2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 & 2015 Lexus NX

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS WE DRIVE FOR ONLY THE BARE ESSENTIALS IN THE CHEVY CAMARO Z/28... PAT GOSS HELPS US FIND THE RIGHT FIT WHEN IT COMES TO TIRES... FYI'S YOLANDA VAZQUEZ REPORTS ON KEEPING TEENS SAFE BEHIND THE WHEEL... AND WE DRIVE THE LATEST LUXO UTE TO ENTER THE RING, THE LEXUS NX!

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

THIS IS PETE.

PETE'S HELPING HIS AUNT MOVE, SO HE'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

IF HE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HIM FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT PETE'S THINKING, "IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO KNOW ABOUT THE MYNAH BIRD."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

DIEHARD.

THE DIEHARD ADVANCED GOLD BATTERY.

DESIGNED TO HELP START YOUR CAR AND POWER THE EQUIPMENT IN IT.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT DIEHARD.COM.

John Davis: OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, THE GM, FORD, AND CHRYSLER MUSCLE CAR WARS HAVE HAD THEIR EBBS AND FLOWS.

BUT WITH THE CHALLENGER'S REBIRTH FOR 2008, THE CAMARO FOR 2010, AND AN ALL-NEW MUSTANG DAWNING, THE BATTLE IS AT A FEVER PITCH.

ALL PARTIES ARE LOBBING EVER MORE POTENT MISSILES ACROSS THE BORDER WITH INCREASING REGULARITY.

ONE OF THE LATEST, THE CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28, HAS GM SHOOTING FOR THE STARS.

WHEN THE ORIGINAL Z/28 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE BECAME AVAILABLE FOR THE 1967 CHEVROLET CAMARO, FEW PEOPLE HAD INTEREST IN TURNING THEIR CAMAROS INTO TRACK READY PIECES, UNLESS THEY HAD SCCA RACING ON THEIR AGENDA.

THUS, THOSE ORIGINALS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE.

WELL, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, BUT NO LESS DESIRABLE WILL BE THIS ALL-NEW 2015 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28.

IN SIMILAR FASHION, MOST OF TODAY'S BUYERS WILL PROBABLY NOT HAVE RACING OR EVEN TRACK TIME IN MIND, BUT PEOPLE ARE MUCH SAVVIER TODAY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO OWN THE MOST TRACK-CAPABLE CAMARO EVER.

WE COULD FILL OUR TEST WITH ALL OF THE UPDATES IT HAS RECEIVED, BUT BOTTOM LINE, IF IT WILL HELP IT GET AROUND THE TRACK FASTER, IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED.

STILL, HERE'S A PARTIAL RUNDOWN... TOTAL REVAMPING OF SUSPENSION, CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES FROM BREMBO ADDED, AERO ELEMENTS OPTIMIZED, AND ADDITIONAL DOWNFORCE OBTAINED.

AND ALONG WITH THOSE ADDITIONS, SOME CIVILIZED INTERIOR FEATURES HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED TO SHAVE WEIGHT.

THE BACK SEAT IS LIGHTER BY NINE POUNDS WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE PASS-THROUGH AND USING DIFFERENT SEAT FOAM.

SOUND DEADENING HAS BEEN REMOVED THROUGHOUT THE CAR, AS HAS THE CARPETING IN THE TRUNK; WHERE THE TIRE INFLATOR KIT HAS ALSO BEEN ELIMINATED, AND A SMALLER BATTERY INSTALLED.

GETTING RID OF AIR CONDITIONING AND ALL BUT ONE RADIO SPEAKER COMPLETES THE INTERIOR'S DIET.

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE NO HID HEADLIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS, AND THE BACK GLASS IS THINNER.

STILL, EVEN WITH THOSE EXTREME MEASURES, THE Z/28 IS ONLY 55-POUNDS LIGHTER THAN AN SS 1LE.

BUT IT'S 300-POUNDS LESS THAN THE BIG BOY CAMARO ZL1.

NEED MORE?

HOW ABOUT 305-SERIES RUBBER.

OH, THAT'S UP FRONT, AS WELL AS IN BACK, ON 19-INCH WHEELS, MAKING FOR A CONTACT PATCH ABOUT AS BIG AS YOU CAN GET ON THE STREET.

PUMPING THE POWER IS GM'S NATURALLY ASPIRATED 7.0-LITER LS7 V8 WITH 505-HORSEPOWER AND 481 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AND YOU HAVE NO PROBLEMS HEARING IT OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.

THE LS7 SENDS THAT POWER THROUGH A TREMEC TR6060 6-SPEED MANUAL, AND SPENT GASSES THROUGH AN ACTIVE 2-MODE EXHAUST WITH HIGH-FLOW CONVERTER.

WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, WE PUT IN SOME HOT LAP RESEARCH TIME AT GINGERMAN RACEWAY IN WESTERN MICHIGAN TO QUALIFY THE RESULTS...

WHICH ARE GRIP, GRIP, AND MORE GRIP.

IN CORNERS BOTH TIGHT AND SWEEPING, IT WAS EASY TO FIND THE CAR'S LIMITS, FEELING VERY MUCH RACE CAR-LIKE.

BUT EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN CLEARLY SENSE THEM, IT CAN ALSO BE EASY TO GO PAST THEM.

THE CHASSIS,OWEVER, IS ALMOST TELEPATHIC ON WHEN THOSE TRANSITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE, SO THINGS ARE EASY TO CONTROL, AND THE DAMPING SEEMS SPOT ON.

ON THE HARDWARE SIDE, THERE'S A TORSEN LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL AND DYNAMIC SUSPENSIONS SPOOL VALVE DAMPERS; ALONG WITH STIFFER SPRINGS AND BUSHINGS.

AS FOR THE SOFTWARE, GM'S PERFORMANCE TRACTION MANAGEMENT DELEGATES POWER DELIVERY AND ELECTRONIC ASSISTANCE; WITH 5-LEVELS TO CHOOSE FROM, MUCH LIKE MANY COMPANIES, THERE'S MORE LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT THAN MOST PEOPLE NEED.

WHEN WORKING THE TRANS, BOTH INTO CORNERS AND DOWN THE STRAIGHT, THE SHIFTER FEELS BEEFY AND GEARS ARE EASILY SELECTED AT SPEED.

NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE BRAKES, OTHER THAN THAT THEY ARE SIMPLY PHENOMENAL.

BELIEVE US WHEN WE SAY THAT IF YOU'VE EVER THOUGHT OF TURNING YOUR CAMARO INTO A TRACK CAR, THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD DO IT THIS WELL OR THIS CHEAPLY BY YOURSELF.

NOW, IF YOU'RE THINKING OF BUYING THE Z/28 JUST TO LOOK COOLER AND IMPROVE YOUR POSEUR QUOTIENT, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE DISAPPOINTED, AS ADDITIONS, THOUGH MANY, ARE PRETTY SUBTLE.

WHILE IT'S NOT NEW, THE FRONT FASCIA IS ALTERED THANKS TO THE BLOCKED OFF OPENINGS, HOLLOWED OUT BOW TIE, AND FRONT SPLITTER.

THERE ARE UNDERSTATED AERO TREATMENTS DOWN THE SIDES AND AROUND WHEEL OPENINGS, AND FINALLY, A WHICKER BILL ADDED TO THE REAR SPOILER.

PRICING IS NICE AND SIMPLE, $75,000, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, THOUGH THERE IS ONE OPTION PACKAGE AVAILABLE THAT ADDS THE AIR CONDITIONING BACK IN, AS WELL AS 5-MORE SPEAKERS FOR THE RADIO.

SHAVING WEIGHT AND INCREASING PERFORMANCE IS ALWAYS A GOOD PLAY FOR THE TRACK, SO IT'S A NO-BRAINER THAT THE 2015 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 IS A SERIOUS CONTENDER.

IT NOT ONLY DOES THE FABLED Z/28 NAME JUSTICE, BUT IT'S A MUCH BETTER CAR THAN THE BIG BOY ZL1; MUCH LIKE THE FRIENDLIER MUSTANG BOSS 302 IS MORE APPEALING TO US THAN THE SHELBY GT500.

WHEN IT COMES TO CAMAROS...

THERE'S NONE BETTER THAN A Z/28.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK COMES FROM RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, WHERE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS REFUSE TRUCKS ARE A COMMON SIGHT.

THE CITY HAS ACQUIRED 25 HIGH COMPACTION CNG TRUCKS ALONG WITH TWO NATURAL GAS FUELED HONDA CIVICS.

FEDERAL INCENTIVES AND SUPPORT FROM VIRGINIA CLEAN CITIES HELPED OFF-SET VEHICLE COSTS.

A PRIVATE 13-LANE CNG FUELING STATION WAS ALSO BUILT TO AUTOMATICALLY TIME-FILL VEHICLES OVERNIGHT.

CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF CNG ARE HUGE.

THEIR REFUSE TRUCKS EMIT LESS CARBON DIOXIDE AND SOOT THAN DIESEL, WITH BIG SAVINGS IN FUEL COSTS.

Chris Beschler: OVER TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD THE REFUSE TRUCKS, WE'VE SAVED APPROXIMATELY $400,000 IN FUEL COSTS, ABOUT $200,000 ANNUALLY, AND WE'VE DISPLACED JUST SHY OF 300,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL.

John: THE CITY-OWNED GAS UTILITY SERVES THE GREATER RICHMOND TRANSIT COMPANY, AND THE CITY FLEET'S FAST FILL CNG STATIONS, AND WORKS TO ENCOURAGE OTHER FLEETS TO ADOPT CNG VEHICLES.

THAT MAKES RICHMOND ONE CLEAN, GREEN CAPITAL CITY.

FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ROAD TESTS, AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

EVERY PARENT WITH TEENAGERS GRAPPLES WITH THE ISSUE OF "THAT FIRST CAR."

AUTOMOTIVE EXPERTS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO COME UP WITH CAR CHOICES THAT NOT ONLY FIT A FAMILY'S BUDGET, BUT ALSO INCLUDE MODERN SAFETY FEATURES THAT COULD HELP SAVE YOUNG LIVES.

SO WE ASKED OUR FYI REPORTER YOLANDA VAZQUEZ WHO SHE WOULD TURN TO IN MAKING THIS ALL IMPORTANT CHOICE.

Yolanda: MIKE WILLIAMS IS PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT HIS TEENAGE SON, TERRENCE, IS READY TO HIT THE ROAD ON HIS OWN.

Mike: HE'S DRIVEN WITH ME QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, SO, I THINK HE HAS A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON IT.

Yolanda: HE AND HIS WIFE, TRACIE, ARE LOOKING TO BUY HIM A USED VEHICLE.

THEY WANT SOMETHING AFFORDABLE WITH GOOD SAFETY FEATURES.

Tracie Williams: A WELL-MADE CAR THAT PROTECTS HIM SO THAT IF HE GETS IN AN ACCIDENT, HE CAN LIVE, AND HE CAN WALK AWAY WITH MINOR INJURIES, IF AT ALL.

Mike: YOU WANT TO GET SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL LIKE.

THAT'S KIND OF HARD BECAUSE THEY WOULD WANT, PROBABLY A SPORTS CAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, A JEEP.

BUT WE HAD TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE WANT THEM TO BE SAFE, FIRST AND FOREMOST.

Yolanda: LIKE ANY PARENT, LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT VEHICLE CAN BE A CHALLENGING TASK.

THAT'S WHY THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY HAS COMPILED THEIR FIRST EVER LIST OF RECOMMENDED VEHICLES FOR TEEN DRIVERS.

Anne McCartt: WE WANTED TO TAKE SOME OF THE WORK OUT FOR PARENTS, TO HELP THEM TRY TO BUY A VEHICLE THAT THEY COULD AFFORD, BUT THAT HAD THE SAFETY FEATURES WE CONSIDERED THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Yolanda: ANNE MCCARTT IS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AT IIHS.

USING INFORMATION FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY OF PARENTS, THE INSTITUTE PUT TOGETHER TWO SEPARATE LISTS.

ONE WITH RECOMMENDED VEHICLES UNDER $20,000; A SECOND WITH VEHICLES UNDER $10,000.

ALL ARE MODEL YEAR 2005 OR LATER, AND REPRESENT A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF VEHICLES; FROM A VOLVO XC90 TO A FORD ESCAPE.

McCartt: THE LISTS HAVE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES.

Yolanda: MCCARTT SAYS BOTH EXCLUDE VEHICLES WITH HIGH HORSEPOWER, AS SPEEDING IS A FACTOR IN 35% OF FATAL CRASHES INVOLVING TEENS.

THEY ALSO RECOMMEND PURCHASING A BIGGER, HEAVIER VEHICLE, LIKE A BUICK REGAL, CHEVROLET MALIBU, OR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.

ANOTHER KEY CRITERIA IS ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL.

THE INSTITUTE SAYS IT'S A MUST.

IT HELPS REDUCE THE RISK OF ROLLOVER CRASHES, AND COMES STANDARD ON VEHICLES 2012 AND LATER.

McCartt: ONE THING WE LEARNED FROM OUR SURVEY IS THAT A LOT OF PARENTS DON'T SEEM TO BE FAMILIAR WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND IT'S A LIFESAVING TECHNOLOGY.

Yolanda: CHECK OUT THIS DEMO OF AN OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE MANEUVER: THE CAR WITH ESC HANDLES THE ROAD MUCH BETTER THAN THE CAR WITHOUT IT.

AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE, CHOOSE A VEHICLE THAT HAS THE BEST GOVERNMENT SAFETY RATINGS.

McCartt: I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT PARENTS AND TEENS CAN BOTH FIND A VEHICLE THAT THEY'LL BE HAPPY WITH.

BUT PARENTS SHOULD STICK TO THEIR GUNS.

YOU WANT YOUR TEENS TO BE HAPPY, BUT YOU WANT THEM TO BE SAFE.

Yolanda: AS FOR THE WILLIAMS FAMILY, TERRENCE HOPES HIS PARENTS DO RIGHT BY HIM.

Terrence: I DON'T WANT NOTHING, YOU KNOW, TOO CRAPPY.

Yolanda: BUT HE'LL HAVE TO WAIT A WHILE.

CARS AREN'T ALLOWED ON CAMPUS FRESHMAN YEAR.

HIS PARENTS WILL CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH FOR A VEHICLE THAT'S BOTH SAFE AND BUDGET FRIENDLY.

Mike: SO WHEN HE COMES HOME ON BREAKS OR WHATEVER, HE'LL HAVE IT HERE AT HIS DISPOSAL.

PLUS, IT'S AN EXTRA CAR FOR ME TO DRIVE.

John: LET'S WHEEL IT ON DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE, WHERE PAT HAS SOME FITTING ADVICE FOR US!

Pat Goss: SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS ON ANY CAR ARE ITS TIRES.

AFTER ALL, THE TIRES ARE THE ONLY PART THAT ACTUALLY TOUCH THE ROAD.

AND HERE TO GIVE US SOME POINTERS WE HAVE TIRE EXPERT MATT EDMUNDS.

MATT, WELCOME TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Matt: GREAT TO BE HERE, PAT.

Pat: ALRIGHT, NOW YOU HAVE SHOES AND TIRES.

TELL US ABOUT THEM.

Matt: WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, WE CHANGE OUR SHOES TO GET THE MOST OUT OF OURSELVES IN OUR PERSONAL PERFORMANCE, WHICH EQUATES TO SAFETY, DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS WE'RE IN OR THE ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE DOING.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR WITH YOUR TIRES.

Pat: OKAY.

SO, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE SHOULD BE CHANGING TIRES PERIODICALLY?

Matt: WELL, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, IF YOU'VE GOT WINTER CONDITIONS TO DEAL WITH, DEDICATED WINTER TIRES -- LIKE BOOTS THAT WE PUT ON IN SNOW AND ICE CONDITIONS -- VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE TEMPERATURES GET DOWN AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS MUCH SNOW AND ICE, I MEAN, AN ALL-SEASON TIRE -- GOOD IN EVERYTHING, NOT GREAT AT ANYTHING.

LIKE THE SHOES THAT YOU MIGHT WEAR EVERY SINGLE DAY OUT OF THE YEAR.

IF YOU WANT TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE IN DRY CONDITIONS, AND ACTUALLY IN WET CONDITIONS, AN ATHLETIC TIRE, VERY MUCH LIKE AN ATHLETIC SHOE, IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING VERY PHYSICAL.

Pat: ALRIGHT.

AND THAT'S A SUMMER TIRE?

Matt: THIS IS A SUMMER TIRE, OR A THREE SEASON TIRE.

NOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN AN AREA WHTHIS IS A TIREES THAT THEY CAN USE YEAR-ROUND.

Pat: OKAY.

NOW, WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE?

Matt: WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TIRES, THE CARCASS, AND THE INTERIOR OF THE TIRES, VERY, VERY SIMILAR.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE COMES IN ACTUALLY THE TREAD PATTERN, AS WE CAN SEE HERE, BUT ALSO IN THE TREAD COMPOUND, THE BLACK MAGIC.

YOU KNOW, THE SUMMER TIRE, MADE TO REALLY ENDURE IN REALLY HOT CONDITIONS, IS GOING TO BE A TIRE THAT HOLDS UP, GIVE YOU THAT EXTRA GRIP YOU NEED.

ALL-SEASON TIRE WILL BE ABLE TO REALLY BE THE JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE ESSENTIALLY.

SO, GOOD IN EVERYTHING, NOT GREAT IN ANYTHING.

A COMPOUND THAT'S GOING TO STAY RELATIVELY PLIABLE.

THIS WINTER TIRE HAS BEEN REALLY DEVELOPED THOUGH, AND TUNED TO WORK IN WINTER CONDITIONS.

THE COMPOUND IS GOING TO STAY SOFT, PLIABLE, AND REALLY GIVE YOU THE ULTIMATE IN GRIP WHEN TEMPERATURES GET VERY, VERY COLD.

Pat: OKAY, SO THIS ONE FOR EVERYTHING, THIS ONE FOR PERFORMANCE IN WARM WEATHER, AND THIS FOR WINTER CONDITIONS.

Matt: ABSOLUTELY.

AND THIS ONE ACTUALLY WILL WORK EXTREMELY WELL IN WET CONDITIONS, WHICH IS A SURPRISE TO MOST PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S WHY PEOPLE WHO LIVE DOWN SOUTH, WHERE YOU MAY NOT HAVE TEMPERATURES THAT DROP INTO THE 40s VERY OFTEN, A TIRE THAT IS A GREAT TIRE ALL YEAR-ROUND FOR YOU.

Pat: OKAY.

MATT, THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FALL IS CREEPING UPON US.

BUT SHOULD SOME WEEKEND LEAF PEEPING BE ON THE AGENDA, OUR 2015 KIA K900 WILL BE A GREAT WAY TO TAKE IN THE CHANGING COLORS.

AS THIS LUXURY MINDED FULL-SIZER IS CERTAINLY A NEW SHADE OF CAR FROM THE CHANGING KIA BRAND HERE IN THE U.S.

IN TWO MONTHS, WE'VE QUICKLY RACKED UP 4,000 MILES AND FOUND THAT WHILE THE K'S 5.0-LITER V8 PRODUCES GREAT POWER, IT DOES HESITATE A BIT OFF THE LINE BEFORE THINGS KICK IN WITH EARNEST.

IT'S ALSO THIRSTY AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THOUGH OUR 19.1 MILES-PER-GALLON AVERAGE OF PREMIUM IS ONE BETTER THAN THE GOVERNMENT'S COMBINED RATING.

FINALLY, OUR DRIVERS HAVE NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR THE GREAT INTERIOR AND THE SMOOTH 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, MAKING THE K...A.O.K.

SO FAR.

OUR TIME WITH THIS 2014 SUBARU FORESTER 2.0XT TOURING IS RAPIDLY DRAWING TO A CLOSE.

BAD NEWS FOR OUR STAFFERS WHO HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THIS SOLID, WELL-ROUNDED UTE FOR EVERYTHING FROM SHORT HOP CREW TRAVEL TO LONG HAUL FAMILY VACATIONS.

THAT EXPLAINS THE ALMOST 25,000 MILES WE'VE ACCRUED OVER THE LAST 14 MONTHS.

AND MORE THAN A FEW OF THOSE MILES MUST HAVE BEEN EITHER FULLY LOADED OR FULLY THROTTLED, AS OVER THAT TIME PERIOD, WE'VE AVERAGED JUST 23.8 MILES-PER-GALLON, BARELY OVER THE GOVERNMENT CITY FUEL ECONOMY RATING OF 23.

WHILE THE 2.0-LITER BOXER TURBO- 4 NEVER FEELS OVERLY POWERFUL, THERE'S PLENTY OF PICK-UP WHEN NEEDED, ACCOMPANIED BY SMOOTH OPERATION FROM THE CVT TRANSMISSION.

THROUGHOUT ITS STAY WITH US, THERE HAVE BEEN NO UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS.

TIRES ARE WEARING THIN, AND WE STILL DISLIKE THE PREMIUM TOUCHSCREEN AUDIO INTERFACE.

WE'LL GET FACE-TO-FACE WITH OUR ACURA RLX AND RAM 1500 ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

TIME NOW FOR A MOTORNEWS UPDATE, SO LET'S HEAD INSIDE FOR THE LATEST!

Yolanda: WE'VE ALMOST RUN OUT OF ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE THE 7TH GENERATION CHEVROLET CORVETTE.

BUT AS WE'VE LEARNED FROM ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW Z06 EDITION, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO CRACK OPEN THE DICTIONARY ONE MORE TIME.

WE'LL KEEP THINGS SIMPLE FOR NOW.

THE NEW Z06 RATES 650 HORSEPOWER FROM A 6.2 LITER SUPERCHARGED V8.

BASE PRICING STARTS JUST UNDER $80,000 FOR THE FIXED ROOF, AND AROUND $84,000 FOR THE CONVERTIBLE.

AN AVAILABLE Z07 TRACK PACKAGE ADDS CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES, ADJUSTABLE AERODYNAMIC ELEMENTS, AND MICHELIN PILOT SUPER SPORT CUP TIRES.

AND NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY THE LATEST BUZZ ON THE NEWEST VETTE, WE ALSO HAVE SOME HOTLY AWAITED DETAILS ABOUT THE 2016 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA.

THE ALL-NEW FOURTH GENERATION ROADSTER MADE ITS WORLD DEBUT JUST HOURS BEFORE THIS TAPING.

WE'LL GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION WE CAN ON THIS HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED VEHICLE FOR A FUTURE SHOW.

BUT FOR NOW, ENJOY A QUICK LOOK AT THIS SUPER-SNAZZY, TWO-SEAT CONVERTIBLE SPORTS CAR.

AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

THE CHEVROLET VOLT HAS BEEN DOING ITS PART TO SPARK PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC CAR POPULARITY.

AND OUR SPY PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE CAUGHT THE NEXT GENERATION VOLT UNDER HEAVY CAMOUFLAGE.

RUMORS SAY IT WILL BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH A SMALLER GAS ENGINE AND AN INCREASE IN EV DRIVING RANGE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE VOLT HAS TONED DOWN ITS "CAR OF THE FUTURE" LOOK FOR A MORE MAINSTREAM FAMILY SEDAN STYLING.

THAT EXTENDS TO THE INTERIOR WITH MORE CONVENTIONAL CONTROLS AND CREATURE COMFORTS THIS GO AROUND.

THE RUMORS OF INCREASED SEATING CAPACITY, FROM 4 TO 5 PASSENGERS, REMAIN SKETCHY, BUT FROM THIS PHOTO, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A POSSIBILITY.

OF COURSE, ONLY TIME WILL TELL, AND MUCH IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

BUT WE SHOULD KNOW FOR SURE IN JANUARY AT THE NEXT NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN DETROIT.

John: ANOTHER EPISODE OF MOTORWEEK, ANOTHER NEW COMPACT CROSSOVER TO CHECK OUT.

OR SO IT SEEMS OF LATE.

BUT WAIT!

THIS ONE IS ALSO LUXURIOUS.

SORRY FOR THE CYNICISM, BUT WITH ALL THE DOWNSIZED, FANCIED UP CROSSOVERS WE'VE DRIVEN LATELY, IT'S A BIT LIKE OUR ROAD TEST PLAYLIST IS STUCK ON REPEAT.

BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ONE OF THE KINGPINS OF AFFORDABLE LUXURY YET: LEXUS.

THAT IS UNTIL NOW WITH THEIR ALL-NEW NX.

THE 2015 LEXUS NX IS JUST THE LATEST IN A SHIFTING CROSSOVER LANDSCAPE TO SMALLER LUXURY-MINDED UTES.

IT'S HARD TO SAY WHETHER IT'S THE SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL FUEL ECONOMY OR THE REALIZATION THAT MAYBE WE DON'T NEED SO MUCH SPACE AFTER ALL THAT'S POWERING THE SHIFT.

BUT AMERICANS ARE BUYING INTO SMALLER UTILITIES OF ALL TYPES IN LARGER NUMBERS.

AND WHILE THE BENEFITS ARE OBVIOUS, SO ARE THE COMPROMISES, AS THERE'S LESS AREA TO SPREAD OUT, AS WELL AS LESS SPACE FOR CARGO.

MOST INTERIOR MEASUREMENTS OF THE NX ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE TOYOTA RAV4 ON WHICH THE NX SHARES BASIC UNDERPINNINGS, EXCEPT FOR CARGO SPACE, WHICH DUE MOSTLY TO A FASTER ROOF IS MUCH LESS; AT 17.7 CUBIC FEET BEHIND THE REAR SEATS AND 54.6 WITH THEM FOLDED.

WHILE UNMISTAKABLY LEXUS, THE NX DESIGN IS ANOTHER CLEAR STEP IN THE BRANDS ATTEMPT TO TRADE A SOFT IMAGE FOR A MORE DYNAMIC ONE.

INDEED, WHEN YOU STEP INSIDE THINGS ARE MUCH MORE "SPORTY" THAN OVER THE TOP LUXURIOUS.

EVEN THE SEATS ARE SPORT-MINDED, YET STILL VERY COMFORTABLE.

AND THE TIGHT SPACE WITH WIDE CENTER CONSOLE ALSO IMPLIES SPORTSWEAR MORE THAN BUSINESS CASUAL.

REAR SEATS, HOWEVER, FEEL MORE GENEROUS, AND MORE INLINE WITH WHAT YOU EXPECT IN A LUXURY-MINDED CROSSOVER.

AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FURTHER STILL IF YOU GO THE F SPORT ROUTE, WHICH INSTEAD OF THE USUAL COW AND TREE MATERIALS, THINGS GO BLACK AND METALLIC.

FRONT SEATS ARE EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND THE LFA-INSPIRED GAUGES, WITH BOOST GAUGE AND G-METER, SET THE TONE WHEN YOU TRIGGER THE START BUTTON.

THERE ARE ALUMINUM PEDALS FOR YOUR FEET, A UNIQUE STEERING WHEEL WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS FOR YOUR HANDS, AND FOR YOUR EARS, ACTIVE SOUND CONTROL THAT LETS YOU DIAL IN AS MUCH ENGINE SOUNDS AS YOU WANT.

THOSE SOUNDSOME FROM THE FIRST TURBO ENGINE EVER IN A LEXUS.

IT'S A 2.0-LITER UNIT WITH AN INTEGRATED INTERCOOLER AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND A TWIN-SCROLL TURBOCHARGER.

OUTPUT IS 235 HORSEPOWER AND 258 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT'S A SWEET ENGINE.

BOTH SMOOTH RUNNING AND QUIET WHEN YOU WANT IT TO BE; POWERFUL AND AGGRESSIVE WHEN YOU DON'T.

AND IT WORKS VERY WELL WITH THE STANDARD 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

LEXUS CLAIMS A 0 TO 60 TIME OF 7.0-SECONDS.

IN ADDITION, THERE'S ALSO A HYBRID NX 300H.

IT USES A RE-TUNED VERSION OF THE CAMRY'S 2.5-LITER I4 GAS-ELECTRIC SYSTEM WITH TOTAL OUTPUT OF 194-HORSEPOWER.

AND LIKE THE HIGHLANDER, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS AVAILABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF A MOTOR GENERATOR MOUNTED IN THE STERN THAT DRIVES THE REAR WHEELS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE YET TO BE FINALIZED, BUT LEXUS CLAIMS 21-CITY, 28-HIGHWAY, AND 24-COMBINED FOR AN ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE 200T; AND 35-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 33-COMBINED FOR A FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE 300H.

FOR OUR EARLY DRIVE TIME AROUND WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WE NATURALLY CHOSE THE ATHLETIC F SPORT, AND WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED.

HANDLING IS GREAT, NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THE ROLLING COUCH-LIKE MANNER OF THE RX.

HANDLING IS AIDED BY THE FRONT AXLE'S "PRE-LOAD" DIFFERENTIAL.

BUT AS MUCH AS WE WERE ENJOYING THE NIMBLENESS, THE ROUGHER RIDE THAT ACCOMPANIES IT IS A BIT MUCH FOR MOST BUYERS IN THIS SEGMENT.

THE ULTRA-ANTAGONISTIC LOOK MIGHT ALSO BE A TURN OFF, BUT THE MORE TIME OUR EYES SPENT WITH IT, THE MORE THEY LIKED WHAT THEY WERE TAKING IN.

SHARP ANGLES ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE THEME; AND LEDs ARE USED FOR LIGHTING BOTH FRONT AND REAR.

HERE AGAIN, F SPORT BRINGS EVEN MORE TO THE TABLE WITH A MESH GRILLE, BLACK SIDE MIRRORS, AND EXCLUSIVE 18-INCH WHEELS.

PRICING HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED AS OF YET, BUT WE THINK A MID-$30,000 START WOULD BE JUST ABOUT RIGHT BASED ON OTHER RECENT COMPACT LUXURY ENTRIES.

ONE THING IS CERTAIN, LEXUS KNOWS HOW TO DO PLUSH, LUXURY CROSSOVERS WELL; EVIDENCED BY OVER ONE MILLION RX SALES.

AND WHILE THERE IS CERTAINLY A DEMAND FOR A SMALLER VERSION OF THE RX; THE 2015 NX IS NOT THAT AT ALL.

IN ITS CONTINUING EFFORT TO REPLACE SOME OF THE BRAND'S TRADITIONAL OPULENCE WITH EXCITEMENT, LEXUS HAS CREATED A VERY DYNAMIC LOOKING AND PERFORMING COMPACT LUXURY CROSSOVER.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE FROM HERE ON OUT, INSTEAD OF WONDERING WHETHER THEY'VE GONE FAR ENOUGH, PEOPLE WILL BE DEBATING WHETHER THIS TIME LEXUS HAS GONE TOO FAR.

WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW!

AND FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST, AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN WE'LL SEE IF ACURA HAS SIGHTED UP A WINNER WITH THEIR NEW TLX, THEN MARVEL AT BMW'S LATEST M CARS: THE M3 AND M4.

PAT GOSS WAVES THE CAUTION FLAG ON BARGAIN OIL FILTERS.

ZACH MASKELL PLUGS IN FOR HIS LATEST TRIP OVER THE EDGE.

AND THEN WE'LL HEAD OUT ON MORE QUICK SPINS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

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