Genesis you have to be taking magzus.org by Thomas Swift

VOL. 66, NO. 8

TABLE of CONTENTS

F E B R U A R Y/ M A R C H 2 0 2 1

28 F E AT U R E

Lightning Lap No.14 The year’s hottest performance cars take on America’s toughest racetrack in our 14th running of the ultimate performance test. By David Beard, K.C. Colwell, Eric Tingwall, and Dave VanderWerp

60 ROAD TEST

Bugatti Chiron Sport It costs $3.3 million and makes 1479 horsepower. It is also the quickest car we’ve ever tested. We do our best to make sense of a car that is financially, dynamically, and cerebrally out of reach for mere mortals. By John Pearley Huffman

66 ROAD TEST

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E 4 Ford’s new EV crossover tries to channel the Mustang’s cool, and it works. Mostly. By Annie White

72 F E AT U R E

The World’s Strongest Truck Chevy, Ford, and Ram pickups face off in a four-wheeled strongman competition. By David Beard

WATCH THAT MAN Three years ago, Daniel King left a job selling private jets to follow a passion for painting helmets. His first paying customer—a neighbor—delivered the referrals that allowed him to launch the business, Veneratio Designs. For this annual Lightning Lap issue, King painted the helmet on the cover with inspiration from David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane. He hand-mixed the pink to mimic Bowie’s painted face from the album art and applied it in a dazzle-camouflage pattern based on a photo of the iconoclastic rocker wearing an outfit in the same style. Dazzle camouflage was used on ships during World War I and has since been used by automakers trying to mask secrets of their prototypes and race cars. “That was my connection between Bowie and cars,” King says.

CA R AND D RI VE R ~ COV E R P HOTOG RAP H BY JE NN Y RI SHE R

Backfires The joyful noise of the commentariat, rebutted sporadically by Ed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2021 COLUMNISTS 6. Sharon Silke Carty A race against time. 24. Ezra Dyer Clock doesn’t lie. 26. Elana Scherr Lobster out of water.

UPFRONT

DUNK TANK Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that you found electrical gremlins in the Land Rover Defender [“Defending the Brand,” November 2020]. The power-steering system gave a false alert, the camera system died, the stop-start system failed to restart at a stoplight, and the satellite radio expired. It’s clear that Joseph Lucas, Prince of Darkness, is alive and well in Britain. Wasn’t it Lucas who was the patent holder for the short circuit? —Allan Robertson Halifax, NS Sounds like the Land Rover would be a fun, if expensive, adventure rig until the electric gremlins creep in. I think I’d rather buy a Jeep Rubicon for weekend woods thrashing plus a Toyota Supra. Loved “the roof rack produces more wind noise than a gas-station burrito” and “the truck shakes passengers like bricks in a washing machine.” —Kevin B. Parsons Meridian, ID I was taught early to “tread lightly,” particularly off-road. My master’s thesis studied watershed education. I teach children about protecting

our land and water. But the November cover! A Land Rover chewing up a delicate ecosystem as it churns along the shore, generating silt! Why? More and more we see vehicles touted for their ability to drive in water. Let’s not forget that under that water are some of our most valuable places, the birthing dens of a vast and intricate ecosystem. And silt kicked up by tires messes with things. Can SUVs stay the hell out of our water? —Gordon Macdougall Seattle, WA Point taken—Ed.

FOUR BY FOUR In your comparison test between the Ford Mustang 2.3L High Performance and the Toyota Supra 2.0, you tested a six-speed manual Mustang “because that’s the one we’d buy” [“F lling in the Bl nk,” November 2020]. You should have tested a 10-speed auto-

matic version as almost all Mustang buyers select it. —Cliff Nimrod Long Beach, CA Nah—Ed. A true sports car should have a manual transmission and good looks. I would give Ford an extra five points for offering the Mustang with a stick and deduct five points from the Toyota because it’s just so fugly. Now it’s a dead heat. —Dave Querze Pepperell, MA Your comparison of the displacement of the Mustang and Supra is incorrect. The Mustang’s 2.3-liter is 15 percent larger than the Supra’s 2.0. —James Duffy Landenberg, PA Not quite, Duffy. Calculate using the Mustang’s actual displacement of 2264 cc and the Supra’s 1998 cc, carry the one, and you get our correct percentage—Ed.

13. Every Number Tells a Story How and why we test. 18. When Does an $8000 Car Cost $21,000? The bad math of buyhere, pay-here lots. 20. Evolution of the Species EVs are changing performance norms. 22. These Vacuums Suck Some literally, others figuratively.

T H E R U N D OW N 76. 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Gaining speed. 77. 2021 Hyundai Elantra Sharpen up. 78. 2021 Toyota Yaris GR Hot pocket. 78. 2020 Honda e Face time. 80. 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Seeing red.

ETC. 4. Backfires Lucas jokes you’ve definitely never heard before, creative uses for the last gallon of gas, and thoughts on the coming EV flood. 82. Car and Driver 1982 Chevrolet K30 and Rory Irish.

SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT: ED ITORS@ CARA NDD R IV E R.CO M ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

Why did Ford save the hottest version of its 2.3-liter for the now discontinued Focus RS? Putting the sportiest, most powerful version of the 2.3 in the hot hatch and not the iconic legend makes no sense to me at all. —Rob Gross Summerville, SC The Mustang and Supra comparison shows how useless your 5-to-60-mph times are versus traditional zero-to-60 times. The Mustang records 5.9 seconds in the former test versus a real-world 5.0 seconds. In the Toyota, the real-world time is 4.5 seconds to the 5-to-60’s 5.7 seconds. —Eric Weitze Jupiter, FL You’ve misunderstood the purpose of the 5-to-60mph test, Weitze. The rolling start is the real-world test that better re-creates what happens at a stoplight where an aggressive launch might not be possible—Ed.

SAVE ON SPEED Glad I’m not the only one who thinks black wheels are ugly [“Cheap. Quick. Good,” November 2020]. Gunmetal or anthracite is nice, but black wheels remind me of a ’70s rust-bucket missing its hubcaps and that teenager who calls the Plasti Dipped wheels on his base-model Integra a “mod.” —Hans Thoma Walnut Creek, CA

RUNNING ON E The fact that Joey Capparella not only chose a Prius but was purposely a road boulder and called the experience fun shows that he has

EDITORIAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

With Gratitude This March, editorial operations manager Juli Burke celebrates 32 years with C/D. In that time, she has guided more than 380 issues through our edit process, outlasted four editors, given countless office tours to curious readers, and masterfully solved every deadline nightmare that crossed her desk. She can give you three decades’ worth of first-hand C/D dirt, too. For instance, Burke recalls we stopped smoking at our desks in 1997 after our then managing editor tried to pin an office fire on her. She denies fault to this day and is quick to point out that the fire started in said managing editor’s garbage can. Burke’s never-ending behindthe-scenes efforts got us through deadlineweek power outages, stories being killed in the 11th hour, and the ridiculousness that perpetually derails this place—Ed.

no business writing for an enthusiast magazine [“The Last Gallon,” November 2020]. That is the antithesis of what C/D stands for. —Rob Eckaus Rocklin, CA Sounds like you missed the many columns that Indy 500 veteran and former editor Pat Bedard wrote about the joy of squeezing out every last mile in hybrids—Ed. My vote goes to the Prius. As for me, I would save the last gallon for my snowblower. —Mordechai Litzman Monsey, NY Dear David E. Davis: They are screwing up your magazine! In November, the kids took two sports cars—a Corvette and a Lexus—and drove them to a tunnel just to make loud noises! No review, no comparison test, and distorted photos—was the photographer drunk? Please come down and knock some journalistic sense into these idiots! —Dennis Brandt Ann Arbor, MI If it’s the last gallon, it’s going in a Kawasaki ZX-10RR so I can ride the Isle of Man TT full out, danger be damned! Not sure I want to be around when there’s no more gas, so if I buy it just shy of the tank running dry, well . . . —Kevin Spatz Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ

I’d use my last gallon of gasoline to immolate that stupid feature story. V-8s forever! —John Gatliff Mustang, OK

R RATED In the long-term test of the 2019 Honda Civic Type R [November 2020], the service timeline shows that you replaced the left front tire at 17,731 miles and the right front tire only two weeks and 1000 miles later. Why not replace them at the same time? Later, you replaced the rear brake pads on July 9 only to wait another 11 days to then also replace the front pads. Why not do these tasks at the same time? Is the coffee at your dealership that good? —Roel Van De Velde Northville, MI We try to behave as an owner would, although you’ve spotted our need to keep long-term cars on the road, necessitated by a desire to complete 40,000 miles inside of 12 months. In these two instances, a tire puncture and worn rear brakes caused us to do half the job while waiting for the rest of the parts to arrive—Ed.

ENERGIZE Yes, people will buy EVs, but for the most part, they won’t be the enthusiasts who value automotive character and performance [“The EVs Are Coming!” November 2020].

Editor ’s Let ter

Backfires

“The EVs Are Coming!” was quite informative, but not one word was spent on where all the electricity is going to come from. With nukes being decommissioned and coal-fired plants shutting down, are we betting the farm on wind and solar? I sure hope not. —Don Holle Albuquerque, NM

FINER THINGS In the November review of the Acura TLX [“Approaching Enlightenment”], you mentioned that the Accord trumps its upmarket cousin in acceleration and skidpad grip. So, could you please explain to those of us who can bear the ignominy of not being seen in a “luxury marque” why we should pay the upcharge that going from an Accord to a TLX entails? If your answer is “refinement,” please explain what “refinement” is, and if such a thing is possible, please provide that explanation without employing a British accent. —Mark M. Quinn Naperville, IL “Refinement” is wot makes a car quiet, solid, luxurious, and couth. Cheers, guv—Ed.

ZZ TOP While I’m glad to see Nissan isn’t abandoning the Z, I am disappointed with the new prototype’s styling [“Back to the Future,” November 2020]. By trying to pull cues from so many

A Race Against Time ou never forget where you were when a Very Bad Idea first popped into your head. For me, it was in Virginia during a glowing October sunset as I was riding in the bed of a Jeep Gladiator. K.C. Colwell, our deputy director of testing, was giving a tour of Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course. K.C. has been one of our Lightning Lap drivers for the past 11 years and knows every bump, tar patch, and inch of curbing at VIR. His tour reminded me of a scene in Free Solo, where Alex Honnold is prepping for his ropesfree climb up El Capitan by going over every handhold and foothold he’ll need to escape death. K.C. takes lapping just as seriously. In that moment, and as someone who, since March, has taken up roller skating, guitar, baking, Among Us, German, Spanish, and Irish, I decided I was going to learn enough about performance driving to keep up with our Lightning Lap testers next year. Then I said that out loud and tried to gauge if people thought it was a dumb idea or a smart idea. The consensus seemed to be that it was a dumb idea that could make a good story. Sold. Later, Eric Tingwall, our print director and another Lightning Lap driver, rode along as I set a baseline time around VIR in a Cadillac CT4-V. I was calm, except for a couple of times when I wasn’t. Coincidentally, those were also the times Eric thought I was going to kill him. The map of the Grand Course on page 32 does not adequately convey how gnarly it is. There are blind corners and drops and one place where you’re supposed to fix your turn by sighting a tree that no longer exists. Do I regret this challenge I invented for myself? Yes, especially since it is now 2021 and I haven’t done a thing to get better. Is it too late to turn back? Also yes, because I yabbered on about it to people and then wrote these words. I bet this is how Diana felt when, days before the royal wedding, her sister told her she couldn’t back out now; her face was already printed on the commemorative tea towels. That marriage turned out okay, right? For the record, Eric is fine, and my untrained lap was a 4:02.9. The work starts now. Wish me luck.

SHARON SILKE CARTY E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

S IC YO U R D O GS O N U S AT: E DI TOR S @ CA RA N DD R I V E R.CO M P HOTO G RA P H BY J E NN Y R I S H E R

An apt analogy would be comparing the attention my father got starting up his chainsaw with the much more subdued impact his electric grinding wheel made when he plugged it in. Both were powerful tools, but the gut-level excitement each generated was worlds apart. —Larry Smith Tarpon Springs, FL

Snow flies when you’re having fun.

The 2021 Subaru Outback. Experience winter driving the way it was ®

meant to be. Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive + 8.7 inches of ground clearance are advantages on snowy roads you don’t get with the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V.* Love. It’s what makes Subaru, Subaru.

Outback. Well-equipped at $26,795.† Subaru and Outback are registered trademarks. *Based on competitor information from manufacturer websites as of August, 2020. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2021 Subaru Outback Onyx Edition XT shown has an MSRP of $36,990. Vehicle shown with accessory equipment.

previous generations, they have created a disjointed design. The new Z looks like a collection of mixed parts instead of something created from a unified design team. —Mike Dickbernd Indianapolis, IN As a prior owner of a 240Z, a car with really great lines, I was always puzzled by Nissan bringing out the 350Z and 370Z, which appear to be based more on bars of soap than classic Zs. This new Z pulls on heartstrings I’d forgotten about. Finally, a real Z. —Frank Fellenz Santa Cruz, CA Fellenz, Dickbernd. Dickbernd, Fellenz—Ed.

EXPLAINED

Based largely on your online review of the Porsche 718 Cayman T, I placed an order and put my 2010 Boxster up for sale. I realize that you correct your data to reflect performance at sea level, but I’m wondering about how altitude—say, that of Denver— affects the acceleration of naturally aspirated and turbocharged cars. —Steve Johnson, Edina, MN

your clever reply, but this one found it hilarious! —Ed Tinsley Austin, TX You, sir, are refined—Ed.

To make this comparison as personal for you as our archives allow, a naturally aspirated 2007 Boxster S would run a quarter-mile roughly 5 percent slower on a 60-degree spring day at Denver’s mile-high elevation than it would at the same temperature at the 900-foot height of our Michigan test track. That equates to times of 14.2 seconds in Denver versus 13.5 seconds in Michigan. After using our weather-correction algorithm to adjust to sea level, both of those figures wind up at the 13.4-second time we published 14 years ago. By comparison, a new Cayman T, which compensates for Denver’s thinner air with its turbocharger, would be only about 2 percent slower under the same conditions. —Dave VanderWerp

PARTING SHOTS I’m a year behind on my issues and just got to the 2019 Lightning Lap. I saw that this year’s test takes place soon. You bastards better run that Cadillac with the truck motor. If not, expect a strongly worded email about 12 months after the issue comes out. —John Robinson Keizer, OR When you see this in a year, turn to page 34—Ed.

TRAVEL TRAVAILS I can’t relate to the new-motherhood aspect of Sharon Silke Carty’s column [“Going Nowhere,” November 2020], but I just returned from a two-week, 5000-mile road trip, and it was wonderful to get away in a 2019 Jetta GLI. —Dave B. Pittsburgh, PA One thing I haven’t gotten used to is not having a commute. Those precious minutes by yourself to and from work can have a significant impact on one’s mental health. That is why a 1600-mile journey to my family home in the northern woods of Wisconsin was exactly what I needed. I got to see some loved ones

and visit familiar places, but the seat time and uninterrupted introversion was the refresh my body and mind were aching for. —William V. Dunedin, FL I’ve been a C/D reader for decades. The November issue really surprised me. Why would I want to read an article about someone going on maternity leave, having a baby, or toting diaper bags in a car magazine? I don’t care about bodily functions, be they male or female. If maternity is on your mind, you should be writing for Vogue or Redbook. Cancel, cancel, cancel! —Joe Eanes Burton, MI

Gee whiz, I got only as far as Carty’s editorial in the November issue. I predicted this a while back. Seriously. I said I wouldn’t cancel because I wanted to see how this would end. And unfortunately, I have. —Greg Martin Cortland, OH

LETTER MEN The reply to John S. Butler’s letter in the November Backfires made me recall the original “road test” of the Denbeigh Super-Chauvinist Mk VII. I seem to recall that it was written by Bruce McCall, and heading the masthead in those days was David E. Davis Jr. himself! Not sure how many current subscribers can relate to

What’s with your obsession with Derrick from Colorado Springs’s letters? You do know there are others out there who’d like to get a letter published in Backfires every once in a while, don’t you? —Matt Coombes Reno, NV Ezra Dyer said if my letter gets printed and he gets to drive, he’ll buy me a Happy Meal at the golden arches. —Bruce Kent Dandridge, TN Dyer has never had a Big Mac, and neither have I—Ed. Why won’t you guys print my letters? Thanks a lot for breaking a 12-year-old’s heart. —August Sayne Crozet, VA

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

S IC YO U R D O GS O N U S AT: E DI TOR S @ CA RA N DD R I V E R.CO M

Backfires

QUALITY COMPROMISE WITHOUT

Cargo/Trunk Liner

CupFone®

When you need auto accessories that are up to snuff, only WeatherTech delivers. Made specifically with your performance vehicle in mind, Cargo/Trunk Liner and CupFone offer unparalled quality and craftsmanship.

Made in USA

IS NOW FULLY LOADED MORE MAGAZINE Double issues, 150+ edit pages, premium paper stock, and some serious storytelling.

+MORE EXPERIENCES

Day trips, cars & coffees, test drives, rallies, retreats, and international adventures. Lots of ’em.

+MORE WAYS TO LIVE THE DRIVE

Become a member of The Track Club for all-access to print and digital content, dozens of partner privileges,

ROADANDTRACK.COM/JOINNOW

NUMBER MUNCHERS

Every Number Tells a Story Since the beginning, Car and Driver has supported its storytelling with objective testing. This is the story of how and why we do it. There are only a couple of reasons why someone would

push a Volkswagen Arteon to 120 mph. Either there is no better option for a getaway car or they’re testing it. We were testing it. “That’ll give you an idea of the top-speed test,” said testing director Dave VanderWerp, one hand casually on the wheel. I was riding shotgun and holding a laptop wired to a Racelogic VBox 3i data logger, a five-figure

piece of equipment that calculates our position and speed 100 times a second. Another wire ran from the VBox out the rear passenger’s door and up to an antenna stuck to the Arteon’s roof. That antenna connected us to seven satellites. Why do we need satellites to locate the car we’re sitting in? Because using what’s in medium Earth orbit to verify our speed and distance is more accurate than relying on what’s built into the dash. We

CAR AND DRIVER ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRETT AFFRUNTI

NUMBER MUNCHERS

210

Performance

even check the accuracy of the speedometer and odometer as part of our testing. This issue is packed with numbers, and all of them fit neatly into the six-and-a-halfdecade-long narrative we’ve written about how—and how well—vehicles work. We put more than 200 cars, trucks, and SUVs through the wringer each year, and we test every vehicle the same way, be it a McLaren or a Mazda, a Volkswagen or a Bugatti [see “Money. Power. Respect,” page 60]. It’s what makes our method scientific. We test to keep manufacturers honest. We test to deliver facts, not just feelings, because an objective number is the best way to determine if your subjective opinion is wrong. And we test to uncover trends over time and the details that might not be revealed by a drive around town. When Toyota claimed the 2020 Supra’s center of gravity was lower than the 86’s, we measured that. Toyota was wrong. We can tell you for a fact that Tesla’s aero wheel covers for the Model 3 improve efficiency by 2.5 percent at 70 mph, which boosts the car’s range by up to seven miles. And when Ford launched its 1999 SVT Mustang Cobra, we questioned the validity of its 320-hp claim because the car put up slower-than-expected acceleration times. Ford looked into it and, soon after our report came out, recalled the Stangs and replaced some parts so that the engines made an honest 320 horses. Maybe you care about cargo volume in a family SUV because you have kids and kids come with a lot of stuff.

TESTING TALLY — This snapshot shows the number of tests we conducted in 2019, which was a more typical year than 2020, when the pandemic reduced the numbers by about 25 percent.

162

Highway Fuel Economy

Total Tests Conducted:

Cargo Space

674

Infotainment System

Visibility and H-Point Height

Interior Storage

We have stacks of carry-on-luggage-sized boxes we load into the back of vehicles until no more fit. Or perhaps you care more about fuel economy. We put that to the test by taking each vehicle on a 200-mile highway loop at a constant 75 mph, which is more representative of how Americans drive long distances than the EPA’s laboratory testing. Performance testing, though, is where it all began for Car and Driver. Much of that work happens behind well-guarded gates in Chelsea, Michigan, at a 4000-acre facility owned by Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler). We’ve been renters at the Chelsea Proving Grounds since the mag moved to Ann Arbor in 1978. Come with us—past CPG’s check-in desk, where we get our temperature taken and apply blue FCA-branded stickers over the cameras on our phones—as we take a peek behind the scenes and consider why it matters. —Ryan White

STOPS The 1.5-mile straight where we do most of our work feels a little lonely in the fading light of a crisp winter’s day. The trees are bare, the shadows long, and that piece of pavement just keeps going. After wiring up the Arteon like it is visiting the doctor for a stress test, VanderWerp runs us up to 70 mph and then slams on the brakes. Does he do this just once? Did Sideshow Bob step on only one rake? No. We stop (a touch violently) again and again—five times fast in one direction. Then we turn around, run a length of the track to cool the brakes, and smash the pedal one more time. No fade here: The results are all within a few feet of one another. The VW’s brakes are good, which is good to know.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

AUGUST 4-7, 2021 NORTHERN CA

Join Road & Track editors for a highoctane, high-style, four-day driving adventure through Northern California! + Hit the track at Sonoma Raceway for private autocross and hot laps in Road & Track’s top performance car picks with editors and special guests. + Wind through Wine Country and take in picturesque views along a curated route bending through Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. + Pair fine California blends with private guided tours of the most impressive automotive collections at local estates, including Far Niente Winery and Boeschen Vineyards. + Downshift and explore NorCal in a hot air balloon, with pit stops at 5-star resorts including, the spa at Montage Healdsburg and Auberge du Soleil.

PLUS, INTRODUCING AN ADDITIONAL ONE-DAY EXPERIENCE:

VICTORY LAP | AUGUST 5, 2021 A one-day outing on the track at Sonoma Raceway — complete with community, competition, conversations with editors, and more! Please note: Dates and itinerary are subject to change.

APPLY AND LEARN MORE AT EXPERIENCES.ROADANDTRACK.COM. LIVE THE DRIVE.

NUMBER MUNCHERS

TURNS

STARTS Acceleration is next. Timing the run to 60 mph from a rolling 5-mph start is a C/D invention. Comparing the result with the 60-mph time reveals the extent of turbo lag, the accessibility of the engine’s power, or suboptimal gearing. Also, while there are different ways to juice the best 60-mph time from a car (e.g., brake torquing, slipping the clutch, a redline clutch dump), the 5-to-60-mph test is closer to what most people can achieve in enthusiastic realworld driving. We measure the time it takes to go from 30 to 50 mph and from 50 to 70 mph, too, because we all need to pass people sometimes. Pretty straightforward stuff—literally.

The skidpad isn’t a pad at all. It’s a circle painted on enough pavement to handle parking for half a mall. The “skid” part is accurate. Those marks are everywhere. At CPG, that circle is 300 feet in diameter, or the length of a football field, goal line to goal line. It doesn’t look that big from the car, though, and it doesn’t feel that big when you’re accelerating into the one continuous turn, tires screaming. In fact, it doesn’t feel much larger than the old playground merry-go-round. Remember that? You wanted to stay on the ride, but physics (and that friend spinning you faster and faster, laughing harder and harder) was working to pull you off. That’s the skidpad. What does the Arteon’s 0.90-g result mean? That it could exceed a 600-foot-diameter highway cloverleaf’s recommended speed of 35 mph by about 30 mph before you’d end up in the weeds. The grippiest car we tested last year, a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R, circled the skidpad at 1.11 g’s and could take that same cloverleaf turn 7 mph faster than the VW.

THE OVAL We find a little traffic on Chelsea’s 4.7-mile oval, which has banked curves at either end. This is where we ran our long-term Model 3 when we tested the aero wheel covers. VanderWerp steers the Arteon up to the top of the banking and we coast along at an effortless 100 mph in a car that’s just fine. A lot of cars are just fine, but one thing we’ve learned over time is that “fine” gets better. Most people who buy an Arteon won’t push it anywhere near its limits. They won’t slam on the brakes five times in a mile and a half, and if they do, they might want to reconsider, well, a lot of things. But especially how they’re driving. And where. But those spec panels we print—for good cars, bad cars, and perfectly fine cars—tell you how these machines can perform when you need a quick boost of power or have to take evasive maneuvers. Not because the automaker told you what they can do but because experts with no skin in the game put in the work.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

Cargo/Truck Liner

FORGE

CupFone® Two View

NEW

PATHS Stone & Bug Deflector

Under Seat Storage System

When your vehicle is outfitted with WeatherTech, you can go off-road with confidence.

Made in USA

BAD MATH

37.5 For the roughly 2.6 million Americans who bought vehicles from them in 2019, buy-here,

pay-here (BHPH) dealerships are both a lifeline and a scourge. These used-car lots act as both dealer and lender, catering to customers with credit scores below 620, a history of making late payments, or a repossession or bankruptcy in their past. In exchange for financing these risky customers, BHPH lots charge above-market prices for their vehicles along with interest rates as high as 29.9 percent. In 2019, BHPH customers defaulted on almost four out of every 10 loans. For the dealers, who can repossess and resell the same vehicle over and over, this is merely a part of doing business. For the hard-up people relying on those cars, though, it’s another snare in the poverty trap. They are left poorer, without transportation, and with another black mark on their credit report. Kelley Blue Book says a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze with 105,000 miles should sell for roughly $6400 to $8000 at a conventional dealership, yet a BHPH customer could pay more than $20,000 over the life of the loan for the same car. Here’s how one used car can cost two wildly different amounts depending on where it’s purchased. —Mark McDonald

Average amount of a BHPH loan in 2019

ONE CAR, TWO PRICES

2012 CHEVY CRUZE 1LT WITH 105,000 MILES Sale Price Taxes and Fees Subtotal Down Payment Total Amount Financed Annual Percentage Rate Loan Length Payment Total Interest Paid

Total

Default rate of BHPH loans in 2019

$11,694

When Does an $8000 Car Cost $21,000?

CONVENTIONAL DEALER (700 credit score)

BHPH DEALER (580 credit score)

$7995 $1331 $9326

$13 , 479 $1678 $15,157

$2400 $6926 4 .90% 48 months $159 (monthly) $715

$500 $14 ,657 19.95% 42 months $224 (biweekly) $5762

$10,041

$20,919

$91 Average weekly payment for BHPH customers in 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY POTTS ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

Portable Car Lift for Home Use The MaxJax portable two-post lift is one of the most versatile DIY tools ever invented. Its patented design allows you to get full-sized lift advantages in spaces with limited ceiling heights. Best of all, MaxJax is completely portable and can be setup virtually anywhere. For more info call 1-844-629-5291 or visit MaxJax.com.

1. Roll It

See it on YouTube

2. Work It

1-844-629-5291 • www.MaxJax.com ©2021 MaxJax, LLC, a subsidiary of BendPak Inc. The MaxJax is protected by one or more patents or claims of patents in the U.S. and elsewhere. PATENT NO. US 8.256.577 B2 - PATENT NO. US 9.150.395 B2.

3. Stow It

FIELD REPORT

Evolution of the Species

SINCE 1956

A by-the-numbers tale of how EVs are changing the performance landscape.

EVs are quieter during max-attack acceleration . . .

. . . as well as while cruising.

INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL, FULL THROTTLE

INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL, 70-MPH CRUISE

78 dBA 70 dBA

70 dBA

When we meet a strange new creature, we do what humans have

KEY:

EV AVERAGE

68 dBA

done since the beginning of time: observe it, categorize it, and maybe see what it tastes like, but not necessarily in that order. In the kingdom of Automobilia, that means stomping the don’t-call-it-a-throttle pedal and sliding past the limits to see what electric vehicles are capable of and how that’s different from the combustion-powered vehicles we know and love. Here’s the tale of the modern EV, as told through the data from 47 electrics and more than 2200 gas, diesel, and hybrid vehicles we’ve tested since Tesla introduced the Model S in 2012. —Dave VanderWerp

Electrics weigh less on average, even though a typical EV is heavier than a similar combustion model. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E weighs 500 pounds more than an Edge, for example. But EVs have yet to appear in the heaviest vehicle categories, such as pickups and large SUVs.

NON-EV AVERAGE CURB WEIGHT

On average, internal-combustion-powered vehicles are quicker.

4031 lb

3939 lb 6.4 sec 6.0 sec

60-MPH ACCELERATION

But the real-world swiftness of electric motors and single-speed transmissions shows in our passing tests. 30–50-MPH ACCELERATION

EVs better balance their pounds, which are concentrated in battery packs mounted near the middle of the vehicle.

14.6 sec 14.3 sec

1/4-MILE ACCELERATION

WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

That lack of gearing in most EVs hinders top speeds, though.

REAR

FRONT

REAR

FRONT

47.9%

TOP SPEED

3.5 sec*

52.1%

133 mph

109 mph

2.5 sec

44.9%

55.1%

*Automatic-transmission vehicles only.

No surprise: EVs are vastly more energy efficient. But you’ll have to plan for extra time if you’re pushing past their limited ranges. C/D 75-MPH HIGHWAY DRIVING

But that weight-distribution advantage doesn’t offset the effects of efficiency-oriented tires running higher pressures (average cold inflation of 40 psi for EVs versus 37 psi for all others). SKIDPAD GRIP

70–0-MPH BRAKING

0.83 g

92 MPGe 29 mpg

169 ft

0.87 g

174 ft

RANGE

179 mi 485 mi

100

125

150

175

200

INFOGRAPHIC BY NICOLAS RAPP ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

THE NEW SLEEP NUMBER 360 SMART BED ®

Get almost 100 hours more proven quality sleep per year.* Discover the first bed in the world designed to help you fall asleep faster and proven to provide more restful sleep. Enjoy your own personal microclimate as it gently balances surface temperature to keep you both blissfully asleep. Because proven quality sleep is life-changing sleep.

NEW Temperature balancing

SleepIQ Score

NEW Smart 3D fabric is up to 50% more breathable for a cooler sleep surface†

Adjustable comfort on each side

Automatically responds to you

Personalized insights for even better sleep

15-Year Limited Warranty ‡

100-Night Trial§

REQUEST SPECIAL OFFERS | 1-877-790-5439 | sleepnumber.com/car

Upholstered furniture and adjustable base available at additional cost. Prices higher in AK and HI. *Based on internal analysis of sleep sessions assessing sleepers who use multiple features of Sleep Number products. Claim based on sleepers achieving over 15 more minutes of restful sleep per sleep session. †Compared to ordinary mattresses, based on independent tests performed by the CSIRO. Available on select models. ‡Limited warranty available at sleepnumber.com. §Restrictions and exclusions apply. Does not apply to adjustable bases, upholstered furniture, closeout/clearance or demo/floor model purchases or mattresses already exchanged under another In-Home Trial period. You pay return shipping. Refunds will be made to the original method of payment less original shipping/delivery fees. Visit sleepnumber.com for complete details. SLEEP NUMBER, SLEEPIQ, SLEEP NUMBER 360, the Double Arrow Design, and SELECT COMFORT are registered trademarks of Sleep Number Corporation. ©2021 Sleep Number Corporation

BEST OVERALL

3 BEST FOR PET OWNERS

These Vacuums Suck Some literally, others figuratively. We put seven cordless vacs to the test to find the best for cleaning up messes in cars. The Tests Paw Patrol Our local Petco provided

us with a trash bag of dog hair, which we rubbed into a carpeted floor mat. Snack Attack We seasoned the floor mat with Cheerios and crushed Cheez-Its, just like kids do. Getting Dirty We spilled two cups of potting soil on the mat. Mic Check We used our sound-level meter to measure how loud each vacuum is from three feet away. Weighing In We put each vacuum (without attachments) on a scale. —Connor Hoffman

1. Bissell Multi Auto $180 Attachments: extension hose nozzle, motorized brush, dusting brush, crevice tool The Multi Auto’s motorized brush does a great job picking up deepseated pet hair. The extendible hose nozzle gives this Bissell an edge in maneuvering under and around seats to find runaway crumbs. We used the motorized brush to clean up dirt the other vacs left behind during our tests. Enough said. 80 decibels 3.2 pounds

2. Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+

3. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lithium-Ion

$80 Attachments: motorized brush, scrubbing brush, crevice tool The Pet Pro+ could be called the Pet Hair Terminator.

$70 Attachments: motorized brush, upholstery tool, crevice tool The name says it all. The Pet Hair Eraser’s motorized brush scrubs away all evidence of canine fur from the floor mat. An odd flap in the nozzle makes it difficult to suck up large snack pieces, and the vacuum leaves behind a trail of Cheerios. The motorized brush doesn’t only erase pet hair, it erases dirt, too. 74 decibels 2.5 pounds

This vac does a fair job with snack cleanup, but the narrow crevice tool may struggle to suck up anything much larger than a Cheez-It. The motorized brush roots out dirt from the base of the carpet, and the crevice tool makes it a cinch to clean tight spaces. 77 decibels 2.2 pounds

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNY RISHER ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

BEST

2 6 7

CLEAN CAR, CLEAR MIND —

Larry Kosilla is the founder of AMMO NYC, which makes car-care and detailing products. He also runs a YouTube channel of the same name where he demonstrates how to detail vehicles—often disgusting and neglected ones—for his 1.6 million subscribers. He told us how he finds Zen in other people’s filth.

P O RTRA IT BY P ET E R O U M A N S K I

4. Black+Decker 20V DustBuster $90 Attachments: none This DustBuster is not for pet owners. Without a specialized attachment, successfully vacuuming hair requires a lot of scrubbing. The DustBuster’s slender, telescoping nozzle is good for cleaning around the center console and other tight spaces, although that nozzle retracts too easily. You’ll have to scrub a bit to dig out the dirt from the carpet. 78 decibels 2.7 pounds

5. Dyson V7 $300 Attachments: motorhead, two-in-one brush and wide-nozzle tool, crevice tool The included motorhead is too cumbersome for car use, but Dyson’s mini motorhead—sold separately for $50— makes quick work of pet hair. Your kids better crush their snacks well because the two-in-one tool’s oddly shaped nozzle makes picking up large debris difficult. Scrubbing is required—even in Boost mode, which drains the battery in about six minutes. 76 decibels 3.1 pounds

6. Shark WandVac $120 Attachments: duster crevice tool, pet-hair tool Fur gets stuck on the bottom of the pet-hair tool and doesn’t get sucked up. Because the dustbin is so tiny and requires frequent emptying, the task of cleaning up large snack spills can be a big inconvenience, but it’ll do the job. See above, but replace “snack” with “dirt.” Even Smart owners might find the dustbin too small. 79 decibels 1.3 pounds

7. DeWalt 20V Max Lithium-Ion Portable Vac Kit $219 Attachments: none If we scaled our test to cover the whole car, the DeWalt would leave behind a Pomeranian’s worth of dog hair. The built-in hose helps it get around surfaces in the car, but the vac’s heft, lack of attachments, and awkward shape are major weaknesses. With strong suction power, the DeWalt picks up surface dirt easily. However, it’s hard to scrub deep. 84 decibels 5.3 pounds

There’s a therapeutic or curative effect to detailing a car. I know it sounds hokey, but there is something to it where you’re present. It’s like washing the dishes. I don’t mind washing the dishes. I like it because I’m in outer space at that point thinking about whatever. Detailing has that same kind of therapeutic nature. That’s why interest in detailing has gone crazy in the last couple of years, because people are looking for that escape. The one thing that annoys a detailer who’s seen it all? Keeping a garbage bag in your car. “That makes my skin crawl,” Kosilla says. “Really, you’re going to collect garbage and have it marinate in your car?” —CH

E Z R A DY E R

Clock Doesn’t Lie How do you make a three-day event driving the newest performance cars on America’s best track as stressful as it is fun? Start a timer. Like me, you probably read the annual Light-

own ever changing creature, and even the most consistent car is different from lap to lap. The Veloster was benign in corners, but I never fully trusted the brakes. Sometimes they’d grab ferociously; other times the pedal would go halfway to the firewall before initiating any notable deceleration. I had other problems to worry about, too, like the VBox. The lap timer displays your pace in red (bad, you’re falling behind) or green (even worse, because now the pressure is on). The VBox is like an internet troll riding shotgun: “Wow, I thought you knew what you were doing but you’re already 0.5 second off the pace. Probably because you glanced in the rearview mirror and got distracted by how ugly you are.” Shut up, VBox! I hate you. The unblinking eye of the VBox is but one layer of your Lightning Lap stress onion. For instance, you might get only a few fast laps from an expensive set of sticky tires. Or there could be a brief window of ideal weather—this year, morning fog quickly gave way to afternoon heat. There will likely be a posse of manufacturer employees watching in judgment. Of course, your laps are being recorded on video and periodically dissected, corner by corner, in the pits. And the cars that are fastest and leave the slimmest margin for error are also the most expensive, and VIR is an old track with lots of tire walls. Are we having fun yet? My times eventually improved until I was a couple of seconds off the car’s record, but by that point, the tires were missing chunks of tread, and I felt like it was a bad idea to go into the Climbing Esses on tires that looked like they’d been gnawed by capybaras. So I called it a week and ran laps in my 1993 Bronco. A month later, I was at Carolina Motorsports Park, goofing around with Hellcat Durangos and Chargers. I told one of the instructors how the Veloster sometimes had a spooky brake pedal—but other times didn’t. “That’s pad knock-back,” he The easy-to-drive Veloster N becomes daunting with a lap timer running. said. “When you’re cornering or running up on gator strips, on some cars, the pads will move around relative to the rotors and you get a squishy pedal.” Aha—so there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll! Why did I ever doubt myself? The problem was that I was driving too fast, knocking those pads all willy-nilly with my extreme g-forces. I should’ve pitted, walked up to the Hyundai race trailer (There was no Hyundai race trailer—Ed.), and mumbled “pads ’r’ knockin’ ” while a panicked team of technicians raced outside to fix the problem. Anyway, I didn’t set a new best time for the Veloster N. But I did for 1993 Ford Broncos. And good luck beating that one.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

I LLU ST RAT IO N BY BR E T T A F F RU NT I , P HOTO G RAP H BY M ARC U R BAN O

ning Lap stories and think, “Wow, life can’t get much more fun than that, can it? Just a bunch of fast cars and a track all to yourself.” And indeed, that’s the essential premise. There’s a McLaren 765LT in that garage bay over there, a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in the next one, and Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course beckoning right outside. But it turns out there’s a little more to it than that. And I can testify, now that I’ve driven at Lightning Lap. Sort of. Since I live only two hours south of VIR, I usually drive up to Lightning Lap then lurk around trying not to be too annoying to the actual drivers. But this year, thanks to a scheduling mix-up, we had an extra Hyundai Veloster N on hand, so print director Eric Tingwall gave me the keys and told me to see what I could do with it. “You’ll want to turn on rev matching and put it in N mode,” he said. As an attentive and detail-oriented road-course savant, I processed and retained every bit of that advice except the second part. Never did I run a lap in N mode, which means the Veloster’s adaptive dampers were in the flabby street setting the whole time. For those of you keeping track, that is excuse number one. As I started recording times, I realized that Lightning Lap presents a twofold challenge: You’ve got to master a car within a few days on a track that you probably only visit once a year. The track is its

Bad to the Bone Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY $79!

he very best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for. The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion. The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world. This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers. But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this BONUS! Call today and beauty slip through your fingers. Call today! you’ll also receive this

Huntsman Blade $249*

genuine leather sheath!

EXCLUSIVE

FREE

Stauer® 8x21 Compact Binoculars -a $99 valuewith purchase of Huntsman Blade

What Stauer Clients 8- )>*+0 15/( Our Knives

ÌÌÌÌÌ “This knife is beautiful!” — J., La Crescent, MN

ÌÌÌÌÌ “The feel of this knife is unbelievable...this is an incredibly fine instrument.” — H., Arvada, CO

Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $170

1-800-333-2045 Your Insider Offer Code: HUK!"!-01 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

Stauer

Rating of A+

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. HUK -01 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the Not shown listed original Stauer.com price. actual size.

California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product. • 12" overall length; " #ΤΜ̶ '()*+,-'' '(--, ./,, ()+0 1,)2- Ȉ -+/*+- 15+- 6)+2,- 7*(6 18)'' 6)+2 0/)82 Ƭ 15,'(-8' Ȉ +;,/2-' 0-+/*+- ,-)(6-8 '6-)(6

Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.®

El ana scherr

Lobster out of Water Exploring the appeal of two similarly expensive but very different ultraluxury cars through the eyes and callused hands of a hot-rodder. I don’t understand luxury. How do you decide what

Even with the windows down, the Ghost has the feel of a fortress. This is a car to protect you from having to talk to anyone. It blocks out the bumps in the road, replaces the harsh and disappointing sun with a sky of your own imagining, and even hushes its twin-turbo V-12 using the same tricks manufacturers usually employ to make their cars sound louder and sportier. Not so for the Continental. The V-8 Bentley has a Sport mode that ups the growl and allows the exhaust to emit the most uncouth farts and burbles when you let off the throttle. Given the choice, I’d pick a lifestyle that means getting to make rude noises whenever you want. Both brands have electrification plans for the next decade, but only in the Bentley will you notice the change. There’s an oft-repeated idea that a Bentley is for driving and a Rolls-Royce is for being driven in. Rolls says the Ghost is equally pleasant in any seat, but why would you subject yourself to having to pay attention to the road when you could be reclining in the back, seat massager on, rosé in the icebox, and outrageously plush carpet beneath your feet? It’s made of lambswool, that carpet, fluffier than a perfect baked potato, softer than forgiveness. From now on, when I see a Ghost, I’m going to assume the owner is in the back rolling around naked on the carpet in a pile of $100 bills. In the Continental, on the other hand, the back seat is barely big enough for a baked potato, so it’s a good thing the car is such a delight to pilot. I set out for a local taco stand and ended up visiting a food truck 200 miles from my house because Sequoia National Park was only a little bit farther, and I felt as though the wood dash might enjoy visiting its still-living cousins. I just wanted to keep driving. After suffering through several days surrounded by massaging interiors that smelled Rolls or Bentley? If Scherr wins the lottery, she’s buying 200,000 $2 tacos. like a wealthy uncle, I do feel as if I’ve gained some understanding of why people seek luxury. It’s not only about showing off rare materials and portable refrigerators; it’s also a method of counteracting the outside world, which can be unpredictable, uncomfortable, and unattractive. Rolls and Bentley aim to solve this in different ways. The Ghost provides an alternate universe that is quieter, softer, and more sparkly than reality, while the Continental allows the outside in but warms the cold air before it touches you. One lets you pretend there’s nothing bad out there, and the other lets you see it and drive away. Is it worth the money to escape the real world? Lemme spend a little more time on the research. I’ll get back to you.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

ILLUSTRATION BY BRETT AFFRUNTI, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELANA SCHERR

is luxurious enough and how much you should pay for it? I understand performance. It’s easily trackable with numbers and math and records, and I can follow the logic that would make huge performance worth huge money. A bespoke sedan? A lifestyle of twinkling-star headliners, embroidered butterflies, knurled turn-signal switches, and open-pore wood? Do you value it by the butterfly? By the knurl? It’s possible I just haven’t experienced enough highend living. So I made the sacrifice of spending time in two cars from the most famous luxury auto brands on the planet, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, to see if I could gain some understanding of what exactly a luxury lifestyle is. To remain relatable, I started this new all-wealth-andglamour experience with the more entry-level cars: a $428,625 Rolls-Royce Ghost and a bargain-priced $298,455 Bentley Continental GT convertible. The Ghost is as white as its namesake, with the imposing visage of an oncoming train. The Continental is the dark red of a roasted beet and curvy where the Ghost is right angled. You can see its hippy quarterpanels in the side-view mirrors. In the Ghost’s rearview, all you see are pedestrians wondering which celebrity just went past. The Bentley convertible is the friendlier of the two. An open car invites eye contact and interaction. “Aren’t you cold?” asked a grandmotherly type one lane over. “No, this has neck warmers,” I answered. “That sounds lovely,” she said, and it is.

the ultimate SUBSCRIPTION BOX & MAGAZINE FOR car-loving KIDS!

10% OFF

Annual Box Subscription USE CODE: CD10

OR CALL 800-554-4898

LIGHTNING LAP

No.14

Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course is America’s toughest racetrack, a thrilling mix of challenging corners and high-speed straights. Going fast here requires power and grip and resilience, plus a whole lot of confidence. If a performance car is hiding any weaknesses, we’ll find them. That’s why we return every year with a new crop of vehicles to run the fastest possible lap in the ultimate test of performance that we call Lightning Lap. By David Beard, K.C. Colwell, Eric Tingwall, and Dave VanderWerp

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNY RISHER ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

This year’s heavy hitters include a Porsche that runs on electricity, a Corvette with the engine in the middle, and a 760-hp Mustang.

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

TRACK PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

Had we made it as rock stars, this is how we’d

spend our days off: We’d rent Virginia International Raceway, order up a fleet of the most interesting performance cars available, and then go as fast as we could until security asked us to leave. That fantasy meets reality once a year when we travel to VIR to lap the hottest cars of the moment for our Lightning Lap track test. These laps reveal a vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses and also the stories beyond the numbers. Still wondering why Chevrolet moved the Corvette’s engine from the front to the middle? The C8’s lap should clear things up. The rowdy Mini John Cooper Works GP claimed the Lightning Lap record for front-wheeldrive vehicles while the four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG CLA45 pulled out a surprise performance and vanquished the times set by eight V-8-powered AMG bruisers. The Porsche Taycan Turbo S made a real breakthrough for electric vehicles when it set a blazing lap in line with the fastest gas-powered sedans. And the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 shrugged off its hefty weight to circle the track quicker than a mid-engine supercar. We run unmodified production cars, just like the ones you can buy from a dealer. They’re rolling on factory rubber and burning pump gas. If you’re wondering why a particular car is missing from our competition—say, every Aston Martin ever, the Ferrari F8 Tributo, or the Tesla Model 3 Performance—it’s not because we didn’t ask. Carmakers can’t always provide what we need; sometimes they just have stage fright. Back in 2006, we chose VIR because its 4.1-mile Grand Course configuration is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Germany’s brutal Nürburgring Nordschleife. This 24-turn asphalt crucible tests a car’s ability to brake, accelerate, handle, and deal with the abuse that comes from limit driving. Each lap time represents the distillation of a vehicle’s complete performance and character. Does the car’s balance and communication help drivers push harder, or does its numb steering and sketchy behavior at the limit keep us from realizing its full potential? The answer is baked into each time, but you’ll also find it spelled out in our tales from the track.

SPOTTER GUIDE LL2 3:03.2

This year at Lightning Lap, our 14th, we added 18 records to the registry, which now consists of 277 production-car laps. As always, the base prices here include all the go-fast goodies. Head to CarandDriver.com/ LightningLap for videos of our runs and the complete list of times.

0:00.0

Lap Time

LL2 3:06.2

2020 BMW M340i

2020 Cadillac CT4-V

Base/As Tested: $57,195/$64,545 382 hp 3792 lb 9.9 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, F: 225/40R-19 93Y ! R: 255/35R-19 96Y !

Base/As Tested: $45,490/$52,165 325 hp 3633 lb 11.2 lb/hp Tires: Continental SportContact 6 SSR, 235/40R-18 95Y TPC

LL2 3:03.8

LL2 3:03.4

2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP

2019 Subaru STI S209

Base/As Tested: $45,750/$45,750 301 hp 2888 lb 9.6 lb/hp Tires: Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z, 225/35R-18 87Y !

Base/As Tested: $64,880/$64,880 341 hp 3474 lb 10.2 lb/hp Tires: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 A, 265/35R-19 94Y

LL3 2:49.0

LL3 2:44.6

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Base/As Tested: $69,480/$86,865 495 hp 3665 lb 7.4 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP, F: 245/35ZR-19 (89Y) TPC R: 305/30ZR-20 (99Y) TPC

Base/As Tested: $92,595/$94,760 760 hp 4067 lb 5.4 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, F: 305/30ZR-20 (103Y) FP R: 315/30ZR-20 (104Y) FP

THE CLASS BOUNDARIES

Start/Finish Sector 1

Front Straight

LL1

LL2

LL3

LL4

LL5

up to $34,999

$35,000– $64,999

$65,000– $124,999

$125,000– $249,999

$250,000 and above

NASCAR Bend

Horse Shoe

Hog Pen Sector 2 Snake Roller Coaster

THE TRACK Virginia International Raceway • Grand Course • 4.1 Miles

Infield

Oscar winner, salad-dressing tycoon, and racer Paul Newman once said, “If there is a heaven on earth, it is VIR.” We have to agree. Officially, the Grand Course has 24 turns, but completing a 4.1-mile lap requires more than 30 saws at the wheel. The best corners are named, and as you can see below, little of the track is flat. It only takes a lap to see why we chose it as our own testing heaven.

Sector 5 Bitch

Climbing Esses

Elevation

500

Sector 4 Back Straight North

Spiral

Sector

Sector 3

300

Start

Finish Oak Tree

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLINT FORD ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

THE DRIVERS

LL2 3:04.1

David Beard

K.C. Colwell

Eric Tingwall

Dave VanderWerp

Technical Editor Years: 3 Laps Set: 12 Uses Turbo Blue for cologne.

Deputy Director of Testing Years: 11 Laps Set: 49 Look at that COVID flow!

Print Director Years: 7 Laps Set: 26 Changes his own tires.

Director of Testing Years: 3 Laps Set: 12 A.k.a. the Flying Dutchman.

LL2 3:04.4

2020 Cadillac CT5-V

2020 Ford Mustang 2.3L High Performance

Base/As Tested: $48,690/$63,045 360 hp 4061 lb 11.3 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP, 245/40ZR-19 94Y TPC

Base/As Tested: $36,855/$42,070 330 hp 3649 lb 11.1 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4, 265/40ZR-19 98Y

LL2 3:09.0

LL2 2:59.3

2021 Toyota Supra 2.0

2021 Toyota Supra 3.0

Base/As Tested: $43,985/$47,470 255 hp 3182 lb 12.5 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, F: 255/40ZR-18 (95Y) ! R: 275/40ZR-18 (99Y) !

Base/As Tested: $51,985/$56,680 382 hp 3402 lb 8.9 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, F: 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) ! R: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) !

LL3 2:59.5

LL3 2:58.2

2021 Jaguar F-Type R

2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45

Base/As Tested: $104,350/$115,235 575 hp 4103 lb 7.1 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4, F: 265/35ZR-20 (99Y) J R: 305/30ZR-20 (99Y) J

Base/As Tested: $68,835/$79,915 382 hp 3772 lb 9.9 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) MO1

LL3 2:50.3

LL4 2:55.5

2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

2020 BMW M8 Competition

Base/As Tested: $114,450/$118,600 414 hp 3158 lb 7.6 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, F: 245/35ZR-20 (95Y) N1 R: 295/30ZR-20 (101Y) N1

Base/As Tested: $156,145/$175,745 617 hp 4224 lb 6.8 lb/hp Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, F: 275/35ZR-20 (102Y) ! R: 285/35ZR-20 (104Y) !

LL5 2:45.0

LL4 2:55.2

2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo

2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Base/As Tested: $274,769/$334,969 631 hp 3606 lb 5.7 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, F: 245/30ZR-20 (90Y) L R: 305/30ZR-20 (103Y) L

Base/As Tested: $189,940/$205,360 616 hp 5222 lb 8.5 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect, F: 265/35ZR-21 101Y NF0 R: 305/30ZR-21 104Y NF0

LL4 2:42.5

LL5 2:38.4

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S

2021 McLaren 765LT

Base/As Tested: $206,360/$216,050 640 hp 3637 lb 5.7 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4, F: 255/35ZR-20 (93Y) NA1 R: 315/30ZR-21 (105Y) NA1

Base/As Tested: $363,500/$429,190 755 hp 3107 lb 4.1 lb/hp Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R, F: 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) MC1 R: 305/30ZR-20 (103Y) MC1

2021 Toyota Supra 2.0 The slower Supra can’t handle the stress of VIR. Riddle: What goes faster than the Supra 2.0 but has the same 3:09.0 lap time? Answer: The Supra’s brakes. The four-cylinder Toyota just isn’t up to our VIR torture test. As the lap progresses, the pedal squishes ever closer to the floor, the deceleration weakens, the braking zones lengthen, and the tire walls loom larger. The starter Supra’s single-piston front calipers chew on smaller brake rotors than the 3.0’s four-piston Brembos, and the system’s lack of resilience is the biggest difference between the four- and six-cylinder models. Yes, bigger than the 127 horsepower separating the two. We’re used to minding the brakes during Lightning Lap, particularly in affordable performance cars. But for $43,985, a two-seat sports car really ought to have baked-in track capability. The Supra certainly feels up to the task in every other regard. It corners

3:09.0

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

as hard and moves with the same agility as the big-engine car, with cornering speeds right on top of the Supra 3.0’s in the Grand Course’s 24 turns. The 255-hp inline-four gives up 14.6 mph on the front straight to the 382-hp inline-six, but it never feels slow or underpowered. With such righteous handling, it’s easy to fall under the Supra’s spell, particularly when you’re feeling fast and focused. After posting the 3:09.0 time, instead of cooling the car down, we tried to carry our enthusiasm into the next lap. That notion ended before Turn 1 when the Supra couldn’t slow down enough to make the turn-in point despite the driver stabbing at the brake pedal and filling the cabin with expletives. Instead of trimming time, we took a casual, low-speed cut of the grass beyond Turn 1 before heading to the pits. On the slow drive back, we made up this adage: It’s always better to park a car in the pits than in a wall.

From the Record Book 3:07.7 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Performance 3:08.0 2017 BMW M240i 3:10.5 2015 Subaru WRX STI

2020 Cadillac CT4-V Cadillac’s performance brand builds on a winning formula. You’ll have to look closely to find similarities between Cadillac’s CT4-V and its IMSA prototype race car, the DPi-V.R, but push a CT4-V hard on a racetrack and you might start thinking that the two share more than just their headlight and taillight signatures. The CT4-V, like its predecessor, the ATS-V, rides on General Motors’ superstar Alpha platform. Cadillac softened the bushings for a better ride on the street, but the magnetorheological dampers counter any squish when it’s time to work. The chassis is unperturbed by intimate encounters with curbing. Don’t be shaken by the spooky high-speed oversteer when exiting the off-camber Turn 10; push hard to Oak Tree and you’ll find confidence in the outstanding brakes. Lean on the Continental tires and they’ll provide two weeks’ notice before quitting, and

3:06.2

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

nothing is more informative than the Caddy’s precise, responsive steering. Look beyond the magical chassis and it’s easy to undervalue the CT4 for not being a full-blown V-Series. Its 325-hp turbocharged 2.7-liter inlinefour is hardly comparable to the 464hp twin-turbo V-6 that bestowed the ATS-V sedan with an 11.7-mph advantage on the front straight. At the top end of the tach, the big-bore four labors like an overworked pack mule and groans just as much. From apex to apex, the 10-speed automatic hustles through gears to keep the engine in a plateau of midrange grunt. Tugging on the paddle shifters provides a more engaging experience, but doing so doesn’t shave any tenths, and it’s best to let this smart gearbox think for itself. A 3:06.2 lap from Cadillac’s junior V is a solid showing, but a chassis of this pedigree begs for more muscle. We can only hope the forthcoming CT4-V Blackwing will bring the heat.

From the Record Book 2:59.8 2016 Cadillac ATS-V 3:05.9 2016 Lexus GS F 3:07.3 2019 Genesis G70 3.3T Dynamic

2020 Ford Mustang 2.3L High Performance Sticky tires help fuel a Mustang redemption story. The EcoBoost Mustang’s lap shows what’s possible when a manufacturer fits a moderately powerful car with tires that are stickier than an IHOP syrup dispenser. When Ford’s sixth-generation pony debuted for 2015, the 435-hp V-8-powered GT ran a 3:05.2 at VIR. Even down 105 horses, this fourcylinder car laps quicker. Equipped with the $4995 2.3L High Performance engine upgrade and the $1995 Handling package, this colt makes 330 horsepower, 20 more than the base model. An active exhaust announces the car, upgraded brakes rein it in, and a limited-slip differential prevents the base Stang’s

3:04.4

favorite party trick: the one-tire fire. But for the Mustang with half a heart, the replacement for displacement comes down to the Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 track tires included in the Handling kit. After leaving the back straight 1.1 seconds behind the 2015 GT, the EcoBoost Mustang mounts a dramatic comeback. It claws back the lead through the infield, where the steering wheel is always turning and the accelerator doesn’t stay flat for long. Magnetorheological dampers keep the tires planted, and those Pirellis stick the front and rear ends with tremendous stability. The breakneck cornering carries through Roller Coaster and Hog Pen, opening a gap the old GT can’t close despite hitting

a 10.2-mph-higher peak speed on the long front straight. This four-cylinder track special isn’t exactly a giant-killer. Ford has built faster GTs since 2015 that can turn sub-three-minute laps. This redemption story—the standard EcoBoost Mustang ran a disappointing 3:15.6 in 2015—reveals that the best go-fast parts are trickling down through the Mustang lineup. The 20-horse upgrade is overpriced, but the Handling package is an incredible value for anyone who finds more joy in the corners than in the straights.

From the Record Book 3:04.0 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE 3:05.2 2015 Ford Mustang GT 3:05.6 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 2.0T 1LE

2020 Cadillac CT5-V Cadillac’s big sedan is track ready and joyful. The high-speed left-rightleft-right sequence before Roller Coaster will keep a car on the edge of adhesion. While we’re sawing at the wheel like a giddy toddler in a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, we’re noting a car’s tendency toward understeer or oversteer, how sensitive it is to load transfer, and how easy it is to exploit

3:04.1

Come to Grips with a Lap

McLAREN 765LT FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY Z51 PORSCHE 911 TURBO S MERCEDES-AMG CLA45 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GT4 PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S TOYOTA SUPRA 3.0 BMW M8 COMPETITION SUBARU STI S209 FORD MUSTANG 2.3L HIGH PERFORMANCE JAGUAR F-TYPE R CADILLAC CT5-V MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP TOYOTA SUPRA 2.0 CADILLAC CT4-V BMW M340i

Turn 1, or Horse Shoe if you prefer your corners named, sets up a car for lap-time glory or failure. It is flat, and the lateral-acceleration average here is remarkably analogous to a 300-foot-skidpad test result. This is how this year’s crop of lappers performed.

0.00

all the grip. Going through this section in the CT5-V, we feel a deep sense of connection and joy that’s absent in a lot of other sports sedans. Your moves become the CT5V’s moves. It follows your lead and dances up a storm, making you look and feel like a hero. And as Chevy does in the Corvette and hot Camaros, Cadillac fits the CT5-V with Performance Traction Management (PTM), which lets you adjust the breadth of the stability-control safety net. Its Race mode serves up intervention thresholds that allow

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

ROADHOLDING, g

1.18 1.16 1.11 1.11 1.09 1.08 1.07 1.04 1.03 1.01 1.01 1.00 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.96 0.94 0.92

for max acceleration on corner exit. For $3200 more than the CT4-V, the CT5-V strikes us as a bargain. In addition to having more interior space than the 4, you get a 360-hp 3.0-liter V-6, larger front brakes, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential (versus the CT4’s mechanical unit), the aforementioned PTM software, and a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP summer tires. Those Michelins impart confidence as you drop the CT5-V into Hog Pen at 83.9 mph. The car carries more speed through that corner than the CT4-V and maintains it onto the straight, where the bigger Caddy outruns its sibling by 5.0 mph despite having a similar power-to-weight ratio. Overall, the CT5-V bests the smaller V-Series by 2.1 seconds and beats the old 420-hp CTS Vsport by 2.7 seconds. It’s easy to think that this new generation of sedans weakened the V brand, but the CT5-V and the CT4-V are both track-ready grin makers.

From the Record Book 2:56.8 2016 Cadillac CTS-V 3:04.0 2009 Cadillac CTS-V 3:06.8 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport 1.20

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

“I’’ve gotten many compliments on this watch. The craftsmanship is phenomenal and the watch is simply pleasing to the eye.” —M., Irvine, CA “GET THIS WATCH.” —M., Wheeling, IL

Back in Black: The New Face of Luxury Watches “...go black. Dark and handsome remains a classic for a reason” — Men’s Journal

I’ll Take Mine Black…No Sugar

n the early 1930s watch manufacturers took a An offer that will make you dig out your old tux. clue from Henry Ford’s favorite quote concerning The movement of the Stauer Noire wrist watch carhis automobiles, “You can have any color as long as ries an extended two year warranty. But first enjoy it is black.” Black dialed watches became the rage this handsome timepiece risk-free for 30 days for especially with pilots and race drivers. Of course, the extraordinary price of only 3 payments of $33. If since the black dial went well with a black tuxedo, you are not thrilled with the quality and rare design, the adventurer’s black dial watch easily moved from simply send it back for a full refund of the item price. the airplane hangar to dancing at the nightclub. But once you strap on the Noire you’ll want to stay Now, Stauer brings back the “Noire”, a design based in the black. 27 jewels and handon an elegant timepiece built in 1936. Black dialed, assembled parts drive Exclusive Offer—Not Available in Stores complex automatics from the 1930s have recently hit this classic masterpiece. Stauer Noire Watch $399† new heights at auction. One was sold for in excess of Your Cost With Offer Code $99 + S&P Save $300 $600,000. We thought that you might like to have an affordable version that will be much more accurate than the original. OR 3 credit card payments of $33 + S&P Basic black with a twist. Not only are the dial, hands and face vintage, but we used a 27-jeweled automatic movement. This is the kind of engineering desired by fine watch collectors worldOffer Code: NWT$%&-06 wide. But since we design this classic movement on state of the art You must use this offer code to get our special price. computer-controlled Swiss built machines, the accuracy is excellent. † Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price Three interior dials display day, month and date. We have priced on Stauer.com without your offer code. the luxurious Stauer Noire at a price to keep you in the black… ® only 3 payments of $33. So slip into the back of your black limousine, savor some rich tasting black coffee and look at your 14101 Southcross Dri!" W., wrist knowing that you have some great times on your hands. Ste 155, Dept. NWT!"#-06

1-800-333-2045

Stauer

Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

Rating of A+

27-jewel automatic movement • Month, day, date and 24-hour, sun/ moon dials • Luminous markers • Date window at 3’ o’clock • Water resistant to 5 ATM • Crocodile embossed leather strap in black fits wrists to 6½"–9"

Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.®

The Stolen Record

2021 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP The 301-hp Mini darts to a narrow front-drive Lightning Lap record.

With its front tires furiously trying to hook up, the angriest Mini pulls onto the front straight 0.9 second behind Lightning Lap’s front-drive champ, the Honda Civic Type R. But a mere 14.3 seconds later, the GP closes the gap and noses ahead of the Type R by a tenth, thus snatching the front-drive title. We knew that the GP’s 301 horsepower—32 percent more than the standard JCW model offers—was going to be a big part of the Mini’s lap, but it turned out to be the deciding factor in its success. Without its ability to dramatically reel in the Honda on the Grand Course’s two long straights, the GP wouldn’t have had a chance against the 306-hp Type R. Lower and stiffer than the JCW, the 3000-unit GP has personality, but it isn’t one that’s inviting or forgiving on track. Push ever so slightly too hard on the accelerator and the surge of boost vaults the Mini off track in a mob of locked-diff wheelspin and understeer. The

3:03.8

Of the 277 production cars we have lapped, just 30 are front-wheel drive. The 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS reigned as the front-drive king of Lightning Lap for a decade until the 2018 Honda Civic Type R dethroned it by 9.1 seconds. The Mini JCW GP topped out 9 mph faster than the Type R to steal the crown by 0.1 second.

Mini JCW GP

Honda Civic Type R

Chevrolet Cobalt SS

140

SPEED, MPH

The Principality of Front-Driveness

Sector

Start

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

Finish

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

dartiness extends elsewhere, too, such as the yanks through the steering wheel that accompany wideopen-throttle upshifts. While those shenanigans might be amusing on the street, they’re not what you want when you’re trying to position the GP for the delicate weave through the uphill esses at speeds greater than 125 mph. Go easy on the curbs, too, as the suspension becomes unsettled enough to awaken stability control even in its “off” setting. The conventional eight-speed automatic is a letdown that can occasionally find itself in the wrong gear on track. Shifting for ourselves isn’t much better and doesn’t improve times. A manual would make the GP more involving, and a good dual-clutch would make it quicker.

But it doesn’t matter that it can’t corner as well as the Type R or that the seats lack side bolstering or that those goofy squared-off wheel-arch extensions are made of carbon-fiber scraps from the BMW i3 and i8 or that the Type R is more satisfying and refined on track. The story here is about thrust. The GP has just enough to put it right at the top of the all-time front-drive leaderboard.

You can identify this front-drive freak by its ostentatious wing and strange carbon-fiber fenders or its blistering pace.

From the Record Book 3:01.9 2016 BMW M2 3:03.9 2016 Ford Focus RS 3:03.9 2018 Honda Civic Type R

2019 Subaru STI S209 Laying down the right lap in the STI S209 means doing things wrong. Maybe it’s the influence of Subaru’s lengthy rallying history, but getting the S209 to turn a hot lap requires approaching corners with way too much speed and just chucking it in. These are not the tidy lines or slow-in-fast-out lessons racing-school instructors draw on whiteboards. The S209 is the first specialedition S model available in the U.S. and the fifth STI we’ve run at VIR. It’s also the quickest one, but not by as much as Subaru hoped. The company target for the S209 was the Cadillac ATS-V’s 2:59.8 time. We tried, strapping into the S209 more than any other car on our final day of lapping. While we couldn’t match the Caddy’s time, the S209 did finish 1.5 seconds ahead of the 2018 WRX STI Type RA. A lap in this Subie is really a mixed bag. On the front straight, the 341hp S209 underperformed, winding

3:03.4

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

up fourth slowest overall despite our most violent, no-lift upshifts and tapping the steering-wheel paddles to spritz the intercooler with water. In tight sections, however, the special Dunlops and fortified chassis put on a clinic. The S209 carries more speed (averaging 118.2 mph) through the Climbing Esses than any other LL2 contender this year. If it had more power, its chassis wouldn’t get in the way of its going quicker. Diving into the downhill transitions of Spiral, the S209 puts up the highest minimum speed of the entire field—Corvette, 911 Turbo S, and 765LT included. But the S209’s 70 percent price premium over the regular STI creates big expectations. For one, it’d be nice to have track-ready seats. We also experienced a fuel-starvation issue that left the S209 sputtering with a half-tank of go-go juice. This STI generation has similarly run out of momentum, and we hold out hope for more power in the next go-round.

From the Record Book 3:03.0 2014 Audi RS7 3:04.9 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA 3:05.6 2017 Audi RS3

2020 BMW M340i A wannabe M car inches closer to the real thing. Years of testing BMW’s 3- and 4-series allow us to measure the pace of evolution through generational comparison. For example, the M340i arrives at the Turn 1 braking zone traveling 142.3 mph, a mere 2.4 mph shy of the 425hp 2015 BMW M4’s speed. And the M340i’s 3:03.2 lap is 10.0 seconds quicker than that of the last-gen 2012 BMW 335i Sport Line and just 2.5 seconds off the M4’s time. The M4’s 43-hp advantage over the M340i helps it pull away on VIR’s foot-to-the-floor sections, but the lesser Bimmer’s 382-hp turbocharged inline-six charges relentlessly to redline and never exhibits a bad vibe or any performance degradation during hot laps. Its sidekick, the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, upshifts and downshifts as if it had the VIR track map programmed into its brain. In the slower sections, the M340i’s grip and handling allow it to keep

3:03.2

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

up with the full-blooded M car, but its steering feels disconnected. Responses to inputs are often nonlinear—with the car steering too much or too little—and that unpredictability makes turning in and holding the line trickier than it should be. The chassis takes aggression in stride. Pound over the curbing and the adaptive dampers forgive your transgressions. The rear tires squeal with excitement during corner exits, but with some help from the electronically controlled limited-slip differential, the car’s torque is masterfully orchestrated into acceleration. VIR’s many big slowdown events transform a once firm brake pedal into mush and leave the wheels looking like they were just pulled from a campfire. Despite the long pedal, the brakes still haul down the M340i from speed with unerring reliability. Progress has the M340i closing in on the old M4’s lap time. The new M3 and M4 should widen the gap, but we’re hoping BMW does a better job with the steering in its upcoming M cars than it did in the M340i.

From the Record Book 3:00.7 2015 BMW M4 3:06.6 2011 BMW 1-series M 3:07.6 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

2021 Toyota Supra 3.0 The updated Supra is better, faster, and stronger. We like to imagine Toyota engineers, product planners, and marketers were clinking Sapporos at a karaoke bar celebrating the completion of the 2020 Supra when inspiration struck for the 2021 model. Was it someone’s stirring rendition of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” that inspired them to make a better, faster, and stronger Supra just one year after the sports car debuted? It had to have been. The changes for 2021 lop 2.1 seconds off the Supra 3.0’s time. Credit the additional 47 horsepower from the turbocharged 3.0-liter inlinesix. On the front straight, the car’s

2:59.3

382 ponies are good for 144.3 mph, 5.1 mph higher than the peak speed achieved by last year’s car. The better and stronger bits include a chassis that’s been tweaked to increase stability with a front end stiffened by additional bracing. While the handling remains playful enough to allow you to rotate the car by trail braking or by impatiently stabbing at the throttle on corner exit, the better part comes in when you turn into a corner. The redone Supra hunkers down, tracks true, and won’t surprise you with gratuitous oversteer like last year’s car. That stability helps you build the confidence to work the Supra harder, at least in one critical spot. At the blind, off-camber, downhill,

pucker-inducing, does-this-qualifyas-an-at-work-accident left-hander that follows the Climbing Esses, the new Supra picks up an extra 6.9 mph. That one corner helps shave about a quarter-second from last year’s lap. While the updates dialed out some body roll, we’re glad that enough was left in to allow the Toyota to bob over surface imperfections and lean through curves. While not trendy, that bit of body motion delivers seatof-the pants feedback that makes this car more fun and more alive than many other sports cars.

From the Record Book 2:55.1 2012 Lexus LFA 3:01.4 2020 Toyota Supra Premium 3:02.6 2020 Lexus RC F Track Edition

2021 Jaguar F-Type R Now easier to wrangle around a track, the F-type is still way off the pace. The Jaguar F-types of years past—a 2015 R coupe and the $175,995 special-edition Project 7 in 2016—were more interested in putting on a Formula Drift–style smoke show than laying down fast laps. Despite our best efforts to judiciously use the throttle, the rear-

2:59.5

wheel-drive Brits treated every turn as an opportunity for opposite lock. This newest F-type is much better at keeping its nose pointed down the track. That’s largely the result of splitting the engine’s 516 pound-feet among all four wheels. Jag made allwheel drive standard on the V-8 R model back in 2016, but we’re only getting around to lapping the F-type again with this year’s facelift, which also sees engine output climb from 550 horses to 575. That extra power, however, is perfectly offset by the 2021 model’s extra 185 pounds; this

F-type carries the same 7.1 pounds per horsepower as the rear-drive 2015 F-type R coupe that ran a 3:01.0. With less energy spent keeping the Jag’s tail in check, we stuck to our intended line more faithfully and trimmed 1.5 seconds off the F-type’s lap. The side effect of an easier-todrive F-type is that it’s starting to feel less like a live-wire sports car and more like a grand tourer. The carbonceramic brakes offered in 2015 are no longer an option, and while the iron rotors held up to the abuse, they almost certainly had a date with a dumpster shortly after we were done with them. It’s a similar story for the Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires, which coped with track work, but the Jag’s 4103 pounds kept them from excelling. The F-type is not as athletic as its numbers suggest. Notice that the Corvette, with a worse power-toweight ratio, beats the F-type around the Grand by more than 10 seconds. The Jaguar is at its best when you’re enjoying the drama it creates—the thundering V-8, the beautiful styling, the sense of occasion it adds to any drive—without a stopwatch running. If going quicker means giving up the theater of the F-type, we’re fine if it never turns a faster lap.

From the Record Book 2:59.1 2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT 3:01.0 2015 Jaguar F-type R coupe 3:02.2 2016 Jaguar F-type Project 7

Get Your Track Life on Track The idea of driving on track shouldn’t be daunting. There are plenty of ways to learn high-performance driving while minimizing the risk, and not all of them cost a ton of money. —Ezra Dyer AUTOCROSS AND RALLYCROSS

The cheapest way to experience the thrill of competition will likely be a local autocross or its dirt cousin, rallycross. The speeds are usually modest, but for just $25 to $50 per

event, you’ll still get to push the limits of braking and cornering without too much risk to your car or ego. KARTING

Karts, as you may know, are actually small race cars. Indoor tracks are popular, but outdoor ones provide a broader palette to indulge your F1 fantasies. At GoPro Motorplex in North Carolina, the 13-hp rental karts have room to hit 55 mph in the 11-turn road course, and each race costs only $25.

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

ARRIVE-AND-DRIVE PROGRAMS

This is where you show up at a track and the car is provided. As a bonus, this could be your chance to sample a machine you’ve never driven. For instance, Exotics Racing in Las Vegas will give you five laps of a 1.2-mile road course in a Ferrari F430, with an instructor, for $269.

outfit books a track and lets a certain number of drivers buy in for lapping. Events can go for multiple days, and run groups are arranged by vehicle type and driver experience, with novices often receiving basic instruction. If you want to drive your personal car on a legendary track like VIR, this is the way to do it for around $400 per day (other tracks cost less).

HPDE TRACK DAYS

With high-performance driving events, a car club or track-driving

DRIVING SCHOOLS

If you want to learn the fundamentals while

getting your yuks, dropping four figures on a driving school can involve anything from open-wheel cars on pavement (Florida’s Lucas Oil School of Racing) to rally cars on snow and gravel (Team O’Neil Rally School in New Hampshire). Or you can buy a car that comes with track time. The BMW M Driver’s package on M cars raises the topspeed limiter and gets you a one-day class at BMW’s South Carolina track or the Thermal Club in California.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

The Surprise Performance

2020 MERCEDESAMG CLA45 Grippy tires and sublime handling pull the junior AMG to a sub-three-minute lap.

Turning a lap in under three minutes on the Grand Course with less than 400 horsepower is an exclusive club, one populated solely with Porsche sports cars and a pair of open-cockpit track toys until the new Supra 3.0 and this top-rung AMG from the junior CLA line joined this year. How is the CLA such a roadcourse overachiever? Exquisite handling, for one thing, but mostly it comes down to tires and grip. Grip comes courtesy of Pirelli’s most aggressive street rubber: the P Zero Trofeo R. These tires are especially notable because their astronomical price—Mercedes charges $2900 for the set—is sure to make them one of the rarest options to spot in the wild. We can’t help but think AMG created this port-installed option—code D44 on the window sticker—specifically for Lightning Lap. We’re flattered. They proved their worth, or at least most of it, by clinging to the pavement with 1.08 g’s in Turn 1, by nearly matching the Cayman GT4’s pace through the esses, and by just edging out this year’s M8 Competition in the infield. This CLA45 laps VIR a heroic 7.7 seconds quicker than the previous-gen model that rode on Dunlop Sport Maxx RTs, a max-performance summer tire, and it does so with an almost identical power-to-weight ratio. Grip counts for a lot, but the CLA’s handling is amazingly neutral for a transverse-front-engine architecture. In fact, this Merc is downright tail-

2:58.2

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

The 382-hp AMG CLA45 punches way above its weight when equipped with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires.

happy until the tires warm up. Unlike the STI, the CLA resists understeer. Benz’s all-wheel drive is revelatory in the way it holds the line through corners, allowing you to get on the power early. With a lap that’s 7.4 seconds quicker than the Audi RS3’s and 1.5 seconds better than the BMW M2 Competition’s, the CLA45 blows away its natural competitors. Perhaps more remarkable is that it’s quicker than eight different V-8-powered AMGs of various body styles, including all but two models—the 2011 SLS AMG FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

From the Record Book 2:53.4 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T 2:54.0 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 2:56.7 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS

Climbing Curbs

Making big time gains in the Climbing Esses requires immense speed. The McLaren 765LT set the fastest climb we have on record, averaging 135.1 mph over 7.2 seconds, but the Mercedes-AMG CLA45’s 121.3-mph average puts it just 0.8 second behind through this section.

McLaren 765LT

Mercedes-AMG CLA45

150

SPEED, MPH

and the 2012 C63 AMG Black Series— from the spectacular naturally aspirated 6.2-liter M156 era. And it beat those V-8 AMGs despite having a worse power-toweight ratio and a lower peak speed on the front straight than nearly all of them. With that in mind, those tires don’t seem so extravagant after all.

2020 BMW M8 Competition BMW’s big coupe feels large and in charge on the track. Social media rarely gets anything this right. Back in 2018, the snarkier corners of the internet began calling BMW’s new Le Mans racer Big M8 when they noticed the M8 GTE dwarfed the Ford GT on track. That turns out to be a fitting nickname for the road car, too. The M8 Competition both drives large

2:55.5

Feel the Rhythm! Feel the Rhyme!

Apart from the Climbing Esses, the four-corner sequence dubbed the infield contains the fastest corners on the Grand Course. The g-loading in the infield is more sustained than it is in the esses, allowing the driver to finesse the car with subtle inputs.

McLAREN 765LT 84.0 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO 82.9 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY Z51 82.7 PORSCHE 911 TURBO S 82.3 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN GT4 81.7 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 80.8 SUBARU STI S209 79.5 MERCEDES-AMG CLA45 78.2 PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S 77.8 TOYOTA SUPRA 3.0 77.5 BMW M8 COMPETITION 77.3 FORD MUSTANG 2.3L HIGH PERFORMANCE 76.7 JAGUAR F-TYPE R 76.6 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS GP 75.8 CADILLAC CT5-V 75.4 TOYOTA SUPRA 2.0 74.8 BMW M340i 73.8 CADILLAC CT4-V 73.5 50

and delivers massive performance for a vehicle that’s as much a luxury cruiser as it is a sports car. It is 121 pounds heavier and more than a foot longer than the Jaguar F-type R, but it doesn’t feel any more unwieldy. The 4224-pound marauder laps with the stoicism of an Easter Island Moai. It cuts into corners quickly and then sticks to its path with unflappable poise. The M8 has so much midcorner stability that it borders on inert. The 617-hp V-8 can’t be caught in a lull because it makes power everywhere in the rev range. All that

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

AVERAGE SPEED, MPH

thrust makes it easy to come off VIR’s straights at heady speeds. Of all the cars at this year’s running, only the McLaren, 911 Turbo S, and Shelby GT500 carry a higher speed into the uphill esses than the M8’s 140.1 mph. Porsche’s Taycan—a car that literally weighs half a ton more—nips the BMW by 0.3 second. We attribute that to the EV’s low center of gravity and handling magic. The Taycan overtakes the Bimmer in the Climbing Esses, exiting 5.4 mph faster, and then squeezes ahead on the squiggly back half of the circuit. We are also obligated to point out that last year’s BMW M5 Competition ran 1.5 seconds quicker than the M8 despite having a nearly identical spec sheet. Blame the weather or the car or the driver or the spicy chicken wings that driver ate the night before day three. Or just consider this the margin of variability between two different vehicles driven by two different drivers a year apart.

From the Record Book 2:49.3 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S 2:54.0 2019 BMW M5 Competition 2:59.2 2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo 85

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

DRESSED TO KILL & FULLY LOADED! T HE WATCH YOU ’VE BEEN AFT ER ALL THESE YEARS NOW ON S P EC IAL OF FER !

THE

• Rose Gold & Blue Finish • Comfortable Silicone Band • High Precision Quartz Movement • Split-Second Chronograph • Magnificent Presentation Case • Blue Plating

30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

Featuring the signature LIVE THE DRIVE collection

The Daniel Steiger

RENEGADE BLUE NON OFFER PRICE $599 (WITHOUT PROMO CODE) 83% OFF NOW ONLY $99 PLUS S&H (WITH PROMO CD12RN)

TRACK C memb LUB receiv ers eu 25% o p to ff!

GET THE GEAR. LIVE THE DRIVE. VISIT SHOP.ROADANDTRACK.COM

The quest to find the ultimate men’s

Your journey is at an end you can

watch has always been a difficult one in the world of fashion. A timepiece with the perfect look and functionality has long been the goal of both watch designers and enthusiasts alike.

rest in the knowledge that this superb looking timepiece will stand out on the wrist. High-quality materials and design will endure the ravages of time both in terms of remaining fashionable and stylish yet durable enough to be worn every day whether at work, rest, or play.

After many years, mastering and honing the construction, design, and look. We bring you a durable rubber strap that will withstand everything the elements throw at it. Three precision subdials featuring a split second, second and minute, as well as being waterresistant to 3ATM’s. This watch is the epitome of style and sporty design.

ORDER NOW TOLL FREE 24/7 ON 1-800 733 8463 PROMO CODE: C D 1 2 R N

When we first introduced this outstanding looking timepiece we sold out within days especially considering the very special low-cost offer of only $99 plus S&H. To avoid disappointment hurry and order today.

ORDER ONLINE AT timepiecesusa.com/cd12rn AND ENTER CODE: CD12RN Timepieces Int Inc, 10701 NW 140th Street, Suite 1, Hialeah Gardens, Fl. 33018

The Breakthrough

2020 PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S The Taycan marks a watershed moment as the first EV to survive our Lightning Lap treatment.

and nearly 4.5 hours plugged in between the two sessions. Twenty-one miles of lapping consumed electricity roughly equal to 110 percent of the Taycan’s battery capacity. Unless there’s a DC fast charger nearby, tracking an EV is an exercise in patience. 23

21 19

6 7

20%

100% 8

72%

41%

14:30 to 14:55 On Track

Battery Fully Charged at 2:30 2:30 to 9:45 Plugged In

14:55 to 2:30 Charging

100%

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

Time Is a Flat Circle On our second day, the Taycan spent about 50 minutes on track

variant of Pirelli’s P Zero PZ4, keep their grip lap after lap. Thrusting out of corners, or in those moments that call for a brief squeeze of power, the Taycan delivers an instant punch that’s otherworldly. And though Porsche claims the Taycan reserves its full 750-horse fleet for launch-control starts only, we kind of doubt it. The Taycan’s big speed at the end of the front straight—not typically an EV strength—makes us believe there’s more than 616 horsepower at play. Really, the only spot where the Taycan’s poundage seems to have a negative impact is in the

In a straight-line race, the Porsche Taycan and the Tesla Model S are reasonably close. But introduce VIR’s two dozen corners and the difference between this year’s Taycan Turbo S and the P85D we ran back in 2016 stretches to a 22.2-second gulf, a gap as cataclysmic as the one between a Miata and a Ferrari 430 Scuderia or a Camry and a Charger SRT Hellcat. The Tesla couldn’t survive a quarter-lap before overheating and cutting power, which makes any more detailed comparisons— such as speed through the esses, where the Taycan averages 14.8 mph faster than the Model S—irrelevant. Even better than being fast, the Taycan Turbo S is like the company’s other cars in that it is easy to find and probe the performance capabilities. At Lightning Lap, drivers typically uncover many seconds over the three days of lapping as they solve the puzzle of extracting a car’s potential. Not so with the Taycan. The difference between our quickest lap from our first session and our overall quickest was just 1.2 seconds, the smallest improvement of any car this year. Zooming in on the details only makes the results more astounding. For instance: At 5222 pounds, the Taycan is the fourth-heaviest Lightning Lapper ever and the porkiest non-SUV, yet it’s the quickest member of the over-5000pound club. The carbon-ceramic brakes never fade, and the tires, an EV-specific

2:55.2

9:45 to 10:10 On Track

10 13

10:10 to 14:30 Charging FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

esses, where we find ourselves backing off just slightly—still averaging a heady 120.2 mph—to keep the car settled and on the track as we crash over the curbing. Hot-lapping EVs is an unfamiliar exercise, so Porsche brought along two identical cars, just in case. But the spare proved unnecessary, as the Taycan is the first EV that didn’t crumble against the Lightning Lap grindstone. It endured, without issue, our typical lapping schedule: a brisk out lap, a fast-as-you-dare hot lap followed by a cool-down, another hot lap, and then a cool-down before heading back to the pits. Starting with a full battery from an overnight charge, the Taycan landed at about 40 percent capacity after this routine, which, interestingly, is a burn rate on par with the Shelby GT500’s. To find the battery’s limits, we did two consecutive

flying laps once, which put enough heat in the battery to reduce power. We didn’t have to alter our routine for charging, though, as there was ample time—about four and a half hours—to top up the battery while this driver rotated through his other cars. A 50-amp RV outlet in the paddock, a common find at racetracks, supplied the electricity. More significant than being far and away the quickest EV, the Taycan places between the BMW M5 Competition and the Mercedes-AMG E63 S in the category of deliriously quick four-doors, regardless of power source.

It won’t manage a full day of lapping, but the Taycan Turbo S weathers the demands and abuse of a single all-out lap. That’s progress.

From the Record Book 2:55.4 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S 2:55.9 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3:17.4 2015 Tesla Model S P85D

of use, in this model’s reactions to inputs that no number—not even an 8100-rpm redline—can come close to quantifying. This Cayman is familiar. It’s trusty. It’s stable. It’s comfortable. Perhaps most telling is that every car that has turned a faster lap has enjoyed a better power-toweight ratio than the GT4. Specialized shoes are undeniably great, but if you’re not comfortable in them, you won’t want to keep them on. The GT4’s comfort ensures you’ll go as fast as you and the car can go.

From the Record Book 2:47.0 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 2:50.2 2017 Acura NSX 2:50.9 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 Still confused why a midengine Corvette exists? Here’s the ultimate explanation. Years ago, Ferrari engineers described VIR as tricky— very tricky. No other track in the country has as many different kinds of corners. Uphill? Check. Downhill? Got that. On- and off-camber in the same corner? Yup. How about off-camber, downhill, and blind all in one? We’ve got a bingo. VIR is a trial for cars and drivers, which is why Chevy engineers subjected the C8 to countless development laps here. An obsession with lap times is why the Corvette’s 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8 is now behind the front seats. Sure, the mid-engine placement helps acceleration, improves handling, and spices up the look, but lap times are the main reason why. The move paid off, with the C8 lapping VIR 4.8 seconds quicker than its direct predecessor, the 2014 C7 Stingray, a car with an identical power-to-weight ratio. The time comes from the toughest corners of the track. In the confidence-testing high-speed Climbing Esses, the C8 averages 126.0 mph, a 5.6-mph improvement over the C7. In the infield squiggles, there’s a point

2:49.0

2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Few cars feel as natural and comfortable on track as the Cayman GT4. Do you have that one pair of sneakers that fits so well it can only be replaced by a storefresh example of the same shoe? If you’re a father in the 50-to-70-yearold range on your 12th pair of New Balance 624s, you know what we’re talking about. The Cayman GT4 feels like that—a perfect fit that we could happily wear forever. Comfort, in shoes and in midengine cars with 414 horsepower, is

2:50.3

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

supremely important. Lace up the Cayman and you’ll hit the ground running. In our first session, the new GT4 proved quicker than the old 385-horse GT4, and the seconds steadily fell from there. Some of that newfound speed is due to its 4.0-liter flat-six heart, an engine based on the latest 911’s minus the turbochargers. With a quickest lap of 2:50.3, this Porsche is a big 3.7 seconds quicker than the 2016 Cayman GT4. In many places, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires gripped the pavement better than those worn by the previous GT4. But neither the extra stick nor the new car’s 29-hp advantage is enough to explain the quicker time through every sector. There’s an intangible greatness, call it ease

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

where the new Vette is going 15.0 mph faster than the old. Credit the C8’s trustier feel and balanced handling, along with gains in tire grip. Previous C8 track tests left us wishing for more front-end traction. But around VIR, the Vette turns in beautifully and maintains its purchase. Slipping into understeer seems more the fault of the driver than the chassis. Lap after lap, the brakes feel inexhaustible. The annoyances that distract you on the street—the square steering wheel, the poor rear visibility—melt away on track. We do wish that Chevy would let you pair the lightest steering effort with the raciest Performance Traction Management mode, but the heavy helm isn’t a big deal; the C8 obeys on first command and never puts up a fight. Skip the luxuries. A $69,480 Stingray Z51 with magnetorheological dampers and Competition Sport seats is the best value to navigate the trickery of VIR or any racetrack.

From the Record Book 2:39.5 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 2:47.1 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 2:53.8 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51

2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Lamborghini’s newest Huracán is a throwback to the glory days. The Huracán Evo is an ultrasonic orange slice bearing down on VIR’s Turn 1 at more than 160 mph. The scream of its 631-hp V-10 reminds us of a bygone era of race cars in tobacco livery. Its steering also recalls the past, communicating the differences between VIR’s 1999 tarmac, the 2013 repave, and the bits repaired in 2016. Around the Grand Course, the Evo is a second slower than the Huracán Performante we lapped two years ago. That gap is made more noticeable by the different flavors of the two cars. Without the Performante’s aero package, the Evo lacks the downforce to glue it to the ground at takeoff velocities. At the top of the Climbing Esses, where the new Huracán is going over 125 mph, understeer threatens to send us into the grass. The lack of grip keeps us from having

2:45.0

the confidence to carry more speed through the off-camber left (Turn 10) and into Oak Tree. Navigating Turns 9 to 12, the Evo loses more than a second to the Performante. In slower corners, it turns in without hesitation and sticks. Cars that excel at low-speed direction changes, such as this one, can benefit from a double-apex approach through the tight hairpin at the end of the back straight, instead of the more common single-apex line. Using the doubleapex method, the Evo gains fourtenths on the Performante. We never warmed up to the Evo’s hard-to-modulate brake pedal, but that shortcoming seems so minor when the V-10 is making your spine tingle at 8500 rpm. Lamborghini knows how to make things that hit people right in the feels, from its supercars to its Urus SUV. Probably even its tractors, too. Like every Lamborghini, the Huracán Evo gets you right where it counts.

From the Record Book 2:44.0 2018 Lamborghini Huracán Performante 2:47.5 2015 Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 2:55.8 2019 Lamborghini Urus

The Five-Figure Supercar

2020 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 Ford’s 760-hp monster is wild enough to leave skid marks but obedient enough that it tends not to.

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

all the throttle.” Yeah, sure thing, crazy. But we try it and somehow the GT500 allows us to floor it earlier than we ever would’ve thought possible. The engine’s rage churns into the rear tires, the GT500 hooks up, and then it explodes out of the turn. Between the corners, the Predator V-8 lives up to its name by devouring every straight with supercargrade acceleration. The speedo flips through digits quicker than the National Debt Clock. The GT500 torpedoes down the front straight, reaching a peak velocity of 161.9 mph. We arrive at the uphill esses at a palpitation-inducing 142.7 mph. The GT500’s eight cylinders of fury, fed by fuel lines the size of gar-

The 700 Club Hog Pen, or Turn 24 on the Grand Course, closes out a lap and sets up the next one. The GT500 hooks up in the on-camber corner at more than 1.30 g’s and rockets onto the straight at 113.9 mph before reaching a max speed of 161.9 mph. The other 700-plus-hp car at this year’s running, the 960-pound-lighter McLaren 765LT, benefits even more, gaining 50.0 mph on the straight.

175

From the Record Book 3:00.6 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 3:04.0 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 3:05.9 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

McLaren 765LT Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

165.0 mph

115.0 mph 154.7 mph SPEED, MPH

For more than a decade, deputy editor Tony Quiroga has strapped on his chaps and wrangled Ford’s hottest Mustangs at VIR, but with the pandemic keeping him in California this year, Quiroga could only offer advice: “Bring underwear,” he said. “Lots and lots of underwear.” And then he hung up laughing. Sphincter-clenching moments are part of the deal with the 760-hp GT500, the most powerful production car Ford has ever made. The supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 outmuscles a rogues’ gallery of exotica, including the Lamborghini Huracán Evo, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, and even the McLaren 765LT. But those exotics have a couple of distinct advantages over Ford’s relatively affordable badass. They’re lighter, and they mount their engines behind the cabin, giving the rear tires more bite. And the Lambo and Porsche transmit torque to all four wheels. Like a race car, the GT500 takes time to learn. Brake hard off the straight and dive into Turn 1 and the gooey Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber wrapped around carbonfiber wheels holds the pavement at 1.16 g’s. Exiting that long, flat corner is tricky in rear-drive cars with a ton of horsepower. The Ford rep on hand suggests, “If it’ll take a quarterthrottle [on corner exit], it’ll take

2:44.6

den hoses, empty the tank like André the Giant draining a beer keg. The car guzzles more than two gallons per 4.1-mile lap. The gas might run out before the giant 16.5-inch iron rotors up front start fading. Lap after lap, the brake pedal remains firm. In Bitch, an off-camber righthander, the GT500 demands more patience than normal. Go to the loud pedal too early and the Michelins will leave streaks on the asphalt to match the one in your briefs. Throughout the slower infield, the 4067-pound Stang shuffles in leftright transitions with the ease and fluidity of a car that’s a quarter-ton lighter. Steering feel is crisp and clear and Porsche-like. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic downshifts under braking so it is always in the correct gear. Throw in perfect redline shifts and we never found ourselves needing to reach for the paddles. The GT500’s 2:44.6 shares top honors in LL3 with the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Ford believes there are a few seconds left in it, which we will not contest, but the résumé of Ford’s test driver boasts hundreds of development laps with the GT500 and a couple of stints at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; we had three days. We’ll happily take a lap time that splits the two times we set with the $500,000 2017 Ford GT and that gets us home in a clean pair of Hanes.

113.9 mph Front Straight

Sect

NASCAR Bend Hog Pen S 0

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

We’ve entered an era when muscle cars feel as natural on road courses as they do at drag strips. You won’t hear us complain.

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S This just in: 911 Turbos are fast. With one exception, the quickest 20 cars at Lightning Lap have one thing in common: track-focused rubber that grabs like rat traps. But this 911 Turbo S cracked the top 10 with Pirelli P Zero PZ4s, relatively ordinary summer rubber. The last Turbo S we tested at VIR rode on P Zero Corsa PZC4 track tires, but track rubber isn’t being offered yet for the new Turbo, and we run cars the way they’re sold. The 640-hp twin-turbo 3.7-liter flat-six brings 60 more horses than the last gen’s 3.8-liter. But even knowing this, we weren’t prepared for this level of improvement. The new Turbo smashes expectations by lapping VIR 4.3 seconds faster than the previous Turbo S. The added power equates to higher speeds on the front straight (163.4 mph) and entering the Climbing Esses (143.4 mph), gains of 2.1 and 3.2 mph, respectively, over the last gen. The all-wheel-drive system can

2:42.5

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

route more torque to the front than before, permitting reckless throttle application on corner exits. Even if the rear end steps out, it will fall back in line so long as the front tires are pointed in the right direction. The Turbo S fires off Turn 1 at 82.2 mph, the fastest we’ve ever recorded. Life behind the 2:42.5 lap is remarkably easy. Rear-axle steering blends with brake-based torque vectoring to keep the Turbo clinging to the fast line while active anti-roll bars keep the body stable in quick transitions. Instant steering reactions and carbon-ceramic rotors boost confidence. Left to shift on its own, the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic calls up the correct gear every time. Under the stress of VIR’s 24 corners, the Pirellis shriek more than an emo band. Based on experience, we’d guess that track rubber could shave two or three seconds, potentially putting the Turbo S in striking distance of the top five.

From the Record Book 2:41.6 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2:42.6 2020 McLaren 600LT Spider 2:43.1 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

2021 McLaren 765LT Mandatory reading. One hundred and seventyfour-point-six miles per hour. That’s how fast the 765LT goes on the front straight, the highest speed we’ve recorded at Lightning Lap. This year’s best time is also the third-fastest lap in LL history. Only the alien-tech McLaren Senna and the hooked-up Porsche 911 GT2 RS Weissach beat it. But we may have left some time on the track because we didn’t read the manual. You see, McLaren fits the 765LT with Variable Drift Control (VDC), which we figured was for people who want to go sideways for Instagram fame because a drift-angle setting pops up when it’s activated. Had we read the manual, though, we would’ve learned that VDC is actually a stability-control program designed to minimize lost tenths when the tail steps out due to inevitable power oversteer. McLaren launched VDC on the 720S, and even the Senna had it, but this is the first time we needed it.

2:38.4

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

VIRgin Experience What’s it like to take a lap of VIR at race pace for the first time? Research editor Beth Nichols reports from the passenger’s seat of the McLaren 765LT with K.C. Colwell at the wheel.

From the Record Book 2:34.9 2019 McLaren Senna 2:37.8 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Weissach 2:39.7 2019 McLaren 720S

I LLU ST RAT IO N BY C LI N T FO RD

As I buckle my seatbelt, K.C. tells me he has earplugs in: “So if you want me to slow down, just punch me.” I grasp the sides of the seat bottom with no plans to let go. Entering the track, K.C. guns it, and my stomach does that flipping thing I’ve only ever experienced on amusement-park rides and when I read Harry Potter for the first time. I’m confident K.C. knows what he’s doing, but as we round NASCAR Bend at what I later learn is 1.15 g’s, I’m positive he’s overdone it and we’re about to careen into the barn in the distance. When that doesn’t happen, I’m even more unnerved. How is he doing this? On the back straight, I’m watching the speed tick higher on the lap timer when K.C. yells something that gets lost between our helmets and the blare of the 765LT’s engine. I get the message moments later when he slams—and I mean slams—on the brakes. The belt catches my torso a few inches off the seatback, but my head keeps going. The weight of the helmet works against me as I try to straighten my spine, but then K.C.’s back on the gas and I’m thrown back in the seat. So that’s why they call that corner Bitch. The seat bolsters do nothing to keep my small frame in place. As K.C. saws through Spiral and the infield, I’m smacked from side to side like the ball in Pong. It continues this way—stomach whooshes, neck checks, and body tosses—for another (faster, harder) lap. Back in the pits, my adrenaline keeps the nausea at bay while we look over the data: a 2:42.3 lap, 169.5 mph on the straight. I’m ecstatic until K.C. tells me, “I was giving it about 85 percent.” Is the offer to punch him still on the table?

It’s not really a question of if the tail will wag but when. Pretty much every corner—save the Climbing Esses—has the potential to end in a lurid and time-robbing drift. The 765LT’s power delivery is more abrupt and prone to provoking oversteer than the Senna’s or the 720S’s. And yet, the challenge of eking out more thrust without overcooking it makes the 765LT more fun, too. The 765LT provides wonderfully weighted steering that’s light when it needs to be and increasingly heavy as cornering loads build in the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires. While the engine creates drama and speed in equal measure, the steering and inexhaustible brakes ease matters and allow you to focus on more important things, like averaging 135.1 mph through the esses, another all-time LL record. If we’d read the manual, this McLaren would have surely found a few miles per hour in corner exits, and it might have caught the GT2 RS. Maybe.

3:40.0

Checkered Flag

THE PACE OF PROGRESS

3:30.0

What we’ve learned after 14 trips to the same track. 3:20.0

When the overall Lightning Lap record doesn’t fall in a given

LIGHTNING LAP No.14

3:10.0

LAP TIME, MIN:SEC

year, it can be hard to see the big picture. But even if a track-slaying beast like the McLaren Senna—the current champion of our leaderboard as well as VIR’s, with a 2:34.9 lap in 2019—materializes only every few years, cars as a whole get faster with each running of Lightning Lap. Plotting a trend line over our 277 production-vehicle lap times reveals that, on average, cars are circling the Grand Course 1.2 seconds quicker every year. The average lap time in 14 years of this competition is 3:04.0. Just four of this year’s 18 entrants landed on the slow side of that. Technology progresses and trickles down into cheaper machines, and as a result, cars corner faster, accelerate quicker, and brake harder. But there are other influences at play, too. As the chart shows, it’s becoming more difficult to find track-worthy vehicles to compete in the below-$35,000 LL1 category. (We adjusted the class boundaries in 2014 to account for inflation. Maybe it’s time to do that again.) At the opposite end of the field, vehicles in the six-figure LL4 and LL5 categories have become a larger part of the competition. Unsurprisingly, the pace of progress moves quickest among the priciest cars, as shown by the steeper LL4 and LL5 trend lines compared with those of the less expensive classes. Vehicles in the top brackets act as test beds for new materials and technologies. The most advanced of the lot wear carbon-fiber bodies, active aerodynamics, and specially engineered tires. They squeeze more horsepower from every liter of displacement than contenders from other classes and meter engine output with the help of race-car-inspired traction control. The pace of progress could be slowing, though. Back in 2016, this same exercise showed cars getting faster at a rate of 1.5 seconds per year. Today’s cars are struggling to break through the 2.0-second barrier in 60-mph sprints. Are we approaching similar physical limitations for production vehicles going around a track? We’re going to keep lapping until we know exactly where the limit is.

3:00.0

2:50.0

2:40.0

2:30.0

No.1

No.2

No.3

No.4

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

FROM THE RECORD BOOK LL1

LL2

LL3

LL4

LL5

up to $34,999

$35,000– $64,999

$65,000– $124,999

$125,000– $249,999

$250,000 and above

Class Trend

No.5

No.6

No.7

No.8

No.9

No.10

LIGHTNING LAP EVENT

No.11

No.12

Overall Trend

No.13

No.14 57

THE WAY TIRE BUYING SHOULD BE. ™

FAST FREE SHIPPING on All Orders Over $50*

INSTALLED Our 9,000+ independent Recommended Installers are ready to assist! Many have implemented modified procedures to take all necessary precautions and, whenever possible, to offer contact-free transactions. Learn more about our Protected Installation Pledge at www.tirerack.com.

See your local options at www.tirerack.com/installer

SAFE, AT-HOME MOBILE INSTALLATION NOW AVAILABLE IN MANY AREAS! Our independent mobile installers have specially equipped trucks and professional tire technicians ready to install tires at your home. Getting your tires installed has never been easier!

800-981-3782

M-F 8am-8pm EST SAT 9am-4pm EST

FAST FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $50 *tirerack.com/freeshipping

18 19 20 21

FAST FREE SHIPPING on All Orders Over $50*

OZ Alleggerita HLT 15 16 17 18

OZ Hyper GT HLT 17 18 19 20

OZ Indy HLT 18 19 20

OZ Leggera HLT 18 19 20 21

OZ Rally Racing 17 18 19

OZ Ultraleggera HLT Bremmer Kraft BR09 19 20 18 19

See Them on Your Vehicle!

Sparco Assetto Gara 15 16 17 18 19

Sparco DRS 17 18 19

Sparco FF-1 17 17

Sparco Podio 17 18 19

Sparco Pro Corsa 17 18

Enter your vehicle at tirerack.com to experience one-click access to everything that fits it.

What About TPMS?

Enkei Perf. EDR9 15 16 17 18

Enkei Perf. Victory 18 19 20

Enkei Perf. Vulcan 17 18 19

ASA GT14 17 18 19 20

ASA GT15 18 19 20

We can assist you in selecting wheels that are compatible with your vehicle’s sensors. We also offer an extra set of sensors for all TPMS systems, so your tire and wheel package can arrive with sensors already installed.

Locking Wheel Nuts/Bolts Function like regular key tool (included) for installation and removal. Starting at $1695

MSW Type 50 18 19 20 21

MSW Type 73 17 18 19

MSW Type 79 16 17 18

800-981-3782

moda MD27 17 18 19

M-F 8am-8pm EST SAT 9am-4pm EST

www.tirerack.com/mcgard

FAST FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $50 *tirerack.com/freeshipping

MONEY.

POWER.

Respect.

The Bugat ti Chiron Sport costs $3.3 million And makes 1479 horsepower. It is Al so the quickest car we ’ve ever tested. ~ By John Pearle y Huffman ~ Photography by Anton Wat ts

he Bugatti Chiron swims in molten torque. There’s so much pure, concentrated grunt that even at idle, the quad-turbo 16-cylinder feels like it’s trying to break free. It would rather crack the engine mounts and vaporize the calipers than stay still. This is physical force evolved into mechanical will. That’s 1180 pound-feet of peak torque amid a mindboggling 1479 horsepower—numbers so otherworldly that they are topped in insanity only by this car’s $3.3 million base and $3.7 million as-tested prices. With that much power and at that cost, this Bugatti ought to damn well be the quickest and fastest car that Car and Driver has ever tested. And it is. More or less. Sort of. Because not even Bugatti can afford to always have the latest Bugatti, the car we tested was a 2018 model that started life as a run-of-the-mill Chiron and was later modified to Sport-model spec. That $275,000 upsell consists of stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, lighter wheels, four exhaust tips, and carbon-fiber windshield-wiper arms. This car is not normal in any way. From afar, it’s a rocket-propelled marmoset. Hunched in profile, it’s about to spring and snag its prey. Up close, this one is gloriously finished in color-impregnated carbon fiber that looks like herringbone blueberry candy. Every stitch in the weave is perfectly aligned with its neighbors. It’s not a sports car exactly, and it sure doesn’t look like a luxury car. It’s a twoseat suborbital capsule with beyond-space-age aesthetics and nth-degree detailing. And it’s built to standards to which all automakers aspire. Unlike virtually all other new cars, the Chiron doesn’t have soft-plastic bumper covers. Instead, the carbon-fiber fenders extend to and around the nose—a single sweep of seamless awesomeness. The exotic headlights contain four elements, each firing out photons the size of volleyballs. Smack a Mercedes-Maybach S-class with this prow and it may cost as much to fix the Bugatti as it would to buy that tanklike limo. In the U.S. market, the tail is protected by two rubber protrusions acting as bumpers. So Chiron owners are slightly better off backing, rather After leaving the factory in than nosing, into things. France, every Apple CarPlay capability is Chiron makes a neither standard nor an option, stop at a Things there’s no oversize screen inside, Remembered store to receive and the 300-mph speedo remains comprehensive analog, which will give kids of the Ettore Bugatti future something to ooh and aah monogramming.

at when they see a Chiron at a car show. Four elegant metallic dials flow down the narrow center console and control the cabin climate. The quilted seating surfaces are covered in leather that’s more buttery than butter. The steering wheel has polished spokes that glisten more brilliantly than sterling silver, and the rearview mirror is a delicate oval and seemingly meant only for decoration as there’s no way to really see out the back window. The Gumball Rally rule applies here: What’s behind you doesn’t matter. The engine whirs to life and then seismically rumbles. From the outside, it sounds like the approach of an armored column; from the inside, as if you’re in a finely tuned rock polisher. After momentarily considering if your Nikes are good enough to touch the polished pedals and then pulling the somewhat indistinct shifter into drive, the Bug moves out authoritatively. It can’t defy the laws of physics, but it does impart a feeling of immortality. Speed is a talent even the most half-baked homegarage lunatic can achieve. Tuning for wide-open throttle is a straightforward pursuit. What’s amazing about this Bugatti is that it imitates a regular car so well. At part throttle, it putters along like, say, a Hyundai Sonata or Ford F-150. The Ricardo-made seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is programmed to keep engine speeds down when it’s not doing hero work, as if Bugatti engineers were reaching for that elusive double-digit city fuel-economy rating. So even galumphing along at 40 mph, the trans ratchets up to seventh gear and stays there, which is strange but not irritating like it is in your Hyundai. After all, with an 8.0-liter W-16 engine aboard, there’s always plenty of torque to keep the beast moving before calling on the four turbos or downshifting. There is never any barking or hesitancy from the powertrain, either; this isn’t a highly stressed race machine. And it’s not a normal production engine that’s been tasked with overperforming. It’s purebred and mission appropriate. When it’s asked to loaf, it will loaf like artisanal sourdough. That in mind, it’s impossible to disguise the humongous potential here. The transmission’s shifts aren’t brutal, but they’re also not smooth. We’d call them semi-harsh, as might be expected of any device designed to withstand so much power. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are massive: 285/30ZR-20 in front and 355/25ZR-21 in back. That giant footprint and the rugged construction required for the tires to maintain their shape at the Bugatti’s claimed 261-mph top speed mean unavoidable tire noise. That it is

Plus Rocket- grade thrust, a cabin fit for royalty, knows when to rel ax. Minus The action doesn’t start until 60 mph, can’t hide its weight in corners, fender benders cost more than a Ferrari. Equals A car that’s financially, dynamically, and cerebrally out of reach for mere mortals.

CAR AND DRIVER ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Hitting 200 mph gains you entry into a club that never meets, has no dues, and doesn’t even have a secret handshake.

The Chiron has the visual heft to match its physical weight, looking larger, more imposing, and less nimble than most mid-engine cars that it might be compared with.

subdued in the Chiron, particularly in light of the car’s carbon-fiber structure, is an achievement. When other supercars are running out of breath, the Chiron is only starting to try. Based on quartermile clocking, this is the quickest car C/D has tested. Using launch control, we slammed through 1320 feet in 9.4 seconds at an astonishing 158 mph, and the car pulled hard beyond 200 mph. The Chiron’s 4544-pound curb weight is a drag from a dead stop, so the 60-mph run takes a rather languid (relatively speaking) 2.4 seconds. The Porsche 918 Spyder and even something as common as a 911 Turbo S can beat that. But the Bug needs only 4.4 seconds to reach 100 mph and 15.7 seconds to reach 200. We didn’t have the runway to test the 261-mph governor, but the Chiron feels fully capable of that. With its incredibly stiff structure and perfectly poised suspension, the Chiron is confident at speed to the point of overwhelming arrogance. It’s impossible to test this car’s limits on anything except a long track, so on the street, it always has more to give. And give. And then it asks for more fuel. When it’s humping, the Chiron practically needs to burp after drinking so much so quickly. And while it will run California’s 91 octane, it makes only about 1200 horsepower on the stuff. On 93 or better, it makes the full 1479. Eventually, all things must stop. Stupendously large carbon-ceramic brake rotors at each corner haul the big Bugatti down from 70 mph in 160 feet. Proper sports cars do the same thing in 140 feet or less, but they also weigh 1000 fewer pounds. Handling? Sure, it goes around corners. And it orbits the skidpad at 1.06 g’s with a neutral balance that will turn to power oversteer with a sneeze of the turbos. But even with the Sport’s extra starch, the Chiron’s character is more about traveling fast in a straight line. Each turn seems like an interruption to the real joy of this car, which is ingesting continents with the imperious disdain available only to those who have $3.7 million to spend on a single car. It does that spectacularly well. If you’re insecure enough to need ego fortification through vehicular acquisition, there are a lot of conspicuous-consumption machines that cost a lot less than this one. Many of them even have silly doors that fly into the air when opened. The Chiron buyer needs to appreciate it for the integrity of its design, the quality of its construction, and how it confidently achieves speed unlike any other vehicle on earth—and not worry that its doors open like an Accord’s. The Chiron has been around since 2016, and only now have we had a proper run with it. It’s both quick and fast, indeed. But here at C/D, we’d save up a few more dollars and hold out for one of the 30 Chiron Super Sport 300+ models with an additional 99 horsepower and a 300-mphor-so top speed. Because, really, why compromise?

The 200-mph club used to be hard to join before hypercar horsepower eclipsed four digits. In the 1479-hp Bugatti Chiron Sport, admission takes only 15.7 seconds and requires just 3100 feet of road. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the Chiron’s 2.4-second 60-mph time lags the Porsche 918 Spyder’s (2.1) and 911 Turbo S’s (2.2) and is no quicker than the Veyron’s was more than a decade ago. The Chiron has to move 4544 pounds from rest—jet planes take their time, too. Activating launch control raises revs to a relatively lazy 2500 rpm before clutch slaps against flywheel, but at that rpm, the 8.0-liter W-16 is already making up to 562 horses. Despite having all-wheel drive, the Bugatti lights up its tires and requires a minor move of the steering wheel to stay in its lane before those giant Michelins settle in. Your body, however, is continuously unsettled as the power strapped to your back—the Chiron averages more than 1.00 g longitudinally through 70 mph—is unleashed. The acceleration becomes more staggering the faster you go. Dialing up big numbers on the 300-mph analog speedo is what the Chiron is about. Going from 100 to 160 takes 5.2 seconds, the same amount of time a BMW 330i xDrive needs to reach 60 from a standstill. And the Bugatti’s 11.3-second run from 100 to 200 is two-tenths quicker than the time it takes for a Honda Civic Type R to hit 100 mph. I’ve tested the McLaren Senna and the Ferrari LaFerrari, and when it comes to big-speed acceleration, they aren’t in the same league as the Chiron. It’s so easy that one hand on the wheel is probably enough in the Bugatti, but we’re in no rush to try it. We doubt the onehanded 200-mph club has a lot of living members. —Tony Quiroga FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

As Tested ............ Base ............................................................ $3,273,000 Vehicle Type: mid-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe Options: Turquoise Blue carbon-fiber body, $315,000; leather and carbon-fiber interior, $62,000; comfort seats, $31,000; carbon-fiber engine cover, $18,600; painted grille, $7500; Light Blue Sport brake calipers, $3750 Audio System: satellite radio, USB and Bluetooth-audio inputs, 7 speakers

TEST RESULTS

Acceleration 15.7 14.0 12.4 10.9

9.4 7.6 6.5 5.8 5.1

4.4 100

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic All-Wheel-Drive System: full time with an electronically controlled clutch-pack coupling and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential

Chassis carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic center section with substructures of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and aluminum Body Material: carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic

Suspension F: ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs, electronically controlled dampers, anti-roll bar R: ind, unequal-length control arms and a toe-control link, coil springs, electronically controlled dampers, anti-roll bar

3.8 3.3 2.8

2.4

Results in graph omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.

60 2.0

1.1

1.5

30 0

SEC

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph .................. 3.1 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph ..................... 2.4 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph ..................... 2.2 sec Top Speed (mfr’s claim) .............. 261 mph

Fuel

Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad

Comb/City/Hwy ........................ 11/9/14 mpg

1.06

Understeer: minimal

Capacity ............................................ 26.4 gal Octane ......................................................... 93

EPA Fuel Economy Interior Sound Level

100

Braking 70–0 mph ............................................. 160 ft Fade Rating: none

61 dBA

Drivetrain

9.6

8.6

1/4-MILE

158 150

Engine quad-turbocharged and intercooled W-16, aluminum block and heads Bore x Stroke ...... 3.39 x 3.39 in, 86.0 x 86.0 mm Displacement ............................. 488 in3, 7993 cm3 Fuel Delivery: port injection Valve Gear: double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, variable intake-valve timing Fuel Cutoff .................................................... 6700 rpm Power .......................................... 1479 hp @ 6700 rpm Torque ..................................... 1180 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm

18.3

200

MPH

BUGATTI CHIRON SPORT Price $3,710,850

Weight Curb ...................................................... 4544 lb Per Horsepower ................................... 3.1 lb Distribution, F/R ...................... 43.0/57.0%

Idle

Full Throttle

70-mph Cruising

Brakes CU RB , HT IG LB 36 00 48 00

42 00

34.0

3.2

EPA COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY, MPG

30 00

17.0

AC CE 5– LE 60 RA - M TIO PH SE N, C

8.5

2.8 10.5

2.0

0 1.1 5 1.1

R 3 OA PA 00- DH D, FT OL G SK DIN ID G, -

5 1.0

2.4

0 1.0

2.8

3.2

135

TESTED BY TO N Y QU IRO GA I N CA L I FOR NI A C IT Y, CA

10.0

*Includes performanceenhancing options.

2.4

Passenger Volume ........................................... 54 ft3 Trunk Volume ......................................................... 2 ft3

9.5

T P H RA -M LE 60 CCE A EC S

Interior Dimensions

9.0 1/4-MILE ACCELERATION, SEC

Wheelbase ......................................................... 106.7 in Length .................................................................. 178.9 in Width ...................................................................... 80.2 in Height ..................................................................... 47.7 in Front Track ........................................................ 68.9 in Rear Track .......................................................... 65.4 in Ground Clearance ............................................ 4.5 in

2.0

Exterior Dimensions

25.5

Bugatti Chiron Sport 1479-hp 8.0-L W-16, 7-sp auto Bugatti Veyron 16.4 1001-hp 8.0-L W-16, 7-sp auto McLaren Senna 789-hp 4.0-L V-8, 7-sp auto Porsche 918 Spyder 887-hp 4.6-L V-8 + motors, 7-sp auto

BASE, $ x 100,000*

145

Wheel Size ............. F: 10.0 x 20 in R: 13.5 x 21 in Wheel Construction: forged aluminum Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 F: 285/30ZR-20 (99Y) BG R: 355/25ZR-21 (107Y) BG

All that mass weighs on the Chiron’s chassis performance. All that power makes light work of the quarter-mile.

155

COMPETITORS

165

F: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc; 8-piston fixed caliper R: 15.7-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc; 6-piston fixed caliper Stability Control: fully defeatable, competition mode, launch control

70–0-MPH BRAKING, FT

A Very

FORD’S NEW EV TRIES TO CHANNEL THE MUSTANG’S COOL , AND IT WORKS. MOSTLY. ~ By Annie White Photography by Marc Urbano

he Mustang Mach-E wasn’t always going to be a Mustang. It started life as an electrified and lifted Focus. Somewhere along the way, Ford execs realized that if the company wanted to sell its new EV in meaningful quantities, it would have to build something people could get excited about. So Jim Farley, then Ford’s president of global markets, ordered the design team to go back to the drawing board two years before the car’s slated unveiling, a schedule not normally conducive to delivering a functioning product. His instruction: Think Mustang. The resulting vehicle certainly looks the part of a pony car inflated into a crossover. But for the year between the Mach-E’s unveiling and our first drive, we’ve been wondering if it could deliver on the promise of that long hood. Now we know. The answer is yes. And no. Whether you end up thinking the Mach-E is worthy of the Mustang name will depend a lot on why you like Ford’s pony car. If you like Mustangs because they’re attractive and quick, the Mach-E should pass your personal litmus test. If you are looking for a roaring engine and an athletic chassis capable of carving up back roads, you will be disappointed. The Mach-E is the best-looking vehicle in Ford’s current lineup apart from the actual Stang, and it’s also more attractive than the majority of crossovers. The $56,200 extended-range all-wheel-drive model that we tested made it to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. That’s quick for something with 30 cubic feet of storage space in the back (plus another five cubic feet in the frunk), but that’s still way off the Tesla Model Y’s pace. Ford says the forthcoming 480-hp GT Performance Edition should do the deed in a blistering 3.5 seconds, matching Tesla’s claim for the Y Performance. Base rear-wheel-drive models with 266 horsepower and the smaller (and lighter) battery should come in around 6.0 seconds—still respectable for the genre. The big-battery all-wheel-drive model has 346 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, and the instant availability of all that torque gives the Mach-E that characteristic off-the-line swiftness that we’ve come to expect from electric vehicles. This heaviest Mustang ever was perfectly competent at tackling the autocross course that Ford set up for us, although the ute’s prodigious weight was evident, particularly in the slalom section. Still, the Mach-E’s skinny all-season tires aren’t canyon carvers, and they manage just 0.85 g on the skidpad, which is less stick than you’ll see from a Ford Edge ST (0.89 g) or a Tesla Model Y (0.88 g). So the Mach-E is quick enough to carry the Mustang name. But we’ve driven a lot of Mustangs, and we don’t like them just because they’re quick. The Mustang lineup includes some of our favorite engines, with intoxicating exhaust notes and more The Mach-E’s materials and build quality represent a significant character than any electric motor. They are also improvement in interior execution compared with the cabins of other recent Fords, such as the Escape and Explorer. thrilling to drive. The Shelby models, in particular,

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

deliver direct chassis responses and steering that’s hyper-communicative, and the risk of getting bucked off the pavement due to your own inattention or lack of skill is quite real. Plus: those exhaust notes. Mustangs aren’t for everyone, which is exactly why the idea of aiming the Mach-E at the masses is so controversial. Unlike Ford’s V-8-powered coupes, the Mustang Mach-E doesn’t traffic in barely sublimated danger. It’s quiet inside, and there’s not so much as a jostle or bump through the steering column no matter how bad the road is. The ride is smooth, too, the isolation almost complete. This is its own kind of triumph in an EV, where the lack of an engine soundtrack can magnify perceptions of wind and road noise. Plenty of drivers—especially crossover drivers—are perfectly happy to be isolated from the road. But when we think Mustang, hushed serenity isn’t what comes to mind. Then there are all the other features that don’t jibe with our past Mustang experiences simply because they’re new. The buttonactuated doors feel novel and seem less likely to

Dialogue Elon Musk’s influence is all over the Mach-E. It has the great Tesla traits: Its instant torque corrupts instantly, it is quiet on the road, the structure has premium-brand solidity, and the steering is sports-car now, now, now. While the Mach-E’s blending of regen and friction brakes isn’t great, the one-pedal function works brilliantly, and the car’s ride is smooth, if a bit underdamped. It’s not a Mustang, of course. A better name for a Ford EV with a 300-mile range would have been the Galaxie 300. —Tony Quiroga Notice what isn’t being said about the Mach-E’s 11th-hour Mustang-themed redesign. Ford hasn’t claimed that the engineering team made the same pivot as the designers. The Mach-E experience feels mostly like the original plan for an electrified Ford Focus with one major exception: The Mach-E is uncharacteristically neutral at the limit. Around the skidpad, toeing into the accelerator caused the big horsey to rotate. And my giggle following a four-wheel drift through an S-bend was definitely the stuff of pony cars. —Dave VanderWerp

For those keeping score, that 15.5inch touchscreen measures half an inch larger than the Tesla Model Y’s. Ford also includes a volume knob cleverly mounted directly on the screen.

malfunction than the perpetually frustrating pop-out handles employed by other automakers, but when the doors are locked, there’s a maddening delay between triggering the button and the door opening. At least the massive 15.5-inch vertically oriented infotainment touchscreen is intuitive to operate. It’s nice enough inside that prices around $50,000 feel appropriate. None of the materials in our Premium test car feel luxurious, exactly, but everything fits together well, and certain touches—such as the fabric-trimmed sound bar running across the dash—feel modern and considered. Other things seem less thought out, like having an “L” position on the gearshift despite the fact that the Mach-E employs single-ratio transmissions. Ford says this activates a special deceleration mode for descending steep hills. Just remember: “L” is for “sLower on the hills.” The Mach-E will be a test bed for Ford’s connected-vehicle technologies. Your phone is the car’s key, though there’s a keypad on the B-pillar and a fob just in case. The associated app shows you the Mach-E’s charge status, helps you plan trips by evaluating your battery level and available charging stations on your route, and allows you to initiate certain vehicle functions, such as opening the windows or liftgate. The Mach-E is capable of receiving over-the-air software updates and providing real-time data on the availability of more than 13,500 third-party stations in Ford’s charging network. At stations

Plus Reasonably quick off the line, quiet and refined interior, appropriately priced. Minus No V-8, far behind Tesla in range and speed, design doesn’t match driving character. Equals If they hadn’t told us to expect a Mustang, we’d have far less to complain about.

that support the Plug & Charge protocol, Mach-Es start charging within seconds of plugging in as long as payment information is on file. That simplicity makes the charging experience as seamless as Tesla’s, although not as fast. Charging at a maximum of 150 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, a Mustang Mach-E equipped like our test car can, according to Ford, add 52 miles of range in 10 minutes or charge its battery from 10 to 80 percent in 45 minutes. EPA range figures for models with the standard 68.0-kWh pack are 230 miles for rear-drivers and 211 miles for all-wheeldrive Mach-Es. The extended-range version has an 88.0-kWh battery good for 300 miles in the rear-drive variant and 270 miles in the all-wheel-drive model. That should cover most drivers’ daily needs, but the Model Y manages 326 miles despite packing a smaller battery. That means the Ford is woefully less efficient than the Tesla—28 percent less so, according to the EPA combined figures. To validate real-world efficiency, we measured the Mach-E’s parasitic drag with coastdown tests on the same surface where we ran a Model Y. The results show the Ford requires 31 percent more power to maintain 75 mph. We were unable to run our highway range test during our short loan, but based on the coastdown tests, we expect no more than 190 miles. The Mach-E is just one of four very important vehicles that Ford is in the midst of launching. The F-150 is the brand’s cash cow, and it’s important to get it right, but it would take a big blunder to dissuade the throngs of truck buyers who would never consider owning anything else. The Bronco’s sales success—at least initially—is almost a foregone conclusion. And the Bronco Sport—another crossover borrowing a hallowed name—is enjoying a favorable response thus far, indicating that buyers might not reflexively hate a crossover offshoot as long as it’s worthy. Based on that success, the Mustang Mach-E could pique enough interest among the masses to make it worth upsetting a few traditionalists. Americans have yet to embrace any electric vehicle not named Tesla, but calling this one a Mustang at least has them talking about it. It doesn’t feel like a Mustang to us, but the Mach-E is one of the best EVs on sale right now. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

2021 FORD MUSTANG MACH-E 4 Width: 74.1 in

Front Track: 63.5 in

Rear Track: 65.1 in

Front Track: 62.4 in

Width: 75.4 in

117.5 in 185.6 in

107.1 in 188.5 in

5.8 in

$56,200

5.7 in

DIMENSIONS COMPARED The Mustang Mach-E and Mustang Mach 1 cast similarly sized shadows on the ground, with the biggest differences being the crossover’s height and longer wheelbase—the better to accommodate five passengers.

As Tested ......................... Base .................................................................. $46,695 Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon Options: extended-range battery, $5000; Premium package, $4105; Rapid Red metallic paint, $400 Audio System: satellite radio, USB and Bluetooth-audio inputs, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay interfaces, 10 speakers

Steering rack-and-pinion with variable electric power assist Ratio ....................................................................... 14.6:1 Turns Lock-to-Lock ............................................ 2.6 Turning Circle Curb-to-Curb ................... 38.1 ft

Motors

F: ind, struts located by a control arm, coil springs, anti-roll bar R: ind; 2 diagonal links, 2 lateral links, and a toe-control link per side; coil springs; anti-roll bar

Battery Pack lithium-ion, liquid-cooled Cell Count/Construction ........ 376/pouch-type Usable Capacity ........................................ 88.0 kWh Cell Manufacturer: LG Chem

Brakes

Transmissions: 2 direct-drives Final-Drive Ratio, F/R ....................... 10.0:1/9.05:1 All-Wheel-Drive System: full time

Wheel Size .................................................. 7.0 x 19 in Wheel Construction: cast aluminum Tires: Michelin Primacy A/S, 225/55R-19 103H

Chassis

13.8 1/4-MILE

13.5

5.1

2.1 30 0

Results in graph omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

Interior Dimensions

unit construction with a rubber-isolated rear subframe Body Material: steel and aluminum stampings, sheet-molded composite

18.3

F: 14.3 x 1.1-in vented disc, 4-piston fixed caliper R: 12.4 x 0.4-in disc, 1-piston sliding caliper Stability Control: traction off

Drivetrain

Acceleration 101 100

Suspension

2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power ............................................. 346 hp Combined Torque ....................................... 428 lb-ft

TEST RESULTS

MPH

Price

54.3 in

64.0 in

Rear Track: 63.4 in

Passenger Volume, F/R .......................... 56/48 ft3 Front Trunk Volume ........................................... 5 ft3 Cargo Volume behind F/R ..................... 60/30 ft3

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ................. 5.2 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph ..................... 2.0 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph ..................... 2.8 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ....................... 114 mph

Handling Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ......... 0.85 g Understeer: minimal

COMPETITORS

Braking

35 0

Curb ...................................................... 4856 lb Per Horsepower ................................ 14.0 lb Distribution, F/R ....................... 48.7/51.3% Towing Capacity ..................................... 0 lb

30 0

LE 1/4 RA - M TIO ILE SE N, C AC CE

E, NG MI RA

Weight

.5 14 20 0

25 0

PASSENGER VOLUME, FT3

6.0

.5 15

5.0

70–0 mph ................................................ 165 ft Fade Rating: none

A EP

.5 13 7.0

104

110

16 8

5100

64 62

4300

16 0

C/D Fuel Economy Observed ......................................... 60 MPGe

EPA Fuel Economy Comb/City/Hwy ................ 90/96/84 MPGe Range ..................................................... 270 mi

5900

176

18 4

7 S 0dB OUN MPH A D C L E RU VE IS L, E

4.0

Interior Sound Level Idle ......................................................... 38 dBA Full Throttle ....................................... 69 dBA 70-mph Cruising .............................. 67 dBA

3500

PH FT -M G, –0 IN 70 RAK B

*Includes performanceenhancing options.

.5 12

Audi e-tron Sportback 402 hp, 2 AC motors, direct-drive Ford Mustang Mach-E 4 346 hp, 2 AC motors, direct-drive Kia Niro EV 201 hp, AC motor, direct-drive Tesla Model Y Long Range 384 hp, 2 AC motors direct-drive

BASE, $ x 1000*

60-MPH ACCELERATION, SEC

I LLU ST RAT IO N S BY P E T E S U CH ES K I

Would it surprise you to know that Tesla is still the automaker to beat when it comes to building an EV?

CURB WEIGHT, LB

TESTED BY DAV E VA ND E R WE RP IN C HE L SEA , MI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

THE WORLD’S STRONGEST TRUCK * AMONG STOCK CHEVY, FORD, * AND RAM THREE-QUARTER-TON PICKUPS, AS DETERMINED BY ONE FOUR-WHEELED STRONGMAN COMPETITION WITH LIMITED REAL-WORLD RELEVANCE BUT HUGE BRAGGING RIGHTS, WHICH ARE ALL THAT REALLY MATTER ANYWAY. BY DAVID BEARD PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDI HEDRICK

eff Storey says the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, the Ford F-250, and the Ram 2500 are the wimpiest tow rigs his 16-ton drag sled has ever seen. In the hairy-chested world of heavy-duty pickup trucks, those are fightin’ words. We came here—to the fairground in rural Blanchard, Michigan—to meet Storey and his tractor-pull sled in order to prove which American brand makes the most macho three-quarter-ton truck, but he just raised the stakes. Each truck is now vying to prove it’s not the weakest tow rig ever to be hitched to the beast known as the Pioneer. We’re used to measuring a vehicle’s fitness with quarter-mile times, but heavy-duty trucks are built for powerlifting, not sprinting. So for this round of the never-ending pickup battle, we decided to stage a tractor pull. Storey normally runs his sled behind tractors making as much as 10,000 horsepower. To slow those monsters down, he can load the Pioneer’s weight-transfer box with up to a dozen 1800-pound lead bricks. We used just one lead slug for our test, and yet, when we hooked Storey’s rig to the trucks, the weight behind the hitch was more than twice what the Ford and Ram are rated for and close to double the Chevy’s rating. On the streets, this would be reckless. But on our closed course, the dirt surface acts as a fuse. The tires will break traction before the driveline is damaged.

A tractor pull is kind of like a dyno run in the dirt. In addition to torque, gearing and traction affect whether or not a truck makes the full pull.

Commercials for these trucks often look like they were directed by Hulk Hogan on a creatine bender. The truck does a lap around a steel forge with a freaking yacht in tow before a stack of girders is dropped in the bed, all while outrageous payload, towing, and torque figures flash on the screen. Until recently, Ford was the reigning braggart, with its Power Stroke diesel making 1050 pound-feet of torque. But then Ram topped it with a 2021 powertrain update that boosted its Cummins diesel to 1075 pound-feet. Hey, Bugatti, are you seeing this? To find the best heavy-duty tugger, we procured threequarter-ton trucks equipped with diesel engines and the most aggressive off-road rubber available from the factory.

Then we hitched them to Storey’s sled and stood on the accelerator pedals. We’re going to settle this Calvin and Hobbes pissing match once and for all—or at least until the next generation of heavy-duty pickups arrives. A tractor pull is a simple test, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The rate at which the weighttransfer box moves is dictated by a five-speed gearbox that’s driven off the drag’s wheels. As each truck pulls the sled, the heavy box slides forward, shifting the weight from the sled’s wheels to its belly pan, which digs into the dirt. If that’s not enough to stop a tractor in its tracks, a set of hydraulic arms can lift the sled’s wheels off the ground, dumping the entire weight of the machine onto the pan. The farther you go, the deeper it digs. That’s the complex part. Here’s the simple bit: The longest pull wins. The drag sled doubles as a really long ruler, measuring the distance of each run. The strategy of tractor pulling is straightforward: Shift into 4Lo, wait for the all-clear, then shove the right pedal through the firewall and, as Storey says, “Drive it to the kitchen!” That metaphorical cookhouse is 300 feet away. Make it that far and you’ve found the tractor-pull end zone, achieving what’s known as a full pull. Before we started, Storey dialed in how quickly the weight-transfer box would move and determined when the Pioneer’s hydraulic arms would engage to keep the full pull within reach. We made three runs with each truck and used the best pulls to determine the finishing order. On paper, the Ford has what it takes to be a championgrade puller. It’s the most powerful truck here, with the sharpest claws to tear into the soil and a lockable rear differential and limited-slip front diff. This $82,245 brodozer is lifted from the factory and rolls on meaty 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires thanks to the $3975 Tremor package. The Power Stroke turbocharged 6.7-liter V-8 makes 475 horsepower and 1050 pound-feet of torque, and a 10-speed automatic handles the shifting duties. Setting expectations high, this F-250 is among the quickest heavy-duty trucks we’ve tested, with a 6.1-second sprint to 60 mph and a quarter-mile run of 14.6 seconds at 94 mph—1 mph shy of its top speed. But those blistering acceleration times occur with the transfer case in 4Hi and using a big brake torque to pile on the boost from the start. Moving the drag sled requires 4Lo, and Ford doesn’t allow brake torquing in 4Lo, presumably to save the 8120-pound behemoth from turning its axle shafts into rotini pasta. Without that preload, the F-250 is already 1.7 mph off the Silverado’s pace at the 50-foot mark. It never catches up. The Ford runs out of steam about three and a half feet short of the coveted full pull having yanked hard enough to bend the pin in the trailer hitch. There’s no doubt in our minds that with a little more oomph at the start, the F-250 would have made it to the finish line. Ram may be the current torque king among heavyduty trucks, but the high-output Cummins (420 horsepower, 1075 pound-feet of torque) is available only in the 3500. We also had to pass on the dirt-hungry 2500 Power Wagon because it comes exclusively with the gas FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

6.4-liter V-8. To get our hands on the standard-output diesel, we had to make do with a $79,850 Ram 2500 Laramie that was dressed for a hoedown rather than a tractor pull. With a luxurious interior blanketed in rich leather, the Night Edition’s painted bumpers, and black 20-inch wheels wrapped in Firestone Transforce AT tires, this isn’t your average work truck. Even though it’s the least powerful engine here, there’s a lot to love about the Ram’s 370-hp turbocharged 6.7-liter inline-six. The old adage “Six in a row, ready to tow” still rings true. When deadlifting 14 Mazda Miatas’ worth of weight, the Ram flexes its muscle. The peak torque of 850 pound-feet occurs just off idle, at 1700 rpm, and the Cummins pulls with a semi-truck clatter

TIME, SEC

SPEED, MPH

that had us reaching for a nonexistent air horn. With four fewer gears than the Chevy and the Ford, the Ram spends less time shifting and more time in the boost. It is quicker than the competition to the 200-foot marker by nearly two seconds. But as the belly pan weights up and digs into the earth, the lightest-in-test Ram loses momentum quickly. Its run ends 15 feet shy of the Ford’s, at 281.4 feet. Our third contestant, a $76,885 Silverado 2500HD High Country, came armed with the Z71 off-road kit, which includes Goodyear Wrangler TrailRunner AT tires. Chevy makes more aggressive off-road trucks than this, but they are half-ton (1500 LT Trail Boss) or smaller (Colorado ZR2 Bison) and aren’t suited for this task. Chevrolet’s Duramax diesel, a turbocharged 6.6-liter V-8, produces 445 horses and 910 pound-feet of torque and supports the highest tow rating in the test. Chevy brands its 10-speed as an Allison, but the world’s largest manufacturer of automatic trans2020 2020 2020 missions for heavy-duty commercial Chevrolet Ford Ram 2500 equipment merely tested and valiSilverado F-250 Cummins dated the gearbox. It didn’t design or 2500HD Tremor 4x4 Z71 DuraPower build it. There are more similarities max 4x4 Stroke 4x4 between this trans and the Ford’s 475-hp, 1050-lb-ft 370-hp, 850-lb-ft Powertrain 445-hp, 910-lb-ft than Chevy marketing would like turbo 6.6-liter turbo 6.7-liter turbo 6.7-liter you to know. diesel V-8; diesel V-8; diesel inline-6; 10-speed automatic 10-speed automatic 6-speed automatic But whether it’s a matter of hard$51,345/$79,850 Base/As Tested $53,885/$76,885 $62,830/$82,245 ware difference or blind faith, Chevy engineers must believe in their TEST RESULTS 6.1 sec 7.6 sec driveline more than Ford’s number 60 mph 6.5 sec 14.6 sec @ 94 mph 15.9 sec @ 87 mph 1/4-Mile 15.0 sec @ 92 mph crunchers trust their rotating bits, Results above omit Results above omit Results above omit as there’s a big difference in how 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec. 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. 95 mph (gov ltd) 102 mph (gov ltd) Top Speed 98 mph (gov ltd) the Silverado converts its potential 8120 lb 8060 lb Curb Weight 8210 lb energy into kinetic energy. Where 229 ft 194 ft Braking, 70–0 mph 203 ft the F-250 limits torque in 4Lo, the Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad 0.74 g 0.70 g 0.72 g Silverado is champing at the bit to be Max Payload 3043 lb 3320 lb 2190 lb unleashed. The Duramax is making Max Towing, enough torque when we release the Bumper/Gooseneck 18,500/18,500 lb 15,000/18,100 lb 15,980/17,170 lb brake that all four tires threaten to spin. The tractor-pull regulars who GOING THE DISTANCE have gathered to watch our little 20.9 mph 20 contest are so impressed by the Sil19.3 mph verado’s dig from a standstill that the 17.6 mph crowd spits out a string of expletives. The Chevy’s shifts are more assertive than the Ford’s, and the rev-happy diesel never comes off boil as it makes forward progress. The Silverado reaches 150 feet 1.7 seconds quicker than the Ford, hustling DISTANCE, FT 1.6 mph faster at that mark. While 0 that might not seem like much, 303.7 ft when your top speed is 20.9 mph, it’s enough to get the job done. The 296.4 ft heaviest-in-test Chevy makes a tri281.4 ft umphant run, grinding to a stop 3.7 feet past a full pull. As we always say, it’s not the size of the torque output CHEVROLET 15 FORD that matters; it’s how you use it. 15.9 sec 15.3 sec RAM

17.1 sec

THE RUNDOWN An expert look at the newest and most important vehicles this month. Robot car salesman: (Slaps Honda e, page 78.) This bad boy fits . . . er, looks like me.

Tugs in the steering wheel under full throttle are easily controlled and don’t amount to much more than a reminder that 311 pound-feet are running through the front tires. Highs: Big power with minimal turbo lag, balanced ride and That torque is apparent on a tight handling. Lows: Struggles to put the power down, priced at the mountain road. Despite wearing top of the segment. meaty Continental PremiumContact 6 summer rubber sized 245/40R-19 (Pirelli P Zero All Seasons are standard), the Hyundai easily overwhelms Hyundai says its N performance division is named for its Namyang its front-end grip. On the skidpad, it grabs the pavement proving ground in South Korea and Germany’s Nürburgwith 0.93 g of tenacity, but our tester noted that even ring, but the team involved would probably say it stands for a toe’s worth of throttle will send the front tires wide. “nonstop.” Since the Veloster N arrived in 2018, Hyundai Engineers retuned the Sonata’s chassis, giving the engineers have developed six more products, including two N Line significantly stiffer powertrain mounts, firmer performance versions of the new Elantra, three SUVs that dampers, and thicker anti-roll bars than the regular are coming soon, and the brand’s most powerful front-drive car. The ride quality is sporty but comfortable, and the sedan ever, the Sonata N Line. N Line is capable of real pace in the hills, but it’s happiest in fast open sections of road, where it can stretch its legs. That last one is the performance version of the compaUpgraded brakes—13.6-inchers up front and 12.8ny’s mid-size sedan, and it’s positioned to appeal to familyminded enthusiasts shopping the Honda Accord 2.0T, Mazda inch rotors in back—are also part of the deal and stop 6, and Toyota Camry TRD. Behind its big blacked-out grille the Sonata from 70 mph in a short 152 feet. The pedal is a new turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four shared with the is reassuringly firm, and the brakes are strong right up Sonata’s platform-mate, the Kia K5 GT, as well as the Genesis to the point when they begin to overheat. The N Line G80 and GV80. In the N Line, it pumps out 290 horsepower weighs 3541 pounds and pulls big numbers on the at 5800 rpm and a burly 311 pound-feet of torque at just 1650 straights—it’ll do the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at rpm. Hyundai also fits this Sonata with a new eight-speed 105 mph—so the brakes get a workout trying to erase dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s properly responsive and shifts quickly with grace. Theoretically, launch control optimizes acceleration, but this car’s programming returned inconsistent results and a drop in turbo boost. While our absolute quickest run was computer aided, it was the skill of our driver that resulted in the twoway 60-mph average of 5.0 seconds. Even without the help of an aggressive launch, though, the Sonata posts an impressive 5-to-60-mph time of 5.2 seconds, illustrating the engine’s quick response and lack of lag. 2 02 1 H Y U N DA I S O N ATA N L I N E ~ BY S C O T T O L D H A M

Gaining Speed

the numbers Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheeldrive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan Base/As Tested ....... $34,195/$34,564 Engine: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection Displacement ................ 152 in3, 2497 cm3 Power ........................... 290 hp @ 5800 rpm Torque ......................... 311 lb-ft @ 1650 rpm Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase ....................................... 111.8 in • L/W/H .......................... 192.9/73.2/56.9 in • Curb Weight .................................... 3541 lb

test RESULTS 60 mph ................................................ 5.0 sec 100 mph .............................................. 12.1 sec 1/4-Mile ....................... 13.6 sec @ 105 mph 130 mph ............................................ 22.2 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 5.2 sec Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 152 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.93 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed ........................................ 23 mpg EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy .............. 27/23/33 mpg

triple-digit speeds. If you’re really on it, you can cook them in just a few miles. Unlike the Camry TRD, which merely looks fast and furious, the N Line follows a more adult path while still following the sports-sedan dress code. Compared with the regular Sonata, the performance variant has a few small N Line badges scattered about, a new front fascia with three large air intakes, and larger wheels. Its tail wears four exhaust pipes, a black lower bumper, and, of course, a diffuser. Inside, the N Line bits are limited to a set of bolstered front seats wrapped in leather and pseudosuede. Standard features include a digital gauge cluster, a 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, a strong Bose audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and the ability to use your smartphone as a key. At $34,195, it’s one of the pricier cars in its segment, but the powertrain’s performance is class leading and the handling is entertaining—for a frontdriver. Which brings us to the N Line’s biggest problem: A similar outlay of cash buys a rear-drive 255-hp Kia Stinger or 292-hp Dodge Charger, both of which offer a level of sophistication the Hyundai can’t match, but the N Line is a clear winner in the stoplight drags.

2 02 1 H Y U N DA I E L A N T R A ~ BY S C O T T O L D H A M

SHARPEN UP Davis Lee, Hyundai’s North American senior designer, runs his hand along the three prominent creases that intersect on the 2021 Elantra’s front doors. “It can look out of place at first,” he says, “but we wanted the car to stand out.” The styling may turn off some buyers, but Hyundai had to do something to make an impression, as the Elantra’s roughly 10 percent share of the compact-sedan market is far smaller than the Honda Civic’s and Toyota Corolla’s pieces of the action. So Hyundai went big, both visually and literally. At 184.1 inches from nose to tail, the Elantra gains 2.2 inches in length, and its wheelbase is stretched by 0.8 inch, giving this compact one of the longest wheelbases in its class, at 107.1 inches, plus a substantial amount of rear legroom. A low dash and thin A-pillars open the view out. Comfortable, spacious, and attractive, the new cabin features a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. We sampled a top-of-the-line Limited model with 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-season tires. Thus equipped, the Elantra impresses with ample front-end bite, and its torsion-beam rear end isn’t easily upset by bumps. Body control in corners is excellent, and there’s surprisingly good feel from the steering. The ride is pleasantly firm, and the car is relaxed around town yet still direct enough to be engaging. the numbers Hyundai has a 201-hp Elantra Vehicle Type: front-engine, N Line and a hybrid good for up to front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 54 mpg combined, but we’re focusing 4-door sedan Base ............................ $20,645 solely on the base powertrain here: a Engine: DOHC 16-valve Atkinson147-hp 2.0-liter inline-four paired to a cycle inline-4, aluminum block CVT. Though the combo is sluggish off and head, port fuel injection Displacement ... 122 in3, 1999 cm3 the line, the engine is responsive and Power .............. 147 hp @ 6200 rpm livens up beyond 4000 rpm. According Torque ......... 132 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm to the EPA, SEL and Limited models will Transmission: continuously variable automatic average 31 mpg in the city and 41 on Dimensions the highway. Base SE versions enjoy a • Wheelbase ......................... 107.1 in 2-mpg bump in both environs. • L/W/H .............. 184.1/71.9/55.7 in • Curb Weight .................... 2800 lb We’d opt for the $21,895 SEL, which Performance (C/D est) nets 16-inch wheels, push-button • 60 mph .............................. 8.3 sec start, and a proximity key. Blending an • 1/4-Mile ............................ 16.4 sec • 100 mph .......................... 22.8 sec eye-catching wrapper with an impres• Top Speed ....................... 120 mph sive feature count, satisfying driving EPA Fuel Economy dynamics, and strong value is a formula • Comb/City/Hwy ... 35–37/31–33/ 41–43 mpg for small-car success, and the Elantra brews those elements skillfully.

CAR AND DRIVER ~ FEBRUA RY/MARCH 2021 ~ SONATA PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDI HEDRICK

2 02 0 H O N DA e ~ BY M I K E D U F F

FACE TIME

2 02 1 T OYO TA YA R I S G R ~ BY M I K E D U F F

Hot Pocket Toyota builds a rally-inspired hot hatch and then doesn’t share it with the U.S.

The noble, dirty sport of rallying has been responsible for many roadgoing

performance heroes. Cars like the Audi Sport Quattro, Lancia Delta Integrale, and Subaru Impreza WRX all had race-car alter egos. Toyota’s Yaris GR was supposed to have one as well—the brand’s entrant into the 2021 World Rally Championship—but COVID-19 shuttered those plans, and the team will continue to use the older Yaris WRC for another season. So while the Yaris GR doesn’t have a WRC analogue, the folks at Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s in-house motorsport arm and creator of the latest Supra, have made it feel like a rally car. Sadly, there are no plans to bring this tiny all-wheel-drive hot hatch stateside. And apart from its name, the two-door GR has little in common with the Europe-market Yaris or the Mazda 2–based car Toyota used to sell here. The multilink rear end has a radically widened track, and there’s an underfloor tunnel to package the rear axle’s driveshaft. The turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three is closely related to the one used in the WRC 2 support series and makes 257 horses. It has old-school turbocharged character, which means it’s hesitant and laggy at low revs. It actually sounds great and pulls keenly to a 7000-rpm redline. As for the all-wheel-drive system, a hypoid gear diverts torque rearward to an electronically controlled clutch pack attached to the rear diff. It’s similar in principle to other clutch-pack systems, but the GR is allwheel drive all the time. Normal mode sets a front-biased 60/40 torque split, whereas Sport goes 30/70, leading to back-end playfulness without any unruliness. The Yaris’s Track setting divides torque evenly between the axles and actually feels best suited to use on slippery asphalt, combining huge grip with the ability to balance between understeer and oversteer. the numbers It’s good to know that Toyota Powertrain: 257-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-3, still wants to build fun cars like 6-speed manual • Base (U.K.): this, and it’s possible that the all$33,350 • Performance (C/D est), 60 mph: 5.3 sec • 1/4wheel-drive system will find its Mile: 13.9 sec • Top Speed: way into a GR-tuned Corolla or 143 mph • EPA Fuel Economy C-HR for our market. Let’s hope (C/D est), Comb/City/Hwy: 30/27/34 mpg that whatever it is has this Yaris’s competitive spirit.

THE RUNDOWN

Look at the Honda e’s front end and tell us you don’t see a face. Those circular headlights and the panel that connects them evoke Hollywood’s cute robots, like WALL-E, 7723, and Baymax. Behind those bright eyes is a reardrive four-seater packing a lithium-ion battery that provides just 100 miles or so of range. Honda has prioritized fun, giving the e summer tires instead of the low-grip rubber usually fitted to junior EVs. The car’s steering is crisp, and grip levels are high. There’s noticeable body roll under hard cornering, but the ride is pliant, and the e feels agile. Two motor outputs are offered. The base model makes 134 horsepower, and the e Advance has 152 horses on tap. The latter provides instant and satisfying acceleration below 60 mph. The e will cruise at 75 mph or even faster, but that’ll cause the range to plummet. Once the low-charge light comes on, it’ll take you about four hours to charge the e using a 240-volt connection. The cabin’s design is best described as retrofuturistic, with the instrument panel featuring a full-width wood shelf beneath a row of five digital displays. Rear-seat space is tight for adults but usable. Honda has no plans to bring its cute new EV stateside, and we can understand why. In the U.K., the Advance model costs about $36,700 at current exchange rates (without tax), and in the U.S., the Chevy Bolt—which costs about the same as the e but boasts more than twice its range—isn’t exactly flying off lots. At least this EV proves that Honda hasn’t forgotten how to combine pioneering technology with fun.

the numbers Powertrain: 134- or

152-hp AC motor, direct-drive Base (U.K.): $33,900–$36,700 Performance (C/D est), 60 mph: 7.6–8.2 sec • 1/4-Mile: 16.1–16.7 sec • Top Speed: 90 mph • EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est), Comb/City/Hwy: 111/118/113 MPGe

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

N PO OCW OU

WUPER

Shop When You Need To Online & In-Store

3-Ply Disposable Face Masks Pack of 10

(3755)

YOUR CHOICE OF COLOR

$ 99 3

$ Less Than 30¢ per Mask

$ 99

Save

Non-medical. Compare to Fecedy B01711ZXI4 $8.99

Black

Blue

ITEM 58065

ITEM 57593

In-Store Only

*36223350* 36223350

LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

103

*36223749* 36223749

30", 5 Drawer Mechanic's Cart

Compare to Anvil A137HOS $75.88

Use Online & In-Store

*36228041*

ITEM 64263/68998/63248 64080/63091 shown

36228041

LIMIT 2 - Exp. 3/9/21*

36230844

2799

3/8" Drive

Save

1/2" Drive ITEM 63350

Use Online & In-Store

*36234889* LIMIT 3 - Exp. 3/9/21*

ITEM 62431/63882 shown

Compare to Husky H2DTWA $89.97

36238233

149 $

Wheel kit and battery sold separately.

ITEM 63969/63968 CALIFORNIA ONLY

Use Online & In-Store

*36246150* 36246150

LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21*

Snap-on Blue-Point EECR3A $345 ITEM 63806

T. t o

T. 1 0

Compare to Worx WG309 $99.98

Use Online & In-Store

*36240902*

36240608

LIMIT 2 - Exp. 3/9/21*

*36256684* LIMIT 2 - Exp. 3/9/21*

(1653)

YOUR CHOICE

22999279 $

Use Online & In-Store

*36248280* LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21*

ITEM 63537/64195/63852 shown

Save

Use Online & In-Store

*36249372*

ITEM 69087/60379 91616 shown

36249372

LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

1299

$ $

230

*36256742* LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

Compare to Honda GX200UT2QX2 $329.99

*Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 3/9/21.

1599

Compare to Husky H4840GHVSG $59.98

ITEM 60363/69730 shown ITEM 68121/69727 CALIFORNIA ONLY

(2916)

20 oz. HVLP Gravity Feed Air Spray Gun Save 78%

Save

1,100+ Stores Nationwide • HarborFreight.com

*36256477*

SUPER COUPON

$ 99 $ 12499

Use Online & In-Store

509

Includes battery and charger. Compare to Snap-on Use Online & In-Store CT8850PDB, CTB8185BK, CTC720 $739.85 LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21* 36256477

(4094)

6.5 HP (212 CC) OHV Horizontal Shaft Gas Engine

ITEM 61524/63056/63057/56668/63094 shown

ITEM 64349

Compare to Irwin 15504PKSM $59.98

SUPER COUPON

1/2" Anvil

2" Extended Anvil

36256742

LIMIT 3 - Exp. 3/9/21*

20v Lithium-Ion 1/2" Extreme Torque Impact Wrench Kits

85%

$ 99 $ 99 11 Compare to Keeper 05505 $22.80

ITEM 61160/63456/46319 shown 3 6 2 4 0 9 0 2

SUPER COUPON

1399

(6191)

ITEM 56808/63190/62896 shown

36256684

Use Online & In-Store

*36240608*

Save

64%

Use Online & In-Store

Compare to Duralast TR6201C $74.99

Save

Save $ 2799 73%

99 $11999

$ 99

4 Piece, 1" x 15 ft. Ratcheting Tie Downs $

130

3 Piece Titanium Step Bit Set

SUPER COUPON

Save

1999

(2266)

36248280

LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

(4999)

SUPER COUPON

(8371)

7 AMP Electric Pole Saw 9.5" Bar

36233791

300 lb. Capacity Pneumatic Adjustable Roller Seat

195

SUPER COUPON

ITEM 63054/62858 shown

Save

2,279

Compare to Moto Shade 163627 $229.99

Save

ITEM 63971/63970 shown

LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

OBD2 Code Reader with ABS/SRS/ FixAssist® ZR13

Compare to Honda EM6500SXK2AT $2,929

*36238233*

Use Online & In-Store

*36233791*

SUPER COUPON

(1036)

69999 $

LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21*

ITEM 69115/69121/69129/69137/69249/877 shown

Compare to Blue Hawk BG8X10-Y $8.78

10 ft. x 20 ft. Portable Car Canopy

SUPER COUPON

9000w Max. Starting Extra Long Life Gas Powered Generator

36232644

65%

(1511)

$ 99

(972)

649

*36232644*

$ 99 $ 99 4

SUPER COUPON

Use Online & In-Store

SUPER COUPON

ITEM 64031, 64722, 64030, 64721, 64061, 64720, 56429

YOUR CHOICE

ITEM 61276/63880

Use Online & In-Store

Save

88%

ITEM 61277/63881

36234889

Compare to Snap-on Blue-Point KRBC10TBPES $830

Save

1/4" Drive

Compare to Snap-on EEBM500A $111

630

(4271)

Click-Type Torque Wrenches

4 AMP High Frequency Battery Charger/Maintainer

Side tray sold separately.

YOUR CHOICE OF 7 COLORS

SUPER COUPON (2300)

*36230844 * LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

ITEM 64410

SUPER COUPON

23999

20%

19999

(2837 ) 7 ft. 4" x 9 ft. 6" All Purpose/Weather Resistant Tarp

Save

99 24Use Online & In-Store $

LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21*

Save

60%

36226865

SUPER COUPON (1878)

Save

Use Online & In-Store

*36226865*

ITEM 56241/64857 shown

36225606

SUPER COUPON

5000 Lumen 4 ft. LED Hanging Shop Light

3999

Compare to Porter-Cable PXCML224VW $229.99

*36225606 * Exp. 3/9/21*

(10,538)

2999

ITEM 69470/61988 shown

74¢

Use Online & In-Store

SUPER COUPON

130 Piece Tool Kit with Case

LIMIT 1 - Exp. 3/9/21*

(4522)

Compare to HDX 120SD12D $3.97

ITEM 64552/64832/64980/64545 shown

Use Online & In-Store

SUPER COUPON

$ 99

Save

19999 Save

WOW!

Compare to K Tool KTI63094 $163.09

16499

$ LIMIT 3

5999

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

66%

20 Gallon, 135 PSI Oil-Lube Air Compressor

4-in-1 Screwdriver

(2379)

Rapid Pump® 1.5 Ton Lightweight Aluminum Floor Jack

(969)

(8450)

SUPER COUPON

SAVE 81%

ITEM 62300/67181/47016 shown

Use Online & In-Store

*36258171* *36260234* 36258171

LIMIT 2 - Exp. 3/9/21*

36260234

LIMIT 4 - Exp. 3/9/21*

Pricing, promotions, and availability may vary by location and at www.harborfreight.com and are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to limit quantities. “Compare to” advertised price means that the specified comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. Although we make every effort to assure that our prices and products are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it.

2021 DODGE CHARGER SRT HELLCAT REDEYE WIDEBODY ~ BY MAXWELL B. MORTIMER

Seeing Red Highs: Intoxicating power, the comfort of a sedan with the powertrain of a supercar, stout brakes. Lows: Uncomfortably close to six figures, awkward seating position, can Dodge survive on Hellcats alone?

Once you’ve experienced 700 horse-

power, anything less feels utterly ordinary. A 500-hp V-8? Cute. Seven hundred horsepower corrupts you, and as the rush wears off, you start to wonder how you can get your hands on even more. If 700 feels this intoxicating, 800 horsepower must be that much better. That’s what it’s like to drive a Hellcat-powered vehicle, but it also might explain why product development at Dodge has been reduced to fitting increasingly wild variants of the supercharged V-8 into the brand’s three remaining models. The regular Charger Hellcat makes 717 horsepower now, and the Redeye raises the ante on insanity with another 80 ponies. To make the extra power, the 6.2-liter V-8 wears a 2.7-liter screw-type supercharger and produces 14.5 psi of boost. Regular Hellcats get by with a 2.4liter blower and 11.6 psi of boost. To properly feed the beast, Dodge gave the Redeye a second fuel pump, which we put to good use by averaging 13 mpg.

THE RUNDOWN

the numbers Vehicle Type: front-engine, rearwheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan Base ................................... $82,190 As Tested ........................... $90,060 Engine: supercharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection Displacement ........... 376 in3, 6166 cm3 Power ...................... 797 hp @ 6300 rpm Torque ................. 707 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase ................................ 120.0 in • L/W/H ..................... 201.0/78.3/57.6 in • Curb Weight ............................. 4654 lb

test RESULTS 60 mph ........................................... 3.5 sec 100 mph .......................................... 7.5 sec 1/4-Mile ................... 11.5 sec @ 126 mph 130 mph ........................................ 12.4 sec 150 mph ........................................ 17.2 sec 170 mph ....................................... 26.7 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ....... 203 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ....................... 155 ft Braking, 100–0 mph ................... 309 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ... 0.93 g C/D Fuel Economy • Observed .................................... 13 mpg EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ........... 15/12/21 mpg

Patience and a delicate right foot are required to avoid turning the Redeye’s Pirellis into fusilli. This is the quickest rear-wheel-drive Hellcat variant we’ve ever tested (though it is worth noting that Dodge never lent us the keys to a Demon). It hammers to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, one-tenth quicker than the best we’ve seen from a two-door Challenger Hellcat Redeye and only onetenth behind the 760-hp Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Reaching triple digits takes just 7.5 seconds; that’s an astonishing feat, considering this sedan weighs 4654 pounds. Keep the accelerator pinned and the Redeye hits the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds at 126 mph. Braking from 70 mph, the Charger posts a near sports-car-like stop of 155 feet. This is still very much a straight-line car. The suspension’s Street setting is relaxed enough for commuting, but switching to more aggressive modes makes the ride bouncy and harsh. The 305-section-width summer tires provide an unremarkable 0.93 g of grip on the skidpad. The BarcaLounger-like seats are comfortable over long distances but perhaps mounted too high. There’s a lot of joy to be had in a car that turns every stoplight into a dragstrip Christmas tree. Driving to work is exciting and fun—even silly. But while this 797-hp entertainer doesn’t take itself too seriously and will make you laugh with its absurd excesses, its price is no joke. Our test car cost $90,060. Base versions run $82,190, or $8600 more than the 717-hp Charger. We’d guess that most shoppers will go for the extra power.

PH OTO GRA PH Y BY M ARC U R BAN O ~ FE B RUARY/ MA RC H 2021 ~ CAR AN D DRIVER

CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-289-9464, email cdbCustServ@CDSFulfillment.com, visit service.caranddriver.com, or write to Customer Service Dept., Car and Driver, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037 for inquiries/requests, changes of mailing or email addresses, subscription orders, payments, etc. CAR AND DRIVER® (ISSN 0008-6002), VOL. 66, NO. 8, February/March 2021, is published monthly, 10 times per year, with combined issues in February/March and July/August, by Hearst, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, U.S.A. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman; Debi Chirichella, President, Hearst Magazines Group. Hearst Autos, Inc.: Matt Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer; Nick Matarazzo, President & Chief Revenue Officer; Debi Chirichella, Treasurer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. © 2021 by Hearst Autos, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks: Car and Driver is a registered trademark of Hearst Autos, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement no. 40012499. Editorial and Advertising Offices: 1585 Eisenhower Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. SUBSCRIPTION PRICES United States and possessions: $13.00 for one year; Canada, add $10.00; all other countries, add $24.00. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES Car and Driver will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order, undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service or alternate carrier within 4–6 weeks. MAILING LISTS From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to companies who sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such offers by postal mail, please send your current mailing label or an exact copy to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037. You can also visit preferences.hearstmags.com to manage your preferences and opt out of receiving marketing offers by email. Car and Driver assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. None will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Permissions: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Back Issues: Back issues are available for purchase in digital format only from your app store of choice. POSTMASTER Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES Send address corrections to Car and Driver, P.O. Box 37870, Boone, IA 50037. Printed in the U.S.A.

Light & Easy Kayak Fits in a Bag! Packs down to 25” x 18” x 8”

Power your home, save money & be prepared for power outages with the PWRcell solar + storage system.

Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft Inflatable Kayak for 1 or 2 DLight - Weighs 35 lbs. DEasy to inflate DEasy to Paddle DEasy to Carry DEasy to Check as Luggage

What makes The Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ Such A Great Kayak? • 7 minute setup • Packs in a small plane or car trunk easily • Patented outside inflatable keel tracks straighter • Lightweight - just 35 lbs. - goes anywhere • Paddles quickly, safely and precisely in any direction • Multiple Air compartments / Incredibly stable

Request a FREE copy of the PWRcell Buyer’s Guide!

PWRcellGuide.com (844) 876-3814

1-800-944-7496 for a FREE catalog Dept CA021B

ONLY

$29!

illionaires have billions because they know value is not increased by an inflated price. They avoid big name markups, and aren’t swayed by flashy advertising. When you look on their wrist you’ll find a classic timepiece, not a cry for attention–– because they know true CLIENTS LOVE value comes from keeping more money in their STAUER WATCHES… pocket. The Jet-Setter Chronograph can go up against the best chronographs in the market, deliver more accuracy and style than the “luxury” “The quality of their brands, and all for far, far less. $1,150 is what watches is equal to many the Jet-Setter Chronograph would cost you with that can go for ten times nothing more than a different name on the face. the price or more.” Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. — Jeff from McKinney, TX

ÌÌÌÌÌ

Jet-Setter Chronograph $299† Offer Code Price $29 + S&P Save $270

Limited to the first 1900 responders You must use the offer code to get our special price. to this ad only.

1-800-333-2045 Your Offer Code: JCW375-01

Rating of A+

Stauer

® 14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. JCW375-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com † Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code.

• Precision crystal movement • Stainless steel case back & bracelet with deployment buckle • 24 hour military time • Chronograph minute & small second subdials; seconds hand • Water resistant to 3 ATM • Fits wrists 7" to 9"

212-649-4204, 9am-5pm EST

Secrets of a Billionaire Revealed

CAR 1982 CHEVROLET K30

AND DRIVER RORY IRISH

in the mud of a post-flood-stage Utah riverbed. Another sat marooned in a stream after sucking water into its engine. Once, there was even a propane truck that slid off the road and was hanging over a creek. In each instance of off-road calamity, a call went out to Rory Irish, of Moab Motorsports, who arrived in Trail Mater to help. Trail Mater began life as a 1982 Chevy pickup that Irish built into a rock crawler for a friend before buying it back and modifying it into an off-road wrecker. “Most places, they’ll take an on-road wrecker and modify it for off-road,” Irish says. “But those are so heavy that when you get back into the trails, you’re struggling just trying to pull yourself around, let alone pull out another vehicle.” His wrecker features a fuel-injected big-block V-8, a rear end from a Dodge dually, and six winches. Irish also carries a welder, an air compressor, fluids, spare pumps, bolts, and steel plates for remote repairs because, as he says, “It’s always easier to drive a vehicle out than it is to carry one out.” Irish prides himself on having never turned down a call and completing every job without causing further damage. He has a few basic tricks. Letting air out of tires helps a vehicle “float” over a soft surface. A pole can break the suction between a car and the mud or sand in which it’s mired. He also hooks the tow strap low around his axle so it doesn’t damage a stranded vehicle’s plastic bumper. Irish’s services are specialized, so his fees vary. “I charge $150 an hour if I’ve got to go out and fix them or pull them out,” he says. “But if I have to carry them out, it’s $200 an hour, and I’m the cheapest in town.” A difficult tow can run nearly $2000, but Irish is always willing to bargain. “I’ve been there, and I’ve dealt with these issues personally,” he says. “I’m not going to prey on that.” —Brett Berk

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAKE GORDON ~ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

There was that time a vehicle got stuck

SAVE YOUR TIRES! PREVENT FLAT SPOTS

Clean Park® Garage Mat

Tire Saver™

CARS • TRUCKS • SUVs • MOTORHOMES • RVs • TRAILERS • CAMPERS

Catches every drop of mud, slush & grime Available in a variety of sizes & thicknesses Up to a 3-Year Warranty

No weight limit: won’t crush or crack Ramp on both sides 10-year warranty

Cradles tires 13-40” tall Comes in 10”, 15” & 30” widths

KEEP YOUR GARAGE CLEAN AND DRY

BECAUSE YOUR MAN CAVE DESERVES THE BEST

Tsunami Seal ®

RoughTex® Diamond Deck® Flooring

Creates a barrier against water, leaves, dirt and snow Saves energy Keeps out insects, snakes and rodents Works for all types of doors

Pewter

www.YourGaragePro.com | 800.992.2018

Charcoal

Black

212-649-4204, 9am-5pm EST

NO MORE MESSY GARAGE FLOOR!

EVERYTHING YOU’VE BEEN MAKES YOU WHAT YOU ARE. Introducing the all-new 2022 Acura MDX. With three rows, seven seats, and race-inspired double-wishbone front suspension, it carries your entire family. It also carries 35 years of precision engineering.