THE GOOD 12 - PART 1

AUDI TT Coupe

One of three Audi 'coupes' now available, the TT remains a design icon even if the second generation isn't revolutionary like the first. The latest TT is available with turbo four power or as a V6. Though it may sound strange, it's recommended by GoodCarBadCar and many others that buyers seek out the 4-cylinder model. Power is plentiful, the MSRP is an easier pill to swallow, and the balance of the vehicle as a whole is more suitable for a sporting car. Speaking of which, 'sporting nature' is where the new TT outdoes the old; and soundly. Audi doesn't sell a Porsche Boxster yet, and the TT is no R8, but driving enjoyment is present and accounted for. In addition to the consistent ability to positively affect the eyes.

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Engines: 200 or 250 horsepower, 207 or 236 lb-ft of torque from 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder or 3.2LV6.

Mileage: City high = 23mpg. City low = 17mpg.

Base USD Price: $34,800

Anything Else? Audi builds a TT roadster as well, where weight is gained and beauty is lost.

THE GOOD 12 - INTRO

Is there only one car worthy of our compliments this year? Should we not expect cars - those priced high above the average consumer's spending ability - to be great, able to sell without our recommendation? Are the only cars worth recommending brand new designs? Are we to recommend cars suitable only for the budgets of residents in Malibu Hills?

No. Yes. No. No.




What cars should The Good Car Nation be seen driving in 2008? Specifically, the twelve cars which will be introduced, one car per day, on December 20th until December 31st. Beyond the points raised in question form ↑, understand this, as well. The newly licensed may yearn for a fast convertible, but insurance rates disallow any sating of that appetite. On the other hand, a family of five could be in desperate need of saving coin, but they need space. Space costs money.

Thus, despite the fact that The Good Car Guy would willingly give place to six luxury sports sedans, there would be no sense in that. GoodCarBadCar refuses to suggest that the populace be seen driving small Benz's, Bimmer's, Audi's when there are excellent, inexpensive, small cars ripe for the buyin'.

Because of this, GoodCarBadCar will showcase vehicles in The Good 12 suitable for a wide swathe of the populace. He who needs a 7-seat, boat-towing ute cares not one whit about small city cars, but can - or at least should - understand that a small city car could be perfect for somebody else. The most expensive car on the list starts well under $50K, although The Good Car Guy was willing to spend up to $72K, about 2.5x the value of the average new American car.

All twelve are cars - vans, SUV's, crossovers, and trucks come later. The Good 12 winners will debut alphabetically. Be aware: more than half of The Good 12 hail from Europe and one-third from Asia. You do the math.

To learn more about who's behind the selection process, click here. The Impact Cars of 2007 is also a definite recommended read.

ZR1 RELEASED

Take one Chevrolet Corvette and add 200 horsepower. Strip some weight. Add other miscellaneous peformance addenda. Make the Z06 look weak. Name it ZR1. Price it around $100,000. Call yourself General Motors and run to the bank. Here's the photos you want. Watch it in action at Laguna Seca right here at GoodCarBadCar.

Stop by CorvetteGuys.com and check out

their selection of Corvette Zr1 Wheels

CRAZY FAST GT-R

Thanks to Edmunds.com's Inside Line, we now have acceleration times for the Nissan GT-R. Granted, 0-60mph isn't everything. Sometimes it's misleading; pointless; and impossible to replicate.


However..... the GT-R hit 60 in 3.3 seconds at a test track in Japan. As far as Edmunds.com's testing goes, that's faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and Dodge Viper. Does 0-60 testing matter?

We're talking about some of the highest performing cars in the world. The GT-R races to 60 in a Ferrari 599 at a fraction of the price, but does so in style and with plenty of technology. It also does so with the Nissan version of launch control - the engine computer holding revs at 4,500rpm until the driver releases the brake - without which the GT-R needs 4.0 seconds to hit the magic number.

Again, does 0-60 testing matter? Does cupholder counting in a minivan make any difference? What about the ultimate fuel efficiency of subcompacts or the trailer-towing capability of pickup trucks? Everything needs context, and when the context is Z06, SRT10, GT-R, and 911..... yes, 0-60 testing is worth the bother.

By the way, the GT-R ran the quarter in 11.6 seconds at 120.9mph. Expect the American car mags (Car&Driver, MotorTrend) to have a chance at topping these Inside Line numbers.

ACROSS THE POND - Daihatsu Materia

Yes, that face does look familiar. You know a miniaturized bread van/hearse/armoured car combo when you see it. But the badge is all wrong.


This is the Scion xB, but the ad slogan is different. "You'd be crazy not to!" says Daihatsu UK. Yes; with an exclamation point.

Toyota owns Scion. Toyota took a controlling stake in Daihatsu (51.2%) in 1999. So here you have the Daihatsu Materia. Where's the L? You're guess is as good as mine. Daihatsu's are not luxurious Lexus sedans. Perhaps they felt Material would be deceving, seeing as how so little material is needed to build most Daihatsu's.

The Materia, a word which makes me smirk every time I type it, starts at £10,995 in the UK. For that price you get a 1.5L, 102bhp four-cylinder and a manual trans. The Materia Auto, as you would assume, adds an automatic transmission. Nice, thanks.

Daihatsu.co.uk's best line is as follows: "A 1.5 litre engine guarantees lively performance with economy giving 39.2 mpg (manual transmission) on the Combined Cycle with a 0 – 62 mph acceleration time of 10.8 seconds." Guarantees? Guarantees? Did they put the guarantees with the wrong subject, having intended to place it after the 'with' and a 'd' in place of the 's' on the end? I think so.

The accessory list is Scionesque in its length. Vehicular brethren are more plentiful for the Daihatsu, however. The Sirion, Terios, and Copen are itsy-bitsy in their own ways.

So, Across The Pond we went. And what did we find? An xB branded with a badge which stands for a company name most Americans can't pronounce.

ACURA RL RECALL

The power steering hose under the hood of Acura's RL is subject to high temperatures. Those high temps can cause cracks in the hose, potentially leaking fliud. The fluid could hit the catalytic converter. The combination of catalytic converters and power steering fluid could result in a fire. There've yet to be injuries or even fires as a result of this fault, but the recall published by NHTSA affects 43,200 RL's.

Acura is the luxury brand of Honda Motor Company. The sterling reputation held by companies such as Toyota and Honda, as well as by the tough-as-nails trucks built by American automakers, have come into question under the light of recent recalls. The Acura RL doesn't deserve to be abstained from, however, just because of a recall affecting this hose.

To learn more about the RL, read the GoodCarBadCar Lowdown. For more on recent recalls, click here.

LEWIS, TUNDRA, SOLO MERCURY

McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, last year's runner-up in Formula 1, was fined about €800 for driving over 120mph (190+km/h) in a 80mph (130km/h) zone. His Mercedes was confiscated and his license suspended.

He will be permitted to test his McLaren racer. In fact, Lewis can drive anywhere except France, where, for one month, Lewis isn't permitted behind the wheel.

Poor fella. Ironically, former F1 champion Michael Schumacher, a man widely considered to be a potential candidate for best driver ever, is under investigation for an exciting taxi ride through Munich last week. Schumi figured he could get his family to the airport faster than cab driver Tuncer Yilmax. So, that's what Schumi did, giving his family and Mr. Yilmax the ride of their lives. They made their flight, but German police don't like the fact that Michael broke the law. You're not allowed to commandeer taxicabs. Whatever.

MotorTrend has named the Toyota Tundra its truck of the year. Don't be too hard on MT for picking a truck that was just named in a recall (a recall that doesn't include any accidents or injuries). Afrer all, what truckmaker hasn't come under a recent recall?

Silly I know, but Mercury was, until recently, selling cars at Mercury-only dealerships. The last such store, Community Motor in Pennsylvania, just closed its doors. Community Motor sold new Mercury's for 57 years, but their best yearly total was way back in 1989.

Also, just minutes ago, the "35mpg by 2020" bill in the United States Congress passed and will head for the ballpoint pen of George W. Read this for more info on the bill.