Car Reviews

It doesn’t have power steering, there’s barely any sound deadening, and the turbocharged engine roars like Earth, Wind & Fire. Not just the epic R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, dance, Latin, and Afro-pop band but those combined mighty elements of the universe, too. It’s raw and direct and all the things those of us addicted to cars are supposed to love. Not that very many of us spent actual money to buy it. And now the Alfa Romeo 4C has gone out in a blaze of red carbon fiber and Rosso Villa d’Este tri-coat paint.The 4C has been on sale since 2014, so it’s not like you didn’t have a chance to buy one. But you didn’t buy one, did you? You can’t have one of these final 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo models, either. All 33 for North America have already been sold. Considering the 4C’s microscopic sales through the years, that these last ones have been snapped up immediately is surprising, too.

Alfa Romeo

To those of us with taste, a sense of history, and the courage of our convictions, Alfa Romeo’s original 33 Stradale is the most beautiful four-wheeled vehicle ever conceived. There isn’t a straight edge on it, the glass itself swoops and swirls improbably, and it was powered by a 2.0-liter V-8 that made sounds Verdi would have included in La Traviata had he been around to hear them. There’s some 33 Stradale in the appearance and appeal of the 4C, but only some. The Tributo adds sugar to the 4C in the form of gorgeous red carbon fiber that envelops the cockpit like a continuous ribbon of cherry Jolly Rancher candy. The Tipo 33 was beautiful in shape and form. The 4C 33 Stradale Tributo is gorgeous in detail and finish.With that in mind, this still isn’t a civilized everyday two-seater. It’s tiny, there’s barely any storage space, and the carbon-fiber structure transmits every mechanical vibration straight into the driver’s body. If there’s any sound insulation aboard, it has surrendered to the inevitable racket. Seeing forward is fine. Seeing out the back? That’s a tiny window and a tall rump. There’s no giant navigation screen, no radar monitoring the enormous blind spots, and it would be criminally difficult to get into and out of with the top attached. It’s a real sports car, not just in the tradition of Alfa Romeo but in old mid-engine Italian machines like the ragged Fiat X1/9, heartbreaking Lancia Scorpion, and the stuff cobbled together by Milanese high-school shop classes. And yet, despite such frustrations, it’s lovable.

Alfa Romeo

The turbocharged 1.7-liter engine isn’t some lugging lump pulled out of a SUV; it’s a nervy and sometimes nervous tweaker—without the dental damage that comes with meth abuse. There’s little in the way of low-end torque, but when the turbo joins in (apparently randomly), the road becomes a party path. The manual steering needs some effort but responds instantly. It takes concentration to keep the engine boiling, and the brakes engage with the subtlety of John Gotti out for revenge. It rides so low that, from the driver’s seat, a Mazda CX-5 looks like a mining truck. And all of that completely engages the driver’s senses and mind. So much fun.It’s the sheer quickness with which everything happens that’s so amusing. The dual-clutch six-speed transmission’s shifts are hardly subtle, but they are instantaneous. Immediacy is a talent too few vehicles offer today. The 4C sacrifices all civility in exchange for it. It sucks for commuting, it should never be allowed within a mile of a Costco, and you’re better off keeping the kids blissfully ignorant rather than hauling them to school in this thing.

Alfa Romeo

Although the 4C Spider is lightweight—the last one we tested back in 2015 weighed in at 2504 pounds—there’s 237 horsepower available. So it’s quick, with a zero-to-60-mph time that should play out to 4.1 seconds, but not daunting or intimidating.The $81,590 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo is the best 4C yet. And it’s exactly the car so many of us say we want but never buy—even if you could actually buy one. It’s a kick-ass car, and the ass it kicks, for good and ill, is the driver’s.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider 33 Stradale TributoVehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE
$81,590
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 106 in3, 1742 cm3Power: 237 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 258 lb-ft @ 2200 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 93.7 inLength: 157.0 inWidth: 73.5 inHeight: 46.7 inPassenger Volume: 47 ft3Cargo Volume: 4 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 2500 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.1 sec100 mph: 11.0 sec1/4-Mile: 12.8 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 160 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 28/24/34 mpg

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Porsche knows how its customers tick. When the affluent masses demand a Cayenne that is faster, more powerful, and even more thrilling to drive than the current, already mighty Cayenne Turbo coupe, the German manufacturer tends to listen. This is how Porsche describes its decision to build atop its most powerful non-hybrid Cayenne models with a new ultra-high-performance version, which is aimed at bringing the fight to the Cayenne’s Volkswagen Group platform-mate, the Lamborghini Urus.Set to sell alongside the existing Cayenne Turbo coupe when it goes on sale in the United States late next month, the idea for the new four-seat model was triggered by customers seeking even-greater performance in a road-going SUV, according to Cayenne product line manager Rico Loescher. “It’s a logical progression to the various performance-enhancing options we already have for the Turbo coupe,” he says. To experience the new über-Cayenne for ourselves, we went to Porsche’s hometown of Stuttgart, Germany, to sample a near-production prototype. We won’t know the exact name of the new model until it’s formally unveiled at the end of June, but we can confirm it will be offered only in the Cayenne’s coupe body style.

Our development mule sports a mild disguise, as is usual at this late stage of development. However, the key changes are easily recognizable. First, there’s an updated front fascia with a revised splitter and larger cooling ducts for the engine and front brakes. The existing coupe’s optional carbon-fiber roof also is featured, and the rear roof spoiler has gained additional side extensions. Although it’s only visible at speed when it deploys from the tailgate, there’s also a larger active rear spoiler for increased downforce. Rounding off the exterior tweaks is a modified carbon-fiber diffuser, which Porsche claims reduces turbulence and speeds the flow of air beneath the SUV for added high-speed stability. It also houses a pair of centrally mounted tailpipes that form part of a new titanium sports exhaust system. Rolling stock consists of standard 22-inch Neodyme wheels shod with sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa summer tires, sized 285/35R-22 in front and 315/30R-22 at the rear.Modifications to the interior are rather subtle. Porsche remains proud of the changes it made to the cabin of the third-generation Cayenne, and it clearly doesn’t think the new performance model requires any major alterations. There is some new Alcantara trim with contrasting stitching and a thicker-rimmed sports steering wheel with a Sport Response button. But it’s not far removed from the standard model. Reflecting its sporting brief, the new model will only be available with four seats; the three-across rear bench is replaced by two individual thrones.
It’s the engine, however, that Loescher is keen to detail as we begin to make our way out of Stuttgart in search of smooth German country roads and empty autobahns. He says the Cayenne Turbo’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 has received a series of detailed changes that liberate an additional 90 horsepower, upping it from 541 to 631 horses. That’s 40 more ponies than the same engine produces in the Audi RS Q8 but 10 fewer horses than in the Urus. It’s also 14 and 28 horsepower more than you’ll get in a BMW X6 M Competition and a Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S coupe, respectively. But this still isn’t the most powerful Cayenne model. That honor continues to rest with the Turbo S E-Hybrid models, which combine a slightly less stressed version of the V-8 with an electric motor and a 17.9-kWh battery to deliver 670 horsepower. The Cayenne Turbo coupe’s increase in power is accompanied by a 60-lb-ft bump in torque for a total of 627. We know that some of the major changes include a new engine control module and more turbocharger boost, but Porsche is holding back on specifics until closer to the SUV’s launch. A conventional ZF eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission handles shifting duties and features revised programming. The front-to-rear torque split of the standard all-wheel-drive system will vary from a nominal 40/60 percent to a heavily rear-biased 20/80 percent when you’re pushing hard.
The prototype’s updated engine is smooth and hugely flexible, with the generous reserve of torque giving it outstanding low-rpm grunt. But its explosive midrange power is what really highlights the driving experience. Bolstered by the revisions to the transmission, acceleration is simply ferocious. Porsche has yet to make any performance claims, but Loescher suggests it should be quicker than the Urus to 60 mph. For the record, the Lambo currently is the quickest production SUV we’ve ever tested with a 3.1-second run to 60 mph.As you’d probably expect, for this new range-topping Cayenne to achieve Porsche’s goals of providing “best-in-class performance” and a “high level of everyday usability,” it receives a number of chassis updates that have been honed on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. We didn’t visit the ‘Ring on our drive, but we did get to probe the Cayenne’s limits at Porsche’s driver training facility at the Hockenheim Ring. Underpinning the new model is an upgraded adaptive air spring with six adjustable ride heights, the most performance-oriented of which receives a 0.3-inch lower ride height than the regular Cayenne Turbo coupe. Active anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering plus gigantic carbon-ceramic brakes will be standard.
Let loose on the track or a suitably clear and windy road, the first thing you notice is the chassis’s sharper responses. Regardless of the drive mode, the new king-of-the-hill Cayenne always feels more urgent in its actions than the existing Turbo coupe. Its steering feels more heavily weighted, and its turn-in behavior is crisper. According to Loescher, this can be attributed in part to an additional half-degree of negative camber at the front wheels, as well as the slightly wider track provided by the new wheel and tire package.Feedback is minimal through the prototype’s thick-rimmed steering wheel, but there’s plenty of bite at the front end. Rear-wheel steering continues to make the Cayenne feel much smaller on the road than it actually is. Updated to provide a greater degree of rear-steering angle, it quickly rotates the rear end to help quell any understeer when pushing hard on challenging roads. Combined with the lowered ride height, the prototype’s revised active anti-roll bars and torque-vectoring rear differential almost eliminate body roll and lend the SUV a terrifically neutral attitude in corners.
Ride quality is predictably firm. Loescher says that the dampers are 15 percent stiffer than those used by the current Cayenne Turbo coupe. Despite the added firmness, the new model still manages to deliver sufficient compliance over bumps. The tradeoff is a high level of road noise. The firmer underpinnings and performance tires may do wonders for the handling without destroying the ride, but refinement suffers in the process, especially on coarse road surfaces.Porsche has yet to reveal how much the new super Cayenne Turbo coupe will cost. But going by the extent of the changes, it’s likely to carry a handsome premium over the existing model. Figure a starting price somewhere between the current $167,550 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid coupe and the $222,004 Urus. We’ll know for sure soon enough. But given its awesome handling and power delivery, we’re already certain that this will be a highly compelling performance vehicle, one that has the potential to set new, very high standards for hot SUVs—just as Porsche’s customers apparently demand.

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Acura keeps sending forget-me-nots. First came the second-generation Acura NSX, a 573-hp mid-engine sign that the brand had been working on itself, made some big changes, and wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk about performance. Now, the 2021 TLX Type S sports sedan has arrived at our doorstep, and its 355-hp V-6 and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system are the kind of wooing that totally works on us. Not to be confused with the relatively mild-mannered 272-hp TLX introduced last year, the Type S brings back Acura’s high-performance line. Set up for use on the street and not necessarily with track driving in mind—that’s where the brand’s Type R moniker comes in—the TLX Type S is intended to compete with the Audi S4s, BMW M340is, and Cadillac CT5-Vs of the world, not more extreme RS models, M cars, or Blackwings.

Strong acceleration and only a hint of low-rpm turbo lag is our first impression of the TLX’s V-6. Engineers assure us that this DOHC V-6 is a new design, sharing only its bore spacing with older Honda/Acura engines. A single twin-scroll turbo feeds the cylinders with 15.1 psi of boost. To reduce the height of the engine, the cam cover now incorporates the upper camshaft bearing. It saves space, reduces the number of parts, and makes us wonder why this hasn’t been done in the nearly 120 years of overhead-cam engines.Acura’s all-wheel-drive system puts the power down with zero fuss, and the conventional 10-speed automatic transmission flutters through its gears imperceptibly. A rush of turbocharged torque at low engine speeds helps keep the gearbox from having to hunt for lower gears on hilly freeways. Power builds aggressively, and the surge is eye-opening, but the V-6 is working against a claimed 4200-pound curb weight. We’ll fit our test equipment to a Type S soon, but our calibrated Levi’s say 60 mph should fall somewhere in the mid-4-second range. A few turns of the TLX’s thick-rimmed steering wheel, and it’s obvious that the Type S is more than about going straight, thanks in part to Acura’s return to a control-arm front suspension in place of the previous struts. There’s a sweetness and liveliness to this car’s steering and turn-in that makes it seem lighter than its curb weight. Grip levels from the optional 255/35R-20 Pirelli P Zeros are high. Opting for those $800 summer tires also scores you NSX-inspired 20-inch wheels that save a little more than five pounds per corner compared to the standard alloys.
Slightly wider and longer than the German competition that it’s priced against, the TLX is about the length and width of an Audi A6 or BMW 5-series. While the added width means that the TLX doesn’t seem as nimble as its smaller rivals, the body control is excellent. Compared to the regular TLX, Acura fits 40-percent-stiffer front springs and larger anti-roll bars front and rear. Acura’s all-wheel-drive system overdrives the rear end to give the Type S a rear-drive attitude when you’re hard on the throttle. Punch the gas out of corners and the system resists power understeer by shifting torque rearward, which then is split side to side by its torque-vectoring rear differential to create a rear-steer effect. Basically, just stomp the accelerator and the TLX does all the hard math to turn your foot’s request into speed. Hitting the brake pedal erases speed quickly and confidently. An electrically assisted brake booster is tuned to provide a very firm pedal with good bite. While the minimal brake-pedal travel takes some getting used to, after a few miles we’re adjusted and appreciative. The front rotors measure 14.3 inches (1.3 inches larger than the regular TLX) and are grabbed by four-piston calipers. Acura had us play at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for a few laps to fully experience the all-wheel-drive system in a safe environment, but in the interest of surviving journalistic abuse on a road course, those on-track TLXs were fitted with track-oriented pads that Acura promises to recommend to interested customers. Back on the street and fitted with the stock pads, the brakes didn’t show any signs of fade on brief canyon-road blasts.
Set the Type S’s Dynamic Control knob to Sport+ mode and its adaptive dampers tighten up and react more quickly to inputs from accelerometers at each corner. Sport+ also makes the car more apt to rotate around corners by upping the rear-steer effect of the torque-vectoring rear end. The 10-speed also responds better in Sport+, but you’ll also want to separately select the transmission’s Sport mode, which seemingly channels racer Alexander Rossi’s brain as it calls up the right gears under braking and fires off quick upshifts at the engine’s redline. Paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel are included, but the gearbox does such a fine job of picking through its 10 ratios that we didn’t see a pressing need to override it. Dial back to Normal mode, and a mellower Type S emerges. The active exhaust remains less prone to shouting, and the steering effort decreases while maintaining its tactility. But even in its softest setting, the ride remains on the firm side and the occasional bump will ripple through the suspension and structure. Acura stiffened the Type S’s body over the standard car with gussets, cross bars to tie the front shock towers together, floor stiffeners, and an A-brace behind the rear seatback. The structure is certainly stiff. But when driven back to back with a showroom-fresh Audi S4 that Acura brought out for a Pepsi challenge, the Audi’s suspension isolation and structure felt just a little more buttoned up. Although we did find the TLX had livelier and more talkative steering, stronger and more satisfying brakes, and similar acceleration.
The TLX’s size is obvious inside, where a wide center console houses Acura’s difficult-to-use touchpad infotainment controller. That interface is not getting easier to operate with practice, and it never seems to respond to your finger the same way twice. A spacious and comfortable front seat with an easily tailored seating position is the perfect place to appreciate high Gs, whether it’s g-forces or music. Start turning the volume knob, conveniently positioned next to the touchpad, to hear the fabulous Panasonic ELS audio system. It has the punch and clarity to turn you into a stereo snob, and it probably won’t take long before you find yourself searching for Free Lossless Audio Codecs (FLAC) files to play through the system’s 14 speakers. Simple and elegant analog gauges might buck the glass-cockpit sports-sedan norm, but leather and Ultrasuede seats, metal pedals and trim, and a stitched instrument panel are right in line with competitors. Rear-seat riders get a supportive bench, but the legroom and space in back isn’t what we’d call generous, despite the car’s 113.0-inch wheelbase. At highway speeds, the Type S’s cabin remains hushed, although working the engine or switching to Sport or Sport+ will increase the amount of V-6 sound pumped into the cabin.
Acura’s desire to be considered and remembered by sports-sedan buyers is obvious in the Type S’s price. The entry point is $53,325, and the only extra-cost bits are $800 wheels and tires. Comparably equipped, the German competition is more expensive, although a bare-bones S4 can be had for less than the TLX Type S. A Cadillac CT5-V can undercut the TLX’s price, but again, with all-wheel drive and similar trimmings, the Cadillac rises beyond the Acura and into the mid-$50Ks. A fully loaded Genesis G70 3.3T costs less than the TLX, but it’s closer in size to a smaller BMW 3-series.After a brief exposure to the TLX Type S, we’re eager to spend more time with it and to subject it to our battery of instrumented tests and a comparison test. Fun to drive, quick, and athletic, Acura’s new sports sedan is another sign that the brand is getting serious about going after performance-car buyers.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Acura TLX Type S
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE
$53,325
ENGINE TYPE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement
183 in3, 2997 cm3Power
355 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque
354 lb-ft @ 1400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.0 inLength: 194.6 inWidth: 75.2 inHeight: 56.4 inPassenger volume: 93 ft3Trunk volume: 14 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 4250 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.6 sec100 mph: 13.5 sec1/4 mile: 13.7 sec
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 21/19/25 mpg

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From the August 2003 issue of Car and Driver.The auto industry has a vast pharmacopeia of nostrums formulated to cure sales anemia, but our favorite continues to be a massive shot of vitamin HP. It may not cure the actual affliction, but it almost always leaves the patient feeling more vigorous.

With sales lagging some 24 percent behind original forecasts-19,085 in 2002 versus a hoped-for total of 25,000-the Thunderbird does seem to be in need of some sort of showroom stimulant. Ford’s approach, in addition to boosting engine output, is to make the car more collectible by limiting production to “four or five” years.Revived after three years of suspended animation, this Lazarus of T-Birds came to the market in 2001 with an oversupply of hype, an undersupply of chassis, and a power supply that was only adequate. You might have observed that whatever the resurrected Bird lacked in sports-car-ness it made up in style, and you’d get no argument from us. Ford prefers “relaxed sportiness” as a dynamic descriptor. No argument from us on that one, either. In this sense, the revival Bird is faithful to the 1955-57 original, which the company characterized as a “personal car.” Our own assessment, expressed in a T-Bird test in the June 1956 issue of C/D predecessor Sports Cars Illustrated, described the car as “best suited to turnpikes and drag strips.”But we digress. We were discussing horsepower, as in more of it. The new Thunderbird arrived with the same 4.0-liter aluminum V-8 employed to propel the Lincoln LS, a destroked and slightly dumbed down (no variable valve timing, for example) version of Jaguar’s 4.0-liter DOHC AJ-V8. It was rated at 252 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque compared with 281 horsepower and 287 pound-feet for the Jag mill-all of this to eliminate any possibility of Jag buyers thinking their elegant new cats were propelled by something as plebeian as a mere Ford engine.The two engines have diverged further in recent revisions. Introduced with the updated S-type last year, the Jag V-8 went from 4.0 (3996cc) to 4.2 liters (4206cc), thanks to a lengthened (by 4.3mm) stroke. The displacement increase, along with other enhancements (an improved variable-valve-timing system and better breathing), bumped output to 294 horsepower and 303 pound-feet of torque. Displacement of the Ford/Lincoln version, meanwhile, is unchanged at 3950cc, but the addition of variable valve timing (intake side only), extensive cylinder-head revisions, and a slight increase in compression (10.8:1 versus 10.6:1) add up to useful power gains: 280 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque. And this, in turn, adds up to better in the time-to-speed department: 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds versus 6.9 seconds for the softtop Bird we tested in July 2001. (With the optional 91-pound hardtop attached, that ’02 car hit 60 in 7.0 seconds.) The vitamin-HP-enriched ’03 Bird covers the quarter-mile in 15 seconds flat at 95 mph, versus 15.2 at 94 for the ’02 version, and hits 100 mph in 16.8 seconds compared with 17.4. These are obviously not night-and-day distinctions, but the car does feel livelier in the cut and thrust of urban traffic.A couple other noteworthy updates: The ’03 Bird has a modestly revised instrument panel, with analog gauges that look more conventional-and hence less wispy in daylight driving-than the previous readouts. And there’s also the option ($130) of a Select Shift version of the car’s standard five-speed automatic transmission. Like other trannies of this type, it offers the illusion of manual shifting, and to be fair, it will hold the chosen gear right up to the rev limiter (there’s no redline on the tach). On the other hand, up- and downshifts are languid, and the only advantage is that it keeps the transmission from excessive hunting during suburban and country driving. The Thunderbird’s modest enhancements don’t extend to its rather elastic chassis, and there’s still a lot of wind noise coming through the canvas top at freeway speeds. And it hasn’t gotten any cheaper. The as-tested price of our 2002 T-Bird came to $39,867 compared with $41,795 for this similarly equipped ’03 car. For the same money, you could strap on an Audi TT roadster, a BMW 325Ci convertible, or a Saab 9-3 convertible. To name just a few. Memo to Ford: Increasing the price is not a nostrum for slow sales. Still, with or without its ’03 vitamin supplement, we have a soft spot for Ford’s stylish boulevardier-just as we did in 1956, when we summed up the T-Bird as “an esoteric gospel for the unsaved.” What does that mean? We’re not really sure. But it still seems to apply.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS2004 Ford ThunderbirdVEHICLE TYPE Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
PRICE AS TESTED $41,795 (base price: $37,320)
ENGINE TYPE DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, Ford PTEC engine-control system with port fuel injectionDisplacement: 241 cu in, 3950ccPower (SAE net): 280 bhp @ 6000 rpmTorque (SAE net): 286 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converterDIMENSIONSWheelbase: 107.2 in Length: 186.3 inCurb weight: 3800 lbC/D TEST RESULTSZero to 60 mph: 6.5 secZero to 100 mph: 16.8 secStreet start, 5-60 mph: 6.9 secStanding 1/4-mile: 15.0 sec @ 95 mphTop speed (governor limited): 132 mphBraking, 70-0 mph: 183 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 gFUEL ECONOMYEPA city driving: 17 mpgC/D observed: 16 mpg

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From the April 2001 issue of Car and Driver.Few cars polarize the staff here as does Ford’s high-performance pickup truck, the SVT F-150 Lightning. When we say polarize, we’re not talking about the marketing term a GM exec might throw out to explain why the Aztek looks the way it does. (“The Aztek’s style polarizes people.”) No, the Lightning has broken our staff into those who think a high-performance pickup is dumber than bottled water and those who think it’s cool.Case in point: At our 10Best eliminations for 2001, where we grade each vehicle on a 100-point scale, Patrick Bedard gave the Lightning a three. Brock Yates gave it an 85. We expect the Lightning evokes a similar reaction from you, and for 2001, the Lightning either gets dumber or better—it’s got more horsepower, a shorter final-drive ratio, and subtle trim changes, including a new grille and front bumper, and clear lens covers for the taillights. Introduced in 1993, the original Lightning followed a tried-and-true Detroit formula: Install a big engine in a small body. Small in pickup-speak means a two-wheel-drive regular-cab body, into which Ford slipped a 240-hp, 5.8-liter V-8. Performance was good for a pickup—0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds, 15.8 seconds in the quarter at 86 mph—but nothing special in carland. Twelve thousand of those Lightnings, priced at just under $22,000, were sold between 1993 and 1995. After 1995, the Lightning went on a four-year hiatus until a new model based on the current F-150 debuted in 1999. That new vehicle used the same two-wheel-drive standard-cab layout—although at a higher $31,000-plus sticker—and knocked some of us off our feet. It could roar to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and still tow a 5000-pound burden and carry 800 pounds of stuff. Others thought that making a pickup go fast, despite its speed-sucking flaws, such as major weight and a raised center of gravity, was a complete waste of effort. Ford and SVT didn’t try to convince the world that the Lightning made sense and produced a total of only 8966 of these hot-rod trucks in 1999 and 2000. Thanks to a 90mm mass airflow meter (10mm larger than last year’s), a larger intake-air opening in the fender well, and a higher-flowing intake manifold, SVT engineers have netted 20 more horsepower and 10 more pound-feet of torque from the supercharged V-8. The horsepower now stands at a massive 380 at 4750 rpm, and torque is 450 pound-feet at 3250 rpm. The Lightning runs $32,460 — only $1460 more than last year’s model — and for that money, you get more horsepower than in any other production vehicle sold in the U.S. For power freaks, the good news is the new Lightning has a shorter final drive—3.73:1 vs. 3.55:1—and that means acceleration times have improved dramatically. Sprints to 60 mph now take 5.2 seconds, 0.6 second quicker than in the previous Lightning. The quarter-mile now whooshes by in an amazing 13.8 seconds at 104 mph, faster than an SVT Mustang Cobra and only a few ticks behind the $55,675 Mustang Cobra R, which performs the feat in 13.0 seconds at 111 mph. Top speed also crept up 3 mph to 142. Although the brakes remain the same four-wheel-disc setup, our test truck needed 12 fewer feet to come to a stop from 70 mph than did the ’99 model, which needed 197 feet. Work the brakes hard, though, and they fade more than we like. Unfortunately, a week of snowstorms that coincided with the Lightning’s arrival prevented us from obtaining a skidpad number. We expect the new truck, which other than a switch from Monroe to Bilstein shocks continues to share the suspension and tires with the old one, to hit the same 0.81 g on the skidpad. Speaking of snow, although the Lightning’s smooth throttle tip-in and excellent-shifting tranny—the best in Ford’s stable—do their best to dole out the power smoothly, the high-performance tires and forward weight distribution make it a sheer horror in the white stuff. Just park it when it snows. On drier roads, the Lightning still has a stiff ride and a heavy feel, although it’s less ponderous than every other pickup. Throttle response is, well, lightning fast, and only when you try to really hustle it through hard turns does the truck’s suspension reveal its primitive pickup origins. Many of us think the sheer thrill of the Lightning’s thrust makes a strong case for this high-performance pickup. But that does not answer the question: What does Car and Driver think of the Lightning? That, of course, depends on whom you ask.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS2001 Ford SVT F-150 LightningVEHICLE TYPE Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door pickup
PRICE AS TESTED $32,460 (base price: $32,460)
ENGINE TYPE Supercharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, Ford EEC-V engine-control system with port fuel injectionDisplacement: 328 cu in, 5374ccPower: 380 bhp @ 4750 rpmTorque: 450 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm

TRANSMISSION 4-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 119.8 in Length: 208.0 inCurb weight: 4702 lb
C/D TEST RESULTSZero to 60 mph: 5.2 secZero to 100 mph: 12.8 secZero to 120 mph: 19.9 secStreet start, 5-60 mph: 5.7 secStanding 1/4-mile: 13.8 sec @ 104 mphTop speed (drag limited): 142 mphBraking, 70-0 mph: 185 ft
FUEL ECONOMYEPA fuel economy, city driving: 13 mpgC/D observed fuel economy: 14 mpg

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From the October 2000 issue of Car and Driver.Some automakers are forever describing their new but utterly ordinary cars as “revolutionary” or “world-class” or “setting a new standard.” Such hyperbole, regularly ginned up by shameless proles in the promotion department, have reduced these words of grand praise to hollow drivel. But once in a great while the hyperbole turns out to be true. Which seems to be the case, in many respects, with the new Lexus LS430.

Ten years ago, the first generation of this car, the LS400, permanently changed—dare we say revolutionized—the big-spender end of the market. Before Lexus came along, the Germans were riding a reputation of design and engineering infallibility stretching back to the ’60s, a myth they leveraged into a monopoly of the luxury-car trade. But as happens with monopolists, they became arrogant and complacent, raising prices to nose-bleed altitudes with impunity and getting by with incremental upgrades to their cars from year to year rather than keeping them up to date with timely redesigns. In effect, they were telling their customers, “Hey, if you’re going to quibble, go somewhere else.”Then along came Lexus, and suddenly there was a someplace else. The Japanese company forced the German automakers, Mercedes-Benz in particular, into painful reforms that ended careers and buried long-held illusions of invincibility.Lexus, being a unit of Toyota, the world’s third largest automaker, had the resources to take on the Germans and do it right. Although the design was clearly Mercedes-derivative, the flagship LS400 sedan really did raise luxury-car standards in engineering, quality, comfort, and quiet operation. Just as important, the new Lexus car had the audacity to undersell its German counterparts by thousands of dollars—the original LS400 was 20 grand less than the bottom-of-the-line Mercedes S-class of the day—a marketing ploy based on this novel premise: Even rich people like a good deal.Lexus is sticking to the same script with the 2001-model LS430, which will start at about $55,000 and top out around $70,000, and a Lexus exec assured us it will not exceed that mark.

The longer wheelbase also offers some ride-quality advantages, but the object of the redesign, says Yasushi Tanaka, the engineer who headed up the LS430’s design team, was “to exceed the competition from Europe in terms of handling and stability.”

For all that long green, the LS430 buyer gets a luxury sedan that’s “90 percent all-new,” according to Lexus, with just a few minor components carrying over from the previous generation. At first glance, though, the newness isn’t all that apparent — this one looks a lot like the last one. Which is to say, the LS430’s styling is simple and unadorned but imposing and clearly identifiable. The car’s lines and proportions neither hide nor emphasize its size but combine to give it a gravitas appropriate for a car of its class. It may not make heads swivel, but it will draw appreciative nods.But look past the styling, and the differences between this new car and last year’s LS400 become apparent. Although the LS430 is the same length (196.7 inches) as its predecessor, its wheelbase (115.2 inches) is three inches longer. Two inches of that materialize as additional rear-seat legroom, and the other inch makes space for a rearward shove of some underhood components to put their weight closer to the center of gravity. The longer wheelbase also offers some ride-quality advantages, but the object of the redesign, says Yasushi Tanaka, the engineer who headed up the LS430’s design team, was “to exceed the competition from Europe in terms of handling and stability.”The car has the hardware to do the job. Displayed in cutaways at the press preview for the LS430, its major bits and pieces looked like landing-gear parts from an F-14 Tomcat. The front and rear suspensions are tidy, strong, and light, with hot-forged aluminum control arms and steering knuckles. The one-piece, two-piston brake calipers would be at home on a race car; the brake rotors are a foot across.

Lexus says the 3950-pound car will quick-step to 60 in just 6.3 seconds—0.3 second quicker than Lexus claimed for last year’s model, which we clocked at 6.4 seconds to 60.

And the engine, an evolution of the existing V-8, humming along on its own display pedestal, showed off an abundance of finely machined valves, cams, and gears. The engine’s displacement is bumped to 4.3 liters, increasing torque by 20 pound-feet to 320. Horsepower remains at 290 (a Lexus exec winked and hinted that the 300-hp threshold was being saved for a future model-year update), but the power peak has been eased down the rpm scale—torque maxes out at 3400 rpm instead of 4000—to improve acceleration and midrange performance. Lexus says the 3950-pound car will quick-step to 60 in just 6.3 seconds—0.3 second quicker than Lexus claimed for last year’s model, which we clocked at 6.4 seconds to 60. After sprinting from a full stop into the three-digit range, we’re disinclined to dispute the claim. The five-speed automatic transmission is also updated from that of the previous model and is so smooth that shifting gears is more of an aural than a physical experience.When asked what new features of his design were most significant, chief engineer Tanaka answered without hesitation, “Coefficient of drag and electronic technology.” The low Cd of 0.25 was eked out by intensive development of the underbody, and in max-luxo configuration, the LS430 uses 28 computers to monitor everything from the fly-by-wire throttle to the rain-sensing windshield wipers.The low drag number also helps make this Lexus as silent as a medieval chapel, and the electronics permit such clever features as a parking-assist system, which uses ultrasonic proximity sensors to warn of impending bumper banging, and the “Dynamic Laser Cruise Control,” which automatically slows the LS430 if it gets too close to the car ahead.

The LS430 glides down the road seemingly a couple of inches off the pavement, as though ripples and cracks and expansion joints weren’t even there.

These are just some of the LS430’s myriad standard or optional goodies. In addition to the usual luxury-car stuff, it comes with a water-repellent windshield, a power rear-window shade, and enough wood trim to build a canoe. Options include a navigation system, a killer sound system, and a voice-activated phone. And if these aren’t enough, there’s an Ultra Luxury option package that tosses in a variable air-suspension system, an adjustable rear seat, and enough bells and whistles to start a marching band. On a more substantive note, there’s a “Euro-tuned” sport-suspension package with stiffer springs and bushings and 17-inch alloy wheels with W-rated tires.We drove each suspension version of the LS430—standard, sport, and luxury—on the highway and on the fast, 14-corner Road America race course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Regardless of the type of suspension, the LS430 glides down the road seemingly a couple of inches off the pavement, as though ripples and cracks and expansion joints weren’t even there. At the limits, braking hard from 105 mph to set up for a 65-mph hard right, the car’s weight transfers smoothly forward without any lurching dive. It responds obediently to the merest hint of steering input and turns in smoothly and precisely. Exceed the limit, and it transitions progressively into oversteer that’s easily corrected with a slight lift off the throttle and a mere flick of the wheel.To say that the LS430 can do it all is understatement; it seamlessly balances first-class cabin comfort and the latest in gee-whiz technology with effortless performance in a way that matches the best in an extraordinary class for thousands less. The formula still works.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS2001 Lexus LS430VEHICLE TYPE Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedanPRICE AS TESTED $55,000ENGINE TYPE DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, Toyota engine-control system with port fuel injectionDisplacement: 262 cu in, 4293ccPower (SAE net): 290 bhp @ 5600 rpmTorque (SAE net): 320 lb-ft @ 3400 rpmTRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converterDIMENSIONSWheelbase: 115.2 in Length: 196.7 inWidth: 72.0 Height: 58.7 inCurb weight: 3950 lbMANUFACTURER’S PERFOMANCE RATINGSZero to 60 mph: 6.3 secStanding 1/4-mile: 14.7 secTop speed (governor limited): 131 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMYEPA city driving: 18 mpgEPA highway driving: 25 mpg

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It’s hot. May in Palm Springs, California, gets heat-wave-mirage hot, but not all the shimmer during this drive is due to the 100-degree-plus temperatures. The updated 2022 Genesis G70 adds its share of glitter to any scene, what with its diamond-hatched front end and beveled, gloss-black wheels. Genesis’s compact sports sedan has a new, glitzier look and a more comfortable feel for 2022, but its quick and composed character on the road remains very familiar. The G70 has impressed us before—it has a 10Best award to prove it. Put it against the German luxury equivalent of your choice and it can pretty much hold its own in terms of performance, and it pulls ahead when it comes to price and warranty coverage. For 2022, Genesis wanted the G70 to have more driveway presence and bring it more in line with its newer G80 sedan and GV80 SUV. To do so, the G70’s front and rear ends have been redesigned. The most dramatic change is the adoption of the large, shield-shaped grille and whiskery horizontal headlights. Even the front fenders were restyled, and they now have a functional vent behind the front wheel. The rear also gains new taillights. Genesis is good at carrying design themes throughout its cars, from the reoccurring slim lights to the crosshatched grille pattern, which repeats across the stitching of the G70’s seats and door panels inside. Like all good design, it gives a sense of cohesiveness to the car. Consistency just seems so trustworthy.

Fortunately, the G70’s driving dynamics—which were in part what won us over when the G70 first came out in 2019—remain engaging and entertaining. We spent our hot day in the top-spec all-wheel-drive model with the optional 365-hp twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 and found it plenty cool; a 252-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four remains standard. With 365 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque, the G70 3.3T can push you back into its seats hard enough to imprint their diamond stitching across your shoulders. When it’s time to slow down, the optional Brembo brakes are responsive but not grabby. On a mountain road with nobody in front of you, the G70’s new Sport+ driving mode will better hang on to gears. A new optional active exhaust for the V-6 ensures onlookers hear you coming and frees the engine of three additional ponies. When you get stuck behind the inevitable traffic jam, you can throw it back in the regular driving mode and practice meditations on patience. The G70 is positioned as a sporty machine, but if it’s good at sport, it’s even better at luxurious comfort—at least in the front seats.
The best seat in the G70 is the driver’s. Everything is angled towards the side with the steering wheel, so much so that from the back seat it almost looks as if someone has tipped the car on its side and all the controls slid slightly to the left. The 10.3-inch center touchscreen and the buttons beneath it are subtly angled toward the driver for easier reach. Even in the dash, the one analog gauge—a speedometer—sits to the left side, while the tach and customizable digital display fill the rest of the cluster. Wireless phone charging helps keep clutter down in the console, which gives up space to house an actual shift lever rather than a knob or a series of buttons. It feels old-fashioned in the best way, familiar and well placed. There’s no longer a manual-transmission option for the G70, but this is more of a philosophical sorrow than a technical one. The eight-speed automatic was always our preferred gearbox in this car, and it now offers its driver greater control via paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel and snappy rev-matched ratio swaps in Sport+ mode.
One of the only major failings we can find in the G70 isn’t new: Rear-seat space is not just limited, it’s downright uncomfortable. At first glance, it doesn’t look that cramped. There’s decent headroom and kneeroom, even for taller passengers, but the bottom of the front seat juts back and hangs low, making foot space almost nonexistent. This affects even shorter passengers, as the long seat cushions push your legs forward into the front seatbacks. It might be more comfortable to fold the rear seats down and sit facing rearward, with your legs in the trunk. We’re kidding—don’t do that—but the seats do fold nearly flat, and trunk room is capacious for non-living cargo.Genesis has several things going for it when it comes to winning over buyers in the sports-luxury segment. The new G70 certainly looks the part, all elegant yet athletic. It offers plentiful active-safety systems as standard, from adaptive cruise control that can preemptively slow for curves to a center airbag that keeps its driver and front passenger from colliding in a side impact. The price—$38,570 to start, $53,445 for a top V-6 model with the $8200 Sport Prestige package like the one we drove—remains well below that of its competitors. Most important, it’s still good fun to drive. Even outside of Palm Springs, the new G70 proves that there’s still heat left in the sedan segment.

Specifications

Specifications
2022 Genesis G70
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE
2.0T, $38,570; 2.0T AWD, $40,670; 3.3T, $43,145; 3.3T AWD, $45,245
ENGINES
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 252 hp, 2 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.3-liter V-6, 365 or 368 hp, 376 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.6 inLength: 184.4 inWidth: 72.8 inHeight: 55.1 inPassenger volume: 96 ft3Trunk volume: 11 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 3700–4000 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.3–6.2 sec100 mph: 10.8–16.0 sec1/4 mile: 12.9–14.9 secTop speed: 145–167 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 20–24/17–21/25–31 mpg

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From the January 2000 issue of Car and Driver.There’s gotta be a but in this car somewhere. You know, the killer but, as in “the handling is totally bitchin’ and the chicks really dig it but . . .”

Okay, maybe this isn’t a killer but. Some cars escape those. But you can expect to find two or three smoldering irritants in every new car.Yet we’re coming up empty on this Boxster S, which is to say it’s more fun than two-steppin’ with Shania Twain. When Porsche grafted an S onto its mid-engined droptop for the year 2000, it turned up the knob in all the right places.The Boxster S follows Porsche’s tradition, dating back to 1952, of topping its model lines with a muscled-up S version, which always carries a muscled-up price as well. In this case, the no-suffix Boxster costs $42,195, and the S model goes to $51,430.

Highs: Supple handling, slick shifting, and the sweet sound of God’s own pipe organ down in the engine room.

For those who were oblivious to sports cars until last week when the midlife-crisis symptoms kicked in, a little background on the Boxster might be helpful. It debuted in model-year 1997 with the promise of being an “affordable” Porsche. Uh-oh, doesn’t “affordable” imply giving up something you really want? The Boxster opened with only 201 horsepower from its 2.5-liter water-cooled six-cylinder engine, making for a 14.2 power-to-weight ratio, a bit feeble for a Porsche. But we loved it right off the boat, awarding it the top rating in its first comparison test (“Spring Fancies,” April 1997) against the BMW Z3 2.8 and the Mercedes-Benz SLK. Weak for a Porsche maybe, but that first Boxster outran the others in almost every test of speed and absolutely delighted us with the accommodations that come free with this car’s clever packaging. Porsche seems to have wrung every possible benefit from the mid-engine layout. The flat-six lies low, between the back of the cockpit and the rear wheels. That opens trunk spaces both front and rear for cargo. And leaves room for the power top to stow itself over the low engine with only modest intrusion into the rear trunk.You have all this useful space because, from above, the Boxster seems to have no engine. The fluids can all be checked and replenished through a small service corner under the rear trunklid, but to actually see the engine, or work on it, you must come up from the bottom.The Boxster’s accommodating nature continues into the cockpit, too, which is exceptionally broad of beam, no doubt because the car itself is about two inches wider, more or less, than its imported competitors. The result is wonderful elbowroom. Few will feel confined in this sportster. Six-footers slide easily into the driver’s space. Taller pilots will find a bit of extra legroom by sliding the seatback tight against the roll bar, at a cost of having to listen to the upholstery scritch-scritch against metal when the structure shakes slightly over bumps.For 2000, the no-suffix Boxster’s crankshaft stroke is up 6 millimeters to 78mm, which increases displacement to 2687cc from 2480. The Boxster S maintains this increased 78mm stroke while its bore is enlarged 7.5mm to 93, thereby upping displacement to 3179cc. In the smaller engine, power rises 16 hp to 217 at 6500 rpm; the Boxster S comes in with 250 hp at 6250 rpm. Both engines gain a drive-by-wire throttle and a system of tuned intake runners to boost torque; they switch to longer runners in the 3000-to-5100 rev range. Both Boxster engines are smaller-displacement versions of the 3.4-liter six used in the 911 Carrera, and they share the variable intake-valve timing system of the larger powerplant.Compared with last year’s 2.5-liter car, the S fairly rushes forward. It has glorious torque, which makes for pushy thrust as the tach swings past 4000, swelling exuberantly on toward 6000. This midrange is so lusty, the six-speed’s ratios are so perfectly spaced, and the pipe-organ music from behind is so sweet that you can happily play on the back roads without pushing to the 7200 redline.In the foot-down mode, 0 to 60 rushes up in 5.2 seconds, followed shortly by a 13.8-second quarter-mile at 101 mph. Who-eee, those are Porsche numbers, and a solid improvement over last year’s by margins of 1.3 seconds to 60 and 1.2 seconds and 8 mph in the quarter. Top speed has leapt upward as well, to 160 mph from 147. But don’t think the Boxster S is just an engine story. A quick glance through the airy five-spoke wheels picks up glossy crimson calipers clamped over larger drilled rotors transplanted from the 911 Carrera. This hardware pays off in even mildly energetic road driving. Quite apart from their short stopping distances–168 feet from 70 mph–these are inspiring brakes for the control they bring. Do you want decel g to fold your ears forward one millimeter or two? Two-and-a-half? No problem. These brakes give you that level of precision.Those who do their own maintenance will love that airy wheel design. Instead of crawling under the car to bleed the brakes, just reach in between the spokes.

Lows: Plastic rear window is too chintzy for the more-than-50-grand class.

This test car wears the S’s standard suspension and standard 17-inch wheels and tires: 7.0-inch-wide rims in front with 205/50ZR tires, and the rears are 8.5 inches wide and wrapped in 255/40ZR rubber. Chassis upgrades include tie-rod ends of greater rigidity, revised steering geometry, and larger wheel bearings. The standard suspension on both S and non-S Boxsters has the same spring rate in front; the S gets an 11 percent increase in back. We found cornering grip to be excellent on this car at 0.92 g, up just a shade from the 0.91 g of the last Boxster we tested. That one had the benefit of the optional 18-inch wheels and tires, which are also optional on the S. The test S understeers predictably, about right for confident control on public roads.For a sports car, the ride is fairly supple over large bumps; the wheels patter over them all without deflecting you from your chosen path. Harshness seems more troubling over the small stuff, where it brings out minor creaks and groans from the body as it flexes.The S model’s visual differences are really quite subtle: a big air intake centered in the front spoiler to cool an additional radiator; titanium-colored accents in the grille, around the windshield, and circling the instrument dials; an “S” badge on the decklid; twin exhaust outlets centered behind; and the crimson brake calipers.The interior feels and looks plusher. The new three-spoke steering wheel has a nifty shape where the horizontal spokes meet the rim, there to comfort those who hook their thumbs over the spokes. The levers on the left doorsill for releasing front and rear lids now glow with a polished aluminum finish, compared with plain black in the non-S. The shifter has a perfect shape: on the rear, just the right contour to fit your palm as you push forward; on the front, just the right hooked curve to keep your fingers from sliding up as you pull back.Yes, it’s easy to get a little sappy about this energetic addition to the Porsche line. Still, we remain road testers of the sternest discipline, and there are a few concerns that may rise to the level of but. The Boxster was the first all-new Porsche in 19 years, and the long-term test car we obtained a few months later required seven unscheduled visits to the dealer for repairs during its 40,000-mile run. Porsche has had more than two years since to work the bugs out of the new design, but . . .The speedometer dial is small and crowded with plump numbers, yet they call off speed in exceptionally wide, 25-mph increments. It’s about worthless for gauging the difference between 35 and 45 mph, although some authorities expect you to know exactly. Is that a but? This gets more complicated, because the Boxster packs a second speedometer, a digital, and it’s easy to read, but it shows 3 to 4 mph high at freeway speeds, an annoying error we’ve found in all late-model Porsches. That’s a but.

The Verdict: So much fun it’s got to be a sin.

Regard, too, the rich leather coverings on the shifter, brake lever, and door pulls. Porsche designers are eye guys, apparently, so they moved the seams out of sight to the back sides of the handles. Now your fingers feel a ridge every time you pull one of those handles. Is this a but?The softtop’s plastic back window is indisputably a but. Probably not a killer but, but most assuredly an irritant, and one that will smolder ever hotter when the plastic clouds over as the months pass.Let’s leave it this way. Porsche could have done better here, and we’re going to stay on top of these concerns by driving S-model Boxsters every chance we get.Counterpoint Last year, we found room on our 10Best list for three big-buck roadsters (and a Miata). The mid-engined Boxster’s scintillating chassis dynamics and intoxicating engine note evened the score against the brute horsepower and torque advantages of both the BMW M roadster and the Chevrolet Corvette. But the new Boxster S outmuscled the Bimmer (for about $7800 more), and it narrowed the acceleration gap with the Corvette from a second or more to a few 10ths, effectively knocking both off the list. Yes, $55 grand seems like a lot of money until you realize that it represents a 20K discount off the similar-looking, and not better-driving, 911 cabrio. —Frank MarkusMore is almost always better when it comes to horsepower–you probably figured that out yourself, right?–but it seems to me the power commodity that really sets the S model apart from the original Boxster is torque. Adding 699cc to the displacement bolsters torque by 44 pound-feet, and more important, 85 percent of that torque is online by 2000 rpm. The net is lots of low-end snort for hustling the car out of slow turns, which is the essence of the racer’s cornering ethic: in slow, out fast. Right from the beginning, the Boxster has been just about the nicest of the new-breed roadsters to live with. More torque makes it more better. —Tony SwanTypically, we don’t get giddy over cars here–doesn’t look professional–but seldom was heard a discouraging word about the Porsche Boxster S, except for the unfortunate fact that few of us can afford one, reasonably priced though it may be. We’ve loved the Boxster since it rolled off the boat from Germany, but we’ve unanimously wondered what a little more horsepower and a slightly more aggressive handling package would do for the car. They do what we’d hoped: make an excellent car better. Even before these upgrades, I couldn’t imagine paying the extra bucks for a 911. Now, it isn’t even worth contemplating. —Steven Cole Smith

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
2000 Porsche Boxster S
VEHICLE TYPEMid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE AS TESTED$55,249 (base price: $51,430)
ENGINE TYPEDOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 194 in3, 3179 cm3Power: 250 hp @ 6250 rpmTorque: 225 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual
CHASSISSuspension (F/R): struts/multilinkBrakes (F/R): 12.5-in vented, cross-drilled disc/11.8-in vented, cross-drilled discTires: Pirelli P Zero, F: Direzionale, 205/50ZR-17 R: Asimmetrico, 255/40ZR-17
DIMENSIONSWheelbase: 95.2 in Length: 171.0 in Width: 70.1 in  Height: 50.8 in Passenger volume: 47 ft3  Trunk volume: 9 ft3 Curb weight: 3018 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS60 mph: 5.2 sec100 mph: 13.6 secRolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 secTop gear, 30–50 mph: 8.7 secTop gear, 50–70 mph: 8.5 sec1/4 mile: 13.8 sec @ 101 mphTop speed (drag limited): 160 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 168 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.92 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMYObserved: 20 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCombined/city/highway: 20/18/26 mpg

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