/ MAGZUS.COM / Automobile march 2015 by e5uiweujh

Worldmags.net MARCH 2015 AUTOMOBILEMAG.COM

MARCH 2015 ACURA NSX; LaFERRARI VS. McLAREN P1; LANCIA GATHERING; NISSAN GT-R BLACK EDITION; PORSCHE 911 GT3

2016 ACURA NSX Finally, the new...

HYBRID HYPERCARS FACE OFF 900-HP McLAREN P1 VS. 950-HP LaFERRARI

A SURPRISINGLY ANALOG SUPERCAR FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

VOL. 29, NO. 12

DRIVEN: NISSAN MURANO // CHEVY TRAX AND SS LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO

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inside MARCH 2015

AutomobileFEATURES

ON THE COVER

44 ACURA NSX

50 LANCIAPALOOZA

By Preston Lerner The successor to Acura’s seminal supercar is ﬁnally here. Just like the original, it’s a game-changer.

By Jamie Kitman Arguably the greatest Italian carmaker of all time is at death’s door, so we hold a wake.

64 EPIC DRIVES: NISSAN GT-R BLACK EDITION IN ALBERTA By Arthur St. Antoine Godzilla in tuxedo trim proves well-suited to the majestic panoramas of the Canadian Rockies.

FERRARI

72 P1

VS.

By Peter Reynolds Superexclusive hybrid hypercars meet on Ferrari’s home turf. The question: Which one would you choose?

82 MILES IN: SAVANNAH IN THE PORSCHE 911 GT3 By Lawrence Ulrich Backed by 475 horses, the GT3 is faster than General Sherman’s army and more ﬁery than Scarlett O’Hara.

AUTOMOBILE (ISSN 0894-3583) March 2015, Vol. 29, No. 12. Published monthly by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC., 261 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2303. Copyright © 2015 by TEN: The Enthusiast Network Magazines, LLC. All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. and U.S. Possessions $19.94 for 12 issues. Canada $31.94 per year and international orders $43.94 per year (including surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to: AUTOMOBILE, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. For subscriptions, address changes, and adjustments, write to AUTOMOBILE Magazine, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, Florida 32142–0235, or email automobile@emailcustomerservice.com or call 800–289–2886 (U.S.), 386–447–6383 (international). Please include name, address, and telephone number on any inquiries. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Manuscripts, photos, and other material submitted must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope; AUTOMOBILE Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Printed in U.S.A.

Automobile | March 2015

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inside MARCH 2015

AutomobileDEPARTMENTS

Ignition 14

EDITOR’S LETTER By Mike Floyd

24 28

By Robert Cumberford

NOISE, VIBRATION & HARSHNESS THE ASPHALT JUNGLE By Arthur St. Antoine

The other Enzo Ferrari.

By Jamie Kitman

California dreaming.

BY DESIGN

The new Miata is more Mazda than Elan.

LETTERS

LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP 620-2 SUPER TROFEO The crew from Sant’Agata Bolognese is ﬁnally getting serious about racing with a 612-hp track warrior.

NEWS

Everyday exotics, classic concept sketches, and a 288-mph Bugatti.

Upshift

Driven

Audi’s Prologue points to the future.

CHEVROLET SS

FOUR SEASONS WRAP

FOUR SEASONS LOGBOOK

The 2014 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe inspires one question: Did we choose the wrong version of the right car? A Subaru WRX joins the ﬂeet.

Chevrolet’s lowest-volume car is almost a four-door Corvette, but it lacks a critical factor.

NISSAN MURANO

AUCTIONS

102

NON SEQUITUR

This style-concious crossover gives luxury badges a run for their money.

CHEVROLET TRAX

An affordable grocery-getting, hardware-hauling crossover made for new couples.

COLLECTIBLE CLASSIC

The 1976-’79 Seville: Cadillac’s ﬁrst attempt at a European car. Auctions America tries something different with its “Bid Anywhere” online auction. A ﬁrst look at the all-new, 200-mph Cadillac CTS-V.

Reinventing All-Stars.

Automobile | March 2015

FERRARI: TED7; CHEVROLET SS: PATRICK M. HOEY; HONDA ACCORD: PAUL BARSHON

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Editor-In-Chief MICHAEL FLOYD Executive Editor TODD LASSA Creative Director DARREN SCOTT Senior Editors JOSEPH A. LORIO, DAVID ZENLEA Copy Chief EMILIANA SANDOVAL Managing Editor RUSTY KURTZ

GENERAL MANAGER, IN-MARKET NETWORK

European Bureau Chief GEORG KACHER Automotive Design Editor ROBERT CUMBERFORD West Coast Editor MICHAEL JORDAN New York Bureau Chief JAMIE KITMAN Editor-At-Large ARTHUR ST. ANTOINE Road Test Editor CHRISTOPHER NELSON Videographer SANDON VOELKER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS RONALD AHRENS JASON H. HARPER DAVE KINNEY PRESTON LERNER BOB MERLIS

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Automobile | March 2015

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Mike Floyd

PROLOGUE IS THE FUTURE

HAKESPEARE’S FAMOUS line from “The Tempest”— “what’s past is prologue”—in essence means what has come before has bearing on what is to come. If Audi’s recent past is any indication, its Prologue concept is setting the stage for the future of a brand dedicated to advancement through technology. But I’m very much dwelling in the present as I pull out of the parking lot of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills in the multimillion-dollar, one-off Prologue, a police escort in tow, lights ﬂashing. The long, sleek, diva gray-sprayed coupe looks the part of a dashing Hollywood celebrity, but it’s running a little rough as we hit the streets. I do my best to keep its grumpy, growling 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 (packing some 605 horsepower) from stalling out. The convoy is holding up traffic, and I’m feeling like a doofus, dressed from the waist down in a dime-store hazmat suit in an effort to keep the hand-built concept clean. We roll past gawkers, a couple of them whipping out their smartphones to get a shot of the star car that wowed the media at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. While the Prologue can reportedly hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and comes equipped with Audi’s new all-wheel steering setup that can turn the rear wheels up to 5 degrees (coming to the next A8), the only thing I learned about the Prologue during my drive was how to keep it running under 30 mph—per the orders of my handlers and escort, with an assist from L.A. street traffic. Back at the hotel, I had a chance to get an in-depth breakdown about what this aluminum- and high-strength-steel-clad GT concept represents from the people directly responsible for its development.

Automobile | March 2015

Audi has become known for cutting-edge lighting solutions, bold grilles integrated into restrained exterior designs, and advancements in human-machine interface—future visions of which are represented on the Prologue. “This is a car that shows where we want to go with Audi,” Prologue’s exterior design specialist Parys Cybulski says. Where they’re going is toward a monster, single-frame, massively wide trapezoidal grille that dominates the front of the car. “To make it more sporty looking, we made it lower and wider. That way it has more presence on the street,” Cybulski says of the Prologue’s gleaming, slatted mug. The Prologue’s other signature design cue is its pronounced front and rear fender areas designed to emphasize the brand’s Quattro heritage.

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also proud of the unique LED taillight setup with 3D glass. The team was able to create an effect that makes it seem as though the light is actually moving toward the driver traveling behind the car when the car’s brake lights are illuminated. Trippy stuff. Lights of another type are also a key element of the Prologue’s technological advances inside the car’s digital cockpit layout, speciﬁcally OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes), which power the slickest feature of cabin: an iPad-like display that rises up from the center console just in front of the gear lever. Audi is moving toward a day where nothing more than touches and swipes (and a smartphoneintegrated “virtual butler”) control all vehicle functions as well as passenger inputs. As a result, the Prologue is decidedly lacking in the button department. What it doesn’t lack is an elegance beﬁtting Audi’s premium reputation, with upscale materials and a cohesive design concept that wraps around the entirety of the coupe’s interior. We’ll start seeing what the Prologue will

What the Prologue doesn’t lack is an elegance beﬁtting Audi’s premium reputation. Flanking the grille are the Prologue’s Matrix laser-based lighting elements. Lighting specialist Viktor Hahn calls the use of lasers “a new era in light design. … Everything is very sharp, clear, deﬁned.” Lasers can project more light punch than LEDs and do it over a smaller surface area, allowing greater freedom to develop compact, elegant designs like the eye-shaped units on the Prologue. Hahn is

bring to the brand’s lineup with the next A8, and later on the A6 and A7 and the upcoming, all-new A9. The next generation of Audi will trace many innovations to this moment. The future looks sleek, speedy, and laser-lit when Prologue is your past. For photos and more info on the Prologue, including interviews with top Audi execs by our own Jake Holmes and Eric Weiner, visit automobilemag.com/extra. AM

PORTRAIT: JOE VAUGHN; AUDI: ROBIN TRAJANO

editor’s letter

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Ignition

shopping carts

Everyday Exotics By Preston Lerner

A high-dollar exotic as your daily driver? These owners say: Why not?

Grocery getter Milton Chu loads groceries into his Ferrari’s frunk before heading to In-N-Out Burger for a Double-Double.

ilton Chu was driving to the grocery store when his passenger asked him, “Doesn’t that noise bother you?” “What noise?” he said, listening for a rattle or knock he hadn’t noticed before. “The engine. It’s so loud.” Chu was accustomed to the stirring V-8 aria because the Ferrari California was his daily driver. By the time he traded it in, he’d accumulated 77,000 miles over four years. His new—and only—car is another Ferrari, this one a menacing black-onblack 458 Italia Spider that he uses for everything from his weekday work commute to weekend trips to the hardware store. “I understand why some people don’t drive their Ferraris—because they feel that they’re preserving something that’s almost perfect,” he says. “But for me, that’s not as much of a priority as driving the car. I want to experience the engine, the acceleration, the handling. I don’t believe in reincarnation. I’m only going to live once. I paid for the car, so I might as well use it.” Chu, a 53-year-old ophthalmologist,

Automobile | March 2015

is one of the rare and enlightened enthusiasts who drive their exotic cars on a daily basis rather than sequestering them in climate-controlled garages like museum-quality treasures that can be exposed to the elements on only the most exceptional occasions. Ferrari owners are a case in point. The company’s most recent survey found that American owners of the FF—the four-seater that comes closest to being a family car—averaged about 3,000 miles a year, while sportier Ferraris were driven even less frequently. It’s true that Ferraris from the early days of the electronics era are ticking time bombs. But the factory now offers a competitive warranty—three years bumper to bumper with unlimited mileage—and seven years of free maintenance on new cars. These days, frankly, just about any car from any manufacturer can be ridden hard and put away wet. Ray McKewon, for example, has put nearly 100,000 miles on his Maserati GranTurismo. A 66-year-old guitarist and music producer, he treats the car like a garage band’s Ford Econoline. “It can hold two electric guitars, a guitar amp, a music stand, a guitar stand, and all my foot

pedals,” he says. “I don’t regret a single penny I’ve spent on it. If you’re going to buy a Maserati, drive it. If you want something to stare at, buy a painting.” Malcolm Barksdale shares McKewon’s attitude. “Contemporary cars aren’t going to go up in value,” he explains. “So why buy a car and not drive it?” The 72-year-old architect owns a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. He bought it with 507 miles on the clock, leading him to believe that the original owner bought it in San Diego, drove it to

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“I don’t believe in reincarnation. I’m only going to live once. I paid for the car, so I might as well use it.”

Man’s best friend With the last name “Barksdale,” Malcolm Barksdale is sort of required to own a dog. What did the Ferrari owner name his furry friend? Dino, of course.

San Francisco, and dumped it in a hangar. Barksdale, by contrast, drives it to work every morning and is happy to park it on the street. As he says, “It’s just a car.” Barksdale cycled through a series of quirky sports cars before spending half a year’s salary to buy his ﬁrst Ferrari—a used 308 GT4 2+2—and using it as his everyday ride. (He also did his own service and changed the clutch in the garage of his condo.) “I put 40,000 miles on it and sold it for what I paid for it,” he FERRARI 458 ITALIA SPIDER: MICHAEL SHAFFER; FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO: MALCOLM BARKSDALE

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

DAVID LEE COLLECTION: TED7; 400GT: JACK RIDDELL

ignition

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shopping carts

AUDI ONSLAUGHT: The Sport Quattro is still under consideration. The concept’s high-output plug-in hybrid powertrain would likely be toned down for production.

says. Over the years, he’s logged thousands of miles in Ferraris, including a 365 GTC, a pair of 456s, a Daytona, and even a 275 GTB, often taking his big dogs along for the ride. His collection also includes several lovely non-Ferraris. “I didn’t buy any of them to be collectible,” he says. “I bought them because I loved them.” David Lee, on the other hand, is a car collector par excellence. The 45-year-old owner of high-end watch and jewelry stores worked his way through a long roster of exotic cars before settling on an impeccably curated squadron of Ferraris—a 1967 330 GTS, a 1968 275 GTB, a 1985 288 GTO, a 1986 288 GTO Evoluzione race car, an 1990 F40, a 1995 F50, a 2003 Enzo, a 2014 FF, and his most recent purchase, a 1964 250 GT Lusso bought for $2.31 million. But the sweetest thing about Lee’s stable is that he exercises his prancing horses on a regular basis. Each night, he looks at his schedule and chooses a Ferrari to ﬁt his mood and upcoming agenda. “Yesterday,” he says, “I drove the 330 GTS because it wasn’t too hot. The other day, I chose the 275 GTB because I was driving around a neighborhood with a lot of old houses, and it ﬁt right in.” In his younger days, Lee owned several lesser Ferraris and a trio of supercars he hardly used. “I was so afraid of putting miles on them and taking a big hit when I resold them,” he says. “But when I look back, I regret not driving them more. Yeah, I would have lost a little money, but I would have enjoyed the cars a lot more.”

Who needs AAA? Jack Riddell’s 400 GT is going strong but has had its moments, like when it started spitting oil and coolant on a California highway.

Full stable David Lee has this dilemma: Which Ferrari should I drive? Answer: A homologationspecial 288 GTO.

Automobile | March 2015

Nobody’s gotten more of his money’s worth out of his car than Jack Riddell. In 1972, while he was in the middle of a 22-year stint in the Navy, he scraped together $6,250 to buy a used 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2. For the next three decades, he drove the Lambo from his home to various naval bases and, after leaving the Navy, to his job as a senior lead technical writer. “It’s a great car to drive,” he explains. “It’s a GT, a Grand Tourer. When you get it up to cruising speed, it’s fast, it’s comfortable, and you can’t beat the V-12 sound.” Riddell is 76 and retired now, but his 400 GT is still going strong. The odometer in his bright red car—which he painted himself, in his garage—shows nearly 270,000 miles, with a bunch of them added this past summer on a foray to Pebble Beach. Unfortunately, the car was sidelined near Santa Barbara by an oil leak through the front pulley seal. But he managed a DIY ﬁx and drove it home to suburban San Diego. “At this point,” Riddell says, “the car is like an appendage, an extension of my body. There’s not a piece on it that I haven’t touched except for the differential. I know every nook and cranny, so I’m comfortable with everything that could go wrong.” AM

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AUDI ONSLAUGHT: Audi, like Bugatti (below) will soon offer quick-spooling electric turbochargers. The ﬁrst production Audis to get them will be the A8 and Q7. E-turbos reduce turbo lag from a stop but require a 48-volt electrical system (versus today’s 12-volt system).

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Veyron successor is lighter, better handling and—yes—faster

he Bugatti Veyron is almost gone. Coupes, roadsters, Vitesses, Super Sports—all spoken for, but fret not. Four years ago, Bugatti began work on a Veyron replacement, likely to be called Chiron (sheer-ON). With some 1,500 hp and a 0-62 mph time under 2.5 seconds, the Chiron will also be lighter and handle better, talents of particular importance to senior keeper of the Bugatti brand, Ferdinand Piëch. Although the new Chiron is being derived from the existing carbon-ﬁber architecture, 92 percent of the parts will be new or modiﬁed to enhance rigidity and shave pounds. T

Bugatti loves Monégasque LOUIS racing driver Louis Chiron CHIRON almost as much as Chiron 18/3 CHIRON loved the lonely, wealthy women who backed his early racing efforts in his 2.3-liter supercharged Bugatti Type 35B. Bugatti’s owner, Volkswagen, already posthumously honored him once by commissioning an EB110 successor, named the 18/3 Chiron, from ItalDesign. Built on the bones of a Lamborghini Diablo VT, the concept ILLUSTRATION BY RADOVAN VARICAK

The 8.0-liter W-16 engine remains, but power jumps from 1,200 to 1,500 hp, and at least two of the engine’s four turbos will be powered electrically. The fastacting e-turbos will promptly provide torque, which will probably peak around 1,100 lb-ft, delivered via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and dispersed through torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. The Chiron’s unconﬁrmed top speed is 288 mph, making it some 18 mph faster than the Veyron Super Sport. Active air deﬂectors will help the Chiron get up to that speed. Carbon-ceramic brakes and a massive, deployable rear wing that acts as an air brake will help slow it down.

coupe with a 6.3-liter W-18 engine bowed at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show and inﬂuenced the production Veyron that followed several years later.

We expect to see an interior very different from the Veyron, one with a hitherto unseen 500 kph (312 mph) speedometer. The Chiron’s cabin will be more spacious and should correct the Veyron’s slightly offset driving position, complex ergonomics, and poor visibility. During a concept drive, Piëch and VW Group chairman Martin Winterkorn complained about the Chiron’s door concept, reportedly handicapped by excessively wide sills and a narrow opening. Piëch proposed a solution in which the door and the outer part of the sill swing up together. The change would provide much easier entry and exit—and necessitate extensive and costly reengineering. We don’t know whether chief designer Achim Anscheidt and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer were willing and able to comply, but the Chiron’s launch has been pushed back from 2015 to 2016. To bridge the gap, management may build a small batch of Bugatti Speedsters, which would put a bespoke body on the existing Veyron chassis, à la Lamborghini’s Veneno. So the Veyron might not be dead just yet. When it is, though, the Chiron will come to life and wear a price tag just under 2 million euros ($2.5 million). —Georg Kacher March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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drawing & reading

Art

Concept for GM by Allen Young, c. 1970

Past

Uncovering and unveiling long-forgotten automotive designs that looked toward the future

HILE THERE ARE CERTAINLY WELL-KNOWN

“brand names” in automotive design—Italy’s Pininfarina, Bertone, and Giugiaro, and America’s Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, Raymond Loewy, and Virgil Exner—there were many more car designers who labored in obscurity at drafting tables in Detroit design studios. These heretofore unsung stylists are the subject of the exhibition, “Looking Into the Future: American Automotive Designs and Concepts, 1959-1973,” running now through May 20 at the Christopher W. Mount Gallery in West Hollywood, California. Art collector and dealer Leo Brereton spent hours in the homes of designers and their survivors, rummaging through boxes and unearthing brilliant automotive design pieces that offer a glimpse into the future as envisioned from the past. He collected 39 pieces for the exhibition, and designers in the show include Wayne Kady, whose work for Cadillac and Buick included the 1967 Eldorado and the bulbous ﬁnal-generation Roadmaster; former Chrysler designer Bob Ackerman, who helped realize the early 1970s Challenger; John Samsen, who worked on the original Thunderbird then went to Chrysler where he designed (and named) the Barracuda; and Pete Wozena, who designed mid-’50s GM Motorama cars.

Design for Cadillac by John Perkins, 1966

Automobile | March 2015

Design for Dodge by Carl Cameron, c. 1966

Brereton says “the greatest concentration of these images are in landfills,” but his efforts have yielded a breathtaking look at the imaginations that made American car design a beacon of innovation. Gallery owner Christopher Mount calls the featured designers “fine artists who just happened to have commercial careers.” The exhibition is even more impressive when one considers that the pieces are products of the predigital age, when vehicle design was strictly a human endeavor and a sketch was the product of minds and pencils, both impressively sharp. —Bob Merlis Christopher W. Mount Gallery Pacific Design Center 8687 Melrose Avenue West Hollywood, CA 90069 917-549-7944 christopherwmountgallery.com

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AUDI ONSLAUGHT: Audi, which led the way with LED headlights, wants to import adaptive headlights that selectively illuminate different parts of the road. Right now the feds don’t allow them.

Coupe design from Art Center by Ken Vendley, c. 1959

What We’re Reading “Lancia and De Virgilio: At the Center” By Geoffrey Goldberg ($100, bullpublishing.com) Neither Lancia nor its brilliant engineer Francesco de Virgilio gets the credit they deserve (although our feature starting on page 50 is a good start). This weighty history of the idiosyncratic Italian carmaker and one of its guiding lights rights both injustices. “The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War” By A.J. Baime ($20, amazon.com) Baime engrossingly recounts the auto industry’s switch to war materiel production, which was key to winning World War II. He focuses on the most critical aspect, one that was fraught with interpersonal conﬂict and technical challenge: Ford Motor Company’s production of the Liberator bomber.

Design for Chevrolet by Robert Ackerman, c. 1965

“Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars” By Neil Young ($20, amazon.com) Rocker Neil Young is a serial purchaser of old cars, and “Special Deluxe” recounts 40 or so, mostly from the 1940s and ’50s, that have rolled through his life. Read this heavily autobiographical book not because you like cars but because you like Neil Young.

“Havana: Autos and Architecture” By Mauricio Vicent ($94, ideabooks.nl) With stunning photographs of Cubans and the cars they drive, using Havana’s decaying landmarks as a backdrop, this bilingual book documents the lives of the people who keep vintage Chevys, Fords, and the like alive using grit and ingenuity. “Tracks: Racing the Sun” By Sandro Martini ($20, amazon.com) Examining the raw and reckless roots of motorsports in Europe, this dialogue-driven book is based around the lives and experiences of racers from fascist Italy and Nazi Germany who risked death for not only money and prestige but also to push the boundaries of automotive racing. Rooﬂine study for GM by Pete Wozena, 1956

“What Did Jesus Drive?” By Jason H. Vines ($18, waldorfpress.com) Vines, former PR chief for Nissan, Ford, Chrysler, and DaimlerChrysler during moments of crisis, is funny, vulgar, and unﬂinching. He names names, notes errors—his and others’—in a way that reveals the raw truth.

BOOKS: JULIA LaPALME

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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roads less traveled

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO ON THE ROAD: Led Zeppelin’s reissued “Houses of the Holy: Deluxe Edition.” Two two-disc albums—“Houses of the Holy” and the album that preceded it, “IV”—are part of a second wave of updated records from Zeppelin’s catalog. The ﬁrst disc of “Houses” has remastered versions of the original album’s songs, and the second disc includes alternative versions of the tracks, including a spacey, no-vocal rendition of “No Quarter.”

Causeway Coastal Route Northern Ireland

Your imagination comes unhinged driving the Causeway Coastal Route, dancing on the cliffs of County Antrim’s coast along the Atlantic Ocean. Start in Belfast, near the Titanic’s birthplace, and follow sweeping bends toward the Giant’s Causeway, where interlocking basalt formations resemble steps descending to the ocean. Drive inland to the dark hedges, a road overshadowed by the entwined branches of towering beech trees, and then head west past medieval castles and beaches where scenes from HBO’s “Game of Thrones” have been ﬁlmed. Come to the walled city of Londonderry/ Derry before ﬁnding your way back to reality.

TRIP NOTES Stop by Carrickfergus, a cute coastal town with a Norman castle guarding the entrance to a small harbor.

Throw back Irish whiskey at the famous Old Bushmills Distillery, purportedly the oldest licensed distillery in the world.

Visit Portrush and Portstewart this May, along with 2 million other spectators, to experience the North West 200 motorcycle road race and race week.

Automobile | March 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTYN GODDARD

Worldmags.net

Upper Class Just Got Lower Priced Finally, luxury built for value—not for false status

nly a few of us are born with silver spoons in our mouths. Magnificat II and studied the escapement, balance wheel and Until Stauer came along, you needed an inheritance to buy the rotor. He remarked on the detailed guilloche face, gilt winda timepiece with class and refinement. Not any more. The Stauer ing crown, and the crocodile-embossed leather band. He was Magnificat II brings the impeccable quality and engineering intrigued by the three interior dials for day, date, and 24-hour once found only in the watch collections of the idle rich. If you moon phases. He estimated that this fine timepiece would have actually earned your living through intellicost over $2,500. We all smiled and told him that the gence, hard work, and perseverance, you will now Stauer price was less than $90. He was stunned. We be rewarded with a timepiece of understated class felt like we had accomplished our task. A truly that will always be a symbol of refined taste. The magnificent watch at a truly magnificent price! striking case, finished in luxurious gold, compliTry the Magnificat II for 60 days and if you are ments an etched ivory-colored dial exquisitely. not receiving compliments, please return the By using advanced computer design and robotics, watch for a full refund of the purchase price. When you use your we have been able to drastically reduce the The precision-built movement carries a 2 year INSIDER OFFER CODE price on this precision movement. warranty against defect. If you trust your own

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Worldmags.net ignition by design

Robert Cumberford

2016 MAZDA MIATA LESS ELAN, MORE MAZDA

N JUST 25 YEARS, THE WORLD’S FAVORITE sports car has matched the volume of all MGs made from the 1920s to 1980. Mazda has made nearly 950,000 Miatas over three series, the last of which has been with us for 10 years. The lightest version of the latest iteration is about 220 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, which is admirable, but still quite a bit heavier than the 1990 model, which is disappointing. A larger four-cylinder ensures that the new car is faster, but I wonder how much that really matters to most Miata drivers—at least those who are not actively participating in racing or autocross. Whenever I’ve driven one, I’ve enjoyed the Miata not for its acceleration or top speed, but for the pure pleasure of using a machine that responds ﬂuidly to my control inputs, going where I want without stress or undue effort. Roadholding is good, brakes are good, the structure is stiff enough, and the top doesn’t leak. Nor does engine oil. Nothing about the cars has been extreme, and I believe that’s why so many of us are so happy with them. It helps that all have been goodlooking, although none quite as good as the ﬁrst, cleverly cribbed from Ron Hickman’s very pretty little Lotus Elan. We tend to forget that the Miata is a rather big little car—the new one is 9 inches longer and a foot wider than the Elan. And, of course,

Automobile | March 2015

mandated safety features and desired comfort items—power steering, air conditioning, folding hardtops—mean Mazda can never match the Elan’s sub-1,500-pound curb weight. But who cares? In today’s context the Miata is still light, and it still feels light, which is all important. This version is quite good-looking, but there’s an odd surface bulge running diagonally upward from door mid-height over the top of the rear fender that’s very peculiar, as though a metal-munching mole were tunneling beneath the skin, leaving an unwanted line. I suspect there are those within Mazda who agree that it’s a mistake because the factory handout photos are intentionally lit to hide its presence. The cockpit remains a bit austere, as beﬁts a sports car, but it’s a real black hole, tempered only by some colored stitching in the black upholstery. There was a Miata long ago that had tan upholstery in a British Racing Green body, much as MGs once had. I’d be glad to see that again. But for all the nostalgia, I really appreciate the creature comforts that come with the latest and still savviest sports roadster you can buy anywhere. Bob Hall’s concept was great, Tom Matano and Mark Jordan’s execution was great, and all the subsequent variants on the theme have been great, too. They’ve still got it going on in Hiroshima. But I still want a Wankel Miata. AM

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FRONT 3/4 VIEW 1. THIS SHARP CREASE helps emphasize the directional thrust of the whole front end, which tapers inward rather sharply from the wheel opening toward the grille.

2. THE GRILLE ITSELF is surprisingly big, far bigger than the Lotus Elan-inspired inlet on the ﬁrst Miata. 3. THE SAPPY CORPORATE “SMILE” of

the last series is gone, and these horizontal bars are ﬁnely proportioned and look serious, a nice solution.

4. THE BLACK PLASTIC under-nose extensions are unobtrusive enough to make you wonder why they’re there at all.

5. THESE BIG INLETS lead to a really small

aperture well outboard. To cool the outer edges of the front tires? Certainly they are not aimed at brake cooling.

6. THE SIDE MARKER placement in the band

11. THE FIXED ROLLOVER-PROTECTION

hoops are given a glossy black ﬁnish as well.

into the cockpit surround. Nice.

7. IT’S CURIOUS THAT there is an indent in

13. THE SLIGHT RIDGE derived from the

8. THE EXTERNAL MANIFESTATION of a

mole or worm moving just below the surface, leaving a ﬂow-breaking bump in the skin.

turnup at the end of the decklid terminates as a fading line in the rear fender skin, parallel to the break between the plastic end cap and the steel fender.

9. THE DEGREE to which the body pulls

14. THIS HARD TRANSVERSE LINE above

inward in plan view is clearly apparent from this perspective. The body just disappears.

the bumper strike face also fades into the rear fender form.

10. PAINTING THE WINDSHIELD FRAME

15. THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLIES are

black gives the car a much sleeker appearance than the body-colored solutions used on earlier models. It also gives the lower body more linearity, which is vitiated by that dumb diagonal fender bulge.

19. THE MIRRORS are generously sized,

12. THE CHMSL is unobtrusively integrated

around the wheel opening is nice, if very far from an original idea. the fender surface for this element.

18. IN THIS VIEW, one can easily see how the body mass moves in toward the center from the wheel opening.

REAR 3/4 VIEW

and their shells are body-colored, a welcome break from the overwhelming blackness of the cockpit and windshield frame.

INTERIOR VIEW 20. THE INSTRUMENTATION is pure sports car from the classic era, with the tachometer more prominent than the speedometer and the vital but secondary fuel and temperature gauges. 21. BUT MULTIPLE SWITCHES in the steering

tunneled into the body surface. The turn signal lamps are spear-shaped, very functional.

wheel attest to the fact that the cockpit is not as simple as a ﬁrst glance suggests.

16. THE LOWER PORTION of the rear fender seems to sag as it moves outboard of the indented license plate mounting surface, with a complex inset surface for the backup lamps.

22. THIS IS UNMISTAKABLY 21st century. Display panels like this didn’t exist for inexpensive products when the Miata ﬁrst appeared.

17. A SURFACE BREAK line from the point of the inlet aligns with the bottom of the doors. The doors themselves have an elegant curved outline for front and rear cutlines.

23. IT MAY MAKE you think of the Golf GTI, but colored thread for some of the stitching is most welcome in this well of blackness.

24. DOOR CAPPINGS in body color are

likewise welcome and connect the interior and exterior in a simple, clear, and agreeable way.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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Worldmags.net ignition noise, vibration & harshness

Jamie Kitman

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

its AMG GT S. Then, a ﬂight to Los Angeles for the Jaguar F-Type (now in manual and all-wheel-drive form), and the city’s increasingly prominent international auto show, where Land Rover’s LR2 replacement, the Discovery Sport, would make its North American debut. Temperate climate aside, such is the power of California’s cultural hegemony that these poor souls from Europe— evidently starved for glamor back in the old country—feel like they’re near the celebrity heat when they come out here. Because you’ll never run into Pauly Shore in the supermarket back in Stuttgart? There’s no point in arguing; they just need to be at the L.A. show. On sale come spring as a 2016 model, the AMG GT S is fast as all get-out (0-60 in 3.7 seconds; 193 mph top speed). Credit its 503-horsepower, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, a comparatively diminutive new motivational speaker from Mercedes’

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T I M M A R R S

UROPEAN INDUSTRIALISTS often claim they come to California for the latest in styles and trends. I don’t believe them. Not because I think California’s hipness is overrated, which I do. It’s because I know they flock here for the sunshine, just the same way I’m finding that I—a New Yorker convinced California is going to hell in a hand basket—still head out to the Left Coast every chance I get once the mercury starts plummeting back home. As long as earthquakes don’t hit and riots don’t start because the water gets cut off while I’m out there, I figure I’m cool. Car launches often call me westward. But if I am honest, it was the onset of East Coast seasonal affective disorder that tilted the scales a few weeks back, forcing me to string together two press junkets to the Golden State. First up, San Francisco and Monterey with Mercedes-Benz and

Automobile | March 2015

in-house speed merchant, AMG. Mated to an agreeable seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, it goes hard. And the stoutly constructed GT S rolls down California’s winding byways planted like a mofo, handling nicely and excelling on the track, with big power and grip, and crisp if not ultra-vivid steering. A naturally balanced, front-mid-engine, reartransaxle layout; monster tires; and copious electronic aids allay most every fear about the GT S’s hearty 3,400-pound scale tip and its fulsome 479 lb-ft of torque. As always with giant-wheeled things, the ride could be better. Enhancing its pedigree, the GT S shares much with the sophisticated and quite bonkers SLS model it replaces. Yet it weighs less and will cost $70,000$100,000 less, starting at a Porsche 911 Turbo-fighting $130,000 or so. While continuing to use much of the outgoing car’s specialized aluminum and magnesium structure, the new low price arrives with some excisions. The SLS’s gullwing doors are gone and so are 2.2 liters of displacement, along with more than 150 horsepower. Granted, more is always more, yet it could be argued these items were superfluous. Gullwing doors are a party trick we’ve seen before. And while some of my fellow junketeers could be heard muttering otherwise during a visit to the Laguna Seca circuit, the suggestion that 503 horsepower might ever be deemed inadequate for road use strikes me as crazy talk, the speed-addled blather of abject horsepower junkies who probably drive test cars for a living. In fact, the new AMG GT S may be said to have gained usability and content with an actual trunk for luggage or the regulation rich guy’s two sets of golf clubs. Still, if this is Mercedes’ bid to wrest from the 911 the crown of the practical luxury sports car—the one that even those with mere single-digit millions can afford to buy—Mercedes would do well to remember the fate of the similarly configured 928, Porsche’s first entry into the bruiser GT class. A fine car, but it couldn’t begin to dethrone Dr. Porsche’s greatest hit, the 911. Style is important, and the AMG GT S, though an improvement over the SLS, is at best handsome, not beautiful. But where it really falls down against the 911 is with the cabin experience. Visibility out

Worldmags.net of the rear-engine machine from Zuffenhausen is superior, its cabin light and airy. A massive glass roof helps, but the GT S is dark and gloomy, and visibility, to coin a phrase, sucks. The view out of the windshield compares to what one might experience peering out from metal boxes belonging to the U.S. Postal Service. When a corner arises, the AMG’s fat A-pillars act like large telephone poles spoiling the view out of that mailbox. The result? Blind spots, claustrophobia, and lots of it. With seats sunk low, a shallow greenhouse, and a high-riding center console, the AMG driver imagines not so much that he is strapped into the cockpit of a jet ﬁghter but behind the wheel of a 1970s TVR, a wacky design with bathtub seating and a shift lever set so high and far back that it practically required you to reach behind yourself to operate it. The GT S feels massively competent to drive if still massive, an even more reﬁned new Corvette—fast, composed, and trustworthy but less engaging and more of

AS LONG AS EARTHQUAKES DON’T HIT AND RIOTS DON’T START BECAUSE THE WATER GETS CUT OFF WHILE I’M OUT THERE, I FIGURE I’M COOL. a chore around town than a 911. Interior materials are fine, but I’ll say it again: Extensive use of decorative carbon fiber is only one hackneyed step up from extensive use of decorative fake carbon fiber. From a design standpoint, they’re basically the second-worst and worst ideas in the world. Down in L.A., Jaguar introduced yet more cars that ought to connect. We’ll see. Success should already be theirs. Jaguars are great, the best they’ve ever been, and yet sales remain flat. Maybe if these new variants of the excellent F-Type don’t sell, they’ll say that Jaguar should’ve offered all-wheel drive with the manual gearbox

and V-8 models with AWD and/or the manual. These are shortcomings. But my own anecdotal research indicates this won’t be the real reason they fail, if they do. Whenever I tell people to buy a Jaguar, they always worry about reliability. Perception is the problem—new Jaguars’ reliability is competitive—and this sort of reputational injury based in fact only time can ﬁx. Then again, if reliability were the key, how to explain the runaway success of Land Rover’s Range Rover sub-brand? It provides most of JLR’s U.S. sales, an imbalance the new Land Rover Discovery we’re here to see presumably begins to correct. It all comes down to perception. Which brings us back to our location. With all the telecom and tech going on at the L.A. show, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the show move to San Jose, to be closer to the Silicon Valley giants and startups, whose swashbuckling, money-making mystique has started to overshadow even Hollywood in auto executives’ perceptions. Whatever happens, we’ll be back somewhere in California before long. AM

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Worldmags.net ignition the asphalt jungle

Arthur St. Antoine

THE OTHER ENZO FERRARI as chairman and president, the “victim” of Ferrari’s struggling Formula 1 team (which hasn’t won a championship since 2008) and, more signiﬁcantly, of a clash of visions with Sergio Marchionne, boss of Fiat Chrysler, which last fall sold off part of Ferrari. (It’s now independent and publicly traded, although current FCA shareholders own 90 percent of the company.) A lawyer by education, di Montezemolo was only 27 when he took over Ferrari’s struggling F1 operation in 1974. The team hadn’t won a title in 11 seasons. A year later, with Niki Lauda driving, Scuderia Ferrari captured the drivers’ and constructors’ world titles. It won both again in 1977. After departing Ferrari to oversee other interests in the Fiat empire, di Montezemolo returned in 1991, promoted to president by Fiat Chairman Gianni Agnelli. And then he really rolled up his tailored sleeves. It’s easy to forget, amid the masterpieces that are the current Ferrari

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T I M M A R R S

NZO FERRARI’S NAME BLAZES across the factory door, the cars, and all the jackets, handbags, perfume bottles, and sundry trinkets also wearing the magic Prancing Horse logo. But if room permitted, one other name could rightfully belong there, too: Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. Since Ferrari’s founding as a race team in 1929 (road cars arrived in 1947), two men—Enzo Ferrari himself and di Montezemolo—have commanded the stable. (Two men did ﬁll in between Enzo and Luca, but only brieﬂy.) It’s as if the New York Yankees had been steered by two managers over eight-plus decades. Di Montezemolo didn’t simply step in shortly after Ferrari’s death in 1988. In many ways, he saved the company—re-energized it, modernized it, shaped it into the universally admired luxury brand it is today. So it was something of a shock when last fall, after 23 years at the helm, he was forced out

Automobile | March 2015

lineup, that back in the late ’80s and early ’90s Ferraris were … well, merda. Remember the “Magnum, P.I.” 308 and later the slat-sided 348? They were sharply creased and red enough, but as sports cars they handled like soapbox derby crates. When the upstart Acura NSX arrived in 1990, its quality and finesse smacked Ferrari upside its inflated head. Di Montezemolo, for one, sure noticed. Under his stewardship, Ferrari’s road-car business not only turned around, it blossomed. The fabulous 12-cylinder Enzo supercar, the 360 Modena, the 599 GTO, today’s stunning 458 Italia and LaFerrari mega-hybrid all arrived during di Montezemolo’s reign. Fixing the flagging F1 team took longer, but by 2000 Ferrari and Michael Schumacher captured both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles. Then they did it again. Four more times in a row. Di Montezemolo always cultivated exclusivity, limiting road-car production to just 7,000 or so per year, far below demand. Yet prestige and revenues soared. In 1991, the year he took over, Ferrari showed profits of $15 million. By 2013, that figure exceeded $300 million. Ah, but here’s the friction: Marchionne saw even bigger dollar signs, and he expressed no qualms about raising production to meet the booming appetite in emerging markets such as China and India. Expect 10,000 Ferraris—or more—within a few years. I almost hate to say it, but given the newfound catering to market whims, a Ferrari SUV doesn’t seem an impossibility. I’ve met di Montezemolo only once, in September 1992, at a showing of Ferrari’s then-new 456. Fresh into his stint as president, di Montezemolo couldn’t have been more cordial. Articulate, suave, immaculately dressed (tailored suit, Rolex “Pepsi” GMT), he took me by the arm and guided me around the car, passionately pointing out styling cues and mechanical details while also answering questions with undivided attention. That is, until a beautiful female journalist walked up. “Arturo, excuse me,” di Montezemolo said, smiling. “As you can see, I have other important guests who will want to know about our new car.” He walked a few steps, turned back, winked. It was hard not to like the man. It’s even more difficult to imagine the iconic Italian maker without him, a company in danger of being diluted of its heart-racing soul, of losing its carefully cultivated specialness. For Ferrari’s sake I hope I’m wrong, but I fear Luca Cordero di Montezemolo may yet enjoy the last laugh. AM

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All-Stars/

No Boring Cars

The Sunbeam Tiger is a crazed, wheelspinning, teenage hooligan of a car, despite the graying sophistication of its average owner. Your article made the Tiger seem like it belongs in a somewhat sporty study hall, when in fact it lives to spend eternity in detention. PEN PENDLETON LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

CADILLAC GOES TO NYC THANK YOU FOR A GREAT REINVENTION of the idea of the “best” car (“Editor’s Letter,” January). I have always enjoyed your journalistic approach to celebrating a great passion. There are so many great examples of automotive art on the road today that the idea of a single winner is mildly absurd. Design, execution, and driving joy span the gamut of offerings, and your approach captures that spirit. ERIC STRAUSS HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA

REINVENTING ALL-STARS UNTIL THIS YEAR, YOU DIDN’T PICK candidates from just new and revised cars. This was great since you chose the best car in every market segment. (This was not a rule, but pretty much things turned out that way.) You might have had perennial winners, but the best one in every segment was chosen. Other magazines pick “Car of the Year,” but it is tough to choose one car from so many different segments. Wouldn’t it be better if you just decided to choose the best of every segment every year? DERRICK BIRD SEATTLE, WASHINGTON SOME MAGS TRY TO GO ALL NUMBERS. Some mags try to balance objective and subjective scoring. But you have done away with all that. You have learned the value of going with your gut. Let’s go with how we feel about each car and what fun or a pleasure it is. BERNIE KRESSNER APPLETON, WISCONSIN

Automobile | March 2015

LET’S SEE IF I’VE GOT THIS STRAIGHT. So that I won’t be bored by seeing a few superlative cars standing hood and shoulders above their competitors in your pages year after year, you will now select only newly introduced, mostly inferior models that I might soon regret having bought. Hey, I subscribed to Automobile, not Seventeen. JIM VRIESACKER VIA INTERNET

I’M GOING TO JUMP RIGHT ON THE bandwagon loaded with people who believe that moving Cadillac to New York City is a dumb idea (“Noise, Vibration & Harshness,” January). The plans for Cadillac seem to me as lame as former GM chairman Roger Smith’s plan to start the Saturn project. BILL HARDING EVANS, GEORGIA VW CHAIRMAN FERDINAND PIËCH recently commented that he has made two mistakes in his career: 1) Letting gifted designer Peter Schreyer get away; 2) Not buying Alfa Romeo when he had a chance. Odd, no mention of letting Johan de Nysschen leave Audi ﬁrst for Inﬁniti and now Cadillac. BRIAN WRIGHT JAMAICA ESTATES, NEW YORK

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

SHELBY’S HOT ROD

The 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II (“Driven,” January) is a conveyance for those who have had three face-lifts too many. Two-tone paint jobs might have looked ﬁne on Silver Clouds and Shadows, but those cars were close enough to the 1950s to take refuge in the idea that their paint jobs were holdovers from an earlier age of elegance. The new cars are just high-crass transportation. WALTER KOCH EARLYSVILLE, VIRGINIA

AFTER READING OVER THE speciﬁcations for the Sunbeam Tiger (“Collectible Classic,” January), I didn’t know Ford made 32-valve V-8s back in the 1960s, and without double overhead cams, too. Holy forked rocker arms! PAUL RICHARDS DREXEL HILL, PENNSYLVANIA

SORRY, BUT I FAIL TO SEE THE GRILLE of a 1968 Jaguar XJ-6 in the new Jaguar XE (“By Design,” January). What I see is a hole in the front of a Bristol 404/405. Chrome-plated, of course. DAN NEU WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

UNLESS WE TAKE OFF OUR SHOES, we can never count properly. (The Tiger had a 16-valve V-8, of course.) We regret the error—Ed.

Write: Automobile Magazine, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245. E-mail: letters@automobilemag.com Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

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Driven

S E PA N G , M A L AYS I A

Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo FINALLY RACING FOR REAL amborghini has an image problem. The issue at hand isn’t the dubious taste of owners or chronic machismo overload (though there’s certainly that), but rather the simple question of racing heritage. In contrast to Italian neighbor Scuderia Ferrari’s epic multi-decade race involvement, Lamborghini’s 5-year-old, one-make Super Trofeo series looks like a navel gaze. Countering Lambo’s 21stcentury solipsism is the long list of Porsches, Audis, McLarens, and Corvettes whose stock has been bolstered by hardfought battles on the world’s racetracks. Now, after more than a half-century of building road cars, the crew from

3 34

Automobile A Auto mobile | M mobile March Marc rc h 2015 20 15 1

Sant’Agata Bolognese is finally getting serious about motorsports, and the brand’s entry-level offering, the $237,250 Huracán —the first model in company history engineered from the ground up for race duty—is at the center of its efforts. Phase one of Lamborghini’s racing renaissance is the Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo we’re driving today, a car intended to be approachable enough for gentlemen racers but potent enough to groom drivers interested in moving up to the GT3 class, where a Raging Bull will run starting next year. The GT3 version of the Huracán, which is being developed concurrently with the Super Trofeo, will tackle five European circuits in the 2015 Blancpain GT3 series and the rest of the world in 2016.

The latest Super Trofeo was developed by Dallara Automobili, whose founder Gian Paolo Dallara was responsible for the Miura and Espada chassis. Mass has been trimmed thanks to extensive decontenting, dropping curb weight to about 2,800 pounds. A rollcage extending to the rear shock towers offers 46 percent more torsional stiffness compared to the outgoing Gallardo Super Trofeo and “at least 70 percent” more rigidity than the road-going Huracán, according to chief test driver Giorgio Sanna. A sequential six-speed gearbox from Xtrac replaces the dual-clutch unit, an Öhlins suspension steps in with revised spring and damper rates, and a Motec engine management system provides data

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Hit 80, 90, 120 mph, and there’s an unflappable bond to the road that encourages otherwise-disastrous pedal-to-metal acceleration and aggressive steering inputs. acquisition capabilities. The eight-setting Motec traction control and 12-setting Bosch ABS system can be dialed in from a “‘Knight Rider”-style steering wheel, and more than twice the downforce as the road car is delivered courtesy of an adjustable rear spoiler the size of a park bench. Out of the box, a Huracán Super Trofeo runs $325,000; a $45,000 fee covers entry in the 2015 season and includes three sets of race tires per weekend. Food, lodging, transportation costs, maintenance, fuel, crash repairs, and umbrella girls are all on you. The Super Trofeo is heavier than its FIA-regulated GT3 counterpart, but it’s also more powerful, as GT3 regulations restrict output to the mid-500 horsepower range. Here, the 5.2-liter V-10 is tuned to 612 hp. The discrepancy results in near-identical lap times, according to Sanna, although the GT3 delivers a different driving experience due to the interplay between higher downforce, lighter weight, and lower power. Parked in pit lane at the 3.4-mile

Formula 1 track in Sepang, Malaysia, the Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo is an intimidating piece of kit, with the stock car’s flat expanses of bodywork broken up by a panoply of flics, ducts, and vents. The nose bears a squintier, meaner countenance than its off-the-rack counterpart, the entire rear section of the front quarter panel is eschewed for lightness, and the rear bumper is morphed into a lurid peekaboo of twin exhaust cannons, a gnarly rear differential, and a massive diffuser. The thin body panels are held down by Dzus fasteners. Strapped into a five-point racing harness, we take in the stark, strippeddown cabin. The only touches of propriety are Alcantara swaths on the dashboard and steering wheel; everything else is strictly for speed. The view ahead consists of a button-clad steering wheel and a 5-inch LCD screen with a bar graph tachometer, lap timer, and gear position indicator. LEDs above the tach illuminate in a green/blue/ red progression for a quick glance at the upper rev range. The rollcage meets bare

metal body panels, and the sole seat in the house is the driver’s throne, a snug-fitting perch built by OMP from which all controls can be reached. The startup procedure requires a press of the ignition button followed by the starter button, which cranks the V-10 until it fires to life. Hold the white Neutral button on the wheel with the foot clutch lever depressed while tapping the upshift paddle, and the transmission crunches into first gear. Let out the clutch with some throttle input, and that’s the last time you’ll engage your left foot (unless you use it for braking). A tap of the Pit button caps speed to 60 kph (37 mph) through ignition retardation, which creates a disconcertingly uneven, “broken” sound from the engine but enables an otherwise impossible-tomaintain perfect speed. A green light at the pit signals it’s OK to tap that Pit button again, unleashing an unholy fury of power from the longitudinally mounted 10-cylinder. There’s quite a bit more midrange oomph March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Driven

Worldmags.net The Specs ON SALE: Now PRICE: $325,000 ENGINE: 5.2L DOHC 40-valve V-10/

612 hp @ 8,250 rpm, 420 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automated manual LAYOUT: 2-door, 1-passenger,

mid-engine, RWD coupe WHEELBASE: 103.2 in WEIGHT: 2,800 lb (dry)

Bull on a diet Out goes the passenger seat, leather, and infotainment system. In goes racing computers and a multifunction racing steering wheel. Bad inﬂuence Stellar brakes and prodigious grip—enhanced by extra downforce— encourage aggressive driving.

than in the road car, and the sharp immediacy to the throttle far transcends the road car’s most aggressive setting, Corsa. A strong shove into the seat crescendos as the rev lights climb and the V-10 jags from a howl to a wail. Stabbing the brake pedal before the ﬁrst corner brings violent deceleration without a hint of ABS intervention. This triggers a mental paradigm shift: Rather than worrying about staying in one piece, we realize we could have been going far faster, been braking far harder, and been on the gas again that much sooner to repeat the cycle. Another point of psychological acclimation is the paradox of downforce. The faster you go, the more this thing sticks. Hit 80, 90, 120 mph, and there’s an unﬂappable bond to the road that encourages otherwise-disastrous pedal-to-metal acceleration and aggressive steering inputs. Weight transfer that leads to understeer or oversteer is remarkably

Automobile | March 2015

palpable in slow corners, thanks in part to the chassis stiffness and lack of feedbackmuddying deadweight like nav systems, airbags, and stereo. Further clarifying the Super Trofeo’s feedback is a hydraulic steering system that replaces the electromechanical setup on the road car. Finally, the relative lack of punch at lower rpm urges you to keep the revs in the mid to upper portions, and the tach climbs with ferocious urgency, lighting up the LED indicators with blink-fast swiftness. And then we’re back on the brakes. Stabbing the pedal harder reveals the incredible depth of stopping power, in part because the production car’s booster has been yanked to allow the driver a more honest assessment of how hard the pads are pressing against the rotors and because this slotted Brembo setup is considerably more robust than the stock hardware. Several laps in and we get a sense of the true braking point, where the

sticky Pirellis start to slip, and when to reawaken the engine and lay on the gas. Gear shifts are instigated with a tap of the paddle shifter that responds with neural immediacy, and downshifts are met with rev-matched surges of throttle that make the engine feel deliciously alive. That said, there were several times tapping the paddles did not trigger a gear change, perhaps a glitch that will be fixed with further development. There are some barely noticeable moments of traction control intervention (our tester was set to 5; 8 is off ), but the car grips and communicates well enough to encourage controllable tail sliding and countersteering. The system was sufficiently permissive in that overcooking one slow corner created a yaw angle that overshot the intended path of travel. In other words, we spun out, and while furiously countersteering we accidentally tapped the Pit button, which led to an embarrassing moment of 37-mph cruising. After the first of two 20-minute track sessions, the Huracán—inspired by the Spanish Conte de la Patilla breed known for its relentless attack and seemingly invincible nature—truly lives up to its name, leaving the legs like jelly from repeated brake jabs and the ears ringing from the howl of the naturally aspirated V-10’s 40-valve song. It’s a fitting buzz, just about the most stirring afterglow one could expect from a brand whose lineup has been named after fearsome bulls. It’s no surprise that a race car is dramatically lighter, quicker, and sharper than its road-car counterpart; heightened athleticism and vivacity are a de rigueur byproduct of trimmed fat and focused performance. Beyond those inevitabilities lies the trial by fire the GT3 Huracán will undergo when it battles foes from McLaren, Porsche, and, of course, Ferrari on the racetrack. Even more intriguing? How those lessons learned will effect change in the road cars. We can look forward to even more capable and charismatic sheetmetal from Lamborghini. —Basem Wasef

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GO BEYOND UTILITY THE FIRST-EVER LEXUS NX TURBO Any SUV can tackle your to-do list. But with its bold styling, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, available Remote Touchpad and Qi 1 wireless device-charging tray, the NX also completes your wish list. Introducing the first-ever Lexus NX Turbo, NX Turbo F SPORT and NX Hybrid. Once you go beyond utility, there’s no going back. lexus.com/NX I #LexusNX

Worldmags.net Driven

2015 Chevrolet SS ALL STEAK AND NO SIZZLE

D E T R O I T, M I C H I G A N wning a Chevrolet SS is like following an underground band. Chevrolet has sold fewer than 3,000 SS sedans in the last 12 months (about three days’ worth of Honda Accords). What’s more, we already know the band’s breakup is imminent, as General Motors plans to close the Australian factory that builds the SS by the end of 2017. Against this backdrop, the rear-drive SS enters its second year with signiﬁcant improvements. Magnetorheological dampers like those offered with the Camaro ZL1 and four-wheel Brembo brake calipers are newly offered. Moreover, the SS can now be had with a six-speed manual transmission, meaning Chevrolet now offers the only stick-shift V-8 sedan besides the BMW M5 and M6 Gran Coupe. A six-speed automatic remains a no-cost option. Chevrolet can afford such investments in its lowest-volume car because they aren’t really investments. The Holden Commodore on which the SS is based already comes with a manual, and the hot rod Holden Special Vehicles version

Automobile | March 2015

The Specs ON SALE: Now PRICE:

$46,740/$47,640 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 6.2L OHV 16-valve V-8/ 415 hp @ 5,900 rpm, 415 lb-ft @ 4,600 rpm TRANSMISSION:

6-speed manual LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, RWD sedan EPA MILEAGE:

15/21 mpg city/hwy L X W X H:

195.5 x 74.7 x 57.9 in WHEELBASE: 114.8 in WEIGHT: 3,960 lb

comes with the trick dampers. That doesn’t diminish the proposition the SS presents for enthusiasts. Magnetic Ride Control improves already quick reﬂexes without imparting any bad manners. Even with the dampers in their stiffest setting, the 19-inch wheels glide over potholes. The numb electric power steering is less satisfying, yet it becomes perfectly

weighted and precise at the speeds where it matters most. (Note that our test car rode on winter tires, not the summer tires that come standard on the car.) The manual transmission is all we hoped for and more. The Tremec shifter’s throws have just the right amount of mechanical crunch. The clutch is light enough for driving in traffic yet retains

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The Corvette wins stares and cheers wherever it goes; the SS garners only the occasional ignorant query. (“Is that a new Impala?”)

Rumble room Although plain inside and out, the spacious Chevy SS packs a muscular, 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 and has the moves to match.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY

a clear engagement point. Moreover, the sedan’s 6.2-liter V-8 is the sort of engine that plays well with a manual: naturally aspirated and happy to rev. The immediacy and control of the stick shift complete the circuit connecting the driver, the powerful V-8, and the live-wire chassis, which makes the car feel much smaller and faster than it is. Dive into a corner, squeeze the Brembo brakes, snap down a gear, and feel the rear end twitch as you ease on the throttle. Do it all smoothly, and the SS will keep up with lighter cars. Or mash the throttle and enjoy the hell that breaks loose—just be ready to catch it with full opposite lock. Or you can use the stick to conduct a symphony of burbles and backﬁres as you cruise through traffic. In any situation, the SS feels and sounds livelier than just about any big sedan. If only there were more indications on the outside, which carries over unchanged from last year. In Australia, where

Rare treat The newly available six-speed stick puts the SS in a very exclusive club: V-8, manual-transmission sedans.

everyone recognizes a Commodore, bigger wheels, a decklid spoiler, and ﬂared fenders are enough to signify this as a sporty variant. But 10,000 miles from home, the styling says nothing. The interior similarly fails to excite, and the expanses of black soft-touch plastic fail to justify the near-50-grand window sticker. Our choice of a vehicle from which to photograph the SS—our Four Seasons Corvette—drives home what the sedan lacks. The Corvette wins stares and cheers wherever it goes; the SS garners only the occasional ignorant query (“Is that a new Impala?”) and, far more often, nothing at all. Success rides on charisma as much as talent. The irony is that most of the people who admire the Corvette (or, for that matter, the Camaro) would like the practical SS much more. It’s as close as Chevrolet has ever come to a four-door Corvette and is closer still with Magnetic Ride Control and a stick shift. With muscular styling and a long-term commitment from GM, the SS could become a mainstream hit. But it’s likely to remain a well-kept secret. —David Zenlea March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net Driven

2015

Nissan Murano NAPA, CALIFORNIA ith the distinction between premium cars and commodity cars more vague than ever, who says the 2015 Nissan Murano can’t be considered a luxury crossover just because of its badge? Surely not Nissan product planners, who cite the Lexus RX as a key competitor and call the style-focused, tech-laden Murano a “ﬂagship crossover.” But building a luxury car takes more than snazzy looks and ﬂashy tech. Can the Murano’s whole package measure up to this high standard? Like the previous two generations of the Murano, the 2015 edition shares its bones with the Altima sedan. Nissan brags of the new Murano’s close resemblance to the dramatic Resonance concept car, but the tortured edges and overly swoopy lines come off as overwrought. At least it stands out on the road, and nice detailing helps cultivate a premium vibe.

The Specs ON SALE: Now PRICE: $30,445/$43,745 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 3.5L DOHC 24-valve V-6/260 hp

@ 6,000 rpm, 240 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm TRANSMISSION: Continuously variable LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger,

front-engine, FWD/AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE: 21/28 mpg city/hwy L X W X H: 192.8 x 75.4 x 66.6 in WHEELBASE: 111.2 in WEIGHT: 3,790-4,017 lb

Automobile | March 2015

Clean and simple Nissan reduced the number of tactile buttons and knobs. Ergonomics are top-notch.

A STYLE-CONSCIOUS CROSSOVER REACHING TO INFINITI AND BEYOND Once we settled into the Murano’s plush cabin, all thoughts of the busy exterior disappeared. The clean, simple interior design manages to feel rich and luxurious without the complexity that bedevils many luxury cars. The buttons and controls on the center stack have a high-quality feel. The Murano goes down the road in a smooth, relaxed manner that does little to disrupt this cosseting atmosphere. Refinement of the 3.5-liter V-6 engine and CVT combination has improved greatly since this same powertrain appeared in the first-generation Murano way back in 2003. We found little to separate the Murano V-6’s silky and unobtrusive character from the V-6 in a Lexus RX 350 that Nissan brought along for comparison. The transmission’s artificial shift points help avoid the high-rpm droning that CVTs often exhibit, and fuel economy has improved to 21/28 mpg city/highway.

Complementing the reﬁned powertrain is the quiet, supple ride. We found no hint of sportiness pushing the front-heavy, 4,017-pound Murano through some tight corners on California’s Highway 1, but body motions are well-controlled, and the ride is composed without being ﬂoaty. The only dynamic letdown is the light, uncommunicative steering. The loaded Murano Platinum we’re driving costs $43,745, yet it strikes us, strangely, as the value proposition of the lineup. A comparatively equipped Lexus RX pushes $55,000, gets inferior fuel economy, and still lacks some of the Murano’s amenities such as a panoramic glass roof and heated rear seats. The 2015 Nissan Murano’s high fuel economy, spacious interior, and relatively affordable pricing make it competitive with mainstream crossovers, but it also feels special enough to make us think twice about paying extra for a luxury badge. —Joey Capparella

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2015 Chevrolet

Trax

EVERY COUPLE’S FIRST CAR: THE OFFICIAL GROCERY-GETTER, HARDWARE HAULER, GARDEN-CENTER TOTE, AND PET-AT-THE-VET PICKER-UPPER SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

The Specs

he 2015 Chevrolet Trax is the kind of vehicle every serious couple buys together ﬁrst: the affordable utility you want when starting a household. As you run Saturday errands to the grocery, the big-box store, the landscaping place, and maybe the dog park, you’ll come to realize that the crossover-utility vehicle is now officially recognized as the most popular kind of new car in America. The Chevy Trax is the ﬁrst of a wave of small crossovers coming ashore this year, including the Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, Honda HR-V, and Mazda CX-3. There will be a dozen different models by 2018. Easy to drive, easy to park, and (especially) easy to pay for, this is the kind of ride that makes sense once you’ve got a handle on your college loans and you’re moving into a place with two bedrooms. There’s a pretty good foundation for making a new start with the Trax since it’s built around the hardware of the Chevy Sonic, a lively small car we like to drive. It uses the same 138-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter engine as the Sonic Turbo. Paired with a six-speed automatic

ON SALE: Now PRICE: $20,995/$23,815

(base/as tested) ENGINE: 1.4L turbocharged

DOHC 16-valve I-4/138 hp @ 4,900 rpm, 148 lb-ft @ 1,850 rpm TRANSMISSION:

6-speed automatic LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD/AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE:

26/34 mpg city/hwy L X W X H: 168.5 x 69.9 x 65.9 in WHEELBASE: 100.6 in WEIGHT: 3,136 lb

High-zoot The $28,000 LTZ includes a leather-trimmed interior, but the mid-level, sub-$25,000 LT is the way to go.

transmission, it gets 34 mpg on the highway in front-wheel-drive form. Another impressive ﬁgure is the price: The base Trax LS costs $20,995—about $4,000 less than the related Buick Encore. All-wheel-drive models start at $22,495. The middle-trim-level LT we drove is the best buy at $23,815. For that money, you get a sophisticated array of audio features that talk with your smartphone, plus a suite of safety features, including a rearview camera, as standard equipment. But the real deal is what the Trax can carry. People are packaged comfortably

upright with a good field of view. When cargo capacity is the mission, the rear seats flip and fold, and the front passenger seat folds flat. We were told that the Trax’s chief engineer went shopping for a 42-inch flat-screen TV and predictably came out of the store with a 60-inch model. His 13-year-old daughter asked, “Will it fit?” He quickly replied with blind male optimism, “It will.” And with the front seats scrunched all the way forward, it did. Think of the money you’ll save on delivery charges. – Michael Jordan March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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NSX

2016 ACURA

Automobile | March 2015

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2016 NSX

BY P R E STO N LERNER

THE ENGINEERING WONKS AT HONDA FIGHT BACK WITH A BEAUTIFULLY STYLED, HYBRID-POWERED, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SUPERCAR. YET IT’S MORE LIKE THE ORIGINAL ACURA NSX THAN YOU WOULD HAVE GUESSED.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA— AT FIRST GLANCE, the new 2016 Acura NSX being readied for production seems to have nothing in common with the original Japanese supercar introduced in 1990, other than its mid-engine layout and an iconic nameplate. The modern NSX incorporates a hybrid powertrain—a twin-turbo V-6 augmented by three electric motors—a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive, and a dramatic, muscular body featuring more ductwork than an industrial HVAC system. Oh, and it was engineered and styled in the United States and will be built at a new factory in Ohio. Despite the differences, the new NSX is a philosophical throwback to the ﬁrst one, a game-changer that proved that supercar performance and user friendliness didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. “We had to be true to that heritage,” chief engineer Ted Klaus says. “The original car was built around the driver. It was human-centric. It was about getting out of the way and letting

the driver do what he wanted to do.” So, too, is the NSX-to-be. As befits the halo vehicle of Japan’s most wonkish automaker, it’s bristling with innovation, from a host of exotic materials in the lightweight, ultra-rigid chassis to a pair of electric motors driving each of the front wheels, which allows torque to be vectored to all four corners of the car. (A third electric motor is nestled within the transaxle case.) Electronic chassis control will feature four modes (Quiet, Sport, Sport+, and Track) plus launch control. But at the same time, the cockpit is roomy, luxurious, ergonomically flawless, and remarkably free of the look-atme flourishes found in most supercars. “Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make a statement with the interior,” says Johnathan Norman, interior-design project leader. “We’re trying to create some separation between Honda and Acura. We want it to have best-in-class materials. But the point of this car is the driver and to make the machine fade away.”

Not that the NSX is self-effacing. The benchmark it was designed to exceed is the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is generally thought to offer the most compelling combination of performance, prestige, and howl-at-themoon sex appeal of any car in its segment. With production of the Acura not slated to begin until the fall, the jury is out on whether it can deliver on that promise. Still, it’s instructive to hear Klaus describe the difference he perceives between the two cars. “The 458 is a car that makes you sweat,” he says. “It makes you feel alive, but you’re always on. You can never relax because it’s always being exotic. The NSX is about accessible performance. So in everyday driving, you have that ‘wow’ experience because of the electric motors, and you get another ‘wow’ experience at the limit.” It’s easy to forgive Klaus for sounding like a proud papa because his new baby survived such a long and troubled gestation. The original NSX remained in production from 1990 to 2005, which is Understated style There’s nothing ﬂashy about the interior, and everything just seems to ﬁt—including the driver.

Automobile | March 2015

Worldmags.net like a century in supercar years. In 2007, Honda announced plans to develop a follow-on NSX with a V-10 engine, but the project was stillborn. A concept version of the second-gen car debuted in 2012. Then came what Klaus dryly calls “a huge upset.” The original bogey for the new NSX was the Audi R8, which swims in the shallow end of the supercar pool. Equipped with a V-8, the price of the Audi starts at less than $120,000, and Acura engineers figured they could take it on with a modified version of one of their company’s naturally aspirated V-6 engines. It was to be mounted transversely behind the cockpit, which harkened back to the layout of the original NSX while also allowing for more efficient packaging. But after some corporate soul-searching, Honda executives realized that they had to aim higher than the R8. If the NSX was supposed to be what Klaus calls “a pinnacle product,” then Acura had to take on the king of the hill. Back in 1990, the Ferrari 348 had been the target. These days, it’s Making it work Toning down the grille surround was one of the biggest changes from the first show car. A flat bottom and diffusers should produce plenty of downforce.

Right behind the doors are what could pass for air inlets from an F-18 jet airplane. Actually, they route air to the intercoolers. March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net the 458, and going head to head with the Ferrari was going to require a major step up. So Acura decided to build a bespoke engine. It’s a 75-degree, 3.5-liter twin-cam V-6, with a turbocharger bolted to each bank of cylinders. (Coincidentally, Honda is also building a hybridized and turbocharged V-6 engine to race in Formula 1 this year.) No numbers have been released, but it seems safe to assume that with the bump from the electric motors the NSX’s output will be in the range of 550 hp to keep pace with the 458. And the price of the car will rise as well to approximately $150,000. “The electric motors work from zero rpm to fill in the torque until the turbochargers take over,” Klaus says. “Also, the forced induction gives you a lot of flexibility over the life cycle of the car.” Meaning that the boost can always be dialed up in years to come if more grunt is deemed necessary. But the turbochargers compelled Acura to reconsider the placement of the engine. To accommodate all the extra plumbing, the V-6 was rotated 90 degrees. Going to a longitudinal configuration meant that the transmission extended back under the trunk in the tail. Even so, the NSX’s wheelbase is still a relatively compact 103.5 inches. The gearbox adds extra weight exactly

The right man for the job of designing the eagerly awaited Acura NSX turned out to be a 34-year-old woman who grew up in a family of hot rod and muscle-car fanatics. “We always had a ’32 Ford Highboy in the garage, and my uncle drag-raced a ’73 ’Cuda,” exterior design project leader Michelle Christensen says. “To this day, a ’67 Chevelle is my dream car.” Fittingly, she was attending a car show near her home in San Jose, California, when she discovered what would become her life’s work. “My dad said, ‘Oh, there’s Chip Foose,’ and I said, ‘Who’s that?’

‘He’s a car designer.’ ‘He’s a what?’” Christensen rejected a career in fashion— another great interest—and attended Foose’s alma mater, Art Center College of Design. She was hired by Acura immediately after graduating (while her husband, Jason Wilbur, who graduated with her, signed on as a designer with Honda). Very few women work in automotive design, and most who do focus on interiors. Juliane Blasi, who styled the exterior of the BMW Z4, is a rare exception. But Christensen’s interest in sculptural forms propelled her into exterior design. She came to public prominence after penning the Acura ZDX. Although the crossover was a polarizing vehicle, it prompted Acura chief designer Jon Ikeda to ask if she wanted to transform the NSX concept car into a production car. “It was a no-brainer,” she says. “This is the kind of project you go to school for.” –PL

where you don’t want it, especially in a car that already carries the vast majority of its weight in the rear. To keep handling relatively neutral, Acura sank the engine as low as possible in the chassis. At the same time, the height of the motor was minimized by opting for a dry-sump lubrication system. Built from a mix of aluminum, high-strength steel, and carbon ﬁber, the car features a weight distribution of

43/57 percent front/rear, which is slightly more balanced than the original NSX. The result, Klaus says, is that “you don’t have to trail brake to plant the front end.” Going from a transverse to a longitudinal engine also meant that the exterior design had to be changed very late in the game. As it turned out, this was a good thing. “We kept the same theme, but we made it more muscular and aggressive,” Michelle Chris-

FRESH EYES ON DESIGN

“This isn’t a digital car at all. It’s an analog car.” Ted Klaus, chief engineer

Automobile | March 2015

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Looking forward —and up The overall design points to where Acura is headed, but the black roof is a nod to the styling of the original NSX.

ness of the ﬂoating C-pillars, which form the most dramatic ﬂying buttresses this side of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The original NSX was a seminal vehicle because it showcased an alternative paradigm of supercar design and engineering. But these are different times, so the new 2016 Acura NSX makes a different state-

ment. For Klaus, it’s all about emotion, so that no matter how much technology goes into the car, and no matter how clever it is, the connection to the driver is never lost. “This isn’t a digital car at all,” he says. “It’s an analog car.” An analog car for a digital age. Sounds like a proposition worth exploring. AM

THE LEGEND OF THE ACURA NSX For every teenager of the 1980s tantalized by the three seductive silhouettes of photographer Rick McBride’s famous poster, “Decisions, Decisions, Decisions”—a naked woman, a bottle of wine, and a Ferrari 308 GTB—the arrival of the 1991 Acura NSX was an answer to midnight dreams. A bold new brand, the latest, smartest technology, and the endorsement of Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. And for those teenagers of all ages at Automobile Magazine, the Acura NSX was

obviously the 1991 Automobile of the Year. At that time the Japanese car industry could do no wrong, and Honda represented ﬁerce corporate independence, a relentlessly clever approach to engineering, and the ability to solve problems that confounded other car companies. The 1991 Acura

NSX was Honda’s tour de force of innovative technology: all-aluminum chassis, forged aluminum suspension arms, antilock brakes, forged aluminum wheels, and a high-revving, 270hp 3.0-liter V-6 engine with lightweight titanium connecting rods and variable valve timing and lift, plus electronic throttle control. Ayrton Senna, driver of the legendary 1988 McLaren Honda MP4/4, blessed the NSX during test drives at the Honda-owned Suzuka racing circuit. More important, the Acura NSX proved miraculously friendly to drive compared with a Ferrari 348 or Lamborghini Diablo. It was the ﬁrst supercar that was accessible to everyone, in character as well as price. Ironically, the Acura NSX’s goodness conspired against it, as enthusiasts eventually persuaded themselves that the car didn’t drive with the spirit of imminent danger that tantalized them in the Rick McBride poster. And as new, more drivable mid-engine cars like the Ferrari 360 Modena came on the market, the Acura NSX lost its magic. It went out of production in 2005 after 18,685 examples had been built. Now the question is: Are we ready again for an untraditional brand, clever engineering, and a personality that is meant to perform, not intimidate? – Michael Jordan

2016 ACURA NSX // PRICE: $150,000 (est) POWER UNIT: Twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6; three AC synchronous motors/550 hp (est) TRANSMISSION: 9-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT: 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-engine, AWD coupe SUSPENSION F/R: Control arms, coil springs/ control arms, coil springs BRAKES F/R: Carbon-ceramic vented discs TIRES F/R: 245/35ZR-19/ 295/30ZR-20 Continental ContiSportContact 176.0 x 76.4 x 47.8 in WHEELBASE: 103.5 in WEIGHT DIST. F/R: 43/57%

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

1991 ACURA NSX: EVAN KLEIN

tensen, the exterior design project leader, says of the original show-car styling. “We were able to take it to the gym and take it up a notch on the supercar scale.” Christensen emphasized the mid-engine properties of the NSX by creating powerful rear haunches and a cab-forward design that makes the car look like it’s leaping forward. The bodywork also features a new styling vocabulary that Acura calls “Interwoven Dynamic,” with surfaces weaving in and out of one another. But one of the most eye-catching aspects of the styling is the vast array of huge scoops and vents. Christensen insists these are not mere boy-racer ornaments. “Nothing that you see on the car is ﬂuff,” she says. “A lot of the changes from the show car were made because of what they found in the wind tunnel.” Klaus conﬁrms that the vents feed air to or extract it from the 10 cooling units in the car: three engine coolers (two water and one oil); two intercoolers; one transaxle cooler; one for the clutch; one for the twin electric motors; one for the electric A/C compressor; and one for the power distribution unit. Right behind the doors are what could pass for air inlets from an F-18 jet airplane. Actually, they route air to the intercoolers. Being forced to enlarge these vents allowed Christensen to double down on the swoopi-

2016 NSX

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Arri BY J A M I E K I T M A N P H OTO G R A P H Y BY W I L L I A M WA L K E R

Italy’s least-known carmaker might have been its best 1965 F U LV I A B E R L I N A 2 C

1961 F L A M I N I A TO U R I N G C O U P E 1956 AU R E L I A B 2 4 C O N V E R T I B L E 1 97 8 B E TA

1960 APPIA BERLINA

1 9 57 AU R E L I A B 2 0 1 97 1 F U LV I A 1 .6 H F

1952 ARDEA BERL INA

1960 A P P I A Z AG ATO 1 9 6 9 F ULVIA 1.6 H F FANALO N E 1 976 SCORPION

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LANCIA

vederci, Lancia 1938 APRILIA BERLINA 1 975 ST R ATO S

1993 D E LTA I N T EG R A L E E VO 2

1966 F L A M I N I A Z AG ATO S U P E R S P O RT 2 . 8

1981 03 7 ST R A DA L E

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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t’s hardly front-page news here, but Italy’s legendary Lancia is as close to deceased today as an automotive brand can come, short of a death certificate being issued. In a recent speech outlining Fiat Chrysler’s latest five-year plan, CEO Sergio Marchionne didn’t even mention the illustrious marque (acquired by Fiat in 1969), much less what lay ahead for it. Afterward, however, the strategy for 109-year-old Lancia trickled out. FCA would pare its feeble lineup of modified Fiats and rebadged Chryslers down to a single model, the Ypsilon, a Fiat 500 spinoff sold in Italy, and, going forward, nowhere else. You could say it’s a placeholder— a cheap, clever way to save the brand’s name for a better day. Or you might conclude that it spells curtains for Lancia and, kind of creepily, is not unlike Norman Bates keeping his dead mother down in the fruit cellar. Either way, it’s clear Marchionne hasn’t got time for Lancia now. But we do. Arguably the greatest Italian carmaker of all time, Lancia pioneered unibody construction, independent suspension, V-6 engines, and so much more. Where others went broke building cars that weren’t good enough, Lancia went broke, the first few times at least, building cars that were too good. How rare and worthy of celebration is that? With mission-critical assistance from our friends Santo, Frank, and Vera Spadaro at Domenick European Auto of White Plains, New York, and their extensive connections in the Lancisti world, we wrangled 17 Lancias (on a Tuesday, no less) for a day of driving and remembering. Telling you something about these cars and their owners, every one drove to join us at Wilzig Racing Manor, a private track set among the rolling hills of Taghkanic, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City. Sadly, this impromptu survey was missing the earliest cars, notably the groundbreaking Lambda of the 1920s, but we hardly felt shortchanged as we got to sample some of the best Lancias the East Coast has to offer. By kind permission, we traveled through time in 17 different expressions of Lancia’s commitment to engineering excellence, which was practiced with only minimal reference to cost or convention. In a modern industrial landscape that grows ever more cautious, it’s an ideal that may be gone forever. But it will never stop reverberating.

Automobile | March 2015

Aprilia and Ardea 1937-’49 (Aprilia) 1939-’53 (Ardea)

aunched in 1937, the year the company’s visionary founder, bicycle mechanic turned industrialist Vincenzo Lancia, passed away, the Aprilia was the last car the old man would have a hand in. With a reputation for innovation already established—thanks to a 1918 patent for unibody construction and another in 1921 for the independent front suspension—the Aprilia was, unsurprisingly, an impressively modern effort. A pillarless four-door, it was one of the ﬁrst cars designed using a wind tunnel. Offering substantial room in a machine light enough to be powered by an innovative 1.4-liter V-4, it moves along zestily for a near octogenarian. Credit in part an overhead camshaft (a big deal back then) and hemispherical combustion chambers. The Aprilia moved the unibody art

ahead as well, with a stiff, electrically welded floorpan. An early example of independent rear suspension added sophistication to the ride and handling, taking full advantage of the rigid structure, as becomes apparent when you press into a corner and don’t kill yourself. The smaller Ardea was one of Lancia’s many bids to rein in its engineering ambition and offers its big brother’s handsome look in a diminutive car less costly to build and buy. The body is simplified in the name of economical production, the engine is microscopic at less than a liter, and the rear axle is unashamedly live. Yet while the junior offering’s crashbox is just as crunchily unsynchronized as the Aprilia’s, there’s nothing cheap about it. In fact, the Ardea introduced the world’s first production five-speed manual transmission.

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Aurelia 1950-’58

ancia was Italy’s second-largest carmaker after Fiat in the 1930s, and like the rest of Italian industry, it came out of World War II hurting. Unfortunately, Lancia received almost no assistance from the Marshall Plan to rebuild bombed-out factories. The postwar American loan program generously allowed Fiat to resume business as a mass marketer and also enabled Alfa Romeo, a tiny boutique manufacturer before the war, to expand into volume production. It bears mention that both Alfa and Fiat had been strong supporters of Mussolini’s fascist regime, and thus ardent anti-communists. Lancia’s family ownership, though it often tussled with unions, was thought to be soft on the red menace and paid a heavy, Cold War-style price.

Early innovation The Aprilia (above) drop-kicked Lancia into the future before the war, with the Ardea (above rear) following in its footsteps. The Aurelias (below), with steel roof or without, again brought the future to the present, but at a much higher price point.

LANCIA

Stymied but exhibiting its inclination to engineer its way out of crisis, Lancia put its postwar focus on making even better cars. Its ﬁrst was a doozy, the Aurelia. Featuring a V-6 engine, a production ﬁrst designed by the ascendant engineer Francesco de Virgilio, the Aurelia came in sedan, coupe, and convertible versions. In recent years, they’ve all become seriously valuable, especially the drop-tops, as word of their excellence penetrates the world’s enthusiast consciousness. The coupe pictured here was the end of a line for a model that set the standard for GT quality and engineering interest in the early 1950s. F1 drivers chose them as their preferred long-distance road cars, and American manufacturers had them shipped to Detroit for teardown review. An innovative rear transaxle, which harkened back to Lancia chief engineer Vittorio Jano’s 1930s Alfa race cars, with semi-trailing arms (and later a De Dion setup) along with the new engine, standard radial tires, and inboard rear brakes made the Aurelia something really special in its day. Its Felice Mario Boano-designed fastback shape has often been called the granddaddy of all Gran Turismo 2+2s. Better built and more mannerly than its Ferrari contemporaries, the Aurelia was a little slower but nicer to drive and favored by many of wealth and taste. Early on, Aurelias raced and rallied with distinction. They also raced successfully, winning the 1952 Targa Florio. Even by today’s standards, with its sporting exhaust note and revvy six, an Aurelia is a brisk automobile capable of being conducted quickly and securely. Built almost 60 years ago, when just about everything rattled continuously, both the coupe and convertible feel as if they were carved from single, strong metal ingots.

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Appia 1953-’63

hough Lancia would sell almost 20,000 Aurelias, it was not a massmarket proposition. Bodies, for instance, were stitched together by artisanal hands. The company knew what went into a modern car better than anyone, but the way Lancia built it was labor-intensive and not so modern—or proﬁtable. For a volume model to brave the 1950s, Lancia decided to split the difference between the Aprilia and Ardea with the Appia, a 1.1-liter, V-4-powered replacement. Though it was the last use of Lancia’s famous sliding-pillar front suspension and reprised the earlier cars’ pillarless construction, it was a much more mass-producible and modern conveyance, with niceties like synchromesh on its column-shifted four-speed gearbox. The third (and ﬁnal) series Appia sedan we’re driving today is a little precision sewing machine whose delicate controls make its operation a joy. If you’ve ever driven a 1950s European small car—even a good one like a Morris Minor or VW Beetle— well, this is better. The basic Appia platform spawned numerous more costly or dramatic-looking derivatives, including station wagons, pickups, convertibles, and low-volume coupes from coachbuilders Pininfarina, Vignale, and

Automobile | March 2015

Zagato, the latter responsible for the Appia GTE you see here. But throughout the day, we discover that these carrozzieres’ attempts at bettering the factory’s own creations were rarely as delicious to drive, although they did boast more jaw-dropping designs. The Appia was Lancia’s all-time best-seller in its time, but even that was not enough. By 1955, Gianni Lancia, young son of founder Vincenzo, could no longer hang on and, along with his shareholding family, sold out to concrete magnate Carlo Pesenti. An infusion of new engineering talent was brought in, along with desperately needed funds, some from the government. Shortly before the sale of the company to Pesenti, Lancia’s state-of-the-art but money-losing Formula 1 team was transferred to Ferrari. So advanced was Lancia’s technology, its D50 racing cars were run by Ferrari instead of its own. Broken by the experience, Gianni Lancia, who’d begun assuming control of the company while still a teenager, left the automobile business a young man. He’d never speak of it publicly again. He died in 2014.

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LANCIA

Flaminia 1957-’70

he Pesenti era began with the Flaminia. It was not the massmarket car the company’s balance sheet needed in 1957, but a scheduled Aurelia replacement, a variation on the reartransaxle layout with a revised V-6, De Dion rear suspension, and more modern, Italianate design. It’s never about raw power with Lancia, though the Flaminia is faster than the ﬂagship it replaced. The sliding-pillar front suspension is gone in favor of control arms, so it rides better. And no rigidity is lost, making the Flaminia a very solid car in which to pass the miles. But again its build cost was high and volumes low, with on average fewer than 1,000 completed in

each of its 13 years in production. Besides a four-door Berlina, Pininfarina and Touring coupes, and a convertible, the Flaminia was offered as the Zagato SuperSport we drove. With the Milanese coachbuilder’s trademark double-bubble roof, it’s a beautiful thing to behold that also makes a furious noise from its triple-Weber, 2.8-liter V-6. But we’re ﬂummoxed by its convex windshield, which strongly distorts the view out from almost any angle and causes instant headaches. Market values for the Zagato-bodied coupes are booming, but we’d take the standard coupe from Touring every time. They called its method of body construction— aluminum over a tubular steel structure—

Wealth of models Lancia offered both designer and offthe-peg versions of many models. Here, the stock beige Appia (top) and blue Flaminia (below) meet their Zagato brethren, the GTE and SuperSport.

Superleggera or “super light.” But when you think of it and other car bodies so named—including the Flaminia’s natural competitors, Aston Martin DBs 4 through 6—they aren’t really so leggera after all. Once owned by the famous ItalianAmerican tenor Sergio Franchi, this baby blue example brought to Taghkanic by the Spadaro siblings is as original and tight an old car as any we’ve ever driven. It’s not small or light at about 3,000 pounds, but it feels wieldy and pleasant. With big, beautiful, legible gauges, the uniquely sculpted seats in red leather, the snarl of the exhaust and butter-smooth shifting, it’s unbeatable for resolved engineering and low-volume craftsmanship. It’s easy to drive fast.

LANCIA

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Fulvia 1963-’76

pon taking the helm, Pesenti installed a new technical director, Antonio Fessia. A well-regarded refugee from Fiat, Fessia recognized the company’s need to ramp up volume and streamline manufacturing processes to enjoy economies of scale. Yet, strangely, he proceeded to persuade his boss that Lancia needed two low-volume engine families. First up was the Flavia, an up-to-theidiosyncratic-minute 1.5-liter model with front-wheel drive and a ﬂat-four. It was well-received in 1961 but supplemented in 1963 by a smaller Appia replacement, the Fulvia, named after the wife of ancient Roman aristocrat and politician Marc Antony. Another front-driver, the Fulvia nevertheless had a completely different engine, a 1.1-liter V-4. Fortunately, however, the narrow-angle DOHC V-4, canted 45 degrees, was extra peachy and a wonderfully engaging device. Though the Fulvia could not right the ship, it quickly became Lancia’s best-seller with more than 300,000 units sold, proving the rightness of its original design, as well as its adaptability (as variants ran the gamut from mild to wild). We drove the Fulvia 2C, which denoted that it was the more powerful twin-carbureted version. With a column shift and wide bucket seats, it’s remarkably spacious

Automobile | March 2015

Rallying spirit Models in Lancia’s best-selling Fulvia range ran from the utilitarian Berlina (right) to crazy coupes like the HF and most-coveted HF Fanalone, which ironically brought rally glory to Lancia as it was losing its independence.

for something so small. Despite its entrylevel stature, build quality is executive-car superb. It revs like stink, making the most of its approximately 70 hp, and corners tenaciously. It’s convenient four-speed column shift is amusing enough to make us wonder what the big move to “four on the ﬂoor” shifting in the ’60s was all about. The Fulvia lineup expanded to include a handsome coupe in 1965—also available in hotter HF form—and, in later years, a Zagato variant with a rear hatch. Over time, engine power ranged from the 58 hp of the original 1.1-liter to a rip-snorting 130-plus hp in the last road-going 1.6-liter HFs. The differences in character are remarkable, and we have a distinct preference for the less rorty models.

While the smaller-engine cars glide down the road without a hint of dreaded torque steer, the larger-engine cars, especially the HF models, have quite a harsh edge. Named for a so-called High Fidelity club established in the 1960s to honor serial owners of its cars, HF-badged machines were to Lancia what M cars are to BMW and have become a ne plus ultra of Lancia collecting. Fulvia HF models went on to dominate world rallying, winning the International Championship for Manufacturers (the forerunner of the WRC) in 1972. All HF cars are special, but the most revered is the even more exclusive HF Fanalone. The appellation stood for “big lights” or, more colloquially, very large breasts. Looks great, rides rough, but lots of fun.

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Beta and Scorpion 1972-’84

t its independent height in 1967, Lancia sold fewer than 50,000 cars, not enough to remain standing even then, when single platforms weren’t meant to underpin 5 million cars as they are today. By 1969, Fiat, with the strong encouragement of the Italian government, found itself stepping in to relieve Pesenti. Still in the prime of life, the Fulvia soldiered on, but the ﬁrst fruit of new ownership came with the Beta models of 1972. They used Fiat’s much-admired Aurelio Lampredi-designed, twin-cam inline-four, mounted transversely—a ﬁrst for Lancia but old news for Fiat, which demonstrated how to do it with the 128. The Beta also spearheaded Lancia’s official return to the United States in 1975. Many will remember them—sedan, coupe, hatch, and mid-engine targa sports car—for their tendency to rust quickly, but

they were no worse than many contemporaries and continued to showcase elements of Lancia’s unique design and engineering sense. So forward-thinking was the Beta’s front-drive chassis that General Motors tore down several in the 1970s while prototyping its momentously half-baked X-cars. Speaking of GM, because its Chevrolet Monte Carlo was already sold here, Lancia had to change the name of its new Pininfarina-designed, mid-engine Montecarlo to the Scorpion for North America. Originally arising from the program that birthed Fiat’s X1/9, it kicked around until being assigned to Lancia. Though it bore the company’s name and was called a Beta, the Scorpion had little in common with other Lancias save its engine and other shared Fiat items. It was the ﬁrst unibody that Pininfarina engineered entirely in-house and, properly tuned, is plenty fun to drive.

The Fiat feel The Beta line helped reintroduce Lancia to America in 1975, and it didn’t go well—which is a shame since the ﬁrst generation of Fiat-derived Lancias, like this handsome coupe and midengine Scorpion, had some signs of their namesake’s superior engineering.

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LANCIA

Stratos and 037 Stradale 1974-’78 (Stratos) 1982-’85 (037 Stradale)

rom the depth of assimilation desperation, Lancia’s rallying program rose phoenix-like in the 1970s. Mixing the company’s last remaining engineering spirit with a bare modicum of Fiat largesse, it kept the brand at the top of the international circuit for close to 20 years. On the heels of the Fulvia’s 1972 primacy, the Stratos appeared quickly to take over before the effort fell backward. Featuring a V-6

from Ferrari’s Dino, a pressed-steel monocoque, and a beautiful shape—one of bestlooking ’70s wedges ever, rendered by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini—the Stratos’ short wheelbase, big power, and rear drive made it even more dramatic to drive than look at. Slated for a small Fulvia V-4 in the original design conception, Lancia’s team went for the most it could get its hands on, and the Ferrari-powered result was hairier

Beauty versus balance Sports cars don’t get much more beautiful than the Stratos (above), but they do get a lot more civilized. The 037 Stradale may not be as pretty, but it inspires conﬁdence where its predecessor didn’t.

than hell. Stig Blomqvist once called the Stratos “a pussycat,” but his Nordic reindeer balls clearly ran cold. Today the thing seems a hot, uncomfortable widow-maker, offering epic danger from a twitchy chassis that makes a 427 Cobra appear as benign as a Camry. On the other hand, the Stratos bagged 18 WRC wins and three consecutive constructors’ titles from 1974 to 1976, so who are we to argue?

Before Group B regulations encouraged complete insanity, Lancia was back with the 037. A mid-engine silhouette racer loosely based on the Scorpion, it employed the reinforced tub of that car with a different front and rear suspension and Kevlar body panels allied to a supercharged inline-four that churned out as much as 350 hp in rally trim. The 200 examples built in street spec for homologation purposes, like the red one here, made do with 205 hp, still enough to make the 037 a very rapid car indeed and altogether more usable as a road car than the Stratos. It bagged Lancia a Group B constructors’ crown in 1983, with the likes of Walter Röhrl, Attilio Bettega, and Markku Alén at the wheel, but the following season the Audi Quattro abruptly ended 037’s season in the sun (and sealed the fate of rear-wheel-drive rally cars).

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

LANCIA

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Delta Integrale 1987-’93

Automobile | March 2015

Keeping Domenick’s spirit alive

Domenico Spadaro founder of Domenick’s

From left Francesco (Frank), Venera (Vera), and Santi (Santo) Spadaro at Lime Rock with their dad’s blue Flaminia GT and Santo’s racing Alfa Giulietta Sprint

BACK IN THE EARLY 1960S, when a good working knowledge of Italian was a precondition for American Lancia dealers, New York mechanic Domenico Spadaro, a recent transplant from Sicily, began taking customer orders for new Appias and Flaminias from his small garage on Ferris Avenue in White Plains, 20 miles north of New York City. Spadaro passed away almost six years ago, and there haven’t been new Lancias to sell in the longest time, but his three children—sons Frank and Santo and daughter Vera—keep the ﬂame alive at Domenick European Auto, servicing Lancias (and other makes) from all over the world. Their honesty and warmth secure customers for life, as does their philosophy. Like their favorite marque, their business is predicated on self-reliance and an ability—along with a willingness and an almost zen eagerness—to fabricate and repair themselves what others might throw away. Like Lancia through the years, their enthusiasm is infectious.

COURTESY OF SPADARO ARCHIVES

he Quattro knocked the 037 off its throne in 1984, but much more rallying treasure lay ahead for Lancia. It regrouped around its all-wheeldrive Delta Turbo, which morphed into the Delta Integrale, an even more wickedly boosted and ﬂared all-wheel-drive version of a modest, Fiat-derived four-door hatchback. Between 1987 and 1992, privateers would win six straight constructors’ titles with Integrales, the last of which won Lancia its 10th WRC constructors’ title in 1992, more than any maker in history. Driven today, this Evo 2, one of the last Integrales made, is easily the most modernfeeling of these rides. Yet one is in no doubt that it is deeply historic, being the very clear antecedent—not the Quattro—for the ultrarapid, all-wheel-drive econo-racers we know and love, such as the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Evo. Though it’s fair to say that it represents the best of what Fiat knew about going fast at the time, it was a unique offering that did the Lancia name proud. Interior ﬁttings are decidedly early ’90s Fiat, but with this astounding level of performance and tactility, after a few laps I knew that, like so many of its ancestors, this was a Lancia I could live with forever. AM

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delights

Automobile | March 2015

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DISCOVERING THE MAJESTY OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES IN THE 2015 N I S S A N G T- R BLACK EDITION BY A RT H U R ST. A N TO I N E P H OTO G RA P H Y BY W I L L I A M WA L K E R

Columbia IceямБeld

Lake Louise

Calgary Banff

Highwood Pass

Sierra West Ranch March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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I believe it was William Shakespeare who wrote: “Giveth me air unspoilt and blue, and mountains grand against the hue; ’twixt forests deep and waters clear, a twin-turbo, all-wheeldrive supercar to scare the deer.” Not one of Bill’s more memorable stanzas, I’ll admit, yet right now the lines seem entirely ﬁtting. I’m piloting a brand-new Nissan GT-R Black Edition along the

immaculate asphalt of the Bow Valley Parkway in Canada’s Alberta province. The original route connecting the beauteous ski resort of Banff to the east and Lake Louise to the west, the BVP runs for roughly 32 miles past some of the most majestic panoramas in all of Canada. The GT-R is hardly scaring any wildlife here. In fact, as it loafs along at the unhurried 35 mph speed limit,

it’s bored. But I’m not. Filling the windshield is Castle Mountain, a natural fortress of rock standing high and imperious above a sun-splashed valley rich with green. Every so often, a necklace of glittering turquoise—the Bow River—unfurls through the pines. Bighorn sheep appear on impossibly steep slopes, dancing from perch to precarious perch with such Cirque du Soleil

Tarmac that writhes and beckons, vistas arresting and ever-changing, a car that leaves enduring echoes on the soul—such are the makings of the perfect road trip.

Automobile | March 2015

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Peak performance Curious little bighorns study Godzilla near Banff, where every turnout mandates another stop and stare.

flair I’m tempted to stop and leave a tip. For an instant, the head of a bear appears through the brush then quickly retreats. Drive fast, and you’d miss this unscripted, unpredictable play. I’m content—for now— to let the GT-R slumber. Tarmac that writhes and beckons, vistas arresting and ever-changing, diversions worthy of abandoning an engaging wheel, a car that leaves enduring echoes on the soul—such are the makings of the perfect road trip. This drive is that and more—an embarrassment of riches. The 2015 Black Edition marks Nissan’s latest GT-R. Though the bones of the 545-horsepower monster continue unchanged, this Godzilla wears a tux: luscious black and red leather, 20-inch black alloy wheels, a towering carbon-fiber rear wing. Yours for a cool $113,105. Equally enticing is my playground: The fourth largest (in population) of Canada’s provinces, Alberta combines the metropolitan bustle of Calgary, its largest city, with the glaciers, lakes, rivers, and snow-capped summits of the Canadian Rockies. And the roads. Straightaways bisecting infinite prairies, narrow two-lanes writhing upward toward jagged peaks, byways meandering through woods as dark and hushed as a cathedral. To savor this drive you’ll want to come in late spring or summer, as I did, or be prepared to battle winter’s worst in a very capable SUV. March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net It’s in the shadows of those rocky monoliths that I make my ﬁrst stop of the week: Sierra West Cabins, on the edge of Todd Creek in southwestern Alberta. Wife and husband Ginny and Randy Donahue run a working cattle ranch on the land. They also maintain several smart-looking log cabins and bunkhouses for guests looking to sample life on the range. Sure enough, I’ve barely parked the GT-R when Randy graciously saddles up a horse for me. The three of us ride for an hour or so, a gentle rain falling, longhorn cattle grazing nearby, dark clouds speeding across the rolling

Moments later, I’m powersliding the Nissan through a pasture, honking the horn, flashing the lights, a herd of flying hooves just feet ahead of me. “Yeehaw!” A couple ponies break away and stop to graze, so I spin around, bite at their flanks with the GT-R’s nose, and send them galloping off to join the others headed for the corral. OK, a highspeed blitz on the Nürburgring Nordschleife it isn’t, but I have to applaud Nissan’s brilliant chassis engineers. The GT-R’s patented ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system delivers absolutely amazing grip in horse manure. The next day opens on a high: a hammerfields. It’s like a Frederic Remington painting with Gore-Tex instead of buckskin. Soon enough, it’s time to round up the Donahues’ other 30 or so horses for the night. “Why don’t you use that neat car of yours?” Randy asks, only half-jokingly. Hey, why not? Bet you didn’t know GT-R stands for Grand Touring Ranch.

Automobile | March 2015

Rein man Sierra West owner Randy Donahue (center) inspires the author to try roundups on horseback and on four wheels. Afterward: barbecue and ballads.

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down blast up the empty, undulating route to Highwood Pass. At 7,239 feet, it’s the loftiest paved road in Canada. At last the GT-R is running free, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6 nipping again and again at its 7,000rpm redline, each dual-clutch paddle-shift ricocheting through my spine, the onrushing macadam a hypnotic, weaving ribbon

charming me left, then right, then left again. Snow glints off distant peaks. My ride thunders upward through the timberland, an emerald funnel ﬂashing past the windows. My ears bend to the heady aria of tire howl and exhaust roar, eyes ﬂicking from road to tach and back again. What a machine, this Godzilla! What delicious fury!

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Too soon, I reach the summit, ease off, breathe deep. My ﬁngertips pulse with hot jolts of adrenaline. From there, it’s a big drop down. Way down. Not far from Banff, I meet up with Adam Walker, owner of Canmore Cave Tours, who leads me on a 30-minute hike up Grotto Mountain to the entrance to

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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Tr p NOTES

Alberta STAY: HOTEL ARTS In downtown Calgary, this refurbished boutique-style hotel offers stylish accommodations, a lively outdoor pool/lounge, and not one but two awardwinning restaurants. hotelarts.ca

We switch off our helmet lights for a few minutes and experience a darkness almost as black as the bruises I discover in my hotel room later that night. Rat’s Nest Cave. This is no casual sightseeing jaunt. Wearing helmets, lights, ropes, gloves, and caving suits, for the next two hours Adam and I climb rocks, slither on our backs, clip onto safety lines past steep drops, squeeze through claustrophobiainducing gaps, and rappel down a 65-foot chasm. We spelunk. Finally, we reach the Grotto, a small, watery vestibule 165 feet below the cave’s entrance. “The formations in here are 750,000 years old,” Adam says, his voice echoing in the 41-degree air. Then we switch off our helmet lights for a few minutes and experience a darkness almost as black as the bruises I discover in my hotel room later that night. I turn northwest toward Jasper and take a long drive—a moose sighting, the sky an epic dome of cobalt blue, mountains embracing my passage on all sides. Several hours later I arrive at the base of the Columbia Iceﬁeld and the Athabasca Glacier, the most visited

BAKER CREEK MOUNTAIN RESORT Minutes from Lake Louise and open year-round, Baker Creek offers one- and two-bedroom log cabins plus larger lodge suites. Also on site is the renowned Bistro, providing topnotch fare in a warm, rustic setting. bakercreek.com

Down to Earth Chasing fossils and ﬁssures, the Epic Drives team suits up in the latest cave fashions before descending to the damp, dark Grotto (bottom). Alas, there’s no elevator back up.

LAKE LOUISE INN Also in the heart of Banff National Park near Lake Louise, the inn is a full-service resort including a range of indoor and outdoor activities and hearty mountain dining. lakelouiseinn.com

To view Arthur’s GT-R in Alberta adventure in all its moving-picture, high-deﬁnition glory, visit

youtube.com/ motortrend and click on the Epic Drives tab.

PLAY:

glacier in North America. Heroic as its capabilities are, not even Godzilla can make this frozen climb, so I trade my GT-R for a ride in a so-called Ice Explorer, a gargantuan, sixwheeled buggy capable of carrying 56 passengers at a time up the ice for up-close glacial exploration. Right now, though, it’s just me and driver Shane aboard. So as we creepy-crawl up the mountain, he ﬁlls me in on this remarkable machine’s specs. “Mercedes diesel engine,” Shane says. “Only 380 horsepower but 1,100 lb-ft of torque per axle, six-wheel drive. She can handle a 36-percent grade and a 22-degree angle. Each tire costs $5,000 but lasts about six years. New, these rigs go for about $1.2 million each.” Ever dreamed of piloting your own Tonka toy? My boyhood fantasies come true when

Automobile | March 2015

SIERRA WEST CABINS Near Lundbreck, Ginny and Randy Donahue rent three log cabins and three bunkhouses in their small village of Cowtown. Enjoy a range of activities—from cattle drives to trail rides—or just savor the scenery. sierrawestcabins.com

CANMORE CAVE TOURS Near Banff, join owner Adam Walker or one of his associates on an adventure deep into Rat’s Nest Cave. No experience necessary. Tours range from four to six hours long. canmorecavetours.com COLUMBIA ICEFIELD GLACIER ADVENTURE In Jasper National Park, climb aboard an Ice Explorer for an 80-minute visit to the Athabasca Glacier. Mid-point, hop out, and explore the glacier on foot. Upon your return, a ﬁve-minute ride takes you to the Glacier Skywalk, a glass observation platform 918 feet above the valley ﬂoor. brewster.ca

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Tire and ice St. Antoine aims for Automobile’s slowest-ever test drive while piloting this gargantuan rig across the Athabasca Glacier.

Out to see Can’t-miss detours include the Glacier Skywalk, the inviting cabins of Baker Creek Mountain Resort, and the ethereal beauty of Moraine Lake at dawn.

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Shane lets me take the wheel. The big coach feels like it’d do 0 to 60 mph in, oh, a few months, and it has the handling finesse of an Indian elephant, but it just keeps chugging right up the steepest inclines you can throw at it. Soon, we’re well out onto a plateau of ice. Time for a look around. “We’re on the edge of British Columbia here,” Shane says, pointing upward. “The meltwater from the glacier above flows to three oceans: the Arctic to the north, the Pacific to the west, and all the way down the continent, through Hudson Bay, to the Atlantic in the east.” We grab an empty bottle and head to the edge of a crevasse, where water is gushing out of the sunlit ice. I fill the bottle, take a long drink. The water is so cold my throat aches, but it’s about the most delicious H2O I’ve ever tasted. When you visit, bring a big canteen. Once we’ve crawled our way back down the glacier, a five-minute drive takes me to the newly constructed Glacier Skywalk, a circular, glass-floored observation platform jutting out from a cliff 918 feet above the valley floor. The view in every direction— especially straight down—is heart-stopping, but it’s almost worth a trip just to watch other visitors screwing up the courage to step out onto the glass. Adding to the fun, the cantilever structure bows to the wind, constantly shifting up and down underfoot—the better to unnerve the tourists staring at rocks almost 1,000 feet below. The next day brings a three-hour blast down the Icefields Parkway toward Lake Louise, every turnout another picture postcard. The drive reveals more than Alberta’s wondrous sights, though. The GT-R’s explosive, hand-built engine gets all the headlines, but you know what? This is one fine long-distance tourer. Bose audio, navigation, great Recaro seats—in Comfort mode, Godzilla even rides fairly well. Yes, in launch-control mode it’ll dust almost any other car on Earth at a stoplight, but this monster has manners. The claws and fire breath only come out when you summon them. By dusk, I’ve arrived at the Baker Creek Mountain Resort. It’s an idyllic setting: handsome log lodges by a rushing stream, distant mountains soaring in the fading light. I start a fire by the bubbling water, pull up a chair and a glass of whiskey, savor the moment and the memories. After exploring Alberta in one of the world’s quickest cars, it’s pleasant just to sit back and chill at 0 mph. In the end, I’m all about the perfect downshift. AM March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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BY PETER REYNOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG PAJO

British bruiser travels to Fe r r a r i ’s h o m e t u r f t o t a n g o w i t h M a r a n e l l o ’s l a t e s t hyper horse

Automobile | March 2015

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hese cars cost well north of $1 million apiece, and even if you could afford one, you couldn’t have it. Just 499 LaFerraris and 375 McLaren P1s will be built, and all have already been snapped up by a wealthy few who have collectively spent more than $1.3 billion in the pursuit of automotive nirvana. But that doesn’t stop us from asking the obvious question: If we had the opportunity to choose between them, which one would we own? We drove a P1 from England to Ferrari’s ancestral homeland of Maranello to find out. Welcome to the Prancing Horse’s den, McLaren. Just south of Maranello, where the topography gets interesting and Ferrari’s own test drivers play, there’s no disguising the obviously turbocharged sound and power delivery of the P1’s 3.8-liter V-8. Wind it right out to 8,000 rpm, though, and there’s an edginess to it that doesn’t disappoint. Blisteringly fast, surprisingly compliant, and wonderfully communicative, the P1 is as easy to drive as McLaren’s delightful 650S. Not that money is really a concern for the buyers of these cars, but the LaFerrari will need to be something special to justify its roughly $250,000 premium. Pull the P1 alongside Ferrari’s hypercar, and it’s immediately apparent how strikingly different the two are in terms of design. And size: The LaFerrari looks enormous. In fact, it’s 4.5 inches longer than the P1 and 1.8 inches wider but rolls on a wheelbase that’s 0.8 inch shorter, which results in the nose hanging way out over the front axle. The carefully sculpted bodies are case studies in airflow management from very different schools, and neither is what you’d call restrained. The McLaren’s swoopy surfaces help the car generate a staggering 1,323 pounds of downforce at 160 mph. Select Race mode, and it will snuggle 2 inches lower to the tarmac while the rear wing extends 11.8 inches. But the LaFerrari looks more extreme, with outrageously scalloped flanks that leave the front fenders almost adrift from the car’s body. Both cars have Le Mans-style, bubble-canopy cockpits and movable rear spoilers that remain hidden from view until needed. But only the Ferrari gives you a decent look into the engine bay, into the soul of the car.

Automobile | March 2015

That soul is an evolution of the F12’s 6.3-liter, naturally aspirated V-12 with 789 horsepower and a howling 9,000-rpm redline. (It will go to 9,250 rpm, brieﬂy.) That would be enough to make it one of the world’s quickest cars, but there’s more: The LaFerrari’s mighty V-12 is augmented by an additional 161 electric horses for a total powertrain output of 950 hp. The P1’s combustion engine makes less power (727 hp), but the McLaren has more electric thrust (177 hp) to bring its total powertrain output to 904 hp. The McLaren has more torque (531 lb-ft vs. 516 lb-ft), but the LaFerrari is approximately 150 pounds lighter. Forget the snide Prius jokes because right here, right now, halfway through the second decade of the 21st century, hybrid is the new fast. Both these cars will hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, 100 mph in less than 5 seconds, and are limited—yes, limited—to 217 mph. You fold yourself awkwardly into the P1, but you step casually into the Ferrari, with

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Familiar formula Racing car cockpits clearly inﬂuence both cabins. The Ferrari is easier to climb into; the McLaren is easier to see out of.

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its slim, low-cut sill and a door aperture that bites deep into the roof, making it a cinch to get in and out. Tug the McLaren’s door downward (the doors are surprisingly heavy in both cars), and, unsurprisingly, the P1 feels similar to the 650S, on which it is distantly based. The steering wheel and rising center stack are instantly familiar McLaren, even if some of the ﬁner details, the shape of the instruments, and the deliciously comfortable and lightweight seats aren’t. The Ferrari cockpit feels vast in comparison. It also feels like it’s just beamed down from another planet. You sit more upright in the LaFerrari but closer to the ground in a seat bolted rigidly to the ﬂoor, facing a comprehensive digital display and an F1-style rectangular steering wheel. Ditching the traditional seat runners meant Ferrari’s designers could trim cabin volume compared with the Enzo and leave room for drivers to wear a helmet. So what looks like a lever under your thigh to move the seat actually unlocks a spring-loaded, fully adjustable pedal box. Getting comfortable in the LaFerrari’s cockpit isn’t difficult; getting comfortable with the performance is a different matter. In an age when even Fiestas come with

Forget the snide Prius jokes. ... Both these cars will hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, 100 mph in less than 5 seconds, and are limited—yes, limited—to 217 mph.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net keyless start, it seems a tad absurd that a car as futuristic and expensive as the LaFerrari still requires you to twist a key to prime the ignition. Only then can you reach for the bright-red start button in the lower left quadrant of the steering wheel. The V-12 feels unfathomably smooth after the P1’s raw V-8. It’s quieter, too, but still urgent, with little inertia resisting a call for more revs. The metal shift paddles are ﬁxed to the column in customary Ferrari fashion; the P1’s, fashioned from handsome carbon ﬁber, turn with the wheel. The Ferrari’s pedals are markedly offset,

Can’t shake him The Ferrari revs faster and is more eager to oversteer, but the P1 keeps pace on the roads around Maranello.

Automobile | March 2015

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but that’s forgotten the minute you roll onto the throttle and the thing takes off like a rocket screaming toward orbit. Both cars are designed to use their electric power to compensate for a torque shortfall (relatively speaking, of course) at low revs, but ﬂatten the McLaren’s right pedal in a high gear, and there’s a measured pause before the action starts. Try the same in the Ferrari, and the response is instant and urgent. No wonder the rear tires are a colossal 13.6 inches wide. The peaks of the LaFerrari’s front fenders help you place the nose, but the forward

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visibility isn’t as good as the P1’s. The steering—Ferrari’s ﬁrst electromechanical system—is even sharper than in the frenetic 458 Speciale, with just under two turns lock-to-lock. While you can settle right into the McLaren, the hyper-alert LaFerrari feels more alien and takes longer to trust, not the least because, although the steering is ultra-precise, there’s not a ton of feel. But trust it you must if you want to do more than scratch the surface of its talents. Fortunately, some familiar Ferrari traits help to calm the nerves. The steering wheel Manettino selector, for instance, is

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more intuitive than the McLaren’s twin, console-mounted rotary dials and easier to wrestle with in the heat of the moment. And the ride is unbelievably good. Thumb the damper button on the steering wheel, and both comfort and traction beneﬁt as a result. The brakes feel grabby at ﬁrst; the energy regeneration system makes them hard to modulate when just tipping in, but there’s no doubting their stopping power. In the P1, you’ll notice a surprising amount of kickback through the wheel, more than in the quicker-steering Ferrari. For all that, the McLaren is more responsive

The McLaren is more responsive in that ﬁrst degree of steering movement off center, and the feel is exquisite. You couldn’t know more about the road’s surface if you’d raked the tar out and rolled it ﬂat yourself.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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in that first degree of steering movement off center, and the feel is exquisite. You couldn’t know more about the road’s surface if you’d raked the tar out and rolled it flat yourself. But there’s definitely more understeer to deal with in the McLaren, especially in slower, tighter corners where you’re too far below the powerband to neutralize it. You have the opposite problem in the LaFerrari. The front end bites hard, but even with rear tires that are a full 1.2 inches wider than the P1’s, that big hit of low-end torque that arrives when you get on the throttle slews the tail wide. It’s fun to play with the slip angles, but wait until the tires hook up, bury your right foot, and the LaFerrari gathers speed at an incredible pace, piling on 20-mph increments a second at a time: 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 miles FERRARI LAFERRARI // BASE PRICE: $1.4 million (est) POWER: 6.3L DOHC 48-valve V-12/789 hp @ 9,000 rpm, 516 lb-ft @ 6,750 rpm, plus 161-hp, 199-lb-ft electric motor; 950 hp combined TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT: 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-engine RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE: 12/16 mpg city/highway SUSPENSION F/R: Control arms/multilink BRAKES: Carbon-ceramic discs TIRES F/R: 265/30ZR-19 (93Y) / 345/30ZR-20 (106Y) Pirelli P Zero Corsa L X W X H: 185.1 x 78.4 x 43.9 in WHEELBASE: 104.3 in WEIGHT: 3,150 lb (est) WEIGHT DIST. F/R: 41/59% 0-60 MPH: 2.7 sec 1/4-MILE: 9.6 sec @ 157.0 mph TOP SPEED: 217 mph

Automobile | March 2015

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per hour. Just like that. And yet, the McLaren P1 will be right there with it. Short of a day at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe with a bunch of datalogging equipment, we’re not going to deﬁnitively demonstrate which of these two is faster than the other. But on these winding roads near Maranello, with two reasonably competent drivers behind the wheel, the P1 and the LaFerrari are all but inseparable. Many of the people who own these cars are so wealthy they may have bought both, and possibly a Porsche 918 as well. But suppose they weren’t all sold out, and you could pick only one. Which would you have: P1 or LaFerrari? Ice-cool British tech or hot-breath Italian passion? The McLaren is the easier of the two to drive at ﬁrst; you click with the car from

the moment you get behind the wheel. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the Ferrari’s drivetrain is more impressive: faster revving, smoother, more soulful, and so much lustier. And the chassis delivers the most outrageously responsive front end this side of a Le Mans racer. The Ferrari feels like more of an event because that’s what it is: a clean-sheet hypercar from the world’s most storied sports-car maker. At this level, the McLaren’s reassuring similarity to the 650S is partly its undoing because, whatever any eventual track test or Nürburgring lap times might prove, the Ferrari will always seem more special. As staggeringly wonderful an achievement as the McLaren P1 is, the epochal LaFerrari is the one we’d write the million-plus check for. AM

There’s no getting away from the fact that the Ferrari’s drivetrain is more impressive: faster revving, smoother, more soulful.

Worldmags.net Fe r a r r i v s . M c L a r e n A RAC E T RAC K R I VA L RY W I T H M I SS I O N C R E E P FERRARI VERSUS MCLAREN. Despite the recent success of Mercedes and Red Bull, Formula 1 aficionados know this as one of grand prix racing’s great rivalries. Ferrari is the only team to have contested every race of the modern grand prix era. The team made its debut at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix and has won 16 Constructors’ and 15 Drivers’ World Championships. McLaren, which also made its F1 debut at Monaco, albeit 16 years after Ferrari, has eight Constructors’ and 12 Drivers’ World Championships to its credit. The rivalry flared in the mid-’70s when James Hunt and Niki Lauda battled each other for drivers’ titles and again in 2008 when McLaren protégé Lewis Hamilton beat Ferrari No. 2 driver Felipe Massa in a nail-biting finale to the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Both teams have also enjoyed periods of utter dominance: In 1988, McLarens won 15 of 16 races, and Ferrari won eight constructors’ championships from 1999 to 2008. For decades, Enzo Ferrari regarded the Ferrari road-car business as little more than a cash cow to keep his beloved scarlet racers on the track. Ron Dennis, the intensely competitive and obsessively perfectionist

Wheel to wheel McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen chases Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix. former race mechanic who took over the McLaren team in 1980, also showed little interest in road cars. The McLaren F1, the fastest road car in the world when it debuted in 1993, was an interesting intellectual exercise for McLaren race-car design guru Gordon Murray. Only 106 were built, and the project lost money. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, built from 2003 to 2010, helped McLaren establish proper low-volume manufacturing capability at its high-tech Woking technical center, but Mercedes and McLaren engineers clashed frequently during the car’s development, and sales fell short of

expectations. When McLaren and Mercedes ended their road-car collaboration (and as of 2015, McLaren’s F1 cars will use Honda, not Mercedes, power), Ron Dennis saw the opportunity to take the ﬁght with Ferrari off the track. The prosaically named McLaren MP4-12C, launched mid-2011, was aimed directly at Ferrari’s 458 Italia. “I’d love to aspire to be Ferrari,” said Dennis in a surprising outburst of candor at the MP4-12C’s launch. But he couldn’t resist a dig at Maranello: “No disrespect to any sports-car brand, but few can list 20 World Championships and wins at Indy and Le Mans.” That’s true because not even Ferrari can claim racing’s triple crown, having never run at Indy. Old rivalries die hard.

MCLAREN P1 // BASE PRICE: $1.15 million POWER: 3.8L DOHC 32-valve twin-turbo V-8/ 727 hp @ 7,500 rpm, 531 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm, plus 177-hp, 192-lb-ft electric motor; 904 hp combined TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT: 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-engine RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE: 17 mpg/18 mpge combined SUSPENSION F/R: Control arms, coil springs BRAKES: Carbon-ceramic discs TIRES F/R: 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) / 315/30ZR-20 (101Y) Pirelli P Zero Corsa L X W X H: 180.6 x 76.6 x 46.8 in WHEELBASE: 105.1 in WEIGHT: 3,300 lb (est) WEIGHT DIST. F/R: 41/59% 0-60 MPH: 2.6 sec 1/4-MILE: 9.8 sec @ 148.9 mph TOP SPEED: 217 mph

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N O W

Y O U

S E E

I T ...

acura.com

ILX with Premium and A-SPEC Packages shown. ©2015 Acura. Acura, A-SPEC, ILX, i-VTEC, and the stylized “A” logo are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. *Based on Acura Vehicle Segmentation, Small Luxury as of 1/10/14. Standard horsepower and weight based on manufacturer’s data.

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The new, quick-to-react 2016 Acura ILX. Featuring a 201-hp, 2.4-liter i-VTEC® engine, an 8-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission with torque converter, and one of the best power-to-weight ratios in its class.*

PORSCHE 911 GT3

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GONE WITH

BY L AW R E N C E U L R I C H P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M I C H A E L S H A F F E R

urbling down the cobblestoned streets of Savannah, Georgia, shaded by canopies of mosshung oaks, a Porsche 911 might seem as genteel and traditional as the city itself. My word, this sapphire-blue debutante has even arrived straight from Atlanta, where Porsche has its U.S. headquarters. And a 911 is welcome in any country club, as we learn after sweet-talking the car onto the ﬁrst fairway of the Harbour Town Golf Links, the PGA mecca on nearby Hilton Head Island. But as with many hospitable Southerners, there’s a rebellious side to this Porsche, a 475-horsepower family secret hidden below

B 82

Automobile | March 2015

its imposing fixed wing atop the rear deck. That secret is aired every time I squeeze the throttle, and the 3.8-liter boxer-six rushes to 9,000 rpm like hellfire unleashed. This isn’t your everyday 911. This is a GT3 as fiery as Scarlett herself and just as indomitable. Desirable, too, at least for men of plantation means, with the GT3 starting at $132,395 and reaching $163,080 after options, including a $9,210 set of carbonceramic brakes. As a combination daily driver and track star, this torque-vectoring, four-wheel-steering GT3 blazed a faster trail through the South than Gen. Sherman. Departing the Marshall House, a charming old hotel in the city’s historic district, we

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307

M I L E S I N SAVA N N A H

THE WIND WITH THE

PORSCHE GT3

Worldmags.net head for Bonaventure Cemetery, made famous in John Berendt’s nonﬁction masterpiece, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” With its Spanish moss and spooky mausoleums, Bonaventure is pure Southern Gothic, and lumpy dirt lanes rise to meet a body lowered about 1.2 inches (versus the base Carrera) and a three-part front spoiler. Fear not: An optional $3,490 button raises the low nose and we come through unscathed. Alas, we discover “Bird Girl,” the sculpture that graced the cover of Berendt’s book, has been moved to the nearby Telfair art museum after being overwhelmed by tourists. Noted Savannah son Johnny Mercer, the Academy Award-winning songwriter and Capitol Records co-founder, is buried here, as well. And the day brightens as we crank onto Johnny Mercer Boulevard, through this Low Country jigsaw of marshes, inlets, and coastline to Tybee Island. Parked before Tybee’s handsome lighthouse, we admire the Porsche’s more aggressive architecture. The extensive use of aluminum trims the weight of the body shell by 13 percent compared with the previous GT3, with torsional rigidity up

25 percent. Oh, and those sprawling hips, worthy of a ballgown, with a rear track that’s nearly 1.5 inches wider than reardrive Carreras. Add a ram-air rear intake, three exhaust vents in the bodywork, and the composite wing with adjustable supports for track action. As with all of the new 991-series 911s, the GT3’s interior is beautiful, functional, and blessedly free of gimmicks, here with optional leather and Alcantara trim ($3,320) and body-cradling 18-way adaptive seats ($2,635). Sorry, kids, there’s no back seat, only a carpeted parcel shelf that’s among the mild compromises to typical 911 comfort. The GT3 wails like no mortal Porsche, but passengers can still hold a polite conversation. The ride is stiff but not insufferable, even with the adaptive suspension set

Automobile | March 2015

to Sport. Active magnetic-ﬂuid engine mounts help soothe vibrations and any sense that the GT3 is a shark out of water on everyday roads. The boxer-six chuffs and quakes at idle, preferring to never dip below 5,000 rpm if it could; horsepower peaks at 8,250 rpm. The masterwork shares only a few parts with a standard 911 six. Unique developments include the cylinder head, dry-sump lubrication, forged titanium pistons and connecting rods, and hollow valves to allow such lofty engine speeds. Multi-hole injectors spit atomized fuel at 2,900 psi, two-thirds more pressure than a standard Carrera. The engine weighs 55 fewer pounds than the previous GT3’s. After a walk on a deserted Tybee beach, we climb aboard for Cockspur Island and

the Civil War bulwark of Fort Pulaski, which offers its own historical perspective on disruptive technology. With its 25 million bricks and ingenious moats, Fort Pulaski was co-engineered in 1829 by a young West Point graduate on his ﬁrst assignment, Lt. Robert E. Lee. Decades later, with the Union preparing its cannon assault from Tybee Island, one mile distant, Lee—then the South’s commander—was convinced the fort remained impregnable. But the Union’s newfangled riﬂed cannons, with their fast-revving projectiles, blasted through walls 7.5 feet thick “as though they were so much paper,” said a Confederate captain whose regiment surrendered after a 30-hour-long, 5,275shell assault whose scars still cover Fort Pulaski’s walls. “The science of war has

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Genteel manner The GT3 proves a suitable escort on Savannah’s cobblestoned streets and town squares and to nearby Fort Pulaski.

PORSCHE 911 GT3 leaped a century forward, and all are behind the age,” the captain proclaimed. From that moment, defenses made from fortified masonry were obsolete. Years from now, if manual transmissions go extinct, historians might view Porsche’s PDK automatic as a similar game-changer. Escorting the GT3 in relaxed automatic mode around Savannah’s picturesque town squares, this dual-clutch gearbox is as smooth and discreet as a butler pouring sweet tea. But this seven-speed can switch personalities in an instant, firing off sub100-millisecond shifts or instigating bloodcurdling automated launches. Compared to a Carrera, the metal shift paddles are notably stiffer, with shorter travel. The final drive ratio is 15 percent shorter, with 9 percent shorter gearing on average. That gear spread lets the GT3 reach its 195-mph apogee in seventh gear as opposed to sixth in the Carrera. Pulling both paddles simultaneously engages the “paddle neutral” function: Both clutches open and then re-engage with lightning haste when paddles are released— especially good for blasts from a standstill. Lightweight gears and wheels also promote

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net crazy-high revving: You haven’t lived until you’ve downshifted into a whirling 7,500rpm vortex. Alas, there’s nothing lightweight about Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. President Obama sampled the carb-packed downhome fare at this former Savannah boarding house. We pass nearly two dozen dishes around our communal table, feeling as if we’ve wandered into a Rockwell holiday painting. Appetites sated, it’s time to ward off a nap with a dash to Hilton Head. The GT3 draws its admirers, gentlemen and otherwise, but it’s growing bored with the languid Georgian pace. Come sunup, the GT3 throws off its shackles at Roebling Road Raceway, a scruffy but fast-ﬂowing 2-mile circuit: Free at last. We toggle PDK to Sport mode, its automated logic now so sound that self-shifting is almost unnecessary. A console exhaust button opens switchable front

Southern hospitality Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room heaps on downhome fare (above). The GT3 unleashes its 475 horses at the Roebling Road Raceway.

silencers. Reduced backpressure boosts torque by up to 26 lb-ft between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm. Viper fans might chortle at a modest 325 lb-ft of peak torque. But in ﬁrst gear, the engine zings to 9,000 in such eyeblink fashion that PDK is practically required to avoid blowing the shift to second. As we shoot past 50 mph, rearwheel steering begins turning in tandem with the front wheels, virtually extending the wheelbase by 20 inches to keep things stable at rocketing speeds. On the sweeping entry to the front straight, where I’d expect the 20-inch tires

Automobile | March 2015

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PORSCHE 911 GT3

This Porsche is as focused as a copperhead in mid-strike. The company credits the agility and conﬁdence boost of rear steering for a Nürburgring lap time of 7:30, a new benchmark for this dual-purpose beast.

to push wide, I can sense the rear steering—and Porsche’s rear torque vectoring and variable rear differential—aiding my line, rewarding me with crisper exits and a 145-mph blast down the straight. As that braking zone blurs past, I find myself halting too soon at first, miscalculating the uncanny power of the yellow-calipered ceramic-composite brakes. If the GT3’s floor-mounted fire extinguisher (a strangely affordable Porsche option at $175) didn’t remind me of the car’s mission, the performance does: Raw, mechanical, and remorseless, this Porsche

is as focused as a copperhead snake in mid-strike. Porsche credits the agility and conﬁdence boost of rear steering for a Nürburgring lap time of 7:30, a new benchmark for this dual-purpose beast. Rushing from the track, it’s time to play with launch control. Simultaneously mashing both pedals, I watch the tach surge to 7,000 rpm. Now, release the brakes and hang on: The GT3 does a Looney Tunes impression, seemingly scrabbling its feet and amassing energy before exploding in beep-beep Road Runner fashion. Porsche cites a 0-60 run of 3.3 seconds, and my

twisted innards say that’s about right. Hey, let’s do it again. And again. A glance at the watch—rather than stopwatch—means it’s time to say goodbye. We point the German demon toward Savannah’s airport, romping to 130 mph as we nervously eye the mirrors. Between Savannah and Porsche’s carpetbagger, it’s been pure Southern hospitality, and we’re stuffed and satisﬁed. Come to think of it, performance-cravers who upgrade from a “lesser” 911 to a GT3 might adopt a steely epigram from Ms. O’Hara: “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.” AM March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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Upshift 4 FOUR SEASONS WRAP-UP

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2014 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSH HWAY

ith its most recent redesign, the Honda Accord went from blandly competent to truly impressive, earning an Automobile Magazine All-Star award in the process. And when we gathered the latest crop of midsize sedans, the Accord came out on top. Based on all the accolades, we decided that the new Accord had earned itself a long-term stay with us. But when it came time to spec our Accord, we wavered. Rather than getting a four-cylinder Accord sedan, the Accord everybody buys, we started thinking about going for something more offbeat, more enthusiast-oriented, more interesting. For instance, while V-6 engines have pretty much disappeared from mainstream midsize cars, Honda still offers one in the Accord. Not only that, but you can pair it with a six-speed manual transmission in

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THAT THING ABOUT THE WISDOM OF THE CROWD?

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the Accord coupe. So we turned our backs completely on the mainstream and went the full iconoclast route: a two-door EX-L with a V-6 and a stick. But would we regret our choice of an outlier Accord? Despite our racy red Honda’s two-door bodywork, there is plenty of practicality here. The trunk, for example, is quite large and can swallow a mountain bike once you fold the rear seatbacks—the only trick is reaching in and ﬂicking the lever while simultaneously giving the seatbacks a shove. The front seats are spacious (although tall drivers noticed a dearth of headroom), and the rear seat, while not as limo-like as the sedan’s, is pretty good as coupes go; the front seats slide forward with one touch to ease access. The interior generally won friends for its tasteful materials, clear switchgear, and evident quality. Associate Web editor Joey Capparella said, “There’s no nonsense here, as you’d expect from an Accord.” Well, there’s no nonsense except maybe for the two-screen navigation/ audio system interface, which is bizarre and confusing with its redundant controls.

RUNNING COSTS MILEAGE 19,318 WARRANTY 3-yr/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper 5-yr/60,000-mile powertrain 5-yr/unlimited-mile corrosion

“Despite how much digital real estate is on offer,” associate Web editor Jake Holmes noted, “there doesn’t seem to be much information displayed.” In happier tech news, everybody loved Honda’s LaneWatch system, in which a camera located in the right-hand side-view mirror projects an image onto the navigation screen when you ﬂick the right turn signal. Its usefulness blossomed when spring ﬁlled our many local bike lanes.

As for the V-6 engine, the 278-hp 3.5-liter deﬁnitely earned our respect. “The V-6 is really thrilling at high revs,” Capparella said after a 1,900-mile round trip to Ohio and Tennessee, “but also has plenty of torque (252 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm) for highway passing in sixth gear.” Senior editor David Zenlea praised the engine’s sound quality as “growly and mechanical without being raspy. Very Honda.” And New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman called the V-6 “a delightful powerhouse

Staffers groused that the 28-mpg EPA highway ﬁgure, conﬁrmed in our own road-trip experience, was pretty lame for a midsize car.

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE 7,903 mi: $60.34 17,467 mi: $252.71 WARRANTY REPAIRS None RECALLS None OUT-OF-POCKET 1,627 mi: Purchase, mount, and balance Michelin X-Ice Xi3 winter tires, $1,052.34 1,627 mi: Purchase WeatherTech FloorLiner Digital mats (ﬁrst and second row), $197.90 11,440 mi: Remove winter tires and reinstall OE tires, $100 FUEL CONSUMPTION EPA city/highway 18/28 mpg Observed 23.9 mpg COST PER MILE (Fuel, service, winter tires) $0.23 ($0.72 including depreciation) TRADE-IN VALUE $23,700

Automobile | March 2015

Achilles’ wheels The Accord’s front tires frequently failed to put the V-6’s power to the ground. An optional summer tire and sport suspension package (not shown) didn’t help calm torque steer.

Worldmags.net FOUR SEASONS WRAP-UP Pros & Cons + Powerful V-6 + Slick six-speed stick + Honda reliability - Torque steer - Too thirsty - Overboosted steering

No nonsense The interior generally won friends for its tasteful materials, clear switchgear, and evident quality.

of serious potency and sophistication, something Alfa Romeo would be proud to put its name on.” Meanwhile, the six-speed manual charmed with its light, precise shift action. “The stubby shifter works with a mechanical precision that satisﬁes those of us who like sports cars,” Holmes said, “yet it’s light and easy enough that the average driver won’t balk at it.” But doubts started to surface. Staffers groused that the 28-mpg EPA highway

ﬁgure, conﬁrmed in our own road-trip experience, was pretty lame for a midsize car (a fact that was driven home when the Accord shared time in our Four Seasons parking lot with the 460-hp Chevrolet Corvette, with its 29-mpg highway rating). Honda doesn’t offer cylinder deactivation for the V-6 when it’s paired with the manual gearbox—only with the automatic, which nets 32 mpg highway. More so than fuel economy, though, the issue was that the Accord had a very

PRICES& EQUIPMENT BASE PRICE $31,415 AS-TESTED PRICE $33,190 TRADE-IN VALUE $23,700 STANDARD EQUIPMENT Dual-zone automatic air conditioning; power windows, mirrors, and door locks; power driver’s seat; power sunroof; front-wheel drive; 6-speed manual transmission; 3.5-liter V-6 engine; backup camera; LaneWatch; leather seat trim; heated front seats; 7-speaker audio system w/XM satellite radio and auxiliary and USB jacks; keyless ignition w/pushbutton start; Bluetooth; LED daytime running lights; rear spoiler; front, side, and side curtain airbags OUR OPTIONS Navigation package (navigation, steeringwheel-mounted controls, song by voice, 16GB audio hard drive), $1,775

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOSH HWAY; TOP LEFT: PAUL BARSHON

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

Worldmags.net 2014 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe RATING Powertrain ENGINE

3.5L SOHC 24-valve V-6/278 hp @ 6,200 rpm, 252 lb-ft @ 4,900 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual LAYOUT 2-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 18/28 mpg city/hwy Chassis SUSPENSION F/R BRAKES F/R TIRES

Strut-type, coil springs/ multilink, coil springs Vented discs/discs 235/45R-18 94V Michelin Primacy MXM4

Measurements LXWXH WHEELBASE HEADROOM F/R LEGROOM F/R SHOULDER ROOM F/R CARGO ROOM WEIGHT WEIGHT DIST. F/R

hard time getting its swell powertrain’s output to the ground. During the season’s first snowfall, Zenlea noted that the prevalence of wheelspin made first gear pretty much useless, but then he amended that thought: “Actually, first gear is pretty useless no matter what the road conditions—the big six is just too much for the front tires.” It was a sentiment echoed often in the logbook: The engine overwhelms the front tires. And when it does hook up, the resulting torque steer upsets the chassis, giving the impression of poor body control. “To counter the torque steer, it seems Honda dialed out steering feel,” Kitman added. “I’d have to go back to motoring antiquity to find steering so overboosted.” Holmes summarized: “This is a great, heroic powertrain let down by soggy steering and a limp chassis.”

We theorized that a sportier suspension tune and grippier tires might be in order. As it happens, Honda offers just such a prescription in the form of the HFP (Honda Factory Performance) package. In addition to the expected visuals, the dealer-installed package for the Accord V-6 includes stiffer dampers, lowering springs, and larger 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin performance rubber. When an HFP-equipped Accord identical to our coupe arrived in the office, a back-to-back comparison showed that the package did indeed improve body control and calm wheelspin, but torque steer was as bad as ever. Most staffers felt that, for $4,200 plus installation, this package was not the magic pill. Instead, it was the arrival of a different Accord that showed us the error of our ways. The EX sedan was as unassuming as Beige beauty Much as we wanted to champion the stick-shift, V-6 Accord, the truth is the four-cylinder, automatic sedan is a better car.

189.2 x 72.8 x 56.5 in 107.3 in 37.2/37.2 in 42.2/33.7 in 58.9/55.1 in 13.4 cu ft 3,400 lb 61/39%

Our Test Results 0–60 MPH 60-0 MPH 1/4-MILE SKIDPAD

5.4 sec 120 ft 13.9 sec @ 101.4 mph 0.83 g

can be, with a four-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission, and a cloth interior. Naturally, it was beige. Nonetheless, it made clear that we had chosen the wrong version of the right car. “An 800-mile round trip to Louisville reminded me what I ﬁnd so attractive about the seriously unsexy Accord sedan,” said road test editor Chris Nelson, who then lavished praise on the sedan’s great visibility, its roomy cabin, its balanced chassis, and even its unobtrusive CVT. Here at last was the All-Star-winning Accord. “By all accounts, the car enthusiast in me should prefer our red V-6, stick-shift coupe to the beige four-cylinder, CVT sedan,” said Capparella. “But I don’t. To me, the standard Accord sedan is a much better-executed vehicle than the coupe, which is trying too hard to be something it’s not.” We love the fact that Honda still offers a V-6 engine, a manual transmission, and a coupe body for the Accord. But we can’t deny that our experience with that extreme-enthusiast’s speciﬁcation was disappointing. The really great Accord is, no surprise, the one you see everywhere on the street. Turns out, the wisdom of the crowd proves pretty wise after all. —Joe Lorio TOP: JOSH HWAY; BOTTOM: JOEY CAPPARELLA

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FOUR SEASONS INTRO

2015

Subaru WRX Starting a year with Subaru’s line dancer

he Subaru WRX has long danced on the line between the consumer-friendly Impreza and the gravelspitting STI. It still dances on that line in its all-new form for 2015, but the WRX has also changed a great deal, which makes this the perfect time to revisit the WRX for a Four Seasons test. The 2015 WRX’s new exterior is far more STI than Impreza. Every bulge and body crease comes straight from the STI—only the big rear wing is missing. The aggressive styling, however, doesn’t mean you’re stuck with an uncomfortable cabin with shabby materials, as the WRX’s interior is

Automobile | March 2015

a welcome departure from its predecessor’s. We made our car even nicer by equipping it with a navigation system and a nine-speaker Harman/ Kardon audio system for $2,000. Sadly, Subaru has dropped the hatchback from the WRX lineup. The sedan’s rear seats do fold ﬂat, though, making it very practical. The WRX is also more accessible to the masses now that the model is once again available with an automatic transmission, something we haven’t seen since 2008. The automatic comes at a price, though. You have to pony up for the Premium or Limited trim level and then pay $1,200 for the continuously variable transmission. It’s

The Specs PRICE: $27,090/$31,290 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 2.0L DOHC 16-valve ﬂat-4/268 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,200 rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger, frontengine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE: 21/28 mpg city/hwy L x W x H: 180.9 x 70.7 x 58.1 in WHEELBASE: 104.3 in WEIGHT: 3,267 lb

a good transmission, much better than the slushbox from all those years ago, and it adds a launch control feature to the WRX. That said, it doesn’t make us smile the way the standard six-speed manual does, so that’s what we opted for. Not to mention, the stick is a better mate for the car’s new 268-hp turbo ﬂat-four. Over the coming months, we’ll live with this new-generation WRX on daily commutes and road trips. Then, between long slogs, we’ll test its ability to tackle occasional track days, slide around on dirt, and plow through snow. We’ll see how well this 2015 Subaru WRX straddles daily driving comfort and rally-bred performance. —Sandon Voelker PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY

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Upshift

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COLLECTIBLE CLASSIC P H OTO G R A P H Y BY

J U L I A L a PA L M E

1976-1979

Cadillac Seville AN OASIS FROM THE “SUPERFLY” ’70S

hen the ﬁrst-generation Cadillac Seville debuted, the name was borrowed from the hardtop version of the 1956-60 Cadillac Eldorado, but the new car really didn’t have much in common with its forebears. In fact, it had a very direct relationship with Chevrolet’s humble Nova, a frill-free compact initially launched to do battle with Ford’s lowly Falcon. The oil embargo of 1973 set off a chain of events that gravely affected the automobile business. Within a mere eight weeks of the embargo, GM brass authorized production of the ﬁrst “international-size” Cadillac. Despite its comparatively modest dimensions (for the time), the Seville was never referred to as “compact” even though it was more than 2 feet shorter and a half-ton lighter than its full-size brethren. The Seville’s price tag, however, was a heavyweight; apart from the limousines, it was the costliest Cadillac. The pricing strategy was part of a considered ploy to compete with the surging sales and prestige of MercedesBenz and other luxury imports. The car’s trim dimensions, upright stance, and lack of gratuitous

Automobile | March 2015

adornment imparted a dignified appearance that appealed to the growing subset of the affluent for whom ostentation had become jejune in the post-Nixon world. Like today’s hybrid buyers, these were the very people who could afford huge gasguzzlers. The Seville was a means to convey a social responsibility and refined taste in contrast to the “Superfly”-style Eldorado. It’s not as if buyers were really giving up that much, apart from pointless bulk,

to transition to the Seville. The 350cubic-inch V-8 (supplied by Oldsmobile) provided performance comparable to an S-Class, and the Seville, although certainly expensive for a Cadillac, was bargain-priced compared with the big Benz. While the Seville’s underpinnings were derived from the Nova’s X-body chassis, engineers did a terriﬁc job of transforming that humble platform into something worthy of a Cadillac. Rear springs were cushioned with Teﬂon liners, bolts were

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Rectangles rule The rectilinear styling extended from the rooﬂine down to details such as the indicators on the front fenders.

Not compact Far smaller than the standard Caddy, the Seville was billed as “international-size.” The leather interior beﬁts the Seville’s position at the top of the model range. First-year cars like this ’76 had a simpler eggcrate grille and a threespoke steering wheel.

secured with epoxy rather than washers, and additional bushings made for a vibration-free ride. Especially on smooth surfaces, the Seville feels like a much bigger vehicle. Although largely cobbled together from the corporate parts bin, the initial Seville formula—trim size, decent fuel economy, smooth power, and cosseting luxury coupled with an understated design—was a winner. First-year sales exploded even in the midst of an economic downturn, reaching almost 45,000.

Meet Dale, the 1976 Seville that belongs to Sandy Edelstein and Scott King. It’s a thoroughly original example with fewer than 42,000 miles, and it has been meticulously maintained since new. It was purchased from Lynch Motor in La Grande, Oregon, at the end of 1975 by Lee Walton, whose habit was to buy a new Cadillac every other year. He got a call from the dealer suggesting he come in to see the new Seville, even though he wasn’t due for a new car until the following year. He promptly fell in love with the Innsbruck Blue Metallic example and

The Specs

bought it as a Christmas gift for his wife, Dale, after whom this one is named. Mrs. Walton drove it only during the warm months and stored it under two protective covers during the winter. That routine continued for 32 years, when Edelstein and King acquired the car. “Cadillac set out to compete with the Europeans,” Edelstein says, “and did a very good job of it.” His point is underscored by a period brochure, “The American Answer,” which pits the Seville against Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, and even Rolls-Royce. The Seville’s styling was, of course, heavily inspired by Rolls-Royce’s and presents almost the same rectilinear silhouette as the Silver Shadow. By Rolls standards it was a bargain: The sticker on this example was $13,847, including $275 for leather seats, an AM/FM/eight-track stereo ($93), wire wheel covers ($167), and cruise control ($104). The car is a pleasure to drive, with the V-8’s smooth power and the TurboHydramatic’s barely perceptible shift points. The Seville floats along quite nicely, and there’s even a modicum of road feel. It doesn’t wallow like its larger badge-mates, and it mostly holds it own in corners, with enough lean to keep your attention. Understatement, in every sense, is the Seville’s calling card. At speed, it’s eerily quiet but the factoryprovided eight-track tape, titled “Cadillac Presents the Music Master … Enoch Light and the Light Brigade,” breaks the silence, especially the last selection, “Sound Salute to Cadillac.” The Seville is a historical marker, reflecting an innovative solution to a desperate circumstance. The term “small Cadillac” was something of an oxymoron at the time but made sense—and big profits—immediately upon introduction. These days, it’s a stately riposte to the unrelenting stream of fluted ovoid shapes seemingly shared by all makes, luxury models and economy cars alike. The Seville was an island of calm in a turbulent time. —Bob Merlis

ENGINES 5.7L (350 cu-in) OHV 16-valve V-8/170-180 hp @ 4,200 rpm, 270 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm 5.7L (350 cu-in) OHV 16-valve V-8 (diesel)*/ 120 hp @ 3,600 rpm, 220 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm TRANSMISSION 3-speed automatic DRIVE Rear-wheel FRONT SUSPENSION Coil springs REAR SUSPENSION Semi-elliptic, leaf springs BRAKES F/R Discs/drums (1976) Discs/discs (1977-1979) WEIGHT 4,232 lb

The Info NUMBER PRODUCED 199,304 ORIGINAL PRICE $12,479 VALUE TODAY $8,000-$15,000 WHY BUY? “It’s essentially a modern car. All that’s lacking are cupholders and Bluetooth,” says King. As an everyday driver, the Seville is as soothing today as it was back when the price of gasoline shot up to almost 60 cents per gallon ($1.85 in today’s dollars). Speaking of fuel consumption, this is no Chevy Volt. The Seville gets 16 to 19 mpg, but that’s about twice as thrifty as the big Caddys of the era. The Seville was produced in large numbers, and many were babied, meaning you can still ﬁnd a good one today at a reasonable price. But King warns that “ﬁnding one in Dale’s condition isn’t easy.” *Diesel version information is provided for the sake of accuracy. Sevilles so equipped should be avoided.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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Auctions America

F E AT U R E C A R 1964 BUICK RIVIERA SOLD AT $1,760

BID ANYWHERE ONLINE SALE | NOVEMBER 21, 2014 | by Dave Kinney

S/N 7K1125296. Light blue over dark blue cloth. 425-cubic inch V-8, 340 hp; three-speed automatic. A “barn ﬁnd” car. The paint is in fair to poor condition; the car has some minor rust, but no other major bodywork issues are visible. The chrome is complete and straight with some pitting. The interior is in fair condition; the seats and headliner have tears and spots of mold and mildew. The engine does not run. Needs new tires. Deﬁnitely a restoration candidate.

Best Buy

THE STORY BEHIND THE SALE Auctions America tried something different with what it billed as the “Bid Anywhere” online auction. All the cars remained at the owner’s location, saving the sellers some money in transportation costs. The company produced documents showing a visual inspection of each car by a specialist from Auctions America. The sale was conducted live and online, and an auctioneer hammered each car sold or, in many cases, unsold. One potential downside to online auctions is that it may be easier to pass on a car when it’s only presented in two dimensions on a screen. Also the competitive spirit could be diminished when you’re not bidding in person against that rude guy in the loud shirt. The Internet is here to stay and, like almost every other business, auctions have to adapt to the times. Is this the future? We will ﬁnd out in due time. As for this Riviera, although it sold cheap, it has needs from its front bumper to the exhaust tip. While early Buick Rivieras such as this one are becoming more valuable, the nicest ’64 Riviera on the planet is likely a $45,000 car, and a driver-condition car might sell in the $20,000 range. The restoration costs in this case will easily exceed either of those ﬁgures.

Automobile | March 2015

1937 CADILLAC CUSTOM IMPERIAL CABRIOLET LIMOUSINE

1963 STUDEBAKER AVANTI

SOLD AT $206,250

S/N 63R-1347. White over maroon vinyl. 289-cubic-inch V-8, 240 hp; four-speed manual. Air conditioning. The paint is good, albeit with some chips in the front and a few areas of rust. The chrome is discolored and scratched. The interior is in fair to good condition, with a cracked dash and the seats showing some wear and a couple of torn spots. The original-style wheels are good, but the tires are dry-rotted. The engine is said to be good. Looks like a solid vehicle in need of a restoration. This Avanti has a great combination of options. A close look shows a pretty nice car under the dirt and grime. A major weekend or two of cleanup will make a real difference. Buying any older car, if at auction or in person from an owner, always involves some risk. But in this case we bet on a good bit of upside.

S/N 5130313. Black with black leather top over black leather and brown cloth. 452-cubic-inch V-16, 185 hp; three-speed manual. Partially restored in 2012. The paint is excellent, and the brightwork is without ﬂaws. Most of the interior is original; it’s in very good to excellent condition. The wheels and tires are like new. The engine is clean and detailed. Only 50 V-16 Cadillacs were built in 1937; this is one of two limos made that year. Bought new by MGM executive Edgar “Eddie” Mannix, this Caddy is said to have been used by MGM to drive such stars as Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. It won Best in Class and Most Elegant Closed Coachwork awards at the 2012 Ault Park Concours in Cincinnati, Ohio. Let’s call this beauty both well-bought and well-sold.

SOLD AT $7,150

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AUCTIONS AMERICA

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AUCTIONS

1953 ASTON MARTIN DB2 COUPE

1960 AC BRISTOL ROADSTER

SOLD AT $94,600

S/N BEX1149. Bare aluminum over black leather. 121-cubic-inch inline-six, 125 hp; four-speed manual. 6,443 original miles. The body, which is paint-free except for a few spots, shows damage in the left front. The brightwork is fair. The interior is mostly good, although much of the carpeting is missing. The wire wheels are in fair condition; the tires need to be replaced. Slight rust in spots on the chassis. The engine is original and complete but does not run. The auction company description states: “A restoration of this car was started but not completed.” These are 10 of the scariest words ever strung together. Nonetheless, restoring this AC back to its former race-car glory might be a good bet as it still has the original engine. Furthermore, it not only raced in period, it won the 1960 Watkins Glen Schuyler Carrera race on September 24, 1960.

SOLD AT $77,000

S/N LML/50/387. Silver over blue leather. 2.6-liter inline-six, 105 hp; four-speed manual. The paint is mostly nonexistent, having been sanded down for a restoration that was not completed. Some areas need repair; the left front fender shows damage. The chrome is poor, with pitting and surface rust. The dash is intact, but the door panels and headliner are missing. The wheels, frame, and suspension are in good condition with some surface rust. The engine is included but not installed. This barn ﬁnd seems to have been the hit of the sale. An unrealistically low pre-sale estimate of $15,000 to $20,000 got the bidders juiced for this Aston Martin. The market for high-end collector cars with extensive needs has never been hotter, and this Aston, just shy of $100K, could be considered a decent buy, especially if you’re handy at 3-D British jigsaw puzzles.

1969 INTERMECCANICA OMEGA

1968 AMC AMX

1953 PACKARD CARIBBEAN CONVERTIBLE

SOLD AT $39,600

SOLD AT $24,200

SOLD AT $6,930

S/N S1C1022. Red over black leather. 302-cubicinch Ford V-8; three-speed automatic. The body and paint need complete restoration, including rust repair. The front bumper and grille are missing; other brightwork is fair. The interior is good but needs cleaning. Wheels are excellent; the tires need replacement. Most of the chassis is solid, but areas need repair. The engine is complete but needs service. In the 1960s and early ’70s Intermeccanica built some beautiful cars, mostly with American powertrains, that have become coveted collectibles. This downtrodden Omega, one of just a handful made, was sold at a price that allows for a good deal of restoration, provided a lot of rust isn’t discovered.

S/N A8M397X262982. Frost white with red stripes over red vinyl. 390-cubic-inch V-8, 315 hp; four-speed manual. 7,843 miles. Rust-free with mostly good paint; some cracking on the hood and chips near the rear window. The brightwork is good but has some scratches and pitting. The interior is excellent. The wheels and tires are also excellent. The engine compartment looks clean. A mechanical restoration was reportedly completed in 1988. Now it’s time for the cosmetics, right? Perhaps, but this one looks nice enough to drive as-is for at least a few seasons. An AMX is not as easy to ﬁnd parts for as, say, a Camaro or a Mustang, but it’s much more rare. A little bit of a bargain if the mechanical restoration was full and complete.

S/N 26782130. Polaris blue with white top over blue and white leather. 288-cubic-inch straighteight, 150 hp; automatic. 6,922 miles. Paint is virtually nonexistent. The trunk is covered in surface rust. The chrome is poor, and the bumpers and the grille are missing. The convertible top is in good repair. The interior is fair. The chromeplated wheels are rusted. The engine is original with some surface rust. The bills for just the chrome on a premium American car of the 1950s can be daunting, and this car not only needs major rechroming work, it’s missing some shiny stuff as well. Unless you have a storehouse full of Packard parts or some seriously good restoration skills, this one will be tough to restore economically.

SOLD AT $176,000

1955 CHEVROLET MODEL 3112 CARRYALL WAGON S/N H55T-011635. White with wood and a black vinyl top over brown vinyl. 235-cubic-inch inline-six, 135 hp; three-speed manual. 39,606 miles. The paint is in excellent condition, as is the brightwork, except for some small scratches and dings in the trim between the top and the doors. The interior is correctly restored to original, with aftermarket turn signals and seat belts added. The wheels and tires are excellent, as is the engine compartment. This woody has been restored twice, most recently a frame-off restoration in 2012. It’s said to have had three owners and retains its original invoice. It has won two notable awards from the Antique Automobile Club of America: the 1988 Senior National First Prize and the 1990 Grand National First Prize. Bodied by Cantrell & Co., this has to be among the ﬁnal wood-bodied cars produced. The high bid seems about right.

March 2015 | Automobilemag.com

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Upshift non sequitur

BEWARE, BMW M5 The first two incarnations of the CTS-V were more “Hot Rod Cadillac” than true sport sedan. Cadillac is out to obliterate that perception with a 2016 CTS-V tuned to take on the mighty BMW M5. Ponder for a moment the specifications: 640 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, almost a full g on the skidpad, a 3.7-second sprint to 60 mph, and a top speed of 200 mph. The car, fitted with the optional carbon-fiber aero package, premiered at the 2015 Detroit show.

For more on the CTS-V and all the cars of the Detroit auto show, visit automobilemag.com/auto_shows/detroit/

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