Car and Driver September 2022

A TO Z Your cover read “Nissan’s Amazing Comeback” in reference to your article on the Nissan Z [“Red-Letter Day,” June 2022]. Really? Where did they come back from, and what is so amazing about it? Take an old structure, add in an old engine (yes, a great engine, but still old), tack on a new skin (yes, it looks pretty good), and, wait, that really is an amazing comeback. Guess you were swayed by the manual transmission (also old). Keep up the great work.—Mitch NydishNorth Bethesda, MD The new Z is spot on. About 10 years late, but it is great to see that Nissan has moved on from its Hello Kitty phase, with the Cube and the Juke/Joke.—Steven CrawfordBuckeye, AZ Don’t forget the Murano CrossCabriolet—Ed. Sorry, Nissan, but your “new” Z doesn’t…

To know the Car and Driver reader—to really understand the people who get this magazine in the mail, seek it out at the Paradies news-stand at Palm Beach International, or search for it at the library—all you have to do is read their letters. Collectively, y’all are a witty, insightful, and sharp-tongued monolith of sass and knowledge. We respect you more than you know, and not just because you write the funniest part of the magazine. You direct us, you correct us, and you threaten to walk out the door. We get it. Like you, we all once sat on the receiving end of C/D, ready to set pen to paper to tell the editors that the 1997 Volkswagen Jetta III GLX should’ve finished higher in its comparison test because the VR6…

Think of the Porsche 911 GT3 variants as wild geese, breathing free and flying high while the rest of the flock grows fat on the ground, dependent on a diet of forced induction. Wild and free GT3s may be, but there’s a limit to how much air an engine can move on its own. That means the 2023 911 GT3 RS can’t lean on a meaningful power increase to rise above its turbocharged competition. With 518 horsepower on tap, the newest GT3 RS is the most powerful naturally aspirated 911—but only by a modest bump over the 503 found in the GT3. Raw power, then, is not the focus here. Instead Porsche engineers were much more interested in manipulating the airflow outside of the engine. The result is a flagship…

We’ve driven a car while sitting on a milk crate, but that doesn’t mean we like it, especially when modern driver’s seats offer luxuries such as heating and ventilation, active support in corners, and much greater crash protection than the crate. Mercedes-Benz has a long history of comfort, as even the Benz Patent-Motorwagen had a bench well cushioned enough for Bertha Benz to make a 65-mile road trip in 1888. It was roomy, too—her two teen-age boys went with. Considering that the Patent-Motorwagen marked the birth of the modern automobile, Mercedes can lay claim to having the first automotive seat. Inventing the car is all well and good, but the German brand was one of the first to put massaging elements inside car seats (the S-class in 2000). Now that’s brilliance.…

The cost of a new car continues to rise, with the average transaction price eclipsing $47,000 for the month of June. Shoppers should pad their wallets, because dealer-ships are tacking on an average of $721 above the sticker price. Of course, some markups are well above average. If you’re looking to get rid of all of that pesky money you have lying around, then you may want to peep these four especially egregious “market adjustments” we found. Buying this ID.4 might ID you as a sucker. A big, beautiful, overpriced minivan that will take ’em to school for the cost of their college fund. For the low, low price of two F-150s… So much for the family-vacation budget. Can you convince the kids the local park is Disney World? It has mice.…

Maybe you’ve only schussed there, but the mountains and cities of the Denver area are full of automotive delights. From scenic drives that will test your bravery and your brakes to all kinds of transportation museums, here are the best roads and places to visit. BIGS AND LITTLES: Shrink it down and enter a remote-control race at MHOR R/C Raceway in Aurora. Or go big and scope out the collection of trains (including a Union Pacific Big Boy), planes, cars, and bikes at Denver’s Forney Museum of Transportation. GET DIRTY: Rent a Jeep, an ATV, or even a scooter and enjoy some of the scenic off-road trails just outside Denver. Check out Yankee Hill and Estes Park. VISTA CRUISING: Colorado is justly famous for winding byways with fabulous views. Mount Evans Scenic Byway…