AUDI RS 6

Delicious—580 horsepower…in a wagon!

Power wagons have never really caught on in the U.S. Too bad, since Audi is taking the craft of wagon-roiding to an unforeseen—unfathomable, really—level with the 2009 RS 6 Avant, Audi’s most powerful production car ever.

No Excuse for Being Late to School

The RS 6 Avant is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of Audi’s Lamborghini Gallardo–derived V-10 with direct injection. We’ve heard about this mill for a long time, but now we know just how potent it will be: 580 horsepower at 6250 rpm and 479 pound-feet of torque, the latter available over what may be the fattest torque plateau in the business: 1500 to 6250 rpm.

As with every hi-po Audi, the RS 6 Avant will feature Quattro all-wheel drive, which, in this case, directs 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels in its basic setting. The only transmission will be a modified, quick-shifting six-speed Tiptronic unit.
Steering and suspension components, including three-stage dampers, have also been retuned to accommodate the superwag’s heightened performance potential.

So how fast will it be? Audi claims 0 to 62 in 4.6 seconds—only 0.3 tick off the last R8 we tested—with a top speed predictably set at 155 mph.

Sexy Bod, Big Brakes

The RS 6 Avant’s speed is complemented by added sex appeal. The interior is gussied up in much the same way the S6 sedan is, and the body wears numerous aero mods, including a new front clip and a diffuser-endowed rear bumper.

Each of the widened fenders is filled with standard 19-inch wheels and powerful disc brakes or, as an upgrade, 20-inch wheels around a set of those increasingly popular and fantastically fade-resistant carbon ceramic brakes. The headlamps feature an underscoring of LEDs to tell the world that this ain’t no ordinary A6.

Sedan? Yes. U.S.? No.

Yes, an RS 6 sedan will be available eventually, but not until sometime after the Avant’s European introduction in April 2008.

Want one? Pack up the family and find an EU address, because Audi has no intention of bringing either RS 6 variant to North America. To say that we’re disappointed is an understatement.

2008 Mercedes-Benz C-class Estate and C63 AMG Estate

Europe gets this snazzy little utilitarian runabout, but all the U.S. gets is the GLK.

Sooner or later, it seems that gas prices here in the U.S. might catch up to those in Europe. If that happens, we’ll all be fleeing our SUVs and crossovers as though they were wired with dynamite. What will be there to shelter and transport us, our children, and all those fabulous Ikea scores we had stashed in the Exploder?

If our minds were more open to wagons, we’d be able to plop merrily into the new C-class wagon that Mercedes will unveil in Frankfurt and motor on, with all the above onboard. But given America’s peculiar aversion to wagons, this is another hauler that you won’t see unless you rent one while vacationing on the far shores of the pond.

Too bad. Based on Mercedes’ new C-class sedan, the new C-class estate promises to be a sportier drive than the taller and—no doubt—heavier upcoming GLK crossover.

With 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 53 cubes with the rear seats folded, Mercedes insists the C-class estate will carry four golf bags with trolleys (pull carts for those who can’t walk and carry clubs at the same time) or 44 drink crates each holding six one-liter bottles of…juice. We can see what two people—a driver and a passenger—might be doing with 44 crates of one-liter bottles, but what are two people going to do with four sets of golf clubs? Perhaps have a bad round and snap a couple of sets each over their knees?

Your engine choices for the C-class wagon are nonexistent. (Remember? You can’t get one.) But should you move in with your third cousin, Günther von Wurstundbier, over in Sindelfingen, you’d spend your sleepless nights deciding whether to put one of two gasoline four-cylinders, two diesel four-cylinders, three gasoline V-6s, or a diesel V-6 in your new wagon.

test infinity FX50

Infiniti’s original FX moon buggy debuted in 2003 intending to be a sports sedan wearing a fanny pack. It handled well, accelerated smartly with the optional V-8, and looked particularly glam on its optional 20-inch wheels. It also rode as if its axles were welded directly to the body. Averaging 23,000 sales per year, the FX reached a small, mostly male audience willing to be pummeled in the name of fashion.

The redesigned 2009 Infiniti FX35 and FX50 stick to the original recipe but strive to offer a more luxurious interior and softer ride and thus to appeal to a wider audience, including the fairer sex. Although the basic platform remains the same ubiquitous FM chassis (for “front mid-ship,” the basis for everything from the Nissan 350Z to the GT-R to every Infiniti save the QX56 to CEO Carlos Ghosn’s chaise longue), this FX has mostly new parts, says Infiniti.

They include a new 5026cc V-8 making 390 horsepower in the FX50, a boring-out and stroking of the previous 4.5-liter V-8 with 80-percent new parts. There’s also a new seven-speed automatic, a first for Infiniti, that is standard across the line. The base 3.5-liter V-6 in the FX35 gets more muscle, up 28 horsepower to 303. As before, the FX35 is offered in rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive configurations. The FX50, which now rolls on available 21-inch wheels, is exclusively AWD.

Quicker Than a Mustang GT

This new V-8 packs a mega-punch. We saw 60 mph flash past in 5.0 seconds in our FX50S, with the quarter-mile dispatched in 13.6 seconds at 104 mph. That’s quicker than a Mustang GT through the quarter-mile, and within 0.1 second of our quickest BMW 335i. Are we moving past the point of sanity with ever-quicker SUVs? The FX generated 0.87 g on the skidpad, and braking from 70 mph was completed in a scant 161 feet. Those are platinum-plated numbers—ones the average Porsche wouldn’t be ashamed to deliver.

Prices are not yet finalized, but Infiniti hinted that base prices for the FX35 and FX50 should rise slightly to about $40,000 and $54,000, respectively, with the loaded-up prices inflating to more than $60,000 because of new options packages, including an FX50 Sport package that includes rear-axle steering, sport seats, adjustable shock absorbers, and a red S on the car’s rump.

Although there’s more horsepower, there are also more size and weight. This FX gets another 1.4 inches in the wheelbase, mainly by moving the front axle forward for better weight distribution. It has sexier styling and extra not-so-sexy crash protection. It’s longer by almost two inches; width and height stay about constant. Seating accommodations are better in the front and rear, and we even found some extra usable space in the cargo area despite official capacity ratings that have decreased.

Pounds were shaved using aluminum door skins, aluminum suspension arms, and a plastic hatchback, but the curb weights still rise from 150 to 200 pounds, depending on the model—our loaded FX50S weighed 4648 pounds. It’s thus an achievement that EPA-rated fuel economy improves by 1 to 3 mpg, although our observed average of 14 mpg isn’t anything to brag about.

More Appealing to Women?

Reason numero uno that female shoppers rejected the old FX was its poor ride quality, says Larry Dominique, Nissan and Infiniti’s vice-president of product planning. The front suspension was therefore changed from struts to unequal-length control arms, with longer travel and lighter components to cut unsprung weight. Front-track width is also up 1.7 inches. In back, the shocks were relocated to allow more wheel travel.

Over test miles through the Southern California hills, the FX50’s ride proved less harsh but still plenty active, heaving and bucking in big head-tossing strokes over imperfect pavement. The huge 21-inch wheels and low-profile 265/45 summer tires are partly to blame. More sane (if less fashionable) shoes are fitted to the FX35, which has 18-inch rims, 60-series tires, and a better ride as standard equipment.
The FX’s interior finish improves several notches with diamond-pleated leather detailing and hockey-stick-shaped accents of real wood on the doors. Navigation with real-time traffic info, a four-quadrant exterior video monitor, and a 9.3-gigabyte hard drive for music files are standard on the FX50, optional on the FX35.

With its many options and high-technology fandangles, it can be said that the 2009 FX has replaced the defunct Q45 sedan as Infiniti’s flagship model.

TLAs Up the Yin-Yang

There’s also an alphabet soup of optional safety widgets, including LDW, LDP, ICC, DCA, IBA, and AFS. It’s a veritable high-water mark for TLAs (three-letter acronyms).

AFS (adaptive front lighting system): Turns the headlights in sync with the steering wheel left or right up to 17 degrees to illuminate corners.

DCA (distance control assist): Maintains following distances in tight traffic by automatically applying the throttle and brakes and can self-apply the brakes all the way to a full stop.

IBA (intelligent brake assist): Automatically supplies braking power to slow the car when sensors detect that a crash is imminent.

ICC (intelligent cruise control): Works the throttle and brakes automatically to maintain the desired speed while adjusting for traffic detected by its sensors.

LDW (lane departure warning): Monitors lane markings with cameras mounted to the side-view mirrors and beeps a warning when the car is over the line.

LDP (lane departure prevention): Individually brakes the rear wheels to turn the car and keep it in lanes. (Look, Ma, no hands!)

2009 Infiniti FX50 Specs

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

ESTIMATED PRICE AS TESTED: $61,900 (estimated base price: $54,000)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 307 cu in, 5026cc

Power (SAE net): 390 bhp @ 6500 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 369 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 113.6 in Length: 191.1 in Width: 75.9 in Height: 65.0 in Curb weight: 4648 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 5.0 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 12.6 sec

Zero to 140 mph: 32.4 sec

Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.4 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 13.6 sec @ 104 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 155 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 161 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.87 g

trucks terbaik tahun 2008

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL Class

Last year, the Mercedes GL450 emerged as the most desirable luxo ute in a very desirable field. Facing an equally strong challenge for 2008, Mercedes responded by expanding the GL-class from a class of one to a family of three. For those who seek thrift and torque, there’s the GL320 CDI turbo-diesel, an impressive powerplant that’s currently creating compression-ignition converts in service with our long-term test fleet. And for those who find the GL450’s 335 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque a bit too tame, there’s the GL550, with a 5.5-liter V-8 generating 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet.

Power is always welcome in vehicles weighing upwards of 2.5 tons, but in this class there are other important factors. Packaging, for example. The GL-class provides useful three-row seating and comfortable accommodations for seven in a wrapper that’s shorter, lower, and not quite as wide as most of the luxo leviathans. Those accommodations are posh, as you’d expect in this realm, and that wrapper is also stylish.

Another GL strong suit is refinement. The GL is exceptionally quiet, the seven-speed automatic is at the top of the charts for seamless operation, and ride quality is creamy, surprisingly so for a vehicle that’s extraordinarily responsive by large-SUV standards. None of the foregoing comes cheap, of course. But luxury is as luxury does, and the GL does it best.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon

BASE PRICE: $53,775–$77,750

ENGINES: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6 diesel, 215 hp, 398 lb-ft; DOHC 32-valve 4.7-liter V-8, 335 hp, 339 lb-ft; DOHC 32-valve 5.5-liter V-8, 382 hp, 391 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed auto with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 121.1 in Length: 200.3 in Width: 76.0–76.9 in Height: 73.4–75.6 in
Curb weight: 5450–5550 lb

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving 13–18 mpg

2008 Chevrolet Silverado

High fuel prices have softened the market for pickup trucks, especially full-size pickups, but even so, there are more contenders in this formerly all-American arena than ever before. Which makes the Silverado’s preeminence all the more impressive.

So what gives the Silverado its edge? In a word, structure. The GMT900 truck platform, shared with the General’s full-size SUVs, set a new standard—make that the standard—for chassis rigidity, the essential starting point for ride, handling, big payloads, and hefty towing capabilities. And don’t forget durability.