Inhaltsverzeichnis für May 2017 in Automobile

The danger with an exercise such as this annual shakedown—aside from driving off a mountain face, careening into a 12-point buck as it sprints from the underbrush (almost happened), or spinning off the track into an unprotected wall—is that it’s all too easy to become infatuated with big money, big horsepower, almost impossibly aspirational items. So it speaks well of this year’s winning class that it spans an impressively diverse range, from a Japanese technological tour de force (admittedly a pricey proposition out of our personal reach) to a practical, allelectric American offering to a sub-$25,000 compact mainstay, not to mention two decidedly different apex stalkers from Germany and a refreshingly original and elegant Scandinavian. The voting was closer than in many years past, but in the end none of…

The arrival of a new Honda Civic is always kind of, you know, momentous. Ever since it first appeared in 1972 with its 50-horsepower, 40-mpg CVCC engine, the Civic has made it possible for car enthusiasts like us to embrace clean air and socially responsible practicality without losing our souls. Sure, we’re impressed that the Civic is always one of the most popular cars in America, and it reached the highest sales volume in the model’s 44-year history during 2016 with 366,927 examples sold. But what matters is that the all-new, 10th-generation model is fun to drive even as it delivers solid fuel economy. Honda engineers might be among the nerdiest on the planet, but with the 2017 Civic Hatchback Sport, they tried hard to transform the Civic into something…

W e’ve reached a crossroads, where two decidedly different sports cars are at a standoff over which has the right of way. Will the autonomous system guiding the tech-laden, EV-boosted model engage polite mode and let the visceral, highly analog machine proceed first? Or will this be the last intersection for a car that actually needs a human to turn the wheel and push the pedals? The old-school-flavored, drive-it-yourself ride in question is a lightweight, minimalist ragtop with rear-wheel drive. It has no advanced self-driving gadgetry, and its drivers need not waste their time dialing in fancy electronic chassis and throttle settings. It came, we think, with the correct setup from the Hiroshima factory where it rolled off the line. It’s a car we’ve been thrilled with since the original made…

BY RORY JURNECKA BONHAMS, GOODING & COMPANY, RM SOTHEBY’S | SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA S/N S850667 WHITE/BLUE OVER black interior. 3.8-liter, 293-hp, DOHC I-6. 4-speed manual transmission. Offered by Bonhams. Repainted once in the early 1980s but otherwise very original with factoryinstalled interior and bodywork showing the patina of decades of use on both track and street. Less than 4,000 miles indicated on odometer. THE STORY BEHIND THE SALE: The Jaguar E-type Lightweight is a legend in its own right. Built with lightweight aluminum bodywork, its fixed hard top and modified tail provide aerodynamic advantages over the standard E-type. The car also features significant performance modifications to the engine, transmission, brakes, and suspension, transforming the standard E-type into a competitive, international-level race car. Lightweights were built by the factory early in E-type…

Specs ON SALE: Now PRICE: $51,700/$54,495 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 3.0-liter turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/365 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 343 lb-ft @ 1,400-5,560 rpm LAYOUT: 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual EPA MILEAGE: 20/27 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H: 176.2 x 73.0 x 55.5 in WHEELBASE: 106.0 in WEIGHT: 3,461 lb 0-60 MPH: 4.4 sec TOP SPEED: 155 mph “Just when you thought BMW had lost the thread, it finds it again and wraps that thread around the competition,” contributor Steven Cole Smith noted. “What a wonderfully balanced car, certainly the best all-around BMW in years.” He’s right. The M2 is one hell of a grin-inducing package. It’s a welcome turn back down the right path for BMW’s M division. We were beginning to wonder if the…

I do understand how there are car enthusiasts who don’t quite understand the apparent journalistic love affair with the Porsche Cayman, never mind agree with it. So, let’s see if I can shed some light on this with the help of the army of editors on hand for All-Stars. Driver connection with the 718 begins at standstill. I’m talking cockpit feel, seat, steering wheel, pedals, gauges, control placement, road view—even smell. From my vantage point as a professional racer, the 718 is a functional driver’s office. Even before I set off, I know I’m in the correct position for doing my job. If you’ve never sat in one, I suggest you do it sometime. And make sure you close the door. Then we get to the driving. Klein said: “Every…

2017 INFINITI QX30 SPORT ON SALE: Now PRICE: $39,495/$43,695 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/ 208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE: 24/33 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H: 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.9 in WHEELBASE: 106.3 in WEIGHT: 3,364 lb 0-60 MPH: 6.3 sec TOP SPEED: 130 mph (est) INFINITI HAS TAKEN THE heart and bones of a Mercedes-Benz compact SUV and used them to make a cooler crossover. Line up Infiniti’s 2017 QX30 Sport with a recently redesigned 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA, with which it shares an engine, platform, and interior, and the Infiniti is the sexier SUV. Infiniti’s curvy crossover has narrow, hooded headlights, a wide double grille, bubbly bodywork,…

Specs PRICE: $37,495/$43,905 (base/as tested) ENGINE: Permanent magnet drive motor/200 hp, 266 lb-ft LAYOUT: 4-door, 5-passenger, front-motor, FWD wagon TRANSMISSION: single-speed EPA MILEAGE: 128/110 mpge (city/hwy); 238-mile total range L x W x H: 164 x 69.5 x 62.8 in WHEELBASE: 102.4 in WEIGHT: 3,563 lb 0-60 MPH: 6.3 sec TOP SPEED: 91 mph A long-time proponent of electric drive, I’ve enjoyed every electric car I’ve ever driven, but the only one I ever have been willing to use on a daily basis, Tesla’s groundbreaking Model S, is absurdly overpriced for me. All the others, however pleasant in use, were impractical for my personal needs. Until now. Chevrolet’s Bolt, specifically designed and engineered as a battery-electric, all-purpose, all-weather vehicle with enough range to make running-out-ofjuice anxiety a thing of the…

Specs ON SALE: Now PRICE: $55,450/$66,105 (base/as tested) ENGINE: 2.0L supercharged and turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/316 hp @ 5,700 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 2,200-5,400 rpm TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic LAYOUT: 4-door, 5 passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE: 22/31 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H: 195.4 x 79.5 x 56.8 in WHEELBASE: 115.8 in WEIGHT: 4,222 lb 0-60 MPH: 5.7 sec TOP SPEED: 130 mph With Automobile’s 2017 Design of the Year award already under its belt, it should come as no surprise the Volvo S90 is also worthy of All-Star status. But this sculpted Scandinavian is more than a pretty face. It’s a powerhouse of thoughtful engineering and brilliant balance. As I noted in my first drive of the car in June 2016, the S90 shakes up the luxury segment…

BY BOB MERLIS *Hagerty insurance average value (www.hagerty.com) THE INFO MODEL YEARS: 1956-1962 I NUMBER SOLD: 161,728 I ORIGINAL PRICE: $1,050 I VALUE TODAY: $25,700* I f you’re the self-conscious type, a BMW Isetta 300 might not be the best personal transportation choice because it is, in essence, a motorized fishbowl. The fact that you enter through the front, not to mention how the steering wheel articulates out with the car’s only door, is something of a sideshow unto itself. Motoring in an Isetta is, of course, the main event, and it’s lots of fun. Driving an egg-shaped car, for better or worse, certainly attracts attention, as we found on the sunny streets of Palm Springs, California. Even the mayor greeted us! Fortunately for BMW, its management in the early 1950s…