Mercedes R350 defies conventional categories
ItÂ’s time to submit North American Car of the Year ballots, and this year has been by far the most difficult year in the dozen years IÂ’ve been voting on the award for the top new cars and trucks in the auto-making world. The only thing more complicated might be for someone trying to decide what to buy.
For any car-buyer who has trouble making a decision, these are complex times. You might want a sedan, or a sporty sedan. You might want an SUV, but you don’t want one of those enormous truck-things. You might realize the flexibility of a minivan would be ideal, but you want nothing to do with the soccer-mom image minivans connote. You might want a roomy station wagon, but, good grief, station wagons have a stodgier image than minivans in the U.S. – never mind that they are the vehicle of choice for much of Europe and the rest of the car-buying world.
Mercedes, it turns out, has come up with the R-Class “sports tourer†for 2006 — a vehicle that is a breakthrough of sorts, because it comes pretty close to satisfying all of the above consumer preferences. And, because I didnÂ’t make it to the R-Class introduction, and my first chance to drive one was the week before Car of the Year voting was due, it made me review and make room among the top contenders on my list.
First of all, the test R350 is stunning to look at. It is long, although it turns out to be even longer than it looks. The statistic that I found most surprising is that it is 5 inches longer than a Cadillac Escalade. ThatÂ’s surprising because it has a sweeping, arching roofline that curves enough to eliminate the minivan or SUV image, while its arch stays high enough to avoid sedan comparisons, and it arches high enough to reach up and over the station-wagon concept.
The 4Matic four-wheel-drive system is new and different from the previous Mercedes sedan system, and it gives the R-Class all the traction of any SUV. It comes in two forms, the R350 and the R500. The test vehicle I drove was an R350, so weÂ’ll deal with that. As it turns out, thatÂ’s the way IÂ’d choose it anyway, because while the R500 has the potent Mercedes 5.0-liter V8, the R350 contains the newest Mercedes engine tricks. In the 3.5-liter V6, Mercedes has veered away from the three-valve-per-cylinder approach, which it found easiest to use to control emissions for the last decade on V6 and V8 engines, and goes to the more-potent four-valve technology, with dual overhead camshafts and aggressive variable valve timing.
The V6 has 268 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, with its peak torque lasting from 2,500 to 5,000 RPMs. That is not as much as the V8Â’s 302 horsepower, but itÂ’s close. Suffice it to say the new 3.5 V6 has strong acceleration and very satisfying power in all instances, and the new seven-speed automatic transmission used in both models extracts the power from that V6 smoothly and promptly enough to satisfy all normal driving duties.
The R350 base price is $48,775, while the R500 starts at $56,250 – another reason to like the V6.
So much is being done these days with automotive interiors that itÂ’s like opening a Christmas gift to find what awaits you upon opening the door. I was impressed at the restraint Mercedes showed. Instead of swoopy slashes of chrome and brightly colored panels, the R350 was quite austere, with black leather seats, a lot of black on the dashboard, and dark maple wood trim on the dash and console, offset by some discrete brushed silver trim. The whole thing was quite dark, and very classy. This is the kind of interior that looks good at first, and will look nothing but better as time passes.
The front buckets are 34 inches from the second row, which is 30 inches from the third row. The middle row slides six inches, meaning you can increase legroom from generous to as much as you need, middle or rear. The second row tilts and slides forward to allow easy access to the third row, and both the second and third rows fold flat into the floor for maximum hauling.
The front buckets have room between them, because the shift lever is on the stalk. And you only get three selections. Up is reverse, down is drive, and the middle is neutral. Push in on the end of the stalk and neutral becomes park. But fear not. Having a seven-speed automatic and only a “drive†for selection would be a crime against the natural order of things, so Mercedes gives you little toggle switches on the backside of the steering wheel, so you can shift up or down through all seven gears.
Frankly, I would vote to standardize such fingertip-shift devices. I prefer the Audi system, where paddles protrude up so you can see them, and if you pull on the right one it upshifts and on the left it downshifts. On the R350, as on other Mercedes vehicles, you can toggle the outside of the switch to upshift, and the inside to downshift. But you can do both with either hand, which makes me a little unsettled, because I would prefer one side for up and the other for down.
Regardless, it works efficiently. In fact, it works better than that, because the computer governing the transmission is smarter than your basic driver. If youÂ’re driving into a fairly tight corner, the transmission will skip gears if it calculates that you need to downshift more than one gear at a time. It might go from seventh to fifth, or sixth to second, for examples. The best part of that is that even stick-shift zealots, of which I am one, might pick the wrong gear once in a while. You can skip gears for yourself, so you might downshift a six-speed to fourth, only to realize as soon as you get on the power that you should have gone to third. Or, worse, that you are up against the rev-limiter and should have only gone to fifth.
The R350 seven-speed takes care of that for you, never missing a shift, so when you reapply the power to negotiate such a tight curve or corner, you are in the right gear ratio for exactly the power you need. Get this: the transmission will even reduce engine power by retarding the ignition for a couple of milliseconds to ensure a smooth gear change. A race-car driver might double-clutch a stick-shift car to do the same thing the R350 does it by itself.
Naturally, because Mercedes has been in the forefront of sophisticated traction and stability control, the new transmission is integrated with the antilock brake system, and the sensors from the stability control system to read and react to cornering and low-traction situations, then it hesitates or hurries its next shift to assure no ill effect on the stability or traction control systems.
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The all-wheel-drive system represents a major concession by Mercedes. In their constant duel for supremacy, Mercedes and BMW stubbornly stayed with rear-wheel drive on almost all their models, as if reluctant to acknowledge any advantages to new-rival Audi, with its legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system. Previous Mercedes 4Motion systems improved on tradition rear-drive traction, but would only offer a small dose of power to the front. When Mercedes went into the SUV market, of course they had to go after four-wheel drive, and those systems have paid off richly.
The 4Motion system in the R350, which is based on the M-Class crossover luxury SUV concept, starts out with 50-50 traction front and rear, and has front, rear and center differentials, so it can alter the amount of torque it sends to any wheel. In Minnesota blizzard conditions, if youÂ’ve got to make it up an icy hill, sending only a portion of power to the front wheels might not be enough. If three wheels are spinning freely on glare ice, the R350 system can and will send up to 100 percent of its power to the one wheel that has traction, and you make it home, after all.
High-strength steel and various reinforcements make a safe occupant compartment, and airbags augment the crumple-zone structural cage. The second and third rows of seats have the added openness of an enormous sunroof that is actually two sunroofs that gives a 5-foot-7 stretch of sky viewing. When you open it, the front sunroof tilts up and then slides back over the rear plexiglass. A power sunscreen lines the underside of the panoramic glass as well.
Everybody wants to come up with segment-busting vehicles these days, and the R350 does that, incorporating the best of several segments into one composite vehicle that can do it all.
Disciplined UMD leads WCHA non-league reversal
Maybe WCHA men’s teams just needed a big ol’ turkey drumstick to be waved in front of their facemasks, because the Thanksgiving “break†from league rivalries finally seemed to snap them all back to normal.
“Normal†for WCHA teams is to battle each other furiously, but to dominate nonconference opponents, whether in exhibition match-ups, tournament action, or NCAA playoffs. But not this season. The WCHA went 16-20-2 against outside competition right up until Thanksgiving week. But finally – finally – the WCHA broke loose, winning nine games, losing only two and tying two.
Minnesota-Duluth, for example, overcame some unusual difficulties — such as the loss of its first line and its starting goaltender in the first game — but romped 9-1 and 5-1 against the ECACÂ’s Bulldogs. UMD had opened the season with two losses at home in the DECC to Bemidji State, then went to Vermont and lost two more, to carry an 0-4 nonconference slate into the Yale games.
More impressively on paper, two of the WCHAÂ’s most intense rivalries — Wisconsin and Minnesota on one hand, and Denver and Colorado College on the other – are renewed this weekend, but not before all four teams hit the road over Thanksgiving. Wisconsin and Minnesota went to Michigan for the annual College Hockey Showcase, the haughty attempt to reunite four Big Ten teams from the WCHA and CCHA. This one had the impact of Michigan riding in as the nationÂ’s No. 1 team. But Minnesota went into Ann Arbor and clipped the Wolverines 6-3 with a five-goal barrage of power-play goals, led by Ryan PotulnyÂ’s hat trick, while Wisconsin dispatched Michigan State 3-1 just down the road in East Lansing, where they used to make Oldsmobiles. Next night they swapped partners, and while Minnesota sputtered before tying Michigan State 2-2, Wisconsin cruised into Ann Arbor and stunned the Wolverines 3-2.
The obvious and immediate benefit of the weekend is that the Badgers (11-1-2 overall) moved to No. 1 in national rankings, swept upward on the wings of a 12-game unbeaten streak (10-0-2). The Gophers kept alive a six-game unbeaten run (4-0-2), as both return to the WCHA pressure-cooker with Wisconsin at Minnesota this weekend.
Defending co-WCHA champions Denver and Colorado College went east and got the WCHA off to a shaky start in the first two games of the weekend. Defending NCAA champ Denver stayed in the doldrums with a 1-0 loss at Boston University, but goaltender Peter Mannino got them headed upward with a 4-0 shutout at Massachusetts the next night. Colorado College, which was stung 4-3 at U-Mass the first night, bounced back to topple Boston University 6-5 in overtime in the second game. Denver is only 6-6-2 with a withering string of injuries, while CC leads the nation in victories with its 12-3-1 overall ledger. Records mean little when CC and Denver renew their ancient rivalry, at Colorado Springs Friday and Denver Saturday.
Minnesota State-Mankato got the whole week rolling with a 6-3 victory at Nebraska-Omaha earlier last week, while St. Cloud State beat Brown 4-1 before the two tied 4-4 at St. Cloud, to complete the weeklong run at 9-2-2. North Dakota, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech were idle.
The weekend was a pleasant return to normal for the WCHA, which had gotten pretty comfortable beating up on nonleague foes in recent years. A year ago, WCHA teams went 53-17-14 in nonconference play, which made it reasonable that the Frozen Four consisted of four WCHA teams for the first time ever. Two years ago, the WCHA went 60-20-9 for possibly its best-ever winning percentage of .725. Three years ago, it was 57-27-8, and four years WCHA teams went a combined 56-24-2.
So the shaky 16-20-2 nonconference start this season was a complete departure, and UMD was one of the prime examples, even though the Bulldogs had several much more personal reasons for needing to win than to be concerned with the leagueÂ’s overall starting slump. After a Frozen Four appearance in the spring of 2003, UMD fell out of contention last season, partly by losing its dominance at home. The last sweep UMD had registered at home in the DECC was in October of last season, and the Bulldogs had opened 1-4-1 at home this season, being swept by both Bemidji State and North Dakota.
Curiously enough, when UMD took on Yale, it was with a self-imposed handicap. Senior goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, who had started nine straight games, and the entire first line, center Tim Stapleton, and his wingers, Justin Williams and Mike Curry, were ordered to watch the game in street clothes because of coach Scott Sandelin’s demand for immediate and forthright discipline. Pregame press notes displayed the scoring streak of Stapleton and hot hand of Reichmuth, so quietly had Sandelin operated in suspended those players. Officially it was for violation of team rules, believed to be missing curfew after a 2-0 loss in Anchorage a week earlier.
It was particularly forceful and immediate when compared to the publicity of a month-old hidden-camera expose series by a Twin Cities television station, showing a number of underage Minnesota hockey players drinking in a campus bar. So far, Minnesota officials will only say the incident has been handled “internally,” and the actual disciplinary action would not be disclosed. But none of the underage players who broke the law, such as freshmen Phil Kessel, winger Kris Chucko, and goaltender Jeff Frazee, missed any game time.
The UMD incident was different, having occurred in the seclusion of Alaska, but the players involved were all of legal age, too, and nobody would have known anything happened had Sandelin chosen to have them run laps, or do team laundry. Sandelin said there were five “violations of team rules,†and later added, “I did the room-check myself.†As for the lack of fanfare surrounding his move, Sandelin said, “All I did was tell the players involved they werenÂ’t playing Friday night.Ââ€
The suspensions left the Bulldogs with 10 forwards, six defensemen and goaltender Josh Johnson, who had seemingly been relegated to permanent backup status. The only senior remaining with Reichmuth, Stapleton and Williams out, was defenseman and captain Steve Czech. But if the pressure was on the unheralded underclassmen, they responded well.
Sophomore Matt McKnight moved up to first line, with freshman wingers Mason Raymond and Nick Kemp. McKnight scored two goals and assisted on two more; Raymond also scored two goals; and Kemp assisted on three of UMDÂ’s first four goals in the 9-1 romp. The second line was all freshmen, with MacGregor Sharp centering Andrew Carroll and Michael Gergen, and Gergen scored two goals, Carroll one goal and three assists, while Sharp chipped in two assists in the first game.
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Johnson, meanwhile, gave up a game-opening goal to Jeff Hristovski as Yale opened with a strong attack, then the junior who formerly starred at Cloquet High School slammed the door, stopping all 22 other shots, while UMD rose from a 1-1 first-period standoff to rattle five goals in the second period.
When the game started, Yale fired off three excellent scoring chances in the first two minutes, but they were stopped by Johnson, who shrugged at not having played since opening games against Bemidji and Vermont. “They came out hard, but it was actually good for me to see the puck right away,†Johnson said.
An observer who hadnÂ’t seen the Yale goal asked Johnson what happened on it, and Johnson said: “I didnÂ’t see it either.Ââ€
Touche.
Sandelin returned the top line and Reichmuth for the second game, although Johnson earned the repeat start. He played well again, stopping 17 of YaleÂ’s 18 shots, and blanking the visitors until 7:47 of the third period, when Yale scored a goal that was countered by defenseman Matt NiskanenÂ’s first college goal 18 seconds later for a 4-1 cushion.
The message from the suspension got through, as did the realization that the ‘Dogs had scored nine goals without their top line. Stapleton got a power-play goal at 12:07 of the first period to get UMD started in the rematch, although the young pups kept flying. Gergen, Carroll and Raymond got other goals for UMD, which improved to 5-7-2 overall, and improved its record in the DECC to 3-4-1.
Usually, nonconference games represent a break from WCHA battles, but in this case, they also might have been the boost to send the whole league back into competition on a higher plateau. For UMD, the entire roster snapped to attention at the impressive and immediate call for team discipline, which may prove more important even than the victories.
Pontiac Solstice reality beats ‘virtual reality’ any day
PORTLAND, ORE. — The Pontiac Solstice is one of the most exciting new vehicles introduced by General Motors in a couple of decades – if not THE most. It is a real sports car, offering real driving fun, and strikes a stunning visual pose from every angle, and looks far more expensive than its $25,000 price tag.
A Corvette or Viper are “real†sports cars, they command price tags over $50,000 and are impressive primarily because of enormous engines that produce enormous power. But enormous engines or mind-blowing gobs of horsepower aren’t required to be a true sports car for the masses and produce exhilarating driving pleasure – as the Mazda Miata MX-5 has proven during a 15-year lifespan as the only true sports car under $25,000.
With the introduction of the Solstice, the Miata no longer owns that domain by itself. You could say that we now have the winter solstice, the summer solstice, and, because the top fits well and snugly, a year-round Solstice.
The Solstice was first revealed at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, where it was voted the “best concept car.†After only 27 months, the car springs to life in the real world, retaining all the elements of the concept while springing to life in about half the four or five years that normally is required. We climbed aboard a fleet of Solstices at the media introduction near Portland, in the Columbia River Gorge that provides some stunning roadways on both sides of the river separating Oregon from Washington. We didn’t discriminate, driving on both sides.
The Solstice sits low and wide, with an aerodynamically rounded front end, and a mesh-screen dual-opening grille wrapping up from the bottom, not unlike the look of an electric shaver. The silhouette is particularly appealing because the rear end is chopped off abruptly, right behind the rear wheel opening, and an extra styling trick is the dual sculptured humps tracing back from the two bucket seats.
GMÂ’s global powertrain team came up with the idea of the Ecotec several years ago, when severe high-tech competition demanded that a compact, overhead-camshaft four-cylinder would be a necessary component to the hope of building competitive small cars. Opel of Germany, Saab of Sweden, and GM had a project center in Norwich, England, and the first Ecotec was a 2.2-liter in the 2000 Saturn L. Opel put the same engine into four of its models for 2001. The 2.2 version now comes on the Chevrolet Cobalt, with a supercharged 2.0-liter version in the Cobalt SS and the Saturn Redline, and a turbocharged 2.0 is the Saab 9-3 engine.
For the Solstice, the Ecotec has enlarged bore and stroke to measure 2.4 liters, and it adds variable valve-timing for a broader torque range, and other electronic upgrades, and will be built in Spring Hill, Tenn., at GM PowertrainÂ’s assembly base. It has 177 horsepower at 6,600 RPMs and 166 foot-pounds of torque at 4,800 RPMs.
In an impressive display of cost-effective innovation, there was no existing adaptable platform, so the Solstice starts with a unique base, featuring hydroformed tubes running full-length on both sides, and a center-tunnel spine to make the structure more rigid. The sculptured body required something beyond the ordinary sheet-metal presses, so GM came up with a method of hydroforming — using high-pressure water force to bend and shape the curves of the large body panels.
While all the significant parts give the Solstice its flair and personality, GM also wisely went to its existing parts bin to reduce cost. The doors, for example, came from the new Cobalt. The air conditioning controls came from the Hummer H3. The gauge package came from the Cobalt, but with several alterations. The transmission is taken but revised from the Canyon compact pickup. The seat frames came from the Corsa, built in Mexico. And the rear differential came from CadillacÂ’s Sigma platform. But none of the parts-bin parts intrudes on the uniqueness of the Solstice.
The whole is a whole lot more than just the sum of those parts for the brainchild of General Motors vice president Bob Lutz, who came on board and immediately instructed Pontiac to come up with a reasonably priced sports car that could be a halo car for the brand, and, in fact, for all of GM. The final result is a car full of innovations, with very few shortcomings, and possibly none that rise above the nuisance/nitpick level.
I like the interior layout, but for some reason, designers put bright chrome circles around all the instruments, and dropped them down into individual tunnels. Recessing the gauges reduces reflection off the gauge lenses, but the chrome creates glare of its own. And the fuel gauge is recessed about four inches, where one inch would do, and it’s so far down its little tunnel that it is difficult to read – and more difficult because its little tunnel is aimed up where only a 9-foot driver can read it straight on.
Such complaints are certainly minor, and easily overlooked because of the fun-to-drive quotient. Solstice is quick enough, shifts smoothly, handles superbly, and has that charismatic feel that it makes it seem that it can anticipate your driving instincts.
With a sticker price of $25,000 for a well-equipped model, $27,000 if you add GMÂ’s OnStar system, the Solstice undercuts flashier sports cars like the Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, or Mercedes SLK. But it canÂ’t avoid running head-on into comparisons with the Miata. You could consider acceleration about equal, although the Solstice 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder is almost 20-percent larger than Miata’s 2.0. The drop-top is more difficult to lower on the Solstice because you have to hop out and lift the rear lid before manually folding the top into its receptacle, whereas you can lower or raise the Miata top with one hand from the driverÂ’s seat.
The Solstice five-speed manual transmission feels good, but the Miata offers a five-speed stick as standard, and either a five-speed automatic with paddle-shift controls on the steering wheel – or, a six-speed manual as options. The Solstice may not need a six-speed, but it might have been wise to offer one, just for those who will compare, and who might like to run at lower revs on freeway cruising.
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Automobile magazine compares the Solstice and Miata, and claims the Solstice ran 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and the Miata 7.4. Car & Driver, meanwhile, has the Solstice at 7.2 seconds, and the Miata in a swift 6.5 seconds. The disparity gives further evidence to my theory: If a car feels quick, it is quick enough, as perception becomes more important than reality. Both cars feel quick, which elevates the rookie to instant status. Miata is into its third generation and 16th year of refinement, while the Solstice, as a rookie, deserves credit for earning comparison.
I missed the virtual introduction of the Solsitce on television when it was featured on “The Apprentice.†The difference between reality and reality shows is as distinct as the difference between a true sports car, and creating the illusion of a sports-car experience. Reality is something we live, day after day, while movies and TV shows should be a chance to watch professional actors follow an actual script that might range from compelling to silly, but offers an escape from reality.
In reality shows, producers bring in normal (?) citizens to do strange things. A few weird ideas replace scripts, and unskilled civilians replace real actors – and their salaries. So I vowed to never watch a reality show, and I’ve upheld it, even though every network seems to have filled their schedules with competing reality shows. I realized how pervasive the genre had become when I spotted a promotion for “The 40 Best Reality Shows.†I had no idea…
Anyhow, Pontiac got contestants on The Apprentice to try to develop a promotional brochure for the Solstice, in a brilliant move no promotional brochure could match. Coinciding with that show, the public was offered a 10-day, early-order program for the Solstice, and the first thousand sold in 41 minutes, while 7,116 Solstices were sold in 10 days, with 40,000 consumers registered.
But forget the virtual introduction. In the real introduction, at one point on our drive route we could look one direction and see Mount Hood, and another direction and see Mount Ranier, and Mount St. HelenÂ’s and Mount Adams were also within view. Very impressive. Mount RanierÂ’s peak towered above its own personal clouds, as you look at a real-world attraction. Our bright red Pontiac Solstice, in the foreground, looked poised to take off, as a real-world automotive attraction. If thereÂ’s any symbolism there, Pontiac is welcome to it. It beats virtual reality every time.
(John Gilbert writes weekly automotive reviews; click on the search feature of www.jwgilbert.com to find archived reviews of recent years.)
‘R’ gives Volvo’s S60R drivers an extra kick in the gas
The Volvo S60R remains as surprising for the 2006 model year as it was when it was first introduced two years ago. In fact, it has gained a bit by adding a dose of maturity to its wild youth.
When BMW jacks up performance and designates it as an “M†model, we aren’t surprised. When Mercedes does the same thing through its AMG corporate hot rod arm, it’s somewhat commonplace. Audi, too, has been bolstering the performance of its models and naming them S4 or S6 instead of A4 and A6.
But Volvo? The Swedish company that has been turning out cars aimed at safety and comfort – in that order – for decade after decade? For Volvo to have a hyped-up performance model still seems surprising, even though its S60 sedan, as well as the larger S80 and smaller S40, all have gotten sportier and better-performing in recent years.
The 2006 Volvo S60R I drove from Volvo’s regional test fleet has several features that are endearing to a performance-oriented driver, and dazzles the aesthetic side of your brain as well. It was a stunning blue color, called Sonic Blue Metallic, which penetrates the senses, if you’re a blue person, like I am. A mean-looking lower spoiler below the front bumper is a sculptured wing that narrows stylishly toward the middle of the front end. At the rear, a lower façade has an oval hole on the left side, just big enough for twin chrome exhaust tubes to stick through.
The blue is contrasted well by large, bright silver,18-inch Pegasus wheels with extremely low-profile, high-performance, Pirelli P-Zero tires, and the slots in the wheels show off the Brembo brake calipers that promise the car will stop as good as its appearance indicates it will go.
Inside, the blue theme continues with dark, blue-black seats. Volvo seats always have won my acclaim as the best and most comfortable in the industry, and the new ones are bolstered better and feel softer, if only because they are covered with incredibly soft leather. I was told cobalt blue is Volvo’s “corporate color,†which is why it accents the silver logo, and that’s why Volvo picked it for the S60R’s instruments, which are encircled by brushed silver, with silver notches for measurements, and are denoted by bold orange indicator pointers. One row of stitching of the same blue traces the seats, the shift knob, the console, the dashboard, and even the inside seam of the well-padded steering wheel.
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Under the hood, VolvoÂ’s 2.5-liter in-line 5-cylinder engine shows why the unusual design of a five can offer the efficiency and economy of a four without the inherent vibration, plus the potency of a six but with better fuel economy.
The S60RÂ’s 2.5 liters are zapped to maximum by a turbocharger, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, all tuned with variable valve timing, depending on the driverÂ’s demands. In this case, the demand is fulfilled by an output of 300 horsepower at 5,500 RPMs, and 295 foot-pounds of torque, which peaks at a mere 1,950 RPMs and holds strong all the way up to 5,250 RPMs. That means the low-end punch from all that torque doesnÂ’t just screech the tires and go away, flows freely from barely above idle all the way up to the power-band peak. All this is controlled by a Haldex electronic all-wheel-drive system that is as quick reacting to shift torque to the wheels with the most traction as any AWD unit you can find.
When the S60R was introduced, I had a chance to put it through its paces at Las Vegas race track, where we sped around part of the oval, then sprinted around the turns in the infield road course portion. The test cars at the scene were all red, and had only the slightest hint of raciness, from an unobtrusive chin spoiler up front, larger alloy wheels shod with low-profile tires, and that little “R†after the S60 on the rear trunklid.
The power from the first car is still there. I remember how startling it was to push the first S60R through its six-speed stick shift perform such high-powered and all-wheel-drive surges. I remember suggesting that, after all these years, who knew that there were some closet hot-rodders lurking inside those white smocks on the engineers in Gothenburg?
The new car shows off a little more, though tastefully, with a sportier and more contoured spoiler up front, plus the rear façade with twin pipes. The new car adds a six-speed automatic transmission, an accommodating unit that seems to offer the best of both worlds. It shifts with close-ratio precision, running up the gears with adequate punch, but with typical automatic ease when you’re locked in rush-hour gridlock. Move the shift lever over into the manual gate, and start in first gear, and the S60R personality changes. It revs swiftly and willingly to its 7,000 RPM red line, while a tap of your hand upshifts to the next gear.
At the same time, I noticed the EPA estimates say 25 miles per gallon is the car’s maximum on the highway, but I got 23.8 in combined city-highway driving, and 27.7 on a sustained, cruise-control freeway trip. That’s another nice feature of a high-powered car from a responsible company like Volvo.
You can check whether the speed limit is 30, 35, 40 or whatever, and get there directly, shall we say, leaving the traffic congestion behind in a sudden burst, without exceeding the speed limit. If your trip requires corners, the sharper the better, because you can push one of three switches on the dash and get comfort, sport or advanced settings for the suspension. Comfort is more compliant, but still good. Sporty is firmer and is my favorite for general driving. If you want to click advanced, youÂ’d best be on roadways as smooth as a racetrack, otherwise every irregularity and tar-strip separation can be felt abruptly in the steering wheel and through those great bucket seats.
The S60R looks so good, and is so much fun to drive, that you might forget that it remains true to Volvo heritage by still offering unexcelled safety. The roof is reinforced, as is the entire passenger compartment, with high-strength steel and the crumple-zone design pioneered by Volvo in the 1960s. The 300 horses are harnessed by the all-wheel drive system, and the S60R is assured of keeping you headed in the right direction by Dynamic Stability Traction Control. The carÂ’s structure and pre-tensing shoulder harnesses are complemented by airbags all around, including supplemental side-curtain airbags for added head and upper torso protection.
When you choose between a BMW 330 and an M3, or any class Mercedes that has an AMG alternative, or the Audi A4 or S4, you are talking about a considerable step up in initial investment. The Volvo S60 is not an inexpensive car, but the S60R is a high-performance bargain at $37,920, and even the test carÂ’s sticker of $44,335 isnÂ’t bad, considering the addition of optional climate package, adding heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers; premium package, that adds the power glass moonroof, and an audio upgrade to Dolby Prologic Surround Sound; the six-speed automatic; and the upscale bright silver wheels.
And, of course, that exterior blue color goes along so well with the instruments, the interior leather, and the stitching. It all adds up, as you sit there at a stoplight, deciding whether to roll away moderately, or switch over and launch in a blur. Yes, you can have your fun and be supremely safe at the same time.
Mitsubishi’s hopes ride on futuristic 2006 Eclipse
RESTON, Va. — At the Detroit Auto Show a year ago, Mitsubishi dazzled observers by putting on display a radically designed concept car called “Concept E.†It had hybrid power and a wonderfully futuristic flair to its body sculpture. Cynics, however, pointed to recent financial problems confronting Mitsubishi and scoffed at the idea such a car could ever be anything more than a public-relations ploy.
Barely one year later, the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse has been introduced – even as it has been rushed to dealerships all across the U.S. – and it is almost identical to the far-out design of the concept. Mitsubishi plunked the concept-shaped body onto the same platform used by the new Galant sedan and Endeavor crossover SUV, and dropped two more conventional powerplants under the hood instead of the hybrid idea.
The rush-to-production, it turns out, occurred specifically because of the financial problems, which has caused Mitsubishi Motors of North America to change executives faster than it can bring out new models. Rich Gilligan is the new president, incidentally, and Dave Schembri is the new executive vice president of the North American branch of the Japanese company.
Schembri, who worked at Mercedes before making the career move to Mitsubishi, made me nervous by wearing a perfectly tailored suit and tie on the media introductory drive from Washington, D.C., through the rolling hills of Virginia and Maryland, where shorts and polo shirts were far more logical against the 95 degree heat and stifling humidity of the past week.
Their historic perspective was pretty much right on for a contemporary automotive company, although some of the hyperbole went a little over the top. For example, suggesting the 50-50 split rear seat provides “ample room for two†adults is a stretch; it would work for kids, or very short adults. And boasts about the stretched wheelbase, when it’s only a half-inch longer, and an impressive coefficient of drag of 0.35 when even comparatively hulking sedans beat that – the new Dodge Charger, for instance, comes in at 0.33.
Still, hopes among the media are high that a proud and technically advanced company that has built automobiles for 90 years might gain some stability, and not be seen only as a stepping stone for executives looking to advance.
I am among those, because I was impressed enough with Mitsubishi’s advanced engine technology, which included such enhancements as counter-balance shafts as early as 1971, that I bought a Dodge Colt wagon, and, later, a 1979 Dodge Colt hatchback – both made by Mitsubishi. The Colt hatchback had a unique two-speed axle with a four-speed, so you could shift eight times if you wanted. I could screech the tires in the first three gears and regularly got over 41 miles per gallon. All of which makes me reluctant to praise any so-called economical car that can’t reach 30.
The new Eclipse, aside from its eye-catching shape, is impressive to drive and to scrutinize. It comes with a large (2.4-liter) four cylinder engine as standard in the GS model, and with a larger (3.8-liter) V6. Both engines have single overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The four has 162 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 162 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 revs, while the V6 has 263 horsepower at 5,750 and 260 foot-pounds at 4,500. Both also have Mitsubishi’s “MIVEC†variable-valve system.
By adapting to the new GalantÂ’s chassis, the new Eclipse enjoys an 11 percent improvement in torsional rigidity, and a whopping 119-percent improvement in bending rigidity.
So in performance, the Eclipse has departed from its small, over-achieving engines to larger-displacement and smoother engines. The result is a sporty coupe that is swift, strong, and handles superbly with its front-wheel-drive power and a suspension that has struts up front and multi-link in the rear.
Mike Krebs, vice president of product strategy, pointed out that the first generation Eclipse – which also served as the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon in Chrysler trim – won all kinds of awards for style, engine and performance from its inception in 1989. Those turbocharged, all-wheel-drive models were raced by Duluth’s Archer Brothers to such road-racing dominating that the Sports Car Club of America decided that first turbocharging and then all-wheel-drive should be ruled illegal, just to reduce their advantage.
Krebs pointed out that the second generation, which was rounded off from the original wedgy style, was a favorite of hot-rod tuners, and put the Eclipse on the map with its styling, and that the third had edgy styling and found fame in the movie 2 Fast, 2 Furious. While Mitsubishi marketing increased over the years, it would seem the current crop of executives may not remember the fantastic cockpit feel and overall tightness of the original Eclipse, which, to me, was by far the best of them all. And while the more recent models may have had more appeal, and better marketing, none of them can boast of the bottom-line performance awards of the original.
The new car has the style and punch to appeal to youthful buyers as well to some older ones who may be ready to return to a sporty coupe. Interiors vary among avant-gard, techno-sport and Hi-Q sport, giving buyers an assortment of styles.
One of the best features of the new Eclipse is the price. The GT, which is aimed at competing with everything from the new Mustang to the Infiniti G35 coupe, starts at a mere $23,699 with the V6, and $26,969 with the premium package additions of 18-inch wheels, leather seats with six-way power, a sunroof, aluminum pedals, and a 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate audio system with nine speakers, a 10-inch subwoofer, and six-CD in-dash player.
The GS is a real bargain, starting at $19,399, and equipped with air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, an audio system with a CD player, plust side seat and side curtain airbags, while a sunroof, audio upgrade and other items are on the option list.
Having driven the GT first, I was impressed with its power and the way it snaked around the hilly curves in the rural hillsides we negotiated. But then I drove the GS, much more basic, but I was even more impressed with the way the 2.4-liter four could make the Eclipse jump. The GS weighs 3,274 pounds, substantial until compared to the fairly hefty 3,472 of the GT. If that doesnÂ’t seem that much lighter, the difference is felt keenly in the steering, because the four is lighter in the front end and feels more agile to the touch.
Mitsubishi puts a six-speed manual and five-speed automatic in the GT, and only a five-speed stick and four-speed automatic in the GS, which is the trendy way to go, even though logic might suggest that the smaller engine would benefit more by having an extra gear. On steep hills, however, the GT was far better in third or fourth, and needed downshifting from sixth for sure, and fifth unless you were carrying substantial speed.
Designed in California and built at MitsubishiÂ’s Normal, Ill., plant, the Eclipse is the first Mitsubishi vehicle designed and built entirely aimed at the U.S. market.
As for the hyperbole, Mitsubishi already is running an ad that was ranked No. 1 in television, with a group of youthful Japanese women – actually, UCLA students – play a drum-band background of staccato pounding in a smoky, South Pacific-style motif, as the new Eclipse emerges.
Otherwise, Mitsubishi and its ad agency are groping for things such as calling potential customers fun-seeking strivers, trying to lob “Driven to Thrill†as a catch-phrase, and stressing both that the new Eclipse is designed and built in and for the U.S., and that Mitsubishi, unlike other companies, is not going to abandon its Japanese heritage in order to blend into U.S. culture. But the executives all are desperately anxious to have the U.S. culture notice – and purchase – the new Eclipse.
They also pointed out that companies such as Nissan and Chrysler both turned themselves around by starting out with great products. And there is no question that with the Eclipse, like the super-swift Lancer Evolution, provides that for Mitsubishi.
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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