End of Summer Musings in the Auto Industry

Now that fall is here after a busy summer, there are some thoughts that have come to mind that are worth sharing.

Incorrect transmission references still abound. Industry members and journalists still refer to automated manual transmissions as an automatic transmission. An “automatic transmission” definition should not change. It’s a transmission that uses fluid to transmit power until a physical lock-up occurs. An automated manual, single or dual clutch uses actual clutches for a physical connection for power transfer at all speeds. They are distinctly different but neither one has a clutch pedal and both can be driven without manually selecting gears.

A Saleen S7R won its class at LeMans for the first time and it was the last running of the GT-1 class. This is quite a momentous event after 10 years of gallant attempts. This time the usually dominant Corvette C6-Rs lost and note they are no longer factory backed. The non-factory backed Aston Martins lost as well. AutoWeek magazine, now published every 2 weeks and called AW, referred to the S7 as a muscle car. It is not a muscle car, nor has it ever been. It is a pure sports car, exotic, light and mid-engine but from the United States. The Wiki page for the S7 has some fascinating statistics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saleen_S7

BMW may have a low horsepower rating versus the real number. Road & Track recently tested the 400hp twin-turbo BMW 750i in a comparison test vs. the Lexus LS 460. The 6-speed automatic, 4600lb BMW ran a quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 108mph. Just like the 335i, this car seems to be underrated. I would guess it’s closer to 460hp, perhaps more. If it was really 400hp, it would need to weigh around 4,000lbs to post numbers like that. Think Pontiac G8 GXP as a great benchmark. http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/comparison/2010-bmw-750i-vs.-2010-lexus-ls-460-sport

The 60-130mph test is gaining in popularity. The Battle Of The Supercars, a fun show on Speed TV, tested modified muscle cars in a 60-130mph test. The 800hp+ Ford GT500 and Camaro both ran times significantly slower than they should have. Reason being is they started timing from a standing 60mph start. Better to start below 50mph my source tells me. Also Road & Track just did a similar test but from 80-130mph for production sports cars and their racing counterparts. Don’t know why that starting speed was chosen but I would say a precedent has already been set for the 60mph starting speed. http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-san-jose/new-performance-standard-of-60mph-to-130mph-replacing-the-quarter-mile-drag-race

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Volvo S60 Wins Speed GT Championship and Crow still tastes okay

In April 2009, I predicted the Volvo S60 in the Speed GT series was essentially a waste of time. For the 2009 season they did okay, but Brandon Davis won the driver’s championship with his heavily modified (even for racing) Ford Mustang FR500C. Porsche took home the manufacturer’s championship. Now for the 2010 season the Volvo won the drivers’ (Randy Pobst) and manufacturers’ championships.

I must give credit and congratulations to the Volvo S60, Randy Pobst, Andy Pilgrim, K-Pax Racing, 3R Racing/Auto for chassis development, Mahle for the engines and Weismann for the transmissions. A team effort that resulted in wins over the proven masters of road racing. Top drivers Randy and Andy could not have done it without excellent equipment and vice versa.

These all-wheel drive cars really did a great job this past season. I wonder if AWD will be banned for the GT class after this success or will the S60 be back? A ruling like that is not unheard of although I think Porsche’s 911 GT3 Hybrid race car may have earned an exemption at some point. So what now for Geely owned Volvo? Have you noticed the new commercials for the 300hp S60? It’s “naughty” with 300hp and 325ft lbs torque.  It’s the same performance envelope from 7 years ago when Car & Driver tested a past generation:

Volvo should get more aggressive and use the Speed GT title in their ads. I also think Volvo should offer an “R” version making 350hp or even 400hp to capitalize on the win. Currently 300hp, AWD and 3800lbs is great for a daily driver, and “naughty “ is probably appropriate, but it’s time to spice it up. How about “Bad Boy” or “Champion Edition” or Porsche eater? Viper killer? Corvette slayer? Pretty comical, I know. Kudos to Volvo and the rest that were directly involved, now capitalize on it. BBQ’d crow on the grill isn’t so bad.

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Infiniti M35h - the Fun Hybrid

The Infiniti M35h Hybrid offers luxury, size and power with rather outstanding mileage, 27mpg city and 32mpg highway. Very impressive from a powertrain rated at 360hp and 457ft.lbs of torque in a 4129lb car. Wrap your head around that for a minute. A gas-only sedan of similar size and power would have a hard time getting 25mpg highway. A note about the horsepower and torque figures: The combined horsepower (302 gas, 67 electric) adds up to 369 but only has a net rating of 360. A fair estimate on the total torque may be around 460ft.lbs.

The dash layout, with nice curving shapes was rather confusing and busy. Even after spending a lot of time in a G37 Coupe, the related controls in the M35h are not as intuitive. After that, it’s like driving any other large, luxurious sedan. The corporate V-6, closely related to the previous generation 3.5 liter vs. the current 3.7s in the Nissan/Infiniti line-up seems smooth and quiet. With all the refinement and automatic transmission, the notorious NHV (noise, vibration, harshness) is completely hidden.

The powertrain is quite innovative. It has a dry clutch between the engine and the 67lb electric motor and a wet clutch between the electric motor and 7-speed automatic transmission. This means the torque converter is eliminated. There is no slop felt when driving this car. There are many more features to cover but these were the immediate impressions and highlights. What was really fun was punching the throttle while rolling and getting rubber, rather surprising tire spin in such a heavy and refined car. You can actually have fun in this "green machine." Now how many hybrid cars can you say that about in this current day and age?

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Palo Alto Concours Elegance 2010

Sunday, June 27th was the forty-fourth annual Palo Alto Concours D’elegance. It was another scorching hot event just like last year, covered in my column from July 3rd, 2009. And again, for $20 prior to the show date, it’s a bargain. Besides that, seeing five street cars I’ve never seen in person is very memorable as well. In my opinion the hot sunshine made the colors even more vibrant.

This year Cadillac and Mercedes Benz were the featured marques which is a great combination. There is a tremendous amount of history between the two, but there were standouts past and present. The Gullwing Mercedes are timeless classics. 1930’s era V-16 Cadillacs have a certain magic about them as do many Concours quality cars from that era. And yes, the first view in person of the new SLS was a treat. It seems small compared to the McLaren parked next to it and the rear styling is a little weak in my opinion.

There were dealers and manufacturers that had their own cars on display too. Sure enough, the CTS Coupe was there with big doors, big butt, and unique styling. I don’t think silver is a good color for it due to the slab sides. The interior is quite nice however.

A white Lotus Evora was also present and looked quite stunning and more polished than the Tesla. A comparison is warranted since the body and chassis is from an extensively re-worked and lengthened Lotus.

Aston Martin had their Rapide 4-door. Dennis Dardinelli, craftsman of dardanellidesign.com exclaimed, “That’s bitchin!” upon approaching it. It really is a stunner with sports car styling. A big V-12 engine producing 470hp with a 6-speed automatic means adequate power. It’s quite a bit slower than the Porsche Panamera Turbo, but looks far better from any angle.

The Fisker Karma stole the show in my opinion. This 4-door plug-in hybrid has curves that are nearly R-rated. It made the Aston Martin Rapide look tame. Interestingly, Henrik Fisker used to be the stylist at Aston Martin and for less than one-half the price of the Rapide, this car could change everything. Its interior nearly matches the exterior. Charging is done via plug-in or by a GM source 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo. This thing re-defines 4-door styling and must be seen in person to appreciate. Fisker could sell these as rolling chassis for those wanting internal combustion performance and still do well.

Other highlights include retired race cars in the “Gallery of Greats”, the “Green Cars” exhibit which had only two entrants worthy of the parking on the grass at this event (see above) plus a Tesla Roadster Sport. Other displays included motorcycles with sidecars including a wheelchair bound special, ever-present and gorgeous Ferraris, Emergency and Police vehicles, and a boat display with some wood boats.

This is show is one of the best, covered parking for many, excellent staff and vehicle variety, food and professionalism. The not-so-hot parts were the corral for non-judged cars was particularly weak versus past years, easily eclipsed by the cars for sale. Some of the vehicles were parked too close together, almost discouraging looking inside and behind them. Those views should not be missed either.

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Nissan GT-R Review and Test Drive - Driving the Beast: Part 2 of 2

Driving The Beast:
It whirs and clicks. “Mechanical” is the description that comes to mind over and over. You hear the whirring of the engine and robotic clicks of the dual clutch transmission behind you. I found it pretty cool, conveying its operations although the owner was talking about adding sound insulation.

Almost mind blowing was the way it rockets out of turns with no drama. It was simply uncanny and obscene how early and how hard it could accelerate right after the apex. No hint of oversteer or drift. At full throttle in the less aggressive drive mode setting, the shifts feel like it’s from an automatic transmission.

It’s very large yet the impression given in the turns is that it cannot be rocked when parked if you push it from the side. It’s as if the suspension tolerances are so tight that there is no slop in lateral movement. The ride is quite firm in the sport mode and the pogo effect can be faintly detected but isn’t intrusive. When hitting bumps, it’s as if they are minimized in height and duration and the tire is immediately back to the level surface. Just like any other car, yet seemingly far more responsive.

The steering wheel is small and reminded me of the Lotus Elise I drove with less feedback but very quick ratio. There are plenty of controls on the wheel as well. Despite its feel and not being used to the car and keeping its size in mind, I used the center lane as my reference point, never the right side.

In automatic mode driving in traffic works nicely. Downshifting is fun but the throttle blips are quiet with the stock exhaust and intake. One thing to keep in mind, never manually downshift from 2nd to 1st when coming to a stop – it’s a jerky transition like a sloppily driven manual if timed incorrectly.

The Rest:
Doing a walk around for photos at the summit of Skyline and Highway 9, the owner’s assertion that it’s a “Dude Magnet” was proven. A couple of admirers walked over to check it out and compliment it. After sitting in it and now taking a look at it, it’s like an Infiniti G37 Coupe on growth hormone. Or perhaps steroids, take your pick. It is quite purposeful in design, more militant and not curvy or particularly sexy. It looks good in white and ominous in black.

The G37 Coupe comparison brings up an interesting point. I feel this car should have been sold as an Infiniti. It is more suited to the Infiniti brand. Lexus has race cars, why shouldn’t Infiniti have a performance flagship? The 370Z should carry that banner with Nissan.

Those vents in the middle of the hood are not fake. They actually direct air downward towards the turbos to keep them cool. In fact, even in the heat and fairly aggressive driving the coolant temp stayed around 183 degrees. I found this quite interesting in this day of 200+ degree emission compliant thermostats. And the transmission oil temps never climbed either.

I asked to him to “pop the hatch” assuming the shape dictated a hatchback. I was wrong, it’s a trunk. Oddly shaped, it reminded me of the Camaro. It’s seems rather deep but doesn’t go very far back towards the rear seats.

The GT-R isn’t a sports car although it performs like one. It’s really a Grand Tourer. I would say it makes a better daily driver than the non-twin clutch Porsche 911 Twin Turbo. It is quieter, seems to have more cargo capacity and utilitarian. However it isn’t as intimate or as exotic. The 911 Twin Turbo may not show well vs. the Italian exotics, but it is sexier looking than the GT-R. I would reserve judgment about the dual- clutch 911 TT though. That transmission and the recent suspension revisions would put it back in 1st place in my mind.

So was launch control ever used? No, he has never used launch control. In my estimate, that means consistent low 1.9x 60fts at the drag strip rather than 1.8s. Not really a big deal.

Will it turn a 7:29 at the infamous Nurburgring in Germany? Well, it will definitely beat a non-PDK transmission 911 Twin Turbo. It should be noted that Randy Pobst ran a low 1:40.453 at Laguna Seca when testing with Motor Trend. Compare that to some other cars at Fastlaps.com and the pecking order seems representative.

It’s an amazing car, and perhaps it doesn’t have a soul as some say. What it does have, if one were attribute an organic quality, is personality.

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Nissan GT-R Review and Test Drive: Part 1 of 2

There were quite a few surprises driving the awesome and controversial Nissan GT-R. Having the opportunity to drive one on a twisty mountain road favored by motorcyclists was a thrill. It’s very “mechanical”, quite large and my impression more of a competitor to the Audi R8 than the Porsche 911 Twin Turbo.

Background: This 2010 model has about 2000 miles on it. The MSRP was over $80,000. It features a 6-speed dual clutch paddle-shift rear transaxle. The 3.8 liter twin-turbo V-6 produces 485 hp at 6400rpm and 434 ft. lbs of torque at 3200 rpm. Known for consistent deep 3-second 0-60mph blasts and high 11-second quarter mile times, the biggest controversy was the factory reported Nurburgring time of 7:29, beating far lighter, 600 hp plus cars like the Porsche Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda F.

The owner has had some notable cars in the past and is no stranger to track days. Cars like a track prepped Acura NSX, two E46 BMW M3s, and an ’04 Porsche 911 GT3. Currently besides the Nissan is a ’08 Porsche Cayman. He knows his cars.

Interior Impressions:
The first thing noticed is the deep, very supportive seats although I found myself sitting rather high up; almost oddly so for a performance car. The seats have an intuitive rotating and sliding control for electric motor adjustments. The door armrest and side panel is deeply padded and very comfortable. Looking outward, the visibility is very good, partially due to the high seating position. Even the race car in Speed GT seems to have a very high seating position. However due to the width and design, despite the overall visibility it’s hard to place the outer edge of the car during my brief time with it.

The rear seats are deep, but not a lot of leg room. It’s really more of a 3-seater like many smaller 2+2 coupes. The legroom is behind the passenger but the driver’s seat once adjusted pretty much eliminates a 4th passenger option.

Gauges are always welcome and the driver configurable display is a real treat. Information in the custom configuration set by the owner was showing boost level, engine oil temp, oil pressure, coolant temp, transmission oil temp and transmission oil pressure. It would take time to get used to reading them quickly but it’s great to have that information.

Telescoping steering is intuitively found but the tilt function is not. Believe it or not, a look at the owner’s manual was needed. Turns out the levers are next to each other. Go figure.

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