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TABLE of CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2022

32
ROAD TEST
2023 Chevrolet
Corvette Z06
Chevrolet’s 8500-rpm
bet on natural aspira-
tion. We test the Vette
40
C O M PA R I S O N T E S T
The Luxe Life
The Genesis G90 3.5T
e-SC AWD, the Lexus
LS500 AWD, and the
Mercedes-Benz S500
48
ROAD TEST
2023 Toyota GR
Corolla Circuit
54
L O N G -T E R M T E S T
2021 Chevrolet
Corvette
Stingray Z51
Even after 40,000
miles, we remain
60
F E AT U R E
Sympathy for
the Dealer
New-car dealers
clocked their best
year in memory, yet
in both convertible and 4Matic try to out- Three boosted infatuated with this their future has never
extra-racy Z07 form. pamper one another. cylinders and a six- American icon. looked shakier.
By Ezra Dyer By Rich Ceppos speed manual: I love By David Beard By Jamie Kitman
what you do for me,
Toyota GR Corolla!
By K.C. Colwell

“YOU MAY NOT GET ONE THE FIRST YEAR, BUT YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO EVENTUALLY. IT’S WORTH THE WAIT.”
—K.C. Colwell, “Paradigm Shifter”

CAR A N D D RIV E R 5
READY FOR THE RIDE
OF YOUR LIFE?
The 2023 Lineup is Coming Soon!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2022

COLUMNISTS
12. Tony Quiroga
First and last.
28. Ezra Dyer
Make EVs weirder.
30. Elana Scherr
Challenge accepted.

UPFRONT
16. Revealed: 2024
Ford Mustang
The seventh-gen pony
car takes the stage.
22. Flex Time
Our new suspension-
articulation test.
24. The Taxman The joyful noise of the commentariat,
Changeth
Evolving credits for EVs
rebutted sporadically by Ed.
and plug-in hybrids.
26. All Hail the
Foaminator TIME LAPSE sad and steady decline of Please spare me the wise-ass
Ride along in the auto- Hey, what happened to the quantity and the qual- rebuttal and try to focus on
matic carwash. the letter I sent about the ity of your magazine. As a the mission of testing and
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Porsche owner, seeing the reporting on cars. If I want
T H E R U N D OW N RS? I don’t recall reading cover graced with the GT4 to read about the geogra-
65. 2022 Hyundai any letters about that RS made me anxious to read phy of SoCal, I’ll subscribe
Elantra N vs. 2022 story [“Going Nowhere the test “to find out whether to National Geographic.
Subaru WRX Limited Fast,” May 2022]. it eclipsed the 911.” Neither I —J.R. Bair
Generation gap. —W. Deaver nor most of your readers, I’d Plainfield, IL
68. 2022 Mercedes- Dayton, OH suspect, give a crap about
AMG SL63 I’ve been a little distracted the SoCal roads. After nearly Enjoyed the Cayman story
Connection restored. lately, and the letters cov- three paragraphs about in the May issue. I often run
69. 2022 BMW R18 ering the May issue didn’t the roads, you finally got to these same mountain roads
Transcontinental make it into print. As a the test. Who cares about in my Lotus Elise. You missed
Wonder twins, activate! make-good, we’re running the road map? We can look the best road in the area. If
70. 2023 Mercedes- the letters about May here it up for ourselves. Please you take a right across the
Benz EQE350 4Matic in November. It might be consider including more test bridge and follow the East
Uneasy E. a bit late, but your back- data, more car pics, and less Fork, it will connect with
72. 2023 Mazda fires are timeless—Ed. BS about a road no one cares Glendora Mountain Road, a
CX-60 to read about. What a disap- truly spectacular twisty piece
Shape of things to As a subscriber for over 40 pointment! Did it eclipse the of tarmac that runs along the
come. years, I have witnessed the 911? I guess we’ll never know. ridge to the city of Glendora.
74. 2022 Audi A3
Quattro
A lack of S appeal. CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-289-9464, email cdbCustServ@CDSFulfillment.com, visit www.caranddriver.com/service, or write to
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CAR A N D D RIV E R ~ N OV EM B E R 2022 ~ SI C YOU R D OGS ON U S AT: ED I TO RS @ CA RA N D D RI V E R.CO M 7

 Backfires
I usually run it from Glendora
to Azusa and stop at Canyon
City Barbeque in Azusa.
—Bill Gordon
Huntington Beach, CA
Haven’t you heard?
No one cares about
SoCal roads—Ed.
Wow, you read my mind.
The verdict on the GT4
RS: “The no-compromise
Cayman we’ve all been
waiting for.” I, too, have
been waiting for a $198,297
Porsche 718 Cayman.
“Honey, can I have
two hundred grand
for a Cayman?”
“Are you going to
sell the Genesis?”
“No, this is just a week-
end car. It’s too rough
for daily driving.”
Dead silence.
“Honey, are you there?
It’s fast and gets 16 mpg.”
—Peter Homestead
Mission Viejo, CA
I remember when the Box-
ster and its subsequent
sibling, the Cayman, were
introduced as more afford-
able Porsches. But I’m old.
—Alex Gregorewsky
Charlotte Harbor, FL
The GT4 RS is more
affordable than the
911 GT3 RS—Ed.
MANUAL NORIEGA
I really enjoyed Ezra
Dyer’s “Grün with Envy”
in the May 2022 issue. I
am looking to purchase a
Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
and would like to know the
options on the tested GT3.
—George
Hauppauge, NY
Sorry, this happened
way too long ago and all
records were lost—Ed.
8 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
CON TR I B U TO R
Jamie Kitman
is a lawyer turned rock-
band manager (clients have
included They Might Be
Giants and OK Go) and
award-winning car writer.
Kitman’s collection of
classic cars is so vast that
he put it to work for
himself by renting vehicles
to TV and movie produc-
tions in need of vintage
metal. “Sympathy for the
Dealer,” his feature on the
changing state of car sales,
starts on page 60.
The May issue has two
articles on Porsches. Two
too many. Why this obses-
sion with Porsches? Next
to nobody owns one. And
there are many other fast,
quality cars around, from
BMW, Mercedes, Jag, etc.
You used to be an inter-
esting, intelligent, witty
mag. Not anymore. Stop
pigging out on Porksches.
—Vincent di Norcia
Barrie, ON
DIAL M
When I saw the GT4 RS on
the cover, I knew before I
even read the article that I
would finally sell my 2002
BMW E39 M5 and get this
car. Then I read Dyer’s article
on the GT3 and thought, “Or
not. I really want this one!”
Then I read Elana Scherr’s
article [“MMMBop Appre-
ciation,” May 2022]. She
said about my 20-year daily
driver: “The E39 would make
an excellent villain’s car, with
a big trunk begging to be
filled with stolen diamonds
and a leather and burlwood
interior designed for cackling
in during the getaway.” I
decided to save $200,000.
My wife thanks her.
—Jack DeLessio
Knoxville, TN
CAR OR TRUCK
I saw the comparison of the
Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid
and the Honda Civic Sport
[“Buying Culture,” May
2022]. It further convinced
me that the Ford Maverick
is the perfect truck-car
thing for a teenager such
as myself. Finally, I can hide
my pickles, rawhide, Doritos,
and summer sausage from
my family! In all seriousness
though, that Cyber Orange
paint is great, and you can’t
convince me otherwise.
—Nate Bishop
Vienna, VA
Did you pick Costco because
of its generous return
policy? If not, which writers
took which stuff home?
And where can I find the
watermelon helmet at
Sometimes we compare apples to oranges,
then find ourselves at Costco with the
my local warehouse?
—Steven Kahn
Benicia, CA
I took the Huggies—Ed.
Not sure I agree that the
box of Huggies being left
behind (pun intentional) by
the Civic is really leaving
“seriously fun” activities
out of the evening.
—Roger Bare
Houston, TX
You’re doing it wrong—Ed.
Just finished reading the
Maverick-Civic comparison.
One thing that comes to
mind: For what most people
pay for a full-size pickup,
you could have both the
Maverick and the Civic.
—Joe Eanes
Burton, MI
“But if your cargo, like
Soylent Green, is people,
the Civic is the machine
you want.” Priceless!
—Mack Easty
Austin, TX
LIFE WITH ELON
Thank you for your infor-
mative article on the
SI C YO UR D O GS ON U S AT: ED I TO R S@ CARA N D D R IV ER.CO M
 Backfires

long-term test of the 2019 and the Ferrari F40. So a

Tesla Model 3 [May 2022].
It helped me make up my
mind about whether to invest
in one. After reading your
article, I have decided no
effing way do I want one!
—Steve Clinton
Orange, CA
I enjoyed the long-term
Tesla recap. You mention
decreased battery life due
to charging the batteries
to 100 percent. If Nigel’s
amp can go to 11, is there
an option for the charger
to turn off at 95 percent to
help battery longevity?
—Justin G.
Fontana, WI
Tesla allows you to preset
how much you charge a bat-
tery. You can top it off to
100 percent or charge it to
a lesser percentage to slow
battery degradation—Ed.
SMALL COMFORT
Thanks for the premium-
crossover comparo [“Chal-
lenging the Establishment,”
May 2022]. Let me get
this straight: For decades,
top-performing cars were
the Shelby Cobra 427
EXPLAINED
suburban grocery-getting
soccer-mom BMW X3 M40i
beats them both in acceler-
ation to 60 mph, narrowly
loses in the quarter-mile,
uses half the fuel while out-
weighing them by 1200-plus
pounds, and places second?
—Jeffrey Hay
Delta, BC
The Stutz Bearcat
was a top performer
for decades too—Ed.
You were fair about the
Lexus RX350, and I don’t
doubt the Genesis GV70’s
goodness. But next time,
before you throw the X3
M40i under the bus, skip
the Adaptive M suspension
and, if possible, toss the
run-flats. Bingo. This car
is so sweet. It deserves
more praise. Oh yes, I just
did a 12-hour day in mine.
The seats are awesome.
—Charlie Wister
Ketchum, ID
I just traded my 2019 BMW
330i xDrive for a 2022 X3
M40i, and I am shocked by
how much better the X3
ment of the G20-generation
3-series seemed to land
on a potentially good car
depending on how it’s spec’d.
Evidently, I did it wrong. My
330i had 20-inch wheels
with 35-series all-season
run-flats. That car required
frequent midcorner correc-
tions, and there was no sense
of what the front wheels
were doing. Ride quality was
poor, and I curbed all four
rims with the low-profile
tires. Lesson learned. On
the X3, I chose 19s, which
came with 50-series Pirelli
Cinturato P7s. Steering feel
is staggeringly better than
in the 330i—accurate, linear,
and communicative. As you
have written many times
over the years, specifications
matter, and evidently the
wheel-and-tire selection on
the X3 can drive a substantial
divergence in experience.
—Scott V.
Ridgefield, CT
It feels so nice to
be heard—Ed.
Acura is closing its run of the
second-gen NSX and build-
ing 350 final cars, and you
spent three pages reviewing
one [“Closing Time,” May
2022]? This seems to con-
firm my long-held suspicion
that the cars you test are
just the ones you want to
drive, as opposed to cars
the typical reader might find
available and affordable.
If I were you, I’d, well, I’d
probably do the same thing.
—Terry Collins
Homewood, IL
WEIGHT FOR IT
As a former U.S.-based
Lotus engineer, I regularly
presented to industry that
spending money on light-
weight materials, including
aluminum and carbon fiber,
to improve EV range could
lead to substantial vehicular
cost and weight savings
[“Lotus Operandi,” May
2022]. A 10 percent vehicle-
mass reduction yields
about a 6 percent efficiency
SI C YO UR D O GS ON U S AT: ED I TO R S@ CARA N D D R IV ER.CO M

increase. This means for a

You had a perfect Paul Harvey–like opportunity to
Are we really comparing 10 percent weight reduc-
tell the rest of the story regarding your experi-
BMW to Genesis? Come on! tion, either EV range can
ence with the Full Self-Driving option in your long-
Who wants to keep having be increased by 6 percent
term test of the Tesla Model 3, but you left us
this conversation? Who with the same-capacity
hanging [May 2022]. Did you get a refund for the
makes Genesis? Hyundai. So battery pack or range can
$6000 you spent for nothing, or did the fine print
it’s a Hyundai? I’ll stick with be maintained with 6 per-
in the purchase contract allow Tesla a free pass to
the BMW breed, thank you. cent less battery capacity.
scam you? —Dennis Lyon, Layton, Utah
Now back to my caviar and Current EV batteries, at
champagne! Snobs unite! $100 per kilowatt-hour and
There is no “rest of the story.” After 48 hours,
—Tony Jones 260-Wh/kg energy density,
there are no refunds for the Full Self-Driving
Highlands Ranch, CO cost about $12 per pound,
option. We take some consolation in the fact that
Is the caviar in Colorado which makes even carbon
we didn’t spend the $15,000 it costs now—Ed.
anything like Rocky fiber a cost-effective EV
Mountain oysters?—Ed. material because of the

10 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
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OR SCAN HERE
 Backfires
SIC YOUR DOGS ON US AT:
EDITORS@CARANDDRIVER.COM
mass decompounding effect.
Colin Chapman’s lightweight
philosophy is even more relevant
today for electrified vehicles.
—Gregg
Somewhere in Michigan
I believe $130 per kilowatt-
hour might be more like it,
but hopefully Lotus is
reading—Ed.
THESE EYES
It’s clear you love GM’s Super
Cruise, singling it out as the
only advanced driver-assistance
system “good” enough at com-
municating its status to the
driver [“Missed Signals,” May
2022]. By some stats, 8 percent
of men are colorblind, almost
all of them (including myself)
red-green colorblind, making the
red-yellow-green bar useless. I’m
happy with my giant blue/not-
blue Tesla Autopilot indicators.
—Adithya Kaushik
Spokane, WA
LIFE IN STEREO
Dyer’s article was a master-
piece, perfectly encapsulating
the car-stereo-upgrade era,
experience, and intent [“Sound
Opinions,” May 2022]. As a
short-time subscriber, I shouldn’t
be forced to laugh out loud for
identifying so much with an
article. Cancel my subscription.
—Jeff Krueger
Clovis, CA
Dyer’s piece was so full of
pop-culture references from
decades past, it made me go
re-re-rewatch Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off. Steely Dan, IROC, “Whoomp!
(There It Is),” Elton John’s “Tiny
Dancer,” MacGruber—I recog-
nized them all. Upon finishing
it, I thought, “Damn, Dyer’s
getting old.” And then it dawned
on me: I recognized them all.
—D. Wilburn
Colorado Springs, CO
12
Editor ’s Let ter
First and Last
here’s an unmatched sense of freedom that comes with a first car. My
T
second-gen Volkswagen GTI 16V, the one with the 134-hp 2.0-liter
engine, Recaro seats, and BBS wheels, gave me a joy that had been
long ago stored away in the corners of my mind. And then I drove a
Toyota GR Corolla and was slingshotted back to my first solo drives
down Detroit’s Woodward Avenue. On page 48, executive editor K.C.
Colwell provides an expert and detailed evaluation of Toyota’s wild-
child hot hatch. I’m just here for a nostalgic gush.
My little GTI would rip into apexes and grind to its redline through very
short gears. It had better moves than Ex-Lax and could not be tripped up.
Quick steering moved the roughly 2500-pound box with windows into and
out of trouble. Sometimes after parking I would linger in it, marveling about
what we’d just done. Warm afterglow.
As documented over the years in this fine publication, I have tested some
rare and eye-opening stuff: Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, even a Pagani.
Yet nothing quite matched those early teenage drives in the GTI. Raucous,
impatient, eager, and daring: adjectives that applied to the GTI and to me
30 years ago. We were a perfect match. When I started up the GR Corolla,
the buzz and churn under the hood refired long-idle synapses. Full throttle.
Bam! Redline. Second gear. Bam! Redline. Short gears. No missed shifts. No
waiting for boost in these low gears. Gruffness under the hood, just like the
16V engine. I loved that GTI. I’m loving the GR.
Corner coming up. Whoops. The brake is a little far from the accelerator to
reliably heel-toe downshift. Solution: Tap the button to the left of the steering
wheel to enable rev matching. Brake. Downshift. Rotate. Upshift. Repeat. The
GR has seemingly inexhaustible grip. I remember my GTI had that same dogged
refusal to let go. It pressed you hard into the bolsters. This Corolla is tenacious
and pissed off, just like the GTI. What’s that, GR Corolla? Well, I couldn’t agree
more with you about recommended cornering speeds. Do you think we can
triple that really low one? Let’s find out.
If I drove that GTI today, I’m guessing I’d be shocked by the roughness and
lack of rigidity. Age and perspective would render the ride and structure, like
most things that seemed acceptable at 17, questionable today. Here in my late
SI C YO UR D O GS ON U S AT: ED I TO R S@ CARA N D D R IV ER.CO M
40s, the GR seems satisfyingly firm and solid.
I’m happy. It’s as impatient as I am. Another great match.
I got a couple of speeding tickets in the
first few months of my driving career. If
I had a GR Corolla today, I’m sure I’d get
nailed a few times until I started acting
my age again. Thank you, GR Corolla,
PHOTO GRA P H BY MI C HAE L S I MARI
for helping me remember a feeling that
cemented my love of driving. Thank you
for reminding me that cars can bring so
much joy. I can’t believe I found that first-
car feeling again after all these years.
TO N Y Q U I R O GA
E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
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 Backfires
FINISH STRONG
Love your magazine! Curi-
ous about the inconsistent
use of that little red-and-
blue striped flag that often
punctuates the end of your
articles. Sometimes you use
it. Sometimes you don’t.
What’s the algorithm?
—Matt Neumann
Wheaton, IL
The art department will
take your call in the order in
which it was received—Ed.
I drive a 2017 Subaru For-
ester with all the inherent
safety tech. Brake pads
last around 50K miles. I
swear when the adaptive
cruise control is engaged
on crowded highways, I can
feel the system applying
throttle and brake simul-
taneously. Thoughts?
—Jeremy I. Shoemaker
Charlotte, NC
Yeah, I can’t believe
I overlooked running
these letters—Ed.
I recently acquired a 2021
Mercedes-AMG E63 S
wagon that was previously
designated a press car
as per the build sheet.
Could it be the same E63
wagon C/D tested? My
VIN ends with 55934.
—Adam
Fort Lauderdale, FL
We tested an E63 wagon
with a VIN that ends
in 55932, but it turns
out we used your wagon
for photography—Ed.
What happens if the
airbag in my 1990 Buick
Reatta deploys?
—Sean Sweaney
Nashville, TN
You start looking for
a new Reatta—Ed.
14
Editor-in-Chief Tony Quiroga
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LETTER OF
THE MONTH
Enjoyed your article on the Buick
Roadmaster wagon [“Roadmonster,”
May 2022]. It brought back mem-
ories of my favorite picture of all
Gay’s memory lands him a cool little
SI C YO UR D O GS ON U S AT: ED I TO R S@ CARA N D D R IV ER.CO M
time in your magazine, of Granny in
Ford GT model he won’t soon forget.
an LT1 Roadmaster sedan smoking
Also, the guy dressed as Granny in our
the tires. She is probably doing it in
October 1993 issue is alive and well—Ed.
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 REVEALED
By Eric Stafford

Ford hasn’t yet said how

Pony Up! much the 2024 Mustang
Dark Horse will cost, but
we think it’ll start around
The seventh-generation Mustang isn’t a huge departure $60,000, which is a few
from the previous car, but would-be cowpokes will see fun new thousand more than the
current 2022 Mustang
options, fresh interiors, and the menacing Dark Horse. Mach 1. We expect the
Dark Horse to go on sale
next summer.
Ford isn’t putting its gas-fed pony car out to pasture. Instead, the
2024 Mustang is galloping into its seventh generation with a mighty
V-8, brawny bodywork, and an available manual gearbox. Inside, it’s a high-
tech horsey, with expanded digital displays. Don’t worry that the new breed
has grown tame, though. Not only will the Mustang offer hoony gimmicks
like a drift stick and a remote-rev feature, but it’s also coming out of the gate
with a 500-hp version, the Mustang Dark Horse.

Ford calls the intakes

flanking the horse grille
“nostrils.” They feed dual
throttle bodies. Big horse
gotta breathe.
Every Dark Horse rides on
adaptive dampers behind 19-inch
wheels mounted with Pirelli
P Zero PZ4 summer tires. All
Dark Horses have Brembo six-
piston fixed front brake calipers
clamping 15.4-inch rotors.

16 PH OTO GRA P H Y BY ROY RI TCH I E ~ N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RIV ER

 All Mustangs get a
substantial interior
redesign. In the
Dark Horse, the new
flat-bottom steering
wheel sits in front
of a dashboard that
combines a 12.4-inch
digital gauge cluster
and a 13.2-inch
touchscreen.

The design is more evolu-

tionary than revolutionary. The
Mustang rides on the same plat-
form as before, with a slightly
shorter 107.0-inch wheelbase. As
for the suspension, Ford has used
aluminum front lateral and diag-
onal links on all cars, redesigned
the knuckles, and carried over
the Shelby GT350’s integral (or
vertical) link design in the rear.
The car also has revised spring
rates and dampers matched to
each model’s ride and perfor-
mance goals, as well as a new
steering rack with a quicker ratio.
You won’t see any of that unless
you climb underneath, but you
will notice the new bodywork.
The exterior features a squared-
off front end, wide quarters, and
a clean rear panel bracketed by
the signature three-bar taillights.
It’s clearly a Mustang with the
usual mix of retro throwbacks
and modern touches.

Carbon-fiber wheels won’t be You can recognize a

available at launch but will show up Mustang Dark Horse by
on the options sheet later in the the distinctive badges,
model year, giving you more time bigger grille openings,
to save up for them. fixed rear wing, and
darkened quad-tipped
exhaust. This coppery-
blue paint is a Dark
Horse exclusive, as are
the smoked headlights
and taillights.

17
 REVEALED
Ford will still offer the Mustang as a
coupe or a convertible with either the
turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four or a
5.0-liter V-8. The turbo four receives
updates that include a switch to both
port and direct fuel injection to improve
performance and efficiency, a higher
compression ratio, and an updated tur-
bocharger. We expect to see a slight
boost to the current inline-four’s max-
imum output of 330 horsepower and
350 pound-feet of torque. Sadly, the
four-cylinder now comes only with
the 10-speed automatic because, well,
nobody bought the stick.
The fourth generation of the 5.0-liter
V-8 adds dual throttle bodies fed by sep-
arate air intakes, a setup Ford says pro-
vides better airflow and helps increase
horsepower. We don’t yet know how
much more, but Ford claims it’ll make
more power than the current GT’s 460
horsepower. We suspect the official num-
ber will be right on top of the 480-hp
tune the previous generation’s Bullitt
and Mach 1 had for a few years, leaving a
An optional rear wing
with a Gurney flap
aims to keep Dark
Horses grounded
when they’re leaving
Cars & Coffee.
18
The Dark Horse’s Handling package
comes with 10.5-inch-wide
front wheels and 11.0-inch-wide
rears, an inch wider than the
standard Dark Horse.
meaningful gap between this V-8 car and
the roughly 500-hp Dark Horse. The V-8
comes standard with a Getrag six-speed
manual transmission, which Ford paired
with a new dual-mass flywheel. The
10-speed automatic remains an option.
The Dark Horse’s engine gains a
forged crankshaft and the heavy-duty
connecting rods from the GT500’s 760-
hp supercharged 5.2-liter V-8. It pairs
with Tremec’s six-speed manual or the
optional 10-speed automatic, both backed
by a Torsen limited-slip rear differential.
Ed Krenz, Mustang chief nameplate
engineer, tells us that Dark Horse had
been kicking around as a brand name
at Ford for quite some time before chris-
tening the seventh-generation Mustang.
“With the S650, we knew we were going
to come out of the gate with a feature
car,” says Krenz. He adds that the
name’s connotation of an unexpected
challenge to the establishment felt right
for the introduction of a gas-powered
performance coupe at a time when
others are exiting the segment.
The Handling package adds
super-sticky Pirelli Trofeo
RS rubber, as well as stiffer
springs and anti-roll bars.
N OV EM B E R 2022 ~ CAR A N D D RI V ER
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 TECH D E P T. ~ By Dan Edmunds When the driver’s-side
rear wheel comes off the
ground, the test stops.

The Ram TRX has

why
traveled farther up
the ramp than any
wheelbase
other vehicle, but
its long wheelbase
matters
limits the score.
Imagine two vehicles that both can
climb the ramp until their driver’s-side

Flex Our steel ramp is

homemade. For
scale drawings and
instructions, send a
front tire is three feet off the ground. If
one has a wheelbase of 60 feet, that’s
not an impressive accomplishment, in
part because the vehicle will drag its

Time
Our new test aims to measure
request to The New
Yankee Workshop.
undercarriage over any obstacle it tries
to surmount. Say there’s a six-foot
wheelbase on the other vehicle. It’ll be
far better able to conform to terrain
and tackle just about anything.
off-roaders’ suspension articulation.
RAMP CLIMB (IN)

WHEELBASE (IN)

Perhaps you’ve seen a photo of an SUV

SUSPENSION

with one wheel hiked high into the U P WA R D

MOBILITY
(F/R)

air and thought, “That’s cool.” Except it

RTI

isn’t, at least not if you’re serious about off-

roading. A locking differential might keep Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 82.0 96.8 847 Live axle/Live axle
you moving, but a vehicle with that much Ford Bronco Badlands 65.1 100.4 648 Independent/Live axle
daylight under one tire could suddenly tee- Ram 1500 TRX 87.4 145.1 602 Independent/Live axle
ter as terrain changes, with the suspension Land Rover Defender 90 52.1 101.9 511 Independent/Independent
unable to fully cushion the landing. The
transition can be rough and potentially dan-
gerous. For good traction and stability, you want all four the passenger’s-side front tire is at maximum droop, with
wheels on terra firma at all times. the opposite true at the rear.
Getting through the tough stuff requires ground clear- We then measure how high the driver’s-side front tire
ance along with good approach, departure, and break-over rose off the ground and use a bit of high-school trig to
angles, but oft overlooked is suspension articulation. convert that to a distance driven up the ramp (remember
To measure articulation, we drive a test vehicle’s SOH-CAH-TOA?). We also take wheelbase into account.
driver’s-side front tire up a 20-degree ramp to generate The final RTI score is distance driven up the ramp divided
a Ramp Travel Index (RTI) score. The test stops when by wheelbase, then multiplied by 1000 (to eliminate dec-
the driver’s-side rear tire just barely begins to lift off the imals). A perfect score of 1000, which we’ve never seen
ground. This is the point of maximum flex, where the from an unmodified vehicle, occurs if the driver’s-side rear
driver’s-side front tire is at maximum compression while tire touches the ramp before ever lifting off the ground.

22 I L LU ST RAT I O N BY S I N E L A B ~ NOV E MB ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D DR IV E R

 IMPROVED SLEEP

BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING FRAMES

D I F F E Y E W E A R .C O M / M E N S H E A LT H
 LOCALLY SOURCED
~ By Csaba Csere Many of the changes have
to do with EV production. In
addition to the provision about
final vehicle assembly, half
of the $7500 credit is contin-
gent on at least 40 percent
of the critical materials in

The the battery being extracted

or processed in the U.S. or in
countries with which we have a
free-trade agreement. Materi-
als recycled in North America
also count. The benchmark
gradually increases to 80 per-
cent in 2027.
To promote local battery
assembly, the other $3750 is
based on a requirement that
domestic production. a minimum of 50 percent of
the value of the battery com-
ponents be manufactured or
assembled in North America.
This bogey escalates gradually
to 100 percent in 2029.
Starting in 2024, if any
battery components are manu-
factured in “a foreign entity of
concern,” meaning China, Iran,
North Korea, or Russia, then
the vehicle is disqualified. The
into law August 16. same rule will apply for sourc-
ing of critical materials in 2025.

a big one. Since that date, only

vehicles assembled in the U.S.,

of 2023 and beyond:

AUG. 15, 2022
SHIFTING QUALIFICATIONS
The limit of 200,000 units of qualifying EVs per automaker is lifted,
making General Motors and Tesla vehicles eligible again. However, new
price caps on qualifying vehicles—$55,000 for cars, $80,000 for trucks
and SUVs—eliminate the GMC Hummer and several Teslas (Models S and
X, higher-trim Model 3s).
Another change is that the amount of the tax credit does not depend
on battery size. If your EV or plug-in hybrid has a battery capacity of
at least 7.0 kilowatt-hours, you can get the full $7500 stipend.
For the first time, used vehicles are eligible when purchased from
a dealer. They now get a credit of up to 30 percent, with a $4000
maximum. The pre-owned EV or plug-in hybrid must cost no more than
$25,000 and be at least two model years old.
One more perk starts in 2024: You can get the credit for new vehi-
cles at purchase rather than wait until tax season. That means the
$7500 can serve as a down payment.
Overall, these new “clean vehicle” credit pro-
visions are a mixed bag of industrial policy, social
engineering, and EV promotion. Encouraging truck
purchases by giving them a higher price cap hardly
makes sense when trucks use more electricity,
sourced mostly from CO2-generating power plants.
But the domestic automakers are overwhelmingly
truck-heavy, so this is another sop to them.
These rules, along with the escalating battery pro-
visions, will encourage more EV and parts assembly
in our automotive market. And the battery regula-
tions will help us develop local sources to supply the
coming waves of EVs. Expediting mining permits and
environmental-impact statements might do even
more good, but they’re absent from the bill.
In the short term, this law seems likely to reduce EV
sales—at least until more manufacturers set up shop in
North America. We’ll see how it goes a few years out.

24 I N FO GRA PH I C BY N I CO L AS RA PP ~ NOV E MB ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D DRI V ER

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 D I R T Y DA N CI N G
~ By Benjamin Hunting

“KEEP THOSE RAGS AND

MACHINES HUMMIN’”
The song “Car Wash,” by the
group Rose Royce, was
released in 1976 on the
soundtrack of the film

All Hail the of the same name.

The single sold
2 million

Foaminator copies.

From bumper blaster to banana foamer, an

automatic carwash is a drive-through Rube
Goldberg machine.

Carwashing is a big-money business, raking in around

$30 billion annually worldwide. According to the
International Carwash Association (ICA), the U.S. has more
than 62,000 carwash locations—that’s one sudsy spot for
every 5300 residents (or every 4400 registered vehicles).
The bane of Boy Scouts and cheerleaders out to make a
buck, automatic washes handle most of the world’s cars.
They’re designed to move you through and spit you out
shiny and chrome, all without ever having to touch a rag.

SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB STEPS
Most automated carwashes rely on an intricate ballet of
robotic scrubbers that dance around a vehicle as it sits
patiently in the center of the bay or is gently tugged down
the conveyor. High-pressure water cannons like bumper
blasters, turbo blasters, and side-blaster baskets precede
mitter half-moon baskets and wraparound brushes for
full-contact washes or foam applicators like banana
foamers or the Foaminator Maxx for touchless systems.
A reverse-osmosis purified-water rinse and Mammoth RIDE WITH ME
Ear Air Dryer grand finale ensure a spotless finish. As the automotive world evolves
toward increased automation,
new vehicle features and technol-
ogies pose fresh challenges for the
ENVIRONMENTAL GENTLE CYCLE carwash industry. “Moving wheels
Many modern washes feature water-treatment capa- are a safety-system tripwire on
bilities that recycle dirty liquids into purified H2O modern cars,” Wulf explains. “Wash
indefinitely, closing the loop using cyclonic-separation conveyors that roll a vehicle through
and media-filtration tech and sedimentation tanks. a wash by tugging on the front wheel
“On average, a conveyor wash will use between 60 are increasingly being replaced by belt
and 150 gallons of water per car, but only 30 gallons conveyors that keep the wheels station-
of that is fresh from the local supply,” says ICA CEO ary.” This helps avoid triggering auto
Eric Wulf. “We might lose 20 percent in any given brake holds, collision-warning systems,
wash to evaporation and carryout, which is the water parking sensors, and other showstoppers.
left behind, say, in the bed of a pickup.” Wastewater And some automakers are making things
is filtered before being discharged into sewers. easier. “We’d love to see more companies
add something like Tesla’s Car Wash mode,”
Wulf says, referring to the feature that
closes all the windows and disables wipers,
automatic door locks, and exterior sensors.
CLE ANIN G U P
HISTO RY
1940s 1946 1951

The world’s first “semiauto”
carwash opens in Hollywood,
California. It uses a winch to
pull vehicles down a line of
human scrubbers.
26
Paul’s Automatic Auto Wash in Detroit is the Seattle’s Anderson brothers pull
first to combine a conveyor, overhead people out of the mix entirely by
sprinklers, and manually operated automating the whole soap-and-
mechanical brushes using a system invented scrub process, complete with an
by a guy named Thomas Simpson. end-of-the-line blow-dry.
I L LU ST RAT I O N S BY CH RI S PH I L P OT ~ NOV EM BER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
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 EZR A DY ER
Make EVs
Weirder
To compensate for their distressingly matchy-
matchy power delivery, electric vehicles need to
get creative in other ways.
T
he Ford Eluminator concept truck ruined
me. Ever since Ford announced its elec-
tric crate motor, I’ve been daydream-
ing about putting one (or two) in a ’90s
Bronco. But then I got to drive Ford’s
own 1978 F-100 retro-rod out on the
street in Charlotte, and it’s so good
that nothing I could create will ever
compare. The Eluminator drives like a
Mustang Mach-E GT Performance with
a cool old truck body draped over its running gear, which is
exactly what it is. It’s tight, agile, and extremely quick, and
I could never hope to build anything like it. But Ford could,
and definitely should, because the Eluminator is flush with
an attribute that can be elusive for EVs: personality.
If you drive one particular electric vehicle all the time,
you might never realize that they all drive exactly the
same. When I was at our EV of the Year testing, I began to
despair as I switched between the Lucid Air and the Volvo
C40 Recharge and realized both drive like the Tesla Model
S Plaid, which drives the same as the Rivian R1T. Sure,
28
there are variations in suspension and steering and
brakes, but pin the accelerator to the floor and what
happens next will differ only in degree: smooth,
rapid acceleration. I love the no-waiting blastoffs
afforded by EVs, but the homogeneous behavior is
a real bummer. Which means that for an EV to dis-
tinguish itself, the rest of the car better be weird.
Like maybe it’s shaped like a 44-year-old regular-
cab pickup, or takes the form of a BMW iX.
BMW is conducting a sort of A/B test on cus-
tomers, offering traditional cars that happen to be
electric (the i4) alongside avant-garde lunar modules
like the iX. Give me the freakmobile. In the i4 M50,
you look around the cabin, see a 3-series sedan, and
then get sad when it doesn’t act like an M3. In the
iX M60, your frame of reference is obliterated by
crystal-finish switchgear, an electrochromic roof,
and a soundtrack scored by Hans Zimmer. Even the
body shape defies easy comparison—I think it’s a
sneaky wagon that happens to have 811 pound-feet
of torque. Lower the suspension two inches and it’s
an M5 Touring from another dimension.
While BMW positions its gas-powered and
electric sedans as different models, Genesis is bold
enough to offer internal-combustion and EV ver-
sions of the same dang car, the G80. I drove them
back to back and expected I’d prefer the EV—with
365 horsepower, it hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, which
is 0.6 second quicker than the V-6 car. Alas, speed
isn’t everything. The Electrified G80 (catchy name
alert!) is hushed, refined, and effortlessly quick.
But if you climb in after driving a G80 Sport with
the V-6, you’re instantly reminded of the sensory
involvement you’re missing: hearing the turbos
spool as the torque ramps up and the transmission
cracks off an upshift, accompanied by a harmonious
burr from the exhaust. It’s dinosaur technology, I
know. But in a car that’s otherwise conventional,
the engine is the centerpiece of the experience. The
Electrified G80 is a handsome cipher. It’s so shy
about its EV nature, I was about five minutes from
unscrewing the rear license plate to look for the
charge port before I resorted to the owner’s manual
and learned that a corner of the grille flips open for
charging. Which begs the question: Why does an EV
even have anything that looks like a grille?
When it comes to electric cars, the stranger
the better. Let’s make them look like 1978 F-100s.
Let’s make them look like flying saucers. Give me
neon-purple underglow lighting that gets brighter
when I stomp the accelerator. Put the steering wheel
in the middle of a front bench seat on my six-wheel-
drive convertible pickup. Let’s have a clean break to
the freak side. General Motors already brought back
the Hummer. But this is a job for Saab.
I L LU ST RAT I ON BY D ERE K BACO N ~ NOV E MB E R 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RIV ER
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 ELANA SCHERR
Challenge
Accepted
It seemed somehow preordained that the
Dodge Challenger would play a significant role
in my automotive enthusiasm.
I
got the T-shirt long before I got the car. I couldn’t
even drive at the time, so its muscle-car graph-
ics didn’t mean anything to me, other than a
clean replacement for whatever I was wear-
ing before I spilled something during a slum-
ber party. I don’t know why Kelly Crowe had
a too-big tee emblazoned with a blue 1974
Dodge Challenger Rallye, “So Rare!” written
beneath it in a late-’70s font, but she was older
and cooler, and willing to part with it. When I
offered it back, Kelly told me to keep it. “It suits you,” she said.
I don’t know what sort of automotive precognition Kelly
possessed, but several years later, I ended up buying a 1972
Challenger. Perhaps all that time in the shirt had subtly
influenced my search, turning my head from the Road
Runners and Chevelles my car friends liked, filtering out
the mini-pickups fellow art-school kids drove, and aiming
me toward the Dodge E-body.
At the time, Challengers were, as the shirt said, pretty
rare. Dodge made the E-body for only five years, and its
successor in the late ’70s was so different in spirit and form
30
that most people have forgotten it ever existed. The
first-generation Challenger is a lovely design, all long
hood and saucily arched rear quarters. It’s a Camaro
in more stylish slacks, an E-type Jag in a trucker hat.
Had Dodge not been five years late to the pony-car
game, the Challenger might have sold in the same
massive numbers as Mustangs and Firebirds. Even
in its later days, with the frowny-face grille—and,
in the case of my car, considerable body damage,
uneven black primer, mismatched wheels, and a
bare-metal interior—the Challenger was a head
turner and a tire burner. I won my first (and only)
racing money in that car, a check for $200 from
Los Angeles County Raceway, which was probably
just about enough to cover the cost of installing the
cheater shot of nitrous we used to win.
Soon after my triumph at the drag strip, I
sold the ’72 and swapped the running gear into a
1970—more collectible, more respectable. It had
luxuries like door panels. During my restoration of
that car, Dodge brought out the third-generation
Challenger. Initially, I hated it for ruining my parts
searches on eBay. “No, I don’t need lowering springs
for a 2009. I need leaf springs for a 1970!” Suddenly
my so-rare car was everywhere. New-car people
were talking Challenger.
I liked the looks of the new one, in an over-
stuffed-Oreo sort of way, but it seemed stodgy, not
fast enough, not rough enough. Sure, the SRT8 ran
a 13-second quarter-mile, but so did a mildly tuned
40-year-old R/T. It wasn’t until the introduction of
the Hellcat variants that the modern Challenger
really impressed me. That irritated-beehive whine,
the fat rear tires ready to liquefy like butter in a
microwave, the Manic Panic color combinations—
it was the first new Challenger to offer the same
delights as the classic one, but quicker. Some of my
favorite work over the past decade has involved
testing, road tripping, and racing in Dodge’s hell-
ish offerings.
All of this comes to mind now, as Dodge releases
a slew of special-edition cars to mark the end of
the LX-based Challenger and, possibly, the end of
gas-powered Challengers altogether. Future Chal-
lengers, if there are any, will likely be in the electric-
muscle camp. As Hank Williams Jr. says, even the
rowdy friends settle down. Some Dodge fans are
upset. It’s hard to say goodbye to an old friend, espe-
cially one who’s been a reliable party animal for 15
years. I think it will be okay. After all, Challenger
survived the second gen, and an EV version can’t
be worse than that. Still, my sympathies to third-
gen owners when their eBay parts searches bring up
“2025 Challenger battery packs.” In the meantime,
I’ve still got the 1970—and the T-shirt.
I LLU ST RAT I O N BY D I L E K BAY K A RA ~ NOV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI VE R
 UNWRAP
AMERICAN-MADE
GIFTS

Made in USA
Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit.
© 2022 MacNeil IP LLC
32
8 THE
HARD
WAY

CHE VROLE T PL ACES AN 8500 - RPM

BET WITH THE 2023 CORVET TE Z06
A ND I T S NE W LT6 V - 8 .
BY EZRA DYER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO

N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
33
 AROUND HERE, WE SIT
THROUGH A LOT OF
PRESENTATIONS ABOUT
AUTOMOTIVE TRENDS.
CHARTS AND SPEECHES
DETAIL THE LONG -
TERM MARCH TO
ELECTRIFICATION AND
HOW THE MOVE TOWARD
SMALL-DISPL ACEMENT,
TURBOCHARGED ENGINES
IS BRIDGING THE GAP
UNTIL WE GET THERE.

We hear boasts about platform sharing and production effi-

ciencies realized. What no company ever says is, “You know
what we decided to do? Draw up a big-ass V-8 that revs to a
million and will only go in one version of one model. We’ll
build it by hand, and pretty much not a single part will be
compatible with anything else. It’ll have way less torque than
its predecessor, and it’ll get worse fuel economy. But nobody
will care because it’ll sound so righteous at 8500 rpm that
you’ll forget your own name.” We might be paraphrasing a
little, but that essentially is Chevy’s pitch for the 2023 Cor-
vette Z06 and its singular LT6 V-8. We can’t believe General
Motors actually built this thing, and
maybe neither can GM.
Oddly, the LT6 Chevrolet could have powered
V-8 has the same the new Z06 with an evolution of its
engine code as an
85-hp Oldsmobile supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, which
diesel V-6. They made as much as 755 horsepower
share only a name. in the previous-generation Cor-
At 5000 rpm, the
V-8 is just starting vette. That would have been easy
to wake up. and effective, the obvious move.

N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V E R
 Plus Sounds like the Monaco Grand Prix all by itself,
deliciously linear power delivery, flared fenders are
always a winner. Minus Gets 12 mpg, somehow induces
nostalgia for the present, convertible hardware hides
the gol-dang engine. Equals Best. Corvette. Ever.

Instead, engineers started from scratch on a naturally
aspirated 5.5-liter screamer with a flat-plane crankshaft
and 32 valves. At a heady 8400 rpm, the LT6 generates
670 horsepower the all-natural way, and it makes its 460
pound-feet of torque at 6300 rpm, nearly the redline in a
regular Stingray.
From the moment the engine barks to life, it sounds
impatient, its ragged flat-plane idle suggesting a pit stall at
the Rolex 24 at Daytona or perhaps a pair of Suzuki Hayabu-
sas sitting at a stoplight. While the Stingray’s pushrod LT2
V-8 uses bimodal muffler valves—loud or quiet, a binary
decision—the Z06’s muffler valves can continually adjust in
two-degree increments, fine-tuning the sound. Wide open, it
sounds like a Ferrari 458 Italia that hit puberty. An engineer
told us that during testing at the Nürburgring, the Z06’s wail
could be heard all the way around its lap. The Nürburgring,
we should point out, is almost 13 miles long.
The LT6 was code-named Gemini during development, but
not as an homage to the Chevy Gemini sold in South America
in the 1980s and known hereabouts as the Chevrolet/Geo
Counterpoints
Driving the new Z06 is a little like
the scene in Talladega Nights when
Will Ferrell shares the cockpit of his
’69 Chevelle with a mountain lion.
“If you’re scared, that beautiful death machine
will do what God made it to do—namely, eat
you with a smile on its face.” Leave the Z06
in Tour mode and it’s almost as if there isn’t a
mountain lion in the car with you. Until you
mash the accelerator. Then there are a dozen
cougars roaring in the cockpit. —Jack Fitzgerald
It should be the fastest thing on earth,
but it’s only really, really fast. Then
there’s the ride quality: Do you need
to pee? It’s worse now. And, as in all
eighth-gen Corvettes, the interior seems designed
for divorcing couples—there’s a wall between
us emotionally, and also in the car. These days,
most sports cars are grand tourers, but not the
Z06. Wrestle it into submission. Let ’em hear you
with the roar that precedes tornadoes. Every
shift is a whip crack, like you’re Indiana Jones.
This is a bar fight on wheels. Your life has been
too easy. Take on a challenge. —Elana Scherr

35
 EXTREMIST THE HARDEST- CORE Z06 IS
M U LT IDIME NS ION A L LY BE T T E R .
Until now, no one would have included
in the many reasons to throw a set of
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R gum-
mies at a sports car that they would
improve ride quality. But it’s true on
the Z06 when paired with the $9995
carbon-fiber wheels, which shed a
claimed 41 pounds.
That this most extreme version
of the Z06 is amazingly livable over
far-from-smooth Michigan pave-
ment is surprising, given that this
car is also capable of setting many a
track record. Going hardcore means
you should choose the base targa
body style, which saves about 90
pounds versus the convertible, and
the $8995 Z07 Performance pack-
age. That’s actually a relative bar-
gain, as it includes the carbon-ce-
ramic rotors that cost $8495 alone,
which makes the Cup 2 Rs only $500.
Going Z07 also requires the aggres-
sive Aero package for another $8495
(or $10,495 in exposed carbon fiber).
Oh, don’t worry, this Z06 is
plenty sharper too. Its dramatically
stiffer wheels necessitated a differ-
36
ent steering calibration. Turn-in is
preternatural, the steering is purer,
and, another surprise, this car better
resists tramlining too.
Getting the targa also means the
engine is visible, and shouldn’t you
be able to see the 8500-rpm widget
that’s causing a queue to pay $43,400
more than a regular Stingray costs?
We thought having a line of sight
to the 670-hp LT6 might affect the
sound inside the cabin, but subjec-
tively it doesn’t, although the targa
measured quieter at wide-open throt-
tle than the convertible, 94 decibels
to 96. Other than the shriek to red-
line, the exhaust’s guttural throat
clearing when tipping in and out of
the throttle at elevated rpm tickled
our car-enthusiast innards every
time. Very Ferrari. A double-paddle
pull lets the engine free rev and is a
guaranteed way to draw a crowd—
you can hear its wail from miles away.
At the test track, this one got to
60 mph in 2.6 seconds and through
the quarter-mile in 10.5 at 131 mph,
gains of 0.1 and 0.2 second, and 2
mph, respectively, over the 133-pound-
heavier convertible. The initial leap to
30 mph happens in 1.0 second flat,
tying the 991-generation Porsche 911
GT3 RS and GT2 RS for quickest launch
we’ve ever recorded in a rear-drive car
and bettering many all-wheel-drive
sports cars. Chevy’s launch control is
exceptionally dialed in.
Although the new Z06 decisively
shows its taillights to the previous-
gen car in a straight line, the C7 Z06
stopped shorter and cornered harder.
An extra 108 pounds to an already
heavy car never helps. On the skid-
pad, we measured 1.16 g’s, better
than the 1.12 g’s of the convertible
on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber,
but short of Chevy’s claim of 1.22 g’s,
which requires much lower than door-
placard tire pressures. The skidpad
also brings out the Z06’s understeer.
With its angry start-up, high-
pitched wail, and ability to spin to
speeds that would shoot pushrods
through a small-block, this latest
Z06 is far more special. It’s also best
served hardcore. —Dave VanderWerp
 Spectrum. No, it’s a reference to the moon-
shot NASA program, because that’s what
this engine represents for the Corvette.
There’s a steep learning curve when your
new V-8 is capable of 573 combustion events
every second at the 8600-rpm fuel cut. If
you’re compiling a list of GM V-8 firsts, a lot
of them from the past 30 years or so belong
to the LT6. Dual throttle bodies and intake
plenums. Fuel injectors on the exhaust side
of the cylinders to aid high-speed air-fuel
Carbon-fiber wheels the numbers
come painted or
exposed like the Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-
ones on our car drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa
Only targas get Base/As Tested  $127,185/$166,205
the jewel-case Engine: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum
engine bay The block and heads, direct fuel injection
carpet matches the Displacement .............. 333 in3, 5463 cm3
calipers in this Z07 Power .......................... 670 hp @ 8400 rpm
Torque ..................... 460 lb-ft @ 6300 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch
automatic
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ...................................... 107.2 in
• L/W/H ........................... 185.9/79.7/48.6 in
• Curb Weight ................................... 3666 lb
test RESULTS
60 mph ................................................. 2.6 sec
100 mph ............................................... 5.9 sec
130 mph ............................................. 10.3 sec
1/4-Mile ........................ 10.5 sec @ 131 mph
150 mph ............................................. 15.2 sec
170 mph ............................................ 24.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............... 3.1 sec
Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............ 189 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 139 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 274 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ....... 1.16 g
C/D Fuel Economy
• Observed ......................................... 12 mpg
EPA Fuel Economy
• Comb/City/Hwy ................ 14/12/19 mpg
mixing. An 8500-rpm redline. The LT6 revs
so fast that Chevy built in a mode to tran-
quilize the throttle when you’re selecting
the rpm for launch-control starts, lest you
blow past your intended target by 1000 rpm.
When we congratulated one GM engineer
on the LT6, the response was, “Congratu-
late me if it still runs after 150,000 miles.”
Nevertheless, this engine has seen plenty of
durability testing while powering the C8.R
race car for two seasons.
We didn’t put 150,000 miles on it, but we
ran this Z06 70th Anniversary convertible
plenty hard with nary a hiccup, and boy,
did it put up some numbers. Its 2.7-second
60-mph time is a snapshot of a party that’s
just getting started, as evidenced by the
Z06’s 10.7-second quarter-mile at 129 mph.
The Z06’s short 5.56:1 final-drive ratio helps
fire it off the line, but we’ll be interested to
see whether a car with the standard Aero
package gets to, say, 160 mph quicker—this
car wore the $8495 Carbon Aero package
that helps generate 734 pounds of down-
force at 186 mph, and those spoilers and
underbody strakes exact a toll in drag at
higher speeds. One clue on that front: Stand-
ard Z06s get a $2600 gas-guzzler tax, while
cars with the Aero package are hit with a
$3000 penalty. We averaged 12 mpg (the
EPA city figure), making the 19-mpg EPA
highway rating seem mighty optimistic.
Even though this particular car embod-
ies a historically mellow Corvette spec—an
automatic convertible—the Z06 structure
is so stiff that the suspension calibrations
match the coupe’s. And on its Michelin
Pilot Sport 4S ZP tires (275/30ZR-20 up
front and comically monstrous 345/25ZR-
21 in back), the Z06 pulled 1.12 g’s on the
skidpad and stopped from 70 mph in 144
feet. So go ahead and treat yourself to the
droptop. You’re not exactly trading perfor-
mance for style, although you do miss out
on gawking at the LT6. As with the Sting-
ray, Z06 coupes display their engine under
glass. Convertibles have a cover for the top
mechanism that hides the engine, even with
the convertible tonneau raised. As recom-
pense, you’re treated to an extra-loud sere-
nade from the LT6 if you put the top up or
down while the car is in motion (at up to 30
mph), since you’re essentially driving with
the hood open.
As with previous Z06s, this one is a
holistic track-attack special, with plenti-
ful chassis upgrades to take advantage of
the newfound horsepower. The body is
3.6 inches wider than the Stingray’s, mak-
ing room for those huge tires and a wider
37

track. The cooling system is upgraded with two extra
heat exchangers, one of which is front and center and
includes a removable grille panel to maximize airflow
during track sessions. Six-piston brake calipers squeeze
Brembo 14.6-inch rotors up front, and the rear end gets
15.0-inch rotors. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes
($8495) on our test car are even bigger—15.7 inches in
front and 15.4 out back—and thoroughly indefatigable
on a track. Put the car in Tour mode with the top down,
gently blast some Gordon Lightfoot with the seat heaters
blazing on a fresh fall evening, and it’s easy to forget
you’re at the wheel of a hardcore track maniac, a car that
can turn unapologetically sociopathic with the change
of a couple of settings.
It recalibrates your expectations, the Z06. At first,
8500 rpm seems nutty, but soon enough you find your-
self hitting the 8600-rpm rev limiter because it’s pulling
38
hard all the way there (the LT6 feels like it would
be happy to visit the far side of 10,000 rpm, were
it not for warranty considerations). There’s so
much lateral stick that you’re almost surprised
when it turns out to have limits, and the front
and rear ends begin a dance to see who’ll relin-
quish grip first. It’s like the Z06 channels the
high-winding spirit of the sixth-gen Z06, but
with so much more sophistication. This is the
Ferrari that Ferrari doesn’t make anymore.
It’s priced like it too, next to its Bowling
Green brethren. This convertible carries a
base price of $116,795, and options brought it
to $162,510. The ceiling is higher if you care
to explore the salutary effects of carbon-fiber
wheels or treat yourself to the full Z07 Performance pack-
age. But what’s the competition? An Audi R8 Spyder is prob-
ably the closest thing, and that costs even more and is down
nearly 100 horsepower.
Corvette engineers could have built a forced-induction
Z06 that was more powerful than this. That would have
been easy. Instead, they chased a subjective experience, the
howling mid-engine exotic fantasy we all carry in our heads.
Against all odds, they made it real.
While electronic
safeguards don’t
allow brake-assisted
burnouts, the Z06
will drift if coaxed.
It’s a more fun way to
melt rubber anyway.
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
2023 CHEVROLET CORVETTE A 32-PIECE ORCHESTRA
Z06 CONVERTIBLE Inside each of the double-overhead-cam
heads are 16 valves. The larger-diameter
intake valves are titanium, while the
Price exhaust are sodium filled. No hydraulic
$162,510
As Tested .........................
Base .................................................................. $116,795
lifters here; valve lash is set “for life.”

Dimensions
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, Wheelbase .................................................................... 107.2 in
2-passenger, 2-door convertible Length ............................................................................ 185.9 in
Options: 3LZ equipment group (leather- Width .................................................................................. 79.7 in
wrapped interior with microfiber headliner, Height ............................................................................... 48.6 in
heated and ventilated GT2 bucket seats, Front Track ................................................................... 66.3 in
navigation, wireless phone charging), $13,350; Rear Track ...................................................................... 66.1 in
carbon-ceramic rotors, $8495; carbon-fiber Ground Clearance ........................................................ 3.7 in
aero package (includes $400 gas-guzzler tax), 6 ......... 0.51 .......... 28.3 Passenger Volume ....................................................... 51 ft3
$8895; 70th Anniversary package, $5995; 7 ......... 0.40 ......... 36.0 Cargo Volume ................................................................. 13 ft3
Level 2 carbon-fiber interior trim, $4995; 8 ......... 0.33 ......... 43.7
front-axle lift, $2595; black stripes, $995;
black exhaust tips, $395 Chassis
Infotainment: 8.0-inch touchscreen; wireless aluminum spaceframe TEST RESULTS
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; satellite radio Body Material: sheet-molded composite
(1 year included); minijack, 1 USB, 1 USB-C, and
Bluetooth inputs; Wi-Fi hotspot (1 month Steering Acceleration
included); Bose Performance Series stereo, rack-and-pinion with variable ratio and 27.7
170
14 speakers electric power assist
Ratio ........................................................................ 15.7:1 16.3 21.1
Engine Turns Lock-to-Lock ............................................ 2.5
V-8, aluminum block and heads Turning Circle Curb-to-Curb ................. 36.4 ft 140 10.7 12.9
Bore x Stroke ...... 4.10 x 3.15 in, 104.3 x 80.0 mm 1/4-MILE
129
Displacement ............................. 333 in3, 5463 cm3 Suspension 9.1
Compression Ratio ........................................... 12.5:1 F: ind; unequal-length control arms, coil 6.1 7.5
Fuel Delivery: direct injection springs, 3-position electronically controlled

MPH
100
Valve Gear: double overhead cams, 4 valves dampers, anti-roll bar 5.1
per cylinder, variable intake- and exhaust- R: ind; unequal-length control arms, coil
4.2
valve timing springs, 3-position electronically controlled
Redline/Fuel Cutoff ................... 8500/8600 rpm dampers, anti-roll bar 2.7 3.3
60
Power ........................................... 670 hp @ 8400 rpm
Torque ..................................... 460 lb-ft @ 6300 rpm Brakes 2.0
F: 15.7 x 1.5-in vented, cross-drilled 1.5
Drivetrain carbon-ceramic disc; 6-piston fixed caliper 30
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic R: 15.4 x 1.3-in vented, cross-drilled 0 1.1 SEC 28
Final-Drive Ratio .............. 5.56:1, electronically carbon-ceramic disc; 4-piston fixed caliper
controlled limited-slip differential Stability Control: fully defeatable, traction Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
off, competition mode, launch control
GEAR RATIO MPH PER MAX SPEED Rolling Start, 5–60 mph .................. 3.1 sec
1000 RPM IN GEAR (rpm) Wheels and Tires Top Gear, 30–50 mph ..................... 2.0 sec
1 ......... 2.91 .......... 5.0 ............... 43 mph (8600) Wheels: forged aluminum, F: 10.0 x 20 in Top Gear, 50–70 mph ..................... 2.2 sec
2 ......... 1.76 ........... 8.2 ............... 71 mph (8600) R: 13.0 x 21 in Top Speed (mfr’s claim) .............. 189 mph
3 ......... 1.22 .......... 11.8 ............... 101 mph (8600) Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP
4 ......... 0.88 ......... 16.4 .............. 141 mph (8600) F: 275/30ZR-20 (97Y) TPC Handling
5 ......... 0.65 ......... 22.2 ............. 189 mph (8500) R: 345/25ZR-21 (104Y) TPC Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad .......... 1.12 g
Understeer: moderate

COMPETITORS Braking
BASE, 70–0 mph ............................................. 144 ft
$ x 1000*
The revviest and shoutiest from 100–0 mph ........................................... 282 ft
EP EL
FU
A EC
CO ON M

Detroit and Stuttgart. Fade: none

130

MB O PG
IN MY,
ED

Weight
TIO ILE

150
10
SE N,
RA -M

Curb ...................................................... 3799 lb

.5
C
LE 1/4

INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL,

Chevrolet Corvette Per Horsepower .................................. 5.7 lb

16
10

Z06 Convertible
.7
CE

170

Distribution, F/R ........................ 38.9/61.1%

AC

670-hp 5.5-L V-8,

15
10

FULL-THROTTLE
.9

8-sp auto Fuel

190

14

Chevrolet Corvette
11.

Capacity ............................................. 18.5 gal

1

Z06 with Z07 Octane ......................................................... 93

13

dBA

2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9

670-hp 5.5-L V-8,
8-sp auto
ACCELERATION, SEC
60-MPH

94 97 C/D Fuel Economy

Porsche 718 Cayman
0

Observed ............................................. 12 mpg

30

GT4 RS
1.0
0

5
28

493-hp 4.0-L flat-6, EPA Fuel Economy

7-sp auto
1.1

Comb/City/Hwy ..................... 14/12/19 mpg

0

ID G,
G SK DIN

Porsche 911 GT3

-
D, FT OL
1.1
0

502-hp 4.0-L flat-6,

5

PA 00- DH

Interior Sound Level

24

3 OA

7-sp auto
R
1.2

Idle ......................................................... 55 dBA

0
1 0 RA K

Full Throttle ....................................... 96 dBA

0– IN
B

*Includes performance-
0- G,

70-mph Cruising .............................. 75 dBA

MP F

enhancing options.
H T

CURB WEIGHT, LB

T EST E D BY DAV E VA NDE RW E R P I N C H E L SE A , M I C H I GA N 39

40 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
 T H E

L U X E

L I F E

THE MERCEDES-BENZ S500, THE LEXUS LS500, AND THE

ALL-NEW GENESIS G90 PROVE THE TRADITIONAL LUXURY
SEDAN IS FAR FROM DEAD. BUT WHICH OF THESE CRUISE
SHIPS IS THE ONE YOU WANT TO SAIL AWAY IN?
BY R ICH CEPPOS PHOTOGR A PH Y BY M A RC U R BA NO

41
W E A L T H
A N
P O W E R .
For decades, that’s what big luxury sedans have repre-
sented. They’ve been the flagships of upmarket brands,
making journeys supremely comfortable while confer-
ring a special status upon owners. Hotel parking-lot
valets leave them out front. Movie and TV directors
use them as props to signal prestige (think Succession).
There are twice as many large luxury SUVs on the mar-
ket today as large luxury sedans, but when a big, black,
expensive sedan pulls up, it still gets attention. Several
brands continue to build these cruise ships, so it seems
like the right time to take the pulse of the luxe-sedan
segment by pitting two important upscale nameplates
against the standard-bearer.
The Mercedes-Benz S-class has long been the luxury
car others are judged by. An S500 4Matic was the natu-
ral choice as this test’s benchmark. It’s the six-cylinder
standard model—we’d never call it base—whose spec-
ifications best line up with our two challengers, the
Lexus LS500 and the all-new Genesis G90, both also
six-cylinder powered. Yes, there’s an S580 V-8 über-
model, but it’s even more expensive, and the S500
D
already had the highest base price
of our trio at $112,150.
As you would expect, the S500
comes well equipped for the cruise-
ship mission with a 429-hp super-
charged and turbocharged 3.0-liter
inline-six with hybrid assist, all-
wheel drive, air springs, adaptive
dampers, every driver assist imag-
inable, and massaging front seats.
Several interior options spruced
up our test car. These included
special Sienna brown-and-black
nappa-leather upholstery ($2290),
piano-black interior trim with A six-figure cabin
embedded metal pinstripes ($1300), should coddle the body
and inform the mind.
and multicolor ambient lighting None of these under-
($790). Mechanical enhancements deliver on the former,
encompassed 21-inch AMG wheels and all go about the
latter very differently.
shod in Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer
tires ($1750) and rear-wheel steer-
ing ($1300). An AMG Line package
($4300) dressed up the exterior with
more aggressive front and rear fas-
cias and side skirts. Our car was also
equipped with the 3-D instrument
cluster ($3000). The extras brought
the sticker to $127,130—by far the
priciest in the test.
At the other end of the price
spectrum is the Lexus LS500 AWD,
which starts at $80,500. Don’t be
fooled by its fire-sale base price;
while it includes luxury basics such
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V E R
 2023 Genesis G90 2022 Lexus 2022 Mercedes-
3.5T e-SC AWD LS500 AWD Benz S500 4Matic
Base/As Tested $99,795/$101,295 $80,500/$110,030 $112,150/$127,130
Dimensions
Wheelbase 125.2 in 123.0 in 126.6 in
Length/Width/Height 207.7/76.0/58.7 in 206.1/74.8/57.5 in 208.2/76.9/59.2 in
Track, F/R 65.2/65.4 in 64.3/64.3 in 65.4/66.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/R 57/48 ft 3 52/47 ft 3 61/59 ft3
Trunk Volume 11 ft 3 17 ft3 13 ft 3
Powertrain
Engine supercharged and twin-turbocharged supercharged and
twin-turbocharged DOHC 24-valve V-6 turbocharged DOHC
DOHC 24-valve V-6 210 in3 (3445 cm3) 24-valve inline-6
212 in3 (3470 cm3) 183 in3 (2999 cm3)
Power, hp @ rpm 409 @ 5800 416 @ 6000 429 @ 6100
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 405 @ 1300 442 @ 1600 384 @ 1800
Redline 6250 rpm 6400 rpm 6300 rpm
lb per hp 12.6 12.3 11.2
Driveline
Transmission 8-speed automatic 10-speed automatic 9-speed automatic
Driven Wheels all all all
Final-Drive Ratio:1 3.73 2.76 2.82
Chassis
Suspension F: multilink, air F: multilink, air F: multilink, air
springs, anti-roll bar springs, anti-roll barsprings, anti-roll bar
R: multilink, air R: multilink, air R: multilink, air
springs, anti-roll bar springs, anti-roll barsprings, anti-roll bar
Brakes F: 14.2-in vented disc F: 14.0-in vented discF: 14.5-in vented,
R: 14.2-in vented disc R: 13.1-in vented disccross-drilled disc
R: 14.1-in vented,
cross-drilled disc
Stability Control fully defeatable, partially defeatable, partially defeatable
traction off traction off
Tires Michelin Primacy Bridgestone Turanza Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Tour A/S EL450 RFT
F: 245/40R-21 100V 245/45R-20 99V M+S F: 255/35R-21 95Y
M+S GOE MO-S
R: 275/35R-21 103V R: 285/30R-21 100Y
M+S MO-S
TEST RESULTS
Acceleration
30 mph 2.0 sec 1.9 sec 1.7 sec
60 mph 5.1 sec 5.4 sec 4.6 sec
100 mph 12.7 sec 12.8 sec 11.5 sec
130 mph 21.9 sec 22.3 sec —
1/4-Mile @ mph 13.7 sec @ 104 13.7 sec @ 104 13.1 sec @ 107
Results above omit 1-ft Results above omit 1-ft Results above omit 1-ft
rollout of 0.3 sec. rollout of 0.3 sec. rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph 6.1 sec 6.2 sec 5.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph 3.5 sec 3.4 sec 3.0 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph 4.2 sec 4.1 sec 3.9 sec
Top Speed 132 mph (gov ltd) 140 mph (gov ltd) 127 mph (gov ltd)
Chassis
Braking, 70–0 mph 184 ft 185 ft 158 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph 365 ft 371 ft 324 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft
Skidpad 0.84 g 0.83 g 0.91 g
Weight
Curb 5156 lb 5129 lb 4786 lb
Distribution, F/R 50.6/49.4% 53.3/46.7% 54.4/45.6%
Fuel
Capacity/Octane 19.3 gal/91 21.7gal/91 22.1 gal/91
EPA Comb/City/Hwy 20/17/24 mpg 21/17/27 mpg 24/21/30 mpg
C/D 500-mi Trip 22 mpg 22 mpg 26 mpg
75-mph Hwy Driving 29 mpg 29 mpg 31 mpg
75-mph Hwy Range 550 mi 620 mi 680 mi
Sound Level
Idle/Full Throttle 34/69 dBA 38/74 dBA 35/71 dBA
70-mph Cruise 64 dBA 65 dBA 65 dBA

T EST E D BY DAV I D BE A RD I N CH EL S E A , M I

as a 416-hp twin-turbo V-6 and all-wheel drive and
has a reasonable list of amenities, it required almost
$30,000 worth of options to match the equipment
levels of the S500 and G90. Among the most expen-
sive additions was the Executive package, with semi-
aniline leather trim, massaging front seats, and
power-reclining and massaging rear seats ($17,380).
The LS also had air springs ($1400),
a Mark Levinson audio setup
($1940), premium wood interior
trim ($800), and the Lexus Safety
System ($3200), which includes a
bevy of additional driver assists.
Options brought the as-tested price
to $110,030.
By contrast, a Genesis G90
e-Supercharger AWD like our test
car is the automotive equivalent
of an all-inclusive resort vaca-
tion. The G90’s $99,795 base price
accounts for virtually everything
the S500 and the LS500 had—and
in some cases more. The G90 has a
400-plus-hp V-6, massaging front
and rear seats, and a full selection
of safety tech. Our mount arrived
with but one option: Matte Gray
paint ($1500).
Yes, the absence of a couple of
other luxury cars is conspicuous.
BMW didn’t yet have the just-
introduced new 7-series stateside,
and Audi couldn’t conjure up an A8,
the current version of which is in its
final model year. Nevertheless, the
three vehicles we got gave us plenty
to ponder.
What do you do with cruise
In a vacuum, the ships? Do you really need to ask?
LS is great, but in We took them on a two-day, 500-
this company, it is
the smallest mile lake-to-shining-lake luxe-life
inside and out, cruise. We started with a few laps
plus its design and on our favorite local back roads to
powertrain are our
least favorite. assess their handling, then headed
east to ritzy Grosse Pointe, located

Lexus
LS500 AWD
Plus Plush front
chairs, rich
cabin materials,
serene highway
cruiser. Minus
Clashing interior
design themes,
convoluted rear-
seat controls,
looks too much
like a Toyota
Avalon. Equals
The LS500 goes
for radical in a
conservative
segment, and it
doesn’t work.

44
Genesis G90
3.5T e-SC AWD
Plus Looks the
part, beautiful
interior,
spectacular
value. Minus
Least comfy
rear seats,
clunky-chunky
steering-wheel
design. Equals
Presence that
says you’ve
arrived and rich
appointments
that make you
feel like it too.

on Lake St. Clair, which separates Lake Huron from The G90 comes designed for two different mod-
Lake Erie (and the United States from Canada). The closer than ever els. Many lesser cars have better-
to knocking off
area has been home to numerous auto-industry the class bench- executed instrument clusters; the
moguls since the early 20th century. We paused for mark. It’s the LS500’s lurks in a tight pocket sunk
sunset photos at a mansion that once belonged to quietest while deep into the dash.
cruising, but its
Russell A. Alger Jr., an investor who helped found back seat is the That’s too bad because the LS is
the Packard Motor Car Company. It’s now the Grosse least comfortable. otherwise pleasant. It rides softly
Pointe War Memorial and a community center. From and handles capably. Its twin-
there we sailed west on interstates
and two-lanes until we reached
Lake Michigan and the picturesque
resort town of South Haven. Upon
arrival, we had our finish order of
fabulousness.

3rd Place: Lexus LS500

When Lexus introduced the orig-
inal LS400 back in 1989, it was
good enough to send shock waves
through luxury carmakers’ engi-
neering departments. Over time,
its luster faded, and it now sells in
small numbers. The current model
won’t change that.
The LS500 unfortunately lacks
the visual gravitas that signals
prestige. At first glance, it’s easy to
mistake it for a commonplace Lexus
ES—or a Toyota Avalon. In fact,
someone on our test team mistak-
enly kept calling it “the Toyota.” Not
a good sign.
Inside are expensive materials,
plush seats, and a goodly number
of worthwhile features. But the
interior is unharmonious and busy
bordering on jarring, with a mess of
clashing design themes. The metal
trim on the dash and doors looks

45
 Mercedes-Benz
S500 4Matic
Plus Velvet-gloved
powertrain refine-
ment, opulent
interior, wide ride-
and-handling band-
width. Minus Stingy
on features for the
price, that info-
tainment interface,
steering-wheel
controls require a
surgeon’s hands.
Equals The class
benchmark delivers
the best-executed
luxury-car
fundamentals.

turbo V-6 engine hums quietly. Its “I bet the owner whispers along at 64 decibels inside the cabin, the
10-speed automatic behaves well. of that new quietest of the group. The suspension absorbs bad
S-class is a
We enjoyed the cosseting softness pauper,” said no pavement with supple, well-damped movements,
of the driver’s seat and its comfort- one ever. There’s a and the responses of the steering, brakes, and accel-
ing massage function. The audio reason all the erator are progressive and refined. The 409-hp
luxury-car makers
system offers convenient knobs for aim to better it. supercharged and twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 pulls well
volume and tuning. The massaging, and is nearly silent around town. It emits a distant
reclining rear seats are a nice fea- rasp only near the top of the rev band.
ture, but their touchscreen controls
are so convoluted, they’re almost
unusable. The awkward shifter,
seemingly borrowed from a Toyota
Prius, was annoying as well. In this
expensive neighborhood, every-
thing counts. The LS500 misses on
too many big things.

2nd Place: Genesis G90

This newly introduced second-gen
G90 is a revelation. The Genesis has
presence; it looks big and expen-
sive but not derivative. The ambi-
ence inside is warm and inviting.
The interior design is modern but
appropriately restrained; the clunky
steering wheel is the only off note.
Electric motors open the doors and
pull them closed with the push of a
button. You know another car that
does that? A Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The infotainment system is straight-
forward and good-looking. It even
offers a “mood curator” that com-
bines massage, sounds, and ambi-
ent lighting in four modes: Vitality,
Delight, Care, and Comfort. We
liked it.
The G90 goes down the road like
a cruise ship should—at 70 mph, it

46 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
 The G90’s one shortcoming is its This S-class’s inline-six purrs like cushions. The tablet infotainment
reclining, massaging, heated, and it’s made of money—it had the most screen’s graphics are artful.
ventilated rear seats. They need silken engine note of the group— There are things about the S500
reshaping to be as comfy as the rear and zips the big sedan to 60 mph in that should be better, though, con-
perch in the Benz. In the end, the just 4.6 seconds, the quickest in this sidering the premium Mercedes
Mercedes—with better performance, test. The powertrain also delivers the charges for it. Our test car lacked not
fuel economy, and driver engage- best fuel economy. This was the only only reclining and massaging rear
ment—outpointed the G90. But car of the three shod with summer seats, but rear-seat HVAC controls,
given its spectacular value and virtu- tires, which helped give it the most which both the Lexus and the Gene-
ally equal luxuriousness, this Genesis cornering grip and shortest braking sis offered. As we’ve said before, the
earns our full-throated endorsement. distance. In the Comfort drive mode, company’s MBUX infotainment sys-
In our hearts the result was a very the Mercedes wafts along with a pil- tem is overly complicated, and the
close second—a moral victory if not lowy ride, but switch into Sport+, and haptic steering-wheel controls that
an actual one. it surprisingly behaves enough like a operate its functions are fussy. The
sports sedan to encourage your inner instrument cluster’s 3-D feature left
1st Place: Mercedes-Benz S500 Lewis Hamilton. us asking “Why?”
Mercedes has been building cars like The S500 nails the luxury fun- Still, the S500 is great at the
this for a long time, and it shows. damentals too. Its paint is gorgeous. things you buy a luxury car for. It
The S500 won because it gets the Its interior furnishings are opulent, effortlessly eases down the road,
fundamentals right. That starts, its cabin detailing elegant. It has the encapsulating you in comfort. In all
unpredictably, with mass—the S500 most comfortable rear-passenger the ways that count, the S500 makes
weighs several hundred pounds less compartment thanks to immense you feel rich. And isn’t that the point
than either the G90 or the LS500. legroom and perfectly shaped seat of the luxe life?

GRAND TOTAL
1/4-MILE ACCELERATION*
FEATURES/AMENITIES*
REAR-SEAT COMFORT
REAR-SEAT SPACE*

EXTERIOR STYLING
REBATES/EXTRAS*
INTERIOR STYLING

AS-TESTED PRICE*
DRIVER COMFORT

FUEL ECONOMY*

PERFORMANCE*
FIT AND FINISH

STEERING FEEL
TRANSMISSION
CARGO SPACE*

Experience
Powertrain

FUN TO DRIVE
FLEXIBILITY*
ERGONOMICS

ENGINE NVH

BRAKE FEEL
FINAL
SUBTOTAL

SUBTOTAL

SUBTOTAL
HANDLING
Chassis
Vehicle

RESULTS
RIDE
Maximum points available 10 10 5 5 5 10 10 10 10 5 20 100 20 5 10 10 10 55 20 10 10 10 10 60 25 240
1. Mercedes-Benz S500 9 8 5 5 4 9 10 10 10 0 15 85 20 3 10 10 9 52 20 9 6 9 9 53 22 212
2. Genesis G90 10 9 3 3 3 10 9 9 9 1 20 86 17 3 6 9 9 44 16 7 8 8 9 48 20 198
3. Lexus LS500 9 7 4 3 5 9 8 6 6 1 18 76 17 3 6 8 8 42 16 7 8 8 8 47 19 184
*These objective scores are calculated from the vehicles’ dimensions, capacities, rebates and extras, and/or test results.

47
Paradigm

48 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
S h i f t e r

I love
what
you do
for me,
Toyota
GR
Corolla!
by K.C. colwell
photography by Marc Urbano

49

TOYOTA WORE THE STINK OF APPLIANCE-GRADE
TRANSPORTATION WITH PRIDE FOR A LONG TIME.
Reliability is neither sexy nor fun—unless you’re into
actuarial science, in which case, are you reading the
right rag? But the past decade has been different for
Toyota. It introduced two codeveloped rear-wheel-drive
sports cars—the GR86 with Subaru and the Supra with
BMW, both 10Best winners—plus a rally-inspired GR
Yaris for overseas markets. Now we get the Yaris’s larger
sibling, the GR Corolla. Are we crazy, or is Toyota the
leading enthusiast brand of the day?
The GR Corolla is an absolute beauty. It’s capable of
speeds as fast as anyone should feel comfortable going
on public roads. The 143-mph governor can be reached
on the street, but if you drive that fast on two-lane roads,
you probably belong in a cage.
We tested the mid-grade Circuit trim, which starts
at $43,995. A base Core model is $7000 cheaper, and a
$7000-pricier two-seat Morizo edition will come later
in 2023.
At the heart of the GR Corolla is a 1.6-liter inline-
three, a spunky little mill that
also powers the GR Yaris. With
a 10.5:1 compression ratio and
a tiny turbo generating up to
25.2 psi of boost in the Core and
Circuit models, it’s not without
lag—the GR Corolla’s 5-to-60-
mph time is 6.4 seconds—but it
isn’t even the slightest bit offen-
sive. A balance shaft cancels
the inherent imbalance of the
triple, and the passenger’s-side
Counterpoints
At one point, I wanted a 1988–89
Mazda 323 GTX something fierce. That
car was a rally-inspired special, built
on the lowly Mazda 323 but priced
twice as high as a normal 323 hatch. It had a turbo-
charged 1.6-liter engine, a five-speed manual,
and an all-wheel-drive system with a lockable
center differential giving a 50/50 torque split. The
GR Corolla follows a similar blueprint, but with
loads more power and sophistication. Driving
the Gazoo is a riotous good time, and I’m deter-
mined not to miss out again. —Dan Edmunds
I’ve always thought the latest Corolla
had a decent chassis. What rendered
it uncompetitive against the Civics
and Mazda 3s of the world was, well,
pretty much everything else—but mostly its power-
train and interior. Now that the folks at Gazoo
Racing have installed this high-strung turbo
three, I don’t care so much about the graining of
the plastics. The GR is pure fun thanks to lively
throttle response, an eagerness to change direction,
and prodigious grip. It’s great that such a single-
minded machine exists at all, let alone that it was
born of such humble origins. —Joey Capparella
powertrain mount is liquid filled to
further quell shakes.
If you’re hoping for the wild wail
of a Yamaha motorcycle or snow-
mobile, you’ll be disappointed.
Despite the presence of a two-stage
intake and exhaust and the occa-
sional blow-off-valve whoosh, the
engine sounds totally normal. It’s
more like a four than other auto-
motive threes of recent memory—
BMW i8, Mitsubishi Mirage, or
Smart ForTwo. When Toyota devel-
oped this engine for the Yaris, three
engineering teams in the United
States, Germany, and Japan worked
together using computer-aided
engineering to produce a working
prototype in six months, about half
the time of typical development. In
the Corolla Core and Circuit models,
it makes 300 horsepower at 6500
rpm and 273 pound-feet at 3000
rpm. The torque curve stays flat up
to 5500 rpm. The Morizo edition
The regular Corolla’s dashboard is
dressed up with the GR Yaris’s steering
wheel and a unique digital gauge cluster.
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V E R
Plus: Oozes fun, its driveline’s safe word is “more,”
chassis balance makes ’90s BMWs blush.
Minus: Econo-grade interior, some might want a
stiffer chassis, limited availability will likely drive up
transaction prices. Equals: As close to the perfect
blend of livability, affordability, and fun that is
available today. And it’s a Toyota?

51

Flared
fenders house
8.5-by-18-inch
cast-aluminum
wheels wrapped
in 235/40ZR-18
Michelin Pilot
Sport 4 rubber.
A track-focused
display with a
nonlinear tachom-
eter pops up in
Sport mode.
gets a midrange bump to 295 pound-feet courtesy of a
little more boost.
The very stout driveline is seemingly impervious to
the engine’s best efforts to destroy it. Borrowed from
the homologation-special GR Yaris, the all-wheel-drive
system and transmission were developed with private
rally teams in mind. Following the best-practices advice
of Toyota R&D, we launched the GR like a rally car, with
lots of clutch slip. The GR Corolla swallowed all the
abuse we could throw at it, and we never even smelled
the dreaded stink of vaporized clutch material.
For the best launch, hold revs near the limiter and
make sure the engine doesn’t dip below 4000 rpm. But
the driveline wasn’t developed for reaching 60 mph in
second gear. Thus, the 4.9-second 60-mph time doesn’t
fully represent the car’s quickness off the line. Eliminate
a shift and the GR would run quicker than the manual
hot-hatch leader Volkswagen Golf R, with its 4.7-second
sprint. The GR makes up some time in the quarter-mile,
tying the VW with a 13.3-second run. The prototype we
tested came straight from the media launch, and both
the second- and third-gear synchros were easily beat.
We’re confident our next go with a GR will result in even
more impressive test results.
And it had better, because 300 horses is the open-
ing bid in this segment. The Golf R and the Honda Civic
Type R accomplish this, albeit from larger-displacement
engines. The Corolla makes up for lack of a knockout
punch by keeping mass trim. The Circuit’s standard
forged carbon-fiber roof helps Toyota deliver all-wheel
52
drive in a 3269-pound curb weight.
The front-drive Type R, which gets
replaced any day (come back next
month), is about 100 pounds lighter.
The Circuit’s standard front and
rear Torsen differentials maximize
grip. Drivers can select from three
torque splits for the center clutch-
pack coupler, with 70, 50, or 40
percent of available torque driving
the rear axle. Toyota says the best
performance comes from the 50:50
Track mode.
Acceleration alone doesn’t
make this car wonderful. Even bet-
ter is its compliance on Michigan’s
carpet-bombed roads. Fixed-rate
dampers provide a ride-handling
balance reminiscent of a ’90s BMW. There are no elec-
tronic crutches to toggle the suspension from soft to
firm, yet jounce is never so abrupt that it violently tosses
your head. The spring and bushing selections seem per-
fectly matched to the reinforced econocar unibody.
To get a Corolla body up to GR status, Toyota adds
nine feet of structural adhesive and a whopping 349 addi-
tional spot welds, not to mention additional underfloor
bracing. The result is a firm but not overly stiff structure.
An Audi RS3 feels like granite in comparison. There is a
little, tiny, minute bit of chassis flex—not nearly as much
as in a Mazda Miata—that is a boon to feel. Toss the GR
into a corner and you can practically sense the load travel
up its path from the tire’s contact patch.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4—not 4S—tires provide 0.94 g
of grip and a healthy dollop of understeer on the skidpad,
although they feel much stickier on the road, and the car
is more neutral. Other manufacturers should benchmark
this brake pedal: It’s resolute underfoot and responds
perfectly to small changes in pressure. Stopping from
70 mph in 167 feet isn’t great for this segment, but at
least it’s without fade.
One of our few gripes is the pedal placement. With
such a firm middle pedal, the accelerator is almost out
of reach for an easy heel-toe downshift. Fortunately, a
modified pedal is about the easiest alteration an owner
can make. Hidden behind the steering wheel is the iMT
button that activates rev matching, but why muddle this
car with computer assistance?
Other complaints are more aesthetic. The interior is
that of a car that starts at $22,645. There is no center
arm rest. The infotainment screen is barely bigger than
some smartphones, and its interface seems PalmPilot
inspired. But it does have wireless Apple CarPlay and an
inductive phone charger. And how many rally cars have
a heated steering wheel?
Possibly the worst news for prospective buyers is that
Toyota plans to build just 6600 GRs for the U.S. market
this first year. The car has already achieved cult status
and hasn’t even rolled off the showroom floor. You may
not get one the first year, but you will be able to eventu-
ally. It’s worth the wait.
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
2023 TOYOTA GR Bore x Stroke ....... 3.44 x 3.53 in, 87.5 x 89.7 mm
Displacement .................................. 99 in3, 1618 cm3
Brakes
F: 14.0 x 1.1-in vented, grooved disc; 4-piston fixed
COROLLA CIRCUIT Compression Ratio ........................................... 10.5:1
Fuel Delivery: port and direct injection
caliper
R: 11.7 x 0.7-in vented, grooved disc; 2-piston fixed
Turbocharger: IHI caliper
Price
$44,420
As Tested ........................
Base .................................................................. $43,995
Maximum Boost Pressure ....................... 25.2 psi
Valve Gear: double overhead cams, 4 valves
per cylinder, variable intake- and exhaust-valve
Stability Control: fully defeatable, traction off
Wheels and Tires
timing, hydraulic lash adjusters Wheels: cast aluminum, 8.5 x 18 in
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, Redline/Fuel Cutoff ................... 7000/7200 rpm Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4
5-passenger, 4-door hatchback Power .......................................... 300 hp @ 6500 rpm 235/40ZR-18 (95Y)
Options: Heavy Metal paint, $425 Torque ...................................... 273 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Infotainment: 8.0-inch touchscreen; wireless Dimensions
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; satellite radio Drivetrain Wheelbase ................................................................... 103.9 in
(3 months included); 3 USB-C (2 for power Transmission: 6-speed manual Length ............................................................................ 173.6 in
only) and Bluetooth inputs; Wi-Fi hotspot (3 Final-Drive Ratios ............................ 4.06:1, 3.45:1* Width ................................................................................. 72.8 in
months included); JBL stereo, 8 speakers All-Wheel-Drive System: full time with an Height ............................................................................... 57.2 in
electronically controlled clutch-pack coupling Front Track ................................................................... 62.6 in
Engine and front and rear Torsen limited-slip Rear Track ..................................................................... 62.6 in
turbocharged and intercooled inline-3, differentials Ground Clearance ....................................................... 5.3 in
aluminum block and head Passenger Volume, F/R ..................................... 50/35 ft3
GEAR RATIO MPH PER MAX SPEED Cargo Volume, behind F/R ............................... 35/18 ft3
1000 RPM IN GEAR (rpm)
1 ......... 3.54 ......... 5.2 ............... 37 mph (7200)
2 ......... 2.24 .......... 8.2 ............... 59 mph (7200)
3 ......... 1.54 .......... 11.9 ............... 86 mph (7200) TEST RESULTS
4 ......... 1.16 ........... 15.7 .............. 113 mph (7200)
5 ......... 1.08 .......... 19.9 .............. 143 mph (7175)
6 ......... 0.90 ......... 23.8 ............. 143 mph (6000) Acceleration
*first ratio for gears 1–4, second for gears 5 and 6 140
23.7
Chassis 19.0
unit construction 12.1 14.7
Body Material: steel and aluminum 105 1/4-MILE
100
stampings, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic 10.0 13.3

MPH
Steering 7.8
rack-and-pinion with variable electric power 4.9 6.3
60
assist
3.5
Ratio ........................................................................ 12.7:1
2.6
Turns Lock-to-Lock ............................................ 2.5
30
Turning Circle Curb-to-Curb ................... 36.1 ft 0 30
1.5 SEC
Suspension
F: ind, strut located by a control arm, coil Results in graph omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
springs, anti-roll bar
R: ind; 1 trailing arm, 2 lateral links, and a toe- Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ................. 6.4 sec
control link per side; coil springs; anti-roll bar Top Gear, 30–50 mph ..................... 8.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph ....................... 7.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd) ...................... 143 mph
The “GR” means Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s
factory effort that has won Le Mans five Handling
times. They do okay with street cars too. Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad .......... 0.94 g
Understeer: moderate
Braking
COMPETITORS 70–0 mph .............................................. 167 ft
BASE,
$ x 1000* 100–0 mph ........................................... 329 ft
CA

Cheap(ish) speed has Fade: none

RG
O

never been so good that

30

VO CU
LU F

it’s this bad. Weight

ME T
,

Curb ...................................................... 3269 lb

TIO ILE

36
SE N,
RA -M

Per Horsepower ................................ 10.9 lb

LE 1/4

Toyota GR Corolla
21

Circuit Distribution, F/R ....................... 58.4/41.6%

CE

42
AC

CURB WEIGHT, LB

300-hp 1.6-L I-3,

18

6-sp man Fuel

48

Capacity ............................................. 13.2 gal

15
14

Hyundai Elantra N
.2

276-hp 2.0-L I-4, Octane .......................................................... 91

12

4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0

6-sp man
Subaru WRX C/D Fuel Economy
ACCELERATION, SEC
60-MPH

Limited Observed ............................................ 20 mpg

7.0

271-hp 2.4-L flat-4,

0.9

EPA Fuel Economy

6.5

6-sp man
(mfr’s est)
0.9

Volkswagen Golf R
4

ID G,

Comb/City/Hwy .................... 24/21/28 mpg

G SK DIN

315-hp 2.0-L I-4,

-
0.9

D, FT OL

6-sp man
5.5

PA 00- DH
7

Interior Sound Level

3 OA
R
1.0

Idle ......................................................... 52 dBA

0
5– CCE

*Includes performance-
60 LE
A EC

Full Throttle ........................................ 81 dBA

S

-M RA

enhancing options.
PH TIO

70-mph Cruising .............................. 72 dBA

N,

70–0-MPH
BRAKING, FT

T EST E D BY K.C. CO LW E L L A ND DAV E VA N D E R WE R P I N C H E LS E A , M I 53

 Long-Term Test
After tracking every fill-up,
service, problem, complaint, dent,
and dog hair, car and driver
presents the 40,000-mile Evaluation.

— 2021 —

Chevrolet Corvette
Stingray Z51
l if e w i t h a n a me ric a n ic on . by Dav id B e a rd
During our first weekend with
the eighth-generation Chevro-
let Corvette Stingray, we headed
to an unlikely destination. With the trunk
loaded with shotguns, a bin of hunting
gear on the passenger’s seat, the frunk and
remaining cargo space filled with Costco
supplies and barley pops, we headed to
northern Michigan for the opening of
turkey-hunting season.
Michigan’s northernmost highways
are empty at night. When the odome-
ter rolled past 500 miles and the engine
computer opened up the last 2000 rpm of
shove, it was time to press the long-travel
gas pedal and let the 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8
drink deeply. Blink and the eight-speed
dual-clutch automatic drops down a
few gears, followed by firm, assertive
upshifts.
The last mile to the hunting cabin is a
rocky, rutted two-track. Before the trip,
we removed the track-only cooling ducts
for the rear brakes, and with help from
the optional front-axle lift, the Corvette
made the journey unscathed, implanting
the notion that this is more than a mere
sports car. It is a mid-engine multitool.

Arrival
april 2021
Departure june 2022

54 PH OTOG RA P H Y BY M A RC U RBA N O ~ N OV EM B E R 2022 ~ CA R A N D DRI V E R

 It’s a perfect balance of
power, handling, and ride
comfort. It’s a great track car,
but one you can drive cross-
country in total comfort.
—Rich Ceppos, Buyer’s guide deputy editor

55

Rants While some believed we should have kept
the price tag south of seventy-large by stick-
and ing with the base 1LT trim and adding just the
Raves essential go-fast goodies, such as magneto-
rheological dampers and the Z51 Performance
It would be perfect package (performance suspension and exhaust,
with better visibility upgraded brakes and cooling, summer tires,
and a round and an electronically controlled limited-slip
steering wheel. differential), we knew we’d be living with the
—K.C. COLWELL Corvette day to day for 40,000 miles. We even-
tually settled on the $67,295 2LT trim, primarily
I adore this car. It for its additional creature comforts, including
does everything heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering
you want a sports wheel, a head-up display, and wireless device
car to do, and I’d charging. We kept the options minimal and
love to own one. meaningful—the aforementioned Z51 package
—CARLOS LAGO ($5995), front-axle lift ($1995), adaptive dampers
($1895), Red Mist paint ($995), and Carbon Flash
The performance wheels ($995)—for a $79,170 bottom line, still a
numbers are performance bargain.
impressive, but When the 1500-mile break-in period was
what shocks me complete, we headed to the test track. The
the most is how 3665-pound Corvette leapt to 60 mph in 2.9
livable this car is seconds and pummeled the quarter-mile in 11.2
on a daily basis. seconds at 122 mph. That ties the 755-hp 2019
—JOEY CAPPARELLA Corvette ZR1 to 60 and is just a half-second
behind it at the quarter-mile stripe. The ZR1’s
The Corvette’s large 13-mph trap-speed advantage shows that
ability to transform the mid-engine car is more efficient at putting
from a ferocious down power from a standing start. On the Z51’s
beast of a sports Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, the Stingray
car to a relatively needed only 148 feet to stop from 70 mph and
tame grand-touring circled the skidpad at a respectable 1.03 g’s.
cruiser is amazing. When it wasn’t out terrorizing a twisty two-
—CALEB MILLER lane road or casually running daily errands, the
56
2021 chevrolet
corvette stingray z51
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive,
2-passenger, 2-door targa
Base/As Tested  $65,990/$79,170
Engine: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum
block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement .......................... 376 in3, 6162 cm3
Power .................................... 495 hp @ 6450 rpm
Torque ................................. 470 lb-ft @ 5150 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ................................................ 107.2 in
• L/W/H ...................................... 182.3/76.1/48.6 in
• Curb Weight ............................................. 3665 lb
Warranty
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
3 years/36,000 miles corrosion protection
6 years/100,000 miles rust-through protection
5 years/60,000 miles roadside assistance
3 years/7,500 miles scheduled maintenance
Model-Year Changes
2022: The base price swells by $2650. A C8.R
appearance package commemorates the
race car’s inaugural season. Revisions to the
engine are said to lower emissions, but the
less-efficient Z51’s sales were higher than
expected, so EPA highway drops by 3 mpg.
2023: In honor of seven decades of
Corvettes, a 70th Anniversary model will be
available on the top trim level. There will be
other minor trim changes, but the biggest
news is the 670-hp Z06.
test RESULTS
New 40,000
miles
60 mph .......................... 2.9 sec ............ 2.9 sec
100 mph ........................ 7.2 sec ............ 7.4 sec
1/4-Mile ........................ 11.2 sec @ ....... 11.2 sec @
122 mph 122 mph
130 mph ........................ 13.2 sec .......... 13.6 sec
150 mph ........................ 19.8 sec .......... 20.5 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start,
5–60 mph ...................... 3.5 sec .......... 3.5 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph .... 148 ft ............. 153 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph ... 287 ft ............ 293 ft
Roadholding,
300-ft Skidpad .......... 1.03 g ............. 1.03 g
Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ...................... 184 mph
C/D Fuel Economy
• Observed .................................................. 20 mpg
• 75-mph Hwy Driving ............................ 26 mpg
• 75-mph Hwy Range ............................... 480 mi
EPA Fuel Economy
• Comb/City/Hwy .......................... 19/15/27 mpg
N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
 Corvette spent thousands of miles on the Haulin’ Ass and OPERATING COSTS
FOR 40,000 MILES
interstate bisecting the Midwest. It wouldn’t
take long for staffers to praise the surprising
Burnin’ Gas Maintenance: $1153
comfort level of the Corvette’s base GT seats. Normal Wear:
From short to tall and skinny to wide, every- $2083 Repair: $0
SERVICE
one found a supportive position in these —
chairs. On the highway, we were always Dealer Visits
impressed by the V-8’s seamless transition • Scheduled �������������������������������� 5 TOTAL
• Unscheduled ��������������������������� 3 $12,707
to four-cylinder operation and its ability to Days out of Service �������������������� 1
effortlessly cruise using half its cylinders Unscheduled Oil
Additions ����������������������������� 1�5 qt Gasoline
at 75 mph, where the Corvette returns an (at $4�25 per Gallon):
Damage and
honest 26 mpg. Destruction �������������������������� $971 $8500
Then there are the magnetorheological
dampers, which could be simply labeled
“magic.” We can only imagine the hell
LIFE EXPECTANCIES FIVE-YEAR DEPRECIATION
engineers endure calibrating suspensions — Depreciation data from Black Book,
on Michigan’s crumbling roads, but the Tires ����������� 21,000 miles based on 12,000 miles per year�
$79,170
Corvette is all the better because of it. The
Brake Pads $68,500
dampers deliver impressive ride quality over • Front �������� 75,000 miles $80K
broken road in their least aggressive setting • Rear ��������� 50,000 miles $57,100
and properly firm up when it’s time to get $48,550
WHAT BITS AND $60K
wild. In fact, they’re so good at tuning out PIECES COST $40,675
imperfections that when our local dealer —
Headlamp, $34,550
told us all four wheels were bent, we didn’t $40K
L/R �������������� $2046/$1517
believe it. After a second opinion verified as Engine Air Filter �������� $95
much, we eventually had the wheels fixed, Oil Filter �������������������� $25
PH OTOG RAPH Y BY M I C H AE L S I M AR I

at a cost of $500. Wheel, F/R ���� $1251/$1313 $20K

Tire, F/R �������� $407/$574

The Corvette also proved to be not for Wiper Blades,
the socially awkward. Everywhere it went, L/R ��������������������� $35/$25 $0

it sparked conversation, thumbs-up, and Front Brake Pads ���� $698 YEAR 0 1 2 3 4 5

ear-to-ear smiles. The winter months turned

those looks of joy to ones of disbelief as the
Red Mist livery transitioned to a frozen
SERVICE TIMELINE October 27, 2021 April 21, 2022
slurry of road grime with a nose full of Michi- — 15,091 miles 25,283 miles
gan’s finest uncut blue road salt. As the roads April 9, 2021 Dealer performs Four new Michelin Pilot
161 miles 15,000-mile service (oil Sport 4S ZP tires are
Long-term test begins� and filter change) and installed� $1962
installs new wiper
June 22, 2021 blades� $153 May 2, 2022
Winter didn’t keep the 4982 miles 26,693 miles
Vette confined to a garage We add a quart of December 2, 2021 We add a half a quart of
thanks to Michelin Pilot 0W-40 oil� $12 17,603 miles 0W-40 oil� $12
Alpin PA4 winter tires� Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4
July 13, 2021 tires fitted for winter� May 4, 2022
6773 miles $1781 26,946 miles
Dealer performs 7500- Detroit Wheel and Tire
mile service, changing March 9, 2022 repairs four bent
the oil and filter and 22,100 miles wheels� $500
replacing the transmis- Dealer performs
sion fluid and filter, and 22,500-mile service, May 20, 2022
reprograms the airbag refits summer tires, and 29,928 miles
and infotainment inspects damage from Dealer performs
software to resolve an impact with road 30,000-mile service
recalls� $0 debris� $767 and installs new wiper
blades� $186
September 13, 2021 March 21, 2022
12,177 miles 23,694 miles June 22, 2022
Dealer remedies a navi- Dealer replaces the A/C 37,695 miles
gation error by replac- compressor and serpen- Dealer performs
ing the SD card� $0 tine belt under 37,500-mile service�
warranty, resolves the $168
September 27, 2021 frunk operation with the
13,086 miles key fob, and replaces June 27, 2022
We install an over-the- underbody pieces 40,001 miles
air update for the damaged by the Long-term test ends�
transmission control road-debris impact�
module� $0 $471

57
 Our Corvette was of $1962 Michelins in 21,000 miles, but the
so racy feeling, Stingray demonstrated superb reliability
editors took to
wearing a helmet on with only two bogeys on its scorecard. Early
their commute. on, the SD card that stores navigation maps
failed, which is no big deal as we prefer the
guidance apps beamed wirelessly through
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay anyway.
The bigger mishap occurred after a day
of lapping Virginia International Raceway.
When we fired up the V-8 for the trip home,
the sound of a fork in a garbage disposal
and the smell of burning rubber came from
the engine bay. The air-conditioning com-
pressor had failed. The car was still drivable
The successor to turned to skating rinks, the Corvette cut through provided the A/C remained off, making for
the original NSX, the ice like Scott Hamilton, with help from a set a sweaty 700-mile trek. Whether running
the everyday of Michelin Pilot Sport Alpin PA4 winter rubber. the A/C on the track was the culprit or its
supercar, isn’t the When the white stuff piled deep, the front split- failure was an untimely coincidence, we’ll
current NSX, it’s this ter pushed more snow than El Chapo. Invoking never know. The repairs were covered
Corvette. the front-axle lift wasn’t much help, as it operates under warranty.
—RICH CEPPOS only at low speeds, but it was useful for keeping A car of the Corvette’s outsize capabili-
the chin from scraping on steep driveways. ties comes with a learning curve. You’ll need
The C8 Corvette Bent wheels weren’t the only destruction to familiarize yourself with all the buttons
makes the average Michigan’s deteriorating roads caused. Mother atop the divider separating driver and pas-
Joe feel like Tony Nature’s violent freeze-thaw cycles tend to senger, for example. With time, they make
Stark in an Iron jackhammer the pavement surface, and when sense. And where else would those con-
Man suit. we unexpectedly encountered a piece of con- trols go? Buried in the infotainment? No
—ERIC STAFFORD crete in the road, it tore up the ground-hugging thanks—physical buttons win every time,
Vette’s underbody. Thankfully, none of the even weird ones. Outward visibility isn’t
Cold starts are like a vitals were damaged, and the repair bill was a great, especially looking out the back. The
howitzer going off. reasonable $471. 2LT’s rear-camera mirror feature requires
Awesome. Over 40,000 miles, maintaining our Corvette some visual adaptation, but it’s worth it.
—MIKE SUTTON was relatively inexpensive. The first oil change The top panel’s removal and storage in the
and transmission flush and filter swap are com- trunk is fairly simple, but it eats into space
The interior is plimentary, but the next flush at 22,500 miles for the Mossberg. These grievances may be
overdone. Why does cost us $539, which is nearly half of our total trivial, but they’re real. Nevertheless, Chev-
a mid-engine car service tally of $1153. Still, that’s about 50 per- rolet’s mid-engine creation is a four-season,
feel so cramped? cent less than service costs for our last Porsche do-almost-anything machine. Sorry, Ford
—TONY QUIROGA Boxster. Unsurprisingly, we wore through a set GT. This is America’s supercar.

ACTI O N P HOTO G RAP H BY MI CH AE L S I MAR I

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C D 2 N R N
 Car dealerships, then, have enjoyed some of their carmakers had been trying to avoid, with little success, for
best years in history, with net profits climbing last year the longest time before the pandemic.
from the traditional neighborhood of 2 percent to 4, 5, or One respected industry source who preferred not to
even 6 percent. To give one example, David Rosenberg, be named explained the situation this way: “Car facto-
president of DSR Motor Group and owner of eight New ries want at least 80 percent capacity utilization, because
England showrooms, tells us that until recently, “the aver- fixed costs are huge. And the OEMs’ suppliers have the
age Toyota dealer in the Boston region in the best years same goal. One cannot just turn the supply chain off and
made between $2 million and $2.2 million profit. [In 2021] on. So for lowest supply cost, we want to crank out one
the average net profit was $6 million. That’s a significant car per minute all year long. But demand follows no such
increase,” he says with wry understatement. Indeed, a rules. Maybe it’s January and no one wants to shop for
report from Haig Partners, a Florida-based dealership- cars; demand falls. Maybe it’s April and everyone has their
sale advisory group, found that in the year ending March income-tax refunds and wants to buy cars; demand soars.
2022, publicly owned new-car dealerships recorded an Maybe GM has launched the Aztek and no one wants
average profit of $7.1 million, a whopping 242 percent it. Maybe Ford has launched the Bronco and everyone
increase over 2019. wants it. Demand whiplashes around while supply runs
So why, in the face of an abundance of good news, are steady. Thus, inventory builds up and draws down. Car
dealers worrying? companies find it incredibly expensive to hold all of this
inventory, so they unload it onto dealers. This reduces
P U M P U P T H E VO L U M E car-company costs.”
Many dealers fear that manufacturers, whose business Overproduction also leads OEMs to essentially force
model historically wants them operating factories at max- dealerships to take more cars than they need. Holding
imum potential, will eventually solve their supply-chain inventory costs money, and, the source reminds, “when
issues. And when they do, the industry’s overcapacity will a dealer owns the inventory, they are highly incentivized
flood the market anew with vehicles, leading once again to to sell the product. It is their personal fortune they see
excess inventory and a return to the endemic discounting eroding as every day they pay interest costs on unsold cars
and pay idle salespeople.” So they cut prices.
Which suggests an oft-unheralded benefit
Direct Sales: It’s Complicated of the prevailing dealer model for manufac-
turers: the ability to offload vehicles no one
wants to buy.
Thanks to a welter of protective regulations born of roughly a During the pandemic, carmakers real-
century of spirited statehouse lobbying, cutting out the dealer ized that there are other ways to make
middleman is legally tricky. Rules about OEM direct selling vary money besides flooding the zone with
by state and fall into roughly five categories: product. If the model mix has permanently
skewed toward more expensive cars, why
1. Direct sales are permitted the qualifications, it’s not bother making a broad range of models?
if there’s no competition with too hard to determine that Why not let the used-car market take care
a franchised dealership of nobody meets them.) of the thrifty and lower-budget custom-
the same brand (either in 3. Direct sales are permitted, ers, and instead concentrate, the way the
the state or within a certain but only for manufacturers of industry has these past couple of years,
geographic area). zero-emission vehicles. on the upper end of the market? Thus, as
2. Direct sales are permitted 4. No direct sales are permit- one professional industry watcher told us,
upon showing that no inde- ted except for Tesla. “the single biggest question in the U.S. auto
pendent dealer is available. 5. No direct sales are industry today is whether OEMs can stay
(And since OEMs decide permitted. disciplined enough to let this high-profit
situation persist.”

CUT OUT THE MIDDLEMEN?

States where direct
sales are okay (with various
qualifications, and some-
times only for Tesla)
This brings us to another series of dealer
worries. If people who can afford new cars
are able to pay more and continue to exhibit
the willingness to wait substantial amounts
of time for delivery, perhaps OEMs might be
tempted to adopt the direct-to-consumer
sales model Tesla uses. The EV giant’s high
sales prices, glacial delivery times, tech-bro
share price, and eye-popping market capi-
talization are the stuff of envy for smoke-
States
where direct stack industrialists from Detroit to Stuttgart
sales are to Tokyo and back.
prohibited
 Wall Street has been hopped up about the direct-to- and Ford, Genesis, Jaguar Land Rover, and Volvo declined
consumer model since the dawn of the millennium. Tesla’s outright. Perhaps not coincidentally, all four of those enti-
mold-breaking success has only intensified the market’s ties have had sour encounters with their dealer networks
cry for a system that cuts the dealer out of the equation as they floated new sales models that reduce or eliminate
entirely or, at the very least, reduces the dealer’s partic- dealer participation.
ipation in profits. According to Sheldon Sandler of Bel Though carmakers always reserve the right to change
Air Partners, a New Jersey–based dealership financial- their mind, others were clear that dealers are exempt
advisory firm, automakers have been squeezing dealership going into the future. “We have learned a lot over the
margins for years, with the wholesale discount eroding past two years,” says American Honda’s Chris Naughton.
from 10 percent to 6. “Leaner inventory, even under 20 days’ supply, comes
One high-level industry veteran who, underscoring the with some benefits. Many of our dealers have expressed
sensitive nature of the topic, also asked to remain anon- that they don’t want to return to the old way of doing
ymous, maintains that the old model is tired, inefficient, business with inflated inventories that can lead to cycles
and ripe for change. “The solution is not giant real estate, of unhealthy discounting and incentives. As a manufac-
giant portfolios [of brands], cars turer, we need to focus on building
stacked everywhere, and giant ser- the right models given the limited
vice bays,” says this observer, who supply. We will pursue a simpler,
believes today’s dealership model “SO WHAT WILL more disciplined approach, one
is obsolete and the need for service THE SUCCESSFUL where we minimize inefficient trim
facilities is overstated. DEALER INVEN- levels and focus on our most profit-
“The truth is, a lot of stuff is able and in-demand models.”
going to get solved through over-
TORY MODEL Eric Cunningham, vice presi-
the-air diagnostics like it is with OF THE FUTURE dent, sales, service, and marketing,
Formula 1—let’s say the first 20 per- LOOK LIKE? I for Cadillac North America, says
cent of problems,” the source says. BELIEVE IT WILL his company also sees its dealership
“The next 60 to 70 percent can get network as a “business advantage”
solved in the driveway. Fifteen to 20
CONSIST OF that “will remain a critical part of
percent, you’re gonna have to pick SHARED POOLS the retail and relationship chain
[the car] up, take it somewhere, and OF VEHICLES IN with customers.” The events of the
fix it. But that is a far better way to LOCAL MARKETS, past couple of years encouraged the
deploy capital than to have a $40 company to appreciate that “dealers
million 25-acre facility sitting on
OWNED BY OEMS, don’t need to carry historical inven-
a highway at a time of [expensive] FROM WHICH THE tory levels to have a robust business.
real estate, getting utilized at maybe DEALERS CAN There is no reason for us or our deal-
15 percent of its capacity. Do you PULL IN NEAR ers to go back.”
need some facilities? Damn straight Healthy inventories give the
you do. Do you need 2000 of them
REAL TIME.” industry an opportunity to main-
across the country, mostly under- tain the MSRP pricing model, says
utilized? Probably not.” Erwin Raphael, a regional director
Doing away with dealers, marketing, and incentives of operations for Amazon Transportation Services and
has given Tesla a competitive advantage in the neighbor- former COO of Genesis. “The current five-to-10-day vehi-
hood of $5000 per vehicle, according to this industry vet- cle supply is a bit thin, but 60 to 90 days was entirely too
eran, who adds, “Wall Street recognizes that competitive fat. My opinion is that a 30-day supply is the sweet spot,”
advantage, which is why the stock multiples are through Raphael says.
the roof.” “So what will the successful dealer inventory model of
But has the industry overreacted to Tesla’s success? the future look like? I believe it will consist of shared pools
Mark LaNeve, president of Charge Enterprises, which of vehicles in local markets, owned by OEMs, from which
builds charging stations for EVs, thinks so. “There is a the dealers can pull in near real time,” he says. “This model
drastic misperception that EV owners want to buy direct will allow customers to have access to the largest selection
because of Tesla,” says LaNeve, who also has been an exec- of vehicles while maintaining the benefit of shopping from
utive at Ford, Volvo, and General Motors. “Tesla was so far their living room. In such a model, OEMs can resupply
ahead of the market in terms of EV product and its overall these shared pools on a kanban or as-needed basis, elim-
technology that customers would have bought the cars inating overproduction of vehicles. Dealers will compete
at the local landfill. I would argue that Tesla would have on customer experience and quality of service as opposed
done just as well, maybe better, with a dealer network to to deals, and customers will regain trust in the system.”
help customers.” We’re not sure customers ever had trust in the sys-
Tellingly, representatives of several of the manufactur- tem, but if the auto industry can take the lessons of the
ers we contacted were unwilling to speak on the record pandemic and adjust business models accordingly, it may
about plans for their dealers going forward. Some said create a new dynamic for both automakers and their stub-
they couldn’t compose a response ahead of our deadline, bornly resilient dealer body.

63
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THE RUNDOWN
An expert look at the newest and most important vehicles this month.

Mercedes-Benz tries to make the EV

easier to swallow, page 70.

They’re both
fast and furious,
but the Elantra
N presents an
angrier face
to the world.

2022 HYUNDAI ELANTRA N VS. 2022 SUBARU WRX LIMITED ~ BY ELANA SCHERR wheel-gravel-spitting persona. In the
meantime, the Hyundai Elantra N has

Generation Gap burst onto the scene, rude and exuber-

ant, with none of the expectations of
nostalgia weighing on its spoiler. Which
Just when the Subaru WRX starts acting all grown-up, along
earns the most sport-compact cred?
comes the upstart Hyundai Elantra N full of youthful attitude.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
and may not be what either brand
is attempting here, but we’ll assert
that neither the WRX nor the Elantra
As any aging punk rocker can tell you, youth is fleeting, N would be the star of the catwalk. The Subaru is
and it’s hard to maintain the proper level of shame- chunky and cladded. It’s not radically different from
less rage as you get older. This is the dilemma facing Subarus past, but it’s toned down. The WRX still has
Subaru, as the fifth-generation WRX attempts to a wide-fendered stance, but without a big shopping-
please its maturing fans with adult styling and com- cart wing and a jutting front lip, it looks more like a
fort while still holding on to its turbo-whistling, four- hiking sneaker than a rally racer. Not that the Elantra N

CA R A N D D R IV E R ~ NOV EMB E R 2022 ~ P HOTO G RA P H Y BY M I C H A E L SIM A RI 65

 In the WRX’s newly
gentrified interior,
the touchscreen
takes center
stage. These
seats are more
forgiving than
the Hyundai’s.

can throw stones. Its huge frowning grille and 2nd Place: N’s stiff ride in tailbone-bruising malice.
crinkled body lines had a few staffers wincing. Subaru WRX Get into the numbers, and the Elantra N zips
Let’s just say the word “tacky” made more than Plus Comfort- ahead in almost every metric, on paper and on
one appearance in the logbook. able on the road, the road. It’s quicker and lighter, pulls harder,
Inside, the WRX continues its mission of mature in its and turns sharper than the WRX. Its turbo-
movements,
inoffensiveness, with a comfortable but unre- quiet. Minus charged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 276 horse-
markable cabin that has carbon-fiber-patterned Cheap speed power and 289 pound-feet of torque, both more
accents, red stitching, and a vertical 11.6-inch isn’t so cheap, than you get from the Subaru’s 2.4-liter flat-four,
who wants a
touchscreen. The materials’ feel and finish are quiet and which puts out 271 horses and 258 pound-feet.
upgrades over the previous model’s, though we mature WRX? With all four tires laying down power off
had to reference the photographs to recall those the line, the WRX manages to beat the front-
details. The Elantra, on the other hand, sticks drive Elantra to 30 mph, but after that, it sees
in one’s memory. Microsuede and faux leather 1st Place: the Hyundai’s taillights. The Elantra wins to 60
surround a 10.3-inch touchscreen, and BMW- Hyundai mph, to 100 mph, and in the quarter-mile, which
like steering-wheel buttons promise all kinds of Elantra N it knocks out in 13.8 seconds at 103 mph, while
Sport-mode mayhem. There’s a cherry-red unit Plus Connected the Subie takes 13.9 at 101. Close, we admit, but
just for rev matching, a convenience all manual- chassis, dumb a win’s a win. There’s a lagginess to the WRX’s
transmission cars should adopt. Want it? Press fun with no power delivery when exiting corners, whereas
shame. Minus
it. Don’t want it? Don’t press it. The Elantra Stiff ride, firm the Elantra is raring to go. Speaking of corners,
seats get mixed reviews. Some of us liked the seats, flirting the Elantra pulls 0.99 g on the skidpad, and the
driving position and high side bolsters; others with too-wild WRX pushes to 0.95 g. The Subaru brings things
styling.
felt they lacked padding and combined with the to a halt a little sooner, stopping in 153 feet from

66 N OV EM B E R 2022 ~ CAR A N D D RI V ER
 2022 Hyundai 2022 Subaru
Elantra N WRX Limited
Base/As Tested $33,245/$33,245 $37,490/$37,490
Dimensions
Wheelbase 107.1 in 105.2 in
Length/Width/Height 184.1/71.9/55.7 in 183.8/71.9/57.8 in
Track, F/R 62.4/62.2 in 61.4/61.8 in
Passenger
Volume, F/R 55/46 ft3 56/43 ft 3
Trunk Volume 14 ft3 13 ft 3
Powertrain
Engine turbocharged DOHC turbocharged DOHC
16-valve inline-4 16-valve flat-4
122 in3 (1998 cm3) 146 in3 (2387 cm3)
Power, hp @ rpm 276 @ 6000 271 @ 5600
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 289 @ 2100 258 @ 2000
Redline 6700 rpm 6100 rpm
lb per hp 11.6 12.5

TEST RESULTS
Acceleration
30 mph 2.1 sec 1.5 sec
60 mph 5.1 sec 5.5 sec
100 mph 12.9 sec 13.7 sec
130 mph 24.0 sec 26.4 sec
1/4-Mile @ mph 13.8 sec @ 103 13.9 sec @ 101
Results above omit 1-ft Results above omit 1-ft
rollout of 0.3 sec. rollout of 0.2 sec.
70 mph, whereas the Elantra N takes 156 feet. The Rolling Start,
Elantra regains the upper hand in the numbers game 5–60 mph 5.9 sec 6.7 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph 10.3 sec 10.3 sec
when we get to price and fuel economy. The Hyun- Top Gear, 50–70 mph 7.1 sec 7.7 sec
dai costs $4000 less than the Subaru and gets 32 Top Speed 155 mph (C/D est) 145 mph (C/D est)
mpg at 75 mph. Subie-doo ekes out 28. Chassis
On math alone, the win goes to the Elantra N, Braking, 70–0 mph 156 ft 153 ft
and our less scientific fun meters agree. The WRX Braking, 100–0 mph 318 ft 317 ft
is grown-up. It’s all-wheel drive, sure-footed, and Roadholding, 300-ft
Skidpad 0.99 g 0.95 g
unlikely to make anyone mad. The Elantra N, on the
other hand, has an N mode that makes the exhaust Weight
pop like a dog full of cheese. It’s uncivilized, not Curb 3199 lb 3401 lb
Distribution, F/R 62.8/37.2% 59.9/40.1%
always comfortable, and full of personality, much
like the WRX used to be. There Fuel
is very little wrong with the new Capacity/Octane 12.4 gal/91 16.6 gal/91
EPA Comb/City/Hwy 25/22/31 mpg 22/19/26 mpg
Drivers who Subaru, but it’s a more adult car 75-mph Hwy Driving 32 mpg 28 mpg
don’t have ample now, trying to atone for the 75-mph Hwy Range 390 mi 460 mi
padding of their
own found the sins of its youth. The Elantra Sound Level
Elantra N’s seats N is here to commit new sins, Idle/Full Throttle 47/79 dBA 49/79 dBA
firm. The N’s and it owes nothing to anyone. 70-mph Cruise 72 dBA 71 dBA
steering wheel
invites you to It’s silly, imperfect, and always
push its buttons. down to party. T EST ED BY DAV ID B E AR D A N D K .C. CO LW E L L I N C H E LS EA , M I
2 02 2 M E R C E D E S -A M G S L 6 3 ~ BY T O N Y Q U I R O G A

Connection Restored
Highs: V-8 rumble, aggressive handling,
supple ride. Lows: Hard to see out of,
some misaligned interior bits, tiny trunk.

The definition of status symbol for over 40 years,

the Mercedes-Benz SL lost its ability to directly
withdraw from the bank accounts of the wealthy
in its last generation. That SL drove and per-
formed better than any other, but after decades
of elegance, the design—a nose-heavy, squared-
off look—had buyers spending elsewhere.
Enter the new SL, a smooth and shapely con-
vertible that ditches the retractable hardtop for
cloth. No longer a two-seater, the new SL adds
a pair of small rear seats, which might not be
useful for hauling humans but will hold a couple
of roller bags. You’ll need to store them there
since the eight-cubic-foot trunk only holds one.
This reinvention of the SL makes it slightly
more practical, but Mercedes keeps the pendu-
lum from swinging too far toward sensible. Two
versions, both AMGs, are available. The SL63 we
tested uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 as The new vertical stitching is a nice touch, although the
the less dear SL55 but raises horsepower from touchscreen seams on the door didn’t even remotely
can be angled to
469 to 577. It rips off runs to 60 mph in 3.0 sec- reduce sun glare. align with those on the instrument
onds and turns traffic to a blur as soon as you The fabric top panel. Like any convertible, the SL63
roll into the accelerator. Just be sure to keep the comes in black lives its best life with the top down.
or an orangy
nine-speed automatic in a mode angrier than red that should The V-8 spits a fiery and gutsy tune, and
Eco. To save fuel in that mode, frugal gearbox satisfy Red Hat the scents roll in. Jasmine. Magnolias.
programming finds the highest gear possible Society members. Plumeria. Street tacos.
and is reluctant to downshift. Moderate mode On scarred Midwestern streets, the
struck a much more satisfying balance. SL63’s ride is gentle, despite the large
A high beltline and cowl put you and the wheels and teensy sidewalls. Judging by
passenger deep in the SL’s bathtub. Sitting low the structure, you’d never guess this is a
doesn’t aid outward vision, but it does keep you convertible. The windshield and steer-
far from the airstream when the top is down. ing never issued a shake or quiver. Turn
Leather wraps most surfaces, and contrasting the steering wheel hard, and the SL63

68 THE RUNDOWN N OV E M B E R 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V E R

 the numbers
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-
drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door convertible
Base/As Tested ... $180,450/$204,885
Engine: twin-turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8,
aluminum block and heads, direct fuel
injection
Displacement ............... 243 in3, 3982 cm3
Power .......................... 577 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque ..................... 590 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ..................................... 106.3 in
• L/W/H .......................... 185.2/75.4/53.5 in
• Curb Weight ................................... 4305 lb

test RESULTS
60 mph ................................................ 3.0 sec
100 mph ................................................ 7.1 sec
1/4-Mile ........................ 11.2 sec @ 125 mph
130 mph ............................................. 12.2 sec
150 mph ............................................. 17.5 sec
170 mph ............................................ 25.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph .............. 3.9 sec
Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............ 196 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph ........................... 150 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 297 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 1.04 g
C/D Fuel Economy
• Observed ......................................... 18 mpg
EPA Fuel Economy
• Comb/City/Hwy ................ 16/14/21 mpg
cuts into corners with the deftness of
the smaller AMG GT. Lean into the nose
and it sticks hard; keep pushing and the
rear tires begin to lose grip before the
ME RC E D ES P HOTOG RAP HY BY M ARC UR BANO
WONDER TWINS, ACTIVATE!
While BMW is busy electrifying its automotive lineup, its Motorrad motor-
cycle division is still dreaming up creative ways to burn gasoline. Witness
the 2022 R18 Transcontinental and its freakish powerplant: 1.8 liters of
displacement, two horizontally opposed cylinders, two in-block cams, four
pushrods, eight valves. This thing is an engine with handlebars.
And it lives up to its name. With a claimed weight of 941 pounds, the R18
Transcontinental feels like half a car. It’s unwieldy in a crowded parking
lot, but on the highway, it feels ready to devour a few states at a time, that
huge twin thumping out its 116 pound-feet of torque at the merest twist of
the throttle. Its 91 horsepower isn’t impressive for something so huge, but
this engine, like the clockwork behind Big
Ben, is designed to spin at its own leisurely Powertrain: 91-hp 1 8-liter
pace for a century or three. the6-speed
flat-2, numbers manual
As in BMW cars, the Transcontinental Base ....................... $25,790
Performance (C/D est)
features both clever technology and overly • 60 mph ......................... 5.7 sec
complicated interfaces. Optional adaptive • 1/4-Mile ...................... 14.0 sec
cruise control is welcome, as is the avail- • Top Speed ................... 111 mph
able steerable headlight that points its
beam into a corner according to the lean of the bike. But the grip warmers
eschew a simple button for a menu-based system that requires spinning
and then laterally sliding a circular dial on the left handlebar, like trying
to play Bop It! while balancing a half-ton spear of Bavarian metal. And
the engine layout means your feet stay on the floorboards—no stretch-
ing out, like you can on a V-twin. But if the onslaught of electron-driven
transportation turns you off, the R18 Transcontinental is a time machine
built for the open road.
The power-
reserve gauge
on the right
says this is the

fronts let go. It’s a daring handling bal- Rolls-Royce

of bikes.
ance, even for a sports car.
Speaking of sports cars, the Porsche
911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet is the obvi-
ous competitor here. The SL is quieter,
rides better, and comes with a V-8
backing track. The 911 is quicker, offers
a manual, and is a livelier machine.
There’s definitely a place in our hearts
for the SL63. If only the bank account
had the space.

69
2 02 3 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q E 3 5 0 4 M AT I C
~ BY C S A B A C S E R E

Uneasy E
The electric equivalent of the
E-class is less than compelling.

For most of our lifetimes, Mercedes-Benz has

defined the luxury car. Its vehicles were
elegant, straightforward, well-mannered,
technologically sophisticated, and drenched
in history. The company seems to be mov-
ing luxury in a different direction with its
battery-powered EQ models. On the move, the
These changes are immediately apparent EQE is hushed
with a smooth
in the new EQE. The electrically powered ride. The slick
E-class equivalent has a body shape and body might look
details devoted to minimizing aerodynamic good to the wind,
but it leaves
drag, admirably achieving a coefficient the rest of the
nearing 0.20. However, the editorial eye elements wanting.
finds little to savor in the dumpling-like
form, which droops at both ends and would
be impossible to identify as a Benz without the large three-pointed star
decorating its prow.
Inside, the EQE hews closer to recent Mercedes designs with fine
detailing, lovely wood, and plush leather, though we could do without
the optional bordello lighting—thankfully, it can be turned off.
Logical controls, however, have been lost
to the new MBUX infotainment system. It
took us several days to figure out how to
dim the instrument lighting, whose con-
trol is buried in a menu labeled System—a
category typically containing software and
firmware versions—rather than in the menu
labeled Lighting, where it intuitively belongs.
Even the voice-activated “Hey Mercedes”
feature and the owner’s manual provided
no help. Moreover, the mass of tiny controls
on the steering-wheel spokes reminded us of
a modern Formula 1 yoke and require more
dexterity than they should.

70 THE RUNDOWN
 the numbers
Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-
wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
Base/As Tested  $78,950/$94,390
Motors: 2 permanent-magnet
synchronous AC
Combined Power .............................. 288 hp
Combined Torque ........................ 564 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion,
90.6 kWh
Onboard Charger: 9.6 kW
Transmissions: direct-drive
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ...................................... 122.8 in
• L/W/H .......................... 196.6/76.2/59.5 in
• Curb Weight .................................. 5488 lb

test RESULTS
60 mph ................................................ 5.2 sec
1/4-Mile ......................... 13.9 sec @ 97 mph
100 mph ............................................. 15.0 sec
130 mph ............................................ 29.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. The EQE presents its driver with a
screen-intensive interface, while
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 5.3 sec the elongated windshield leaves
Top Speed (gov ltd) ..................... 130 mph the A-pillars within view
Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.86 g
C/D Fuel Economy
• Observed ..................................... 85 MPGe from the squishy Bridgestone Tur-
• 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 260 mi anza T005 summer rubber is only
EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est) 0.86 g, and stopping from 70 mph
• Comb/City/Hwy .......... 97/95/100 MPGe
• Range ................................................ 300 mi takes 178 feet. The tires are clearly
optimized for ride, silence, and fuel
economy rather than grip.
This is appropriate because
the EQE’s controls do not encour-
That said, the interior is stretch-out age spirited driving. The steering
comfortable, front and rear, mostly is accurate and precise, but syn-
because the EQE is bigger than the thetic in feel. In Sport mode, effort
E-class sedan—2.3 inches longer, 2.5 increased, but not feedback. And
inches wider, and 1.7 inches taller, with the brake pedal is particularly odd
7.1 more inches in the wheelbase. Of because it depresses on its own
course, some of this additional volume is when you lift off the accelerator and
devoted to the 90.6-kWh battery under regenerative braking commences.
the floor. When you do press the pedal, there’s
Amazingly tranquil on most road virtually no travel; the modulation
surfaces, with pitch, roll, and vertical is all from pressure.
jolts well constrained, this smooth- The accelerator works nicely, the
riding electric sedan subdues even the EQE responding with the delight-
usual bangs from potholes and pave- ful immediacy and smoothness The EPA has yet to release its
ment joints. It’s also supremely hushed that typifies electric powertrains. range estimate, but we’re expect-
inside. The sounds of the electric power- With 288 horsepower and a mas- ing it to be 300 miles. Starting at
train are muted, wind noise seems com- sive 564 pound-feet of torque, it $78,950, the EQE350 4Matic isn’t
pletely absent, and road resonance is moves smartly around town. The cheap. In time, a less expensive
minimal. We measured a sound level of car reaches 60 mph in 5.2 seconds single-motor, rear-drive version
66 decibels at 70 mph—three decibels and covers the quarter-mile in 13.9 will be offered, as well as a 402-hp
quieter than the E450 we tested last seconds at 97 mph. But the faster EQE500 and a 617-hp AMG EQE53.
year—but the cabin feels even more you go, the less sprightly the EQE is. As an electric luxury sedan,
peaceful than those numbers suggest. Its 9.8-second time from 60 to 100 the EQE is comfortable, quiet, and
On the other hand, the 5488-pound mph is little better than the old four- refined. But it’s a shame Mercedes
EQE is not the most agile. It easily han- cylinder E300’s. Pull out to pass on a has dispensed with so many of its
dles some hard cornering well enough, 55-mph two-lane road, and the EQE other traditional qualities in the
with minimal roll, but maximum grip feels a lot less ambitious. quest for zero tailpipe emissions.

CA R A N D D R IV E R ~ NOV E MBE R 2022 ~ P HOTO G RA P H Y BY M I C H A E L SI M A RI THE RUNDOWN 71

2 02 3 M A Z DA C X- 6 0 ~ BY M I K E D U F F

Shape of
Things
to Come
Mazda’s new CX-60 provides
an early glimpse of the brand’s
upscale SUVs.

To turn itself around, Mazda is turn- electric motor. To improve effi- icism in the finest Mazda tradition.
ing around its engines. The new ciency, a new eight-speed automatic The CX-60 resists understeer well,
CX-60 is the first to use the brand’s (which the six-cylinder also uses) and body control stays tight during
longitudinal-engine platform. Just has an electronically controlled hard cornering. Ride quality is on
now arriving in Europe, the CX-60 clutch pack rather than a torque the firm side but still acceptable,
won’t come stateside, but it’s closely converter. The total system output even on 20-inch wheels.
related to the CX-70 that will and is a stout 323 horsepower with 369 The CX-60’s cabin is said to have
therefore merits our attention. pound-feet of torque, and the 17.8- been inspired by contemporary
The CX-60 looks rather dowdy— kWh battery pack delivers 39 miles Japanese design, and our top-spec
we’re told the CX-70 will have more of electric range under Europe’s sample car featured wood trim on
visual presence—but we’re more optimistic WLTP standard. the doors, a dashboard faced with
interested in what’s underneath. Running on electric power, the woven fabric, and shiny metal
The CX-60 launches with a plug-in- CX-60 is smooth and refined. The accents. A digital instrument clus-
hybrid powertrain, Mazda’s first. motor drives the gearbox, so there ter and a 12.3-inch infotainment
Two new inline-sixes will be offered is the unusual (for an EV) sensation display come standard, but the
later: a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter of gears shifting and enough urge CX-60 retains conventional climate
and a turbo-diesel 3.3-liter. to keep up with urban traffic. But controls, as should the CX-70.
We drove the plug-in version. there’s a noticeable pause when the While the CX-70 will admittedly
The powertrain combines a 188-hp engine fires up, and it’s loud and be a different car, our first impres-
2.5-liter inline-four with a 173-hp coarse when strained. With both sion of Mazda’s new architecture is
elements working, acceleration is positive, and we’re looking forward
strong, but either six-cylinder will to experiencing it with the new
likely be a preferable choice. inline-six. Then we’ll see whether
the numbers Fortunately, the chassis is good, Mazda’s new architecture can power
Vehicle Type: front-engine, combining compliance and athlet- the brand into the luxury league.
mid-motor, all-wheel-drive,
5-passenger, 4-door wagon
Base (C/D est) �������������� $42,500
Powertrain: DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter
inline-4, 188 hp, 193 lb-ft + AC
motor, 173 hp, 199 lb-ft (combined
output: 323 hp, 369 lb-ft; 17.8-kWh
lithium-ion battery pack)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ............................ 113.0 in
• L/W/H ................ 186.8/74.4/65.9 in
• Curb Weight ........................ 4500 lb
Performance (C/D est)
• 60 mph .................................. 5.6 sec
• 1/4-Mile ................................. 14.1 sec
• Top Speed ........................... 124 mph
EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est)
• Comb/City/Hwy .... 36/37/34 mpg
• Comb Gas +
Electricity ......................... 60 MPGe
• EV Range .................................. 35 mi

72 N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
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2 02 2 A U D I A 3 Q UAT T R O ~ BY J O E L O R I O
A Lack of S Appeal
Highs: Well packaged, economical, snazzy virtual cockpit. Lows:
Disappointing interior plastics, lifeless steering, unsporting chassis.
“For just a little more per month . . .”
the showroom slickster begins,
pressuring the unsure car shopper
trying to stick to a budget. For the
buyer wavering between an Audi
A3 and an S3, we say give in to the
upsell. The latest A3 is far less satis-
fying than its S-badged sibling.
Freshly redesigned, Audi’s com-
pact sedan maintains a sensible
size and is rendered in crisp sheet-
metal. Inside, there’s a fantastic
driving position and narrow pillars
for unhindered sightlines. There’s
also, however, hard plastic every-
where: the door grab handles, the
upper door panels, the center con-
sole. And our test car’s Agate Gray
wood inlays look like they popped
out of an injection mold.
Audi apparently believes buyers
can be hoodwinked by a screen-
intensive interior design, one that
banishes all physical knobs. But the
round four-way audio-control but-
ton whose outer rim adjusts the vol-
ume is an unsatisfying substitute.
So, too, is the little flipper shifter.
The screens, at least, are well
rendered. All A3s have a digital
instrument cluster—ours had the
larger, enhanced version (part of the
74 THE RUNDOWN
Technology package). Screen-based
gauges are fast becoming common-
place, and Audi maximizes their
potential more than most, with
multiple display choices.
You probably guessed that
motivation is provided by a turbo
2.0-liter inline-four driving all
four wheels (front-wheel drive is
standard). Now running a mod-
ified Miller cycle and boasting a
48-volt hybrid system, it’s more
economical. The EPA combined
figure increases to 31 mpg, a 6-mpg
improvement over its predecessor.
Our A3 Quattro returned 40 mpg in
our 75-mph highway fuel-economy
test. The snappy and responsive
dual-clutch automatic makes the
most of the modest 201 horses, but
the 6.0-second 60-mph time trails
the Mercedes and BMW entries.
With 105 more horsepower, the S3
shames its weaker sibling, hitting
60 in 4.3 seconds.
Nor is the A3 as willing when
the road starts throwing curves.
The suspension is firm but feels
underdamped on challenging pave-
ment. The S3, particularly with its
optional adaptive dampers, is much
more sporting. On the skidpad, the
P H OTO GRA PH Y BY M I C H A EL S I M A RI ~ N OV E M B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI VE R
A3 managed 0.89 g, against 0.96 g
for the S3. More disappointing is the
overboosted steering, which feels dis-
connected, and switching to Dynamic
mode provides no amelioration.
No, the remedy for the A3’s medi-
ocrity is to spend up for the S3, which
not only drives better but has welcome
interior upgrades. With standard all-
wheel drive, the S3 is $9K dearer than
the A3 Quattro. But hey, just skip eating
out once a month.
the numbers
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-
drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
Base/As Tested ...... $37,895/$45,390
Engine: turbocharged and intercooled
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and
aluminum head, direct fuel injection
Displacement ................. 121 in3, 1984 cm3
Power ........................... 201 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque ....................... 221 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
automatic
Dimensions
• Wheelbase ..................................... 103.5 in
• L/W/H ........................... 176.9/71.5/56.2 in
• Curb Weight ................................... 3509 lb
test RESULTS
60 mph ................................................ 6.0 sec
1/4-Mile ......................... 14.6 sec @ 95 mph
100 mph .............................................. 16.1 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............. 6.8 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd) ..................... 127 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph ............................ 181 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.89 g
C/D Fuel Economy
• Observed ........................................ 26 mpg
• 75-mph Hwy Driving ................. 40 mpg
• 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 560 mi
EPA Fuel Economy
• Comb/City/Hwy .............. 31/28/36 mpg
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2 02 2 L A N D R OV E R R A N G E R OV E R F I R S T E D I T I O N ~ BY J O E L O R I O and makes for a generous, sharply ren-
dered full-screen map and crisp images

Bauhaus Mover
from the multiple cameras. Footage
includes views along the sides the vehicle.
Clearsight Ground View stitches together
Highs: Looks like money inside and out, effortless thrust of the a virtual image of what’s immediately in
turbo V-8, still does Land Rover things. Lows: Genteel rather than front of and under the car.
sporty road manners, not the best transport for bulky items, six- The new model retains the Range
figure starting price is merely a launching point. Rover’s traditional regal seating position,
with the base of the large side windows
low enough that you can comfortably
rest an elbow atop the door panel. Sev-
In the beginning, the Range Rover’s appearance—upright profile, slablike body eral rear seating configurations are

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY M ARC UR BAN O

panels, unadorned sheetmetal—was the product of a utilitarian, function- offered. The biggest change with this
driven design. The latest version’s evolved look is again upright, smooth, generation is the arrival of three rows
and simple, but for the opposite reason: The Range Rover has become an for the long-wheelbase version, and its
art object. adult-size rearmost seat has enough
That’s as true of the interior as the exterior. The leather-everywhere cabin amenities to avoid feeling like steerage.
looks and feels like the environs of a six-figure automobile. As on the outside, Our standard-wheelbase test car had a
the theme is seamless integration. The interior door handles are so smoothly bench seat for three, with the rightmost
integrated that first-time passengers often struggle to find them. passenger getting a deployable leg-rest
In-cabin tech has the requisite modern
depth and complexity. The seats’ massage
function, for instance, requires its own menu
page for choosing among 125 combinations
of three settings: mode, area of focus, and
intensity. Spelunking through the menus
uncovers curiosities such as a dynamic info
screen (g meter, lap-time recorder, stop-
watch) and an air-quality page to activate the
particulate filter, carbon-dioxide manage-
ment, and the ionizer.
For more common interactions, the 13.1-
inch touchscreen—with or without haptic
feedback enabled—is relatively easy to use

76 THE RUNDOWN
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(which requires the front passen-
ger’s seat to scrunch forward). The
fully powered second row, however,
doesn’t fold even remotely flat, com-
promising max cargo capacity.
Per Range Rover tradition, you
access the cargo hold via an upper
liftgate and a drop-down tailgate,
both power-operated, as is the
cargo cover. The no-cost Tailgate
Event Suite option adds versatility
by way of a panel in the load floor
that corrals luggage when stood
up. It also forms the back of the
rear-facing “event seat”—just the
thing for watching polo or your
kid’s soccer practice. Activating
Tailgate Event Suite mode opens the
rear and directs stereo sound to the
liftgate-mounted speakers.
78
While a carryover supercharged
and turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six the numbers
is standard, our test car had the new
Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-
BMW-sourced twin-turbo 4.4-liter drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
V-8. Its subdued rumble is a tip-off Base/As Tested ... $159,550/$169,900
to what’s under the hood, yet at 70 Engine: twin-turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum
mph, the Rover’s cabin is a hushed block and heads, direct fuel injection
66 decibels. An initial stab at the Displacement .............. 268 in3, 4395 cm3
accelerator can bring a greater for- Power .......................... 523 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque ...................... 553 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
ward lunge than desired. Otherwise, Transmission: 8-speed automatic
the long pedal travel, the engine’s Dimensions
linear response, and the eight-speed • Wheelbase ...................................... 118.0 in
• L/W/H .......................... 198.9/80.6/73.6 in
automatic’s demure shifts combine • Curb Weight ................................... 5982 lb
to make this a polished powertrain.
Only the auto stop-start system’s test RESULTS
restarts strike an awkward note.
60 mph ................................................ 4.3 sec
The V-8’s 523 horses and 553 pound- 100 mph ............................................. 10.6 sec
feet of torque easily animate 5982 1/4-Mile ....................... 12.8 sec @ 109 mph
pounds of British SUV. Sixty mph 130 mph ............................................. 19.4 sec
150 mph ............................................ 30.3 sec
arrives in a fleet 4.3 seconds (match- Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
ing the 682-hp Cadillac Escalade-V), Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ............... 5.1 sec
and the quarter-mile passes in 12.8 Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............ 155 mph
seconds at 109 mph. The Rover’s heft Braking, 70–0 mph ........................... 185 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph ......................... 373 ft
is more evident when stopping, as it Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ...... 0.73 g
takes 185 feet to haul this big boy C/D Fuel Economy
down from 70 mph. • Observed ......................................... 16 mpg
• 75-mph Hwy Driving .................. 23 mpg
For all the techno wizardry of a • 75-mph Hwy Range ..................... 540 mi
new five-link rear suspension, air EPA Fuel Economy
springs, and active anti-roll bars, • Comb/City/Hwy ................ 18/16/21 mpg
the default Auto terrain response
mode still allows for near-constant
nodding body motions over all but
the smoothest tarmac. The sportiest
Dynamic mode quells that to some
degree without overly degrading ride
quality—unlike in some German com-
petitors—although the 23-inch wheels
do clomp over impacts. In any mode, the
creamy-smooth steering is light, and
the heavy Rover lists in fast, sweeping
curves. On the skidpad, we measured
just 0.73 g worth of grip, limited by
nondefeatable stability control, but the
Rover pirouettes through parking lots
thanks to its new rear-wheel steering.
Sadly, we didn’t test the seven off-
road driving modes, the transfer case’s
low range, or the 35.4-inch wading capa-
bility. A Range Rover may have extreme
abilities, but much like a Rolex Submari-
ner that’s waterproof to 1000 feet, that
doesn’t mean it will use them. Once a
mere utility vehicle, the Range Rover has
become something more.
What the Rover lacks in second-row
legroom it makes up for in power-
operated features, including backrests,
the center armrest, and cupholders.
N OVEM B ER 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RI V ER
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1995–99
WHAT TO BUY: BMW M3
Unlike the E30 M3 that came before it, BMW’s E36 M3 (1995–99) lacks VALUE
the homologation pedigree that comes from racing. The decision to Like nearly all collector cars, the M3 has
water down the U.S. version with a cheaper engine seemed only to add risen in price in the past few years. But with
insult to injury. But talk with anyone who has spent time in one of the numbers generally still in the range of low
almost 33,000 sold here and, provided you’re not talking about the auto- teens to mid-$20,000s, the right E36 M3 is
matic model, you’ll probably hear a story that supports the car landing still a value. That said, E36s are being redis-
“very near the top of our wish list” when we first tested it in 1994. covered now, with rare Lightweight models
With a coupe, a sedan, and a convertible available, there are many sometimes fetching more than $80,000.
ways to enjoy the exceptional steering and neutral handling that earned The temptation may be to find the
the E36 M3 our “Best-Handling Car for More Than $30,000” in 1997, as lowest-mile car possible, but E36 M3s with
well as a spot on our 10Best list every year it competed. Purists may lean under 100,000 miles might be more likely to
toward the coupe, in part for its high-bolster “Vader” seats, but the sedan need a lot of expensive catch-up mainte-
weighs essentially the same and is every bit as good. The convertible nance. An E36 with around 125,000 miles
isn’t very rigid, yet it has the most headroom of the bunch. —James Tate could be up to date on needed fixes, and the
cost savings can go into resolving problems
that might come up.
ENGINE

The first and loudest knock against the U.S.-spec E36 is

that it didn’t receive the European model’s higher-revving
individual-throttle-bodied 3.0-liter inline-six, which generated
286 horsepower to the American version’s 240. But the less
complicated U.S. engine kept the price low enough to make
the M3 a sales hit. In 1996, displacement was increased to 3.2
liters, bumping torque by 11 pound-feet, from 225 to 236.
1997 BMW M3 COUPE
240-HP 3.2-LITER I-6, 3248 LB
Test Results
• 60 mph ���������������������������������������������� 5�5 sec
• 1/4-Mile ����������������������� 14�0 sec @ 99 mph
• 100 mph ������������������������������������������ 14�2 sec
• Top Speed (gov ltd) ������������������� 140 mph
• Braking, 70–0 mph �������������������������� 152 ft
• Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ��� 0�87 g
From C/D, August 1997. Acceleration times
adhere to our old rollout rule of 3 mph.

“A flawless handler.” 1998 M3 SEDAN

—DON SCHROEDER,
C / D, S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 7

RECENT SALES
carriage items such as ball joints,
1995 BMW M3 Coupe (September 2022) PROBLEM AREAS outer tie rods, and rear trailing-arm
$22,500
127,000 miles While the U.S.-spec engine is other- bushings are likely to be worn and
wise very reliable, BMW’s VANOS pricey to replace.
1995 BMW M3 Lightweight (April 2021)
$82,500 valve-timing system might be a The E36 interior is notoriously
93,000 miles big-ticket replacement or rebuild. lackluster in build quality and seems
1998 BMW M3 Sedan (February 2022) Water pumps and radiators can be to degrade in the presence of air.
$13,500 considered every-60,000-miles Check for missing or broken pieces,
165,000 miles consumables; there are better-built failing door handles and locks, and
From Bring a Trailer.
aftermarket options that replace sagging or separated headliners,
plastic bits with metal. Under- gloveboxes, and door panels.

80 P H OTO GRA PH BY J O H N RO E ~ N Ov Em B E R 2022 ~ CA R A N D D RIv ER

 Replace destinations
with summits.

Outback Wilderness. Well-equipped at $38,445.*

Subaru, Outback, and X-MODE are registered trademarks. *MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment
may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness with available equipment shown has an MSRP of $40,290.