Motorweek; 2624

Jaguar takes it still be new to our higher plane. Super Charge. Thanks to your. Speed. The track of the ex-gay arc. Next week. I'm Pat Goss preventing white carpeting. This time I'm glosses Karrar. I am Henry cope as this week I'm over the edge. The ins and outs of tire design and Wu boosted to win four door fortunes with the 335 I. Took the drive with. 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 and buy the tire rack. Ever notice how tires are like shoes whether it's every takeoff or seasonally

for real performance. The Tire Rack knows how to help you dress appropriately. You could learn more by DOC. And by Valvoline the motor oil for guys who love working on their cars. Filming a century old building has shared his passion and he put it by testing our product on the track in pursuit of the best possible engine protection Valvoline 100 years under the hood 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 at 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. A lot of cats have wandered onto our parking lot over the years and generally they've been fairly tame but recently one very fierce feline followed us to our winter testing venue and Roebling road Raceway near Savannah Georgia.

That cat is Jaguars new super charged x K R and with its claws extended in its back arched high. This kiddy came ready to play and lap up some Georgia asphalt. Though our first outing in the 2007 Jaguar X K.R. was on the back roads of southern Spain. It was in Savannah Georgia where we really got to know this ultra performance version of the Xscape. There's nothing like a tin turd to mount a road course to put a super torch too close to through its paces. Even though the x K RS towards you. TV than pure sports car. It's seldom rebel. The harder we push. The better we liked it. A stiff all aluminum chassis is a poor reason for its track prowess. Add to that firmer Springs in dampers and security roll bars to scratch out superior agility from lap to lap. Or recalibrating pads active suspension system enhances both pedaling and run even when running full tilt. There was a high level of driver

confidence dynamic stability control is standard but we switched it off really well on the XDR to the edge of its ability. The variable ratio electro hydraulic steering is both weighty and right. There is progressive understeering Moniz body roll but not. Just from walking. Concentration. Counted by Jaguar as being an x K plus 30 percent a front engine rear drive x K R gets its long legs from a four point two leader double overhead cam super charged V8 I'll put his four hundred twenty horsepower up one hundred twenty from the x K with a truck like 430 pound feet of torque. When we hit the start button at our home dragstrip Lorex Jr. fired from 0 to 60 in a five point three seconds knocking more than a second off our x k times. It then spread to the quarter mile in thirteen point seven seconds at 109 miles per hour. Plenty of power at launch and a quick smooth. Build after that. Power feed zap to a six speed automatic with sequential

shift manual Motors by way of steering wheel mounted pedal shifter gears are tight and have a good snap to them without being harsh. Upsize ventilated. This breaks match the X KRS added power abs electronic brake course distribution and brake assist fortify its ability to stop at a short 100 15 feet from 60 to 0. Available in both coupe and convertible. The x K R starts with the eye catching powerful lines of the x K in front to back this all aluminum GTI sculpted figure broods dynamism and sophistication all at once. Indeed the differences in appearance from the x K are in the detail. These include hood louvers and an AR type signature chainmail grill up front. Chrome side vents for him also helps telegraph the X KRS performance intentions and the wired rear facia finishes off with great sounding chrome one exhaust new design one thousand eight sport wheels come standard on the x K r r tester wore optional 20 inch by 20 spoke alloy

inside the X KRS cabin is expected Li plush with plenty of soft gray leather yet its direct and less eclectic than older Jags ergonomics is the new king here. The elegant dash trimmed with optional wood is home to Laura drown instrumentation with a digital message center while a seven inch touch screen in the center stack accesses audio climate and navigation. The ten white power heated sports seats with embossed our badge provide extra lateral support for fast quartering true to European too plus to tradition the cramped rear seat is best suited to small children or for overflow from the small trunk and terms of a mission see the x K or actually does well for a high performance car. Government fuel economy ratings are 17 city 25 highway. My tester managed 20 mpg on premium gas. XdR scores a reasonable energy impact score of seventeen point one barrels of oil per year.

Pricing for the X K.R. started eighty six thousand five hundred dollars for the coupe and ninety two thousand five hundred dollars for the convertible. Our coupe tester with luxury and sound packages came in at ninety two thousand six hundred seventy five dollars. The 2007 Jaguar X K.R. is as serious an animal as one can hope to manhandle while still delivering top notch comfort. Taking the already capable ex pay off more than a few runs. Puts Jaguar back in the mix. Many of the most desirable performance automobiles in the world. Although we already had a hunch that was true. A few days it rumbling showed us just how ferocious this wildcat. Would be. Last. Fall. Coming up. Taking tire design for the kids. Time now for our favorite car care detective at Goss's garage where this week Pat traces down a leaky culprit. John water leaks to the inside of the car can be dangerous. How so.

Well look at these two examples of carpeting from inside of a car that had a leak. The top one. Well the padding on it is nice and clean. The bottom one covered with mold and mildew. You've got to remember that mold and mildew in a confined space like the inside of a car can be very dangerous. All right so how do you go about finding those leaks. Well you'll probably need an electronic leak detector such as we have here. This is a transmitter that goes inside the car. Then we have a receiver for the outside of the car. Now this leak could be coming from just about any place could be up here in the collar area around the windshield wipers maybe even around the outside mirror. But what you do to find it is you turn on the transmitter put it inside the car in the general area where the problem is.

Close the car up. Turn on the receiver and as it comes close to the leak. It will start to be. Because the radio waves come out where the water comes in. Pretty simple device. All right. In addition to that there is another problem that people are faced with and a lot of it is through confusion. Many people have the idea that doors are sealed against water getting inside them they are not. Water can go into the door. It runs through the door and it runs out of small drain holes down in the bottom of the door. Well that's fine until those drain holes clog up. When they do the water builds up in the door until it reaches one of these lower holes. Then it spills out into the inside of the car. Right you can fix this yourself. We have a cutaway section of a door right here and we're going to shine a light through one of these holes. You can see right here with the light shining

through it. And there are several of those along the bottom of the door. All you have to do to clean that drain holes take a piece of coathanger such as we have here wrap some tape around it so it can't go up inside the door too far and hit some wires or damage anything. And you simply push it up and down into the hole working around in there to dislodge any dirt that may have accumulated over time. But don't look straight up at it while you're doing it because if there's water in there you're going to get water right in your face. It's a very simple thing. It'll keep the carpets dry. It will also keep the bottoms of the doors from rusting. 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's not going to Crosby with Newgate air. If you're nervous about handing over the car keys to your teenager then this may be the high tech

solution to you getting a good night's sleep. It's called Drive think. Also dubbed the teen tracker. This device sells for about $300 and is easy to install in your car. Once a vehicle starts moving it starts monitoring and recording driver behavior such as speed. Since when where and how aggressively your vehicle is being driven. When you're ready to see the driving record just remove the data key and plug into a computer's USP port and while long you get a clear picture of your teen's driving habits. Hopefully drive sync will help reduce the number of teen driving fatalities by deterring bad behavior on the road and give parents some peace of mind. When you think about it. Designing a competent car is a very daunting task. Thousands of end of agile parts have to mesh perfectly and last a very long time just to meet the minimum expectations of millions of buyers. And while many of the components of a car are important are Henrico pads has the edge on one that he thinks is the

most important of them all. What's the most important part of a car. Probably comes to mind maybe the brakes. Well how about the tires. Those four thick rubber hooves are more than just fancy real protectors. If play a vital role in the performance and safety of a vehicle including ride and handling braking an acceleration so a lot of work goes into getting them ready for duty when it comes to designing tires that can take years for a new model to be ready for the public from testing out on the race track to out on the open road. Tire design is at the forefront of automotive engineering. Tires perform a critical job on a vehicle. They're the only contact a vehicle has with the driving surface whether that's asphalt gravel or mud. Every driver has a different need and designing a tire to meet those needs at the top of the list for any manufacturer. And I got to learn first hand exactly how much time and effort is spent on tire design. When I met up with a tire company executive branch Strandberg at Virginia International Raceway on

track at speed road in the weeds. There's a number of different things that we go through when we're developing consumer tires. One of the biggest things that we're looking for obviously is trying to find a unique need that's out there in the marketplace. Tires obviously have been around for quite a long time. The challenge that we go through is trying to figure out what else is there what's the next level what can we bring to the market that isn't there today something you need to come up with new and never before seen ideas. Many manufacturers look to the racetrack as one of their most important laboratories. The tougher the competition the more they can learn. Well that's definitely one of the big reasons why we are in racing is because it enables us to test out some of the new technologies that we come across in some of our research and development examples such as one flat tire technology and the recent use of carbon fiber and advanced polymers and super tires can point directly to racing as the birthplace. There are other technologies that we will learn how to use them in racing but it will be several years before we determine how they can truly be applicable to the consumer market.

It's not only racing you know that plays a big role in the design process advancements in computer design systems have allowed engineers to rapidly put their new ideas to the test. And one of the great things about the latest technology that we have is that the computer modeling that we have. That computer modeling has enabled us to go through many different iterations of design. And what if scenarios and we used to have to actually create physical tires and go out and test those physical tires. Obviously a very labor intensive very time intensive process that really limited the amount of experimentation that we can do relative to what we can do today. From the low resistance from fuel economy to modern rubber compounds that give tires lifespans of 50 60 and even 80000 miles tire engineering and design has never been as advanced or technical as it is right now. Tires are absolutely one of the single most complex engineered products on an automobile.

When you think about what goes into the construction of a tire there are very few components on an automobile that are as complex as a single entity. And since they're the only contact a car has with the road the right tires the critical link that lets other driving systems do their jobs as intended. Considering how far modern tires have come since the first logs rolled off the assembly line the future should hold some pretty interesting development. Advancements in tire engineering are being made every day and from NASCAR to the fast food drive through lane new tire designs are helping us have more fun and stay safer behind the wheel. The test of any convertible is how well it keeps a sunny disposition during the cold gray of winter. In the case of our 2007 Mitsubishi spider convertible so far it's brightened the gloomiest day after five months it continues to be an entertaining draw on our top or down. Actually given the mild winter so far the top has been down and the heater turned up quite often

on the positive side is the wide comfortable cabin. Great build quality and overall sleek and youthful styling. On the down side are the large blind spots when the top is up and some cornering flex over rough roads power from the GTX 3.8 leader 263 horsepower V-6 is very willing and given its pep. We're happy with the twenty four point four mile per gallon fuel economy recommended fuel grade is premium and with prices that start in the mid 20s you don't have to pay a premium for the BA to Vishy eclipse minor. Interior roominess and fuel economy are also high points and in fact the primary design criteria for this 2007 Nissan Versa SL five door hatchback. Front seat or back the subcompact versa provides much of the comfort of a mid-sized sedan Plus the cargo capabilities of a small utility. After two months and twenty five hundred commuter miles fuel economy is OK at twenty seven point nine mpg using regular gas but we

expect it to rise further. One hundred twenty two horsepower four cylinder provides good on both the line our cars six speed manual has a solid shift feel although some of our staff complain their big feet slide off the small brake and clutch pedals. Otherwise our versatile versa is proving that small size isn't a big limiting factor. We'll see how our Audi A3 and Dodge Ram are wintering on the next motorway. Long term road test update. Just like a truck he sure knows a good car story when she sees it. And here she is with all the latest motor news with consumers still mindful of high gas prices and a new Democratic Congress expected to debate new fuel economy mandates. The 2007 Washington Auto Show was the scene of two fuel saving clean air vehicle introductions following keynote remarks by DaimlerChrysler chairman Dieter Zetsche the Chrysler group unveiled the first diesel heavy duty pickup truck that meets the emissions standards of all 50 states on sale in March the new 2008 Dodge

Ram heavy duty powered by six point seven liter Cummins turbo diesel engine meets the strictest standards three years before the 2010 EPA mandate. Ford Motor company unveiled an unimaginative fuel cell hybrid vehicle for an edge with high series drive operates without the need of an internal combat. An engine that uses electric drive motors that are powered by plug in batteries recharged overnight on household current while range is limited to 25 miles and onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator can recharge the batteries on the go for added range. The U.S. Department of Energy also used the DC show to encourage automakers to stay focused on the long term goal of reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil. Assistant Energy Secretary Alexander Karsner announced the deal intends to spend 17 million to support the development of plug in hybrid vehicles and improve the efficiency of engines that run on E-85 ethanol fuel. We don't need hundreds. We don't need thousands. We need millions millions of cars on the road.

They were full of consumers so that people have greater fuel choice. And vehicle choice. And the cars that people want. Artificially. Are easier on their pocketbook and or greater for the aggregate good for the environment. Karsner and members of Congress also tour the show taking in the ever widening array of flexible fuel hybrid and fuel stingy vehicles already available. Organizers of the Washington Auto Show expected to become an even bigger showcase for environmentally friendly vehicles in the future. And that's it for this week's Motor News. BMW has been building three series cars for over 30 years and in all that time and through five generations while the design has naturally changed a lot. The essence has not. The three series remains a benchmark sports today and it all rivals strive to match. Now for 2007 the three series throws its challengers a new curve spooling up an unexpected twist to

sensible performance. BMW 3 series fans are as loyal as any football fanatic are. And the introduction of a new body style or engine to the lineup is always a time for celebration. Well for 2007 BMW has delivered both a stilt new coupe body and under the hood of the 335 on apparel Goulding turbos were speeding or reworked aluminum. There are direct injected inline 6 this is the first gasoline turbo to wear a BMW badge in more than 20 here. Output is already 300 horsepower at 58 hundred RPM and 300 pound feet of torque available from fourteen hundred all the way to 5000 revs. That also translates into BMW is most powerful inline six engine. Not to Wear and in bad. We tried this delightful power plant in both the new coupe and signature sedan and were pleased with the lack of turbo

lag. The lone measure to acceleration and the extra boost it gives for squirting through traffic without downshifting back numbers. The styles were nearly identical as you would expect with only a 23 pound weight difference between the physics manuals and dance. Hold on the sink. For our end of one point three seconds the quarter mile pass ended in thirteen point seven seconds at 103 miles. Trotting automatic handle shifters Boogaard tester through the same paces only a tenth slower were comparisons of the 2006 330 I did six point one seconds for a 0 to 60 run the faster styling of the new two door fits the energy of this engine perfectly. It moves the traditional long sleek proportions in bold character lines of past three series coupe to a totally contemporary edge. The power dome hood sculpted front air dam set headlights and kink C pillar set the coop visually apart from the more conservative sedan but both 335 eyes have a

pair of exhaust pipes sneaking out behind. You do pay for the coop show your look interior functional differences include seating for only for less headroom front and rear and a feeder arm that delivers the seat belt to within reach of the front occupants. But enough static impressions for a total feel of how the new turbo 6 adds to 3 series performance. We took this walk at Red 335 by sedan along on our winter surge or into Savannah Georgia Roebling road Raceway on the long drive south. We were impressed by both its power and its efficiency government fuel economy ratings are 20 city and 29 highway between Interstate Philips. We beat that with 30 mpg using premium gas. 335 irons a respectable energy impact score of fifteen point six barrels per year. One said Roebling the twin turbos provided plenty of punch for quick order getaways and smooth power delivery. To avoid those nasty mid-corner surprises you can get when a single turbo

engine comes on with a rush. Inmates well with already superior responsive chassis both bodies. Use a double digit. Front and five linked rear suspension. A combination well suited to this car's near perfect front to rear weight distribution on the road course the chassis does. Predictable amount of understeer though it's easily tamed with judicious use of the electronic throttle. And once we minimized its input the Dynamic Stability Control was for the most part unobtrusive keeping us in check at the limit but allowing us a good bit of fun to suspension reaction is rapid in side to side transitions and steering inputs are translated very directly. But the car never felt dirty. We're always amazed at how BMW can balance a tight planted feel on the track with such a compliant and almost soft three prong to make the twin turbo 2007 BMW 335 high horse street ride. It will cost you a minimum of thirty nine thousand three hundred ninety five dollars for the sedan for forty

one thousand two hundred ninety five dollars for the coupe. Both bodies are also available in the 230 horse normally aspirated 3 28 with serious challengers from infinity Lexus and Cadillac pulling twin turbo magic out of its three series hat chose this icon will never rest on its laurels and with the new coupe a further energized sedan and forthcoming hardtop convertible. It's clearer than ever why the BMW 3 Series deserve such a loyal fan following. Well I hope you'll join us here next week for more motorways. It's a 500 plus horsepower test times three with a Chevrolet Corvette Vo-Tech Dodge Viper SRT 10 and Ford shell BGT 500. I'm John Davis. Well fear that. To learn more about Motor Week TV's original automotive magazine. Visit petering asked Dot org.

To order a DVD or VHS copy of this program call 1 800 873 6 1 5 for. Motor Week has been 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. And the bike the tire rack offering a wide selection of tires wheels and more with professional advice and online shopping tools plus a national network of Tire Rack recommended installers. And by Valvoline the motor oil for guys who love working on their cars for more than a century Valvoline has shared this passion and he proved it by testing our products on the track in pursuit of the best possible engine protection. Doubling 100 years under the hood 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. We are PBS.