Modern Racer - Auto Archive

2002 Mazda Protege5
Mazda's new Protege5 wagon has been dubbed the Lexus IS300 SportCross for the masses. It has extremely sporty styling, with side skirts, front and rear spoilers, 16-inch alloy wheels and a 130 hp engine. But the problem is, the power just isn't enough for it to compete effectively in the sporty car market. The car takes almost 9 seconds to hit 0-60, which isn't bad for an economy car, but it is bad for a sporty car. But in its defense, it should be mentioned that this car has superb handling characteristics. Its sedan sibling has been known to provide rear-wheel-drive handling prowess in a front-wheel-drive package, which is more than what most economy cars can brag about.

2002 Lexus IS300 SportCross
The Lexus IS300 SportCross is the real deal when it comes to sporty wagons. With cargo space not really designed for large items, the Sportcross is an alternative to the IS300 sedan should someone want a little more utility out of their sporty daily driver. The wagon is about $1500 more than the sedan and 0.2 seconds slower to 60mph from standstill, compared to the automatic IS300. That should be enough to satisfy most people, but it does not come with manual transmission. Only a 5-speed automatic is available, which makes the IS300 Sportshift sedan more viable for those who desperately want to own a somewhat speedy Lexus at a reasonable price. Still one of the best wagons out there.

2002 BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon
The prince of all sports wagons, short of Audi's amazing S4 and RS4 wagons, is made by BMW. The 330i and 330xi sedans are acclaimed to be the best sports sedans ever in the compact luxury segment. Now they come with extra utility in the form of a sleek wagon body. Featuring all-new sheetmetal from the rear quarter panels onward, and the new face of the 3-Series, namely the new headlights and bumper, this car is the envy of the Lexus and the body-kitted Mazda. The Sports Wagon also comes in 325i and 325xi form, which is the only version for the USA market. All we need now is a wagon version of the brilliant M3, but that is probably just a fantasy. Till then, the Audi S4 and RS4 will remain the true kings of the wagon world.

2002 Nissan 350Z / Fairlady Z
Nissan has released pictures of what the production version of the latest Nissan Z-car might look like. Minor tweaks to the exterior design, and an overhaul of the concept's interior. The front air intake is smaller and the boot lid has been redesigned to prevent the "Audi TT syndrome", that is, to reduce aerodynamic lift. The interior is completely different from the prototype, as the prototype's interior would obviously skyrocket the price of the car if it went into production, with all its fancy trims and equipment. The dashboard consists of 3 gauges surrounded by alloy-effect trim, similar to the all-new Nissan Altima's dashboard. Various other interior bits also have alloy-effect trims, so the interior isn't dumbed down too much from the one in the concept.

Interior view 1 Interior view 2 Interior view 3 Interior view 4

From Autozine:
Apart from exterior dimensions (L / W / H / WB: 4310 / 1815 / 1310 / 2650 mm), there is not much technical data unveiled. All we know is that (as already known before) it rides on all multi-link suspensions, 225/45ZR18 and 245/45ZR18 tyres front and rear. The engine VQ35DE is a tuned version of Altima / Maxima’s 3.5-litre V6 with continuous inlet VVT. Nissan has not yet released power figures, but it should pump out at least 260hp because Maxima is already doing so. Nissan claims weight distribution is good because the car is FR and the engine is located behind front axle. However, as the 3.5 engine is quite heavy and the 6-speed manual gearbox is not a transaxle, I believe its weight distribution won’t be close to 50:50.

From KM77:
In 1970, Datsun began selling the first model with the name "Z", 240Z. Its 2,400 cc engine developed 150 hp and its price was low compared to other sport models then. Llater models of this car increased in their piston displacement and power. First came 260Z and 280Z, enlarged to become 2+2 instead of the previous 2-seater coupe layout. Then, in 1980, came the ZX versions, with a totally new body, the 280ZX, 300 ZX and 300 ZXT, this last one being turbocharged. In 1990 the last version appeared, called the 300 ZX and 300 ZXT( twin turbo), that was sold in the U.S.A.. until 1997.

2002 Renault Sport Clio RS 2.0
Nissan's caretaker Renault has been spear-heading the compact revolution with it's Clio, descendant of the classic Renault 5. Now Renault has finally come up with a practical sporty compact that can take on far more expensive cars. It is great value for money, as it comes with a powerful 172 hp engine. That's as powerful as the new Sentra SE-R engine, but in a much lighter car! The latest model gets a facelift and a much stronger structure. Possibly the best value for money out of the hot hatches in the European market right now. The French car maker continues to have a hit on their hands. There is a more expensive RS 3.0 also available in the market. Review

2001 Seat Leon Cupra R
Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker Seat's most performance-oriented car yet, the Leon Cupra R adds 30 more horses to the base Leon's already turbocharged and twin-intercooled engine. This 4-door hatch also features red Brembo brake calipers and a unique front bumper. The interior is also unique to the 'R' and production of this car is limited. This car is basically built on the latest generation Golf platform, which is also shared by the Audi A3/S3, VW Jetta/Bora and Seat's own Toledo sedan. The engine is shared with the S3, and a tuned version is used in the Audi TT Quattro. This 'R' car offers great exclusivity but is a little too expensive for a Seat and build quality is not exactly the best in the world for the price.

2001 Audi S3
Audi's pocket rocket is based on the popular A3's 2-door variation, but features larger wheels and a powerful engine. The engine, as mentioned earlier, is the same as that of the Cupra R, but this car is intended to be more of a sporty luxury hatchback than the Seat. It's German heritage also drives up the prestige factor. Volkswagen has pulled off a General Motors-style badge engineering business plan here, but people don't seem to mind at all. The Audi is smaller and lighter than the Leon Cupra R, so its 0-60 times are a tad better, but the Seat offers more versatility with its 4 doors. The Seat also looks the part, while the S3 goes for the sleeper look. All in all, it comes down to personal tastes as to which car a consumer will prefer. Seat and Audi are both German-engineered, or one could taste some French engineering instead.

2002 Jaguar X-Type
Jaguar's foray into the entry-level sport luxury sedan market has been long overdue, and their effort seems worthwhile. Offering AWD as standard is Jag's way of having a one-up on BMW's 3-series. Two versions are offered - a 2.5 V6 and as 3.0 V6, both available with a pricey Sport package that adds stiffer suspension, wider tires and color-keyed exterior details. What's disturbing is that it's on the same chassis as the new British Ford Mondeo and a Lincoln LS, as Ford owns all these brands. Some people may have trouble dealing with that, especially after they have to pay a premium price for the Jag. Price-wise, the BMW comes out on top with a better deal. Review

2002 Lexus IS300
Lexus has finally come out with a manual version of their superb IS300 sedan. But test drives indicate that the manual version isn't that much faster than the automatic. Still, it does offer more driver involvement and it can finally call itself a true sports sedan. It is still the only Japanese car in it's class to compete head-to-head with the BMW 330i, although BMW is still the king of the hill in comparisons. There is even more competition now from Nissan's stable, with the Altima V6, which, technically, isn't even a luxury compact, but it is cheaper, larger, faster and generally more powerful than the Lexus. Shoppers looking at quick Japanese sedans may opt for the Nissan instead. Also, the Infinity version of Nissan's Skyline is due in mid-2002. Review

2002 Audi A4
Audi's newly restyled A4 is a more refined car compared to the previous model and follows the design philosophy of its big brother, as the new A4 looks like a smaller version of the A6. It comes with a FWD or AWD setup, a powerful V6 or turbo-charged 4-cylinder and various transmission options, including one called continuously variable transmission (CVT), which also offers 6 manual gears for shifting through buttons on the steering wheel. Other transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a Tiptronic. A $1,000 sport package is offered with stiffer suspension and wider tires. The 5-speed manual is not available in USA. The FWD version would obviously end up not being on the shopping lists of sports sedan buyers, but the AWD Quattro version is worth a look, especially in V6 form. Review

2002 Nissan Maxima SE
Nissan's latest Maxima started life as a 222 hp sedan with a newly redesigned body in 2000. A quick sedan, but nothing mind-blowing. For 2002, the Maxima's VQ35DE gets 255 hp, which about equals it in power to the Acura TL Type-S. But expectations from the Maxima are sky-high, as Nissan's own brand new Altima uses the same engine detuned to 240 hp and it does 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds, so naturally, people expect more from a more powerful engine. All the Maxima trims come with the same engine. The SE version is differentiated by its tuned suspension, rear spoiler and stylized tail lights. One complaint is that the FWD format causes a lot of torque steer....Review

2002 Mazda Protege MP3
For the budget-concious consumers who want a quick car, there's Mazda's offering, a tuned version of the top. The car is tuned by a California-based tuner shop and basically upgraded the Protege's top engine, which initially produced 130 hp. The MP3 produces 140 hp, using minor tuner tricks, but what's really missing is a much needed turbocharger, which disappointed a lot of young buyers. The car remains a superb handler though, possibly the best in its class, and thus it makes an excellent base for buyers who like to tune their own cars. It may be underpowered, but it makes up for it through it's style and fun-to-drive factor. The MP3 badge refers to either the words "Mazda Performance 323", or simply to it's kick-ass MP3 stereo system....Review

2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
An even more macho version of the already powerful base WRX. It is only available in Japan and Europe, although the Japanese and European versions have somewhat different specifications. What remains similar are the trademark huge STi golden wheels. The Europeans also get a Prodrive-tuned version, which gets the buyer a huge rear wing and other exterior touch-ups. The Europeans also get vented disc brakes as opposed to solid discs for the Japanese, but the Japanese get the more powerful engine. The European version has 265 hp while the Japanese version has 276 hp, according to Subaru, although the Japanese one actually produces about 320 hp. 276 hp is the limit according to an agreement among Japanese manufacturers....Review