2012 BMW 650i Coupe

2012 BMW 650i Coupe

BMW's top-of-the-line coupe has always been among the firm’s most highly desirable cars. However, things kind of went downhill after the first 6-series, the E24. The 1990s saw the excess of the 8-series, which launched with a V-12—and the accompanying astronomical price—and therefore walked away from much of the 6-series customer base. Then came the E63 6-series, which virtually defined the “Bangle Butt,” perhaps the industry's most obnoxious posterior.

That's history now. Longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, the new 6-series is sleek and beautiful in a timeless way. From the aggressive shark nose down the sculpted body sides, past the Hofmeister-kinked C-pillar and all the way to the wide, low rear, the 6 boasts near-perfect proportions. It is finally a worthy aesthetic successor of the first-generation 6. Inside, it features a beautifully sculpted dashboard and center console, a tremendous departure from the strange mixture of baroque proportions and sober surface treatments that defined its predecessor's interior.

Eat it, World: U.S. Only Market to Get a Manual

Just as in the 6-series convertible, power comes from BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, which makes its usual 400 hp. (Europe also will get a a 315-hp inline-six under the hood of the 640i, as well as a possible 640d powered by a 3.0-liter diesel inline-six.) Most markets will get only a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual will also be available in the U.S. BMW says that the 0-to-60 dash will take just 4.8 seconds, and the artificial ceiling is set at 155 mph. Fuel-economy figures won’t be released until later this year, but don’t expect the 6 to be a miser. With that same engine and eight-speed auto, the 5-series is rated by the EPA for 17 mpg city/25 highway. The manual drops the 5’s ratings to just 15/22.

The 6-series portfolio is not complete yet. An M6 is coming, and will pack a version of the 650i’s turbocharged V-8 making around 600 hp. And there will be a four-door 6 as well, which will compete with the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Pricing for the coupe has not been announced yet, but should stay close to that of the outgoing model, which started at $79,325. We’d be OK with even a moderate price increase: When was the last time you could, with a straight face, praise a new BMW for its timeless beauty?

2012 Ford, 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

2012 Ford, 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Jim Farley, Ford’s group VP of global marketing, didn’t have to fly to California for the debut of the Mustang Boss 302. No one told him to. He came anyway. “I’ve been driving my own Mustang right through the past two Michigan winters thinking about this project,” he says. “From a business standpoint, the Boss 302 shouldn’t have happened. But it happened. My dream for the car was that it would make a lot of money for a guy street racing. It should be a car that winds up on YouTube doing something illegal. I’ve been waiting 20-plus years to launch a car like this.”

The decision to resurrect the Boss 302 was made in the darkest days of the recession. Is Ford brave or what? Especially since it’s so rare that offspring are able to match the feats of  legendary forebears, as Charlie Sheen can attest.

To eke out of the Mustang GT’s engine a bonus 32 horses, Ford created a new intake manifold with runners resembling velocity stacks. Different cylinder heads were deployed—stronger alloy and altered ports—with each head undergoing 2.5 hours of CNC massaging. The camshafts offer increased lift, the intake valves are larger, the bearings are race-spec, and the baffled pan holds 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil.

The result is 444 horsepower at 7500 rpm, a happy medium between the Mustang GT’s 412 horses and the Shelby GT500’s 550. The Boss’s V-8—unlike the brutish Shelby’s—doesn’t so often overwhelm its chassis. In fact, what you first notice—and this is very BMW-ish—is that the Boss’s engine, driveline, and suspension draw virtually no attention to each others’ eccentricities. It lends the package a gratifying sense of unity that inspires confidence.

This V-8 is so vigorous and charismatic that its likeness ought to be carved on Mount Rushmore. The engine revs nearly as quickly as you can flex your right foot, feeling as if it displaces maybe three liters. What’s more, despite all that cam, it idles as smoothly as a Camry.

Sans traction control, launching the Boss takes some practice, although never has practice been so fun. Sidestep the clutch with too many revs, and you’ll trigger axle tramp followed by a cumulous cloud of Pirelli particulates that will only swell in size all the way through second gear. The trick is to slip the clutch from about 3500 rpm, then mat the throttle when the axle says, “Yeah, I’m feelin’ settled and relaxed back here.” The result is 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds—0.3 second quicker than the GT (or a Camaro SS) and only 0.2 second behind the jackhammer GT500. Once that live axle is placated . . . well, here’s the telltale statistic: From 5 to 60 mph, the Boss loses not an inch to the GT500 and is but 0.1 second behind a BMW M3. The accelerative kick flings sunglasses and coins and pens in the center bin backward against a plastic wall, sounding as if they’ve just hit the bottom of a ventilator shaft. Through the quarter-mile, the engine pulls like a Tennessee mule—no valleys, no holes—slingshotting the Boss 0.4 second ahead of the GT and only 1 mph behind the M3.

All of this is accompanied by a mellifluous, resonance-free exhaust note that is an unlikely aural confluence of, say, Lexus
IS F and Roush/Yates Sprint Cup engine. It’s a four-way exhaust—two sewer pipes astern and one per side exiting just in front of the rear wheels. A restrictor plate in each side pipe lends the Boss federal pass-by legality, but the baffles can be unbolted in less time than it takes to read this review. It’s lucky that the rumble is so rich, because the engine is seriously loud at idle.

The Boss’s suspension has likewise benefited from a lavish labor of love. Compared with the GT, it boasts stiffer springs, a fatter rear stabilizer bar, new bushings, and 19-inch Pirelli P Zeros that, at the rear, are mounted on 9.5-inch-wide wheels. What’s more, each shock offers five settings that are adjustable via screwdriver, creating the possibility of very strange chassis behavior at the hands of very strange owners. Again, is Ford brave or what? And experimenting with dampers is educational, fun, and will make you feel like Parnelli Jones’s crew chief.

The steering rack is electrically assisted and can be toggled to comfort, standard, or sport modes. We preferred the standard setting, even at the track. The other modes did nothing more than alter effort. No matter. The steering was ever accurate, progressive, and informative, with peerless interstate tracking.

At the front, four-pot Brembos clamp 14-inch vented rotors. The pads are near-race-spec compounds, although they don’t squeal, and the brake lines have been hardened to prevent expansion. On the road, pedal feel proved sublime—fairly hard but bang-on linear—and it was a cinch to modulate braking right on the threshold of the ABS. Fade? None that we encountered either during testing or during nine-tenths lapping around Laguna Seca.

As a dance partner in the hills, the Boss eagerly goes all bossa nova, laying down its prodigious power with surprising smoothness. The chassis felt remarkably balanced, usually neutral, leaning toward power oversteer only in the tightest turns. Despite its super-quick transient responses, it never felt nervous. This Mustang is so agile, so responsive to delicate inputs, that it makes the GT500 feel like a FedEx truck. The Boss’s grip almost always exceeds the driver’s courage, so feel free to ignore our lateral-grip figure, recorded on a skidpad dusted with sand. What’s more, the ultra-short-throw shifter was an ally, although its gates are so close that a clumsy upshift from second will sometimes collect fifth.

Ford has forever treated its Mustangs as blue-collar contrivances of unprepossessing heritage. The cockpit thus remains dour and rudimentary, despite the synthetic-suede-wrapped steering wheel and the machine-turned aluminum trim. The acres of coarse, pebbled-plastic surfaces, in particular, would be (and have been) rejected in far less expensive machines, notably in Ford’s own Focus. The gaping voids between the tops of the rear tires and the rolled fender lips are eyesores. The steering column doesn’t telescope. And the brake and accelerator pedals should be closer together.

The base Boss fetches $40,995, and there is only one major option: a Torsen limited-slip differential and Recaro seats (packaged together and costing $1995), plus the so-called TracKey. If you’re headed for the track—and why wouldn’t you be?—then all three are mandatory. In total, 4000 examples will be assembled, which isn’t even half of the original Boss’s two-year production. That sum includes 3250 base Bosses and 750 Laguna Seca editions.

We expected the Boss 302 to be little more than a marketing exercise in nostalgia, a somewhat more brutal, slightly faster GT, with alluring graphics but primitive predilections. It isn’t. Nose to tail, this feels like a whole new equine—thoroughly sorted, conscientiously massaged, the object of considerable forethought and ambition. As automotive resurrections go, this is a knockout that venerates the original Boss while embarrassing it objectively and subjectively in every meaningful measure. What this is, is the best Mustang ever. Continued..

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Only a month after the unveiling of the 550-plus-hp 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, word is leaking out that Ford will substantially advance the muscle-car wars with a 2013 Shelby GT500 making a pants-bursting 600-plus horsepower.

Our well-informed sources say the stratospheric output figure, which could be as high as 620 horses, is the result of boring out the current 5.4-liter V-8 to 5.8 liters and swapping the existing Eaton M112 supercharger for the same firm’s more-efficient and quieter TVS unit. This supercharger, with its four-lobe rotors, is the blower of choice for the Audi S4, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and, interestingly, the Camaro ZL1.

The 5.4-liter in the current GT500 makes an already pretty absurd 550 hp. The car rips to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.4. Based solely on the horsepower increase, we estimate that the 2013 model will drop almost half a second through the quarter, for a 12.0-second run. As it is already traction limited, we don’t see the 0-to-60 number changing much. We do, however, anticipate that it’ll be a straight-up bitch to launch consistently, at least without the addition of a launch-control system. If it isn’t limited to 155 mph, as the current car is, the 2013 GT500 should be capable of topping 190 mph.

Like all 2013 Mustangs, the GT500 will sport a body altered with the goal of looking somewhat less retro and more modern and edgy, according to sources. And, yes, we do take “modern” to imply the addition of LEDs to the head- and taillight assemblies. You won’t see any of the new bodywork in the spy photos here. This powertrain mule caught today in Dearborn wears familiar bodywork (and 2011 Mustang GT headlights) but rides very low over a set of current GT500 Performance package wheels. What won’t change is the basic rear-suspension design. That’s right: This most insanely powerful of Mustangs will keep its live axle. It’ll just be a little, er, livelier.

The new model is, of course, still a long way off. Hell, the 2012 ZL1 that it’s intended to battle won’t go on sale for another 11 or so months. Expect the 2013 GT500 about 10 months after that, leaving you plenty of time to save your dollars. You’re going to need about 60,000 of them to buy one.

Benz, 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Benz, 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Even in the realm of high-performance rock-star cars, few can rival the profane, knock-your-teeth-out mayhem that is the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Yes, the phenomenal BMW M3 offers a more cohesive all-around experience than the Benz, but the Merc is no slouch dynamically, and besides, its soundtrack is pure aural sex. And now you can get that same goodness in the newest addition to the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the C-class coupe. The two-door C63 AMG will debut at the New York auto show in April.

Like Sedan, Like Coupe

If you read our story on the recently updated Mercedes C63 AMG sedan, the coupe’s specs will sound familiar—the powertrain is the same, regardless of door count. As in the four-door, the rear-wheel-drive C63 coupe’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 pumps out 451 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque; the optional Development package increases horsepower to 481 (torque remains the same). For 2012, the coupe joins the sedan in featuring Benz’s seven-speed MCT automatic transmission, which swaps in a single wet clutch where the torque converter would normally go. Drivers can select from an Efficiency mode, or turn up the volume to Sport, Sport+, or Manual, modes in which gears are held onto for longer and downshifts are rev-matched. In the E63 AMG, where this transmission also finds a home, we found the gearchanges to be near-instantaneous, so we have high hopes for its performance in the already-no-slouch C63.

Let’s talk about that performance. Mercedes estimates that the C63 coupe, like the new C63 sedan, will take care of a 0-to-60 sprint in 4.4 seconds (4.3 with the Development pack). We think that’s just conservative Teutonic nonsense. The last two C63 sedans we clocked each ripped off 3.9-second 0-to-60 runs. One had the Development pack and the other didn’t, but both used the older-style automatic gearbox that’s now been replaced. It’s possible that the new MCT transmission could shave another tenth of a second off the 0-to-60 time, especially with its Race Start launch-control function, but we’ll find out for sure when we can load it with test gear and hit the track. When we do, we’ll also see about keeping Benz honest on its claim of an electronically limited 174-mph top speed for the Development pack version.

The C63 coupe features an AMG sports suspension with retuned springs and shocks and larger anti-roll bars; the layout is multiple links all around. The track is wider than the regular coupe’s by 4.3 inches up front and 3.2 in the rear; yes, the track increases are huge, but a wickedly modified front suspension and fat rear tires will do that. The brakes also are, naturally, upgraded from those you’d find on a non-AMG C-class coupe. The hot two-door has 14.2-inch rotors up front and 13.0-inchers in the rear.

Sizzle to Go with the Steak

If the bacchanalia exhaust burble isn’t enough to alert onlookers that the C63 coupe is, in fact, harboring a dynamite-testing facility under the hood, Mercedes has made alterations to the two-door’s exterior as well. Up front, the AMG coupe sports a special blacked-out lower air intake, while the horizontal strips of LEDs on the lower side air outlets are repositioned from their spots on the non-AMG coupe. A new aluminum hood features two lengthwise bulges, and to cap off the front-end face lift, the standard C-class coupe’s two-wing grille is swapped for a blacked-out piece with a thin chrome line stretching across.

Despite the engine’s 6.2 liters of displacement, the front fenders are festooned with the now-familiar “6.3 AMG” badge that nods to Benzes past. Around back, the C63 has a black air diffuser and quad, chrome-finished exhaust pipes. The standard wheels are 18-inch alloys painted titanium grey—they’re not the wheels shown on this car—but hedonists will be able to upgrade to something bigger. On cars with the Development pack, a carbon-fiber spoiler tops the trunklid and brake calipers are painted red.

Based on these initial manufacturer shots, we certainly like the look of the C63 coupe, but its styling enhancements over the normal C-class coupe are almost too stealth. A car like this should look nasty—perhaps the rumored C63 AMG Black Series will remedy this—but of course, final judgment will be reserved until we can see the AMG-tweaked coupe up close.

Okay, Fine, Creature Comforts

The C63 AMG coupe is well equipped, coming standard with a panorama sunroof, heavily bolstered sport seats, a 4.5-inch color instrument cluster display, automatic headlamps, and the usual suite of iPod, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. Unfortunately, Benz’s updated-for-2012 COMAND nav system is an extra-cost option. In addition to the power-boosting Development pack, other add-ons will include a variety of the company’s latest safety gadgets, like Adaptive Highbeam Assist and active curve illumination, blind-spot sensors, and a lane-drift monitor. Buyers can also spend their cash on keyless go and, for an actual performance gain, a limited-slip differential.

For the fashion-sensitive, carbon fiber or several types of wood can be optioned in place of the standard aluminum trim in the interior, and various one- and two-tone leather seat colors are available, too.

The C63 AMG coupe hits dealers in September. The company should release pricing before then; for now we expect it to come in slightly higher than the sedan, which hasn’t yet been priced for 2012, but stickered at $61,175 last year. That’s far from chump change, but a lot less painful than having your teeth knocked out.

We’ll also add that now might be a good time to prepare yourself for another comparo involving the M3 coupe. Just sayin’.

2012 Audi Q3

2012 Audi Q3

What it is: A diminutive luxury SUV that is smaller than the Audi A4–based Q5.

Why it matters: The Q3 is Audi’s entry into a new segment; it will compete directly with BMW’s upcoming X1 SUV.

Platform: Based on the Volkswagen Tiguan and approximately the same size, the Q3 is nevertheless lower and sportier. Audi Drive Select, the brand’s adjustable chassis-control system, will be optional.

Powertrain: A 2.0-liter turbo engine producing 211 horsepower will be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Front-drive will be standard, with all-wheel drive as an option.

Competition: Three upcoming 2011 models—BMW X1, Land Rover LRX, Mercedes-Benz BLK.

Estimated arrival and price: Debuts in the fall, likely starting at $30,000.

2012 Audi Q3 Confirmed

2012 Audi Q3 Confirmed

Audi has announced it will build a small Q3 crossover at a SEAT plant in Martorell, Spain, part of which is being retooled for the 2011 launch of the new model. While struggling SEAT gets a much needed boost in production capacity—and 1200 jobs are saved—Audi has postponed the decision on a U.S. production facility until a later date. The German automaker had been considering its own U.S. plant for a while, and potentially could share the Volkswagen Group's new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is scheduled to produce VW’s New Mid-Size Sedan (NMS) and a VW-badged crossover vehicle from 2010 on. However, "there is currently no urgent need to select additional sites," says Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.

The Q3 will join Audi's portfolio of crossover SUVs, which includes the new Q5 and the updated-for-2010 Q7. But while the Q5 and the Q7 both have longitudinal engines, the Q3 is based on a layout with a transverse mounted powerplant. In fact, its platform is shared with a number of VW models, as well as the Audi A3. While the Q5 shares its architecture with the A4 (and the next-generation A6), think of the Q3 as the sister model of the VW Tiguan. But unlike the Tiguan, off-road capability was not on the list of Audi's engineering targets for the Q3. Sportiness was, though, making the company’s move to offer Quattro all-wheel drive as standard a sound decision.

Details are sketchy, but a gasoline-fueled 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder and a 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel, both tuned to about 200 hp, will be the obvious choices for the U.S. market. Audi will make a six-speed manual transmission available in Europe, but a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual (S tronic) or conventional automatic likely will be the sole gearbox offered in the U.S.

The Q3 should look a lot like the Cross Coupe Quattro concept unveiled at the 2007 Shanghai auto show, but with many of the details—such as the grille, lighting units, and air intakes—toned down for production. It is almost identical in size to the A3, but will be far taller. Audi says the Q3 also will have a "coupe-like appearance," but we’re not convinced. In our opinion, the concept appears less coupe-like than the BMW X6 or the Acura ZDX, with a more upright rear window than those bigger entries. Figure at least $30,000 for the Q3, with primary competition coming from BMW’s upcoming X1 crossover.

2012 Audi Q3 Sketches

2012 Audi Q3 Sketches

In January, we brought you spy pictures of the Audi Q3 taken on its German home turf; the crossover’s official unveiling is expected to take place at the Shanghai auto show this month. Now Audi has released a number of interior and exterior sketches, and they give a good idea of what to expect from the final product.

The sketches show a sleek, compact crossover—a bit like a shrunken Audi Q5, which is itself a shrunken Q7—and, thankfully, the Q3 is sleeker in appearance than its close relative, the Volkswagen Tiguan. While the Tig and the Q3 are based on a front-wheel-drive platform, the Q3’s main competitor, BMW’s X1, is based on rear-drive underpinnings. We doubt many shoppers will notice the difference, though, and in any case, all-wheel drive will be optional on the Q3.

We can see that the Q3’s front grille resembles the snout of the new A6, and it contributes to an overall elegant look. For those seeking a more aggressive persona for their Q3, there will, of course, be an optional S-line appearance package, as well as optional LED lighting.

We also get our first view of the interior in these sketches, and it appears sporty and upscale, or at least as much as possible via pen strokes. The upper part of the dashboard wraps around the cabin, and the center console is tilted toward the driver. We look forward to seeing the finished vehicle.

Power for the Q3 will come from a range of turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. An SQ3 with around 270 hp is possible—and probably necessary to counter the BMX X1 xDrive35i, which will make at least 260 hp.

We’re looking forward to seeing the Q3 when it’s fully unveiled at this month’s Shanghai auto show—it’s just a shame that Audi hasn’t yet made up its mind whether or not we’ll see it on these shores.