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BMW |
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I asked two of the BMW staff manning the booth there about the engine failure issue. They admitted that there was a problem with the S54 motor, and immediately brought up the warranty extension. I told them I was aware of the extension, but that I and many other owners didn't feel it was enough. I mentioned the article in Auto Motor und Sport that mentioned oil contamination as the cause and that BMW would recall hundreds of E46 m3's in North America produced in Q4 of 2002 to get new engines. The man there, who I feel had a very defensive and flippant attitude towards the failures, said there'd be no recall. I stated my concerns about having the engine failures putting owners in physical jeopardy, which he casually dismissed and walked away. The woman there was more receptive and informative. She agreed that it is a serious problem, and understood why such a limited warranty would not necessarily be all that helpful. I then asked if BMW had solved the problem with the S54 motor. She replied that they had not yet determined the cause. She went on to say that, as of last Thursday (January 2, 2003), BMW did not know the exact cause or causes of the failures and was pulling apart each failed engine. She referred me to Tom Solkowsky, BMW NA ///M Brand Manager, whom I have been attempting to contact since. |
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| I asked to see any car with the factory aluminum trim interior option. The Z4 has it, and I liked it. Not all the interior pieces were aluminum; many were just a lighter shade of the shadow interior on my 2002 M3. Overall, though, I'd probably order it if I had the choice. |
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| Here's a close-up of the finish. |
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Mini |
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| The Mini is a great little car, though it's heavier than I'd have guessed at 2,600 pounds. I've thought of getting one, but the trick version, the CooperS, is not available with the CVT transmission, nor do they expect any changes in the transmissions offered through MY2004. With BMW owning Mini, I hope that they will soon put the latest iteration of the SMG transmission in the Mini CooperS. I suppose everyone's seen the Mini by now, and I didn't bother to take any exterior shots in the crowded Mini area, but I was quite impressed with the sport interior. |
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Subaru |
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| The Subaru WRX STi has been a very competitive car in rallye and road-course racing, plus it seems like a fun car to own. Too bad we won't get the GDi with it's direct-injection motor. Subaru does not make any paddle-shifter or CVT models for the street, but there's a group from whom one can order a number of different CVT transmissions for the WRX, starting around $7,000. Not worthwhile for me, unless someone wants to sponsor me to race rallye in the US, but intriguing. It'll eventually make it into the street cars, I presume, but not before MY2005 they say. The rallye car shown here would sell for about $300,000 USD. |
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Mitsubishi |
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| The US hasn't had any of the real Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cars until MY2003, with the introduction of the Lancer Evo 8, shown here. It makes 273 lb-ft of torque (versus the 262 lb-ft for the E46 M3), and weighs only about 3,000 pounds. This is one fast car, and pretty decent looking, too. Note the standard Brembo disc brakes. Mitsubishi has no immediate plans to offer a CVT or F1-style transmission. |
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Chevrolet & Cadillac |
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| GM had a pretty sad showing for sportscars. They had the C5 Corvette, but not even a Z06 on display. There were some sweet older 'Vettes. Speaking with one of the reps, the C6 chassis is ready to go, but the GM execs didn't like the exterior, so it hasn't been released. What is out there is the Cadillac XLR, using the C6 chassis. Ick. Standing next to a former Cadillac dealer, I groaned. He then confided in me that he's glad to no longer be selling Cadillac, because he feels their styling is too angular and does not have long-term aesthetic appeal. |
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Land Rover |
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| Okay, it ain't a sportscar, but I like the new Range Rover a lot. If it had more towing capacity (currently rated at 7,600 pounds), I'd really lust after one. The rep said that their very expensive contract with BMW for engines is solid through MY2004, after which they'll likely have Jaguar engines, considering Jaguar/Ford owns 'em. There is still rumor of a bigger SUV from Land Rover, one that could really tow a car hauler, but not until at least MY2005, once the new engines are determined. See also my Range Rover test drive from 2002. | |
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Aston Martin |
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| Made popular by the James Bond films, these hand-built English cars are extremely expensive. I've always loved the older Vantage Volante. The new V12 Vanquish is a very impressive car. Though some 3,900 pounds, it has 460 hp, 400 lb-ft of torque, great styling, and the Magnetti-Marelli F1 transmission. Finally, another car worthy of Bond (I was appalled to see him driving the Z3 and 750il BMW's, though the Z8 was alright). |
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| Here's the whole line of Aston Martins, including the DB7 series and the Vanquish. |
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Jaguar |
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| Though I didn't look at the (boring) Jaguar line-up, they had a very cool display featuring one of their Formula One cars... |
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Mazda |
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| The RX-7 was always a respectable sports car. The third and last generation, with the bi-level turbo, was an extremely fast and nimble car. It was also a fantastic value, being around $32,000 USD and capable of sub- 5.0 second 0-60 launches. The RX-8, however, is a big disappointment. The styling is too fussy and derivative, and the performance is downright sad. Only 250 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque for a car that looks to weight at least 3,000 pounds. The "suicide doors" are a nice touch, making the 2+2 more convenient. |
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Lamborghini |
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| As always, the Murcielago is exciting to see. |
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Lotus |
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| Lotus has made great sportscars and race cars for decades. I had the pleasure to drive with the Golden Gate Lotus Club at the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca on December 31st, 2002. The cars were beautiful at rest and in motion, and the Elise, shown here, was very impressive. At only 1500 pounds (non-DOT race version) and 200 hp, the car was very quick and agile. I tried in vain to catch and pass the one I was chasing on the track. Great news! A DOT_certified, street-legal Elise will hit the US market mid-year 2003. It'll weigh about 1,700 pounds and have the same motor, though it'll have AC, heavier sporty seats, and airbags. Most amazing of all, the MSRP will be under $39,000 USD. As I chatted with the rep, no less than six people asked the price and then expressed amazement at the price. Sure, it'll have few amenities, but it's an English-built sportscar from Lotus under $39,000. There's an outfit in England who fits these cars with an F1-style transmission, I hear, but I bet it's expensive. |
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| The new twin-turbo V8 Esprit is a beautiful car with excellent performance. They sound great, too, especially when certain people (who shall not be named here) remove the catalytic converters and go blasting uphill at Laguna Seca. |
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Ferrari |
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| The 550 Barchetta has become a favorite of mine. Now, Ferrari has a 575, shown here, with even more power. |
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| I saved this for last (other than the James Bond display), because the Enzo is so cool. Sure, it may not look so great in these photos and I'd love to see one in silver, but it is amazing. The performance is unbelievable, with a 660 hp 12-cylinder engine, 485 lb-ft of torque, and a top speed of 217.5 mph. It weighs only 3,009 pounds and should sprint 0-62 mph in 3.65 seconds. Fun. Definitely fun. It also has the F1 transmission, so I can drive one of the 399 cars to be produced, though they're all pre-sold. |
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| A cute little boy asked the Ferrari rep to open the engine compartment and take a picture. I managed to get her to take one for me, too, despite not being so cute. |
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Her Majesty's Secret Service |
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| The Bond cars were on display. Here are his Aston Martins from past films. |
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| Here's James Bond's Aston Martin V12 Vanquish from Die Another Day, including motion-tracking repeating shotguns, rockets in the grille, grappling hook, the ever-popular ejector seat, and spiked snow tyres. Unfortunately, it didn't include a good plot or believable CGI action scenes. |
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| I thought the movie was unbelievably over-the-top, the action contrived, the CGI easy to spot (surfing the icy wave), and the plot ludicrous. Halle Berry is certainly one of the loveliest women ever to walk the earth, but she, Pierce Brosnan (a decent Bond, IMHO), and John Cleese couldn't save this movie. |
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| The Jaguar used by Zao, a villain from Die Another Day. |
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