UMD women focus on bringing 3rd NCAA puck banner home

As the lights dimmed inside the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, the beam of a bright spotlight focused on University of Minnesota-Duluth womenÂ’s hockey cocaptains Maria Rooth and Navada Russell. It followed them as they accepted a large rolled-up banner from athletic director Bob Corran and skated over to a pair of waiting cords, dangling from their berths in the rafters of the west end of the harborside arena.
They attached the banner to the cords and stood back as it was pulled aloft displaying the full message – “NCAA Champions, 2001-2002.”
As the banner was being raised, before the October 18 home opener to the 2002-03 season, it was impossible not to think back over the three brief years already inscribed in the UMD womenÂ’s hockey history. The time flashed by, and the accomplishments of this truly international program staggers the imagination.
Shannon Miller was hired as coach, coming from Calgary, where she had coached CanadaÂ’s WomenÂ’s Olympic team to its silver medal after being upset by the United States in 1998 at Nagano, Japan…She assembled a team of scattered backgrounds, which included some holdovers from UMDÂ’s club team, some apprehensive homestate recruits, a key pair of transfers, a couple of Canadians, and then she had to make a decision. A lot of Minnesota high school prospects were reluctant to choose a new program at UMD over some larger or more established programs. So Miller had to decide whether to fill out the roster with marginal players and accept a couple of losing seasons, orÂ…
Well, with Shannon Miller, there was no choice. Accepting mediocrity is not in her lifestyle. So she put her considerable international influence to work and went off to see what she could find. She found some very good players from Sweden and Finland, elite players who were eager to pursue an education in Northeastern Minnesota.
They fit together in perfect harmony. In UMDÂ’s first season, which also was the first season of WCHA WomenÂ’s hockey, the Bulldogs won that WCHA regular-season title. They also won the leagueÂ’s first playoff title, and went off to what was then considered the national tournament, conducted by the coaches association. UMD was beaten by eventual champion Minnesota in the semifinals.
In Year 2, the Bulldogs improved considerably, although Miller willingly gave up players to their home countries for various international competitions, even though it may have cost UMD just enough to leave them second to a very strong Minnesota team in the WCHA season. However, the ‘Dogs won the league playoff, then went all the way to win the first-ever NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament, which was held at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.
Last season, the Bulldogs finished second to Minnesota again, struggled to third in the WCHA playoffs, but then got everything aimed in the right direction just in time to win the second NCAA tournament title, at the University of New Hampshire.
An incredible run, with a league title, two league playoff titles, and championships in the only two NCAA Women’s Hockey Frozen Four Tournaments – so incredible that outdoing it seems impossible. So as the players on this season’s UMD team stood at attention along the blue line as the banner was raised to accompany its predecessor, the question persisted: How could UMD live up to the standards it has already achieved?
“This,” said coach Miller, “is the best team we’ve ever had.”
That might be fortuitous, because a couple of hours south on Interstate-35, the University of Minnesota has assembled a powerhouse, and the rest of the WCHA seems to be improved at every station. Plus, the relentless rise in quality of womenÂ’s hockey everywhere means the competition has increased dramatically every season. But an extra incentive for UMD this year is that the third NCAA WomenÂ’s Hockey Frozen Four will be held at the DECC, that harborside facility in Duluth, at the tip of Lake Superior, where two NCAA championship banners hang from the rafters.
“We’d like to be the first team to host the NCAA Frozen Four, and also play in it,” Miller said.
She left off “winning it,” but with Miller, that’s generally understood.
The Bulldogs have added some exceptional recruits, and got one keepsake – Jenny Potter – back in uniform, which creates an intriguing USA-Canada alliance with Potter skating with Caroline Ouellette from Team Canada. Altogether, six nations are represented on the UMD team. Intrasquad scrimmages could be called the mini-Olympics.
Last year, the primary reason for UMD to be unable to win the WCHA league title the past two seasons was the frequent departures of its multinational players. Jenny Schmidgall, the teamÂ’s offensive catalyst and the nationÂ’s top scorer in UMDÂ’s first season, took a break from school, had a baby daughter and married boyfriend Rob Potter, and made a remarkable comeback to play for Team USA in the 2001 World Tournament and at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. She was joined in Salt Lake City by UMD teammates Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, the top players on SwedenÂ’s bronze-medal team; goalie Tuula Puputti and Hanne Sikio on FinlandÂ’s team; and Kristina Petrovskaia, who played for Russia.
All came home to roost. All but Shmiggy – now Jenny Potter – didn’t have to spend the full season with their national teams, and returned to school in time for the league and national playoffs.
Coach Miller had watched the Olympics closely, and noted the wild, wide-open attack used by Sweden in the men’s competition. The so-called “Torpedo” style of sending four attackers on offense and holding only one defenseman back stunned powerful Canada 6-2 in opening-round play. Unbeaten Sweden was upset by a hot goaltender from Belarus in the semifinals, but back in Duluth, Shannon Miller decided to throw away the highly successful offensive system the Bulldogs had used, and installed the Torpedo.
“I had to design probably 50 drills to make it work for our program,” said Miller. “I told them I didn’t know if it would be possible to get it in three weeks, and they had to realize it could cost us some games while we were getting ready. The big thing last year was that the players really, really liked it.”
It was ragged in its first two weekends – which happened to be the last weekend of the regular season and the WCHA playoff weekend, where Wisconsin beat UMD and finished as runner-up to Minnesota. But the system clicked much better the following week, when the Bulldogs went off to the NCAA tournament and beat Brown in a rugged championship game to bring home the big trophy again. Every goal UMD scored in the tournament was either the direct or indirect result of opportunities from that fourth-attacker offensive pressure. An interesting note was that when Tuula Puputti returned from tending Finland’s goal at the Olympics, where opposing coaches called her the best goaltender in the world, she couldn’t get her regular job back. Patricia Sautter, a junior from Switzerland, tended goal through both NCAA tournament games and was outstanding.
Now itÂ’s a new season, and the Bulldogs opened up by living up to MillerÂ’s bold pronouncement. They whipped Minnesota State-Mankato 12-1 and 6-1 on opening weekend, under the new banner in the DECC. Returnees like Holst, Rooth, Sikio, Joanne Eustace, Tricia Guest, Jenny Hempel, Russell, Julianne Vasichek, Satu Kiipeli and goaltender Sautter were outstanding, as usual. Especially Holst, who scored four goals in the first game.
But of captivating interest was the return of Potter, who was paired up with newcomer Caroline Ouellette, from Montreal. Ouellette, a star on the Canadian Olympic team that beat PotterÂ’s USA outfit in the gold medal game at Salt Lake City. The two of them played together like a hand in a glove, throwing passes around and creating numerous scoring opportunities. Together they scored six goals and assisted on seven for the series, led by Ouellette, a rangy 5-foot-11 winger who scored two goals and four assists in her first game in a UMD uniform.
In addition, freshman winger Amelia Hradsky played impressively, and freshman defenseman Krista McArthur from Alliston, Ontario, made an immediate impact on defense. In fact, McArthur seemed to enjoy the freedom to attack from defense, scoring two goals in the opening game. The Bulldogs launched over 60 shots both nights.
“It’s nice to have Jenny Potter on the ice because she sets a great pace in practice,” said Miller. “Caroline Ouellette is a big, strong player, and as good as she is, she’s very humble. Krista McArthur is a solid defenseman from the Canadian national program, and Amelia Hradsky, a true freshman from Calgary, has been playing hockey only one year, but she’s played a lot of ringette. Our other new player is freshman goaltender Lisa Hagen, who played guys hockey in Detroit Lakes.”
With the lure of international competition continuing every year, and Miller a strong advocate of letting players go to experience that level, something had to give. “I don’t mind if the younger players go, but with so many on this team, we can’t afford to let everybody go in the middle of our season,” she said.
Potter, Rooth and Holst – all veterans of their respective teams – have informed their national coaches that they would not participate this year in the Four Nations Cup, staying with the Bulldogs instead. That’s bad news for UMD’s opponents, and good news for the UMD team, its fans, and coach Miller, who, it appears, was not overstating her case when she called this the best team in UMD’s brief, and glowing, history.

Gophers reload to defend 1st NCAA puck title in 23 years

Summertime came late in Minnesota, and it went away early. Meteorologists might blame Global Warming, while those associated with the University of Minnesota hockey team had an added factor – winning the NCAA hockey championship. Nobody minded playing the last college hockey game of last season, on April 6, 2002, but the euphoria that followed the championship also made the summer seem to flash past.
Now itÂ’s time to go back to work, facing the extra challenge of defending that national championship, while striving for new ones this season, at the WCHA and NCAA levels. And this Gopher team appears ready and willing to face those tasks.
Coach Don Lucia kept his perspective, and sent the message to his new team right from the start of summertime off-ice workouts.
“It’s really kind of been like any other summer,” said Lucia. “You chase your children around, recruit, and get ready for the next season.”
His players found it a little different, however.
“The biggest thing about winning the title is that you’ll remember it forever, and you can look back on it when you’re 60 years old,” said Matt Koalska, a junior center who scored the last-minute goal against Maine to send the championship game into overtime. “But now we’re back to normal. It stayed in the back of our heads while we were working out all summer, but then it was like, we won it, it’s over, so let’s get the season going again.”
Junior defenseman Paul Martin said: “Summer went by fast. Every time I see a picture, or a highlight, I can watch it over and over and it still sends chills running up and down my back. But it’s already in the back of our minds. It’s in the past, it’s over. Maybe in five or 10 years we can sit back and think about it some more.”
But for now, thereÂ’s work at hand. The major task for Lucia is to replace the likes of Hobey Baker winner Jordan Leopold, national scoring champion and All-America Johnny Pohl, goaltender Adam Hauser, defenseman Nick Angell and forwards Erik Wendell and Pat OÂ’Leary. Those were seniors on the championship team. Jeff Taffe, a junior center who scored 34 goals last season, left to sign with the Phoenix Coyotes.
“We have a ton of question marks,” said Lucia. “We have a lot of good players back, but when we looked in our locker room for our first meeting, those seniors were gone. Who is going to step up and fill some of those roles? We hated to lose Jeff Taffe, but you can’t blame a guy for leaving for a million dollars. In goal, we were able to give both Travis Weber and Justin Johnson some games as freshmen last year, and we know both are capable.
“The beauty of college hockey is that when good players leave, other players move up and produce more when they have a bigger role on the team. We may not have a 30-goal scorer this year, but I think we’ll have a lot of guys who can score 12 to 15 goals. You never know who will step up, but losing players like Pohl, Taffe and Leopold opens the window for guys like Troy Riddle, Matt Koalska and Paul Martin. Jordan and Johnny were special leaders, among the best I’ve been around in 20 years. It remains to be seen if the new captains can step up, check their egos and do the same kind of job.”
.”I think Paul Martin not only has a chance to be a great defenseman in our league but also nationwide,” Lucia added. “He’s one of the special ones.”
Martin, a smooth and technically brilliant passer, is looking forward to the increased role, and the challenge of leadership. “Last year’s success started with our seniors and captains,” said Martin. “Good teamwork depends on how the freshmen are accepted and brought into the unity. Last year, the captains and seniors did that and created a positive atmosphere. Leo, Johnny and Jeff had such great seasons, I don’t think anyone can replace them by himself. Hopefully, all the guys will chip in. Jordan was our main guy back there on defense and he left some pretty big skates to fill.”
The season opened for Minnesota at its “second home,” in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, site of last year’s NCAA tournament. The Gophers put Lucia’s concept to work with a 7-2 victory over Ohio State, getting goals from seven different scorers. While returning stalwarts Koalska, Dan Welch, Troy Riddle and Keith Ballard scored, three Gopher freshmen notched their first goals as well. Thomas Vanek made it 1-0 in the first period, and Tyler Hirsch and Gino Guyer also scored.
But the Gophers learned that things wonÂ’t all come easily this season either, as new captain Grant Potulny slid into the boards and suffered a broken leg. Potulny, a junior from Grand Forks, N.D., who was the lone non-Minnesotan on last yearÂ’s team and who scored the overtime game-winner to beat Maine 5-4 in last seasonÂ’s NCAA final, will be out indefinitely, and the loss of his leadership left alternate captains Martin and Nick Anthony to take over.
The Gophers went out to New Hampshire last following weekend and played a fast-paced 5-5 tie before losing 3-1 to the powerful Wildcats, another Frozen Four performer from last season. They journey to Houghton to face Michigan Tech in the WCHA season-opening series this weekend. Guyer, last yearÂ’s Minnesota Mr. Hockey award winner at Greenway of Coleraine, scored against Ohio State when his pass attempt to Dan Welch was blocked and he retrieved it and scored, then he added a highlight-film-quality goal at New Hampshire to get his college career properly launched.
“We’re young, with only two seniors in the lineup,” said Lucia. “Our freshman forwards look good. Thomas Vanek is a big kid, almost 210 pounds, and he has great skills. Gino Guyer will certainly be one of our top three centers, right from the start. And I think our defensive corps is very strong with our freshmen added in there, Chris Harrington, P.J. Atherton and Peter Kennedy. All three of them have stick skills and are good with the puck, and Atherton brings some toughness.”
Harrington is from St. Cloud, the son of John Harrington, the former UMD and U.S. Olympic star who went from being assistant coach at Denver and St. Cloud State to turning St. John’s into a viable Division III power as head coach. Atherton is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds from Edina. Kennedy is from Nova Scotia. Harrington and Atherton stepped into the first-game lineup, joining returning veterans Martin, Matt DeMarchi, Keith Ballard and Judd Stevens.
DeMarchi and center Nick Anthony are the only seniors in the lineup, along with juniors Potulny, Koalska, Martin, Riddle, Welch and Jon Waibel, and sophomores Barry Tallackson, Mike Erickson, Jake Fleming, Ballard, Stevens and goaltenders Weber and Johnson. That doesnÂ’t leave much room for rookies, but the skill level of freshmen Guyer and Vanek up front, and Harrington and Atherton back on defense gives the Gophers an overflowing treasure chest of talent.
Whether itÂ’s enough to challenge for supremacy in the WCHA, or NCAA, is dangling out in front of them like a carrot. Just like last year.

(John Gilbert has covered the WCHA from outposts in the Twin Cities and Duluth for most of four decades. He just completed a book, “Return to Gold Country,” on Minnesota’s 2001-02 NCAA championship year. He can be reached at his website jgilbert.duluth.com, by email at jgilbert@duluth.com, or by telephone at 218-525-4934.)

Lincoln Aviator impressive as Navigator “Mini Me” SUV

The Lincoln Navigator was a hit when it first was unveiled. A large, imposing sport-utility-vehicle hit, but a hit, nonetheless. In fact, the Navigator is simply too big for a lot of people who would otherwise be impressed by its looks and image. So, for 2003, shortly after introducing a new and vastly improved Navigator, Lincoln is also introducing a more compact showroom companion for it – the Lincoln Aviator.
Ford Motor Company might actually have only intended to do a cosmetic facelift on the Ford Expedition when it created the Navigator, but with its distinctive grille and unapologetic size, the classy Navigator immediately carved out something approaching icon status while also helping create the “luxury” SUV segment. The new Navigator is better in almost every way, with a lowered stance, better posture, radically improved suspension, steering and interior. But it’s still huge, and it costs up there around $50,000.
When I attended the introduction of the new Aviator in Hot Springs, Va., I thought at a glance that Lincoln had decided to set out a fleet of Navigators. Then I realized the assembled vehicles were strikingly similar from the front, but they were decidedly shorter when viewed from the side. When parked next to a Navigator, the Aviator truly is smaller in every dimension. Not small, by any means, but reduced in height, length and weight.
That first-glance was my second misconception of the Aviator. I had seen preview information on the Aviator, and I realized that it was a Lincoln version of the Mercury Mountaineer, which is MercuryÂ’s version of the extremely popular Ford Explorer. So my preconceived idea was that the Aviator would be a classier Mountaineer. Then I saw it and thought it was a Navigator.
In reality, it is somewhere between the two — a Mini-Me version of the Navigator.
The Aviator starts out on the chassis of the Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer, which was new for the 2002 model year, and features a patented porthole-design rear axle/frame layout, plus independent rear suspension, creating a lower stance and added interior space to house three rows of seats. After that, Lincoln made sure to move the Aviator upscale from every standpoint. Powering the Aviator is a high-tech revision of the 4.6-liter V8, which delivers 302 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque, and a towing capability of 7,300 pounds.
When I suggested that the Aviator might best be represented as “Mountaineer meets Navigator,” I was stopped by Jim Cain, Lincoln’s manager of product development for the Aviator launch.
“It’s more like ‘Whopper’ and ‘Whopper Jr.,’ “ said Cain.
His impromptu analogy works, because if the Navigator is a whopper, the Aviator is intended to be a whopper junior.
“Our market research showed that as impressed as people are with Navigator, a lot of people don’t need a vehicle that big,” said Cain. “People loved the idea of a smaller Navigator. Now they can come into the showroom and compare the two, and they’ll see that they can get the same genes as the Navigator, with less size and with more agility and sportiness in the Aviator.”
The base for the introduction of the Aviator was The Homestead, an enormous resort hotel in the tiny town of Hot Springs, Va. The new SUVs stood in stark contrast to the ageless and immaculately renovated old hotel, which was built in 1766, but the location had a more pragmatic purpose. It allowed automotive journalists to put the Aviator through some spirited driving maneuvers around the twisting roads of the Allegheny Mountain countryside nearby.
Lincoln officials project sales of about 35,000 Aviators in its introductory year in what is a rapidly expanding market segment called midsize-luxury SUVs. Top competition is envisioned as the BMW X5, Mercedes ML-500, Lexus RX300 and Acura MDX, although some of the fancier General Motors SUVs up to the Denali also are within the target market. While Aviator is priced between the upscale and larger Navigator in the luxury SUV bracket, and the more modest Mountaineer, those projections would fill a nice region for LincolnÂ’s marketing strategy. Navigator sales are anticipated to top 30,000 this year, and the Mountaineer is projected to sell between 40,000-50,000 for 2003.
Toby Arnold, advance product marketing manager for Lincoln, explained that the Aviator will come in Luxury and Premium versions, priced from $40,000 to $50,000. That means the top Aviator will overlap just slightly with the lowest-priced 4×2 version of the Navigator, while the least expensive 4×2 Aviator will still be slightly above the most-expensive Mountaineer. “But the Aviator has 60 more horsepower” than the Mountaineer, Arnold added.
In order to take on such luminaries as the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML500 and Lexus RX300, Lincoln had to have a distinctive vehicle. Ford Motor Company paid great attention to differentiating the Mountaineer styling from FordÂ’s Explorer, so Lincoln was not about to merely put a Navigator face on the Mountaineer for its new midsize luxury SUV.
“The only common body panels shared with the Mountaineer are the roof and the doors,” said Cain. “Among the differences, the 4.6-liter V8 with dual-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder is unique to Aviator; the suspension has been modified completely, front and rear, from greater use of aluminum, to larger bushings, different attachment points and new monotube dampers; a new ZF steering system is also unique to Aviator; and the interior is completely different.”
Driving back and forth on some twisting mountain roadways, the Aviator showed up well against the BMW X5, Mercedes ML500 and Acura MDX. It is subjective whether the Aviator beats the X5 in sportiness, or the ML in luxury or the MDX in utility, but by creating a vehicle that at least challenges all of those for their strongest asset makes the Aviator possibly the best compromise for buyers who like all those attributes.
Exterior styling follows the Navigator look from the trademark grille, surrounded by clear-lens quad headlights and lower foglights, integrated into the lower spoiler, all the way to the rear. The lower molding of the bumper and side sills is charcoal grey, which makes the vehicle look lower, which is appropriate, because it handles less like a typical, top-heavy body-on-frame truck-based SUV.
Just as striking in similarity to the Navigator is the interior of the Aviator, which features the harmonious blend of American walnut burl wood trim, premium leather, and the new satin-nickel finish that dominates the center dash stack and console of the Navigator. Also the same is the light-emitting diode instrument lighting for the symmetric gauges. The look is so impressive, I figured it would remain unique to Navigator, but instead, Lincoln intends to capitalize on that look to establish a “DNA” throughout the Lincoln line.
It would seem that the Aviator might be as big a threat to prospective Navigator buyers as to conquests from competitors. Lincoln officials donÂ’t foresee that.
“About 12-15 percent of luxury SUV buyers will come from people moving up from luxury sedans,” Cain said. “And once buyers move into the big-size SUVs, they usually don’t leave that size and status. We don’t expect to see much cannibalization of the Navigator by the Aviator. We think 10 percent of prospective Navigator buyers might go to Aviator, and maybe 5-10 percent of current Navigator owners might migrate down for their next purchase, but that’s about all. We don’t expect to see any fall-off in Navigator sales, mainly because the new Navigator is such an improved vehicle.”
Aviator also represents LincolnÂ’s attempt to attract younger buyers. Mike Crowley, Lincoln marketing manager, said that since the introduction of the Navigator and the Lincoln LS sedan, 70 percent of LS buyers and 60 percent of Navigator buyers were people who had never before bought a Lincoln vehicle.
Navigator buyers average 50 years of age, while LS buyers average 51, which is a significant difference from Town Car buyers, whose average age is 70. Lincoln is aiming the Aviator at age 45, with a more active lifestyle for sports and weekend activities. While 70 percent of Navigator buyers are male, Lincoln anticipates that will drop to 60 percent with the Aviator. Many women seem to like to drive large SUVs, and for those who do, they might well choose the Aviator as being plenty big but more manageable than the larger Navigator.
The engine began as the 4.6-liter modular V8, which has been used in everything from sedans to pickup trucks to Mustangs and SUVs. In the Aviator, that engine is redone of all aluminum, with the dual overhead-cam design, significantly increasing the power output and towing capacity. The 302 horsepower peak at 5,750 RPMs and the 300 foot-pounds of torque peaks at 3,250 but 90 percent of that maximum is available from 2,000 RPMs upward. The RPM red-line limit is 6,300, with electronic control against over-revving.
The transmission is a five-speed automatic with a high stall-speed torque converter. Two-wheel drive is available on base models, but all-wheel-drive is expected to account for 65-70 percent of Aviators. With all-wheel drive, FordÂ’s AdvanceTrac stability system allows the Aviator to move straight ahead even if only one tire has traction by helping correct potential oversteer or understeer skids.
The independent rear suspension makes it easy for the third seat to fold down flat into the floor. The second row can be purchased either as bucket seats with a console or a 40/20/40 split fold-down bench, depending on the choice of either six or seven occupants. The ZF Servotronic II rack-and-pinion steering complements the suspension to upgrade the steering precision. The Aviator corners smoothly and stays stable and flat even around twisty roads, while the steering provides excellent road-feel feedback. Four-wheel disc brakes with antilock and electronic brake-force features, and 17-inch wheels are standard.
Other features include dual-zone climate control, back-up warning beeper, six-way power front buckets on both sides, a premium audio system with in-dash CD and cassette players and secondary controls on the steering wheel, thicker glass to aid sound-deadening, and several Premium model items, such as high-intensity discharge headlights, power moonroof, and a DVD rear-seat entertainment system.
Safety elements start with accident-avoidance capabilities because of the enhanced agility and handling of the tightly coordinated steering and improved suspension systems, the lowered stance because of the rear-axle and suspension design, and the quick-responding steering system. In a crash, the dual-stage front airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and the Safety Canopy side-curtain airbag system aid survivability.
Ford claims “best in class” achievement in ground clearance at 8.9 inches, first-row shoulder room at 58.3 inches, legroom at 42.4 inches, and third-row headroom at 38.9 inches, and legroom at 34.8 inches, as well as for cargo capacity for load length behind the front seat of 78.1 inches, and cargo volume of 39.9 cubic feet behind the second seat, while the 7,100-pound towing capacity in all-wheel drive and 7,300 in 4×2 are also both best in class.
Fuel economy is estimated by the EPA at 13 miles per gallon city and 18 highway, with a 22.5-gallon fuel tank. That represents a large improvement over the Navigator. More concrete comparisons show that in size, the Navigator is 206 inches long and the Aviator 193.3 inches; the Navigator has a 118.8-inch wheelbase and the Aviator 113.7; the Navigator is 80.2 inches wide and the Aviator 76; the Navigator is 77.8 inches high and the Aviator 71.4; and the Navigator weighs a hefty 6,041 pounds compared to the AviatorÂ’s comparatively svelte 4,975.
Obviously, the Aviator is still plenty big enough, but represents a more reasonable size for a large segment of consumers who want their luxury with some maneuverability, too.

Mazda6 aims to capture sporty end of midsize market

Lean, sleek, quick and tight – the all-new Mazda6 puts all of those assets on the line as it stakes a claim as the sportiest entry in the hotly competitive midsize sedan market. When the 2003 Mazda6 hits showrooms in November, it not only will replace two of the numerals in the outgoing Mazda 626’s name, it also replaces two vehicles, both the 626 and the upscale Millenia.
“Back in 1996 and ’97, we probably didn’t have the cars we should have, so in 1998, we did some reflection,” said Jay Amestoy, vice president for public and government affairs for Mazda USA. “We’ve always been an engineering-driven company, and we decided our new vehicle strategy would be aimed at recapturing what we had done before, with cars like the Miata and the RX-7. The Mazda6 is the first car wholly developed under this concept.
“It is the best car we have ever built. It is a terrific sedan. A true sports sedan. We didn’t look at Toyota, Honda or Nissan for guidance; we looked back at our own history, and took it to a new level. I think we have met the objectives of a sports sedan, with the soul of a sports car.”
After turning introspective to examine its own legacy, the challenge of building a class-leading sports-sedan was formidable, but when the Mazda6 was introduced to automotive journalists in Santa Monica, Calif., where the opportunities to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway branch off on numerous twisting roads through the mountains, the first impression was that the car hits its target dead-center. There will not be a stripped-down base model, just two versions, one with an all-new 4-cylinder and the other with a modified V6, both of which come fairly loaded with equipment.
Performing smoothly on streets and freeways was easy, and the Mazda6 maintained exemplary handling around the twisty mountain roads that had been selected by chief chassis engineer Ruben Archilla, who lives nearby and normally drives his cars, and his Ducati motorcycle, around those roads for fun, and now had reason to do it for work, helping design the new suspension. “We assembled a large group of other brands of cars and drove them on roads that define the phrase ‘fun to drive,’ “ said Archilla. “The DNA of the Mazda6 was practically born on these roads, so that’s why we’re doing this event here. It’s like having people over to my house.”
While trying to outperform stalwart competitors such as the Accord, Camry, Altima, Jetta and the other top midsize, $20,000-range cars, Mazda engineers spent a lot of hard-driving time in upscale vehicles like the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 to set benchmarks beyond the competition. The final test proved the Mazda6s never lost their feel of poise or precision when hurled around a tight autocross course set up at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. We got to compare the Altima 4-cylinder and the 2003 Accord LX, neither of which were the top models, but because both versions of the Mazda6 have the same suspension, they were clearly superior in cornering stability. My only question was whether I might prefer the 4-cylinder version, with its slightly lighter nose, for its feel at the most extreme moments.
In recent years, a trend has developed of taking Japanese compact coupes and using aftermarket engine and suspension tricks to turn them into the current generationÂ’s hot-rods. The Mazda6 design is the best example of how a factory can build the kind of car that such a car that precludes the need for after-market modification, but still retain the graceful appeal of a family sedan. Front-wheel-drive engine, slick-shifting transaxle, innovative suspension with high-mounted front double-wishbone design, and an ergonomically impressive interior are all packaged inside a sensuous exterior design.
Akira Tamatani, lead designer of the Mazda6, also designed the timelessly beautiful Millenia a decade ago. “Some design essenses from the Millenia went into the new design theme,” he said, noting that input was brought in from all corners of the world. “There was a global strategy, because we are aiming the car at Japan and Europe as well as the United States. There are requirements for each market, and each had a design target. Our first challenge was to fit the proportions with the dynamic movement we envisioned. We analyzed the proportion ratios of the top European designs, then we revised our target. When we got the designs from the U.S., Japan and Europe, we put them together and saw where they deviated. Then we visualized and quantified them so that all could share in the final proportions of the program.”
The final proportions, Tamatani pointed out, include a smooth silhouette with clean shoulders, and special attention was paid to the side, front and rear quarters, and the three-dimensional angles. The Mazda6’s racy looks may well lead to some “sexy” marketing schemes. Among the signature catch-phrases at the introduction were: 6 appeal, 6 sells, the Joy of 6, the Best 6 you’ve ever had, and Safe 6. Only a few design compromises were made for engineering, such as body panel clearances down to 0.5 mm spacing to clear the unique but tall front suspension.
“We wanted an aggressive design, like a well-trained athlete,” Tamatani said. “We wanted the design to capture the moment a sprinter is ready to dash, reflecting the speed, tension and continuity, with a focus on dynamic balance.”
The Mazda6, however, will be a true global vehicle, with the same advanced engines, suspension and features no matter where it is built. Production begins Oct. 21 in Flat Rock, Mich., at the AutoAlliance joint-venture plant operated by Mazda and Ford, its chief shareholder, with the first cars reaching dealerships in mid-November. The car also will be built in Japan, Mexico and Spain for the rest of the world.
Both the V6, a reworked version of FordÂ’s global Duratec 3.0-liter, and an all-new Mazda-built 4-cylinder, have all the latest high-tech elements from aluminum casting, chain-driven dual-overhead camshafts, 4-valve cylinder heads, and variable valve-timing, to sporty transmissions whether manual or automatic. The V6 is built in Cleveland and found, among other vehicles, in the joint-venture Tribute/Escape compact SUVs, where it produces 200 horsepower. Mazda refinements increased the output to 220 horsepower at 6,300 RPMs, with the torque peaking at 192 foot-pounds at 5,000 RPMs, and broadened the torque band so that 90 percent of its maximum is available from 1,700-RPMs on up. The aluminum engine, with iron cylinder liners, has a 10.0 to 1 compression ratio, but still needs only 87 octane regular fuel. Fuel economy figures of 27 miles-per-gallon highway/20 city with the manual transmission and 27/19 with a new 5-speed automatic also qualifies it as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) by California standards and LEV by federal requirements.
The 2.3-liter 4-cylinder is entirely new and 1.5 million of them will be built at various sites around the world. Special Cosworth casting of the all-aluminum cylinder block, with high-tech valvetrain and balancing techniques assure a smooth-functioning engine with 160 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs, and 155 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 RPMs – 90 percent of which is attained from 1,750-6,000 revs. It, too, will have ULEV numbers for California, with 32 miles per gallon highway and 25 city with the 5-speed manual, and 29/23 with its 4-speed automatic.
Understandably smaller than the Millenia, the Mazda6 is also slightly shorter, wider and taller than the 626, but with greatly improved packaging, the fractionally reduced headroom and legroom isnÂ’t noticeable. That was a small concession, while remaining focused on becoming the sportiest sedan in its class. The performance definitely keeps pace with the styling, and the suspension keeps it all in place. The new tall front geometry holds the front wheels firmly in place through the wildest steering maneuvers and the latest refinement of MazdaÂ’s patented rear E-link set-up keeps the tail from wagging the dog.
Safety characteristics also were given thorough attention, with a “triple-H” construction surrounding the occupant compartment from the sides, floor and ceiling, interrelated to either absorb or disperse the force of frontal impacts around the perimeter, with similar protection designed against offset or side impacts. Front airbags are supplemented by side airbags and side curtains which reach from front to rear pillars, and the front bucket seats have an anti-whiplash design to drop back in response to any rear impact.
The Mazda6 “i” starts at $19,000 and comes with 4-wheel disc brakes, stainless steel dual exhaust silencers, 16-inch wheels, power windows, locks and mirrors, leather 3-spoke steering wheel and shift and brake knobs, switches for remote secondary audio and cruise-control on the steering wheel, remote keyless entry, projector headlights, and 60-40 fold-down rear seats with a remote control from outside at the trunk. The price could rise to over $23,000, still-reasonable, for the Mazda6 “s” with its Duratec V6, which has all the “i” features plus antilock brakes with emergency braking capability, traction control, climate control instead of manual switches, 5-spoke alloy wheels, 8-way power seats, and an antitheft perimeter alarm.
A premium package can upgrade the Mazda6 “i” features to the special wheels, and heated power seats, and both cars have such stand-alone options as a Bose audio system, leather seats, dual front side airbags and side curtain airbags, power glass moonroof, and the ABS and traction control. A sport package also is available on both cars, and includes 17-inch alloy wheels, an aero kit that features front, side and rear parts, as well as foglights integrated into the 4-bulb headlight unit, and Optitron instrumentation.
Either engine can be had either with a standard 5-speed manual transmission or an automatic. The V6 automatic is a 5-speed, while the 4-cylinderÂ’s automatic is a 4-speed unit, both with ActiveMatic, MazdaÂ’s clutchless-shifting automanual. That was one of only three complaints I could generate after spending most of two days in and around the Mazda6. The ActiveMatic is upshifted by pulling back and downshifted by pushing forward, which seems counter to my instincts. Turns out, the engineers from all around the world didnÂ’t agree either, but the majority ruled because the adopted pattern is the same as in formula race cars and shifter karts.
Another complaint is historical. A favorite Mazda 626 feature of mine for over 20 years was oscillating center dash air/heat vents, which moved back and forth in slow, rhythmic sweeps at the flip of a switch. I’ve been impressed with each new version of the 626, and I always wondered why other companies didn’t immediately – or ever – copy it. I thought the system improved the efficiency of airflow and I found the varying airflow actually was a tiny way to help ward off fatigue on a long trip, compared to being hit with a constant flow of hot or cold air. In the first few years after that feature came out, I often showed it off to my family and other interested people. One time, my younger son, Jeff, who was 5 years old at the time, climbed into the back seat with a friend, and explained to him that this car had “oscillating vents,” and made me turn them on. I’ve never forgotten that. Had to be the first time a 5-year-old ever used the word “oscillating” in a complete sentence, or at all. Now, 20-some years later, Jeff is a fully grown adult, and the new Mazda6 doesn’t have oscillating vents.
My first complaint is more a question about the name, “6.” I don’t challenge attaching it to the word Mazda, or accuse the company of being out of real words or discarded the computer-generated pleasing-syllable concept. But since the Mazda6 comes with either a 4-cylinder or V6, you could create a new Abbott and Costello bit, reminiscent of the legendary “Who’s on First” skit. ( “It’s a Mazda6,” Abbott might say. Costello asks why get the 6 instead of the 4, to which Abbott says it IS the 4, to which Costello says he thought he just said it was a Mazda6, and Abbott says it IS a Mazda6, but it’s a 4. My complaint is it’s the only imprecise thing about the car. So taken is Mazda with the numerical identification that it has patented all the numbers from Mazda1 through Mazda9. So it is likely the Protégé might become the Mazda3 (remember its genesis is the 323), and other Mazdas might be similarly renamed. Maybe we’ll get used to it.
“The Mazda6 is the biggest launch in Mazda history,” said launch manager Jim Sailer, noting the success of recent Mazdas such as the latest Protégé, the Tribute, the MPV van, the continuing popularity of the Miata, and the upcoming RX-8 sports car. “We thought the Tribute was a pretty big launch, but this will be two and a half times bigger than Tribute. A company’s high-volume vehicle is what creates the image for a whole brand, and the Mazda6 is it, for Mazda.”

Saturn ION may be long-awaited icon for GM’s aging rebel

The temptation is to say the all new Saturn ION can drive rings around the old one, but that wouldnÂ’t take much. Not that there was anything technically wrong with the old Saturn S, which was the familiar, 12-year-old sedan and coupe being replaced for 2003 by the Saturn ION.
When the first Saturn was introduced , it was the result of some eager rebels within General Motors, who wanted to prove they could build a car to compete with the best imports, and were given their own forum to try it. Trouble was, after introduction and considerable acclaim, the Saturn languished under a lack of refinement and updating. Maybe it was because of envy or resentment among GMÂ’s other divisions, or maybe corporate bean-counters decided that enough was spent on the introduction and the polymer panels. But for whatever reason, Saturn just sort of sat there, getting recycled each year as it evolved from a progressive new car into an outdated, 12-year-old progressive car.
Saturn has been an artistic success to some extent anyhow, with the recent addition of the Saturn L as an upscale cousin, and the VUE as a new sport-utility vehicle, plus total sales figures of 2.4 million vehicles while recently winning the top rank from J.D. Power in both sales satisfaction and customer service. But the brand depends on the S and the S needed replacement. So the ION sedan and Quad Coupe models are entirely new from the ground up, with the rear decklid the only shared exterior panel on the coupe and sedan, and virtually no carryover parts from the previous Saturn S.
The ION is impressive enough to fit into the 12-car list of finalists for International Car of the Year. Just announced in the past few days, the final candidates are the ION, the BMW 7-Series, Honda Accord, Civic Hybrid, Infiniti G35, Mazda 6, Mercedes E-Class, Mini Cooper, Nissan 350Z, Pontiac Vibe, Saab 9-3, and Toyota Matrix. Swift company, indeed, in what should be hotly contested competition for the next three months.
The ION is still built with a steel, one-piece space-frame covered with polymer exterior body panels, and they offer some distinct features, such as a center-mounted instrument cluster, and interchangeable roof-rail panels for the exterior and trim bezels for the interior. The Quad Coupe is a sleek 2-door named for the narrow, rear-hinged back doors that ease access to a surprisingly roomy rear seat. The 4-door ION comes in Sedan 1, Sedan 2 and Sedan 3 levels, are on the assembly line in Spring Hill, Tenn., and will reach showrooms by late October. Preliminary prices range from $11,995 for the Sedan 1 with 5-speed manual up to $16,395 for the Sedan 3 with automatic transmission. Prices remain undetermined for the Quad Coupe, which comes in Coupe 1 and Coupe 2 form, and will be available in February or March of 2003.
Both coupe and sedan ride on the same 103.2-inch wheelbase. The coupe is a half-inch longer than the ION sedan at 185 inches, as well as .7 inches wider at 67.9 inches, 1.4 inches lower at 56 inches, and 59 pounds heavier at 2,751 pounds.
The sedans have only faint resemblance to the previous S series, a glimmer of familiarity to the frontal area. A smoothly arching roofline traces the markedly different side silhouette, and a rakish rear is remindful of the 2002 Nissan Altima. The coupe has a slightly different grille style with slightly larger headlights and a hood that slopes to a lower nose, and a more stretched look from the side because of the “dual-RADs” – rear-access doors – which combine with the wide front doors to leave a pillarless side opening.
Inside, the center-instrument cluster is mounted atop the center dash, angled toward the driver, with a large center speedometer flanked by a tachometer on the right and the fuel and temperature gauges on the left. Center-mounting the cluster will lessen cost if the Saturn is also built in right-hand drive for export, but Steve Mertes of SaturnÂ’s marketing staff said it was done mainly for its unique styling in the ION. Moving the instruments to the center allows use of a comfortably thick but smaller-diameter steering wheel, which can be positioned for each driverÂ’s preference without affecting visibility of the instruments. Optimum road visibility is another virtue, because there is no cowling between the driverÂ’s eyes and the roadway, and the steeply raked hood is completely out of the line of sight.
“We’re very focused on how important we are to General Motors because of conquest sales,” said Jill Lajdziak, vice president in charge of the ION project Lajdziak said. “Statistically, 82 percent of Saturn S sales are conquests, and 74 percent of Saturn L sales are conquests. Our demographics also show that our S series buyers have had an average age of 44, and we anticipate driving that down to 39. We anticipate a 50-50 split between male and female buyers, and we also anticipate that 30 percent of ION buyers will be first-time new-car buyers.”
Personalizing the ION models is considered a key to the younger market. Different color roof-rail strips can be clipped onto the outer edges of the standard silver or dark gray roof to provide a choice of contrasting patterns: Leopard, Blue Bubble, Silver Braid, or Brushed Steel. More significant personalizing ideas can affect handling and steering, including the electric, variable-ratio power steering, which can be programmed to give a customized feel of steering wheel pressure.
ION is the first GM car built on the Delta small-car platform, which, Saturn officials say, has segment-leading structural stiffness. All ION models will be powered by the global corporate Ecotec engine, an in-line 2.2-liter 4-cylinder that produces 140 horsepower at 5,800 RPMs and 145 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400, with a redline of 6,500. The aluminum powerplant, which also is used in the VUE sport-utility vehicle and the larger Saturn L sedan, has dual-overhead camshafts and 16 valves, and is fitted with dual counter-balance shafts to aid SaturnÂ’s emphasis on eliminating vibrations in the ION.
The dual-overhead cams are chain-operated, eliminating the required maintenance of belt-driven systems. The engine also features coil-on-plug ignition, and delivers fuel-economy estimates of 26 city/33 highway for the manual transmission sedan and 24 city/32 highway for the automatic, while needing only 87 octane regular fuel. The Ecotec 4-cylinder is destined to appear in some other GM brands, but it was built with the environmentally sound lost-foam casting technique used since the first models by Saturn.
A Getrag 5-speed manual transmission is standard on both coupe and sedan. A 5-speed automatic is the only automatic available on the sedan, while the VTi continuously-variable transmission is the only available automatic on the coupe.
Saturn officials said that the ION sedan is aimed at the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda Protégé and Nissan Sentra as prime competition, while the ION Quad Coupe targets the Civic coupe, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. The Volkswagen Jetta was considered in a higher price category than the ION, but the Jetta was closely scrutinized as a target to establish baseline fit and finish, as well as ergonomics.
Chief engineer Michelle Smith said the variations in the three sedans and the two coupes are aimed at different customer preferences. For example, moving from Sedan 1 to Sedan 2 adds air-conditioning, power locks and a CD player with the audio system, and Sedan 3 has all the Sedan 2 upgrades plus keyless remote, power mirrors, cruise control, alloy wheels, and a combined CD and cassette player with the audio system. Coupe 1 is about the level of Sedan 2, while Coupe 2 goes beyond Sedan 3 to be the sportiest, best-handling of the lot, with firmer suspension parts and 17-inch wheels.
Improved body panel fasteners, thicker windshield glass, and hydraulic motor mounts help reduce vibration and improve sound deadening, and improved structural rigidity helps, too. Optional antilock brakes and traction control can help avoid collisions, and design features help prepare for unavoidable ones, with the space-frame designed to absorb impact force and redirect it around the perimeter of the passenger compartment. Energy-absorbing front and rear crumple zones and high-strength engine rails, which absorb the brunt of frontal impacts, are augmented by steel door beams. Dual-stage front seat airbags deploy to the first stage on most frontal impacts, while a Sensing Diagnostic Module instantly calculates whether the impact is severe enough to inflate the secondary stage as well, while also monitoring the need to deploy the side head-curtain airbag.
About the only thing lacking in the ION’s attraction for new and younger buyers may be a high-performance model for enthusiasts. But not for long, apparently. Bob Lutz, the aggressive new CEO of General Motors, let the word slip out that there just might be a “tuner coupe” version of the ION coming in the near future, with ground-effects, extra firm suspension, and a supercharged, 200-plus horsepower version of the Ecotec engine.
So much for the stodgy image.

• 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.
  
  For those who want to keep up with John Gilbert's view of sports, mainly hockey with a Minnesota slant, click on the following:
  
  Click here for sports
  
  

• Exhaust Notes:

  PADDLING
  More and more cars are offering steering-wheel paddles to allow drivers manual control over automatic or CVT transmissions. A good idea might be to standardize them. Most allow upshifting by pulling on the right-side paddle and downshifting with the left. But a recent road-test of the new Porsche Panamera, the paddles for the slick PDK direct-sequential gearbox were counter-intuitive -- both the right or left thumb paddles could upshift or downshift, but pushing on either one would upshift, and pulling back on either paddle downshifted. I enjoy using paddles, but I spent the full week trying not to downshift when I wanted to upshift. A little simple standardization would alleviate the problem.
  
  

  SPEAKING OF PADDLES
  The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has the best paddle system, and Infiniti has made the best mainstream copy of that system for the new Q50, and other sporty models. And why not? It's simply the best. In both, the paddles are long, slender magnesium strips, affixed to the steering column rather than the steering wheel. Pull on the right paddle and upshift, pull on the left and downshift. The beauty is that while needing to upshift in a tight curve might cause a driver to lose the steering wheel paddle for an instant, but having the paddles long, and fixed, means no matter how hard the steering wheel is cranked, reaching anywhere on the right puts the upshift paddle on your fingertips.
  
  

  TIRES MAKE CONTACT
  Even in snow-country, a few stubborn old-school drivers want to stick with rear-wheel drive, but the vast majority realize the clear superiority of front-wheel drive. Going to all-wheel drive, naturally, is the all-out best. But the majority of drivers facing icy roadways complain about traction for going, stopping and steering with all configurations. They overlook the simple but total influence of having the right tires can make. There are several companies that make good all-season or snow tires, but there are precious few that are exceptional. The Bridgestone Blizzak continues to be the best=known and most popular, but in places like Duluth, MN., where scaling 10-12 blocks of 20-30 degree hills is a daily challenge, my favorite is the Nokian WR. Made without compromising tread compound, the Nokians maintain their flexibility no matter how cold it gets, so they stick, even on icy streets, and can turn a skittish car into a winter-beater.