Season 32 Episode 48 | 26m 48s | Video has closed captioning.
in this epiode we look at the new bold and sporty Chevrolet Impala, and then the beautiful and awe inspiring Jaguar F-Type. We'll enjoy the treasures that only junk can deliver with the Tour of Lemons. And Pat Goss takes care of our air.
Aired: 08/01/13
Expired: 09/09/14
Support provided by:
HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !
JOIN US AS WE SAY HELLO TO A NEW BREED OF CHEVROLET IMPALA... PAT GOSS HELPS US BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT WITH A FEW OVERLOOKED A/C TIPS... WE PROVE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO CAR SHOWS "BEAUTY ISN'T EVERYTHING"... AND WE'LL SEE IF THE NEW JAGUAR F-TYPE DELIVERS A LASTING IMPRESSION.
SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.
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John Davis: THE CHEVROLET IMPALA NAME HASN'T EXACTLY SPARKED MUCH EXCITEMENT IN A VERY LONG TIME, DESPITE CIRCLING NASCAR'S HIGH BANKS.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE, ALONG WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE IMPALA NAMEPLATE.
SO LET'S SEE IF CHEVY'S NEW FULL-SIZE SEDAN CAN GENERATE SOME FULL-SIZE ENTHUSIASM, ALONG WITH MORE SALES.
IT'S NOT THAT THE CHEVROLET IMPALA SALES HAVE BEEN THAT BAD, IT'S LONG BEEN GM'S BEST-SELLING CAR, BUT SOME 70% OF THE PREVIOUS IMPALA WENT TO FLEET SALES.
THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT A CAR WHEN 7 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE WHO DRIVE IT ARE FORCED TO DO SO.
CHEVROLET IS LOOKING TO CHANGE THAT WITH THE 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA.
ONE LOOK TELLS US THEY'RE OFF TO A GOOD START AS THE SWEEPING STYLING IS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT BETTER LOOKING THAN ANY IMPALA SINCE THE '60s.
IT'S READY TO SLIP THROUGH THE AIR LIKE A DREAM THANKS TO A BIG EMPHASIS ON AERODYNAMICS.
YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE SOME CAMARO INFLUENCE, NATURALLY, PARTICULARLY IN THE GRILLE, TAIL LIGHTS, AND THE POWER DOME HOOD.
BUT THIS IS NO RETREAD, AS IT HAS ITS OWN SLEEK PROPORTIONS; SIMILAR TO THE CADILLAC XTS WITH WHICH IT SHARES A LOT, AND UNIQUE DETAILS RIGHT DOWN TO THE IMPALA ON THE C-PILLAR.
TOP LTZ TRIM ADDS HID HEADLIGHTS AND LED DAYTIME RUNNERS.
20-INCH ALLOYS ARE OPTIONAL, REPLACING THE LTZ'S STANDARD 19s.
BASE IMPALAS STILL GET BEEFY 18s.
OUR TEST IMPALA ROLLS WITH V6 POWER; GM'S FAMILIAR DIRECT-INJECTED 3.6-LITER WITH 305-HORSEPOWER AND 264 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.
A PAIR OF I4s ARE ALSO AVAILABLE, A 195-HORSEPOWER 2.5-LITER AND A 182-HORSEPOWER E ASSIST LIGHT HYBRID.
NEARLY EVERY INTERIOR DIMENSION HAS GROWN.
THERE IS THE FULL-SIZE ROOM YOU EXPECT.
SO IT'S 5-PASSENGER ROAD TRIP COMFORT FOR ALL, PLUS ROOM FOR 18.8 CUBIC-FEET OF LUGGAGE IN THE TRUNK, BEFORE YOU FOLD THE REAR SEATS.
THERE'S PLENTY OF SMALLER ITEM STORAGE; UNDER THE TRUNK FLOOR, IN THE DOORS, AND EVEN BEHIND THE COOL FOLD UP TOUCH SCREEN.
THE DASH HAS CHEVY'S TWIN-COCKPIT OVERTONE, AND MATERIALS ARE CONSISTENT WITH RECENT GM'S, ACTUALLY A LITTLE BETTER.
THINGS ARE MUCH QUIETER THAN THE PREVIOUS IMPALA, AND CHEVROLET'S VOICE-PROMPT MYLINK KEEPS ALL COPACETIC ON THE CONNECTIVITY FRONT.
GAUGES LOOK VERY MODERN WITH A 4-INCH CHANGEABLE INFO SCREEN SET BETWEEN THE CLASSIC DUAL DIAL SETUP WITH "ICE BLUE" LIGHTING.
HEATED AND VENTILATED SEATS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH IN FRONT, AS IS A HEATED STEERING WHEEL FOR THE DRIVER.
10-AIRBAGS ARE STANDARD, AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WITH FORWARD COLLISION ALERT AND COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING ARE AVAILABLE.
RIDE IS MUCH IMPROVED, THANKS TO A STIFFER CHASSIS AND HYDRAULIC RIDE BUSHINGS; BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SPORTIER, WHICH IS TO SAY IT HAS A MUCH MORE SOLID FEEL, BUT NOT ONE THAT ENCOURAGES AGGRESSIVE HANDLING MANEUVERS, AS WE FOUND OUT THROUGH OUR HANDLING COURSE.
THOUGH WE ALSO FOUND BODY ROLL WELL SUBDUED FOR A FULL-SIZE SEDAN AND THE VARIABLE-ASSIST ELECTRIC STEERING QUICK AND DIRECT.
STABILITY CONTROL WAS A LITTLE TOO FAST ON THE TRIGGER TO REIGN IN OUR HIGH SPEED MANEUVERING, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT MOST BUYERS WILL APPRECIATE THAT SAFETY ASPECT.
KEEPING THE HAMMER DOWN IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THE V6 ROARS TO LIFE AND LAYS DOWN A DECENT 0 TO 60 TIME OF 7.1-SECONDS, AND QUARTER MILE TIME OF 15.6-SECONDS AT 93 MILES-PER-HOUR.
NOT SPORT SEDAN TERRITORY BY ANY MEANS, BUT CERTAINLY UP TO THE TASK OF HIGHWAY MERGING.
GEAR SELECTION IS BY A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND IT PROVIDED SMOOTH AND RELATIVELY QUICK SHIFTS DOWN THE TRACK.
HITTING THE BRAKES AT 60 MILES-PER-HOUR RESULTED IN STOPS THAT WERE VERY STABLE AND CONSISTENT WITH A SHORT 127-FOOT AVERAGE.
GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE V6 ARE 18-CITY, 28-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.
WE AVERAGED A VERY GOOD 23.3 MILES-PER-GALLON OF REGULAR IN MIXED DRIVING.
STILL, THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS AN AVERAGE ONE AT 15.7-BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMED YEARLY, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 6.9-TONS.
IMPALA PRICING STARTS AT $27,535, THAT'S GOOD FOR THE AMOUNT OF SPACE AND FEATURES YOU GET.
WITH HIGH TRIM AND A V6 GOING PAST 35K IS EASY, NOT UNLIKE MAIN RIVALS FORD TAURUS AND TOYOTA AVALON.
WHILE FULL-SIZE SEDANS ARE NO LONGER HIGH VOLUME MODELS, THEY ARE STILL SEEN AS BRAND FLAGSHIPS, AND THE 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA CERTAINLY QUALIFIES AS A RETAIL FLAGSHIP, BREAKING THE FLEET IMAGE IT HAS ENDURED FOR YEARS.
IT IS A HIGH STYLED, HIGH QUALITY EFFORT THAT BEFITS GM'S LARGEST DIVISION.
WITH SO MANY BIG FOUR DOORS REDESIGNED RECENTLY, THE FULL-SIZE TURF WARS ARE TOUGHER THAN EVER.
BUT WE THINK THE NEW IMPALA IS MORE THAN UP TO THE CHALLENGE.
OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO TUCSON, ARIZONA, WHERE GOLDEN EAGLE DISTRIBUTORS HAS USED COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS BEER DELIVERY TRUCKS SINCE 2011.
THE HEAD OFFICE OPERATES 23 CNG TRUCKS IN COOPERATION WITH RYDER SYSTEMS, A CHARTER PARTNER IN THE DOE'S NATIONAL CLEAN FLEETS PROGRAM.
CONVERTING TO CNG AT SIX OTHER LOCATIONS IS UNDERWAY.
BEVERAGE WORLD MAGAZINE NAMED GOLDEN EAGLE NATIONAL FLEET OF THE YEAR FOR 2012.
SO THEY'RE PROUD TO SHOW OTHERS HOW TO KEEP COSTS AND GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS WAY DOWN.
Bill Osteen: WHEN WE EXPLORED THE COST BENEFITS, THE TRUCKS COST MORE, BUT THE FUEL'S A LOT LESS.
SO IN THE TRADE OFF, WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO SAVE MONEY FROM DAY ONE.
John: TO THE TUNE OF $50,000 IN THE FIRST YEAR.
WORKING WITH TUCSON CLEAN CITIES COALITION, AND CNG PARTNER TRILLIUM, GOLDEN EAGLE'S IN-HOUSE FUELING STATION IS ALSO OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE.
SO, CHEERS TO TRULY GREEN BEERS.
John: IN THE WORLD OF CAR SHOWS IT'S HARD TO TOP THE ANNUAL MONTEREY AUTO WEEK FOR PURE STAR POWER, WITH NUMEROUS CONCOURS', COLLECTORS AUCTIONS, AND MORNING TOURS FEATURING THE FINEST AND RAREST EXAMPLES OF THE AUTOMOTIVE ART.
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER MONTEREY EVENT THAT IS MAKING NEWS AND WINNING FANS FOR ITSELF BY HOLDING THE WORLD'S LOWLIEST CARS IN HIGHEST ESTEEM.
LIKE ANY OTHER CAR SHOW, THE CONCOURS D'LEMONS BOASTS A MIX OF THE FAMILIAR AND THE OBSCURE, BUT ALL OF THESE SHOW CARS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON...
THEY ARE ALL CLUNKERS.
SOME RIDICULED EVEN WHEN THEY WERE NEW, OTHERS ONCE PROUD AND NOW LEFT FOR DEAD.
THESE ARE THE BOTTOM FEEDERS OF THE AUTOMOTIVE OCEAN: DERELICTS, HOOPTEES, AND LOSER CRUISERS.
BUT FOR THIS DAY AT LEAST, THEY ARE THE BELLES OF THE BALL.
Alan Galbraith: THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS IS REALLY THE BEST CAR SHOW IN THE WORLD, AND WE FIGURED IF THERE'S A BEST CAR SHOW IN THE WORLD, THEN THERE HAS TO BE A WORST, AND WE WANT TO BE THAT WORST CAR SHOW.
SO WE ARE CATERING TO THE TRULY AWFUL, THE MUNDANE, AND THE ODDBALL OF THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD... CARS THAT DON'T HAVE A HOME AT ANY OTHER EVENT DURING MONTEREY AUTO WEEK.
John: WHAT BEGAN IN 2009 AS AN IRREVERENT POKE AT THE HOITY-TOITY PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE HAS NOW ADDED A DRIVING TOUR FOR THESE ROLLING WRECKS AND IS CO-HOSTED BY TITLE SPONSOR HAGERTY INSURANCE.
Jonathan Klinger: THE THING THAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS EVENT IS HERE WE ARE OUT ON THE MONTEREY PENINSULA.
YOU HAVE THE WORLD'S GREATEST CARS, THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE, VALUABLE, RARE -- WHATEVER ADJECTIVE YOU WANT TO USE -- FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND YET, THERE REALLY WASN'T AN EVENT THAT JUST SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL CARS ARE BEAUTIFUL."
AND SOMETIMES THE MOST GLORIOUS EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE WORST CARS EVER BUILT ARE STILL FUN TO SEE, AND THEY STILL DESERVE TO BE DRIVEN.
John: EVERY PARADE NEEDS A GRAND MARSHAL, SO HAGERTY CONDUCTED A NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR "AMERICA'S SWEETEST LEMON".
THE WINNING MACHINE AND ITS OWNERS WERE INVITED TO MONTEREY TO LEAD THIS ROLLING ROADBLOCK ALONG THE FAMOUS 17-MILE DRIVE.
Mindy Kindelberger: IT'S A 1970 SUBARU 360, 2-CYLINDER, 2-STROKE.
356 CC'S WITH 25 HORSEPOWER.
I DRIVE IT EVERY DAY.
I DRIVE FOUR MILES TO WORK EVERY DAY, AND IT'S A QUICK LITTLE TRIP DOWNHILL AND IT'S A LONG TRIP BACK UP.
John: OF COURSE THE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A LEMON IS DEBATABLE, EVEN IN THIS CROWD, BUT THE [CLEARS THROAT], UGLY TRUTH OF THIS CAR SHOW IS THAT ALL ARE WELCOME, AND APPRECIATED FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
THESE OWNERS PROUDLY FLAUNT THEIR STATUS AS AUTOMOTIVE UNDERDOGS, AND DO SO WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR: Dave Scrivener: IT'S FULLY RESTORED THEN, I ASSUME?
Owner: IT WAS PAINTED IN 1977.
YES, SO IT'S FULLY RESTORED.
I ALMOST DIDN'T BUY IT BECAUSE IT HAD A RUST ISSUE, BUT IT RAN GOOD.
IT STILL RUNS GOOD.
IT'S GOT A HUGE RUST ISSUE NOW.
John: SURPRISINGLY, THE DRIVING TOUR WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.
DESPITE DIRE FORECASTS OF ROADSIDE PERIL, ALL 75 CARS COMPLETED THE 25-MILE ROUNDTRIP UNDER THEIR OWN POWER AND NEARLY INTACT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL WOULD AGREE THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE CAR OR CONDITION IT'S IN, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE USED AND DRIVEN AND LOVED BY SOMEBODY EARNS THESE MOTORIZED MUTTS SOME DEGREE OF RESPECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT AUTO ENTHUSIASM IS ALL ABOUT.
John: SURE IS BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?
WELL, LET'S COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT NOW AND SEND IT OVER TO PAT GOSS WHO'S GOT A FEW A/C POINTERS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED.
Pat Goss: FOLKS, WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING YOUR AIR CONDITIONER IN YOUR CAR REPAIRED, YOU'RE OFTEN YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY.
QUICK IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.
CHEAP IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT, BECAUSE CHEAP CAN COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY LATER ON.
ALRIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS, IF THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DOWN FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS, CHANCES ARE, WHEN IT'S REPAIRED YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A NEW RECEIVER DRYER.
THIS HAS A DESICCANT BAG IN IT, THAT ABSORBS MOISTURE, AND MOISTURE FROM THE AIR WILL CONTAMINATE IT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
ALRIGHT, SOME CARS USE THIS PART RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS AN ORIFICE TUBE.
NOT ONLY DOES THE REFRIGERANT FLOW THROUGH THIS, BUT ALL OF THE OIL THAT LUBRICATES THE PARTS IN THE SYSTEM FLOW THROUGH IT.
THIS SCREEN IN HERE GETS CLOGGED UP OVER TIME AND IT RESTRICTS THE AMOUNT OF OIL TO LUBRICATE THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM.
IF YOUR CAR HAS IT AND IT NEEDS A REPAIR, PUT A NEW ORIFICE TUBE IN IT.
MAKE SURE THAT THE SHOP THAT DOES YOUR AIR CONDITIONING WORK USES THE PROPER TYPE OF LUBRICANT.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE TYP, EACH CAR HAS ONE THAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR IT.
GOTTA BE THE RIGHT ONE, OTHERWISE YOU'LL BE BUYING A NEW COMPRESSOR.
AND SPEAKING OF COMPRESSORS, THEY DO FAIL.
AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY FILL THE SYSTEM FULL OF LITTLE-BITTY PIECES OF METAL.
SO, BEFORE THE NEW COMPRESSOR GOES ON, YOU HAVE TO USE AN AIR CONDITIONING FLUSH KIT TO FLUSH EVERYTHING OUT.
AND IN MOST CASES THERE WILL BE A FILTER, AN INLINE FILTER, THAT HAS TO GO IN TO PROTECT THE NEW COMPRESSOR.
ALSO, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF SHOPS OVERLOOK, AND THAT IS VACUUMING THE SYSTEM.
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON THE SYSTEM, AIR GETS INTO IT, WE HAVE TO GET THAT AIR OUT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AIR HAS MOISTURE IN IT.
SO, WE DO TWO THINGS WITH THIS VACUUM PUMP.
NUMBER ONE, WE PULL ALL THE AIR OUT OF IT.
BUT, NUMBER TWO, WE DROP THE PRESSURE, AND AS WE DROP THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE SYSTEM, ANY WATER THAT'S IN THERE BOILS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, TURNS INTO A VAPOR, AND THE VACUUM PUMP PULLS IT OUT.
THIS WILL PROTECT THE NEW PARTS IN THE SYSTEM.
OFTEN, ON A HUMID DAY, YOU'LL HAVE TO PULL A VACUUM ON THE SYSTEM FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS.
SO MAKE SURE THE SHOP THAT YOU SELECT DOES ALL OF THESE THINGS AND YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD, COLD AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT'LL LAST A LONG TIME.
AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .
John: IT'S BEEN SMOOTH SUMMER SAILING IN OUR 2013 KIA OPTIMA EX HYBRID.
THIS COMFORTABLE MID-SIZE SEDAN IMPRESSES US ON MANY LEVELS, STARTING WITH ITS 39.6 MILE PER GALLON ECONOMY AFTER TWO MONTHS AND 4,000 MILES.
THERE IS MORE VIBRATION WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM CUTS IN AND OUT THAN SIMILAR SIZED TOYOTA AND FORD OFFERINGS.
BUT IT'S NOT OBJECTIONABLE.
ALSO, THERE IS SO MUCH ECO INFORMATION ON THE GAUGE CLUSTER IT CAN BE CONFUSING TO FIRST TIME DRIVERS.
STILL, WHEN IT COMES TO FAMILY SIZED HYBRIDS, THE KIA OPTIMA IS LIVING UP TO ITS NAME.
THIS SUMMER IS SOMETHING OF A REVOLVING GARAGE DOOR HERE AT MOTORWEEK AS LONG TERM MODELS COME AND GO.
GOING IS OUR 2013 MAZDA CX-5.
AFTER 13 MONTHS AND 22,000 FAULT-FREE MILES, WE CAME AWAY IMPRESSED BY THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE USE OF THE BRAND'S SKYACTIV POWERTRAIN TECHNOLOGY.
OUR TEST AVERAGE 26.9 MILE PER GALLON FUEL ECONOMY WAS BETTER THAN MANY RIVALS BY ABOUT 10%.
BUT THE PRICE WAS LETHARGIC ACCELERATION FROM THE 2.0-LITER ENGINE.
THAT HAS BEEN PARTIALLY ADDRESSED AS A LARGER 2.5-LITER IS NOW STANDARD THAT BOOSTS POWER WITH NO LOSS OF MPGs.
BUT WHAT ABOUT SKYACTIV FOR OTHER TYPES OF VEHICLES?
WELL, COMING TO OUR FLEET IS A NEW MAZDA6 MID-SIZE SEDAN THAT ALSO USES THE 2.5-LITER SKYACTIV MOTOR.
BUT IN KEEPING WITH THE "6'S" SPORTY SEDAN THEME, WE OPTED FOR AN ISPORT WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
SO, WE'LL SEE IF A "STICK SHIFT" STILL MAKES SENSE IN TODAY'S TECHNO-HEAVY DRIVING WORLD.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED THIS "BIG GUY" TO OUR FLEET.
THE FIRST RV WE'VE TESTED SINCE 2010.
NOW THAT RV SALES ARE BOUNCING BACK FROM THE RECESSION, WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO JUMP BACK IN AS WELL.
THIS WINNEBA SIGHTSEER 33C IS A 35-FOOT FORD V10 CHASSIS MODEL THAT REPRESENTS THE ENTRY LEVEL CLASS-A MOTORHOME SEGMENT.
AND WE PLAN TO MAKE IT OUR HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WE'LL CHECK IN ON SOMETHING A BIT SMALLER, THE TOYOTA RAV4 COMPACT CROSSOVER, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.
TIME NOW FOR YOLANDA VAZQUEZ AND THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
Yolanda: THE 2014 MAZDA6 HAS RECEIVED NEAR UNIVERSAL PRAISE, THANKS TO THE BRAND'S EXPRESSIVE KODO SOUL OF MOTION DESIGN THEME.
AND NEXT IN LINE TO GET THIS VISUAL OVERHAUL IS MAZDA'S BIGGEST SELLER: THE MAZDA3.
THE ALL-NEW VEHICLE RECENTLY MADE ITS WORLDWIDE DEBUT, MARKING THE 10TH YEAR AND THIRD GENERATION OF THE BRAND'S SUCCESSFUL COMPACT 4-DOOR SEDAN AND 5-DOOR HATCHBACK.
AMERICAN BUYERS WILL HAVE TWO SKYACTIV ENGINE CHOICES: A CARRYOVER 2.0-LITER INLINE 4, OR A NEW 2.5 LITER I4, ALSO FOUND IN THE NEW MAZDA6.
AND STAY TUNED TO MOTORWEEK FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE NEW MAZDA3.
ON THE HEELS OF ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY, THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE CERTAINLY HAS A LOT TO CELEBRATE IN 2013.
1953 MARKED THE FIRST YEAR OF CORVETTE PRODUCTION.
IT WAS A LIMITED RUN DESIGNED TO TEST THE SALES POTENTIAL OF AN AMERICAN MADE SPORTS CAR.
AND THE AUTO WORLD HASN'T BEEN THE SAME SINCE.
NOW THE ALL-NEW 7TH GENERATION 2014 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY IS MAKING WAVES OF ITS OWN.
NOT ONLY FOR ITS DYNAMIC STYLING AND RAW POWER, BUT FOR ITS EFFICIENCY AS WELL.
ON TOP OF AN OFFICIAL 0 TO 60 TIME OF A SCANT 3.8 SECONDS COMES WORD OF A GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY HIGHWAY RATING OF 29 MILES-PER-GALLON WHEN EQUIPPED WITH THE STANDARD 7-SPEED MANUAL.
THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY RATING IS A RESULT OF NEW POWERTRAIN TECHNOLOGIES FOR A 'VETTE, INCLUDING AN ECO-MODE WITH CYLINDER DEACTIVATION, AS WELL AS LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS AND SUPER SLICK AERODYNAMICS.
EVEN THE MUCH MALIGNED SKIP-SHIFT FEATURE, WHICH FORCES A DIRECT 1ST TO 4TH GEAR SHIFT DURING LIGHT ACCELERATION, HELPS MAKE THE NEW CORVETTE A CLASSIC SPORTS CAR BUILT FOR A MODERN AGE.
THE STINGRAY WILL BE OUT THIS FALL, AND YOU CAN BE SURE MOTORWEEK WILL BRING YOU THE FULL SCOOP ON THAT RIDE.
AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.
John: FEW CARS HAVE CAPTURED THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD'S ATTENTION LIKE THE LEGENDARY E-TYPE JAGUAR SPORTS CAR.
AND TO SAY THAT E-TYPE DRIVING EXCITEMENT HAS BEEN MISSING FROM THE JAGUAR LINE UP FOR DECADES WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
BUT FINALLY, JAGUAR IS DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, AND IT JUST SEEMS FITTING THAT THAT SOMETHING IS CALLED THE F-TYPE.
FANS OF THE JAGUAR BRAND, INCLUDING US HERE AT MOTORWEEK , HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR A CAR LIKE THE 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE TO ARRIVE.
A JAG THAT LOOKS STUNNING, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, YET HAS PERFORMANCE AS ITS NUMBER ONE GOAL.
WELL, LOOKING LIKE IT JUST DROVE OUT OF A JAMES BOND MOVIE, THE F-TYPE APPEARS TO BE WORTH THE WAIT, AS IT IS EQUAL PARTS CLASSIC JAG AND SLEEK MODERN SPORTS MACHINE, AND THUS BEGINS A NEW PAGE IN THE JAGUAR DESIGN BOOK.
SURE, THE LONG HOOD, SHORT REAR DECK, PROPER ROADSTER PROPORTIONS ARE THERE, BUT THE FACE OF THIS CAT IS MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN ANY JAG TO THIS POINT.
THERE WILL BE 3 VERSIONS OF THE F-TYPE AVAILABLE, AND ALL WILL HAVE UNIQUE STYLING CUES.
THE BASE F-TYPE IS THE MILD MANNERED BRUCE WAYNE OF THE BUNCH AND COMES WITH A 340-HORSEPOWER 3.0-LITER SUPERCHARGED V6.
THE F-TYPE S GETS A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH GLOSS BLACK ELEMENTS ADDED TO THE GRILLE, FRONT SPLITTER, SIDE VENTS, AND REAR DIFFUSER, 19-INCH WHEELS, AND BOASTS 380-HORSEPOWER OUT OF THE SAME SUPERCHARGED V6.
THE F-TYPE V8 S CRANKS THINGS UP EVEN MORE WITH ENHANCED AERODYNAMICS IN FRONT AND DOWN THE SIDES, EXHAUST TIPS THAT MOVE OUTWARD, 20-INCH WHEELS, AND POWER THAT COMES FROM -- YOU GUESSED IT, A SUPERCHARGED 5.0-LITER V8 CRANKING OUT 495-HORSEPOWER AND 460 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.
ALL MODELS FEATURE A POWER OPERATED SOFT TOP, AS NO HARD TOP WILL BE AVAILABLE.
JAG FEELS A HARD TOP WOULD ADD TOO MUCH WEIGHT AND REQUIRE TOO MUCH SPACE TO STORE IT.
WE AGREE, AS THE MULTI-LAYER FABRIC TOP LOOKS GREAT, AND FOLDS IN 12-SECONDS TIME.
BEING THE HORSEPOWER JUNKIES THAT WE ARE, WE SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME IN THE V8 S, AND WITH ALMOST 500 HORSES PACKED INTO ITS TINY BODY, WE CAN REPORT THAT ACCELERATION IS MORE THAN BRISK.
JAGUAR CLAIMS A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 4.2-SECONDS, AND WE DON'T DOUBT IT.
A NEW QUICKSHIFT 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS THE ONLY TRANSMISSION AVAILABLE, AND RESPONDS ACCORDINGLY TO WHICHEVER DRIVING MODE YOU'VE DIALED IN.
YOU CAN ALSO TAKE FULL CONTROL WITH THE SHIFTER AND STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED PADDLES.
WE GOT A CHANCE TO TRY OUT THE F-TYPE AT THE CIRCUIT OF NAVARRA NEAR PAMPLONA, SPAIN.
AND WHILE WE WEREN'T "RUNNING WITH THE BULLS," WE DID RUN WIDE OPEN AND FOUND THE F-TYPE TO BE ABSOLUTELY NO BULL.
THERE'S AN ALL-ALUMINUM DOUBLE-WISHBONE SUSPENSION AT ALL FOUR CORNERS, AND THE WEIGHT IS DISTRIBUTED ALMOST PERFECTLY BETWEEN THEM.
SELECTING DYNAMIC MODE WILL GET YOU INCREASED THROTTLE RESPONSE, BETTER STEERING FEEL, QUICKER SHIFTS, AND LIMITED-ELECTRONIC INTRUSION FROM STABILITY CONTROL.
ADAPTIVE DYNAMICS ARE ALSO ON HAND TO KEEP PITCH AND ROLL SUBDUED BY ADJUSTING DAMPER RATES, AND A NEW CONFIGURABLE DYNAMICS OPTION ALLOWS YOU TO PROGRAM A CUSTOM TRACK SETUP, AS WELL AS MONITOR LAP TIMES, AND GET TELEMETRY INFO.
THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE ELECTRONICS, WHEN CRUISING THROUGH THE SPANISH COUNTRYSIDE, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DIAL IN A RIDE THAT WAS COMFORTABLE, WHILE REMAINING COMPOSED, AND THE F-TYPE'S RIGID, ALUMINUM STRUCTURE MADE TOP DOWN CRUISING A SOLID AFFAIR.
THE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT IS HIGHLY DRIVER-FOCUSED, WITH THE MINIMAL CONTROLS ALL WITHIN EASY REACH.
A PASSENGER "GRAB-HANDLE" DOUBLES AS A REMINDER FOR YOUR COMPANION TO KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF.
YOU'RE IN CONTROL HERE.
IT'S NOT A TOTAL THROWBACK HOWEVER, AS THERE IS A LARGE TOUCH SCREEN FOR NAVIGATION AND THE LIKE, AS WELL AS A CONFIGURABLE TFT SCREEN BETWEEN THE RACE-INSPIRED GAUGES.
INTERIOR TRIM ELEMENTS VARY WITH MODELS, BUT ALL ARE BEAUTIFULLY FINISHED.
AS FOR PRICING... WELL, YOU'VE WAITED THIS LONG FOR A CAR LIKE THIS TO RETURN TO THE JAGUAR LINE-UP, WHAT'S ANOTHER FEW MONTHS MORE TO SAVE UP SOME CASH, AS YOU'LL NEED PLENTY.
PRICING STARTS AT $69,895 FOR THE BASE F-TYPE, CLIMBING TO $81,895 FOR THE F-TYPE S, AND PEAKING AT $92,895 FOR THE F-TYPE V8 S. IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME AND ANOTHER PRODUCT OR TWO FOR THE JAGUAR BRAND TO FULLY REGAIN THEIR REPUTATION FOR BUILDING DYNAMIC HEAD TOSSERS THAT DO MORE THAN JUST TURN HEADS.
BUT THE 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE IS A HUGE STEP IN THAT JOURNEY BACK TO HIGH PERFORMANCE RELEVANCE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE "LEAPER" HAS FINALLY TAKEN THE BIG LEAP.
WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN SOON FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , AS WE GO TOP DOWN AND POWER UP THE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT SPEED CONVERTIBLE.
THEN SEE IF THE SHARPLY STYLED LEXUS IS CAN SLICE THROUGH THE RANKS.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS.
WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .
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