The new MINI Cooper S Works GP at the race track.
Filed under: Economy Sport/GT, MINI, Road Tests
When MINI asked us if we wanted to flog one of the 451 U.S.-bound MINI Cooper S Works GP models around Willow Springs raceway in California, who were we to refuse?
This new limited edition car is the ultimate factory tuner model of the MINI. The 2006 MINI GP has been produced in a very limited run of 2000 worldwide, with barely 20 percent of those making it to U.S. shores.
We drove #238. Like all MINI GPs, ours featured the changes that make this a unique performer. Not only does the car have a supercharged engine producing 214 horsepower, helped by a smaller ratio pulley than the standard MINI Cooper S, optimization of the engine computer, and a factory free-flow exhaust, but the back seat has been removed and other weight-reducing measures have been taken including aluminum rear control arms and removal of sound-deadening options. There is even an air conditioning delete option, showing just how seriously MINI is at attracting true performance enthusiasts.
MINI didn’t stop at adding power and reducing weight, however. The car also has the full John Cooper Works brake system and tuned suspension. This makes the car not only quick, but very nimble and capable on the track, while still remaining streetable.
With 214 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of 6 and change, and a top speed of over 140 mph, this limited edition bumps just north of $30,000, but there is little else on the market at that price range that combines the performance, handling, and pure driving fun of the MINI Cooper S Works GP.
Watch and listen as we take the MINI GP through its paces on the track. We’re still smiling.
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT
Filed under: Car Reviews, Convertibles, Mitsubishi, Road Tests
Beleaguered Japanese automaker Mitsubishi sure isnít acting like a company in trouble. In fact, to the delight of auto enthusiasts everywhere, the ìDriven to Thrillî brand seems to be pouring an awful lot of resources into rebuilding their high-performance reputation. Fruits of that labor have included a passel of Lancer Evolution varieties, and a wholly improved Eclipse. And now, whatever hedonists currently hold sway at Mitsubishi HQ have brought us a ragtop iteration of that iconic sports coupeóand they made it good. The 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT we just tested makes none of the typical convertible concessions, and preserves all of the coupeís cachet.
From the moment you lay eyes on it, the Spyderís allure is palpable. Mitsubishi stylists are to be applauded for avoiding the typical chopped-top-as-an-afterthought look; the design is striking even with the top up. And once opened to the elements, the topless Eclipse suffers not a single aesthetic misstepóthe proportions are balanced, and the overall look is exotic. Of course, the Eclipse coupe wasnít a bad starting point; both benefit from the sculpted waist, jeweled clear-lens head- and tail-lights, and aggressive wheels filling flared fenders, pushed far out to the corners.
Follow this link for full Mitsubishi Eclipse Road Test
Follow this link for Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Pictures
2006 Mercedes-Benz ML500
Filed under: Car Reviews, Mercedes-Benz, Road Tests, SUVs
We finally got some real seat time in the all-new M-Class–and it was worth the wait. The new Mercedes truck is everything the old ML wasn’t, beginning from bare metal. Where the old M was a body-on-frame, overweight truck with a leather-and-wood wrapper over sturdy but plebian mechanicals, the new crossover structure gives the M a refined nature the previous iteration could never hope to match. Where the old M had quality problems and suffered owner complaints for years into production,
The new M is the product of a more meticulous Mercedes-Benz–having implemented stringent new quality controls on the assembly lines and sworn off the complicated electronics they included simply for their own sake. Overall, where the old M was more status symbol than sensible automotive choice, the new M oozes not just class, but competence.
Outside the change isn’t so evident; the new M looks a lot like the old, re-rendered in hi-def. The corners and bodyside lines are a little more creased; the trim and sparse chrome bits a little more defined. The saw-tooth grille insert is reminiscent of machined industrial equipment. Jeweled taillamps and HID headlights complete the high-tech theme. One thing hasn’t changed, though–that oversized, tri-pointed star on the grille is still suitable for Flava-Flav’s accessory drawer.
Follow this link for full Mercedes ML500 Review
Click here for Mercedes-Benz ML500 Pictures
2006 Ford Freestyle Limited AWD
Filed under: Car Reviews, Ford, Road Tests, SUVs
Automotive journalists are well-known for decrying the SUV craze-in part selfishly, as we enjoy driving exciting vehicles, and reviewing truck after truck after truck can become tedious. “Why,” we’re always lamenting, “why don’t consumers buy wagons?” After all, the station wagon offers similar utility, better fuel economy, and usually better pricing than the typical SUV does, and their lower centers of gravity and weights make for more sporting machines, on average.
So, when a vehicle like the Ford Freestyle hits the market-boasting SUV character and car underpinnings-we rejoice. The typical review of such an SUV-alternative will spend hundreds of words extolling its sharp handling and other dynamic virtues, although in truth, rising SUV sales show that consumers largely don’t care. No matter is it’s equipped with all-wheel-drive, wearing some new name meant to evoke the great outdoors (Prairie Dog Bush Country Back-road edition), even cladded with gaudy brush guards and similar useless protrusions-to many buyers, a station wagon just cannot mimic the rugged appeal of the Sport Utility Vehicle.
Read the full Ford Freestyle Car Review
Follow this link for more Pictures of the Ford Freestyle
2007 Mazda CX-7 Road Test
Filed under: Mazda, Road Tests, SUVs
At first, we weren’t particularly interested in the announcement of an all-new crossover SUV–the 2007 Mazda CX-7. A new car-based ‘ute is about as rare as a Hollywood wedding. Mostly, they’re ungainly, unexciting vehicles that trade the stability and light weight of a car for extra cargo room and ground clearance that nobody uses. A few high-end crossovers do emphasize the Sport in SUV–Range Rover Sport, ML55, X5, etc.–but in the meat of the market, there’s not much to get our blood boiling.
When we heard the CX-7 would be powered by a 244-horse turbo, however, our ears perked up. After all, Mazda is known for injecting a bit of “Zoom-zoom” philosophy into nearly every vehicle they build. And when we saw that curvy body, we relented, and decided to take a look at what we fervently hoped would not turn out to be just another family hauler with no soul.
Click here to read full review: 2007 Mazda CX-7 Road Test
