Reviews

From the March 1999 issue of Car and Driver.German engineers mining for torque deposits near Affalterbach must have hit a mother lode. At least, that’s what it feels like from behind the AMG-monogrammed steering wheel of this E55. Somewhere between here and the three­-pointed gun sight at the leading edge of the hood is housed 391 pound-feet of torque, available from 3000 rpm onward. This is the kind of urge that prompts you to adjust your head­rest—and those of the passengers—because a careless thrust at the throttle pedal will, in most circumstances, produce a lunge that snaps back heads faster than a space-shuttle launch.Press the ESP button located on the console, disabling the stability-control system (lighting a prominent yellow tri­angle in the dash), and you can expect wheelspin if you mash the throttle from rest. That’s with the five-speed automatic transmission that is standard equipment, folks. Brake-torque the E55 for a second before you go, and you’ll light up the 35-series rear tires in a serious fashion. HIGHS: Masterful integration of power, poise, and refinement.But if you balance your launch in a mature manner, you can expect propul­sion of a decidedly quick nature: 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in 13.5 seconds at 105 mph. To get that sort of thrust from a big luxury car like this, did AMG turn the E55 into a hot rod of the brutal, kidney-crushing variety? Well, yes and no. Fast it is. Rude it ain’t. In fact, so suave is this E-class muscle car that its real potential will not be recog­nized by many passengers. You could pick up your boss at the airline terminal and transport them to their hotel at quarter-throttle, and they’d swear it was a luxury ride under them. That’s because the quiet 5.4-liter V-8 wuffles along with hydraulic smoothness and slurs gearshifts in a seamless sequence. Even at low revs, there’s enough torque to waft up hills without losing speed or digging for another gear. And only if the roads are bad will your VIP sense the ten­sioned suspension (35 percent higher-rate springs, Bilstein shocks, beefier stabilizer bars) and high-pressure, low-profile doughnuts under them. As for the drivers around you, they’ll just recognize another E-class Benz with the Sport package they’re accustomed to seeing on E430s. Unless they close up tight on the car’s tail, that is, and read the chrome letters that proclaim the car to be an E55 by AMG. Yes, the latest “Hammer” from Mercedes and its in-house speed wizards is a Q-ship. According to Mike Jackson, the recently appointed boss of Mercedes-­Benz of North America, the Germans are currently into inconspicuous consump­tion, and they want their cars—particu­larly the tuner-prepped rocket ships—to be unobtrusive. But that’s not what Jackson wanted for his mid-size giant killer in our market, and the E55 you see here is the resulting compromise. It uses an existing AMG-derived Sport package, but it’s allowed a subdued boast from its tail-mounted insignia, along with subtle AMG badging on the steering wheel and gauge cluster. It’s not a car that needs superfluous decoration, that’s for sure. At a suggested price of $71,717 (cheaper by 15 or so grand than its predecessor, the Porsche-­assembled E500), every one of the 2000 examples earmarked for the U.S. over the next four years will be snapped up. Heck, most of the first shipment will likely be absorbed by dealer principals before the public even gets a shot. Which is a pity, because this is an extraordinary vehicle, versatile beyond our wildest expectations, and as rewarding as the best drivers’ cars around. To have achieved this at a lower price than that of the preceding E500 is commendable, accomplished by keeping as much of the original E-class car intact. Unlike the E500, the E55 is essentially a fully assembled and trimmed vehicle off Mercedes-Benz’s Sindelfingen line before it is sent off to the AMG skunk­works in Affalterbach for its stroked and breathed-upon engine, its heavy-duty V-12-derived transmission, its uprated suspension and brakes, and its big wheels and tires. Because of that, the essence of the E-class car has been pre­served, but with dynamic parameters that have been extended in every way. The primary differences are manifested as a more jiggly ride with much tauter roll control, a throttle that gets into the power without the Benz-signature long and pro­gressive pedal travel, and acceleration—anytime—that is in another league. Oh, yeah, and an engine note that changes from a polite V-8 burble to a hard-edged snarl when the pedal’s down and the tach is reaching for six grand. LOWS: Seats could use more lateral support, steering-wheel spokes are too thick.Surprisingly, the steering-assist mech­anism is identical to that of the E430, and it remains light at most speeds. So light that the mechanism in a BMW 328i feels leaden in comparison. But it directs the E55 with such accuracy and fluency that more weight at the rim doesn’t seem nec­essary. In fact, when you add the car’s tenacious grip (0.88 g on the skidpad) and tightly tied-down body motions to the razor-sharp helm, the E55 can take on almost anything in the corners. But be warned, the driver will likely need some recalibration; the car’s abundantly stiff structure and good isolation lead one to underestimate corner entry speeds. On the introductory ride-and-drive in Napa, California, a couple of drivers from other publications went off the road, and we suspect that those incidents were partly due to the decep­tive ease with which this car gathers speed. What shouldn’t go unno­ticed in the E55 (and this is particularly seductive) is the push in the back you get when you pin the throttle. The torque is so prodigious (41 pound­-feet more than a Corvette’s), and the torque curve so flat, that the E55 pulls hard all the way through each gear, pro­ducing a concerted thrust like that of a 757 on a takeoff run. It just keeps on coming. Aerodynamic drag beyond triple-digit speeds does little to blunt its charge, and our E55 was still accelerating when it hit an electronic limiter at 158 mph. Hard enough to suggest a real top speed somewhere around 180 mph. Still, 158 ought to be enough for most people, and at that speed the E55 tracks as straight as a die. More E55 Archive Reviews and Best AMGsAt more reasonable rates of travel, the E55 assumes its more civilized persona, providing a smooth, quiet ride that will take its occupants on interstate travel with little discomfort. This is perhaps the car’s most noteworthy aspect. When not being flogged hard, it behaves more like a limo than a supercar. In fact, the transmission’s computer reads driver inputs and adjusts its activities accordingly. The compromises you accept for this broad operating bandwidth are few. A sus­pension designed for high speeds and mas­sive cornering potential can’t be expected to traverse broken surfaces without trans­mitting some impact shock and movement into the car. On the other end of the scale, the factory-issue seats (available in all­-black leather or in two-tone combinations of black and blue and black and silver) are firm and supportive enough for a cross­-continent tour, but they lack the wrap­around support of dedicated sport seats. We also found the leather-wrapped wheel (also available in solid or two-tone hues) to have a rather obstructive arrangement of spokes and thumb pads, leaving too little rim available for those of us with large hands. Understand, please, that this is deliberate picking of the smallest nits. For most people’s needs, the mix of sporting and luxury attributes is right on the money. As the two companies involved in the E55’s genesis have drawn closer (AMG is being acquired by Daimler-­Chrysler), so the levels of sophistication have increased. Thus, the E55 retains all the elaborate technical aspects of the V-8-powered E-class cars: the stability- and traction-control systems; the twin-plug cylinder heads; the variable-volume intake tract; the oil-quality monitor-in short, all the assets of a factory-backed product.VERDICT: This is a real everyday supercar.Indeed, this close integration of a leading-edge manufacturer and its spe­cialist engineering consulting service is really what defines the new E55 and its nearly perfect blend of pedigree and power. Remember, 1998 saw Mercedes and AMG bring home two world-champi­onship motorsports trophies as well as launch the E55. It looks like a winning streak to us.Counterpoints Five minutes behind the wheel, and sud­denly I have a new favorite Mercedes. Floor the accelerator on most automatic Mercedes models, and the transmission responds, “You sure you want me to downshift? Positive? Right now? Okay.” Floor the E55, and it says, “Faster? Yesss!” The muted V-8 burble, the taut suspension that still gives an excellent ride, the ultra-low-profile Michelins, the supple leather bucket seats that are as comfy as anything in your living room—the E55 may well be the ulti­mate in understated executive transport. At least until the new BMW M5 migrates to America. —Steven Cole Smith Isn’t it interesting that Mercedes has always subscribed to the American big-engine approach when creating its sports sedans? To create the legendary 300SEL 6.3 back in 1968, Mercedes employed the 6.3-liter V-8 from the 600 limousine. With the new E55, Mercedes has followed the same path by shoehorning its largest V-8 into the mid-size E-class sedan. With about 70 percent more displacement than the base E-class 3.2-liter V-6 has, the E55 is a rocket, flattening you in your seat all the way to its 158-mph governor. And it produces this thrust with effortless refinement, proving once again that there is indeed no substitute for cubic inches. —Csaba CsereArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1999 Mercedes E55 AMGVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $71,717/$73,302Options: six-disc CD changer and cellular telephone, $1495; luxury tax on options, $90
ENGINESOHC V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 332 in3, 5439 cm3Power: 349 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque: 391 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 13.2-in vented disc/11.8-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot SportF: 245/40ZR-18R: 275/35ZR-18
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.5 inLength: 189.4 inWidth: 70.8 inHeight: 56.7 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 51/44 ft3Trunk Volume: 15 ft3Curb Weight: 3765 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.9 sec100 mph: 12.1 sec1/4-Mile: 13.5 sec @ 105 mph130 mph: 22.4 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.1 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.4 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 158 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 156 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.88 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 16/23 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the November 1997 issue of Car and Driver.George Hurst’s first customized shifter was for a 1956 Chevy. It had shorter throws from gear to gear and a more precise feel than stock shifters. In no time, performance drivers everywhere were lining up for them. Detroit automakers were serious about perfor­mance back then, and by the Sixties, a Hurst shifter could be ordered on many cars—even Buicks! In 1968, Hurst went beyond just turning out shifters. He built an Oldsmobile Cut­lass 442 with a huge Toronado 455-cubic-­inch V-8 under the hood. In addition to all that horsepresssure, this Hurst car stressed speed and comfort—something tradition­ally absent in most muscle cars of the day. Moreover, at the time, GM had a ban on engines larger than 400 cubic inches from all but the largest models. Oldsmobile may have seen the Hurst car as one way to get around GM’s policy and keep one serious racehorse in the stable by producing reg­ular Cutlass 442s and then having Hurst perform the engine swap after the cars left the factory. Since 1968, nine Oldsmobiles and three American Motors cars have carried Hurst badging. The latest Hurst car, a modified 1997 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6, developed in a roundabout way. Hurst, now owned by Mr. Gasket, the performance­-parts company, borrowed a car from Pon­tiac to develop a shifter for the Firebird’s automatic transmission.Pontiac PR man Mark Hitchins handed over a black WS6 and suggested that maybe it was time for another Hurst car. Hurst agreed. Since both Pontiac and Hurst wanted the car to be more than just a paint­-and-trim package, they called well-known aftermarket tuner John Lingenfelter. The result is not just a Hurst Firebird—it’s a Hurst Firebird by Lingenfelter. Lingenfelter’s goal was to increase horsepower without jacking up the price too severely. The LT1 engine in a stock 1997 WS6 Firebird with a ram-air intake system makes 305 hp; Lingenfelter wanted to kick that up to 350. Just as Primatene Mist opens up clogged breathing passages, Lingenfelter uncorked the LT1. First, he ported a set of cylinder heads and an intake manifold from the now defunct Corvette Grand Sport’s LT4 engine and installed them. Next came stronger valve springs and pushrods with titanium retainers (these helped allow the redline to increase by 800 revs). Longer roller rocker arms and a Lin­genfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) custom-ground camshaft provided higher lift and more duration. On the exhaust side, Lingenfelter installed new headers and added a Borla stainless-steel exhaust system. To handle the increased power, he specified an alu­minum driveshaft 3.5 inches in diameter and, for more traction, swapped the original Goodyear rubber for Michelin Pilot SX tires, in the same size.Of course, the Hurst six-speed shifter, with its well-established short throws and precise feel, was also added. A Hurst custom job also includes a dose of body cha-cha. A ground-effects package complements the lower body panels, although WS6 Firebirds are already so busy-bodied that it’s tough to notice the new zoot. There is, however, no missing the car’s trick paint job, with gold aluminum wheels and gold paint cov­ering the decklid and the hood.The car is loaded with options. There’s a T-top, power leather seats (they bear badges that say “Hurst Firebird by Lin­genfelter”), a CD and cassette player, cruise control, and power for the mirrors, windows, and locks. More on the Pontiac FirebirdWe like the extra options, but let’s face it: This car is about extra speed. At the track, the 15-percent increase in horse­power pays off. The 0-to-60 routine takes 4.7 seconds, which is 0.6 second quicker than the new LS1-powered ’98 Trans Am. The quarter-mile flashes by in just 13.1 seconds at 111 mph. That makes this Hurst car the quickest set of wheels in the GM stable—outrunning even the new Corvette. (The fastest new Vette we’ve tested hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and ran the quarter­-mile in 13.3 seconds at 109 mph.) The Hurst Firebird is still ahead of the Vette at 150 mph, and it stays there to a whopping terminal velocity of 182 mph, 23 mph faster than the new Trans Am and 7 mph faster than the Vette. Given the Vette’s 345 horsepower rating—that’s five less than this Hurst car—we think Lingenfelter’s estimate of 350 horses is, as even he says, “conservatively low.” Oh, did we mention that the Hurst car generates 0.89 g on the skidpad, which is an improvement of 0.04 over the stock ver­sion? Did we mention there is no free lunch? In 1968, a Hurst package added $400 to the model. Today, it adds $15,495. Tack that onto an already pricey $28,789 WS6 Firebird, and you have—cha-­ching!—a payment schedule involving $44,947. Well, think of this car as the most exclusive ride this side of a Ferrari F50. That’s because only nine of these Hurst Firebirds by Lingenfelter (designated as 1997 models) will make it into customers’ hands. Why so few? The original plan called for 50 cars, but by the time con­tractual details were finalized, only nine WS6 cars, of 3807 built, had yet to be sold. Pontiac and Lingenfelter haven’t inked a deal yet for a Hurst version of the new LS1-powered Firebird, but chances are good they will. Either way, if you were one of the lucky souls to get your hands on a 1997 model, hang on to it. Who knows? Twenty years from now, it just might be worth some serious cash.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1997 Pontiac Hurst Firebird by LingenfelterVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $21,249/$44,947Options: Hurst package (LPE 350-hp engine package, ground effects, Hurst shifter, aluminum driveshaft, gold graphics, car cover, gold aluminum wheels, Michelin Pilot SX 275/40ZR-17 tires, oil cooler, embroidered floor mats and headrests, numbered dash plaque, and key chain), $15,495; WS6 option package (ram-air induction system, air scoops, dual polished exhaust outlets, performance suspension), $3345; 1SB option package (power locks, windows, and mirrors; cruise control; rear-window defroster), $1121; T-tops, $995; leather seats, $829; remote CD changer, $595; steering-wheel radio controls, $200; keyless entry, $150; Delco stereo, $130; theft alarm, $90; power antenna, $85; luxury tax on options, $663
ENGINEpushrod V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 350 in3, 5733 cm3Power: 350 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 375 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm 
TRANSMISSION6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axleBrakes, F/R: 10.7-in vented disc/11.4-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot SX275/40ZR-17
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.1 inLength: 197.0 inWidth: 74.5 inHeight: 52.0 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 53/31 ft3Trunk Volume: 13 ft3Curb Weight: 3554 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.7 sec100 mph: 10.9 sec1/4-Mile: 13.1 sec @ 111 mph130 mph: 18.8 sec150 mph: 30.6 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.6 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 14.0 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 13.5 secTop Speed (drag ltd): 182 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 176 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

From the January 1988 issue of Car and Driver.The traditional wind-in-the-face sports car came perilously close to extinction during the seventies, the victim of an un­usual combination of forces. Horsepower and performance were sapped by the exi­gencies of two energy crises and tighten­ing emissions regulations. A shrinking economy reduced the demand for two­-seaters and other cars of questionable practicality. Finally, a general falling-out­-of-love with the automobile helped to sweep convertibles of all types from the American market.Fortunately, all of these trends have re­versed. Power and performance are at all­-time highs, two-seaters are common again, and convertibles are enjoying a re­markable resurgence. Still, the traditional top-down, two-seat sports car has been slow to bounce back. It’s true that convert­ible editions of the big-gun Chevrolet Corvette, the gold-plated Porsche 911, and the low-volume TVR 280i have been available for several years, but they’re all priced beyond the reach of most buyers. Except for the Panther Kallista, no afford­able top-down sportster has come to mar­ket within the past decade.Until now, that is. Mazda has rectified the situation at last with a new convertible version of its RX-7. It’s only fitting that the RX-7 convertible should herald the return of the affordable topless sports car, for it was the RX-7 coupe that, ten years ago, ushered in the modern era of the afford­able closed sports car. And just as that ma­chine turned thousands of buyers on to the pleasures of sporty automotion, the new convertible, priced at $20,500, should go far to acquaint the newest gen­eration of sporty drivers with the joys of motoring in close communion with the elements. If you are unfamiliar with those joys, take it from us that there are few experi­ences more pleasurable than driving a low-slung open car on a warm, beautiful, sunny day. And to those who remember the roadsters of decades past, we can as­sure you that the sensation of motion and the exposure to the environment are just as satisfying in the RX-7 convertible as they were in an MG TC in the forties. The rest of the driving experience, of course, is far better. Mazda designed the second-generation RX-7 with a convertible in mind right from the start. Instead of being a cut-and­-chopped version of the RX-7 coupe, the new convertible is built on its own assem­bly line and incorporates all the necessary strengthening modifications from the ground up. To make up for the lost structural benefits of a fixed roof, the convertible’s front crossmember, door pillars, rear side frames, and central tunnel are reinforced with additional plates and stiffen­ers. The side sills are stamped from thicker steel, the A-pillars are made with a larger section, and an additional crossmember is added in the rear to stiff­en the suspension area.In the interest of both structural integri­ty and noise isolation, Mazda has given the RX-7 convertible an unusual top design. The top looks like a standard ragtop at first glance, but it consists of two distinct parts. The flat roof above the passengers is a rigid panel made from sheet molding compound, a fiberglass material. The rear portion of the top is a more or less con­ventional fabric-over-folding-frame struc­ture; a welcome departure from convention is a glass rear window, complete with a defroster. The dual-top design allows the overhead panel to be removed to cre­ate a targa effect. Another innovation on the RX-7 con­vertible is a device Mazda calls a “windblocker.” Looking something like an oversize sun visor, it’s a nicely finished, 12-by-43-inch hinged plastic panel locat­ed behind the seats. When the top is down, raising the windblocker extends it several inches above the beltline; in this position it deflects much of the turbulent airflow that would otherwise curl over the windshield and strike the passengers from the rear. Mazda claims that, at 60 mph, the windblocker reduces the velocity of air past the driver’s right ear from more than 15 to about 3 mph. Of course, if one pre­fers the full hurricane effect, the wind­blocker can be folded down.The unusual top design and windblocker turn the RX-7 into a satisfying convertible. Lowering the top is relatively simple, because its two portions are con­nected so that they move as a single unit. First you unlatch two hooks that clamp the flat panel to the windshield header. (These latches are normally hidden by folding cover panels.) Then you turn a knob on the instrument binnacle to acti­vate the two electric motors that retract the top. The rear portion drops into place behind the seats automatically, but you have to undo a catch to allow the rigid part of the roof to fold down and into the stor­age cavity. The final step is to cover the folded top with an old-fashioned, snap-on tonneau; this is the least sophisticated as­pect of the design, but at least it’s tailored well enough so that pulling it into place never becomes a tug of war. With the top down, body shake is mini­mal on good roads. There is no discern­ible bending and little torsional twisting. On very rough roads, the cowl does quiver noticeably when the two ends of the car are twisted in opposite directions, but the RX-7 keeps its tires nicely planted. The windblocker also works as prom­ised. When both it and the windows are raised, the interior is a comfortable co­coon of reasonably still air, with none of the gale-force winds that make conversa­tion and climate control difficult. Mazda hopes that this feature will extend the ap­peal of the RX-7 convertible into climates where warm days are in the minority. On a fiftyish fall Michigan day, we had little trouble keeping the cockpit warm.For even more weather protection, one can drive with the rear portion of the top erected and the overhead panel removed. In this targa configuration, the RX-7’s cockpit is as calm as that of a coupe with an open sunroof. Removing the rigid panel is a bit of a chore, however. First you must fully retract the entire top; then you have to manipulate two sets of latches and cov­ers to detach the fairly heavy panel. Once removed, the panel stows flat in the bot­tom of the trunk (where, fortunately, it doesn’t take up much of the limited lug­gage space). Of course, even though the romantic at­traction of a convertible is topless motor­ing, most convertibles are driven most of­ten with their tops raised. In that mode, the RX-7 convertible is outstanding. With the top up, the car is very rigid, with no de­tectable cowl shake or wiggling on any surface. It’s not quite as solid as an RX-7 coupe, but it compares well with a Cor­vette coupe, for example. And, as Mazda promises, the solid roof panel helps to minimize air leaks, wind howl, and the general buffeting and floppiness inherent in most fabric tops. In other respects the convertible is much like the standard RX-7. It has the same suspension, with struts in front and an elaborate semi-trailing-arm arrange­ment with articulating hubs in the rear. Because the convertible is more than 300 pounds heavier than an equivalent coupe, however, it’s fitted with stiffer springs all around and the larger vented disc brakes from the higher-performance models. The only powertrain available in the convertible is the 146-hp, normally aspi­rated two-rotor engine coupled to a five­-speed manual transmission. To help the convertible achieve the same EPA fuel-­economy ratings as its lighter brethren (17 city, 24 highway), Mazda fits it with a 3.91:1 final drive instead of the 4.10 used on other RX-7s. More Reviews From the ArchiveMaintaining fuel efficiency is certainly a worthy goal, but in this case it takes a se­vere toll on performance. Our convertible needed 9.2 seconds to reach 60 mph from rest and 16.9 seconds to cover the stand­ing quarter-mile. The 1986 RX-7 GXL we tested two years ago hit 60 mph in but 7.7 seconds and sprinted through the quarter in 16 seconds flat. The differences are even greater in top gear: the convertible needs more than nineteen seconds to am­ble from 30 to 50 or from 50 to 70 mph, whereas the earlier car ran both tests in the high-twelve-second range. At least the convertible’s ultimate velocity, aided by a top-up drag coefficient of 0.33, matches the coupe’s 124-mph performance. With the top down, the drag coefficient rises to 0.38, and top speed falls to 118 mph. The driver can compensate for the per­formance shortfall to some extent by us­ing the lower gears to stay in the engine’s upper rev range. The rotary spins willing­ly enough, and staying above 4000 rpm brings the extra benefit of avoiding the annoying throttle dashpot that otherwise makes smooth shifting impossible. Such tactics, of course, cancel out the fuel-effi­ciency advantage of the taller axle ratio. Perhaps we wouldn’t miss the power if the RX-7 convertible were a driving dull­ard. It’s anything but that: the topless model exhibits the same crisp road man­ners we’ve come to expect from other RX-7s. The suspension keeps body mo­tions under tight control, yet the ride is comfortably supple and the steering is precise and agile. There is plenty of grip available as well, with a peak adhesion of 0.80 g. Stability at the limit is excellent. The convertible’s standard equipment includes an upgraded sound system, 6.5-inch-wide BBS wheels, and power steer­ing, windows, and mirrors. An options package on our test car included leather seats, a compact-disc player, and dual speakers in each headrest. The sound sys­tem produced beautiful music, and the speaker locations made it easy to enjoy whether the top was up or down. Aside from its disappointing accelera­tion, we can find little fault with Mazda’s new convertible. It offers all the benefits of open motoring but presents few of the traditional drawbacks. And when its equipment additions are taken into ac­count, it costs only about $3000 more than the RX-7 coupe. That makes the RX-7 convertible the best deal in topless sports cars on the market.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1988 Mazda RX-7 ConvertibleVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $20,759/$24,018Options: option package (includes leather seats, compact-disc player, cruise control, tilt steering, headrest speakers), $2400; air conditioning, $859
ENGINE
two-rotor Wankel, aluminum rotor housings, cast-iron end plates, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 80 in3, 1308 cm3Power: 146 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 138 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/semi-trailing armBrakes, F/R: 10.9-in vented disc/10.7-in vented discTires: Bridgestone Potenza RE71205/60VR-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 95.7 inLength: 168.9 inWidth: 66.5 inHeight: 49.8 inPassenger Volume, F: 48 ft3Trunk Volume: 4 ft3Curb Weight: 3012 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.2 sec1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 82 mph100 mph: 28.9 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 19.3 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 19.4 secTop Speed: 124 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 196 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMYObserved: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 17/24 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDContributing EditorCsaba 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 LeMons racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, and trio of motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.  More

From the September 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Having options is a great thing. Succession or Ted Lasso tonight? Nikes or Skechers to the office today? French fries or a side salad with lunch? BMW is now offering buyers of its all-new max-luxe 7-series sedan an intriguing choice: Gas or electric? With either, the rest of the menu is the same. BMW isn’t the only carmaker building internal-combustion and battery-powered vehicles on the same platform; Ford, Genesis, and Volvo are doing it too. BMW is, however, the first in the upper-crust luxury-sedan space to try it. The 7-series competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-class, but BMW’s rival puts its lozenge-shaped EQS EV on bespoke underpinnings. BMW’s twofer strategy offers the opportunity for a different kind of comparison test: pitting a car against itself. We gathered the gas-fired 760i xDrive and the electric i7 xDrive60 and drove them back to back in hopes of revealing whether one of those propulsion systems better supports the 7-series’ luxury mission. The 760i and the i7 are a natural match for this platform comparison. The 760i’s S68 twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 and the i7’s pair of current-excited AC synchronous motors spin up an identical 536 horses. (The other gas model in the 7-series lineup, the six-cylinder 740i, puts out 375 horsepower.) Torque output is within four pound-feet of each other too. Serendipity. The gas and electric 7s hide their true identities beneath a cloak of virtually identical bodywork. Hint: If you don’t see exhaust tips, it’s the EV. Their mirror-image cabins are a haven of peace, haute design, and plush materials. Climb behind the wheel of either, and you’ll feel like your net worth just shot up faster than a SpaceX rocket. It’s a long scroll down the list of standard equipment, as it should be with cars that start at these prices—$117,395 for the 760i and $120,295 for the i7. From the super-soft leather covering almost every surface and the glass control knobs to the 655-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system with its delicately hewn metal speaker grilles, every detail is beautifully executed.Greg Pajo|Car and DriverGreg Pajo|Car and DriverThat’s just the start. The 7-series offers a tempting menu of decadent, labor-saving, and driver-assist side dishes. Both of our test cars had enough delectable extras to rival a Rolls-Royce. The good stuff included massaging front and rear seats, a reclining “lounge” right-rear passenger’s seat with a fold-out footrest, automatic doors that power themselves open and closed at the touch of a button (yes, just like on a Rolls), a 31.3-inch fold-down rear screen for streaming entertainment, and an even more powerful Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 36 speakers. All in, their as-tested stickers were close, at $151,845 for the 760i and $151,995 for the i7. Of course, it’s what burbles and hums underneath this master-of-the-universe extravagance that distinguishes these doppelgängers. While the 760i’s front-engine all-wheel-drive layout is thoroughly conventional, the i7 snuggles its flat, 4.3-inch-high, 101.7-kWh battery under the cabin. Getting it to fit required raising the cabin floor slightly, which BMW says reduces rear leg-room by a half-inch—not that you can tell. It’s like a limo back there, essentially identical to the 760i, with enough room for a six-foot human to stretch out fully in the reclining lounge seat once the front passenger’s chair dutifully motors forward. The i7’s raised floorpan reduces trunk space slightly, from 19 cubic feet to 18, and there’s no frunk to make up for the loss.While virtually everything you can see and touch is interchangeable between the gas and electric 7s, their defining personality traits reveal themselves on the road. Where the i7 whooshes, the 760i thrums. The i7 accelerates silently and seamlessly, its progress uninterrupted by a transmission shifting gears. The 760i moves out with the V-8’s expensive-sounding music as a constant, if muted, presence. The gas car’s eight-speed automatic goes almost unnoticed. The V-8 rips too, hurling the 5317-pound 760i to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds at 117 mph—numbers that are almost dead-on with the new M2’s. The i7 weighs 6084 pounds—batteries are heavy—so it’s no surprise that its straight-line sprints lag behind the 760i’s. The i7, too, benefits from all-wheel-drive traction, and with a 60-mph time of 4.4 seconds and a 12.7-second quarter-mile at 114 mph, it’s plenty quick enough to cause passengers to spill their champagne. Performance numbers aside, the i7’s dead-quiet, smooth-as-melting-Häagen-Dazs demeanor wowed us. “If you told someone there was a Rolls-Royce V-12 up front,” said executive editor K.C. Colwell, “they would believe you.” Electric propulsion feels like a perfect fit with the 7-series’ mission of separate-me-from-reality luxury. Greg Pajo|Car and DriverGreg Pajo|Car and DriverThe i7 has the 760i’s moves too, despite carrying 767 more pounds. Our cars wore optional 21-inch summer rubber and had active anti-roll bars. These BMWs proved nimble for such big boats and close in terms of braking distance and skidpad grip, but they’re not sports sedans. Their air-spring suspensions are tuned for isolation and total comfort rather than back-road shenanigans, and they do a convincing job of repaving even the worst roads. Stress-free convenience is a luxury too, and there’s no question that a car you can fill up anytime, anywhere, with gasoline is easier to live with than one that needs plugging in. Score one for the 760i. But the i7 delivers enough miles between charges to mitigate range anxiety. On our 75-mph highway range test, the electric Bimmer was good for 310 miles, beating its EPA estimate by two miles—though that’s still 40 miles short of what a Mercedes-Benz EQS580 4Matic delivered in our testing. Recharging at home won’t be particularly quick. The i7’s 11.0-kW onboard charger will take the big battery from zero to 100 percent on a Level 2 charger in 10.5 hours, according to BMW. In our DC fast-charge test, conducted at a 350-kW charging station, the i7’s battery level went from 10 to 90 percent in 47 minutes at an average of 102 kilowatts with a peak charging rate of 194 kilowatts. The EQS580 and the Tesla Model S Plaid fast-charge their batteries quicker. We probably don’t need to remind you, but there’s nothing luxurious about a longer wait.Greg Pajo|Car and DriverGreg Pajo|Car and DriverBoth the 760i xDrive and the i7 xDrive60 are elegant, plush, and poised. But one of them is better at the luxury sedan’s core mission of isolating passengers from noise, vibration, and harshness. The hushed powertrain of the i7 puts it closer than its gas sibling to that sensory-deprivation-tank ideal. Yet if you plan on taking cross-country road trips, the 760i would be your no-stress travel companion. You could make the same journeys in an i7, but that would require more planning and a little luck, given the spotty state of America’s charging infrastructure. Stay mainly within 150 miles of home, though, and the creamy, dreamy i7 xDrive60 is the 7-series to have. As options go, that’s an easy one.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 BMW 760i xDriveVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $117,395/$151,845 Options: Rear Executive Lounge Seating (reclining seat and footrest, Executive Lounge rear console, BMW Theater Screen), $7250; BMW Individual Composition (Alcantara headliner), $5450; Bowers & Wilkins sound system, $4800; Executive package (automatic doors, crystal headlights, front massaging seats), $3700; Autobahn package (Active Comfort Drive w/ preview, active roll stabilization), $3600; Luxury Rear Seating package (multifunction rear seats, rear massaging seats), $3000; Driving Assistance Pro package (Active Driving Assistant Pro, Highway Assistant), $2100; 21-inch M Aerodynamic Jet Black wheels, $1300; Climate Comfort laminated glass, $1300; M Sport Professional package, $950; Parking Assistance package (Parking Assistant Professional, surround view w/ 3D view), $900; interior camera, $100 
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 268 in3, 4395 cm3Power: 536 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 553 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink, air springs, active anti-roll bar/multilink, air springs, active anti-roll barBrakes, F/R: 15.6-in vented disc/15.7-in vented discTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4F: 255/40R-21 (102Y) PNCS ★R: 285/35R-21 (105Y) ★
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 126.6 inLength: 212.2 inWidth: 76.8 inHeight: 60.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 58/54 ft3Trunk Volume: 19 ft3Curb Weight: 5317 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.5 sec100 mph: 8.6 sec1/4-Mile: 11.9 sec @ 117 mph130 mph: 14.7 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.7 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.5 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.0 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 156 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 160 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 331 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 30 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 580 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/18/26 mpg
— 
2023 BMW i7 xDrive60Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $120,295/$151,995 Options: Rear Executive Lounge Seating (reclining seat and footrest, executive lounge rear console, BMW Theater Screen), $7250; Executive package (active comfort drive w/ preview, automatic doors, crystal headlights, front massaging seats, active-roll stabilization), $6550; BMW Individual Composition (Alcantara headliner), $5450; Bowers & Wilkins sounds system, $4800; Driving Assistance Pro package (Active Driving Assistance Pro, Highway Assistant) $2100; 21-inch aerodynamic wheels, $1300; climate comfort laminated glass, $1300; Parking Assistance package (Parking Assistant Professional, surround view w/ 3D view), $1250; Smoke White Full Merino leather, $1000;  Luxury Rear Seating package (rear massaging seats), $600; interior camera, $100 
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: current-excited synchronous AC, 255 hp, 269 lb-ft Rear Motor: current-excited synchronous AC, 308 hp, 280 lb-ft Combined Power: 536 hpCombined Torque: 549 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 101.7 kWhOnboard Charger: 11.0 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 195 kWTransmissions: direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink, air springs, active anti-roll-bar/multilink, air-springs, active anti roll barBrakes, F/R: 14.7-in vented disc/14.6-in vented discTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4F: 255/40R-21 (102Y) PNCS ★R: 285/35R-21 (105Y) ★
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 126.6 inLength: 212.2 inWidth: 76.8 inHeight: 60.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 58/54 ft3Trunk Volume: 18 ft3Curb Weight: 6084 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.4 sec100 mph: 9.8 sec1/4-Mile: 12.7 sec @ 114 mph130 mph: 18.4 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.6 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.5 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 150 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 162 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 331 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.92 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING
Observed: 73 MPGe75-mph Highway Driving: 94 MPGe75-mph Highway Range: 310 miAverage DC Fast-Charge Rate, 10–90%: 102 kWDC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 47 min
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 87/85/89 MPGeRange: 310 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDirector, Buyer’s GuideRich Ceppos has evaluated automobiles and automotive technology during a career that has encompassed 10 years at General Motors, two stints at Car and Driver totaling 19 years, and thousands of miles logged in racing cars. He was in music school when he realized what he really wanted to do in life and, somehow, it’s worked out. In between his two C/D postings he served as executive editor of Automobile Magazine; was an executive vice president at Campbell Marketing & Communications; worked in GM’s product-development area; and became publisher of Autoweek. He has raced continuously since college, held SCCA and IMSA pro racing licenses, and has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He currently ministers to a 1999 Miata and a 1965 Corvette convertible and appreciates that none of his younger colleagues have yet uttered “Okay, Boomer” when he tells one of his stories about the crazy old days at C/D. More

It seems like every mainstream SUV now offers a rugged-looking off-road variant. With its redesigned 2023 Pilot, Honda beefed up the TrailSport trim, giving this version of the three-row crossover additional equipment to enhance its off-pavement capabilities. But what if you’re not tackling trails? What if you’re just shuttling kids around, hauling cargo, and taking road trips? Then you might choose the Honda Pilot Elite. We tested that model to see how the normcore version differs from its tough-guy sibling.HIGHS: Well-packaged interior, unruffled ride, better fuel economy than the TrailSport.What we found is that it doesn’t—at least not by much. And that’s kind of surprising. Typically, we see that a mainstream model will beat the off-road specialist in several key areas, owing to more pavement-oriented tires and a more street-friendly suspension. We’d expect lower noise, better fuel economy, more cornering grip, and possibly a shorter braking distance. We saw some of these trends with the Ford Explorer Timberline and the Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek as compared with their mainstream counterparts. But—with one major exception—results for the Pilot TrailSport were not surpassed by those of the Pilot Elite.All Pilots use a 3.5-liter V-6, which is heavily revised this year—switching from a single-overhead-cam setup to dual overhead cams—but sees only a token 5-hp increase to 285 horsepower. The naturally aspirated engine’s peak 262 lb-ft of torque arrives at 5000 rpm, so you need to rev this V-6 harder than most turbocharged engines. The Elite was 0.3 ticks behind the TrailSport in both the sprint to 60 mph (7.2 seconds) and the quarter-mile (15.7 seconds at 90 mph), and the Elite also ran 0.2 behind its brawnier sibling in the 50-to-70-mph passing acceleration test. Moreover, all of these results are toward the back of the class when looking at rival three-rows.This powertrain may not be an acceleration champ, but it need not make any apologies for its drivability, with silky tip-in. The smooth-shifting transmission doesn’t hesitate to shuffle through the 10 available forward ratios, keeping the engine from lugging up hills.All-wheel drive is standard on the Elite, as it is on the TrailSport (all other trims come standard with front-wheel drive). According to the EPA, the Pilot Elite’s 19-mpg city rating is 1 mpg better than the TrailSport’s, and the 25-mpg highway estimate is 2 mpg better than the more off-road-oriented model. We found the difference to be greater in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, however, where the Pilot Elite returned 27 mpg to the TrailSport’s 22 mpg. That’s about where the Elite superiority ended, though. It recorded the same, somewhat disappointing 189-foot stop from 70 mph, and it held no advantage on the skidpad, with a 0.84-g result lagging the TrailSport’s 0.85 g. Granted, that cornering grip is good for this segment, as the all-wheel-drive Pilot’s rear axle can apportion torque from side to side to aid agility. Too bad the numb, overboosted steering provides no incentive to explore that capability and also has little sense of on-center when you’re cruising down the highway.In such a scenario, you might engage Honda’s standard lane-keeping assist, which works well, even if it’s twitchier than a smooth human driver would be. The system does require a hand on the wheel but can be used independently of the adaptive cruise control. Adding to the road-trip bliss, the suspension does an excellent job of sopping up broken pavement, transmitting with minimal disturbance to the cabin, and yet ride motions are well controlled.LOWS: Numb steering, long 70-mph stopping distance, top trim could be fancier.Whereas the TrailSport dials up the ride height by 1.0 inch for extra ground clearance, other Pilots are slightly easier to climb into. All have easy access to the standard third row, as one push button scoots and tilts the second-row seat out of the way for access to the rearmost bench. Climb back there, and you discover it’s roomy enough for an average-size adult, provided the middle row isn’t set all the way back. It likely won’t be, since the second row is very spacious and also features a flat floor.Though the 2023 Pilot is nearly four inches longer than its predecessor, it’s still far from the biggest in its competitive set, and it certainly does not feel as massive from behind the wheel as, say, the Volkswagen Atlas or the Chevrolet Traverse. The pillars haven’t become super beefy, and the Pilot affords its pilot a decent view out. There’s also a multiview camera system that’s exclusive to the Elite and the TrailSport. Related StoriesThe new model’s extra length pays dividends in cargo space—we fit six carry-on-bag-sized boxes behind the third row. There’s also a fairly large bay under the floor, big enough to stow the removable center section of the second-row bench. (Some Pilots, with second-row captain’s chairs, have a smaller underfloor bay.)The driver enjoys a fairly straightforward interface, outside of the push-button shifting (which Honda has abandoned in the latest Accord), and we appreciate the physical climate controls. The 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the upper trims has wireless phone mirroring, although in our experience, Android Auto wouldn’t always pair wirelessly. The head-up display is an Elite exclusive, as is the screen-based instrument cluster.Console stowage is fairly typical, though it’s supplemented by a shelf in front of the front-seat passenger. The $53,755 Elite is the very fanciest Pilot, and our test vehicle had no-cost two-tone brown and black leather. The design and materials are pleasant enough, but there’s nothing here to worry the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy.VERDICT: Either Pilot takes you on much the same journey.So, it turns out that either Honda Pilot variant delivers much the same experience. The pavement-focused version has a material advantage in fuel economy over the off-road model, but that’s about the extent of it. Choose your flight path accordingly.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Honda Pilot EliteVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 8-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $53,755/$53,755
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 212 in3, 3471 cm3Power: 285 hp @ 6100 rpmTorque: 262 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in discTires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S255/50R-20 105H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.8 inLength: 199.9 inWidth: 78.5 inHeight: 71.0 inPassenger Volume, F/M/R: 57/57/40 ft3Cargo Volume, behind F/M/R: 87/49/19 ft3Curb Weight: 4670 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 90 mph100 mph: 20.1 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.6 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.1 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.4 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 112 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 189 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 27 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 490 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/19/25 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDDeputy Editor, Reviews and FeaturesJoe 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

From the November 1997 issue of Car and Driver.Since its debut in Paris in 1975, the Giugiaro-penned Esprit, among the world’s supercars, has always been something of a red-headed stepchild. Not for its wedge­-of-Colby shape—which to­day, frankly, is beginning to look a little moldy—but for its four-cylinder engine. In Club Supercar, the price of admis­sion has always been at least twice that many pistons, though a turbo’d six might pass muster if it hailed from Stuttgart. Twenty-two years into the Esprit’s life, Lotus has finally fitted this cuneiform conun­drum with an alloy powerplant of appro­priate snootiness: four camshafts, 32 valves, eight cylinders, two Garrett T25 turbochargers, and a flat-plane crankshaft. Get all that hardware whirring harmo­niously and it whips up 350 horsepower—50 more than the raucous 2.2-liter four-­banger produced in the old Esprit S4S.More Lotus Reviews From the ArchiveOf course, flat cranks are prone to drone and emit hard­-edged metallic thrashing noises that are—and this must be a coincidence—remark­ably like the noises emanating from Lotus’s peaky old K­-car–ish 2.2. With the throttle wide open, the new V-8 con­jures 89 dBA of cacophony, which is within an aural hair of matching the trucklike din inside a Dodge Viper GTS.Partly because of the turbos, the V-8’s response isn’t particu­larly Viperish, either. Sub-3000-rpm torque—the sort of grunt you’d like while tootling around corners in second gear—is largely AWOL. In fact, the V-8 disap­points on almost every count until you’re really cuffing it hard, running to the 6900-rpm redline in each gear (where the vibra­tion, incidentally, sets interior trim bits to buzzing in sympathy). Which is also when you notice the countryside beginning to blur past in dizzying spurts, like an 8mm home movie that has vaulted its sprockets.Though the new V-8 may not sound Ferrari-esque, it certainly inspires the Esprit to supercar velocities. Sixty mph now manifests in a spine-straightening 4.1 seconds—three-tenths quicker than the old four-cylinder Esprit S4S and seven-tenths sooner than the still-older Esprit Turbo SE. In fact, that 0-to-60 time places this Lotus only a tenth of a second behind a Viper GTS, which, of course, has the advantage of two more cylinders and 100 extra horse­power. The Esprit V-8 decimates the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 112 mph—three-tenths and 4 mph better than the old S4S. And it rushes to 150 mph 10.3 sec­onds sooner than the S4S, placing this Lotus only one second shy of the 0-to-150-mph time of, say, a Ferrari F355. HIGHS: Sheer velocity, as in 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds and a 173-mph top speed.Top speed is up, too, from the S4S’s 162 mph to a more provocative 173 mph, which comes with the V-8 bawling and fuming at 6100 rpm. Running at that clip around our standard four-mile high-­banked oval, the Esprit was stable—not exactly a rock, but as confidently planted as a CS Corvette running at a like speed. What’s more, the Esprit V-8 would have logged even quicker results were its shifter not so diabolical. The linkage is stiff and imprecise and undergoes as many jerks and seizures between throws as Mark Fidrych. At random intervals, we were locked out of first and reverse. Helping not at all is a heavy clutch—with abrupt takeup in the last inch of travel, plus suf­ficient driveline windup that you soon learn never to jump too quickly out of the throttle lest you snap your passenger’s head. Around town, the Esprit resists being driven smoothly. Whether it’s the fault of the new 18-inch Michelin rear tires we can’t say, but this Esprit steered less confidently than previous examples. Although the steering is generally progressive and nicely weighted, it is hesitant to self-center and is not altogether diligent about seeking straight ahead, a nuisance on bumpy inter­states. Of course, what Lotuses do best is handle. Fortunately, the new V-8 increases the Esprit’s weight by only 98 pounds and exaggerates its rear bias by a mere two per­cent. Skidpad grip hangs steady at a tendon-popping 0.94 g, same as the S4S, same as a Porsche 911 Turbo S. Pitch this Esprit hard into an on-ramp and it’s as flat and vice-free as an Iowa councilman. In sharper turns, a steady throttle will induce benign understeer; provoke the pedal and you’ll trigger a couple of don’t-tread-on-me warning twitches, but the car remains less likely to swap ends than an Acura NSX. LOWS: Heavy clutch, balky shifter, thrashy idle, cramped cockpit.The ride is acceptable by current supercar standards, but if you live near truly rough roads, beware: The suspension condones approximately one inch of supple flex before the dampers stiffen into solid-steel I-beams. Fortunately, the narrow seats are comfortable for four-hour stints, though the skinny footwells taper inward so that the driver’s left foot has nowhere to rest except atop—sometimes behind—the clutch. The Esprit’s Brembo calipers—as big as individual loaves of pumpernickel—­look and act like racing brakes. They work better as friction builds. At first, pedal effort is high, but if you’re willing to flatten a Florsheim to engage the new Kelsey-Hayes ABS, you can dispose of 70 mph in only 165 feet. That’s not far off our supercar standard of 151 feet, set by a 911 Turbo S. Discriminating pedestrians still go berserk when they spy an Esprit, and they often guess at a sticker price twice the reality. Our car looked notably fetching and malevolent in Bat Masterson black, a shade that helps camouflage the tack-on wheel-well flares. Alas, peering out of an Esprit is still akin to peeking through a gun slit in a dark bunker, so you won’t see many passersby gesturing an appreciative thumbs up. You also won’t see concrete parking stanchions, one of which smote our test car’s wing a concussive lick. It’s nice that Lotus is holding the line on the Esprit’s price. The V-8’s base, including a $1300 guzzler tax (but before luxury tax), is $81,620. Compare that with the $80,645 sticker on the 1990 Turbo SE and you can see that the asking price, over the past seven years, has risen negligibly. Of course, the car has looked the same all those years, too. But that may not matter. Only 155 Esprit V-8s are earmarked for U.S. buyers this year. Heck, if you were to gather every Esprit ever built, you’d have only 9383 of the things—about the number of Explorers that Ford produced in one week last July. VERDICT: Though the V-8 places the Esprit foursquare in supercardom, the rest of the vehicle is showing its 22-year age.That this is the best-assembled and fastest Esprit in the model’s 22-year his­tory is undisputed. The paint on our raven bombshell, for instance, was the best we’ve seen on any Lotus. But the Esprit’s bizarre ergonomics—just try to operate the Alpine stereo, we dare you—plus its pan­cake-flat windscreen and its archaic archi­tecture conspire to advertise this car’s age a little too freely. We can’t help wondering what Lotus’s engineers, given the fiscal wherewithal, might accomplish given a clean sheet of foolscap. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1998 Lotus Esprit V-8Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $85,270/$85,270
ENGINEtwin-turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 214 in3, 3504 cm3Power: 350 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 295 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.7-in vented disc/7.9-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot SXF: 235/40ZR-17R: 285/35ZR-18
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.0 inLength: 172.0 inWidth: 73.5 inHeight: 45.3 inPassenger Volume: 49 ft3Trunk Volume: 8 ft3Curb Weight: 3067 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.1 sec100 mph: 10.2 sec1/4-Mile: 12.7 sec @ 112 mph130 mph: 18.6 sec150 mph: 29.7 secRolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.4 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 8.4 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.7 secTop Speed (drag ltd): 173 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 165 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.94 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 15/23 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

Lucid’s lead chassis engineer punched me in the face. It wasn’t on purpose. I’d asked David Lickfold to video the speedometer while I tried the launch control in the 2024 Air Sapphire, and even knowing what to expect, he couldn’t fight the forces of physics. The phone hit my cheekbone with a hard crack, and the rest of the video is just me laughing and Lickfold apologizing. It earned me an afternoon with an ice pack, but it’s a heck of a way to demonstrate the acceleration of Lucid Motors’ supersedan. The Air MaxFrom the get-go, Lucid knew it wanted to offer an all-out version of the Air. The Air Sapphire aims to establish Sapphire as a performance subbrand, like AMG or SVR, that could find its way to future models, such as the upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV. This was quite an engineering ask. Even one of the most laid-back of Lucid’s cars, the dual-motor Air Pure, will get to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, which is already high-performance territory for most machines. The Lucid team had to not only make Sapphire stand out with unheard-of performance numbers but also give it daily drivability. They didn’t hold back. The three-motor Air Sapphire has 1234 peak horsepower, which is unleashed in its Track mode, and 1430 lb-ft of torque. It also has bragworthy claims of a top speed of 205 mph and a 0-to-60 time of 1.9 seconds, quick enough to knock the wind out of your chest and imprint your face on a phone screen. Our test drive was more of a teaser—full testing and track time will come later this year, although we already ran a Sapphire development prototype around Virginia International Raceway. There were enough turns and straightaways on our quick jaunt to get some sense of how madcap bonkers the Sapphire is. Not only will it slam your head back fast enough to emboss the Lucid bear logos from the headrest in the back of your skull, but it also turns and, thankfully, brakes, like a car half its size and weight. There’s a lot of wizardry going on under the Sapphire’s peaceful midnight-blue metalflake to make it go and stop like it does. Everything from the traction-control system to the suspension knuckles have been tweaked or, in some cases, completely redesigned with massive horsepower management in mind. Lucid Air Sapphire DesignThe Sapphire’s exterior isn’t race-car shouty like some of its winged and tunneled GT competitors. “I think we’re all big fans of what I would call ‘high performance under the radar,'” said Derek Jenkins, senior VP of design for Lucid. Don’t look for a big swan-neck wing or hollowed-out body panels. If you want to spot the Sapphire, note the extended front splitter etched with the Sapphire name and the taller rear ducktail for improved stability at high speed. The Sapphire also does away with the glass canopy roof, replacing it with aluminum, which weighs less and lowers the center of gravity. The whole car sits lower on larger, wider wheels and tires, 20 inches in the front and 21 in the rear, both wrapped in a just-for-Sapphire Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tire that uses a firmer compound in the center and a stickier rubber for the shoulders to optimize grip in the corners and traction in a straight line. The wheels are an open-spoke design specific to Sapphire and come with optional carbon-fiber aero covers. Although who would want to hide those massive carbon-ceramic rotors? They look like small planets orbiting behind the wheels—16.5-inch rotors with 10-piston calipers in the front and 15.4-inch rotors with four-piston calipers in the rear. Lickfold says that the team tested several variants of rotor before choosing discs from U.K.-based Surface Transforms, a company that specializes in carbon-ceramic made from longer strands of fiber for better thermal management. If you’re going to make a street car that runs a 9.0-second quarter-mile time, it’s a good feature if it can slow down at the finish line. Repeatedly. Inside, the Sapphire retains the large screen and minimalist layout of other Lucid Air models but adds bolstering to the front seats and some sporty flourishes, such as blue stitching on the dark-gray Alcantara seats and door panels. The same material covers the headliner, which would make the interior a dark, mousey cave in a smaller car, but looks lush in the Lucid’s large cabin. Unlike some high-performance variants, Lucid decided against de-contenting the interior for weight savings, so the sport seats still offer heating, ventilation, and massage functions. The rear seat remains fully padded for passengers. Jenkins says that while there are growing numbers of EV track clubs, the majority of buyers for the Sapphire are looking for a daily flex, not an all-out racer, so maintaining comfort and utility was crucial to a successful design. The Sapphire’s Engineering ChangesThe majority of changes in the Sapphire are really under the Sapphire, in its third motor, retuned suspension, and unnervingly quick chassis software. With one motor up front and two in the rear, the Sapphire needed to be able to control power delivery both front to rear and, in the back, left to right. Putting down more than 1000 horsepower, even to wide, sticky tires, requires ultraquick adjustments. Chassis engineer Lickfold says the available vendor-supplied traction-control systems could react every 20 milliseconds. The Sapphire’s in-house central vehicle control unit measures and responds in one millisecond. “It’s faster than humans can perceive,” he said, right before instructing me to floor the car in the apex of a left-hand turn. I did, and there was barely a chirp as the big sedan leaped forward into the appropriate lane. It’s unnatural. Drive this car for a few weeks, and it would be hard to go back to anything else again. Related StoriesThe new software isn’t just for terrifying passengers on corner exit. It can also be used to adjust the Sapphire’s handling characteristics, slowing or speeding the rear wheels independently of each other to mimic the sedate turning radius of a long luxury car or the sharp reactions of a rear-wheel-drive V-8 in a short-wheelbase vehicle. In addition to the existing models’ Smooth and Swift drive modes, there’s a Sapphire mode that feeds in more of the available 1234 horses, and a Track mode that relaxes the traction management and tightens up steering and suspension. Track mode opens a sub-menu that includes Dragstrip, Hot Lap, and Endurance programs, which condition the battery and energy management to offer the most for a short time, or enough to go a longer session. Think of them as Qualifying and Track Day settings. Air Sapphire Range and PriceWith such a short stint behind the wheel, we barely put a dent in the Sapphire’s promised 427 miles of range. The Sapphire uses a 118.0-kWh battery, and with a 900-volt architecture, it should be able to recharge at rates up to 300 kW at a DC fast-charger. The Sapphire is on sale now, with a starting price of $250,575, and deliveries should begin in September 2023. In the EV horsepower wars, Lucid may have just thrown a knockout punch. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Lucid Air SapphireVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base: $250,575
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous ACRear Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous ACCombined Power: 1234 hpCombined Torque: 1430 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 118.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 19.2 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 300 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.5 inLength: 197.5 inWidth: 78.5 inHeight: 55.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 61/45 ft3Cargo Volume: 32 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 5400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 1.9 sec100 mph: 3.8 sec1/4-Mile: 9.0 secTop Speed: 205 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 105/104/105 MPGeRange: 427 miSenior Editor, FeaturesLike a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews.     More

Lotus is rightly proud of the chassis-tuning expertise that has created so many fine roadgoing sports cars over the decades. Yet the British company has long been agnostic when it comes to the question of where it gets its engines. The list of previous suppliers includes Ford, Renault, GM, Rover, Honda, and Toyota. Now that list has a new addition: Mercedes-AMG, which builds the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that powers the entry-level 2024 Lotus Emira.This is the M139 engine that is used in models including the CLA45 and GLA45, although Lotus is getting a lower state of tune. In the Emira hierarchy, it sits below the existing V-6—which uses a supercharged 3.5-liter engine from Toyota—but the gap in performance (also in price) between the two variants is small. The four-cylinder makes 360 horsepower, while the V-6 has 400 ponies, and the smaller engine produces slightly more torque—317 lb-ft versus 310. According to Lotus’s own claims, the 2.0-liter’s 4.3-second 60-mph time is just a tenth behind the V-6’s. Complicating that comparison is the fact that the two engines don’t share a transmission. The V-6 has a standard six-speed manual and the option of a six-speed torque-converter automatic. The four-cylinder is paired solely with the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic that’s familiar from transverse-mounted AMG powertrains. The mass of the new gearbox means the four-cylinder is barely lighter than the six, with Lotus claiming a 3187-pound curb weight for the 2.0-liter car and 3212 pounds for the 3.5. The company says a new cast-aluminum rear subframe is responsible for 26 pounds of weight reduction—or one pound less than the difference. Despite their proximity on paper, this second Emira variant possesses a very different personality. The AMG engine has huge muscle but feels less sophisticated than the supercharged V-6. At low rpm, there is noticeable turbo lag, and even at higher revs, it takes a couple of beats for boost to build in response to sudden accelerator inputs. The inline-four is also louder than the V-6, with an exhaust note that turns gravelly at higher speeds and wider throttle openings, overlaid by plenty of induction noise and whistle from the turbocharger. All of this adds to the excitement, if not the sense of refinement. When we first drove the V-6 Emira, we reckoned that its engine lacked character. The inline-four may well have too much. As in its Mercedes applications, the dual-clutch gearbox shifts quickly and near seamlessly, changing gears much more quickly than is possible with the V-6’s manual (we have yet to experience the six-cylinder’s torque-converter auto). In drive, the gearbox alters its shifting strategy according to which of the Emira’s dynamic modes is selected. But even in the softest Tour setting, the system kicks down aggressively under modest throttle increases, presumably to help spin up the turbo. Sport mode brings an even more aggressive algorithm and a flat-out refusal to upshift into the tallest gears even when cruising. (And with eighth gear pulling 1500 rpm at an indicated 65 mph, the tallest gear is very tall.)Fortunately, manual gear selection is simple and enjoyable, with pleasingly solid-feeling metal shift paddles behind the steering wheel. When the gearbox’s electronic brain anticipates a shift, gearchanges are delivered almost seamlessly—shifting up when accelerating or down when braking. But we did notice foibles. It was easy to hit the rev limiter when upshifting at the prompt of the digital dashboard’s upshift warning, as if the display were lagging slightly. The transmission also often grew confused when asked to deliver multiple upshifts or downshifts close together, with a pause that was often long enough to trigger a second request and greater confusion. The main gear selector always defaults to a central position and requires double inputs to change gear. In drive, pushing it forward first engages neutral; a second push forward is needed to get into reverse. Going from reverse to drive is the same two-stage process, which was mildly irritating.When we finally get to run numbers on both variants, we would be unsurprised to discover that the four-cylinder is the quickest Emira, thanks to both its ultraquick transmission and a launch-control function. To activate launch control in Sport or Track modes, left-foot brake from a standstill, floor the accelerator, and release the brake to launch the car. Lotus says the four-cylinder Emira has a top speed of 171 mph, which is 9 mph in arrears of the V-6. Given the similarities in output, that claim may have more to do with marketing than engineering reality. The rest of the 2.0-liter’s driving experience remains similar to that of the V-6, delivering the sort of dynamic purity Lotus is most famous for. The Emira uses electrohydraulic steering rather than full electrical assistance and employs passive rather than adaptive dampers. Buyers of the First Edition car will be able to select from two different chassis tunes: the firmer Sport or the softer Tour. Our sample car was a Sport riding on the optional track-biased Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires in place of the standard Goodyear Eagle F1s. On Lotus’s Hethel test track, the combination was brilliant, delivering huge grip and minimal understeer. Lotus engineers are rightly proud of the stability-control tuning that has been jointly developed with Bosch. In the Sport mode, the system allows significant rear-end slip before intervention, yet still steps in before a slide turns into a spin. Unlike the V-6, the four-cylinder Emira doesn’t get a limited-slip differential, but it never felt short of traction or discipline even at circuit speeds. But most of our experience took place on normal U.K. roads, where we were soon wishing for the softer Tour chassis. The Sport setup feels very firm in the real world, impressively maintaining order over high-speed ridges and compressions but with ride quality becoming harsh at lower speeds over poor surfaces. Rougher roads also resulted in lots of steering kickback, the trade-off for the high-definition feedback offered by the hydraulic assistance. Given the pliancy that has characterized many of our favorite Lotus models over the years, the Sport chassis feels a little too uncompromising. Much else is worthy of praise. The Emira’s cabin is far classier than that of any earlier Lotus sports car, with quality materials and a nice-looking central display in addition to Volvo-sourced switchgear. The audio system is powerful and impressively crisp by sports-car standards, and the Emira’s seats stayed comfortable after several hours behind the wheel. Luggage space is scant, with a tiny four-cubic-foot compartment behind the engine plus a modest amount of space behind the seats. There is no front luggage compartment, although it looks as if there should be space for one, as there is in the Porsche 718 Cayman.More on the Lotus EmiraMention of the Emira’s most obvious rival brings us to the question of money. In truth, choosing the four-cylinder Lotus will not save much over the V-6. In the U.S., the fully loaded First Edition, as driven here, is set to cost $99,900 before the as-yet-undetermined destination cost is added; the corresponding V-6 First Edition is priced at $105,400. Both are significantly more expensive than an equivalent Porsche 718—those being the $81,950 Cayman S and the $96,850 Cayman GTS 4.0. A base Emira 2.0-liter will follow. We don’t know how much cheaper it will be, but will certainly cost more than the $77,100 we reported back in 2021, before production delays pushed back the Emira’s U.S. launch date. We can also anticipate more powerful four-cylinder versions to follow, with Lotus insiders admitting that the AMG engine will ultimately become the sole Emira powerplant. Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Lotus Emira i4Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base, $90,000; First Edition, $102,000
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 122 in3, 1991 cm3Power: 360 hp @ 6600 rpmTorque: 317 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.4 inLength: 173.7 inWidth: 74.6 inHeight: 48.3 inPassenger Volume: 46 ft3Trunk Volume: 4 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.2 sec100 mph: 10.4 sec1/4-Mile: 12.8 secTop Speed: 171 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 21/18/27 mpgSenior European CorrespondentRoad & Track’s man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond.
He has previously held staff roles on UK titles including CAR, Autocar and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend towards the Germanic, owning both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16. More