All-time Pikes Peak Hillclimb record holder Nobuhiro Tajima switches from gas to electric this year with a car with his name on the nose.

Two electric cars competed in the 2011 Pikes Peak hillclimb and both set official records. One was a stock production Nissan Leaf and the other a purpose-built electric racer. This year record setting will be more difficult. For 2012, there will be other cars in the class…and it won’t be the first official year of record keeping.

At least Ikuo Hanawa along with his Summit HER-02 will be back to defend his record. The HER-02 is a classic—but for the electric motors by AC Propulsion (who worked with BMW on the Mini E electric)—rear-drive hillclimb buggy. With 268 horsepower, the HER-02 zipped to the top of Pikes Peak in 12:20, less than two and a half minutes longer than the all-time record for the trip to the top.

There’s no positive word, however, that the Nissan Leaf will be back, which is particularly disappointing with the entrant list now at seven cars, including a Mitsubishi i, the four-place battery electric stock except for the front bumper modified for improved aerodynamics.

A bit more radical is Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution. Although it uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the production i, only the barest resemblance of the production i is left. Built from the ground up as a racer, the i-MiEV Evolution has a tube-frame chassis and a carbon fiber cowl, plus other features to keep weight down and improve aerodynamics. Power will come from three motors, one driving the front wheels and two motors driving the rear wheels, for four-wheel-drive with total output of 320 horsepower. Mitsubishi didn’t provide weight data for the i-MiEV Evolution.

Mitsubhishi i-MiEV Evolution combines standard drivetrain elements in a lightweight racecar shell

The i-MiEV Evolution will be piloted by two-time Dakar Rally champion Hiroshi Masuoka while the Mitsubishi i will have off-road racer Beccy Gordon—of, yes, that racing family—behind the wheel.

The Unsers, another racing family with a massive amount of Pikes Peak experience is involved with the ZEUS Racing Team, which will run a pair of cars at this year’s Pike Peak. Jeri and Robby Unser will drive respectively  a pure electric and hybrid race car up the hill. Jeri set an unofficial (with no official electric car category yet) fastest time up the hill for an electric in 2003, while Robby has seven different wins in different classes for the hillclimb. The battery electric, of course, will be competing in the electric car class, but the hybrid will be competing in the unlimited division.

The cars to be driven by the Unsers will use Zero E Technologies eDrive system. Tue Zeus Racing Team claims that “above 50 MPH, ZEUS’s electric motors provide more torque at the wheels than any of the conventional cars entered. Above 100 MPH, ZEUS’s electric motors double their torque.” Unser is not just running for respectability, then, but for the overall fastest time.

Veteran sport and stock car driver Boris Said will be driving a BMW M3 converted to electric power by EV West, a supplier of high-performance electric vehicle motors and parts. High performance should apply to Said’s ride. Output is cited as 700 horsepower.

Elias Anderson, a dirt track Modified driver from Austin, Texas, will be driving something called a Lightning XP12 up the hill. There’s no word exactly what that will be. Meanwhile, Toyota is entering a TBD—“to be determined”—with Fumio Nutahara driving.

Perhaps the car to watch among the electrics, however, is from “Team APEV with Monster Sport.” The car, which bears its driver’s name on its nose, will be driven by Nobuhiro Tajima, the current overall record holder on Pikes Peak. Not much has been released about the race vehicle, but with Tajima behind the wheel and behind the design, it’s appears to be the team to beat.

Indeed, at Pikes Peak, the electric racers might well be the power source to beat. An advantage for an electric car on the hill, claims Zeus, is that it never has to shift gears. A conventional car with a gas engine has to make as many as 120 gear changes, and at 0.15 to 0.20 seconds per shift, that calculates to more than 20 seconds being slowed by gravity and not under power. And too, at the top of Pikes Peak—at more than 14,000 feet—the thin air leaves conventional combustion gasping. Electric motors, of course, are unaffected by altitude. One of the oldest races in America may be the place where the newest kind of race cars first take the checkered flag.

2012 Nissan Titan Crew Cab pickup truck

The big,  brawny 2012 Nissan Titan full-size crew cab pickup truck more than filled a  tight supermarket parking space, and it towered over lesser sport-utility vehicles and sedans.

It seemed to be practically begging someone, anyone, to “please put me to work.”

Alas, as its temporary handler I was ill equipped to approve such a request. I do not own a boat or mobile home, a lawn-service business or a construction company. I don’t even make many visits to the big-box stores.

Nissan Titan instrument panel

The most I could offer was a combination of urban and suburban travel, plus a pleasant Sunday afternoon drive. Titan was going to have an easy week.

And maybe that was for the best. A Titan in name and deed when it was introduced back in 2004, the big lug has not undergone much change in the ensuing years. And that means it has fallen behind some of its competitors in brute strength.

In fact, the major enhancement to the 2012 Crew Cab SV model is an optional  Sport Appearance Package, which did not appear on the truck I drove.

But don’t take that to mean that this is not a quite capable truck.

The Titan’s big 5.6-liter V-8 engine pumps out 317 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. Teamed with a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission, it is capable of towing 9,400 pounds and it has a deep 67.3-inch-long bed in which to make full use of its 2,015-pound payload capacity.

Nissan Titan back seat

In addition, the shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel-drive system, combined with 10.4 inches of ground clearance, gives Titan the capability to go where lesser vehicles would not dare. And, the crew-cab configuration means that five football fans can head to the tailgating party in reasonable comfort.

For all but the most serious commercial jobs,  then, the Titan still has the goods to get the job done.

Here, then, are some observations of a week and 200 miles in which the Titan was
reduced mainly to an around-town go-fer.

•    Except for parking and navigating through heavy traffic, the Titan is rather pleasant to drive. Ride quality is acceptable, front and sideward visibility is great, the stiffly sprung chassis does not crash over road imperfections, steering is taut and responsive, and the all-wheel disc brakes work well. A trip of 100 miles was more of a joy than a chore.

Tomy Drissi's Shelby Cobra, as displayed at the Greystone Mansion Concours.

Los Angeles, CA – As we might have guessed, the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance is one compelling combination. Take roughly 46,000 square feet of personal residence set high above Beverly Hills; add roughly 150 classic, collectible and special-interest cars and motorcycles; and offer tickets only to those with the financial wherewithal (and enthusiasm) to spend roughly $50 per hour (if averaged over three hours) to kick tires. Mix the ingredients judiciously, add a full dollop of sunshine and you have the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance. Happily, without a Concours budget your correspondent slipped in as ‘media’. And we may never be the same. 

The Greystone estate was completed in 1928, at a reported cost of $3.2 million pre-Depression dollars. With Aaron and Candy Spelling (presumably) not interested in its purchase, title to the property eventually made its way to the City of Beverly Hills. Today the city maintains the Greystone grounds as a public park and the mansion as an event center. With the aforementioned 150 cars and bikes parked above the formal gardens and well above the mansion, spectators could take in the hardware at their leisure. And after digesting the hardware, they could then enjoy a meandering walk through those gardens and down to the mansion, fueled by their choice of Asombroso tequila, Stella Artois beer (you could keep the glass!) and/or Lawry’s catered lunch. 

Our first automotive encounter was with Dick Messer’s 1953 Siata. With sheetmetal not unlike a low-calorie Cobra, and powered by a most-delicious Fiat ‘8V’, there’s a lot to like in the Siata’s svelte proportions and athletic stance. And while still on the subject of Italian fare (before we get to the Stella), Scott and Coco Gauthier’s Zagato-bodied ’54 Alfa SS was but a few steps away. With its coupe body covered in only-God-knows-how-many coats of deep blue, its feminine contour was everything you’d hope for from a country known – at least since the advent of marble – for its feminine contours. 

A Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeo SS Coupe, owned by Scott and Coco Gauthier.

Given the mansion’s pre-World War II roots, we weren’t surprised by a representative sampling of pre-War classics. The poster child for that category – literally and figuratively – was a ’32 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 owned by David Sydorick. If there is but one car that speaks to racing across Europe in the ‘30s, it’s the 8C 2300 Alfa. And while today’s Alfa Romeo lineup possesses but a fraction of that prewar DNA, I’d give a limb – and roughly sixty hefty monthly payments – for that fraction; Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. can’t happen fast enough. Also of note was the Petersen Museum’s T57C Bugatti, along with (we’ll assume) an older restoration of a T57C Coupe owned by Peter and Merle Mullin. 

Of course, it can’t be an American Concours without American iron. Early examples were well represented by the Buicks and Cadillacs, Fords and Chevrolets. And the ‘60s ‘muscle era’ was chronicled by Corvette and Shelby, including the stunning ’66 Cobra (pictured). With appropriately vintage rubber, no side pipes and just the right amount of patina,Tomy Drissi’s Shelby looked ready for a romp at Riverside; if, of course, there remained a Riverside. 

The best takeaway from Greystone, however, was those glimpses of the relationships the exhibitors have with their cars. This isn’t Wayne Carini ‘chasing classic cars’ (although there’s nothing wrong with that…). Instead, the Greystone Concours is Toni and Melvin Appell, carefully restoring – and then nurturing – their ’49 MG TC through over three decades. Or it’s Albert McCain, whose family maintains a prewar Bugatti against all odds, and beyond all (mortal) budgets. 

The Greystone Concours is hosted by the Friends of Greystone (friends@greystonemansion.org). Proceeds from the Greystone Concours go to maintenance of the mansion and its ongoing restoration. If you’re in the SoCal area in early May of 2013, make plans to attend. We won’t guarantee Leno, but if within two time zones we intend to make it.

The 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 suggests Alpine passes more than Beverly's Hills. It is owned by David Sydorick.

2012 Cadillac SRX crossover utility vehicle

The buyers and critics have been somewhat at odds since its introduction, but the sales figures have proven the wisdom of General Motors ways, and the upgraded 2012 Cadillac SRX luxury crossover vehicle should remove the biggest objection of the naysayers.

What the critics didn’t like, at least at first, was that Cadillac down-sized the luxury crossover, changed the drive wheels from back to front, and eliminated the strong V-8 engine.

Buyers, however, had no such concerns and bought the distinctive SRX in big enough numbers to move it into second place on the sales charts, behind only the Lexus RX 350.

Cadillac SRX instrument panel

After a while, a lot  of the criticism subsided, but the second-generation Cadillac’s engines — a standard 3-liter V-6 with 265 horsepower and 223 pound-feet of torque and an optional turbocharged, 2.8-liter V-6 with 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque— failed to ignite the reviewers’ enthusiasm.

To be honest, I didn’t find much lacking in the original, non-turbo V-6 engine. It wasn’t particular powerful, but it was smooth and it was adequate for moving a 4,200-pound, front-wheel drive SRX through the hilly sections of north-central New Jersey, where I lived at the time.

For the 2012 model year, both of those engines have been banished, replaced by a single 3.6-liter V-6 engine with direct fuel injection that generates 308 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque.

As before, the 2012 Cadillac SRX test vehicle is teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission. Both old and new have 3,500-pound towing capacities and the 2012 Cadillac SRX weighs in about 75 pounds heavier than a 2011 model.

Cadillac SRX cargo space

In my week of driving on the mostly level roads near Charleston, SC, I found the new engine to have more power in all situations, but there was no dramatic change in performance.

Oddly in these fuel-conscious times, the updated Cadillac SRX is a bit less efficient than its predecessor. The front-wheel-drive 2012 model is EPA-rated at 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway, while the 2011 returned an estimated 18 mpg city/ 25 mpg on the highway.

Overall, I averaged about 20 mpg in both vehicles. Perhaps that is because I spent a lot of time driving in the new-for-2012 driver-selectable Eco mode. It alters shift points to improve fuel efficiency and Cadillac officials say that can add up to an extra mile per gallon.

Frankly, I don’t believe that buyers of a near-$50,000 vehicle are going to worry a lot over minor differences in fuel efficiency. What they want is a distinctive crossover with ease of drivability, sufficient practicality and a generous amount of luxury features.

Most reviews of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle have focused to some extent on whether the Beetle is masculine enough for a self-respecting he-guy to drive. This one won’t, because everyone either believes the Beetle is no longer the girl’s car the New Beetle was—or is so girly-girl that even if the front end were protected not by a bra but an athletic supporter, the All-American guy wouldn’t slip behind the steering wheel and would have doubts about a passenger seat.

So that aside, what is there to the Volkswagen Beetle that sets it apart from other cars. Well, how about its Beetlesque design? The new Volkswagen Beetle, as opposed to the Volkswagen New Beetle, has a flatter roof and a longer hood, and in profile looks more like the original Type 1 Beetle. The new Beetle is lower than the New Beetle but gains on rear headroom while the front seat loses the ability to seat Abe Lincoln wearing this stovepipe hat. The new Beetle bests the old New Beetle in width by 3.3 inches and in length by 7.4 inches.

Wide swaths of exterior color brighten the insides of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

Right now there are two versions of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the standard Beetle and the Beetle Turbo, but a diesel-powered Beetle is due in short order from date of publication, and a Beetle Cabriolet/convertible and the Beetle Turbo-eating Beetle R are all on their way. A review of the Beetle Turbo is available on CarBuzzard, and this follow-up is on the standard model.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, like the VW Golf it’s based on, is powered by the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that’s the base powerplant for most of the VW line. It’s a sturdy engine with a broad torque range, though its fuel economy has been boosted by about ten percent. A six-speed manual is standard though our test model was equipped with the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Our tester was also came with the Sunroof, Sound and Navigation package, which is exactly what it says it is. It also raises the bottom significantly over the base $19,795 starting price. Adding just the sunroof brings the price to $22,295. The Fender audio combined with the in-dash nav system raises the total to $24,095.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L is powered by VW's familiar five-cylinder engine.

The tilt/slide panoramic sunroof of the new Beetle almost doubles the size of the New Beetle’s, and black tinted with black surround gives the Beetle a custom look and accentuates the new car’s lower roofline. The dark tint also blocks 99 percent of UV radiation and 92 percent of heat energy. It’s possible to leave the sunroof open even on sunny days without wearing a hat. The high roofline, however, means that the sun visor isn’t very effective blocking low sun from the side.

Volkswagen brings part retro and part personality inside by adding large body-color panels around the interior and even to the spokes of the steering wheel. It’s funky and attractive and brightens up the interior of our Tornado Red Beetle.

It’s a simple prognostication because the Scion FR-S is that kind of car, with the same basic elements as the original Mazda RX-7 and Miata, the Datsun 240Z, and Toyota’s own MR2 and particularly, the little-known Toyota AE86. They were attainable as they were entertaining, but not everyone understood what all the fuss was about. But those who loved them were hooked.

The same should apply to the Scion FR-S.  The 2013 Scion FR-S is a sports coupe in the truest sense of the word. It’s designed for performance first, and although the FR-S is not uncomfortable, it’s at the far end of the scale from “luxury.” Driver and front passenger are accommodated, but only as elements of the sports coupe whole.  The back seats, on the other hand, lack leg and headroom, and could be considered vestigial if only the FR-S had been derived from a sedan in the first place.

It wasn’t. The 2013 Scion FR-S is all new from the ground up, though except for relatively minor bits, the identical twin of the 2013 Subaru BRZ. Indeed, the two were developed together, a joint project between Toyota and Subaru (note: the Scion FR-S is sold as a Toyota in the rest of the world), begun after Toyota bought a major share in Subaru.

The project to share a sports coupe between the companies was the brainchild of Akio Toyoda, descendent of the founder, genuine car guy and authentic sports car racer, having competed at Nurburgring, taking turns with Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez behind the wheels of the Lexus LFA and Aston Martin V12 Zagato. And where some car company execs might be content to watch race cars go by, Toyoda used his clout to try out a NASCAR-ready Camry stock car. It’s good to be the boss.

The project began in 2007.  A team of engineers from Toyota and Subaru was put together to build the car to take the best from each and make it one. The team was named Team 86, drawing from the heritage of the Toyota AE86, a cult car in its own right and, front engined and rear drive, light weight and sporty, a true inspiration for the car that would be, as a Toyota/Scion, the FR-S, which appropriately enough comes from front-engine, rear drive, sport.

Team 86’s motto would be Built by Passion, Not by Committee.

The engine layout selected for the Toyota/Scion FR-S was a horizontally-opposed four cylinder, a Subaru tradition, which would become the world’s only horizontally-opposed (or “boxer”) engine combined with rear-wheel drive. Subaru’s new engine was equipped with Toyota’s D-4S injection system that uses both direct and port injection.

The 2013 Scion FR-S engine is powered by a 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed engine.

Developed originally for the Lexus IS-F, the D-4S system uses the direct injectors at all times, adding the port injectors “at certain engine speeds and under certain engine loads.” It’s said to fill out mid-range torque as help vehicle emissions. Intake and exhaust valve timing vary using Dual VVT-i. Compression is a remarkable 12.5:1—premium fuel is required—with output from the 2.0-liter engine rated at 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque.

The boxer engine has several benefits of the Scion FR-S. It’s shorter than a conventional inline four-cylinder engine and it’s much lower overall, reducing the center of gravity significantly–lower than the current Porsche Cayman and allowing a lower hoodline.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback

Okay, subsonic would be a more accurate description of this car, but the five-door 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ  does not need blinding speed to attract buyers looking for a feature-laden subcompact sedan.

Before we even start our examination, though, let’s erase any thoughts you might have about that late Korean-made dud, the Aveo,  which the Sonic replaces. The new, made-in America small fry is way better and way more fun to drive than that unfortunate import.

And, let’s concede that, even with gas prices now slipping back a few cents per gallon, the jury is still out on how many American car buyers will be willing to make a sacrifice in size for the sake of efficiency.

Those who are willing to make that sacrifice will find that the Sonic isn’t so much of a sacrifice, after all.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic instruments

Think of the Sonic as Chevy Cruze light. The Sonic uses the same engines, similar transmissions, and holds  four adults in reasonable comfort — just like the popular, hot-selling, compact Cruze.

Yes, it’s smaller and, yes, it holds less cargo than the Cruze, but the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a city car that can be equally at home on the wide interstates and the winding back roads.

The 2012 Sonic comes in two body styles, a traditional-looking four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, which kind of resembles a Kia Soul. The hatchback version was the one supplied for my examination.

Two engines are available: a standard 1.8-liter, four-cylinder model that generates 138 horsepower and 125 pound feet of torque; and an optional turbocharged, 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder powerplant that generates an identical 138 horsepower, but a beefier 148 pound-feet of torque.

The base engine can be teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual. The turbo motor can be paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual shifter.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic front seats

The test car combined the slightly more expensive turbo engine with the 6-speed manual transmission, my favorite among the powertrain choices but probably not the one that will be chosen by the bulk of Sonic purchasers.

The car I drove is EPA-rated at 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway, while the standard engine combined with manual shifter is calculated at 25/35 and its counterpart with automatic transmission is expected to average 26/35. I averaged an overall 34 mpg in a week of restrained urban and suburban motoring. Both engines run happily on regular-grade fuel.

While a subcompact front-wheel drive hatchback is not a realistic substitute for a sports sedan, the pint-sized Sonic I piloted for a week was entertaining to drive.

Despite the engine’s diminutive displacement, the turbo assist boosted power enough to give the Sonic a 0-to-60 mph time of approximately 8 seconds. Not neck snapping, for sure, but certainly more than merely adequate for a subcompact.

For manufacturers, a new-vehicle introduction is nail-biting time. Either you’re introducing an all-new model that the company has spent mega millions on during research and development and must recoup that cost, or completely redesigning a crowd favorite that has to please diehard fans of the current model while also bringing in conquest sales.

For Chrysler’s Dodge brand, the introduction (or re-introduction, depending on your age) of the Dart carries with it even more heft than the responsibilities listed above.

First, when a brand brings back a nameplate that was hugely successful in the past, considerations must be taken whether the new vehicle will represent the old, completely redefine the old, or appeal to a customer base who was never aware of the old. Now add to that, a manufacturer/car that is being reintroduced to a segment where their presence was lacking before, and, oh yeah, toss in that the new car is based on an Italian vehicle that is the first shared platform between the two companies. And did we mention that Dodge is allowing customers to build their own unique model with 100,000 different ways to personalize and configure the vehicle?

No pressure, right?

Let’s tackle these issues one at a time.

Dodge Dart…A rose by any other name…

When the Dodge Dart was first introduced to America in 1960, it was a midsize sedan built on a 118-inch wheelbase and available in 11 (wow!) different body styles and three series: Seneca, Pioneer, and Phoenix. Dodge also offered a compact version of the Dart, called Lancer. Engine choices included the durable Slant Six and a 361-cubic-inch Ram induction V8 making 310 horsepower (how we miss the ’60s!).

Over the next 16 years, the Dart’s wheelbase shrank, as did its power. In 1976, only 70,000 units left dealerships, signaling the end of a prosperous badge run that totaled over 3.6 million units sold, and made the Dart one of Chrysler’s most successful compact vehicles ever.

1970 Dodge Dart Swinger

With a history like that, recycling the Dart name took some serious consideration. When all the debates were over, the name represented fond memories for previous owners, and no bad connotations for those born after the gas crisis.

According to Reid Bigland, President and CEO of the Dodge Brand, “many Millennials 35 and younger had never heard of the original Dodge Dart, so the name really resonated with the new Dart’s aerodynamic attributes and sleek styling. For other consumers, many people either had a Dart or knew someone who did, and had really fond memories of their experience with it.”

And, as is often the case, it’s easier to go with a name that is somewhat recognizable and liked as opposed to coming up with something unique, untested and (help us all) alphanumeric.

Small cars, big trucks, and crossovers, oh my!

The American car-buying public is unpredictable and fickle. One minute we panic and want the smallest car possible because of fuel prices. But as soon as those drop a nickel we want large SUVs so we can run and jump and play. But wait, now we want a crossover that can do the work of the big boys, but still give us fuel economy. But we still need a truck to haul around our work equipment! Trying to guess what consumers want is like trying to train a pet goldfish: just when you think it will go through the castle, it flips its fins and swims the other way.

Which means every year there’s another segment that’s “on the upswing.” This year, and probably the next as well (who really knows), the compact segment has been anointed the chosen one. According to Chrysler, the compact segment makes up 15% of all new-car sales in the U.S., making it the fastest-growing segment today. In addition, 85% of that 15% of compact sales will be from sedans. Hence, this is where the Dart comfortably sits.

The last time Dodge was in the compact segment was with the Neon, a front-drive entry-level vehicle that offered more horsepower that the competition, but sorely lacked in the safety department. The Neon departed in 2005, replaced by the Dodge Caliber hatchback in 2007 that received mediocre reviews and lackluster sales.

So not only does the new Dart have to live up to its name, it also has to squeeze into the growing compact segment where it hasn’t really had a winning entry in almost a decade. In addition, it’s not like the Dart is alone in the segment. There are some pretty solid competitors vying for the public’s attention: Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra (new model coming this fall), Ford Focus (recently introduced and selling well), Toyota Corolla (due for a redesign soon), Chevrolet Cruze (selling extremely well), and Hyundai Elantra (freshened model coming soon). Now add one from just about every other manufacturer, and you can see the Dart has a lot to prove.
Continued

2013 Dodge Dart SXT

When Dodge discontinued the Neon and filled its place on the showroom floor with the Dodge Caliber—an odd sort of crossover vehicle—it effectively abandoned the compact car market. So when the decision was made to drop the unhappy Caliber and bring back a compact car, the new car—which would become the Dodge Dar—had a blank slate to work on.

Not completely blank, actually. The Dodge Dart would share the platform developed for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a sporty small sedan built by the division of Fiat responsible for popularly priced sports sedans and sports cars in Europe. The Dart would be the first vehicle manufactured as a result of the partnership between Chrysler Group and Fiat.

Dodge, however, was give free reign to change almost everything and they started with the platform itself, stretching by a foot and widening it by two inches, earning the designation “Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-W) architecture”.  Bigger and with extra room inside, the chassis has essentially been repurposed, made possible by the modularity of the platform, allowing many different models to be built using the same basic elements.

2013 Dodge Dart SXT (click image to enlarge0

The result is a Dodge Dart that doesn’t look anything like an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. What it looks like is a Dodge, and deliberately so. The front end bears similarities to the Dodge Charger’s, particularly the “split crosshair” grille. However the headlights are the biggest in the Dodge lineup, and will have “Hyper Black” finish standard on Rallye and R/T models, with SE, SXT and Limited models having chrome.

At the other end of the Dart is the Dodge trademark “racetrack” taillight configuration. With the right trim level/option package, it lights up like the Charger’s with 152 “indirectly glowing LED’s through an internal lens that creates a ‘fractal glass’ appearance when illuminated.” In other words, you’ll know it’s a Dodge ahead of you, just not particularly which one.

Although there’s a crisp edge between the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the front end, from overhead it’s rounded, and even the hood is distinctive, with a round leading edge that’s particularly noticeable when raised. Available on some model is Dodge’s first application of an active grille shutter system. At higher speeds—above 40 to 45 mph—the shutters close to reduce airflow through the engine radiator and engine compartment and thereby decrease aerodynamic drag.  Dodge engineers and designers spent more than 600 hours in the windtunnel with 3/8 scale and full size models, and it paid off with a .285 coefficient of drag for the aero trim model and .29 for other Darts.

The Dodge Dart will be available with three engines. Standard in the SE, SXT, Rallye and Limited will be the new 160 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, with a 160 horsepower 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine optional.  A new 184 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir 2 four-cylinder engine will be standard on the Dodge Dart R/T, available 3rd quarter 2012.

2013 Dodge Dart SXT 2.0-liter Tigershark engine (click image to enlarge)

Although the 2.0-liter Tigershark and 1.4-liter turbo MultiAir engines have the same horsepower rating, the larger naturally-aspirated engine has a torque peak of 147 lb.-ft at 4,600 rpm. The smaller turbo, on the other hand, generates a substantially greater 184 lb.-ft over a 2,500-4,000 rpm range. Credit the MultiAir variable valve timing and lift system for the greater low-end torque.

Chrysler touts the 2.0-liter Tigershark engine as “all new”, with “more than 88 percent” of the parts new, even if does have roots in the old GEMA World Engine.” But with a new block, the exhaust moved to the forward side of the transversely-mounted engine, a wider bore than the old 2.0-liter GEMA engine, and a multitude of other changes, the engine certainly qualifies as “new”.

The 2.4-liter engine arriving this fall is another member of the Tigershark family, though with a longer stroke for the added displacement, and with the MultiAir valve timing technology will produce 184 hp at 6250 rpm and 171 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm.

Mazda RX-8 Spirit R (click to enlarge)

Naysayers notwithstanding, the rotary engine just won’t go away. As we reported last October , the RX-8, already no longer being imported into the U.S., was supposed to have a final 1,000 Spirit R models as a sayonara for the Japanese market, production winding down in June, 2012. But due to popular demand, Mazda decided to build another run of 1,000 more of the Mazda RX-8 Spirit R.

Alas, that second run of Spirit R cars will be complete by June, 2012. For the first time since the introduction of the Mazda Cosmo 110S in 1967, a Mazda rotary engine will not be in production.

Rotary engine enthusiasts should not lose heart, however, as we’ve been told that research continues on Mazda’s defining technology. Just don’t expect anything too soon.