It's The End Of The World As We Know It
With the seventh-generation Corvette set to debut at the Detroit auto show, Chevy dropped a couple of special 'Vettes this year, cars that were immediately purchased by dudes in denim letterman jackets with an eye toward future Barrett-Jackson cash-ins. The 427 Convertible took the Z06's motor and dropped it into the regular Corvette drophead's steel chassis. This, though, this Centennial version is a freakish beast. Z07 package. Pilot Sport Cup tires. Louis Chevrolet decal. Not just scary-fast, but scary under practically any condition. One must drive this car, lest the car drive one straight into the nearest pole. Cold R-compound tires are not your friends. Hot ones, however, get pretty magical. 11. Audi A6: Driver 8. Perhaps the finest long-distance conveyance your author sampled this year. While it's content to meander along at the tempo of R.E.M.'s chestnut of a train song, the supercharged A6 is also more than pleased to do its finest impression of Germany's Intercity-Express.
There is also a special edition, based on the T2 called the Colour Collection. In Ireland there were five trim levels - Terra, Aura, Strata, Luna, and Sol. The original 115 PS (85 kW) D-4D Diesel engine has been complemented with a 2.2 L D-4D in 136 PS (2AD-FTV) and 177 PS (2AD-FHV) versions. Newer versions have dropped the "D-4D" and "2.0" badging from the front wings and tailgate respectively. In Japan, the Avensis is sold as 2.0 Xi, 2.0 Li, and 2.4 Qi. Only the base model 2.0 Xi is offered with 4-wheel drive. In 2003, the Avensis became the first Japanese vehicle to receive a rating under the Euro NCAP's redone testing, with 34 total points it also became the highest rated vehicle they had tested. The 2003 Avensis also became the first vehicle sold in Europe with a knee airbag. This is first and only one generation of Avensis sold in Egypt and Morocco, not in Persian Gulf countries. The new facelifted Toyota Avensis became available in June 2006. Some changes from the old model are the inclusion of turn signals in the side mirrors, an MP3/WMA/ASL-ready audio system, new front bumper, and a new grille.
For the first time, the Sport offers a V-6 engine as its base powertrain; the 90-degree V-6 is supercharged, and with help from a smooth ZF 8-speed automatic it can rip a 0-60 mph trip in less than seven seconds. The related supercharged V-8 spits out 510 hp in standard models and makes a glorious noise while running to 60 in under five seconds. The new Sport's ride/handling blend tilts firmly to sport. Its air dampers and variable-ratio steering quicken up the utility's responses compared to the bigger Range Rover, and the V-8's Dynamic setting dials out much of the innate lean and scrub dictated by its height and weight. It's much closer now to the benchmarks set by the uber-utes from Germany. At the same time, it's an incredibly capable muckraker, with either the base Torsen four-wheel-drive setup, or the more advanced dual-range system, with its active rear locking differential.
The fact that the first year鈥檚 production is already sold out may be testament to the firm鈥檚 courage in taking a direction it feared some purists might have considered sacrilege. It admits it agonised, but in the end it decided it had to enter the booming SUV market or leave a vacuum for its customers. The moment you climb into the vast cabin you feel strangely empowered. Sitting very high, you look down the bonnet at the Spirit of Ecstasy 鈥楩lying Lady鈥?mascot, cocooned in a luxurious sanctuary of calm. The trappings of wealth grow on you quickly. Acceleration from the mighty 563bhp 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine is awesome but balanced, propelling it from rest to 62mph in 5.2 seconds. It鈥檚 a dramatic boost of power. The steering and handling is sharper and more precise than the more stately flagship Phantom limousine, too. On twisting country roads it proved particularly adroit.
