Car Reviews

From the July 1976 issue of Car and Driver.Beneath the Alfetta’s shell of sober four-door dedication lurks that curious half Volvo, half Italian hot-rod beast known as the sporting sedan. This Alfetta lugs around a sedan body that provides full­-size comfort, yet it has the raspy exhaust, five-speed transmission and brisk acceler­ation to satisfy your lust for speed.Because Alfa has surrounded the per­formance components present in the Alfetta GT with a basic four-door edifice, the sedan has a core of over-engineered toughness and poise to back up its imme­diate impression of smooth-riding balance. To create that balance, the enduring two­-liter twin-cam Alfa four has been mounted conventionally in front, and the clutch, transmission and differential are com­bined at the rear. Although the long-throw gearshift may inhibit intense driving, the rack-and-pinion steering, De Dion rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and standard Michelin X tires provide a solid base for serious highway felonies. The lack of overhang at either end of the plain, unadorned body belies the Alfet­ta’s sizable interior dimensions. The seats fit very well (though the standard velour would be better than our car’s sweaty vi­nyl), and the rear seat belongs in the same world as real legs and real heads. Despite the inevitable go-kart-knees and gorilla-arms driving position endemic to Italian cars, the Alfetta puts a lot of verve into going and stopping. Indeed, it does those things so well that it becomes frustrating to carry a sedan body around with you. The Alfetta sedan treads that fine line between frumpiness and brutality often seen in high-speed police cruisers. Alfa Romeo builds Italian police sedans. May­be that’s the key.SpecificationsSpecifications
1976 Alfa-Romeo AlfettaVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $7235/$7235
ENGINEDOHC inline-4, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 120 in3, 1962 cm3Power: 109 hp
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 99.0 inLength: 172.0 inCurb Weight: 2689 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 77 mphTop Speed: 105 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 190 ft  
FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 20/22 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the March/April 2025 issue of Car and Driver.The Revuelto is named for a Spanish bull with a rebellious streak, but this new Lamborghini is more than rebellious—it’s revolutionary. Its closest sibling is the Aventador it replaces because they both have a V-12 engine, but the similarity begins and ends there. With no turbochargers, the sound of the mighty 6.5-liter V-12 is as glorious as ever. Much of it breathes better, from the reworked air intake to a compression ratio that’s been jacked up from 11.8:1 to 12.6:1 and finally to an exhaust that flows better at high revs. How high are those revs? The redline is now a mind-boggling 9400 rpm, and peak output is 814 horsepower at a scorching 9250 rpm, some 45 horses and 750 revs more than the exiting Aventador Ultimae. Oh, and the engine sheds a claimed 37 pounds in the bargain.Moreover, engineers stripped the V-12 of its forward-mounted transmission (the often maligned and always jarring seven-speed automated manual), spun it around 180 degrees, and mated it to a new eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle made by Lamborghini. Placed behind the engine as God intended, this new gearbox is only 22 inches long because it is laid out laterally around two input shafts—one for the even-numbered gears and another for the odd ones—and sits parallel to the half-shaft output flanges. Unlike in its predecessor, shifting is smooth whether you are puttering around town, hammering it in the hills, or making a quarter-mile pass. As with the best dual-clutch automatics, it’s near impossible to spot the shifts in a speed trace.HIGHS: Ungodly acceleration, smooth-shifting gearbox, extraordinarily nimble. The Revuelto has all-wheel drive like the Aventador, although it’s provided by electric motors, not any connection to the V-12. Instead of a transmission tucked between the front seats, there’s a 3.4-kWh battery pack. A 147-hp, 110-lb-ft motor buried within the transmission housing can drive the rear wheels when the conditions are right and, along with regenerative energy under braking, keeps the battery topped up. But the front end is where the action is, because each front wheel is connected independently to its own axial-flow AC motor making 147 horsepower and 254 pound-feet. In straight-line driving, the motors either propel the front axle in unison to the tune of 187 horsepower (the battery’s output limit) for a grand total of 1001 ponies, or they both recuperate significant energy while slowing down the Lamborghini.View PhotosGreg Pajo|Car and DriverNormally, a 9400-rpm V-12 is enough to blur the landscape, but Lamborghini took it even further and added three electric motors for a combined 1001 horses.The results are stunning, if not electrifying. The Revuelto scorches the pavement to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds, 0.4 second quicker than the Aventador LP750-4 Superveloce, and the Revuelto leaves the line with all four tires scrambling for traction. The century mark comes in 4.6 seconds versus 5.8, and we’re just getting started. The new Lambo hits 150 mph in 9.9 seconds, an improvement over the old car’s 13.0, and crosses the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds at 148 mph against 10.4 seconds at 136 mph for the Superveloce. LOWS: Transmission needs to warm up before switching from EV mode, button-operated turn signals. But that’s just straight-line performance. The Revuelto positively murders corners, with an otherworldly ability to drive deep in toward the apex, without any hint of understeer. The benefit comes when the torque vectoring combines with rear-wheel steering to make the car seem to shrink around you. The full 508 pound-feet of cross-axle torque vectoring (plus 254 pound-feet on one side, minus 254 pound-feet on the other) can come into play as needed, as one side essentially powers the other. This proves mighty impressive on the tight downhill sweepers in the Anza-Borrego Desert, where the car seems far more nimble than its 4290 pounds would suggest. Granted, much of the newfound weight is centered in the transmission tunnel, but the hellacious torque vectoring is doing major work here. In testing, the 265/35ZR-20 and 345/30ZR-21 Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires generate 1.10 g’s of grip versus 1.04 g’s for the Aventador SV, which lacked rear-wheel steering and any front-axle torque vectoring.View PhotosGreg Pajo|Car and DriverAfter the Aventador shuffled the historic Lamborghini V-12 firing order, the Revuelto engine returns to the classic: 1-7-4-10-2-8-6-12-3-9-5-11.All of this comes with an entirely new suspension, which does away with the theater of the Aventador’s pushrods and horizontally oriented dampers. Instead, the Revuelto’s control-arm setup uses stand-up coil-overs and magnetorheological dampers in a more traditional layout. The new dampers do wonders for the ride, and we daresay it was rather pleasant in its Soft mode. Larger sidewalls that help cushion blows also contribute to the smooth ride. And because the engine is not always on, the Revuelto employs electric assist for the steering, and the engineers at Lamborghini nailed the tune. More on the RevueltoThat’s right, this is a plug-in hybrid. The EPA estimates the Revuelto delivers only five miles of battery-electric driving, so we almost forgot. And Lamborghini says it takes just six minutes for the engine to replenish it, so it hardly matters that the charge port is hidden from sight in the front trunk. (There is a special latch you can engage to allow the hood to lock with it popped enough for the cord to exit.) This actually reminds us why the Revuelto uses axial motors: Their compactness leaves enough space for a front trunk capable of swallowing a carry-on suitcase (and then some), and they’re better at regenerating electricity than the typical radial-flow AC motors.In the mode called Città (“city” in Italian), the Revuelto stays calm and quiet as it moves under electric power with the engine off. The engine remains asleep until the transmission warms up, even if you select Strada, Sport, or Corsa mode. As you’d expect from an Italian V-12, it fires up dramatically before settling into a warm idle. Surprise neighbors by driving by them under electric power and then firing up the engine. You could motor around noiselessly in Città mode until the battery runs out, but why bother? It’s just five miles. VERDICT: This plug-in Lamborghini is the brand’s best—and quickest—yet.A number of controls (including, annoyingly, the turn signals) are on the steering wheel, but unlike Ferrari, Lamborghini’s controls are physical buttons or switches. There are four protruding knobs mounted around the horn pad, and some have buttons within them. On the upper left is the switch for the drive mode, and pressing its center button in Corsa engages launch control. The upper right controls the hybrid mode (Recharge, Hybrid, and, in some settings, Performance). The lower-left knob is for the dampers (Soft or Hard), and its button employs the all-important low-speed front-axle lift system. The knob on the lower right is for aero (Min, Auto, and Max). On the spokes between the knobs are turn-signal buttons on the left (yes, buttons—that’s a sore point), and buttons for the wipers are on the right.Greg Pajo|Car and DriverThe mid-mounted 8.4-inch vertical central touchscreen can show HVAC, audio, or navigation. Other choices include optional wireless smartphone mirroring. What we didn’t master until late in the game were the additional five-button arrays hidden on the back of the steering wheel, with the one on the left there to manipulate the left-hand display of the instrument cluster and the one on the right for managing the audio. Each array’s center button nub is a bit hard to find at first, but once you find it, the rest is easy. View PhotosGreg Pajo|Car and DriverThe hexagon is still the interior polygon of choice in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Even the $3700 passenger’s screen has six edges.The views to the front and side are expansive, but the central mirror shows little more than an admittedly glorious view down the vee of the fully exposed engine. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes generously, and Lamborghini nailed the driving position, even for this six-foot-two writer. Huge fixed shift paddles protrude from the steering column, but they have ample coverage. You must remember to flick the right one to engage first gear, however, because the central shifter only has reverse, manual shifting, and park. The Revuelto comes with cupholders that swing out of the passenger’s-side dashboard, and there’s decent cargo space behind the seats. In fact, because the Revuelto has a 3.1-inch-longer wheelbase than the Aventador, is over three inches longer overall, and lacks that forward-mounted transmission, Lamborghini says there is space inside for a bag of golf clubs.Golf clubs and cupholders in a Lamborghini? We told you this car was revolutionary.View PhotosGreg Pajo|Car and DriverOptions in the photo above include $5500 Triguero matte-black wheels, Nero Lucido calipers for $1800, and titanium wheel bolts for $1800.CounterpointsNumbers are important for any car, especially one that looks like the Revuelto, but what money really buys here is the experience. A Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is quicker to 60 mph, but while the Taycan might lead to blurred light and puke, it can’t bend reality like the symphonic sound made by Lamborghini’s naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12. It’s an ensemble—drums, horns, voices, even some triangle. It’s so moving that I basically forced Buyer’s Guide director Rich Ceppos into taking it out to feel it accelerate to over 160 mph. A Lamborghini V-12 is a psychoactive experience. It changes you, rewires your brain, and alters consciousness. That’s why it starts at $612,858. —Tony QuirogaThere I was in the Revuelto on Virginia International Raceway’s Back Straight going, oh, an indicated 175 mph. Was I just successful in making that sound routine, no sweat? In reality, I was trying to get my brain to switch from “OMG!” to “Uh, where should I brake so I don’t send this missile flying off the track into oblivion?” Boss man Quiroga, who has tested many a mega-horsepower machine, had returned from his lap, shaking his head. “Ceppos, you’ve gotta try this thing.” When I rolled out of Oak Tree at 40 mph, I nailed it—and whooee! About two-thirds down the straight, I braked back to reality with room to spare. Six hundred-some-odd grand? Worth every penny. —Rich CepposToo much isn’t possible. Ridiculous and overdone are compliments. Outrageous and unreasonable might be selling points in the brochure. The Revuelto is so fast that there’s no straight-away long enough to click through all the gears. Supercars are becoming more easygoing, but not this Lamborghini. Designers buried the door handle so deep that you need a professional catfish noodler to find the release. The amount of buttons on the back of the steering wheel would prompt a dermatologist to schedule a biopsy. If you lean on the back end after a drive, you’ll catch fire. When I took it to the grocery store, I came out to a handwritten note left on the windshield. “I love your car. I’m Italian!” I love it too. It’s Italian! —Elana ScherrHIGH-FIBER CARThe Revuelto’s inner strength.LamborghiniLamborghini builds the Revuelto around a “monofuselage,” which increases the use of carbon fiber compared with the Aventador. Built on a separate line at the Sant’Agata Bolognese plant, this carbon-fiber tub comprises several types of material, depending on need and whether they are visible. The front subframe is entirely made up of forged carbon fiber, versus aluminum on the Aventador. Lamborghini says the Revuelto’s front crash structure has double the strength of the Aventador’s, and the entire monofuselage is 10 percent lighter, with 25 percent greater torsional stiffness. The engine carrier and rear suspension mounting points are aluminum, but the latter is largely made up of two hollow megacastings for reduced weight and increased strength.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Lamborghini RevueltoVehicle Type: mid-engine, front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $612,858/$729,458Options: upper exterior in shiny carbon, $23,700; lower exterior in shiny carbon, $22,400; Verde Citrea paint, $13,100; carbon interior details, $8000; steering-wheel carbon package, $8000; sports seats, $7600; Triguero matte-black wheels, $5500; aerodynamic door fin in shiny carbon, $3700; passenger’s display, $3700; smartphone interface and connected services, $3400; Parking package, $3300; Lamborghini Connect vehicle tracking system, $2000; Nero Lucido brake calipers, $1800; titanium wheel bolts, $1800; unicolor leather and Corsa Tex interior with contrast stitching, $1800; auxiliary heater, $1200; matte-black tailpipes, $1200; Corsa Tex package for unicolor trim, $1100; embroidered Lamborghini shield on headrests, $1100; Travel package net, $1000; floor mats with leather piping, $600; matte-black rear Lamborghini logo, $600
POWERTRAINDOHC V-12, 814 hp, 535 lb-ft + 2 front AC motors, 147 hp, 254 lb-ft + 1 rear AC motor, 147 hp, 110 lb-ft (combined output: 1001 hp, 1044 lb-ft; 3.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 7.2-kW onboard charger)Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive/8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/control armsBrakes, F/R: 16.1-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discTires: Bridgestone Potenza SportF: 265/35ZR-20 (99Y)R: 345/30ZR-21 (111Y)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 109.4 inLength: 194.8 inWidth: 80.0 inHeight: 45.7 inPassenger Volume: 50 ft3Front Trunk Volume: 4 ft3Curb Weight: 4290 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.2 sec100 mph: 4.6 sec130 mph: 7.5 sec1/4-Mile: 9.7 sec @ 148 mph150 mph: 9.9 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 2.8 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.1 secTop Speed (mfr claim): 217 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 154 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 290 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.10 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 MPGe
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 12/10/17 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 23 MPGeEV Range: 5 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department. More

From the April 1981 issue of Car and Driver.Perspective came in a bathtub. Home for the holidays, I was lounging in steamy waters contemplating Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” when my mother arrived with a tap and a muffled announcement that a fellow on the front porch wanted to take a look at the new Datsun. Now, somebody marching up to the front door wanting to look at a four-door se­dan is a rare thing, but this was happen­ing on Thanksgiving day . . . in south­eastern Kansas. Somebody out there in the rolling, tree-laced great heartland, insulated by twelve hundred miles of landscape on either side, insulated from the import market penetrations up and down the East and West Coasts, was hot to trot for a Japanese sedan!He was a real-estate agent, fortyish or so, and he came back later when I’d fin­ished my soaking communion with the cosmos. Turned out he was a serious family man, not really a car nut at all, but he’d already put fingerprints and foggy nose smears all over the Maxima’s chilly windows by the time I pulled a jacket on. He was after something that would look impressive to prospective house buyers, something he could load several of them into for wowing on the way to the properties in question. Something that would turn in reasonable mileage. Something that would be fun. It was plain to see that Datsun and its message are driven all the way to our heartland. In Iowa alone, foreign-car sales went up 50 percent last year. And now Kansas. When the breadbasket’s real-estate agents and lords of agriculture start to fall, the “Real Americans buy American cars” bumper stickers around Detroit begin to look pretty pathetic. Judging by the 810, Datsun under­stands Americans better than Detroit does. The Maxima is loaded for Ameri­can bear. Gimmicks, comforts, and com­petences are everywhere, and delivered in a very handsome package. The new 810 has gotten the kind of face lift that snugs up lines without stretching too tight. The old 810 was just as much fun to drive, but it was unrepentantly gawky. The new car gathers a better grade of stares. The Maxima version, a step up from the basic Deluxe, adds a few final exterior trimmings and a jazzed-up interior that rivals some cars costing two or three times as much. The more expensive cars may have an edge when taste and construction are consid­ered, but the Datsun gives little away when features are up for discussion. The comfortable front seats have, in addition to normal fore-and-aft move­ments, adjustments for recline, height, front tilt, rear tilt, and lumbar support. The 810 wagon even has reclining rear seats. In the Maxima, all these adjust­ments are covered in clinging, synthetic exotifur over what Datsun headlines as “loose pillow-style” cushioning. After you’ve fiddled the myriad adjustments into compatibility with your own inimi­table shape, plunking your buns into position proves a real delight. The seats are equally good for besting the Inter­states and facing down moderately hard cornering. The height adjustment lets you sink away from the headroom-eat­ing sunroof (not a problem in back), and a tilt wheel lets you fine tune your arm reach, though as you dip the wheel lower the instruments begin to disap­pear. These are good instruments, clear, complete, and well arranged. The 810, in both Deluxe and Maxima, is available as a four-door sedan or a five-door wagon. With the Maxima you get more, so much more. To wit, stan­dard equipment includes air condition­ing, power steering, power brakes, pow­er windows, power sunroof, power cen­tralized locks, power outside mirrors, power antenna, AM/FM electronic stereo with seek/search and digital readout, separate cassette deck, cruise control with resume, variable-wipers, automatic rear defroster, reading light, fade-out interior lighting, map pockets, console, cloth headliner, vanity mirrors, remote trunk release, ignition-key warning chimes, and a little artificial voice that will scare the whee out of you in the middle of the night at the Texaco sta­tion in Chetopa, Kansas, by whispering, “Please turn out the lights.”More Reviews From the ArchiveYou’ll find a standard fold-down rear armrest, too, and ventilation for the rear foot well, nice complements to the roomy aft compartment and properly shaped seat. Alas, the bottom cushion is too low. The trunk is a squat affair given to mussing the hair of all but low-slung luggage and rated at a capacity of only eleven cubic feet. What you don’t get in the Maxima is a manual transmission. Datsun feels that, while the Deluxe is a suitable repository for either the three-speed automatic or a five-speed stick, the Maxima provides the wrong sort of ambiance for manual gear changing. This is an unduly silly way to think, but the automatic proves not a bad deal behind the frisky 2.4-liter single-overhead-cam six. This is a jun­ior version of the 2.8-liter engine that propels the 280-ZX, and it likes its work, but it cries out for the five-speed. You’ll want to override the automatic quite of­ten. Given its placid druthers, it will up­shift from first at less than 40 mph and step out of second in the mid-60s. Hold­ing it to your wishes will belt you into second just short of the national speed limit, and the swiftish march to third carries up close to 100 mph before you need to move the handy T-bar shifter again. Manual downshifts to second are quick enough, but your speed has to drop to a crawl before you can get first no matter what you do with the lever and throttle. But the engine is smooth and free, turns in 22 mpg, and managed nearly 18 mpg during our 70-mph-average overland cruising. And it’s a double-fine hustler from 60 mph back up to 90 after easing past slower traffic. Slightly sapped by the automatic, the Maxima still pushes up to 60 mph in a scrappy 10.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 111 mph. At anything over 82 mph the cruise control refuses to participate. No mat­ter. The engine has that take-it-for­-granted torque that requires few throt­tle adjustments, and the car feels better as you go faster. The steering is trued as if by a deft gyroscopic guidance system. The wheel works a little in your hands over sudden crests and stutter bumps, the tail does a soft step-out if you brake hard while turning, and the skinny Bridgestones sometimes skate a little, but the coil-spring, independent sus­pension (front and rear) deals firmly with the errant details of the terrain. The reasonably assisted steering clever­ly and automatically increases its re­quired effort as you press ahead faster, and the Maxima just tracks on home. The only changes we’d be tempted to negotiate would be better tires and slightly wider wheels, though the origi­nal alloys are plenty handsome enough. For four-wheel discs, the brakes should be better. They produce vague sponginess, heavy fade under hard use, and merely modest stopping distances for a car with otherwise strong performance. Further work on pad material and some attention to cooling-airflow en­hancement would be a real boon. Now we come unfortunately to the part that Datsun has really stubbed its toe on: quality control inside the car. Everything works fine and the ergonom­ics exemplify Datsun’s usual cunning handiwork, but not many of the pieces fit together properly. This is a shock, uncharacteristic of past Datsuns, and it’s something that’s not confined to the two Maximas we drove. We’ve checked several others and they displayed the same sloppy fits, ripply dash surfaces, out-of-place door panels, and peculiar color mismatches. But let’s see what happens. This is Datsun. These troubles probably won’t last for long. A few qual­ity-control people back at the factory are probably even now falling on their blades, and when the Maxima has been dosed with Rolaids, Japanese pride, or whatever it will take to get its insides back in order, things will be better. Spend a little time in the Maxima and it becomes a hard car to resist. It is one of the first to successfully bridge the gap between patent luxury and outright sport. It does a good many things very well, and a few tweaks here and there will add that final touch of irresistibility. And speaking as members in good standing of the get-down-and-grunt motoring club, we’d like to find Maxi­mas for sale with five-speeds. Pipe dreaming right along, think of the big engine in this car. Drifting in my steamy tub that morning of Thanksgiving, I al­ready knew that the Maxima, all in all, deserves a sparkling place in Carl’s cos­mos. With a seconding by the real-es­tate men of America, who could doubt it? CounterpointsUsed to be that the 810 was a poor man’s BMW that was so ugly only a moth­er could love it. Now that the 810 Maxima looks like a BMW, it acts more like a Japa­nese Cadillac, loose-pillow upholstery and all. It’s quiet and loaded with all man­ner of luxury-and-convenience features. But it simply lacks the spark that motivat­ed the old ugly duckling. What we have here seems t0 be a clear case of over­ Americanization. The spirit of the original, I’m happy t0 report, does live on in the base model, however. Base 810s (Minimas?) offer a silky, five-speed manual transmission that restores a good bit of zing and is infinitely more fun to use. The base car’s standard manual steering saves weight, offers more road feel, and is light enough that you’ll never miss the Maxima’s hydraulic assist. And the furnishings are conservative, neat, and almost as European as the clean, taut sheetmetal. In fact, the base 810 seems like a completely different car. It’s nothing less than the true successor to the original 810, and the only one fit for serious drivers. —Rich Ceppos Datsun has really gotten its act together with the 810. This latest iteration is good enough to be a cut-rate BMW 528i. It has MacPherson-strut front and semi-trailing­ arm rear suspensions and four-wheel discs, and the engine is a fuel-injected, SOHC, in-line six just like the Bimmer’s. The body is smaller, but it holds four in comfort, and has the same hewn-from­-the-solid feel that once was the exclusive province of hi-buck Teutonic machinery. Of course similar paper specifications do not guarantee equivalent real-world performance, but the 810 comes through. The handling and ride have the BMW’s glued-to-the-road feel at moderate speeds, and at the limit there’s a lot less tail-happy treachery. The engine lacks the BMW’s power, smoothness, and intoxi­cating revving ability, but it still motivates the car crisply, ably assisted by the well­-matched automatic transmission. And you get all this for only $10,000, along with more comfort-and-convenience features than you can cajole out of a BMW dealer for more than twice the price. The 810 represents real value for the money. Just make sure that you can stand the stigma of its low cost before deciding to buy one. —Csaba CsereTo the lady in the instrument panel: Yes, yes, I’ll turn off my lights. I’ll do anything you ask because you are the voice of my dreams. We must meet t0 have many more conversations. But tell me, are you happy in your work? Is that scratch in your voice indicative of slackening quali­ty-control standards in Japan? Do you en­joy living in an instrument panel that looks like a crazy quilt of varying textures and ill-fitting components? And what about that wide, rubber-covered pedal down below—the one next to the acceler­ator? The one that makes the car slow down. Why is the word “BRAKE” mold­ed into it in bold, capital letters? Do you think we’re that dumb here in America? I mean, we accept instructions very well, be they oft-whispered like your or my personal favorite: badly translated Japa­nese service manuals. But you can condescend too far, you know. In any case, we’ll span these cultural gaps once we add a few more words to our collective vocabu­lary. May we meet again in next year’s 810, or shall it be a romantic interlude in the new 280-ZXT? —Don ShermanSpecificationsSpecifications
Year Make Model TrimVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICEAs Tested: $9979
ENGINESOHC inline-6, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 146 in3, 2390 cm3Power: 120 hp @ 5200 rpmTorque: 134 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm 
TRANSMISSION3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/semi-trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 9.8-in vented disc/10.6-in discTires: Bridgestone RD-113185/70SR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.3 inLength: 183.3 inWidth: 65.2 inHeight: 54.5 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 49/34 ft3Trunk Volume: 10 ft3Curb Weight: 2880 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.5 sec90 mph: 26.3 sec1/4-Mile: 17.9 sec @ 79 mphTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 7.5 secTop Speed: 111 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 207 ft 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/22/27 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the October 1987 issue of Car and Driver.The Detroit manufacturers are beset by overcapacity, lagging sales, foreign com­petition, and iffy currency-exchange rates—but for limited-production perfor­mance specialists, prospects have never been brighter. Carroll Shelby has just re­leased his fourth series of Chrysler spe­cials. Reeves Callaway is selling every hy­peractive Twin-Turbo Corvette he can build. And Steve Saleen is in his fourth year of producing modified Mustangs.Readers familiar with Shelby’s various exploits over the past twenty years, and Callaway’s pressurized power packs of about half that time, may be excused for wondering who Steve Saleen is. The an­swer is that he is fast becoming a perfor­mance VIP in his own right. Saleen’s modified-Mustang production is current­ly running at about 1000 units a year. His success is particularly impressive in light of the difficulties Ford encountered in marketing its own Mustang-based special, the SVO. Saleen’s initial tie-up with Ford grew out of his background as an enthusiast. He met the people at Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations when he was racing in the Trans-Am series in the early eighties. In 1982, when the reincarnated Mustang GT appeared, he thought it would be an ideal foundation for a limited-production high­-performance special. Saleen approached the SVO people with his idea, and they helped him develop working relationships with Ford’s sales and manufacturing organizations. The first series of Saleen Mustangs appeared in June 1984, and produc­tion has increased steadily ever since. A close relationship with Ford is critical to keeping Saleen’s costs low and his pro­duction schedule regular. When a cus­tomer walks into a Ford dealership and or­ders a Saleen Mustang, instruction are transmitted to the Ford plant in Dear­born, Michigan, to produce a Mustang LX specially designed for the conversion. The factory equips the car with a 225-hp, 4.9-liter V-8, a five-speed manual transmis­sion, several heavy-duty chassis pieces, and a full complement of power assists and comfort options. In addition, some standard Mustang components and trim pieces are omitted from the normal assembly-line process. Upon arrival at Saleen Autosport in Brea, California, the raw Mustang is first equipped with new suspension bits. Springs that are shorter than stock Mus­tang GT pieces lower the car by 1.5 inch­es; they are also stiffer than stock, and the front spring rates are boosted more than the rears. The Saleen’s damping needs are handled by Koni adjustable gas shock absorbers; Konis also replace the two hor­izontally positioned shocks that help con­trol the rear axle’s motions. The stock front and rear anti-roll bars are retained, but the front bar’s rubber pivot bushings are replaced with stiffer urethane pieces. Another detail change is the substitution of ball-bearing upper strut mounts for the stock rubber bushings; this reduces steer­ing friction. To stiffen the front-end struc­ture, the tops of the strut towers are tied to each other and to the firewall with a trian­gular steel brace. In addition to these suspension changes, the Saleen shop installs the four­-wheel-disc braking system previously used in the SVO Mustang. This system not only replaces the rear drums with discs but also employs larger front cali­pers and five-bolt hubs all around. Cast­aluminum wheels made to Saleen’s speci­fications are mated to these hubs. The seven-inch front and eight-inch rear rims are fitted with 225/50VR-16 General XP2000V tires.Once the major mechanical work is complete, a few new body panels are bolted into place. The frontispiece is a deep spoiler with ducts that feed air to the brakes and the radiator. A matching apron is tucked under the rear bumper, and side skirts that flare out at the wheel wells tie the two ends together. All of these parts are molded in urethane, so they are flexible enough to absorb small impacts. Three fiberglass pieces are added as well: a pair of quarter-window louvers and a rear wing that is both larger and higher than the stock GT fixture. Finally, each Saleen Mustang gets tricolor racing stripes along its side sills and a sunscreen with giant “Saleen Mustang” lettering across the top of its windshield. The passenger compartment also bene­fits from a makeover. All Saleen Mus­tangs share a special gray interior treat­ment that requires replacing the side panels in the front doors and the rear-seat area. Flofit sport seats with color-coordi­nated fabric replace the stockers in the front, and the factory rear seat is reuphol­stered to match. Other interior changes include a 170-mph speedometer, a three­-spoke, leather-covered Momo steering wheel, a dead pedal, and a Hurst shifter. The Saleen’s standard electronic gear in­cludes an Escort radar detector and a Kenwood sound system complete with a graphic equalizer, six speakers, and an 80-watt amplifier. Finally, a Sateen serial-number plate is affixed to the console of each car. Saleen Autosport makes no changes to the Mustang’s drivetrain, so the high­-output V-8’s emissions certification and warranty are preserved. The stock tail­pipe, however, is replaced with a unit that provides a throatier sound. Saleen also of­fers, on a limited basis, an optional 3.55:1 rear-axle ratio. The finished product looks like a take-­no-prisoners street fighter. The lowered Mustang has a purposeful, aggressive stance on its wide wheels and tires. And the Saleen body panels are every bit as eye-catching as the factory GT’s, proving that you don’t need such boy-racer touch­es as do-nothing scoops and pretentious fog lights to turn heads. We do find the huge “Saleen” lettering on the windshield a bit gauche, but otherwise the Saleen is as good-looking a Mustang as we’ve ever seen. The Saleen’s interior changes are not only tasteful but, for the most part, benefi­cial. The seats are comfortable and sup­portive, the dead pedal is well located, and the Momo wheel reminded us of how sat­isfying a well-designed three-spoke wheel can be. Our test car’s Hurst shifter, however, was less successful. It afforded a tight and precise shift action, but its link­age buzzed annoyingly at certain engine speeds. We also found the six Saleen badges visible from the driver’s seat to be about five too many. When we discussed these issues with Steve Saleen, he insisted that the buzzing of the shifter was unusu­al. He did admit to getting a certain ego boost from the badges and sheepishly confessed that as many as thirteen name­plates had adorned the interiors of previ­ous Saleen Mustangs. This visual chest puffery is easy to for­give, because the Saleen Mustang’s func­tional modifications are as effective as its cosmetic ones. In fast, hard driving, the Saleen is much more comfortable than the stocker. On the skidpad, we measured a maximum adhesion of 0.84 g—a signifi­cant improvement over the 0.82 g gener­ated by a stock Mustang GT that we used for comparison. Moreover, the Saleen is more neutral and controllable at its limit, and it changes from understeer to over­steer much more smoothly as power is ap­plied, allowing delicious four-wheel drifts in third-gear corners and on freeway ramps. The smooth limit behavior is hard­ly surprising: Saleen campaigns his Mustangs extensively and successfully in Showroom Stock endurance racing. Despite this rigorous high-speed devel­opment, though, the Saleen displayed a strange, two-step steering response in sla­lom testing that made it difficult to thread precisely through the cones. The stock Mustang was much easier to drive and much quicker. We never noticed any of the Saleen’s aberrant steering behavior on the road, however. Indeed, in hard driving, the Saleen’s stiff suspension makes it much more se­cure than the stock car, which bounces constantly. Unfortunately, the Saleen’s chassis also feeds every tiny road imper­fection into its body. Because the Mus­tang’s structure is tight enough to with­stand such beating without generating a symphony of squeaks and rattles, we sus­pect that those who live where roads are smooth will find little fault with the Saleen’s ride. Any northerner thinking about buying one, however, should defi­nitely take a Saleen on a test drive over local roads. Although engine changes are not part of the Saleen package, the improved rear traction and the optional lower axle ratio might be expected to enhance accelera­tion. Our test car’s engine, however, was too tired to take advantage of any im­proved starting-line grip. And although the lower axle ratio improves top-gear ac­celeration, it requires revving the engine well past its power peak to reach 60 mph in second gear, thus hurting the time to that speed. The shorter gearing also limits top speed, at least in theory. In testing, though, our Saleen reached 136 mph—­only 1 mph shy of the Mustang GT we tested last June. Anyone considering buying a Saleen and pushing it to its limits will be comfort­ed to learn that his car will be backed by the same warranty that covers stock Mus­tangs. Ford guarantees the factory parts, and Saleen covers the rest. And in order to receive the official Ford blessing for his program, Saleen had to commit to stock­ing a supply of spare parts for seven years after each car is produced. You can buy a Saleen Mustang for $19,900 from any of the 4700 Ford deal­ers in the country (although most of the Saleen business is concentrated at the 150 outlets that specialize in performance sales). If that price seems steep compared with a comparably equipped Mustang GT’s sticker of $13,838, consider that you probably couldn’t duplicate the Saleen for any less, and you couldn’t buy its warranty or the development that went into it at any price. Consider also that the Saleen costs only a little more than a similarly loaded Camaro IROC-Z or Firebird GTA. You might think of the difference as the price of distinction. SpecificationsSpecifications
19897 Saleen MustangVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 3-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $19,900/$20,900Options: 3.55:1 final -drive ratio, $1000
ENGINEpushrod V-8, iron block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 302 in3, 4942 cm3Power: 225 hp @ 4000 rpmTorque: 300 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: strut/live axleBrakes, F/R: 10.9-in vented disc/11.3-in vented discTires: General XP20000VP225/50VR-16
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 100.5 inLength: 179.6 inWidth: 69.1 inHeight: 50.0 inPassenger Volume, F/M/R: 49/34 ft3Curb Weight: 3289 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.5 sec100 mph: 19.5 sec1/4-Mile: 15.2 sec @ 90 mphTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.5 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.7 secTop Speed: 136 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 197 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 12 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 16/24 mpg  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDCsaba Csere joined Car and Driver in 1980 and never really left. After serving as Technical Editor and Director, he was Editor-in-Chief from 1993 until his retirement from active duty in 2008. He continues to dabble in automotive journalism and WRL racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, 2009 Mercedes SL550, 2013 Porsche Cayenne S, and four motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.  More

From the April 1982 issue of Car and Driver.Your eyes do not deceive you. You are looking at a Cadillac Eldorado with no stand-up hood ornament. Its lower body moldings are made of a gray plas­tic. It has no chrome side moldings. It has no chrome headlight moldings. Its wheels are not shod with ersatz wire covers. Its tires are fat and black. No, this is not a Car and Driver project car. This is the new 1982 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe.Having sent the radical-for-Cadillac Cimarron out to woo a market it never had, Cadillac is now entering phase two of its recovery plan: bring back the tra­ditional big spenders who’ve been lost over the past several years to the quali­ty- and performance-oriented European luxury cars. Cadillac thinks it has a chance with this new breed of Eldorado. Its secret weapon? A high-performance handling package that made us doubt we were driving a Cadillac. The heart of the package is the tour­ing suspension, added to Cadillac’s op­tions list in February 1980. Almost im­mediately after the specially tuned suspension was developed, forward thinkers in Cadillac engineering saw that it had the potential to transform the Eldo into a European-style luxury driv­er’s car. Thus inspired, the engineers developed two project cars around the suspension—both with fat tires, both with no chrome—and tried to sell the Touring Coupe package to manage­ment. Meanwhile, perennial racer Rog­er Penske was putting together his own special-edition Eldorado for his dealer­ship in Downey, California, calling it the Penske/RS. Penske started with a fully optioned, megabuck Eldo with the tour­ing suspension, removed or blacked out most of the outside brightwork, and lowered it over the biggest set of meats he could squeeze into the fender wells. Fitted with Goodyear 60-series CTs four sizes larger than the tires supplied by the factory, the low-slung Penske/RS had a clear purpose. Jerry Kerran|Car and DriverRoger Penske got there first: The Penske/RS combines Cadillac’s touring suspension with an original grille design, custom pinstriping, and 60-series Goodyear NCTs on Appliance wire wheels.It remains a mystery why Cadillac’s taken so long to showcase the excellent touring suspension, but one can imag­ine that it took a while for the design staff to choke out the words, “Take off the chrome.” It doesn’t really matter who did it first, or which looks more sin­cere (Penske’s does; it also costs anoth­er $950). What does matter is that both Penske and, finally, Cadillac management recognized the Eldorado as a logi­cal base upon which to fashion a car with the potential to compete techno­logically with BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes. At the top of the Eldorado’s list of technological highlights is its front­-wheel drive. General Motors opposed the conventional wisdom of the day by switching its big E-bodies (Eldorado, Oldsmobile Toronado, Buick Riviera) to front drive way back in 1965. After sixteen years of refinement, the El­dorado’s front-drive system is so unob­trusive that it’s hard to tell which wheels are driving the car. In addition to a flat floor and a spacious trunk, front drive provides the Eldo with excellent footing over bad roads. Our test Eldorado had no problems schussing around the ski slopes that Ann Arbor roads turn into after a blizzard, while conventional rear­-drive Bimmers and Mercedes fishtailed nervously even down our beginner hills. Along with the advantages of front­-wheel drive, the Eldorado also has a fully independent suspension system. The front suspension consists of un­equal-length control arms, torsion bars, and an anti-sway bar; the rear uses a combination of semi-trailing arms, coil springs, and an anti-sway bar, with a pair of self-adjusting air shocks to keep the ride level. What’s more, there’s a disc brake at every corner. With these pieces the Eldorado has long had the potential to be a world­-class driver’s car. In the past, however, the critical components have been tuned more toward preserving the deli­cate equilibrium of the driver’s toy poo­dle than toward offering any hint of driving fun. Not so in the Touring Coupe. The suspension has been tuned toward max­imum aggression (our favorite setting). The diameter of the front stabilizer bar has been increased from 30 mm in the stock Eldo to 32 mm, the front suspen­sion bushings are 16 percent stiffer, the front torsion-bar rate is higher by 18 percent, the rear stabilizer bar is larger by 18 percent, and rear spring rates are higher by 14 percent. The steering ratio is still a quick 2.9 turns lock-to-lock, but the Touring Coupe benefits from a 20 percent increase in steering effort. More aggressive Goodyear P225/70R-15 tires replace the 75-series stock rubber. More Cadillac Reviews From the ArchiveThe result is startling and wonderful. The first noticeable feeling is just that: feeling. The Eldorado Touring Coupe provides that reassuring feeling that there is a road down there, the physical sensation that something is happening be­tween that road and the steering wheel. At the same time, the Eldo doesn’t give up over tar strips and expansion joints like the less forgiving BMW and Mercedes sedans. The Touring Coupe’s fine-tuned suspension strikes an admirable balance between road feel and no feel. Speaking of no feel, Cadillac could have increased the effort of its wimpy power steering by another 20 percent with no complaints from us. Not even the improved steering of the Touring Coupe can be trusted to sound a warn­ing when the limits of adhesion are about to be breached—a situation char­acterized by massive understeer. Having taken turns trying to unsettle this Caddy’s newfound composure, we’re most impressed with its behavior under duress. Sherman’s specialty is high-speed lane changes that will de­posit an unbelted front passenger into the rear seat. Ceppos has a favorite stretch of road that Chrysler should plaster-cast for reproduction as a tank-­testing track. Csere simply drives home in typical Hungarian fashion. (We would like to take this moment to thank Cadillac’s interior-design staff for its small but significant contribution to the cause: the inclusion of the Cimarron’s supportive driver’s seat and leather­-wrapped wheel. We would also like to reassure closet fake-wood freaks that nothing else in the heavily forested inte­rior has been touched. Some things are sacred.) What we found is that the only remaining trace of the rollicking, fat-cat Cadillac ride is a brief whoopsy-daisy in the nose over good-sized dips. A touch more shock damping in the front would take care of the problem. Yes, the touring package is very good—the body sticks close to the chas­sis, the chassis sticks close to the road, the driver sticks close to the seat, and the jeweler can still cut a diamond in the back seat, or whatever it is Cadillac peo­ple do back there—but there’s more to a great car than tight springs and stiff anti-sway bars. We were thoroughly dis­appointed in the performance of the new throttle-body-fuel-injected 4.1-liter aluminum V-8 (the base engine for all Caddys but the Cimarron and the lim­ousine, and the only engine available in the Touring Coupe). The new engine worked well enough; there just wasn’t enough of it. Or else there was just too much car. Whatever, it’s clear the en­gine engineers had one goal in mind: to produce the lightest, most fuel-efficient engine they could. They succeeded in saving 200 pounds over the weight of the 1980 6.0-liter V-8, which significant­ly improved curb weight and the front­-to-rear weight bias. And fuel economy is 3 miles per gallon better on the EPA city cycle than the 6.0-liter’s 14-mpg rating. But the price in performance is dear. Comparing acceleration statistics with last year’s 6.0-liter-powered Sedan de Ville (heavier by 400 pounds), the 1982 Eldorado is almost 4 seconds slower from 0 to 60 miles an hour, slower by al­most 2 seconds in the quarter-mile run, and will barely break 90 miles an hour after 65 seconds of trying. The new alu­minum V-8 produces 15 less horsepow­er at a higher rpm level, and 70 less pounds-feet of torque than the 6.0-liter engine. It produces so little power that almost any driving condition other than steady cruising will cause the new four­speed automatic overdrive transmission to downshift from fourth. You quickly come to expect a downshift with each and every throttle motion. Both engine and car are tentatively scheduled to be downsized in 1984, and the inside word is that no further work will be done on either until then. We can only hope that two more years will be enough time for Cadillac’s power­train and design staffs to come up with a truly innovative showcase for the talents of Cadillac’s suspension engineers. Now that we’ve been titillated by a second provocative demonstration of Cadillac’s ability to build a real driver’s car, we will not be satisfied until it delivers one. Technical HighlightsThe Eldorado’s new HT4100 aluminum engine is unusual in its modular construc­tion and in its use of cast iron in critical areas. The latter feature is undoubtedly intended to preclude any repetition of the problems of General Motors’ last alumi­num engine, the infamous Vega four­-cylinder.The block is an aluminum die-casting with an open deck, wet iron liners, cast­-iron main-bearing caps, and a separate valve-lifter carrier. The wet iron liners of­fer a conventional cylinder-wall surface, good heat transfer, and manufacturing simplicity, while the separate lifter carrier and the open-deck design reduce casting complexity. The iron main-bearing caps, coupled with the block’s deep skirts, en­sure sufficient crankcase rigidity.Topping off this composite block are very compact cast-iron cylinder heads. Like most iron heads, they have integral valve guides and seats, but Cadillac engi­neers minimized the use of heavy cast iron by designing much of the intake port into the runners of the aluminum intake manifold and using a separate, die-cast-­aluminum rocker-arm support. Long bolts, extending into the crankcase web area, attach the heads to the block and provide firm clamping at both ends of the free-standing cylinder liners. In most other respects, the HT4100 is contemporary but not innovative. Throt­tle-body fuel injection (a two-barrel unit unique to Cadillac engines) meters fuel to compact, fast-burn combustion chambers. The valvetrain is of conventional Ameri­can design, with pushrods and hydraulic lifters. In the interests of fuel efficiency, friction has been minimized with low-ten­sion piston rings, a low-drag water pump, and special bearing clearances. The resulting engine is approximately 200 pounds lighter than its controversial V-8-6-4 six-liter predecessor (which in earlier incarnations had been as large as 8.2 liters). Unfortunately, its power has also been downsized to 125 net horse­power, which leaves the HT4100 too limp to motivate Cadillac’s current 3800-to-4000-pound offerings with any degree of alacrity. However, this engine is destined to turn into a V-6 in 1984 (the tooling is already in place at Cadillac’s Livonia, Michigan, engine plant), when it will find a new home in smaller Cadillacs. With any luck, that combination will correct the power-to-weight imbalance of today. —Csaba CsereCounterpointA few years ago I would have laughed at the notion of a Cadillac masquerading as a BMW, but I now understand the power that artistic engineers have to change a car’s personality. And since Cadillac Divi­sion seems to be making an attempt to lure buyers back from the showrooms of the high-priced German competition these days, I dared hope for something special here.Unfortunately, the Eldo Touro suffers from the same malaise as the Cimarron—a lack of management commitment. You can almost see the budget committee shaking their heads “no” when some hopeful engineer lobbied for the bigger Caddy 6.6-liter V-8 or for Trans Am-level steering effort—two things that would really bring off the transformation. In­stead, they okayed body-color moldings and surprisingly effective suspension calibrations.It’s too bad they didn’t go further, but understandable. It reminds me of the Six­ties, when parents just couldn’t compre­hend what their pinko-Commie-hippie kids were saying. This Eldorado certainly shows there’s hope, but until the old guard understands the new guard, Cadil­lac seems destined to keep on making cars for another era—the one just past. —Rich CepposMy initial exposure to this Cadillac con­sisted of a couple of routine runs back and forth between home and office. These consisted of about three miles each way, two-thirds winding two-lane with plenty of potholes and frost heaves, and one-third parkway with a 45-mph speed limit. I was absolutely knocked out by the car. I came back to the office singing its praises as the first Cadillac in years that I could actually take pleasure in owning. I applauded its firm ride. I was comfortable with its interior appointments. I liked the sleek, unadorned look of its exterior. It seemed to have a pretty decent engine. Then I made a 50-mile trip on the Inter­state. Uh-oh. . . There is some craziness at work in the relationship of torque and horsepower curves to transmission set­tings and converter lockup. Try to cruise at any speed between 50 and 75 and the converter locks and unlocks—always with a thunk—and the transmission just can­not seem to make up its mind. Even at 75, when I thought I’d finally gotten past the critical point, I started up a very moderate grade and damned if it didn’t unlock again. I dunno. This is the nicest Cadillac I’ve driven in years, but it cries out for a 1969 driveline. —David E. Davis, Jr.It seems to me that any car as big and heavy as the Eldorado should give back something in return for its size. Some­thing like a whole lot of space inside. I love the Mercedes-Benz 380SEL and the BMW 733i and the Jaguar XJ6. They’ve got so much usable room inside. The 380SEL has room for a small convention. The 733i has room for a board meeting. The XJ6 has room for entire governments in exile. The expense of these cars has nothing to do with their roominess. The philosophy behind them is solely responsible. This brings us to the philosophy be­hind the Eldorado. Clever people at Cad­illac are delving into electronics and con­venience features and trick suspensions, but I’m a little puzzled as to why less clev­er people at Cadillac would choose space­-efficient front-wheel drive only to saddle it with a uselessly long nose and so little room behind the wheel that my just-un­der-six-foot-long body can’t find enough space to work in. This unpleasant squeezing makes it dif­ficult for me to work up any enthusiasm for the trick suspension. And I’d say it’s no better than okay, anyway. —Larry GriffinSpecificationsSpecifications
1982 Cadillac Eldorado Touring CoupeVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $18,716/$23,099Options: Touring Coupe package, $1950; AM/ FM/CB radio, $560; digital instrument panel, $229; rear-window defogger, $198; six-way power passenger seat, $197; theft-deterrent system, $1 79; cruise control, $175; tilt-telescope steering wheel, $169; automatic door locks, $145; illuminated vanity mirrors, $136; other opt ions, $445
ENGINEpushrod V-8, aluminum block and iron heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 249 in3, 4087 cm3Power: 125 hp @ 4200 rpmTorque: 190 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/semi-trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 10.4-in vented disc/10.4-in vented discTires: Goodyear Custom Polysteel RadialP225/70R-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 inLength: 204.5 inWidth: 70.6 inHeight: 55.2 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 53/46 ft3Trunk Volume: 15 ft3Curb Weight: 3830 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 15.2 sec90 mph: 65.6 sec1/4-Mile: 20.2 sec @ 68 mphTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 7.4 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 11.4 secTop Speed: 92 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 220 ft
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/17/27 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDThe legendary Jean (Lindamood) Jennings, who died in December 2024, was part of what made the ’80s unforgettable at Car and Driver, and she leaves behind legions of fans. More

Lexus has offered hybrid SUVs going back to 2006, so the arrival of a hybrid powertrain into the LX had an air of inevitability about it. This is a first for the big-boy SUV, however, which was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Whereas previous Lexus hybrids have been mostly about fuel economy, that’s not really the case this time. With a combined fuel-economy estimate of 20 mpg, the hybrid LX is just 1 mpg better than its nonhybrid sibling. Instead, the LX700h’s numerically higher model designation (versus the rest of the lineup’s LX600 nameplate) is indicative both of its loftier horsepower output and its higher position in the lineup.The powertrain combines the LX600’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 with an electric motor located within the 10-speed automatic transmission’s housing and a nickel-metal-hydride battery. The electrification pushes output to 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque versus 409 horses and 479 pound-feet for the lesser nonhybrids. Top-of-the-Pyramid PricingAs suggested by its nomenclature, the LX700h is also the most expensive variant. It starts at $115,350, almost exactly the point where the LX600 ($115,850) tops out. That’s for the new Overtrail trim level, which is available solely on the hybrid. From there, prices climb to $117,850 for the F Sport and $119,850 for the Luxury, both of which are $4000 more than their LX600 trim analogues. At the top is the $141,350 Ultra Luxury, which migrates over from the LX600 to become another LX700h exclusive. The current LX is effectively the U.S. version of the 300-series Toyota Land Cruiser. (The latest U.S. Land Cruiser, known as the 250-series internationally, is slightly smaller and sports completely different bodywork than the LX—the GX is now its closest Lexus doppleganger.) As such, the LX already comes with a goodly amount of off-road equipment: four-wheel drive with low range, an electronically locking center differential, low-range crawl control, hill-descent control, an adaptive suspension with Active Height Control (AHC), and a camera system that can show an underbody view. The Overtrail AdditionThe new Overtrail trim adds front and rear electronically locking diffs, a metal skid plate, and beefy 33-inch tires on 18-inch wheels. It does not add any additional ground clearance, as the lowest point is still the differential housing of the solid rear axle, just shy of 8.1 inches above the ground; the AHC, however, can raise the body as much as 4.5 inches above the standard ride height (and lower it by just over an inch). We tried it out on a slick and muddy, but short, off-road course Lexus set up. There, the Overtrail demonstrated impressive wheel articulation, smooth throttle tip-in, and the ability to walk itself down steep slopes. The underbody-view camera system, which also shows graphic representations of wheel position, is a neat tech helper.This hybrid powertrain hardware is much the same as that in the latest-generation Tundra and Sequoia. The most interesting difference is the redundancy added here. As with other Toyota hybrids, the electric motor-generator also acts as the starter. But if there’s a hybrid system failure, the gas engine can’t be started. Although hybrid system failures are rare, the fear was that an owner could be stranded out in the wild. So, the LX adds a starter, an alternator, and an auxiliary 12-volt battery. If the hybrid system fails, the aux battery fires up the starter, and the vehicle can be powered solely by the engine, with the alternator powering the accessories. The Tundra and Sequoia do not have these extra components. A second bit of extra engineering for the LX is that Lexus built a waterproof case for the hybrid battery, with a water-detection system and cooling facilitated by the rear air conditioning.Driving the LX700hMostly, though, the tuning of the LX700h’s powertrain is what sets it apart from its siblings. The hybrid adds 104 pound-feet of torque to the standard LX’s 479 pound-feet, which comes atop the additional 20 horsepower that the Lexus’s twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 makes (409 horses) over comparable Toyota versions. And despite carrying nearly 400 pounds of additional mass compared to the LX600, the LX700h is half a second quicker to 60 mph, according to Lexus. Looking back at Car and Driver’s testing of the LX600, we found it’s right around the 6.0-second mark (5.9 seconds for an F Sport and 6.1 for an Ultra Luxury), so figure the LX700h should be good for a 5.5-second time. Towing capacity is the same 8000 pounds as in the LX600, and an integrated hitch receiver is standard.Drive the LX700h, and the most impressive aspect is how seamlessly the hybrid system operates compared to similar Toyotas. The 10-speed automatic means there’s a pleasantly direct response to throttle inputs, and the effective sound deadening masks the EV whine when you lift off the gas and the system shifts into EV mode. The V-6 is muted, and the electric motor’s grunt helps compensate for any turbo lag. It drives like a smooth, responsive gas engine.For 2025, the previously optional Adaptive Variable Suspension in combination with coil springs is now standard across the entire LX lineup. It allows some jiggly ride motions over rough pavement—more pronounced in the Overtrail—but makes for a mostly composed ride. The various drive modes can add some heft to the steering, as well as alter the throttle mapping and shift strategy, but when we took the LX700h for a run down a twisting two-lane with an extensive series of switchbacks, this tall and heavy beast mostly left us wishing we were piloting an IS500 instead.LX700h InteriorThe LX700h interior lives up to the brand ethos with padded surfaces everywhere, and everything you touch feels substantial. The comfy front chairs now feature standard massage in all LX models (rectifying an omission at the LX600’s launch). A refrigerated front center console box and rear-window sunshades are LX700h exclusives.As in the LX600, the third row has decent head and knee clearance but a severe lack of space for legs or feet. Your butt is nearly at ankle level due to the raised floor necessary to clear the live rear axle and the hybrid battery. Overtrail buyers can skip the third row in favor of a five-seat layout, which makes for significantly more luggage space. The Ultra Luxury trim also does away with the third row to create additional second-row space for regal reclining chairs with a fixed console between them.For models that do have a third row, the packaging of the hybrid-system battery compromises the LX’s already miserly cargo space aft of the third seat, reducing it from 11 to 7 cubic feet, significantly smaller than other full-size luxury SUVs. And the third-row seat no longer folds into the floor as it does in the LX600—instead, the seatback flops down onto the seat bottom. A small shelf a few inches above the cargo floor meets that folded-seatback height but raises the already-high liftover height farther. It’s not a great solution. On the upside, the hybrid does come with a 2400-watt AC inverter, as well as a three-prong power outlet in the cargo area.”The biggest reason [for the hybrid] is that at Lexus we’re trying to move toward carbon neutrality,” says chief engineer Takami Yokoo, who points out that the LX was the only vehicle in the lineup that wasn’t electrified. He adds: “We were able to increase power and torque, and we were also able to reduce CO2 emissions.” Buyers with the same values should know that electrification makes the LX700h only marginally quicker and slightly more economical than the LX600, but it is every bit as refined. And then there’s that model designation, numerically the highest ever on a Lexus. That’s got to count for something.SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Lexus LX700hVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, four-wheel-drive, 4-, 5-, or 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: Overtrail, $115,350; F Sport, $117,850; Luxury, $119,850; Ultra Luxury, $141,350
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.4-liter V-6, 409 hp, 479 lb-ft + AC motor, 48 hp, 184 lb-ft (combined output: 457 hp, 583 lb-ft; 1.0-kWh [C/D est] nickel-metal hydride battery pack)Transmission: 10-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.2 inLength: 200.2–200.6 inWidth: 78.4 inHeight: 74.2–74.6 inPassenger Volume, F/M/R: 55/45–49/34 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 62–63/31/7 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 6200–6300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 5.5–5.6 sec1/4-Mile: 14.2–14.3 secTop Speed: 110 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 20/19/22 mpgJoe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar. More

My friends and I don’t talk anymore. “How’s it going?” has been replaced by a rapid exchange of 20-second viral clips of race-car drivers flippin’ the bird at 180 mph or meal-prep recipes. Often, before I can finish the first, the queue has grown by two or three. The same could be said for Porsche; there’s always another one to watch. The refreshed Taycan sedan lineup is now seven models wide. It spans more than $130,000 in starting price, and over 600 lb-ft of torque separates the base Taycan from the frenetic Turbo GT at the top.The year marks the first that Taycan buyers can get all-wheel drive without getting pushed into a $120,495 4S or a Cross Turismo wagon. Porsche says this trim will likely be the Taycan’s volume model, and that’s probably right. For $105,295 ($3900 above the base rear-wheel-drive Taycan), the Taycan 4 has more torque, narrowly better acceleration, and the added security of all-wheel drive.4 ShoLike the rear-drive Taycan, the 4 has 402 horsepower with the standard 82.3-kWh battery pack and 429 ponies with the optional 97.0-kWh Performance Battery Plus ($5780). The addition of the front motor, which the 4 borrows from the more powerful 4S, means that in the base model, torque is 431 lb-ft, and with the larger battery, it’s 449 lb-ft, an increase of 140 lb-ft over the rear-drive Taycan. That’s almost a Mazda MX-5 Miata’s worth of added torque. Porsche claims the 4 is quicker to 60 mph by a tenth, but we suspect that’s a modest estimate. The 2025 Taycan RWD we recently tested reached 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Shaving a couple of tenths off that would mean that one of the most affordable Taycans is a sub-four-second car, but it’s unlikely to match the 3.4-second time of the 562-hp 2020 Taycan 4S we tested. Ninety percent of our drive time behind the wheel of the Taycan 4 was atop ice at the Porsche Ice Experience center in Levi, Finland. It’s as great a place to give Porsche cars the ol’ Scandinavian flick as it is a terrible place to be a reindeer. Our cars were equipped with a $6495 package that adds Taycan Turbo Aero 20-inch wheels and Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 winter tires, giving the 4 incredible traction in the snowy Arctic Circle.We did low-speed sliding through Porsche’s icy slaloms, across a figure-eight track (a large snowbank prevented us from crossing through the middle), and around a drift circle in below-freezing temperatures. While that’s not the most comprehensive driving experience, it did highlight the characteristics that make the Taycan one of best electric cars we’ve driven.Lifting off throttle, giving the wheel a crank, and then tipping back into the throttle at the beginning of the slalom puts the Taycan into a slide. There’s a lot of weight to transfer as you swing the Taycan from left to right around cones, but the steering’s linear buildup makes it easy to control. Even in a low-traction scenario such as ice and snow, the ability to balance the throttle with countersteering to hold on to an epic slide takes far less brain power than it should. The result? You look cool and sweat less. But at What Cost?The Porsche spec sheet indicates that the Taycan 4 is nearly 200 pounds heavier than the rear-drive car, so we estimate the weight of the all-wheel drive model to be about 4900 to 5100 pounds, depending on the battery-pack size. Brake caliper and rotor specifications remain the same, with 14.2-inch rotors up front and 14.1 inches in the rear. Despite that the Taycan 4 is on sale now and live on Porsche’s configurator, EPA ratings for driving range have yet to be published. Based on calculations from Europe’s WLTP figures, we estimate EPA driving range will be about 260 miles for the standard battery and up to 310 miles for the optional pack. The 2025 rear-drive Taycan earned a 318-mile EPA estimate in Performance Battery Plus guise. Taycan It EasyA big part of the refreshed Taycans’ updates for 2025 involves charging speed and management of battery temperatures. While the maximum DC fast-charging rate has increased to 320 kW (for Performance Battery Plus only; the standard Performance Battery’s max is 270 kW), that’s only part of the story.An updated climate compressor has increased battery cooling power from 9 to 12 kW, and energy allowed for heating the battery has more than doubled from 7 to 17 kW. That makes for quicker preconditioning. And Porsche claims its new charging capabilities—feats we sampled from a prototype model—have halved its charging times in 60-degree temps. Stealth WealthShort of a tiny “4” badge on the liftgate, it’s impossible to tell the 4 apart from the base Taycan. Both come with 19-inch Taycan S Aero wheels, LED headlights, and that same Taycan maw that looks a lot like Toothless from DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon. The 4 could’ve been a checkbox on the order sheet, as it’s purely the option of all-wheel drive. The $3900 upcharge for all-wheel drive is about the same as you’d pay in far more affordable electric vehicles. Take the Hyundai Ioniq 5, for example. Upgrading an Ioniq 5 SE with all-wheel drive will run you $3500. In a Volkswagen ID.Buzz, the difference between a Pro S Plus RWD van and the all-wheel-drive Pro S Plus 4Motion is $4500. There are more EVs to buy than ever, and the cadence of new models and updates can feel like a barrage. But like another video of a dash cam capturing instant karma or dogs demanding payment of the cheese tax, more Taycans are a good thing. We look forward to testing the all-wheel-drive Taycan 4 ahead of deliveries, which Porsche says will start in June. Feel free to send us one. Or like six at a time. Just don’t say anything. Don’t make it weird. SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Porsche Taycan 4Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 4- or 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICEBase: Performance Battery, $105,295; Performance Battery Plus, $111,075
POWERTRAIN (Performance Battery)
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACRear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACCombined Power: 402 hpCombined Torque: 431 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 82.3 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 270 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive, 2-speed automatic
POWERTRAIN (Performance Battery Plus)
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACRear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACCombined Power: 429 hpCombined Torque: 449 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 97.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 320 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive, 2-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.2 inLength: 195.4 inWidth: 77.4 inHeight: 54.2 inTrunk Volume: 14 ft3Front Trunk Volume: 3 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900–5100 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.0 sec100 mph: 9.6 sec1/4-Mile: 12.4 secTop Speed: 143 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 82–93/85–95/80–92 MPGeRange: 260–310 miAustin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He’s steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast. More

From the February 1980 issue of Car and Driver.One door opens, another closes. One day I was reading Mr. Editor Davis’s val­ediction to the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL; on the day before, I was driving the car that proved the aluminum engine of its new successors, the 380 and 500SE, in the latest S-class range of luxury supersedans from Daimler-Benz. You know all about them; you know they have been derived and developed from the present class, looking sleeker and frac­tionally longer to give a 14 percent re­duction in wind resistance, and weigh­ing less (at vast energy expense in mak­ing aluminum, which is much more con­sumptive of electricity than iron, in or­der to save energy in fuel consumption on the road). You know how well the change has been justified, no doubt, with the performance of the superseded range approached with engines of smaller displacement: the new 3.8-liter V-8 offers virtually the same output as the iron-blocked 4.5 (218 bhp) and a slightly increased top speed of 133 mph, while the 5.0-liter V-8, with an output of 240 bhp, brings the 500SEL sedan within reach of the prodigious performance of the 6.9-liter SEL. What you may not know is that the five-liter V-8 has been in production and on the roads in and around Germany for nearly two years now, since it was introduced at the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show un­der the bonnet of the 450SLC.Ever since it first appeared with 2.8-, 3.5-, and 4.5-liter engines, the SLC has been the most beautiful car in the Mer­cedes-Benz range, and surely one of the most beautiful in the world. Not that beauty is everything; but if it is not, I will stick my neck out and say that the SLC is also the best of all Mercedes. The 6.9 has more engine, more brakes, more suspension, and indeed more of most things; but they do not necessarily make it a better car than the 450SLC­—any more than having a shorter wheel­base, fewer seats, and slightly better acceleration makes the 450SL better. The “C” stands for “coupé,” which is ridiculous. “Coupé” means cut short, which is what this car is really not, being only a couple of inches shorter in the wheelbase than the corresponding sedan. On the other hand, it is fourteen inches longer in the wheelbase than the two-seater SL. In effect it is an SL that has been stretched to make room for four adults. It would make better sense if the C stood for “comfort.” The SLC is not a mollycoddling Merc, but it is the most comfortable of them all. The sedans may be roomier, but their expansive seats, dimensioned and contoured to pillow the posteriors of the tycoonly fat, offer less intimate sup­port to the torso than do the superbly shaped seats of this sumptuous car, which is itself superbly shaped. Gor­geous it looks from outside, but it is most specially delightful within: those seats are surely among the best any­where, for I once spent 24 hours out of 26 (the other two hours were spent on a ferry) literally on end in one, sitting be­hind the wheel and never detecting the faintest discomfort. Maybe the seat does not fold back all the way, but it goes back far enough to constitute an ade­quate bed; and the SLC may accordingly qualify as a sports car. After its success in the South Ameri­can Rally, maybe the SLC has other such qualifications, yet it was surely nev­er intended as a sports car. It is so ele­gant, so superbly balanced in form and in line, so exquisitely contoured to look beautiful from any angle, that to subject it to the gross indignities of competition would be sheer vandalism. Nevertheless the car begs to be driven in a sporting way—positively solicits the fast corner, the fine balancing of foot and hand, of centripetal and centrifugal accelera­tions. It is surely the best balanced and most impeccably behaved Mercedes-­Benz ever to have been built for com­mon sale. It is possibly a little less agile than the shorter and lighter SL, but in consistency and progressiveness of re­sponse to all control inputs, especially through the steering and brakes, it is the two-seater’s superior—which is just as well, because it looks it. More Mercedes SEL Content from the archiveTo rely on looks might be improvi­dent, unless you can look closely enough to read the small print. It is not very small, for modesty is not a failing commonly encountered either in Stuttgart or in its satellite showrooms; but the subscripts on the ravishing rump of this beauty deserve to be conned close­ly. What looks like a 450SLC may turn out to be only a 280SLC, which is less good; or indeed it may be a 350SLC, which is even less good than the 280. On the other hand, a full-span rump-reading might detect the figure “5.0” in addition to the 450SLC identification, in which case it is as good as almost any­thing. Even if you cannot read, there is a modest spoiler ridging the top of the trunk lid which is in itself an adequate declaration that what you see is the 450SLC that goes as well as the 450SLC always should have done. This is the car in which—in blissful legality on the pub­lic highway, and in perfect and tactful safety among all manner of other people going about their daily drives—I av­eraged 133 mph over 20 miles, 126 mph over 40 miles. This is a car that is every bit as fast as it looks, and which displays its incomparable pedigree by being very much faster than it feels.Take no great notice of the fact that the hood, deck lid, and bumpers are, like the engine, made of aluminum al­loys. They might account for a reduc­tion of 253 pounds in the curb weight of this car compared with the more com­monplace 4.5-liter version, but since that represents only 7.6 percent of the 3338 pounds standing on those four fat Michelins, it is not likely to have a great deal of effect on the performance. The aerodynamic bib and tucker probably make a slight difference, though their principal virtue is in increasing the car’s high-speed stability; and the higher gearing, raised by 12.5 percent in the rear axle, would by itself only make the car slower. No, the thing that made that gearing possible and makes everything else justifiable is the thing that gives 240 hp at 5000 rpm somewhere adja­cent to the driver’s right foot, the thing that is made of low-pressure, chill-cast, high-silicon aluminum alloy with elec­trolytically relieved cylinder bores that allow the plated pistons and rings to ride on the exposed silicon crystals without any nasty iron or steel liners in the way. It is the thing that has bigger bores to give it 10 percent more displacement than the 4.5-liter V-8, and bigger exhaust valves to give 11 percent more port area, along with 10.6 percent more power and 12.2 percent more torque. Intriguing exhaust valves, they are: Despite being 2 mm larger in head diameter, they are 2 mm more slender in the stem, and they are sodium-filled­—which is a rare feature today, after more than half a century since Sam Heron in­vented sodium-filled valves for the Wright Simoon aircraft engine. The Thing is just plain good, one of the most encouraging engines that a driver can find anywhere near his right foot; and it is just right for the SLC. Normally one barely hears it, for there is plenty of sound deadening (some­thing has to account for all that weight), and the high gearing reduces the noise level inside the car even more at a given speed. Should you not fancy the speed given, however, the throttle pedal can be kicked or the transmission lever flicked and the most gorgeous growl is­sues from somewhere deep in the tiger bay. When it does, the car seems to leap—except that a leap is soon over, while this goes on and on, a great surge that seems to tip the road down the car’s gullet and turn the horizon bluer, as though a contracting universe were the essence of some new Daimler-Benz cos­mological theory. It is not a car for leaping away from standstill in drag races. There remain others, more intemperate and less en­during, that will explode off a starting line with greater vim and volume. Ac­cording to its makers, the five-liter SLC reaches 62 mph in 8.5 seconds, though mine was slower. Against that must be set their claim for a maximum speed of 140 mph, whereas mine went quicker. The plain facts according to my chronography are that, two-up, the car reached 62 mph in 8.6 seconds, 100 mph in a further 9.6 seconds, and when I wondered what speed it would reach in another 10-second increment I found the answer was 122 mph. These figures show just what a magnificent performer the SLC 5.0 is on real roads, as distin­guished from illusory drag strips. It is magnificently high-geared, able to reach 66 mph in bottom gear at its redlined 5800 engine rpm, 108 in second gear, and—how much in top? Not 158, that is certain, though that is what would correspond to 5800 rpm. The roads I was using in southern Germany never stayed level enough for long enough; but I can tell you that the car did 137 mph uphill and 149 downhill, and that, according to Heuer and the half-kilome­ter markers, the speedometer was re­markably accurate.You do not have to drive the car like that all the time in order to enjoy it, for it is impeccably mannered at any speed. If you do, you cannot expect to go for 320 miles before summoning the reserve three and a half of the 23.8 U.S. gallons of fuel in the tank, as you can if you content yourself with cruising at about half the car’s maximum speed. But if you have a long way to go, little time, and you want to arrive unstressed, this is the car in which to do it. If your route is not all unlimited autobahn, but is wet and wiggly, it is still the way to do it: I covered a good many miles saunter­ing through the stupefying sweeps of the Black Forest and, even when saun­tering, the SLC 5.0 seemed a good deal quicker than anything else around. When given the boot it was only once beaten—by a chap in expensively beautiful leathers riding a 900 cc Ducati Des­mo, looking gorgeous and sounding filthy, which eventually outaccelerated the Merc in a joint sprint off the end of a 40-kph speed limit and was never seen again until I spotted him refueling a few swervaceous miles down the road. An SLC is one of the sweetest things in swervery, beautifully balanced and most reliably shod with the XWX tires that were until a couple of years ago the finest high-speed tires you could buy and are still the best suited to this par­ticular car. Its power steering is among the best of its kind, feeling just a shade less light at very high speeds in the five-­liter car, perhaps because its aerodynamic appendages help to keep its weight firmly on the ground. When go­ing into tight comers, it is amazing how much grip is available to allow braking to be used right up to the apex; coming out of them, even wet ones, it is equally amazing how much traction is available, only the utmost extravagance producing a brief and eminently corrigible twitch of the tail. No wonder racing drivers like the car; being no kind of racing driver myself, I absolutely loved it. I admired the absence of wind noise; I adored the positivity of the automatic transmission (the sedans will be getting a four-speed­er, which should be even better); and I am still trying to analyze the reasons for a Mercedes-Benz (any model, but espe­cially this one) being so exceptionally reassuring to its passengers. It has about it an air of infallible competence. It contrives to do everything with such ease that its speed is simply not noticed, its acceleration simply taken for grant­ed, its cornering ability accepted as a right rather than as a necessity. If the passengers can be passively content, the driver can be actively hap­py. Beyond the trivial confines of 60 mph, the five-liter SLC is a lot livelier than the sedans. Yet for all its ability to go, the thing that most impressed me at the time and in retrospect was its ability to stop. Such brakes are seldom en­countered in anything on wheels; only in the Bristol and the Porsche 928 have I met their peers. The most sensitive ad­justment of speed to suit the pace of a pedestrian is as readily available at the pedal as the most almighty and sudden substitution of discretion for valor at speeds once the exclusive preserve of aircraft. Chasing time and rainbows along a damp autobahn, I occasionally came up behind some more modest lit­tle car committed to its own humble speedfeast, unable to get back into a slower lane until some daunting feat of bus-beating or beetle-crushing was tremulously accomplished—but a mea­sured squeeze of the pedal would pe­remptorily negate all the Merc’s superi­or speed, to leave it ambling untroubled in the obstacle’s wake with half the orig­inal sighting distance still unconsumed. Whatever the speed or the other circumstances, the SLC brakes were just right. And so was everything else. More