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Car and Driver
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
View Photos of the 1978 Luxury Car Comparison Test
See the exterior and interior of the 1978 BMW 630CSi, Jaguar XJ-S, and Mercedes-Benz 450SLC from every angle.
Car and Driver
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
1978 Test: BMW 630CSi vs. Jaguar XJ-S vs. Mercedes-Benz 450SLC
From the December 1977 issue of Car and Driver. We'd been calling our projected comparison test of three highline GTs "the luxotour" for so long that when it came time to sit down and plan the story, there suddenly seemed no reason not to do just that. Luxotour, that is. Grab a handful of staffers, plot an enjoyable route through some pretty countryside, stuff CB radios into each car, and go. Manufacturers use the same technique when previewing new models—they call it "ride and drive"—so we were all amazed that we didn't think of it sooner. Especially since the very best way to compare what a selection of cars does to you is to sling each down the road in back-to-back testing. No memory-fade, no puzzling over notes. If one seat fits and the other doesn't, you know it pronto. Obviously, with a one-day jaunt (a necessity considering the huge variety of ingenious excuses C/D staff members manage to concoct for flying away every week to race tracks, new-car introductions, and other suspect activities), the route is critical. I finally settled on a 300-mile combination of roads that would give us the best possible approximation of all the kinds of driving anyone buying a new Jaguar XJ-S, Mercedes 450SLC, or BMW 630CSi could find himself doing. From the Red Ball Garage, the plan was to head west through the Lincoln Tunnel, across the awful congestion of industrial New Jersey on NJ 3 and US 46 (both known hereabouts as "franchise freeways"), and then pick up northbound NJ 23, a four-lane highway that gradually transforms itself from an urban artery to a pleasantly rustic road that dips gently through a number of equally pleasant little New Jersey towns. (And yes, Virginia, there really are pleasant little New Jersey towns.) That would take us to Port Jervis, a fascinating village strategically placed on the Delaware River at the tri-corn junction of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. And from there, we'd shoot northwest on the Delaware River Road (otherwise known as NY 97), a two-laner that follows the snaky undulations of the Delaware on an alluvial plain with absolute fidelity; when the river twists, the road twists. Its attraction is that the road seems to be one of the best bits of paving this side of the Alps; gorgeous country looming on either side, it wriggles delightfully, with turns just slow enough to keep you busy but just fast enough to make you sweat. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver At a minuscule hamlet called Hankins, we planned a turn to the northeast on a gravel-and-asphalt one-and-a-half laner that demands so much concentration to drive you might as well be herding a Ferrari P3 down the tortuous lanes and cart-tracks of the Targa Florio. If the cars were to bottom out and do other awful things, this is where they'd do it. Assuming we'd survived chasing each other for fifteen miles of that, we'd pick up NY 17 at Roscoe. That would put us on a major expressway, known to many as the way to Watkins Glen from the New England states, and to others as a freeway with endless numbers of frost-heaved concrete slabs. Even they had a useful job, since they would tell us how each car's suspension would work on a cross-country trip. (In case you haven't noticed, some cars develop sickening ride motions when subjected to rhythmic bumps.) We'd be southbound on 17 for quite awhile, picking up US 6—a two- and three-laner—for the southeast connection to the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which would then run us onto the crowded confusion of the George Washington Bridge and finally back down the Harlem River and FDR Drives to roost, tired but happy, at the Red Ball once again. That was the plan, anyway. What actually happened was that once we'd painfully arranged to have David E. Davis, Jr., Terry Cook, Pat Bedard, Don Sherman, and Zora Arkus-Duntov (we figured we'd better have an industry heavy along, both as an advisor and to lend the affair some semblance of dignity) at the Red Ball one fine August morning, only two of the cars were present. The 450SLC was still somewhere in New Jersey, having a floppy throttle linkage tightened. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver Since we'd arranged five stops to compare notes, play musical drivers, and cast critical eyes over the cars, and since each of these stops was mathematically calculated to ensure fair distribution of driving time, we were already messed up. So after scurrying over to Montvale to pick up the Mercedes, we had to press on with an already confused program. The convoy reassembled itself at Point Charlie One (the Tip Top Diner on Route 23), and we set off again in pursuit of truth, beauty, and the right line. You're probably wondering, at this point, about the cars themselves. And well you might, since each is worthy of a good deal of wonder. We'd put them head-to-head on this exercise because by various means they'd done just that on the market; they were all expensive, luxurious Grand Touring cars which always seem to be compared in buying discussions. The new Jaguar XJ-S combines the poke of its magnificent 5.3-liter V-12 this year with a GM Turbo Hydra-matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission, a change demanded by the sloppy, lengthy changes of gear in the older Borg-Warner unit. Our blinding-red test car was the first one in the test fleet to arrive with this gear carton, so we were extremely anxious to see if the hands-across-the-sea mixture would eradicate a well-known flaw in the XJ-S character. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver The Mercedes 450SLC, on the other hand, has had no such discernible flaws since its inception in 1972, so the car we had was simply the 1978 version of a proven winner. It finally arrived under the porte-cochere of the palatial M-B headquarters in Montvale in a gleaming coat of German racing silver, looking confident and aloof even next to two other potent luxocars. The only change even contemplated by the Mercedes planners for this car in the next handful of years will be the replacement of its current 4.5-liter V-8 with a lighter 5-liter unit. But that will happen only in Europe at first, and there is no word on when—0r even if—that motor will appear in American cars. The 450SLC as it is today seems to fit its clientele so well that M-B clearly isn't about to change just for change's sake. The BMW 630CSi came to us painted a marvelous metallic blue, and with considerably less of a reputation than either the Jaguar or Mercedes. Ever since we'd discovered its peculiar combination of beautiful styling, comfortable interior, willing-but-strained engine, and enormous price tag in our May '77 test, the car had been the object of a great deal of controversy. Our inclusion of it in this comparison would, we hoped, define its niche for us once and for all. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver Each car cost over $20,000 and less than thirty. Each car had an independent suspension. Each was at least a nominal two-plus-two. The Jaguar and Mercedes had automatic transmissions, but the 630CSi had a four-speed manual, which we thought might do a bit to offset the power difference between the XJ-S's V-12, the 450SLC's V-8, and the little three-liter straight six in the BMW. As far as we were concerned, the cars were fairly matched in terms of market. It would be up to our actual back-to-back experiences to determine their relative stature. Which brings us back to meeting the Michael Jordan–piloted Porsche 924 photo/chase car at Point Charlie One. Having used the CBs to good effect in finding Jordan and photographer Sutton, we set off down Route 23 a good two hours late, which meant that we were now firmly embedded in the rush-hour traffic that seems to orbit endlessly around New York City. The crush made it hard to maintain the tidy flight orders (the Jag was supposed to lead, followed by the Mercedes and BMW so that the driver changes could be made without confusion), but we finally carved our way into the countryside and settled down to some serious motoring. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver The next five hours and 275 miles were the combination of high comedy and blistering driving you'd expect if you knew anything about the C/D style. First, there was the goat that suddenly appeared in front of the XJ-S as it was leading the convoy through the picturesque series of esses you see in the lead photograph to this story. Being a pseudo-mountain goat, it simply stepped off the rocky wall adjacent to the road and landed square in the center stripe, seemingly munching away on some straggly grass growing there without even noticing the high-velocity stream of steel bearing down on it. I was driving the Jag, and while I wrenched the big coupe onto the shoulder, Group Captain Davis got on the R/T and ordered the flight to evasive action: "Red Leader to flight: Break right, break!" We must have all seen the same movies, because one after another, the Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW howled around the bend and neatly dove to the side of the casually grazing goat. And then there was the Amazing Vomiting Gas Tank. When we pulled into Barryville for a driver change and fuel stop, Bedard dutifully rattled the fuel filler into the Jag's thirsty neck and began pumping expensive unleaded into it. Soon it had filled and automatically shut the fuel filler off. But before he could remove it, a whooshing jet of gasoline came pouring back up out of the pipe, and continued to flow for a healthy period until at last it stopped with maybe three gallons spread over the car and pavement. "Hmmm," said Bedard, as we frantically pushed the XJ-S and its super-heated catalytic converters away from the puddle of fuel. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver But most of the trip was simply fun, if "simply" describes having the time of your life with high-buck GT cars on virtually deserted roads. Over freeways and rutted dirt tracks we hustled, mile after mile, until at last we rolled, hot and tired, to a stop at the Alpine Lookout over the Hudson River, where ace-lensman Sutton wanted to do some final shots before the sun went down. It was an opportune time to reflect on the day's events, but something seemed missing. At last, Sherman put his finger on it: The enforced discipline of the convoy had made it impossible to have The Race. Surely The Race was not essential to our understanding of the cars, but each of them would certainly get thrashed hard in its owner's hands at least once, right? As Humphrey finished his shots, we settled on the final act: Last one back to the Red Ball buys the beer. Suddenly, nerves slackened from a day's effort were taunt again as drivers waited for their cars, and from the unofficial starting gate of the toll plaza, C/D Red Flight broke up into individual teams struggling to reach home base first. The traffic was heavy, so no outright speeding was needed; only nerves of steel and split-second timing, along with a willing engine and good brakes. The Mercedes led most of the way, but the BMW, under the guidance of Quarter-Mile Cook, screeched to a stop in the Red Ball well before either the 450SLC or the Jaguar. I bought the beer. Sitting comfortably around the tables in the Good Times cafe, the cars' flaws and strengths began to emerge in congenial debriefing. We'd decided to look for two kinds of winner in this comparison: an overall best car that would be judged on a numerical rating system designed by Don Sherman, and the emotional winner, the car we'd most like to have, regardless of faults or expense—in other words, the one with the highest lust factor. Each car could score a maximum of 55 points per driver, based on Sherman's system of eleven areas rated one through five points per area. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver The Mercedes scored the highest on everyone's sheets, by a healthy margin. It rang up 207.5 points out of a possible 275, proving that even this disparate staff agrees that the word "engineering" could have been coined to describe the impressive abilities of the 450SLC. Second was the XJ-S, which gathered 192 points, losing mostly in the convenience areas, but doing well in performance figures. And third came the BMW 630CSi with 179.5, far behind because of its lack of power and odd ride sensations. The lust-factor winner was another story. Only one staffer opted for anything other than the XJ-S here, and nobody thought that the car just voted most capable—the Mercedes—was emotionally as satisfying as the XJ-S. It seems that for all its ergonomic faults and unhelpful shifting tendencies, the feel of sheer svelte power the XJ-S imparted was a powerful enough stimulant to win it friends and lovers. If the Mercedes won the minds of the staff, the Jaguar could fairly be said to have won their hearts. You can find out in more detail how the cars fared under "Scorecard," where each participant has his say. Naturally, there wasn't much complete agreement on any aspect of the luxotour results. Except, perhaps, that we need to do it more often. But next time, having seen how hard it is to come to grips with evaluating cars as sophisticated as these on a single day's driving, we're going to schedule something a little more appropriate than New Jersey. Something, perhaps, like a month among the castles and crags of the Alps. No real luxotour is complete, after all, without mountain goats. Luxotour Scorecard View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver Mercedes-Benz 450SLC I'm a sucker for a Mercedes-Benz automobile. Any Mercedes-Benz automobile. I like some better than others, but there aren't any I don't like. The 450SLC happens to be one I like better than others. Everything works. It's strong, solid, and plenty fast. It telegraphs all kinds of reassuring signals up through the controls, giving you the feeling that no matter how hard you drive it, it's beyond abuse. Then there's the engine note. A Mercedes-Benz V-8 doesn't sound like other V-8s. It has a droning cry something like the old DB601 engine must have sounded like in the Me-109. As much as I like the silky sexiness of the Jaguar or the good looks of the BMW, the Mercedes is the car I'd buy. I fell into the 450SLC and everything was just right, period. This is my number-one pick. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for a Mercedes. —David E. Davis, Jr. The 450SLC is a strong-minded and confident car, typically Mercedes and unlike any other brand in the world. It gives the impression of tremendous value, I think, because everything you touch is so solid. It also features an action-packed entertainment program for its driver. Acceleration is only fair, but the engine produces a powerful roar that's not a bad substitute for going fast. And the handling is exceptionally good. Steering response is the best of any car in this group—although the effort is too high for my tastes—and the heavily damped ride motions keep you very much aware of the road surface beneath the tires. M-B cars in general stay composed on broken roads, and the SLC is no exception. It is, I think, the most thorough car in the test. —Patrick Bedard I can't understand why any car—particularly one costing almost $30,000—has to be so hard to drive. High effort is in everything you touch in the 450SLC. The door latch won't unlock with normal effort, and the seats feel as if they're molded from concrete. Even the ignition key is hard to turn. And the turn-signal stalk feels as though it must manage something really massive—a Road Ranger ten-speed gearbox at the very least. I've driven 48-passenger school buses with smaller steering wheels and a good deal less muscle required. For me, this Mercedes is the hardest car on the road. The word luxury is out of context here, but the premium soundtrack of overhead cams and tuned manifolds makes it a pleasure to hammer up mountain roads. For that, if not for luxotouring, it would be hard to top. —Don Sherman View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver My first examination of the 450SLC's interior reveals the expected close fit and finish. The only trouble is that the Mercedes uses waffled M-B Tex Naugahyde, creating a neutered, zero-personality atmosphere. It's comfortable, durable, and washable, but it just isn't lovable or cozy. And at the first driver rotation, I find that while it's easy enough to get into and out of the front, the rear seat area was designed for children. Still, I've never experienced the kind of secure comfort the 450 provides, and all that other stuff is eyewash because driving is what the SLC is all about. The 275-cubic-inch V-8 has tolerable acceleration, but it's the roadholding and ride that make this car the highest scorer on my chart. Like most other Mercedes, this thing just seems to do everything right. —Terry Cook The first thing I notice about the latest SLC is that the seatbelts are just as hard to live with as they always were. They're too tight, too hard to reach, and just plain awkward. But after that, I find that for me, like Davis, this car is like a German aircraft, even though I think it looks like a German Dodge. Loafing along at legal speeds, it's just a handful of high-effort controls, but once I get crazy, it shows all the class you'd demand from a maxi-buck luxocar. Even though emotionally the car leaves me cold, I can see why the country-club set still holds it in high esteem: It says class on every smooth panel. The thing I can't understand, though, is exactly why people like the styling. To me, it looks like a science-mobile, a rolling NASA study. Whatever the reason, it still draws stares. And that's got to be worth a lot in this league. —Steve Thompson View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver BMW 630CSi This BMW is a troublesome paradox for me. I, the man who has loved all BMWs without stinting, find myself not liking the flagship of the line. For my money, the 320i is a better car, and a 320i with Recaro seats and five grand's worth of Alpina mods would put the big coupe on the trailer and still leave you with enough disposable income for a Holland and Holland shotgun. Terry Cook kept speculating what the Bimmer would be like with a small-block Chevy in it as we drove through the Catskills, and he does put his finger on one important shortcoming: The car isn't strong enough to compete in this league. The 630CSi is easily the prettiest car of these three and—taken by itself—has a great deal of charm, but I was frankly astonished by the edge that the older Mercedes and Jag enjoyed in ride, sound insulation, usable performance, and refinement. Maybe it needs to age some, to find its feet. —David E. Davis, Jr. What BMW is proving with the 630CSi, I think, is that few people want a $25,000 sporting coupe if it doesn't have a motor. Certainly, the BMW is not short of features when compared to the other cars. It's the only one with a manual transmission, and it had the most useful back seat, not to mention the best air conditioner. On the other hand, the seats are hard, slippery, and poorly shaped. The instrument panel is busy to the point of distraction. The ride motions are excessively pitchy. Still, taken all together, these complaints seem rather minor when stacked against the car's exterior. And here, too, I find myself at odds with staff opinion; the shape is appealing, to be sure, but the family resemblance to the low-ball 320i is far too strong to suit me. Which brings us back to the lack of a motor; if it had one, much could be forgiven. But as it is, the best part about the 630CSi is walking up to it in the parking lot. —Patrick Bedard The BMW 630CSi is the most handsome car of this exotic lot. But when the stakes get this high, that's just not enough. Power is in critically short supply, and even though the BMW has the fewest number of cylinders under its hood, I'd ask not for more but for bigger ones. Or more logically, a turbocharger to help those existing cylinders. View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver BMW will also strain its faithful followers with the new coupe's suspension, which produces awkward pitch motions, dramatic squatting on acceleration, and heavy nosedive under braking. Even so, this car came into its own on the track, where it found seven more mph than the last one we tested. It also had the best skidpad and slalom figures, slicing through the cones with surgical precision. Still, the BMW's main strength is Saturday-night carriage duty. To make a name for itself as a road car of credential, it needs 50 percent more power and serious suspension therapy. —Don Sherman I've got to admit I was biased. Before I ever saw the 630CSi lurking in the garage, I felt this could be the car I liked most. It just looks the best, and if you're going to lay out all that bread, you'd better get a foxy-looking car in the deal. Right off, of course, you know it offers unequaled visibility. And the rear-seat area seems more comfortable than the Jag or SLC. The trunk also seems cavernous when compared to the other cars. Fold-out map pockets in the doors and really choice armrests blend into a flowing sculpture that becomes the dazzling tomorrow-land instrument panel. So what's wrong? Even after you try to convince yourself that the little six performs well compared to the bigger motors, the fact remains that despite its second-place ET, the 630CSi seems like it will barely get out of its own way. Even so, for me the BMW wins the lust-factor contest. Except that I'd still like to stuff a 350 Chevy motor in it. —Terry Cook For me, even electric rear windows can't remove the stigma of no power and no suspension from the pretentious 630CSi. It's easily the most beautiful production car I've ever seen, but for an entry fee that large, you need more. A lot more. I was hoping that some new aspect of the car would show itself in competition, but the only thing that mitigated my previous disappointment with the car was the wonderful sound system. Sadly, that's not enough. The BMW 630CSi is still too much money for too little. —Steve Thompson View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver Jaguar XJ-S The Jaguar wins my lust-factor vote, because it's a car that truly and genuinely excites lust. In that sense, it's a car with which I'd like to spend weekends in the country, not live with for the rest of my life. The engine is absolutely superb. I suppose an argument could be made that every real, honest-to-God enthusiast should own a twelve-cylinder car before he dies, and this Jag is certainly a sugar-coated way to do that. The only thing I'd fault seriously is the way the Jaguar people have undone GM's splendid Turbo Hydra-matic transmission. It doesn't really work much better than the old Borg-Warner engine-emasculator it replaces. As a car already a mass of compromises (albeit one that hangs together surprisingly well as a synergistic whole), I'd like to drive an XJ-S with a stock GM automatic. It'd have to be an improvement! —David E. Davis. Jr. This is my own personal sweetheart of the prom. It has power. It has sophisticated smoothness. When I'm driving, it wraps the side glass and roof tightly over my head in the way a sporting car should. And from the outside, it looks special. Best of all is the motor. You can never forget it. It purrs along until you kick it. Then it lunges. The automatic transmission tries to ruin everything, but fortunately, a transmission only has so much say in the way a car works. I'm also very high on the resilient suspension and low-effort controls, although the steering response is not as tight as I would like. The thing that disappoints me most is the interior. The dash and seat coverings speak of a kind of Pinto frugality that has no place in an over-$20,000 car. The front seats are comfortable, however, whereas the accelerator is too close to the brake pedal, and the driving position is simply something to be endured. Nonetheless, I think the XJ-S is the best car of the bunch. —Patrick Bedard The XJ-S is totally out of place in a speed-limited world. Even with twelve cylinders, its engine is lumpy and uneven at idle, and you need 40 mph on the clock before it gets rolling. Then the booster stage lights, and you're gone, off to a top speed of 137 mph, faster than anything you can buy in this country except a Porsche Turbo Carrera. Moreover, I consider its handling balance perfect; I haven't had so much fun on the skidpad for months. You determine its cornering attitude with your right foot. Perfect on big sweepers, the Jag's handling is not so hot on rapid transients; like the Mercedes, it won't submit easily to being tossed back and forth. While you're turning right, it's still going left. Like the other luxocars in our test, the Jag has serious flaws. With the recalcitrant transmission holding things back, I drove around town in fear of getting blown off by a fast Toyota. Still, since the XJ-S has the best strength-to-weakness ratio, it gets my nomination for king luxotourer. —Don Sherman View Photos Humphrey Sutton | Car and Driver With a fuel-injected V-12 going for it, you've got to figure the Jag has an edge in both performance and gut feeling. But like the others, its performance is exhibited in the ability to gobble up any type of road with nary a trace of hesitation instead of neck-snapping acceleration. All three handle like slot cars and ride as silkily as you'd expect, except that the Jag had this weird metallic clunk in the front end. Other items, like the glove-box door that whacks you in the knee and the right rear-view mirror that the driver can't see, turned me off a bit. Where the Mercedes is the obvious product of cold-blooded Teutonic technocracy, the XJ-S has some personality built in. The car's snarky styling is distinctive but not my cup of tea, although when you glance in your rear-view mirror and see it filled with snarling Jaguar, you begin to understand how a Me-109 pilot must have felt when he discovered a Spitfire on his tail. —Terry Cook The luxotour test and the week I had the XJ-S to drive to Tennessee and back convinced me of one thing: Although it suffers from character faults, there is no car I'd rather have in my garage for life. In a ten-tenths race down Lookout Mountain with a ferocious Pantera, on the freeway, on dirt roads, anywhere I took the big red cat, it just flat worked with class and grace. On the flaw side, the air conditioning does a better job than any previous Jag's, but still can't cope with direct sunlight. The GM THM 400 has somehow been flummoxed into being not very much better than the Borg-Warner, but through all of the things that mar the elegant stance of the XJ-S shines the marvelous integrity of an automobile that knows its place and its abilities. And for me, those abilities make it unsurpassed, the monarch of the luxocar royal family. —Steve Thompson Specifications Specifications 1978 BMW 630CSi Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $23,750/$24,000 Options: limited-slip differential, $250. ENGINE SOHC inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 182 in3, 2986 cm3 Power: 176 hp @ 5500 rpm Torque: 185 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm TRANSMISSION 4-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/semi-trailing arms Brakes, F/R: 11.0-in vented disc/10.7-in vented disc Tires: Michelin XVS 195/70HR-14 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 103.4 in Length: 192.7 in Width: 67.9 in Height: 53.7 in Curb Weight: 3420 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 8.4 sec 1/4-Mile: 16.8 sec @ 84 mph 100 mph: 28.7 sec Top Speed (observed): 123 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 211 ft Roadholding: 0.78 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 15/17 mpg -- 1978 Jaguar XJ-S Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $21,900/$21,900 ENGINE SOHC V-12, iron/aluminum/aluminum-and-magnesium block and iron/aluminum head[s], port/direct/port and direct fuel injection Displacement: 326 in3, 5340 cm3 Power: 244 hp @ 5250 rpm Torque: 269 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm TRANSMISSION 3-speed automatic CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink Brakes, F/R: 11.2-in vented disc/10.4-in disc Tires: Dunlop SP Sport Super 205/70VR-15 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 102.0 in Length: 192.2 in Width: 70.6 in Height: 49.6 in Curb Weight: 3930 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 8.3 sec 1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 91 mph 100 mph: 21.8 sec Top Speed (observed): 137 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 198 ft Roadholding: 0.83 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 12/14 mpg -- 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $27,090/$28,394 Options: electric sunroof, $604, alloy wheels, $700. ENGINE SOHC V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection Displacement: 276 in3, 4520 cm3 Power: 180 hp @ 4750 rpm Torque: 220 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm TRANSMISSION 3-speed automatic CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/semi-trailing arms Brakes, F/R: 10.9-in vented disc/11.0-in disc Tires: Michelin XVS 205/70HR-14 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 111.0 in Length: 196.4 in Width: 70.5 in Height: 52.4 in Curb Weight: 3860 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 9.6 sec 1/4-Mile: 17.5 sec @ 86 mph 100 mph: 26.5 sec Top Speed (observed): 129 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 209 ft Roadholding: 0.78 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 16/17 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
New York Post
19-07-2025
- New York Post
Son of Sam 'didn't do it,' his pal tells shooting victim
A woman shot by 'Son of Sam' killer David Berkowitz nearly 60 years ago found herself in the crosshairs again this week when she was confronted by an acolyte of the serial killer who lectured her about the murderer's innocence. Wendy Savino was at Valley Cottage Library in Rockland County Wednesday when Frank DeGennaro — who became friends with the heartless killer 30 years ago — confronted her and insisted Berkowitz did not shoot her, she told The Post. 'As I'm walking out, there's a man just standing staring at me and he's rather in my way,' Savino, 88, recalled to The Post. Advertisement 8 Wendy Savino, 88, said she was confronted by a man who said he was David Berkowitz's friend at a library. J.C. Rice 8 Savino said the confrontation happened at the Valley Cottage Library when she went to pick up a book. Google Maps 'So I try to walk around him and he says, 'You're Wendy Savino, aren't you? Well I just want you to know David is very upset about what happened to you. David wants to talk to you.'' Advertisement ' 'David wants you to know he didn't do it,' ' she recalled him saying. Savino was shot three times as she sat in her brand new silver Jaguar XJS on April 9, 1976, in the Bronx. 8 NYPD detectives last year said Savino was one of Berkowitz's victims when she was shot in 1976. csuarez She played dead when she realized the killer was still outside, but was shot twice more in the back. Bleeding profusely, she crawled down a street and into a restaurant. Advertisement NYPD investigators determined last year that Savino was the first of the .44-caliber killer's victims — he killed six and wounded eight victims, most of them women — in a series of shocking crimes that paralyzed the Big Apple from 1976 to 1977. Berkowitz was never charged with shooting her because the statute of limitations had run out. 8 Wendy Savino, 88, was a mom of two young sons when she was shot five times while sitting in her Jaguar in the Bronx in 1976. J.C. Rice The mother-of-two sons lost an eye in the attack and went into hiding in England, where she is from. After listening to DeGennaro boast about his friendship with Berkowitz, the terrified but quick-thinking Savino asked the man to write his name down so she could share it with her son, she said. Advertisement She and her son, Jason Savino, immediately reported the incident to the Clarkstown Police Department, which took a report. The department didn't return a call seeking comment. 8 Frank DeGennaro said he's been friends with Berkowitz for 30 years and the two talk regularly. Getting Lumped Up/ Youtube 'He had me backed into a corner,' she said. 'He's just talking and talking about the same thing. 'David's a really good person.'' But DeGennaro, who said he got a call from the cops asking about the incident but wasn't charged, told The Post he wasn't trying to scare her. DeGennaro, a retired NYC school principal in the Bronx, became friends with the serial killer three decades ago after writing him a letter in prison, he said. 8 A new documentary about Berkowitz is coming out later this month. AP 'David is my friend,' he said, explaining that the two bonded over their Christian faith. DeGennaro said he lives in Clarkstown and goes to the library often. He was surpised to run into Savino, he said. He denied telling her that Berkowitz wanted to talk to her. Advertisement 'I realize now that it was probably the wrong thing to do, to even talk to her,' said DeGennaro, who was on a podcast days earlier voicing support for Berkowitz. 'This is getting blown out of proportion.' 8 Berkowitz, known as the 'Son of Sam' paralyzed the city during his killing spree. New York Post The confrontation erupted as Netflix prepares to release a new documentary about Berkowitz on July 30 called 'Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes' about a series of newly unearthed, recorded conversations with him. 8 Wendy Savino wasn't part of the NYPD's case against Berkowitz when he was arrested even though she told cops she thought he was the man who shot her. J.C. Rice Advertisement Berkowitz, 72, is serving 25 years to life in prison for six murders, and has been denied parole 12 times. Savino was shaken by this week's encounter. 'I'm very nervous,' she said. 'I was always afraid someone would come to me and say 'I'll finish you off for David.''
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
The Kyza Creates A Concept To Make The M2 CS Look Tame
Khyzyl Saleem, better known as 'The Kyza,' is a sometimes controversial character. He's designed wacky cars for videogames, some of which occasionally come to life, and he's part of the TWR Supercat project that gives the old Jaguar XJS a whole new attitude far beyond anything the original creators could have imagined. Some love his work, and others hate it - something he's fine with, by the way. The same goes for BMW M cars, and the oddly styled G87 M2, in particular. So what happens when a controversial virtual render artist and designer tries to improve one of the most controversial designs of the modern era? Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, something racier than even the new M2 CS, yet also something more elegant. It sounds like a contradiction, and it is to a degree, but just look at what The Kyza has dubbed the M2-KS. It's hardcore, yet stylish. Back in 2016, BMW created the 2002 Hommage Concept for its annual Villa d'Este showcase, which, as its name implies, paid tribute to the brilliant 2002, which arrived in 1971 (though the 02 series of cars with smaller engines had been around since 1966). With his new render, Saleem has maintained most of the underlying structure of the G87, but in replacing the box flares that come standard on the M2, he's also widened the track. This widening has been applied to the front and rear fascias, too, and that's how the 2002 influence is injected; new shrouds for the headlights create a sleeker, more aggressive look. The squared intake vents and false rear vents have been swapped for more angular and aggressive pieces, and the sides of the car gain additional vents and intakes. Finally, a wider and larger set of concave 827M wheels fills he arches in the same bronze as current CS-badged Bimmers. The NACA duct on the hood, the vents behind it, the massive rear spoiler, and the excessive vents along the side of the vehicle (and even below the taillights) are too much for BMW to ever embrace, but something must be said for how much better the M2 can look with some softer lines. Someday, the eventual replacement for the G87 will have a cleaner look, with inspiration from the Vision Neue Klasse concept. Until then, all we can do is wait. Unless, of course, The Kyza gets enough interest in this look. After all, his Live To Offend bodykit brand has brought wild interpretations of the E36 to life, as well as the E30. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'I love my Jaguar XJS more than you'll ever know'
Classic British car the Jaguar XJS is being celebrated in the city of its design and manufacture, 50 years after it first rolled off the production line. The sports car has got prime position at this year's scaled-back MotoFest, in Coventry city centre. Lucy Rackliff, owner of a 1996 XJS convertible model, said how proud she was to show off "such an important part of Coventry's motoring heritage". "My husband Toby bought her for me, and I said to him earlier, 'You think you know how much I love the car, but you don't, I love it more than you'll ever know',". Mrs Rackliff said she had grown up in the city, working for a time at Jaguar's Browns Lane production site while she was a student. "I was filling vending machines with soft drinks, and you would see bits and pieces of cars around," she said. "When I saw the XJS I thought it was the most beautiful car I'd ever seen, and it still is." Mr Rackliff said he had bought the car for his wife to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. "It was registered four days before we were married, so it felt like fate when we saw it," he added. The couple had attended MotoFest previously, but never with their own vehicle. "When we saw an XJS you could always see the little green envy light in Lucy's eyes," Mr Rackliff said. "When you drive around in it you can see people looking, " Mrs Rackliff added. "But when you've got the roof down you can hear people saying, 'Look at that car',". The model was introduced by the Coventry-based company in 1975 and was initially not as well received as its predecessor the E-Type, said Dave Rooney of the Jaguar Heritage Trust. "I don't think it was in the same league as the E-type but it was a different type of car," he said. He had joined the company in 1980, five years after the car's launch. "It wasn't quite as nice, but we improved it through the years," he added. Cars on display outside Coventry Cathedral over the weekend include a 1987 Cabriolet which had been the personal car of Diana, Princess of Wales. A striking pink XJS, used to launch a range of Barbie toys can also be seen. "It's grown into a car that's become more loveable," Mr Rooney said, adding that the 50th anniversary of the model "just makes us feel older, that's all". Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. The Queen's love of her Land Rovers Range Rover exhibit marks 50th birthday MotoFest Coventry announces break for 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
