Motorweek; 2227

This time on motor week off road blocks three for months this viper versus bat and a monument to motor racing. So come talk with us next. One of the TV's original automotive magazines by Cowboys the economy people. That motor week my favorite one great show 30 quality minutes I show you can watch with your friends. You getting excited. There are cars involved. Of course I am. And by. What are you looking for. A month or so. Your host for Mozambique. John David. Well hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. Some years ago a popular movie coined the phrase build it and they will come. And that seems to be the Montreux of automakers

and their approach to the midsize luxury SUV segment. Now on the latest of build it is Lexus with it being the all new 2003 GX 470. But with buyers already faced with an overwhelming already of luxury SUV choices including Lexus IS own and very popular are x 300. We wonder will they come. That depends on what's waiting for them. Lexis knows the 2003 GX 470 must win over a demanding and somewhat jaded group of buyers customers who expect a mid sized premium price board to be equally at home at the Country Club or on a boulder feel that in the GX 417 is built top instead of the car based unibody used in the smaller R x 300 the GX 470 rides on an all new truck style body on frame chassis

shared with Toyota's new core runner and the GX 470 is styled to emphasize both toughness and sophistication. The stance is wide and aggressive with just enough smooth edges. It's handsome if hardly distinctive and Lexus buyers may well be confused by its size. At one hundred eighty eight point two inches long with a one hundred nine point eight inch wheel base the GX is only about four inches shorter than its big brother the elex 470. Yet the GX 470 superbly appointed cabin actually offers more front leg room and shoulder room than the lack of an easier entry. Thanks to a manual height adjustment mode in the suspension. As in the X the G x cockpit offers glowing luxury car styling and every bell and whistle that a high environ could possibly demand including front and side airbags for front seat passengers and side curtain airbags for the front in second row seats those front seats are wide plush power adjustable leather

clad buckets with heat and memory and they're all automatic dual zone climate control and either a standard six this in their CD changer or an optional package that combines a top in Mark Levinson audio system with a user friendly DVD based navigation system. And if you wish forests worth of premium wood trim and that's just in the front seat move to the second row and there's an optional entertainment system that combines DVD CD and video game capabilities. You'll enjoy it from a cushy 60 40 split seat that folds easily to either expand cargo space or allow easy entry to the optional third row 50/50 split bench seats. The lightweight third row seats which allow seating for 8 can be folded to the side or easily removed and left at home. Moving it all down the road is the same 4.7 liter dual overhead cam V8 that powers the larger elex and the GX it delivers 235 horsepower and 300 20000 feet of torque and feeds the full time for will drive system through a

fine 5 speed automatic. For on road driving the four wheel drive system is backed up by a wide range of automatic systems including traction control vehicle skid control and variable suspension damping while off road uses are covered by downhill assist control and hill start assist control systems when combined with the four wheel drive systems Torsen torque sensing center differential deliver solid traction on loose surfaces and inclines. Then we would hesitate to tackle and many other SUV but most GX who are 70s will spend their entire lives on pavement such as the winding roads around Park City Utah where we got our first taste of this latest Lexus SUV. Riding on a sophisticated double wishbone front suspension with oil over shocks and 0 4 links solid axle rear with air springs. The G x 470 delivers a smooth ride typical of today's luxury SUV on curvy or roads the GX exhibited high levels of grip for an SUV but

plenty of body roll as well. Acceleration was strong with the P.A. delivering plenty of low end home. The drive train is smooth and flexible However as we expect given the Lexus lineage Lexus expects that lineage to help sell a modest 20000 GX 470 each model year. Prices have not yet been announced but we expect it. You can carry a base price of about forty five thousand dollars when it arrives in December. We estimate that will be about five grand more than a loaded Toyota four runner electric sports segment is getting so crowded that build it and they won't come. Maybe not so much an automakers montra as a marketing department's wishful thinking but with the Lexus brand strong history of quality performance and fierce owner loyalty we think that when the 2003 Lexus GX 470 hits the showrooms will not only come they'll bond. Coming out a living memorial to the motor sport.

Now it's wing by Goss's garage and see what Pat's working on this way. John when it comes to accessories and high performance parts for your automobile the line between the aftermarket and the dealership. Well it's becoming decidedly blurred. See there are all sorts of things that are available through the dealership today to accessorize your car or to improve its performance appearance or sound. All of them have catalogs that list the various things that they have. This can range anywhere from apparel right straight through some hard core performance items. Now here we have a trailer hitch that this is a manufacturer's part and it comes with some neat pieces like these units right here that go up inside the frame to make bolting it to the car a lot easier. Well that might not be part of the package. If this was an aftermarket part. Now one of the things that you have to consider is that the dealer part in many cases may be covered under the manufacturer's

warranty for the duration of that warranty or an extended warranty that you have. So that's something to think about and see if it applies. Now some of the things that you could do you could in many cases improve your braking system with high performance brake pads from the dealer most manufacturers make them these days. Then we have things like spring kits. Many manufacturers make spring kits to improve handling or to lower the vehicle or in some cases to do both. Then the hard core high performance things like this. Mopar from Chrysler this is a Mopar high performance computer for a neon. If you look at it it talks about emissions and carbon so on its emissions exempt and it does have a PC starting out its part number now that PC Nene's performance. And it also means there is no warranty on this part. It is sold as is. Here we have from Toyota

TR D. High performance muffler to improve performance and to improve the sound in the look of the vehicle even to things like wheels. Most manufacturers offer optional wheels so that you can improve the look of the wheels themselves one of the focal points of any automobile. Now if you're thinking about accessorizing or modifying your car do your homework. Check the aftermarket. Check with the dealer see who has the best price the best quality and the best guarantee you can make it a pretty painless operation. If you have a question or comment write to me the address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland. On 1 1 7. Those of you that follow Craig Singh asas adventures out on the high road now that he is constantly uncovering a little nuggets of automotive lore that intrigue airheads and non gearheads alike. And this week's high road is no exception. As Craig

introduces us to a little east coast museum dedicated to preserving a big part of America's car culture on the green right under on the One Ring in. The history of motor sports is filled with the names of Saturday's heroes fearless drivers and their machines against whom time conspires to race their fame and deeds. Well one group of Central Pennsylvania racing enthusiasts has banded together to preserve. And protect those legends for future generations. Located in New York Springs Pennsylvania the eastern Museum of motor racing is a living memorial and research facility dedicated to seeing that motor racing exploits of the past are not lost to time. Museum board member Dizzy Dean Renfro says it's a museum about racers done by racers. Our goal is to preserve the history of motor sports. The neatest part of this is that everyone that works here in

some way or the other or they were drivers car owners mechanics. So we're reliving what we did well. We love that love is evident when someone like a retired racer Lynn Paxton gives a guided tour. Well what we have here is a replica of the Tommy Hendershot scrod. Tommy was kind of my hero he was seven time Eastern champion. We have a picture taken in 155 and in essence we use that picture to go to Tommy's thank God Tommy didn't throwing away. And if you look at that picture you're going to look in here and you're going to see the actual things that we took out of his garage. And every time Tommy came up here he'd bring something else of historic nature. Everything here tells a story right down to the car. And that's true of the entire museum. Lynn showed me an impressive collection of dirt track cars that chronicled their history from the earliest cars the 1000 20s to sprint cars of just two decades ago.

So unlike a hundred feet you've got the history of racing we've got we've got 60 to 70 years from the beginning right up not to the end because it's continuing. But we have it right here. Amazing. Nan what a thrill and a privilege to sit in a piece of history like this. And it isn't just dirt track racing. The museum in compas is drag racing and classic hot rodding as well. There's also a well-organized research library and a theater. And keep in mind this isn't just a static museum with the nearby at Latimer Valley fairgrounds. You get the opportunity to see this type of car in action. We like to call it a living museum because adjacent to this museum we have a speedway. The speedway closed in 1940 and laid dormant and we bought it and maybe won and it was brush and snakes and briars and bushes. But thank God the print of the old half mile track was still there and it gave us a goal something to work for. And when it was completed

rebuilt we have the old white fences and like it was in the 30s. It's not a racetrack. These are very controlled exhibition runs here. But it is a portal to the past a place where time seems to stand still maybe even turn back just for a little while. We're love overcomes chronology and those Saturday heroes of yesterday are young once more. Since its arrival in December this is all new 2003 Toyota Forerunner has been driven to the extremes from unexpected icy trips to the Southland to Chicago and back during the worst snowstorms in a decade before one has managed six thousand two hundred seventy two miles without Fox and done so with a level of comfort the previous four wonder never dreamed up. Toyota has transformed Forerunner from a rugged but out of date midsize SUV for totally modern people mover they can

still conquer the elements be available from one Southern leader V8 also makes it among the most robust yet quietest in its class. Even with the V8 fuel economy as acceptable as sixteen point five mpg we do think some interior controls are awkward. The rotary lookbook push to operate climate controls are not intuitive. The cruise control stalk is also poorly placed and while we understand the safety concerns not being able to roll up the power rear hatch glass with the keypad is a pain. Still small Pickens for what is otherwise an impressive 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. While our 2003 Suzuki area OS X is currently buried under a pile of snow we would like to know that this front will drive crossover vehicle still manages to get us through the worst of the big snowstorms. Anyone buying an NSX today should opt for the new one. Dr. Asha and 11 months we've managed sixteen thousand two hundred eighty nine troublefree miles and averaged up very fine 31 miles per gallon

that fuel economy didn't come at the expense of driving enjoyment either. One hundred forty one horsepower engine revs freely with handling that's agile and fun. Yes X is also extremely flexible with a cargo bay they can hold more than a Land Rover Freelander. So if you're looking for a city SUV we like this is Suki Aereo SFC. And we're also very fond of the newest member of our long term lease. This two thousand three hundred forty X V-6 we've said before that the all new Accord rewrites the book on what an American family sedan should be. Now we have 12 months worth of miles for it to prove the point. Up next two more crossover SUV the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Subaru Baja on our next motor week long term road test update. Every year about this time Chicago's blustery cold become synonymous with hot auto show cars. So let's check in with Jennifer novice for all the latest Windy City Motor News.

February and below zero wind chills mean only one thing in the car world. It's time for the Chicago Auto Show. Despite the frigid climate outside McCormick Place south the floor of the 2003 Chicago Auto Show was hot with performance Chevrolet heated things up with the return of the Supersport. Both the Impala SS sedan and the moniker Harlow as says to have a three point lead or two hundred forty horsepower super charged six under the hood and enough styling tricks to get your blood rushing as more cylinders and a big cargo box. And you get the idea the production version of the awesome 500 horsepower Dodge Ram SRT 10. Dodge claims a hero to 60 times of under 5 seconds and Subaru is hoping to boost its contacts for utility segment with the turbo charged 210 horse power Forester x T. Big power in a small package with a recipe for the original hot hatchback the Volkswagen GTI II. This 20th anniversary one hundred eighty horse power turbo edition ballad in

Chicago order performance I can still manage family chores is the calling card of the 160 horsepower Mitsubishi Lancer rally or plus for 2004. Even the most frugal Lancer gets a split grill and a fresh coat of sheet metal. Speaking of frugal cars the first offspring of the recent GM buyout of the day what is the screen built huge are designed Aveo hatchback and sedan with a 1.6 leader for it will be among the most fuel stingy of cars when it arrives a year from now. Zuki also gains from the Daewoo merger with this Korean import Arends a compact and midsize Verona the largest family sedan Suzuki has ever sold the largest sedan under the Acura banner is the 3.5 R L for 2004 this flagship gets a new look outside standard satellite radio a navigation screen inside two new minivans will arrive this fall. Ford trades its well-known Winstar for this all new front drive 8 passenger Freestar.

Well mercury continues to build its lineup with an upscale monorail version of Big and gets even stronger when this Munty go sedan arrives with a front for all wheel drive for 2005. For big utility check out the new Ford or Toyota Tundra big rig can pick up a power window and a cargo box that's longer and deeper should help heat up the pickup truck for hours. But if there is one name we didn't expect to see on any kind of truck it's Avanti. But here it is the first Avanti sport you named are you ready. The Studebaker x u v. The Hummer like Studebaker with available Ford power stroke Diesel Power joins the fabled Avanti coupe and convertible. There is more than a little bit of the wind of change for 2003 in Chicago and that's it for this week's Motor News. Here's another reason for Nissan Z car fans to hurry to their nearest dealer. Lost in love the story of the newsy is the story of Nissan's recently reborn

sports car icon author Ron Suskind streets the reader through both a complete history of the originals and the record of the new 350 Z's development engineering book accompanied by a wealth of superb photographs and illustrations. This beautiful large format book is available for a limited time only through Nissan dealers and will be a fine addition to any z sans library. The history of high performance cars is one of great rivalries. Porsche versus Ferrari Mustang versus Camaro. But today one of the most hated driving disputes is a humdinger the Chevrolet Corvette against the Dodge Viper. Well we couldn't resist a four wheel feud like that so we decided to pick the super car rivals against each other and a true performance arena. That arena would be none other than our favorite winter breeding grounds.

Savannah Georgia rolling road Raceway when we last did it these two supercars together in one busy six could muster only 385 horsepower from its five point seven leader be eight and a 460 horse by embracing our group had just been updated with ABS brakes. Despite the attempts of the wrong acceleration. Stand still. For the Corvette for all around a competent and superior laptop this time around the piper SRT 10 is an all new bore refined roadster and boasts an incredible 500 horsepower and five hundred twenty five pound feet of torque from its 505 giving it all aluminum to get ships there were six speed manual exclusively with a mechanical limited slip rear end that powers harness by a new steel space frame chassis that substantially stiffer than before. All independent suspension is tube for improve responsiveness at the limits of it he should which are quite high thanks to massive 340 530 Z-R 9000 Michelin's in the

rear and 275 35 8 teams up front. Reporter feature 14 inch brake rotors and abs for maximum stopping power. Still it takes a brave driver to get the most out of the biker as it communicates. Some little of what's happening next. Plugging these improve mechanicals is a handsome and uniquely aggressive body. Gone are the brash cartoonish curves replaced by a more mature self confident stance lowered vendor lines and each side's galaxy update the classic performance look while a partial under train improves aerodynamics and much needed functionality. A well-designed soft top is operational. Finally as are the side exhaust pipes once again our praise is not quite so high for the pipers new interior However the control layout and material quality are much improved as is leg room but cabin access remains awkward in the general feeling inside remains coster phobic due to its high center tunnel and narrow foot well. But there will be plenty of space between

the SRT 10 and other cars they may try to follow when our quarter mile course was covered in twelve point four seconds and 160 mph. Gentle launches are needed to avoid massive wheel spin and return to 0 to 60 a measure of a mere four seconds flat. Those times put the Viper less than a blink of the eyes ahead of the 2003 Corvette 0 6 which mustered a 4.1 0 60 sprint and down the end. The Quarter Mile End twelve point nine seconds had 113 mph. The Corvette delivered those numbers despite giving up 95 horses to the Viper for 2003 Chevy's Ella 6 5.7 liter pushrod da produces 405 horsepower and 400 pound feet of torque. Given the disparity in engine size and how but this test should be a lopsided blowout for the Viper. But where the Corvette makes up ground is in the intelligent use of it's power. Out on the road. Course the CEOs expressed those companies on the driver by keeping the pilot involved in what's happening. Every move of the wheel is transferred

quickly to the road education limits are reached progressively. The car gives plenty of warning before stepping out of line. The Corvette is a car you can step into and immediately feel comfortable driving at high speeds. Check these clever active handling system and abs are unobtrusive safety nets that help both car and driver reach their performance potentials for 2003. All Corvettes gain a few more standard convenience features as well as the option of magnetics. Let the pride control. 0 6 package is still available only on the hard top two body style and only with a six speed manual transmission electronic traction control however is standard. The SRT 10 despite its newfound refinements remains true to the fibers original design philosophy. Having a back to basics American muscle car. It is an uncompromising non-negotiable performance machine that makes the driver sweat for every ounce of adrenaline it delivers it is the ultimate expression of American automotive muscle as the line goes. Power is nothing

without control and in the modern automotive world. New vehicles exhibit that philosophy better than the Chevrolet Corvette 0 6 price notwithstanding the bet is just a better all around performer than the fiber. The price is something we can't afford to ignore. 2003 Dodge Viper SRT did list breakdowns and $795 with choice of paint color being the only option. The Chevrolet Corvette 0 6 stickers for fifty two thousand ninety five dollars. You do the math. But for those who can afford it the second generation Viper retains its exclusivity raw performance and loads of magnitude. But in a much better executed package this car is not. A toy for six counters with the strong performance of a balance my driver utility by choosing between the two is a tough choice to make for any and it's a debate that will last for many.

I hope you'll join us next wait for more motorway. Women grab the keys and hit the road in three of the hottest new models on the market and also test Jaguars new x K R luxury performance. I'm John Davis. We'll see that. To learn more about motorway TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS online at PBS dot org or America Online keyword PBS. To order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 age 7 3 6 1 5 4. Motor Week has been brought to you by Pep Boys. Their coffee table. That's entertainment. That's better than the smell of new tires. I gotta agree Same time next week. You got it. And by. What are you looking for a month or so.