New York International Auto Show & 2015 Porsche Boxster GTS

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

JOIN US FOR A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT ALL THAT'S NEW AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW... PAT GOSS LOOKS TO HAVE THE MAGIC TOUCH DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... AUTO WORLD PLUGS IN FOR A LOOK AT THE CURRENT STATE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES... AND THEN WE'LL LOOK TO GO FLAT OUT WITH THE PORSCHE BOXSTER GTS!

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HER FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

SHE'S THINKING, "IF COLT DOESN'T ASK ME TO THE PROM, MY LIFE IS TOTALLY OVER."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY 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: THE 2015 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW MAY SIGNAL BOTH THE END OF WINTER AND THE END OF THE TRADITIONAL SHOW SEASON.

BUT, WITH A "BOFFO" NUMBER OF DEBUTS, CLEARLY HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY.

IT'S PEDAL TO THE METAL TIME IN THE BIG APPLE, WITH EVERY BRAND ANGLING FOR A BIG MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

BREAKING OUT OF A NEW MODEL DROUGHT, SCION KICKED THINGS OFF WITH NOT ONE, BUT TWO WORLD DEBUTS.

THIS BOLD IA SEDAN, SOLD AS THE TOYOTA YARIS IN CANADA, IS CLEARLY A DEPARTURE FOR THE YOUTH BRAND BEST KNOWN FOR QUIRKY/SPORTY HATCHBACKS.

WHICH SCION WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER, AS THIS NEW IM 5-DOOR INDICATES.

TOYOTA ITSELF UNVEILED A FRESHENED RAV-4 CROSSOVER ADDING A FIRST TIME HYBRID MODEL WITH STANDARD ALL WHEEL DRIVE.

AT LEXUS, THE ALL NEW 4TH GENERATION RX CONTINUES THE BRAND'S STRIDES TOWARDS A MORE PERFORMANCE ORIENTED IMAGE.

BUT EVEN WITH AN NX LIKE FRONT END, AND SLICK MURANOISH FLOATING ROOFLINE, WE THINK THE MID-SIZE RX WILL STILL DELIVERY THE BRAND'S TRIED AND TRUE LUXURY APPEAL.

INFINITI FOCUSED ON THE RAPIDLY GROWING SMALLER CROSSOVER SEGMENT, WITH THE WORLD DEBUT OF A MILDLY REDONE COMPACT QX50, AND THE FIRST U.S.

SHOWING OF THE MORE RADICAL SUB-COMPACT QX30 CONCEPT.

LUXURY CARS WERE BIG IN NEW YORK, AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE CADILLAC CT6.

FRESH FROM SUPER BOWL ADS, THE CT6 AIMS HIGH, TOWARDS THE BMW 7-SERIES AND AUDI A8, WITH SHARPENED BRAND STYLING AND A TECHNOLOGY RICH INTERIOR.

UNDER HOOD IS A 3.0 LITER TWIN TURBO V6.

BUT IT WAS THE REBOUNDING LINCOLN BRAND THAT MADE THE FLASHIEST BIG CAR NEWS WITH THE REBIRTH OF THEIR CONTINENTAL.

THIS ALL WHEEL DRIVE CONCEPT, WITH ITS BENTLEY LIKE GRILLE AND PROFILE, IS SLATED FOR PRODUCTION IN 2017 WITH ASIAN MILLIONAIRES A TARGET MARKET.

ROLLS-ROYCE HAS A LITTLE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE VERY WELL OFF TOO...

THIS SPECIAL X EDITION WRAITH "INSPIRED BY FILM" CELEBRATES THE BRAND'S "AND THE WORLD STOOD STILL" FILM, RECENTLY ACCEPTED INTO THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE NATIONAL ARCHIVE.

AFTER UNVEILING THE ADVENTURESOMELY STYLED MERCEDES-BENZ GLE COUPE IN DETROIT, WE NOW SEE THE MORE TRADITIONAL FAMILY TRUCKSTER VERSION, THE GLE-CLASS CROSSOVER.

REPLACING THE MID-SIZE ML, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN MALIBU TO APPRECIATE THIS HIGH RIDING, HIGH LUXURY UTE.

JAGUAR CONTINUES TO RECLAIM THEIR PERFORMANCE IMAGE BY INJECTING MORE OF IT INTO THIS LATEST XF MID-SIZE SEDAN.

RIDING ON AN ALL NEW ALUMINUM CHASSIS THIS SECOND GEN XF COMES FITTED WITH STANDARD SUPERCHARGED V6 POWER.

AND TO KEEP SOME F-TYPE EXCITEMENT GOING, JAG ANNOUNCED THERE WILL NOW BE AN R VERSION FOR THE CONVERTIBLE.

ALONG WITH THE COUPE R, ALL WHEEL DRIVE WILL NOW BE STANDARD.

OVER AT LAND ROVER, THERE'S A NEW SPECIAL VEHICLES OPERATIONS UNIT, AND THEY'LL BE "POSHING" THINGS UP TO THE LIMIT WITH THIS SV AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

THIS TOUGHENED UP RANGE ROVER SPORT HST LIMITED EDITION WILL CERTAINLY ATTRACT PLENTY OF EYES WHENEVER IT VENTURES OUT.

STYLING IS TWEAKED FOR THE ENTIRE RANGE ROVER SPORT LINE, AND THERE'S NOW A NEW U.S. DIESEL OPTION.

SPEAKING OF UTEs IN THE U.S., THE COMPACT GMC TERRAIN FOLLOWS ITS CHASSIS MATE CHEVY EQUINOX WITH A THOROUGH REFRESH FOR 2016.

CHEVROLET'S NEWS WAS ALL ABOUT CARS, STARTING WITH AN ALL NEW MALIBU 4-DOOR.

COUPE LIKE STYLING, A 300 POUND WEIGHT LOSS, A BIG GAIN IN REAR SEAT SPACE, AND A FULL-HYBRID BOASTING 47 MPG, COULD FINALLY MAKE THE MALIBU A MAJOR MID-SIZE SEDAN CONTENDER.

CHEVY HOPES TO BUILD ON ITS UNEXPECTED SUCCESS WITH THE SPARK 5-DOOR MINI CAR.

THE LESS TALL SECOND GEN.

SPARK SPORTS A LARGER 1.4 LITER I4.

THIS COUPE CONCEPT IS A PICTURE PERFECT PEEK AT A NEW GENERATION OF HONDA'S BREAD AND BUTTER CIVIC COMPACT.

A FIRST TIME 5-DOOR CIVIC WILL JOIN 2 AND 4-DOOR MODELS, WITH A 1.5 LITER TURBO 4 ALSO NEW, AUGMENTED BY A 2.0 LITER TURBO TYPE R. AMONG KIAs STRING OF SUCCESSES IS THEIR MID-SIZE OPTIMA SEDAN.

NOW, THERE IS AN ALL NEW GEN3 OPTIMA WITH MORE SIZE, REFINEMENT, TECHNOLOGY, AND EVEN MORE ENGINES, ADDING A 1.6 LITER TURBO 4.

NISSAN WAS AT NEW YORK WITH ITS LATEST "4-DOOR SPORTS CAR", THE ALL-NEW MAXIMA.

LARGER, WITH LOTS OF MURANO STYLING CUES, THIS DYNAMIC EFFORT BOAST 300 HORSEPOWER.

BUT EVEN WITH A SPORTY INTERIOR, MAXIMA REMAINS FRONT DRIVE WITH A CVT.

TRUE SPORTS CAR PERFORMANCE IS BEHIND THE MCLAREN 570S.

THEIR NEW "ENTRY LEVEL" SPORT SERIES PROMISES ANYTHING BUT ENTRY LEVEL PROWESS WITH A FULL CARBON FIBER CHASSIS AND GNARLY MID-MOUNTED TWIN TURBO V8.

FOR PURIST DROP TOP SPORTS CAR PERFORMANCE, PORSCHE SIGNALED THE RETURN OF THE BOXSTER SPYDER.

THIS TOP LEVEL BOXSTER ADDS POWER AND LOSES WEIGHT WITH NO STANDARD ARTIFICIAL AIR CONDITIONING OR RADIO.

BMW'S 6-SERIES GRAN COUPE HAS RECENTLY BEEN UPDATED, SO OF COURSE ALPINA NEEDED TO DO SOME TWEAKING OF THEIR OWN, WITH A NEW B6 XDRIVE GRAN COUPE.

VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCED THEY'LL BE ADDING ALL WHEEL DRIVE TO THE GOLF PLATFORM WHEN THIS SPORTWAGEN ALLTRACK GOES ON SALE HERE NEXT YEAR.

COULD THE LONG AWAITED HOT ROD SUBARU BRZ FINALLY BE A REALITY?

WELL SORRY, NOT YET.

BUT THIS STI PERFORMANCE CONCEPT FROM SUBARU SHOWS THAT SOMETHING WARM IS IN THE WORKS.

FINALLY, MITSUBISHI CELEBRATES ITS RECENT SALES UPSWING WITH A FRESHENED 2016 OUTLANDER.

WITH OVER 100 MEANINGFUL CHANGES, I4 AND V6 ENGINES WILL EVENTUALLY BE JOINED BY A PLUG-IN HYBRID.

FROM BROADWAY TO YOUR DRIVEWAY, THAT'S WHAT'S NEW FROM THE 2015 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW.

WE'VE WATCHED HOW IN ONLY SIX SHORT YEARS, THE ALL ELECTRIC CAR HAS PROGRESSED FROM AUTO SHOW CONCEPT TO A MIDDLE AMERICA COMMODITY.

BUT EVEN WITH THAT, ELECTRIFIED CARS OF ALL TYPES, PURE EVs AND PLUG-IN HYBRIDS, STILL MAKE UP FAR LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF NEW CAR SALES.

SO, WE HAVE TO ASK.

WILL EV TECHNOLOGY EVER HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE CAR MARKET AS A WHOLE?

WELL, TO FIND OUT, WE TOOK A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE'S CURRENT "STATE OF CHARGE."

A FEW YEARS AGO THE ALL ELECTRIC NISSAN LEAF AND RANGE EXTENDING CHEVROLET VOLT HAD THE PLUG-IN PLAYING FIELD PRETTY MUCH TO THEMSELVES.

THAT PAIR STILL TOPS THE EV SALES CHARTS, AND NISSAN ALONE HAS SOLD 70,000 LEAFS TO DATE, BUT THEY'RE NOW FEELING THE HEAT FROM A SLEW OF NEW PLUG-INS ACROSS ALL PRICE RANGES AND BODY STYLES.

IN FACT, CHEVROLET'S BATTERY ELECTRIC BOLT, DUE OUT NEXT YEAR, MAY BE A GAME CHANGER WITH AN EXPECTED 200 MILE ALL ELECTRIC RANGE AND A PRICE OF $30,000 AFTER FEDERAL TAX CREDITS.

>> PAM FLETCHER: IF WE THINK ABOUT IT, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO INCREASE ADOPTION.

AND SO, WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY RANGE ANXIETY, WHICH PEOPLE HAVE TOLD US IS THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN WITH BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT WITH 200 MILES, AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE POINT, AT THAT $30,000 PRICE POINT.

>> JOHN: CARMAKERS ARE INVESTING HEAVILY IN ADVANCED BATTERY RESEARCH, AND EACH SEEMS TO HAVE ITS OWN EV STRATEGY.

AND DON'T THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT FUEL EFFICIENCY: THREE OF THE MOST STUNNING PERFORMANCE CARS ON THE PLANET, THE LA FERRARI, MCLAREN P1, AND PORSCHE 918 SPYDER, ARE ALL PLUG-IN HYBRIDS THAT MAXIMIZE THEIR PERFORMANCE BY USING THE INSTANT ON TORQUE OF ELECTRIC MOTORS.

BUT DRIVING ELECTRIC NO LONGER MEANS BEING A SHOW OFF.

MORE AND MORE MANUFACTURERS ARE INCLUDING A PLUG-IN OPTION AS JUST ANOTHER POWERTRAIN FOR A MAINSTREAM MODEL.

THE KIA SOUL, FORD FOCUS, HYUNDAI SONATA, FIAT 500, AND HONDA'S ACCORD, AND FIT ALL OFFER ELECTRIC ALONG WITH PETROL POWERED VERSIONS.

AND VOLKSWAGEN EVEN OFFERS A TRIFECTA OF GAS, EV, OR DIESEL POWERTRAINS IN THE GOLF.

>> JOERG SOMMER: THE GOLF PLATFORM OFFERS US THE ABILITY TO NOT ONLY DERIVE NEW CONCEPTS AND OTHER VEHICLES FROM THAT PLATFORM, BUT ALSO TO USE ALTERNATIVE, AND MULTIPLE DRIVETRAINS ON THAT PLATFORM.

IT MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE, CONSUMERS ARE ASKING FOR ALTERNATIVE DRIVE IN ALL KINDS OF SEGMENTS, AND WITH THE GOLF.

>> JOHN: BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT TO NISSAN, WHO TOOK THE PLUNGE EARLY AND WENT ALL IN WITH THE ALL ELECTRIC LEAF.

THIS BOLD STEP TURNED A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE, INTO EV EVANGELIZERS.

>> PIERRE LOING: NOW, WE'RE GETTING INTO, I WOULD SAY IS A SECOND WAVE OF CUSTOMERS WHICH IS MUCH, MUCH CLOSER TO YOUR AVERAGE MARKET STANDARDS, SO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SAVINGS, WHO ARE LOOKING TO USE THE LEAF AS THEIR EVERYDAY CAR, ALL THE TIME.

>> JOHN: STILL, RANGE ANXIETY, OR THE FEAR OF RUNNING OUT OF JUICE SHORT OF THE NEAREST ELECTRICAL OUTLET, IS THE NUMBER ONE HURDLE TO TRULY WIDESPREAD CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF PLUG-IN VEHICLES.

AND THERE'S ONLY TWO WAYS AROUND IT: MAKE THE CAR GO FURTHER BETWEEN CHARGES AND BUILD MORE CHARGING STATIONS.

SOME EV MAKERS ARE TACKLING THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE HEAD ON.

TESLA IS SETTING UP ITS OWN NETWORK OF LEVEL 3 "SUPERCHARGERS" ALONG POPULAR TRAVEL ROUTES.

THEY'VE ALSO OFFERED RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS FREE CHARGERS SO THEY CAN ATTRACT TESLA AND OTHER EV OWNERS.

NISSAN'S NOVEL "NO CHARGE TO CHARGE" PROGRAM IS GIVING LEAF OWNERS A TWO YEAR FREEBIE.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S ALTERNATIVE FUELS DATA CENTER WEBSITE LISTS MORE THAN 9,300 ELECTRIC STATIONS, AND 23,000 PUBLIC ACCESS CHARGING OUTLETS IN THE U.S. AND WILL EVEN MAP A ROUTE FOR YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM.

CONSUMERS HAVE SHOWN THEY ARE WILLING TO EMBRACE CLEAN POWER TECHNOLOGY.

AND WITH AN EXPANDING ARRAY OF PLUG-IN AND PURE EV MODELS AND EVER LONGER DRIVING RANGES, BACKED BY SUPERIOR WARRANTIES, IT'S CLEAR THE ELECTRIFICATION OF NEW CARS AND TRUCKS IS HERE TO STAY.

IN FACT, WE'RE SURE THE DAY WILL COME WHEN PLUG IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE SEEN NOT AS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE BUT AS THE BEST CHOICE... PERIOD.

THEY SAY THAT PAT GOSS HAS THE MAGIC TOUCH.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT THE MASTER HAS FOR US THIS WEEK.

>> PAT GOSS: MAINTAINING A FLAWLESS PAINT JOB LIKE WE SEE ON THIS CLASSIC JAGUAR... WELL, THAT'S NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE ON A DAILY DRIVER BECAUSE SOONER, OR LATER, SOMEBODY, OR SOMETHING WILL SCRATCH, OR DING THE PAINT ON YOUR CAR.

AND THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR TOUCH UP PAINT.

WELL, TOUCH UP COMES IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORMS.

YOU CAN BUY IT FROM THE DEALER WHERE YOU BOUGHT YOUR CAR.

AH, AUTO TOUCH UP HAS PRODUCTS SUCH AS YOU SEE OVER HERE, IN SPRAY CANS, IN BOTTLES, AND IN PENS.

THE BIG THING IS, THAT NUMBER ONE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE PAINT CODE ON YOUR CAR.

JUST LIKE BLACK FOR INSTANCE, EVERYBODY THINKS BLACK IS BLACK BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

BECAUSE THERE'RE METALLIC BLACKS, THERE ARE METALLIC TINT COAT BLACKS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND ALL THOUGH THEY MAY LOOK VERY SIMILAR, PUT THE WRONG PAINT ON IT AND YOU'RE GOING TO WIND UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MAY LOOK WORSE THAN THE SCRATCH DID.

BIG THING THOUGH, IS TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES.

NOW, WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS EASTWOOD PREP SOLVENT BECAUSE THAT IS A VITAL PART OF DOING ANY TYPE OF TOUCH UP.

SEE, WE'RE GOING TO SPRAY THIS ONTO THE SCRATCHED AREA AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS TO GET ALL OF THE WAX, AND DIRT OUT OF THE SCRATCHES.

NOW, IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, WHEN YOU APPLY THE PAINT, THE PAINT WILL JUST MIGRATE AWAY FROM THE SCRATCH.

ALRIGHT.

NOW, WE'RE GOING TO USE IN THIS CASE A DUPLI-COLOR PEN AND IT HAS MULTIPLE FEATURES ALL IN ONE HOUSING.

FIRST HERE ON THE END, THIS IS A TIP THAT IS DESIGNED TO GET DOWN INTO THE SCRATCHES, AND IF THERE'S ANY LOOSE PAINT LEFT AROUND THE SCRATCH OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THIS IS GOING TO TAKE IT AWAY SO IT DOESN'T CHIP AFTER THE PAINTING.

ONCE YOU'VE DONE THAT, THEN WE HAVE A FINE TIP RIGHT HERE THAT CAN BE USED FOR LITTLE SCRATCHES SUCH AS WE SEE ON THIS PARTICULAR DOOR.

AND THAT FITS RIGHT DOWN INTO THE SCRATCH LIKE SO.

IF YOU HAVE A BIGGER SCRATCH, THIS UNSCREWS AND THEN WE HAVE A BRUSH IN THERE.

AND FINALLY ONCE EVERYTHING IS DONE, IN THE DUPLI-COLOR IN THE OTHER END YOU HAVE A RESERVOIR WITH CLEAR IN IT, AND AN APPLICATOR FOR THE CLEAR WHICH IS GOING TO SEAL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

SO, ALL IN ALL YOU COULD WIND UP, IF YOU TAKE THE TIME AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, WITH AN ALMOST INVISIBLE REPAIR TO THE PAINT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY SOMETHING THAT WON'T DETERIORATE FURTHER.

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

AMERICAN LUXURY IS NOT JUST A CADILLAC AND LINCOLN THING, AND OUR CHRYSLER 200C IS THE ROLLING PROOF!

EVEN WITH CHRYSLER'S MOVE TO BECOME A MORE MASS MARKET BRAND, THE INTERIOR IS VERY PREMIUM IN LOOK AND MATERIALS, AND MAKES DRIVING A MIDSIZE FAMILY SEDAN NOT A CHORE AT ALL.

ALSO RANKING HIGH IS CHRYSLER'S UCONNECT INFOTAINMENT INTERFACE, AND OUR CAR'S VERY COMPETENT AWD SYSTEM.

ON A RECENT 1,600 MILE TRIP, THE 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC PROVED FAR LESS BUSY THAN EXPECTED.

IT MATES WELL WITH THE OPTIONAL 3.6 LITER V6, DOWNSHIFTING SMARTLY FOR EFFORTLESS PASSING.

AFTER 4,800 MILES WE'RE SEEING DECENT FUEL ECONOMY OF 23.8 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

28 IS TYPICAL FOR HIGHWAY TRAVEL.

THE ONE NEGATIVE WE'VE FOUND IS THAT ON ROUGHER INTERSTATES, THE INTERIOR NOISE LEVEL IS QUITE HIGH.

STILL, THIS 200C IS PROVING TO BE A VERY PLEASANT MID-SIZE RIDE.

THIS HUMBLE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT IS RIGHTFULLY EARNING MORE PRAISE THE MORE TIME WE SPEND WITH IT.

NEARLY FOUR MONTHS AND 7,000 MILES IN, THE OUTLANDER SPORT HAS SEEN IT ALL: SNOW, ICE, POTHOLES, WEEKEND PROJECTS, AND LOTS OF DAILY COMMUTING.

THE 148 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER I4, WITH AUTOMATIC AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE HAS HANDLED ALL WITHOUT A HICCUP.

FUEL ECONOMY IS TRENDING UP, NOW AT 25.1 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

THE GOVERNMENT COMBINED RATING OF 26 SEEMS DOABLE.

WE'LL STILL NITPICK ABOUT ITS NO FRILLS INTERIOR, BUT THIS IS COMING FROM FOLKS THAT HOP FROM BENTLEYs TO BMWs DAY AFTER DAY.

ONCE YOU TRULY GET TO KNOW THE OUTLANDER SPORT, IT'S A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO UNWIND AND JUST TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.

WE'LL TEND TO MORE BUSINESS AND CHECK ON THE VOLKSWAGEN GTI AND ACURA TLX ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

YOLANDA VAZQUEZ HAS OUR MOTORNEWS UPDATE SO LET'S HEAD INSIDE FOR THE LATEST.

>> YOLANDA VAZQUEZ: WITH TECHNOLOGY DEEPLY INGRAINED WITHIN EVERY ASPECT OF TODAY'S VEHICLES, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT TIRES ARE BEING OVERLOOKED, BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE.

TIRE GIANT GOODYEAR IS STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH A PAIR OF CONCEPT TIRES THAT MIGHT ONE DAY "FIND TRACTION" WITH CONSUMERS.

THE FIRST TIRE, CODE NAMED BH03, ACTUALLY GENERATES ELECTRICITY WHICH COULD HELP CHARGE HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

IT CAPTURES THE HEAT PRODUCED BY ROAD FRICTION, TIRE AIR PRESSURE, AND SUNLIGHT, AND THEN CONVERTS THAT HEAT INTO USEABLE ENERGY FOR A BATTERY PACK.

THE SECOND CONCEPT, THE TRIPLE TUBE TIRE, HAS, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, THREE TUBES WITHIN THE TIRE.

EACH CAN INFLATE OR DEFLATE SEPARATELY FROM ONE ANOTHER, TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM TRACTION IN ANY GIVEN CONDITION.

DESIGNED TO BE AN ACTIVE SYSTEM, THE TIRES COULD SHAPESHIFT ON THE FLY, THROUGH GPS LOCATION OR DRIVER CONTROL.

NOW, AS WITH CONCEPT CARS, THERE'S NO WORD ON IF THESE TIRES WILL EVER MAKE IT TO PRODUCTION.

BUT CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS BEING THROWN AROUND AND IT'S ABOUT TIME WE HAD SOME "RAD RUBBER" TO GO ALONG WITH THEM.

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

>> JOHN: THE PORSCHE BOXSTER IS A FUN CAR TO DRIVE.

AND WHILE THERE IS A S VERSION TO SPICE THINGS UP A BIT, THE BOXSTER HAS NEVER HAD A PROPER HIGH PERFORMANCE DERIVATIVE.

THAT CHANGES NOW WITH THE BOXSTER GTS.

SO, LET'S HIT THE TRACK AND GET THE MID-ENGINE MADNESS STARTED!

WE FULLY REALIZE THAT IT'S TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL TO MAKE EVERY CAR MID-ENGINE, BUT IT SURE WOULD BE NICE.

AND OF COURSE THEN MAYBE CARS LIKE THIS 2015 PORSCHE BOXSTER GTS WOULDN'T BE SO SPECIAL.

THIS CAR, ALONG WITH THE EQUALLY NEW CAYMAN GTS COUPE, ARE THE FIRST MID-ENGINE PORSCHES TO SPORT A GTS BADGE SINCE THE 904 IN 1963.

SO, WHAT GOES INTO MAKING A MODERN GTS?

WELL, THERE IS THE EXPECTED HIGHER ENGINE POWER OUTPUT, FOLLOWED BY TWEAKS TO THE REST OF THE CAR TO DEAL WITH IT, AND ENOUGH EXTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS TO LET EVERYONE KNOW YOU'RE DRIVING SOMETHING SPECIAL.

STARTING WITH WHAT YOU CAN SEE, GTS BOXSTERs GET NEW FASCIAS BOTH FRONT AND REAR, AND A BLACKED OUT TREATMENT IS APPLIED TO THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL PIPES.

TRADEMARK ELEMENTS LIKE THE BODY SIDE AIR SCOOPS, CENTRAL EXHAUST, AND ACTIVE REAR WING ALL CARRY OVER, AND IT'S STILL A BEAUTIFUL CAR TO LOOK AT WHETHER TOP UP OR DOWN.

INTERIOR WISE, THE GTS LEVEL SPREADS SOME ALCANTRA LEATHER LIBERALLY THROUGHOUT.

BUT AS ONLY PORSCHE CAN DO, YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR THE ACTUAL GTS INTERIOR PACKAGE TO GET GTS LOGOS AND CARBON FIBER TRIM.

AS ALWAYS, THE MID-ENGINE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR STORAGE AT BOTH ENDS, MAKING THE BOXSTER ONE OF THE MOST PRACTICAL ROADSTERS ON THE MARKET.

THEN THERE ARE THE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT UPGRADES THAT YOU CAN'T EASILY SEE.

THE FOUNDATION IS THE SAME 3.4 LITER FLAT-6 FOUND IN THE BOXSTER S. BUT NOW HORSEPOWER IS UP 15 TO 330, AND TORQUE GETS A 7 POUND-FEET BOOST TO 273, BASICALLY FROM AN ENGINE SOFTWARE UPDATE.

PORSCHEs SPORT CHRONO PACKAGE AND ACTIVE SUSPENSION MANAGEMENT ARE BOTH STANDARD, AS ARE 20-INCH CARRERA S WHEELS.

FROM THERE YOU CAN CHOSE FROM A 6-SPEED MANUAL OR A 7-SPEED PDK TRANSMISSIONS.

AND JUST HOW DOES ALL THIS COME TOGETHER?

TO US THAT MEANS TRACK TIME.

NOW, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT WITH THE BOXSTER S'S ON TRACK PERFORMANCE.

BUT ENTHUSIASTS ALWAYS WANT MORE AND PORSCHE IS ALWAYS TRYING TO DELIVER IT.

AND WHAT THE GTS DELIVERS IS EPIC AMOUNTS OF REFINED PROWESS THAT INSTANTLY MAKE YOU A BETTER DRIVER THAN YOU ARE.

IT SLOWS DOWN AT THE END OF STRAIGHTS FANTASTICALLY, GRIPS LIKE A CHAMP THROUGH CORNERS, ROCKETS OFF OF THEM HEALTHILY, GIVES YOU PLENTY OF FEEDBACK THE WHOLE TIME, AND EVEN SOUNDS GREAT WHILE DOING IT.

THE ADDITIONAL POWER IS NOT OBVIOUS, AS THIS WELL BALANCED REAR DRIVER COULD EASILY HANDLE A WHOLE LOT MORE, BUT IT'S SURE NOT LACKING ANY EITHER.

AND YOU'LL FIND MOST OF IT AT THE HIGHER END OF THE TACH.

NO UNDERSTEER WHATSOEVER, JUST IMMEDIATE POINT AND SHOOT TURN-INS; ACCOMPANIED BY A PERFECT HINT OF OVERSTEER TO HELP ROTATE YOU THROUGH CORNERS.

IT'S HARD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PDK AUTO, AS WE'VE TRADITIONALLY FOUND IT SEAMLESS IN JUST ABOUT EVERY SITUATION.

BUT WE DID HAVE A FEW OCCASIONS THIS GO ROUND WHERE IT TRIGGERED A MID CORNER DOWNSHIFT WHEN WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANT IT.

BUT KEPT IN MANUAL MODE, IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY.

AND SPEAKING OF PERFECT OPERATION, IN A STRAIGHT LINE, PORSCHEs LAUNCH CONTROL IS AMONG THE EASIEST IN THE BUSINESS TO ENGAGE, AND IT WORKS ALL DAY LONG, EVERY TIME, NO EXCEPTIONS.

THANKS TO IT, AND SEEMINGLY ALL WHEEL DRIVE LEVELS OF GRIP, WE CHARGED OFF THE LINE TO 60 IN 4.2 SECONDS AND ECLIPSED THE QUARTER MILE MARKER IN 12.8 AT 112 MILES-PER-HOUR.

AND WHEN DRIVEN AT A MORE RELAXED PACE, TOP UP OR DOWN, YOU'LL BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A MORE REFINED OR ENTERTAINING SPORTS CAR DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR A PDK EQUIPPED GTS ARE 22-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

EARNING A BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 13.2 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 5.9 TONS.

NOW, IT'S HARD TO CALL $74,495 A BARGAIN, BUT SPEND SOME TIME IN THIS CAR, BETTER YET SOME TRACK TIME, AND YOU'LL FIND IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY.

IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THE CHANGES MADE TO THE 2015 PORSCHE BOXSTER GTS ARE RELATIVELY MINOR.

BUT WHEN THE CAR IS JUST ABOUT PERFECT TO BEGIN WITH, IT DOESN'T TAKE TOO MANY SMALL CHANGES TO MAKE NOTABLE DIFFERENCES; PROVIDED THEY PROPEL THINGS EVEN FURTHER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO, WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT MAKING ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CARS EVEN BETTER?

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, 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 A NEW FORD EDGE AND SHARPEN ITS CROSSOVER APPEAL.

THEN CHECK OUT WHAT WE'RE HAULING IN THE RAM PROMASTER.

UNTIL THEN, 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... JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HER FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

SHE'S THINKING, "IF COLT DOESN'T ASK ME TO THE PROM, MY LIFE IS TOTALLY OVER."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY 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.

>> ANNOUNCER: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

*