Road and Driver

The Germans give this SUV some (more) attitude.

BY JORDAN BROWN

Porsche has announced plans to offer U.S. customers its latest special edition of the Cayenne SUV. Building upon the sporty Cayenne GTS, this is the third Porsche Design Edition in the series—and the first sport-ute—and gets a host of interior and exterior upgrades that have it looking fit for a German Batman.

Sprayed in what Porsche calls Lava Grey Metallic paint and festooned with racing stripes, the DE3 also features color-matched 21-inch wheels, blacked-out bi-xenon headlights, and tinted windows that add to the SUV’s menacing exterior. Also available to customers at no additional charge is an extended roof-mounted spoiler similar to the one found on the Subaru WRX STI. The final exterior flourishes are the Porsche Design Edition 3 graphics on the doors.

Keep Reading: 2010 Porsche Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3 - Car News

Someone was kind enough to pre-own your next new car.

BY DAVID GLUCKMAN

When it comes to purchasing a used car—or “pre-owned vehicle” for the euphemistically inclined—there are two traditional routes a buyer can take. Dealing with a private seller is typically cheaper, but requires faith that the owner is being honest about the car’s history. Buying from a used-car dealer often costs more, but necessitates trust of a whole different order, namely that the dealer knows anything about the car’s past. But another avenue has become a popular alternative: purchasing a used car from a manufacturer’s certified program.

Often called certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles, these cars are sold through new-car dealers’ used sections. From January 2008 to January 2009, there was a nearly 10-percent increase in monthly sales of certified used cars. Nearly all manufacturers have such a program, including luxe brands like Bentley, Maserati, and Porsche. We’ve assembled this guide to help you understand the different options available.

How Does a Car Get Certified?

For a vehicle to be eligible for a CPO program, it must be within a certain age range (typically less than five or six years old) and have less than a specified number of miles on the odometer (the limit is anywhere between 50,000 and 100,000 miles), although Bentley has no mileage limitation. Vehicles with aftermarket modifications are generally excluded and manufacturers also tend to look for vehicles with known dealer-service histories. Chosen vehicles are put through a multipoint inspection—the magic number of points seems to be 150—and anything that needs attention is supposedly repaired or replaced. The number of points is mostly irrelevant, as each brand breaks the inspection down differently, and many of the points are things that would be obvious to a buyer anyway. Many companies make the inspection list available to buyers, so you’ll want to be sure to ask for that before making your decision.

Keep Reading: A Guide to Certified Used Car Programs - Buyers Info

We strap our test gear to GM’s latest high-performance jewel.

BY MIKE SUTTON

Well, the wait is over. After some hands-on quality time with Chevrolet’s new 2010 Camaro—to which we finally were able to strap test gear—we can report that GM’s latest muscle car is indeed one quick machine. How quick depends on if you opt for the base model and its 304-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 or the SS version, which features a 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 400 hp when mated to the optional six-speed automatic transmission and 426 hp when backed by the standard six-speed manual. Either way, Camaro buyers will be getting one seriously capable performance car.

So, How Fast is It?

The quickest of the new Camaros is the SS model with the automatic gearbox, which sprints to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. While this is 0.2 second better than the more powerful, manual-equipped car’s time of 4.8, the off-the-line advantage quickly fades, with the manual tripping the quarter-mile lights in 13 seconds flat at 111 mph versus the auto’s 13.1 at 109. As the arrival of the Camaro brings the modern pony car wars into full swing, it only makes sense to compare the SS to the 315-hp 2010 Mustang GT and the 376-hp Dodge Challenger R/T, both of which manage the 0-to-60-mph run in 5.1 seconds. The 425-hp Challenger SRT8 is a better match for the SS at 4.8 seconds, yet is considerably more expensive than the Camaro.

Keep Reading: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6 and V8 Performance Test Results - Car News

The arrival of the Chevy Camaro finally completes Detroit’s pony-car trifecta. But did Motown save the best for last?

BY STEVE SILER

Click here to read our test of the V-6 Camaro.

Click here for full test numbers on all Camaro powertrains.

Since the last pill-shaped F-body Camaro rolled off the line in 2002, the long-fought, often contentious pony-car game has been one of solitaire, played solely by the Ford Mustang. The Mustang went all retro in 2005, and the ensuing craze prompted Dodge and Chevy to rouse their own dormant nameplates (and fans) to take on the foe-less leader. Dodge was first in 2008 with its resurrected Challenger, and now—just as Ford is launching its significantly updated 2010 Mustang—Chevrolet has finally commenced production of its reborn Camaro, completing the new-age pony-car trifecta.

While we will save the official comparison test for later, we can aver that the neo Camaro offers the freshest and most modern package of the three. Built as it is on GM’s superb Zeta full-size platform, it sports a fully independent suspension, along with evocative, contemporary styling that thankfully misses being totally retro. We entered into this first test of the long-awaited 2010 Camaro with high expectations. Indeed, with a 304-hp, 3.6-liter V-6, thebase Camaro is nearly as powerful as the Mustang GT, and so we were champing at the bit to see what the Camaro could do in SS form, with a 6.2-liter V-8 stuffed under its hood.

How Quick Is It?

With the six-speed automatic, the Camaro SS can hit 60 mph in a scant 4.6 seconds, with the quarter-mile arriving in 13.1 at 109 mph. At 4.8 seconds, the Camaro with the six-speed manual takes 0.2 second longer to hit 60, but overtakes the automatic by the quarter-mile mark, clocking 13 seconds flat at 111 mph. (The L99 V-8 hooked to the automatic is rated for 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, while the LS3/manual combo is good for 426 hp and 420 lb-ft.) For comparison, both the 315-hp 2010 Ford Mustang GT and the 376-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger R/T do the trick in 5.1 seconds. The better-matched but pricier Challenger SRT8—with a 425-horse, 6.1-liter Hemi—hits 60 in 4.8 seconds. So until Ford gets the Mustang GT into the gym and stuffs more power under its hood, Chevy has earned bragging rights in the segment where burliness arguably counts the most.

Keep Reading: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS V8 - Short Take Road Test

This Car and Driver: The people and vehicles we meet.

BY JOHN PHILLIPS

Who: Bob Simpson, 66
What: Owner of Bob’s Classics, Inc.
Where: Tampa, Florida

For 18 years, you’ve sold neo-classics like Excaliburs, Clenets, and Zimmers. Why?
Because they look like million-dollar classics but are easy to maintain. You can drive them every day and not worry if they get banged up.

A lot of enthusiasts think neo-classics are dorky.
I don’t know why. Hot-rodders think nothing of a fiberglass Ford bucket-T, powered by a big-block Chevy. Why is that intellectually better or worse than a neo-classic?

What’s been your best seller?
Mercedes 500K replicas. I’ve sold at least 100.

What do you drive on the street?
An Aston Martin DB7 Vantage—my middle name is James, as in Bond—and a Dodge Viper GTS. I abused the Viper on the day Obama won, because I’m a gun collector. I’ve got 150-some handguns.

But weren’t you shot by a handgun?
I was. In 2002, a former employee forged a company check, and I confronted him. He shot six rounds at me as I was running. The very first round—his first damn shot—got me in the butt. The other five hit a truck. The scar looks like a vaccination. The bullet’s still in my butt.

Keep Reading: Are Neoclassics Dorky? Bob Simpson Votes No - Feature

The Gear Box

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX

Meet Car and Driver’s new Gear Box project car. This 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX is our test bed for all manner of performance and electronic toys. (Take note, nitpickers—we mounted much of the equipment on our long-term WRX STI, seen at bottom.) In the months to come, get our hands-on reports on everything that plugs in, bolts on, or can otherwise improve your automotive experience.

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Wheel Light

In flat black, the OZ Racing Ultraleggera wheels add some menace, but they’re also functional. At 18 pounds apiece, it’s a weight savings of three pounds at each corner over the factory wheels. ($263 each; www.ozracing.com)

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Tires With Teeth

The new Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 is not intended simply for drivers hoping to survive the occasional snowstorm. It’s a big-time performer on snow and ice, a tire able to pull off mind-boggling responses that will most certainly terrify passengers. An evolution of the WS50, the new tire is also much improved in terms of dry-road responses, reducing the squishy, vague feeling that often accompanies soft tires that are optimized for winter use. The WS60 is available in 14- to 17-inch diameters; the 235/45R-17s sell for $148 apiece. We put them to the ultimate test at an ice-autocross event on a frozen lake in Michigan, where many drivers reported that we had visibly more traction than other competitors. And we’ve never fielded as many questions as to our choice of tires—for good reason. Our times were the fastest of the day, some 15 seconds quicker than the next-best car. ($75–$153 each; www.bridgestonetire.com)

Keep Reading: Bridgestone Blizzak Tires, OZ Racing Wheels, Alpine Sound System, and TomTom Navigation - Gear Box