Monday, February 23, 2009
Maybach Exelero
Maybach... Going Fast (October 2008)
When deciding to purchase a new Maybach, it is important to gather as much information you can to assist you in your car buying decision. With our comprehensive catalog of Maybach photos, car specs, dealer incentives, safety ratings, auto rebates and more you’ll have all you need to find your next new car. Select one of the many new Maybach models below...
The Maybach 57 features a Automatic transmission and Rear Wheel Drive Rear Wheel Drive Rear Wheel Drive
New Maybach Cars
Although the Exelero definitely won't go into production, it feels as solid as if it were milled from a single piece of metal, like those SLR-style turbine wheels. Even though the engineers were able to use numerous carryover components, the exterior and the interior were built from scratch by Stola, Turin-based prototype specialists. Neat features include the four pillars for the roof, the sleek greenhouse, the ground-effect rear venturi, and the complex bodywork around the wheel arches. Although it takes a fish-eye lens to capture the 23-inch wheels in their full beauty, the massive rear tires look almost lost from certain angles in their voluptuous all-black surroundings.
At mid-afternoon, I feel like a king, and I'm beaming from ear to ear, reluctant to relinquish my new toy. But all good things must come to an end, and they do at the service area. The
Although this show car is about as politically correct as the Sixteen or theME Four-Twelve, it does its job. It puts the
Cool-off time is frequently needed with this car. As its recalibrated air suspension hisses like a dragon, I learn more about the project. The cooperation between Maybach and
While the platform, the suspension, and the fuel tank were taken largely from the sedan, a second firewall had to be added, and the seats, the steering column, and the pedal box were moved back by 15.7 inches. As a result, the Exelero looks and feels like a proper coupe, not like a two-door notchback. Interestingly enough, the proportions and dimensions of the 2005 version are quite close to those of the prewar original.
On the long back straight of the track, the Exelero's aerodynamic qualities are patently obvious. Despite the in-your-face frontal area, front-end lift is well contained. Three manually activated tail spoilers keep the rear planted. The drag coefficient of the model made from the winning proposal of Fredrik Burchhardt was 0.35 when it first checked into the wind tunnel, but that was trimmed to 0.28 by selectively blocking off the air intakes, lowering the ride height, fitting a flush underbody, covering the rear wheel arches, and mounting dished wheel rims.
"The Exelero is the work of four students from the renowned design academy in
Maybach Exelero
Unlike most styling exercises, the Exelero is definitely a runner. On May 1, it proved its point on the Nardo high-speed oval in
Redlined at 6000 rpm, the 36-valve V-12 produces peak power at just 5000 rpm. Compared with the standard Maybach57/62 engine that's rated at a mere 543 hp, the Exelero has more displacement (up from 5.5 to 5.9 liters), bigger turbochargers, a manlier radiator, and a larger intercooler.
It's soon time for serious leadfoot action. During the morning warm-up, an overenthusiastic crew member warped a pair of front brake discs, so I'm told to take it easy with the second and final set of rotors. No one says anything about saving the tires, so I turn the traction control off, at which point the wide-body coupe duly sheds any semblance of manners. On hot, dry pavement, you have wheel spin in first, second, and third gears. Since peak twist action enters the party early at 2500 rpm, a mild stab at the throttle is enough to kick out the tail and cause paroxysms in the stability system.
But maintaining that sideways action is trickier than expected, because the transmission feels compelled to change down when you massage the throttle a little too hard, and it changes up the moment your hoof loosens its grip. This is fine when you are out to play in a C55 or an E55, but the adrenaline triples when the star of the slide show is a prototype worth 5 million euros. And I'm not telling how many times this one got away from me.
Show-Car
By show-car standards, getting into the malevolent-looking monster is a piece of cake. The long door opens wide, and the cushy leather seat moves back far enough to accommodate the longest limbs. Despite the Fulda-red stripes and the shiny carbon-fiber door panels, the instrument panel is essentially pure Maybach. piano-black center stack, for instance, incorporates Comand along with the familiar HVAC controls, and the power adjustable steering wheel is a four-spoke device with a hub cushion so big it could house enough air bags for the entire Addams family.
Leschke sticks his head through the side window and helps me tighten the fire-red, five-point racing harness. "When designing the cockpit," he says between puffs of a Marlboro, "we combined elements from the Maybach 57 sedan with racy new touches like the transmission gate, bespoke neoprene and carbon-fiber trim, aluminum accents, and draft-free air-conditioning." What air-conditioning? To make sure that all 691 horses are on board, the A/C system has been deactivated.
But that's a small price to pay for an overdose of power and torque that ensures I'm still on a high when I head home from
Maybach Cars
This is my kind of show car. The two-seat land yacht measures 232 inches from bow to stern, exceeding the stately Maybach 57 on which it is based by the length of a Davidoff stogie--if that's not overkill, I don't know what is. Equally outlandish is the engine, a frighteningly free-breathing, twin-turbocharged, 5.9-liter V-12 that coughs up max power of 691 hp and 752 lb-ft of very low-end torque.
And then there's the styling. Vulgar, over-the-top, and utterly beguiling, it's perfect transport for Darth Vader. It looks as if it eats parked cars for breakfast, parties with dinosaurs, and went to school with the Frankenstein monster's son. In the unlikely case that the stance and the proportions leave you cold, the sound effects will grab you by the eardrums. The two pornographic side pipes emit a thunderous, earth-shattering noise. Oh, and by the way, it does 218 mph.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The World's Most Expensive Car
The world's most expensive car is up for sale. And whether or not you think it's worth the estimated $10 million asking price, it's no doubt exceedingly rare, beautiful and--like many follies in automotive history--a triumph of hubris over reason. This Bugatti Type 41 Royale was the brainchild of Ettore Bugatti--and also a hugely expensive misstep in the history of his firm. In the 1920s, Bugatti was expecting to get a contract from the French military to build 16-cylinder aircraft engines. The contract never materialized, but Bugatti felt he could use half that engine, a straight eight, to form one of the most amazing luxury cars in history.
The Type 41 Royale engine had massive displacement: 12.7 liters, or over 700 cubic inches, roughly twice the size of most of the largest production V-8s that would be built by Detroit four decades later. This is still the largest engine of any car to be sold privately.
Equally massive was the 15-foot wheelbase which, when bodied, stood about five feet tall at the hood alone. The car was incredibly imposing, whether in limousine or coupe form. Unfortunately, however, nobody could afford them--production began right at the start of the Great Depression.
A mere six Royale's were produced and two were never sold, staying instead with the Bugatti estate. This car, the 1930 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coach (or 'Coupe') was one of those cars (bricked up behind a false wall during World War II). It stayed with the family until 1950 when both cars were sold to American multimillionaire Briggs Cunningham, who was himself a sports car constructor and Le Mans 24-Hours racing driver. After more than 30 years of ownership, Cunningham eventually sold the car to fellow American auto connoisseur Miles Collier, who placed the Kellner Coach up for auction in 1987.
The car sold for a record £5.5 million at London's Royal Albert Hall before an audience of 4,000 enthusiasts. Now the present anonymous owner--believed to be Japanese--has commissioned Bonham & Brooks in London to offer the Bugatti Royale for resale to anyone willing to pay the asking price. (Offers should be made through Bonhams' offices in London: 011 44 20 7393 3822.)
Forbes Fact
More Royale engines by far were used in SNCF (French National Railway) locomotives than in cars. The French government bought several hundred of these motors and used them in pairs and even in triplicate to pull passenger railcars. Sadly, none of these engines are believed to have survived the war.
Aston Martin DBS
At first glance, the DBS comes across as little more than a DB9 ‘special edition’ with a loud bodykit and a few extra horses under the hood. However Aston Martin is adamant that the DBS is a completely different car, at least in character and feel, if not styling. In fact, the DBS has all the ingredients for a brutal sports car rather than a Grand Tourer: a hand built V12 engine with 517 horsepower, upgraded suspension from the DB9, ceramic brakes, huge 20†tires that are 245/35 at the front and 295/30 at the rear and a stability control system with a track mode.
The DBS claims a top speed of over 300km/h and a 0-60mph time of just 4.3 seconds drawing ever closer to the performance benchmarks set by Ferrari and Lamborghini. The car already has a reputation after being briefly driven in the last James Bond film, Casino Royale, but the short chase and subsequent destruction left us wanting more. That’s the reason we’re here in the UK test driving the production model of the movie car.
Visually and structurally it is easy to see how the car was born from the DB9. But where the DB9 is a gentlemanly grand tourer, the DBS has an altogether more aggressive appeal. Lovers of clean lines and Astons of old will be turned off by the more in-your-face attitude of the DBS but others will be attracted by the very same thing.
The interior of the DBS is simple and elegant; the dodgy Ford ignition key found in the DB9 has thankfully been removed and replaced with proper key fob. The driving position is excellent and the seat and pedals are perfectly aligned and electrically adjustable. The leather dash is accompanied by an aluminum (or you can have it glossy black) centre console that is both simple and elegant and yet make the car feel like a bespoke item. However the Alcantara seats, made of carbon-fibre and kevlar, remind you that this is no soft-fisted GT.
The aluminum and magnesium frame ensures the Aston retains excellent rigidity while still maintaining a weight of 1695kg, 65kg less than the DB9. This weight advantage and the extra rigidity reveal themselves most when cornering. Compared to the DB9, the steering is precise and informative and the direction-changes are completed reactively and quickly, with the sport suspension settings greatly adding to the abilities of the DBS by keeping body roll to a minimum. The 6-speed manual transmission was lacking and at times felt clunky, but with no auto option for at least another year, punters will have to make do with what’s on offer.
The suspension set up is bang-on, with even the Sport setting not being bone-jarringly unbearable on roads that aren’t perfectly smooth, but at the same time giving you the stiffness to enjoy a twisty mountain road.
Aston Martin has finally joined the exclusive club of companies that can offer carbon ceramic bakes on their vehicles with the DBS. Unlike other cars, the DBS gets these brakes as standard with 398mm discs and six-piston calipers on the front and 360mm with four piston calipers in the rear to provide some impressive stopping power. Here, too, you can see that Aston Martin has spent considerable time fine tuning braking performance. They don’t bite as hard as those from other companies and are instead progressive and easy to toy with.
While the V12 engine comes from the DB9, the compression ratios have been altered to produce an extra 45kw at a higher rev range. Above 4000rpm, the Aston really starts to pull and you can hear the difference as the V12 engine growls almost savagely. The improvements to the engine, suspension, brakes and aerodynamics all make the DBS a fairly complete package and we have to agree with Aston Martin’s claim of it being a very different car to drive.
The only real issue with the DBS is its staggering price figure â€" €83,000 more than the DB9 and around €20,000 more than a Ferrari 599 GTB, which is widely regarded as one of the best supercars in recent years. While there’s no doubt that this car is a real head turner at the end of the day there are more polished packages available from Ferrari or Lamborghini. But if you want a quintessentially British supercar, look no further.
Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
With all the concerns of our deteriorating climate and rising fuel prices you would be hard pressed to find a car that’s less politically correct than the AMG prepped ML63. The Teutonic behemoth probably emits enough carbon to blot out the sun and gulps down enough fuel in just one week to power a small a village through winter, but there’s something about a 510hp big-cube V8 mounted under the hood of a vehicle that brings a smile to our face.Styling and Interior
There’s no mistaking the ML63 for anything other than a high-performance AMG model. Quad exhaust pipes, an aggressive front bar, lowered ride-height, and chunky wheels characterize the look of the sporty SUV, while a unique radiator grille, stainless steel running boards with rubber studs and tinted rear lights add a further touch of exclusivity.
Inside, there’s the figure hugging sports seats, AMG branded instrument dials and aluminum pedals that differentiate it from the regular ML field. Other features include Nappa leather upholstery, Alcantara inserts on the seats, and an AMG sports steering wheel with gearshift buttons.
Space is abundant for the driver and four other passengers, with equally generous storage space for all their gear. The tall driving position won’t be to everybody’s taste, especially those switching from a low slung sports coupe, but in return you get excellent visibility, easy access and barely any back strain after hours spent behind the wheel.
Technical
The main element of the mechanical upgrades to the car is the new aluminum V8 engine, now displacing 6.2L versus the 5.4L motor of the previous ML55 AMG. Peak power of 510hp arrives at 6,800rpm and maximum torque of 630Nm stands at 5,200rpm. The high rpm levels for peak output suggest a high-rev nature but this couldn’t be further from the truth: from as low as 2,000rpm the engine’s already producing 500Nm of torque. To achieve its flexibility, the intake and exhaust valves are continuously variable over a range of 42 degrees, while the electronic control of the fuel-injectors maintains pressures between 3.8 and 5bar to optimize combustion and to ensure quick engine response from changes to the accelerator.
Drive is sent to all four wheels via AMG’s SpeedShift 7G-TRONIC automatic gearbox, with the driver able to switch gears using buttons mounted on the steering wheel. Another button located in the centre console allows the driver to switch between three different shift models, Sport, Comfort and Manual, each altering gearshift characteristics and shift speed. The vehicle’s permanent four-wheel drive distributes power to the front and rear axles on a 40:60 basis, which also gives it a sportier feel compared to the regular model’s 50:50 split.
The suspension set-up is based on Mercedes’ air-suspension and features AMG-specific damper struts and a modified electronic control module. An automatic leveling control system will adjust the vehicle’s ride height by raising or lowering the suspension depending on vehicle speed.
The rolling stock for our test car consisted of 19in light-alloy wheels fitted with 295mm tires all-around, however there’s also a set of 20in wheels available as an option. Residing within these wheels are sets of internally ventilated and indented brake discs â€" 15.4in up front and 14.4in out back.
On the road
The numbers look good on paper but when you consider the vehicle being lugged around is a 2,310kg tank rather than a small car, even power figures as good as those of the ML63 can look a little feeble. Fortunately, the sporty SUV doesn’t disappoint. The engine always remains in readiness for any changes to the accelerator, releasing mountains of torque from very early in the rev-range. There’s a willingness to rev that belies the engine’s 6.2L displacement but once it reaches its power peak the tacho’s needle struggles to creep further. It doesn’t matter because the ML63, like most powerful Mercs, is all about the effortless surge you get much lower in the rev-range.
Our tests saw it cover the standing kilometer in an impressive 24.22 seconds and with a trap speed of 219.2km/h. This was sufficient to beat the time of the 450hp Cayenne Turbo, which took 25.22 seconds to cover the same distance and only reached 210km/h, and it also beats V8-powered sports saloons like the Maserati Quattroporte (24.33 seconds and 219.6km/h) and the Jaguar XJR (24.28seconds and 211.9 km/h). Our 0-100km/h time came up in at five seconds flat.
The vehicle’s kerb weight barely penalizes performance in a straight line and continues to remain imperceptible 90% of the time. The only times it rears its ugly head is when cornering hard, where coupled with the constant AWD system sees the ML63 start to understeer slightly. Thankfully, engineers thought of this and installed a system that allows you to adjust the rigidity of the pneumatic suspension. Set it to a firmer setting and body-roll is almost negated and the vehicle’s handling remains balanced even when driven at speed. So comfortable is the ride and handling through curves that we constantly needed to keep an eye on the speedometer to keep account of the real speeds we were traveling at.
Of course it’s still possible to unsettle the vehicle but push too far and stability control immediately steps in and brings it back into line. The ML63 also comes with some of the best brakes in the business, decelerating the SUV from 130km/h in just 64m â€" a better reading than the 65.6m achieved by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
Final Verdict
The ML63 drives with a level of precision that’s unthinkable for a vehicle weighing in at more than two tons and standing almost two meters tall. From the get go, the ML63 impresses not only because of its hand-built engine but because of the pleasure it delivers when pushed to the limit. With a significant help from the Affalterbach tuners, the ML is now on par with sporty SUV rivals from Porsche and BMW in terms of on-road dynamics but more importantly it marks a return to the levels of performance and quality one would expect from a top end vehicle wearing the Three Pointed Star. For those who doubt an SUV could ever truly be labeled a performance car, we suggest you take a ride in the ML63 and find out just how far things have come.
Lotus Europa S
Lotus is renowned for building cars with superb handling, no pesky electronic aids and none of the unnecessary extras that add to the final kerb weight. Living with a Lotus is meant to be compromise, but it’s a compromise worth living with because of the payoff the cars deliver when driven at a track. This is where models like the Elise and Exige reveal why their harsh ride, noisy engines and cumbersome entry are highly sought after by motoring enthusiasts around the world. Despite the reputation for building some of the best track cars of all time, there are people out there who desire a more easy-going Lotus, a car with the comfort of a premium GT. This is why the guys from Hethel have developed the Europa S, a derivative of the hardcore Elise but with an opulent by Lotus standards interior, improved accessibility and a host of accessories and features not usually found in the light weight roadsters. Some of the niceties Europa S owners can enjoy most of us normally take for granted include ABS brakes, dual front airbags, climate control air-conditioning, leather trim and satellite navigation.Interior
Slide in behind the wheel and you’ll immediately realize what Lotus was trying to get at when designing the new Europa S. You still have to be a contortion artist to step into the cabin without getting embarrassed but, compared to the bare-to-the bones Elise and Exige, the interior of the Europa S offers a little more than just bare metal surfaces to please the eyes.
It’s more refined than your run of the mill Lotus but the driving position is the same as in the Elise and the small lightweight extruded aluminum pedals retain the race car feel. Then you see the perforated leather door inserts, thick carpets, and air-conditioning vents, and immediately realize this car is like no other constructed by the folks in Norfolk.
The Europa S measures in at 390cm in length, 11.5cm longer than the Elise and 10.3cm more than the Exige and, at 149cm across, the width of its rear track is slightly down on its two siblings. Trunk space measures 154L all up but is compromised because of the irregular shaped floor and the heat that comes through from the engine.
Technical
Like the Elise, the Europa S is hand-built at Lotus’ factory in Hethel and features an extruded and bonded aluminum chassis, composite body panels and an advanced composite energy absorbing front crash structure. The end result of the engineers’ weight saving techniques is an incredibly scant final kerb weight of just 995kg. More amazing is the weight of the chassis alone, which stands at just 68kg and offers the same strength and rigidity as both the Elise and Exige despite its door sills being some 4cm shorter.
As with all Lotus cars, the Europa S also adopts a front anti-roll bar and fully independent sports suspension using unequal length wishbones and Bilstein mono-tube dampers with coaxial Eibach springs at each corner.
The car’s mid-mounted 2.0L turbo engine is derived from General Motors’ Ecotec Z20LER powerplant, and in the Lotus develops a very healthy 197hp (147kW) at an unstressed 5,400rpm and peak torque of 272Nm (200lb-ft) at 5,000rpm. Though peak torque arrives at a relatively high rpm rate, 90% of this force is available from just 2,000rpm, giving the car plenty of oomph in the lower rev-range and adding to its flexibility around town. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an aluminum six-speed manual gearbox and an open differential.
On the road
The Europa S loses part of the typical Lotus agility that cars like the Exige and Elise are renowned for, but its steering remains lightning fast and the wider torque band of the 2.0L turbo masked most of our mistakes and made hopping around town much more pleasurable. The stiffness of the suspension isn’t as firm as what you’d get in the Elise or Exige but the Europa S is far from comfortable. You’ll feel every rut and bump in the road but it all pays off when you get to the twisty stuff.
The car’s increased size and richer equipment list gives it a significant weight disadvantage over the lithe Elise and Exige, a factor that makes itself obvious when slinging the car around a track. Going into a curve, the Europa S tends to understeer and requires you to lift off the pedal to bring it back onto the ideal trajectory. Give it too much throttle, however, and the car will quickly go into oversteer mode but never so much so that it becomes uncontrollable. The rigid chassis and stiff suspension means there’s barely a hint of body roll, while the responsive and accurate steering means even the slightest of adjustments to the wheel will see a reaction.
The torquey turbo motor benefits from minimal lag and responds quickly to inputs from the gas pedal. Acceleration is brisk, with the 100km/h mark passing in 5.8 seconds and 160km/h taking just under 14 seconds to come up.
Disappointing in our tests was the car’s braking performance: slowing down from 130km/h required 66m of tarmac. Compare this with BMW’s Z4 and the Porsche Cayman, two cars that weigh more than 350kg over the Europa S and take only 58.6m and 57.8m respectively to slow down from the same speed.
Final Verdict
The Europa S is touted as a more comfortable and livable Lotus alternative to the Elise or Exige but, despite making things a bit more accommodating, it remains almost as harsh and uncomfortable as its siblings. The only difference is that it weighs more, doesn’t handle as well and is slower around the track. Then why would you pick the Europa S over the fully flavored Lotus Elise or Exige? Our recommendation is to buy a Elise or Exige and get something else to use as a daily driver.
Pagani Zonda F Clubsport
The Pagani brand first burst onto the supercar scene during the late ‘90s and immediately tore apart the establishment with its wild-looking creations capable of out-handling the best from cross-town rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini. In fact, the only thing raising more eyebrows than the Pagani cars themselves was the manner in which they were built â€" at a tiny Italian factory, barely the size of a few houses, whose owner speaks not a word of English but can tell you about a love for cars in a way no one else can.Pagani was founded by Argentinean-born Italian Horacio Pagani and his first creation under his self-titled brand was the Zonda supercar. The stunning original was considered near perfect by most until Pagani released an updated Zonda ‘F’ with more even power and grip levels. Surely the Zonda F was the most that could be squeezed out of the platform? But Horacio Pagani didn't exactly see things that way and the Zonda F 'Clubsport' was born, an even higher performance version of the already extreme Zonda F and one of the fastest production cars ever created.
The Zonda F Clubsport represents the last hurrah for the Zonda line-up as Pagani is set to replace the model with a new supercar dubbed the 'C9' coming next year. As the final iteration of the first Pagani model, the Clubsport holds a special place in automotive history and was intended to be something special, something that would cement the Zonda name forever in the history books.
Seeing a Zonda F Clubsport in the flesh is a strange experience. The cabin sits so far forward that it looks more like a jet-fighter than a car, and its low-slung stature and wide stance combine to give it a very aggressive appearance and great presence.
The attention to detail in all Paganis is first-rate and as expected is a constant theme throughout the Zonda F Clubsport. The sophistication of the red-leather interior and the imposing lines of the exterior leave onlookers stunned as you drive past. Despite this, the new model is almost indistinguishable from the lesser Zonda F bar a tiny 'Clubsport' badge at the rear.
Stepping inside, you’re immediately faced with the sheer opulence and richness of materials that only an Italian thoroughbred can provide. After years of boring executive-style interiors from many rival supercar brands, it’s good to see Pagani put the 'x' back into exotic. Every panel, instrument, dial and stitch is perfectly matched and of incredible quality. The red-leather looks like a throwback to the roadsters of the 1930s and everything about the interior projects a hand-wrought, bespoke quality.
The driving position is near-perfect and the interior cosseting, making the car feel smaller than it actually is. Visibility is much better than expected, although driving through traffic can still be a little unnerving. Starting the engine is just as theatrical as the appearance of the exterior. Simply press a button at the top of the gearstick and a roar that seems loud enough to wake the entire town fills the air.
The Pagani Zonda F Clubsport, despite its 650hp, its 780Nm of torque, its acceleration from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds and its maximum speed of over 215mph, is far from being a punishing race car. The clutch feel is progressive and isn't the violent action as you flip up and down its six cogs that you would find in many other performance cars of this caliber.
One of the most rewarding aspects of driving a Zonda is the chance to engage the exclusive 7.3L AMG-sourced V12. Exploiting the sledgehammer powerplant is downright brutal in the lower-revs and the thrust of the engine is felt right through to the upper limits of the rev-range. The way you feel in the Clubsport after burying the throttle is difficult to describe. With a flick of the foot, your body is sucked into the seat and your stomach is hurled far into your back. The wicked acceleration, the flood of horsepower and the reeling in of the horizon are all over in seconds. It’s an experience that leaves you a little shaken but always wanting more.
With great horsepower must come great stopping power and the Zonda F Clubsport doesn't disappoint in this aspect either. An optional carbon-ceramic Brembo system ensures stunning deceleration once you get past the initial hard feel of the brake pedal.
The beauty of the Zonda F Clubsport is its ability to carve up a winding road, which is just as impressive, if not more so, as its ability to cover straight stretches of road in the shortest time possible. Where it shines the most is its effortless ability to glide in and out of corners with unnerving speed. The suspension transcribes with needle-like precision every imperfection and nuance in the tarmac, yet the springs aren't so harsh as to make the ride overly uncomfortable or jarring. Expertly tuned shocks complement the springs to reveal a firm suspension set-up with almost non-existent body-roll.
The Clubsport's actions are communicative with the driver and it feels as though the car is never struggling against you. The steering is progressive and provides plenty of feedback. It also has a slight heft to it, giving you confidence when pushing the car at speed. Grip and handling are phenomenal, and even when you are certain you are traveling too fast for a corner the car manages to keep its line without any fuss. The rear is fun to play around with and the sensation of oversteer is gentle and predictable, giving you some room to play without biting back too severely.
Amazingly, the entire mass of the car is contained within 1,230kg. This is mostly due to its carbon-fiber bodywork and chassis construction. With all of its 650hp, the Zonda F Clubsport weighs less than a Porsche Cayman. This light weight makes the Zonda easy to dance around a curve as the load-transfers from rapid steering adjustments barely build enough momentum to get you into trouble.
The power to weight ratio of 1.89kg/hp equals that of the Bugatti Veyron, which in comparison features a 16-cylinder quad-turbo engine with a 1001hp output. The cumbersome Veyron is burdened with an additional 700kg and it shows when compared to the Zonda F - where the Veyron is faster in a straight line, the Zonda absolutely decimates it in the corners. About 54% of the Zonda's mass is positioned over the rear axle and the huge tires ensure exceptional grip, although traction control and a differential keep any loss of grip in check.
While the looks aren't to everyone’s taste, as a driving machine the Zonda F Clubsport is nigh on perfection. Supple steering, phenomenal grip, and that brutal AMG V12 come together to make this one of the quickest cars we've ever had the pleasure of driving. While few people in the world will ever get the chance to look at this thing in the flesh, let alone drive it, anyone that does get that opportunity will find themselves addicted to a driving experience like no other.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
To a large extent Lamborghini exists today because of the Gallardo. While the Murcielago has always remained the top model in the company’s line-up, it was strong sales of the Gallardo that allowed it to reach profitability after almost 30 years of losses. At its initial launch back in 2003 there was the worry that this new ‘entry-level’ Lamborghini would dilute the brand’s exclusive cachet. As the first model completely designed under the watchful and sensible eye of Audi, there was also some concern the carmaker was expanding its market share at the cost of exclusivity and heritage. But once the first trickle of reviews came in, all fears were put to rest, and the new car was able to strike an almost impossible balance between accessibility and exclusivity. It’s since gone on to become the Italian marque’s most successful model to date - selling around 7,100 units - and its reputation as an everyday supercar is the best descriptor of the new Lamborghini: outrageous but still entirely livable.However, Lamborghini was never one to rest on its laurels. Just as it had done with the Murcielago and the more extreme LP640 variant, designers also tinkered with the Gallardo and added some extra kit to make it a much more vicious machine. Put on a diet, the brand new LP560-4 loses 20kg over the standard model and is given another 40hp (30kW) for extra bite. The most significant changes come in the form of a new aerodynamic package that improves downforce considerably and makes the car a far more formidable track weapon than the standard Gallardo. Technical Named for its 560hp (418kW) output and 4WD powertrain, the latest incarnation of the Gallardo impresses on several fronts. With its highly-strung 5.2L V10 the LP560-4 has stunning performance, accelerating to 62mph (100km/h) in just 3.7 seconds and going on to reach a top speed in excess of 200mph (320km/h).The engine emits a deep bellow when pushed, and is most brutal in the lower end of the rev-range where it seems to summon the most force. Hitting the top end is equally exciting because the torque curve remains flat and stable throughout the rev-range.It’s strange to think of the self-titled ‘Most outrageous car company’ considering emissios and fuel economy in its marketing materials, however even Lamborghini is beginning to think about tough new pollution regulations to be ratified by the EU. For this reason it has introduced a new Bosch direct injection system, giving the LP560-4 more power and torque but better fuel-efficiency and lower emissions than the previous Gallardo.Styling and interiorLamborghini has updated the Gallardo's shell to bring it more in to line with the Murcielago and recent Reventon concept. You can clearly see the family resemblance in the new model with giant air dams and new lights in the front.
The rear has also been altered significantly, with cooling vents, new rear lights and bumper plus a redesigned diffuser all contributing to its changed appearance. In what may be a subconscious nod to its German cousin, the LP560-4's rear looks a little like the Audi R8's. The rear lights are now positioned in a ‘Y structure’ and the same motif appears in the front LED daytime running lights.
Sitting inside, the interior resembles that of the regular Gallardo. The seats are set extremely low but leg and shoulder room are generous for both driver and passenger. Lamborghini offers the LP560-4 with either leather or Alcantara upholstery for the seats, and the same options are given for various accents around the cabin.
While the interior hasn’t changed much from the pre-facelift model, the driving experience certainly has. Gone is the instability during high speed cornering and the tendency to understeer that were the negative hallmarks of the Gallardo. The LP560-4's new aerodynamics package has significant effect at speed, and the front spoiler and rear diffuser work together to improve aerodynamic efficiency by a staggering 31%.
On the road
The optional carbon-ceramic brakes are also excellent, though we wish Lamborghini would follow cross-town rival Ferrari’s example and make them standard on the new model. Still, there’s not much to complain about when you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car and the brakes deliver up to 1.2g of seatbelt-straining force.
With its high-revving engine, excellent four-wheel drive system, improved down force and powerful brakes, the LP560 is more confident around a track than the Gallardo. The suspension has also been tuned and lightened, and is adept at keeping the car stable during high-speed cornering. Body roll is now almost non-existent.
Steering the car through the pedals was necessary more than a few times, especially when understeer reared its ugly head. However, these were rare occasions and generally the car was responsive to our steering inputs. The transmission comes in three modes, Normal, Sport and Corsa, with the final being the most hardcore option. In Corsa mode the gear shifts are around 40% faster than normal. There’s also a launch control option, during which both brake and accelerator are depressed, locking revs at 5,000rpm and sending the Gallardo off while matching traction with power perfectly.
The LP560-4 isn't brilliant in all areas though. The carbon-ceramic brakes still lack proper feel for stop-and-go traffic, a problem we’ve noticed on a number of other cars fitted with them, including the McLaren SLR (not sold here) and the Porsche Carrera GT (now out of production). The extremely low front spoiler also makes the car hard to take around town and even when you do use the handy front-raising feature there’s still the occasional painful sound of grating metal.
Final verdict
The LP560-4 takes Lamborghini's biggest success and changes the formula - as a driver's car, it is devastatingly quick and a delight to throw around a track but as just a car, a daily driver, the old Gallardo made more sense. Then again, when did buying a Lamborghini ever make sense?
Tesla's all-electric Roadster
MotorAuthority contributing editor Gus Chyba recently visited Tesla's new store in Los Angeles and took the Roadster for a short spin. Here are his thoughts.My cheeks hurt.The birth of my daughter. My first solo flight in an airplane. Driving a Tesla Roadster. All of these things kept me grinning for hours and hours afterwards. And so now my cheeks hurt.The Tesla Roadster is a complicated and yet simple piece of technology that makes you realize you are touching, or in this case driving, something that's really different from everything that has come before it. Even though it looks like a Lotus Elise, a fantastic little car in its own right, this is something else entirely.The first thing you notice is the shape is slightly different from the Elise. It’s longer by 9in, and a little wider by 3in, but the small increase makes a huge difference on such a diminutive vehicle. It turns the boy-racer looking Elise into something a little more grown up. It has more presence. It just feels more like a ‘real’ car.Your eye is immediately drawn to the glossy carbon-fiber roll hoop cover that looks like it’s been dipped in 20 layers of clear lacquer. It's three dimensional in a way I have never seen; it’s almost hard to focus your eyes on, and kept my attention for longer than it should have.
The rest of the car is equally well detailed. The geek in me got turned on by the charging port, with its line of LEDs that change color as the car charged, and glow white to show you where to put the (huge) plug in a dark garage. There’s talk at Tesla of using removable battery packs in its next vehicle, and of batteries that could charge in as little as 15 minutes. Though 15 minutes seems long compared to a gas fill up, most people would charge their vehicles at home, using a “filling station†only on longer trips.Asked if it was possible to drive to San Francisco, Jeremy, my excellent and knowledgeable host, admitted that it would only be possible if you could find an outlet near the car at an overnight hotel, and if you don’t have a plug where you park at home, it becomes equally problematic.The many electric charging stations dispersed throughout Los Angeles don’t work on this car, since they use the older “induction†style charging circle (like GM’s EV1) whereas the Tesla uses a “conductive†metal to metal plug. There’s no doubt for me after driving this car that an electric motor will be driving the wheels of all future cars, but the question of how to get power to that motor away from home is still not answered.Should you buy this car instead of another $100,000 car? Sure, but it requires forethought. The handling is so good and the power so perfect that it makes most other cars look archaic by comparison. However, taking long trips requires some planning and perhaps the willingness to be towed home on occasion, should your foot become too enthusiastic.So that’s what this car is: precious energy. Because it’s a sports car, the goal isn’t to see how far you can make it go, the goal is to see if you can get the stability control to kick in (which I couldn’t, it just sticks like glue to everything) or to pass that pesky Porsche in the next lane. Squeezing the go pedal in this car is as addicting as coke to an ‘80s lawyer in Florida - you just can’t stop snorting and grinning.
Pontiac G8 3.6L V6
Ask an average Australian about the latest Pontiac-purveyed product from his (or her) homeland and you’re likely to be stricken with a few derogatory nicknames for the vehicle that play off the ‘common’ sounding name of the Holden Commodore. Made popular as a fleet vehicle and the traditional family hauler, the Commodore has a less-than-stellar reputation Down Under when it comes to exciting sports sedans. But to this American’s eyes, the G8 is the rebirth of the Everyman American sedan.The mild-mannered power of a well-made naturally aspirated V6 might be just the ticket for balancing big-sedan comfort with mid-sized efficiency - though that’s up for debate as well - but it sure isn’t what you’d expect from the aggressive looks and Aussie-bred demeanor of the new Pontiac G8. Despite the less-than-impressive performance, however, almost everything else remains the same as its bigger brother, and without the intoxicating aroma of the big V8 found under the hood of the G8’s GT variant, the true essence of the car is easier to discern. Few other publications have tested the V6 variant. Is it possible that the ego-enhancing effects of a large-displacement V8 have skewed the results in favor of an otherwise bland car?At first blush the G8 is an exciting car. The styling isn’t typical of the last half-decade of American cars, though the past year or two have brought some interesting competition. It has an air about it that certainly impresses more than the Grand Am or Grand Prix ever did, at least for this reviewer. Even the also-Australian GTO, beloved by some but detested by many as heretical to the original Goat, didn’t offer the combination of utility, visceral appeal and affordability that the G8 brings to the table. The athletic, forward-biting stance and angular lines give the car purpose, and though the front end may be a bit overwrought, it clearly brands the car a Pontiac, and makes it recognizable from blocks away. But a good first impression isn’t enough to carry the day anymore - buyers are looking for well-built, easy-driving, safe and efficient transport more than ever before.The quick verdict: the G8 manages to rise to the challenge for the most part, and its few foibles are not significant enough to justify its relegation to the ‘also-ran’ list. Perhaps even more importantly, there is unlocked potential in this car - it could be great, with just a little help. Handling is as good as you can expect from an affordable large sedan, with a predictable and capable nature that speaks of a well-designed chassis tuned for comfort over speed.The second most confusing element of the G8’s interior is the complete lack of satellite navigation availability. It’s understood that the car is targeted at the mid-range of the large-sedan market, and that with too many more options it would begin to encroach on the Cadillac CTS’ territory, at least on paper - the build quality difference is vast - but would it be too much to equip a basic touchscreen unit to show the way in foreign territory? The upside is that there's ample room on the dash and windshield for fitment of an aftermarket unit.Aftermarket units won’t be able to take advantage of the nice built-in display, however. Apparently limited to just three colors - black, red and white - since that is all it displayed during our week with it - the screen is nevertheless high-resolution and attractively styled with easy-to-read graphics and script. But it’s almost laughably complex given its function as display unit for the admirably full-featured on-board computer. Those familiar with the Saturn Astra and any number of other newer GM products will appreciate the fine-grained detail available from the unit, but why it needs a space-hogging display with fidgety soft-buttons is simply inexplicable.That said, the G8 is a mostly brilliant car, inside and out, especially for the price point. It offers truly full-size proportions - easily accommodating four six-foot-plus passengers with knee-room and head-room to spare - and very comfortable, attractive seating. The leather upholstery didn’t feel premium-quality, but it did feel supple and durable, two strong traits in a car that will see regular use. The rear seat bench was oddly a bit easy to dislodge, though that may have been an issue specific to our particular vehicle, and at any rate did not cause any issues during its use.The trunk is capacious in the extreme, and with a broad and tall opening, actually getting large things into it shouldn’t be a problem. The rear seats don’t fold down, however, featuring only a pass-through for long, skinny objects - not that you’d need much more in the way of room in the trunk, and if you do, Pontiac has you covered with the G8 ST.Only one major quibble is to be had with the G8: the 3.6L 256hp (190kW) V6 engine. It’s a good engine for what it is, and it’s adequate, even ample, for almost everything you can legally do on public roads. But it’s lacking the ‘bigness’ that the rest of the car exudes. Enlivened with a torquey and character-full V8, plus some more sport-oriented - but still liveable - shocks and springs, this car could be a real powerhouse, and that’s precisely what the GT and GXP variants offer. We’ll have to wait until we’re presented with the opportunity to review one to decide how well Pontiac has managed to tap the obvious potential of the base G8, however.That one quibble is really no quibble at all in the end, since buyers of the G8 V6 will enter the bargain knowingly. At a premium of just $1,500 for the V8, buying the V6 makes no sense to us. The fuel economy certainly doesn’t justify it, even if you achieve the rated figures of 17mpg city and 25mpg highway, which ended up being very close to our observed 16.7mpg city and 24mpg highway. The V8 is rated very closely at 15mpg city and 24mpg highway, making so little difference as to matter not at all, financially or ecologically. At that point, driving style will determine real-world efficiency more than engine choice. And GM has proven its torquey V8s are capable of excellent fuel mileage when the driver can keep their foot out of the accelerator.Bottom-line verdict on the G8 is that you’d be hard-pressed to buy more in the way of a large sedan for the price, and though the styling, both inside and out, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s a far cry from the bland offerings of a few years ago. And for those with a mind for slowly upgrading a car as they go, the G8 GT, or better yet, the GXP, could be one of the best platforms to come along in years.2009 Honda Pilot
Boxy urban utility vehicles have a strong following in many Asian countries, and have been around for many years. The theme is slowly beginning to catch on in the U.S. and Europe - made some inroads, the appears to be floundering and hopes to expand the field further - but to date most of the entries have all been relatively small in size. Honda’s Pilot, while sharing a lot in terms of looks, is an order of magnitude larger, both inside and out. Whether that helps place it in a different and more broadly acceptable category or dooms it to outcast status is a question for some debate.At first glance the 2009 Pilot is nothing new or groundbreaking, but a closer examination reveals some interesting traits. Its basic form is of two rectangular boxes stacked neatly, like a child’s vision of a school bus. Some chamfered edges and a very bulky grille give the Pilot a modern look, but the shape is decidedly uninspired. It is, however, a great shape for maximizing the interior space in a given set of exterior dimensions. The paradoxical largeness of this very car-like SUV makes for an intriguing blend of handling and practicality, but inspires little confidence in off-road or towing capability.Part of the less-than-confident feel of the Pilot can be traced to its rather anaemic 250hp (183kW) 3.5L V6 engine. Certainly the power would be adequate if backed up by a suitably large torque figure, but this engine needs to be spun at 4,000-5,000rpm before it feels like it’s doing any real work, and by then it’s gone past sipping, drinking, and slurping fuel directly to chugging it. Watching the fuel-economy gauge under moderate-to-hard acceleration or while going up a steep hill will routinely cause ratings in the 3-5mpg (78-47L/100km) range - hardly in keeping with Honda’s ‘green carmaker’ image. Peak torque is rated at an uninspiring 253lb-ft (342Nm) at a lofty 4,800rpm, however, a dual-stage intake manifold and variable valve timing and lift keeps over 90% of this twist between 2,000 and 6,000rpm.Even if you move beyond the entry-level models priced below $30,000 toward the upper end of the range, which brushes right up against $40,000, few vehicles in the class offer the same combination of size and equipment for the price. This is where Honda has chosen to stake out its territory - not as the most imposing or most refined or even the most efficient, but rather as offering the most value, and that they do an admirable job of achieving.
It’s just unfortunate that they focused on that one goal so exclusively.So is the Honda Pilot too big to play with the modern urban-box utility vehicle, or is it too small and too underpowered to play in the full-size SUV class? The short answer is a little bit of both. The long answer is that it’s actually a surprisingly useful, easy-to-drive vehicle that offers an experience many people will appreciate for a price most can afford.
Heads of state, top-level business executives and the independently wealthy are the typical purchasers of limousines such as the Jaguar XJ Super V8, the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes S-Class, and they heavily favor the German offerings if sales figures are any indication. But just being rich and powerful doesn’t make them right. Certainly, the BMW and Mercedes sedans offer impressive features, capable platforms and what many consider attractive styling. But they lack what the Jaguar has in spades - character.That’s not to say the XJ isn’t an attractive and feature-packed car, however. Radar-adaptive cruise control, satellite radio, dual headrest DVD players, airplane-style seatback trays, supple expanses of leather and luxurious deep-pile wool carpeting are spotted on the briefest of glances at the vehicle’s spec sheet. But that’s not where the charm of the XJ lies. The atmosphere in its cabin, the feeling you get looking at it from across a parking lot, the shoved-back-in-the-seat acceleration when driving with a heavy foot - these are the things the XJ does so well.
To really understand the XJ Super V8, it helps to understand where the car fits in the Jaguar lineup - and that’s essentially right at the top. Featuring all of the luxury amenities of the Vanden Plas plus most of the performance features of the XJR, the Super V8 is Jaguar’s ‘best of both worlds’ offering. The car does an admirable job in both of its split-personalities, a surprising result as compromise cars are usually disappointing. The Super V8 continually raises expectations - its constantly-adjusting air-ride suspension offers both fantastic ride quality and precise handling, for example. Likewise the car’s high-speed stability is so great that rear-seat passengers will have no reason to suspect a 100mph (160km/h) dash is anything but a sedate 50mph (80km/h) cruise.
Comfort and style run hand-in-hand through the cabin, with the leather-upholstered surfaces appropriately soft to the touch and completely devoid of the chemically-treated slickness common in cheaper materials, and polished burl wood trim to offset the high-quality plastics and metal pieces used to accent the interior. It’s not the design of a 21st-century science experiment, or a vision of the future of corporate motoring. Instead, it’s an homage to hand crafted luxury and classic styling.
Like all cars, it has a few rough spots, however. The fit and feel of the gear selector, for example, is a bit flimsy and imprecise compared to the rest of the controls in the cockpit, though only the driver will notice this minor flaw. Similarly, the front sun visors are among the cheapest Ford Motor Company has to offer, despite the nearly $95,000 MSRP. Rear passengers have to make do with manual sun shades, which once pulled from their rests can be fidgety to secure and even more so to return to their place.
Another point of possible improvement is the satellite navigation system. Though it functioned admirably once set to a destination, finding that destination and avoiding routes no longer available due to construction or other alterations often required manual intervention and the assistance of an iPhone 3G. Finally, the all-aluminum construction, which turned out to be such a benefit to the performance and handling, may have something to do with the relatively high level of noise transmitted through the cabin.
Look past these inconveniences and you have a car that functionally equals the German class-leaders but does so with a style and panache they can’t approach. There’s surely a lot to be said for the technical excellence of precision engineering, but it doesn’t warm the heart or send shivers up the spine like the passion that drives the Jaguar XJ Super V8.
2008 Infiniti G35 Sedan
The G35 also has some of the best-designed and most comfortable bucket seats in its class. Anyone familiar with under-bolstered leather-upholstered performance cars - Mustang GT owners, for instance - know how slippery things can get during spirited driving. The G35 has none of those problems, and it manages to sidestep the main problem with aggressively-supportive sport seats, which can accommodate a range of body types. Everyone who sat in the front seats of our test car found them comfortable and supportive, from a stout 6’2†subject to a petite 5’7â€.Not everyone will find the balance between ride quality and handling pleasing, though it's certainly more compliant than the 350Z. Our test car is the sport-oriented manual-transmission G35 6MT version, and its low-profile tires and 18-inch alloy wheels can make for a choppy ride over broken or bumpy pavement. The noise level is also good for a car in this class, with the engine barely perceptible except under hard acceleration. When the sweet-sounding six-cylinder is pushed, it makes its presence known but does not become intrusive.Compared to its ostensible peers, the BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and the like, the G35 shows a different balance of sport and luxury. While the German offerings all favor the luxury end of the spectrum in their typical configurations, the G35S 6MT is slanted heavily toward the driver's end of things. The Teutonic stalwarts reserve the truly driver-oriented cars for their upscale and expensive AMG, M Division and RS brands at a heavy premium.Without a performance division to offer an even more impressive car, the G35S with the manual transmission is the high-performance variant. It provides what many buyers cross-shopping the segment would consider a harsh ride, and it doesn't quite rise to the materials or equipment standards either. But that's what makes the G35 such a brilliant performer, and such a polarizing choice. The balance it strikes isn't for everyone, but for those that find it to their liking, the rewards are huge.In the end, the G35 presents a solid ombination of affordable luxury, good power and excellent performance, with only its relative age and lack of the ‘new factor’ holding it back from the top of the class.2009 Lincoln MKS AWD
American sedans were once the yardstick of the industry. Capacious, stylish and powerful, they set the benchmark for what could be done on four wheels and a budget. But fifty years have passed since that was the case, and now German and Japanese cars are the standard against which all others are measured, or at least that was true until General Motors unveiled the all-new Cadillac CTS. That car’s build quality, balance and style have come to be widely regarded as on par with most cars in its class, despite significantly undercutting its rivals on price. Now Ford has stepped up with the all-new 2009 MKS sedan, and it’s clear that they’re swinging for the fences. Is the Lincoln MKS Ford’s CTS?Put simply, yes. It’s a good car in just about every measurable way, and falls short mostly in ways that are easily forgiven. Due to a minor scheduling snafu at Ford we got to spend nearly three weeks in the MKS, ensuring that foibles that might have seemed minor in our usual one-week stay would have plenty of time to come to light. For the most part, however, they didn’t.It’s worth noting here that I'm not an inveterate fan of American-made machinery; if anything I'm enamored of the precision engineering and excellent performance bargains of the Japanese. But the MKS does nearly everything as well as the in-class cars the Japanese have to offer and then some. It even takes the Germans on in their own territory and comes out even in many cases, and ahead in some. Those are strong words, but this is a strong car. For the $45,570 sticker price of our fully-loaded example, only the CTS can offer it any real competition. There are better cars, to be sure, but they’ll cost significantly more.And you’ll be using it at every opportunity. The non-branded THX-certified audio system in the MKS can take standard stereo fare and turn it into a genuine experience. Crisp, clear and clean, the tone and quality of the sound emitted by the multi-channel surround setup is impressive. The best feature of the very well-balanced stereo, however, is its ability to deliver solid bass, clear treble and a minimally murky mid-range all at levels that allow for comfortable conversation amongst all passengers.Once you’ve grown used to the voice commands, it’s easy to appreciate that they aren’t limited to the entertainment system. Everything from the climate control to the nav system can be controlled by a single button press and a series of guided voice commands. While it may take a few seconds longer to do by voice, it keeps both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road, and that ought to be worth a few seconds in anybody’s book. Interfacing with the touchscreen side of the navigation, information and climate control system is just as easy, however, thanks to a sensitive touch panel and a very high-resolution and easy-to-read screen.Overall, the MKS is a luxurious large mid-size sedan with more style and as much sport as most offerings in the category for the past decade, American or otherwise. It has its weak spots, but so does each of its primary competitors, and at the price of the MKS, forgiveness isn’t reserved for the rich
2008 Infiniti M45S
The FM platform, like the perennial Ward’s 10-Best-winning VQ engine, has been one of Nissan’s true hits. Supporting innumerable models from crossovers to sports coupes to sedans and more, the front-midship chassis has proven a winner in nearly every vehicle it touched. But it’s going on seven years old now, and that’s beginning to show through. The Infiniti M45 is the largest of the sedans based on the platform, and the Sport variant, badged with a red ‘S’, is the most driver-focused version of the M45, so it’d be reasonable to think this was the best car you could buy on the FM platform. But you’d be wrong.Styling and Exterior
The car’s exterior aesthetics aren’t all that impressive, though it is certainly not ugly. It’s beginning to look a bit dated in addition to its plainness, however. Despite the aging looks, the overall first impression the car makes is good, especially upon slipping inside, but whether it’s nearly-sixty-grand-good is another question. We’ll withhold judgment on the price, however, until we’ve dealt with the substantive issues.
Equipment and Features
The M45 has a range of fairly basic equipment that other cars should, but often don’t, have. The backup camera with the animated overlay that shows not just where the car is, but where it’s going to be based on steering input, is a tremendous aid. The simple navigation system that shares the same screen is itself really quite good, despite a display of only average resolution. It finds locations quickly, recalculating routes without a significant wait and generally doing what it’s supposed to without error - something that certainly can’t be said for some highly over-complicated offerings from the competition.
The quality of the leather is a standout element of the interior, and there are literally yards of it. The seats ensconced by this soft and attractive material are as comfortable as they are attractive, and thanks to the sport package, well-enough-bolstered for the aggressive driving the car is likely to see. With four people in each roomy seat and leg room to spare, the M45 is one of those cars with a space-bending effect - it seems bigger inside than out.
In contrast to the high-quality leather and carpets, the plastics are only decent - that carbon-fiber-like trim on the dash looks great for about 10 minutes, then you start to feel and hear its slick and hollow nature. The majority of the primary plastics - those the hands are intended to come into regular contact with - feel solid and robust, but like the high-tech trim, secondary areas could use an upgrade.
The functional elements of the interior also make a great first impression, but closer inspection reveals some cheap-feeling materials, and the large print on most of the too-smooth center console buttons also begins to look cheap after a while, though it’s surely easy to read.
One thing Nissan/Infiniti knows how to do as well as anyone except maybe Honda/Acura and the super-luxury brands is build a steering wheel that Just Feels Right. The weight, balance and motion all feel great in the hand, and though this car isn’t as connected as its 350Z or G35 FM-platform mates, it offers enough feel of what’s happening on the road to prevent that disconnected ‘floating’ sensation larger luxury sedans can be prone to.
The audio system is what you’d expect in a car of this stature, but it’s nothing extraordinary, which is an unfortunate realization to come to considering this is a Bose 5.1-channel surround sound system with a full 14 speakers. It doesn’t present the absorbing, lifelike sound you get from the MKS’s THX-certified (but unbranded) system or Acura’s fabulous DVD-Audio barrage, for example, but it does make full use of the built-in hard drive and MP3/WMA music capabilities. Whether that’s worth the advanced technology package’s $2,800 premium on top of the optional $3,350 standard technology package is a good question, but the majority of the advanced package’s value undoubtedly comes from its set of driving aids.
Advanced features like radar-adaptive cruise control and lane departure prevention system team up to nearly make for an autopilot system. Of course you still wouldn’t want to take a nap or read the morning news, but it could be a lifesaver for those unwilling to stop eating, shaving and texting while driving, and even more so for those around them.
Technical
The powerful 325hp/336lb-ft V8 engine makes freeway mergers, red-light take-offs and the odd country road a blast. It sounds throaty and powerful, too. The way the car takes off when the go-pedal is leveled makes me think it may well be somewhat underrated in terms of power. It feels significantly more powerful than the G35 or even the Mustang GT, for instance, even though those cars are rated within 20hp or so of the M45.
[INLINE1]Fuel economy, however, is not so great. Our week-long trek with the car through the wilds of suburbia revealed a consistent pattern: 12-15mpg in typical driving, with low 20s on the highway, for an average of about 16mpg. That’s about 22 cents per mile in fuel costs, or three times the cost of a 50mpg Prius - not that the Prius could ever lay claim to the comfort or style of the M45. It’s actually about average or better than a lot of the V6 luxury sedans we’ve tested lately, however, so the V8 offers a lot of good (low-end torque and pulling power) for no real downside. It is, however, somewhat below the 16/21mpg city/highway and 18mpg combined rating the EPA gives the car.
Part of the V8’s fuel economy issue could be linked to its archaic-for-the-segment five-speed automatic transmission. The unit’s gears are spaced fairly broadly, but at cruising speed the engine feels a bit more wound-up that you’d expect from a big V8, hinting that the final drive ratio is a compromise between in-town and highway driving. Six or more speeds might offer enough room to solve this problem, and could also smooth out around-town shifts, though they are really only noticeable under fairly brisk acceleration.
The five-speed slushbox also has a manual-shift feature, but like most of its contemporaries, the relatively low-tech unit is sluggish to respond and doesn’t feel connected enough to use it in place of a firm boot to the accelerator, which will accomplish the same thing.
On the road
Our car, outfitted with the sport suspension and large 19†alloys that compose the most important part of the ‘S’ sport package, provided impressive levels of grip and a beautiful ride - on very smooth surfaces. Newly rolled asphalt is the M45S’s nirvana-inducing wheelhouse. The firm suspension trades off a lot of ride quality when driving over a real-world mix of potholes, rumples and expansion joints. Moving to either dynamic or driver-adjustable suspension settings would be ideal, but would probably tack at least another several thousand dollars to the already high $57,865 sticker price.
It’s not that the car will jar your fillings from your teeth or aggravate an old back injury - it won’t. It will, however, make your passengers tell you to slow down, and that’s the last thing you want to hear in a car like this. In the end it’s too stiff for a pure luxury family sedan, and too large and soft for a true sports sedan - the G35 would drive loops around its big brother, despite sharing the excellent FM platform. The big wheels and low-profile tires probably exacerbate the ride issues, so reverting to some 18†wheels and more compliant sidewall heights might help, but in the end, it’s a compromise car that chooses sport over comfort, but lacks enough sport to win over the enthusiast.
The brakes offer a similar scenario - initially impressive, and they need to be given the car’s heft. Emergency stops are completed in a controlled and quick manner, with almost no wander or crabbing noticeable. Pushing the limits corner after corner can, however, get the big car’s brakes hot in a hurry, so keep back-road sessions short, throw in plenty of high-speed straightaways, or begin looking for upgraded hardware.
Final Verdict
At the end of the week with the Infiniti M45S, we were left feeling somewhat disappointed - for a car that delivered such a great first impression, read like a dream on paper, and promised to be all things to all people, it just ended up failing to follow through. Nearly sporty enough to justify its fairly harsh ride and nearly high-tech enough to justify its expensive options packages, the M45S falls short of the high benchmark set by the latest crop of large luxury sedans, and without a significant price advantage, it’s just not quite good enough to make our list of recommended cars in the segment.
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