Motorweek; 2009

This time on motorways a mighty Sequoia grows a tall you know a windy spirit of ecstasy and BMW Zbig cruising Kay to come drive with us. TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by Priceline dot com with Priceline dot com you name your own price for new cars makes and models of cars trucks sport utility vehicles minivans and more. When you log on to Priceline dot com you name your own price. And buy equal tire performance in cars light trucks and SUV equal reduces tire vibrations so your tires can meet the road more evenly equals for added safety stability and handling for the life of your tires and by Pep Boys. No matter what you drive Pep Boys has over 27000 items in stock. Virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service pay staff with a a c

certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Well hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. Nothing reflects the economic theory of supply and demand like a sport utility market. Even in a time of rising fuel prices buyers are demanding more and bigger sport utes and manufacturers are rushing to supply them. The latest company to dive into the full size huge pool is toy Yoda. Their new Tundra base takes on market leaders Ford Expedition and Chevrolet taco. So are American highways about to get tighter. Indeed the new 2001 Toyota Sequoia is no sampling SUV and fact like its namesake it's one of the biggest. The Indiana Sequoia measures two hundred three point nine inches from bumper to bumper

and rides on a wheel base of one hundred eighteen point one inches. That's bigger than the Chevrolet taco and only a hair smaller than the Ford Expedition. In fact only the Chevy Suburban GMC Yukon Xcel and Ford Excursion are significantly larger. Based on the tundra pick up the Sequoia is powered by Toyota's II force four point seven leader Twin Cam 32 valve output is a robust 240 horsepower and 315 pound feet of torque and the Sequoia is EPA certified as a UL Levy or ultra low emissions vehicle. The rest of the drive train consist of a four speed automatic transmission and on four by fours a full time shift on the fly system with a locking center differential. And while a minority of sequoias will see serious off road use they can with ground clearance that tops out at ten point six inches three inches more than expedition. We put the Sequoia to our initial test both on and off road hundreds of feet. Guy in Montana on pavement the

double wishbone front and five linked Brewer suspension delivered a solid yet very comfortable and very quiet ride. In corners the Sequoia feel stable but very big handling is tight for a full size SUV. But tire squeal comes quickly in corners even at low speed. They keep the Sequoia pointed in the right direction at all speeds. Traction control and Toyota's electronic vehicle skid control system which helps correct for understeer and oversteer are standard fitment the I Force Engine is smooth and delivers gobs of low down power. The While the transmission's gear ratios were well chosen for a wide variety of driving conditions. Just surprised us is doing a little on the rough side. Sequoia styling however is anything but. In fact while in the tundra clan styling is so smooth as to be almost generic. Especially up front where bumper grill and headlights flow together into a solid tall almost monochromatic wall while out back the huge tail lights

prominent bumper and flat rear hatch enforce a look of real mass all riding on 16 by seven inch wheels wearing 240 570 tires on two wheel drive models and 265 70s on four by four inside the big Sequoyah like its big competitors easy to update people and three rows of seats. Safety features include optional side impact airbags and side curtain airbags for the front seats. The dash a stylized version of the tundras is marked full and rounded more car like than truck and faces seats with an optional eight way power adjustments for the driver and passenger leather and seat heater. And places the driver squarely in front of a large comprehensive gauge cluster and within easy reach of a high mounted stereo with cassette and CD players in the US are five while limited trim added JBL system with index 6 CD changer on all models easy to use automatic climate control system rectally below. No second row seating is clipped 60:40 the seat backs reclined in the

whole seat can be tumbled forward. That makes it easy to reach the 50 50 split. Third row seats they slide forward and back and can be removed for more cargo space. Space that with access to the large cats with power window totals one hundred twenty eight boys one cubic feet with the third row out and second row seats folded. And how much of the kind and size and power and space SUV buyers demand. Well prices for the Sequoia have not yet been announced but expect a base price for the ES archive to be near $30000 right in line with its main competitors a Ford Expedition X Ltd. So with its full sized tundra heritage advance comfort and safety features three rows of seating and Toyota's reputation for quality. We think it's a good bet that demand for the 2001 Sequoia will also outstrip supply. So watch your bumpers in mirrors America here on highways and parking lots are about the timing. A little more which makes it boy. Do antilock brakes always reduce your stopping distance in emergency

situations. A new government study concludes that except on loose surfaces like sand and snow all panic stops can be shorter which will anti-lock brakes. Then without shorter on wet pavement. And shorter on dry pavement. Remember ABS works best when you stop the brake pedal stay on the brake pedal and steer where you want to go. Coming up a big greasy BMW. You know most mechanics are pretty well-rounded folks when it comes to wrenching. But this week our top tech Pat Goss displays his versatility by turning his attention from cars and trucks to motorcycles. John motorcycles have certainly seen a tremendous resurgence in popularity over the last few years. So what we've done is we've collected some of the bikes that belong to the Motor Week staff to show you some of the more popular things that are going on. Well just about everybody that has a motorcycle they want one of two things they want the ultimate

horsepower out of that bike or they want the sound. And that means that they change the exhaust system. Well there are different ways of doing that. You might like to do something like this cobra slip on here you use the original front pipe the old muffler is sawn off and the new muffler slips over it increases horsepower and gives a nice sound. But maybe you want to go a step further with something like this Yoshimura are in the system. This starts right at the engine has all of the pipes and the muffler as one unit and everything is tuned for best performance. More money but a little more performance is what you'll get. Now remember that when you change the exhaust system you alter the back pressure. And when you alter the back pressure that tends to make a motorcycle run lean. So you have to rejet the carburetor or if it's fuel injected you may have to change the chip inside the computer. Now another thing that works with performance is

certainly the handling and traction of the bike. There are a lot of aftermarket tires that will deliver much better traction and handling. But remember when you do that you may sacrifice longevity better traction less wear but it's probably worth it. Now the next thing is comfort. Well that means that you want to change the seat maybe you want to consider something like this. CORB an aftermarket seat which has a special foam in it for comfort. It's designed so that it fits the bike precisely. And it's really great to sit on a nice nice touch. Right now keeping it clean. For that you want the s 100 line of cleaning products that will keep your bike looking like new indefinitely. Does a great job. Another thing that's been real real popular is luggage for motorcycles. There's not much place to carry anything on the average motorcycle so soft luggage either in the form of

saddle bags or tank bags and number of different options a lot of them will actually be contoured to fit your precise make and model. They're a good investment and very inexpensive. Now last but not least you want to keep your motorcycle in your driveway and that means you need a disc lock slides over the disc brake and keeps the thieves from walking off with your bike. If you have a question or a comment write to me. If I use your letter I'll send you a motor week T-shirt. The address is Motor Week Owens Mills Maryland 2 1 1 0 1 7. Our car of the week is a 1951 Buick super estate when I can. It belongs to Wayne Francis of Tucson Arizona. Wayne spent nine years restoring the big Buick a wonderful example of a time when American family cars made SUV look small. With a straight engine Dyna flow transmission and a six volt

electrical system this car could have just rolled off the dealer's lot. If you have a car to show off submitted lease to good color photos and a description to Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Most motorway viewers know BMW is the builder of some of the world's finest automobiles. But BMW has also been building innovative motorcycles since 1923 and the riders of those bikes are known to rack up some serious mileage. Well the leader of BMW has a long haul pack is this. Twelve hundred L.T.. It's got all the features that a long distance motorcyclist demands and a few that even BMW car buyers have come to expect. As BMW used to wield flagship the BMW K 12 hundred Ltd has a lot more than just another motorcycle like other flagships the k 12 hundred Ltd is big link there's ninety eight point seven inches while which measures forty two point five inches. That's one very substantial motorcycle but

also a very sleek one. BMW motorcycle stylists have long been known for their adventurous lines and the organic flow of the big case styling makes most other full sized touring bikes look like barn doors on wheels to keep the K12 flowing down the road. BMW has a debt with an eleven hundred seventy one CC version of its case series horizontal four cylinder engine pumping out a smooth 100 horsepower and 85 pound feet of torque. It features twin cams for valve heads and electronic fuel injection. Its power is fed through a light progressive clutch and into a five speed gearbox that offers a positive shift even if our brand new test bike was frequently reluctant to find first gear. It also comes equipped with an unusual power reverse gear to pull you out of sticky parking situations. Finally the power reaches BMW Spira lever rear suspension which combines the drive shaft and swing arm and a single assembly while up front BMW

unusual tele lever suspension keeps the front wheel planted firmly on the pavement. It all works together with the long sixty four point three inch wheelbase and have to be eight hundred thirty four pounds weight to deliver superb stability. It soaks up bumps ripples on pavement grooves that would have smaller lighter bikes dancing and weaving. Power is more than adequate for a single rider. That with the machines full of 500 pound capacity on board all 100 ponies are needed and they're very efficient ponies on a long highway loop mixed with a cage no urban traffic. The delivered a very satisfactory 47 miles per gallon. The downside of most big touring bikes is the muscle needed to move them down twisty roads or through heavy stop and go traffic. And yes the k 12 hundred Ltd is hardly a sport bike but it is very well balanced for such a big two wheeler. But no matter what road you favor you'll find a big anti lock equipped a Brembo brakes to be strong and fade free.

Comfort has always been important in big touring bikes and the K12 uttered L.T. offers every feature that a long haul rider could wish for and then some. Such as a standard security system on our LTE custom the wind chill has a power height adjustment and along with a massive fairing offer support protection from the elements. It rides above a big comprehensive car like instrument cluster and is flanked by mirrors that are bigger and better than on many cars. The turn signal system however which consist of separate switches for right left and cancel is an idiosyncrasy that only BMW fanatics could love switch gear for the standard cruise control is super simple. The 6.2 gallon fuel tank and on the left handlebar are large clear controls for the standard 100 20 watt cassette stereo and available 6 CD changer which is standard on our custom grade bike. It's tucked away in the intergrated luggage compartment that offers up to four point two cubic feet of space but the topper

is built into the height adjustable driver seat passenger seat and passenger backrest which along with a custom standard heated hand grips will keep you riding well into the winter months which you'll want to do to get your money's worth. Base price for the twelve hundred sixteen thousand nine hundred ninety dollars or Ican grade with heated grips and eighteen thousand four hundred dollars with an extra will run you nineteen thousand six hundred dollars. And yes well that's what you'd pay for many cars. They'd be more like a jet ski than a flagship. Like BMW automobiles they pay twelve hundred L.T. is both a long haul touring tool and an excellent example of high end motorized luxury. It's everything that a BMW buyer demands and expects. No matter how many wheels they choose. The Mitsubishi Eclipse has always been a very sporty coupe. But our new generation

is far more sophisticated than its predecessors and we for one welcome the changes to the exterior that is more sculpted and robust with more than a passing tribute to Ferrari like details to the interior which maintains a serious driving environment. But with more room thicker seats and easier to reach controls to the chassis with a preferred engine is a 3 liter 24 valve 86 with a broad power band in peak output of 205 horsepower and 205 pounds. Sure. You can order it with something other than this five speed manual transmission but why would you want to after 11 months and almost 12000 miles. We have no serious mechanical ills to report as this eclipse is the most trouble free Mitsubishi product we've ever. Test it. And even at this late date test economy is still rising to twenty five point one mpg efficient and fun too. Well that's our take to date on the latest eclipse. Our other sporty long term coupe is considerably

more family and friends practicality than the eclipse. You can actually sit adults in the back seat the Salerno is nevertheless a smooth willing book warmer that rewards a good hand at the wheel with impressive cornering response and very good responses but we have from our geo less Alero with this three point four leader 170 horsepower V-6 drive train. After 10000 miles the LRO completes its tour with us ranking points are you. Then focused on the driver seating position and some questionable dash plastic. But overall we were very pleased with the twenty four point five mpg economy. Smart looks and finally balanced ride is handling. In fact we think almost no bill is marketing an excellent trio of affordable front drive entry level luxury nameplates Alero entry and this all new 2001 aura. Indeed we'll soon see how this V8 Aurora copes with our hard driving crew and we've driven both this Honda Insight hybrid

coupe and this Toyota Tundra pickup hard and we'll have the results of our next motor week long term road test update. Time now to check in with Jennifer because not as she brings us up to date with all the latest Motor News. It was in 1986 that BMW unleashed on the public roads what it calls the most successful motor sports touring car of all time. It was a driver's dream bearing the simple moniker and three. And for driving enthusiastic the world over. That simple letter number combination has come to stand for serious foot stopping performance. And for the 2001 model year. The M3 has turned up. Burner even higher. Than you I'm 3 sports a slightly wider and lower stance than it's more plebian three series partners and is made even more muscular looking with bulging wheel arches and a more aggressive face. But where you really feel the heat is under the power dome hood as the M3 is three point two liter dual overhead cam twenty four valve in-line six has been stamped with a

lighter crankshaft lighter slimmer pistons and a muscle car era compression ratio of eleven point five to one. It also uses the same double Vangelis valve timing system and drive by wire six throttle body intake setup found on the M5 sedan and. Wrap it all up in a tight all aluminum package and it's good for three hundred thirty three horsepower and two hundred sixty two pound feet of torque. It's all stirred around by the five and six speed manual transmission and to aid the traction control and stability programs especially in nasty weather the M3 now employs a new rear differential equipped with a variable and differential lock. This new unit uses a shear pump and a multi plate clutch to send up to 100 percent of the power to a single wheel whether on the road or the track driver's familiar with the M3 will notice a more compliant ride spring and damper settings in the strut front bench and are indeed softer. But. Those who equate a harsh ride with performance need not fear in testing at Germany's famed

13 mile nerve are growing. The new M3 best of the previous models lap times by an astounding 15 seconds. But the M3 is also capable of comfortably performing the more mundane duties of everyday commuting. And makes it more bearable for you by offering a well-appointed cabin with the instruments and controls laid out like the rest of the three series cars with additional and badging. The 2001 BMW M3 goes on sale January 1st 2001 with prices estimated in the 45 $46000 range and with only 3000 being produced annually. They won't sit for long and that's it for this week's Motor News. You know open air motoring can be described as refreshing exhilarating or in some cases bracing but it's usually a stretch to call it civilized. For one thing the wind is constantly blowing your head around. The right often leaves you sweaty gritty and sunburn and there's always that chance of a rogue shower. Well the latest Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible care to

change any of that but it will certainly make you feel more civilized. After all civilized motoring is what Rolls-Royce is all about and especially civilized is this cornice convertible the first of all new Rolls soft top in a generation each can build addition as a one off custom order making this easily one of the rarest of all cars and one of the biggest. The six thousand thirty one pound corny stretches almost 18 feet from Valve to stern and rides on a one hundred twenty point five inch wheel base that measures six feet nine inches across from mirror to mirror the fabric convertible top blends beautifully with a modernized but still classical Rolls-Royce lines. Though we must admit to being quite disappointed to find a plastic rear window opening the top requires just the press of a single switch and it stores smoothly away beneath the flush fitting room trim directly. Thus allowing you to enjoy both the open

air exhibition and the incredible opulence of the interiors of Pinewood been ears hand-stitched Connelly Hyde and Wilton wool carpeting. As well as just about every luxury and convenience feature that you can play. Simply. To motivate this Queen Mary of the motor car set Rolls-Royce equips the cornice convertible with its also hand built and venerable 6.7 leader pushrod turbocharged V-8 rolls never quotes power figures although three hundred twenty five is about right. Yet rolls does admit to a massive figure of five hundred forty four pound feet all available at only twenty one hundred RPM Rolls-Royce described as more than adequate power pushes the Corniche to 60 in only 6.5 seconds. And through the quarter mile and 15 seconds at 92 mph throttle based traction control is standard. More important to owners is that power flows like cream through a silky smooth four speed automatic gearbox and down to 17 inch alloy wheels

are rated to 55 55 series tire. Keeping those tires in contact with the pavement is Rolls Royces load leveling automatic right control on the street it delivers a smooth almost floating ride though if the road turns rough there's a noticeable increase in body vibration as the suspension works hard to compensate for ripples and potholes. Run at a moderate pace on our test track however the Cornish feels well balanced with only a slight front in push but push a little harder and the front end digs in trying to push the back into round. Fortunately steering feedback is excellent at all speeds which helps you keep the Corniche pointed in the right direction to stop such a substantial car. Rolls Royce uses anti-lock equipped 340 millimeter dist brakes which bring it down from 60 in an average of only one hundred twenty five feet. Impressive for such a heavy weight sun worshiper. And the heavy price is even more impressive. Each of a handful of cornice

convertibles built this year will carry a starting price of three hundred fifty nine thousand nine hundred ninety dollars. Now that's before sixteen thousand one hundred dollars in luxury tax. For perspective that's enough to buy all three of the V12 offerings in the Mercedes-Benz lineup or make a good start on that mini mansion. But then if you're really interested in a Rolls-Royce housing has probably already taken care of. So you're free to enjoy the rarer things in life like an extended top down two or in a Cornish convertible. And while your head will still be blown around your skin still susceptible to sunburn and everything still vulnerable to a rogue shower. One thing is for sure civilization as you know it will be for ever change. I hope you'll join us next week for more motorways. Well we'll take you on a blast to the past as we celebrate 20 years of automotive television Motor Week style. I'm John Davis. We'll see you then to

learn more about motor week. TV's original automotive magazine visit us online at PBS dot org or America Online keyword PBS motor week has been brought to you by Priceline dot com with Priceline dot com you name your own price for new cars all makes and models of cars trucks sport utility vehicles minivans and more. When you log on to Priceline dot com you name your own price. And buy equal tire performance in cars like trucks and SUV equal reduces tire vibrations so your tires can meet the road more evenly equal for added safety stability and handling for the life of your tires. And by pep boys no matter what you drive Pep Boys Over 27000 items and stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service pay staff with a a c certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service to order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4. Now. This.