Motorweek; 1521 PTV

This time on a motorway. A rip roaring Dodge Viper a very European Cadillac material and now laced tribute to the car to come drive with up next. TV's automotive magazine. For motor week. Hello and welcome to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. Everybody knows they had a lack owners tend to be a house we say and mature but over the years Cadillac has tried to attract younger import oriented buyers. Well back in 82 there was the Cimarron a thinly disguised Chevy

Cavalier although it sold reasonably well Cadillacs chrome plated Jaycar was a critical flop. Well now Cadillac is making a more mature attempt to capture a youthful following this time using an import of its own 1997 caetera. And here's what we think of this new German Cadillac. That's German as in the hope of a mega M.V. six General Motors a very successful European executive sedan and the platform on which satellite based this 1997 caetera the car it hopes will capture some of the fast growing entry and mid-level luxury market. Those buyers have been choosing among Acura Infiniti Lexus BMW and Mercedes Benz. Now Bellevue like travel act different from the norm. But Tara retains most to be a mega M.B. 6s trim smooth basic shape but with new front and rear faces. But then chrome strip above the blacked out Petit family grill

matches its proportions to the rest of the car and there's no mistaking the centralized Cadillac crest. But the get Tara's most contemporary styling features a rear quarter panel more akin to the Chrysler Sebring while the C pillar favors the elegant rich Sadie's Benz E-Class very handsome only at the rear just like its hero styling disappoint. Looking nothing like a Cadillac or any German car either except for the thin Ellie the high mounted stop like that does remind us of the Cadillac Seville caetera power stays even closer. Was Opal Sibley specifically this great leader Twin Cam 24 Val B6 built a GM sells more port engine plant in England. The 54 degree ran their V-6 develops an even 200 horsepower at 190 two pound feet of torque. Power is quietly transferred to the rear wheels by a computer controlled for speed automatic transmission used on some BMW. It incorporates adaptive logic to prevent here hunting and to improve worse and

second gear acceleration plus the driver can select normal sports shift or winter modes and the result. Well despite 3 to 400 pounds of extra weight to meet us safety regulations the thirty eight hundred pound caetera can still manage 0 to 60 and eight point five seconds struts up front in a multi link set up in the rear provide a nicely balanced chassis giving caetera a solid secure 100 percent German fuel. We pounded more response of the drive on switch back roads than a C-Class Mercedes and all speed engine only traction control system is standard as are. This breaks with a botched rechannel anti lock system. These are excellent breaks some of the best we've ever tried. To tear is interior appointments are an impressive cross between Opel and Cadillac and the caetera leads its class in room safety features include dual airbags an advanced seat belt system seat mounted side airbags are due before the first year's production ends. A multitude of large rounded switchgear is well placed for the

driver's easy use and convenience although it shares the Omegas dash engages caetera adds volts and oil pressure readouts as well designed for long distance comfort and firm support. The driver's bucket seat has standard weight power adjustments and manual controls for lumbar and side bolstering the tilt will is also standard Cadillac did change the makers automatic climate control the caetera system is much easier to understand driver and passenger can each set temperature and a three stage filter keeps out dust and pollen. Even the glove box gets a C to keep Tilman food cool. An AM FM casette stereo is standard both an 8 speaker bone system and a truck mounted 12. This CD changer are optional. The uniquely shaped power window controls activate one touch up or down windows both front and rear. And just when you thought you'd seen every type of cup holder imaginable. Here's yet another one. The spacious rear seat has its own air ducts. A large armrest and a novel three

section seat backs or loads of cargo versatility Plus the deep black trunk has an impressive sixteen point six cubic feet of space even with a full size spare tire riding in board. Overall we came away very impressed with our pre-production introduction to the Cadillac the Terro Cadillac is targeting customers with the terror that significantly improves on the capable Opel Omega. But price is also critical. Expect a terrorist sticker to start near thirty thousand dollars when it goes on sale next fall. Cadillac meets that target the Terro will be a serious contender introducing a new generation of buyers to a new style of Cadillac. Time now for our weekly visit to motorway Pat DOS. For more top notch Karkare advice John not long ago we put a

Paxton supercharger on his Ford Explorer and the improvement in performance was tremendous. But whenever you change anything that increases the performance of the engine in an automobile you have to consider what it's going to do to the rest of the car. Well we got into a real can of worms on this explorer and to show you what we had to do to the suspension and so on. Let's go underneath it. More air into the engine means more air coming out of the engine. Well the stock exhaust system on the Explorer just wasn't up to the task. So we talked to the folks at Walker. They supplied us with a cat back system known as a Dyna match that gave us the required performance of the exhaust system and didn't give a lot of extra noise. But you know even fast cars need to go around corners and this Ford Explorer didn't like to go around corners if you go fast but it really wallowed and it rolled in corners and everything. So that meant that we had to now do something to the suspension system and that something

was from John Baker John Baker supplied new suede buyers bigger ones with polyurethane bushings and Ford Tokiko shocks. Now this combination really flattened the handling of the vehicle and it didn't adversely affect the ride it still rides really well. But you know it's interesting now we made this vehicle go around corners but now we have the situation where the tires weren't up to the task. So we needed bigger tires. Well that meant that we also needed different wheels Boyd's wheels supplied the wheels for the vehicle and Michelin supplied the tires. Now we went up to 16 inch tires and wheels used to 45 60 16 tires. Well that made it have the grip that was necessary because the extra tread way it really hangs in there. Now we had also previously installed a move steering damper on this and the whole package really comes together with a lot more sport in this sport utility.

And for those of you with explorers that experience a little bit of a shimmy or a vibration at highway speeds well there's something else that Ford has. It is a damper that attaches to the left side of the engine and then has a shock absorber that attaches to the frame and it does away with that transitional vibration that can be so annoying if you have a question or a comment. How about writing to me if I feel like your letter to be used on the air. I'll send you a motor week T-shirt The address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Here's an eye catching Car and Truck of the week doing a 1964 Plymouth built with your coupe and in one thousand sixty eight 100 adventurer. Both belong to Willard wheeler in Upland California. If you have marvelous classics in clear color photos to Motor Week always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7.

Now when most of us think of America's Motor City one place comes to mind. Detroit Michigan. While Detroit was indeed a city built on the auto industry it wasn't the only Metropolis shaped by the automobile. Critics saying Haas recently took his high road crew to America's other automotive Mecca a place across the country but a world away in. It's a city of glamour. It's a city of cars. And it's home to the fabulous new Petersen Automotive Museum the Peterson museum is located in Los Angeles and in Southern California. You are what you drive. Naturally the museum reflects the effect of the automobile on the lifestyle here in Southern California. But it also examines the effect of the Southern California lifestyle or in the car. In many ways this reciprocal relationship defines Los Angeles

now. No other city has been so influenced by their dependence upon the automobile. Whether it be for their transportation for their freewheeling lifestyle even for the self-expression of every individual living in L.A. I like the old guys tonight. Glad you. Got the car out of my face. Doing it. Oh boy. I like. To. Make sure it is six. At the same time. No other city's lifestyle has had such an impact on the automotive industry. Drag racing hot rodding and the whole custom car craze were all born in greater Los Angeles. In fact just about anything to do with the personalization of automobiles came out of Southern California. This interdependence of the growth of the automotive industry and the growth of Los

Angeles is the focus of the Peterson museum. And for director Dick Messer there's never a dull moment. There's such a large story an interesting story to tell the you can't keep it static you get you've got to keep it moving. From the early 1900s to today that man has always wanted to go faster. The L.A. culture grew up with the Hollywood culture and people dotted the out of automobile as as a glamorous instrument. So it's a cultural almost cosmic thing that goes on here I think. Geography and the weather have a lot to do with it. At the Pearson what we're trying to do is capture that culture of death through that messy and you can tell story after story after story like that.

The Peterson Automotive Museum. It's the story of the city. It's the story of the automobile. While Cray loved dreaming of automotive days gone by. Lisa Barrow prefers to look to the future here for years with all the latest Motor News. Audi makes news this week as we spy on its smallest model since the Audi 50 ceased production nearly two decades ago. This probably will drive ality A3 will be based on the upcoming new generation Volkswagen Golf due in the 97 model year. But expect the A3 to be more luxurious and less basic transportation than its BW sibling and attractive to the many import fans ears who find current Audi and BMW sports events priced out of their reach. The A3 should debut this fall initially in just one model this three door hatchback. About a year later just as the first 8 threes reached the

US this my door hat should arrive on the scene. Buyers will have a choice of two five speed transmissions a manual or automatic. Even more exciting is this A3 roadster said to be under development with Porsche but don't expect this most muscular of small alleys until at least the 1999 model year. Although the A3 will be available in all wheel drive it won't be al these trademark watches system but rather a simpler less expensive set up used on the euro spec VW Golf synchro and that's it for this week's Motor News. When the Dodge Viper started production back in 1992 it was hailed as the biggest baddest squash were ever built and very possibly America's

alternate sports car. Naturally its creators were playing. But if you think they were satisfied. Think again. The 1996 Viper is better and even better. Well if nothing else the Dodge Viper a hearty tan is still the most distinctive American sports car on the road today. Upper 996 are test cars unmistakable muscular lines and striking Italian style pizza bean and seal a multitude of changes. One of the most significant and welcome new features is an optional removable hard top only for simple bolts are required to choose between open air motoring or relatively weather tight driving. We say relatively because these removable now sliding plastic side windows still don't offer the convenience or security of proper roll down units that you'll have to wait for 997 scoop. But you can pop out the rear window for maximum airflow. All of that air however means more of the heavy

turbulence that we've come to expect in the cockpit. But it's the turbulence under the hood that excites most fans. And this year the horsepower figures are even fatter than before an upgraded ignition module and low restriction exhaust system that now unfortunately exits at the rear push the leader of the tens horsepower up to 415 while torque jumps to a monstrous four hundred eighty eight pound beat and blast the viper to six. And a tire shredding more point five seconds with quarter mile takes only twelve point nine seconds and 112 mph. A delicate right good is required to keep the wheels from spinning through the first three gears and even the superb new Michelin m double x three tires have to fight to get all that right on to the pavement which first travels through a now smoother six speed manual gearbox drive line which includes a new heavy duty differential. The drive train rides in a lighter even stiffer chassis for 96 while the suspension gets a host of new cast aluminum pieces

as well as revised spring and shock rates. This helps tame the Vipers sometimes twitchy cornering behavior without affecting it's lightning quick turn in though a touch more steering wheel at high speeds would make it a bit more predictable at the limit. The Viper is still a real drive fan. More feel is also desirable from the massive breaks lack of ABS means from lock up if you're not careful. But there is more stopping power. Our 96 test car took an average distance of 110 from 60 So while no one is going to call the bike a reclined it is now also a better street driving car where the new suspension offers a smoother ride than the jarring stutter of last year. The removable hard top provides substantially increased protection from the elements of the Interior that it covers is basically unchanged from last year. It's the same no nonsense workplace as before. The seats are wide and supportive with generous side bolsters that hold you tightly in hard corners. A large clear analog instruments are laid out in a straightforward vintage looking manner

while the few amenities such as the simple three dollar ventilation controls air conditioning is optional and 130 watt gets that stereo easily to hand no space is wasted as shown by this large stereo speaker box mounted between the seat backs the trunk has been reshaped so a flat tire will now fit although it still fit best for short trips. But then who's going to take a long excursion and. After all this earthly demanding car is no grand. It is a grand tuloy with a price dimension base price for one thousand ninety six is fifty nine thousand three hundred dollars with hard top and a c. The price comes to sixty five thousand six hundred dollars. So the Viper still isn't what you call practical thank goodness but it is one exceptionally satisfying driving machine. Even with a host of improvements the Dodge Viper Archie 10 remains an enticing ultimate sports car curiosity and we can't wait for the coupe.

Our road test by request this week is a family car more specifically a car that for most of the last decade was the best selling car in America. The Ford Taurus along with its stable make the Mercury Sable bully the competition with efficient packaging competent performance and a long list of safety features. But as time went on the loyalty of Taurus owners was in doubt. Ford found that younger families were more apt to buy Camry's and accords so clearly a major change was called for. And here it is the DND 1 0 1 the all new 1996 Ford Taurus. With such a dramatic redesign for both the 96 Ford Taurus and stablemate Mercury Sable Ford expects to put another 500 70000 blue ovals into American garages each year well into the next century. Actually there's a lot more ovals here than the one on the grill. Ford is taking in an

elliptical styling thing to the extreme on the new Taurus. The Oval grill is going to buy instead turn signals and clear lens headlamps that repeat the theme you know even small details like the side lamps door handles and even the general shape of the passenger compartment. While the Taurus looks smaller it is actually five and a half inches longer than last year around at the rear of the Taurus backlight is also we lift the phone and helps glide air offer unique white car that includes a neat integrated spoiler along with oval reflector. The coefficient of drag is down to it's one point three oh the major visual differences for sable include turn signals inside the grille but also features a lighted him logo two side windows per side instead of the three on the Taurus and a more formal route line and rear facial treatment that is rather elegant and one UPS other oval efforts like the Infinity Jay 30. Inside the dual airbag interior the oval thing continues but details

just warm you up with a wild dash centerpiece the oval integrated control panel and all controls for ventilation and stereo. This futuristic part looks at first intimidating but in use it is quickly mastered while your eyes remain on the road. There are two seating novelties on the Taurus Geo and sable G.S. six passenger seating features a flip fold center section that jackknifes into a storage console with sturdy cup holders in the back seat. You'll find the only center shoulder belt in its class along with more leg room and adequate headroom for a six footer. Here is something else new for Taurus sable a 60:40 folding rear seat. The extra cabin space comes from a two and a half inch increase in wheel base now at one hundred eight engines. This helps move further the good highway right up the road. But a complete reengineering of the chassis entities and a single piece door frames quietly drives home the handling of an extremely solid European sports sedan with personal risk. Up 87 percent and the inclusion of passive we're steering

for the familiar. What really creates this tension. The new Taurus are impressive in tight corners with a high level of advanced engineering abound. Even the riddle car three leader pushrod Vulcan V-6 engine is revamped a stiffer block and new intake greatly lowers full throttle noise and vibration horsepower is up to 145 with 170 pound feet of torque. Taurus G.L. and sable Ls are powered by an enlarged euro tech V-6 like the jewel that powers the contour and mystique the twenty four valve heads and walk are all aluminum. Only now horsepower is a cool 200 with 200 pound feet of torque. Both engines are rated at 100000 miles between tune ups with the door attack V-6 we managed to find 0 to 60 run of eight point seven seconds. That's over a second better than last year's 3.8 liter. Brakes on most models are destroyed homes with rights in the rear. The fast reacting Vosh five ABS system is standard. I'm going on the sable ls. The Basha

ABS system is one of a very long list of Taurus sable hits we find the styling smart and forward thinking the interior roomy and the integrated control panel ergonomically near-perfect the flip fold front seat and rear center shoulder belt are noteworthy to Mrs arc you are again starting with the abs. It should be standard on all models. There is no performance tire option and no En Dash CD player. It's also hard to release the folding rear seats from inside the cargo compartment. Speaking of cargo you can carry thirty seven point three cubic feet of it before you pull the seats and even more radically style Taurus and sable station wagon. A rear facing third seat is an option. And now the price. The 1996 Taurus G.L. starts at one thousand thousand one hundred fifty dollars and that includes air conditioning power windows and heated mirrors. The Sable G.S. includes the micron air filter and started 900 thousand five hundred forty five dollars. Prices include destination charges. Our view on TAR Sable is shared by other Automobile

magazine says we like the distinctive styling new understanding of the subtleties of quality and the refinements to the driving experience. That should be enough to keep these car solidly atop the sales charts. While the oval Taurus and sable are nearly as revolutionary as the originals clearly the market today is a lot different than one thousand eighty five when strong competitors were few. Still Ford has pulled out all the stops with its new design in our opinion and 1996 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are the future of the mid-size family car in America and it's a future that's blindingly bright. We couldn't let the calendar season slip by without showing you impressions 1996 a very special calendar depicting BMW cars and motorcycles. Now all the artwork was done by 15 year old Eric pepper and it's to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. You'll enjoy the cars and bikes marvel at Eric's talent and support a worthy cause. All at the

same time. The calendar has its own BMW Park number and is available from dealers across the U.S.. Be sure to join us next week for more motor we will test three big duly pick up. And one very luxurious Jaguar sedan. Lisa barrel reveals how concept cars are born while Pat Goss discusses the finer points of cargo handling. Plus we'll have all the latest Motor News. I'm John Davis. I'll see that. To order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4 percent 29 95 plus 495 shipping and handling to Motor Week Post Office Box 5 5 7 4 2 Indianapolis Indiana 4 6 2 0 5. Water from the Motor Week home video collection or cover the best episodes of the motor We

television series. 1 800 4 2 2 0 6 4 0 to order a catalog send a self-addressed stamped envelope to this address. A long time John dates on the next edition of motorway protests three big rigs up the pick up world and one very long was furious Jaguar sitting on. The Sobero reveals how concept cars are born while bad laws help your whole cargo in a safe way. Plus we'll have all the latest Motor News to

go to miss the next motorways.