Motorweek; 2025

This time on motor week we test one bad boy bands a fresh trio from the general and recreating ranks. So come drive with us next. Week. TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by Priceline with Priceline price for a new car all makes and models of cars trucks sport utility minivans and more. When you log on to Priceline you name your own price and buy Pep Boys. No matter what you drive Pep Boys has over twenty seven thousand items in stock. Virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service staff with certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Home again to motorway cord glad to have you with us. Speed for a German

car aficionados are well aware of the significance of the letters when they are attached to a Mercedes-Benz. Now for the uninitiated the seemingly unassuming little letters stand for nothing less than the electrifying performance. So when the AMG tag showed up recently on one of our favorite coops the CEO OK we knew we were in for a serious jolt. But unlike a bolt of lightning that can randomly strike anywhere any time. The new 2001 Mercedes Benz 55 AMG produces a more controlled burst of energy that needs nothing more than a twist of the key to ignite it and pressure on the accelerator to turn it loose and with a steady hand on the wheel and a heavy foot on the throttle. The C L K 55 AMG carried us to 60 in a scant five point two seconds and on through the quarter mile tramp and thirteen point four seconds at 107 mph. Sparking this AMG super

car. It's a tightly coiled 5.5 leader single overhead cam twenty four valve that utilizes an exclusive AMG design and pressure cast aluminum block AMG also tweaks the stock Mercedes dual resonance magnesium and take manifold to increase air flow. The results of these and other modifications is an impressive 342 horsepower and three hundred seventy six pound feet of torque. And only upon closer inspection which usually comes a little too late for those want to be red light racers. Can you see hints that the CEO pay 55 is more than it appears to be. Subtle touches include a small air dam in the front colored skirts that run along the sides 17 block wheels wrapped in Z rated rubber and the most telling of them all the wonderful AMG acronym on the trunk lid. But in addition to the torpedo like thrust the driver will also notice a ride that is a good deal stiffer than the 55 bone stock

counterparts. Along with the ultra low profile tires the double wishbone front rear suspension has been substantially beefed up with stiffer bushings larger ventilated shocks higher spring rates and thicker stabilizer bars. But when coupled with the engine's explosive power the suspension mods make the thirty four hundred forty four pounds a 55 and ideal track tamer especially for those whose preferred modus operandi is point and stomp. Through our low speed slow 55 remains flat unstable side to side transitions are well-balanced. Find the proper rhythm with steering and throttle inputs and this feels like the perfect partner for dancing the tango. Our only complaints are the overly heavy resistance of the recirculating ball steering unit and a little more steering feedback would be nice but there was no dissatisfaction with the smooth driver adaptive automatic transmission. The touch shift to manual mode lets you lock it into the gear of your choice. Another plus one extreme performance is the top

priority when hauling it in from Speed is the priority. The large meaty four wheel vented desk governed by abs and brake assist are up to the task. We stop from 60 and 117 feet with very little nose dive and first rate stability. Driver stop the system could be a little more polished However as there is an abundance of ABS noise and pedals. There's no lack of polish However on the inside with plenty of top quality leather and wood trim throughout the cabin. The AMG specific sport buckets get 10 wave power adjustments with power lumbar support. They face an adjustable steering wheel and an AMG style gauge cluster that while not as comprehensive as we would like does include a driver information center to keep you up to date on what's going on under the hood. A dual zone climate control system than an eight speaker Bose premium sound system are standard a trunk mounted CD changer is optional and easy access feature glides the bucket seats to the front when the seat backs are tilted forward to allow easier access to the rear where although still

cooped tight you'll find way more room than two plus two pretenders. The rear seat backs also fold expanding the trunks 11 cubic feet of capacity Mercedes and AMG will build just a limited number of CEO pay 55 So coming up with the sixty eight thousand forty five dollars to pay for it is only half the battle. R as tested price with options came to sixty nine thousand eight hundred forty dollars. Like the folks in California are learning anything electrifying doesn't come cheap and the 2001 Mercedes Benz. OK 55 AMG fits both the electrifying and not cheap categories. As for those three little letters I am Jeet. Well we're told the proper German pronunciation is ah. Him again. But around here we think a good American translation is was am gone. The best kind of car accident is the one you will avoid active handling and stability programs often called EFP or electronic stability programs

are designed to help you do just that. He s p works by monitoring a car speed and direction as well as the driver's actions and it automatically applies the brake to one or more wheels to correct unstable cornering conditions. It's high tech hands off. Keep it on the road peace of mind and it's as easy as ESPN. Coming up. The Swedish science of crash safety. It's time now for a visit to motorway technical Syr Pat Goss this week Pat divines how to keep our cars aligned not with the Stars but with the road. John a lot of people think that they need alignments a lot more frequently than they really do. Now there's some pretty amazing things going on as far as alignment equipment these days. It's sophisticated it's computer controlled and all the rest of it but the average driver doesn't seem to understand when they really need an alignment. See there's hardly a day that goes by in the repair shop that somebody comes in and

says You know I get up to 55 or 60 miles an honest steering wheel shakes and I want you to do an alignment to get rid of it. We see that rarely has anything to do with alignment shakes and shimmies are usually the result of improper tire balance or a bad belt in a tire or something like that. But the other thing we get is the person who has read a self-help book about automobiles and that book has told them if you take your hand off the wheel the car should go straight down the road. And if it doesn't if it pulls to one side or the other that you need an alignment. Well number one driving a car without your hands on the wheel can be incredibly dangerous. Number two if the car pulls one way or the other when your hands I had on the wheel then all it means is it pulls one way or the other doesn't necessarily have anything at all to do with alignments could be a bad tire could be a brake problem could be a suspension problem. Just about anything then it could be an alignment but certainly that is not the prime cause.

Now what does suggest that you need an alignment tire where when you have one and only one edge of a tire that wears more than the other edge you probably need an alignment. But then that brings up another problem. You go to the repair center and they have all these different types of alignments available to you. They've got two wheel alignment they've got thrust Ingle and they have four wheel alignment. Well number one remember that two wheel alignment is by and large obsolete these days. It isn't even a consideration thrusting alignment. Well that means that the machine is going to take a measurement on the rear wheels. And if the rear wheels are properly aligned those wheels will be used as a guide to align the front wheels. That's thrust angle. But then four wheel alignment What's it mean. Well four wheel alignment is simply when the rear wheels are not properly aligned. And yes on most vehicles they can be aligned the

rear wheels have to be aligned so they can be used as a reference for the front wheels. Now that means we're going to align two rear wheels and two front wheels and that's a four wheel alignment. It's just that simple. But look out for the shop that tries to sell you for Will alignment right up front. There's no way that they know that you need it until it has been put on the alignment machine. So ask the questions get the right answers and you'll save a lot of money on alignments. 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 always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. The week is this 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible. It's owned and driven by Tom a girl of Des Moines Iowa Tom writes. Aside from the suicide

doors and the fact that it's the last of the four door convertibles the hydraulic trunk lid and folding top always catch motorists off guard. Now if you have a rare treat you'd like to share we'd love to see it. Good color photos and a description of the vehicle to motorway in Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. With more and more cars clogging the roads today the threat of being involved in a serious accident is on the rise. And to protect you and your family you need more than just good driving skills. You also need the help of a safe car design. Now a Volvo has earned the reputation is building some of the safest. But it is now for our reporter Jennifer CA's Navas recently found out the whole goal is great safety reputation it didn't come easy or cheap. With highway accidents being one of the leading causes of fatalities in the U.S. It's no wonder car companies put safety first when it comes to their vehicles involved has declared itself a leader when it comes to safety.

So to see this for ourselves we decided to take a trip to the Volvo Safety Center right here in Sweden. It seems like a Valvo would do just about anything to be the leading contender of safety even introduce their hardest working employee Clive. Saves lives. That's about it the more we learn about what actually happens in a dress the safer because we can build and there are more large we can save and there are more injuries week reprimand not more important and we always felt that one. Should feel that way considering the 85 million dollar price tag of the new state of the art safety center in Gothenburg Sweden where this new facility with this new laboratory we will be even better to reconstruct real life which is

so important because cars are driven really in the real life environment. And there is where the car are exposed for the risk to be more than the next. So. You. Have to sign our cars. You know when you live. With a complete crash lab an eight hundred ton movable barrier and in any CSX four supercomputer that crashes nonexistent cars the center covers all bases. Thomas Berg is manager of the CA group for computer aided engineering which means that we work with mathematical models of the cars the occupants of the curse and the restraint systems. So we're working with virtual cars cars that don't exist. They only exist in a computer. Parents will also appreciate the work done with child safety and a class and being an expert in that department. The test of commitment to protecting children with

child safety since 1972. That was when the when the first came out and did. It. Over a thousand. Accidents and none of this Sheldon has been. Hurt. The key is the rearward facing child seat which has naturally been through an indefinite number of crashes. Bawal really prides himself on the actual lab. A dynamic feature of the crash test area is that the track is moveable with the help of air cushion technology. The track can be turned up to 90 degrees and that gives us possibilities to recall any type of accident in any angle and the velocity for visitors to the center they have an opportunity to see and experience the realities of a crash. This helmet allows you to feel how heavy a baby's head is. Stepping on this scale shows you how much you would feel your way in a crash and with the stacking of these chairs. The higher you go the

harder you fall. This demonstrates deceleration and what you would feel on impact. Not only do the studies of these consumers those who work here believe involved much more safety features in the car. It's the art of engineering which is built up on knowledge which we have developed. During many many years and is long winded so much of the tradition on. The auto shows Season is in full swing and in recent weeks we've shown you all the new hardware from the big shows an L.A. and Detroit. Well now it's time for the Windy City report as we continue our auto show update with a 2001

Chicago Auto Show. While going into the Windy City is another auto show and right here in Chicago both new concept and production car intros brought in from all over. Dollar Chrysler bowled us over literally with the world days you of their all new 2002 Dodge Ram pick ups this heavy hauler has an even bolder big rig look and new available Quad Cab body style with four front hinged doors. Toyota's taking clear aim and targeted younger buyers with its artistic concepts. This rugged Sport Coupe has a versatile 2 plus 2 interior and styling inspired by off road rally cars. In a similar vein the Pontiac Rev concept should appeal to young sporty car enthusiasts by combining sleek styling and functionality. This hatchback features rear sliding doors all wheel drive composite body panels and a two hundred forty five course power of the six. For the young at heart is the Mercury Marauder. It's headed to production in 2003 with more than 300 horsepower to back up its menacing looks for performance fans won't have to wait that long for the

2002 SVT Focus. A sports suspension 17 inch wheels and 170 torso are driving through a six speed manual gearbox. Is this hot hatch serious street credentials. Also to be taken seriously is the four lightning rod concept stretched and lowered. This F-150 strikes hard and fast thanks to a three hundred eighty horsepower super charged to be a face lift and muscle injection are in store for the 2002 Nissan Xterra sold around headlamps and a much anticipated super charger options are just what the doctor ordered. Celebrating its 100 anniversary the Chicago Auto Show continues to attract more auto makers and that's making the show bigger and better every year. And that's it for this week's Motor News. When you think of the land speed record you may envision the vast expanses of the Bonneville Salt Flats. That's where the fast boys Mickey Thompson and Greg Brady made their mark time in the forward march of progress have taken their

toll on the flats and they are fast becoming too unstable for serious record attempts. These days the really fast crowd comes to girl on the bottom of the Black Rock Desert. Extending for nearly 30 miles northeast of this sleepy town is a perfectly flat stretch of dry lake bed where in 1997 the British set a new land speed record of 763 miles per hour or just over the speed of sound. Our reason for visiting a chance to set a personal best speed in one of the better street legal rides on the planet. The 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo with four hundred fifteen horsepower on tap a clear path to the horizon and legendary Porsche pilot Hurley Haywood riding shotgun. There was nothing that could slow us down right. Will Mother Nature always has her say. And the course that was concrete hard a month earlier had begun to crumble a little. Our test passes set up rooster tails of flying

dirt and the back end of the car scrambling for traction. It was like driving on went cement at triple the speed limit. Nevertheless the bravest of our barroom Breedlove managed to hit one hundred eighty two miles per hour and motorway to man on the scene posted a personal best of one hundred eighty one. Before thoughts of his wife and seven kids overtook his dreams of breaking the sound barrier. It's refreshing to know that there are still places like black rock in the world. Cars like the 911 Turbo where one can experience the freedom of wide open spaces and pure speed. Go beyond the orange cones and there is nothing to connect you to the everyday world. No road signs or lane markers just a steadily climbing speedometer and your own heartbeat racing towards the thrill of a lifetime. The way most Americans conquer severe driving conditions is that a midsize Ford or sport utility vehicle like the Chevy Blazer They're the heart of the booming

SUV market long dominated by domestic brands. It's now the focus of intense competition from virtually every employer brand as well. For domestic SUV they keep the lead will require thoughtful strategy and plenty of forward thinking and ovation. Well we found an abundance of that and more on display recently when General Motors unveiled its trio of all new 2002 midsize sport use a three pronged approach that looks first rate and formidable. That's our first impressions of this new trio the 2002 Chevrolet trailblazer 2002 GMC Envoy 2002. While some SUV competitors are switching to the car like unit ties taxis GM chose to stick to a more rugged body on crane with a six inch water wheel base. It is the first mass produced and Hydra formed brain. The frame is also fully boxed for an impressive 200 60 percent gain and torsional stiffness

attached to that frame at the front is a new short long arm suspension with smoother riding coil springs replacing torsion bars. A similar story is found at the rear where multi lengths and coils or load leveling Springs replace leaf springs. But a nearly indestructible solid axle remains. They also all knew 4.2 leader and Line 6 cranks out 270 were power or more than competitors vs this world class motorboats twin cams 24 valves and even variable valve timing. A first for GM. While torque and 275 pound feet is a bit less than rivals. This old transmission is a four speed automatic trailblazer on boy and robot are available in two wheel drive with traction control. The Trailblazer an envoy for my 4S use GM schooltime auto track Hi-Lo transfer case the bravado heads out with permanently engaged smart track all wheel drive. We had a chance to test all three on the tight roads and considerable sand of Mexico's Baja

Peninsula and found no try. Action what's right is very good with just ahead of trucks and handling secure steering is rack and pinion with lots of feedback. The GM three of the old mill builder has the most car like character feeling more like a top so than than a truck. But while the GM trio shares most mechanicals their bodies are no clones. Ten inches longer and five inches wider than before. Trailblazer envoy to each have a very distinctive exterior and interior styling. The 2002 trailblazer looks the most revolutionary with Chevy signature horizontally split bow tie grille LS LTM luxury LTC trim is available and all feature a tall cabin that ends with a lightweight tailgate that includes a separate open hatch glass and sighed the Trailblazer is an air of modern functionality. It's very comfortable but not overdone. 16 inch wheels are standard on all of the new SUV including the very aggressive looking GMC Envoy from lights to wheels to side trim. GM

sees persuasion theme is evident even more so inside some data structure is shared with Chevy. The bright accents and huge air vents at the envoy's more upscale theme bravado follows the theme set by recent Oldsmobile So the band's front styling is concise clean and attractive with more than a few hints of the aura. Fitting its luxury mission the interior has applewood town but done tastefully and again with minimum fuss. US side impact airbags are standard on all of the new GM sports use. All cab and provide more room in all directions. You really notice the added hip and leg room the most especially in the rear seat or cargo space just fold the split seat for a total of eighty point one cubic feet. Nearly 20 percent more than before. GM says a third seat is on the way and will stretch the wheel base to do it right. With such a broad spectrum of models you would expect prices to be like one volume leader trailblazer begins at twenty six thousand three hundred fifty five dollars for an ls four by two and twenty eight thousand five hundred eighty

dollars for an ls will buy for the better equipped envoy SL We will buy to begin to twenty nine thousand four hundred twenty dollars with thirty one thousand six hundred forty five dollars for the SLA four by four. The single trembler bonnet is a little pricier thirty two thousand two hundred thirty five dollars for the four by two thirty four thousand seven hundred sixty seven dollars for the four by four. We came away very impressed with all the museums for kids as did our friends at EMI auto world Weekly who wrote comfortable ride attractive styling loads of luxury amenities. The only negative excessive noise noticeable because the engine is so quiet. Well add to that excellent off road capability. That's the 2002 Chevrolet trailblazer 2002 GMC Envoy and 2002 also built. Three for the road they can handle with family. I hope you'll join us next week for more motorways. Well Tessa zucchinis new big

little family you think X El 7 and the ultimate drop top from Rolls Royce the corny 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 Pep Boys. No matter what you drive at voices over 27000 items in stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service space 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. 0.

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