Description
Contents: Road Tests – Audi RS 4 vs. BMW M3 Sedan vs. Lexus IS F vs. Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (Lock and load: Eight cylinders, four doors, one winner in a high-caliber sedan shootout); Pontiac G8 GT (Channel your inner Mad Max, mate, with this Aussie-built 362-bhp performance sedan); Jaguar XF Supercharged (This S-type replacement is the bold, new face of Jaguar; that guttural hiss is its supercharger); Road Test Update: Chevrolet Cobalt SS (Supercharger out, turbo in; plus significant driveline, handling and braking improvements) First Drives – Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG (A compact clutch is key to the performance of the latest AMG-massaged Mercedes); Bentley Brooklands (An Old School pushrod V-8, Old World charm and an Old Money price of $340,990); Saab Turbo X (Black, it turns out, is the new black when it comes to turbo 280-bhp awd Saabs) Technical – Biofuels (Corn, cane or cellulosic, nobody rides for free. But will microwave popcorn cost $50?) Features – Audi R8 TDI Le Mans (From Le Mans victory to Audi showroom? A distinct possibility with this diesel superstar); An Allard To Amelia Island (With both cars and life, the journey can be more important than the destination); Long-Term Test: Lexus GS 450h (Ravaged not by use but by depreciation, our Lexus hybrid was a faithful servant) Competition – The Mustang Challenge (A leap up from Spec Miata, this series doubles the cylinder count and power) Columns – On The Road (Doom, Gloom And Hope: Ignore the pessimists; car culture is alive and well in the Big Apple); Ampersand (Sneak Preview: Ferrari’s 149, small but mighty; Lotus V-6 Eagle; and a more wicked Nissan GT-R); Side Glances (Big-Bucks Classics Reconsidered: ‘1958 Ferrari 250 GT, low miles, $4950.’ There must be a catch); Tech Tidbits (Hybrids: High On The List: A student open-wheel hybrid series; potentially problematic plug-ins);Sport (Alonso – Unbreakable? Charting the volatile constroversial career of Formula 1’s Fernando Alonso); Pole Position (IRL vs. Champ Car: Picking Up The Pieces: Let the wounds heal, and let’s get on with quality racing) Departments – Your Turn; People, Places & Things; Tech Correspondence; Road Test Summary; Finish Line; PS
Issue: June 2008
Condition: Very Good