First Drive: 2008 Maserati GranTurismo

Previews

With the GranTurismo coupe, Maserati invites comparisons to the Mercedes-Benz CL550, BMW 6-series, and Jaguar XKR. But mention that the XKR costs some 26 grand less than the GranTurismo’s base price of $114,650, or that the Jaguar is almost 300 pounds lighter than the GranTurismo’s claimed 4150-pound curb weight, and the Maserati folks shrug it off with lots of hand gestures. The same thing happens if you mention that the similarly priced BMW M6 has 95 more horsepower and 44 more pound-feet of torque than the 405 horses and 339 pound-feet of torque that come from the GranTurismo’s 4.2-liter V-8. “Power is not our race,” they say.

On the other hand, the GranTurismo has something the BMW and the Jaguar don’t—two back seats with space for standard-sized humans. As does the Mercedes CL550, but the GranTurismo’s claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds is 0.2 second quicker than what Mercedes estimates for the Benz.

The Maserati lacks the electronic gadgets available on the Benz, BMW, and Jaguar, but some people consider that a bonus. There are no massaging, adaptive, or cooled seats; no adaptive cruise control; no night vision; and no overly complicated infotainment system.

What the Maserati can brag about is a dizzying number of color combinations for every surface of the car. The rich leather that covers the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, and gearshift boot can be had in 10 different hues, plus the carpet, trunk carpet, headliner—even the stitching—can match or clash at your desire. There are 19 options for exterior paint, six colors for the brake calipers, and two wheel finishes.

Beauty, Inside and Out

he GranTurismo is based on a shortened version of the Quattroporte, and it shares all of its mechanicals with the sedan. In the coupe, the engine control has been tweaked for more horsepower, and the six-speed automatic transmission and the electronic throttle are programmed for faster shifts and quicker responses in standard and sport modes. Due to its larger size than the GranSport (still available in Europe), Maserati claims the GranTurismo is not a direct competitor to the Porsche 911 or Aston Martin V-8 Vantage.

So the GranTurismo is larger, more expensive, slower, and feature-challenged compared with any number of coupes that dwell in the $80,000-plus stratosphere, but that’s hardly the point with this Maserati. Thoughts of comparisons float out the window when one sees the way the Pininfarina-designed sheetmetal floats and bends around the car’s body with more visceral realism than a Rodin sculpture. The other cars don’t look like the GranTurismo, and the interior’s sumptuous hand-stitched surfaces make the others’ seem more commonplace. There’s even a tiny strip of leather on the edge of the steering-wheel shift paddles that constantly reminds the driver that this is a special car.

Driving the GranTurismo is equally enchanting. On tight roads, the bite from the front tires and the excellent steering feel disguise the car’s ample size. The transmission shifts so quickly and smoothly that the term “slushbox” does not apply. There’s never enough available torque to overwhelm the rear tires, and the handling is neutral at the limit.

The GranTurismo has to be one of the smoothest cars on the road, in more ways than one. It is not the fastest, smartest, or best value on the market, but the GranTurismo has panache in abundance. In this car, that’s far more important than cold figures.

Specs

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

BASE PRICE: $114,650

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 259 cu in, 4244cc
Power (SAE net): 405 bhp @ 7100 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 339 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 115.8 in Length: 192.2 in Width: 72.7 in Height: 53.3 in
Curb weight: 4150 lb

PERFORMANCE (MFR’S EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.1 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 177 mph

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
EPA city driving: 11 mpg
EPA highway driving: 16 mpg

caranddriver

Tokyo show: VW grows up

Japan may be the land of the miniature solution, but VW's up! Concept has grown for its visit to Tokyo.

This is the space up, minivan version of Volkswagen's baby city car we saw back in Frankfurt. Unveiled at the Tokyo show, it sits on a longer wheelbase than its three-door sister, and has grown in length by 23cm and height by 40cm.

However, the space up! (anyone else hating that name already?) is still 15cm shorter than the VW Fox - seriously dinky for a four-seater.

The clean lines (or contrived retroism, depending on your point of view) of the styling remain similar to the original up!, and the engine is still strung out at the rear. VW is still touting the flexibility of the concept, and reckons it could be powered by a petrol, diesel or electric motor.

Insiders reckon we could see two- and three-cylinder engines powering the production up!, depending on the market: expect China and India to get the most frugal, low-cost versions, while Europe could see higher-powered variants.

VW has promised yet another up! concept at the Detroit show early next year. We're not expecting a coupe-convertible, but in this crazy world of lower-case proper nouns and unexpected exclamation marks, anything could happen.

Now that's what I call an M1: BMW 135i Coupe.

There's been much talk of the BMW 135i Coupe being 'the new M1'. As Piers Ward explained in his first drive of the most powerful booted 1, that's not quite the case... but this Tokyo concept brings the possibility of a properly hardcore 1-Series a lot closer.

Labelled the 1-Series tii - in homage to BMW's 1960s racer of the same designation - it's a stripped-out, lightweight 1 Coupe which, says BMW, gives an insight into what an out-and-out motorsport-focused 1 might look like.

And it looks good. With yards of exposed carbon fibre across the bonnet, wing mirrors and front air intakes, and a Fiesta ST-like blue-on-white colour scheme, the tii brings a bunch more purposefulness to the 1's slightly saggy looks.

That's aided by remodelled side sills and a new front bumper arrangement, as well as a neat-looking pair of 18-inch five-spoke alloys. The inside, predictably, is swathed in Alcantara.

All good, but - what with this being a concept and all - there's no word from BMW on what would power the tii.

We reckon the three-litre twin-turbo from the 135i Coupe is a pretty good place to start - a couple of gentle tweaks and that could be pushing 350bhp.

Add in a limited slip diff and you've got a proper little M1. Now to convince 'em to build it...

2008 Lotus Supercharged Elise SC

Lotus is a global high tech company and expanding fast. We are committed to driving forward with technology for both Lotus Cars and our Engineering Clients, spearheading research into ever-increasing fields, such as, hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.

Lotus Cars now retails its products in 32 countries and is growing quickly in new territories such as Malaysia, Korea and China in South East Asia and the Gulf States in the Middle East. Lotus Engineering continues to provide and develop high technology engineering consultancy for the worlds motor industry.

Lotus powers into the 2008 Model year with the most powerful series production version of the
Elise to date the Supercharged Elise SC and a 240 PS Performance Pack option for the
Supercharged Exige S that further reinforces its credentials as a race car for the road.
But extra performance is only a part of the 2008 Model Year story. There are several other
enhancements that make the Elise and Exige ranges more sophisticated and better value than
ever before. Driver and passenger airbags are now standard on all models.

An advanced new instrument pack (again common to all models) provides extra information
about vehicle systems, including servicing reminders, but thanks to secret until lit technology,
drivers wont be alerted to such details until it is necessary. A completely new alarm/immobiliser
system has allowed the introduction of a new Lotus designed key with integrated fob, the
famous Lotus roundel operating as one of its three functional buttons.

The biggest news from the 2008 Model Year Lotus line-up is the introduction of the
Supercharged Elise SC, a 220 PS version of the multi award-winning roadster, easily identified
by its new rear spoiler and unique new design of alloy road wheels.

Despite the on-paper similarity with the Exige S, this is no mere engine swap this is an allnew,
non-intercooled installation applied to the current Elises 1.8-litre 2-ZZ VVTL-i engine.
The Lotus-designed, Magnuson-produced supercharger uses a smaller Eaton rotor pack (an
M45 unit) than that of the current Exige S, and is married to the intake manifold plenum as part
of a single-piece casting. Combined with the absence of an intercooler and its associated
pipework, this integrated supercharger/intake assembly contributes to an 8kg reduction in
engine weight compared with the Exige S.

Full Test: 2008 Infiniti EX35. This Crossover Thinks It's a Sport Coupe

We're hammering the 2008 Infiniti EX35 on Mulholland Highway in the mountains of darkest Malibu where the movie people live and we've just passed the Rock Store where bikers profile on weekends. Ahead lies the snakiest mile of the whole road.

So we drive even faster. The hard-edged 297-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 spins a little quicker while the front suspension occasionally chatters a little in the hairpins, and a short time later we get to the top in the kind of a rush that makes a whole day of driving worthwhile.

Then we look over our shoulder and realize that there's a whole backseat behind us, plus the big cargo compartment and we realize again that we've just done the whole Mulholland drive in some kind of crossover-utility thingy.

It's a little unseemly. Who knows what the locals thought? Probably figured we were some kind of Malibu catering service running a party platter to some screenwriters. But of course the 2008 Infiniti EX35 really isn't any kind of crossover at all.

But once you're standing next to the Infiniti EX35, you realize it's not a crossover or even some kind of utility thingy. It's really just a tall wagon, more like a Volvo XC70 than a BMW X3. This explains everything about the EX35's combination of practical luxury and the kind of driving dynamics you'd expect for express delivery of a party platter in the mountains above Malibu.

What's the Difference? It's Fast
The 2008 Infiniti EX35 doesn't really fit our idea of a crossover. It goes down the highway like a luxury sedan, but the tiny tremble from the wide tires tells you there's a high-performance sedan lurking beneath. It steers crisply through the corners. In short, it's one of the most satisfying examples of a vehicle with "utility" in its job description that you'll find anywhere.

2008 Porsche 911 GT2

Presenting the new 911 GT2 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly launching the most powerful 911 so far homologated for road use.

Through its striking design with large air intakes at the front and the rear wing so characteristic of this very special model, the new 911 GT2 expresses the power and performance potential of the fastest-ever 911 right from the start even at a standstill. Available exclusively with rear-wheel drive and a manual six-speed gearbox, this high-performance athlete accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 329 km/h (204 mph) on average fuel consumption of just 12.5 litres/100 km (equal to 22.6 mpg imp) in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), thus offering a level of fuel economy regarded as quite impossible in this performance class just a few years ago.

The power unit of the new 911 GT2 is based on the six-cylinder boxer engine of the 911 Turbo, with air supply by two exhaust gas turbochargers featuring variable turbine geometry (VTG). The 3.6-litre boxer engine achieves its maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) at 6500 rpm, with maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres maintained consistently between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. With its unladen weight of 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb, finally, the 911 GT2 offers a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.72 kg/6.00 lb per horsepower.

The increase in engine power by 50 bhp over the ”regular“ power unit is provided in the new 911 GT2 by two turbochargers with a larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimised turbine housing raising turbocharger pressure to an even higher level. And for the first time Porsche’s engineers have combined the turbocharged engine with an expansion-type intake manifold – a genuine revolution on turbocharged power units.

The new 911 GT2 will be at the dealership in November 2007. The base price of the car in Germany is Euro 159,100.-, the market price including 19 per cent value-added tax Euro 189,496

2008 Toyota Camry Solara Review

What's New for 2008
The 2008 Toyota Camry Solara coupe and convertible are unchanged.

Introduction
Usually, the two-door variants within a model line are flashier and sportier than their four-door counterparts. This was true of the Toyota Camry Solara coupe and convertible right after they were redesigned back in 2004. Since then, though, they've been upstaged by the Camry sedan, which grew more powerful in last year's overhaul. The injustice continues into 2008, as the Solara siblings stand pat while winds of change swirl around them. Rival import-brand manufacturers have launched better-performing, edgier-looking coupes, and relatively affordable hardtop convertibles are crowding into soft-top Solara price territory.

The Solara's diminishing appeal is due at least in part to its exterior styling, which although curvy and sophisticated, has never come across as trendy or youthful. This is particularly true when you look at the car from the back, as the rear deck appears to droop on both the coupe and the convertible. Another issue is the car's lack of verve once you're behind the wheel. The Solara coupe is fairly quick when equipped with the V6, but in the heavier convertible the engine's modest low-end torque and the transmission's slow responses noticeably detract from performance. And although handling is stable and predictable, the Camry Solara is not the sort of car you'll revel in driving briskly, given its soft suspension and minimal steering feedback.

Powertrains and Performance
The standard engine for the Toyota Camry Solara coupe is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder rated at 157 horsepower and 158 pound-feet of torque. It can be paired with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, either of which drives the front wheels. Optional on Solara coupes and standard on convertibles is a 3.3-liter V6 rated for 210 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed automatic is standard with the V6. The EPA rates four-cylinder coupes at 21-22 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. Upgrade to the V6 and you're looking at an 18/27 rating in the coupe and 18/26 in the convertible.