Motorweek; 1223

Do. This time on motor week 93. We track test the Porsche 911 R Us. America. Great seeing Haas jets out America's newest form of racing. That Goss clarifies new car warranty will take a special look at Rolls Royce to come drive with us next.

Televisions all the modems magazines. Your host for Motor Week three. And welcome again to Motown week 93 we're glad to have you with us. In these days of seemingly overnight changes it is rare indeed for a bottle wine to go more than a few years without a complete make over. With today's increasingly fickle customers old car designs just don't sell unless of course that old design is the Porsche 911 introduced in 1963 and the

last redesigned in 1990 and I'm 11 still commands a hardcore army of fans. The latest iteration of the line is this 9 11 RSA America. Think of it as the ultra slim fast the portions are. Early in 1992 Porsche imported a fleet of cars like this one to the U.S. They were specially prepared for a proposed single mark racing series called The Forever. But with the economy showing little signs of recovery it was forced to cancel the series. Needless to say fans of the car were disappointed. But now in the spirit of those ill fated racers comes the 1993 Porsche 911 R S America the R S America looks pretty much like any other 9 11 but it's what you can't see that makes it special. For instance if you look inside you won't see a rear seat. It's been replaced by a parcel shelf. Also missing our door pockets. Leather seat coverings most sound

deadening materials. Power steering and more. After removing everything non-essential that they could the engineers next turn their attention to the bottom of the car adding a sports suspension and larger wheels and tires powering the RSA America is the same 247 horsepower normally aspirated 3.6 leader flat 6 found in other 9 11 engine is covered by a lightweight fixed wing in place of the heavier motorized boiler. All of this give and take with the components is a time honored tradition with Porsche using the way to increase performance. All right America weighs in some 80 pounds lighter than a standard correct too. This may not sound like much but in the high speed Benz of Savannah Georgia Roebling road Raceway. We found the truth in Porsches philosophy. Most of the luxury items gone. The R S America now has a very narrow purpose. High performance driving handling is crisper more direct imparting a oneness with the road not that

many other street. Demands to be driven hard. It also rewards its driver with one of the most songwriting rides in the business compared to the grammar to the R S is noisier takes more muscle to maneuver. But in the end it is more rewarding to know. So rewarding that R R S America attracted the attention of renowned limo and driver Brian Redmond in the R S America. They seem to get along. Accelerate down the strike more and more it's now coming up to 6000 miles an hour. Right hard in a straight line and then down into the corner of the lot so we don't have to either not know it. Don't accelerate out doe. It's the fact that this is a magnificent car. It is tremendous fun to draw in a real drive those

into the right. Now we're approaching a moment that decreasing radius left on the Where We need the back end to come out was way to the back comes out that we know. When Brian finally got satisfaction we got on with the business of testing. Zero to 60 sprints took 5.4 seconds. The quarter mile mark was passed in thirteen point nine seconds with a final speed of 105 miles per hour. Great times by anybody's standards. The ABS brakes were equally impressive. Hauling the car down from 60 in a short 180 feet fate was nonexistent and stability was top notch. Aside from the fixed wing in a den of the Badges exterior styling is essentially unchanged from other current 9/11. The shape still turns heads wherever it goes. Inside the few changes are a little more noticeable. It takes a couple of minutes to realize that the nylon strap sticking out of the door panels are

actually the door handles. The firm supportive or Caro sport seats offer a combination of power and manual adjustments. The gauges and controls are familiar. Large easy to see dials and well-marked knobs. Our car had the optional sunroof and cassette stereo the only other options are air conditioning a limited slip differential and metallic paint. So far only about 300 RSA Americas are on the road. But you can put one on the road for less than you might think. With the base price of fifty four thousand eight hundred dollars it is the cheapest 911 you can buy. Like cashing in it's what three features that manages to be a whole $10000 less expensive than a normal career or two. And out on a country road feeling the pavement and wind beneath our feet it seems like a fair trade to walk. Normally at this point in the show we look forward to an f y report from Lisa Barrow. But this week we're doing things a little differently. So here she is now with the latest Motor News

for its Taurus is the best selling car in the U.S. John. Much to the chagrin of Chevrolet which likes to think of itself as the most American car brand. So Chevy is preparing two new models to come back and forward first to arrive will be a completely rescanned aluminum sedan and 95 Lumina which will appear next spring features a smoother shape than before. It's actually more in keeping with the look of the Taurus as well as Chrysler's recently introduced LH models. A new interior will also be part of the package mechanicals will remain similar to the Current 93 model. And Chevy is devoting its engineering resources to a completely new Lumina planned for 1997. The 95 Lumina will only be available with four doors but the Lumina coupe hasn't been canceled. It's been re skinned as well as renamed and the new name it will carry is Monte-Carlo to help it live up to that prestige his name. Chevy will offer a more supporting selection of power trains including the current 200 horsepower three point four later twin dual cam V-6 and according to auto week maybe even a

detune version of the Corvette L.T. 1 v 8. The Monte Carlo styling will also separate it from its Lumina relative only the hood front fenders and chin panel will be common to both vehicles sharply rate the rear glass and a rounded tail with flush mounted lights will emphasize its sportier nature. In other GM News America's biggest auto maker is taking big steps in the area of customer satisfaction. GM is offering to repair a leaking head gaskets on all of its 1987 through 1991 quad four engines at a possible cost of twenty two million dollars. The engines which were installed in a variety of GM products including the Chevy Beretta and Pontiac Grand Am and grand prix could develop coolant leaks. No more than 8 percent of these engines are actually expected to develop leads. GM will extend warranty coverage on all of them to six years or 60000 miles and reimburse car owners who have already paid for gasket replacements. GM will even consider covering head gasket repairs to engines with more than 60000 miles

John. On a case by case basis. Thanks Lisa. Great thing hasa seen every type of racing imaginable 1000 to ice racing in Canada but nothing he seen before could have prepared him for the kind of action he saw recently out on the high road. When a racing legend Brian Redmond invited me to Jacksonville Florida to compete in a light racing series. I was thinking indeed like DTP right. No great home line. Well the idea of this lawn mower race was to raise funds for the Muslim house chanting as in houses or local Jacksonville Tarzi and its 600 disadvantaged families mostly children who are suffering life threatening diseases a very beautiful scene and the way we're getting the money is by charging $5 admission fee

and by teams of buying a lawn mower for fifteen hundred dollars. This doesn't mean that they get the money they get to ride on the boa. It's going to be terrible whether we've got a decent crowd here there's a lot of enthusiasm and we're having a great time. My teammates and I were up for the challenge. OK so no land speed records would be broken but our race is a race and this race would be won by sheer determination and strategy. We knew there would be stiff competition. Let's not forget that. It's always the same challenge to win. We're trying to get more horsepower this way. It's.

The event just like a real rights Stoff by the SPCA that we're having like mostly yellow flags red flags checkered flags every kind of like you can imagine. And each driver will drive for four laps and then they will change over to the next team. After using every tactic in the book I was ready to hand over a blade this wonder to my next teammate and let him face the zoo out there. Now you may have noticed the phrase race with the Stars. Well you had Johnny Van Zant from the band Leonard Skinner. Travis Tritt got some people moving. And so did Bobby Miranda from the movie Sister Act.

But the real star was as well and the families they have helped and the world that's because it's given us a lot of support that no one else not but a different kind of supportive family unit we honestly the kind of like that it. Has for me. Knowing the lawn will never be quite the same. Our car of the week is one thousand twenty three or Depot. Burton Gilliam Dallas Texas is the proud owner. If you have a special car or truck send us a good color photo and a stamped self-addressed return below considerate car of the week. Our address is Motor Week. Always Mills Maryland 1 1 1 7. PAC is up next with some important information about your car's warranty. Pat John this time I want to talk about a problem that every new car

has and that is that sooner or later its warranty is going to run out. Well in reality we're probably talking about three warranties. Well at least two of them for all cars. First is the express warranty that comes from the manufacturer with the car that you buy that warranty covers certain things usually for 12 months or 12000 miles. Then it's somewhat limited for a longer period of time. Well we have that then we have a federally mandated emissions warranty. All cars come with this. It's good for five years or 50000 miles whichever comes first. And there's lots of things that are covered under it. These things are explained in the warranty manual. And last but not least is the extended warranty that most of us buy well with extended warranties you have to be careful. So you have to research the company and the provisions of the policy that you're buying. You know some of these may be good for six years 100000 miles some of maybe even more than that.

But remember when you're researching these that they cover the things that you want number one. Number two that you negotiate the price because many times they're negotiable by hundreds of dollars. And last make sure that the policy is underwritten by a very substantial company so they don't go bankrupt. OK but now. The thing that you have to do you have to familiarize yourself with the terms of each one of these warranties and as each one of them comes up toward the end of its duration. You need to take your car to a repair shop and you're going to have the technician check those things that are covered under that portion of the warranty. So give him a copy of it so they have something to work from now typical things that are going to be checked. Technicians going to put the car up in the air going to check for various oil leaks leaks from the transmission leaks from the engine from the power steering from the air conditioning. Also going to check things like the suspension and steering system. Remember that the steering system on a lot of cars. There are parts

in them that may well wear out before the warranty expires. Things like inner tie rod ends for instance. Then also all of the rubber bushings engine mounts and suspension bushings and so on all of the bearings in the car. All of these things are going to be checked to see if there's any indication of any kind of problem before the warranty runs up. But in addition to that going to go under the hood of the car lots of things in here that are going to be covered by one or more of these warranties most of the electronics you know the things that are relative to the computer and the fuel injection on the car things like the water pump various bearings various seals and gaskets all of these things would be covered under one of these warranties. Now if you have a good technician go over the warranty and check the things that it applies to. You'll typically find that there are going to be multiple things that will be covered under the warranty things that are. Well they have failed or they will soon be failed completely so that you can get these things logged

while the car is under warranty. You can typically save hundreds of dollars by doing this. Otherwise if you wait till the warranty expires you have to pay for it and that you certainly don't need it. Well if you have a comment or a question how about writing to me. If I use your letter 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. That's Motor Week. Always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Owners of the Oldsmobile As for Ford to muscle cars will want to check out Patrick Sullivan Oldsmobile for board to end w machine's restoration done. The guide covers all hears and variations of the four or two and it's packed full of tips part numbers and helpful illustrations. I hated the restoration or appreciation of these great cars. In the world of luxury cars and no name carries as much weight as that of Rolls

Royce lurking in the shadow rolls as another name Bentley. Originally a separate company but bought out in 1931. Bentley is mainly known for selling sportier versions of Rolls-Royce cars but now for the first time in 40 years Bentley has a car you can call its own. The Continental are. And with that Bentley is finally stepping out of the Rolls-Royce shadow. The car may be new but the name is not the our type. Continental actually appeared for the first time in 1952. It was a limited edition coupe built to evoke the legendary racing Bentleys of the 20s and 30s. The name was resurrected in 1992 to grace this car and what a car it is unlike the modern trend towards bold styling. The Continental art doesn't reveal all of its character in a mere glance. First the styling appears upright and formal but look closer and you realize that the design is dominated by many subtle curves. You

notice the rakish wind chill the hint of a spoiler at the rear and how the normally stodgy upright grill is tilted back slightly to cheat the wind like a fine work of art. The lines must be studied to be fully appreciated and side to Bentley designers didn't stray far from tradition. The cabin has ample room for four very pampered adults. Leather and woodwork are everywhere. Every stitch is perfect every grain is polished bright. It's a traditional straight forward design and it still works for Bentley. The same can also be said for the engine. This six point seventy five liter turbo charged push rod that's been around since 1992 a power increase is rumored for next year but tight lipped company official still won't mention any numbers. Current estimates peg horsepower at 320 and torque at around 400. Whatever the numbers the Bentley Continental are

will move down the road with authority despite its five thousand three hundred forty pounds exhilaration from 0 to 60 takes only six point six seconds. The new four speed automatic gearbox has both standard and sport mode and gives some of the cleanest shift we've experience. Handling is surprisingly good for such a hefty machine. Hydraulic self leveling suspension adjusts to match any driving condition bumps are barely noticed and noise is almost nonexistent. In all situations the Bentley Continental arc carries itself and its passengers with dignity and composure. As well it should with a price tag of two hundred sixty nine thousand six hundred dollars. Believe it or not the next two years production is already spoken for. Bentley's other new car also revives an old name. The normally aspirated border Brooklyn's is named after the old Brooklyn motor circuit. World's first banked racetrack at one hundred thirty eight thousand five hundred dollars.

The Brooklyn's can be called the entry level Bentley is based on and replaces the eight and will same model. New features include a seamless aluminum hood revise their dam and Grill and distinctive alloy wheels. Extensive use of body colored moldings gives the car a cleaner modern look. The Brooklyn's represents a true alternative to the likes of Mercedes new class of hands by offering comparable levels of quality and safety well as the luxury and exclusivity associated with the Bentley name. Both the continental car and Brooklyn's are benchmarks by which other ultra luxury cars are measured. Those that can afford them are indeed fortunate. As for the rest of us well there's always the lottery. The cars of Rolls Royce and Bentley have long been known for the painstaking care put into building them. And Ray Rice's philosophy except nothing

nearly right or good enough is still very much in evidence today at the Rolls-Royce factory. While in England recently our crew had a chance to witness these craftsmen at work to come along with us and see what Rolls-Royce is really all about. Travel through northern England and you see a place forgotten by the march of time. Warwick Castle Shakespeare's theatre Sunday afternoon fisherman they all exist pretty much as they did hundreds of years ago. Step through the gates of Rolls-Royce motor cars and crew and you get the same sort of feeling. Here time stands still. Some car plants turn out hundreds of units a day. Here it can take months for a single model to be completed. But in order to achieve the level of quality Rolls Royces famous for each step in the manufacturing process is necessarily time consuming. The interior for example two hundred sixty square feet of leather are used to cover virtually every surface inside the car

every square inch of that is inspected measured and cut by hand. Craftsman then hand stitch each component. What's not covered by leather is probably made of wood. With a skill and attention to detail unrivaled by the finest furniture makers. This small group of Craftsman had our crew shaking their heads in admiration. The amount of sanding and polishing that goes on here would make Bob Vila hunt for a new line of work. It's all in a day's work for Rolls-Royce. It's always fun when touring through a factory to seek out the little things that show the spirit of pride and dedication to doing the job right. But at Rolls-Royce these indicators are everywhere. We even found one gentleman testing each ignition switch to make sure it had the proper click when the key was turned. And another part of the factory workers spend hours sweetening the bare body shells as they arrive from the coach builder tapping out a slight ripple or grinding away in the rough edges and only a

handful of men are capable of making the famous Rolls-Royce radiator shell measuring with only their eyes and saw tearing by hand. It takes a full day to craft one and comes the finishing touch placing his initials on the back of every one. It's touches like that that lend charm to every Rolls-Royce automobile but charm alone doesn't sell cars and the company has struggled in the market recently as even the ultra wealthy are placing a higher consideration on value. Some areas of production have been modernized and of course jobs have been eliminated. But change happens slowly at Rolls-Royce. When asked about the modernization process one representative stated that electricity had finally been introduced to the factory and while he was hitting that type of philosophy is not far from the truth. Here you're more likely to be stampeded by a pack of bicycles than run over by a wayward robot. Rolls-Royce doesn't want to have to concern itself with modern production methods or

streamlined operations. It's a company that just wants to build cars the old fashioned way. And in this fast paced automotive world that's a rare thing indeed. Join us next week and we'll have another new car road test. Also hear from Greg saying he had gone. Lisa Barrow will have all the latest Motor News. I'm John Davis. See that. To order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4. Or send twenty nine ninety five plus $4 shipping and handling to this address. Ask for program number twelve twenty three. An expanded version of motor week's Porsche past present and future is available on video

cassette. It explores the history and future plans of the German automaker and includes test drives of the Porsche 911 Turbo at 9:59. To use your credit card call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4. Or send one thousand ninety five plus $4 shipping to Motor Week home video. Post Office Box 6 8 6 1 8 Indianapolis Indiana 4 6 2 6 8.