Car Reviews

About a decade ago, compact sports sedans offered naturally aspirated V-8s that absolutely ripped. Before everyone went turbo, the E90 BMW M3, the B7 Audi RS4, and the W204 Mercedes C63 AMG crammed in sweet-sounding V-8s to create experiences that we still remember fondly today. Now that we’re feeling sufficiently nostalgic for those four-door screamers, we’ll get to the point that Lexus apparently shares our passion for those cars, because the new 2022 IS500 is essentially a return of Lexus’s V-8 compact sedan, the IS F.There are no turbos under the IS500’s hood. What is under there is closely related to the IS F’s 5.0-liter V-8 from a decade ago. The engine—shared with the RC F—now produces 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, or 56 more horsepower and 24 more pound-feet than its spiritual predecessor. In a turbocharged world, the V-8’s horsepower and especially its torque numbers aren’t at the level of the M or AMG models’, so Lexus is setting expectations by positioning the IS500 as an F Sport Performance model rather than a full-blown IS F.

What does that mean for the IS500’s driving experience? We can’t quite say yet, but we did recently get the chance to ride in the passenger’s seat of the IS500 prototype at an event at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Texas, near Toyota’s headquarters in Plano. Professional race-car driver Townsend Bell was behind the wheel.Keep in mind that the IS500 prototype we rode in wasn’t exactly the same car that you’ll be able to buy at Lexus dealerships later this year. Wrapped in an obnoxious neon-yellow and black livery, this car was specially prepped for the IS500’s debut at Sebring International Raceway earlier this year. It wore an aftermarket exhaust, 20-inch wheels, and grippier Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires compared to the stock car, which will have 19-inch wheels and the same Bridgestone Potenza S001L summer tires as the IS350 F Sport with the handling package.This means that our impression of the IS500’s handling isn’t exactly representative, but we weren’t behind the wheel anyway. We can tell you that the 5.0-liter V-8 engine is a lovely addition to the latest IS and brings back a lot of those tingly V-8 memories. We’re familiar with the glorious sound of this Lexus V-8 by now, and it makes itself known in the IS500. Although the prototype’s aftermarket exhaust surely enhanced the auditory experience, we’d still rather listen to this characterful engine run up to its 7300-rpm redline than a BMW M3’s twin-turbo inline-six.
Unlike the V-6-powered IS350 F Sport we drove that day on the test track, the V-8 has the grunt to shove you into the back of your seat, and the eight-speed automatic transmission upshifts and downshifts quickly. Lexus claims that the IS500 is 143 pounds heavier than a rear-wheel-drive IS350, and we assume that most of that weight is in the nose. Like the IS F that came before it, a noticeable hood bulge is the clearest sign that this is packing something special under there.Thanks to the ability to completely deactivate stability control, the IS500 will play as much as you like—as Bell demonstrated by easily swinging the tail out wide for a satisfying drift. It also features the same torque-vectoring rear differential that’s optional on the IS350 F Sport. But this car is not meant to be a track monster, and we felt plenty of compliance in the suspension tuning, with more body roll than you’d find in an M3 Competition or a C63, for instance.We’re enticed by the overall package that the IS500 promises to deliver, and we hope that the price is attractive enough to further increase its enthusiast appeal. Lexus has strongly hinted that it will be positioned closer to the M340i and AMG C43s of the world, meaning it could bring back a V-8 to the low-$60,000 range. If so, this could become the hidden gem of the sports-sedan world. Now all that’s left is for Lexus to let us in the driver’s seat.

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The modern sports-sedan world has been dominated by German brands. Japanese and Korean automakers are getting closer to bottling the driving magic once enjoyed by the BMW 3- and 5-series, but Jaguar’s commitment to luxury often overshadows its cars’ sportiness. Jaguar did capture the magic when the first-gen Jag XF launched for the 2009 model year and garnered a 10Best trophy, but it’s been a bumpy ride since then. Quite literally in the case of track-focused Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8. Introduced in 2016, the current XF lineup had ballooned to 10 derivatives last year. To simplify matters, Jaguar is reducing the number of XF models from 10 to just three—the V-6 and the gorgeous wagon are gone. For 2021, the XF will come only as a sedan, and buyers will have a choice of a 246- or 296-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four. The contraction and otherwise standard mid-cycle refresh seem to have allowed Jag to hone the XF without getting bogged down in an overly complex portfolio.

The first thing you notice in the new XF is the reworked dash and instrument panel. Gone is the retractable dial-a-gear shifter, and in its place is an electronic shifter for the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission. As expected, you can shift yourself with steering-wheel paddles, although we don’t really see the point. Once we were underway, there was never a need to grab a different gear. An 11.4-inch touchscreen controls Pivi Pro infotainment, which if you have never sampled can be confusing at first glance. Don’t be intimidated; it is thoughtfully designed, and you quickly acclimate. And for those looking to use the back seat, six-footers comfortably fit back there.Switching to an all four-cylinder lineup is a curious simplification because Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has a new inline-six that would work well in this sedan. The need for more from the engine room doesn’t really arise in casual driving, but put loafer to accelerator and an uncouth snarl of a stressed 2.0-liter makes itself heard. The car we drove was an all-wheel-drive variant, dubbed R-Dynamic S, the only model with the 296-hp four. Rear-drive models, of which there are two (S and SE), come with the 246-hp four-cylinder. When we’re able to do our battery of tests on the XF, we expect its nearly 300-hp engine will net a 60-mph time less than six seconds, with the less-powerful rear-driver about a second behind. For some reference, a 248-hp BMW 530i gets to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.
Of course, acceleration isn’t the only way to judge a sports sedan. The XF competes in a segment that includes cars such as the Genesis G80, Lexus ES, and Volvo S90 in addition to the Audi A6, BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-class. But only the XF, G80, and the ES have base prices that start with a four. Jaguar is looking to undercut the competition. Prices for the XF begin at $45,145. The 5-series and A6 start at about $10,000 more. Spending 10 grand more at the Audi store buys a little more insulation from road and wind noise, but the XF does a wonderful impression of German isolation and over-the-road refinement. Isolation is hard to quantify because it is about the absence of things, annoying things. You don’t realize the importance of isolation until it’s missing.
A sports sedan must also handle, and the XF’s chassis is a willing participant in the chase for g-forces. The steering delivers on sporting intentions with accurate and crisp responses. While it breaks no new ground in terms of electrically assisted units, the feedback through the wheel and the responses are solid and reliable. It gives the impression that you’re driving a car that’s a class above mid-size. Only the brakes, which suffer from a dead spot at the top of the pedal stroke, let us down. Maybe a good brake-bleed job could correct this. We’ll know for sure when we get one for instrumented testing.Jaguar doesn’t fit the XF with the overly complex settings and controls of its German rivals. It just quietly goes about its business and never annoys or flummoxes its driver. Jag is looking to electrify its lineup by 2025, but there’s plenty of life in this XF. Dropping in the new inline-six would extend its life even more. Skewed more toward luxury than the German offerings, the XF is sporty in a mature way. So, it’s right in line with what Jaguar should be about, now with a more attractive price.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 JAGUAR XFVehicle Type: front-engine, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base: S, $45,145; SE AWD, $48,245; R-Dynamic AWD, $51,145
ENGINES
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 246 hp, 269 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 296 hp, 295 lb-ft
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.5 inLength: 195.4 inWidth: 78.0 inHeight: 57.3 inTrunk Volume: 18 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3900–4100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 5.9–6.8 sec1/4-Mile: 14.4–15.1 secTop Speed: 130–155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 27–28/23–25/33–34 mpg

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It shouldn’t be this easy to beat a Bugatti Chiron Sport in the quarter-mile. This level of acceleration should require more driver skill, some rare manual dexterity lacking in Joe Commuter. Admittedly, it’s pretty easy to do a full-bore standing-start launch in a Chiron or any gas car that shifts gears for you. But the electric Rimac Nevera’s acceleration and its physiological impact on you are so extraordinary that you feel it shouldn’t be accessible to anyone able to afford the $2,400,000 price and brave enough to hold the accelerator down. You do need bravery. Scary is often synonymous with fast, but the Nevera, the Croatian carmaker’s latest creation, is unnerving. Find a long straight and bring the car to a stop. Select Track mode from the closer of the two big in-house CNC-milled rotary switches that control the major driving functions, and maximum torque will flow through the four electric motors. Hold the brake, push the right pedal all the way in, and the back of the car squats as the rear motors flex on the suspension. Take a breath and then let go.

It’s not too brutal at first. Doling out twice the power of a modern Formula 1 car all at once isn’t possible, so the initial rollout is gentle compared to what happens later. In those first few tenths, the Nevera precisely matches motor output to available grip. But then the unnerving part starts as the rate of acceleration begins to increase with speed. The Nevera gets quicker as it’s going faster. Your breathing changes, becoming a slightly panicked eight-second inhalation. The fluid in your eyeballs seems to ripple, distorting your vision. The noise is intense: Four motors scream and whine as 1.4 megawatts—that’s 1877 horsepower—pump through them, and four tires rip at the tarmac, constantly on the edge of grip. It takes a very conscious effort to keep your foot in until the quarter-mile marker passes and you can finally exhale, use an expletive, let your head slump forward, and shake in the wake of the adrenaline.To make matters slightly more stressful, Rimac founder and head honcho Mate Rimac came along to watch the proceedings and the Nevera is a pre-production prototype and particularly important to his business. We’re also taken by the fact that this one car represents about 10 percent of Croatia’s entire car production this year. There will be plenty more, though. Named for an electrical storm that occasionally ravages the Croat coast, 150 Neveras will be produced, and the first 50 are already sold. After a few runs, Rimac himself showed me the onboard telemetry that will be available to customers. With no effort, the car did an indicated 8.7-second quarter-mile at 160 mph. Once the launch control is finalized, Mate promises 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, 100 in 4.3, and the standing quarter-mile in 8.6 seconds. In C/D testing, the Chiron Sport hit 60 mph in 2.4 seconds, 100 in 4.4, and passed the quarter-mile in 9.4 seconds at 158 mph.
So other than terror and what could be the quickest car in the world, what do you get for nearly 2.5 million bucks? Quite a lot, actually. Unlike many small-batch manufacturers, a lot of the Nevera is designed and made in-house. Rimac claims the Nevera’s carbon-fiber monocoque is the largest and stiffest of any car, deflecting at 70,000 newton-meters per degree. It has four motors, one for each wheel and each with its own single-speed gearbox. In front, each motor makes 268 horsepower, and the rear gets two 671-hp motors. The system totals of 1400 kW or 1877 horsepower and 1741 pound-feet of torque. The Brembo-supplied 15.4-inch carbon-ceramic brake rotors work in conjunction with up to 300 kW of regen to slow the car. The key-shaped 120.0-kWh battery is mostly behind the seats but also under them and down the center tunnel. Rimac promises it’ll be able to charge at up to 500 kW when that becomes possible; at a 350-kW hookup, it will go from 20 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. The bodywork is all carbon fiber, and some of it moves with an active aero package so smart it can even create the optimum plume of tire smoke behind you in drift mode. On a track, the onboard Driver Coach uses artificial intelligence to figure out the best line, give you a demo, and then tell you where to brake and turn in. More than just a feral and extreme racer with license plates, Rimac intends the Nevera to be a usable grand tourer. Climbing in is easy, thanks to narrow sills. Outward vision is aided by 360-degree cameras. Three-stage adjustable accelerator sensitivity makes the colossal power simple to manage in traffic. This nearly 1900-hp car is no harder to drive than an Acura NSX. The low-speed ride can occasionally get choppy and noisy, with shock transmitted unabated through that ultra-stiff carbon-fiber structure, but mostly it’s possible to drive it every day.
There isn’t a lot of steering feel, but it’s quick and accurate, and the torque vectoring granted by individual drive motors pulls the nose tight to every apex. The ride is mostly fluid, body control tight, roll contained. And the brakes are mighty, if a little sensitive in their current setup.The Nevera is no one-trick pony, but the powertrain is definitely the main attraction. Skeptics argue that cars like this have unusable power. But the same case could be made for a 617-hp BMW M5 Competition. The power here isn’t excessive; it just seems unlimited. The Nevera has power like the Fed has money. It just cranks out whatever you need. Passing is instant, at any speed. It is a distinctly digital experience but no less thrilling for it because the acceleration is unreal. Hypercars like the Nevera aren’t for everyone, but there’s no denying its significance as the moment a battery-powered car toppled the Bugatti Chiron. The internal-combustion engine may never catch up.

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The Volkswagen GTI belongs to a much larger clan of models in Europe than it does in the United States. On the other side of the Atlantic, the GTI sits above the workaday Golf that we no longer get and below the latest all-wheel-drive Golf R that we’re anxiously awaiting to hit our shores later this year. There also are electric GTE and diesel GTD models. More interesting, though, is another higher-performance Golf positioned in the narrow gap between the GTI and the R, one that’s closer in spirit to the Honda Civic Type R: the GTI Clubsport.

Both Volkswagen and Porsche have used Clubsport and Club Sport monikers over the years, generally for more athletic models intended for semi-regular track use. In the case of the latest GTI Clubsport, that means a significant bump in performance over the standard GTI, with a new turbocharger upping the output of its 2.0-liter inline-four to 296 horsepower. That places the Clubsport much closer to the new Golf R’s 316 horses than the regular GTI’s 241 as well as not far off the 306-hp Type R. As with that Honda, the Clubsport’s output reaches the road exclusively through the front wheels. VW also fits larger brakes, shorter gear ratios for the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, revised suspension settings, and some subtle visual distinctions to proclaim the car’s specialness. We drove a right-hand-drive example in England to see just how hot these updates make VW’s hot hatch.

Volkswagen

Aesthetic changes versus garden-variety GTIs are subtle but present if you know what to look for. While Volkswagen doesn’t add any Clubsport badging, there is a model-specific front bumper and lower grille, plus a rear spoiler, plastic sill extensions, and striped graphics on the lower edge of the front doors. Updates to the cabin are less obvious and include unique fabric upholstery on the seats, but the interior is pretty much identical to the regular GTI’s. That means the same abundance of dark plastic trim and a rather slow, unintuitive central touchscreen. However, buried deep within the Clubsport’s interface is one key difference versus regular GTIs: an additional drive mode beyond Sport that’s simply labeled Nürburgring.Select ‘Ring mode and the Clubsport adopts the same dynamic settings that VW used to set a 7:55 lap around the 12.9-mile Nordschliefe last year. That time makes the new model just five seconds slower than what the previous-generation Clubsport S managed in 2016 when it set a front-drive record at the track. On the road, the hot setup actually softens the car’s optional adaptive dampers slightly from their firmest Sport position, but keeps the engine, gearbox, and steering in their most aggressive modes. It quickly proved to be ideal for dealing with bumpy British backroads.

Volkswagen

Not that the Clubsport feels substantially different from the regular GTI in normal use. It sounds louder under acceleration, although much of that is the result of tweaks to the cabin’s sound augmentation system. The shorter gearing and snappier mapping for both the transmission and throttle sharpen reactions and give a sense of fiercer acceleration. With adequate traction, the Clubsport surely will beat the 5.1-second 60-mph time we recorded for the normal GTI. The electrically boosted brake pedal also feels better than it does in the regular car, feeling firmer under gentle use. The steering has more weight as well, if no obvious improvement over the limited feedback of the standard model. Pressing the Clubsport harder reveals that the most significant difference is a greater degree of front-end bite when turning into corners. It doesn’t take much enthusiasm to get the regular GTI washing wide in tighter turns, but the Clubsport grips harder and is far better at finding traction, thanks to both its revised suspension and an aggressive electronic limited-slip differential. Understeer is kept in better check and the car is easy to place and hold on a chosen line, even when approaching the tires’ grip limits—perfect qualities for a fast Nürburgring lap. Still, the car’s rear end doesn’t rotate as easily as the Civic Type R’s when you pitch it into corners. This is a car that feels very quick and secure, but its thrills come from raw velocity rather than intimate feedback. Other nitpicks include the Clubsport’s insubstantial plastic paddle shifters on its steering wheel that it shares with the regular GTI. And given the car’s more aggressive character, we wish the dual-clutch transmission would hold gears up to the engine’s rev limiter, yet it upshifts early even in full manual mode.

Volkswagen

But it’s hard to be overly critical about a slightly faster and more agile GTI that doesn’t require any significant sacrifices over the basic car. Even the price premium is pretty modest. The GTI Clubsport costs the equivalent of about $ 42,500 in the United Kingdom when the punitive 20 percent VAT sales tax and registration charges are removed, which is roughly $5K more than the price of an automatic-equipped GTI. That makes the Clubsport an awfully tempting proposition, even from across the Atlantic.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Volkswagen GTI ClubsportVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door hatchback
PRICE (C/D EST)
$42,500

ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection
injectionDisplacement: 121 in3, 1984 cm3Power: 296 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 295 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.4 inLength: 169.9 inWidth: 70.4 inHeight: 57.7 inCurb Weight (C/D est): 3150 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.7 sec100 mph: 11.1 sec1/4-Mile: 12.8 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 25/22/30 mpg

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Just as we’ve become comfortable with there being Porsche luxury sedans and SUVs, the company has started to throw more curveballs at us. While the 911 and the 718 sports cars still tug at our heartstrings, they’ve now been joined by an electric Porsche in the form of the Taycan sedan, multiple Cross and Sport Turismo station wagons, and whatever the Cayenne coupe is trying to be. Against this backdrop, the four-door Panamera, even in its most driver-focused GTS configuration, is starting to seem positively conventional—possibly even a bit irrelevant.[editoriallinks id=’cb83bdcf-da25-41cf-87f6-b07ccabe29d0′ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]Porsche is trying to keep the Panamera in the conversation by updating it for the 2021 model year with a few new configurations and minor styling tweaks. Among those changes, the GTS model tested here now develops 473 horsepower from its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, a gain of 20 ponies over last year. Within the Panamera lineup, which ranges from the 325-hp base V-6 model all the way up to the 690-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid, the GTS remains the cheapest way to get a V-8 in a Panamera, and its finely honed chassis setup lends it the sharpest responses of the bunch. As before, the GTS features all-wheel drive and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Also unchanged for 2021 is the exhaust note of the GTS’s mellifluous V-8, which continues to emit a powerboat-like burble at idle that builds to a soulful bellow as the engine spins to its 6800-rpm redline.[image id=’9589adcc-11d7-4579-a332-49adfd2312a9′ mediaId=’0814ed8d-a5bf-48ba-890c-55ada9210579′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’6×4′][/image][pullquote align=’center’]HIGHS: Gripping V-8 soundtrack, more power than last year, impressive braking and handling for its size, the cheapest path to a V-8 Panamera.[/pullquote]Unfortunately, we didn’t see the results of the latest power bump at the test track. Compared with the 2019 Panamera GTS we last tested, the 2021 iteration’s launch-control-enabled 3.2-second zero-to-60-mph run was a tenth of a second slower, a difference it maintained over its 11.7-second, 116-mph quarter-mile pass. That’s hardly to say the latest GTS feels slow—even without launch control the GTS does the 5-to-60-mph sprint in 4.2 seconds—but we would’ve expected at least a slight improvement in acceleration considering that the newer, 4714-pound car weighed a scant 35 pounds more than before. Conversely, the 2021 GTS did beat out its predecessor on the skidpad and under braking. Riding on 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, it outgripped the 2019 model by 0.01 g (1.02 g) and stopped from 70 mph in nine fewer feet (145 feet). Those are sports-car-worthy figures, and they combine with the gutsy V-8, the clairvoyant dual-clutch gearbox, and the GTS’s fluid steering action to produce a stirring driving experience on pretty much any road. [image id=’aca19f37-4b9b-4cc9-85b6-78e7f5cb07dd’ mediaId=’5eb80ee7-eb31-4d0d-866a-7dd1de4f3340′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image][pullquote align=’center’]LOWS: No quicker than before, still awfully expensive, looks plain next to the newer Taycan.[/pullquote]Putting our test car’s performance numbers into context is complicated by the strength of its competition, though. For example, the electric Taycan 4S, which starts at $105,150 to the Panamera GTS’s $130,650, is only 0.2 second slower to 60 mph, and it pulled 1.03 g on the skidpad. What’s more, the Taycan packs a greater visual punch for most onlookers. While the second-generation Panamera’s proportions are undoubtedly more attractive than the original’s hunchback design, we think that the Taycan is a far better-looking interpretation of a four-door Porsche, even if it is considerably smaller inside. But if highway range is what you’re after, the Panamera GTS dominates the Taycan 4S’s 220 miles between charges. We averaged 30 mpg at 75 mph, which translates to a bladder-busting 710 miles between fueling.It’s also worth noting that the winner of our most recent high-performance-luxury-four-door comparison test, the Audi RS7, will only set you back $115,045 to start. That 591-hp Audi also beats the Panamera GTS in our acceleration tests, as it should, yet maintains an impressive degree of luxury-car comfort.[image id=’93ca0423-c005-422d-bd26-a6eb8d4bcf2d’ mediaId=’ca32f90c-395e-4019-86e8-bc3dee08d35b’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Porsche’s formula for its GTS models generally includes some value packaging compared to similarly equipped lesser versions. That positioning does apply to the Panamera, but it’s tough to call the GTS variant a smart buy unless it’s in the company of the 620-hp Turbo S model (base price, $179,050) or the 689-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid ($189,050). Even with a relatively light load of options for a Porsche, our test car stickered at $148,800 yet lacked extras such as adaptive cruise control and ventilated seats. It wasn’t long ago that the Panamera was abuzz with attention, both positive and negative, as it brought Porsche into a new, profitable market segment. But as the brand enters a new era, the luster of its once controversial four-door hatchback is beginning to fade as more enticing alternatives crop up both within the Porsche lineup and elsewhere in the high-performance luxury space. Along with the Taycan, we imagine the strength of the Cayenne lineup, including the new-for-2021 GTS model, will continue to hamper Panamera sales, which amounted to a paltry 3870 units last year—less than every other Porsche model except for the 718 sports cars. As engaging as the GTS is to drive for a sports sedan, we won’t be shocked if the Panamera doesn’t return for a third generation.[vehicle type=’specpanel’ vehicle-body-style=” vehicle-make=” vehicle-model=” vehicle-model-category=” vehicle-submodel=” vehicle-year=”][/vehicle]

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From the July 2004 issue of Car and Driver.Riding the range in the Hill Country of Texas singing “Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo” and drawing bovine stares from longhorn steers ruminating among the mesquite on a 40,000-acre ranch, we wondered if there could be a better place to wring out a new Jeep Wrangler. There could not. This patch of Willie Nelson land is crisscrossed with every kind of road from interstate to meandering macadam to dusty dirt. And for some earnest off-roading, the vast expanse of the YO Ranch near Fredericksburg offers steep escarpments made treacherous by mud, loose shale, and rocks the size of armadillos (and vice versa).

Jeep had chosen this slice of the Old West to preview its new Wrangler Unlimited to the press. But unlike other automakers who use such occasions to focus on the “all-new,” the Jeep posse sought to assure us that the latest Wrangler is just like any other Wrangler-tough, uncompromising, and true to its long tradition-except that it’s longer. It’s a strategy designed not to offend Wrangler traditionalists, who welcome change about as much as did 18th-century French aristocrats, while offering something to people who find existing Wranglers a bit cramped.The Unlimited’s box-section frame adds 10.0 inches to the standard Wrangler’s wheelbase, extending it to 103.4 inches. There’s also an additional five inches of rear overhang, which pulls its overall bumper-to-bumper dimension to 165.1 inches, or 15.0 more than the abbreviated model. The additional space is unequally apportioned in the interior. Leg and knee room in the back seat are expanded by just under two inches. But a whopping 13.0 inches is allotted to the area behind the rear seat. Cargo volume goes from 9 to 29 cubic feet. Out-of-sight cargo space has about doubled, not a bad thing to have in a vehicle that can easily be entered by villains with a box cutter-at least in the fabric-topped version.
Detail improvements to the Unlimited include a “tip and slide” driver’s seat for easier rear access; more padding under the hood, behind the dash, and beneath the cargo area to reduce noise; and the so-called Sunrider softtop, which manually flips back to open a 45-by-23-inch sunroof above the front seats. There’s also an optional hardtop ($795), which would be a prudent buy for people in the Frostbelt states.All this gear, plus the extra metal needed for the length enhancement, adds up to about 200 pounds and requires some fine-tuning of spring and damper rates, the practical effect of which is imperceptible on the road. Although a longer wheelbase should make for a less choppy ride, the long Wrangler runs along on the road much like the short one. That is, compared with a conventional passenger car, it’s harsher, bouncier, and noisier, but not so much so that it blurs your vision or agitates your internal organs.
But a relatively rough ride on the road is the price of agility off the road, and there is no out-of-the-showroom SUV that can match the Wrangler in the rough stuff. And that’s true for either wheelbase version. The longie does yield a few degrees of breakover angle-21.4 versus 28.1-to the shortie and doesn’t turn as tightly (39.2 feet versus a 36.7-foot turning radius). But in practice-negotiating rocky grades steep enough to ground the skid plates and make a sound like razor wire being dragged across a tin roof-these were not noticeable disadvantages. One thing the Unlimited does have to offset what little it gives up to the short-wheelbase, 4.0-liter model is a greater towing capacity-3500 pounds versus 2000-thanks in part to the added strength of an additional rear crossmember.Otherwise, the Unlimited is identical to the regular Wrangler. It uses the same 190-hp straight-six hooked to an automatic four-speed transmission (a manual gearbox comes along for 2005), stout transfer case, and robust four-wheel-drive system. With lots of standard equipment-including air conditioning, AM/FM with CD player, and power steering-the Unlimited bottom-lines at $24,995, a hefty sum for a vehicle we wouldn’t recommend for primary transportation. But with nothing else comparable on the market, its price will likely not deter hard-core Wranglerites who want more space.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited VEHICLE TYPEfront-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door truck or 3-door wagon BASE PRICE$24,995 ENGINE TYPEpushrod 12-valve inline-6, iron block and head, port fuel injection Displacement241 in3, 3956 cm3Power (SAE net)190 bhp @ 4600 rpm Torque (SAE net)235 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 103.4 in Length: 165.1 in Width: 66.7 in Height: 70.8-70.9 in Curb weight: 3700-3800 lb PERFORMANCE RATINGS (C/D EST)Zero to 60 mph: 10.5 sec Standing ¼-mile: 17.8 sec FUEL ECONOMY (mfr’s est)EPA city/highway driving: 14/18 mpg

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The upcoming electric 2022 BMW i4 likely will have many asking: What exactly makes a BMW a BMW? With no internal-combustion engine under its hood, is the i4’s Bimmer-ness defined by its handling, its engineering, or perhaps its grille? To get a better grasp of that concept and to see some of what we can expect when the i4 goes on sale early 2022, BMW allowed us a brief drive in a final-development mule in the canyons around Malibu, California.Although BMW wouldn’t confirm the particular specification of the prototype we drove, we’d guess it’s the more powerful of the two i4 variants, the M Performance i4 M50. We arrived at this conclusion because, unlike the standard eDrive40 version that will be rear-wheel drive only, we could feel the prototype’s additional front motor helping to pull us out of tight corners. The verve with which our test car accelerated also was more in line with the M50’s 536 horsepower and 586 pound-feet of torque output, rather than the eDrive40’s 335 horses and 317 pound-feet of torque. BMW quotes a believable zero-to-62-mph time of 3.9 seconds for the roughly 5000-pound M50 and 5.7 seconds for the eDrive40.
The numbers that might matter more to EV buyers are the estimated 300-mile range for the single-motor eDrive40 and 245 miles for the dual-motor M50 from the 81.5-kWh battery. BMW claims the 11.0-kW onboard charger can refill the battery from empty in eight hours when connected to a properly equipped wall charger. Find a fast-charge DC hookup and the lithium-ion pack will accept a 200-kW charge and will add a claimed 90 miles in 10 minutes.

Largely based on the 3- and 4-series, the i4’s 188.3-inch length is a few inches longer than a 3-series sedan and the 112.8-inch wheelbase is fractionally longer. BMW claims the M50’s center of gravity is 1.3 inches lower than the 3-series and 2.1 inches lower in the eDrive40, something we picked up on as we chased a BMW development engineer around undulating switchbacks. The i4 showed little body roll and a fair amount of compliance to the suspension’s motions in Normal and Comfort drive modes. In the more aggressive Sport and Sport+ settings, the heavy i4 danced with an agility similar to that of a 3-series. All i4s feature front coil springs and rear self-leveling air springs, with the M50 adding adaptive dampers. The electrically assisted steering is a bit quiet on feedback but always precise in its responses, regardless of the selected driving mode. Like it or not, regenerative braking is becoming a defining feature for EVs. In the i4 prototype, the strength of its regen feels akin to the deceleration you get when you lift off the throttle in a conventional manual-transmission vehicle, which is to say it’s fairly strong but not quite a one-pedal-driving setup. BMW says you’ll be able to tune the amount of the regenerative braking to suit your tastes as well as turn the feature off entirely. Step on the i4’s left pedal and the brake-by-wire system transitions from regen to clamping the rotors at all four corners in an all but imperceptible manner. You really have to go out of your way to sense it. Beyond its handling and performance, the i4’s quiet interior should bolster its potential as a soothing daily driver. That this quality was noticeable in a prototype is impressive, what with its camouflage wrapping producing an uptick in wind noise. Plus, there was an entire rack of test equipment in the expansive cargo area that made its own symphony of humming electronic sounds. In production trim, the i4 should be quite quiet indeed.
What little of the interior we could see beneath the camouflage draperies appeared upscale in terms of material and design. All should be familiar to existing BMW customers, nothing too out there in either form or material. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster displays the gauges and driver-pertinent information, while a 14.9-inch screen shows the infotainment controls. The glare-resistant screens are beautiful with crisp shapes and text and deep, saturated, and high-contrast color. Although I only had a double handful of minutes to tap through it, BMW’s latest user interface is simple, clear, and easy to use. Again, all should be either familiar or intuitive to those familiar with BMW’s non-electric cars. There’s even a fair amount of rear-seat legroom and headroom in the i4, despite the fastback design. With the driver’s seat adjusted for my own 6-foot-2-inch frame, I was able to (barely) fit comfortably in the rear seat immediately behind. I wouldn’t want to take a road trip that way, but I’d gladly ride across town. Behind the rear seats (which can be laid down for even more cargo space) is the cargo area, which itself lies under a hatch-style rear liftgate, not unlike BMW’s GT vehicles. The result is a large and easy-to-access cargo area. Ah, the practical wonders of hatchbacks. In all, the i4 seems to be exactly what it ought to be: a BMW that is electric. Unlike the i3, which wore its early adopter nerd pride on its bodywork, with the exception of its massive 4-series-style grille the conservatively styled i4 represents the arrival of the electric car at the mainstream of modern performance luxury. It shows us how far along the electric game has moved toward the mainstream now that brands such as BMW are taking it seriously. In that sense, the i4 just might, like the 3-series before it, become a benchmark for the electric sports-sedan segment. And what could be more BMW than that?

Specifications

Specifications
2022 BMW i4Vehicle Type: rear- or front- and rear-motor, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICEBase: eDrive40, $56,395; M50, $66,895
POWERTRAINS
Motors: 1 or 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Power: 335 or 536 hpTorque: 317 or 586 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 81.5 kWhTransmissions: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.8 inLength: 188.3 inWidth: 72.9 inHeight: 57.0 inCurb Weight (C/D est): 4800–5000 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.8–5.6 sec100 mph: 9.6–14.0 sec1/4-Mile: 12.4–14.3 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 118–140 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 90–100/95–105/85–95 MPGeRange: 245–300 mi

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From the October 2008 issue of Car and Driver. Just past the curve in which Bruce McLaren bought it, and right before the corner where Niki Lauda had his face burned off, we ­realize the truth: General Motors must still be mad about our review of the 1980 Olds Omega Brougham. The company is trying to kill us.[editoriallinks id=’e08f5a0c-42fa-410f-bd86-88c124177124′ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]Back in 2004, GM rolled the last steaming clod of asphalt onto its Milford Road Course (MRC), a 2.9-mile handling circuit at the company’s proving grounds an hour northwest of Detroit. The “Lutzring,” as employees have dubbed it in honor of GM’s meat-eating vice-chairman, Robert Lutz, plunges 135 feet from hilltop to trough and was pieced together like bathroom plumbing from some of the more treacherous corners in motor­sports. The 20 elbows, kinks, and blind whoop-de-dos are crowned by the 45-degree banked “Toilet Bowl,” which resembles the Nürburgring’s Karussell and which has already had its guardrails replaced at least twice. Only 16 of GM’s 266,000 employees are permitted to drive the MRC.Naturally, a man-eating track you’ve never seen before is just the place you want to be in a 638-hp Corvette you’ve never driven before.[mediaosvideo align=’center’ embedId=’714d5004-6265-435e-adb3-463b49a4dcbd’ mediaId=’a6844220-2415-458e-95d6-5378caa1279e’ size=’large’][/mediaosvideo]Speaking of Corvettes, our February 2008 cover story on the new supercharged ZR1 all but supplied you with blueprints to build your own. Hoping to squeeze the slavering media like ripe kumquats for more ink, GM invited us to the Lutzring for a brief half-day nibble of the $105,000 ZR1 before the full feast of testing commences this fall. Obviously, the gambit worked. The track’s nefarious reputation notwithstanding, the ZR1 is just the aluminum-frame, carbon-fiber-paneled, balsa-wood-floored Corvette Z06 with afterburners, right? Which means it will be a little vague in the steering and a bit floppy at the apex but basically fun and, above all, safe. Turn up the A/C, tune in the XM, and let the electronics make us heroes on a track where something like 265,984 people dare not tread. [image id=’89264653-8409-429b-8f45-c33073894bbc’ mediaId=’57f7d645-64ef-476c-9300-68d04448a61c’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Certainly, the ZR1’s cockpit has the familiar Bat Cave atmosphere of the regular Corvette, except for the manifold-pressure gauge where the voltage meter normally lives. That, and the carbon-fiber hood’s window, which lets you watch the engine twitch in rhythm to the gas pedal. So far, so what? Then, while exiting the pits on our first lap, the ZR1’s 6.2-liter LS9 V-8 suddenly cracked the heavens with a feral wolf call. The accelerative g’s rolled into us like the breakers of a Category Five, and breathing became strangely difficult. Uh-oh.Turn One of the Lutzring starts as a long, seemingly predictable sweeper. Then it kinks inward, then jerks straight, then suddenly cramps in again before lurching up a blind hill that death-drops the car into a ditch. After that you’re tossed over another blind crest with a negative camber pitched to slide the Corvette sideways into next Christmas. Assuming the car doesn’t go airborne. [image id=’5051d418-d6c1-4d81-ba89-6ec57317f84d’ mediaId=’b79be4b7-b03f-4f6f-8ebc-8ad58f848b20′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]In the ensuing Toilet Bowl, there were safety cones—which we scattered, ingesting some and dragging others to the next turn, which looked suspiciously like the patch that claimed Jimmy Clark. Then our first lap got uglier. There were screams. Here’s what we learned: The ZR1 is about as suitable for a Lutzring virgin as an alcohol-fueled Funny Car is for driver’s ed. We also learned that the ZR1’s mufflers are smaller and their flaps slam open earlier than a Z06’s, waking the dead from Milford to Sleetmute. And the LS9’s accelerative violence will be terrifying to anyone who hasn’t saddled up a Tomahawk cruise missile. Many passengers will simply freak out. Even engineers who’ve done thousands of miles in ZR1s stiffened up and went for the handholds when we floored it (okay, maybe it was just us). Exactly 170 pounds heavier than the Z06—most recently, 3180 pounds on our scale—the ZR1, GM claims, will knock big, hairy 10ths off the 505-hp Z06’s times. GM also says the ZR1 will rip to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, to 100 mph in 7.0 seconds, and through the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 131 mph. It’ll go 205 mph and pull 1.05 g on a skidpad. [image id=’01ddacd9-480c-4742-a440-0b4208f88915′ mediaId=’beea841b-0d15-45a2-882a-dd398e02f873′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]We don’t doubt it. Uh-uh. No sir.Vague? Floppy? Here, too, the ZR1 seems to stride past the Z06. To help suck up the steering flex, engineers replaced an aluminum steering-column shaft with a stiffer steel link, a change for all ’09 Corvettes. There are also ZR1-specific bushing changes in the suspension, as well as a new variable-ratio steering rack that enlivens the response.But perhaps the most credit for the ZR1’s feistier helm should go to the Michelin ­Pilot Sport PS2 run-flats. In comparative tire tests during the ZR1’s development, GM engineers say they were “blown away” by the Michelins. We felt a breeze, too. The ZR1’s steering still doesn’t have the leanness or data-bit flow of a Porsche 911’s, but placing and holding the nose where it’s needed is easier and takes less guesswork and prayer. Tail twitch is more control­lable, and the Brembo carbon-ceramic rotors (15.5 inches front, 15.0 rear) and monoblock calipers have the familiar, progressive bite of iron brakes without much danger of fade or shimmy.[image id=’ce6d5cb8-8847-4c02-b34c-ba37ac30ab83′ mediaId=’1130f52a-9751-4120-b85b-bc5db437b8db’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]On a pizza-pocked public road, the ZR1 rumbles more quietly on its wider tires and shows less body heaving and impact crash than the Z06. An early “Attaboy!” seems in order for the Magnetic Selective Ride Control, the system of fast-as-electrons variable shock absorbers that costs $1995 on the base Corvette, is not available on the Z06, and comes standard on ZR1s. One cool nuance: On hard launches, the computer turns rear rebound to zero to hold the back end down for better traction. Yet, flip as we might, we couldn’t tell much difference between the ZR1’s sport and touring settings.The double-plate clutch is light, just an undetectable few ounces stiffer than the Z06’s, GM confirms. Rollouts and upshifts happen with doughy smoothness. A long throttle pedal puts the Hulk trigger toward the back, so you can cruise lazily in the ZR1 through town returning perhaps 20 mpg. (GM boasts that the ZR1 is the thriftiest 600-hp car on the market, so back off, Greenpeace!)[image id=’29ad536d-b355-4a0f-8528-74b3f0ee0087′ mediaId=’9999dc89-860f-40b2-9f0b-51286f163fce’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]All this Ferrari-stomping power and Z06-shaming refinement comes in two basic flavors, order code 1ZR for $105,000 (including the $1700 gas-guzzler levy) and the 3ZR for $10,000 more. The latter adds a Bose sound system, navigation, and a leather dash wrap. Chrome wheels ($2000), extra-cost paint ($300 to $750), and Corvette museum delivery ($490) are the only other options. GM figures it can build 1800 copies a year if the current worm-eaten market will take them.A few years ago GM management wondered what a $100,000 Corvette would be like. You have the answer. If only they had thought up a similar trick for the Omega Brougham. Oops.[vehicle type=’specpanel’ vehicle-body-style=” vehicle-make=” vehicle-model=” vehicle-model-category=” vehicle-submodel=” vehicle-year=”][/vehicle]

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