Reviews

Outside of Tesla’s enviable Supercharger network, the public charging infrastructure for EVs in many places is grim. Oh, sure, it’s promised to get better, but how much does that help when you’re standing outside a broken charger or waiting for someone to leave a spot so you can juice up? Shoppers who prioritize range when choosing an EV minimize their interaction with the public charging network, and for those looking at Kia’s impressive EV6, that means going with the single-motor configuration. That’s the variant we’ve tested here, in the GT-Line trim level.For 2023, the EV6 is offered with three powertrains, as the base Light model with a 58.0-kWh battery pack and a 167-hp motor has been dropped. The single-motor version now comes standard with a 77.4-kWh battery and makes 225 horsepower in the Wind and GT-Line trim levels. Those same two trims are also offered with all-wheel drive and dual motors making a total of 320 horsepower, again using the 77.4-kWh battery. And, finally, there’s the new-for-2023 high-performance dual-motor GT with a combined 576 horsepower.Michael Simari|Car and DriverRange NumbersThe single-motor drivetrain yields the best EPA-estimated range: 310 miles. That betters the the dual-motor Wind model’s 282 miles, the dual-motor GT-Line’s 252 miles, and the EV6 GT’s dramatically lower EPA range estimate of 206 miles.HIGHS: Longest EPA range of any EV6, quick recharging, sleek exterior design.Not only does the single-motor EV6 have the best EPA range of its siblings, it also exceeds most of its competitors. The Toyota bZ4X maxes out at 252 miles, the Audi Q4 e-tron at 265 miles, and the Volkswagen ID.4 at 275 miles. The Kia falls just short of the longest-range versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E (312 miles) and the Tesla Model Y (330 miles), but as we’ve pointed out in a recent SAE paper, those on-paper advantages may not equate to a real-world range advantage at highway speeds.Related StoriesDriving the EV6The downside is that the single-motor EV6 doesn’t have the sports-car quickness of the dual-motor version. In our testing, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive GT-Line zipped to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, while the single-motor GT-Line took a more languid 6.7 seconds. It was a similar story looking at quarter-mile times, with the dual-motor car’s 13.3 seconds at 102 mph well ahead of its single-motor sibling’s 15.2 at 93 mph. Of course, pulling away from a stop isn’t always a time trial—or so we’re told—and the single-motor EV6 moves through traffic eagerly enough, particularly at city and suburban speeds. The rear-wheel-drive GT-Line came to a halt from 70 mph in 168 feet, although for gentle stops, some drivers might not have to use the brakes at all. In the highest (i-Pedal) setting, brake regeneration allows for one-pedal driving, but drivers who don’t want that much regen can choose four other levels, including none—all selected via the steering-wheel paddles. The EV6’s cornering is capable if not eager, mostly due to the rather lifeless steering, and on the skidpad, the car demonstrated 0.87 g of grip. Much more noteworthy is the ride quality, as the EV6 shows impressive composure over bumps, with zero harshness making its way to the cabin. Michael Simari|Car and DriverEV6 InteriorThat cabin features a mod-style design with a striped pattern on the dash that repeats on the center armrest, and illuminated blue stripes appear under the vents. The suede seat upholstery with synthetic-leather trim is $295 extra (and unavailable on the Wind model), and its white accents brighten the otherwise black cabin. The rear seat cushion is low—necessary, perhaps, to create adequate headroom for six-footers under the squashed roofline (here’s where the mechanically similar but boxier Hyundai Ioniq 5 has an advantage). The seat is plenty wide for three, though, and the floor is flat.LOWS: Can’t hustle like the dual-motor version, some annoying controls, less roomy inside than the Ioniq 5Up front, dual screens dominate the dash. The central display is impressively broad, although, on the home screen, that space is largely wasted, as the default display is just a clock. Beneath it, the touch-sensitive climate controls oddly also do double duty operating the audio system, meaning you have to toggle back and forth between the two sets of functions. The digital instrument cluster is slightly configurable, with the center section able to show driver-assist info, a trip computer, turn-by-turn directions, or tire pressure. The center console projects out over a large, open storage bin, and on top, there are cupholders, covered storage, and a spot to charge your phone wirelessly. Shifting is via dial, and there are also buttons for seat heating and cooling, the parking camera, and the parking sensors.The 2023 EV6 GT-Line in single-motor form currently starts at $54,225—there’s also the EV6 Wind, which can be had in the same configuration for $50,025. For the GT-Line, the single-motor powertrain saves $4700 over the dual-motor version; in the Wind trim level, the difference is $3900. So, we see that those who have mastered the art of patience are rewarded with a fatter wallet as well as the ability to travel greater distances before plugging in.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2022 Kia EV6 Long Range RWDVehicle Type: rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $48,795/$53,985 Options: GT-Line trim (sunroof, Highway Driving Assist 2, park assist, HomeLink, auto-dimming rearview mirror), $4200; Steel Matte Gray paint, $695; GT-Line Suede Seat package, $295
POWERTRAIN
Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 225 hp, 258 lb-ftBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 77.4 kWhOnboard Charger: 10.9 kWTransmission: direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 12.8-in vented disc/12.8-in solid disc Tires: Kumho Crugen HP71 EV235/55R-19 101H
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.2 inLength: 184.8 inWidth: 74.4 inHeight: 60.8 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 52/48 ft3Cargo Volume, behind F/R: 50/24 ft3Curb Weight: 4395 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.7 sec1/4-Mile: 15.2 sec @ 93 mph100 mph: 18.0 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.7 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.7 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 118 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 168 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCombined/City/Highway: 117/134/101 MPGeRange: 310 mi
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 September 1990 issue of Car and Driver.We could begin this discussion of the new BMW 318is by saying that, finally, here’s a BMW that Biff and Buffy can afford, even if they’re strung out by stress, staggering vet bills, and interest pay­ments on the condo.And we could say that here’s a BMW intended to provide the ultimate-driv­ing-machine experience even to those who must daily face life without red sus­penders or home-delivery mineral wa­ter. Which is to say, if we dare, that the two-door 318is and its companion piece, the four-door 318i, are considered by BMW management to be affordable. The question of affordability is some­thing you’ll have to deal with after you turn off David Letterman and lie there in the dark trying to will your con­science into submission. If indecision persists or is unusually severe, put some Wagner on and add a six-pack of Beck’s to the mix. For those who have thus far been kept out of BMWs by an innate sense of fiscal responsibility (or a mulish loan officer), the biggest news here is the price: our 318is, as tested, cost a modest $21,985. The four-door, at a base of $19,900, is the first BMW 3-series to cost less than $20,000 since 1986. Last year, the Car and Driver Buyers Guide listed 3-series base prices ranging from $24,650 for the price-leader six-cylinder sedan to $34,950 for the thoroughbred M3, the car that a Famous Writer called “worth sacrificing the lives of every golden re­triever on earth.” Well, maybe he didn’t say exactly that, but most famous per­sons don’t really understand what BMWs are all about in the first place.More 1990s 3-series BMWsWhat BMWs are about, of course, is Driving, with a capital “D,” and that’s why the marque is one of our favorites. These days, BMWs are also about letting you feel that you’re not only one up on your neighbors and their minivans, but that you’ve left some of the town’s smart set lusting in your wake as well. We’ll stick with the driving. Our test drive–which started in San Antonio, Texas, advanced to the Missis­sippi gulf coast, and then turned north toward Detroit—concerned only the 318is, so we’ll confine our remarks to that version. Which is only appropriate, it being the sportier of the pair. The 318is has a four-cylinder engine. There. We’ve gone ahead and said it. And, having said it, we can also say that there is life after the wonderful 2.5-liter inline-six that we’ve loved so much around here. Even so, what questions we have concerning the envy quotient of the new 318is center on the new engine. Be assured that it’s a fine piece of work, the kind you’ve come to expect from BMW. Also be assured that it displaces only 1.8 liters and generates 134 horsepower. “The engine is the most powerful 1.8-liter normally aspirated four-cylinder sold in the United States,” says BMW’s Rob Mitchell. The new engine indeed has all the hats and horns needed for a celebration. Each cylinder has four valves, activated by chain-driven double overhead cam­shafts. Though BMW’s experience with four-valve-per-cylinder engines dates to a racing engine that appeared in 1966 and extends through a series of the spar­kling M-series engines, the new 1.8-liter four has the first four-valve-per-cylinder engine intended for volume production. How much volume? BMW hopes to sell 7000 units in North America this year and 15,000 per year after that. The engine’s completely new alumi­num cylinder-head design incorporates hollow camshafts designed to reduce weight and power-sapping inertial forces, if only by a minuscule amount. It’s driven by a chain that’s kept quiet by the use of rubber-coated guides and a hy­draulic tensioner. The noise police also installed hydraulic bucket tappets, which have the additional advantage of avoid­ing oil drainage when the engine is not running. The valvetrain cover has been acoustically “decoupled” from the cylin­der head to reduce noise still further. Having nothing to do with noise but a lot to do with hard driving, the exhaust valves are sodium-cooled. The engine is controlled by a new­-generation Bosch Digital Motor Elec­tronics engine-management system with individual ignition coils at each cylinder. This works in conjunction with the usual Bosch port-fuel-injection system. There’s a two-barrel throttle body that uses a 1.4-inch-diameter opening for del­icate control at light loads and an addi­tional 2.2-inch-diameter opening for high power demands. The exhaust system has a nifty large­-diameter header, two mufflers, and a cat­alytic converter. A 10.0:1 compression ratio allows the use of 91-octane fuel, your conscience permitting, and the EPA awards the 318is a fuel-economy rating of 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway. We ob­served a 26-mpg figure during the car’s stay with us. Speaking of mileage, what’s it like to drive this machine? In two words, not bad. The peak horsepower of 134 ap­pears at 6000 rpm, 600 revs below redline. Maximum torque, 127 pound-feet, is found at 4600 rpm. If you judge from these technical tidbits that the engine takes a bit of hard driving to extract maximum performance, you judge correctly. Driven under noncombat conditions, the car will feel a tad on the slow side. It won’t bore you exactly, nor is it a lug, but neither will it give you that sense of pent-up energy you feel in a good horse straining at its reins. We managed to exceed BMW’s per­formance projections when we tested the 318is. We achieved a 0-to-60-mph time of 8.7 seconds (BMW had predicted 9.9), and our landing quarter-mile clocked in at 82 mph in 16.4 seconds. Top speed was 123 mph. The powertrain includes a Getrag 240/5 five-speed gearbox that’s as nice an interface between car and driver as you’ll ever find. There’s no automatic option in the transmission column, an obvious money-saving move that might cost some mainstream sales but won’t disappoint the true BMW enthusiast—it may even weed out some of the Land’s End and L.L. Bean dandelions. The handling is pure BMW, which is to say more fun than Labrador puppies. We did note that the steering tended toward the light side at high speed, but the rest of the attributes were of the level expected from a Bimmer—very high. The suspen­sion is fully independent, and the 318is gets thicker anti-roll bars and shock ab­sorbers with a sportier personality than in the 318i. The package, called the M-Tech­nic suspension, aims to provide crisper handling than the four-door and succeeds in doing just that—without unduly compromising the car’s fine ride. The 0.80-g skidpad number won’t win any trophies, but this figure does not al­ways reflect a car’s overall competence­ let alone the satisfaction it can deliver in the right pair of hands.Braking from 70 mph required only 170 feet, and the standard anti-lock sys­tem and four-wheel discs displayed no fade whatsoever in repeated stopping maneuvers. We don’t think it’s overstat­ing the case to say that most BMW brak­ing systems display excellent pedal feel and feedback so accurate that the driver feels as if his feet were connected me­chanically to the brake calipers. The 318is upholds this tradition.The BMW 318is and 318i keep other BMW customs as well, beginning with the concept of offering a well-equipped car at the advertised base price. Here’s what you get with the 318is (the small “s” is for “sport,” in case you wondered): air conditioning, a driver-side air bag, anti­-lock brakes, power windows, a central door-locking system, a rear defroster, sport seats with good lateral support in a choice of fabric or leatherette, a four-­speaker AM/FM/cassette system, and a lot more. The 318is also gets a deck spoiler and an air dam that distinguish it from its colleague, plus fourteen-inch al­loy wheels whose 6.5-inch width holds a variety of 195/65R14 tires (our car wore H-rated Goodyear Eagle NCT65s). The only options available on the two 318 models are a limited-slip differential, halogen fog lights, an anti-theft system, metallic paint, and a sunroof.Clearly, the BMW marketers mean business with these cars. When you fac­tor in the generous list of standard equip­ment, the cars—viewed by a BMW en­thusiast—seem more than reasonably priced. But it would be wrong to rule out such competition as the Eagle Talon TSi AWD, which can be said to have most of the above plus all-wheel drive. Or a Nissan Maxima SE, which has four doors. Or a Ford Thunderbird SC, which can blow the BMW into the Armco at an equally reasonable price. All those cars, moreover, possess exterior styling that can be said to be far more modern than that of the current Bimmer 3-series. But none of those competitors is a BMW. And in some circles, the BMW heritage, including the look of the 3-se­ries, counts for a lot. How widely those circles reach into the marketplace, only time will tell, of course. “It is a BMW without compromise,” BMW’s North American boss Karl Gerlinger told us. And we’d agree with that. There’s no hint of bargain-base­ment tackiness about these two cars, par­ticularly the 318is. And though its price seems low to BMW management—and presumably to potential BMW owners—­the average enthusiast won’t call it cheap. Whether you can afford a 318is has little or nothing to do with us thinking you ought to have one of them. Owning a BMW, like dating a movie star or having your horse win the Kentucky Derby, is just one of those things that red-blooded Americans ought to do. How you do it, of course, is your business. CounterpointAt last: a reasonably priced BMW that feels like a Bimmer. Banish those sorry recollections of the deceased (happily) eight-valve 318i—a car that delighted the fern-bar crowd but chilled the hearts of the BMW faithful. This new 318—the sixteen-valve 318—feels and acts like a scaled-down version of its bigger, more potent brethren.Yes, you have to rev the whee out of the 1.8-liter four to wring the most from it, but remember that this is a BMW engine; it likes—scratch that, adores—being gunned hard. And the five-speed shifter is one of the finest on the planet. So it’s easy to keep the tach needle up where it belongs. For $21,895, the 318is offers a lot for discerning drivers: that hearty powertrain, an air bag, stout anti-lock brakes, a fine chassis, and a fair help­ing of convenience items. You can find plenty of better-performing cars for less money, but few share this Bimmer’s steadfast character. BMW lovers: this one is worth it. —Arthur St. AntoineThe 318is is a bargain hunter’s BMW that stays true to the marque’s sports-­sedan heritage. True to tradition, its impressive list of standard equipment includes a wonderful engine: an all­-new sixteen-valve four-cylinder. Al­though not exactly turbo-muscular, the new engine makes plenty of us­able horsepower and some pretty ter­rific sounds in the process. Keep the tach needle in the upper ranges and you’ll never miss the six-cylinder. The controls are light and precise, and the sport seats are some of the best around, even if they are covered in vinyl. Unfortunately, the ventilation system falls short of modern standards: the cabin becomes unusually stuffy when the fan isn’t used to boost circulation. Because the back-seat windows don’t open, the optional sunroof is almost a necessity. Except for a few badges, the 318is is visually identical to its more upscale 3-series siblings. It proves BMW can build a satisfying sports sedan and of­fer it at a reasonable price. —Jeffrey DworinOn paper, the BMW 318is doesn’t seem overly impressive. It uses BMW’s oldest body style, it is bereft of many of the usual creature com­forts, it is fitted with the least powerful engine the company sells in America, and it performs no better than any of several econohunks. Seemingly, the only thing going for this car is its price, which is low by BMW’s lofty standards. From behind its wheel, however, the 318is starts to look better. With its solid body and supple suspension, the small Bimmer can be hurled over even the most pockmarked roads without losing touch with the pave­ment or inciting a symphony of shakes and shudders. Its driveline is an un­mitigated pleasure, marrying a pre­cise shifter with a supremely eager engine that joyfully gives its all without hesitation. Finally, this newest 3-se­ries model, with its smaller powerplant and less burdensome load of creature comforts, has a de­lightfully light and agile feel, giving it a decidedly sporting flavor. Those drivers who can see past its modest specs will find that the 318is provides enough driving satisfaction to justify its price. —Csaba CsereArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1990 BMW 318isVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $21,985/$21,985
ENGINEDOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 110 in3, 1796 cm3Power: 134 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 127 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm 
TRANSMISSION[S]5-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arm/trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 10.2-in vented disc/10.2-in discTires: Goodyear Eagle NCT65195/65HR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.2 inLength: 170.3 inWidth: 64.8 inHeight: 53.5 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 45/37 ft3Trunk Volume: 12 ft3Curb Weight: 2607 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 2.760 mph: 8.7 sec100 mph: 26.1 sec1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 82 mphTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 13.3 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 14.2 secTop Speed: 123 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 170 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 26 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 22/27 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDCar and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing EditorWilliam Jeanes is a former editor-in-chief and publisher of Car and Driver. He and his wife, Susan, a former art director at Car and Driver, are now living in Madison, Mississippi. More

From the April 1974 issue of Car and Driver.Apparently nothing is sacred at Datsun, not even playing to a capacity crowd for four years with the same successful sports/GT car. Who knows, maybe those long lines of buyers really wouldn’t have lasted forever. Rumor has it you can ac­tually get the color of your choice now. And in some cities, the price has reportedly plummeted to what the sticker says. Not what you’d call a crash in the market, but Datsun is taking those signs seriously. As a result the 1974 Z-car has a new first name: 260. That bigger number means the factory is try­ing to put more into the car than the U.S. safety and emis­sions standards are draining out. Be forewarned: It’s an obvi­ous ploy to lengthen the waiting lines again.The new nameplate stands for a bigger engine: the same basic 240Z single overhead cam six with piston displacement upped by 171 cc (10.4 cubic inches) as a result of a 0.2-inch increase in stroke. Also, the exhaust valves are larger for bet­ter breathing, and a magnetic pulse generator has replaced breaker points in the distributor. Datsun engineers claim the new electronic ignition improves starting and forestalls misfir­ing with the 260Z’s emissions package (lean mixtures, an air pump, and heavy doses of recirculated exhaust gas). And since underhood temperatures have surged in the fight against air pollution, fuel lines are now heavily insulated for protection against vapor lock. The fuel system also benefits from a rear-mounted electric pump operating in tandem with the engine-driven mechanical pump. On the dyno, the new motor delivers 139 horsepower (net) at 5600 rpm, an increase of six hp over last year’s 2394-cc version. Torque is up by 12 pound-feet to 137 (net) at 4400 rpm. Unfortu­nately, the dynamometer only tells part of the story; the rest is unveiled at the test track. Our test car accelerated through the quarter-mile in 17.8 seconds with a trap speed of 81 mph. As a result of that test, we must sadly report that the big motor Z-car is slower than last year’s edition. The 1973 Z-car we tested went down the quarter-mile in 17.0 seconds at 81 mph. Part of that difference in acceleration can be attributed to extra weight: Our ’74 test car was heavier by 80 pounds with factory air conditioning (optional), with another 80-pound handi­cap added by the 5-mph front and rear bumpers. But weight in this incidence is not the primary cause of the 260Z’s perform­ance fall off. Our test car also had a serious drivability prob­lem that put a limp in its gait down the dragstrip. Halfway through the rev range in first gear, the engine simply ran out of fuel. It died like a fish out of water, with power coming back in gulps. Datsun engineers acknowledge the existence of the problem and are diligently searching for a solution. Their tests show that high underhood temperatures are boiling fuel in the carburetors, causing the temporary starvation during sus­tained flat-out acceleration. The old Hitachi-SU sidedraft carburetors may have come to the end of their rope. We’d sug­gest electronic fuel injection as a logical replacement. More on the ZThat won’t happen this year, but still, you should not expect the 260Z to struggle through the model year slower than the 1973 car. Datsun does a sizable amount of development work in this country—oftentimes after the cars go on sale. One whole shipload of early ’73s had to have carburetors replaced on the dock due to a design defect. And later in the model year, a service repair kit was issued to dealers to correct severe hot start problems. The kit included the insulated fuel lines and electric fuel pump now standard equipment for 1974. Unfortunately, the basic problem is still not solved. Emissions hardware has placed such a heavy burden on the engine, that it isn’t ready to make clean air and live up to its power potential at the same time. So at this point, the big motor is less an advantage and more a stop gap measure to meet the law. Any real performance gains over 1973 will de­pend on how successful the U.S.-based development pro­gram is. The Datsun engineers could stand to take a look at fuel economy as well since that has also slipped for 1974. Our tests show that mileage is down about two mpg from an aver­age of 20 mpg (for a 1973 car) to 18 mpg for the 260Z. Environ­mental Protection Agency tests, however, have revealed no sacrifice with the bigger engine; in its strictly city driving tests, both ’73 and ’74 models turned in an average of 16 mpg.Except for the fuel penalty and one serious flaw in drivability, the new engine is easy to get along with. With the new electronic ignition, it starts eagerly when cold if you use a lot of choke and pulls like a freight train at low speeds. That makes the Z-car more flexible in traffic because you can move out smartly ahead of the flow without resorting to the top half of the rev range. It’s just as well because the tachometer opti­mistically advertises a thousand revs that aren’t useful. The 260Z is really no different from its predecessor in this respect. The Z-car’s redline has stood at a lofty 7000 rpm from the beginning, and while the engine will wind that tight without bursting, only the noise level is still rising. Power noses down­ward after 5600 rpm and the useful rev range ends at 6000. Although the big motor is a mixed blessing, other changes for this year are strict improvements. Datsun has chosen 1974 to unload a fix for virtually every complaint owners have lodged over the years. That’s not to say the 240Z has been riddled with shortcomings. The fact is it has been one of the most popular cars in existence—at any price. Car and Driver readers selected it as the Overall Best Car for 1973, and Datsun is intent on preserving that stellar image. Handling is at the top of the 1974’s improvement list. In the past, directional stability at highway speeds had been the Dat­sun’s weak suit: Pre-’74 Z-cars wandered down a windy free­way as if they were piloted by inebriates. The problem cen­tered around a complicated interaction of aerodynamics, steering geometry, and rubber bushings locating the steering rack. For the solution, Datsun has taken no small pains. First of all, the body’s angle of attack into the wind is altered by raising the rear of the car slightly. That diminishes front-end lift at speed and at the same time reduces weight loss from the front tires. With a tighter grip on the road, the front of the car is not so easily swayed from its path by side winds. The steering gear mounting system has also been revised with special attention to eliminate lateral compliance. Side loads that might come from cornering or crosswinds can no longer deflect the steering rack or turn the front wheels. So now only the steering wheel guides the car, as it should. The road feel to the driver is much too damped for our liking, but the 260Z does track down the road with a solid respect for the straight and narrow. Spring rates are higher at both ends of the car largely to accommodate the extra weight of fortified bumpers and facto­ry air conditioning. Since that weight has favored the front end, there is a built-in tendency toward understeer. But Dat­sun engineers have wisely side-stepped that bed of quick­sand by adding a rear anti-roll bar as standard equipment. It shifts roll stiffness to the rear of the car to counteract the negative handling influence of a heavier front end. On the whole, the new suspension calibration works in a very commendable manner. The 260Z sweeps through turns with a new level of determination: Body roll is at a tight minimum and you can feel both ends of the car working right up to the limit. In the front, there is a gradual loss of response to the steering wheel, but the tires never yield to severe understeer. It’s the rear tires that actually signal the limit as they lose their side grip and begin to audibly scratch at the pavement. You feel the tail slowly creeping out, but the drift angle stabilizes at a perfectly manageable limit because the front end also begins to slide. And it all happens with no feeling of impending doom. In fact, the Datsun is so stable that normal interruptions—more throttle, less throttle, braking, and even wet surfaces—don’t shake its composure. It’s enough to make you bypass the freeway every time in search of a twisty back passage. Marc Madow|Car and DriverMarc Madow|Car and DriverNo matter what route you take, the Datsun’s interior will deliver you in fine style. None of the strong attributes have been tampered with—excellent instrumentation, wraparound seat backs, and a station wagon’s cargo hold under the hatch­back. But most of the shortcomings have been fixed. The hair-trigger gas pedal is gone. And all the rubbery vagueness is out of the shift lever with a new linkage this year. Even the old bamboo-colored steering wheel has been upgraded with padding and a leather cover. It’s not real hand-sewn cow skin, but a manmade facsimile accurate right down to the wrinkles, stitches, and pores, realistic enough to fool a glove manufacturer. Thankfully, the cheap-looking heat-stamped plastic coverings for the transmission and rear suspension towers are gone, replaced by vinyl with a richer texture and a finer pattern. Factory air conditioning is also a major upgrade this year. The hardware is a marvel of technology—lightweight alumi­num materials for the evaporator and condenser, and a compact swashplate compressor similar to the GM/Frigidaire design. The compressor is vibration free in operation, and there is no underhood clutter with the new system. Inside the car, the hardware is shrewdly interfaced with the instrument panel. The heater/AC control module is one of the simplest and most informative layouts we’ve seen. Three carefully marked levers reg­ulate the interior climate: one four-speed blower switch, one temperature selector, and one function knob. Since the latter is graphically coded with red and blue arrows, you know if the air has been heated or cooled and exactly where it’s going. At last cryptic labels like “Bi-Lev­el” take on a solid meaning. The air conditioning system is the only convenience Datsun doesn’t include with the base price. For $5125, you get tinted glass, intermittent wipers (new this year), a dead pedal for your left foot, and even an AM/FM radio complete with an electric antenna. True, it’s not the bargain it was in 1970 at $3526, but a serious competitor to the Z-car still hasn’t materialized. The opposition is slimmer by two cars this year with the demise of the Opel GT and Triumph’s GT6. The remaining field, the Alfa GTV, the Jensen-Healey, and the Porsche 914, may delight purists, but the technical fascination doesn’t seem to sway the masses shopping for a sports car at Datsun. Face value is the key: The 260Z offers a bigger engine at a lower price. Not to mention the com­fort of joining a crowd—a mass stronger by 54,000 happy customers in 1973. We don’t expect a downturn in popu­larity even with the drivability problems wrought by emission controls. The up­grade program has been too thorough for that to happen. And if the carburetor engineers can get their act together, they’ll wipe out the 260Z’s most menacing competitor—last year’s 240Z.Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1974 Datsun 260Z 2+2Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door hatchback coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $5200/$5610Options: air conditioning, $410
ENGINESOHC inline-6, iron block and aluminum headDisplacement: 156 in3, 2565 cm3Power: 139 hp @ 5600 rpmTorque: 137 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm 
TRANSMISSION4-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/strutsBrakes, F/R: 10.7-in disc/9.0-in drumTires: Toyo 2-1175 HR-14
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 90.7 inLength: 169.1 inWidth: 64.1 inHeight: 50.6 inCurb Weight: 2660 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 3.5 sec60 mph: 10.3 sec100 mph: 33.2 sec1/4-Mile: 17.8 sec @ 81 mphTop Speed (observed): 117 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 190 ftRoadholding: 0.86 g  
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 16/19 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

There it is again, that mix of affirmation and excitement. It’s what you feel when the steering, brakes, and accelerator of a brand-new car sync driver inputs and create a sensory revelation. This time, the source is the new i5 M60, the high-performance variant of the new eighth-generation 5-series, which lived up to its dynamic promise throughout our first half-day outing. If this early pre-production model is anything to go by, BMW has another winner on its hands. And this time, the achievement is not tainted by a disfigured front end with a beaver-tooth grille.Logistics dictated that we bypass the 335-hp i5 eDrive40 and go straight to the 590-hp i5 M60 xDrive. From our base near Marseille, France, we headed out onto a section of BMW’s official Research and Development evaluation loop, which stretches deep into the barren hinterland to the northwest, where the Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse departments meet. Piloting a still fully camouflaged i5 prototype, we followed BMW driving dynamics expert Jürgen Metz, who led the way in an M340d wagon. The challenging route is the legacy of BMW’s recently retired chassis guru Jos van As.Driving the 2024 BMW i5 M60As soon as the last small village started to fade away in the rearview mirror, Jürgen’s voice came snarling over the radio: “It hasn’t rained here for weeks, so there will be plenty of sand and gravel on the road.” Squeak, pause, crackle. “Also, give cyclists a wide berth and keep an eye out for locals in a hurry, who are real experts at cutting corners.” Moments later, a quick thumbs-up signals attack mode, and our two-car convoy begins its speedy climb up the steely gray spiral staircase to the first summit of the Parc naturel régional des Alpilles. The i5 is a brand-new car from top to bottom, and yet it feels encouragingly familiar and confidence-inspiring from the word go. The motor’s massive 590 horsepower and 586 pound-feet of torque are distributed with sublime mastery.Related StoriesIn preparation for the total-immersion experience that was about to follow, the black disguise covers had to come off BMW’s curved display that spans two-thirds of the dash. Next, the annoying lane-departure warning chimes, lights, and vibrations were put to sleep. Locking all systems in Sport but leaving stability control on for the time being completed the initial preflight check. Although there is no gear lever or clutch pedal to worry about, the mind still takes a moment to adjust to the new driver environment. There is only one steering-wheel paddle, which is marked Boost. Why not install a second paddle to control the three energy-regeneration stages? “Because sticking the gear selector in B automatically triggers the one-pedal feel coveted by many EV users,” explains Herr Metz. Lift-off regen intensifies or decreases in sync with the selected drive mode.But today we’re not interested in coasting or in exploring the max range (estimated at up to 307 miles for the eDrive40 and 272 miles for the M60). Today is all about having fun with fully charged batteries, two motors giving their all, and wringing out a state-of-the-art chassis. The i5 didn’t simply swap its combustion engine for an electric drivetrain—instead, this is a genetically reprogrammed 5-series on high-tech steroids. Its key elements include a variable-ratio and variable-assist steering rack complemented by rear-axle steering with a 2.5-degree maximum angle, active anti-roll bars, rear air springs, and a multilink suspension configuration at the front and at the rear. And these are only the basic stats.The French grow award-winning wines and cook unforgettable meals, but most of the country’s rural roads are in a sorry state, which is why the European motor industry’s chassis experts, driving-dynamics wizards, and tire engineers come here to test and tune their wares. The bleached, porous, and broken tarmac certainly felt like home turf to the i5. It oozes compliance, cuts corners with uncanny precision, and the 245/40 front and 275/35 rear tires on 20-inch wheels feel Velcro-strapped to the surface as a cog railway is to its rack. Instrumental to this homogenous blend of agility and composure are numerous stiffening measures to the body and suspension and a spiderweb of links firming up the rear axle assembly.BMW i5 M60 Performance StatsThe flush underbody, a number of selectively blocked air intakes, aerodynamically conscious wheels, and lateral air curtains are key to the remarkable drag coefficient of 0.23. The top speed for efficiency reasons is restricted to 144 mph. The battery, motors, and inverters are largely shared with the i4 M50, so it’s to no surprise the claimed zero-to-62-mph time of 3.9 seconds matches that of the M50. At a charging rate of up to 200 kilowatts, a 10 to 80 percent recharge should take no more than 30 minutes, and over-the-air updates are likely to speed up the charge time. The only new driving program is dubbed MaxRange. It even eclipses Eco Pro by radically reducing the top speed to a tiptoeing 56 mph while limiting the power output to 136 horsepower and shutting off electric loads like the air conditioning for a 25 percent boost in range.BMWCompared to the lesser eDrive40, the M60 gets a firmer suspension setup and a lowered ride height, the widest available tires, and Executive Drive Pro, which is BMW-speak for active anti-roll bars plus the rear-axle steering system. As one would expect, the M-specific all-wheel-drive system prefers to split the torque in favor of the rear wheels. Are we having fun yet? You bet. Especially in Sport Boost, which frees an extra 18 pound-feet for up to 10 seconds. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but in combination with the wild in-dash countdown graphic and the shrill audio accompaniment (by German film composer Hans Zimmer), the paddle- or accelerator-induced kick-down certainly appeals to the child inside. Alternatively, one can scroll through the My Mode menu and check out different mood settings labeled Personal, Relax, and Expressive.These playful gimmicks are admittedly little more than the digital icing on a cake—which still relays all the essential brand values every self-proclaimed ultimate driving machine must have. Although the i5 M60 is a product of the Bavarian Motor Works, the motors are no longer the main discerning feature. Instead it’s the eerily intuitive and wonderfully involving driver interaction that makes the new sedan stand out. Take, for instance, the steering that allows not a trace of vagueness or uncertainty to seep through to the palms of the driver. The brake-by-wire system also performs with aplomb, as the brakes are easy to modulate and respond with reassuring clarity. Common vices such as delayed action, synthetic feel, excessive pedal travel, and the usual conflict between deceleration and regeneration are conspicuous in their absence.The day concluded with an about-face from letting it all hang out in the middle of nowhere to a no less impressive demonstration of semi-autonomous driving on a busy nearby highway. The new 5-series comes with the useful Highway Assistant we know from the 7-series that can perform automated hands-free lane changes, combines Active Cruise Control with traffic-light recognition, includes Active Lane Guiding and Urban Cruise features, and adds a trailer mode to its lane-change assist properties. Our sample car repeatedly performed fluent automated lane changes and passing maneuvers. No, it does not yet quite comply with all Level 3 requirements, although we’re told that getting there will only be a matter of months.But unlike so many EVs, the new i5 is more about engaging the driver than replacing the driver. Like the i4, it’s another hopeful indicator that the era of electrification doesn’t necessarily bring down the curtain on BMWs that are fun to drive.Contributing EditorAlthough I was born the only son of an ornithologist and a postal clerk, it was clear from the beginning that birdwatching and stamp collecting were not my thing. Had I known that God wanted me to grow to 6’8″, I also would have ruled out anything to do with cars, which are to blame for a couple of slipped discs, a torn ligament, and that stupid stooped posture behind the wheel. While working as a keeper in the Aberdeen Zoo, smuggling cheap cigarettes from Yugoslavia to Germany, and an embarrassing interlude with an amateur drama group also failed to yield fulfillment, driving and writing about cars became a much better option. And it still is now, many years later, as I approach my 70th birthday. I love every aspect of my job except long-haul travel on lousy airlines, and I hope it shows. More

Despite massive annual sales and ubiquitous status on U.S. streets, full-size pickup trucks remain a precious commodity in Car and Driver’s long-term fleet. Naturally, we wasted little time putting our newly acquired 2023 Toyota Tundra to work. With under 300 miles on the Tundra’s clock, senior technical editor Dave Beard loaded his 550-pound Ski-Doo into the crew cab’s standard five-foot-five-inch composite bed and pointed the Tundra’s enormous schnoz north on I-75 toward Michigan’s wintry Upper Peninsula.The roughly 800-mile roundtrip journey from C/D’s Ann Arbor headquarters provided a literal cold open to our hybrid Tundra Limited CrewMax’s 40,000-mile test. During the truck’s first snowstorm, the grille-mounted radar got blocked by debris, rendering the adaptive cruise control useless. The truck’s 20-inch all-season tires struggled in the silty lake-effect snow but handled packed powder better. Its spacious cabin also saved Beard money on a motel room one frigid night. “I shacked up in the back row in my sleeping bag and was quite comfortable,” he said. “I’d do it again.” Later on, he figured out the truck’s remote start takes five key-fob presses, which would’ve kept the cabin warmer for longer as he drifted off to dreamland. Like the start of most long-term relationships, learning each other’s quirks takes time.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThis isn’t our first date with the redesigned Tundra—we’ve tested a nonhybrid Limited model and an off-road-focused TRD Pro, with the latter finishing behind fellow hybrids in the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 in a comparo showdown—but it’s an extended opportunity to examine the truck that’s long been overshadowed by its domestic rivals. For perspective, Americans bought about 104,000 Tundras in 2022 but gobbled up nearly 654,000 Ford F-series models, about 513,000 Chevy Silverados, and over 468,000 Ram trucks. Still, Tundra sales rose 27 percent from 2021, suggesting Toyota’s loyal fanbase has renewed interest. Was their patience worth the wait? We aim to find out.The third-generation Tundra’s debut was a welcome one, as the better part of two decades had passed since the second generation debuted. Sure, a 2014 makeover attempted to keep things fresh, but the truck still felt dated—and that was almost 10 years ago. Toyota unwittingly benefits from the old truck overstaying its welcome as the new one appears extra, well, new. Now built on the TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, it trades rear leaf springs for a more sophisticated coil-spring configuration. “It’s not the best-riding truck, but it’s not terrible,” Beard quipped. “It’s a better Tundra.”Complementing its more chiseled body, including a face that could pass for a Peterbilt’s, the Tundra’s interior boasts a modern design, nicer materials, and desirable technology. Our midrange Limited trim has a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a ginormous 14.0-inch touchscreen. While we wish the infotainment system had a tuning knob, we appreciate how well wireless Apple CarPlay works and how it fills the entire screen. Real leather isn’t part of the deal, but the Limited has standard soft-touch surfaces and power-adjustable front seats with heated and ventilated cushions. Besides the sturdy switchgear and respectable fit and finish, the flimsy center-console cover feels like it could be ripped off by an errant hand, triggering PTSD from the old Tundra’s rickety bits.Tons o’ TundraThe as-tested price of our Limited CrewMax is $64,093. If that sounds expensive, that’s because it is. A more luxurious 2023 Ram 1500 Longhorn costs about the same, as does a ritzy ’23 GMC Sierra Denali. Our Tundra piles up about $12K in options—$8450 alone for the crew cab, four-wheel drive, and i-Force Max hybrid combo. Other extras include a $150 heated leather steering wheel, $179 all-weather floor mats, $565 JBL audio system, $399 retractable bed step, $650 load-leveling rear air springs, and $710 running boards. Toss in the $1345 Premium package (towing upgrades, enhanced LED headlights, 360-degree camera system) and the $385 Power package (LED bed lights, dual 120-volt outlets, wireless charging pad), and our Limited trim costs as much as a luxury truck but doesn’t exactly feel like one.The Tundra’s obnoxious fake engine noise won’t convince anyone there’s a V-8 under the bulky hood. Toyota boldly chose to offer only a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, either with or without hybrid assist. Although the Detroit Three will all soon sell an electric pickup, Toyota’s most electrified Tundra is the hybrid that adds an electric motor between the twin-turbo V-6 and the 10-speed automatic transmission. Along with a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack with roughly 1.0 kWh of usable energy that hogs space under the rear seats, the iForce Max provides peak output of 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThe hybrid Tundra is mightier than the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, but our example is nearly 280 pounds heavier (6072 pounds total) than the Ford. That mass kneecaps the Toyota’s acceleration, requiring 5.6 seconds to reach 60 mph and passing the quarter-mile mark in 14.3 seconds at 94 mph. While we didn’t detect brake fade during its 192-foot stop from 70 mph, our tester noted a sensitivity to heat, which sent the truck into limp mode after multiple full-throttle takeoffs. The transmission temperature got dangerously high while backing a trailer up a short hill as well. The truck’s thirst for fuel is also worrisome. The hybrid Tundra gets an EPA-estimated 20 mpg combined, but our long-termer is only averaging an alarming 13 mpg at the moment. About one-third of its current 3023 miles were accumulated while towing a 3500-ish-pound enclosed trailer, but even ignoring those miles only increases that average to 16 mpg. Poor fuel economy plagued other models we’ve tested too, and it’s something we’ll monitor as the road ahead includes lots of towing and other truck stuff. By the end of its 40,000-mile stay, we hope to be able to say definitively whether Toyota shrunk the gap between the reinvented Tundra and America’s favorite pickups.Months in Fleet: 1 month Current Mileage: 3023 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 13 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 32.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 410 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair:$0 Damage and Destruction: $0Arrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Toyota Tundra Limited Hybrid CrewMax 5.5-foot bedVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $59,710/$64,093Options: panoramic view monitor, $950; black dual-step running boards, $710; load-leveling rear air suspension, $650; premium JBL audio system, $565; bed step, $399; Limited Premium package (LED headlights, Towing Technology package), $395; Limited Power package (Qi-compatible wireless charger, LED bed lighting, 400W/120V AC cabin and bed power outlets), $385; all-weather floor liners, $179; heated steering wheel, $150
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.4-liter V-6, 389 hp, 479 lb-ft + AC motor, 48 hp, 184 lb-ft (combined output: 437 hp, 583 lb-ft; 1.0-kWh (C/D est) nickel-metal hydride battery pack)Transmission: 10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axleBrakes, F/R: 13.9-in vented disc/13.6-in vented discTires: Yokohama Geolander X-CV G057265/60R-20 112H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 145.7 inLength: 233.6 inWidth: 80.2 inHeight: 78.0 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 64/58 ft3Curb Weight: 6072 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 5.6 sec1/4-Mile: 14.3 sec @ 94 mph100 mph: 16.6 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.2 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.1 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 107 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 192 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.72 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/19/22 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper5 years/60,000 miles powertrain8 years/100,000 miles hybrid-related components10 years/150,000 miles hybrid battery5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection2 years/25,000 miles roadside assistance2 years/25,000 miles scheduled maintenance
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDSenior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

From the August 1986 issue of Car and Driver.Eleven years have passed since Jaguar’s last E-type two-seater ragtops were im­ported into this country. England’s famous maker of luxurious sports cars and sump­tuous sedans has since made do with steel roofs, and the grand-touring world has been the poorer.One way or another, ragtop Jags never shorted you on emotion. Even in the midst of mechanical and electrical travails, they left you longing for short nights and sunny days. Now comes the XJ-SC Cabriolet, a worthy addition to the long if sporadic line of open-air cats from Coventry. Stop at a light in the XJ-SC and people grin, whoop, and holler, “Hey, that’s a beautiful car!” When the roof is up, we agree. Surprisingly, though, onlookers of­ten blurt compliments even when the top’s panels and flaps are stowed away. Swivel two levers and the two canvas-covered, pop-off roof panels will unlatch and slip out, to be neatly pouched in the deep trunk. To lower the rear section of the roof, unlatch its round lock from the in­side, peel the Velcro-fastened edges of the fabric away from its framework, and fold the fabric and the plastic window down, snapping them beneath a snug boot. Un­fortunately, you are now left with an array of roof hoops rising starkly naked above the swoop of the lower body. (Pausing to change lenses, Aaron Kiley gazed at the framework and mused, “It looks like it’s under construction.”) The staff consensus is that the XJ-SC looks best with its toupee in place, yet none of us feels truly repelled by its aesthetics when everything is stripped down to let the outside in. And it does come in. Head for the country for grand touring after everyday life has tethered you for a while and you’ll feel the beauty of this striking device as dearly as others see it. Grand touring means different things to different people, but it always means something wonderful. In an XJ-SC, the pleasures of touring grandly are smooth and satisfying. Jaguar always skips the sharp aggression of such traditional rivals as the six-cylinder BMW coupe and the V-8 coupes from Mercedes and Porsche, not to mention the rowdy soft- and hard­-topped Corvettes. The XJ-SC offers not only open-air motoring but a very different accent on sporting transportation. Underneath, the usual Jaguar charms and drawbacks abide. The XJ-SC’s long, suggestive hoodline houses a huge V-12 engine whose horsepower proves a suit­able match for the motor’s broad-shoul­dered appearance. Just as important, though it is blessed with the bloodlines of its forebears, today’s XJ may be exhibiting new signs of civility and respectability. Ac­cording to the factory, quality control is vastly improved and great strides have been made in reliability. Maintenance re­quirements are lower than ever. The XJ’s fuel economy has never been much to write home about—we’re dealing with two tons of high performance here—but the Michael May lean-burn combustion cham­bers, introduced in 1982, do help advance the cause of efficiency. EPA city economy holds the fort at 13 mpg, and our own mixed use returned 14 mpg. Luckily for Jaguar’s reputation as a pro­ducer of road burners, Michael May’s sculpturing of the V-12’s heads returns much more than improved fuel economy. With a whopping 11.5:1 compression ratio burning beneath its single-overhead-cam heart, the 5.3-liter whirs out an ef­fortless 262 horsepower. Operating on super-unleaded fuel, the engine adroitly belies the mass of machinery within, never whimpering on the way to its impressive 6500-rpm redline. This V-12 remains the basis of Jaguar’s mid-engined IMSA GTP Batmobile, and every time you step into the throttle hard enough to force an auto­matic kickdown, you are reminded why the V-12 represented the ultimate roadgoing engine for so many years. When production of the old ragtop ceased, however, some of the wonder went out of Jaguars. We need not have worried, it turns out as long as there is an England, there will be ragtops on the horizon. Ragtops are Great Britain’s nose-thumb­ing gesture at the sodden skies that often sulk there. Logical people laboring under such murk would never fall in love with convertibles, but of course logic and the British are often at odds. Basically, Brits are tickled pink anytime their beloved ragtops are close at hand. Over the past few years, Americans have grown happier to have Jag at hand. As is often said, much of the credit goes to John Egan, Jaguar’s chairman and chief execu­tive officer, who signed on in 1980 and led the company’s resurgence. Sales in Ameri­ca alone soared from 3029 cars in 1980 to 18,000 in 1984. Publicly owned for the past two years, Jaguar enjoys continued sales-and-service success in the States. We snapped up more than half the 1985 pro­duction run of 38,000 cars, and the XJ-S coupe has broken sales records here for three years running. Mechanically, the Cabriolet is identical to the XJ-S coupe. Structurally, however, the convertible has been injected with new beef. The roof’s framework houses two sub­stantial steel rods that make a minor con­tribution to stiffness, but the major beefing comes from a boxed section that takes the place of the coupe’s rear seats. Intended primarily to offset the torsional stiff­ness lost when the full roof was eliminated, the box wears handsome carpeting and houses two lockable storage bins. Trimmed with luggage slats and a restraint bar, the box lands ready to support any traveling cases, haversacks, miniature steamer trunks, or other travel­ing caboodle carried in the cabin, but defi­nitely not any plus-two passengers. In terms of their structural contribution, the reinforcements don’t quite make up for the skylights in the roof. The lengthy Jag­uar exhibits a few shakes and shudders not found in, say, the stubby Porsche 911 Cab­riolet, though the Jag is certainly far from the shakiest pop-top around. We only wish it were as easy to open up as the others. In our test car, the knob intended to release the framed rear roof sec­tion almost didn’t: it proved nearly impos­sible to turn. And the trim, tight boot stubbornly resisted the snapping-down operation. Inside, the new roofline nips off a bit of the coupe’s headroom, but comfort seems to suffer little, if at all. The seat’s lum­bar padding has been improved, and the subtle shaping of their bolsters delivers better support than their flatness suggests. Delicious-smelling leather upholstery, al­though often a slippery hindrance to stay­ing behind the wheel, in this case has suffi­cient texture to assist the bolsters in keeping you in place. The steering wheel is also covered in reasonably grippy leather, but the rim is too skinny to provide a genuinely secure grip. Driver confidence also suffers because of the distraction created by the XJ’s scat­tered control layout. The main on/off/resume cruise-control button sits obtusely on the console just behind the shifter, while the “set” button is tucked in the lip of the turn-signal lever, far to the left. In another lapse of logic, the climate system’s controls are split by the radio. Worse, our SC’s ventilation fan quit, the oil-pressure gauge threw fits of erratic readings and the roof panels sprang a leak when we test­ed the weather sealing by running the car through an automatic wash—not good omens for Jaguar’s recently improved rep­utation. (Jaguar responds that our test car was built as a pilot model—even though the Cabriolet has been on the U.K. market for two years—and that the top panel should fit better in U.S. production models.) Having grumbled our gripes, a number of niceties stand out, too. A handy trip computer provides pertinent poop on time, distance, average speed, and fuel use. And beneath the computer sits the head unit of an Alpine sound system, whose sweet musicality, to our ears, ranks high among today’s factory-supplied au­dio systems. It is said that the British don’t like music, but they like the noise it makes. You could have fooled us: this system easi­ly and smoothly delivers music, not noise. The radio’s layout is good, the AM performance is better than most, and the FM sec­tion sounds fine. The cassette player’s performance, with tape recorded on a good deck from records or compact discs, abso­lutely caresses the ears. Given the XJ-SC’s lowish wind noise (for a convertible), Jag­uar should add a CD player, because plen­ty of musical detail comes through without strain even at high speeds.Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverWe’re talking 135-mph potential. T00 bad the three-speed automatic and the tall gearing take the sting out of the V-12 off the line. In this price category, a four- or five-speed gearbox should be aboard to liven things up. Moving off isn’t slow, but as our 8.4-second 0-to-60 time suggests, the beast doesn’t bust loose until the smooth, long-legged automatic finally lets the revs get up t0 business. The big four-wheel discs, ventilated in front, turn out to be strong points, smoothly snubbing this 4016-pound pil­grim’s progress without fade, though stops from 70 mph require a longish 213 feet. Squeezing down into tight corners from high speeds under hard braking creates no fuss whatever. As you feather of the pedal, unloading the nose, the steering takes up the transition as calmly as warm milk puts you to sleep. In the harsh light of skidpad testing, the XJ’s all-independent, coil-sprung suspen­sion and comparatively slim wheels and tire limit roadholding to 0.73 g. But the car’s behavior in the real world is satisfying enough to appeal to the buyers Jaguar has in mind. The shift lever looks delicate and feels clunky, and the throttle stiffly resists forays into downshift territory, but some­how the lasting impression is that of a basi­cally blissful drivetrain. Some testers, how­ever, feel it is too blissful and yearn for a more emhusiastic response from within. The XJ-SC’s handling follows British practice in providing light, benign rack­-and-pinion power steering, plus tire grip that feels more sporting than that of the typical American luxury sportster­—though not as sporting as the fine bite and firm bump-buffering provided by Germa­ny’s hard-running machines. On the other hand, the Jaguar provides levels of ride comfort that German engineers express little interest in supplying, and a degree of suspension control that is rare in Ameri­can-made machinery. Released by the throttle to do your bidding, the Jag hurls at your senses an orderly world, all veddy British, the V-12’s thunder insistent but distant, pleasantly muted even as you scis­sor across sweeping corners in a rush. The sensational engine gathers the car’s haunches to spew you onto the following straights in great, lubricious spendings of energy. If you have the patience to listen for the distant thunder, Jaguar rumbles the language of power, and you can hear it in your bones.What your gleeful senses total up may equal the perfect answer for the high-­dollar grand-touring market. The XJ-SC Cabriolet is just basic enough to provide deep thrills, but more than subtle enough to cuddle with. Its behavioral envelope will probably suit many of those concerned with finding proper conveyances for their golden years of grand touring. As long as their fingers are still strong enough to pop the top, that is. As a halfway step toward true open-air motoring, the XJ-SC Cabriolet proves two things: First, major amounts of sunshine can be admitted to the interior of the XJ without sacrificing any of the car’s basic goodness. And second, although the XJ­-SC is a noble and carefully engineered al­ternative to a steel-roofed coupe, it’s no substitute at all for a true convertible.CounterpointI’m afraid there’s nothing but disap­pointment in the new XJ-SC for a thrill seeker like myself. Aside from Jaguar’s unconventional means of letting the great outdoors in, time has stood still for this lowrider.I’ve long hoped that Jaguar would firm the XJ-S up into a real sports ma­chine, but, alas, that was not to be. The XJ-SC still uses the pillowy suspension settings that make the XJ6 such a joy­ous rider—but it’s way too loose­-jointed for a spirited two-seater. When I call on a hard corner, the body makes like a yo-yo. No change here. Then there’s the mighty V-12, which feels all bottled up at the low end. It’s needed a good four-speed automatic to set it free for ages. It’s been reported that Jaguar has im­proved its quality control. Unfortunate­ly, our test car suffered from a balky folding top, a climate control that went belly-up, and a bad case of the stalls. When I slide into a low-slung, broad-­shouldered V-12 sports car, I expect a kick in the pants. The XJ-SC may be fine for wealthy people twenty years my senior, but it’s far too much of a gentle­man for me. —Rich Ceppos It’s hard to rationalize a car like the Jag­uar XJ-SC. For far less money, there are any number of cars that perform as well as or better than this machine. Few, however, can match the Jag’s individ­uality and panache. In a time of look-alike car designs, the XJ-SC is a welcome break from the norm. It is leaner and swoopier than its photos suggest; at times its look is al­most exotic. Of course, as with almost any exotic car, one pays a price for good looks and distinction. The Jag’s seats are limited in their range of adjustment and offer little support, many of its er­gonomic features leave much to be de­sired, and our test car suffered a num­ber of nagging failures. In compensation, however, the XJ­-SC offers a smooth and strong engine, effortless cruising at any speed, and a ride that is almost unsurpassed in sup­pleness. Add to these virtues the car’s handsome shape, and this Jaguar be­comes an inviting alternative for some­one who can afford to indulge in its unique blend of individuality. —Arthur St. AntoineIf your idea of automotive luxury is cen­tered on a profligate use of the world’s resources, the Jaguar XJ-SC is the car for you. A mid-sixties, full-size Ameri­can sedan is a model of efficiency com­pared with the Coventry cat. I can’t think of another two-seater with such a large and massive body. Neither can I recall a car that extracts so little perfor­mance from such a large and lavishly conceived powerplant. To be sure, the XJ-SC goes about its business quietly and smoothly, leading one to conclude that passenger com­fort was the goal of its extravagant de­sign. However, the absence of such creature comforts as power-adjustable seats and a power-operated roof belies that conclusion. That leaves sheer con­spicuous consumption as the main thrust of this car, and that’s just too anachronistic a concept, even for a lux­ury cruiser, in 1986. —Csaba CsereArrow pointing downArrow pointing downSpecificationsSpecifications
1986 Jaguar XJ-SC CabrioletVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $43,500/$43,500
ENGINESOHC V-12, aluminum block and heads, electronic fuel injectionDisplacement: 326 in3, 5344 cm3Power: 262 hp @ 5000 rpmTorque: 290 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 
TRANSMISSION3-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/trailing armsBrakes, F/R: 11.1-in vented disc/10.3-in discTires: Pirelli P5215/70VR-15
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 102.0 inLength: 191.7 inWidth: 70.6 inHeight: 47.8 inPassenger Volume: 51 ft3Trunk Volume: 16 ft3Curb Weight: 4016 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.4 sec100 mph: 22.0 sec1/4-Mile: 16.3 sec @ 88 mph120 mph: 39.8 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.1 secTop Speed: 135 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 213 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.73 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 13/17 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More