2010 Mercedes E63 AMG

Mercedes has taken the wraps off the new range-topping E-class: the E63 AMG.
Despite talk from within AMG about ending the horsepower war between German car makers, this new model has more power than the car it replaces — although at 11bhp, it’s a modest gain.
But thanks to a number of efficiency-enhancing measures, the 518bhp Mercedes E63 AMG drinks 12 per cent less fuel than its predecessor. It now returns 22.4mpg.
The 6208cc V8 produces the same power and 465lb ft of torque as the SL63’s unit. Performance is practically the same as the old E63, but still impressive, with a 0-62mph time of 4.5sec and a top speed limited to 155mph.
The new car gains the SL63’s Speedshift MCT seven-speed ’box with a wet start-up clutch. The unit is lighter and more efficient than the old torque converter, as well as giving better response.
The transmission has four driving modes: Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus and Manual. In Manual the system will switch cogs in 100 milliseconds, while in Controlled Efficiency there are early upshifts to keep revs low and optimise efficiency.
To improve handling, the E63 AMG has been fitted with a newly developed front axle with more negative camber, a 56mm wider track, new control arms, a tubular stabiliser and revised wheel bearings. The rear axle also has extra negative camber and a new subframe mounting for greater stability on the limit.
New front spring struts improve responsiveness, while the rear air struts have automatic level control to keep the rear at the same height irrespective of the load.
Mercedes claims that its ‘AMG Ride Control’ system, which automatically varies the damping characteristics, ensures that the car is equally at home on a race track or the autobahn.
Visually, the car gains 18in AMG alloys with 255/40 front and 285/35 rear tyres, while 19-inch items feature on the options list. The front wings are 17mm wider than a regular E-class’s and feature ‘6.3 AMG’ lettering.
The car also gets LED daytime running lights and a more aggressive front spoiler, while a rear diffuser and quad tailpipes feature at the back.
The E63 will be on sale in September, although UK prices and specs are yet to be confirmed.

Mercedes has taken the wraps off the new range-topping E-class: the E63 AMG.
Despite talk from within AMG about ending the horsepower war between German car makers, this new model has more power than the car it replaces — although at 11bhp, it’s a modest gain.
But thanks to a number of efficiency-enhancing measures, the 518bhp Mercedes E63 AMG drinks 12 per cent less fuel than its predecessor. It now returns 22.4mpg.
The 6208cc V8 produces the same power and 465lb ft of torque as the SL63’s unit. Performance is practically the same as the old E63, but still impressive, with a 0-62mph time of 4.5sec and a top speed limited to 155mph.
The new car gains the SL63’s Speedshift MCT seven-speed ’box with a wet start-up clutch. The unit is lighter and more efficient than the old torque converter, as well as giving better response.
The transmission has four driving modes: Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus and Manual. In Manual the system will switch cogs in 100 milliseconds, while in Controlled Efficiency there are early upshifts to keep revs low and optimise efficiency.
To improve handling, the E63 AMG has been fitted with a newly developed front axle with more negative camber, a 56mm wider track, new control arms, a tubular stabiliser and revised wheel bearings. The rear axle also has extra negative camber and a new subframe mounting for greater stability on the limit.
New front spring struts improve responsiveness, while the rear air struts have automatic level control to keep the rear at the same height irrespective of the load.
Mercedes claims that its ‘AMG Ride Control’ system, which automatically varies the damping characteristics, ensures that the car is equally at home on a race track or the autobahn.
Visually, the car gains 18in AMG alloys with 255/40 front and 285/35 rear tyres, while 19-inch items feature on the options list. The front wings are 17mm wider than a regular E-class’s and feature ‘6.3 AMG’ lettering.
The car also gets LED daytime running lights and a more aggressive front spoiler, while a rear diffuser and quad tailpipes feature at the back.
The E63 will be on sale in September, although UK prices and specs are yet to be confirmed.

2010 Volkswagen Golf

Remember how the Rabbit Cup cars of the early '80s would lift an inside rear wheel in tight corners? How the first imported '83Volkswagen GTIs would dance around that tight road course in the commercials set to "KleineGTI," the German version of the Ronnie and the Daytonas song? Sure, the original Rabbit GTI's live rear axle is long gone. Still, there's something in the character of the GTI that suggests an affordable, yet well-balanced hot hatch -- the original hot hatch -- that leaps about corners with an attitude defying and yet celebrating its front-wheel-drive.

Volkswagen's Mark V GTI recaptured that spirit, despite its independent rear suspension, after two generations of hot hatches that were well-mannered in their benign understeer too the point of feeling overweight and uninteresting. Good news, hot hatch fans. The Mark VI GTI on-sale this fall as a 2010 model, just like its immediate predecessor, does not feel overweight and it's not the least bit boring. While VW says it has reworked its front strut/rear multi-link suspension, it feels pretty much just like its predecessor, with much of the Mark V carried over but with new sheetmetal and a more refined interior. Mark V to Mark VI GTI, and its Golf basis are much like the difference between C5 and C6 Corvette. Dimensions are virtually unchanged, though all the sheetmetal below the daylight opening is new and slightly more angular, with wider taillamps and the right-side dual tailpipe moved to the right side of the underbody to make the GTI look lower and wider.

The chief mechanical difference for the new car is the addition of XDS electronic transverse differential lock, which uses the limited slip differential for neutral handling. What it does best is brake the inside rear to coax the tail into place in fast turns. In other words, front-wheel-drive oversteer, without the drama of lifting the wheel.

What's more telling is what the European spec GTI has that the North American spec car doesn't. We won't get, even as options, adjustable electronic damper control, park assist, passenger airbag deactivation, rear foglamps, automatic climate control, a self-dimming mirror, storage drawers under the front seats, headlamp washers or manually adjusted headlamps. (We do get standard cruise control, but not the European-spec adaptive kind, and different cupholders. We can't be trusted, apparently, not to use the Euro version's slick built-in chrome bottle opener to pop open Miller High Lifes.) Xenon headlamps are now optional.

The reason for the standard-equipment delete is simple. TheGTI is a 26,000 euro car in Europe, equivalent to $33,000 to more than $36,000, based on the euro-to-dollar fluctuation of the past half-year. GTIs Mark V and VI are great cars, one of the best choices, for under $25,000 in North America. Loaded to $30,000-plus, the GTI faces a lot more competition.

Since VW held the introduction in the South of France, the sample cars all were Euro-spec. The magnetic ride control, operated by a comfort-normal-sport mode button on the floor of the center stack is a feature we can be happy we don't get.

If you press the "sport" mode, there's virtually no suspension compliance in fast second- or third-gear corners. Still, it doesn't feel any faster than the "normal" mode, in which you feel that slight, consistent roll at turn in and then you feel the rear tires squirm out in a controlled oversteer mode. If you want perfectly neutral, fast cornering, there's a terrific mid-engine Audi available for the price of four-and-a-half GTIs.

The "normal" mode, which should be closest to the U.S.-spec handling setup, updates those original Golf/Rabbit/GTI handling characteristics in a way that should please seasoned devotees and newcomers to the model alike. The '10 GTI has far more electronic nannies and helpers than we would have expected from an affordable hot hatch just a few short years ago, but in updating the formula honed with the Mark V introduced in North American for 2006, VW is maintaining the original character of the car.

Its engine also carries over from the 2006-09, the 2.0L turbo FSI with 10 more ponies, for a total of 210. You'd be within your rights to expect the GTI to get the more powerful TFSI version of that engine available in Audis A3 and A4, but once again cost comes into play. That engine was developed by semi-autonomous Audi, and reportedly would have cost VW more than a few bucks to install in the GTI. So VW doesn't catch one of its two chief competitors, the MazdaSpeed3 in terms of torque or horsepower, and its handling isn't as Formula One-edgy as the other, the Honda Civic Si.

Instead, it's a smoother, more refined, better balanced hot hatch that still maintains the feeling of a relatively lightweight, cheeky little car. VW claims it's the quietest Golf/GTI ever, and that sounds about right, though you can still hear the brappy exhaust if you keep your boot into it and upshift/downshift vigorously. The GTI also comes with the most precise electronic power steering in the business, with a lightness and feedback that belies its system. Conversely, the brakes felt okay, but not solid and powerful like most German brake systems. Fade came too easily in mountain road sprint exercises.

2010 VOLKSWAGEN GTI
Base Price	$23,000 (est)
Vehicle layout	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 2- or 4-door, hatchback
Engine	2.0L/210-hp/207-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 16-valve 4-cyl
Transmission	6-speed manual, 6-speed auto-clutch manual
Curb weight	2900 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase	101.5 in
Length x width x height	165.9 x 70.0 x 57.8 in
0-60 mph	6.9 sec (mfr est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ	N/A
CO2 emissions	N/A
On sale in U.S.	October 2009

 Aston Martin One-77

Aston Martin is billing the One-77 -- which is being revealed at the 2009 Geneva show after several teases -- as the ultimate expression of its automotive know-how, with performance potential that eclipses any other Aston ever made. For a rumored 1.02 million pounds ($1.43 million at current exchange rates), we certainly hope so. Aston promises us the car will be rolling artwork as well as an incredible performance machine.

To make it so, the folks at Aston shipped their 6.0L V-12 motor off to famed engine-builder Cosworth for an upgrade. What they got back was a 7.3L V-12 monster that reportedly will make more than 700 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque in its final tune. As if that weren't enough, Cosworth reduced the mass of the engine by 25% and fitted it with a dry-sump oiling system that will allow Aston to mount it almost 4.0 in. lower in the car than any other V-12 has ever been mounted in an Aston. In addition to reducing the engine's weight and lowering its mounting point, Aston also pushed it back over 10 in. behind the front wheel centerline for better front-to-rear weight balance.

The mighty V-12 will put its power to the ground through an upgraded version of Aston's paddle-shifted sequential six-speed manual gearbox that's been built to handle the power. Big 335-width tires wrapped around 20-in. wheels will try to keep the power in check at the rear while 225-width tires on 20-in. wheels up front will try to keep everything going the right way. It won't be an easy task, not with all that power and a car that weighs only 3307 lb. Aside from losing weight under the hood, Aston also pulled down the curb weight by working with a company called MTC to build the One-77's monocoque chassis entirely out of carbon fiber. Aston Martin says that, though the specifications haven't been finalized yet, the car should roar from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 sec and reach speeds of over 200 mph.

When designing the One-77, Aston wanted it to be as much about performance as it is about luxury. To that end, they paid careful attention to Europe's DTM racing series and borrowed some of the technology used on the DTM cars. This resulted in a double-wishbone suspension setup being used at all four corners, with inboard-mounted springs and shocks actuated by pushrods in the rear. The setup reportedly reduces unsprung weight in the rear and allows for better packaging, much like on a race car. It's also really, really cool.

Hauling the One-77 to a stop will be Aston's Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes, designed to minimize wear and fade in high-stress situations. Not only has Aston redesigned the rotors for maximum contact with the pads, they've gone so far as to redesign the brake calipers to reduce heat transfer and keep the brake fluid cooler.

As much as this car is a performance machine, Aston also considers it a rolling piece of art. Everything from the dry-sump reservoir to the billet aluminum suspension mounts has been designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, even if you can't see the setups without taking the car apart. The all-new dash and instrument cluster, with owner-specified wood, leather, and trim packages, give an indication of the future of Aston Martin styling. On the outside, the car is as much a new design as it is recognizeable as an Aston Martin. Massive brake ducts up front and beefy haunches in the rear are artistic exaggerations of classic Aston Martin styling, but big grille, long hood, and shapely rear end are all easily identifiable as Aston Martin.

Last we heard, Aston Martin has received over 100 "expressions of interest" in the car, but it had not sold out as of yet. It likely will soon, though, considering that only 77 copies will be made, and they've already been allocated to various markets around the globe. Only six lucky multimillionaires will have the honor of bringing this $1.4 million car to the United States, and only four or five will be able to keep them in England. If you ever see one when it finally hits the streets, consider yourself very, very lucky.

2009 Nissan 370Z

Price Range:$31,230 - $35,760

Body Style: Coupe

Sum Up: N/A

Rating: 

Nissan knows as well as anyone the dangers in redesigning a popular car. Through the 1990s, it "improved" its Z-car until the bloated 300ZX carried virtually none of the charm (not to mention the sales volume) of the original 240Z. Nissan returned the line to its former glory with the 350Z, and has been rewarded with a brilliantly successful six-year run. And with the 2009 370Z, which is making its debut this week at the Los Angeles auto show, it has proved it has finally learned how to build on success.

The 370Z addresses every major complaint about the outgoing car - namely its weight and sub par interior quality - but maintains and, if anything, further distills the basic Z-car formula.

Powertrain

Not surprisingly, the improvements begin with a boost in power. The 370Z's heart remains the venerable VQ series V-6, but is the updated 3.7-liter unit from the Infiniti G37, making 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. The most interesting update in the drivetrain lies, surprisingly, in the manual transmission. Whereas most sports car manufacturers of late have tried to make their slushboxes behave more like manuals, Nissan has updated its old-fashioned 6-speed with an automatic-like feature: downshift rev-matching. When a driver selects a lower gear and lifts up on the clutch, the 370Z will automatically respond with a blip of the throttle. The result is a perfect heel-to-toe shift - every time and for every driver. Of course, there will be a way to shut off this feature for those who can't stand even this bit of modern intrusion. And those who want to skip the clutch pedal altogether can opt for a new 7-speed

 automatic with manual mode and, for the first time in a Z-car, paddle shifters. With either transmission, Nissan says drivers can expect about a 2 mpg improvement in fuel economy compared to the 350Z, which netted 18/25 mpg with a manual (official EPA estimates for the new car have not yet been released).

Suspension

Perhaps more exciting than the gain in power and even the trick transmission is the reduction in weight. Nissan says the 370Z is about 90 lbs lighter than a comparably equipped 350Z, despite being more rigid throughout and meeting tighter (read: weight adding) safety standards. The secret to this accomplishment is aluminum. Nissan engineers used it extensively, including on the hood, rear hatch, and door skins. The 307Z is based on the same updated premium mid-ship platform that underpins the G37, and has new front sub frame made of, what else, aluminum. The control arm front suspension has been redesigned, and the multi-link rear is now stiffer and lighter than before. Despite all the changes and pound shedding, weight distribution remains unchanged at 54/46 front/rear. The 370Z also measures nearly four inches shorter than its predecessor, while gaining an inch in width.

The car retains Rays forged aluminum wheels, now standard, but ditches the 350Z's optional Brembo brakes for units of Nissan's own design.

Interior

The 350Z's interior was cheap and outdated looking when it came out in 2002. Thankfully, the new car addresses this with upgraded materials and components throughout. Again, the family resemblance with the G37 is clear, especially in the optional navigation unit. Anti-slip cloth seats (not Alcantara, Nissan is careful to point out) come standard, as does a revised, eight-speaker Bose audio system. Out back Nissan found some more trunk space by repositioning the rear stabilizer brace. The only oversight we can see is Nissan's decision to make iPod compatibility only available in cars equipped with navigation, although all cars have an auxiliary input.

Exterior

As with the last car, Nissan made its designers compete for the right to style the 370Z. Once again its La Jolla, California, studio came out the winner. By now everyone has seen pictures of the new 370Z, but it looks more dramatic - and frankly, much more appealing - in person. The head lamps and tail lamps still smack a bit too much of the Maxima, but the taut lines and muscular stance accentuate the car's more athletic dimensions while capturing the unmistakable essence the 240Z. A subtle dash of GT-R comes through as well in the car's kinked A-pillar and downward sloping roof.

Price

Nissan says one of its main goals in the redesign was to maintain the car's bargain-priced virtue, and it appears to have succeeded. The base price at launch will be $30,625, including destination. The trim levels have been simplified, with only two options: 370Z or 370Z Touring. Either of those models can be equipped with a Sport Package, which adds a limited-slip differential, in addition to larger brakes and wheels, and last but not least, the rev-matching feature for the manual.

On paper and in person, the new 370Z appears to be a very worthy successor to the Z-car line and, once again, a smashing sports car bargain. Does it drive as well as it reads? We'll have our thoughts on that on December 1st.

2010 Jaguar XKR

Price Range:$77,200 - $93,700

Body Style: Convertible, Coupe

Sum Up: A true successor to

 the immortal E-Type.

Rating: 

A good number of the

 updatedJaguar XKR's

 supplied action shots show the coupe sideways with

 

a cloud of smoke in pursuit. While this alludes to

 variety of improvements for the 2010

 model year, the most noteworthy must be the new engine -- a 5.0L V-8 with a Roots-type

 supercharger

Also on the new XFR, the V-8, with 510 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, eclipses the previous-gen 4.2L by 90 hp. Jaguar increases its performance claims as a result, dropping the 0-to-60-mph acceleration to 4.6 sec from 4.9 sec. A loss of one mpg in highway fuel economy is the only downside to the newfound power; the 2010 XKR returns 15/22 city/highway mpg.

Above the new engine are two louvers, opposed to the center bulge in the hood. Jaguar revises the rest of the bodywork to reflect the "R" designation a bit more thoroughly as well. The 2010 model receives a new front bumper, featuring adjusted air inlets and chrome trimmings, while the truck gains a subtle spoiler and LED taillights. Jaguar sprinkles more LED lighting around the rest of the exterior, from the side markings to the twin reverse lamps to the foglamps. Where the vehicle connects to the ground, 19-in., 10-spoke wheels are standard while 20-in. wheels remain an option.

Jaguar updates the interior as well, matching it to the quality and style found in the XF. Standard on the XK are heated, 10-way-adjustable front seats, and a touch-screen control center. The center contains audio, navigation, Bluetooth, and climate systems. An optional R Performance interior package offers 16-way-adjustable seats with side bolsters and cooling capability.

The "JaguarDrive Selector" -- the much-ballyhooed silver shift dial that rises out of the center console in the XF -- makes an appearance for the first time in the 2010 XK lineup. Along with the new shifter come an electronically controlled suspension and differential systems. The former analyzes pitch and roll rates and compensates for them with dampening adjustments, as much as 100 times a second. The latter promises to offer the bonuses of a locking mechanical differential (burnouts, power-on oversteer) without the abruptness, allowing smoother progression across the traction threshold. Unlike a majority of electronic differentials, the one employed by Jaguar does not hamper acts of hooliganism with brake application.

These systems, in conjunction with the DSC, create JaguarDrive Optimization which replaces the Computer Active Technology Suspension found in current-gen cars. The new meta-system offers more vehicle dynamics control options, with settings ranging from normal to sports to winter to the fun everything-off mode.

Other technological features on the new XKR include bi-Xenon headlights with headlamp leveling, sensors to optimize cabin air quality, keyless start, park assist, and optional active cruise control. The XK lineup also offers front, side, and thorax airbags with an active restraint system that monitors seat application to determine the proper amount of airbag deployment in the event of a crash.

The XKR retains its lightweight yet rigid all-aluminum monocoque chassis and comes in coupe or convertible form. And lest we forget, that optional convertible top will open or shut in 18 seconds. So this summer, when the 2010 XKR hits the market, look forward to a nice bit of fresh air in the cabin during all your sideways shenanigans.

2009 Lamborghini Gallardo

 priceRange: $198,000 - $217,560

Body Style: Coupe, conv

Sum Up: like running with the bulls. naked.

Rating: 

From the first day Lamborghiniannounced its new and improvedGallardo LP560-4, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it was only a question of time until the Gallardo Spyder received the same treatment.

That time has come. Now entering into the (Raging Bull) ring is theLamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, which is making its world debut at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show.

Like the coupe, the LP560-4 Spyder loses 44 lb and gets 200 cc added to its V-10 engine -- a new, 5.2L aluminum unit with 552 hp, 398 lb-ft on tap. Mated to the updated engine is Lambo's reprogrammed e.gear six-speed transmission that Lamborghini claims shifts 40% faster in the sportiest "corsa" mode. The improvements led to a claimed 0-to-62-mph time of 4.0 sec and a top speed of 201 mph for the LP560-4 Spyder according to the automaker. At the same time, Lamborghini points out that both fuel economy and CO2 emissions are substantially improved. The outgoing Gallardo Spyder achieved 10/15 mpg with the stick and 10/16 mpg with the e.gear, but the LP560-4 gets 12/20 with the stick and 13/20 with the e.gear. Impressive numbers for a supercar.

The LP560-4 Spyder's brakes have been upgraded as well. The standard brake system consists of 14.4-in. vented discs with eight-piston Brembo calipers up front and 14.0-in. vented discs with four-piston calipers at the rear. If that's not enough, Lamborghini offers a carbon-ceramic brake package consisting of monster 15.0-in. discs up front and 14.0-in. discs at rear.

One thing that hasn't changed is the Spyder's roof design. The Gallardo remains a softtop convertible. Its canvas top, available in four colors -- black, blue, gray, and beige -- opens or closes in just 20 sec, a remarkable contrast to the infamous afterthought top on theMurcielago Spyder. With the top down, the rear glass can be left up to serve as a wind deflector, or it can be folded independently with the top up. Rollover protection is provided via a pair of spring-loaded bars behind the seats that deploy within 250 msec if necessary. According to Lamborghini, the extra flexibility associated with the lack of a fixed roof is compensated for with structural elements within the frame designed to increase rigidity.

Standard features include dual side curtain airbags, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, HID headlights with LED driving lights, and a stereo with a USB input. Optional features include Bluetooth, a navigation system and a rearview camera. Also available are Alcantara-upholstered seats and various carbon trim options. Still no scissor doors though.

Lamborghini couldn't have picked a more suitable of a place to launch its new drop-top model than Southern California, specifically at the 2008 Los Angeles International Auto Show. With supercar-friendly weather virtually year 'round, it's little surprise that the area is a huge market for the Raging Bull. Earlier this year, the company announced it would be setting up its North American headquarters in Santa Monica and until recently, Southern California was home to the world's number-one Lamborghini dealer, the now-closed Lamborghini of Orange County, which accounted for about 10% of Lambo's global sales annually. Dealer drama aside, the 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder should start at around $220,000 when it goes on sale sometime next year.