Evelyn Reynolds

From the December 1993 issue of Car and Driver.On first touch, this looked like one of those fantasies that might have been better left unfulfilled. You know how some experiences just don’t play as well in real time as they did in your imagination? Like winning the lottery or taking Michelle Pfeiffer to dinner, driving as legendary a car as a Daytona Spyder would almost have to be a letdown, considering the wildly inflated expectations going in. We had rounded up a 1973 365GTS/4 to serve as a historic touchstone in exam­ining Ferrari’s new 348 Spider, and for the first mile we weren’t sure it would live up to its reputation. The steering managed to be both loose and heavy, the car nosed into bends lazily on its tall, bagel-shaped tires, the shifter gating was vague, and the six Weber carburetors had the V-12 stumbling and staggering below 3000 rpm. HIGHS: The new 348 Spider has sex appeal, a clever top, great steering and brakes.”Well, it’s a period piece,” we thought charitably. But gradually something happened as we herded the bellowing beast over Ange­les Crest Highway high above L.A. The thing came alive. And we took root in it. Car and driver came to an understanding, like a hand and a new fielder’s glove. Barely thinking about it, we took to working just the bottom half of the sharply angled steering wheel, passing the rim from hand to hand. We learned to hold the throttle just so for starting and to coax the revs past three grand before rolling open all those Weber butterflies. We eventually had a mental map of the wide-gated shift pattern. And our corner-entry rhythm attuned itself to the Daytona’s deliberate, dead-predictable manners.Like every Ferrari we’ve driven, the Daytona came into its own as it went faster. As speed and cornering intensity increased, the car worked better and felt sweeter—the steering more alive, the chassis more nimble, the revs picking up cleanly. You could interpret this to mean a Ferrari is tuned for rapid running. But maybe the car just needs to know you’re serious before it decides to cooperate. What does this have to do with the 1994 348 Spider? Everything. Because Ferrari tradition both graces and burdens every product of the little Maranello factory. While a 1990 Ferrari must respect mod­ern standards of comfort, build quality, and driving ease and meet mandates for crashworthiness and emissions, it also must remain true to a flavor and a feel estab­lished in simpler days. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, new chairman and chief executive officer of Ferrari SpA, put the dilemma succinctly: “I want Ferraris to be cars of the future, but with a long tradition.” Results have been mixed. The prevailing criticism—voiced as recently as our March 1993 test of a 348tb coupe—tend to be that the per­formance does not live up to the promise of the stratospheric price and that such bothersome eccentricities as stiff shift-lever movement through the traditional chromed gate are simply not worth the trouble. Through a combination, perhaps, of mechanical upgrades and closer-tolerance assembly, our fly-yellow 348 Spider was a much nicer, less idiosyncratic machine than the black 348tb we drove in March. Lighter to the touch yet more stable at sweaty-palm speeds, the Spider asked us to put up with much less. So we could better enjoy what it had to offer.Which includes, now, open-air motor­ing. The new convertible top is cleverly engineered, it looks good up or down, and it operates with a simple one-latch-and­-one-lever process that can be managed from the driver’s seat if you contort a bit. Wind buffeting in the open cockpit is quite tolerable. With the top up, wind noise does not seriously compete with that symphonic engine note until past 100 mph. At any speed approaching the car’s maximum of 154, wind roar does become deafening. For that reason, as well as struc­tural-rigidity concerns, we prefer solid-­roof bodies for really fast cars. (We’re hoping the Viper GTS sees production.) Yet for a choptop revision to an existing coupe design, the new 348 Spider is uncommonly successful. There is just the merest whiff of body flex over really bad bumps in fast turns, and this impressive rigidity comes with no weight penalty we can detect. Our Spider weighed 3290 pounds, compared with the 348tb’s 3292. LOWS: It’s no quicker than cars costing a third as much, shifter is a bit stiff.Various spec changes, introduced on 1993’s 348 Serie Speciale right after our test of the 348tb, are carried over to the Spi­der. Less restrictive muffling raises engine output from 300 hp at 7000 rpm to 310 at 7200, and slightly shorter overall gearing gives the engine a little more leverage (the transfer-gear ratio between the longitudi­nal engine and the transverse gearbox is lowered from 1.09:1 to 1.22:1). The fat Pirelli P Zero tires are set nearly two inches farther apart in back, and this track increase, plus some fiddling of suspension settings, may explain our Spider’s improved stability. The car’s performance is plenty strong: 5.3 seconds to 60 mph, 13.8 to 100, 14.0 seconds at 101 mph in the quarter-mile. But you will be disappointed if you need it to outrun certain cars that cost vastly less than its $131,090—a Corvette ZR1 or a Viper, for instance. And there are some quirks. The shifter is stiff, and in our car the lever scraped on the gate, making one-­two and three-four shifts go chi-kee-chank. But a familiar hand can live with it, and the action improves as miles accumulate. The motorized passive belts are also a nuisance, but an airbag would probably ruin the trademark three-spoke steering wheel with prancing-horse horn button. (Bags are promised for the American-market 456GT next year, and we’re curious to see how they’ll be done.) Beyond that, the 348 Spider needs no special allowances. The seats are firmly supportive and comfy enough, interior trimwork is clean and straight, and clam­bering in and out of the low, wide cockpit is not unduly challenging. There is even remarkably good outward visibility for a mid-engine design (though the inside mir­ror can block the driver’s view in a fast right-hander). By all these mundane mea­sures of refinement, the 348 scores well and represents vast improvement on its 308/328 forebears. More to the point, the car is loads of fun to drive. Stiff, low, and lively, the Spi­der feels crisp and sharply maneuverable on back roads yet quite compliant on the freeway and around town. Steering is mar­velously tight and positive. Routine course corrections are more a matter of pressure at the leather-covered rim than actual wheel movement. In the mountains, the car pivots around its centralized, mid-engine mass and snaps in and out of turns adroitly. Gentle, protective understeer is the prevailing cornering attitude, and though you can feel terminal oversteer out there waiting, you really need to be on a racetrack to explore that transition. The limit is high enough and the dividing line thin enough to make tail-swinging antics fool­hardy on public roads. Wherever you drive it, you have a friend in the 348’s spectacular brakes. They’re strong, firm at the pedal, and easily modulated. More Ferrari Reviews From the ArchiveThat 3405cc V-8 shrieking away behind your shoulder delivers smoothly building power and clean response, with­out a spit or stutter. And it happily uses all of the available 7500 rpm. At an indi­cated—if optimistic—60 mph, you can pick your revs and racket, depending on the output you want: 2900 rpm in fifth, 3800 in fourth, 5050 in third, or 7400 in second. Engine noise is a key part of the Ferrari presence, and even though the 348 lacks the harrowing banshee wail of the Daytona’s pipes, its busy, mechanized intensity makes the point. The eye-frying droptop 348 attracts attention like a high-rise fire. And that’s just one trait it shares with the twenty-year­-old Daytona. As different as the Spider and Spyder are—cylinder count, engine loca­tion, exhaust howl, weight and balance, tire and suspension technology, comput­erization, ergonomics, and so on—there is a thread of heredity running through them. The Pininfarina curves. The high-strung engine sounds. The steering that livens with speed. The gate-guided shifters that reward a practiced touch. VERDICT: A fine exotic that strikes that precarious balance between refinement and character.In the end, both of “our Ferraris”—the new Spider and the veteran Spyder­—enchanted us. Driving them did not fail to live up to the billing, despite our tall expec­tations. Would a lottery jackpot and sup­per with Ms. Pfeiffer do as well? Maybe. But “my check” and “my treat” still won’t resonate the way “my Ferrari” does.Daytona Spyder the Archetypal Ferrari Street RacerThe new 348 Spider represents the first two-seat Ferrari convertible since the 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder of the early Seventies (the Mondial Cabriolet is a two­-plus-two). We wanted a Daytona along for perspective when we drove the new car, and Cris Vandagriff at Ferrari of Beverly Hills graciously arranged this beautiful, original, 25,000-mile 1973 customer car for us. The last of the front-engined Ferrari sports cars, the big, noisy, V-12-pow­ered Daytona holds a special place in the Ferrari pantheon. Nowhere is the Ferrari heritage—a torch the new car must carry—so vividly embodied.The Daytona’s journey to the U.S. was a difficult one. The federal government ruled that it wasn’t clean enough at the tailpipes. Its covered headlamps also ran afoul of U.S. laws and almost forced the Italian carbuilder to install shockingly ugly quad headlamps on the Daytona’s sleek snout.But by 1971, Ferrari had cooked up a U.S.-specification Daytona that was soothing to the eyes (its headlamps were covered) and acceptable to government pipe-sniffers (a sacrifice of about 10 hp). The detuning hardly muzzled the 4.4-liter V-12. Car and Driver tested a well-restored Daytona couple in April 1984 and found it could sprint through the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 108 mph. The GTB/4 originally stickered at $19,500 with the Spyder selling at a $6000 premium.The Daytona competed in touring-car races with fair success, but one of its more famous exploits came at the hands of C/D’s ever-game Brock Yates. In 1971, teamed with Dan Gurney, Brock whipped a Daytona coupe across these United States—from Manhattan’s Red Ball garage to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California—in 35 hours and 54 minutes to win the second Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Over 2876 miles, they averaged 80 miles per hour, got 12.2 miles per gallon, and showed vastly greater style per mile than any other competitor.Is It ‘Spyder’ or ‘Spider’?We wondered why Ferrari changed the spelling of “Spyder” to “Spider” for the new 348 roadster, but even people connected with the Italian automaker couldn’t provide an answer.In the process, someone here asked, “Why would anyone call a car a spider anyway?” Good question.In the 1700s, the phrase “spider phaeton” described a lightweight, horsedrawn passenger carriage with a folding fabric top to keep out the elements. The wheels were spindly, and in some other upscale, enclosed models the rear wheels arched almost to the carriage’s roofline. this presumably reminded passersby of spiders, whose legs often rise high above the insect’s body.So what’s that got to do with a two-seat roadster? Who knows? Expanding the use of the term “spider” to cars is said to have begun in the Thirties in Italy, where rough two-seat competition racers were called spiders. So the word must be English, since the Italian word for spider isn’t spider—it’s ragno. Italian automakers Cisitalia and Siata used the term to describe some of their cars, and in 1953 Siata switched to the “Spyder” spelling for unannounced reasons. This is confusing because the Italian language traditionally does not use the letter “y.” Maybe it just looks less repellent with a “y.”Meanwhile, Porsche in 1954 was about to export a zoomy race car which was stuck with this mouthful designation: “Type 550/1500RS.” American importer Max Hoffman politely suggested instead the simple name of “Spyder.”And that’s where the word comes from. We think. Maybe. SpecificationsSpecifications
1993 Ferrari 348 SpiderVehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $131,090/$131,090
ENGINEDOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 208 in3, 3405 cm3Power: 310 hp @ 7200 rpmTorque: 229 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/control armsBrakes, F/R: 11.8-in vented disc/12.0-in vented discTires: Pirelli P ZeroF: 215/50ZR-17R: 255/45ZR-17
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.5 inLength: 166.5 inWidth: 74.6 inHeight: 46.1 inPassenger Volume: 47 ft3Trunk Volume: 7 ft3Curb Weight: 3290 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.3 sec100 mph: 13.8 sec1/4-Mile: 14.0 sec @ 101 mph130 mph: 27.2 sec140 mph: 36.1 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.9 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 7.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 7.1 secTop Speed (redline ltd): 154 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 169 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.91 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 17 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 13/18 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

As Stanford University’s Rob Kapilow explains, British art critic Richard Wollheim in 1965 “coined the term ‘minimal art’ to describe art that reduced its materials and forms to fundamentals.” The phrase became the catchall “minimalism,” which became—and remains—a vital ethos of Western design and culture. You can hear it in composer John Cage’s “4:33,” which puts a pianist at a piano for four minutes and 33 seconds of silence. You can sit in it with Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair or anywhere at Ikea. You can sleep and shower in it, in modern hotel rooms that make Sphinxian riddles of turning off the lights and turning on the water. And you can drive it if you buy a Range Rover. Evoque’s Exterior DesignThe British SUV maker prefers the term “reductive” design to minimalism. The 2024 Range Rover Evoque shows the result is the same no matter the term—better execution than in that boutique hotel, albeit just as stingy with switches and buttons.Applied to the Evoque’s exterior, reductive is a warning to expect changes that need a jeweler’s loupe to identify. The grille swaps the previous hexagonal mesh for artful dashed lines, the Evoque now expressing the family genes as passed down by the paternoster Range Rover. On either side of the grille, slimmer adaptive headlights match the units used on the Velar. Each lamp houses four small lighting units, each unit housing 67 LEDs that can alter their light pattern so as not to blind drivers ahead. Arroios Grey, Corinthian Bronze, and Tribeca Blue join the exterior paint menu, Corinthian Bronze also available as a contrasting roof color alongside Narvik Black. Evoque’s Minimalist InteriorReductive design makes its real stand inside. In our review of the baby Range Rover from 2022, we wrote, “The Evoque’s interior mirrors the clean design of its exterior, which is unfortunate because that means most of the knobs and buttons were banished in favor of touchscreens and capacitive switches.” For 2024, touchscreen is now singular, the former infotainment and HVAC displays absorbed into an 11.4-inch unit higher up on the instrument panel. And the buttons and knobs? Mortal enemies of the reductive, erased as thoroughly as Leia’s Alderaan.Now that a single screen needs to lift the weight of two, there are two speed-dial menus along the sides of the 11.4-inch display and a quick menu for climate controls at the bottom. As before, Range Rover says approximately 80 percent of functions are within two taps of the home screen, but this really is a new smartphone interface: not exactly intuitive, easy enough to find what you want after pecking and swiping a bit, hiding heaps of shortcuts and functionality you’ll never unlock unless you read the owner’s manual. And, let’s be honest, you probably won’t.Even phones have buttons for volume, though. In the Evoque, the volume slider is on the right-side-screen menu farthest from the driver, a suboptimal controller in a suboptimal location. Of course, the driver is meant to use the capacitive switches on the new steering wheel. At least the new wheel is a pretty piece of work—three muscular, dished spokes replacing the utilitarian button pods and twin spars on the old tiller.Eliminating the bottom screen on the center console liberates space for a standard wireless phone charger and cubby. Below that, where once sat Range Rover’s version of a Hurst pistol-grip shifter on a large metallic plinth, designers downsized the gear selector to snug into a palm and nestled it into the gently ramped trim. Behind it, two larger, equally sized cupholders replace the asymmetric holders. Muted color palettes are an ancillary trend riding minimalism’s coattails of late—prosaic, inoffensive hues turning homes into greige boxes and children’s playsets into earth-tone Bauhaus mazes. The Evoque is attuned to the zeitgeist. Trim pieces come either in Shadow Gray Ash Veneer, dark anodized aluminum, or light anodized aluminum. The brightest available hue in the cabin is a light gray called Cloud, and even that is contrasted with Ebony.Driving the EvoqueThe reductive scythe took a swipe at the engine and trim choices too. Our market gets only the P250 powertrain, a turbocharged 2.0-liter Ingenium four-cylinder making 246 horsepower and mating to a nine-speed automatic. The pruned lineup counts only the S and Dynamic SE, as the HST and R-Dynamic variants have been dismissed, and with their departure goes the available 296-hp engine. Carryover front struts and a multilink rear axle connect the body to the wheels; front-biased all-wheel drive comes standard.Since the mechanicals haven’t changed, neither have our feelings about driving the Evoque: The enthusiasm here is more for fashion than handling. The turbo four has enough heart to survive the test of French highway on-ramps, which are so inexplicably short they require equal amounts of guts and timing to merge without catastrophe. When unstressed, the transmission executes shifts smooth enough to make gelato jealous. Even on the 20-inch wheels our sample Evoque wore, calm composure defines the on-road ride. Prodding the gearbox into sudden acceleration, however, means waiting for it to downshift from the tall fuel-economy-focused ratios and then for the turbo to hit the necessary rpm. Attempts at spirited driving, down the French secondary roads along our drive route, prove the automaker’s urban-focused mission for the Evoque. The vehicle’s propensity to understeer, and its accurate, indifferent steering were about what you’d expect for a two-ton urban crossover. The mushy, long-travel brake pedal, however, bled our confidence.The paradox of that squishy brake-pedal response is that it’s perfect for off-roading, and dirt work is the Evoque’s other defining feature after its fashion-runway styling. If challenged by competitors such as the Volvo XC40 or BMW X1 to race to the top of a snaking mountain pass, the Evoque would do best ignoring the road and driving straight up the hill.Related StoriesFrankly, that would be an instructive race, indicative of the Evoque’s refusal to engage in traditional competition with its segment rivals. With its unmistakable looks; its new interior that might not be out of place in the Tate Modern; the fact that its MSRP, starting at about $10,000 higher than rivals, buys less interior and cargo space; its subpar fuel economy; and its wildly overachieving off-road capabilities, the Evoque stands alone. Which, for a confirmed minimalist, surely would be its preference—it’s less crowded that way.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Land Rover Range Rover EvoqueVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICEBase: Core S, $51,075; Dynamic SE, $56,075
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 122 in3, 1997 cm3Power: 246 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque: 269 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 105.6 inLength: 172.1 inWidth: 75.0 inHeight: 64.9 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 51/42 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 51/22 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4350 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 7.1 sec1/4-Mile: 15.5 secTop Speed: 143 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/27 mpg More

From the November 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Medium-rare steak. Gooey-soft chocolate chip cookies. There are benefits to taking things off the heat before they’ve fully cooked. However, some items should absolutely not come out any earlier than they need to. This includes chicken, cake, and the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43.HIGHS: Looks the part, plenty agile, loaded with standard equipment.Returning from its hiatus, the C43 now inhabits the skin of the latest-generation C-class. The shrunken-down S-class looks suit it, and the cabin is more what you would expect from a Mercedes that’s no longer the entry-level model. The center tunnel sits a little high, but there’s plenty of usable storage space, and the interior rarely feels cramped. The materials above the center console are quite nice, although there’s plenty of hard plastic below that waterline.The old C43’s six-cylinder is gone, and in its place is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that produces 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. With all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, the new C43 is quick, ripping to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and passing the quarter-mile mark in 12.5 seconds at 111 mph. For the first time on a production car, an electric motor is integrated into the turbocharger, which should spool it up more quickly, resulting in better response. Still, it didn’t eliminate lag as much as we hoped (note the 5.0-second 5-to-60-mph time). A high-voltage hybrid system and powerful electric motor would do wonders, but you’d need a C63 for that. LOWS: Clumsy transmission programming, irritating stop-start, isn’t the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing.Whereas the C43’s engine is mostly peachy, its transmission is more of a crab apple. The nine-speed kicks like a mule on random downshifts, regardless of drive mode, and other times, it will take upward of a second to call up a gear after a hefty press of the go pedal. It holds revs for weird amounts of time in Comfort and Sport, as if your passing maneuver signaled to the computer that it’s time to lap Watkins Glen. We wonder whether the engineers let ChatGPT do the final tune.The stop-start system is also frustrating. During deceleration, it kills the engine at around 5 mph, and there’s an awkwardly long pause before it kicks back in. That’s fine at stop signs, but in stop-and-go traffic, it makes for even more uncomfortable bucking and hesitations between inputs and expected outputs, and that’s after pressing through the brake pedal’s dead zone.The outgoing C43’s suspension had all the compliance of an I-beam, but things are better in 2023. Standard adaptive dampers are still a bit too stiff in Comfort, but the C43 at least attempts to be comfortable now, even with our test car’s optional 20-inch wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires (245/35 front, 265/30 rear). The ride is appropriately firm in Sport and beyond, keeping things nice and orderly in corners. Rear-axle steering, up to 2.5 degrees, is standard, boosting agility in both chill and decidedly not-chill circumstances. The C43 is incapable of meeting a corner it can’t bend to its will. VERDICT: Throw it back on the heat for a bit.At $61,050 to start and $68,820 as tested, the C43’s price isn’t the hardest pill to swallow, and even the base model comes with loads of standard equipment, including keyless entry, parking sensors, a surround-view camera system, and blind-spot monitoring. However, the C43 is no Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, which bests the Merc not only in the quarter-mile and around the skidpad but, most important, in tactility when tearing down a favorite road. Plus, the Caddy’s V-6 sounds better, is better suited to daily driving, and has an optional manual transmission that doesn’t even exist in the Mercedes-verse. All you have to sacrifice is two driven wheels and a stylish interior. Granted, the new C43 makes gains in some areas, but this powertrain isn’t quite ready to be served.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Mercedes-AMG C43Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $61,050/$68,820Options: AMG Carbon Fiber Package $1750; 20-inch AMG split 10-spoke wheels w/ black accents, $1650; black leather with red stitching, $1620; AMG Night Package, $750; navigation, $650; AMG Night Package II, $550; AMG Real Performance Sound, $550; AMG Track Pace, $250.
ENGINE
Turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 121 in3, 1991 cm3Power: 402 hp @ 6750 rpmTorque: 369 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/12.6-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4SF: 245/35ZR-20 (95Y) MO1 Extra LoadR: 265/30ZR-20 (94Y) MO1 Extra Load
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.8 inLength: 188.6 inWidth: 74.4 inHeight: 57.1 inTrunk Volume: 8.8 ft3Curb Weight: 4090 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.9 sec100 mph: 9.8 sec1/4-Mile: 12.5 sec @ 111 mph130 mph: 17.8 sec150 mph: 26.4 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.6 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 165 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 149 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 306 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.92 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 33 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 570 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/19/26 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDSenior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

From the September 1992 issue of Car and Driver.You’re looking at another stout German hitting our shores and making the case for full­-time four-wheel-drive machines. The latest Audi 90 marks the fourth generation of baby Audis. Baby, maybe, but not infan­tile. Over the years they’ve become ever more accomplished. Yet like many adults, even the lighter front-drive versions have put on a few pounds. In this all-wheel-drive 90CS Quattro Sport, it’s a few hundred pounds over last year’s 90 Quattro. So it is a ques­tion of stoutness: If a little goes a long way, how much does it take before the added load cuts down speed and fuel economy? And if you live in a fair-weather climate, is it worth lugging around a four-wheeled, full-time foul-weather kit to handle a few rainy, snowy, or icy days? HIGHS: Quality, stability, better looks, bigger trunk.On the other hand, if you live upstate in Alaska or high in the rainy Pacific North­west, boy, has Audi got a baby buggy for you! Don’t buy the hefty and pricey Quattro­ drive layout purely because you feel you must have more than two-wheel drive to put the power to the ground. The 90’s 172-hp 2.0-liter V-6 delivers less than an over­dose of performance, so traction on dry pavement poses little problem. Audi sends us three 90 models—a base S, a fancier CS, and the CS in Quattro trim—each with the V-6 developed for the bigger 100 sedan (C/D, December 1991). Although this engine is a fresh design, it lacks the technical tweaks that make you feel the difference between simply traveling well or truly thrilling to the journey. Audi’s chunky V-6 wears an electronic engine-­control system and port fuel injection but keeps a lid on the combustion process due to the single-overhead-cam layout that limits each cylinder bank to two valves per cylinder. That’s where it falls behind in today’s power parade. Audi itself pinpoints the 90’s prime competitors: Japan’s Acura Vigor, Infiniti J30, and Lexus ES300, plus Germany’s own BMW 325i and Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6. The Quattro offers features these oth­ers don’t, but its power-to-weight ratio works against it. Compared with, say, BMW’s 325i—the very definition of a pocket-rocket sedan—the Audi lags. It produces 172 horsepower from 2.8 liters, whereas the BMW’s 24-valve six-cylinder whips up 189 horsepower from only 2.5 liters. And at 3404 pounds, the stolid Audi outweighs the BMW by 366 pounds. To be fair, the Audi, despite a wheel­base about four inches shorter, measures about six inches longer overall than the BMW. The 90’s wheelbase has actually been increased 2.3 inches in comparison with the previous 80’s. But wait—the Quattro’s wheelbase is six-tenths of an inch shorter than the regular 90’s because the four-wheel-drive model bears a differ­ent five-speed gearbox (no automatic available), plus a new independent rear suspension to cope with the power fed through the new rear half-shafts. The added hardware makes the Quattro weigh 200 pounds more than the front-drive version of the 90CS. The Audi’s slim cabin offers good comfort for four occupants and can carry five. But whoever gets wedged in the middle of the rear seat will feel as if he/she has been taken to the cleaners to have a few wrinkles pressed in. The Japanese competitors targeted by Audi offer slightly roomier accommoda­tions, yet, like the small BMW, they don’t provide four-wheel drive. And unlike the German entries, they generate less feed­back for the driver, especially under the duress of hard driving. In answer to the duress Audi faces in the market, Richard Mugg, vice president in charge of the company in America, says it will deliver “German engineering value at Japanese price points.” Mugg contends that the “90 offers the luxury of the Lexus ES300 and the sports flair of the BMW 325i, but is comparably priced with the Acura Vigor.” He adds: “Our prices will match those of our Japanese competitors and they will beat BMW and Mercedes.” The strategy is meeting with some success. Audi’s 1992 sales in the first five months are up more than 18 percent over the same period last year. LOWS: Heftiness, cost, and a lack of zip for this market segment.As long as we’re talking numbers, the revised 90 gains 23 percent in torsional rigidity (notable in a car structurally “opened up” for new folding rear seats with no bulkhead to back them up). A stretched deck helps provide 37 percent more trunk space in front-drive 90s, and 73 percent more room in the boot of the revised Quattro (though in comparison it still gives up some luggage space to its drive mechanism beneath).One thing you won’t find among the numbers is a two-door 90. Maybe the pre­vious version looked too much like a Ford Escort at three times the price. However, lots of people seem to like the new model’s taut look, beefcake stance, and striking wheels. The Quattro’s 205/60VR-15 performance tires replace the regular CS’s 195/65HR-15 all-weather tires (which are a “reverse” option on the Quattro for anybody who really needs them). Audi mounts the Quattro’s fatter tires on seven-inch aluminum rims instead of six-inchers. Fortunately, their simple spokes are easy to clean, because Audi’s four-wheel discs still puff out scads of clinging brake dust. Every car in this category showcases solid fit and finish. If there’s anything that’s too solid about the 90CS Quattro Sport, it’s the sport in its slightly lowered suspension. It jounces over sharp bumps. Yet the firm shocks, springs, and bushings don’t jell well enough with the big-boy tires to put the baby Audi quite on equal terms with the handling provided by more mature designs. The Quattro’s wheels pro­vide a wider track but also increase the 90’s tendency to follow truck ruts and the like. Although the overall stability of the Audi plays well, our track testing shows, for example, that it only matches the BMW 325i’s cornering grip at 0.80 g and leans harder on its front tires. And though both cars are equipped with ABS, Audi’s brakes take longer to stop and, as their load suggests, fade faster from higher speeds. This Audi has a smoothed nose copied from its big brothers, headlight washers, and aero headlights (among the better Audi lights in memory, others often falling, shall we say, short in the dark). The grille’s “quattro” badge reflects the only model message. There are also new front fender flares and a rear winglet. Inside, leather that should be grippier wraps a fine four-spoke wheel. Its hub houses an airbag, and beyond it are large tachometer and speedometer dials and smaller secondary gauges. The slim cabin leaves no place for more gauges except disconcertingly low on the console. A cli­mate-control system is sandwiched between those dials and an ill-marked but decent-sounding AM/FM/cassette stereo. A graphic row of controls above it switches fog lights, rear defroster, hazard flashers, and heated seats on or off. The 90’s headliner hangs low to clear the power sunroof, the pedals are spaced close, and the huge headrests—despite donut-hole centers—block the view to the rear. The narrow interior has a cozy immediacy, but the seats offer less imme­diacy than we’d like. They’re flatter, slicker, less grippy than needed in a car that grips the road more impressively. More Audi Reviews from the ArchiveWhen it comes to breaking that grip just for fun, the all-wheel-drive Audi falls behind the rear-drive BMW. The Quattro eats up 8.2 seconds going from a standstill to 60 mph; the 325i eats it alive in 6.9 seconds. In short, the Audi weighs hundreds of pounds more, sells for thousands of dollars more, and offers less power to boot (it around). The lower weight of Audi’s “lesser” front-drive 90CS promises more performance than the Quattro and higher fuel economy than the 20 mpg we aver­aged. So the regular CS won’t fall quite as far behind BMW’s wolverine in the days, weeks, and months between those pesky thunderstorms and snowfalls where the Quattro thrives. VERDICT: Welcome four-wheel-drive security, but with cost and weight penalties.All of which make us appreciate Audi’s bigger, sweeter 100CS all the more. It’s much roomier, weighs a few pounds less than the baby Quattro, feels much longer-legged despite having the same engine, covers an extra hundred miles or more on bigger tankfuls, and costs little more. That’s stout. SpecificationsSpecifications
1992 Audi 90CS Quattro SportVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $32,679/$33,250 (est.)Options: all-weather package (headlamp washers and heated seats, washer nozzles, and door locks); ski sack
ENGINESOHC V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 169 in3, 2771 cm3Power: 172 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque: 184 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/control armsBrakes, F/R: 10.9-in vented disc/9.6-in discTires: Dunlop SP Sport D8 m2205/60VR-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 102.2 inLength: 180.3 inWidth: 66.7 inHeight: 54.7 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 46/36 ft3Trunk Volume: 14 ft3Curb Weight: 3404 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.2 sec1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 85 mph100 mph: 24.2 sec120 mph: 43.3 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.8 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 10.7 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 10.0 secTop Speed: 122 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 185 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 17/22 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

The 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is the hippopotamus of high-performance mid-size luxury SUVs. It’s big and heavy, incredibly powerful, and shockingly quick.As its name implies, the Cayenne’s Turbo trim doesn’t rely solely on a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine for motivation. Rather it takes a page from the outgoing Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, stuffing an electric motor in between its bi-turbo bent-eight and eight-speed automatic transmission. For now, it’s the most potent Cayenne hybrid, although we’d wager that Porsche will revive the Turbo S nameplate and pin it to an even more extreme version sometime soon. Punchy PowertrainThe specific badging Porsche affixes to its top Cayenne E-Hybrid model matters less than the output its powertrain produces, and the peak 729 horsepower the Turbo E-Hybrid cranks out betters last year’s Turbo S E-Hybrid by 59 horses. Tweaks to the V-8 engine add 50 ponies to its stable for a total of 591 horsepower, and a more powerful electric motor pumps out 174 horses—40 more than the old Turbo S E-Hybrid’s. Blame the gas engine’s 6000-rpm power peak for the 36 horses that get lost totaling up the Turbo E-Hybrid’s combined power figure.The electric motor does a reasonable job pushing the hefty Turbo E-Hybrid off the line or through low-speed city traffic. With a peak of 339 pound-feet of torque, it even has enough oomph to get the plug-in Porsche up to 84 mph without the aid of the gas engine.Range and Drive ModesEstimated electric-only range from the lithium-ion battery pack (22.0 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity) should top 30 miles once the EPA gets around to rating it. But driving the Turbo E-Hybrid in its default E-Power (EV) mode is akin to putting a wild animal in captivity. To free the beast within, you need to turn the steering-wheel-mounted drive-mode switch to Hybrid, Sport, or Sport Plus (or, if you’re venturing off pavement, to Offroad).Hybrid is something like a safari park; the electric motor is still the primary motivator, but just a small prod of the accelerator brings the gas engine into the mix. Sport and Sport Plus, meanwhile, open the park gates and let the Turbo E-Hybrid embrace its savage nature. They keep the gas engine at the ready for instant access to the SUV’s prodigious power. Whereas E-Power and Hybrid modes leave the standard two-chamber air springs in their Normal mode, Sport and Sport Plus place the suspension in its firmer settings. Lapping Spain’s 2.6-mile Parcmotor Castellolí (Circuit Parcmotor) near Barcelona, Sport mode kept the air springs taut enough to limit excess body motions while retaining just enough compliance to maintain composure over the most undulating stretches of pavement. Turbo E-Hybrid PerformanceBoth the $148,550 Turbo E-Hybrid SUV and $153,050 fastback Coupe models should weigh about 5700 pounds once we get them on our scales. Unsurprisingly, these big Porsches were at their best when pointed straight ahead. Although the Spanish track’s two straightaways were too short to confirm the claimed top speed of 183 mph, they were plenty long enough to indulge the seemingly endless wave of power produced by the electric motor and eager-revving twin-turbo V-8.Porsche claims the Turbo E-Hybrid will pummel its way to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. But we recorded a 3.2-second run to 60 in a similarly heavy but less powerful 2020 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, so we think the Turbo E-Hybrid has the potential to be even quicker. Despite its mass, the Turbo E-Hybrid tore through Parcmotor Castellolí’s 11 turns with fervor. Credit the optional 22-inch wheels wrapped in grippy summer rubber, which stood in for the standard 21-inch wheels and all-season tires. Porsche also offers 21-inch summers as a no-cost option.Plentiful grip, light and direct steering that weighed up predictably as we added input, and a clairvoyant ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox that held gears through corners all came together to push the Turbo E-Hybrid around each apex. Turning in with just a bit of extra speed revealed some understeer at the limit. Goading the accelerator just past the apex was enough to gently push the tail out before the torque-vectoring rear-end and all-wheel-drive system brought the rear axle back in line.Braking the Turbo E-HybridPorsche fits a set of 16.5-inch front and 14.4-inch rear rotors clamped down by 10-piston front and four-piston rear calipers to the Turbo E-Hybrid, and the combination was more than up to the task of slowing the big SUV during our spirited drive on the mountain roads near Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat (Montserrat Mountain Natural Park). The Turbo E-Hybrid we drove on the track wore optional carbon-ceramic brakes with even larger rotors measuring 17.3 inches up front and 16.1 inches out back. The $9080 brake option showed no signs of fade even after multiple sessions. On surface streets, however, the carbon-ceramic brakes’ grabby nature at lower speeds made it difficult to come to a stop smoothly, exacerbated by the uncouth handoff between regenerative and mechanical braking. The standard cast-iron stoppers suffered from no such clumsiness.Related StoriesWith either setup, the Cayenne E-Hybrid now includes an electric brake booster. Though the left pedal sacrifices some tactility as a result, it still remains appropriately firm and—when not equipped with the carbon-ceramic units—predictable in its application during day-to-day and at-the-limit braking.Like a hippo lazily wading in the water, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid seems relatively docile when puttering about strictly on electricity. Provoke it with a boot of the accelerator or a turn of the drive-mode switch, however, and this beast transforms into a violent powerhouse capable of achieving tremendous speed. It’s incongruous that something as heavy as the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is so speedy and powerful, but the dual nature of Porsche’s flagship plug-in-hybrid SUV may be the key to this high-performance model’s survival in the era of electrification.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-HybridVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback or wagon
PRICE
Base: SUV, $148,550; Coupe, $153,050
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 591 hp, 590 lb-ft + AC motor, 174 hp, 339 lb-ft (combined output: 729 hp, 701 lb-ft; 22.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 11.0-kW onboard charger)Transmission: 8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 inLength: 194.1 inWidth: 78.1 inHeight: 65.5–66.3 inCargo Volume, Behind F/R: 48–55/15–22 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5700 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.0 sec100 mph: 7.5 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2 secTop Speed: 183 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 19/18/20 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 50 MPGeEV Range: 35 miSenior EditorDespite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend. More

It’s hard to imagine that any new Porsche could be a cause of badge shame, but for some buyers, evidently, there’s a stigma around being seen in an entry-level version. For customers shopping the plug-in-hybrid Cayenne, the new 2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid gives eco- and image-conscious customers alike an option that tells the world they don’t settle for the mere E-Hybrid model. The S E-Hybrid turns up the wick by way of extra power and a lengthier list of standard features, and it requires a minimum spend of $100,750, a $7400 upcharge over the Cayenne E-Hybrid. That’s for the long-roof SUV body style. The fastback, or Coupe in Porsche parlance, stickers for $106,050. But is it worth it?No Special Engine for This SAs with the strictly gas-fed Cayenne S, the Cayenne S E-Hybrid packs a heartier punch than its lesser kin. The S E-Hybrid is not, however, a V-8 Cayenne S with an electric drive motor and battery in tow. Snagging that combination requires making the jump to the $148,550 Turbo E-Hybrid.Rather, the S E-Hybrid trades the standard E-Hybrid’s 300-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 for a 348-hp version. Like all gas-electric 2024 Cayennes, the S E-Hybrid complements its internal-combustion engine with a 174-hp electric motor. Thanks to the fatter powerband of its V-6, the S E-Hybrid’s combined output of 512 horsepower betters the Cayenne E-Hybrid’s by 49 ponies. Porsche says the additional power helps the S E-Hybrid run to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds—0.2 ticks ahead of the standard E-Hybrid and equal to that of a gas-only Cayenne S with the Sport Chrono package—though we wager it will beat that claim by a few tenths of second once we get it to the test track. Battery-Mode BoreThe slim acceleration advantage the S E-Hybrid has over the E-Hybrid is mostly nonexistent in the default E-Power drive mode, which effectively turns Porsche’s spicy capsicum into a flavorless bell pepper. In this mode, the Cayenne avoids firing up its gas engine and instead prioritizes battery-electric driving, feeding the motor electricity from its rear-mounted 22.0-kWh battery pack, which we estimate will provide more than 30 miles of electric-only range.The electric motor proved powerful enough to push the S E-Hybrid away from stoplights and putter along in stop-and-go traffic in the busy urban environs of Barcelona, Spain. Porsche claims the motor is capable of powering the vehicle up to 84 mph, but its limited output made it difficult to take advantage of open holes in traffic or complete passes at higher speeds without assistance from the gas engine. When the V-6 does make its appearance, however, the S E-Hybrid often overcompensates for the gas engine’s delayed arrival with a sudden surge of excess power. Solving this issue required twisting the steering-wheel-mounted drive mode dial—part of the standard Sport Chrono package—to Hybrid, Sport, or Sport Plus, all of which bring a more linear power delivery. (There’s also an Offroad mode for those looking to take their Cayenne off the beaten path.) The S E-Hybrid is arguably at its best in its efficiency-oriented Hybrid mode, which still favors the electric motor but quickly calls upon the gas engine when necessary. Switching to Sport or Sport Plus keeps the V-6 on boil, ensuring the powertrain’s full motivation is always at the ready. Standard Air SuspensionSp0rt and Sport Plus also firm up the two-chamber air springs, which use individual valves to independently control compression and rebound. They’re a standard feature on the S E-Hybrid (and a $2390 option on the E-Hybrid). Left in its Normal setting, the air suspension contributed to the Cayenne’s quiet and isolated cabin by deftly absorbing the speed bumps and other irregularities that occasionally dot Barcelona’s freshly paved roads. But it’s possible that U.S. roadways will reveal a less smooth ride over potholes and broken pavement.On the twisting tarmac that snakes around Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat (Montserrat Mountain Natural Park), the suspension even in its softest setting made the hefty S E-Hybrid feel reasonably wieldy. Body motions remain predictable and controlled, even if there is still noticeable pitch and some roll in turns. The Cayenne we drove was optioned with summer rubber (all-season tires come standard) and well-bolstered 18-way power front seats ($1710), which together ensured that both car and driver remained firmly planted through the route’s many high-g corners. The Cost to Go SHere’s the rub, though. As impressive as the Cayenne S E-Hybrid is, its overall mass—well in excess of 5000 pounds—means it can’t cosplay as a 911, even if it’s shockingly capable for a vehicle this big and heavy.There’s no hiding the fact that wrangling this Porsche around tight two-lanes feels more like work than play. Nor are its additional standard features enough to justify the delta between it and the only marginally slower Cayenne E-Hybrid. Even when optioned with the S’s upgraded wheels, headlights, and suspension, the regular E-Hybrid still undercuts the S E-Hybrid by $2710. More on the Cayenne S E-HybridFor some, that’s a small price to pay for the prestige of an S-badged Porsche. We think you’re better off sacrificing a few horses and saving a few bucks by sticking with the still-plenty-quick Cayenne E-Hybrid, but then again, we have no shame.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Porsche Cayenne S E-HybridVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback or wagon
PRICE
Base: SUV, $100,750; Coupe, $106,050
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 348 hp, 369 lb-ft + AC motor, 174 hp, 339 lb-ft (combined output: 512 hp, 553 lb-ft; 22.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 11.0-kW onboard charger)Transmission: 8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 inLength: 194.1 inWidth: 78.1 inHeight: 65.2–66.1 inCargo Volume, Behind F/R: 48–55/15–22 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5400–5500 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.9–4.0 sec100 mph: 10.4–10.5 sec1/4-Mile: 12.3–12.4 secTop Speed: 163 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 23/24/22 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 55 MPGeEV Range: 37 miSenior EditorDespite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend. More

The GMC Sierra HD AT4X AEV is as long as a line of 20 people. It’s strong enough to relocate up to 18,500 pounds of earth or pull the enormity of a single EarthRoamer. It’s the heaviest Sierra HD sold, with a crushing 8605-pound claimed curb weight. With its mirrors extended, it’s wider than a full-size school bus, and if you thought the regular Sierra HD was tall, the AEV version reaches roughly two inches further into the sky. While its dimensions illustrate how cartoonishly huge the biggest pickups have become, the AT4X AEV also gives GMC’s mightiest pickup truck serious capability.Taking the already off-road-equipped Sierra HD AT4X to the next level, the AT4X AEV gets the American Expedition Vehicle treatment. That includes AEV stitched headrests and as many badges as the local police precinct, but there’s also useful stuff, such as the hot-stamped steel front and rear bumpers.The Sierra HD AT4X AEV comes exclusively as a 2500HD crew cab with the standard 6-foot 9-inch bed and four-wheel drive. Both the 401-hp 6.6-liter V-8 gasser with 464 pound-feet of torque and the preferred 470-hp turbocharged 6.6-liter V-8 Duramax diesel powerplant with 975 pound-feet of torque are offered. A 10-speed automatic transmission bolts to either, but the final drive ratio for the gas engines is 3.73:1 while diesels get 3.42 gearing. Both powertrains slurp from a 36.0-gallon fuel tank.The 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MTs wrapping AEV’s exclusive 18-inch aluminum wheels add to this package’s rugged premise. Don’t let the big-truck guys in on a little secret: The mid-size Canyon AT4X AEV is on the same overall diameter tires, just mounted on smaller 17-inch wheels instead. Our time with the AT4X AEV was completely off-road, so we can’t report on their highway-speed noise level.The AEV has the same 1.5-inch suspension lift as the HD AT4X and includes its Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, which are unlike anything from other off-road-themed heavy-duty pickups from Ram and Ford. The dampers create a shockingly smooth ride as they soak up the ohs and ouches of uneven off-road terrain. On a trail near Big Sky, Montana, the HD AT4X AEV met a 28.0-degree descent down a slippery rock section of Yellowstone country. It dug its claws in like a grizzly bear, calmly lowering itself to the base of the hill as if it had grown up eating berries. Like the Chevy Silverado HD ZR2 Bison the GMC is based on, the AT4X AEV also uses an independent front suspension. The same steel used to make the AEV bumpers is also employed on the belly of this whale to protect its transfer case, while the skid plate under its nose is aluminum. There are also massive tow hooks, should things go massively wrong. According to GMC, the chromed-up Denali is the sales leader among Sierra HD pickups. GMC says its expects 40 percent of AT4X trucks to get the AEV treatment. We’d argue that as ridiculously Herculean as these trucks are, the useful equipment added for AT4X and AT4X AEV is more practical than the Denali’s shiny grille.The HD AT4X AEV still has all the stuff less aggressive trims offer. The ergonomically comfy radio tune and volume controls behind the steering wheel work via fingertip. GM’s rearview mirror camera turns the dust you’ve kicked up behind you into a high-definition motion picture film. Instead of the steel rock sliders found in AT4X AEV versions of the Sierra 1500 and the Canyon, the HD model still has a powered step rail. And it’s a good thing, because with 11.8 inches of ground clearance, you might otherwise need cowboy stilettos to climb aboard. More on the Sierra 2500HDLike purchasing a spread in Montana, obtaining this outsized truck requires herding Benjamins by the barnful. The 2024 Sierra 2500HD AT4X AEV is $94,290. That’s $9495 extra on top of the AT4X, and it dwarfs the $76,195 needed to lasso a Denali or the $72,560 Ram asks for an HD Power Wagon. Compared to the Chevy version, which starts at $82,085 for the ZR2 Bison with similar AEV-equipped body armor, the GMC does seem like a bragging chip rather than a bargain. Oh, and tack on another $9490 for the Duramax diesel. However, if there’s one thing more ridiculous than a $94K heavy-duty pickup clambering through the woods, it’s gotta be a $76K truck that’s too afraid to.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD AT4X AEVVehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base: AT4X AEV, $94,290; AT4X AEV diesel, $103,680
ENGINES
pushrod 16-valve 6.6-liter V-8, 401 hp, 464 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled pushrod 32-valve 6.6-liter diesel V-8, 470 hp, 975 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 159.1 inLength: 250.7–252.0 inWidth: 81.9 inHeight: 82.7 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 73/66 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 7900–8650 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 6.6–7.3 sec1/4-Mile: 15.1–15.8 secTop Speed: 98 mphAssociate EditorYes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs. More

In the off-roading world, one could argue that having the right equipment the one time you need it makes it worth having all the time. That’s the philosophy behind the GMC Canyon AT4X and the AT4X AEV, trucks offering more proof that modern off-roading has become an extravagant affair. Think of the third-generation Canyon as essentially another trim level of the Chevy Colorado pickup with which it shares nearly every bolt and button—even its key-fob case. The major equipment that separates them are bumpers, badges, head- and taillights, wheels, and the Canyon’s amber marker lights at the center of its plastic fender flares that the Colorado doesn’t get. However, just like the Colorado, every Canyon is a four-door crew cab with a five-foot, two-inch bed. The GMC is intended to be grander than the Chevy, so it skips the Colorado’s two lowest trim levels and their less powerful versions of the turbocharged 2.7-liter four. Instead, all Canyons pack 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque in the high-output engine that Chevy saves exclusively for the Colorado’s ZR2 trim. In the Canyon Elevation, AT4, and Denali, that’s good for an impressive 7700 pounds of max towing. The trailering capacity for the AT4X drops to 6000 pounds.Kicking RocksThe Canyon AT4X debuts as the rock-ready trail basher that GMC regretfully didn’t offer until now. Its new features include Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, 10.7 inches of ground clearance, and 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud Terrains at each corner. This beats the snot out of the 31-inch rubber and 8.4 inches of ground clearance on the last-gen Canyon’s most aggressive offering, the AT4. There are also electronically locking front and rear differentials, skid plates, rock sliders, 10 cameras (some of the paparazzi use spray nozzles to clean themselves), and a clever Terrain drive mode.We spent a few hours piloting the AT4X over slippery rock-covered off-road trails near Big Sky, Montana. The trails required a slow 5- to 10-mph roll but admittedly weren’t anything a Jeep Wrangler Sport or a Ford Bronco Big Bend couldn’t handle. The most technical sections required the use of 4Lo. Using the Canyon’s one-pedal Terrain mode in L1 or L2 brings aggressive automated stopping when you lift off the gas. L3 is more like a normal drive crawl and doesn’t immediately stop the truck, making it the smoothest. Still, Terrain strikes us as something you’d engage for the occasional slippery descent rather than an entire section of trail.The paved roadways between our hotel and the trailhead made a stronger argument for choosing a Canyon (or a Colorado) over its trail-ready rivals. Even while spinning the AT4X’s chunky tires at highway speeds, this GMC is supremely quiet—something that Broncos, Wranglers, and Gladiators, all the machines that come with removable tops and doors, can’t achieve. Add with the exceptional dampening, passengers may forget they’re under the roof of a pickup.AEV: More Letters, More EquipmentThe partnership with American Expedition Vehicles—which fills an impressive catalog of aftermarket overlanding parts for Jeeps, Broncos, and Rams (and famously fit a pickup bed and a 6.4-liter V-8 into a Wrangler before Jeep did)—adds tough stuff for the Canyon. The AT4X AEV is effectively GMC’s ZR2 Bison. It wears as much body protection as an NHL goaltender. There’s also a marginal improvement here for approach, departure, and break-over angles thanks to AEV hot-stamped steel front and rear bumpers, which the parts maker claims are tougher than getting out of a warm sleeping bag at 3 a.m. to use the bathroom. Bigger, 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud-Terrain tires wrap the AT4X AEV’s exclusive 17-inch Salta beadlock-capable cast-aluminum wheels. With 12.2 inches of ground clearance, the AT4X AEV sits 1.5 inches higher than the AT4X. Unfortunately, the hydraulic jounce bumpers we raved about during our drive of the ZR2 Bison don’t come standard here like they do on the Chevy. The full-size spare is mounted vertically in the bed, where it blocks about 50 percent of the rear window. This seems like an obvious opportunity to showcase GM’s rearview-mirror camera, found on models such as the Chevy Corvette, the Cadillac Escalade, and even the Sierra HD AT4X AEV, but it’s not available here. For AT4X AEV owners, then, hindsight is always 315/70R-17. Every Canyon AT4X AEV does come standard with three auxiliary connections in the kick panel for aftermarket upfitting. The switches are optional on AT4X models. The headrests in the AT4X AEV are stitched with the company’s logo. While red knobs and switches add style to the interior, the door panels and dashboard have that same plastic feel as the cheaper models. The 11.3-inch infotainment display with Google built-in looks nice but may hold too much responsibility (operating the headlights, for instance). The front seats are heated and ventilated, and the heated steering wheel gets hot enough to fry an egg. More on the Canyon PickupAt $55,895, the AT4X is some $7500 dearer than a Colorado ZR2. It’s also slightly more expensive than the full-size Ram 1500 Rebel and nose to nose with the 405-hp Ford Ranger Raptor that debuted early this year. Add another $10,100 for the Canyon AT4X AEV equipment. They say that having the right tools pays, but when you’re talking off-road pickups, clearly it also costs. SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 GMC Canyon AT4XVehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base: AT4X, $55,895; AT4X AEV, $65,995
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 166 in3, 2727 cm3Power: 310 hp @ 5600 rpmTorque: 430 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 131.4 inLength: 213.2–214.6 inWidth: 72.4 inHeight: 81.6–81.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 59–60/43 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4950–5300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 7.1–7.4 sec100 mph: 23.3–23.7 secTop Speed: 100 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16–18/16–17/16–20 mpgAssociate EditorYes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs. More