Joe Victor

On the Road in Style!

Monthly Archives: February 2012

Joe asks Jody Victor®: 12 Best in Class Car Values For 2012

Based on performance, value and safety — plus driving impressions from road tests, these Best in Class winners rom Kiplingers will “Wow” you. I asked Jody Victor to explain.

Jody Victor: Well, Joe, here they are, 12 vehicles that should keep you happy no matter what, by Jessica Anderson of Kiplinger, from msn.com , in 3 parts.

CARS UNDER $20,000: CHEVROLET CRUZE

Sticker price: $19,995 (Eco, manual)
Invoice price: $19,225
TrueCar national average price: $19,889
3-year resale value: 57%, 5-year: 40%
City mpg: 28, Hwy: 42

Introduced last year to replace the Cobalt, the Cruze quickly shot to best-seller status. It’s wallet-friendly on many fronts, blending a low price with impressive fuel efficiency and high resale values. Its stylish and nearly silent interior, plus solid handling, push it to the front of the compact pack.

CARS $20,000-$25,000: VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI

Invoice price: $23,451
TrueCar national average price: $23,619
3-year resale value: 62%, 5-year: 46%
City mpg: 30, Hwy: 42

The Jetta offers German engineering at a budget price but without a budget feel. It’s as spacious inside as compacts come, and as nimble, whether you’re parallel parking or navigating city traffic. The diesel version gets top honors for its powerful, fuel-efficient engine and stellar resale values.

CARS $25,000-$30,000: KIA OPTIMA

Sticker price: $25,850 (2.0T EX)
Invoice price: $24,205
TrueCar national average price: $25,205
3-year resale value: 52%, 5-year: 36%
City mpg: 22, Hwy: 34

The Optima’s redesign last year shook off the bland styling, adding sharp creases and an aggressive front end complete with fog lights and wraparound headlamps; it also won Kiplinger’s Best New Car award for its category. The turbo-boosted four-cylinder engine puts out more horsepower (274) than most in its class, a difference you’ll feel on the road. Add value pricing and a five-year warranty and you’ve got serious swagger.

CARS $30,000-$40,000: FORD TAURUS

Sticker price: $38,950 (SHO)
Invoice price: $35,820
TrueCar national average price: $35,005
3-year resale value: 54%, 5-year: 39%
City mpg: 17, Hwy: 25

A Kiplinger’s top pick since its 2009 reintroduction, the Taurus earns its plaudits with a mix of fuel efficiency and power. The V6 EcoBoost engine gives it the power of a V8 without guzzling gas. The Super High Output (SHO) badge means it gets a sport-tuned suspension, bigger brakes and paddle shifters.

Thanks, Jody! More next time!

Joe Victor

 

Joe asks Jody Victor®: The 600-Horsepower Club II

It’s somewhat hard to imagine cars with over 500 horsepower let alone more than 600, just coasting down the road. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more from an article by James Tate of MSN Autos/msn.com.

Jody Victor®: Apparently, mega-horsepower is no longer to be restrained only to the racing circuit. Here’s the second half of the over 600-horsepower club.

 

5. Ford Shelby GT500, 650 horsepower – With the introduction of the 2013 Shelby GT500, the pony-car wars have officially gotten out of hand. Let it be clear we’re talking about a factory-produced Mustang with 650 horsepower. Likely created to one-up the fire-breathing ZL1 variant of its decades-old archrival, the Chevrolet Camaro, this Mustang and its supercharged 5.8-liter V8 engine is the most powerful Ford to ever roll off the assembly line, and by a large margin. Although it’s far from a barbaric muscle car, we can only hope the big coupe’s aging suspension design is up to the task of controlling this kind of power.

 

4. Ferrari FF, 651 horsepower – The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was a curvaceous, high-performance luxury sports car. But it never really enjoyed success in the highly competitive exotic market. Ferrari’s response to this comes in the form of the polarizing FF. In many ways, this uniquely styled vehicle is a drastic departure from the tried-and-true prancing-horse formula. It offers four doors and all-wheel drive, as well as a “love it or hate it” shooting-brake body style. Luckily, its screaming 651-horsepower V12 engine does a mighty job of allaying concerns that Ferrari is forsaking performance and exhilaration, as it enables the 4-seater to rocket to 208 mph.

 

3. Lamborghini Aventador, 691 horsepower – Lamborghini has never been one to be timid with its vehicles, and its latest flagship turns heads with its flashy stealth-fighter styling and explosively powerful V12 engine rattling the ground. With 691 horsepower and years of performance engineering under its belt, the Aventador is more than ready to carry the torch into the next generation. Its paddle-shifting, single-clutch transmission, however, has a strikingly rough touch in a sea of seamless, butter-smooth dual-clutch units. Even so, it gets the job done. This replacement for the Murcielago is exactly what we were hoping for from the house of the raging bull.

 

2. Aston Martin One-77, 750 horsepower – British sports-car manufacturer Aston Martin is famous for creating svelte and sexy grand touring cars, and its crowning achievement, the One-77, is no exception. Although unmistakably an Aston Martin in design, this halo car puts a greater emphasis on outrageous performance and sports wilder, jaw-dropping style elements than its lesser brethren. Limited to just 77and already sold out, the One-77 boasts the most powerful naturally aspirated production-car engine ever made — a 7-liter V12 good for a roaring 750 horsepower. Take a good look at this athletic beauty, as it’s unlikely you’ll ever encounter one on the road.

 

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 1,183 horsepower – By now, the Bugatti Veyron is no stranger to automotive enthusiasts, as its superlative specs make it the uncontested king of sports cars. Its Super Sport variant cranks the wick even further, boosting output of its mammoth quad-turbo W16 engine from an already absurd 987 horsepower up to a “good God, that’s nuts” 1,183 horsepower. This insane power results in a possible top speed of 268 mph. Without question, the Veyron would satisfy even the biggest adrenaline junkie. With a price tag well into the seven digits, however, this uber-exclusive supercar is not for the financially faint of heart.

Thanks, Jody! We’d love to be able to test drive any of these vehicles!!

Joe Victor

Joe asks Jody Victor®: The 600-Horsepower Club

If you thought 500 ponies crammed into an engine was boast-worthy wait until you see what these vehicles can do. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us about these super-fast cars from an article by James Tate of MSN Autos/msn.com.

Jody Victor®: Apparently it was not hard to come up with these 10 examples of cars with 600 or more horsepower. Here it is, an impressive list of 10, in two parts.

10. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, 612 horsepower – With Ferrari’s last hypercar, the Enzo, slowly fading from memory, the 599 GTB now holds the crown of top Ferrari. This front-engine grand-touring sports car boasts a 6-liter 612-horsepower V12 engine under its long hood. It also holds the crown for one of the world’s fastest zero-to-60-mph times, at just 3.2 seconds. For those with an even greater lust for performance, and even deeper pockets, the 599 GTO variant claims a whopping 661 horsepower and the title of Ferrari’s fastest production offering — even faster than the aforementioned Enzo.

 

9. Porsche 911 GT2 RS, 620 horsepower – Porsche reserves its “RS” designation for only the best of its breed. In the case of the already frightening GT2 variant of the 911, the RS trim borders on insanity. Although based on the previous 997 generation, rather than the all-new 991, the GT2 RS is the fastest production Porsche. With 620 horsepower coming from a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter engine mounted in the trunk and powering only the rear wheels, calling the GT2 RS a handful to control should be an understatement. Still, for drivers versed in the art of 911 driving, the GT2 RS produces a thrill that few cars can match.

 

8. Bentley Continental Supersports, 621 horsepower – The first of two English cars on this list, the Bentley Continental Supersports differs from most of this pack because of its emphasis on luxury and comfort, rather than on outright, face-melting performance. This sumptuous Bentley packs six liters spread across 12 cylinders, although laid out in a W configuration instead of the more typical V. The turbocharged behemoth produces a dizzying 621 horsepower and launches the big coupe to 60 mph in less than four seconds — seriously fast for a 5,000-pound hunk of metal. Most examples of this $250,000 car end up in the hands of celebrities looking to flaunt some automotive bling.

 

7. Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, 621 horsepower – While the Mercedes-Benz S65 isn’t the most powerful vehicle here, it is arguably one of the most astounding. The reason? It’s a 4-door luxury sedan capable of transporting five adults in comfort, technology and style. Like the Bentley, this big Benz gets its monumental power from a 6-liter 12-cylinder engine sporting a pair of turbochargers. As opposed to the Bentley’s unorthodox W-cylinder layout, the engine in the S65 is a traditional V12 good for 621 horsepower and a stupefying 738 lb-ft of torque. A sleeker 2-door cousin, the CL65 AMG, packs the same monstrous mill under the hood.

 

6. Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 638 horsepower – The Corvette ZR1 is the most potent mass-produced American sports car and lays claim to one of the quickest times around Germany’s famed Nürburgring track. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine churns out an easy 638 horsepower, making it the fastest production vehicle to wear a Chevrolet bow tie. Yet it remains surprisingly docile when driven gently. It continues to suffer against equally priced imports in terms of refinement, but the reverse can also be said of its performance — practically no other vehicle in the ZR1′s price range can touch its track-readiness. The Nissan GT-R is one of its few direct competitors.

Thanks, Jody! More 600 horsepower vehicles next time!

Joe Victor

Joe asks Jody Victor®: 12 Cars We Can’t Wait to Drive III

The annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit can induce serious sensory overload. For a true car nut, it’s like being a kid in a candy store – drooling over all that tasty sheet metal. I asked Jody Victor  to tell us about 12 of them (in 3 instalments) from an article by Kirk Bell of MSN Autos, and msn.com.

Jody Victor: Hey Joe, can’t wait to see and drive some of these fantastic vehicles. Here’s the third batch.

Lexus LF-LC Concept – Though the LF-LC is just a concept, the hybrid sports coupe signals a new design direction for Lexus. If the luxury car brand gets positive response here in Detroit, it might be inspired to build the car, which would be super. Ideally, we’d like it to possess the handling prowess of the automaker’s celebrated LF-A, come in a rear-wheel drive platform and have the turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain pump out between 450 and 500 horsepower. Now that would be a world-class sports car.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL – In Mercedes parlance, SL stands for Super Lightweight. But the SL roadster hasn’t stuck to that philosophy in recent years. The 2013 SL550 gets back to those roots. With a body and structure rendered in almost all aluminum, the new SL is 242 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the equivalent of a good-sized middle linebacker. That should translate into improved handling for this grand tourer, as well as make the new turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine’s 429 horses all that more effective. Add in Mercedes’ responsive Direct Steer variable steering ratio and available active body control, and the new SL should be sportier than ever.

Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTec Hybrid – Hybrids aren’t usually the objects of passion for auto enthusiasts. They are, after all, usually underpowered and bland in the handling department. But we appreciate the compatible technologies involved in the E300 BlueTec Hybrid. Diesel engines offer great highway fuel economy and hybrids do the same for city efficiency, so combining the two is only natural. Mercedes has said the E300 BlueTec Hybrid will be offered only in Europe, at least initially, so U.S. fuel-economy numbers aren’t available, but we expect 50-plus mpg. Hopefully, Mercedes will see fit to bring this efficient car to these shores in the future. It’ll offer Prius-level efficiency in a fun-to-drive luxury package.

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet – The last generation of the Porsche 911 was a model of precision and agility. With its longer wheelbase, wider track and lighter weight, the all-new 911, code name 991, is even better. We’ve driven the coupe and it is more refined, more efficient, more luxurious and even more agile than the outgoing model, which was outstanding. The 2012 Cabriolet, shown here, gets a lighter top thanks to a new design that incorporates magnesium bows. Give us the 400-horsepower 911 Carrera S Cabriolet with the 7-speed manual transmission, a winding road and a clear summer day, and we’ll be in automotive heaven.

Thanks, Jody! We can’t wait to check ‘em out!

Joe Victor