Motorweek; 1413

This time on Motor Week the T-Bird turns 40 fine tuning the grandest Mercedes and a muscular Mustang you can't buy from one to come top with up next. TVs automotives magazine. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. There is no question that Mercedes-Benz makes great cars but occasionally their timing is less than great. When the all new S-Class was introduced three years ago it was at the height of the European environmental movement. The S class was immediately frowned upon as a case of

automotive excess. But the big bend sedan sold well here in the US. So Mercedes was faced with the problem of needing to massage the S-Class to improve appearances at home while not wanting to turn off its American clientele. Well that job is now complete. And here is what we think of the results. And what a result it is for Sadie's Binns has improved its already world class flagship line including R S 500 sedan test car and made them slicker more economical and less expensive but not actually smaller except for the standard wheel base s 350 turbo diesel all as classic cars wide on an extended one hundred twenty three point six inch chassis and measure over 17 feet bumper to bumper. And you'll probably notice that link before you notice the sedan softens from her looking shape and happens lower wide height. That together achieve a low point to your question of Dre changes include a new

lower body panels a less upright grill redesigned headlights that deliver 50 percent more output and new front end. The rear bumper reflector strip and tail lights have also been modified. While the trunk lid is also more rounded. Making it resemble those on the S-Class coops. There's less change under the hood of our s 500 where sits one of the world's most sophisticated engines and all aluminum alloy 5 liter dual overhead can be 8 with 32 valves and variable valve timing. Output is a solid three hundred fifteen horsepower and 347 pound feet of torque other ass class gasoline engines range from a two point three leader inline six to a six liter of each Well most deliver their smooth power through four speed automatic transmission. That feature second here starts except under full throttle. The six cylinder S3 20 uses an even more efficient 5 speed automatic. And all as class cars have some form of traction control. But it was gobs of torque that launched the rest 500. Not the 60 and up. What's

eight seconds on a very hot day at the track. And while the vast majority of S class Mercedes will never see a race track their owners will appreciate the surprising handling prowess provided by the double wishbone front and multi link rear suspension as well as effortless speed pre braking. Thanks to large bend it will do this with four piston calipers and ABS stuff from 60 averaged 130 feet. OK for such a heavy weight but longer than other S class cars we've tested inside you'll find the expected Mercedes-Benz luxury with yards of fine leather and carpeting plus judicious use of polish wood trim the firm contoured front bucket seats are a match for any armchair with safety provided by airbags for driver and front passenger. Naturally there's a new analogue gauge cluster for 95 complete with digital LCD odometers 12 wave power adjustments and a tilt telescoping steering wheel make endless driving positions possible. But if you forget yours a 3 position memory is

standard. As is lumbar support via this handy thumb wheel. Front door storage pockets grow larger for 95 and a first for S-Class cup holders and the console's two front and two rear. How's that for a change. The high performance of Poe's beta sound system has improved reception and there's a new voice activated cellular phone. Yes 500 CFC free air conditioning system features don't temperatures own and both electrostatic and activated charcoal filters for easier breathing. The huge rear seat is one of the few in the end history that actually adjusts and it includes retracting headrest protection from harsh sunshine or head like glare is by way of retractable sunshade. And it's operated by this dash mounted button. Finally there is fifty point six cubic feet of very usable trunk space with a moderately low lip. Test car's trunk also contains the optional 6 CD changer that was skipped 3 s 500 fuel

economy also benefits from the environmental theme. It's up to 15 city and 1000 highway we manage 17 which given the cars forty seven hundred sixty pounds is still pretty notable. We note also the quiet only 65 decibels at 60 thanks in part to double pane side glass. We're safe he's been safety is second to none and all s class cars have dual or bag seat belt tensioners anti-lock brakes and traction control standard. Plus all 95 Mercedes have 5 mph bumpers and meet 1097 side impact standards. But such a world class package carries a hefty price tag in the US 500 case it's eighty seven thousand five hundred dollars to start. However that is down 78 hundred dollars from last year. Still is it worth it. Well not too many of us can even consider that question. But we'd say yes. However is this new slimmer S-Class still an automotive dinosaur. Well that's harder to answer and only time will tell.

But as of today there's still a demand for large cars that do everything well and no cars fill that environment better than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. Driving after dark is always more challenging and potentially more dangerous than driving in daylight. So we asked our own Pat Goss for some advice on getting the best out of a car's headlights. John in case you're wondering about my rather strange looking set up here it is a way that do it yourself or could adjust their own headlights. Well this typically would be done in an emergency. It always should be done after the replacement of a headlamp bulb or after an accident or anything like that where the headlamps may be knocked out of adjustment. Thing is though that some states have some very

strict regulations as far as head lamp adjustment is concerned. Some have no regulations at all. You have to know whether or not this is legal to do in your state. Now first thing if you happen to have a new car many new cars you can open the hood you can look at the hidden lamp assemblies and you may see something like we have on this one right here. There is a vial in there with a bubble in it and all you have to do on these guys is to turn a little knob or use a screwdriver and you adjust the headlamp on level ground that is until the bubble is centered in that vile. Well but what if you don't have something like that on your car. There are other ways. First if you have an older car that has a sealed beam headlamps these are the ones that are self-contained units you can't replace the ball be have to replace everything. Well happy makes this headlamp adjustment tool and it fits on the adjustment pegs on the headlamp and then by turning the screws you consent to the bubble in the vial on

this tool. Again a very simple inexpensive way to do it. Now suppose you have driving lights you have fog lights on your car they are very difficult to adjust as a matter of fact a lot of these machines can't adjust them at all. So then you would have to use an alternate procedure. And this also applies to the head lamps. You'll need a ruler. You'll also need some tape and you'll need a garage door or a wall that is clean and clear what you're going to do is establish the centerline of the vehicle using tape on the windshield in the rear window. Then you're going to transfer that onto the wall of the garage door. Then you're going to find the center point of the headlamps or driving lamps Whichever you're doing and you're going to transfer that onto the door as well. Once you've done net you then simply adjust the headlamps so that the beam pattern is centered over the crosses that you have done. Now it's a very simple very effective way to get a reasonably good headlamp adjustment and if you would like more

information about that a copy of the procedure send me a letter. The address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 1 1 1. Are sharply styled car of the week its early effort to get more power from a small production engine. It's a 1954 super charged highs or Manhattan. It belongs to Curtis Lipton of Dunkirk Maryland. So make and color photos of your car of the week to Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. The mid 1950s saw some of the most creative and best remembered automotive styling ever. But many of those stylish name plates didn't survive much beyond the 50s. But this week out on the high road Craig saying ha celebrates the 40th birthday of one American car that literally flew through time.

The mid 1950s were a time prosperity. The boys were home from Korea. Ike was in office and the stage was set for a new kind of car for the young and the young at heart. It's ironic that with all the hoopla over last year's 30th anniversary of the Mustang that some people might have overlooked the 40th anniversary of the car that started Ford's personal car revolution the Thunderbird. That's why we came to Southern California to celebrate with the early birds car park at its annual Hajj and the Thunderbirds. It was a chance to reminisce and reflect about the early T-Birds enduring appeal. Well I was looking for a Corvette and I found this little 57 T-Bird Bill Murphy Buick underneath a pile of boxes. I've had it since 1959 and it's beautiful old car. I wouldn't

get rid of it. And neither would Mr. George Watt who has restored what many consider to be the most important Thunderbird of all time. I came across this in Southern California in a body shop and when I found it I could see that it was. It was either everything about it was either broken bent dirty or missing and in pretty bad shape or been sitting out for about a year and a half and right with no time. But I got thinking about it the next day I came back and looked at it again and noticed the serial number was on 2005. And I flew then that it was one of the first Thunderbirds. So I bought it when I wrote the forward and I got a letter back saying that hundred thousand One two three and four were station wagons Sudan's therefore this was the first Thunderbird with its 198 horsepower V-8 were barrel engine the 3000 pound T-Bird was pretty spirited and straight line performance. But despite its cross checkered flags logo T-Bird was never really supposed to be a Corvette like sports car I think it has a little bit better ride It

appeals a little bit more to women with automatic transmission and power windows and some of the more luxury items. I like it because it's sort of a personal car and once you see it you just fall in love with it and so did many others. The 1955 Thunderbird easily outsold the 55 were Vette and with the introduction of the porthole side window and Continental kit from 1956 the T-Bird moved even further into a luxury car niche. It's so well defined in February 58 that big wins are late coming out. They didn't come out nako they came out that I saw the big ones I panicked and went and bought the letter because I didn't like to make any money and my ex said you know I get her to tell you the car there now she's gone and I just look at the time and thank you. Yes. Now we return to widows of the 90s as Lisa Barrow brings us all the latest Motor News with its new accent subcompact

only weeks away from introduction. Hyundai appears to have a full pipeline of upcoming products spotted during testing this disguised version of Hyundai's ninety six Alondra shows a larger size with a compact sedan. Although Hyundai hopes to keep weight about the same styling breaks no new ground but is quite rounded born Asian sedan with large air intakes replacing the traditional grill Kansai headlamps and minimal use of right work engine should be more powerful and the entire car more technically sophisticated safety will improve with the addition of a passenger airbag to the existing one for the driver. Alondra has overall interior space will increase to the point where we're just not that a midsize sedan such as Honda Accord and Chrysler Cirrus probably a year after the forwarder launches debut we should see this all new Hyundai coupe based on the well received 8 CD to show car it replaces the scoot and should have a 2 liter 150 horsepower engine. The most powerful in the Hyundai lineup. With three new models coming it's apparent that Hyundai isn't giving up on America.

Also this week we have a better look at BMW upcoming builds in America a small roadster scheduled to be one of the first products from BMW still unfinished Spartanburg South Carolina plant. This smart looking 389 based convertible will be the sixth and final three series model that this station wagon debuts in Europe this spring. The Miata sized dimmer features gently rounded vendors and a large chrome grille frame to keep its price under $30000 The only power train available will be the 389 is one hundred thirty eight horsepower four cylinder engine mated to a five speed manual transmission. The much anticipated BMW roadster is still due for introduction before the end of 1995 as a 96 model and that's it for this week's Motor News. The 95 Ford Mustang GTI is a port a pulled muscle car but since the days of the first Mustang 30 years ago folks from Carroll Shelby to your local

mechanic have taken it with Mustangs to get just a little bit of extra power. Well the latest tanker is a fellow named Jimmy Brown. And we couldn't wait to check out his twigs. Just like a Winston Cup race or the tweaks that make any Browns Mustang so special aren't apparent at first glance. That's because Mr. Brown a former associate of ACE Mustang to honor Steve Saleen has more interested and go than show and go it's our first taste of any middle grade 320 x package bound 0 to 60 capability of only by a point or second. Quarter mile will last beyond 14 seconds at 100 mph and. In most cases a whole second faster than for Jeff Beatty Mustang Cobra. And laps around West Virginia's challenging Summit Point Raceway showed us a Mustang that has regained some of the muscle car driving excitement of old. But without sacrificing the latest Jesses much heralded refinement. How is this done

very carefully and in precisely managed stages to fit each customer's Pacific needs in pocketbook. He sees his company project industries as the American equivalent of high end European tuners like I am g. I think what's important to remember is when we do build a car for for a customer that we focus on the whole package and certainly part of that package is the customer himself. What level of performance he needs what his experience is and what he expects. And at the end of the day we put that all together we've got something that really works. Building a 320 x Mustang starts from the ground up with top drawer Koni shocks and struts. Can he also add stiffer front springs your thing bushings and a rear pan hard rod chassis fixes include grounds on suspension mounting plates and additional bracing between the upper and lower strut towers and some frames supporting our test car are optional 45 series Bridgestone Expedia tires and 17 inch Ozy Monte-Carlo wheel barely hiding beneath those wheels or

the heavy duty brakes from the current Mustang Cobra trick Brembo units are also available and that's all before we reach the 320 engine which has been balanced in blue for a bit and then reassembled with Ford FBO z key 40 heads and induction system. Larger throttle bodies and headers a new fuel system and one of four different hands. It's a lot of work that allows the appropriately named power plant to produce up to three hundred twenty horsepower in three hundred forty pound feet of torque power rockets to the rear wheels through a choice of five or six speed manual transmissions and a high bias Aubrun differential with available 355 to one gearing and that's just a taste of what project industries can do and take it from us. It works throttle response out of some of the points tight corners was like a swift kick in the pants. And a wide flat power band. Allow the 320 x to eat up along the front straight like an Italian exotic diving deep into corners was easy with the powerful foot.

Yes of Cobra brakes optional carbon fiber pads were noisy but effective. Once in the corners the stiffer suspension made things a bit choppy over some appointed bumps but the massive increase in grip was more than adequate compensation. Despite all this on track ability we still found the Kenny Brown 320 x to be surprisingly civilized in day to day driving. If Ford built a Mustang like this the performance car war would be over. But to be fair to Ford they would also have to charge Kenny Brown's prices and top drawer tuning is never cheap. On top of the approximately twenty one thousand dollars for a 1995 Mustang GTI and another fourteen thousand four hundred seventy for the three 20 x package add further options like the Ozi wheels and Bridgestone tires and leather Riccardo sport seats and the price can top 40 $2000. Sure but even if you can't swing 40 grand any brown and project industries offers a whole range of packages and bolt on Mustang parts ranging from mild to wild all developed by a man with an eye for

detail and passion for performance. Back in 1962 when Ford introduced its new intermediate size Fairlane the TV commercials proclaimed this name as a new car. Well when Chevrolet decided to create a performance version of its much maligned Capri sedan it borrowed that idea and resurrected the legendary And Palla s ass name plate. While the name sure didn't hurt the new SS has a lot more going for it I mean this week's road test by request would take a second look at Chevy's big Supersport as it continues to convert Caprice critics. It'll certainly stop them in their tracks with a presence that recalls not only the original and callous but many of Chevy's greatest performance cars. Today's in Palace look starts with a striking monochromatic in black only the covers everything from the muscular grill to the raised palette. SS

logos on the rear flanks and the tasteless rear deck spoiler reshape rear quarter windows there's a classic in Taliban wild massive 17 inch alloys wheels. John why did the series performance tires the pavement all in all it's hard to believe that this car started out as a plain jane caprice of course the average Caprice doesn't package the two Corvette V8 under the hood. With 260 horsepower and 330 pounds you know for this 5.7 leader cast iron power plant 50 in California. Hot Rod. On. For just the 60 in 7.3 seconds. The quarter mile takes only fifteen point six seconds. At 90 mph. Power comes in low and hard like a proper muscle car. Berm shifting four speed automatic gearbox adds to the unpalatable feel. Pretty impressive for a four thousand two hundred eighteen pound car. Chevy insiders tell us with another 60 horsepower is waiting to be on leased by a few simple modification.

But while will always want more power we wouldn't tamper with the suspension which is derived from the phrase LTC and we. Thank you. It gives the Big Bopper a remarkably nimble feel in turn and it's great you could be in Palace master ratio power steering the BOP and hold for an L T Z tight suspension to be made standard on this platform. Hell it's solid feel is a world away from the mushy bouncy caprice. Old 66 decibel interior noise level. I was expecting the phone but you'll still be reminded of where the impeller comes from every time you have to park almost 15 feet apart. And every time you fill the gas tank you know Palla SS is EPA rated at 17 city and 25 highway expect 20 mpg in everyday use. Getting a car this big up the speed is frequently easier than stopping it. So ship you quipping Impala with 12 inch heavy lock disk all around and they bring it down from 60 in an average distance of 120 feet with all of the mechanical and exterior styling differences between the impeller and the brace.

Chevy naturally went for differences inside as well but here are more subtle ones. The dash is functionally that of a caprice but with a brushed more European finish and a set of standard dual air bag seats or grey leather with SS logo stitched into the head rest. They're comfortable on long highway holes but lack the lateral support needed in a car with the impellers handling abilities abilities supported by a comprehensive instrument cluster that's dominated by a larger digitals but ometer while a single control body houses the straight forward and stereo control style a center console has also been added. Are in PAL a SS test car carries a base price of twenty one thousand nine hundred twenty dollars. The options it totals twenty three thousand thirty six dollars that's a lot of car for the money. It's been 25 years since Chevrolet built the car bearing the impeller. SS Back during that time the name was attained a mythical proportions among its fans. This new Caprice faced in Tallahassee past should not only please the hardcore vintage enthusiasm

but finally silence detractors of DM's biggest reside chassis once and for all. It is of particular interest in this year when Mario Andretti has closed his illustrious career to look back in sharp focus to the times that shaped his life behind the wheel. So we were very pleased to see the classic 973 racing documentary. The speed merchants is again available on videocassette produced by racer Michael Kaiser. The speed merchants is an in depth view of the lives of professional drivers and ready Vic Elford Brian Redmond and Jackie IGS both on the track and in their home devoid of the usual cliches found in fictional racing accounts. The speed merchants focuses on the all too human aspects of racing on the edge as the real drama of the 1972 manufactured championship unfolds before our eyes. Be sure to join us next time for more motor week when we test the further

refined Lexus LS 400. I'm John Davis of fear 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. That expanded version of motor weeks in Jaguar the roar of the cat is available

on video cassette. It examines past present and future Jaguar models. 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. Hello I'm John Davis. On the next edition of motor week we'll test the further refined

Lexus flagship the 1995 LS 400 along with the reborn Chevrolet Monte Carlo coupe that dogs has simple answers to a host of tricky car questions while Lisa Barrow shows us the seemingly unique standards right. Plus we'll have all the latest Motor News. Don't you miss the next motorways.