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USA Today
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
The 10 dumbest cars of all time
The 10 dumbest cars of all time There are many kinds of dumb, especially when talking about cars. Automakers are prone to questionable design and engineering decisions and can occasionally push the envelope in places they shouldn't. Buyers can take what would be excellent vehicles in one arena and use them almost exclusively in another where their talents are completely wasted. There are times when technologies aren't invested in enough or are pushed too hard, to comical extremes. And then there are vehicles built for such a specific niche that they're doomed to commercial failure no matter how charming they are. These are our editors' picks for the dumbest automobiles. Tesla Cybertruck - Kristen Lee, Scott Evans Designed to offend and made in a way that maims, the Cybertruck has succeeded in gathering more haters than fans, empirically so considering the dueling subreddits dedicated to the truck. One look at the vehicle, even from a distance, is enough to catalyze an unbreakable perspective on whether or not the pickup is worthy of existence. Its impressive performance numbers and fresh technology are only important to those who can get past its looks. Those body lines include enough near-razor-sharp edges to rip clothing or tear open skin if you're unfortunate enough to encounter the end of almost any exterior panel (including the doors, which don't have handles). A general lack of reliability and high cost provide further ammo for the Cyberbeast's numerous haters, but as our Scott Evans noted, 'Cybertruck is up there, but it's gotten slightly less dumb as Tesla has activated the rest of the feature set.' Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet - Tom Rosquin, Aaron Gold Many automotive genre benders are celebrated, but the Murano convertible is not one of them. While far from the first vehicle with SUV proportions to feature an open top , this Murano variant stands out for a crossover cabrio with a hubris-huffing lack of self-awareness. The styling of the CrossCabriolet has been derided by MotorTrend staff for over a decade , but worse than that, very little was done to ensure the newly minted convertible was structurally sound. Even driving down a mildly bumpy road reveals a shocking lack of rigidity, hurting both ride and handling. Any utility the variant had was also tossed out, as the rear doors and effectively all the cargo space of the vehicle were left on the cutting room floor. After all that, the most shocking thing about the Murano is that something so badly thought out could be greenlit at all. As Aaron Gold noted, 'You could feel the cowl shake just by getting into the car.' Mazda MX-30 - Billy Rehbock As the first wave of electric SUVs swept through the automotive landscape, bringing practical EV motoring into the mainstream, the MX-30 ... didn't. With barely 100 miles of EPA-rated range (and thus less on the freeway and much less in the cold), the MX-30 was never taken seriously as a practical electric vehicle. Even as just about every other electric crossover blew past the 200-mile mark in the real world, the MX-30 couldn't reach half that on the optimistic EPA rating cycle. Priced and marketed like an equal to far superior rivals, the MX-30's agile handling and fun interior couldn't save it from an early grave . Toyota Mirai - Christian Seabaugh, Aaron Gold, Scott Evans Hydrogen used to be the fuel of the future, but as battery electric vehicles came onto the scene and cut out the middleman, that future became the past. With much of the already tenuous filling station network shutting down , we've come to the apparent end of using H2 to fuel cars. That once-rosy outlook also ends the now ironically named Mirai. Named for 'future' in Japanese, the Mirai went from ugly duckling to beautiful sedan in its two generations , dutifully supported by a Toyota initially skeptical of BEVs. But all the cool factor and styling in the world couldn't keep hydrogen from falling under the pressure of more practical and less expensive methods of locomotion. As Aaron Gold said, 'Mirai is awesome if you don't have anywhere to go.' Honda CR-V FCEV - Christian Seabaugh Similar negatives apply to the CR-V FCEV, though at least this everyday crossover turned hydropunk showcase can run as a battery electric vehicle for an EPA-rated 29 miles . That enhances its practicality a little bit, but just a little. (All-up range with a full battery charge and a full tank of hydrogen is 270 miles.) The high cost of producing it means it is only available for lease, just as GM's EV1 was before BEV technology advanced to the point of practicality. Besides the rather annoying noises made by the hydrogen system, the CR-V FCEV tries its best to seem like a normal CR-V, but it's unlikely you'll ever be able to go outside Southern California (or, perhaps, very far within Southern California) in one. Aston Martin Cygnet - Scott Evans 'Talk about brand dilution,' Scott Evans remarked on this so-called Aston Martin. As one of the worst examples of badge engineering in recent memory, the Cygnet claims many firsts and superlatives for the famed British brand. But are they worth bragging about? Under the not-that-different bodywork, this Aston was a Toyota/Scion iQ , a tiny city car that was admirable for its price but not known for luxury, refinement, or … well, anything but its miniscule size, really. Built to bring up Aston Martin's average fuel economy ratings for the sake of government regulations, the Cygnet received a dramatic interior and the same 97-hp economy-focused engine as the Scion. For $37,000 in 2010 dollars, it may have served its purpose for the brand, but it didn't exactly serve up a real Aston Martin experience for owners. 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class - Alex Leanse The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a controversial choice for the list among the MotorTrend staff, but consider this: What other vehicle commands so much money while being so compromised for the daily-driver duty it is universally pressed into? Ubiquitous on posh main streets and reality TV shows while being utterly absent from ORV parks and trails, the G-Wagen's formidable off-road capabilities are a complete mismatch for its use case, and swaddling a military-inspired 4x4 in luxury trappings seems dumb indeed. All that said, in response to these charges, all Christian Seabaugh had to say to our on-staff G-Wagen haters was, 'Booo, go home.' Chevrolet SSR - Erik Johnson Dumb doesn't mean bad. Did anyone ask for a convertible truck that couldn't actually tow or haul like Americans expect a pickup to? No. Is the SSR still awesome? Yes. But this real-life Hot Wheels car's cool factor and very unique combination of features didn't result in anything but the most tepid of sales figures. To be fair, the SSR now has a cult following, decades after it ended production. And yes, it was watered down from the concept and lacked the dynamics to match its looks , but none of that keeps it from being very, very cool. Nor does it keep it from being dumb. Reliant Robin - Erik Johnson While dumb doesn't have to mean bad, it certainly can mean bad. The Robin is undeniably bad, in every sense of the word, and that makes it undeniably dumb. For one, its three-legged layout leads to terminal instability, making the Robin infamous for rolling over (even though much of that fame is down to somewhat disingenuous Top Gear stunts). A car with a single narrow wheel up front is a dumb car, full stop. Nor was the Robin anything but a rolling (forward, or over) indictment of the quality control and reliability struggles of the British auto industry at the time, which struggled mightily for most of the Robin's remarkable (and horrifying) three-decade production run. Chrysler TC by Maserati - Erik Johnson Chrysler executives were convinced that a second-gen K-car sold as a Maserati was a good idea, but hindsight clearly proves otherwise. In what universe is building a late 1980s Chrysler on a Maserati production line in Italy anything but a dumb idea? Astronomical costs and the blindingly obvious and undeniable truth that the TC was a kind of lousy American car built by a kind of lousy Italian automaker made it an exceedingly stupid move. That the TC has a cult-classic appeal to modern car enthusiast weirdos is beside the point. The TC was dumb. Photos by Manufacturer, Ryan Lugo
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
It's the USA vs. the World In a High-Speed Supercar Shootout!
[Editor's Note: This story first appeared in the November 2000 issue of MotorTrend] The high-speed oval at Ford's top-secret Desert Proving Grounds is the type of mouth-watering track purpose-made for a Motor Trend performance shootout: five miles of perfectly manicured, high-grip asphalt. Steep 31 degree banking. Delicious 135-mph neutral-speed (hands off the wheel) corners. 24-hour support from the helpful staff. Awesome tools. Cheap gas. An on-site cafeteria with '50s prices. Real restrooms. Even outside air conditioning! Could it possibly get any better? 0:00 / 0:00 Assemble nine of the fastest, most powerful, cars on earth. Pack in the racing suits, helmets, radar detectors, and credit cards, Arrange for a brand-new 37-ft Fleetwood Discovery luxury motorhome to be delivered with a week's worth of road-trip supplies. Then drive 'em like a bunch of 16 year-olds all the way from L.A. to the high-security gates just outside Kingman, Arizona—300 miles of sheer open-road two-lane-passing desert-blasting ecstasy. Then, it was time to go really fast. The collective 3500-plus hp was itching to burn the rubber off of 36 high-priced tires, so who are we to say no? But this test is more than just who has the biggest horsepower numbers. It's an automotive decathlon of sorts: a series of tests to determine which car has the best combination of power, speed, handling, braking, overall alacrity, and flatout reliability. (That last part is no easy feat, given our long days of testing during the hottest part of summer. So, who's your favorite in this testosterone-laden USA versus the world shootout? Hang on and see how (and we) fared. USA vs. The World: The Horsepower Wars Any street racer knows the drill: First you see a car you think you can beat. You get close enough to size him up, then you ask what he's running. Maybe even peek under his hood. After he does the same to you, you hit the pavement. Then, it's up to you and your car; within seconds the truth's out there for the world to see. The same holds true for this USA versus the World test. Only in this case it's nine car companies (not just nine car-punks in a parking lot) doing the beforehand bragging. So let's get to it. The smallest domestic engine in this test was the second most powerful overall: that's 4.0L with 450 hp! Thanks to a Vortech centrifugal supercharger with intercooler, the Shelby Series 1's Olds Aurora-based DOHC V-8 increased its output from 320 to an estimated 450 hp and from 290 to about 400 lb-ft of tire-melting torque. And it packs an exhaust sound right out of 1965. The Corvette Z06 and Pontiac Firehawk share much of engine basics in the design of their respective 5.7L OHV V-8s. The Firehawk's is essentially the same LS1 motor as in the standard Vette, minus some exhaust goodies but plus a cold air intake. It cranks out 335 willing hp and a stout 345 lb-ft of torque. The Z06 takes things to the extreme, with a special version called LS6. This powerhouse features a revised valvetrain, tougher pistons, a higher compression ratio, a hotter cam and even titanium exhaust components. The result is 35 hp more than the standard Vette, bringing the total to 385 hp at 6000 rpm, accompanied by a wideopen-throttle battle cry that's wicked. Taking the USA engine design philosophy of 'big cubes' and combining it with the Euro-think of 'lots of cams and valves,' the Ford SVT Cobra R delivers 5.4 L of DOHC 32-valve muscle. This is the big-brother version of the 4.6L in the Mangusta, but its personality is so much more thunderously aggressive it feels like Hulk Hogan next to Dom DeLuise. Inside Carillo billet rods and forged pistons stride a forged steel crank, along with more aggressive cams, bigger valves, and a special highflow intake manifold. All this breathes out of a very lowrestriction Borla exhaust that sounds like the starting grid at Daytona. Bow to its 385 hp at 6250 rpm and 376 lb-ft at 4250 revs. Then there's Viper. 8.0L of old-school cubes. Ten cylinders. A measly two valves per cylinder. An in-block camshaft. And a humongous 460 hp at 5200 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 3700. Nuff said. The Euro carmakers create power in a wide variety of ways. Ferrari's engineers and stylists know a Ferrari engine is as much art as it is technology, and the 360's engine-under-glass design is a tribute to both factions. Fire up the tiny 3.6L V-8 (it's less than half the displacement of the Viper's V-10) and revel in one of the greatest sounding intake/exhaust concertos on earth. With 395 hp at 8500, thanks to 40 valves, magical airflow and engine management tricks, this is one wailing machine. Low-end torque isn't its strong suit (only 275 lb-ft at 4750 rpm) but any owner who lugs this car around in too high a gear doesn't deserve to drive it. The other European V-8 in this test belongs to BMW. It's the same 5.0L DOHC wunderscreamer used in the M5, only now in a lightweight two-seat car. Variable valve timing and a beautifully balanced reciprocating assembly help produce 394 hp at 6600 rpm, 368 lb-ft of torque, and a wholly American exhaust sound that's so muscularly un-German it's scary. Lift the hood on the Qvale Mangusta and you'll be gazing at eight cylinders of all-American motivation. Yeah, aside from the Qvale insignia, it's a Mustang Cobra engine, all 4.6L and 320 hp of it. At only 281 cu in., this engine isn't big on low-rpm torque. Twist the tach needle far to the right, however, and this mill performs, delivering 320 ponies at 6000 rpm and 314 lb-ft of torque at 4800 revs. Porsche often takes a different approach to engineering, and the rear-engine 911 Turbo is certainly that. And its twin-turbo/intercooled 8.6L DOHC flat-six still a heavyweight's punch: 415 hp at 6000 rpm and 415 lb/ft of torque at a meager 2700 revs means this motor's ready to flatten your spleen with accelerative g-force anytime you want. So, which one's your favorite going into this high stakes game? —C. Van Tune BMW Z8: Italian Soul, American Muscle German performance cars have a certain something in their DNA that exudes from every square inch. It's a special kind of solidity of purpose, of gestalt that no other country's carmakers can seem to capture: ripped and powerful as an Olympic athlete, yet as understated as a steelyeyed investment banker. On the other end of the scale, Italian sports cars are all sleek lines, raging hormones, lusty screams, and raw emotions: redheaded tempests that love to play. Somewhere in the middle is the American musclecar: big-cube V-8, loud exhaust, smoking tires, and stupidly fun to drive. Now, imagine a car with the best qualities of each of these three vastly differing backgrounds. That car is the BMW Z8. On paper, the Z8 may look like a steroid-injected Z3, but it's nothing of the sort. The artistic body lines elicit a hint of retro-Italian ancestry, but it's inside where this BMW smacks of an early '60s carrozzeria. From the banjo-spoke steering wheel to the off-line center gauge pod, and from the sun-glaring black dash panels to the quirky ergonomics, it's eminently obvious that, for the first time with any German car in decades, function follows form at a considerable distance. I had quite a long 'this annoys me' list going after 10 minutes of sitting behind the wheel. Then I started the engine. One powerful rap of the 5.0L/394-hp DOHC V-8 and none of that seemed to matter anymore. I switched off the Dynamic Stability Control (cleverly hidden from conventional searching paths beneath the radio cover), peeled rubber through the first three gears, and promptly tossed the list out the window. That's what the Z8 is about. Interestingly, it reminds me most of an Iso Grifo: sexy '60s Italian bodywork stuffed with a thumpin' Corvette V-8. The car I dreamed about when I was 10 years old. Our test numbers speak volumes about this car's prowess, but we've concluded that no one should care a whit that the Z8 has a big trunk, great ride quality, and ample room for six-footers, yet contains no damn cupholders. This is one German car all about the power, the style, and (dare I say it?) the emotion. Only 400 Z8s will come to the States this year. Each could (will?) be instantly sol at a hefty premium above its $128,000 pricetag. —C. Van Tune Pros Luscious styling Silken muscle power Movie-star exclusivity Cons Non-Germanic ergonomics Ferrari 360 Modena: Elegantly Flamboyant And Way Fast It's difficult not to be overwhelmed by Ferrari's $141,525 Modena. In spite of its alluring looks, great moves, high technology, and marque history steeped in legend and lore, its primary calling card is 400 hp (actually 395, but close enough) at the most blood-curdling 8500 rpm you'll ever hear from a street-legal car. New from the ground up this year, the 360 Modena employs aluminum alloys just about everywhere you look. Its lightweight space frame is cast, stamped, extruded, and forged entirely of the stuff. Ditto the 3.6L DOHC 5-valves per cylinder (cinquevalvole) V-8, and six-speed transaxle. Upper and lower arms and uprights? Aluminum. Most of the curvaceous coachwork? Same. Even the center console, lower door panels, foot pedals, and dashboard trim? You guessed it. You'd expect the 360 Modena to perform well as an exotic sports car. And it does. But it's a surprisingly good gran-turismo, too. It's got more than adequate leg/ head/shoulder/foot room, especially for a midengine car. The front trunk is large and deep; more luggage fits behind the seats. The entire cabin is wrapped in leather, stitched as only Italians can. Electronically adjustable shock absorbers allow you to dial up Highway or Sport mode. Ride quality is superb, and the cockpit's even quiet—as long as you stay off the throttle. Overheating and other temperaments were non-existent, given the 110°- plus heat. All our temp and oil gauges never wavered and the A/C blew so cold we had to turn it down. Our staff was split on the F1 'paddle-shifter' transmission option. It shifts faster than the floorbox and delivers the most amazing, perfectly rev-matched downshifts you can imagine. But it's still a bit jerky on part throttle upshifts, and some of us still relish snicking a genuine shifter through that classic, milled aluminum shiftgate. Biggest gripe? That our names are not on the 360 Modena buyers waiting list. —Matt Stone Pros Superlative performance Supermodel looks Super heritage Cons Costs more than we've got Chevrolet Corvette Z06: This C5's Been to the Gym Not that a car that can run 0-60 mph in only 4.7 sec in stock form needs help, but the engineers at Chevrolet wanted to improve the already worldclass performance of the fifthgeneration (C5) Corvette by putting it on a diet and giving it more muscle—in effect, a serious workout plan. The result: the awesome Z06 Corvette. The important stats: It replaces the 'Hardtop' designation in the lineup for '01, and only this body style will be available in Z06 form, for now. It packs 40 more hp and is 103 lb lighter than the car it replaces. In the belly of the Z06 sits a newly designed motor, the LS6. In 1971, Chevy shoehorned a 454-cube/425-hp big-block monster under the Corvette's hood and called it the LS6. That was then. Today's 346-cube/385-hp LS6 is a version of the 97-2000 LS1 small-block. With a modified block casting to alleviate crankcase pressures, new intake manifold for more airflow, more aggressive cam with increased duration and lift to allow increased breathing, higher compression (10.0:1 becomes 10.5:1), stronger valve springs to accommodate the higher redline (6000 rpm becomes 6500), and larger fuel injectors, the LS6's volumetric efficiency is more than 12 percent improved over the LS1- equipped Hardtop (68.0 hp/L versus 60.5 hp/L). More importantly, combined with the weight loss, the power-weight ratio is now 8.09 lb/hp versus the 9.32 of previous Cds. Part of the Z06's diet was concerned with unsprung and rotational weight. Top of the list, wheels and tires were lightened by almost 6 Ib each (no more 'runflat' tires). Even the windshield and rear glass were thinned down to reduce weight. One of the trickiest bits of lightning is a cat-back titanium exhaust system (including the mufflers) that shave another 17.6 lb. All told, this Z06 Corvette not only lives up to its Z06 heritage (the first was also a lightweight race-inspired Vette, back in '63), but also certifies Chevy's own billing as the 'quickest, best handling Corvette ever." —Chris Walton Pros Great performance/dollar ratio Subtle Z06 option package Best A/C of the bunch Cons Subtle Z06 option package Shelby Series 1 Supercharged: Carroll Puts the Pressure On His Lust Worthy Asp-Kicker From the instant the engine lights, you know you're in for a synapse-sizzling ride. The wicked, rumbling rasp injects a squadron of butterflies into your stomach and raises goosebumps on your nether bits. Your anticipation is justified: Carroll Shelby has upped the ante on his normally aspirated Shelby Series 1 roadster, and plans soon to offer a dealer installed intercooled Vortec centrifugal supercharger system that includes specific cams, a larger throttle body, and recalibrated engine-management software. Motor Trend got first crack at trying his just completed development prototype. Blast through the closely spaced gears with your right foot planted, and it feels for all the world like there's way more than 4.0L under the Shelby's hood. No peaks. No valleys. Just one awesome plateau of power that stretches from horizon to horizon. Still in rough developmental trim—and sniffing a bit of octane booster—when we drove it, the supercharged Shelby takes the dyno curve of the Oldsmobile Aurora-derived powerplant and puts it on stilts. Horsepower jumps from 320 to an estimated 450, and torque swells from 290 to about 400 lb-ft. But the blown Series 1 isn't just for straightline glory dashes; its monumentally ridged tubular aluminum chassis has a high level of at-the-limit predictability and ultimate grip. Think 'race car.' True, the Shelby will tolerate easy cruising, but it punishes you with a heavy clutch, stiff shifter, and foot pedals positioned far, far to the left to make room for the practically mid-mounted 'front' engine. And there's no trunk, at all. You'll whine loudly about the ergonomic and practical shortcomings only until the next full throttle blast, at which point all will be forgiven. The price of the limited production (just 500 total) Series 1 currently hovers at $174,975. Ol Shel hasn't locked in the final cost of the supercharger package, but given its dramatic effect, you can bet it's not gonna be pocket change. —Jeff Karr Pros Massive cachet, Snakey styling, Irresistible thrust Cons Sidesaddle driving position Parts-bin gauges Balky shifter Pontiac Trans Am Firehawk: Dude With A Tude Particularly in its late'70s-themed black and gold 'Smokey and the Bandit' paint package, the SLP's flagrantly curvy version of the Pontiac Firebird is obviously not for the mild nor the meek. This car was built for those American heartlanders with a need for speed, or at least a burning desire to look the part. Quick, mechanically simple, street rugged, and affordable (especially when measured against this octane and sawbucksucking pack), the Firebird is an American-performance icon. Today, the car's reputation is built solidly on the aluminum 5.7L LS1 V-8 tucked under its bulging hood (modified by SLP to produce 335 hp). Be advised that, with just some minor manifold changes, this is essentially the same killer engine used in Chevrolet's base Corvette. Teamed with the nicely gated six-speed manual, this motor is a dominator that forces even Mustang Cobra owners into streetlight submission. (The Cobra R is, of course, a different story.) But all is not well in 'Bird land. First, extinction looms in just two short years. Second, the car's obviously long jutting nose and saucy deck spoiler seem to beg too strongly for attention. Unfortunately, our staffers found it's most frequently of the law enforcement and juvenile variety—probably not exactly what you want. Third, although much has been done to smooth the car's ride, certain types of rough curves remain problematic, particularly for the car's hip-hopping rear live axle. But the thing work-a-day commuters will see as the F-Body's biggest problem is its tight rear-passengerand cargo space. Today, people want to take the fun equipment and folks along, and this 'Bird was built for traveling light. Burning rubber all the way! —Jack Keebler Pros Great value Strong powertrain Cons Huge, heavy doors tiny rear seats teen-machine image Dodge Viper GTS ACR: A 'Hold On And Scream' Thrill Ride Truth told, there's not much new on the 2000 Viper GTS. Sure, you can order your snake in a new steel gray hue or get the new child seat tether mounts (who thinks this is a family car?), but other than that, it's the same old Viper GTS. But believe us: that's good. We don't have a problem with 'old' 450-hp V-10, the 'old' styling with its pretty slippery 0.35 Cd, or the 'old' near-11-sec 1/4-mile e.t.s. We're also fine with the old neck snapping, full-throttle 1-2-3 gear upshifts and the old off-to-the-left adjustable pedals. But for $70K you'd surely expect something new, right? Well, order the $10,000 ACR (American Club Racer) option, and you'll actually get something new. Although the ACR's competition suspension, special BBS 18-in. wheels, five-point racing belts, delete-everything (no radio, foglamps, etc.) weight loss program, and factory installed high-flow K&N air filter with smoother inlet tubes (that's good for 10 extra hp) are still in full effect, the for-2000 ACRs add a performance oil pan, Dynamic Suspensions adjustable shocks, and a new ACR nameplate. But what's it like to actually drive an ACR? Smack down the right pedal and you're in for a 4.16-sec 0-60 thrill ride. The Viper's V-10 is so powerful it's downright violent. Mash the center pedal, and you'll get instantly wide-eyed as the massive front tires like to lock up and slide, thanks to no ABS (slated for '01 models, however). The far-left pedal is easy to modulate—not too much clutch pressure in traffic, yet grabby enough to deliver effective feathering on traction limited surfaces. Although the ACR delivers a Tyson-like punch at the track, on the road it remains relatively civil. In Sixth gear with the V-10 chugging at a mere 1800 rpm, the Viper slithers along at just over 80 mph. Sure, a Viper GTS (ACR or not) is far from the best daily driver choice, but then again it was never intended for such. Rather, it's meant to put some serious drive into your day—and that it does with a bite. —John Kiewicz Pros Gut-rattling torque Awesome idle note King of the slalom Cons Poor braking feel Limited cargo space Qvale Mangusta: An Italian Exotic With Love-It Or Hate-It Personality The MT staff tests over 300 vehicles each year, yet few have elicited stronger editor statements regarding their styling. Out on the mean streets, it's even worse. The oddly proportioned Qvale Mangusta gets a firm thumbs up or down—with positively no neutral ground. It's love or hate. (And women seem to love it.) Reflecting this, a wee group of MT zealots did come to the defense of this Ameritalian hybrid and its bold Alfa Romeo-like appearance. Indeed, Alfisti might consider this trick topped 2+2 a fix until new A-R hardware wheels to our shores in a few years. Until then, you're not likely to get passed by another Mangusta, since this year's total output from the Modena, Italy, plant is pegged at just 300 units. After a week of close scrutiny, many of its toughest styling detractors found themselves softened by the sound of the Mangusta's 4.6L/320-hp Mustang Cobra V-8 (although its bark is more potent than its bite), solid galvanized-steel chassis, four-piston Brembo disc brakes, excellent steering accuracy, ultra-trick convertible 'Rototop,' and all independent suspension. Given the absolutely tiny, family-owned company that builds this car, it's a pretty solid piece of engineering, with the exception of its too narrow rear seats. Using the Cobra's DOHC V-8, power-control module, and T45 manual five-speed, the Mangusta's muffler music and the long, peaky pull through the gears are way familiar. Power effectively reaches the ground through the fully independent rear end, optional 18-in. tires, and a BTR speed and torque-sensing limited slip diff. In the end, you must decide if this car's unusual styling works for you, and if its rarity and uniqueness warrants its hefty $80 grand price tag. It may not appear to stack up well against this group of rockets, but its performance is in the same ballpark as its true competitive set, cars like the Jaguar XK8, Panoz Esperante, and Mercedes-Benz SL. We found the Mangusta an entertaining, V-8-engined exotic that's fun and well-engineered for a buyer who places an extra high value on exclusivity. —Jack Keebler Pros 320-hp V-8 Hardtop convertible Unique looks Cons Odd styling High price Tight back seat Ford SVT Cobra R: Wild Horses American Style Enter the latest gladiator in the Ford versus Chevy war: The asphalt-chewing, decibel-spewing, Camaro eating SVT Cobra R. Bred from the well-balanced Mustang Cobra, the R model is armed with everything necessary to dominate road courses and straightline assaults, while needless creature comforts like air conditioning, sound deadening material, the audio system, and even the back seat have been discarded. Bulging with power and bravado, the Cobra R touts a 5.4L/385-hp DOHC V-8 under its raised hood. Exhaling through side-exiting Borla pipes, the R has an intimidating, ferocious bark worthy of its fearless attitude. Power is put to the ground via wide BFGoodrich g-Force KD tires so sticky they pick up small pebbles like giant lint rollers. A hearty launch crams the driver deep in the Recaro bucket seat, while he quickly rows through the six-speed gearbox. Such power on tap is intoxicating, like a hot '69 Mach 1 428 CJ, only better. Only quicker. The suspension has been enhanced with Eibach coils and Bilstein shocks, lowering the ride 1.5 in. front, 1.0 in. rear. On the track, the Cobra R's tenacious asphalt grip makes the driver feel like a centrifuged hero. Immense 13-in. front Brembo discs with four-piston calipers, and vented rear discs, deliver the prerequisite fade-free stopping force. In the real world, the lack of A/C in the high-speed sweatbox was extremely trying during our hours of driving through the Arizona and California deserts. Why no A/C option? Given its capabilities, the aggressive suspension was surprisingly comfortable on all manner of road surfaces. Those who aren't among the limited-to-300 Cobra R buyers can build their own super Mustang using the same components developed for this exclusive package through the factory's Ford Racing parts catalog. Then, go hunt some 228s. —Jeff Bartlett Pros It's the hottest factory Mustang of all time Wicked fast and loud You can build your own Cons No A/C option Whoa, the price! Unfriendly on driveways, front airdam splitter Porsche 911 Turbo: The World's Most Compliant Supercar Squint at the new 911 Turbo, and you can see both the '98 Le Mans-winning GT1-98, and Porsche's exotic 959 of a decade ago. The roofline is much the same, the air intakes and cooling ducts are clearly familial, and there's a curvaceous wing stuck on the back. The Turbo's is a shape we'll never tire of, and one that delivers nosebleed-inducing performance that continues to amaze. There's not a lot to say about this new-gen 996-based Turbo that we haven't already said, but the specs alone are worth repeating: a twin-turbocharged intercooled 3.6L/415-hp watercooled DOHC dry-sumpoiled four-valves-per-cylinder flat six, descended directly from the aforementioned GT1 racer. Six-speed manual transmission, crossdrilled vented brakes with the latest ABS, and that rear wing is now a two-stage affair that splits and raises itself further into the airstream at 75 mph or above. The Turbo was unique in this test, as it's the only machine that was rear-engine, the only to use turbocharging or carry a six-cylinder engine, and the only one employing all-wheel drive. Different is good, and it's 100 percent Porsche. It's the maximum strength Turbo's all-wheeldrive system (along with the new 996 suspension, of snap oversteer. The rear wheels are driven directly, while power transfer to the front axles is modulated via a viscous coupling; as front end slip is detected, said power is gradually and seamlessly fed to the fronts, really pinning the nose to the ground. Study the photo at the right and note the wisp of smoke from the rear tire during our 0-60 test. Does all of Porsche's race inspired technology really work? Just look at the numbers, and know they were generated consistently—almost easily—and with less drama than you can imagine. This car will loaf around town all day if you wish. But what a waste. The Turbo is an atomic scalpel in a world of battery powered hatchets, one of the most technologically advanced and best-performing, supercars of our time—or any. —Matt Stone Pros Vice free, yet mind-bending performance Great everyday driveability Lots of bulletproof tech Cons Wish it made more noise Miss the old rear wing Four Days of Delirium: The Inside Story of Our High-Speed Test Like pucker bushes, cranky prospectors, and souvenir paperweights with scorpions inside, the Motor Trend staff just naturally seems to belong in the desert. That's because (heat-induced delirium aside) strange and memorable things happen there, particularly when we visit Ford's automotive theme park, its Arizona Proving Grounds, just down the road from Kingman. As with any gathering of high-priced supercars, the troubles began before we even had the cars in our possession. Just prior to delivery, our Viper, Vette, and Mangusta were crumpled by previous borrowers (in unrelated traffic incidents). Our Shelby Series 1, a hard-living test mule being used in the development of a new supercharger option, got a last-second engine rebuild literally the day before our drive was to begin. The successful appearance of all four of these cars was a nail-biter right up to the last minute. Fortunately, the high-speed dash east from Los Angeles to Kingman in 110% plus heat demonstrated that 'exotic' sports cars are no longer the fragile hand grenades legend might style them. These machines blazed hundreds of miles across the desert at super-legal speeds without breaking a sweat. We, on the other hand, weren't quite so lucky. The Mustang Cobra R has no air conditioner, and our Viper ACR and Shelby both had inoperative A/C units. Driving any of them was closely akin to being locked in the hot box in a Civil War prison camp—only without the floggings. Out on Ford's five-mile high-banked oval, our measured-mile acceleration testing seemed to trigger a cascade of minor calamities that would give us a healthy dose of the swell desert drama we claim to love so much. The short version goes like this: As C. Van Tune railed around the track somewhere above 150 mph, the Cobra R's limitedslip differential noisily checked out. Still drivable, the Cobra carried on the rest of the trip, albeit with less-than-normal off-the-line traction. Then, under the relentless pounding of a dozen MT staffers, the internal door latch mechanism on our luxurious Fleetwood motorhome broke in the closed position, stranding a half-dozen staffers in the air-conditioned confines with nothing but a cornucopia of snacks and large, comfortable leather couches to console them. During the repair effort spearheaded by our resourceful hosts from Ford, we couldn't help but notice that the staffers inside the motorhome seemed strangely unmotivated to help. After testing and shooting still photography from dawn to dusk four days straight and taping everything from acceleration testing to mayonnaise spreading by the 'Motor Trend TV' crew, it was suddenly time to leave. We loaded up and headed west into the blindingly hot (no surprise there) afternoon sun, the lowest-ranking staffers being forced to drive the non-A/C cars until they were seared at 1600° on the outside to seal in the juices, and had tender, pink middles. (Ruth Freutel would be so proud.) Somewhere east of Barstow one of our chase cars rolled to a stop in a midst of steam and dribbling coolant. No problem. The friendly Shelby folks loaded up the dead player in their empty 18-wheel transporter, and we were off, with only middling interruption to our two-way radio chatter mocking absent staffers' physical characteristics. In fact, reviewing all the potential mayhem we'd somehow managed to avoid on this test, we started to feel downright invincible, right up until that evening, tantalizingly close to home, when the transporter truck broke an axle in spectacular style, sending a shower of sparks and one errant wheel bounding into the darkness. Again, narrowly avoiding catastrophe, we unloaded our wounded vehicle from the broken truck and C. Van Tune limped it several miles into the dealer just as the engine quit—all just five minutes before closing time. And you thought all this was easy?—Jeff Karr Second Options When it's your own money In a test like this, it's all too easy to focus on the performance numbers and overlook what each car really is as a whole. How would each serve you not just on the test track, but in real life, after spending your own money to buy it? Using that criterion, I'm head-over-heels for the Vette. The Z06 mods take the Corvette brand to newfound levels of exhilaration (it stomps all over the great exalted ZR-1 and costs less, to boot), while still delivering comfy ride quality and crankin' A/C. Unfortunately, | really don't like the looks of the hardtop body style. In terms of dream car hierarchy ('what I'll buy the day Warren Buffett adopts me') the order goes: 360 Modena, 911 Turbo, Z8. Oh, and a black-on-black BMW M5 as my everyday car, thank you.—C. Van Tune An icy reception for exotics There's a funny thing about blazing around a high-banked oval in zillion- buck exotics and boiling the tires off of limited-production dream machines. The more I do it, the more I appreciate the comparatively pedestrian Corvette. I'm in Vettes no more often than I am in any of the rest of these dream machines, and yet the moment I jump into an example of Chevrolet's finest,I immediately feel in tune with the car. No learning curve, no frustrating idiosyncrasies. Hell, I can work the radio (the sound system is excellent), turn off the traction control, even roll down the windows without having to consult the owner's manual. And the air conditioner rules. The Z06 is fast enough, agile enough, and sexy enough for anything I'll ever need to do. The fact that it's one of the cheapest cars here is just gravy. —Jeff Karr I'm torn Porsche's all-conquering Turbo is too good for all the piddly adjectives that'll be used to describe it. Its performance prowess defies definition, serving up not only big numbers, but the confidence to drive it faster, harder, deeper into the corner, whatever. It's docile as a lamb when you want it to be, and comfy enough to drive every day. Though I'm American by birth, I'm Italian at heart. And that heart has the softest of soft spots for Italian exotics. The Modena is as exotic as they come, yet somehow, traditionally Ferrari at the same time. I love its artful use of aluminum, and that shape—especially from the rear is one i'll never tire of. Best buy for the buck? Simple: Z06. Hate to be greedy, but I want all three. —Matt Stone Love at the upper edge I loved making the Turbo's digital speedo count numbers faster than a nitrous-fed spreadsheet. I loved the unbelievable craftsmanship of the Z8. I loved gazing through the Modena's back glass at the museum-quality engine (how Ferrari extracts near 400 hp from 218 normally aspirated cubes is baffling, however). Yet, my most loved aspect of the very hot, very long trip to Ford's secret test facility was what occurred in the early silence one day at 5:30 a.m. Simply put: With camera in hand, I was strapped into the Cobra R's passenger seat, while we (driver shall remain nameless) skirted the upper edge of the 31° banked top-speed track as the R's tach needle touched its 6800-rpm red-line. Yes, the side-exiting Borlas were wailing—and so were we. — John Kiewicz
Motor Trend
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2026 BMW M2 CS First Look: A Big Power Upgrade—With a Price Hike to Match
We're big fans of the BMW 2 Series here at MotorTrend. Not only did Scott Evans call the 2020 BMW M2 CS "the best M car made in the 12 years" he's been reviewing cars, but we also awarded the current-generation M2 our 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year honor. This means the new, higher-performance 2026 BMW M2 CS has big shoes to fill. It'll attempt that with more power for, of course, a bigger price tag. 0:00 / 0:00 Beneath the hood, the new CS uses the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six S58 found in the regular M2, but here it makes 523 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the regular M2 makes 473 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque (with the 8-speed automatic; manual models have 406 lb-ft), and the previous-generation M2 CS made 444 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. An extra 50 hp and 36 lb-ft of torque over today's M2 is a big deal. With the help of an eight-speed automatic transmission, BMW estimates the CS can hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 188 mph, which is 0.3 seconds quicker than our test figure for the 2020 CS. As has been the case with multiple M offerings now, drivers can customize a myriad of driver settings. And has also been the case with the latest M offerings, BMW's estimated acceleration time for the CS is likely hugely conservative. How do we know? A pre-refresh 453-hp 2023 BMW M2 with the automatic transmission ripped to 60 mph in only 3.6 seconds in our testing. Feed in the CS' extra power, and that time will surely quicken well beyond BMW's 3.7-second claim. BMW also manages to shave 97 pounds off the automatic-equipped M2 to land on the CS's 3,770-pound curb weight. This was done through a ton of weight-saving materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic interior and exterior components—including the entire trunk lid—as well as giving the car forged alloy wheels as standard. Inside, the CS makes its sporty intentions even clearer with M Carbon bucket seats that have light-up CS logos and leather finishing. You can integrate multi-point harnesses to the seats if you want, and the head restraints can be removed for helmet clearance. The suspension is lowered and, we suspect, appropriately firmed-up for the CS' more track-focused mission. Appearance-wise, the CS sets itself apart with an exclusive rear diffuser, integrated ducktail spoiler, and badging. It'll come in four colors: Portimao Blue, Black Sapphire, and Brooklyn Grey are available at no cost. However, BMW Individual Velvet Blue is an additional $3,600 option. Creature comforts include a head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the BMW Operating System 8.5 for the iDrive infotainment system. How much for this little bundle of fury? The base MSRP for the 2026 CS is $99,775, which includes destination and handling fees. Yeah, we know. That's a significant leap from the 2020 CS's $84,595 base price, and effectively makes this a $100,000 2 Series. The regular M2 starts at $69,375—making the CS treatment a nearly 50-percent markup. Given how excellent the non-CS M2 is, here's hoping BMW's CS changes bring sufficiently transformative improvements to justify that outlay. We'll find out when we drive the M2 CS; BMW says you can expect deliveries to start in Q3 of this year.
Motor Trend
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
A Twist of Le Mans: Ferrari Enzo vs. Porsche Carrera GT and Ford GT
[Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the October 2004 issue of MotorTrend] In this exclusive first instrumented test, we launch all three toward the magic 200-mph barrier--and reveal which is the fastest of them all. 0:00 / 0:00 If you wanted to visit an American city reminiscent of Le Mans, France, your first choice probably would not be Yucca, Arizona. There are no quaint outdoor cafes crowded with fashionable Europeans amid the cactus plants and tumbleweeds in this dusty, mountain-ringed barbecue pit 130 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Also, in Yucca it's very hard to find croissants -- though in the height of summer you could bake some without an oven. Yet soon after our entourage of test drivers, editors, photographers, mechanics, and support staff arrives at 5 a.m. at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds (APG), the connection to Le Mans becomes palpable. Arrayed outside a cluster of metal garages, red bodywork beginning to gleam in the dusky pre-dawn light, engines rumbling and burbling as their fluids climb up to temperature, await three fantastic cars that seem to have been plucked straight off the starting grid at the Circuit de la Sarthe. By looks alone, the machines scream "race car": wide, mid-engined, so low they seem to have melted down to the ground, festooned with gaping air scoops and arrogant flares. The spec sheets in our hands imply the same: racebred twin-cam engines (a V-8, a V-10, and a V-12), towering horsepower ratings (from 550 to 651), lightweight bodies (one of aluminum and two of carbon fiber), brakes the size of trash-can lids, and massive performance tires to match. Each car bears a nameplate renowned on the Le Mans winner's podium, too. But no, these are road machines--three street-legal production supercars from Ferrari, Ford, and Porsche, each claiming a top speed north of 200 mph. MotorTrend is the first magazine to gather all three together for a fully instrumented, flat-out test. No more manufacturer claims, no estimated numbers, no more loud conjecture at the bar. It's time to steer onto the 32-degree banking of APG's five-mile oval, hold right foot to the floor, and find out for certain if the Le Mans swagger on display is for real--whether these road monsters really possess the clout to reach the elusive double-century barrier, and perhaps even beyond. Field of Dreams Ferrari's awesome Enzo, unleashed in 2003, is for all intents and purposes a race car hiding beneath a trenchcoat of barely street-legal civility. It's always flashing glimpses of its true racy self: featherweight carbon-fiber structure; 651-horsepower, 48-valve, naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 engine; six-speed paddle-shift transmission; 15-inch carbo-ceramic brakes front and rear. No radio. No power windows. Nothing but extreme go-fast hardware (okay, there's an air-conditioner to cool your sweaty palms). In fact, Ferrari used the Enzo as the basis for the new Maserati MC12 race car, scheduled to compete at the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans. The price for such purebred performance? A mere $1,002.81. Per horsepower. The bottom line on the sticker says $652,830, but the current street value for one of the limited run of just 399 Enzos (all have been sold) is twice that. Our insurance agent visibly shivered at the news. Porsche's brand-new 2004 Carrera GT actually was a Le Mans race car, at least at first. Porsche originally planned to build a new V-10-powered, carbon-fiber entry for the 2000 24-hour event. Sensing the Enzo's looming shadow, increasing costs, and pending rules changes, the German maker suddenly canceled its race program and instead focused its resources on creating a no-compromises velocity titan for the road. The race team's loss is the sports-car world's gain: a 605-horsepower, 40-valve, 5.7-liter V-10; six-speed manual transmission; 15-inch composite-ceramic brakes front and back; carbon fiber inside and out. Sticker price: a tidy $448,300 for each of the 1500 or so examples the company expects to build this year. Probably no other car in the world says "Le Mans" like Ford's gorgeous 2005 GT. If the body looks like it belongs on the starting grid, that's because the seemingly identical Ford GT40s were there, winning the event four years in a row beginning in 1966. The aluminum-bodied 2005 GT is no mere skin job: Under its rear clamshell lurks a supercharged, 32-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 good for 550 horsepower (well up from the 500-horsepower figure Ford released during our drive of a GT prototype last year), and a group-high 500 pound-feet of torque. Brawn like that unquestionably puts the GT in the same performance league as the European entries, yet at $150,525 it's barely a third as expensive as the Porsche and less than a quarter the sticker price of the Enzo. Dearborn deserves to be proud. Why no Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren? The new carbon-fiber-bodied, 617-horsepower uebercar certainly has the qualifications--and Mercedes' Le Mans heritage--to deserve a spot in this test, but the German maker declined to provide a test car, citing ongoing high-speed-stability development. Two Hundred Proof Before we move on to the power and the glory, it's worth reflecting on just how fast 200 mph really is--and how difficult it is to achieve such speed even today. No human ever drove a land vehicle to the Big 2 until 1927, when Major Henry Seagrave pushed his streamlined Golden Arrow speed-record car past 200 mph at Daytona Beach. It was four decades later, in 1966, when Ford's GT40 became the first car to break 200 mph on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. And it wasn't until 1972 that driver Jerry Grant (at the wheel of the Mystery Eagle Indy car at Ontario Motor Speedway) posted the first-ever 200-mph lap at a racetrack. By then, it had already been three years since Neil and Buzz had walked on the moon. Today, motoring enthusiasts (and Hollywood movies) love to relay wide-eyed tales about how this-or-that wondercar has the potential to blow past 200, but in reality only a handful of street-legal vehicles actually measure up. In last year's "Speeding!" comparo (June 2003), even the vaunted Lamborghini Murcielago could reach "only" 193 mph on the APG oval (in fairness, guest driver Justin Bell felt the Lambo was still accelerating slightly when he had to brake for the upcoming corner). In fact, going into this year's test our record at APG was the Ferrari 550 Maranello (July 1999), which maxed out at 194.5 mph. That such fabled supercars should struggle to reach the magic 200-mph mark--even on a huge, high-banked closed course--should give some indication of the challenges involved. Not to mention the risks: At 200 mph, at which speed a car is traveling the length of a football field every second, seemingly little things (an engine glitch, a gust of wind, a rabbit crossing the track) can have potentially disastrous consequences. There's an exponential difference in perils between 100 mph and twice that speed. Translation: The surgeon general has determined that gunning for 200 mph anywhere outside a controlled test track is only for idiots. Although we push sports cars to their limits on test tracks week in and week out, even we don't have much seat time near 200. So, for our max-speed laps, we turned the keys over to a pro who makes a living at such velocities: Indy Racing League ace Bryan Herta. One of four stars currently driving in the IRL for Andretti Green Racing, Herta, 34, is a seasoned veteran with a stellar racing resume that includes two CART victories and one IRL win (at Kansas last year) plus a lot of clock time in big-bore sports racers. Driving his XM Satellite Radio Dallara-Honda, Herta also posted a fourth-place finish in this year's Indy 500. Ironically, it was Herta who, in 1994, recorded the 2000th 200-mph qualifying lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A good omen. With the sun fully exposed over the horizon, safety personnel stationed around the circuit, two sets of advanced GPS test gear strapped into the car, and Herta primed to go in Nomex and helmet, we were ready to begin our first speed runs. We didn't know it then, but in just four hours the MotorTrend record books would be rewritten completely. Ford GT Top Speed: 200.1 MPH For anyone lucky enough to have witnessed an original GT40 race car in action, it was a sight to put a lump in the throat: Flashing onto the straightaway off the distant high banking, a hazy shimmer of red blooming quickly into that unforgettable shark prow, the Ford streaked toward us like a ghost from the past coming back to life before our eyes. At first, our ears detected only the faint whoosh of a pressure wave, the red wedge pressed into the asphalt, the incredible speed both breathtaking and disconcerting. Suddenly, almost with a leap, the Ford screamed past us, its exposed exhausts scorching the air with a razor-edged rip of redlined V-8. 'A little bit of movement over the bumps, said Herta after his run, 'but still really smooth, and even at top end | didn't have any issues with the steering getting light or the car wandering around.' Herta also confirmed that the GT, like all members of the 200-mph dub, was probably too fast even for APG's five-mile banked oval. 'On my first lap I had it in sixth, but on my next lap I found that it ran faster in fifth. I was definitely over 190 mph coming off the banking, and by the end of the straight each one is 0.84 mile long at APG], it still felt like it had a little left. On the other hand, it's probably not a good idea to try to find that last tiny bit on this track. There's a lot of desert out there, and if you made a mistake, youd find most of it.' On a few exploratory laps of our own, reaching 175 mph on the straights with ease, the GT (a preproduction pilot car) felt as buttoned-down and confidence-inspiring as we remembered from our drives of a few prototypes at Laguna Seca last year (November 2003). Our hands immediately sensed that Ford has increased the steering effort a bit since our last drives—a welcome change that Ford later confirmed. Herta remarked that he likes the look of the small 'retro' steering wheel, but added that if it were his car he'd prefer a slightly larger wheel for improved steering precision. The clutch remains a jewel, easy to engage slickly and remarkably light in effort—a real achievement given the 500 pound-feet thundering through the driveline. Over bumps at speed, we noted the same small vertical chassis movements Herta had mentioned; they're no doubt partly attributable to the fact that the GT wears slightly taller-sidewall tires than the Ferrari or the Porsche. The GT's fine ride quality, we think, is worth that minor tradeoff, especially since stability isn't affected. Despite being the heaviest (3468 pounds) and, even with 550 horsepower, the least-potent car in the trio, on the nearby vehicle dynamics area the GT left our test equipment gasping to Keep up. It blitzed from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, the lavish torque, superb clutch, and positive shifter making the GT the easiest car of the three to launch from a standstill. The quarter mile was a stunner: 11.2 seconds at 131.2 mph (for comparison, the last Dodge Viper we tested (January 2004) ran the quarter in 11.8 seconds at 123.6 mph). The GT's aluminum control-arm suspension is a worthy complement to the rippling V-8. Flying through the cones at 71.8 mph, the GT notched a second-place score (ahead of the Enzo) in our slalom test, the chassis responding with the same inspiring, predictable feel we've experienced in sports cars like the Corvette Z06. You can slide the GT and rein it back in without ever feeling like it's about to bite you, a real achievement for such a high-performance mid-engined machine. Brakes are third-best but still outstanding, the GT stopping from 60 mph in just 110 feet. By the way, did we mention that we think the GT is one of the most beautiful sports cars we've ever seen? Compared with the Ferrari and the Porsche, the Ford feels a bit old-school. And, indeed, it doesn't use carbon fiber and lacks computerized stability control and exotic brakes. Yet the GT's track numbers speak for themselves: It's just a whisker shy of the Porsche in top speed and runs just a tick behind the two Europeans on the dragstrip. Add in the GT's beauty and exceptional poise, and the $150K sticker begins to look like it belongs on a discount rack in Filene's Basement. This particular GT was due in Dallas for another event the day after our test. Did Ford swathe its baby in Bubble Wrap and roll it onto a trailer full of lab coats for the ride? Nope. At day's end, the car's handler simply topped off the tank, tossed the keys to a driver, and told him to have a nice trip. Just like that, Ford's white-striped, 200-mph Le Mans-inspired masterpiece rumbled out of the APG gates and back into the real world of left-lane bandits, instant-on radar, and bad road food. Our Take: Ford GT Pros Gorgeous and evocative body Effortless torque Exceptional user-friendliness Cons Steering wheel a bit small for maximum precision Subtle ride motions at speed Clamshell door will catch your head if you're not careful Don't Miss: Beautiful nighttime lighting around center console buttons Bottom Line: A bargain-priced supercar with performance worthy of its famous looks Porsche Carrera GT Top Speed: 201.5 MPH Holeeeee Zuffenhausen. Did Porsche really build this thing, or did a comet crash into the back of a red 911? On our first lap out in the Carrera GT, we knew the double-century mark was going down big-time. The digital speedo was showing 186 mph on the back straight, and the Carrera GT was still accelerating like it had fallen off a cliff. What kind of velocities was Herta going to reach in this animal? We didn't wait long, Herta went out immediately clocked two awesome laps, then returned to the pits to announce he d gone as fast as he could go. "Really nice," he beamed. "Very quick and stable in the corners, the steering is tight, my comfort level was really high. Driving this one fast was casy." The computers backed up Hertas confidence level, revealing that hed sailed through the banking at more than 185 mph before topping out at 201.5 mph at the end of the straightaway. "On a longer straight, I'm sure the Porsche would ve given us a bit more," Herta added. "It was still climbing ever so slightly." Asked how close he'd come to the corner before hed hinally had to hit the brakes, Herta laughed. "I shut down when I got scared." In many ways steering precision, chassis composure, braking power, build quality—the Carrera GT is pure Porsche. In others, though, this flamboyant, two-seat targa (two roof panels pop out and stow under the front hood) feels decidedly un-German. Maybe even—dare we say it?—Italian. There's that electrifying V-10 engine, for instance. When have we ever heard such wild, searing screams from a Porsche powerplant before? Built with a 68-degree angle, the all-aluminum V-10 displaces 5.7 liters, breathes through four valves per cylinder, and pressurizes the fuel and air in its cylinders like a highoctane espresso machine (compression ratio is a race car-like 12.0:1). A large bore/short stroke design helps the engine spin to a sizzling 8,400-rpm redline. All this mechanical wonderfulness produces an astounding 605 naturally aspirated horsepower at 8000 rpm. With 435 pound-feet, the Porsche trails the group in torque output. The engine mates with a conventional six-speed manual transmission, and it's here that the Carrera GT's only weak link materializes. The car's tiny carbon-ceramic clutch allows almost no slip—because there's little flywheel effect, it's off or on like a light switch. All of us—even Herta—stalled the car a few times, a fact that won't thrill buyers hoping to flaunt their Carrera GTs along Sunset Boulevard for some low-speed/high-profile café fly-bys. You'd have to dig to find much else about the Carrera GT that isn't thoroughly wonderful. The Porsche proved even quicker than the Ford GT. After getting used to the tricky clutch action, our test driver cracked off a run to 60 mph in Just 3.6 seconds and an incredible quarter-mile sprint of 11.1 seconds at 133.4 mph. In fact, the V-10 proved so potent, so cammy, our man had to shift into second gear early just to keep the rear tires from breaking loose as the screaming engine soared into the meat of its power curve. 'Absolutely the wildest stock engine I've ever driven,' was his breathless assertion. The Carrera GT proved equally audacious in our suite of handling tests. Slalom speed was a phenomenal (and group-high) 73.2 mph, our driver adding that the Porsche was also the easiest of the three cars to hurl through the cones. The brakes—giant composite-ceramic discs with ABS—were simply astounding. The more we used them, the better they worked (apparently, there is no German word for 'fade'). The Carrera GT slammed to a stop from 100 mph in only 277 feet. Only one production car we've ever tested, the Dodge Viper at 275 feet, has pulled up shorter. With so much power, grip, balance, and stopping prowess, it's no surprise the Carrera GT also posted the group's quickest time in our figure eight test. At 3,258 pounds, the carbon-fiber, magnesium-wheeled Carrera GT is just 178 pounds heavier than the last Boxster S we tested (August 2004)—despite being more than 11 inches longer and more than five inches wider. The Carrera GT feels light, too—not rattly or insubstantial, but quick, responsive, delightfully immune to inertia. Yet little has been jettisoned to make the weight. The Carrera GT has power windows, A/C, leather seats, a nice stereo, and a nav system. The car even offers a set of luxurious fitted luggage. Is the Carrera GT beautiful? Our editors were mixed in their opinions, agreeing only that the exterior is loaded with interesting shapes (including a large rear wing that automatically deploys above 75 mph). Our view from the driver's seat, however, was unanimous: We've driven few cars so utterly dazzling. Our Take: Porsche Carrera GT Pros Scintillating V-10 engine Herculean brakes Outstanding poise at speed Cons Finicky clutch Mishmash exterior design Smallish radio buttons Don't Miss: Stability-control system allows a welcome amount of tail-out cornering Bottom Line: One of the most awesome all-around performance cars we've ever driven Ferrari Enzo Top Speed: 211.0 MPH You don't call Ferrari public relations and say, 'I'd like an Enzo to test, please.' All 399 have been sold. The cars are in private hands, and 99 percent of Enzo owners will hang up the phone immediately when you tell them, 'Why do I want to borrow your rare, million-dollar exoticar? Uh, so I can drive the living capellini out of it for an entire day." Than we called Preston Henn. The founder the hugely successful (and huge) Swap Shop flea market/circus/drive-in theater complex in Ft. Lauderdale, a long-time campaigner of top endurance racers (fielding cars for drivers like A.J. Foyt), and a seasoned big game racer himself, Henn had only one question when we asked for the keys to his Enzo. 'Yucca—that's a real short Lear Vegas, isn't it?' And so it was that we got our hands on perhaps the most outrageous production street car ever built. The Enzo just reeks speed. The doors scissor upward-tres Le Mans. Thr nose bears the front wing shape of an F1 Ferrari. The barebones cabin includes a steering wheel crowded with buttons, shift oaddles, and even tiny shift lights to warn you of the approaching redline—just like Schumacher's. And, oh yes, there's that engine under the clear rear cover a magisterial V-12 delivering a staggering 108.5 horsepower per liter. When Herta finally wheeled the Enzo onto APG's high-banked oval, even the prairie dogs came out to watch. From the first flying lap, the Enzo was visably faster than the other two cars. You could the Ferrari coming a fearsome crescendo of shredding air and wailing twincam aluminum. And then is was gone, in its wake a piercing purebred howl straight off a Formula One circuit. By the time of the Enzo's runs, the on-site weather station was reporting a light breeze, so to negate any wind effects, we asked Herta to go for top speed on both straightaways (the front straight had a bump at its start that made it tricker to negotiate). The resulting two-way average left everyone's jaws on the asphalt: 211 mph flat. We've never tested a faster production automobile, Herta wore his biggest post-laps grin "The speedo said I was carrying 200 comfortably in the corners. Very nice chassis, Extermely stable. You could tell this one was the fastest the moment the cylinders started lighting up. The steering is lightest of the three; I'd prefer a little more weight. Really like the paddle shifters. Just dynamite to drive.' Not content simply to walk away with highest top speed, the Enzo also proved the quickest car of the trio in our acceleration tests (it carries just five pounds per horsepower—the bantamweight Lotus Elise, for comparison, carries 10.4). Though the car's standard launch-control system supposedly makes max-accel standing starts a no-brainer, the system never seemed to deliver the ideal amount of wheelspin. Still, we recorded a 0-to-60-mph time of just 3.4 seconds and a quarter mile of 11 seconds flat at 133.9 mph. That latter performance may well stand in the MT record books for a long time to come. Though its brakes are brilliant (stops were only slightly longer than the Porsche's) and its ride-height-adjustable suspension churns out tons of grip (0.96 g), the Enzo proved the most nervous of the trio in our handling tests. Slaloming the car was particularly difficult; once the Enzo starts to slide, it's difficult to catch. Its overall balance is quite neutral—usually a plus—but even Herta said he preferred the reassuring trace of understeer built into the Porsche. To our eyes, the Enzo isn't the prettiest of Ferraris (trying to be charitable, one of our team said it reminds him of an origami swan), but there's no denying its purposefulness and incredible sex appeal. 'If you offered me one of these cars, I'd probably take the Ferrari,' said Herta as he gave the Enzo a covetous pat. 'Mostly because, well, it's a Ferrari. It has that mystique.' Like the Ford and the Porsche, the Enzo never stumbled, never got overly warm, never ran rough—even as we continued our handling runs into the 100-degree afternoon heat. Which was perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of our top-speed flog: Today, you can actually own and enjoy a bona-fide, 200-mph supercar without being a contortionist or having to keep a staff of mechanics on your payroll. 'I drive my Enzo around town all the time,' said Henn proudly. 'I once got stuck in traffic in it for over an hour and it just purred right along, the A/C keeping me cool the whole time. I tell you, the thing is even easier to drive than my 360 Modena.' Yes, dear readers, the rich are different from you and me. They have more money. And they can drive at Le Mans any damn time they want. Our Take: Ferrari Enzo Pros Screaming engine note Effortless paddle shifting Unbelievable speed Cons Knife-edged limit handling Not 'Ferrari' beautiful Wallet-crushing price Don't Miss: Digital speedo in lower dash automatically remembers maximum speed Bottom Line: Quite simply, the fastest production car MT has ever tested
Motor Trend
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Would You Rather Daily Drive a Huge Pickup or a Mercedes Sprinter Van?
We took on a yearlong test of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 AWD to see if a van is a reasonable substitute for a pickup truck. So far, we've learned firsthand that a van is better for hauling, not so great for towing, surprisingly capable for off-roading, and is quite a bit more flexible than a truck. But what about, y'know, living with one? With nearly a year of Sauntering—er, sorry, Sprintering—under my belt, it was time to spend some time with a pickup truck to find out. 0:00 / 0:00 If You're Gonna Compare, Compare to the Best I called Ram, because why sandbag? The updated Ram 1500 recently won MotorTrend's 2025 Truck of the Year award, and the 2025 HD trucks just got many of the same upgrades. The Ram trucks have long been favorites of the MT staff for their handsome, modern interiors and day-to-day comfort. The Ram PR guy and I debated a bit on whether a 1500 or 2500 was more appropriate. My Sprinter wears a 2500 label, and its 2,988-pound payload is right up there in three-quarter-ton-truck territory. But the Sprinter's 5,000-pound towing capacity is less than a midsize pickup, whereas the Ram 2500 tows between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds—put another way, twice as much as the Sprinter plus the Sprinter itself. That requires pretty stiff rear springs, which affects the ride quality, and, given this was an article about daily driving, that was Ram's concern. In the end, we—and when I say 'we,' I mean 'I'—decided the Ram 2500 was the way to go. I had a brief road trip to take in New York, and Ram just so happened to have the perfect truck, a midrange 2500 Laramie crew-cab 4x4 with the high-output Cummins diesel engine, a 2,200-pound payload rating and 19,600 pounds of towing capacity. With a sticker price of $80,350, it was in the same ballpark as MotorTrend's $80,824 Sprinter 2500 AWD. One of the major pain points of the Sprinter is climbing into it—I'm only 5-foot-6—but this was even harder in the pickup truck, as there's no intermediate step between the ground and the floor. (My technique is the same for both vehicles: Grab the steering wheel and hoist.) Owners vs. Employees Once there, though, it's obvious the Ram was designed for owners while the Sprinter was designed for employees. The Sprinter's dash layout, though nicely arranged, is built of industrial-grade plastics, while the Ram, like most pickups, is designed more like a car. That said, I did miss the Sprinter's four 44-ounce Bladder Buster–sized cupholders. And the Sprinter's seats, while not as ornate as those of the Ram, are just as comfortable. Both vehicles have big, supportive, roomy back seats, but the Ram feels plusher, largely because the Sprinter makes back-seaters feel like they're sitting in a hallway. One thing I did miss was the view out. Like the Sprinter, the Ram gives you a commanding view of traffic ahead, but I missed the Sprinter's gigantic windshield. In the Ram, I felt like I was jammed into the left-top corner of the cab. But while both vehicles are the same width—79.5 inches without side mirrors factored in—the snub-nosed Sprinter feels way easier to line up on narrow roads. In the Ram, I often felt like I was encroaching on the oncoming lane, but a check of the side mirrors showed I was well inside the lines. Ram was concerned that my biggest gripe would be ride quality, but while the Ram's ride was definitely busier than the Sprinter's, I can't say it was significantly less comfortable. The Ram is one of the better-riding three-quarter-ton pickups, and it did a nice job rounding the edges off the bumps. When the pavement turned bumpy, the pickup got very uncomfortable, but the same is true of my Sprinter, with the height exaggerating the sense of pitch. Both are fine on smooth pavement and markedly not fine on rough roads. Much of my trip was on the open road, and here the Sprinter had an advantage: It tracks better, whereas the Ram has more of a tendency to wander and requires more constant steering correction. But the pickup is largely immune to the crosswinds that can turn a blustery day into a white-knuckle Sprinter drive. The Ram felt more stable at high speeds, and I could pass trucks without getting blown around by the bow wave, another big challenge with the slab-sided Sprinter. Power and Economy—and an Exhaust Brake Speaking of passing, that was way, way, way easier in the pickup truck. That should come as no surprise given the Ram's 6.7-liter, 430-hp, 1,075-lb-ft turbodiesel inline-six, which dwarfs the Sprinter's 2.0-liter, 208-hp, 332-lb-ft turbodiesel I-4 in nearly every data point. We tested a 2025 Ram 3500 with the HO Cummins, and it sprinted (heh) to 60 in seven second flat, nearly twice as quickly as the 11.7-second Sprinter. I figured that with nearly three and a half times the displacement and what had to be at least a half a ton more weight, the pickup's fuel economy wouldn't come anywhere near the 20 mpg I average in the Sprinter. Wrong-o, bucko: The Ram averaged 18.7 mpg on my road trip. Granted that was running empty at moderate speeds, whereas my average in the van includes quite a bit of hauling, towing, and speeding. Running light and gentle, the Sprinter will make it up into the low 20s, but I was expecting mid to low teens from the Ram, so almost 19 was a pleasant surprise. One of the bits that is standard on the Ram diesel is an exhaust brake—and if you remember my attempt to tow our partially loaded horse trailer with the Sprinter, you'll recall how desperately the Sprinter needs one of those. I wasn't towing anything this time 'round, but the extra engine braking was welcome even when running light, especially with the smart 'auto' function featured on the Ram. If I could pick one feature of the pickup truck to graft onto the van, the exhaust brake would be it. Both engines emit a relaxing thrum at cruising speed, but the Cummins adds a nice, throaty bass note. However, I found I could enjoy the sound (or whatever is on the stereo) better in the pickup truck. No surprise that the van body serves as an echo chamber for road noise (which is respectably muted in the Sprinter), while the Ram's smaller, carpeted cabin is better insulated. After nearly a year of Sprinter driving, I barely hear the constant creaks and rattles of the uninsulated steel body, but I sure noticed their absence in the truck, though it was largely replaced by a higher level of tire noise. One thing my junk-food-loving self was really looking forward to was a return to drive-throughs, from which the 9-foot 3-inch-tall Sprinter is generally disqualified. The Ram 2500 stands lower, and its turning circle is slightly tighter, but in real-world parking lots it's not a whole lot easier to maneuver than the van, and I realized the tight bends of the typical drive-through would be just as much of a challenge. I chose to park and walk, probably a good idea given the crap I love to eat on road trips. (My destination was Rochester, New York, where the Garbage Plate beckoned.) Which Would We Rather Drive? So which one makes a better daily driver, a pickup truck or a van? Both are unwieldier than a car or an SUV, though the pickup's broad turning circle is less invasive than the van's tall height. The pickup is certainly easier to drive fast, though its less precise steering makes higher speeds a challenge in its own way. The van prefers a more sedate pace, but its more carlike tires keep it going where you point it, which makes for less fatigue. Where the pickup holds its biggest advantage is the nicer interior, which we can chalk up to the fact that so many people use pickup trucks as daily drivers. When it comes to getting work done, I'll take the pickup truck for towing and the van for hauling, but as a daily driver, the pickup truck has a slight edge. More on Our Long-Term 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter:
