JSwain: February 2016

Monday, February 22, 2016

Start with Hell, Add More Hell: Hennessey Announces 1032-hp HPE1000 Hellcat Twins

Years and years ago, we knew this local jazz fusion drummer. He played with a group that did a 15-minute rendition of Led Zeppelins Whole Lotta Love. Buff the minds eyeball with that and tell us that they werent right in calling such an abomination Whole Lotta Hell. Thankfully, John Hennesseys idea of what a whole lotta hell might look like is significantly more engaging than a bunch of jazzoids defiling the Mighty Zep. Welcome, wont you, the Hennessey HPE1000 Charger and Challenger Hellcat!

Because 707 horsepower courtesy of Ma Mopars 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 simply is not enough, Hennessey bolts on a pair of turbochargers. Note that this is not in lieu of the blower atop the enginethe turbos are there to add additional boost. The at-the-crank result is 1032 horsepower at 6500 rpmand 987 lb-ft of torque at 4200. Hennessey claims thats good for 2.7 seconds to 60 mph and is enough to put either Cat just into the nines, blasting through the traps in 9.9 seconds at 142 mph. After all, owing somebody a 10-second car went out of vogue shortly after 2001.

In addition to the engine mods, the HPE1000s come with twin-turbo badging, a Hennessey rear badge, HPE1000 Powered by Hennessey badges on both sides, and in the rear, a first-edition copy of Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of Courage,and a Palawan stink badger in the throes of estrus. The last two items are lies. In the realm of things that are not lies or deemed badges, your HPE1000 also comes with an interior not-a-badge/plaque signed by John Hennessey and an engine-compartment plaque signed by the person who built your car. Youll also receive a signed Certificate of Authenticity and a set of Powered by Hennessey floor mats.

The twin snails, their extra boost, a before/after dyno chart, the rest of the upgrades, and all the branded additional content youd ever possibly want costs $55,000 on top of the cost of the car itself, says Hennessey. Its all backed by a one-year/12,000-mile limited warranty over and beyond the one provided by Fiat-Chrysler. The rear tires, regrettably, arenot. Whaddaya want? It is hell after all.

2017 Kia Sportage Jumps in Price, Size

CARS.COM As Kia's compact SUV enters its fourth generation, the Sportage gets a little pricier for the 2017 model year. It now starts at $23,885, including an $895 destination charge; that's $840 more than the outgoing model's base price. The Sportage competes in a crowded class against the likes of the Honda CR-V ($24,645 base price), its corporate cousin Hyundai Tucson ($23,595) and the Toyota RAV4 ($25,250).

Related: 2017 Kia Sportage: First Look

For the extra cash, buyers will get more vehicle, inside and out. The new Sportage is a bit longer and offers more headroom, legroom and cargo space behind the second row. Kia also says it has addressed visibility issues with repositioned side mirrors, thinner A- and C-pillars and a larger rear window. The 2017 Sportage has added soundproofing material and increased body rigidity through the use of high-strength steel, which Kia hopes will bump up the SUV's lackluster safety ratings.

The Sportage also gets a sportier new exterior design, which in some respects resembles a toned-down Nissan Juke thanks to more-bulbous, protruding headlights. Shapelier curves and defining creases, as well as a sloping roofline and swept-back appearance, all contribute to a more aggressive look.

Powertrains carry over to the returning trio of trim levels, with the LX and EX getting a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the SX Turbo getting a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Sportage comes standard with LED running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, chrome window surrounds, rear privacy glass, a 5-inch touch-screen, a backup camera, Bluetooth connectivity, keyless entry and three selectable driving modes including Normal, Eco and Sport. The $1,100 LX Popular Package adds heated front seats and heated outside mirrors, a 10-way power adjustable driver seat with lumbar support and upgraded cloth seats. The $900 LX Cool and Connected Package comes with dual-zone climate control and a 7-inch touch-screen multimedia system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

The uplevel EX trim with front-wheel drive starts at $26,395 with destination and adds leather seat trim, pushbutton start with a smart key, 18-inch wheels, fog lights and gloss-black exterior trim. The $1,900 EX Premium Package further adds a heated steering wheel, power-folding mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, blind spot warning system with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and LED interior lighting.

For another $2,700, buyers can opt for the Technology Package, which comes with an 8-inch touch-screen, navigation, a premium stereo system, front and rear park assist, a power liftgate, lane-departure warning and front-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection and an eight-way power passenger seat.

The top-trim SX Turbo starts at $33,395 with destination and comes with the turbo 2.0-liter engine and is "fully loaded," according to Kia. Adding to the EX Technology Package, the SX Turbo has larger front brakes, a sport-tuned suspension, 19-inch wheels, dual exhaust pipes, front and rear metal-look skid plates, a model-specific grille, bi-xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights, LED fog lights and taillights, gloss-black interior trim, metal pedals, a 4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster, a sport steering wheel and a stitched dashboard.

An all-wheel drive system with a 50/50 locking center differential and torque vectoring is available on any trim for $1,500.

The 2017 Sportage is set to hit dealerships in 2016.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Recall Alert: 2016 Volkswagen Beetle

CARS.COM

Vehicles Affected: Approximately 325 model-year 2016 Volkswagen Beetle cars manufactured between June 18 and Nov. 9, 2015, and equipped with 18-inch wheels

The Problem: Affected vehicles may have incorrect sidewall height ratio information on the tire placard. If the tires are replaced using a smaller-diameter tire, it can cause incorrect readings on the speedometer, increasing the risk of a crash.

The Fix: Dealers will install a corrected tire placard for free.

What Owners Should Do: The recall is expected to begin this month. Owners can call the automaker at 800-893-5298, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov for more info.

Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

More Recalls

New Audi TDI Diesels Include V-8 and Electrically Supercharged V-6

2017 Audi A4 TDI Quattro prototype

A decade ago, V-8 diesels were all the rage in Europe. You could get them in large SUVs and luxury sedans, including the Audi A8, the BMW 7-series, the Mercedes-Benz S-class, and the Volkswagen Phaeton. At Mercedes-Benz, the 4.2-liter V-8 diesel even trickled down to the E-class. Their smoothness and sheer muscle surpassed the ubiquitous V-6 diesels, but consistent improvement in the output and refinement of the six-cylinder engines saw the eights' influence fade.

Today, they survive only in a few European-market top-level SUVs: The Toyota Land Cruiser has a V-8 turbo-diesel, you can get the Range Rover thus equipped, and VW still offers one in the Touareg especially for Russia. But the V-8 diesel has all but disappeared from flagship sedans. Only Audi still has a V-8 diesel, a 379-hp 4.2-liter unit in the A8. You'd think that the segment is doomed. But instead of killing the V-8 diesel off like the rest, Audi is adding power and torque in a quest to offer a differentiating powertrain option for its top-dog four-door.

2017 Audi Q7 TDI Quattro

Indeed, we've heard that at the Vienna engine symposium in late April, Audi will introduce its next-generation V-8 TDI. Details are sparse at this moment, but we understand the engine will produce well over 400 horsepower and around 500 lb-ft of torque. The engine will launch in the next-generation A8, slated for its debut in early 2017. It will hurl Audi's all-aluminum behemoth to 62 mph in just over four seconds, we hear. Down the road, the engine could be offered in the the VW Group's large SUV models and the Porsche Panamera. It could even be sold in the next-generation Bentley Continental.

The V-8 TDI won't be Audi's only high-performance diesel. We expect to see a turbocharged V-6 TDI with an electric supercharger on the market soon, essentially the same engine that was showcased in an RS5 TDI prototype we drove in the summer of 2014. To be offered in Audi's S models, this ultra-powerful and responsive V-6 promises a sportier experience than the V-8, even if it will lack the level of refinement and the fascination of the eight-holer.

As to the U.S. market, these monster diesels are but a remote possibility right now, but Audi isn't ruling out a launch here if customers warm up to diesels again. In any event, after the U.S. emissions scandal that has shaken the VW Group to its very core, it will be key to make sure this one complies with global regulations to the letter.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

2016 Mini Hardtop Review

CARS.COM -- The four-door 2016 Mini Hardtop retains much of the two-door's nimbleness and fun-to-drive personality, but even with extra doors and length, it's not big on carrying passengers or cargo.

Find out more in my review.

2016 Audi RS7 Performance - First Drive Review

2016 Audi S8 Plus, S7, and RS7 Performance

2016 Audi RS7 Performance twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine

McLaren's Geneva Teasers: Bare Carbon P1, Special 675LT Spider

Next month, at the Geneva auto show, McLaren will trot out unique versions of two sold-out supercars and parade them in front of some of the wealthiest people in all of Europe. One is the P1, which ended its 375-car run two months ago, and the other a 675LT Spider, which sold out all 500 examples in a couple weeks. They're taking the stand to remind McLaren buyers of the British automaker's elaborate customization options, available via McLaren Special Operations.

The P1 by MSO, as it's called, strips all paint and leaves this plug-in hybrid's outrageous curves entirely naked in blue-tinted carbon fiber. (Bugatti did the same thing in 2009 with the Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu, and on at least one more Veyron Grand Sport in 2010.)

Other upgrades include gloss black wheels and black microsuede trim with blue stitching. The real gem is the 24-karat-gold leaf that wraps the exhaust's heat shield, in tribute to the legendary F1. MSO will do that for any McLaren, in addition to mixing 24-karat gold flecks into exterior paint like on the one-off 650S Spider Al Sahara 79.

The 675LT Spider, in a rather retro blue-grey, replaces only part of its body panels with unpainted (and standard black-colored) carbon fiber. Those items include the retractable hardtop, side skirts, side intakes, chin spoiler, front air intakes, rear bumper, and the underside of the retractable rear wing. Another 24-karat gold-plated heat shield is in place around the Spider's enormous exhaust, peeping out from behind the engine vents.

McLaren will also unveil a new car, most likely a Longtail version of the 570S coupe. Unlike the P1 and the 675LT Spider, that will be a car one can actually buy.

2016 Audi RS7 Performance First Drive: The 605-hp Extra-Awesome Version

-We really, really like the Audi RS7--like, if we went to grade school with it, we'd pass it love notes until we ran out of paper. The RS7 is the ne plus ultra member of a lineup that also includes the A7 and S7 that earned spots on our 10Best Cars lists in 2012, 2013, and 2014--cars that remain our top picks in the curious luxury-four-door-coupe segment. For more proof of our crush, the RS7 also won the only C/D comparison test in which it participated. But that comparo occurred a long time ago in car years--more than two!--and Audi has since updated the model for 2016, mostly with cosmetic tweaks and technology enhancements. Its greatness led us to call the latest model "one of the greatest performance sedans (well, hatchbacks) of all time." READ MORE >>

Volvo Hatches Another Wagon With the V90

CARS.COM -- Wagon fans have perhaps the highest-tech wagon yet in the all-new Volvo V90. Volvo unveiled the wagon today, a car that shares its platform with the recently introduced S90 sedan and seems poised to replace the aging XC70.

The V90 shares the S90's bold face, Thor's-hammer headlights and flat belt line. The rear window and taillights lean sharply forward -- even more so than the V60 wagon's tail, let alone the XC70's upright rear. That might pinch cargo room, but it should be considerable nonetheless: Judging by the V90's profile, there's still a lot of car behind the C-pillar.

Volvo promises the V90 will have "the most advanced standard safety package on the market." Like the S90, the V90 will offer Volvo's new Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system as well as a system that detects large animals. Volvo also will offer a plug-in hybrid version, which it calls the T8. The automaker says it will put out "around 400" horsepower and offer roughly 30 miles of all-electric driving range.

The V90's five-seat interior shares the S90 and XC90's Euro-cool styling, with minimalistic controls, plenty of stitched surfaces and a large, portrait-oriented dashboard touch-screen. Other details are sparse, but Volvo says it should hit U.S. dealerships sometime in 2017.

2017 Volvo V90

2017 Volvo V90

2017 Volvo V90