head gasket in ’66, and it failed to finish again the following year after 13 hours of competition. We love its legendary lines and sexy gold livery, but we really dig the magnesium spare wheel tucked perilously close to the drivetrain; gotta love 1960s racing. —B.W.
1966 Ford GT40 Mark IIB Coupe
I’m a sucker for GT40s, and as Basem notes above, this gold-sprayed coupe with white striping is one of the most stunning I’ve seen. Seemingly every GT40 of the 1960s has a story, and this car is no different. It was driven in the ’66 24 Hours of Le Mans by Dan Gurney and Jerry Grant and started on the pole, but a radiator issue hosed its chances and it didn’t finish. After being upgraded to IIB-spec, it raced at Le Mans in 1967 but crashed out. There is some controversy around this particular car as its chassis number of 1047 was somehow mixed up with another sister car known as 1031. —M.F.
File Under: Strong Finishes
As if an imposing Rolls-Royce doesn’t say enough about the class divide between rich and poor during imperialist India, this 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Windovers limousine goes the extra mile with its stunning polished aluminum finish. The texture of bare metal must have required hundreds of man-hours to perfect and is just as telling of the car’s meticulous ownership history as it is about the marque’s 20th century origins. —B.W.
1958 Continental Mark III Convertible
It is next to impossible to truly communicate the scale of this battleship in words and photos, but here goes. Holy hell, is this thing big, long, and massive! From the era when American land yachts roamed the interstates, as the largest unit-construction car ever built, this was one of the biggest of them all. This was the last year the Continental wasn’t badged a Lincoln, as it was its own sub-brand at the time. Powered by a 430-cubic-inch V-8 with around 375 horsepower, it is a whopping 229 inches long, but not exactly super heavy at around 5,000 pounds. Imagine trying to park this leviathan anywhere. That said, we’d love to try, after driving it everywhere, of course. —M.F.
1953 OSCA MT4 Frua Spider
OSCA was a special class at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and the largely open-top race cars were an impressive lot. Known officially as Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili—Fratelli Maserati S.p.A., OSCA was an Italian manufacturer of racing and sports cars established in 1947 by the Maserati brothers, and it lasted until 1967. This particular car caught my eye, with its stunning blue, white, and red accented livery and white wire wheels. Many aficionados consider the MT4 the most successful race car the Maserati brothers ever produced, as it became a force in the under-1,500cc class during its era. —M.F.
1949 OSCA MT4 Siluro
The Concours’ clutter of OSCAs consisted primarily of itty-bitty competition barchettas, and there weren’t any eyesores in the bunch. But I took particular interest in the 1949 OSCA MT4 Siluro. Or more specifically, the Siluro’s floating shift tube that extends from under the dash. It’s a feature entirely driven by engineering, but it’s so much more dramatic than some of the aesthetic extras sprinkled on some of the flamboyant sleds on the show green. —C.G.
1963 Citroën DS19 Chapron
The inimitable Citroën DS is hardly the most highfalutin car to escape France. While not as Spartan as the 2CV, the DS was reasonably egalitarian and became a symbol for accessible design and smart engineering. Citroën made roughly 1.5 million of the things, after all.
Peter Mullin’s 1963 Citroën DS19 Chapron Concorde is a bit different. A star coachworks designer for the likes of Delahaye, Delage, and Talbot-Lago, Henri Chapron penned the near-perfect bodywork for the Concorde, reinterpreting the DS’ funky aeronautical shape into an effortlessly elegant coupe marketed toward a buyer looking for more luxury. Only a handful of these were made, so this was a rare chance to see a Concorde in public. —C.G.
1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Gurney Nutting Streamline Coupe
There was a special class at the Concours d’Elegance this year, “Motor Cars of the Raj,” featuring a number of incredibly elegant coachbuilt models like this magnificent example of a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, all brought over from India just for the show. (Apparently, all of the cars’ owners had to ship them to Pebble three months prior to the big day—quite a commitment.) This particular car won its class and also the Lucius Beebe Trophy as the best Rolls-Royce of the Concours, and it’s easy to see why, looking resplendent in its green and yellow paint scheme. In fact, this car is so fabulous, it was chosen as the cover car for this year’s official Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance poster. —M.F.
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The Best Cars of The Quail 2018
One of the events everyone looks forward to each year during the busy Monterey Car Week is The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Held on the Quail Lodge and Golf Club’s course on the Friday prior to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, The Quail always delivers on its promise of exhibiting some of the world’s finest sporty and sporting automobiles. Here, our editors and contributors highlight their favorite cars from this year’s edition.
1978 Dome Zero Concept
Any supercar enthusiast worth his salt knows the wedge movement was ignited in the late ’60s by stunning Italian concepts like the Bertone-designed Lamborghini Marzal, Ferrari 512S Modulo by Pininfarina, and Lancia Stratos HF Zero. However, a little-known successor to the trend came a decade later in the form of the Japanese-built Dome Zero concept. Plucked from the Petersen Automotive Museum’s Roots of Monozukuri exhibit, this 1-of-2 concept was Japan’s stab at the doorstop genre that, unfortunately, ended up as a footnote in automotive history. Though it was at the trailing edge of the wedge movement, the Dome had a shot of going to production as an affordable, sharply designed sports car that would have made it a sort of Asian equivalent of a Lotus Esprit. —Basem Wasef
1951 Porsche 356 pre-A split-window coupe
The pureness of this 356 pre-A split-window coupe stopped more than a few onlookers as they strolled past it. It was far from the most conspicuous car, or even most conspicuous Porsche, on The Quail’s grass, but these early models—of which the company made less than 2,000 (and who knows how many still exist)—showcase the sort of elegant design the Monterey and Pebble Beach crowd adore. Just look at the bumper work and, of course, the two-piece windshield Porsche used prior to 1952, before the company introduced the 356 A and a host of revisions to its classic sports car. —Mac Morrison
1970 Datsun 240Z
One of the first cars to catch my eye as I walked into The Quail was this 1970 Datsun 240Z, striking in its dark red livery with white striping along its lower profile. The 240Z was also one of the first Japanese sports cars to catch the eye of American enthusiasts, and thanks to a 2.4-liter straight-six with roughly 150 horsepower, it had some punch as well. This particular Z is one of the early ’70 models (the first year of the Z) and is equipped with a four-speed manual. Datsun/Nissan was the featured marque at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the first Japanese automaker to be so honored, and the Z played a starring role in its performance lineage. This car, owned by Eric Breslow of Nevada, won The Quail’s Federation Internationale des Vehicules Anciens, or FIVA, Award. —Mike Floyd
1979 Tamiya Sand Scorcher
This 1:1 scale tribute to Tamiya’s classic 1:12 scale radio-control Sand Scorcher Baja-style Volkswagen Beetle was one of the most unique and whimsical cars to appear at The Quail. Alongside is its (non-functional) RC controller appropriately sized to the car. —Rory Jurnecka
A Flock of Yellow RUFs
We’ve obviously got a thing for these cars, as this is the third time we’ve mentioned them—and no, we didn’t discuss it amongst ourselves ahead of time. But before all of the modern-era Porsche 911 mixologists arrived on the scene, there was RUF, the German outfit that created a legend with its CTR Yellow Bird. It’s a treat to see one of these beasts in person, packing its 3.2-liter twin-turbo flat-six rated at 469 horsepower paired up with a five-speed manual, even more so when you gaze upon 1988 Yellow Bird No. 001 owned by super collector and Petersen Museum benefactor Bruce Meyer. Given that this was a special class celebrating the creations of Alois Ruf, there were several other birds of a feather flanking the Yellow Bird, most notably one of RUF’s latest creations, the 2017 CTR. Also decked out in yellow on The Quail lawn was a 1998 CTR2 Sport. Based on the 993-series 911 Turbo, its 3.6-liter flat-six was tuned to 580 hp.—M.F.
1988 RUF CTR Yellow Bird
One of the beauties of The Quail is, no matter your age, you can almost certainly find something to stir memories of youth from long before you were of driver’s-license age and, as a result, left only with your imagination to inform you of what it must be like to pilot the outrageous machines of the day. RUF’s Yellow Bird is one of those cars; I recall reading about it in wonder back then on more than one occasion, and to see it in the flesh 30 years later makes it easy for me to block-out the rest of The Quail’s impressive participants, if only for a few moments.
For goodness sake, its 3.2-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine made something in the neighborhood of 500 horsepower, and it reached 211 mph on its way to becoming what was then the world’s fastest production vehicle. Those numbers are impressive even by modern-car standards, but back then? It was absolutely staggering speed achieved by a rather pedestrian-looking little 911 that blew the reigning supercars of the ’80s into the weeds. In retrospect, I recognize that this car (and others like it) has more than a little to do with why I chose to enter this profession. —M.M.
RUF CTR
RUF Automobiles GmbH’s prominent placement and “reunion” at this year’s Quail Motorsports Gathering was well earned; the manufacturer’s reputation was cemented three decades ago when the 211 mph Yellow Bird set the Nürburgring Nordschleife record, launching the brand into fame. The latest RUF (and first model built on its own carbon-fiber platform) may bear a passing resemblance to the legendary and recently restored Yellow Bird that’s now under the stewardship of Bruce Meyer, but this 223-mph missile is powered by a Metzger design twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six producing 700 horsepower. Though it sits wider and longer than the original model, the new car managed to blend seamlessly with the old, offering a modern reinterpretation of the legend while sticking to the signature 911 look. Stay tuned for Automobile’s first drive report on this limited production supercar. —B.W.
1977 ItalyCar Ferrari 312T2
You might find this one an odd pick, but in Monterey Car Week’s churning sea of rarity, outrageous cars become commonplace. In other words, it’s more difficult than ever to stumble across something you haven’t already seen more than once at various car shows. This fun 1:2-scale replica of the Ferrari Formula 1 car driven during the famous 1976 grand prix season by Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni is owned by Dick Caradori of Missouri. It features many 1:2-scale parts that its manufacturer, ItalyCar, procured originally from the F1 team’s real-life partners, though it uses a small two-stroke engine for power. The mini Ferrari boasts independent suspension all-around, rack-and-pinion steering, a two-speed gearbox also with reverse, a genuine Momo steering wheel, and even air ducts to keep the brakes cool.
A friend of Caradori’s based in North Carolina brought this example to the U.S. in 1979 and offered it to him for $5,000, but he passed on the opportunity. But in 1984, he changed his mind and paid $8,000 for it as a plaything for his then-young son, Kevin. As it turns out, this is a rare piece of quirky history, as ItalyCar’s planned run of 100 examples in reality only produced a handful of 1:2 312s, reportedly five finished copies. (Whether that was because Ferrari put the clamps on the project or ItalyCar went bankrupt depends upon whom you ask.) One of those sold last year for almost $90,000—but this car’s owner says he has no plans to let his go. —M.M.
1953 Porsche 356 America Coupe
Early U.S. Porsche distributor Max Hoffman gets credit for the America “trim level” as seen on this 356 coupe. The idea was to produce a cheaper 356 with fewer luxury features that would attract American buyers used to cheap and simple British sports cars. This example is highly original, save for its repaint from red to beige, and it was recently rescued from long-term storage to be put back on the road. —R.J.
1973 Volvo 1800ES
I’ve long had a soft spot for the Volvo 1800, and this 1973 1800ES two-door wagon in a British Racing Green-like hue turned that spot to pure mush. The final variant of the 1800, the ES is powered by a 2.0-liter four with roughly 125 horsepower, which is paired to a four-speed manual in this particular car. It also has the wild frameless rear glass tailgate Volvo reprised for the contemporary C30 coupe. Volvo only produced the 1800ES for two model years; it built a little more than 8,000 in all. Volvo is famous for its wagons, and this is arguably its most memorable model of the body style in its history, at least as far as I’m concerned. —M.F.
Acres of Espadas and Isleros
Miuras and Countaches may get all the glory for their unmistakable supercar silhouettes, but the Quail event deserves props for shining a light on the less celebrated Espada and Islero models. While their funky styling may not have earned precious poster real estate in their day, these two V-12-powered outliers are finally getting the recognition they deserve.—B.W.
Viva La Controversy
Nothing ruffles the feathers of dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads like electric vehicles, but Jaguar’s battery-powered E-Type struck a special chord because it replaces the drivetrain of what Enzo Ferrari called “the most beautiful car in the world” with a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor. Jaguar can retrofit your XKE with the zero emissions hardware for around $75,000 (and keep the internal combustion equipment in case of remorse), or offer a turnkey electric E-Type for around $300,000. Cue the quarrels. —B.W.
1957 Alfa Romeo C 1900 SS Zagato
Alfa built just 40 1900 SS Zagatos and this is not just one of them, but also the very last one the company made. Just six of these cars wear Zagato’s recognizable “double bubble” roof, a feature that is actually functional in that it gives helmeted drivers a little bit more headroom.—R.J.
1971 Honda TNIII Super DeLuxe
How can you go wrong with a name like Super DeLuxe (soooo Japanese)? We’re also totally digging on that amazing white Honda logo dominating its flat front, key-lime pie colored face. Honda’s little Kei truck hit the scene in the late 1960s and the TNIII made its appearance in 1970. It was extremely light at around 1,100 pounds, and as was the case with early Kei cars, a comically small engine powered it, in this case a 354cc I-2 with some 30 horsepower. The TNIII also benefitted from the addition of a fully synchronized four-speed manual. The Super DeLuxe was so named because it came with, er, deluxe options like a cigarette lighter and a radio!—M.F.
1929 Riley Brooklands
It’s refreshing to find the Brits represented by a marque that’s not amongst the usual suspects. This bright blue Riley Brooklands is one of the coolest open-wheeled British roadsters we’ve seen as of yet, with simple, streamlined bodywork and function-forward mechanical design. The 1.1-liter four-banger engine wasn’t powerful, but the car was lightweight and well-balanced, claiming numerous wins in the competitive Pre-War era. —Conner Golden
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The Nissan Rogue Sport Will Get You There
The 2018.5 Nissan Rogue Sport SV—the .5 denotes a mid-year upgrade with more safety features; the 2019 model is basically the same—is a tweener that slots between the Kicks and the regular Rogue in Nissan’s lineup. As such, it doesn’t really have a direct competitor, instead looking to capture people who might think the subcompacts below are too tight and the compacts above are too large or expensive.
The Rogue Sport SV uses a 2.0-liter inline four producing 141 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque, mated to a CVT. All-wheel drive is available, but our Caspian Blue Metallic SV model was a front-driver. Given the relative dearth of power—and the droning caused by the CVT when you tap into what’s there, even with its faux shift points—the Rogue Sport is most at ease and most livable when navigating urban traffic or cruising on the highway where you don’t expect to execute many passes. There’s a manual option that improves the experience by allowing you to select from the simulated fixed ratios, and I found myself using this often to avoid waiting for the computer to decide where I needed to be in the powerband.
Where the powertrain falters, the handling and chassis control prove redeeming. Driven relatively hard, there’s little body roll and the light steering makes it simple to place it where you want it, even if I did want a faster ratio. The Rogue Sport also offers a surprisingly cushy ride given its size, and its wheel control is exemplary for something in this price class. It admirably soaks up road imperfections, and isn’t overly reluctant to turn into corners.
It’s also packaged well, with room in the back seat for three adults. The interior is among the more premium ones in Nissan’s current lineup, and was further improved by the Technology package, which bundles in oodles of goodies for $2,420. That outlay brings heated front seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped shift knob, proximity entry and start, and remote start. That’s just for starters.
On 2019 models, the Technology bundle also loads up the Rogue Sport with fog lights, navigation with voice recognition, NissanConnect services, cameras to enable a 360-degree view for parking, radar cruise control, and the ProPilot Assist function that will follow curves and handle stop-and-go traffic for you. As the only significant option (our tester also was fitted with a carpeted cargo area protector, floor mats, and a first aid kit for $275), the added tech, comfort, and convenience was welcome—and a good value, to boot.
My only gripe with the packaging is that there’s no handle on the inside of the hatch to make it easier to close, but the Rogue Sport does offer decent cargo room—certainly enough for a quick vacation or a load of weekly groceries. There are also handy “Divide-N-Hide” cargo compartments for stowing delicate goods you don’t want crushed.
I can’t say that I appreciated the size difference of the Rogue Sport against its lineup mates without them present, but it is petite enough to tuck into tight parking spots while also being roomy enough to accommodate the routines of daily life.
At an as-tested price of $27,480, the Nissan Rogue Sport SV is well-appointed and right-sized, even as it leaves plenty to be desired in the powertrain department. A lightly revised version is coming for 2020 model year with more equipment and updated looks. For those unconcerned with driving fun, it’s worth a look.
2018.5 Nissan Rogue Sport SV FWD Specifications
ON SALE Now PRICE $24,785/$27,480 (base/as tested) ENGINE 2.OL DOHC 16-valve inline-4; 141 hp @ 6000 rpm, 147 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm TRANSMISSION CVT automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD hatchback EPA MILEAGE 25/32 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 172.4 x 72.3 x 63.4 in WHEELBASE 104.2 in WEIGHT 3,274 lb 0–60 MPH 10.0 sec TOP SPEED 112 mph
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The Roush Ford Mustang Stage 3 Blends GT500 Power with Finesse
The most powerful Mustang of all time debuted in January in the form of the Shelby GT500, but it won’t be on sale until late this year. Can’t wait to get your hands on a Blue Oval pony car packing more than 700 horsepower? Roush has a solution: The 2019 Stage 3 Mustang, which boasts a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that churns out an immense 710 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque. That fusillade is routed through buyers’ choice of a 10-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual and on to the rear axle, which has been upgraded with Roush’s own upgraded half-shafts.
Roushin’ Is Racin’
The extra power comes courtesy of the longtime Ford tuner’s TVS 2650 supercharger, cold air intake, and engine recalibration. After three days living with the high-powered pony, I was impressed with how organic and integrated the modified powertrain feels. On one freeway interchange, I held onto third gear, let the tach wind, and fantasized about driving in NASCAR—it felt more or less appropriate to yell “I’m dropping the hammer!” Days of Thunder Cole Trickle–style. Clutch engagement isn’t overly heavy or aggressive, and a cheerful red knob with white lettering, available as a $95 extra, adorned the shifter in our test car.
When it was time to put the power down off the freeway, where the Roush will cruise comfortably in sixth gear, I headed to the twisting tarmac of Angeles Crest Highway, and the car delivered there, too. The company’s own forged 20-inch wheels, an option for $1,399, are wrapped in aggressive Continental ExtremeContact tires, and the Mustang hangs on tight whether under hard acceleration or fully loaded in corners. Our test car has Roush’s $1,899 three-way adjustable coil-over dampers, and they allow you to select as much—or as little—drama as you dare.
It’s hard to beat big V-8 power and torque on roads like that, or even in traffic. Lane changes and dives into holes between cars are a just quick flex of the ankle away. There is a downside to having all that might: poor fuel economy. While most people opting for a 700-hp super-Stang aren’t concerned with mpg, it is somewhat annoying to have to fill up every 200 miles or so, or even less if you’re doing heavy amounts of city driving. Roush also won’t talk top-speed and acceleration capabilities; while the Stage 3 certainly pulls hard, it would be nice to have some official quantification of its abilities.
Thunderstruck
Our car had the optional performance quad exhaust, and it’s totally worth the $1,045 buy-in. Under full-throttle acceleration, the sound is so deliciously ferocious it would be pretty easy to mistake it as coming from a much more exotic car; every time I approached a tunnel, I switched the exhaust to track mode, downshifted, and matted the throttle. Best tunnel pulls ever. Yet, as with the suspension, you can dial back the exhaust’s aggression. Given our car was painted a beautiful shade of Ruby Red that seemed likely to bait cops all on its own, I thought it prudent to pipe down on occasion.
The interior of our example was equipped with Roush’s silver-stitched leather seats for $1,750, which are supportive and still offer ventilation. Roush adds its own gauge cluster, including a readout for supercharger boost pressure, and, naturally, there are seemingly dozens of Roush badges and logos inside and out.
Getting GT500 power and track-car performance results in a hefty window sticker. The car we drove started as a Mustang GT Premium with Performance Package that ran $48,335 from the factory. The Stage 3 package starts at $22,925, and ours had an additional $6,863 in goodies, making its final price $78,123. This is one pricey pony, and with the GT500 on the horizon, it’s tempting to wait to find out how much that one will run. You can figure it will cost somewhere in this territory, though. If you just can’t wait, know that the Roush does offer a 5-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
If you want to spend a less and make similar power, Ford Performance offers a Roush supercharger for $7,699, but you won’t have all the other goodies that make the Stage 3 such a well-rounded package. It’s as easy to live with as any other variant of the Mustang GT I’ve driven, and the only thing I’d change are the fake scoops on the quarter windows; being under 30, they have no nostalgia factor for me and basically just make the Mustang’s blind spots even worse. But until the new super Shelby arrives, this remains one of the only ways to go Hellcat hunting for the money, and in a well-sorted package to boot.
2019 Roush Mustang Stage 3 Specifications
ON SALE Now PRICE $71,260/$78,123 (base/as tested) ENGINE 5.0L supercharged DOHC 32-valve V-8; 710 hp @ 7,250 rpm, 610 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual LAYOUT 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 188.5 x 75.4 x 53.9 in WHEELBASE 107.1 in WEIGHT N/A 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A
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All-Lexus Ice Racing Is a Thing, and We Did It
When one pictures cars racing across a frozen landscape, what most often comes to mind is something like a pack of bright-blue Subarus wailing away, all four wheels clawing for purchase in a swirling tempest of blown snow.
Likely far less common are mental images of automatic-transmission, rear-wheel-drive Lexuses drifting nose-to-tail around a corner, their battered bodywork bearing testament to both the realities of narrow-track, low-friction racing as well as their bargain-basement Craigslist origins. And yet here I am, 400 miles from home in Minden, Ontario, Canada, strapping into a stripped-out IS300 that I’ve rented for the day from Russ Bond, owner of the Lexus Cup Challenge.
“Remember,” Bond says as he cinches my five-point harness in the cockpit of Lexus, which has a stock passenger seat next to the racing seat I’m in. “Make sure that the traction-control is set to off, and that the transmission is set to snow mode.”
This advice is repeated on a pair of stickers set at eye level on the car’s sun visor. I dutifully push the “SNOW” button next to the automatic transmission’s gear lever—each vehicle in the series runs in the slush with a slushbox—and verify that the TRAC light is on. Finished with my belts, Bond leans in semi-conspiratorially.
“Listen to the studs, Benjamin,” he tells me, imparting a smidgen of his hard-earned wisdom as a seasoned ice racer. “And stay away as far away from that car as you can,” he continues, finger pointed at one of my fellow competitors for the day. “They’ve put two cars out for the season already this year.” He raises his eyebrows. I nod, the message received.
‘IS’ Is for “Ice”
This year marked the second campaign for Russ and his fleet of rent-or-buy first-gen IS ice warriors, and he runs the series as a complement to his national KartStart racing school. The cars are available for either a full season or a modest daily fee as turnkey racers to anyone willing to make the trek up to Minden and pay the $10 temporary licensing fee to the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario Region.
This wasn’t my first time out on the ice, but it was my initial foray into door-to-door ice racing. I was also a studded-tire virgin, as my youth spent spinning wheels on frozen lakes and canals in Quebec had all been done on traditional winter rubber rather than the spiked Hankook IpikeRS tires the Lexus Cup cars feature (Hankook is also a series sponsor).
It was partially for these reasons that I brought along a co-pilot in the form of my father, himself an experienced time-trials driver but equally new to the world of studs. Given that the low speeds associated with ice racing made it friendly for passengers (in fact, they are encouraged), having his extra set of eyes spotting from the right seat felt like an excellent strategy. Also, what better witness to your potential failure in motorsports than the man who raised you?
Learning Curve(s)
The first two eight-lap morning heats are intended to serve as qualifiers for the four races later that afternoon. I am entered in two classes—Street Stud I and II—which gives me the most track time for my money, even though I won’t be sticking around for points competition on Sunday. The plan is to hang out near the back, keep an ear out for the studs as I had been advised, and get a feel for the car’s dynamics.
All of the above goes out the window almost immediately when, on the second lap, one of the Lexuses ahead of me tags another on the front fender, plowing them both into the snowbank and sending me pirouetting around the ensuing carnage in the nine-car field. It becomes clear that survival trumps all else, and for rest of the session—and the one that followed—I focus on threat mitigation as much as acclimatization.
I do learn a few things, however, most notably that the sound of both the studs and my father’s voice are effectively drowned out by the IS300’s 215-hp inline-six rattling the carpet-free interior. I also discover that two-foot, rally-school-inspired driving is effective at reducing push when rounding a corner in full drift mode, although my hefty winter boots aren’t exactly right-sized for the pedals.
Wet and Wild
One more thing: My butt ends up completely soaked after that first eight-lapper, causing momentary concern that each and every one of the sweat glands in my body have relocated to my posterior to celebrate my ice-racing debut. It turns out, however, that the seat cover had been covered in snow and frozen overnight, which meant I would have to run the four afternoon races in a bare metal seat, with the folded wad of the wet trousers I peeled off as my only cushion.
As I line up on the grid for the first race, sixth out of nine cars, I ignore the aluminum digging into my ribcage but flub the start when the green flag drops with my camera still in my hand trying to get a shot of the grid. ‘Stand on it!’ is not an effective recovery when digging in to ice—a gentle roll into the throttle after releasing the lightest of braking pressure is literally the only way forward—and I find myself losing position while marginally beginning to move.
Still, far back from the crowd ahead I’m able to explore the Lexus’s willingness to flick left to right, and I learn that a broad arc better preserves momentum than does an apex-focused approach. Despite the added traction afforded by an army of metal studs, it’s almost impossible to close the competitive gap on the ice unless the person ahead of you makes a mistake—as I do in the second heat when an unseen ice-hump under the snow launches the left side of the car skyward and causes my father to very vocally question his decision to ride shotgun.
The third session is a write-off. The track worn is slick after a previous street-tire session polished it to a sheen and I overdrive the studs enough to loop the car three times and elicit a helpful “whatever you’re doing, it’s not working” analysis from the man responsible for half my genetic code.
By the fourth stage, things have fortunately become more natural. I engage in some cat-and-mouse, bumper-on-bumper antics with a few of my fellow Lexuses, avoiding the car that’s high-sided itself on a snowbank at the apex of the fastest corner and turned the thing into a delicately approached touge.
Further shenanigans ensue when the car Bond warned me about—and which had yet to actually finish a heat without requiring an all-hands push from the snow—spins on the last lap just inches from my front bumper. This sends me and a fellow competitor into tail-wagging fishtails that would have been disastrous on a road course but which were drama-free on the ice—we’re traveling a mere 35 mph. “If you’re not sixth, you’re last,” I tell myself, having conceded no positions in my final session.
Leave Your Ego at Home
There’s little more humbling to an experienced asphalt driver than ice racing, where track conditions can change from lap to lap and being willing to allow the car to slide gracefully past the edge of traction is just as important clawing back onto the racing line once the corner is in the rearview.
Above all, having the patience to make methodical, smooth, and deliberate decisions behind the wheel and with the primary controls is key, although my mid-pack performance won’t see me signing any autographs for the surprisingly large crowd any time soon. Still, the car is in one piece—that’s always nice, especially when it’s not your own—and there’s a smile on my father’s face as he tells me that he regretted not renting his own IS as soon as we turned our second lap. I’ll take that over P1 any day of the week.
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Next-Gen Toyota 86 Is Definitely Coming, Says Company Exec
There were some rumblings that the Toyota 86 may not return for a second generation, but a new report says otherwise. Toyota’s European marketing boss has confirmed that the company will indeed build a new GT86, as it’s known in Europe.
Matt Harrison told Autocar that the 86 has been a successful halo model for Toyota, and he also reiterated that the new Supra was not intended to replace the GT86. “They are for different audiences and are different products,” he said. “We see a situation where they will sit alongside each other.”
Harrison said it was a “safe assumption” that the second-generation GT86 would maintain ties with Subaru. Originally co-developed alongside the Subaru BRZ, the GT86 features a Subaru-derived 2.0-liter flat-four engine.
The 86 isn’t a big seller here in the U.S.—Toyota moved just 4,146 copies in America last year, down 39 percent from 2017. We don’t know about Toyota’s plans for the 86 here, and a U.S. Toyota spokesman told us the company couldn’t confirm plans to introduce any new version on our shores. But Harrison makes it clear this car isn’t about sales: “Its role is not one particularly about volume globally. It’s about adding excitement to the brand and emotional appeal,” he said, adding the GT86 has achieved this goal particularly in markets like the U.K.
Earlier this month, we learned that Toyota wants three sports cars in its lineup, but it’s unlikely to make one smaller than the current 86. Toyota Gazoo Racing chief Tetsuya Tada told Evo, “I believe most people are looking forward to the smallest of the ‘three brothers,’ and when people say the smallest, they expect it would be the most affordable. But in reality coming up with a compact small sports car is quite difficult.”
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The 2020 Kia Telluride Is Classy and Comfortable
Remember the Kia Borrego from a decade ago? I didn’t think so, but that’s alright. Kia would likely prefer you forget its first (and last) foray into the full-size, body-on-frame SUV segment that lasted just one model year in the States. Even contemporary reviews were skeptical of Kia’s plan, questioning the decision to roll out the lumbering, thirsty Borrego as the market grappled with high fuel prices and shifted toward smaller unibody crossovers.
Today, Kia’s aim is far truer across its entire lineup, and the company took its time developing a new large three-row SUV. The result is the new 2020 Telluride, and it proves the Koreans remain thoroughly in touch with the times.
It Looks Fantastic
Though it is the largest Kia SUV ever, it’s still considered mid-size, albeit at the larger end of the segment. Underneath the square-shouldered exterior lie bones shared with the Hyundai Palisade, but where that model is styled with a sort of anodyne handsomeness, the Telluride has honest-to-goodness presence, even while prowling the Range Rover and Land Cruiser–filled streets of its namesake city in Colorado.
It’s a wide, muscular design, with one of the best implementations of Kia’s “tiger nose” grille to date. It’s decidedly upmarket in execution, reminding us more of the Cadillac XT6 or Volvo XC90 than segment mates like the Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, especially around back with its inverted “L” taillights. It’s a cohesive, style-forward look that would be as welcome at the valet stand of a country club as in the muddy parking lot of a country-music concert.
The powertrain isn’t as high-society as the styling. Buyers have just one choice of engine and transmission, the 3.8-liter naturally-aspirated Lambda II V-6 and Kia’s in-house-developed eight-speed automatic transmission. Output of 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque is dead on for the competition, hustling the two-ton-plus Telluride to 60 mph in something like eight seconds. The transmission was a little busier than we’d have preferred while in traffic and along winding roads, but it settled down at highway speeds. We didn’t get a fully accurate read on overall performance thanks to the region’s power-sapping lofty elevation—which turbocharging can mitigate—but we’d imagine there shouldn’t be any problem shuttling a load full of ski bums between slopes.
Ride and noise isolation are excellent, especially for the Telluride’s size. Body control and rebound is well managed, even when slamming over moderate-size potholes ripped open during recent weather in the region. The first stretch cut through the curvaceous mountain passes between Gateway and Telluride, and despite the Kia’s overall softness, is handling is more competent than you might expect. It gets settled quickly after turning into a corner and stays that way while corner carving far beyond any reasonable expectations of a comfort-oriented three-row crossover.
Excellent Insides
It’s comfy inside as well. Kia always manages to make interiors assembled with cost in mind feel like money was close to no object, and things are even better in the Telluride. None of the wood or “metal” surfaces are real, but if we didn’t mention that, you’d be hard-pressed to notice. It’s good to be a passenger, too, especially with the option of cooled/heated second-row captain’s chairs in place of a standard three-person row. (That drops the eight-seater to a seven-person cockpit.) Kiddos and fidgety adults will be placated with two USB ports per row for their dying devices. Hopping in the back row is a button-press away, as the second-row seats move easily, and there’s acceptable room in the way back for any adult of medium build or under.
We spent all of our time in a loaded-out SX with the luxe Prestige package, replete with Nappa leather upholstery and a microfiber headliner, so we can’t speak on entry-level Tellurides.
But at least in those we drove, there’s plenty of tech to keep you satisfied and connected. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all trim levels, projected through either the standard 8.0-inch infotainment screen or higher trim’s 10.3-inch unit. Don’t worry about waking the sleepy passengers in the back thanks to the new Quiet Mode that can restrict infotainment audio output to just the front row. Conversely, if it’s getting a little rowdy, Driver Talk allows the front passengers to project their voices to the rear through an integrated microphone system.
Rough and Kinda Ready
Kia pushes the Telluride as a rough-and-ready ridge crusher, though we’re not so sure it’s as capable as it’s made out to be, at least out of the box. Before its full reveal in Detroit this past January, the Telluride stopped by 2018 New York Fashion Week wearing a full kit of 4×4 hardware, including knobby tires and an intake snorkel. Fast forward to SEMA in November, and four heavily modified trail-ready Tellurides gave demonstration rides around a closed off-road course. And in ads, the SUV is shown off the beaten pavement.
In front-wheel-drive models, driving modes are limited to Smart, Eco, Sport, and Comfort that modify steering, throttle, and shift points. All-wheel-drive Tellurides come with a Snow mode and AWD Lock setting that distributes power to all-four-wheels equally under 40 mph. Beyond that, you’re on your own out on the trails without a dedicated off-road driving mode or tools like hill-descent control. Regardless, 8.0 inches of ground clearance and locking AWD made short work of the brief off-road portion of our drive route. Although the path was scraped clean of any major obstacles, the Telluride slid through dusty sweepers and crashed through small rivulets slashing across the road without any shudders or other issues.
On-road assists are a different matter—there are tons of them. Blind-spot monitoring, driver-attention warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, cross-traffic avoidance, and automatic cruise control are all standard. Jump up to the EX and SX trims, and the Level 2 semi-autonomous (according to Kia) Highway Drive Assist appears, handling steering and adjusting to changes in the speed limit while on a highway.
Stick with the base LX trim, and expect to pay $32,735, which aligns with the base prices of the $32,495 Toyota Highlander, $32,970 Subaru Ascent, and $32,495 Honda Pilot, but is a smidge more than the $31,125 Chevrolet Traverse. Mid-level S and EX trims start at $35,035 and $38,135, while our fully loaded SX with Prestige package clocks in at $46,860, a hefty amount but the going rate for a heavily equipped non-luxury three-row these days. It’s a competitive market, but the 2020 Telluride is one of the best-looking models among its peers, and it offers up tons of interior comfort, amenities, and space. This particular three-row Kia is assuredly going to stick around for a lot longer than one model year.
2020 Kia Telluride Specifications
ON SALE May PRICE $32,735 ENGINE 3.8L DOHC 24-valve V-6; 291 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 262 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 7- or 8-passenger, front-engine, FWD or AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 19–20/24–26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 196.9 x 78.3 x 68.9 in WHEELBASE 114.2 in WEIGHT 4,112–4,482 lb (mfr) 0–60 MPH 8.1 sec (est.) TOP SPEED N/A
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Volvo Placing More of a Premium on Safety than Ever
In the blink of an eye, a 2019 Volvo XC90 with a man, woman, and child inside crashes into a pillar at 50 mph as a large crowd sipping sparkling wine collectively gasps and then cheer from above. It’s not a scene out of Death Race 2000; it’s a real-life simulation involving a sensor-strapped vehicle, crash-test dummies, and a gaggle of journalists inside the Volvo Car Safety Center. The state-of-the-art crash lab has been in operation for nearly two decades and the marque destroys hundreds of its own cars a year, a least one a day, in order to build safer vehicles.
Volvo’s reputation for being fanatical about safety took a step farther when the company pledged earlier this decade to eliminate passenger fatalities and serious injuries in its vehicles by 2020. Beyond developing its physical vehicles to be safer, Volvo also recently stated it will limit the top speed of all of its new vehicles to 112 mph and will introduce cameras and sensors into the cabin in order to monitor the driver’s eyes and face for distractions and intoxication. Eventually it would like to automatically control the speed of its vehicles in school zones and other high-traffic pedestrian areas.
The Swedish carmaker, which is owned by China’s Geely, is also introducing a “Care Key” that allows owners to set a speed limit for themselves, their family, or any others potential drivers. It will come as standard with all of Volvos in the 2021 model year. If this all sounds like a lot of Big Brother buzzkill to you, Volvo doesn’t want your business.
“We protect what’s import for us,” Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo CEO, explains. “I would rather attract a mother who wants to buy a car for her 17-year-old son, say, an XC40 with a Care Key with a speed limiter, than someone who wants to drive over 100 mph, zigzagging through traffic—they can take another brand and they probably already have,” he says. Samuelsson adds, “These are the guys who love V-8s and six-cylinders and we probably already have lost them”—Volvo has capped its engines at four cylinders—”so I am not so nervous that we will lose a lot of customers. But if we lose some, I am pretty sure we will gain more. It’s not just your life you are risking, you are risking other people on the streets.”
Volvo made these announcements during the 60th anniversary of its three-point safety belt innovation, which it was the first to introduce in 1959. The company believes that an industry speed cap will become standard eventually as we move toward a more autonomous driving experience in the coming decades. The brand is partnering with Nvida, Zenuity, and Luminar to help achieve its autonomous goals and build on its strong legacy of safety.
“We have always been on the forefront of putting new technology in our vehicles, which has some cost to it, before others [do],” said Henrik Green, Volvo R&D chief. “And other car companies have other core values that they prioritize, but we tend to spend more money on each vehicle in terms of safety functions and then the industry usually follows.”
The post Volvo Placing More of a Premium on Safety than Ever appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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The Ford F-150 Crashes Best in IIHS Passenger-Side Small Overlap Crash Test
The Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Ram 1500 earned top scores in the passenger-side small overlap test from IIHS. But the agency says most pickups need improvement according to the procedure, which involves a vehicle’s right front corner crashing into a rigid barrier at 40 mph. IIHS started issuing these ratings in 2017 over concerns that automakers were focusing more on driver-side safety.
IIHS has rated 11 crew cab pickups in the passenger-side test. The Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma scored “Average.” Five vehicles earned a lower score of “Marginal,” including the Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Canyon, GMC Sierra 1500, and Nissan Frontier. The Toyota Tundra was rated “Poor.”
Ford F-150.
The F-150 performed the best in the test, says IIHS. It earned “Good” scores in each of the injury measures tested. The structure held up well in the crash, and the seatbelts and airbags worked to control the movement of the passenger and driver dummies. Neither dummy recorded any potential injuries. In contrast, the Tundra was seriously compromised. The A-pillar intruded into the passenger’s space, and the passenger dummy’s head hit the grab handle attached to the pillar. In a real life crash of this severity, a dummy would likely injure his or her right lower leg, and injuries to the right hip would also be possible, according to the agency. The Tundra’s structure from 2007 is considered quite old, although the Frontier has the oldest structure, dating back to 2005.
Toyota Tundra.
IIHS says it isn’t surprised that pickups are falling a bit behind in this test. These vehicles took longer than other vehicle segments to master the driver-side small overlap test, which is the same type of test applied to the vehicle’s left front corner. That test has just one dummy in the driver’s seat, however, while the passenger-side test has both front seats occupied. Frontal crashes are more severe for heavier vehicles like pickups because the kinetic energy involved correlates to the weight of the vehicle.
“We commend Ford, Nissan, and Ram for providing state-of-the-art crash protection for both drivers and front passengers of their large pickup models,” said David Zuby, IIHS chief research officer, in a statement. “As a group, however, the pickup class still has a lot of work to do.”
Although it performed just OK in the passenger-side test, the Honda Ridgeline remains the only pickup to receive a Top Safety Pick award in part because it has a “Good” rating for its headlamps, unlike other vehicles in the category. To qualify for the award, vehicles only need an “Acceptable” rating in the passenger test. They must also score “Good” in the driver-side front overlap test, moderate overlap front test, side test, and roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as “Advanced” or “Superior” in front crash prevention and at least “Acceptable” in the headlight category.
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