2005 Mustang takes us back to the future
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — Back in 1970, I made the most exciting new-car purchase of my life. As a young sportwriter and automotive columnist, I was covering motorsports that included road-racing, and I enjoyed the Trans-Am series so much that I tried out all the factory pony cars before choosing a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang.
Without question — and notwithstanding rhapsodies from classic-car zealots about the original 1964, or the macho 1968, or any of the Shelby Mustangs from 1967 through 1969 — the 1970 Boss 302 was the single car that defines FordÂ’s favorite icon since the Model T. It was sleek, handled with fabulous precision, made an absolute statement for uncompromising performance, and had a 300-horsepower V8 that enjoyed high-revving sprints so much that it fairly whistled as the revs built, applying the zest with which Parnelli Jones won the Trans-Am series to the streets.
It also was the most-refined of the first herd of Mustangs, from 1964-70. In 1971, Ford made the Mustang a foot longer, and lost — seemingly forever — the art of putting the Mustang atop U.S. car-buyersÂ’ must-have lists.
It was a thrill, after all the intervening years — and with that Â’70 still in my possession under modified 1969 Shelby bodywork — to climb inside the 2005 Mustang. This is the car that redefines the Mustang for Ford, 40 years after the first one. Chief designer Hau Thai Tang is too young to recall those first Mustangs, but he went back and sampled a lot of 1967 and Â’68 versions. Alas, he never found a 1970 Boss 302 to examine, or his task might have been made easier. But he did well.
The 2005 Mustang proves conclusively by how much Ford designers have missed the mark since 1970.
That is not to discredit the most recent Mustangs, on which Thai-Tang worked to guide the shape back toward the originals, because, after all, Mustang has survived where Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, Barracuda, Cougar, and Javelin all did not. But the new Mustang is what a modern, high-technology extension of the 1970 might have looked like. Had Hau Thai-Tang been in charge back then, this might have been the 1971 design, instead of wandering aimlessly between bigger, smaller, tiny, and finally back to pony car stature.
Company officials proclaim that if the F150 pickup is the heart of Ford Motor Company, Mustang is the soul. Last year, the redesigned F150 generated thousands of corporate-website hits for information, but this year, seven times as many people sought information on the Mustang. The same officials say that the new Five Hundred makes an intellectual statement for FordÂ’s future, while the Mustang is strictly aimed at emotion.
The long-hood/short rear deck Mustang started out as gamble and captured U.S. buyers as an emotional entity, but also an economical one. It may have strayed since 1970, but over 8 million of them have been sold in 40 years.
The new car will be built in Flat Rock, Mich., on an all-new, purpose-built platform, with taut bodywork that is 4.8-inches longer overall stretched over a wheelbase that is 6 inches longer than the 2004 Mustang. Five of those six inches are up front, allowing more room inside, and an improved weight distribution by reducing the amount over the front axle from 57 to 54 percent.
“It may be emotional more than intellectual,†said Thai-Tang, “but there are some smart ideas in the new Mustang.Ââ€
Among those are modern frame-building, which makes the new car 35 percent stiffer in both torsional and bending rigidity. And the interior gives more than torture-chamber room to the still-tight rear seat while adding to front room, where the driver has a modern metallic flair with controls and instruments that recall the early Mustangs, as do external features.
We can forgive younger auto-writers who didnÂ’t live through the first Mustang era. Some claim features copy the original, which would be the 1964, when, in fact, they most copy the refined 1970. That includes everything from taillight shape and three-bar look, to speedometer and tachometer digits, which are large, single numbers, almost identical even in font to the 1970.
Ford intends to sell nearly 50 percent of new Mustangs to female buyers, with about 70 percent of the total choosing the V6 base model rather than the GT model with its V8. The cars have vastly different personalities, but both fit into the corporate plan to keep the price down to real-world levels.
Dissipation of all pony car competition leaves the new Mustang to take on the likes of the Acura RSX, the Infiniti G35 coupe, and maybe even the M3-style BMW, or R32 Volkswagen GTI-upgrade. But all competitors will flinch while consumers celebrate the Mustang base price of $19,410, and the GT base of $24,995. Both versions have a five-speed automatic available, but the sticks heighten the sportiness.
Interestingly, the base car has a clean, open grille that made the 1967, Â’68 and Â’70 models so attractive, while the GT has large foglights mounted inside the grille, more reminiscent of the inside pair of smaller headlights on the 1969 model. With the headlights on both cars stylishly located behind plexiglass lenses, I prefer the look of the open grille.
What the Mustang does not have that would be good upgrades are a six-speed manual, and independent rear suspension. However, the live rear axle feels good, and the five-speed is adequate, but both were included in a concerted attempt to keep the price down. If including an independent rear and a six-speed meant vaulting above and beyond $25,000, I think Ford made the right decision.
Another national publication said the base engine is all new while the GT V8 is the same-old 4.6. In reality, the V6 is the 4.0-liter V6 that originated in FordÂ’s German Scorpio as a pushrod powerplant. Ford brought the engine in, revised it by beefing up the block and installing single overhead camshafts, and using it as the impressive engine in the Explorer and Ranger. Revised again, that SOHC 4.0 V6 is now installed in the Mustang, with 210 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque — substantially better than the 187/225 figures for the pushrod 3.8 it replaces. That means the V6 can be fun, especially for those choosing the five-speed manual shifter over the five-speed automatic.
The GT engine is, indeed, the 4.6-liter V8 introduced in 1996, but while the displacement remains unchanged the engine is made entirely out of aluminum, with three-valve cylinder heads sprouting two intake valves and one exhaust. That design allows the sparkplug placement to remain centered, and single-overhead cams on each bank can dictate variable valve timing equalized on both intake and exhaust sides. Along with being 75 pounds lighter than the conventional 4.6, significantly increased power is complemented by 57 percent improvement in emissions, and can run on regular gas.
My biggest complaint about the Mustang is that while being careful to blend retro with progressive inside, the gauges have bright silver rings around them. I found that distracting because the silver translated every bit of light to glare, attracting my peripheral vision, and even making it difficult to see the two tiny gauges located between the larger speedometer and tach.
What goes into the car is only important in the context of how it all is coordinated, and the 2005 Mustang GT feels totally together. I was able to drive it, hard, around the twisting mountain road switchbacks above Santa Monica, and by luck, my passenger was none other than chief engineer Hau Thai Tang. The Mustang snaked around corners and held its line flawlessly, indicating that the even the specific-built Pirelli tires on 17-inch alloy wheels complement the suspension and the carÂ’s refined balance.
For those interested in impressing others, driving the Mustang in California meant some interesting reactions. It was easy lip-reading to note that numerous pedestrians and drivers at intersections would say, “Oh, thereÂ’s the new Mustang!Ââ€
One journalist had an unfortunate incident where he claimed a car ran a stop sign from his left, and he smacked it broadside when he started up. We came upon them moments later, as the woman talked on her cellphone in the passenger seat and two young boys stood next to her. I went across the street to shoot a picture of the bright yellow Mustang, and suddenly I was aware of a young boy standing next to me.
“That new Mustang is really neat,†he said. “How fast will it go?Ââ€
Turns out, it was the kid from the car that was hit, who was, in effect, praising the car that had just broadsided his car.
Later, in semi-rush-hour traffic by the ocean, a long-haired young man was weaving through traffic in a bright blue Volkswagen R-32, the high-performance upgrade from the GTI. We stopped next to him at the next intersection, and he said: “ThatÂ’s the new Mustang, eh?Ââ€
I said yes, it was.
“Effen rad!†he said.
I donÂ’t speak California, but judging by the radical nature of his car, I figured he ought to know rad when he saw it.
(John Gilbert writes weekly car reviews, and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
New-generation Mercedes E-Class leaves no gap
ST. HELENA, CALIF. — The 2007 Mercedes E-Class is the most refined midsize sedan ever produced by Mercedes, but at first glance, the styling gap is almost imperceptible between the new seventh-generation model and the current 2006 E-Class. That prompts the question: Can there be a new-generation car if there is no generation gap? Or is that the automotive equivalent of the rhetorical question: If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, does it really make a sound?
The sound, or more accurately the lack of sound, is one of the impressive features of the new E-Class, which has enough significant improvements to justify Mercedes giving it its own generation, and also to summon a couple of waves of automotive journalists to the Napa Valley area, 100 miles north of Sacramento, to examine and drive it – even while acknowledging that the outside underwent more of a mid-cycle refresh than a redesign.
It didn’t take more than one step on the gas to appreciate the tremendous power and the firmer handling of the new E550, but for style, the existing 2006 E-Class certainly won’t look out of date next to the 2007. The new car’s grille is slightly taller, leans back at a steeper angle, and wears a new small Mercedes emblem just ahead of the traditional Mercedes star hood ornament. Below the grille is a pointier front bumper – the easiest way to differentiate the two. If the bumper comes to a distinct point at its leading edge, it’s the new car. Taillight lenses have a smoother lens, which is interesting, because the current style’s grooves were designed to force airflow and rainwater to clean off the taillights. New side mirrors have an air-channeling design to help blow the side windows clear of rain.
The first E-Class sedan was built in 1953, and it evolved into the company’s “bread and butter†car over 53 years, particularly in the last dozen, when it usually outsold the more compact C-Class and the larger S-Class. The new E reflects Mercedes’ continued attempt to divide and conquer with the usual Luxury model to satisfy the discriminating taste of the car’s traditional minions, and adding a Sport, which will attempt to swipe some performance/luxury customers from the likes of the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6, Acura RL or TL, Infiniti M, Lexus GS450h, or Cadillac STS.
Bernhard Glaser, general manager of product management, said the two-pronged approach with Sport and Luxury models worked with the C-Class, and led to the same strategy with the E-Class. He noted that traditional buyers will find all they expect, plus some added dynamic function, with the Luxury model, while the Sport model seeks to lure performance buyers who donÂ’t mind a firmer suspension in exchange for more precise handling. In reality, both cars do their best to close even that gap. The Luxury model rides a bit softer but still handles very well on its new suspension, while the Sport model – available on either the E350 V6 models or the E550 V8 models — handles with a flatter attitude on its firmer air-suspension, without ever approaching harshness, despite riding 1.5 inches lower and on 18-inch alloys compared to the LuxuryÂ’s 17s.
Both models benefit from the new suspension, with asymmetric control arms enhancing lateral support, and a new steering system, which is 10-percent more direct in responding. Inside, the Sport gets white gauges, and two unique interior packages – black bird’s-eye maple trim instead of the Luxury model’s rich burled walnut. The Sport also has specific interior trim, either black with Sahara beige leather seats, or black with cognac brown leather. The Sport windows have a bluish tint, to differentiate from the neutral green of the Luxury.
Remarkably, the Sport model costs no more than the Luxury. In either form, the base price of the E350 is $50,550, while the E550 will start at $59,000 when it hits the showrooms in September.
The new V8 engine is the latest gem from Mercedes, which had gone to a smooth and efficient three-valve engine system for its V6 and V8 over the past decade, using two intake valves and one exhaust on each cylinder, operated by a cost-effective single overhead camshaft on each bank. Last year Mercedes changed to four-valve heads with dual overhead cams on the V6, and its increase in power and fuel-efficiency moved close enough to the V8Â’s performance to be a wise alternative.
This year, Mercedes has applied the four-valve, DOHC concept to the 5.5-liter V8 as well, and it makes a particularly notable difference in the E550. The new V8 has 382 horsepower – an increase of 80 horsepower (26 percent) — and 391 foot-pounds of torque – an increase of 52 (15 percent). No less than 100 percent of that torque is available from 2,800-4,800 RPMs, and 75 percent of the torque can be summoned at 1,000 RPMs, barely above idle. With the slick seven-speed Mercedes automatic transmission and its manual-selection capability, the E550 meets or exceeds every expectation for power.
That E350 V6 now has 268 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque – more than adequate, and the E350’s 0-60 times of 6.5 seconds are not that far off the E550’s 5.4-second clocking.
This fall we can look forward to the same car becoming available as an E320, with a 3.0-liter Bluetec turbo-diesel, generating 208 horsepower and a startling 388 foot-pounds of torque, with 0-60 times at 6.6 seconds. That patented Bluetec diesel will thrive on our newly cleaned low-sulfur diesel fuel being put in place between now and October, and could be a third prong for Mercedes. While we’re at it, we must also point out a fourth as well, because for the first time, the in-house AMG performance branch of Mercedes got a chance to build an engine from a blank sheet, rather than merely modifying a production engine. The result is the limited-production E63, extracting 507 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque from 6.3 liters, and Porsche/Ferrari/Corvette Z-06–like acceleration of 4.3 seconds.
It only took us one stop to marvel at how quiet the muscular 5.5 V8 runs. I had driven just over an hour through the scenic, curving roadways in the Northern California mountain range when we arrived at a restaurant parking lot for a prescribed rest stop and driver change. The car has the keyless operation system, whereby if you have the key in your pocket, the car unlocks itself as you approach, and you can start it by push-button, on top of the gearshift lever, which makes me nervous. As I pushed down on the gearshiftÂ’s handgrip button to shut off the engine, I mentioned to my codriver that it was neat, but it bothered me. On many cars, a very similar button must be pressed to shift out of park; in this car, that move kills the engine.
To demonstrate, I pushed the button down three or four times in a row, at five-second intervals, alternately starting and shutting down the 5.5-liter V8. As we climbed out, my codriver asked if the car was still running. “No,†I said, “that’s just the fan, cooling down the engine.†He nodded and said “OK, I just wasn’t sure.†Thermostatic fans run on sometimes, after hard driving, and we could hear the soft hum as we walked around to the rear of the car, nodding to three Mercedes officials positioned there.
Inside, we had some coffee and munched on snacks, and in 15 minutes we were ready to resume our drive westward, through the redwood-lined mountains to the coast. We stopped casually to talk to the same three Mercedes folks still standing a few feet behind our car. Then we climbed inside the E550. Only then did I notice the, uh, fan seemed to be still purring along, so I pushed down on the gearshift knob button. Sure enough, it stopped. The engine had been running the whole time. It was so quiet-running that both of us drivers, as well as several Mercedes officials standing just starboard of our tailpipes, didnÂ’t notice that the engine was running.
Those keyless operation deals, where if you have the key, you don’t need to use it, either to unlock the doors or to start the car, concern me for other reasons. I always envision driving to the airport, jumping out to catch a plane, while turning the idling car over to my wife or son. While they’re driving home, I notice the key is still in my pocket – at 40,000 feet above Denver. I like the feature of the door automatically unlocking as you approach, but if you need to have the key to start the car, I think not needing to put it into the ignition switch is like designing a neat cure for which there is no known disease. Embarrassing or not, inadvertently leaving the car running during lunch verifies my concern.
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When we were certain the E550 was running intentionally, we fairly flew up the mountain roads, around the tightest switchbacks, through the giant redwoods, and along the fabulous Pacific Coast vista of California 1, which winds up the Pacific coastline all the way past Mendocino. We switched out of the E550 Sport to the E350 Sport for the afternoon driving assignments, and we were in for another surprise.
The power of the E550 V8 was awe-inspiring, but in spirited driving, if you go hard into a tight curve and hit the gas, the beast wants to show off its power by jumping ahead with startling suddenness. Impressive as that power is, you have to be focused on doing some steering correcting as you fly around tight curves.
For real-world consumers, doing real-world driving, the E350 in some ways was more precise, felt more agile, and seemed to harmonize even better with the quick-steering and handling balance. You could hammer it hard through the same tight curves and it tracks smoothly and predictably. After a few such curves, I could throw the E350 Sport into a turn knowing it would track precisely without steering correction, without concern that a heavy foot might cause the car to zoom ahead harder than you wanted.
From the driverÂ’s seat, the trip computer registered another key difference. Driving to excess in the E550 showed an impressive 19.8 miles per gallon, highway and curves, although it certainly would get better on a normal commute. The E350 indicated 26 mpg, also when driven hard, and also with an anticipated improvement in moderate, everyday driving. That closes the inter-model gap further, and the Bluetec diesel will narrow it more, even if the AMG model stretches it a bit.
Driving through the redwoods of Northern California, we paused to marvel at the majestic and enormous old trees. It reminded me that a week earlier, my son, Jeff, and I had marveled at the size of some huge old Douglas Fir trees in Northern Washington State. I also was reminded of Jeff’s comment: “These things are so huge that I have the feeling if one of them fell over, there would be some noise – even if nobody was around.†Similarly, we must concede that the E-Class will thrive in a seventh-generation mode, even without much generation gap.
Mazdaspeed6 hurls turbo-AWD challenge at Evo IX
There are race cars, and there are normal production cars, and you neednÂ’t go beyond NASCAR to understand why the twain, as they say, shall never meet. NASCAR race cars are virtual-reality, purpose-built vehicles with near-identical chassis, very similar nonproduction race engines, and phony bodies designed to only faintly resemble real cars. And while we were looking the other way, a few Japanese production cars resemble race cars far more than our race cars resemble production cars.
The most recent example is the 2006 Mazdaspeed6, a superb example of how taut, fit, and fun a car can be on the street.
The Mazdaspeed6 jumps wheels-first into the segment which has been a long-standing duel between the Lancer Evolution and Subaru WRX STi – a pair of rally-bred championship cars that set new standards as their production versions spent a decade continually escalating the standards.
As luck of the road-testing draw would have it, I ended calendar year 2005 with a pair these compact rockets on back-to-back weeks – the Mazdaspeed6 and the Mitsubishi Evolution IX MR. The Evolution, or “Evo†as the car has come to be known, is not all-new, just upgraded from previous models in an attempt to remain atop the competitive spiral of pocket rockets. The Mazdaspeed6, however, is all new. They were both enjoyable, even when their performance tires wanted to spin through the ice and snow along the shores of Lake Superior. Remember, both have a lot of power, but they ARE all-wheel-drive vehicles.
MAZDASPEED6
The Mazda6 remains one of my favorite cars, a sleek family midsize sedan with sporty overtones, meaning you can have your fun and family too. The standard Mazda6 comes with either a 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four cylinder or a 220-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. Mazdaspeed is the odd name Mazda gives to its corporate hot-rodders who wear their white smocks in the no-compromise back room, and the lads have done a proper number on this car.
Reinforcing cross-members have stiffened the bodyÂ’s twisting rigidity by 50 percent, and the 2.3-liter four has been tweaked, first with direct-injection fuel feed, and then with turbocharging, to boost horsepower to a whopping 274, with 280 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s a lot of power for a front-wheel-drive sedan, so Mazda inserts the all-wheel-drive unit it uses in Japan, which can transfer up to 50-percent of power to the rear whenever necessary. IÂ’ve read tests of 0-60 at right around 6 seconds, with a top speed electronically governed at 149 miles per hour. That ought to ease you through rush-hour congestion, eh?
Inside, you nestle into well-bolstered bucket seats with leather trim, and Mazda has modified the interior to be less gimmicky and more businesslike. Black gauges with clear numerals that light up red-orange at night, and drilled aluminum foot pedals add to the sporty effect. The gearshift is a six-speed manual, with limited slip standard as well, and the high-performance, low-profile tires ride on 18-inch alloy wheels, which further enhance the cornering stability, in concert with the stiffer frame and firmer shock settings.
Tastefully added molding flares accented the look of the medium-grey test car, which still had all the comforts of the normal Mazda6, such as climate control, power windows and keyless entry, plus heated bucket seats with eight-way power adjustment. There also is a keyless start feature, although the trend toward some of these is questionable at best. ItÂ’s handy, when youÂ’re carrying stuff, to unlock the door with keyless entry, and once you climb into the driverÂ’s seat, I guess itÂ’s neat to be able to twist the key fitting to start without putting the key in it. In other words, if youÂ’ve got the key in your pocket, you donÂ’t need to use it to start the car.
Needless to say, I jumped out at one point and my wife, Joan, drove off, and fortunately I realized I still had the key in time to call cell-phone to cell-phone and bring her back before she got somewhere and shut off the car, only to find it starting-impaired.
The best thing about Mazda6 models is that they are inexpensive to buy, considering all that you get. From a $20,000 normal Mazda6, the Mazdaspeed6 is still a bargain at $29,925. The only available options included on the test car were a trunk cargo net, wheel locks, a $700 power moonroof, and a $2,000 navigation system. The nav pops up from a trap-door that opens on the top edge of the dashboard, and you can tilt the screen various ways to avoid glare. That also means you can close the nav screen and the trap door if you’d rather not be bothered. The sticker price of the test car, so equipped, was $33,325 – still not a bad price for the latest sizzling performance sedan.
It runs, and it handles, in a way befitting a company that has cast its lot with the simply phrase: “zoom, zoom.Ââ€
LANCER EVOLUTION IX MR
MitsubishiÂ’s Lancer is its stalwart but still underrated compact sedan. It wasnÂ’t until Mitsubishi outfitted the Lancer to challenge SubaruÂ’s world rally championship cars that the EvolutionÂ…uhÂ…evolved. This is Evolution IX, and while there has been considerable conjecture about Evolution X, the IX will do for now, thank you. Lancers come in ES, OZ-Rally, and whatÂ’s called the Ralliart model, the latter being a sportier upgrade of the basic Lancer. But the Evolution stands above and beyond.
The turbocharged 2.0-liter, dual overhead cam four-cylinder delivers 286 horsepower, compared to 120 horses for the basic 2.0 single cam, or the 162-horse 2.4-liter option. A six-speed stick causes the Evo to want to leap forward at the touch of the gas in any gear.
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Equipped with its proven rigid suspension and limited-slip both front and rear on its all-wheel-drive platform, the Evolution MR is clearly equipped for heavier duty than normal traffic might offer. A lot of us may not be planning to enter any pro rallies in the near future, but rally competition uses real roads and is therefore a lot closer to real-world driving than NASCARÂ’s latest funny cars. Forged aluminum suspension bits, Brembo disc brakes, drilled aluminum pedals, and a large, screened-in hole in the hood, where hot air escapes in waves, are all tips that this is something racy.
However, all of those indications, including the molding strips, are unessential as tip-offs, because you know at a glance it means business by the enormous rear spoiler wing that rises on huge fiberglass struts up from the trunk lid. I thought the wing was a nuisance, because it slices a swath horizontally right across the middle of the rear window when you look through the mirror. But later I realized it could be beneficial as well.
We all must share the road with careless slugs whose headlights are poorly aimed high. And with drivers of aging trucks and station wagons whose rear load goes beyond the shocksÂ’ threshold of levelness. And with rude truck/SUV drivers who blatantly disobey the law by mounting enormously oversized tires and then aim their auxiliary lights higher than their high beams. All should be ticketed, but roam free, to blind oncoming cars as well as drivers ahead via their rear-view mirrors. In the Evo, I got so I could tip my head just a bit, and blot out those maddening ill-aimed lights with the spoiler.
The 17-inch forged BBS alloy wheels, also stylishly grey, set off the Apex Silver paint job. The car’s quickness is enhanced by standard weight-saving aluminum hood, roof panel and front fenders. Genuine Recaro bucket seats are also standard. The MR option package includes the silver shift knob – which, by the way, feels remarkably ice cold in December in the Upper Midwest – as well as a turbo-boost gauge kit that fits in a three-gauge package just below the center stack. The “Zero Lift Kit†includes the rear spoiler, front airdam, and other aero touches, but together those packages only cost $1,110. The price of the Evolution IX MR starts at a steep $35,189, so the price after transportation and options is $36,894.
Some of the stripped-down characteristics of the Lancer make weight-saving sense, but the lack of cruise control did not make sense. I mean, hereÂ’s a car with a rear wing that looks like it might allow you to go airborne, and which is certain to attract the attention of any law enforcement officer who sees it, and weÂ’re unable to restrict its tendency to zoom by cruise-controlling should be a necessity.
CONCLUSIONS
Maybe the Evolution IX MR price is not too much for a car that is a blast to drive – almost literally – and will still haul the kids. The Evolution is stunningly quick, but it also is a bit harsh in everyday driving, especially if you have to skip across weather-gouged pavement. That is a tendency it shares with the Subaru WRX STi, its long-time adversary on rallies and streets. But now there’s a new challenger on the street in the Mazdaspeed6.
Both these cars are spectacular to drive, with startling acceleration and race-bred cornering quickness and precision. The Evolution is built for uncompromising performance capabilities, and the key differences might be that the Evolution is more capable for rugged use, while the Mazdaspeed6 feels more refined. If I had to pick, IÂ’d guess that the lighter Evolution was a twitch quicker in acceleration, but the Mazdaspeed6 feels more civilized in all-purpose driving. With the Mazdaspeed6 priced about $3,500 less than the Evolution, the new kid on the block is a threat.
(John Gilbert writes weekly new vehicle reviews and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Ford’s midsize ideas come together by Fusion
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — Ford Motor CompanyÂ’s hunger to regain midsize car potential, its hopes to recapture the imagination of discerning United States car-buyers, its need to gain a few style points, and even its challenge to win on NASCAR race tracks for years to come – are fused together in the form of a new 2006 sedan, named, coincidentally, the Fusion.
The stylishly shaped Fusion is powered by a 221-horsepower V6, or a 160-horse 4-cylinder, in a taut package with firmly precise handling and steering. Priced right around $20,000, it has a number of high-tech features that will impress performance drivers and tree-huggers both. Not that you have to be a “tree-hugger†to appreciate 30 miles per gallon when gasoline prices are around $3 a gallon.
Coming a year after the larger Five Hundred elicited only yawns from a styling standpoint – obscuring what may well become a large sedan with slowly increasing market power – it was important for the Fusion to be an attention-getter. It is that, with a boldly chiseled front end highlighted by artistically sculpted headlight enclosures flanking three bright, horizontal bars of grillework. It is not unlike the Cadillac CTS/STS/XLR front, at a glance. The body is a forward-leaning wedge, with side contours tapering nicely to accent an active stance. All Fusions are front-wheel drive, although all-wheel drive is coming, as is a hybrid within the next couple of years.
“It’s been a while since we’ve competed in the midsize market,†said Phil Martens, vice president in charge of engineering for Ford. That statement seemed surprising, because Ford’s Taurus dominated the midsize segment for the decade following its 1985 introduction. But, sure enough, when first the Honda Accord, then the Toyota Camry came on strong and both bypassed the Taurus in sales a decade ago, Ford decided to enlarge the Taurus.
At the time, it seemed like a reasonable idea, because Ford was going to build the more-compact Contour as an Accord-Camry fighter. When the SUV craze spread to compact reaches, Ford found that global partner Mazda was well along in creating the Tribute, so Ford arranged to use that platform for its own new Escape, and by eliminating the Contour five years ago, it could build both the Escape and Tribute in that Missouri plant. So the Contour, which had sold quite well, was gone, and the Taurus had gone upstream. If Accord, Camry, Mazda6, Altima, Jetta, Legacy, and others swarmed in to sell over 2 million midsize cars, Ford had abandoned the segment by its own call.
The Fusion rose from that vacancy, fused – to use that word again – with the impressive 2003 auto show concept car called the 427, and the artistic and technical success of the Mazda6, which was introduced four years ago. Ford displayed the Fusion at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, and it resembled a compact 427 concept, plunked down onto the Mazda6 platform, which is revised and stiffened by Ford. The Fusion will be built at the Hermasillo, Mexico, plant, while the Taurus, squeezed by the Five Hundred above and the Fusion below, will in fact disappear as soon as a dwindling supply for fleets and rental agencies is used up.
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The Fusion was introduced to the automotive media at the end of August, so we could drive enthusiastically through the mountain curves and switchbacks above Santa Monica, and the car showed the potential FordÂ’s fairly gushing officials are proclaiming for it.
We had only the upgraded SE (starting at $18,550) and top SEL (starting at $22,360), both with the 3.0 V6 and the impressive 6-speed automatic transmission – the only one available with the V6. The basic S, which starts at $17,795, has the 2.3-liter four, on which you can get a 5-speed stick or 5-speed automatic, was not at the introduction, although Ford anticipates it will account for about half of Fusion sales.
The interior is straightforward and attractive in a way that might best be described as “German, before iDrive†gadgetry created a stir. Three can fit on the fold-down 60/40 rear seat, and on the top SEL, the well-appointed front can be ordered in leather or cloth, with either piano-black or wood-grain accents. Steering and suspension are so well-coordinated that you can plant the front outside tire inches from the edge of the road and trace a perfect arc around every curve.
That is a tribute to Ford’s managerial cleverness. Instead of imposing its vehicles on its affiliates, Ford helps companies like Mazda and Volvo create world-class vehicles on their own, then brings back their expertise to improve Ford vehicles. The 2005 Five Hundred and Freestyle, for example, ride on Volvo platforms. Now the Fusion – and the coming Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr companion cars – will ride on Mazda6 architecture.
“We tapped into our global partnership,†said Martens, giving at least oblique credit to Mazda’s engineers for the excellent platform and the high-tech suspension, which has short and long arms with coil-over-shocks in the front, multi-link independent rear, and stabilizer bars at both ends. Ford also stiffened the chassis by increasing torsional rigidity by 12.7 percent, and revised and strengthened the suspension components. That justified Ford’s plan to lengthen the wheelbase by more than 2 inches and widen the body by more than an inch.
In the real world, the Mazda6 is a worthy contender for the Accord or Camry, and is more sporty-fun to drive than either of them, although its interior room is tighter. By making the Fusion a bit bigger for occupants front and rear, and in the 15.8-cubic-foot trunk, the Mazda6Â’s assets are retained and expanded upon, and its few criticisms overcome.
Mazda created the 2.3-liter four as the Mazda6 base engine, and as an upgrade it uses Ford’s 3.0-liter V6, but not before adding variable-valve timing to make the Mazda6 peppier than any Ford product using that 3.0. Until now. The Fusion gets 160 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs and 150 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 revs from the same 2.3, which is so well-engineered it qualifies as a “PZEV†– partial zero emission vehicle. Ford went to school on Mazda’s engineers for its own 3.0, as well, with variable valve-timing extracting 221 horsepower at 6,250 RPMs and 205 foot-pounds of torque at 4,800.
About my only disappointment was that with the V6 you not only canÂ’t get a stick, you canÂ’t get any gate for manual control of the automatic. On mountain switchbacks, driving aggressively prompts a slight hesitation while it seeks the proper downshift, something an auto-manual could eliminate.
FordÂ’s market research had a hand in the Fusion too. Some interesting tidbits were that women either decide or influence the decision on 80 percent of all new vehicle purchases; that includes 55 percent of midsize car purchases; there are 75 million auto racing fans, and 71 percent of NASCAR fans surveyed said they make car purchases based on the impression of the car in NASCAR racing.
I find the production Fusion far better looking than the stock car racer. NASCAR race cars nowadays only hint at the exterior resemblance of production vehicles. The race cars are all front-engine/rear-drive with specially built pushrod racing V8s. You could interchange bodies and engines in a blind draw and it would no more describe a real-world advantage for Ford, Chevy or Dodge. The Fusion you drive to the race, with its overhead-cam, variably timed multi-valve engine, is more high-tech than the old-tech race engines. But if market research says racing will help sell cars, the Fusion will be there. With a number on the side.
Dodge recreates Charger as high-power 2006 icon
DURHAM, N.C. — The Dodge Charger is DaimlerChryslerÂ’s weapon of choice to challenge Ford and General Motors on the NASCAR stock car auto racing circuit. So when DaimlerChrysler assembled U.S. automotive journalists to drive the 2006 Dodge Charger at a race track near Raleigh-Durham, N.D., we assumed it would be at any of several nearby NASCAR ovals.
We should have known better. As wildly successful as NASCAR has become, loyal fans donÂ’t seem to care that the race cars are harnessed by such specific rules that all of them are virtually the same race underneath, with phony bodies, and the Taurus, Monte Carlo and Grand Prix race cars donÂ’t exist in the real world in V8, rear-drive form.
The Charger does have front-engine, rear-drive, and it does come with a V8 – a Hemi, if you will – so it’s more valid than most other stock cars on the circuit. But the Charger is definitely intended to keep DaimlerChrysler on a roll, in the real world as well as on the race tracks of the country, so the race track we drove off to was Virginia International Raceway, a slick road-racing course where we could push the new Charger to its limits, as well as our own.
We also got to drive the Charger Daytona R/T model, the highest of high-performance versions of the car. The Chargers we drove to the track and back, on some very interesting rural highways from North Carolina northward across the border and into Virginia, were both Hemi and V6 models.
DaimlerChrysler brought the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum boldly into the U.S. automotive scene a year ago, and celebrated sales success that surprised even the most optimistic executives when the 300 won the North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit International Auto Show in January. Even more surprising than the 300 beating out the thoroughly redesigned Mustang and Corvette for that award was that the Dodge Magnum, which split the Chrysler-aimed votes of the jury, finished a strong fourth.
At that same auto show, Dodge showed off the 2006 Charger for the first time. It was impressive, and also surprising, because it was a large, four-door sedan. The sleek and stylish Charger coupe was one of the mainstays of the muscle car era, reaching stardom not only on professional race tracks but in the hands of road-warrior drag-racers all over the country, and gaining an ultimate pinnacle as the star attraction of the Dukes of Hazard television show, where it shared top billing with a couple of guys best remembered as “Whatsisname†next to the “General Lee†red Charger with the number on the door.
After 27 years of hibernation, the Charger is back, and DaimlerChrysler claims its styling is distinctly coupe-like, even if the car is not a coupe, but a large, four-door sedan. Built at the same Brampton, Ontario, plant in Canada as the 300 and Magnum, the Charger is available now, and it is, as advertised, more than just a sleek four-door model of the chopped-wagon-only Magnum.
When first rumors hit, I expected the Charger to look like the Magnum up front. The Magnum shares platforms with the 300, but with the crosshair grille that has become DodgeÂ’s trademark. Instead, the Charger has a hawk-like beak up front, with an overhanging hood. Dodge officials say it is leaning into the wind, but it does have a sleek drag coefficient of 0.33 as well.
The silhouette does slope back on the roofline to a notched meeting with the body behind the passenger compartment, enhancing the muscular rear wheel-wells and then hurrying back to the sheer drop at the rear. Chrysler says the round quad taillights make a bow to the 1968 Chargers, but there is no question that the car is a modern-day leap with the historic name.
When DaimlerChrysler chairman Dieter Zetsche introduced the Charger in Detroit, he said: “There is nothing retro about this car. It is what might be designed if the Charger never left the market 28 years ago. The front end sneers at you, as only a Dodge can.
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Anyone who has driven the Magnum or 300 is aware that the chassis is a solid piece, and the suspension handles everything from rough roads to freeways (or race tracks) with precision and poise. And the power is both a bit retro and a lot modern. The Charger picks up on those attributes.
The Hemi – a modern version of the hemispherical-head V8 monsters from the 1960s – is a 5.7-liter engine that goes back to pushrods, rather than overhead camshafts. If that part is more retro than high-tech, much the way Chevy’s Corvette engine is, the Hemi moves toward up in technology with its Multi-Displacement System, which drops from eight cylinders to four whenever you’re in constant cruise mode, anywhere between 18 and 80 miles per hour, and don’t need all that power.
Step on the gas, and you’re right back to the full eight, seamlessly, and with no indication that anything has changed – except the speed by which the dotted center line on the highway is zipping past. The cylinder reduction can improve fuel economy by 20 percent, but most Charger buyers will be more interested in how much power they can exhibit.
The 5.7-liter V8 has 340 horsepower at 5,000 RPMs with a whopping 390 foot-pounds of torque peaking at 4,000 revs, and it can fling the Charger from 0-60 in a 6-second burst, whether you hand-shift the AutoStick five-speed automatic or just mash the gas pedal down with the shifter in “D.Ââ€
Another throwback to the late Â’60s Chargers is the R/T model, which adds specially tuned performance induction and exhaust systems that increase the power from 340 to 350 horses. The R/T also has performance brakes, dual exhaust pipes, an enhanced AutoStick for quicker shifts, wider 18-inch aluminum wheels with all-season Michelin touring tires, more firmly tuned suspension, and more bolstered bucket seats.
Even that isn’t the ultimate Charger, however. That will come within a month, when the Daytona R/T package, which comes with a stunning burnt-orange paint job called “Go Mango!†(get it? Go Mango!), or Top Banana, both of which have flat black graphic stripes, a rear spoiler, an advanced steering gear, more high-performance exhaust.
If THAT isnÂ’t sufficient, coming soon to a Dodge dealership near you, by late summer, will be the Charger SRT8, which enlarges the 5.7-liter Hemi to 6.1 liters, and has DodgeÂ’s Street Racing Team (SRT) wrench 425 horsepower out of it.
All fun and games, but more. The Charger can be obtained more oriented for real-world families, who will appreciate that the sleek coupe-like roofline leaves plenty of room for three adult-sized riders in the rear, and while their heads are actually under the rear glass, that backlight has heavily shaded lines at the top to prevent you from being broiled by the afternoon sun.
The Charger wonÂ’t come in the all-wheel drive version that graces the 300 or Magnum, with marketing folks determining the more high-performance aim of the car. It will, however, come loaded with the very impressive 3.5-liter V6 engine, which has plenty of power for normal usage. As a $23,995 base sedan, the SE comes with that V6 and antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, and 17-inch wheels.
Move up to the SXT, at a $25,995 base, and numerous upgrades in trim and features are included, such as leather steering wheel and shift-knob trim.
The R/T base price is $29,995, and adds the availability of the Hemi V8 and performance group seats and other features.
The Daytona model with all the flashy trim and performance tweaks starts at $32,495. And weÂ’ll just have to wait and see about the SRT8.
We found the Hemi V8 in the loaded R/T model swift and impressive on the way out to Virginia International, and the car was surprisingly good on the road-racing track. I say surprisingly, because there is never any doubt that youÂ’re in a heavy car, but the brakes harness all that power well, and the suspension swung through the tightest turns very well.
I had driven on that track before, and I must admit I got a little over-confident at one point, when I reestablished my favorite line around a tight downhill turn. When I took it the way I remembered best, it was exhilarating, because I came out of the turn with so much speed. But I carried so much speed that I went into the next hairpin right turn hot – too hot. WAY too hot. As I swung the big Charger through the turn, the thought flashed through my mind how embarrassing it was going to be when I had to explain how I slid off the track and into the grass.But it only flashed for an instant, and then the electronic stability control (ESP) provided an assist that was at least as thrilling as the previous turn, and I simply made the hairpin without more than a slight squeal from the tires.
Very impressive. You can drive the Charger hard, and harder, and even up to too hard, and, fortunately, the ESP is smarter than the driver when you overdo it.
Later, we drove back to Durham in an SXT model with the V6, and we found it possibly more surprising than the V8 versions. Yes, the Hemi models are impressive, but we pretty well anticipated they would be. We were not anticipating that the 3.5-liter V6 would be able to make the big Charger perform with adequate swiftness and performance.
Maybe the 1968 Charger could perform well in basic-engine form too, but I canÂ’t remember. But the new car will be a proper reincarnation of that old icon. Even without the General LeeÂ’s number on the door, and whatsisname behind the wheel.
(John Gilbert writes weekly reviews and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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