Road and Driver

Putting a Track pack on the popular pony.

BY AARON ROBINSON

A Mustang with a Track pack? Corvettes and Vipers grab the glory for Old Glory at temples of speed such as Le Mans. The lumbering, log-axle Mustang is just a quarter-miler for the tattoo-and-tobacco crowd, right?

Actually,mes amis, the Mustang is America’s other road-racing workhorse. It has its own pro series, the eight-race Mustang Challenge. And there were more than a dozen Mustangs on the grid at Daytona this past January when a Roush-prepared Mustang finished second in the three-hour Koni Challenge race. It made all its rights and lefts better than Porsche 911s and BMW M3s. [Turnkey Mustang drag cars are featured in this month’s Sport, page 110].

No, we wouldn’t expect that hierarchy to hold on the street, even if the 2010 Track-pack Mustang GT is billed as the hairpin-and-carousel king of the newly reskinned Mustang lineup. Still, Ford’s old pony has a long history of making incremental improvements as it ages, and the Track package shows that the late-night lights still burn in some windows at Ford.

Building a Track-pack Mustang on the order form starts with a GT Premium and its 315-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 and five-speed manual, for $31,845. The $1495 Track package swaps out the 3.31 or 3.55 axle for a 3.73 limited-slip rear end with carbon friction plates. The shocks are less forgiving in both compression and rebound, the anti-roll bars are thicker, and dual-piston front brake calipers with performance pads from the 2009 Bullitt model do the stopping. Also, the stability-control system is retuned to tolerate more sideways play.

The world’s cheapest car aims to bring vehicle ownership to the masses.

BY RAY HUTTON

You need to be re-programmed to test the Tata Nano. Normal references do not apply. For the moment, disregard the Nano Europa that appeared at the recent Geneva auto show, as well as the possibility of a U.S. version. Instead, it is the simplest, most basic model that counts: available for as little as $2200, it’s the cheapest new car available anywhere in the world.

We must not forget that the Nano is first and foremost a car for India, a country of about one billion people where fewer than two percent own a car. It was instigated by Ratan Tata, the chairman of the Tata conglomerate, India’s biggest corporation, in a gesture that looks as much philanthropic as business savvy. Watching the way whole families travel on motorcycles—rider, pillion passenger, and two children hanging on—and noting the terrible toll in road deaths involving two-wheelers, Tata called for a safer four-wheeled vehicle that bike riders could afford.

Small Car, Big Ambitions

Everyone knows that small, cheap cars mean small profits, and for Tata the margin on the Nano at its entry price is, well, marginal. But look at the big picture and perhaps we can see the Ford Model T or the Volkswagen Beetle for the 21st century. Through the Nano, Tata of India hopes to become one of the biggest players on the global automotive stage.

The “people’s car” of today primarily has to be for first-time buyers with average incomes way below those of the industrialized Western countries. Ratan Tata’s brief for the Nano was that, apart from being cheap to buy, it must be a “proper” car capable of accommodating five people, exceed Indian safety and emissions requirements, and be economical to run. One look at the Indian market told the Tata engineers that the cost objectives could not be met by stripping out an existing conventional car. The cheapest car on the Indian market, the Maruti 800, is based on an age-old Suzuki minicar and costs twice as much as the Nano.

Keep Reading: 2009 Tata Nano - First Drive Review

Could the Prius and fun finally get along?

BY STEVE SILER

We’ve never gotten too excited about the Toyota Prius around here. On one hand, as an extreme fuel-sipper with a distinctive design and contrarian appeal, the Prius is laudable in the manner with which it eschews traditional luxury and conspicuous speed in favor of high-tech eco features, utter thrift, and unconventional hatchback living. On the other hand, with skinny tires, a loud cabin, terrible rear vision, and a boomy ride, the Prius has been the exact opposite of fun to drive. Indeed, efficiency and green image aside, considered as a plain ol’car, the Prius has represented little more than an expensive Corolla.

Toyota has been relatively fine with that, for there are plenty of shoppers seeking the automotive equivalent of an Energy Star appliance for their transportation needs, and Toyota has wooed more than a million into Priuses so far. For 2010, however, Toyota has stepped up the game, not just updating the styling considerably, but veritably pouring engineering talent (some 200 engineers’ worth) into making countless changes intended to make the Prius both more powerful, more efficient, and—get this—more fun to drive. Plus, there are those impressive fuel-economy ratings: an official EPA-estimated 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway, and 50 mpg combined.

Transformed? Not Quite

Did Toyota succeed? Now that we’ve had a chance to sample the 2010 Prius along the scenic and winding roads around Napa, California, we can say that it did achieve those three goals. A welcome helping of grunt (okay, maybe grunt is too strong a word) has been injected into the Prius’s vastly improved hybrid powertrain, which mates a larger, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine to an 80-hp electric motor and a 650-watt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack for a combined power rating of 134 hp, up from 110 for the 2009 model. Furthermore, a new engine management system allows for three driving settings—Battery, Eco, and Power. Toyota also added a 17-inch wheel-and-tire option to liven up the handling.

Keep Reading: 2010 Toyota Prius - First Drive Review

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

Ask us anything.

Send questions TO “ASK US ANYTHING,” 1585 Eisenhower place, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, or e-mail AskUs@CARandDRIVER.com.

In various spots along my engine’s air-intake plumbing, there are random-size plastic air cavities (I believe). What are they for?

Joseph Kentrus
In Cyberspace Limbo

Those bumps and bulges on the intake are resonating chambers, made to both reduce and tune intake noise so you hear less whooshing of air and more sweet exhaust. Conversely, excessive whooshing of air in the C/D office is associated with a decidedly foul exhaust.

DI DIY

I am curious about direct injection (DI). I have seen it or heard of it applied only to SOHC or DOHC engines. Can it be used with OHV pushrod engines? Also, what would be the expense and labor involved in converting a DOHC (my Scion tC, for instance) to DI?

Mike Head
Scottsdale, Arizona

There’s no reason why a pushrod engine couldn’t run with direct injection, and don’t be surprised if you soon see a GM small-block or a Hemi with the system. As far as doing a conversion, we’d suggest buying a new car because switching from port injection to direct requires holes in the cylinder head for the injectors, a high-pressure fuel pump to supply them, and a completely overhauled engine-management system. The benefit of direct injection is that it has a cooling effect, allowing for a higher compression ratio, which benefits both power and efficiency. Plus, the individual injectors more precisely meter fuel, which further improves efficiency. Even if you could convert an engine to DI and get it running, you wouldn’t gain much without completely retuning the software and changing the internals to boost compression.

Going The Distance

Under optimal conditions and using only the parking brake, about how many feet would be required to stop a late-’60s piece of hulking Detroit iron from 70 mph on a moderately traveled interstate-quality road? A co-worker of mine suggests that needing to do that (while driving from Chicago to Carbondale, Illinois) without the availability of conventional braking was not necessarily irresponsible.

Dennis Rodman
Palatine, Illinois

The best guess we can give you for braking distance is about three laps of Soldier Field. So keep your insurance agent’s number handy. The current federal standard for light vehicles basically states that if your front brakes fail, you still have to be able to stop from 62 mph in 511 feet. That rule applies to modern cars, so an old car stopping from a higher speed will take even more distance. Also consider reaction time; at 70 mph, you’ll travel an extra 154 feet if it takes 1.5 seconds to get your brain to make your foot hit the brakes. The good news is that average ’60s Detroit iron likely had rear drum brakes, so the parking-brake lever would actually use the regular (a.k.a. service) brakes, which means the brakes might be robust enough to use this strategy more than once. Many newer cars with rear discs have a puny “drum in hat” design for the parking brake that isn’t intended to stop the car repeatedly.

Pipe Proliferation

I see a lot of cars with dual chrome exhaust pipes, a lot of them on what I wouldn’t consider high-performance cars. Many take a single pipe and separate it into two pipes and mufflers. Is there an advantage to this, or is it just done for looks? It seems the new A4 went the other way and now has two pipes from one muffler, similar to some BMWs.

Joseph Marcogliese
South Salem, New York

On most cars with inline engines, dual exhaust pipes are a styling exercise. If there’s only one exhaust manifold, then all of the exhaust gas travels via a single pipe through the catalyst. One exception is BMW’s twin-turbo inline-six, which has one turbo for each bank of cylinders and uses two exhaust manifolds. Even some engines with more than one cylinder bank funnel exhaust to a single pipe before splitting into two exhausts at the rear. Whether there’s a single muffler or two, the main benefit of dual exhaust pipes is a sporty look. Functionally, a single exhaust pipe with the same sectional area of a dual exhaust should work just as well but looks only half as awesome.

Speaking Volumes

Regarding displacement, do quoted figures, standard or metric, describe a single cylinder or the entire engine? If a single cylinder is the case, then a V-twin motorcycle, with an advertised 500cc displacement would actually have 1000cc of total displacement. Is this correct?