Automotive | All About Automotive

Despite the lack of a new name, Audi's latest take on its e-tron EV for the 2010 Detroit show is in fact a unique concept. As with the first e-tron that debuted at last year's Frankfurt show, the Detroit show e-tron concept is based on the R8's aluminum spaceframe, but is more than a foot shorter than its predecessor and nearly 500-pounds lighter. Perhaps most surprisingly, the Detroit car loses its front electric motors, meaning it does not feature Audi's signature quattro all-wheel drive. Instead, two motors mounted on the rear axle combine for an estimated 201 hp and 1955 lb-ft of torque (the latter figure apparently continues Audi's highly suspect practice of providing multiplied torque figures).

Audi E Tron Detroit Show Car Rear

The result is a concept that's slightly less capable than the original e-tron (0-62 mph takes an estimated 5.9 seconds) but potentially more fun thanks to its small size - it looks positively diminutive next to an R8 -- and relatively light weight (less than 3000 lbs). It would also presumably be less expensive, though that too, would be relative given the price tag of more than $150,000 Audi will likely place on the first e-tron when it goes on sale in 2012. As with the Frankfurt e-tron concept, lithium-ion batteries mounted behind the driver provide an estimated 155 miles driving range for the Detroit show car, according to Audi.

At the moment, Audi is calling this variant an "experiment." However, the company makes no secret of its intent to market e-tron not just as a name for one vehicle, but as a distinct sub brand not unlike quattro and TDI. The concept also makes plain Audi's intent to very gradually trickle down its electric vehicle technology into more affordable products. -David Zenlea

Fifty grand is a lot of money, certainly in a recessionary economy riddled with layoffs, bailouts, furloughs, and pay cuts. In some parts of the country, that kind of cash would not only make for a healthy down payment on a home, it would also cover the entire cost of the home. Yet, when it comes to a premium mid-level sport sedan from a luxury automaker, whether with six- or eight-cylinder power, $50,000 is pretty much the price of entry.

Eight Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison Rear Collage

Scan the present offerings -- Acura RL, Audi A6 3.0T, BMW 535i, Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI, Infiniti M35, Jaguar XF 4.2, Lexus GS 350, and Mercedes-Benz E350 -- and the average base price comes out to nearly $49,000, with a high of $52,000 (XF) and a low of $44,650 (CTS). Through September 2009, sales of these nameplates were down 29 percent compared with 2008, but that still translates to nearly 110,000 Americans writing $50,000 checks during those nine months. Recession? That just means S-Class buyers and the like are stepping down to E-Class territory.

To determine which of these eight sport sedans best justifies its premium pricetag, we headed to the formidable and telling roads in Malibu, where our assembly of editors scrutinized, evaluated, and debated the merits (and demerits) of each. Which one had us writing a check we wished we could cover? Click on the following pages to find out. - Ron Kiino

Full disclosure: I do not now, nor have I ever -- since its introduction -- liked the current-generation BMW 5 Series. While it was a tour de force in technological boundary-pushing, in this humble scribe's opinion, that car represented a retrograde move where driving pleasure is concerned.

It may have generated great numbers, but I always felt uncomfortably aware that my hands and feet were ordering a lot of electrons around when they spun the wheel or worked the pedals. It generally went where it was pointed, but I never felt like I could take full credit for getting it there. Early Active Steering was a mess, although it was improved markedly during the production run of the E60/E61 5er.

2011 BMW 535I Front 1

The first-generation iDrive was, shall we just say, arguably suboptimal in some ergonomic respects. And perhaps worst of all, the styling was a bit jarring. Well, like-minded friends-of-the-old-5, rejoice: So revised is this sixth-generation car that its model series actually starts with an F (F10/F11, building on the new 7, which is coded F01/F02). Trust me, this is one F that's worth working hard to earn.

To begin with, the electrons are no longer noticeable, in large part because they have less work to do. That's because the fundamental, natural powertrain and chassis performance characteristics have all been greatly improved. Two cases in point:

1. The all-new engine features identical displacement, power, and torque specs, but ditches the old throttle valves and twin-turbos for Valvetronic throttling and a twin-scroll single turbo. The result is improved responsiveness and efficiency (U.S. EPA figures are pending, but Euro consumption is reduced several percent). Bolt that motor to a new eight-speed automatic with hockey-goalie reflexes, and together they generate improved performance and fuel economy.

2011 BMW 535I Front 3

2. The suspension kinematics have been radically altered so that the car inherently corners flatter and with better grip (more about which follows). Of course, there have also been lessons learned in teaching electrons to do their job less noticeably.

At a recent BMW technical day, for example, some of the engineers confided they now prefer working with electric power steering (now standard on the 5), because they know exactly how to program the desired steering feel they want into EPS, while tuning the feel of hydraulic steering assist requires more work. The result: The new 5 (which goes on sale in 535i and 550i flavors in June, with the 528i coming later), at least when fitted with EPS and optional Active Steering, and practically every other chassis trick in the book as our test car was, is far more rewarding to drive on a twisty coastal road than its predecessor.

The Background
Akio Nishimura is a real off-roader: He enjoys shedding his corporate navy blue suit and getting out in the dirt. This made him an ideal chief engineer to develop and launch the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, and a natural to step up to engineering the new 2010 Toyota 4Runner.

In August 2009, in an effort to uncover any potential weak spots in the new 4Runner, CE Nishimura and a team of engineers from the Toyota Arizona Proving Ground (TAPG) took two prototype "Trail" edition 4Runners to run the Rubicon Trail in northern California.

082 2010 Baja 1000 Toyota 4Runner Front View

After three days on the trail, they came out with nothing to report: no problems, no drama, nothing broken, just a few desert racing stripes. Before the TAPG team drove back to the Phoenix test track in the dusty 4Runners, Nishimura said he was "disappointed." They hadn't found any opportunities for kaizen (improvement) of his design, and he was still looking for a more extreme durability test.

Nishimura had heard a story about Joe Bacal, a cancer survivor and former TAPG test driver who entered a Lexus LX 570 in the Baja 500 in July 2009 and won his class. This may have been the first-ever Lexus entry in international off-road racing and was certainly the world's first victory for a Lexus in off-road racing.

083 2010 Baja 1000 Toyota 4Runner Rear View

Putting this together with his experiences in working with desert racer Rod Millen during the launch of the FJ Cruiser, Nishimura determined to put the prototype 4Runner to a similar test and began planning for a "high-speed accelerated durability test" in November in Mexico -- he wanted to enter the 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the famous race across the peninsula of Baja California, Mexico, in which barely half the starters are running at the finish. And to clear up the numbers, the Baja 500 race course is designed to be close to 500 miles in length, whereas the Baja 1000 is 1000 kilometers (621 miles), except in the first year of each decade, when it really is 1000 miles. The Baja 1000 race course for the 42nd running in November 2009 was based on the July 2009 Baja 500 course, but with a big loop added around San Felipe and a short extension down to Mike's Sky Ranch, for a total distance of 1082.85 kilometers (672.85 miles).

In May 2008, the last time we compared the crop of naturally aspirated four-cylinder compact crossovers, the all-new third-generation Subaru Forester handily conquered the likes of Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Saturn VUE, and Toyota RAV4. Fluke? Hardly. The small-but-stout Subaru only went on to snatch our coveted 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year award.

Since those victories, however, the Forester has happily basked in its glory and evolved, um, not at all. Under the sheetmetal reside the same 2.5-liter, 170-horse flat-four, the same four-speed automatic, and the same AWD system. Conversely, the crossover field has since been recast with new and updated players. The RAV4, for instance, received a power bump from 166 horses to 179, and the CR-V's pony count rose from 166 to 180. Then there are the new kids on the block: GM's fraternal twins, Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain, and Hyundai's second-gen Tucson. The General's offspring get 182 direct-injected horses and up to 32 mpg highway, while the stylish South Korean answers with 176 ponies and as much as 31 mpg.

To see which crossover now sits atop this feverish fray, we brought back our residing champ and pitted it against the more muscular CR-V, the all-new Terrain, and the promising Tucson. The Rogue failed to prevail in the last go-'round and received no significant changes, so we did not extend an invitation. And, of course, 2009 was the last year for the Saturn VUE. As for the Equinox and RAV4, we wanted both, but neither was available in four-cylinder/all-wheel-drive guise. Perhaps next time.