Motorweek; 2714

Many stretches out with an update on yet another classic. We get the most into when out of this maximum any other week. I am Pat Goss prepare information. This time I'm Goss's garage. We travel the road to the clouds with the Land Rover Plus the beer. I work under age 3 0 5. Took a drive with us. The week TV's original automotive magazine. Brought to you by cars dot com. Let's say your looking for a car. Cars dot com can help research locate even contact a dealer. Cars dot com find the right car for you. My idea of a symphony a Pistons playing the tune my right foot

to. Bell fully 100 years. And by Dunlop tires. The search for a true performance is part of our heritage. Dunlop is proud to present the Dunlop drivers Cup where amateurs from around the world compete head to head in the on and off road competitions. Information on Dunlop tires dot com. Your host for Motor Week John Davis. Well hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. BMW is remake of the classic mini cooper has been an unqualified global success so much so that fans want even more of the best little British box on wheels. So once again designers have gone back to the mini archives to feed this craving for a maximum mini effort. The result is what some are calling a five door hard top and others a pint size station wagon. But many calls it simply the clubman.

The new 2008 Mini Clubman will surely be seen by some buyers as a novel new twist on the popular VM w own the compact brand. But the roots of today's Mini Clubman go back to the roots of the mini itself and utilitarian minis like the mini traveller of the 1960s and the original Mini Clubman of the 1970s. So it made perfect sense to longtime mini aficionados when Minnie first presented the traveller concept on the 2005 2006 auto show circuit. Now finally in production this latest Mini Clubman takes its ancestors practical characteristics and add some 21st century flash and dash. While based on the same platform as the Mini Cooper the clubman has been stretched nine and a half inches to an overall length of one hundred fifty five point one inches. It rides on a one hundred point three inch wheelbase an extra three point two inches over the standard mini.

That extra length makes for a larger cabin that is accessed through a series of five doors on the sides and rear behind the front passenger side door. There's a short rear access door or club door while the single piece where Hatch has been discarded in favor of a two piece split barn door configuration with clever cutouts for the tail lights. What that means to rear seat passengers is easier access to an extra three point two inches of leg room. It's a big improvement for average folks. That was still tight for the truly tall cargo spaces also increased seats up it's nine point one cubic feet. Seats down a healthy thirty two point six cubic feet. That's almost a third more space for your stuff. Of course at the club one can't move it to increase cargo and passengers think cool could quickly turn to fool. And we wondered before our first drive whether the mini standard engines were up to shifting the club lends extra weight. As with the standard Mini Cooper the

club when it's available in Clubman and club Yes tramps. What this means under the hood is a 1.6 liter normally aspirated four cylinder that makes one hundred eighteen horsepower and 114 pound feet of torque for the clubman. While the clubman S gets the turbo charge 1.6 with 172 orse power and 177 pound feet of torque as with the Mini Cooper the clubman also gets a choice of six speed manual or six speed automatic transmissions. We spun the front wheels of a clubman s on a short hop outside the Spanish capital of Madrid and quickly learned that this maximized mini may be the big brother of the family but it's just a sprightly and nimble as its smaller siblings. Snap the front end into a corner and you experience that same roller skate feel a neutral balance. The electric power assist during this quick and for size and the front strut rear multi link suspension is tight with minimal roll even when pushed

hard. VS models for a spinning turbo engine easily pulls off a fully loaded car through tight traffic or mountain passes especially when attached to the manual transmission. It's when you drop down to the combination of base engine and automatic transmission that you start to wish for more punch the clock runs extra 143 lbs holds you back from those quick getaways and on highway entrance ramp. Brakes are also carry over with discolor around plus ABS Traction and stability control. They easily handled either urban stop and go or enthusiastic driving on rule roads and after driving it. We're pretty enthusiastic about the Mini Clubman too. As will be many American mini fans when the clubman debuts in the US showrooms in February. So while clubman prices have not yet been announced expect the base clubman to go for about twenty one thousand dollars with the clubman s near $24000.

Once again history repeats itself as the 2008 club month revives and improves upon the 1960s concept of a maxed out mini. It's a mini that's just maximum enough to let you bring all your stuff. Coming you know. Right Thing Argentina. Time once again for a stoppage Goss's garage. Let's see where the search for a car care wisdom takes this week. This time automotive maintenance and automotive information the two run hand in hand. Wasn't too many years ago that if you were into into a repair shop you'd see stacks of books like this. Well today there's so much information about automobiles that these books would probably fill a room. Consequently information sources have changed dramatically. A lot of it being on disk or on the Internet. But before we go there here's some things that you might want to

consider. First the owner's manual has tons of great information about your automobile and it is specific to your car so don't overlook them as a source. Then you have well manuals that are of somewhat specific but somewhat generic. You have to make sure if you're going to use one of these that you have information that really and truly applies to your vehicle. Now one thing that I prefer rather than going to a book like this. Well I like to know how things work and to know how things work. Here is The Good Heart Wilcox automotive encyclopedia. This explains it. Now once you know how a part or system works you can apply that knowledge to any automobile and that way you know exactly what you're doing and why you're doing it. It's a great resource. Another great resource is to go online or go to the local auto parts store and you'll find lots of

manufacturers offer free discs that while they show how to use the products and when to use them and where to use them and so on. They're usually free and lots and lots of good information. But here's what we use in the repair shop. This is all data and all data is an online information service that gives you all of the information that you'd get in a factory service manual. But because it's online it can be updated frequently. So all the information is current. Now you're going to get repair information you're going to get all the diagrams and everything like that. Plus you're going to get these things right here. This is a list of technical service bulletins and recalls for the car that we have brought up. Now if we take this a step further what will come up with here is the actual technical service bulletin which in this case deals with the

transmission fluid leak. Now the typical diagnosis of this with out the technical service bulletin would be that the car would need a transmission when in reality there is one bolt that needs to be tightened and that's it it fixes the problem. So great information. Also you can look up the price of the parts and the amount of labor that it's supposed to take to perform these repairs. So you can verify whether or not your estimate is on target. And if you have a question or comment write to me. The address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. There are a lot of ways to play tourist by plane car even tour bus. But you really haven't seen a country until you tour the land. The Land Rover way getting up close and personal with the country's ecosystem and really understanding the terrain or Recently we did just that in Argentina where

Land Rover showed off their legendary Off-Road prowess and true South American fashion. Actually more like gasping for air as we tackled Argentina's road to the clouds for three days of high altitude off roading in the 2008 Land Rover LR three thousand miles in what seems like a few centuries removed from Buenos Aires. Our journey began in the small town of coffee yesterday and the heart of the wine growing region of northwest of Argentina. From there we drove roughly north towards Chile and the Andes Mountains following portions of the national route and 40 as well as some challenging sections of purely off road trails. Argentina's route of 40 runs for fifty two hundred kilometers along the whole length of the country. That is one of the most remote and least traveled roads in the world. Much like our own route 66 it is Argentina's mother road linking an endless chain of forgotten villages and pre Inca ruins. Group of

40 passes through an amazing variety of terrain from fertile grazing land to desert and through rocky Gorges to the highest drivable mountain pass in the Americas. The cold and very windy are so odd relic on ice at an altitude of just under 5000 meters that 16000 feet to you and me. Our fleet of LR 3s were powered by 2.7 leader common real high pressure turbo diesel be sexist. This is land rovers best selling engine in many world markets. But emissions regulations have so far kept it out of the US except at the very highest altitudes the diesels 190 horsepower and 325 pound feet of torque was more than enough to meet our needs and provided smooth quiet running in all situations to tackle the rough stuff Landrover equips the LR 3 with permanent four wheel drive with low range and a host of innovative technology and thankfully equipped us with expert guides to talk us through the tricky parts. In addition to the final

familiar Hill Descent control the LR 3 also a TO RAIN response system with presets for ride height diff lock brothel sensitivity traction and stability control for 5 driver selectable road conditions. We eventually made use of all five modes but so good are the LR 3s inherent capabilities that we ventured miles into a sandy muddy river bed before knowing we should have switched out of the default general mode at the start. Cushy seats alone won't give you a comfortable ride when the road ends. But after three days of rough trails we can say that nobody makes off roading more civilized than Land Rover. A long travel suspension and ultra stiff body structure are the real secrets to LR is legendary off road comfort. They turned what would have been a dusty bone rattling journey into a pleasant but still dusty country drawn. Despite covering hundreds of off road miles at a sometimes hair raising pace. We also found time to meet some of the locals and to appreciate the region's unique

culture exchanging gifts at a local school sipping coffee in a town square or stopping to barter with a lamb a lady halfway to nowhere on a high mountain path. Away from the cities Life is simple here or only by our pampered standards but certainly lacking the hustle and bustle and many of the trappings of so-called modern culture. Needless to say our time in Argentina was all too brief but long enough to renew our admiration for this remarkable go anywhere vehicle and make us wish we didn't have to leave that beautiful country behind. So whether your next adventure takes you across the Andes or just across town a Landrover ill R3 is ready when you are next is on cornet Crosby with the latest gear to put things on to start. Seriously thinking about holiday gift ideas. Here are a couple of. Great. Stocking stuffers for the gearheads on your list. Hands down this cool hands free

Bluetooth speaker phone by blue and it's a gift that will surely be put to good use. If your car doesn't already have a built in Bluetooth capabilities in the super tube light is a safe easy to use option with this device you don't have to pull over to the side of the road or use an obtrusive headset to talk safely on your cell phone. Instead of having to latch a headset to your ear the super tooth can mount on your car's Spicer and send out the conversation through its built in speaker. I'm continuing with the festive mood check out the PAL Jay Carney Christmas morning and rev up your tray with a miniature muscle car engines. They're $15 each from the hottest sports. So there you have that great gift ideas for the holiday season. We can tell a lot about a new car from just a few minutes behind the wheel and he usually leaves us wanting for much more. So let's see what first impressions these keys

deliver. Turning the dramatic mid-engine ality Lamont Quatro concept car into a worthy production model was no easy task but that's exactly what Audi has managed with their 2008 are eight fitted with a dry summer version of al these four point two leader direct injection V8 the R8 outputs four hundred twenty horsepower good for zero to 60 sprints of under 4.5 seconds and a top speed of one hundred eighty seven miles per hour. Power is managed by a six speed manual or six speed sequential automatic which steering will paddle shifters from their Quatro permanent all wheel drive takes over for optimum power to the pavement put down. Also aiding in the R8 spectacular handling our standard magnetic ride adapted dampers and ultra low profiled 19 inch high performance tires. All of these attributes result in a super dialed in performance rod they gets more

thrilling the faster you go. When they designed the Orion Audi did much more than turn a concept car into a road car. They produced a genuine world class exotic but one that is still every inch an Audi. They are essential as shapes it's wide and low on the road. He carries out his distinctive single frame grille with newfound style the wildly aerodynamic profile has a fresh interplay of angles and curves and the contrast in color side blades emphasized the car's functional air intakes. There's also a rear spoiler that deploys at 75 mph just when things start getting interesting. The super deluxe cockpit is clearly a race car influenced with a flat bottom steering wheel for ease of entry. One send a two seater cabin offers excellent leg room and all the luxury Audi is known for the new Audi R8 can be yours for just under one hundred nine thousand dollars to start. Not bad for an exotic. And it's in dealer showrooms now. On the market less than a year to seven

passenger Mazda CX 9 crossover utility is already being enhanced with the 2008 addition having more zoom zoom then ever. That's from an upsize 3.7 leader a V-6 engine with 273 horsepower 10 more than before and 270 pound feet of torque off 21. That upshot kids the CX 9 even more of Bill if he does zip through traffic and reduces the strain of towing up to 35 hundred pounds of trailer. As they are for the CIA. 9 comes as either front wheel drive or with Mazda is optional active ports with all wheel drive system. Also new for 2008 is a blind spot monitoring system which basically becomes an additional set of eyes for the driver using radar. This system monitors the immediate space to either side of the CX 9 and discretely alerts the driver of a vehicle has entered this area on the outside this sleek SUV has not changed very much but why should it.

This large utility with the sole of a sports car starts around twenty nine thousand five hundred dollars and is on sale now. Crossover pioneer Toyota is back with an all new second generation matrix. The five door compact Hatch Matrix now blends the crossover utility concept with sporty or more coupe like styling. It's also wider and lower than the current model expressing a more dynamic stance. Will sizes range from 16 to 18 inches. The cabin of this 5 seater has also been completely redesigned enhancing driver enjoyment while preserving its functionality. There's more rear seat room than before but with the swifter exterior maximum cargo area is actually down. The Matrix offers a choice of two four cylinder engines and three transmission. There's the new 132 horsepower one point eight leader or the 158 horsepower two point for more good news both front end all wheel drive versions will once again be available. We found the 2.4 to be quiet and very

responsive. Steering is quick lending itself the spot on handling abs and brake assist are standard with stability and traction control available. Government fuel economy ratings for the matrix are as high as 26 city 28 highway. The 2009 Toyota Matrix will be available in three trams and it hits dealerships in February starting at about $16000. Even with unsteady and it seems ever higher gas prices the Hummer brand has sustained its rock solid following. A big reason is that Hummer vehicles deliver on unmatched combination of substance and style. Well now that image gets a performance boost with this new SH 3 Alpha it may still be the smallest Hummer in size but it's big on everything else. To die hard fans Hummers are regarded as status symbols. After all the square jawed suburban tanks are about as exotic as SUV these get

but status aside civilian homers are becoming more capable of extremes than ever. Case in point Homer's newest offering the 2008 H3 Alpha. Significantly downsized from the now discontinued military based H1 Alpha the midsize H3 is only the second Hummer to be graded the performance Alpha designation. Here that means more brute force from under the hood. Gone is the original H3 with be in line fine in its stead isn't GM 5.3 meters small block V-8 with 295 horsepower and 370 pound feet of torque with a towing capacity jumps to 6000 pounds a 33 percent improvement. Th three alphas pushrod pairs with a four speed automatic and feeds a full time to speed four wheel drive system with brake traction control 410 rear differential and 32 inch tires optional off road rubber and rear Walker are recommended for serious off roading.

A wide range of enhancements went into making the H3 Alfa even more trail tough than the already impressive original H3 a unique oil pan ensures constant pressure on steep grades and the front differential case is made of strong cast iron. Combined those upgrades with nine point one inches of ground clearance high approaching departure angles and the tight turning diameter of a compact car and this SUV is able to crawl over and around amazing obstacles as well as handle streams up to 24 inches deep. Once we finished up in the wild we took the RBA to the track here at rumble from zero to 60 in a quite respectable eight point three seconds. That's two seconds faster than the five cylinder eights three and finish the quarter mile run and sixteen point three seconds at eighty seven miles per hour. Power was good off the line with an adequate build down the stretch. Handling benefits from a modified chassis and a suspension that utilizes higher rate front torsion bars

shocks have been revolved to ensure better ride quality than the full size H2. But there is still quite a bit of top heaviness and body roll. The positive side is there's also good response of Mr Driver inputs to help Realty and electronic stability control is standard. Breaking is an area we feel needs improving on the H3 Alpha. The four wheel disk with ABS drew us down from 60 to zero in a longish average of one hundred thirty seven feet. There was a lot of nosedive in an overall soft feel to the pedal. Stopping to look at the H3 Alpha doesn't reveal much difference from the standard H3. It's sort of like a stylized brake with a seven slot face that moves mountains. The interior nods are for the most part limited to bangi the dash boats the familiar deep gauges and large controls common to Hummer techno savvy options include a seven speaker monsoon audio system and navigation but the most eye catching feature is the available backup

camera display screen which hides in the rearview mirror housing and slides out only when back and. The rear split bench is wide enough for three adults but leg room is a bit tight cargo capacity expands to an ample fifty five point seven feet with the seats folded down. Why all Homer's the H3 Alpha will be criticized for its government fuel economy ratings of 13 City 16 highway park test mileage yielded fourteen point eight mpg on regular gas. Its energy impacts core is a very thirsty twenty four point five barrels of oil consumed for a year. Pricing however does work in this numbers favor it has a base sticker of thirty nine thousand three hundred ten dollars. Not bad for an almost unstoppable status symbol. The 2008 Hummer H3 Alcoa uniquely combines outrageous off road prowess with head turning opulence and though most buyers will probably never leave the pavement with theirs.

The appeal of this animal is that it stands out in both concrete jungles and real ones too. Well I hope you'll join us next week for more about her week. One will test infinity sleek new crossover the EU x 35. Hi John names will see you then. To learn more about motor week. TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS dot org. To order a DVD or VHS copy of this program call 1 800 873 6 1 5 4 Motorway has been brought to you by cars dot com. Let's say your looking for a car. Cars dot com can help research locate and even contact a dealer. Cars dot com find the right car for you. It. May be oil and water don't mix. But oil and blood do.

Novel. 100 percent of it. And by Dunlop tires the search for true performance is part of our heritage. Dunlop is proud to present the Dunlop drivers Cup where amateurs from around the world compete head to head in the on and off road competitions. Information at Dunlop tires dot com. This program was produced by Maryland Public Television which is soley responsible for its content. On PBS.