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i-legit-dont-know-what-im-doing · 4 years ago

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How The Golden Spear would go in my “HDLW grow up with their Duck Cousins counterparts” AU (This is Part 2 of Webby’s introduction Part 1 is Whatever Happened to Della Duck which you can find right here):

It opens with Della bringing gold back to the ship where Webby is watching a news report that they managed to tune into while Penumbra watches with suspicion.

Della is exhausted from spending all her time trying to fix the ship so she can get her and Webby back home.

Meanwhile on Earth, Donald is trying to get some much needed relaxation time only to be interrupted by Dewey who wants to know if he can use his old VCR to watch a zombie movie.

Which of course raises the dead so they have to right off zombies causing Donald to molt more.

Lunaris attempts to persuade Della to stay in Tranquility, saying that it would be perfect to work on her ship but she still isn’t convinced.

They end up by the statue of Lunaris and Penumbra and Lunaris tells Della about how the two of them defended the Planet Moon “Which is technically not a planet so ‘Moon Moon?’” from the Moon Mites.

After Penumbra shows up and they talk for a bit Della says she has to get back to fixing the Spear with Webby and as she walks away Penumbra tries to blast her only to be stopped by Lunaris.

Lunaris talks about his father, General Meridian, and how he was afraid of the earth and drove them into hiding, then points how neither Della nor the child she came there with look like a threat.

Lunaris orders Penumbra to let Della and the child stay with her and then leaves before Penumbra can argue.

After Donald and Dewey defeat the zombies he moves his hammock to the house boat.

As soon as he gets comfortable Storkules and Zeus’ family argument makes it’s way to Duckberg.

Over on the Moon, Della and Webby have arrived at Penumbra’s place much to the Moonlander’s dismay.

Webby is excitedly bouncing all over the place and asking questions about everything while Della tries to get her to calm down and apologizes while thanking Penumbra for offering to let them stay with her.

Della, sensing Penumbra’s annoyance, tells Webby that they ought to get back to working on the Spear of Selene and the two of them leave with their bag of gold.

As the two of them start trying to hoist the tip of the rocket to the top a few Moonlanders appear and thank Della for saving them from the mites and call her a hero.

Della tells them that she’s just a mom trying to get her and Webby home to see their family.

The Moonlanders offer to help them with the Spear since she helped the with the mites.

As she repairs the ship Della tells the Moonlanders stories about earth and her adventures with Webby popping in to tell her favorite parts.

Penumbra tries to prove the Moon is better but when Webby makes a comment about the Moon orbiting the Earth Penumbra blasts at the ladder.

When a Moonlander asks why Della loves earth so much she starts talking about her family and different earth-things drawing more Moonlanders over.

Meanwhile Penumbra hears yelling and runs back to Tranquility, assuming that Della and Webby had sprung their trap.

Only to find Della talking about the gargantuan Glided Man.

Webby excitedly interrupts to talk about how Della single-handedly defeated it.

Penumbra almost throws her spear at Della in her anger but Lunaris stops her and starts talking about how fascinating the rocket is, and how all Della would need to do is flip a little switch and it launch the rocket into space.

After Dewey tries to fight Zeus Donald has to step in and fight Zeus himself.

He tried to set up his hammock in Scrooges closet only for Scrooge to burst in and demand to know what a magical goat that Donald had failed to notice is doing there.

The goat opens a portal and Scrooge and Donald are sucked in.

Penumbra, getting increasingly aggravated by the sounds of Della and Webby fixing their rocket, goes out to confront them with her spear.

Della announces that it’s working and her and Webby are finally getting home to their family.

All the Moonlanders cheer for earth and Penumbra says “If you all think earth is so great, why don’t you just go already?!” and on of the Moonlanders asks Della if they can all please go with her.

Della says that she wishes she could but their isn’t enough room.

When the crowd expresses disappointment Penumbra sees an opportunity and says that surely the great Della Duck could get them all to earth if she really wanted to.

The Moonlanders believe Penumbra and ask if Della is embarrassed by them and Della quickly says that she isn’t and she does really wish she could take them all but it isn’t possible.

Penumbra says that she thought nothing could stop the amazing Della Duck.

That’s when Webby says that if her and her Aunt Della could learn rocket science and rebuild their ship and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to find away to fit them all in the Spear and the Moonlanders rejoice.

Penumbra breaks her spear out of anger.

Scrooge and Donald are spit out of the portal and Donald is not looking to good.

Just then Dewey bursts in talking a mile a minute.

Donald drags his hammock out tiredly leaving a trail of molted feathers behind.

Della is going to find Penumbra to return her newly fixed spear when she overhears Penumbra ranting to Lunaris about how the Earthers are brain washing every one with lies and magical bracelets and are gonna get them killed.

She clears her throat, apologizes for startling Penumbra, and pretends like she didn’t hear anything.

Della returns Penumbra’s spear and then shows her and Lunaris her drawing of Huey, Dewey, and Louie/Jet, Turbo, and Rebel, and says that they’re her sons, and thanks to Penumbra and Lunaris she’s gonna have a chance to be a mom to them and Webby is gonna have a chance to meet her grandmother, who isn’t in this drawing.

She promises to Penumbra that she’ll protect her people just like she protected Webby all these years.

Dewey and Scrooge surprise Donald with a month long cruise so he can get some time to relax.

Penumbra starts to formulate a plan to keep Della and Webby from taking her people to earth, even if they aren’t evil.

She drags the two of them to the Spear and flicks the emergency launch switch.

She wakes them up and tells them that she doesn’t know what happened and Della jumps in to try and stop it.

Penumbra helps Webby in and tells them to go back to their family.

Webby says that they can’t leave the others behind and Lunaris, appearing out of seemingly nowhere, says that they can build more and tells Della to give him the plans for the ship.

Della grabs the plans, looks at Webby, then at earth through the window, then at Lunaris.

She quickly moves Webby into the pilots chair, straps her in, and tells her that the ship will take her to just outside of McDuck Manor and once it lands she needs to get the mansion and ask for either Beakley, Donald, or Scrooge, tells Webby that she loves her, and then climbs out of the Spear.

Webby tries to get out of the straps saying the she won’t go without Della but the door is already closed and the countdown in nearing completion.

Lunaris and Penumbra are too shocked to move until the rocket has already launched.

As they watch the ship go Della and Penumbra hear a laser blast and turn to find Lunaris grinning with a wound and holding his gun.

He grabs Della and pins her to the ground with her arms behind her back and his laser gun to her head just as the other Moonlanders come out to see what’s happened.

Lunaris tells everyone that Della and Webby betrayed them and used them to rebuild their ship and then when the time was right they attacked him while Della struggled to get out from under him and tried to tell them he was lying.

Lunaris ignores her and tells the others that she can her companion were the first wave of a bigger attack and she lied to them so that she could get back to earth and tell the Earthers of the Moons weaknesses.

Lunaris says that they can use the plans that he wrestled away from the traitors before the small one was able to flee to build a fleet of ships to invade them first talking over Della as she tries to explain the truth.

Penumbra finally overcomes her shock and realizes what’s happening.

Later she asks Lunaris why he brought the Earthers and their ship to Tranquility and got the others on their side.

Lunaris says that they others are not warriors like they are, that they needed a reason to fight, so he gave them one: betrayal.

On Earth, while Donald is waiting for the bus to take him to his cruise he sees something familiar fall from the sky.

He runs after it and finds the Spear, he runs to it calling out his sisters name.

But when he reaches the door he finds a girl, about Dewey’s age, wearing his twins jacket and odd gold clothes in the pilots chair instead.

The girl appears to be struggling to move, like she can’t left her limbs.

Donald pulls the door open and the girl tries to move to look at him.

He jumps in and calls out his sisters name again, hoping she pop somewhere.

Finally the girl says something though it sounds like it takes a fair bit of effort, “You know my Aunt Della?”

He whips around to look at the girl and she says something else before promptly passing out, “Hi, I’m Webby.”

Part 2 of the Webby intro, is complete! Sorry this took so long to do! I haven’t had much motivation for anything. The next episode posts I am planning are Nothing Can Stop Della Duck and Whatever Happened to Donald Duck so keep an eye out for them. As always, if anyone has any questions about this AU then don’t be afraid to ask! I love answering them!

Important Links/Info For AU

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modernlewdsword · 5 years ago

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Direct attack! + Summoned Skull!

Annalise was an ok duelist. But she liked the GOAT format. This meant a turbo-skull beatdown was reliable. However under the current rules she didn’t expect the monster to come and get right up in her face. Its member slipped up under her skirt and into her underwear. Twin cocks piercing her ass and pussy. “Ah! T-two!” She gasped slightly panicked. The skull pounded her as it held her on its loins. Holding onto her it balanced her on its cock. Sliding her up and down soon Annalise was cumming. Panting she expected it to end, but the skull kept going, pushing her down on all fours as it fucked her like an animal. Eventually it came, and Annalise expected relief. But it didn’t stop. “Th-this isn’t it?” She moaned cum dripping down her thighs.“Six levels, six orgasms.”A faint smile spread on her lips. She liked this duel-method.

#magnificentafterdark

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justabumatthepark · 2 years ago

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yeah

boy talkin' bout GOAT

yeah I fit the description

up there like I'm a hokage

fast as fuck they call me the fourth

can't link up with no bitch

popping shit off

but it really ain't the fourth

I'm in this bitch frestyling like

I ain't got no sense

my spidey senses go off

had to go and leave another bitch sticky

baby face but I still ride around with no blicky

you know how miguel goes

wild and famous

ask your bitch about me

she might tell you that nigga

an asshole

fucked her with her ass up

that was a donkey

all you niggas know I go stupid

yeah I'm just a monkey

coolest one in the jungle

pulled on her hair

yeah that was rapunzel

brain work fast just like berkley

she was mad

I aint pull out the bentley

nigga thought I was scared

now he's sitting there like a ghost

now they seeing they demons

when they look my way

stay here in this bitch like I'm the man

star nigga

watch the way that you touching me

watch the way that you talkin to me

niggas really think they tough

I pay it no mind

I keep it intact

opened my third eye

got to much pride to let stupid niggas win

you know if they come for me they killing themselves

Yeszus october reds

fashion shit

vintage shit

fly as shit

my ex wish she was still next to me

I'm like peter pan

tinker bell pulling me through

fairy dust

gave it to her now she telling me things

she wont even trust her friends

mind yo fucking bussiness mayne

payed cash for it so now I got

three fucking keys

push button turbo whisthling

black and yellow just like kill bill

straight trill zone 17 houston

purple in my coca cola cup

doubled cup just like the twins I just pulled up

niggas know I'm trill

Pimp C

telling me

nigga you best not quit

2pac telling me you best ride

H3 camo with the tints up

reping myself came up in this bitch

(no cosign)

like I'm 21 nigga I be with the some girls

just turned 21

barely legal now she taking shots

biting my neck you know she gave the best head

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jeffrey2garner · 5 years ago

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CarGurus: Looking Forward to 2020

We’re coming to the end of another year. But with 2020 right around the corner, we’ve got plenty to look forward to. We ask our editors what they’re excited to see in the coming year. Feel free to add your own thoughts here or on our Facebook page.

Megan Hennessey, CarGurus US Editor

Video courtesy of Cadillac

Next year, I predict we’ll see even bigger screens in our cars. Tech-focused companies, like Byton, have tested this idea in their prototypes; Byton has showcased a 49-inch screen in its M-Byte. Next year may be the year we finally see these massive screens in production-level vehicles. Cadillac kicked off this trend with a massive 38-inch screen in its 2021 Escalade. These bigger screens will likely mean the death of buttons and knobs, which several of our reviewers will certainly miss.

The other big prediction I have for 2020 is seeing more technology integrated into our driving experience. You can already use your phone as a key with Ford and Hyundai, for example. And Kia lets you sync schedules with other drivers, which you can see through a car’s infotainment system. I predict items like GM Marketplace will become more common across automakers. Soon, you may be able to shop, watch movies, and order dinner from the driver’s seat. Just make sure your data is secure!

Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK Editor

I’ve decided to go big for my 2020 preview—so let’s put to one side what will no doubt be a huge number of electric and hybrid cars for the (relative) masses, and focus instead on two top-tier contenders.

First up is the Ferrari Roma, pictured above, which is interesting not so much for its powertrain as the fact its styling represents such a break from tradition for the Italian firm. For in the Roma, there are generous swoops and curves that give it a softer, more elegant aesthetic than you’ll see in other modern Ferraris. Some have questioned if the Roma, as a result, looks a bit too much like an Aston Martin—but for me, it’s a gloriously individual piece of design that also happens to be home to a wonderful, sculpted interior and a 612bhp 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8. Sounds like a good recipe…

If the Ferrari is special, then the Mercedes-AMG One promises to be quite simply off the chart. What we have here is a Mercedes Formula One drivetrain reimagined to work in a road car. So that’s a 1.6-liter V6 with four electric motors that together make more than 1,000 bhp. There’s also an 8-speed paddle-shift gearbox, pushrod suspension, ceramic brake discs, and a steering wheel that looks like something Lewis Hamilton might use at the weekends. So, yes, it’s going to be a pretty serious bit of kit.

Production is limited to 275 units with the price for each running into the millions. But ownership isn’t what makes cars like this interesting. No, what’s fascinating is seeing just how far (and how fast) the humble motor car can be taken.

Matt Smith, CarGurus US Editor

Prediction: We’re going to get dirty in 2020.

First, the Land Rover Defender is returning to the United States. This might not be cause for celebration for our UK Editor, Chris, but on this side of the pond, it’s been over 20 years since Land Rover delivered a properly boxy off-roader.

The new 2020 Defender’s looks may be polarizing, to say the least, but it’s safe to expect this British bulldog will be a genuine mountain goat off-road. For the first time since 1997, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited may finally have some genuine competition. Maybe it’s time for a little CarGurus US vs CarGurus UK rivalry?

Of course, the new Defender can’t steal all the muddy spotlight. We fully expect Ford to pull the cover off the long-awaited and much-anticipated 2021 Bronco this year. It’s been a while since O.J. Simpson sent the last iteration of the Bronco to an early death, and off-roaders and soft-roaders alike have been hankering for a genuine SUV from the blue oval.

While The Juice’s Bronco was a full-size SUV based on the F-Series truck platform, this new one will be a bit smaller, and likely a bit more nimble, as it’s being built on the same platform as the Ranger pickup—sounds perfect for our favorite off-road course.

Steve Halloran, CarGurus US Editor

As one of my colleagues already mentioned, next year will no doubt feature a huge number of announcements regarding electric vehicles (EVs). Automakers have thus far brought more enthusiasm to the electric-car game than the average American driver, but car companies finally seem to be trying to figure out ways to market and build electric vehicles that should appeal not only to tech first adopters and “greenies,” but also to folks who like to drive.

Ford’s debut of the Mustang Mach-E, including prominent mention of its Porsche-beating 0-to-60 times, may mark a relatively new chapter in EV marketing outside the Tesla bubble. Porsche definitely called attention to its 918’s top-notch performance, but that car’s price put it in even rarer air than Tesla’s original Roadster and Model S. The Mach-E, expected to start at less than $45K, should appeal to a considerably more diverse pool of car shoppers than either of Tesla’s original models, and it will no doubt have company in its price range by the end of 2021.

Another relatively new development in the marketing of vehicles capable of running on electricity recently comes from Toyota, which has decided to make the plug-in hybrid version of its massively popular crossover, the RAV4 Prime, the most capable, and most exciting, version of that vehicle available to American buyers. Noting its sub-6-second 0-to-60 time and 302 horsepower in advertisements, Toyota hopes to make up for declining Prius sales with a wide range of hybrids, including sedan models that will face a narrowing pool of American competitors as Ford and GM execute their plans to focus more carefully on crossovers and SUVs in the future.

Whether vehicles running on electricity will ever be able to generate the excitement and sales that gasoline-powered automobiles have enjoyed in their first century remains to be seen, but we look forward to seeing new ads and approaches, as well as more exciting vehicles, next year.

For more car news, check out these articles:

CarGurus: Our Automotive Highlights of 2019

More Shoppers Consider Owning EVs, CarGurus Survey Finds

2019 LA Auto Show: Vehicles for Every Lifestyle

The post CarGurus: Looking Forward to 2020 appeared first on The CarGurus Blog.

from The CarGurus Blog https://blog.cargurus.com/2019/12/27/cargurus-looking-forward-to-2020 via Car Gurus from Blogger http://jeffrey2garner.blogspot.com/2019/12/cargurus-looking-forward-to-2020.html via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

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robertkstone · 6 years ago

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2019 Porsche Cayenne First Test: How Much Audi Can a Porsche Take?

The first-generation Porsche Cayenne—you remember, the vehicle that purists said would be the death knell for Stuttgart—rode on a platform engineered by Porsche, and it was incredible. Honest-to-goodness sporty handling and mountain goat–like off-road-ability. The similar-vintage first-gen Volkswagen Touareg was built on the same platform, and I can’t remember driving a machine that felt more overengineered. Like, the parking brake pedal had a damper on it! Porsche also built the platform for the second-generation Cayenne, an SUV we liked so much that we named it our 2012 SUV of the Year.

However, the third-generation Porsche Cayenne arriving this year is built on the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo platform, same as the Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, and Q8, as well as the VW Touareg (and China-only Phideon sedan), Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus. My question then: What’s so Porsche about it?

Certainly not the powertrain. Audi’s 3.0-liter single-turbo V-6, good for 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, powers the base Cayenne. What’s more, that motor is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic, curiously the only traditional torque-converter automatic Porsche sells. The 911, Boxster, Cayman, Panamera, and even the Audi MLB-platformed Macan all use a version of Porsche’s own PDK dual-clutch transmissions (though the Macan uses an Audi DSG box).

Porsche states that it decided to go with a “real” automatic because it’s better for towing. I’ll call BS on that; the new Cayenne uses the eight-speed auto because all the other SUVs built on MLB Evo use the ZF eight-speed. In other words, there’s no dual-clutch transmission that would fit. Case closed. A “hang-on transfer case” shuttles power to the front axle, but don’t let that nomenclature lead you to expect low-range gearing.

The new Cayenne features grille shutters that close for increased fuel economy and open when extra cooling is needed. All Cayennes now have staggered wheels; this base SUV has 285-section fronts and fatty-fat 315 rears. I find that impressive.

Porsche claims the body-in-white is 47 percent aluminum and that the third-gen Cayenne should weigh 4,377 pounds, less than the vehicle it replaces. Well, we weighed one, and it clocked in at 4,676, just about 300 pounds more than Porsche claims. We never weighed a second-generation base Cayenne; we did weigh a second-gen Cayenne S, though (4,876 pounds), and the previous S had a V-8. The new Cayenne S features another Audi engine, the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6, the same as in the most excellent RS 5. Point being, despite Porsche’s weight-saving efforts (like a lithium-ion starter battery that’s 22 pounds lighter than before) the Cayenne is big-boned.

Big-priced, too. The Moonlight Blue Metallic ($800, please and thank you) Cayenne we tested has a base price of $66,750. Not crazy but certainly on the high end of the price spectrum. The Volkswagen Group will probably mark me for death (or at least overcook my next rib-eye) for pointing this out, but the Audi Q7 3.0T—which is, again, the same platform—starts at $60,945. But the Audi has a third row and essentially the same power (329 hp versus the Porsche’s 335; 325 lb-ft of torque versus 332), plus what I consider to be a nicer interior. As this Cayenne is optioned—and there are seven options—the price swells to $81,650.

One of those options is the $4,160 adaptive air suspension, which includes Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). I initially assumed this would be a must-have feature, as Porsche’s three-chamber air springs promise a plusher ride in Comfort and a sportier ride in Sport; PASM even gives you a second sporty mode, Sport Plus, which makes things even stiffer and racier.

That may all be true, but I drove a Cayenne with the standard steel springs and dampers, and I thought that version had a sweeter ride. I even liked the handling better over the damp, twisting, climbing, plunging, and redwood-lined roads of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties—the location in the heart of Northern California wine country Porsche picked to launch the new Cayenne. I found the air suspenders to be a bit vague in Comfort and a bit artificial feeling in the aggressive modes. The other problem for Porsche is that Mercedes just launched the new GLE—a direct competitor—and that SUV’s fast-acting hydraulic E-Active Body Control damping system is a game changer.

However, I do recommend taking the money you would have spent on the air springs and spending it instead on Porsche’s new PSCB brakes (Porsche Surface Coated Brakes). Porsche takes the massive (16.3 inches up front) rotors from the PCCBs (the carbon-ceramic stoppers) and makes them from steel but coats them with tungsten carbide. This not only helps with stopping power but—working with special new pads—also keeps the wheels clean.

A little-known fact in the car biz is that on all those initial quality surveys, German carmakers are routinely dinged for brake dust. (They also used to be hit for their single, central door-lock button, but they “fixed” that.) Porsche claims the PSCBs cut down on brake dust by 90 percent.

I don’t care about that (wash your car, slob), but I do care about how the 10-piston calipers feel grabbing those big, fat stoppers: in a word, excellent. In a couple more: Compared to the standard brakes, the PSCBs feel three times as effective, and the majority of the stopping action is concentrated in the top of the pedal, just how I like it. Too racy for parking at the mall? Probably, but hey, it’s a Porsche, ain’t it? At $3,490, the PSCBs are cheaper than the air suspension, as well as the (gulp) $9,080 carbon brakes. Cheaper to replace, too.

At this point you might be wondering what I was thinking after I drove the 2019 Cayenne down to Los Angeles. There’s no fatal flaw, but I’m having an awful hard time understanding what’s so Porsche about it. Why not just call it the Audi Q6?

Then we took the Cayenne to the test track, and, well, now I get it. After several laps around our figure eight, MotorTrend ride and handling guru Kim Reynolds recorded a best time of 25 seconds flat. To give you some perspective, that’s as quick as a current Volkswagen GTI, a 2011 Cayenne Turbo, a 2009 911 Carrera S, and a 2007 Cayman. Impressive, no?

Porsche claims that with the Sport Chrono package, the 2019 Cayenne will hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. Our hot shoe Chris Walton did the deed in 5.1 seconds before running through the quarter mile in 13.7 seconds at 100.7 mph, the same as both a Honda Civic Type R and Subaru WRX. That’s good company for a heavy crossover. Stopping from 60 mph happened in 105 feet, which is outstanding. And we tested the stock brakes! Oh yeah, that platform-sharing Audi Q7? It does 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, the quarter mile in 14.0 seconds, 60 to 0 mph in 121 feet, and our figure eight in 26.4 seconds. The Porsche dusts it.

No, these are not crazy numbers, but they’re quite good for a base midsize SUV. Need more oomph? Porsche’s model line has you much more than covered.

In the “final” summary, Porsche may have just nailed its target audience by building a nice-looking, comfy-riding, practical, spacious SUV with a seriously desirable badge. Plus, when your know-it-all car guy or gal friend says, “It’s just an Audi,” you can rest assured in the knowledge that, as Han Solo so prophetically said, “She’s got it where it counts.” Or you can just floor it and crank the wheel.

2019 Porsche Cayenne BASE PRICE $66,750 PRICE AS TESTED $81,650 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 3.0L/335-hp/332-lb-ft turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,676 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 113.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 193.6 x 78.0 x 66.7 in 0-60 MPH 5.1 sec QUARTER MILE 13.7 sec @ 100.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 105 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.95 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.0 sec @ 0.74 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 19/23/21 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 177/147 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.94 lb/mile

#IFTTT #PerformanceJunk WP Feed 3

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eddiejpoplar · 6 years ago

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The 2019 BMW 3 Series Is a Proper 3 Series Again

FARO, Portugal — Look for the squiggliest line on the navigation screen, and then go there. It’s a great system for finding a road worthy of testing a new sports car—a road where you can prod and poke a vehicle into revealing its strengths and weaknesses. The car on this day is the seventh generation of BMW’s most important sedan, the 3 Series.

Considering this car’s historical pertinence, the road itself is doubly important. The nav-system squiggle reveals itself in real life as a single lane of asphalt gouged into a mountainside. It is open to two-way traffic but offers few pullouts and zero guardrails; a poorly placed tire will drop you into the abyss.

The four-cylinder 330i sails up the switchbacks and quickly demonstrates that worries about misplaced wheels are unnecessary. The chassis is surpassingly easy to aim, even in tight spaces. There’s lightness to it, something the previous generation lacked. Not that the footprint is smaller, as the car has grown slightly in all proportions except weight. But it’s easy to find a satisfying rhythm through undulating turns.

More than a few pundits and purists have found the traditional joys of the 3 Series less present in recent years. The sports-sedan recipe BMW perfected and which every other automaker benchmarked—call it the E30 spirit—became muddled with conflicting demands: more tech, more comfort, and more performance. Call it mission creep. Or BMW bloat.

After two days driving around southern Portugal in the 330i and a brief racetrack foray in the M340i xDrive, we can say the 2019 BMW 3 Series has rounded a different type of corner. This is a sedan freed—mostly, anyhow. And this is fortunate timing: As demand for non-CUVs plummets, even longstanding sedans have to earn their keep, lest they go the way of Cadillac’s CTS/ATS and almost all of Ford’s four-door cars. The SUVs from BMW and every other maker are lurking, waiting for a slip-up so they can gobble more market share.

The 330i will be first out of the gate, coming to the U.S. as a 2019 model in March. Though it has more standard features, pricing remains the same: $40,250 for rear-wheel drive, and $42,250 for the xDrive. The $56,000 M340i xDrive will follow in the spring.

For this new generation 3 Series, dubbed G20 in BMW-speak, its maker reworked the 330i’s four-cylinder, gaining 7 horsepower for a new total of 258 and bumping torque by 37 lb-ft to 295. The M340i’s twin-scroll single-turbocharger straight-six got a similar tweaking, with 62 more hp and 39 more lb-ft of torque raising output to 374 hp and 369 lb-ft.

While BMW also redesigned the exterior and interior, and piled onto the list of digital and semi-autonomous features (we’ll come to that in a moment), company engineers say the most central tenets of the new 3 are the retuned suspension, and the calibrations between hardware and software systems. “Getting everything to work together more beautifully,” as one described.

Plying the 330i on Portugal’s open expressways and along backroads, those elements indeed come through brightly. The engine is plucky enough to make short, hard passes, but this is an automobile that likes momentum. It is tangibly lighter than the outgoing model, losing 121 pounds in some configurations; official curb weight is 3,583 pounds. Driving hard into corners, brushing the brakes, and then adding in light throttle around the apex is a treat and settles the car down nicely for the next turn.

The suspension, which includes hydraulic dampers on base models and stiffer bushings, results in greater fluidity but less of the bounce, chop, and harshness found with some of the outgoing 3 Series’s setups. Negotiating a roundabout is a telling exercise. In cases where you’re exiting straight across the other side, you can enter quickly, throw the car right to cut the half circle, and then flick the wheel sharply to the left to send it straight again. The BMW deftly handles these swift directional changes with no slough or front-end push. Zing! (The cars we drove rode on either Michelin Pilot Sport or Pilot Sport 4S rubber and thus had plenty of grip; the former are more comfortable.)

The revised turbo four never feels overly wound even when flogging it in low gears, and there’s little of the previous engine’s harsh vibrations. Torque is modest, but it’s a happy four-banger; even the sound from inside the cockpit is punchy, settling into a mid-range bass in Sport Plus mode.

And while there’s no way to bring to the present BMW’s magical steering feel from the days of hydraulic systems, this generation’s electrically assisted steering is neither overweighed nor rubbery. There’s a measure of feedback, and it allows you to position the car exactly where you want it. The narrow A-pillars help in this regard, too, while the greenhouse feels airy and the seating position is a pleasure.

All that makes a thin strip of mountain road far more fun than in any other present-day BMW other than the M2. Tires sing on the asphalt as my passenger looks out the side window down to the tops of trees far below. A manual gearbox might have made it better, but forget it: There are “no manual transmission plans at this time,” says a BMW rep. Happily we never meet an oncoming vehicle, which would have resulted in an uncomfortable and pucker-inducing reversing maneuver.

The path eventually tees into a wider, two-lane road. At the top of the mountain we come to a hard stop. A collection of milk cows and goats amble down the road, driven by a sour-faced herder. The goats split around the sedan, twisted horns just underneath our window sills. If they are impressed by the new exterior design, they give no indication.

They might not be the only ones who are a bit underwhelmed. The 3 Series’s head-on perspective is best, with a taut, creased hood that’s fronted by a double-kidney grille that actually folds back up along the roof. It’s three dimensional, but takes up less real estate than the average modern grille, lending it a focused appeal. The double headlights, available in standard LEDs or adaptive LEDs with a laser feature, are long and narrow and get a cool little kink in their bottom edge.

The 330i looks pleasant enough car in profile, but its shape is perhaps best described as benign. Inside, the interior is pleasantly reworked in philosophy and materials. Remember that BMW “luxury” plastic coating the dash in previous models? The stuff where all hope and delight went to die? Well, it’s still plastic, but in a far more pleasant and handsome treatment. And BMW generally reduced the level of superfluous design, resulting in cabin aesthetics that are far less busy and which flow more harmoniously.

Still, if you hoped for actual simplicity, and imagined German engineers could display forbearance and dump unnecessary tech, well, despair now. Many of the most annoying elements in BMW’s upmarket models are all still found here. The nonsensical shifter is one example; it makes you look down to figure out what gear you’re in. At one point, I watched my co-driver push the lever all the way up into reverse and prepare to exit the car.

Our test models also came with the gesture controls introduced on the 7 Series. This parlor trick allows you to turn on music or adjust volume by using Bollywood-dance-like hand motions in the space near the dash. The problem is that, if you’re a hand talker, unwanted music can suddenly—and very loudly—fill the cabin. When this was mentioned to an engineer, he shrugged and said in a very German Engineer Way, “You need to learn to control your body motions.” Conversely, our stance remains that a luxury vehicle should conform to its passengers’ desires, not vice versa.

BMW also proudly touts the new Intelligent Personal Assistant, its name for the advanced voice controls. You can adjust temperature and set locations on the navigation system. But the system will also answer questions for you. For instance, as per BMW press materials, one question you might ask is, “How does the High Beam Assistant work?” (We suspect nobody will ask that question, phrased that way, ever.) You start things off with, “Hey, BMW” or similar, and then hope for an Amazon Alexa–level of humanlike back-and-forth. What you will get instead is a stilted, robotic voice summoned from the cloud that will very occasionally respond in the way that you hoped. BMW promised it will be improved eventually via a remote software upgrade, but in the meantime you might find yourself most often suggesting, “Hey, BMW, can you contact me when your personal assistant isn’t super annoying?”

There is a spate of semi-autonomous features, including a nifty trick that will automatically reverse the car from a parking space the exact same way you drove in, and which also includes the ability to drive hands-off for long periods of time in highway situations. However, it didn’t work in Europe, so we weren’t able to test it.

There was yet another bright spot on the horizon: laps at the Portimão racetrack in the M340i xDrive. The prototype cars were not road legal, and they were still in camouflage livery. Still, it gives us an idea of the driving dynamics when pushed with vigor. The M340i gets an M Sport suspension and electronically controlled M Sport rear differential. Our test cars had 19-inch Michelins. Following behind ex-Formula 1 and current BMW Motorsport driver Timo Glock with the car set to Sport Plus with traction controls loosened, the 340 shows great willingness to pivot, allowing just enough lateral play. The front-end grip is tenacious and still offers lots of feel despite also receiving power from the all-wheel-drive system, a neat accomplishment.

Coming into one of the track’s slowest turns, which leads to an uphill, we slow way down and turn in early, and then give a wallop of gas just past the apex. The rear swings around neatly, pointing the nose in the direction we want, and the front wheels pull us out of the slide. It never feels less than controlled, but it is thrilling.

One of our favorite bits of the track is a long, sweeping downhill that leads toward the front straight. It is off camber and unsettles cars with an uncomfortable combination of overworked front tires, higher speeds, and shifting weight. “This corner was built to drift!” Glock shouts over the radio, and then he does exactly that in his M2 Competition pace car, leaving a plume of smoke in his wake.

The M340i’s front end shows its willing to hang onto the correct driving line, but the nature of the car telegraphs something else. I’m no Timo Glock, but the BMW is willing to play. And so we whirl the wheel just a bit, add in a bit of gas, and hang on. Because the 3 Series really is a sedan that’s free once again.

2019 BMW 330i Specifications

ON SALE March PRICE $40,250 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve turbocharged I-4; 258 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 1,550 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 4-passenger, front-engine RWD sedan EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 185.3 x 71.9 x 56.7 in WHEELBASE 112.2 in WEIGHT 3,583 lb 0-60 MPH 5.6 sec (est) TOP SPEED 155 mph

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jesusvasser · 6 years ago

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The 2019 BMW 3 Series Is a Proper 3 Series Again

2019 BMW 330i Specifications

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tmanandiknowit · 6 years ago

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Tman/ Oni Tman story characters

Characters

Tman- Main Protagonist who is is driven to succeed in every adventure and wants to learn different techniques that he come across. With his T-sword that channel his powers that been pass down within his family timeline. He possesses the power of the green also that was summon from the T-gods, who are these gods that passed down the power to Tman’s family? Tman is helped by his partners Turbo and Delta who always make sure that he is set for an adventure and make sure the world is safe and the town he protects is in no harm. Tman is also trained in hand to hand combat with his trusty T-gauntlets and Archery skills with his bow and arrow that he use so he can have a range of options to defeat the enemies.

Oni Tman- Main Antagonist . He is the evil secrets and thoughts that laid up in the spirit of Tman. He also have Tman power plus more. He also wants to gain more powers and seek out to destroy Tman. He also doesn’t have to power to tap into the T-Sword. So he uses as battle axe that he created on his own from material he picked from wicks home of Hal.

Turbo - One of Tmans best friends and helpful ally, he was born with the power to control electricity that he can conduct at the tips of his fingers. He also uses a staff that helps him conduct his electricity within battle. Him and Tman been childhood friends and they make sure to always look out for each other

Delta- Tman partner by force who chess beat in battle and was committed and promise to go to the good side and learn how to control his powers which he had been good at. Delta uses his hellfire triple barrel shot gun, he prefer close range combat and he makes opportunities of his opponents when they come in to his range. Delta also has a counter-part which he has control of and his counterpart is name Wick.

Jill/T-Woman- Tman’s Girlfriend who he had a crush on since they was children. Jill always wanted to know why Tman was always late to school and The first one to leave school. So Jill decided to make conversation with Tman and over time she got to know him and help him and they started dating. Jill Train with Tman and learn some of Tman’s skills and abilities and made some of her own. She have a sword just like Tman but made from material from the most strongest metal they can find on earth, even though she can’t tape into the power of the green she is strong in battle.

T-boy/ Mr Fabulous - Tman sidekick and partner that he trusted ever since the gang threw him a Birthday party and the Oni has risen once again. T-boy has always been more on the silliest side and always try to crack a joke around Tman. Tman didn’t always send T-boy out to do mission at first he just had him training a lot and brought him along for some mission. T-boy ended up having to find a magical hat on one of the missions he was on with Tman and that end up being his main powers. The first T-boy ended up diving from Tman and became his own name known as Mr Fabulous the greatest wizard.

Jade/Violet Viper - Jade was another attendee at Tman party and was chosen the help Tman fight off the second coming of the Oni. Even though jade went to the same school as Tman , she always believe she was better than him which made Tman want to beat her one day. Jade and Tman ended up fighting each other in a practice simulation and Tman ended up beating her really easily. Violet Viper is a 5 foot tall weapon of fury, she’s very welled train in hand to hand combat while also using gadgets like electric knuckle dusters and Throwing stars to stray off enemies.

Anna - A evil shape shifter that was found laid up with Tman at his birthday party that was thrown for him, she ended up taking “DNA” away from Tman to help make the second coming of the ONI. She knows how to Transform into anybody just by taking some of their DNA by kiss or blood. She knows close hand combat and succeed to aid the ONI to overthrow Tman. Some believe that she might be summon from the same place that Delta is from.

T-bot- T-bot was built to aid the Tman tower when ever the heroes was out saving the world and also help aid the heroes when ever they are in battle. T-bot was built by a young Tman and young Turbo who needed a playmate when they was bored and had nothing to do. T-bot has vas knowledge of what is going on around the world and even some data on how to defeat certain villains. T-bot also help Tman make his Supreme pellets that helps him go into a higher state of power, and also help make pellets for Delta and Turbo so they can gain the same higher powers as Tman. T-bot is a helpful aid and always willing to give a helping hand to the crew.

DJ KoolKid C - One of Tman friend and Mr. Fabulous family members that was a DJ as Tman party and made the party go on all night. KoolKid C has some of the best music that the town Tman has to protect. KoolKid C always make sure that Mr fabulous is always okay and that nothing ever happen to him.

Billy the Goat- one of Turbo and Tman friends from high school that always sticked with Tman and Turbo throughout their times while they was running around be super heroes. Billy the goat doesn’t have any super powers, he is one of the richest people that lives in the town Tman and Turbo protect. Turbo ended giving Billy dual alien pistols that are fuel with rocks from the moon. Billy helped out when the twin was overrun with Oni Tmans running around destroying everything. That what truly makes billy an amazing friend to Tman and Turbo

Jharma- He is Train in the highest in Karate and took on the toughest of enemies. He went to school with Turbo and Tman but was close friends with Turbo. Jharma wanted to be the best fighter there ever was that lived and he kept training day by day. Then one day the town was overthrown by Oni Tman and when Jharma went up to face Oni Tman himself he made the promise that he will be the best fighter there ever was and Oni Tman ended up killing Jharma in there great battle. But Jharma. now help the out in the heavens when ever Tman need help, he lend his powers over to Tman.

T-girl/ Daughter of Tman - From the far far, yet distant future. T-girl the daughter of Tman who came from the future by using a time machine that she and the Turbo from the future has put together. She developed the power of the green and uses her father sword thats been passed down from generations along the line. She protects the future city that Tman protects now. She is nothing but all smiles and wears a cape that’s in the honor of her father. She not as train as Tman when he was at her age but she has enough to down down evil. The only thing that triggered Tman was that she said she has a different mother.

Bone Bruiser - He is one of the best wrestler that is set in the ring and Tman looks up to him. Bone bruiser always beat his opponents till they bleed. He is a 7’5 tall guy that doesn’t play any games and always look to take on the next opponent. Bone Bruiser likes to chill from time to time to spend with friends and family. But when the Oni came to try to Destroy the city, bone Bruiser was defending his ring and himself from the Oni and succeeded till the end and all of his energy was up. Tman wants to learn from Bone Bruiser his wrestling technique but he Bone Bruiser wants to see more action from Tman.

Grandmaster - He is one of the legendary heroes that used to helped Defend the Town against trouble. He worked with Tman’s grandfather when they was younger and was and elite and his hand are considered weapons of destruction. Grandmaster just vanish like a whisper in the wind and never was heard from again. Tman been on the look for him so he can learn some of the moves that was taught to his T-gramps. If Tman can find this legendary hero, Tman believe that he will become unbeatable to the ONI

Supreme Dragon - a luchador that is also a hero on the side. He fights in the same wrestling league as Bone Bruiser but wouldn’t dare to go up against him, he see Bone Bruiser as an ally. Supreme Dragon is an energetic little fellow and wants to become one of the best super heroes in the world. He’s very light on his feet and also can Transform into a dragon at will. He is a very useful fellow and hopes that one day that Tman will allow him to join his team so he can be a full time hero.

Killer J - One Of Tmans friends that Tman doesn’t tend to bring up to much. She is a highly train and Highly motivated kick boxer. She is train to kick ass and chew bubble gum everyday. She is the true definition of girl power and will literally take on anyone in a fight. She help Tman time to time taking on bad guys when ever she’s not teaching a class in her dojo. Delta has a crush on Killer J and tried time to time to flirt with her. They ended up going out on a couple of dates before the Oni attack. She beautiful yet fierce and not a woman to be taken lightly

Ray-bot - part human and robot that’s a DJ in the town that’s loves music and to light up the nightclubs with his amazing music. He had a interest with Violet viper and wanted to go on a date with her. Ray-bot and Violet Viper ended up going out on a day before the Oni attack. But Ray-bot ended up going into an dark streets at night by himself and ended up turning Ray-bot into a killer cyborg and gave him powers that could take on Tman in a fight. Tman ended up shutting down Ray-bot before he could do any serious damage to him and repair him to go back to his normal self.

Dominator - He is a computer nerd that hates Tman and everything that he does, he believes that Tman just does it for himself and just want the fame. One day Anna offer Dominator a boost to one of his super suits to destroy Tman and his crew. Dominator is power up villain in a armor robotic suit that can shoot rockets and different type of arsenal in that robotic suit of his. He also has the power to open rifts to other world laugh and go in and out at his command that he want to. He once sent Tman and friends through one. He is a very powerful human.

C-man - One of Tman friends that he had when he went to high school, they always hanged out and chat. One day he went to Tman party and ended up drinking till he passed out. C-man found himself laying on the floor . Tman called him up for training and he been helping out Tman ever since, C-man wants to become his own super hero one day and knows that he doesn’t have the full potential and knowledge to become one on his own just as of yet. He uses nun chucks as a choice of weapons. Just like T-boy he helps on time to time on mission but doesn’t go out all the time.

Major Eagle - He is one of the anti heroes that help protect part of space. He drives his trusty space ship around looking for evil with is side kick T-Rex. He doesn’t like Tman at all because he thinks Tman is to into himself and wants to take Tman on in one on one to see how good his skills are. One day he did when one of his partners landed on ear and he think that Tman sent him to earth to fight. Major Eagle uses the heat from his body to fight in hand to hand combat and also had an alien assault rifle. Major Eagle prefer his hand to hand combat which he punches at 100 MPH. This is truly one of Tman greatest challengers.

Pinterry The rouge space marine - A space Marine that went out on her own to find a rare material that can help her suit up her armor to make it better and stronger. She went into a space ship that was abandoned in space and she ended up being attack by very powerful aliens she wasn’t able to defend and was knocked out in space. Before the aliens can get to her she was suction into space and was hurled into earth. Being found by Turbo and Delta and ended up taking her back into the Tman tower. Her suit is equipped with a blaster that’s power by the sun and rocket launchers. Delta was able to pull her out her suit to find she was just in her bra and panties underneath her armor. She’s is a badass chick who also had hand to hand combat training Incase her suit wasn’t just enough. Tman wanted her in the Team but she refused the offer.

T-Rex- Major Eagle upbeat and happy sidekick was always up and ready to be set on any adventure with Major Eagle. She always stood by his side just Incase cause she don’t have much fighting experience but wants to learn. She saw the Tman team when she was with Major eagle to save Priss and she wanted to learn from the Tman team but Major Eagle didn’t want her to be any type of contact with Tman. When Tman and Major Eagle was fighting she was so hype she was cheering on Tman and Major Eagle got upset. One of the best cheer leaders that will ever be, she wants to learn how to be great on her own.

Tman Rex - One of Tman pet Dinosaur that he had since he was younger. Tman Rex is a silly Dinosaur that loves to have fun and wears a red headband and a Blue Gi. He loves Karate and playing video games when ever he not helping Tman in a mission. He can always be seen with Tman other Dinosaur, T-Dactyl. They spend there day also helping protect the T- towers and Tman loves Tman Rex every since he was hatched.

T-dactyl - one of Tman pet Dinosaurs who is always trying to be cool and doesn’t play around. He was always loved by Tman and made sure Tman was never hurt order by his T-gramps. When ever T-dactyl is not busy he is relaxing or reading up on some of his favorite anime. He can fly at fast speeds and always moving around with Tman Rex. When T-dactyl on scene, he always make sure he is the coolest dude in the room.

Mike/ T-boy - after The first T-boy became Mr fabulous. There was a young fellow who train hard and wanted to be the next Tman. He name was Mike and he looked up to Tman as a hero and wanted to always be a great hero just like Tman. So Tman took him under his wing and train him in the Tman tower. Mike was just a regular kid off the street who was always looking at the brighter side of the rainbow. He took up fencing as hobby since he was interested in Tman. He became interested in Tman when he say how Tman saved the day time after time. So T-boy set his passion to be as great as Tman one day and do great justice by the town he so love to live in. He always training in the T-tower training room hoping one day he will be able to have his own power of green.

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marketerarena-blog · 6 years ago

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The Box Is Back: Everything You Need to Know About the New Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Do you even overland, bro? In case you haven’t gone down this vehicular rabbit hole on Instagram, we can tell you that overlanding—going point-to-point, off-road— is where it’s at right now with the well-healed amateur-adventurer set. Of course, pictures or it didn’t happen, right? As trends go, you’ll rack up likes the more retro and less aerodynamic your rig looks.

With that in mind, consider Mercedes-Benz’s new G-Class: It captures the zeitgeist by looking much the same that it did when it was first released, in 1979. It is still defiantly boxy. Like Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk and the Clash’s London Calling—two other 1979 releases—the G-Class still resonates. In its 2019 incarnation, the visual hallmarks are all there: marker lights that pop from the front fenders; a spare wheel asymmetrically mounted in back; enough flat planes and right angles to make you think the G-Class came out of an Atari game.

5 Off-Road Skills That Should Be Required to Get a License

But much has changed actually. Aside from the standard 4-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine, almost every damn thing is new. Almost. The German engineers we talked to couldn’t agree if the headlamp-washer nozzles were one of the three or four carryover parts.

Thankfully, the rectilinear sport-ute’s most charming character trait remains unchanged: Shut the door and the thwack is resounding and immediate. Likewise, the chrrrrup of its automatic locks is still the most militaristic sound you will find on a passenger vehicle.

A new double-wishbone independent front suspension helps control the towering vehicle’s body roll. Ever seen the subtle sway of one of these things turning at a red light? The new model mitigates that tippiness. You might be stunned, as we were, by its newfound agility as the vehicle proved sure-footed on a rain-soaked sprint through the Pyrenees in southern France: It behaves as if it were a highly refined unibody luxury SUV, and less like the automotive oddball that it is. With the new model, on-road performance seems to have leaped forward decades.

The Ultimate Off-Road Experience: Learning to Drive a Tank

The cabin shows a similar evolution: Two screens make for a nearly 25-inch-wide panoramic digital dash. There’s plenty of room (an increase over the old models), and from massaging seats to leather-wrapped grab handles, there’s a richness to most surfaces.

But of course, if you’re doing it right, you’ll get that interior muddy. Nine and a half inches of ground clearance and three locking differentials provide a billy-goat-like ability to pick apart alpine terrain. In the valley, you can drive through nearly 28 inches of water.

These are capabilities you might need on a safari into Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat. But the toughest trek that many of these Mercedes SUVs will take will be over shopping mall parking lot berms. Some G-Wagons will be lucky enough to live their lives in the wild, and damned if those fancy leather seats won’t feel good in two feet of water way out in the middle of lord knows where.

https://askfitness.today/the-box-is-back-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-mercedes-benz-g-class/

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jonathanbelloblog · 6 years ago

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997 Miles in a 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe

Resting her head against the soft, red Nappa door panel, she stared out across the empty, black field. Her smile lit up in the passenger-side mirror by purple light coming from the footwells of our 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 coupe. She yelled “There!” and pointed to the pale yellow glow of a firefly. Another bug blinked, then another, then dozens more. She laughed and squirmed like she’d seen a magic trick. She would’ve stared into that field all night.

My girlfriend, Mallory, and I recently took a 977-mile road trip through Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. When an old friend invited me to a summer wedding in Wisconsin, I decided to use the opportunity to introduce Mallory to the Midwest; I grew up just outside of Chicago, then lived in Michigan for four years, and Mallory has long wanted to see the places I once called “home.” The S65 coupe fit the bill for transportation; a grand tourer that can cut through farmland quickly, comfortably, and in style. “I could get used to this,” Mallory said getting into the thickly padded, tightly contoured passenger seat. She liked it even more after I told her the as-tested price: $257,745.

We drove to the southwest Suburbs and visited my house and the schools I went to, then started an unhealthy, 36-hour food binge: hot dogs from Portillo’s, beefs from Al’s, Italian lemonade from Mario’s, pizza from Home Run Inn, followed by deep-dish pizza from Gino’s East. We couldn’t stomach a burger at the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower Wacker Drive, which is one of my all-favorite playgrounds. The S65 handled its 4,850 pounds confidently as we turned from street to street and the V-12 made all the right guttural noises. We parked near Millennium Park, where we saw some of the annual Blues Fest before visiting a Charles White retrospective at the Art Institute.

In the morning, we started a four-hour drive to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. As the rain thinned heading north, I appreciated the electrochromatic “Magic Sky Control” glass roof that tints dark blue on demand—a $2,500 option. Halfway through the trip, I decided to wow Mallory with another S65 trick: automatic lane change. I set cruise control, got her attention, took my hands off the wheel, and tapped the signal stalk. The car calmly changed lanes, and Mallory acted like we were about to careen off the highway. “I can’t believe that,” she said when we didn’t. At the wedding, a Friar Tuck-looking priest presided over the ceremonies, which were followed by speeches and overserved 30-year-olds twerking.

In the morning, on the shore of Lake Michigan, I about shit when the guard at the S.S. Badger told me to give him the keys to the S65 AMG so that he could drive the car onto the 66-year-old ferry that provides passenger and freight service between Manitowac, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan. Instead of protesting, Mallory and I ate fried cheese curds and waited for our 63-mile trip across the lake. When I sat down for bingo in the mess hall, I immediately won and everyone hated me. Mallory and I fared well in the trivia that followed—Charles Barkley really set an Olympic record for most points scored in a single game? —but we almost broke up over Yahtzee. Upon landing in Ludington—where someone else drove the Merc off the boat—we met Phil, a banjo player from The Drowsy Lads who came to greet the grand ol’ steamship. Mallory and I had dinner in town and when she wondered where to put her leftovers, I mentioned our car’s optional $1,100 rear-seat refrigerator, which blew her mind. On a dark road to Glen Arbor, I blew her mind again when I turned on night vision, which comes standard.

The following day was one of the best I can recall. Mallory and I climbed the Sleeping Bear dunes before kayaking on the lazy Crystal River, rock hounding and catching toads. We’d hoped to see river otters in Leland’s Historic District, “Fishtown,” a carefully renovated shanty town; gray, weather-beaten smoke shacks from the early 1900s now serve hearty sandwiches and delicious McClure’s “spicy pickle” potato chips from Detroit. We explored back roads of Michigan searching for beavers, because Mallory has a strange infatuation with them, and I asked, “Do you think this is the first car with a V-12 that’s gone down this road?” Fortunately, the air suspension can raise with the push of a button, so ground clearance never became the issue it should’ve been. More tricks from the S65 AMG coupe.

I became bolder as I spent more time with the car, yet it always felt unfazed. It is an approachable car that gently reminds you that 738 lb-ft is a lot of torque and offers a humbling driving experience that favors comfort over performance, with capable performance. What it lacks in fuel economy—getting 21 mpg on the highway—a giant fuel tank overshadows, helping you believe “I’m not the problem.” The 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 coupe has presence and gets a lot of attention, but I considered it very little on our trip, which is probably why I enjoyed it so well. It afforded us an idyllic space to talk and joke as we drove through typical, beautiful America.

It’s hard not to love and hate anything this big and lavish that has 16.5-inch carbon-ceramic brakes and costs $8,950. I don’t care to criticize it because it’s dying, or needs to. It’s too much of old ideas, especially in a time when Mercedes is having so many innovative ones. Midwestern folk loved it, like they love fried foods, capri pants, and the Cubs. Mallory loved it, too, and I loved being in it with her. A wonderful trip that would’ve been ruined if one firefly exploded neon green on our windshield.

2018 Mercedes-AMG S 65 Coupe Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $241,195/$257,745 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.0L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/621 hp @ 4,800-5,400 rpm, 738 lb-ft @ 2,300-4,300 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover EPA MILEAGE 13/21 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 198.9 x 75.3 x 55.7 in WHEELBASE 115.9 in WEIGHT 4,839 lb 0-60 MPH 4.0 sec TOP SPEED 186 mph

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itsworn · 7 years ago

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Under Pressure: Racing Pikes Peak in a Twin-Turbo Mustang

It’s more than the mountain’s altitude, the week’s sleeplessness, or the mechanical heartbreak that’ll change you at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb—it’s the people. Racing families are the friends who’ll even turn down beer money to see you through to the end; the satisfaction of finishing (or at least being a few paces ahead of two-steps back) is payment enough.

We first met Kash Singh in 2013 while diagnosing a banging noise from the back of his Time Attack 2–class 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. The Fiji-born gentleman racer—a product planner in Dearborn, Michigan—was known for a wealth of antics on the mountain (such as bringing KFC up to the peak so fellow drivers could eat something a little different than donuts while waiting the race out), and this introduction was no different. The banging sound coming from the rear-right corner of the car was caused when the intercooler pump began leaking on the factory subwoofer, shorting it on and off. Take a moment to think about this: a Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Time Attack race car bumping dancefloor beats.

While most racers were doing their final shakedowns at a local track, Kash Singh was hitting the highway from Washington. There may have been some run-ins with the local law and a picnic at the Bonneville Salt Flats, but the newly built hillclimber made it 1,400 miles without a hitch.

Kash is also known for road-tripping his Pikes Peak race car thousands of miles to and from the race, and he’s one of the only racers to still do it. In previous years, he used a near-stock Time Attack 2–class GT500 to drive from Michigan to Colorado before unloading the trunk at the hotel and driving right to tech inspection. In 2016, he entered an EcoBoost Mustang, but some greater power told him via three red-flagged runs (due to weather or crashes ahead) the turbo-four was not meant to be.

For 2017, he decided to step up a class by entering the less-restrictive Time Attack 1 field with a newly built, twin-turbo 2017 Ford Mustang GT. Built by Revolutions Speed Shop and supported by Amsoil and Tire Rack, the S550 received a pair of Garret turbos to feed the factory-fresh, DOHC, 5.0L V8—which was still wearing its warranty before it entered RSS owner Scott Jenson’s shop. H&R coilovers brought the chassis closer to the ground while providing the necessary adjustments, DBA USA rotors with the stock Brembo calipers hauled things down, and the widebody housed the massive 19×11-inch Forgestars. With the high-altitude, low-density air at Pikes Peak (with a start line sitting 9,400 feet above sea level), cooling was a large concern. Mishimoto answered with an aluminum radiator and intercooler combo, and the stock hood was ducted to evacuate all the underhood heat possible.

Parts delays meant no track time before the race, and he’d have to learn everything about this new combination during practice—a trial by hillclimb. The new car made substantially more power, had more grip, and built boost in an entirely different manner than the factory-blown Shelby. “I knew it was going to be fast, and I knew it was going to be different,” Kash explained. “So I needed to figure out what gear I had to be in and how the turbocharged powerband felt.”

Practice began on Pikes Peak’s least-aggressive portion, the lower section from the start line to Glen Cove. The initial 2,000-foot climb is mostly comprised of sweepers, though corners like Engineers and Sump catch unsuspecting drivers with regularity.

With preservation and reliability in mind, the stock 5.0 was tuned for low boost, with the twin Garrets providing altitude compensation more than anything else with only 8 psi. Each practice morning began by driving the race car straight from the hotel to the pit spot, throwing on some safety gear, and then cruising up to the start.

“Number 78 is off, Cog Cut,” our race radio screeched through the static. Nearly 2,000 miles from home, Kash had a hard “off” during mid-section practice. Three days of progressive speed in each practice session, and he had pushed just an inch too hard on one of the road’s rough patches. With no further radio calls for EMT or rescue personnel, we got the impression that Kash was OK, but the Cog was a dramatic spot to go off. While entering the braking zone, the car hit a washboard section of road, causing it to skitter across the high points under heavy braking and blowing through the turn. Kash managed to keep it on the mountain, but he cleared a 2-foot drainage ditch in the process, stuffing the plywood splitter, aluminum coolers, and fiberglass nose into the rocks.

“At first, walking through my head about how expensive it was going to be to tow it back home, how expensive flights were going to be this last-minute,” he recalled. “And what I’d have to tell my mom! I thought it was going to be done.”

After the practice sessions ended, the flatbed hauled Kash and the Mustang downhill where they met with Devon Dobson, his crew chief, and Mario Tomlin, another member of the Pikes family. Mario worked for a local Colorado Springs shop run by Loren Southard, European Performance Specialists. Through sheer luck, there was no visible chassis damage, but the Mustang’s relocated fuse block had been ripped of dozens of wires. While the Blue Oval’s ponycar was built in Dearborn, its complex CAN-BUS networked electrical system was first adopted by BMW—right up Loren’s alley.

Randy’s Towing dropped the car off, and Kash fended off a horde of concerned callers. While he settled family fears and began sourcing parts, Mario and Loren started work on the Mustang. The wreck had not only damaged the fuse block but had crushed the intercooler, radiator, and A/C condenser—and the hood was stuck! The shop quickly shuffled cars around to clear a bay and get the Mustang in the air. Kash, being a Blue Oval employee, was able to quickly get ahold of the exact wiring diagrams, and Loren began his work.

The crew over at European Performance Specialists had to first dismantle the hood latch through the grille before they could begin inspecting the damage.

While the crew at European Performance Specialists started to work their magic, Kash ran the bumper over to the shop of a fellow Pikes racer, Jimmy Keeny. Universally known as one of the nicest guys on the mountain, Jimmy offered to patch up the fiberglass front bumper and shoot some paint, while Kash ran to a local hardware store for more plywood for the front splitter.

Pikes veteran Jimmy Keeny repaired the shattered fiberglass lip and color-matched the paint in just a few hours.

Loren had managed to re-pin the Mustang’s fuse block, even sourcing the obscure connectors and terminals needed. With a little back and forth on the pin-outs, and only a few sparks, the Mustang fired to life.

They later returned to Loren’s shop with a freshly painted bumper, sheets of plywood, and a stack of pizzas. It was going to be a long night—practice was still on for the next morning—but with the help of Loren’s crew, fellow Pikes Peak racer Andy Kingsley, and Devon, Kash drove the car out of the shop just in time for a nap.

Kash, Devon Dobson, Loren Southard, Andy Kingsley, and Katie Lyons worked into the night to button the Mustang up.

Trepidation set in, but Kash couldn’t show it. The first run was slow, but served as a safety check of the prior day’s work. With the Mustang running as expected, Kash began dropping chunks of time to a final 5:17.303 qualifying time with the third run.

Friday’s practice was a conservative mid-section run to Devil’s Playground. The car continued to pick up speed over Kash’s previous GT500, but ultimately the day would end early as a nearby storm rolled over the mountain’s winding ridges.

The fog on Pikes Peak is otherworldly, with rock faces and bottomless pits hiding behind the haze.

As the fanfare roweled up in the morning—race day—Kash gave his street car a once-over, topping off the motor with a shot of Amsoil and double-checking tire pressures.

Belts strapped, helmet on, and HANS hooked, Kash rolled up to the line, guided by Pikes’ official starter, Dave Jordan. Weather reports from the peak came in steadily: clear conditions, despite the low clouds rolling in during the afternoon. With a press of a button and a flash of green, Kash was off. The twin Garrets quickly spooled into a high-pitched song as he cleared the official timed start, winding through the top of Second. Around the timing screens, something of a family reunion occurred, with fellow racers and friends anxiously watching for another red-flag nightmare—2017 would prove to be a full-pull. Other than dodging some goats at nearly 11,000 feet, Kash was able to push the Mustang comfortably to a personal best of 13:22.636.

Some races are about pure survival more than ultimate victory, and Gear Vendors HOT ROD Drag Week, powered by Dodge, is one of them. More than climbing to the top of the podium, seeing the peak of the mountain is worth more weight in respect and satisfaction than just about anything else. Winning is what you make of it. For Kash, this year’s win was a new personal best in a car that challenges his comfort zones as a driver in ways that only Pikes Peak can.

The post Under Pressure: Racing Pikes Peak in a Twin-Turbo Mustang appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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jesusvasser · 6 years ago

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997 Miles in a 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe

2018 Mercedes-AMG S 65 Coupe Specifications

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jesusvasser · 6 years ago

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997 Miles in a 2018 Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe

2018 Mercedes-AMG S 65 Coupe Specifications

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jesusvasser · 7 years ago

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The All-New 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 Debuts in Detroit, Cuts Down on Compromise

After a string of teasers, spyshots, and a peek at a barely camouflaged test mule, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is finally unveiled in its full, straight-edged glory. As we already saw from the earlier test mule, the new G-Class is as boxy and square as Geländewagen fans had hoped. While the classic cubic styling remains, everything under the skin is all-new for 2019.

From the outside, the new Geländewagen looks nearly identical to the outgoing model. Aside from a few changes to the front grille and an all-new set of headlights, the Beverly Hills bomber is as boxy as it ever has been. Despite the familiar design, the new truck is 2.1 inches longer and 4.8-inches wider than the outgoing generation.

Inside, the changes are much more significant. While the outgoing generation featured a leatherbound environment replete with the high-spec leather, rear infotainment, and premium materials, Mercedes engineers were forced to work around the G-Class’ restrictive dimensions, resulting in a cockpit that was unfriendly to seemingly anyone above 5’9’’.

The older G-Class felt very much like an upfitted military vehicle with all the requisite compromises.

For 2019, the G-Wagon is more spacious and luxurious than ever before, incorporating materials and interior design pulled straight from Merc’s current lineup. Everything appears redesigned or changed—from the steering wheel, to the starter button, and center console.

Mercedes also incorporated the new 12.3-inch Comand display that serves as both the gauge cluster and the infotainment display. There’s even touch controls on the steering wheel, much like you would find on the newest S- or E-Class.

The new truck solves the cramped quarters as well, capitalizing on the exterior dimension stretch with an additional 1.5-inches of front leg and shoulder room. Passengers in the back will be far more comfortable, with an additional 5.9-inches of legroom and 1.1-inches of shoulder room.

Despite all of these quality-of-life changes, the new G is more off-road capable than ever. Engineers worked extremely hard on preserving the mountain goat personality of the G, resulting in an improvement in off-road performance across the board.

Ground clearance has jumped by 0.2 inches to 9.5 inches total, alongside a 3.6-inch boost in maximum fording depth to 27.6 inches. The maximum angle off approach is improved by one degree over the older truck.

There’s still three 100-percent locking differentials, along with a solid-rear-axle. Up front, a new independent suspension incorporates a double-wishbone design, improving ground clearance and likely improving on-road manners as well.

The 2019 G-Class adds a new “G-Mode” setting, similar to the existing Sport and Comfort driving modes. In G-Mode, the truck optimizes the suspension, steering, transmission, and throttle mapping for ideal performance in a low-speed off-road environment.

Surprise, surprise—the only powertrain available at launch is a V-8. Power comes from Mercedes’ ubiquitous 4.0-liter twin-turbo M176 V-8, pushing 416 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque to all-four-wheels. This power is managed by Mercedes’ 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing, weight, and 0-60 mph has yet to be announced, but in keeping with tradition, it’s safe to assume it’s very expensive, quite heavy, and surprisingly fast. Look for further details on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 later on this year.

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jesusvasser · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

MOUNT PROSPECT, South Island, New Zealand — We’re well above 5,000 feet, the sky a wash of cobalt blue and El Greco’s clouds as the helicopter banks hard toward a gray summit amid the endless range of snow-dappled peaks. Closing in, our pilot slows to a hover, gingerly easing down to a “landing site” that looks more like a minefield. The uneven ground is littered with jagged rocks, tufts of slippery grass, and bus-sized boulders—with sheer drop-offs on every side. “You’d never get up here without a whirlybird,” I think to myself as the skids finally touch down, “unless maybe you’re a mountain goat.”

It’s then that I notice four new 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicons parked on tall rocks nearby, a band of brothers in silhouette, their military-inspired profiles as unmistakable today as an original Jeep was back in World War II. Mountain goats, all right—just made in metal.

On the drive in New Zealand, St. Antoine enjoyed lots of “Jeep swimming.”

A decade ago in Zambia, Africa, I was among the first to drive the then-new JK-platform Wrangler. Being a former owner of the previous model, the much-loved TJ, the JK was something of a shock: taller, dramatically wider with a new V-6 replacing the time-tested PowerTech inline-six, and a huge new four-door Unlimited version joining the lineup. Compared to my trim, nimble two-door TJ, the Unlimited JK looked like a battleship. It seemed so … big. Unwieldy, even. Could this giant even squeeze through the narrow Death Valley trails I’d so easily traversed in my TJ?

I needn’t have worried. Despite some knocks from purists (who will always knock any change to the Wrangler), the JK proved a hit. Whereas the TJ sold roughly 80,000 units Stateside in 2006, by 2017 Jeep regularly sold about 200,000 JKs a year.

Now comes the Jeep I first glimpsed high up on that New Zealand mountaintop, the all-new, 2018 JL edition. As always, Jeep engineers and stylists unveiled their new baby with a mixture of pride and nerves. After all, the Jeep faithful are an unforgiving lot. To them, any modifications to the battle-tested Wrangler formula are as contemptuous as adding Alfred E. Neuman’s face to Mount Rushmore. (We’re looking at you, square-headlight 1987 YJ.) The cry is always, “Don’t eff it up by changin’ it!” And in the JL’s case, there are a lot of changes. But put those pitchforks down. I’m one of the Wrangler faithful myself, and after driving the new JL through some of New Zealand’s most spectacular wilds—the same mountainous, river-crossed landscapes that served as the backdrop for “The Lord of the Rings” movies and the forthcoming “Mission: Impossible 6”—I’m here to tell you: The JL is a sublime piece of work, an upgrade over the JK in almost every way.

Although Jeep had only top-range Rubicon models on hand for our New Zealand drives, the two-door JL will be available in Sport, Sport S, and Rubicon trims, and the new four-door Unlimited will be available in those three versions plus a new Sahara edition.

The JL has grown compared with its predecessor, but importantly, it doesn’t feel bigger. Wheelbase has increased 1.4 inches on the two-door and 2.4 inches on the four-door, and overall length has grown 2.5 and 3.5 inches, respectively. Overall height is up an inch, and width is essentially unchanged. The truly important stats, though, are these: Approach, breakover, and departure angles on the Rubicon are all significantly improved, and ground clearance is up almost an inch (the Rubicon now rides on standard 33-inch BF Goodrich KO2 all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels). Water fording is doable up to 30 inches, and the JL can tow as much as 3,500 pounds (when properly configured).

Those are the numbers. Here’s the big picture: The new JL is the best-looking Wrangler in years. “Like you, I’m a big fan of the TJ and the old CJ,” says Mark Allen, head of Jeep Design and the owner of a comprehensively modified TJ. “See the JL’s keystone-shaped grille … and the way the outboard slats wrap around the headlights? That’s pure CJ. Also, while everybody else seems to be raising beltlines, I lowered the JL’s. So every piece of glass is larger. Better visibility.”

Allen then leads me around to the side and points to the roll cage. “The sport bars are now welded to the body and painted in body color,” he says. “Because of some big focus group? Nope. I just like the way it looks.” He also points out a new header bar between the A-pillars, which allows the windshield to fold down while keeping the rearview mirror in place. Wrangler chief engineer Brian Leyes then jumps in: “And the body doesn’t just look good. Overall aero is improved by 9 percent.”

The big roof panel in the new zipperless soft top is fitted to a folding frame that can be lowered with one hand or removed entirely.

The JL sheds more than 100 pounds over the JK, thanks to aluminum in the doors, hood—the Rubicon gets a vented “power hood”—fenders, and windshield frame plus a magnesium-cast rear swing gate. New, high-mounted trapezoidal fender flares allow the Rubicon to accept up to 35-inch tires with no modifications. Daytime running lights encircle the headlamps; Jeep calls it a halo effect. On the Rubicon, you can opt for LED headlights, square taillights, and foglamps. Turn signals are mounted atop the front of the fender flares. The doors now feature the proper Torx bit tool size stamped right into the hinges—making removing and reattaching them a no-brainer. A new half-door will be available sometime in 2019.

Up top, the available three-piece Freedom hard top has been improved with lighter panels and easier-to-use latches. A body-color hard top is optional on the Rubicon (and the Sahara). The optional convertible soft top is now zipper-free. Instead, the rear plastic windows simply slip out of channels they snap into, and then the big roof panel can be easily flipped back and down with a single hand. Brilliant. Finally, later in 2018 Jeep will offer an optional Sky One-Touch power top with a central canvas panel that retracts fully at the touch of a button. None of the Jeeps on hand had the Sky roof, but I predict it will be a hit.

The JL’s cabin is thoroughly updated to meet the demands of the “always connected” 21st century: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, abundant USB ports, navigation, and SiriusXM with traffic. The fourth-gen Uconnect system even offers an optional 4G Wi-Fi hot spot so you can surf websites right from your camp table. The attractive space also includes a dash painted to match the seat stitching, available keyless entry and standard push-button start, and the ability to call up a whole bunch of vehicle info (such as pitch and roll) on the display screen. A new optional 8.4-inch hi-res touchscreen with pinch and zoom is the largest ever offered on a Wrangler. And, yes, it’s been “mist tested” to endure at least a nonmonsoon amount of rain and keep right on displaying. (As always, the interior can be hosed out and drained via plugs in the floor.)

Jeep will offer two engines at launch: the same 3.6-liter DOHC V-6 found in the JK (now with engine stop-start) and a new 2.0-liter turbo four. The V-6 comes standard with an all-new six-speed manual shifter, with a new optional eight-speed automatic (standard on the turbo four). Coming in 2019 is the engine Jeep enthusiasts have long clamored for: a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 making 260 horsepower and—start drooling—442 lb-ft of torque. The diesel will include engine stop-start and be available only with the eight-speed auto. Can’t wait.

In New Zealand I first got to sample a manual V-6 JL Unlimited. It’s a happy combo, the 285-horsepower six revving smartly amid the transmission’s well-spaced gears. That said, having owned a manual TJ—the optional automatic for my ’97 was a three-speed—I’m not sure I’d go manual today. As I discovered when trying one later, the eight-speed automatic is just so sweet. With more ratios, it seems always to be in the right gear. It’s smooth and smart, shifting well on its own. And on one really challenging boulder climb (in the rain!), we effortlessly surmounted a course that would’ve been 10 times more difficult with a clutch pedal.

The big news underhood is the new 16-valve, direct-injection, twin-scroll turbo four. It makes less power (270 horses) than the V-6 but considerably more torque (295 lb-ft at just 3,000 rpm). It’s also uncannily quiet (I once walked right past it and didn’t even realize it was running) and well-mannered. Like the V-6, the turbo completed the rock climb without breaking a sweat. And on some limited highway sections (most were off-road), it was subdued, pulling well from low revs, never strained. Frankly, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It’ll be interesting to sample one back in the “real world.”

This new JL is a slam dunk. It’s more comfortable on-road, more capable off-road, safer, easier to configure, better-looking, better-performing, and more fuel-efficient.

On-road, some suspension changes, including retuned springs, contribute to a solid, confident feel I never experienced in my TJ. Body roll is minimal, and the ride is controlled without being unduly harsh. I didn’t get an opportunity to try the two-door on pavement, but off-road it handled rough terrain with none of the “pogo bucking” of older, shorter-wheelbase Jeeps. It was, in fact, completely comfortable. (And, I must say, the two-door really looks fantastic.) The turning circle is improved on the JL, enabling it to snake through tight mountain bends that the JKs along with us could only manage by stopping, backing up, and re-turning into the corner.

The beautiful new cockpit includes a dash painted to match the seat stitching, the ability to call up info such as pitch and roll on the display screens, electronic diff locks (the red square at lower center), and a sizable new touchscreen.

JL Rubicons are equipped with a standard Rock-Trac 4×4 system with a 4:1 4LO ratio, Tru-Lok front and rear locking differentials, Dana 44 front and rear axles, and electronic sway-bar disconnect. The new Sahara, meanwhile, will offer the Wrangler’s first-ever two-speed transfer case with full-time AWD. With the automatic, the Rubicon’s crawl ratio is an amazing 77.2:1 (even better with the manual), meaning it can creep like a sloth over just about anything in its path. The Tru-Lok diffs, easily accessed via dashboard switches, are a godsend when the terrain gets slick and muddy (as it did on our drive), while disconnecting the electronic sway bar (via a dash button) over rough roads does wonders for reducing (or even eliminating) big jostles and head toss.

This new JL is a slam dunk. It’s more comfortable on-road, more capable off-road, safer (Jeep boasts more than 75 security features), easier to configure, better-looking, better-performing, and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor—for hardly any more money. Jeep says the Rubicon two-door manual V-6 will likely start around $40,000. Expect the turbo four-door Rubicon Unlimited (available only as an eight-speed) to go for about $43,500.

The folks at Jeep have accomplished the seemingly impossible. Somehow, the new JL Wrangler manages to be more advanced and sophisticated than the JK while at the same time radiating a more classic and old-school vibe. For Jeep fans, that’s a very good thing, indeed.

2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Specifications

ON SALE January 2018 PRICE $40,000 (base, est) ENGINES 2.0L DOHC 16-valve turbo I-4/270 hp @ 5,200 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm; 3.6L DOHC 24-valve V-6/285 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 260 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm TRANSMISSIONS 6-speed manual, 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 2- or 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, 4WD SUV EPA MILEAGE 18/23 mpg (city/hwy) (4-door, 3.6L auto) L x W x H 166.8 (188.4) x 73.8 x 73.6 in (4-door) WHEELBASE 96.8 (118.4) in (4-door) WEIGHT 4,175-4,485 lb (4-door, 3.6L auto) 0-60 MPH 7.5 sec (est) (4-door, 3.6L auto) TOP SPEED 115 mph (est) (4-door, 3.6L auto)

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