Porsche 911 Carrera S: A true dream machine

By Lary Coppola
The very first car to bear the Porsche name debuted in June, 1948. Yet despite its stunning array of 21st century technologies, the 2009, 911 Carrera S clearly traces its engineering and aesthetic roots back to that original Porsche. It evolved from the highly coveted, original 356, to the first 911 Coupe, which previewed at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. The current 911, forty years and six generations of engineering improvements later, still showcases a horizontally opposed, rear-mounted six-cylinder engine under a distinctive and instantly recognizable body.

The 911 Carrera S Coupe is the most sophisticated, potent and environmentally friendly 911 Carrera Porsche has ever offered. Driving the 2009 Carrera S as part of my usual routine was pure joy, and at the end, I longed for it to stay in my garage.

Walkaround: In spite of dramatic changes in Carrera Coupe drivetrains between this year and last, and an efficiently lean drag coefficient of only 0.29, exterior changes are elegantly subtle. Knowing how passionate Porsche owners are about the classic 911 profile, radical redesigns simply for the sake of change only serve to undermine value. That’s why Porsche designers and engineers permit only minor aesthetic refinements from year-to-year.

Viewed head on, the most notable changes are the new, horizontal covers for the Bi-Xenon™ headlights and the L.E.D. daytime running lights, which extend over the functional air vents boasting larger cooling openings. The side view reveals new, larger exterior mirrors with aerodynamic twin-arm mounts, as well as new lightweight, standard 19-inch alloy wheels.

In the rear, all the lighting except for backup lights, are now LEDs for improved brilliance, longer life and instantaneous response. Finally, the 911 Carrera S Coupe displays dual round polished exhaust outlets, and a speed activated rear spoiler.

Interior: Refinements to the luxurious cabin include a revamped center console highlighted by the new Porsche Communication Management system (PCM). Our test vehicle was extremely well appointed, offering power windows, self-dimming power mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry and interior surveillance, tilt and telescoping, three-spoke leather covered wheel, cruise control, power sunroof, the full leather interior package and the optional seat ventilating fans. They work in conjunction with heated seats, circulating air through the seatback and cushion upholstery to expedite cooling, heating, and/or drying the driver and passenger. In short, it was fitted with just about everything you expect in a high-performance luxury sports car stickering at $106,730.

This latest version of the PCM boasts a 6.5-inch, easy-to-clean touchscreen, which also features a simpler keyboard. It handles climate controls, audio, and the optional navigation system that boasts a 40 GB hard drive and works via optional voice commands. It also includes an internal GSM mobile phone module with Bluetooth handsfree operation. Standard is an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with optional XM satellite radio, and the ability to connect to external music sources such as iPods or USB drives. Our test Carrera S was also fitted with the available Bose high-end sound package.

For safety, there’s six airbags: dual frontal-impact airbags; as well as two seat-mounted, thoraxprotecting, side-impact airbags; and two head-protecting, side-impact curtain, doormounted airbags.

Under The Hood: Both the standard 911 Carrera Coupe and 911 Carrera S Coupe received new engines for 2009. Both boast direct fuel injection, new two-piece crankcases and revised intake and exhaust systems along with Porsche VarioCam Plus intake-valve timing and lift system.

The 3.8-liter powerplant in our test 911 Carrera S boasted 385 horses delivering 310 Lb. Ft. of torque. While a six-speed manual is standard, our test vehicle had the new 7-speed, PDK double-clutch automatic with paddleshifters, which replaced the previous Tiptronic S automatic.

Behind The Wheel: The 3.8-liter engine is simply awesome, doing the 0-60 drill in only 4.3 seconds with the PDK. Despite the substantial increases in horsepower and torque over the predecessor model, the 911 Carrera S avoids the stigma of a gas-guzzler penalty, and in fact is certified as a category two (LEV-II) vehicle. Without going into a lot of technical detail, Porsche was the first automaker to successfully use the PDK double-clutch transmission technology, which was developed for the Porsche 962 Group C racecar. The seven-speed PDK shifts up and down seamlessly, or as with the Tiptronic S, the driver can opt to shift manually, via the paddleshifters or the console-mounted lever.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to put the 911 Carrera S through some serious paces under a wide variety of driving conditions, on several different terrains, including freeways and twisting 2-lane blacktops. It’s responsiveness to any and all driving surfaces and weather conditions, has to be experienced to be appreciated. The McPherson Strut front, and rear multi-link LSA suspension is tight and ultra-responsive, thanks to Porsche’s computerized Active Suspension Management and stability management systems. The vented 13-inch rotors, sporting 4-piston caliber ABS brakes are superb, and the variable ratio power rack and pinion steering has a nice feel that isn’t too heavy. This car handles better than you expect, and I imagine is actually quite forgiving for the less experienced driver. However, experienced performance drivers, will not only appreciate it, but want to push it.

Whines: None. Absolutely none.

Bottom Line: Quite simply, it’s the quintessential ultra high-performance luxury German sports car. The 911 Carrera S lives up to its legendary heritage, being everything you expect a Porsche to be — and more.

2010 Kia Soul, Practical, spirited, and pretty darn cool

By Lary Coppola
The new Kia Soul attempts to redefine cool, catering to the wants and needs of Gen Y. In a huge market pioneered by, and until now the exclusive property of, the Scion xB, the Soul, along with the Nissan Cube, appear to be staking take no prisoner claims on that market.

Like Scion, Kia’s hook is a large dose of personalization geared at making a statement of uniqueness in a cookie cutter world. With numerous factory and aftermarket accessories it’s easy to brand your own identity onto your Soul.
The model lineup includes four Kia Souls — and these aren’t typos — the base, the +, the !, and the sport. Note the lower case “b” and “s.”

The base Soul ($13,300) comes standard with a 1.6-liter, 122 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transmission, rugged cloth seats, power windows and door locks, solar glass, rear wiper/washer, 60/40 rear seat, and an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT sound system with USB port and auxiliary input jack. It features 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, front disc brakes and rear drums.

The Soul+ ($14,950) upgrades to the 143-horse, 2.0-liter engine, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, cruise control, remote entry, Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, and tinted rear windows. A four-speed automatic is a $950 option. Other options include a power moonroof and foglights ($800) and a $400 audio package featuring five tweeters, subwoofer and external amplifier.

The Soul! ($16,950) comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, the premium audio package, power moonroof, and premium houndstooth accented cloth upholstery, with a leather steering wheel and shift knob, and metal-finish interior trim.
The Soul sport ($16,950) — our test model — offers black-and-red cloth seats and trim, metal pedals, a slightly firmer, sport-tuned suspension, a spoiler, and replaces the power moonroof with black front and rear fascias and side sills. The sport also offers the optional four-speed automatic.

Safety equipment includes six airbags, active front headrests, LATCH seating system, ABS, electronic stability control, and a tire pressure monitor.

The window sticker on my black and red test model had an interesting new category: Environmental Performance. The Soul scored 8 out of 10 on Global Warming, and 5 on Smog.

Walkaround: The lines are smooth and stylish for what’s essentially your basic box. Creating a clever illusion by making the rear windows narrower than the front, it appears as if there’s a rear downward slope to the roofline, which is actually achieved by the rising beltline below the windows. There's also a small, upside-down wedge shaped third side window completing the illusion. Kia calls the design a reverse wedge greenhouse, noting the Soul appears to be wearing a pair of wraparound sunglasses.

The corners are nicely rounded, with chiseled wheel arches mitigating some of the boxiness. The grille is small, with stylish headlights wrapping over where the front fascia, fender and hood intersect.
Seemingly Volvo XC90-inspired taillamps adorn the rear corners. The liftgate and rear window are clean, smooth and light.

Kia is serious as a heart attack about appealing to the imaginations of its target 20-something market — although the Soul will strike a chord with certain 40- and 50-somethings as well. There’s uniquely exotic exterior paint colors, including Alien green, red-hot Molten, coffee-like Java, and metallic versions of Shadow, Titanium and Bright Silver. Additional colors available shortly will include Denim blue, bright white Ghost, and flame-emulating Ignition.

Interior: The interior is exceptionally clean and functional, offering an attractive and ergonomically correct layout. And except for the black-and-beige houndstooth-like upholstery on the upper seatbacks of the Soul!, it appears Kia hasn't tried to do anything overly trendy. Even the two-tone black-and-red cloth on our test vehicle, didn’t compete for attention.

I found the front bucket seats comfortable, feeling like they’d be fine on a trip. Rear-seat legroom is lacking however. There are bottle holders in the front door pockets, plus cupholders in the console, a big two-level glovebox, nets on the front seatbacks, a trap-door compartment on the dash and grab handles over every door. There are auxiliary audio, ipod, and USB jacks, plus two 12-volt outlets.

There is one very fun option — a throbbing-to-the-beat rim of red light around the speakers in the door. I was great when I connected my iPod to a “driving music” playlist I put together specifically for judging sound systems, although I’m not sure how well it works with the rotund blather of Rush and talk radio. It can be turned on and off and you can play with its reaction to sound.

The liftgate is light, with a deep well compartment in the cargo space floor. The 60/40 rear seats easily fold flat, and interior passenger space is good, but consumes some cargo volume, compared to both the larger Scion xB and smaller Honda Fit.

Under The Hood: The base model uses a 122-horse, 1.6-liter engine with a five-speed manual transmission, but I’ll bet most buyers will opt for the 143-horse 2.0-liter with the optional four-speed automatic — especially since its rated at a combined 27 mpg.

Behind The Wheel: I found my test Soul sport with the 2.0-liter, and the automatic to be quite nimble and lots of fun to drive. The 2.0-liter features CVVT, or continuously variable valve timing. With 143 horses and 137 pound feet of torque peaking at a fairly high 4600 rpm, it does the 0-60 drill in around 8 seconds — which isn't too bad.
The power steering is hydraulic rather than electric, but doesn’t feel as heavy as the xB. It doesn’t feel like a sports car, but isn’t meant to either. The brakes are firm and tight.

Whines: The exhaust is a little loud, diminishing reception on my Bluetooth earpiece.

Bottom Line: The Kia Soul will find its niche among the young and young at heart. The reverse wedge styling offers a new take on the basic box, while the interior, engine, automatic transmission, steering, and ride all hit home runs.

The Most Expensive Car On The Planet

It's a Mercedes Benz owned by an Abu Dhabi oil billionaire (naturally).

It features the newly developed V-10 quad turbo that puts out 1,600 horses and 2,800nm of torque. It does 0-60 MPH in less than 2 seconds, and the 1/4 mile in 6.89secs — running on biofuel.

By the way... that's NOT chrome or stainless steel. It's WHITE GOLD!! Remember that the next time you fill up!

Mitsubishi Motors Announces Pricing for New Five-Door Lancer Sportback

Mitsubishi Motors North America has announced pricing for the newest addition to its multiple award-winning Lancer lineup — the 5-door 2010 Lancer Sportback GTS and Ralliart. The Lancer Sportback boasts the same aggressive styling as the rally-inspired Lancer Evolution, yet with greater flexibility to accommodate active lifestyles.

The Lancer Sportback GTS features Mitsubishi's efficient 2.4-liter engine with 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque. MSRP for the GTS with a five-speed manual transmission is $19,190, while the six-speed CVT automatic transmission with magnesium paddle shifters starts at an MSRP of $20,190.

The Lancer Sportback Ralliart is powered by Mitsubishi's 2.0-liter MIVEC turbocharged engine that delivers 237 horsepower and 253 lb.-ft. of torque. All-Wheel Control (AWC) with Active Center Differential (ACD) is standard, as is the quick-shifting six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic® Shift Transmission (TC-SST) and magnesium paddle shifters that it shares with the high performance Lancer Evolution. The Lancer Sportback Ralliart starts at an MSRP of $27,590.

Mitsubishi designers created a dynamic and fluid shape for the Sportback that is instantly recognizable as a Lancer from the front, with its signature "jet fighter" grille, while being completely fresh from the C-pillar rearward. The sleek sloping rear door with integrated roof wing creates a visually distinctive shape while making the Lancer significantly more versatile. The door extends down to the rear bumper to make loading cumbersome objects like surfboards, camping gear and bicycles as easy as possible.

The Lancer Sportback's overall length is just slightly longer than the 4-door sedan, but has substantial cargo-carrying flexibility — especially when the 60:40-split rear seats are folded flat by its one-touch auto-folding feature. To add still more volume, the rear cargo floor of the GTS can be cleverly lowered three inches, yielding 52.7 cubic ft. maximum cargo space. The roof will also conveniently accommodate a plug-in Thule® Sport Rack for additional flexibility.

Premium interior features like those found on the Lancer sedans are also part of the Sportback's resume. Key components in the Ralliart version include a standard 140-watt CD/MP3 audio system with six speakers or an available 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound System, in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability, plus Sirius Satellite Radio. A hard disc-drive navigation system with Mitsubishi's exclusive Diamond Lane Guidance to provide route guidance is optional, as are Recaro sport seats that provide optimal support for the driver and front passenger.

The 2010 Lancer Sportback GTS and Ralliart come with comprehensive bumper-to-bumper warranties. The GTS comes with a 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty with a fully transferable 5-year/60,000 mile warranty for subsequent owners, and a 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. The Ralliart offers a fully transferable 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain package and a 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. Both the GTS and Ralliart come with a 7-year/100,000 mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty and 5-year unlimited miles Roadside Assistance benefits.