Motorweek; 2101

This time on Motor Week the best BMW M3 yet Mitsubishi launches the lancer and Land Rover hits the rocky road to stardom. So come drive with us next. Week. TV's original automotive magazine brought to you by pep boys no matter what you drive at Boyce's over 27000 items in stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service space staffed with certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service and. With. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Well own Welcome to a new season of Motor Week. We're glad to have you with us.

A few high performance cars excite us like the BMW M3 and each time that BMW brings out a new M3 we get even more excited. So you can imagine what our office was like when BMW delivered the All-New 2001 M3 with three hundred thirty three horses under the hood. And the most sophisticated chassis in three series history. Why the mere thought of driving the new M3 makes us weak in the knees. We first drag our jellied legs aboard the rock his 2001 BMW M3 at the Grand Prix circuit in Paris Spain nearly a year ago that two brief deaths impressed us so much that we named the M3 our best performance park pick for 2001 a more extensive test of this Laguna Seca blue coupe has only served to validate that decision. After driving this emmel red in three convertible it was clear our choice was a no brainer. Visually the M3 stands

apart from its other merely mortal three series brother and with a muscular reshaping all around the front air dam featured an extra large intake scoops while the kidney grille is less upright blending well with the RE contoured power dome hoods. The M3 convertible shares the same lines from the A pillar forward but the fully lined cloth top does not exactly mimic the goods lines. The styling effect is of a lower more sensuous machine at the touch of a button this M3 stows it stop an eating glass rear window for serious wind the hair excitement and aluminum hardtop is optional. Both models carry the same whiten track and wheel arches. They're needed to house me am exclusive a teenage double spoke alloys wearing two twenty five forty five series Michelin rubber up front and 255 40s in the rear. Back when spoilers designed into the trunk lid and the rear skirt planks for Chrome exhaust tips while a great body is nice and are driving romances performance is what really matters. And the M3 delivers a whopping three hundred thirty three

or four hour at 8000 RPM and 262 pounds of torque at forty nine hundred. BMW Zim division has conjured up these numbers from a three point two liter inline six A quick with variable valve timing six individual throttles and a free flowing exhaust for once the US gets the same potent M3 engine sold in Europe. Driving the rear wheels through a sick speed manual gearbox our tester romp to 60 in five seconds flat and tore through the quarter mile and thirteen point five seconds and a trap speed of one hundred seven miles per hour. Despite giving up 366 pounds of the Coupe the M3 convertible needed just a half second more to complete both tests. Power is delivered with a sense of dire urgency. The motor revving plainly all the way to 8000 rpm with 80 percent of its maximum torque on tap at just 2000 rpm above 5000 the exhaust note rips like a chainsaw through balsawood. Away from the track for a while we came to fully appreciate the M3 sporting interior but

the layout here is up to the standards set by the entries racy looks and performance but with less of the boy racer attitude found in previous m models. The driver sits on leather and sport seats featuring individual backrest with the just this unique design gets firm all around support while still allowing the driver freedom of movement speech shifter works with precision but with a somewhat rubbery feel a nice touch as the lighted shift pattern on top of the knob. But the most satisfying touch is the small button labeled sport in front of the shifter switch this on and BMW is driving dynamic system delivers a shot of adrenaline to the driver in the form of noticeably quicker throttle response so activated the threes gas pedal is almost too twitchy for the street but is perfectly tuned for serious driving which we did plenty of on the tight twisties of West Virginia's Summit Point Raceway. BMW is philosophy is to always make the suspension faster than the engine. That may sound like marketing language but the

M3 Zinj in-ears obviously took that Montreaux to heart. This is spent in is an evolution of the previous him three design using a single joint spring strut front axle and a multi link set up in the rear. Thanks to extensive use of aluminum to reduce unsprung weight a stiff body structure and near perfect balance the M3 Coupe is one of the most enjoyably toss a bull track cars we've ever driven. Initial understeer keeps thing safe in normal maneuvers but push a little harder and the entry responds with controllable oversteer quick side to side transitions and unmatched ability right up to the limits of a driver confidence is ensured by Dynamic Stability Control dynamic brake control with ABS and BMW M's variable differential lock ball systems work together seamlessly to keep the M3 on the right path without interfering in the driver's fun. The 2001 M3 feels a little softer than previous models not quite so harsh over the bombs and not quite so single minded in purpose and keeping with

Cruiser character. We limited ourselves to less strenuous activities in the M3 convertible but were no less impressed by its financial and tight body structure. The M3 convertible gives away very little in agility and nothing in driver satisfaction to its coupe sibling. And you can't discount the added value of open air motoring. But you can't put a price on it. Fifty three thousand four hundred dollars to be exact. That includes more standard equipment than the coop and with options such as xenon lights a cold weather package and a Harman card sound system are M3 convertible came in at a not unreasonable fifty seven thousand two hundred twenty dollars. The M3 Coupe with all of its rousing performance and boy attitude carries a base price of forty five thousand four hundred dollars has tested our car totaled forty eight thousand three hundred forty five dollars. If you're one of the lucky 3000 to nab one of these ultimate driving machines wobbly knees may be the least of your worries says the performance of these latest

Mahler's from Munich can best be described as heart stopping and whether you fancy the menacing looks of the M3 Coupe car or the low slung open air elegance of the M3 convertible. You'll be in for the driver of a lifetime. The best kind of car accident is the one you will avoid active handling and stability programs are often called DSP or electronic stability programs are designed to help you do just that. He Espy 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 lower across the land rover. It's Karkare time on motorway which means a visit where the top tack and some problem solving pap Goss style.

John one of the most change parts of a modern automobile are its tires. There's been this continuing evolution in tires especially when it comes to the profile I see over the years they have become lower and lower in profile. Twenty years ago a 75 series tire was quite common and it went to 70 in 65 and 60 and so on where today we have tires that are 60 series that are on average every day family City ends and sports cars well they might have something like a 40 series tire. And we were talking about these series we're talking about the relationship of the distance from the rim to the tread compared to the width of the tread. So this 40 series tire is the distance right here is 40 percent of the width of the tire. Now believe it or not these two tires they share the same wit and the same rim diameter. This one is a 55

series tire. This one is a 40. Now what's the significance of all of this. Yeah you get better handling and all kinds of things but you have to be more careful with these tires especially when you hit a pothole and you hit it hard. Now sometimes a tire a lose pressure right then and there it will just become unseated or it'll be damaged. But many times it won't lose pressure. So that means that you have to examine the tire and the wheel and it doesn't just mean the outside because frequently you'll find that on the inside. There could be damage to both the tire and the wheel. Now if you don't see anything you're probably OK. But if the wheel is damaged and the tire still holds there that tire needs to be removed from the room and the technician needs to check it for internal damage because you could be riding around on a very dangerous tire. So pay attention to your low profile tires if you want to keep your car safe. If you have a question or a

comment write to me by use your letter. I'll send you a motor week T-shirt. The address is Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Our car in this case truck of the week is in one thousand fifty nine Chevrolet Apache pick up. It belongs to Harry and Andy Anderson of Baytown Texas. Eighteen months of sweat equity went into building this slick street truck which boasted 350 cubes won't walk. Now if you have a classic truck we'd love to see it. Just a bit at least three good color photos and a description of the vehicle to Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 0 1 7. On Motor Week we've often said that the cars are the stars. But in Hollywood it's the people that count most even the most exciting cars have always played a secondary role to the flesh and blood actors. But we wouldn't be motor week if we didn't see that four wheel performers get some recognition.

So let's join Jennifer because novice as she introduces you to our candidate for this year's Best Supporting vehicle and. During account. During. The reign of. Those who are. Angelina Jolie is the star of the 2001 summer blockbuster Tomb Raider. But there's another major character in the movie but the funny thing is she has no speaking part. She doesn't have to speak the bold presence of this custom defender 110 make sure that when you think of the film you think of Land Rover the 280 or. The defender 110 is in the movie and its special one off the Academy built specifically for this movie. Flannery special vehicles in England built as a vehicle appropriate because Angelina Jolie's character Mark Croft is British born into wealth she's suddenly faced with the responsibility of

finding artifacts which give consummate power to its possessor the defender 110 the movie basically takes her to Cambodia where the search really begins. A great plot for Land Rover because adventure is what their vehicles are all about the vehicle and the association of the movie very much signifiers the adventure element of what Land Rover is all about and we want to be all about adventure we want to be about guts and we're doing things out of things in exotic locations in this what this movie is about in the association is perfect and the vehicle fits in the movie very well. Oh turn to the right. And she had her work cut out for it was one action scene to another. I fortunately didn't have to go through all that to drive the defender. I took the actual movie car off road and put it to the test. For a movie prop it held up pretty well with a partially open roof. Rain can pose a problem but hey if you've seen this flick you know that Lara Croft handles a

lot more than a few drops of rain. The rest of the defender is based on the original. Well if it's defender 110 so it runs a 110 inch wheelbase permanent four wheel drive forward try trash control which is standard in all the defenders and it has a four speed automatic transmission to transfer transfer case with two speeds low and high range transfer case. Those are all available on every defender you buy. That's key to all animal products the problem for the driver for trash control blocking center differential on the defender. The engine is a 4 leader V8 and produces about 190 horsepower. Now Ms Craft may be tough but she's not on civilized and Ericsson phone in GP s navigation system are included for those sticky situations she has side front and rear winch is a first aid kit emergency kill buttons and a Fender mounted shovel an axe the entire vehicle displayed Landrover but with what people are doing in movies nowadays. The authenticity in movies is very important as the movie is loosely based on the

video game in the video game she has a lander. And they came to us and said I would kind of make an authentic a production line as to how kind of movie and it worked to my writer has so far grossed over 130 million dollars and the number keeps growing. It is made. Angelina Jolie into an even bigger star and it is also given Landrover the chance to experience the bright lights of Hollywood. On this week's motor week long term road test update it is somehow more appropriate than normal to look at on the two roadsters an arc around a 2000 Porsche Boxster s and a 2001 Toyota M.R. to spider with memories of summer being passed left behind. It's a good time to reflect on the pleasures and compromises these two seater showed up. After a cool 12 months with us we got to know the fourth year Boxster s well frankly is what a sports car is all about. Also with the exception of the power top only sporting a plastic backlight. This is a

very Four Season Porsche. The mid mountain engine promotes good wet traction and are now available to build the system and nursed you through slippery corners. Plus as we've said many times there is more than ample trunk room both front and rear. The few problems we had with our car never stopped its charge. Besides some squeaks and rattles the most annoying fault was the failure of the automatic climate control during the peak of the summer. Fortunately we could resort to the natural AC at 14000 miles on the speedometer. Fuel Economy finishes very respectably at twenty point three miles per gallon. The three point two liter box or six in the US always delivered its 250 horses with a solid punch in our car six speed manual. Always had the correct gear ready for delivery. We love this car man and will miss it oh so much. Our 2001 Toyota M.R. 2 spider has been compared to the Boxster many times and it's considerably more affordable. But you do get what you pay for under the low slung exterior and

behind it's well utilized cockpit has a small mid mounted one point leader in line for with just one hundred thirty eight horsepower. But then during a summer of gyrating gas prices the spiders very brutal thirty one point seven mpg economy. What's more appreciated than a discount at Disney World. But if you're planning any long trips you might want to go alone since the M are two sports little cargo room. Like all Toyota's However the spider is completely reliable free after 10 months and twelve thousand five hundred miles. No one knows quality and motoring like these folks. So if a car can be securely fun BMR to spider is it. And we're glad it's staying a while longer. To SUV this Mitsubishi Montero. And this Mazda Tribute or ready for weather is worse and the subject of our next motor week long term road test update. Now let's go back to Jan for a look at a new vehicle that's a bit less adventurous and all the rest of this week's Motor News.

OK all you automotive armchair quarterbacks out there here's a question for you would be CEOs to ponder your company's benchmark setting sedan is a best seller for four years and running yet it's been five years since the last generational change and a make over is in order. So what do you do and how do you do it. Well if your company is Toyota Motor Corp. and your sedan is the best selling Camry you adopt a philosophy that says the more things change the more things stay the same. And what that means is enough styling changes to warrant calling the new 2002 Camry new. But none of which interfere with or detract from its well-established Camry n'est. It means giving the Camry its first all new platform in 10 years. One that stretches Camry's wheel base two inches to one hundred seven point one. It means dropping the entry level C E model from the line up and going with a sporty or new SD model instead. It means an all new 2.4 leader Twin Cam 16 Balfour cylinder with variable valve timing. This new power plant

produces one hundred fifty seven horsepower and one hundred sixty two pounds feet of tour. A one hundred and ninety two horsepower three leader for camp twenty four valve IE 6 with 209 pound feet of torque. Yes the heavy hauling done for the Camry. It feeds through a new four speed automatic overdrive transmission with intelligence a 5 speed manual is also available for four cylinder models. Changing it staying the same means the new Camry gets a taller more spacious and more comfortable cabin. Starting with a raised seat height that makes entry and exit easier on your frame. There are more creature comforts like power adjustable foot pedals which will be coming later in the year and more leg room in the rear seats. What will undoubtedly stay the same in the new Camry is the Toyota commitment to quality and dependability. And that could mean more sales records when the new Camry shows up in dealerships this fall. A new 2002 Toyota Camry on the scene also means you can expect a full test coming your way soon. And that's it for this week's Motor News.

While trucks an SUV are all the rage in today's new vehicle market the compact car segment is still an important volume business. Plus if young buyers like your small cars they may come back for bigger more expensive ones later. Well Mitsubishi has not had an easy time of selling small cars in America its compact offerings easily outsold by Honda Toyota Ford and Chevy. So Mitsubishi has regrouped with the all new 2002 Lancer But is the answer sharp enough to deflate their dominance. Well let's put it this way. With nearly 30 years of really racing history to draw on a history that includes four world championship titles the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer sedan certainly has the breeding to give it an edge. And it doesn't hurt that this new to the US Lancer which comes in three trim levels chairs its rigid platform with a current Mitsubishi rally rod the Lancer Evolution

a platform that's 50 percent more rigid than the Mirage it will replace the new Lancer also moved past the sub compact Mirage into the compact class by increasing its wheel base and linked by four inches to one hundred two point four and one hundred seventy seven point six inches respectively. The Lancer complimented Staub structure with a wide fifty seven point nine inch track 14 inch wheels on still rims are standard but are test 0 0 only model rides on sharper 15 inch alloy rims with 60 series rubber. But that wasn't enough to keep our Lancer from getting a little tail happy when pushed to its limits in our low speed slot. It has a slight amount of understeer upon turn and soon transfers to oversteer. It's easily controlled however by simply backing off on the throttle. All three models share the same independent coil Sprong MacPherson strut front multi link rear suspension with stabilizer bars front and rear and while it may be on the soft side for aggressive on track posturing it does quite nicely on

potholed roads elsewhere. Indeed the 0 2 Lancer delivers a smooth top and ride small bumps and imperfections in the roadway are handled with nary a quiver. Larger disturbances are only slightly noticeable for felling the Lancer along its path of Lightness of Being is a two liter single overhead cam 16 valve in-line four cylinder. Its output of 120 or fower and 130 pound feet of torque puts the Lancer right in the neighborhood of competitors like the Honda Civic and Ford Focus. But far behind a one hundred eighty horsepower offered by the Volkswagen Jetta is new one point eight turbo charged for. With power being fed through a driver adaptive for speed automatic transmission. Our test Lancer met 60 in ten point four seconds and passed through the quarter mile and seventeen point nine seconds at 77 mph. Although more power could be put to good use the Lancer feels quicker than the numbers indicate. And the little four banger does have a fairly broad power band which could be

more readily exploited with the available 5 speed manual training. That would be our choice. Our choice would also be to equip our Lancer with available ABS brakes fresh tester didn't have them and the front disc rear drum system brought us down from 60 in a rather longer one hundred thirty seven feet. The same equipment package that gets you abs will also get you another worthy safety device. Side impact airbags these two items top a surprisingly short list of extras as we found the Lancer to be a well-appointed car with a top of its class interior room. Even the value equipped VS model comes with power windows power door locks and intermitted wiper and a way adjustable driver seat until the steering wheel are also standard. Moving up to LS trim will get you cruise control while the EPO rally car style white faced gauges a black interior scheme with brushed metal finish trim and really addition more mats. All models get a 100 watt CD player

stereo with ls and nosey models upgrading from four to six speakers and smooth operating rotary climate control. And the back you'll find a fair amount of room for two that tightens up quickly when a third adult is added behind in the trunk is a reasonable eleven point three cubic feet of cargo space. The Lancer shines even brighter when viewed from the sticker model started just fourteen thousand four hundred forty two dollars. LS model slightly more at sixteen thousand four hundred forty two dollars r Ozy tester starts at sixteen thousand eight hundred thirty two dollars and was out the door for seventeen thousand three hundred thirty two dollars. That's more not so small a car for a very class competitive prices. And after two weeks with the Lancer it's clear to us that Mitsubishi is finally serious about a segment of the car market it has let languish in the US. From pricing to smart looks roomy and well outfitted interior. The 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer is razor sharp and should easily

make its point. I hope you will join us next week for more motorways. When will test Jaguars downsized X-type sedan and drive three smart little diesels from Volkswagen. I'm John Davis. Well see that. To learn more about Motor Week TV's original automotive magazine visit PBS online at PBS dot org or America Online keyword PBS to order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 for. Motor Week has been brought to you by Pep Boys. No matter what you drive Pep Boys Over 27000 items in stock virtually any part for any car with all the name brands you know plus service space staffed with NC certified technicians Pep Boys parts tires accessories service and to buy what are you looking for.

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