2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review
The Honda Fit gets a mild redo and a new Sport trim, which we have been driving this week. The Fit gets a few upgrades but keeps its best attributes of reliability, economy, performance, and interior versatility. It’s a good choice for city dwellers and a nice place to spend time commuting.
This week we drove the new Honda Fit Sport to see how it stacks up. 
What’s New For 2018
The Honda Fit features updated styling and a new, mid-tier 5-Door Sport model. It also comes with more active safety technology and driver aids, an updated infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, re-tuned suspension and steering, and added sound insulation for a quieter ride.
Features & Options
The 2018 Honda Fit Sport ($17,500) comes standard with a rearview camera, remote entry, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and driver-seat height adjustment.
The new-for-2018 Sport trim adds some “sporty” styling highlights, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The Sport’s infotainment system is a seven-inch touchscreen interface that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also includes a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio. Total MSRP including destination: $18,390.





Interior Highlights
Stepping inside the Fit Sport reveals a cabin that feels bigger than a subcompact should. Most subcompacts feel tight and leave you with a feeling of claustrophobia. It features attractive cloth seats, some hard plastics, but still plenty of soft-touch surfaces. Controls are logically positioned and you don’t get the sense it’s an economy hatch. The fit and finish is good and the quality of materials is above average for this price point.
Fit is still a small car, but there’s a surprising amount of room in the front and back. We adjusted the steering wheel and height-adjustable driver’s seat and found the ideal driving position.
In the back, we were again surprised at how much legroom rear passengers are afforded, although headroom will be tight for 6-footers. The Fit comes with a 60/40-split folding rear seat Honda calls a Magic Seat. The rear seat can be positioned in a number of configurations, making the subcompact car able to handle more types of cargo than other typical hatchbacks. There’s also a handy hidden cargo tray for valuables under the rear deck. The rear hatch features a low-load height and it’s wider than others in this class, making it easy to pack larger items.





Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
The Fit Sport is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection, producing 130 horsepower and 114 lb-ft. of torque. Our Sport tester came with a smooth-shifting standard six-speed manual gearbox. EPA fuel mileage estimates come in at 29/36 city/highway and 31 combined mpg.
Driving Dynamics
We noticed two things about the Fit Sport after we got underway. Visibility is very good for a subcompact, and Honda’s engineers added more sound insulation which translates to a quieter ride on the highway. We also noticed the 1.5-liter engine is not particularly high-revving, and it takes awhile to get up to highway speed. We tested the Fit at altitude, however, so it will develop a bit more power at sea level.
The Fit Sport is nimble around the tight mountain curves, staying relatively flat when we took them fast, and is generally fun to drive. At highway speeds, the Fit is stable and composed. If you want a hot hatch, you will need to move up to the Civic, but the Fit is a capable commuter that’s easy to live with. It won’t leave you tired after a longer commute in traffic either. 
The six-speed manual is a smooth-shifting gearbox for those who like to drive. Once you get used to the clutch uptake, shifts are precise and one of the better subcompact manual rowers we’ve driven.
Where the Honda Fit shines is in tight city streets and parking spaces. Thanks to the car’s small footprint, we were able to zip right into a small parking sport on the street without parallel parking. The Fit offers up nimble handling and a tight turning radius, allowing us to make a 180-degree turn around in the middle of the street. Overall, the Fit offers a fun and satisfying drive for urban dwellers.





Conclusion
The 2018 Honda Fit Sport is a very capable subcompact offering hatchback utility, sporty driving dynamics, smart packaging, excellent rear passenger and cargo carrying ability, good looks, and fuel efficiency. Add in Honda’s reputation for reliability and longevity, and you’ve got all the qualities needed.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Honda Fit Orange Fury Gallery
































2018 Honda Fit Crystal Black Pearl Gallery




















2018 Honda Fit Official Site.
Photos: Honda North America (other trim levels also shown).



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Bugatti Chiron Sport: Yeah, So What

Bugatti Chiron Sport: Yeah, So What Hey look, there’s a new Bugatti here, the Bugatti Chiron Sport. I’m sure a lot of people will be excited by this news. I, however, am not one of them. There’s a new Bugatti Chiron Sport? So what.
Yes, yes, I know. The Bugatti Chiron Sport, like the “normal” Chiron or even the Veyron before it, is a technical marvel. There’s about as much technological sorcery and power packed into these things as an ICBM. The engine is a purposefully weird layout with enough forced induction blowers, coolers, intercoolers, and radiators to seem like something from an WWII fighter.
And all that power is put to the ground through a very sophisticated all-wheel drive system and tires the size of oil drums.
Talking Track
But again: So what? Bugattis are all wonderful, technical exercises, but why does that really matter? Would I be as impressed if someone built a steam car as fast as a Ferrari? Sure, but I wouldn’t care all that much. You built a prop plane that can break the sound barrier? Cool . . . but, so what? Who’s going to buy the thing? None of the world’s air forces, I can tell you that. So Bugatti does all this cool stuff and gets monstrous levels of performance. But they don’t race. And if you don’t race, it doesn’t count. Period.
Bugatti, the old man himself, even for all his affectations of a third rate maitre d’ from Leon, and being picky for pickiness sake, at least he Raced. These new guys, Volkswagen, essentially, they bought the Bugatti name and slapped it onto an Audi/VW/Porsche-drawing board and made a very good road car. But for me and my money, if you don’t race it, you don’t count.
Photo: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Handling & Torque Tech
Curiously, what differentiates the Bugatti Chiron Sport from the normal Chiron is weight. The Chiron Sport is supposed to be all about handling performance, but you don’t have to look very deep to see it’s mainly a trim package with some new wheels and a few bits and bobs here and there. You think this thing is going to handle? At more than two tons, 4,400 pounds actually, I’d bet any one of the new Lotus special editions would chew this thing up and spit out the pieces on a tight mountain road.
The new Chiron Sport, which has the same power output and performance data as the other Chirons, does come with a dynamic handling package, a stiffer suspension, and the new Dynamic Torque Vectoring function. Nice. Torque vectoring is important, and it really transformed the first road car its inventor, Ferrari, put it on more than a decade ago. Thanks for joining the party.
Photo: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Grocery Getter
The Chiron Sport also gets a new wheel design and four-pipe exhaust deflector. And by deflector, I’m guessing they mean diffusor. Which means Bugatti focused on blowing the underbody, and sticking the thing down on high-speed corners. And that’s all well and good, but it’s also a gimme. Of course they’re going to maximize high-speed grip. All they got is speed. Trying to get more handling at lower speeds would reap little rewards for a Holstein of a car.
Which explains this little tidbit from Bugatti: “Chiron Sport corners significantly faster: lap times on Nardò handling circuit five seconds better than with Chiron.” Have you seen a map of the Nardò handling circuit? I count one long straight, two high-speed wiggly bits, and more than a few very high-speed sweepers. Put this thing on a course where you need Handling and not just “handling,” and you’ll get what I’m on about.
To further understand this, clock to this: The weight has been reduced 18 kilograms, or around 36 lbs. That’s it. After all this, it’s dropped the weight of a bag full of groceries. If you dropped that much weight from oh, a Miata, you’d notice it, but on this tank, shedding less than one percent of the all up weight ain’t going to get you bupkis. Oh, and before I forget, the Chiron Sport is the first production vehicle in the automotive industry with carbon fiber windscreen wipers. Really. Talk about gilding the lily.
Photo: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Pricing & Availability
The base price of the new Bugatti Chiron Sport is €2.65 million net, or $3.26 million for the U.S. market, including transport, customs duties, taxes, and fees. And for that amount of yenom, the filthy rich customers can choose individual color and trim options to “give their car an even sportier appearance.” Larf. For that amount of money, I could choose several cars that would be more fun up a mountainside and back, and none of them would take the automotive equivalent of a papal bull to get serviced.
First deliveries are planned for the end of the year. I’d say get in line, but you already are if this is your sort of car. It’s obviously not to my tastes.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 
Bugatti Chiron Sport Gallery














Photos & Source: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.



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Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder: Open-Air Emotion

Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder: Open-Air Emotion Lamborghini just rolled out the latest version of its Huracán, the Huracán Performante Spyder. That’s just a very continental way of saying: Hey look, we made the Huracán into a Targa-esque thing. No, it’s not really a convertible. And no, it’s not really a Spyder either, but it will blow your hair back to the tune of a 202 mph blast of wind.
The Huracán Performante is the more, uh, performance-oriented version of the “regular” Huracán (not that there’s much “regular” about this little beastie to begin with). Although I’ve seen no official word, it seems “Performante” will be to Lambos what Speciale is to Ferraris: the factory hot rod version.
Aerodynamic Design
From a design standpoint, the Performante Spyder takes a number of cues from Super Trofeo race cars, and also from open-frame street fighter motorcycles. Okay, kind of childish, but that’s kind of what Lamborghini is known for. There’s visible carbon fiber running throughout and the aluminum bits here and there drop 35 kilos (around 75 lbs.) versus the original Huracán Spyder. The use of forged composites are found in the front and rear spoiler, engine bonnet, rear bumper, and aerodynamic diffuser.
All of those are functional aero elements within Lamborghini’s patented active aerodynamics system, first introduced on the Huracán Performante: Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva, or ALA. The ALA system varies aero-load for either high down force or low drag, as well as enabling aero vectoring in high-speed cornering, thus providing excellent dynamics on the road or track. And all of this ALA stuff is governed by the Lamborghini Piattaforma Inerziale (LPI) system in real time; tweaking the car’s setup as well as activating the ALA system in less than 500 milliseconds to ensure the best aerodynamic configuration in every driving condition.
The Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder has a dry weight of 3,322 lbs., with a distribution front/rear of 43/57 percent. Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.
Power & Performance
With its 5.2, V10 naturally-aspirated engine, the Performante Spyder accelerates to 62 mph in 3.1 seconds and to 124 mph in 9.3 seconds. Like the Performante coupé, the Spyder outputs 640 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, producing 442 lb-ft. of torque at 6,500 rpm. Lamborghini says more than 70 percent of that torque is readily available at 1,000 rpm.
The Spyder, like the Huracán Performante coupé, includes an enhanced suspension system, recalibrated ESC, a more responsive Lamborghini Dynamic Steering system, and a permanent four-wheel drive layout for maximizing traction. Lamborghini’s driver-mode system comprising of STRADA, SPORT, and CORSA allows you to customize the car to suit your tastes.
Open-Air Enjoyment
The roof part of the Huracán Performante Spyder is a lightweight, electro-hydraulic deal that complements the car’s distinctive lines, whether open or closed. It is also said to maintain rigidity and handling, since even as a convertible it maintains the stiffness of a sports car. The roof opens in just 17 seconds up to a speed of 30 mph, which is a totally cool move to pull when leaving your burger joint of choice.
Pricing & Availability
The first lucky customers will take delivery of their new Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder this summer with a suggested price of, gulp, $308,859. No, that is not cheap, but you weren’t really expecting it to be, were you?
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 
Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder Gallery

















Photos & Source: Automobili Lamborghini.



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Toyota Exceeds 10 Million Units In Global Hybrid Sales

Toyota Exceeds 10 Million Units In Global Hybrid Sales

Toyota has sold more than 10 million hybrid vehicles globally as of January 31st 2017. The milestone includes both hybrids and plug-in hybrids and comes only nine months after total hybrid sales reached 9 million at the end of April 2016. At the center is the Prius, although it was once a blip on the radar.

“When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was, but, thanks to early adopters, hybrids have ridden a wave of success into the mainstream,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Toyota.

Uchiyamada, considered the father of the Prius, further spoke his feelings.

“We are grateful to each and every one of our customers who have helped us achieve this important [global] milestone,” he said.

The environmental impact is equally as substantial. As of January 31st 2017, Toyota estimates their hybrid vehicles, as an alternative to gasoline vehicles of similar size and performance, resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and nearly 7.66 million gallons of gasoline saved. Toyota believes the results validate the effectiveness of hybrid technology when addressing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns.

“The Prius stands as an icon for sustainability and efficiency, and is a shining example of what you can achieve when you have the right idea to help solve a problem,” said Bob Carter, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota Motor North America.

Sales continue to grow for Toyota as does their commitment to eco-friendly vehicles.

“Hybrids remain an important part of our lineup of vehicles, with over 246,000 units sold last year,” Carter said. “We have seen continued demand with the release of the RAV4 Hybrid variant of the popular compact SUV, accounting for nearly 13 percent of its total sales volume in 2016.”

Over the past 60 years, Toyota has produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America. The automaker operates 14 manufacturing plants, 10 of which are in the United States. In the U.S. alone, Toyota employs more than 34,00 people and operates nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. 

Photos & Source: Toyota Motor North America

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Second-Generation McLaren Super Series Ups The Game

Second-Generation McLaren Super Series Ups The Game

Ferrari has its Challenge Series, Lamborghini the Super Trofeo, and McLaren has the Super Series. These are all one-make racing series for the well-healed, beautiful people racers out there. You go and plunk down a lot of money, “The Boys From Woking” give you a shiny, new, race-prepped 675LT, and you get to play Fernando Alonso for several weekends a year.

The factory takes care of the support.

Racing & Reminiscing

Look, I like McLaren, I really do. When I was a kid, Bruce McLaren was one of the racers at the top of the pyramid. Him and fellow Kiwi Denny Hulme we so dominant in the Can-Am, people took to calling it “The Bruce & Denny Show.” Then Bruce died in a testing accident. His company carried on, fielding winning cars at Indy, and garnering world titles for the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt.

Then they sort of started to wallow, and along came Ron Dennis and his Project Four racing organization to the rescue. I really appreciate what Ron did as team principle. McLaren, under his leadership, could take on the form of an unstoppable juggernaut. And he was bright enough to hire guys like Gordon Murray and Ayrton Senna.

But great googlie mooglie, he’s an uptight guy. I mean even by British standards he was wound tighter than a window shade spring. He made Roger Penske look like Bootsie Collins and Frank Williams seem like Flavor Flav. His drivers would win from far back in the pack, his cars would utterly dominate, and he’d barely crack a smile. He sucked all the joy out of his team’s accomplishments and, consequently, extracted all the pleasure for the fans too.

But Ron’s gone now. Shuffled out of the corporation he helped shape and build in some sort of ugly internecine palace coup d’état. So in my book, it’s okay to like McLaren again! Which of course makes their Super Series all the more interesting.

“Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury, and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland,” explained McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt. “This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new Super Series will be absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment.” Photo: McLaren Automotive.

Power & Performance

First off, we have got to come up with a better name. Super Series? Really?

Although, the cars are pretty durn interesting. They run race-prepped 675LTs, track versions of the company’s supercar, and although McLaren curiously withholds complete engine specifications, they do provide some performance numbers, and yow!, these things can scoot.

Zero to 200km (124mph) takes a measly 7.8 seconds and the standing quarter mile comes up in a shockingly short 10.3 seconds. I’ve seen racing motorcycles go slower than that. The engine is a new 4.0-liter plant with a new exhaust system, tuned to provide a soundtrack to match the performance. If, for some reason, that’s not enough noise for you, there’s an available sports exhaust option for “more aural excitement.”

“Power, torque, and throttle response are all significantly enhanced compared to the first-generation Super Series, yet with fuel efficiency and emissions also notably improved,” commented Haydn Baker, McLaren Super Series Vehicle Line Director.

The new M840T engine is fitted with ultra-low inertia, twin-scroll turbochargers. Spooling up more rapidly than previous designs, they deliver reduced turbo lag and quicker throttle response, meaning the days of “mash it, count to 3, and you better be pointing in the right direction” are far in the past.

If you’re the kind of track rat that likes to brag about your car – and at this level, a lot of these people do – there’s all these extra-trick bits that McLaren has thrown into the mix. There’s “automatic engine bay illumination as part of the welcome sequence on vehicle unlocking,” which means when you unlock the doors, lights on the engine bay turn on. Why? Well besides being an insufferable hole that likes stuff like that, it also shows off the cast-aluminum air intake plenum with the McLaren Speedmark logo.

So there’s that.

The second-generation McLaren Super Series will make its public debut on March 7th at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. More details and the complete performance specifications will be released at that time.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photos & Source: McLaren Automotive

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Ford Invests $200 Million Into New Wind Tunnel Complex

Ford Invests $200 Million Into New Wind Tunnel Complex

“$200 Million,” you might ask? “Isn’t that a lot for a big pipe with a fan on one end?” Yes, yes it is, but look, wind tunnels are amazingly complex machines. I’ve been involved with more than a few over my life, from low speed jobs to hypersonic models that take weeks to prep and two seconds to fire off.

They’re like flat reference planes or micrometers. You invest a lot of money in them, and I mean a lot of money, because you can measure stuff down to the beat of a hummingbird’s wing.

Hot Then Cold

The new tunnel will feature a rolling road set up with an environmental simulation facility. Air speeds can be dialed from nothing up to 200 mph, and the advanced climatic chamber can go from 104 degrees to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s equivalent of going from the Sahara to the Arctic.

Airflow & Aerodynamics

The rolling road is an important, complex, and expensive part of any current, state of the art wind tunnel facility. Essentially the test vehicle sits not on a section of immovable metal, but on a moving conveyor belt-like affair that simulates passing over a road surface. I know, this seems like a lot of overkill, but it allows you to simulate what is going on with wheel/tire rotation and how it effects airflow around and, most importantly, under the body of the vehicle.

Road vehicle aerodynamics come down to two big areas: making the airflow work for you (i.e. producing downforce) or punching a smaller, cleaner hole in the air. So, if you can move down the highway cleaner, and your truck gets one more mile per gallon, so what? Well, assume for a minute you’re managing a fleet of delivery vehicles, and it’s time to buy new trucks. If Ford can get you 1 MPG better, and you drive each truck around 200,000 miles a year, and you are going to buy, oh, let’s say fifty trucks . . . you can see where these numbers are going, no?

Specific Construction

Ford is being so precise that their new tunnel will sport not just one, but five moving belts. Each wheel gets its own belt and the huge fifth belt runs down the center of the vehicle. Airflow around the entire vehicle can be dialed up to 155 mph, and if you want to switch to a single belt (all of this stuff can be swapped around like a giant Lego set) you can reach speeds of up to 200 mph.

Why? Why go that fast when you’re dinking around with trucks and sedans and stuff?

Ford says it “opens up a new breed of testing for high-speed performance and racing vehicles,” to which I say cough-Ford GT Le Mans program-cough.

“This new wind tunnel facility will not only allow us to test our performance and racing vehicle line-up but will also enable us to share innovations across all our global Ford products,” said Dave Pericak, Ford Performance Global Director.

The new wind tunnel will enable Ford engineers to validate vehicle designs at a higher level. Hence, we get more fuel efficient cars and trucks and Ford gets better race cars. Everyone wins. Construction on the new 13 acre wind tunnel complex starts this year at Ford’s current Drivability Test Facility in Allen Park, Michigan.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

Photo & Source: Ford Motor Company

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Honda confirms production Civic Type-R at Geneva

Honda confirms production Civic Type-R at Geneva

Honda’s hotly-anticipated production Civic Type-R heads to Geneva before it arrives on US shores.

What’s going on?

We’re nearing the world-renowned Geneva Auto Show. Taking advantage of the spotlight, Honda officially confirmed the launch of the first production Civic Type R at this year’s exhibition.

Honda fans and hot hatch lovers rejoiced over the return of the fastest production Civic to come from the company. The near-production concept first arrived in Paris with Honda promising that changes to the full production model were minimal.

Excited? We are too, and here’s what we’re expecting.

The production Type R gets Honda’s latest 2.0L VTEC turbocharged four-banger, marking the Type R’s first-ever departure from natural aspiration. Production begins this summer at a specially tailored assembly plant in the UK for export to Europe, Japan, and “other global markets.” We assume the US is one of them.

Official power figures haven’t been released yet. Predictions place horsepower ratings close, if not over the 300 mark.

Those details will likely surface closer to the launch event in Geneva.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: Honda

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Meet the fastest and most powerful front-engined Ferrari ever, the 812 Superfast

Meet the fastest and most powerful front-engined Ferrari ever, the 812 Superfast

Yes, it’s actually named the Ferrari 812 Superfast and hardly needs explanation.

What’s going on?

Ferrari’s flagship GT V12 sports coupe is getting its replacement. What was once the F12 Berlinetta now becomes the 812 Superfast, the fastest, most powerful Ferrari ever built. Like the F12, the 812 continues the big-bodied, V12-powered grand tourer recipe with rear wheel drive. Further more, the V12 avoids the use of forced induction, meaning it’s naturally aspirated.

The use of forced induction, such as turbocharging on the latest 488 GTO, has purists disappointed. Although Ferrari used turbocharging in the past, they largely relied on naturally-aspirated engines to complete the experience. Thus, the 812 Superfast is a bit of a refresh when measured against the automaker’s recent influx of turbocharged models.

So, how fast is it?

Well, to get straight to the point, the 812 Superfast sports the same F12Tdf’s 6.3L V12. But it’s been reworked to serve up 789 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. To compare, the outgoing F12Tdf made 769hp and 520 lb-ft of twist. That means the 812 makes the same amount of power as the LaFerrari. Except, the 812 Superfast doesn’t utilize an additional electric motor like the LaFerrari, making the 812’s V12 the most powerful production Ferrari engine ever. A newly revised in-house seven-speed dual-clutch transmission featuring revised gearing channels the power to the rear wheels.

The result is a 0-62 time of just 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 211 miles per hour. On paper, it’s clear the 812 will live up to its name.

Why didn’t they call it something more interesting, like Superfast in Italian?

That’s a bit of a problem because Lamborghini already has that covered, with the Aventador SV, or Superveloce, which is what Superfast is in Italian.

What else is new about it?

Here’s where some of the new stuff gets questionable. Ferrari announced that the 812 Superfast is the first model to undergo a switch over to electric-assisted power steering, versus the previous dependency on old-fashioned hydraulics. Like the changeover to turbocharging, the use of electric power steering worries purists. EPS systems still struggle to compare well to hydraulic-assist in performance applications in terms of feel and natural progression. With the 812, there’s a risk the steering could have less feel, less natural progression and weighting, and a less-accurate on-center tactility.

And like the F12Tdf, the 812 comes with Ferrari’s latest Virtual Short Wheelbase four-wheel steering.

Deep down, you can tell the 812 Superfast is technically a heavily revised F12Tdf as structurally, the car shares the same overall shape and key design cues. To compliment the new looks, extra power, and new name, the interior gets a complete makeover as well.

When will it come out?

The new Ferrari 812 Superfast is scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It also marks Ferrari’s 70th year in existence.

Pricing?

A lot. Enough to buy a nice house in many places of the world.

– By: Chris Chin

 

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Nissan Titan King Cab Arrives This Spring

Nissan Titan King Cab Arrives This Spring

For some reason, adding doors to pickup trucks and making them even more practical is something manufacturers can be slow to adopt. Likewise for practical intermediate steps, like Nissan has finally done with the addition of the king cab body to their Titan model lineup.

At the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan revealed the new 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD King Cab models. Yes, they spell TITAN in all caps, so I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m shouting. Nissan says this now completes the entire Titan lineup of full-size pickups.

Seating, Space & Storage

The most salient point about the new King Cab is its available 6-person seating. So, a work crew, or a bunch of snowmobile buddies can all cram up front – although cram is probably the wrong word, since there’s lots of room, front and back, in these things. The back doors are rear hinged suicide doors that are designed to open wider, for easier ingress and egress.

Besides, let’s face it, suicide doors are pretty cool.

There’s even an available “rear seat delete” option that allows you to keep the space, but drop the seat if you want to haul sensitive stuff indoors with you. The “rear seat delete” is ideal for commercial use since it has a flat floor loading area and also gives you secure in-cab storage space.

Like the other Titan models, the new King Cab body was designed by Nissan Design America in San Diego, California. It offers either a front split bench seat or front bucket seat (standard on PRO-4X, optional on SV models). A 60/40-split fold-down rear seat is also standard. Heated front seats are available with PRO-4X and SV grades, along with optional heated and cooled front seats on PRO-4X. Photo: Nissan North America.

Power & Performance

The standard plant is a 390 horsepower, 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine coupled to a 7-speed automatic transmission. If that sounds like a lot of power, it is, but then again, when you promise stuff like an available maximum towing capacity of 9,420 pounds, and a max payload capacity of 1,640 pounds, then the Titan King Cab better come with big power and lots of cogs in the box.

If that’s not enough for you, (and really how often does a gearhead say, “hey, that’s enough horsepower, thank you.”) you can ditch the standard V8 mill and opt for the Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel. It puts out less power, at 310 ponies, but it does put out a substantial 555 lb-ft of torque, which is likely enough to yank that stump out of the ground on the first go.

The oil-burner comes fitted with a heavy-duty 6-speed Aisin automatic box, and offers a staggering max towing capacity of 12,510 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 2,710 pounds. To put that into perspective, you could tow five new Miatas on a flatbed trailer without this thing breaking a sweat.

“This feature is going to be extremely well received by commercial truck buyers for its extra utility and secure, climate-safe storage space inside the cab,” said Fred Diaz, Division Vice President and General Manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. “Add to that the industry’s best 5-year, 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and the Titan family is even more compelling.”

Warranty & Availability

The King Cab variant body style is available for both the Titan half-ton and Titan XD with the 6.5-foot bed. All 2017 Titan models, including the new King Cab, are backed by an outstanding 100,000-mile, 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, which is pretty impressive, given how much punishment you can deal out to a truck over a decade or 100-large miles.

The new King Cab body goes on sale this spring and should be in dealer showrooms around the same time.

The new Titan King Cab comes in both 4×4 and 4×2 drive configurations and three grade levels. That’s a fancy way of saying there are three trim levels available: the S, SV, and PRO-4X. The latter sounds like some sort of muscle-building sludge gym rats would drink, don’t you think?

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.

2017 Nissan Titan King Cab Gallery

Photos & Source:  Nissan North America

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