Motorweek; 1843

Oh. This time on Motor Week freshly minted silver from Rolls Royce a new oversized driver from books once again and zoning in on mind and body in motion. So come drive with us next. Will. TV's automotive magazine on speed vision for Motor Week. John. Hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. The name of England's most famous auto maker Rolls-Royce has been in the news a lot lately and not just for the confusing circumstances of its purchase by both BMW and Volkswagen but also for this car. The silver Cerro. The first all new Rolls-Royce in almost 20 years. But all this sudden change has some people wondering can Rolls-Royce preserve the

traditional values that have made it one of the auto industry's most enduring icons. Well the best place to find that out is behind the wheel. And once behind it quickly becomes apparent the 999 Rolls Royce is the most driver friendly Silver Series ever crude and that's quite an accomplishment for a car whose highbrow genetic make up has always place more importance on posh passenger comforts than driving pleasure. And breaking tradition with some of the faithful and new money wannabes need not fear versed in the art of conflict and the slightly reworked yet instantly recognizable. And it's now run and underscores slightly elevated. Provide reassuring links to the past although the now relies on a bit of modern technology

rather than divine intervention to protect it from muggers and thieves. Hand crafted interior. Connally high powered electric tilted steering wheel and a fully comprehensive digital message. But the Alpine stereo is poorly mounted and its button small and confusing. It is however very loud which is quite useful in drowning out those curbside comics who insist on knocking on the window conveniently located under the armrest. And the passengers are pampered with lots of leather lined space heated

electrically adjustable seats and a pair of handsome wooden picnic tables. Behind him is a boot with a rather modest thirteen point two cubic feet of storage capacity. If it's a long trip better have Jeeves follow with the extras in the Range Rover and spending a lot of time in the Range Rover because once you discover what to drive you're not going to him behind the wheel. One contribution to the new found is a 65 percent increase in torsional rigidity. Now for the first time manufactured at Crewe along with the rest of the car. It's the very same

transmission. Three hundred twenty three hundred sixty one thirty nine hundred RPM. Six point nine seconds and fifteen point ninety five. Not too shabby for a vehicle that. Stopping power was equally impressive 160 fairly prominent. And the pedal feel is quite mushy. ABS system is definitely up to that and so too the suspension fitted with the newly recalibrated computer controlled. This steering is light and precise so precise in fact that when tackling a

traction control system deactivated the back and wants to step out rather quickly and although vastly improved over previous models body roll is still abundant but the only things you're going to be dodging in the real world are potholes and peasants that is over qualified for the task and it's likely never feel or hear the pothole. In fact you may find yourself inexplicably breaking out into the Hallelujah Chorus at the top of your lungs. Of course that's before you pay for it as price is one area where this does not break with tradition suggested retail price two hundred sixteen thousand four hundred dollars and that doesn't include all the little entitlements Uncle Sam feels him for being able to afford the 1099 is without a doubt the best Silver Series car rolls Royce has ever built. And when put in the proper perspective over 200

grand may not be such a bad deal. After all who can put a price on an A. To get the most out of ABS brakes on your car remember these three little words stomp. Stay and steer. Stomp the brake pedal in a panic stop stay on the brake pedal even if it vibrates or makes noise and steer around the obstacle or danger. ABS brakes work best when you stop stay and steer. Like a family doctor. A good automotive technician can seem like a part of a family dispensing reliable diagnosis from one generation to the next. Our top tax pad has been our automotive MDT for 18 years and here's why. John getting an air conditioner fix these days can be a real challenge. So here we have some tips. First thing you look for is to make sure that the technician is certified. This is a max a mobile air conditioning society

certification. In addition to certified technicians the repair shop has to have proper equipment like this refrigerant. A dental fire is going to tell them what is in your car if it's a proper type of refrigerant and that what they're putting in it is proper. In addition to that they have to have recycling equipment to recapture everything that comes out of your vehicle. Now if you happen to have a car that Hannah has an air filter on it many cars do these days and if all of a sudden your air conditioner ceases to function properly check that filter. This car the one that this came out of air conditioning just about quit completely and all it took to fix it was a new clean filter. But what about the hottest topic out there. Retro fit instead of 12. Everybody wants to put our 130 foray into their car. How do you go about doing that. Well the first thing you look for if the repair shop is telling you that you have to retrofit your car do they have

one of these. This is an IMAX book. International Mobile Air Conditioning Association. And in this book it's going to tell them all of the steps all of the parts that are specific to your vehicle in order to change it over to our 134. Now can I just use one of these cheap kits you know used to be we said the $29 kits $100 kits and so on. They were acceptable. Well maybe maybe not. You see when they go to their IMAX a book they may find that they have to do things like appear in the front your car may need a push or a fan. It may need a new condenser. It may need modifications to the radiator. Most all of them are going to need a new accumulator or receiver dryer. Many of them will need new compressors. They'll all need some switches and different oil and stuff like that. Put it all together and it may not make sense. And if you don't do it properly the air conditioning can die a very slow death. In

other words you could wind up with bigger expenses than you ever thought possible. There's only one way to do it and that is the way that it says in that book. Do it right. You'll have good cold air and you won't have parts failing. And if you have a question or if you have a comment write to me. If I select your letter I'm going to send you a motor week T-shirt. The address is Motor Week. Always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. The car of the week is this 1970 Pontiac judge. It's owned by Kevin surface of Alamogordo New Mexico. After a three year restoration and full documentation by Pontiac historical services his honor now presides with the ram air three in three hundred sixty six horsepower firmly intact. Now if you have a cold classic send is to good color photos and a description to Motor Week Owings

Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Ask people why they drive in the responses you get will be as varied as the people themselves. For some it's just something that has to be done. A necessary evil if you will but for others it's a release a way to unwind. All this week Lisa Beryl takes a closer look at driving and its impact on human physiology. Yeah a lot about the zone and how athletes like racecar drivers find themselves in that magical performance experience. What is the zone and how does it affect us physiologically. To find out we sent our cameras to human performance International in Florida where specialists work with drivers to enhance not only their physical fitness but also the mental skills necessary for performance driving the zone when it is a condition in which they lose themselves in the activity that they are performing.

Racecar drivers often indicate that they are in the zone where they sometimes describe being almost in a tunnel. They see very little outside this tunnel down that shaft of the tongue that is in the clear their vision is extremely acute their focus is absolute. And everything outside that tunnel is just a blur and the machine becomes one. Everything seems to slow down. When you doing things right there's a certain wonderful rhythm to it. And. It feels like you can't do anything wrong. And if that happens when everything starts to slow down it's probably the case your just found your pace and this is very Someone very lucky. Driving. Is to me like life being with sailing or any of the things in which you're in a sort of. Tenuous control of forces that are clearly stronger than you and they could you know slap you down any minute.

And. It's that balance. And their pleasure the physical pleasure of doing that of having that kinaesthetic point in which you are balancing these forces. That's the joy and the pleasure in doing. In fact any time when there's an adrenaline surge because of risk because of danger that is an example of the fight or flight phenomenon and when a driver is just out of control in from four experiences that stress response. Frequently the opposite of the stress response or the adrenaline rush dysphoria if you will the opposite of that is euphoria. Provided the first car. You're reacting to almost four Gee that's four times your weight of lateral acceleration so your body is yours a lot of grunting and groaning and you're holding up and you can at the end of the race you could have no skin on your hands and your neck and be so stiff you can't turn it. But there are so many things being thrown at you quickly that you don't think about the physical aspect.

Mastering this kind of focused attention in the midst of high stress can lead to a sense of accomplishment. And according to sports psychologist Dan reseat there might be health benefits in this. There's a direct link from the mind the images and thoughts and emotions that are experienced in the mind right to the cellular level. So from a physiological perspective there is a benefit. From the euphoria the excitement the sense of mastery and well-being that we might experience when we are demonstrating to ourselves competency in some sport like motor racing. So perhaps there might be potential health benefits from some types of driving but not all of us are race car drivers experiencing the thrill of mastering that kind of stress situation behind the wheel. So what about the rest of us. Is it possible there might be health benefits for the type of driving we do to get another perspective. I spoke with Dr. Susan Schmidt a consultant specializing in renewal and

revitalization for individuals and organizations. Dr. Schmidt actually recommends the revitalising benefits of driving to clients who experience excessive stress in their lives. What effect does stress have on our bodies and minds. Well stress directly impacts our health both physically spiritually mentally emotionally. And the idea of releasing stress really allows that to leave our body and really allows us to produce good stress you stress which is that stress which is known as good stress is associated with laughter joy even serenity. And it's that stress you stress which is which produces the killer cells which help us fight battle prevent disease. So if we can find a way in which our cars bring us joy on a daily basis we're really preventing we're fighting a disease. Why did you buy this car. I bought my car specifically as a way of bringing me great joy at the end of the day.

Put that top down and it just melts my travels away. It goes without saying that you don't have to be a racecar driver to love driving. And according to warn more experts the inherent connection between our mind and body means that feeling good leads to better health. So what's all this mean for me. I'm going for a ride. Only a few years ago it looked like the traditional station wagon was dead replaced by the more rugged sport utility vehicle. Fortunately no one told Waldo who is leading the wagon renaissance with models like this. The 70 cross-country. More and more are finding well-designed wagons to be superior to SUV and comfortable ride in fuel economy and they can still hold as much if not more cargo. Our long term cost country is a big hit with our staff our summer road trip log book comments include great seats love the long travel suspension on choppy

highways handling a sporty enough to be fun on twisty roads with its high revving European tune five cylinder turbo charged power train we'd still like more for passing but the 70 proves you don't have to have a V-8 to make a fast getaway. Our car has been fault free in recent months and that fuel economy we mentioned now sits at twenty one point three miles per gallon. After 13000 miles and six months of service. Go Bobo. The 70 cross country can have a spot in our garage any day. Next time we'll turn our attention to this Honda Odyssey minivan on our next motor week long term road test update. Now it's time to check in with Jennifer Kesse novice on all the latest Motor News. This week on motor news we're going to increase your word power so pay close attention. A vegan is a a unit of measurement. B A Swedish hot rod. See a Scandinavian desert. Or D none of the above. Well if you chose B You are correct. But if you answered C will give you half credit because the

999 9 3 vegan is a tasty new treat from Swedish automaker Saab the vivid lightning blue color scheme bold front spoiler extended rocker panels and more prominent rear wing distinguish the Vigan from its nine three siblings inside the Vegas cab and one finds a cockpit style layout was superb ergonomics and smart looking in extremely supportive leather sport seats that are exclusive to the Vega. But what really makes this treat so delectable is a 2.3 leader high output turbo charged four cylinder under the hood with two hundred twenty five horsepower and a stunning two hundred fifty two pound feet of torque on tap from twenty five hundred to 4000 rpm. This is no Swedish meatball. Power is bad through a smooth five speed transmission in the beginning. Try an 87 engine management system and fly by wire electronic throttle turbo lag is virtually nonexistent.

Produced in limited numbers and carrying a price of thirty eight thousand three hundred twenty five dollars. The 9 3 begin coupe can be taste tested at Saab dealers now and that's it for this week's Motor News. Circle the wagons once practically extinct the venerable station wagon is making a roaring return with European automakers providing most of the thrust. BMW recently released these photos of a new 3 series Ford wagon that will go on sale in early 2000 and flesh out their wagon train led by the 540 Ayan 528 I sport wagon the three series sport wagon will be powered by six cylinder gas engine and come equipped with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions. A few years ago the latest rage to hit the game of golf was the oversized driver. The golfers of all stripes jumped on the bandwagon hoping to shave a few strokes off their game. Well I guess golf has an

oversized driver of sorts. It's the hot hatchback GTI IVR 6. But those weak of heart beware because rather than save your strokes it just may induce one. It's a well-known fact among car fans that boats wagons golf. DTI is one of the most exciting small cars ever. And has been since 1983 when we drove the venues and predicted that it would score a hole in one on the sales floor while two years later it beat all comers in a comparison of the hottest hatchbacks then available. In the 90s the DTI got really serious when boats Lagan operated with her narrow angle V-6 engine called the PBR 6 and as the millennium rolls to a close we see the debut of a new fourth generation GOFF Which now spawns the most potent DTI ever. The 1999 lacks now packs an improved version of VW as 2.8 leader six parts creamer that makes 174 power and

one hundred eighty one pound feet of torque. Talk about an oversized driver. If you choose the VR 6 engine and the blacks your only transmission choice is the improved but still somewhat rubbery 5 speed manual. The combination of six cylinders and five years takes the DTI to 60 in only six point eight seconds or three seconds faster than the first 83 GTI a quarter mile an hour last only fifteen point one seconds and again 93 miles per hour. But the best part of a G has always been its handling which we put to the test on Savannah Georgia's two mile Roebling road race. The way the new laser welded chassis is super solid like the suspension consist of the front end a torsion beam rear axle with separate shocks and springs in the rear already tuned to deliver the solid response of high speed handling. The fans have always prized. This type for giving little pocket rocket needs only a tad less body roll to feel like a real race car. But while the suspension could stand a

minor tweak the engine is already competition grade. It's remarkably high revving but only 12 power plants blasting out of tight corners and hammering down the straights like a Tiger Woods drop. Breaking However initially strong quickly heavy track abuse not a problem likely to be encountered by non racers. And back street drivers can expect the ABS equipped to stop from 60 in an average distance of only one hundred twelve feet. It's a ride that's guaranteed to raise your adrenaline. Level but the DTI also handles daily driving quite well. The high revving engine does require a fair bit of flux modulation in traffic but the ride is solid without being harsh mostly due to the longer wheel base and the most rigid golf platform yet. All these improvements under the scanner backed up with the most totally European styling to ever grace a US market Volkswagen. The makers of aftermarket body kits will be hard pressed to improve on the sleek racy lines of this longer wider GTA Online.

While the typically straightforward serious German interior is very well equipped including side impact airbags. The front sport bucket seats relieve fatigue with solid supportive protection cages or a sparse is never but large and clear. While we still think center stack controls are set a bit low the stereo wisely rides above the climate system which for the first time is fully automatic. We're sitting in the twos or GDI is fine for anyone under 5 foot 10 a 60 40 split seat back holds for extra cargo space which is already a help the 18 cubic feet. Plenty of room for two doff bags and a few thousand bowls if you like to raise your own game with a DTI Geo x. The starting price is point two thousand one hundred fifty dollars. Almost everything is standard so our only extra charge is five hundred twenty five dollars for delivery. Making the final total twenty two thousand six hundred seventy five dollars that's a lot of performance equipment and style for the money and back the new. Yeah I may well be the best deal in a high performance car since well the first BTR.

Now some golfers feel that oversized drivers offer an unfair advantage. The technology is that cancels out the human side of the game. After driving the 1999 Volkswagen DTI DL acts we feel that it doesn't cancel out but rather allows a driver to make food use of his or her skill and that the only drivers complaining about DTI owners having an unfair advantage are probably the ones who can't keep up. I hope you'll join us next week for more motorways. Well drive that potent Ferrari 456 GTI and BMW 5 series sport wagons. Lisa Barrow tackles the wilds of Mongolia and a Land Rover. Pat Goss explains how to keep your auto shop safe. Plus we'll have another long term road test update and a report on how one of America's favorite compact cars suits the used car buyer. I'm John Davis. Well see you right here next week on speed vision.