FIRST IMPRCSSIONS
give it a try on a tw o-foo t deep, frozen lake and curvy, uphill iced
roads. There were treacherous situations, but the A W D and D5TC
systems worked even better than anticipated.
Also keeping the flagship S80 a safety leader are front side airbags,
inflatable curtain airbags that deploy from above the side windows,
and WHIPS, which move the front seats backrest in a rear-end colli­
sion to minimize whiplash injury. Pricing starts at $33.520 for the S70
A W D and $35,820 for the S80.
— Kimatni D. Rawlins
steer o r oversteer to a minimum. W ith the system on. the C-4 adheres
to the road even during the most dynamic o f turns, while with it off.
the car has the propensity to spin out during the same maneuvers.
The 3.4 liter rear mounted, 296-horsepower six-cylinder 9 1 I
Carrera 4 coupe starts at $70,480, while the Cabriolet will set you
back a cool $79,920. Several options are also available, if you're so
inclined.
— Kimatni D. Rawlins
MERCEDES 2000 S-CLASS
1999 PORSCHE
911 CARRERA 4
There is no doubt that Porsche Cars will reach their year 2000
goal o f 20,000 sales with the introduction o f the four-wheel drive 9 1 I
Carrera 4.
Since sports, fun, and excitement are synonymous with "Porsche,
we knew our one-day excursion to Atlanta s M otor Speedway to
evaluate the new 9 11 would be fulfilling.
The latest driver control safety feature on the C-4 is its “ Porsche
Stability
Management"
(PSM) system, It incorpo­
rates the use o f anti-lock
braking; traction control
and
Autom atic
Brake
Differential, mated to the
four-wheel drive system to
keep the car stable at all
times. I can still hear the
echoing commands o f my
driving instructor, Pierre, "hard left, hard right, now left, as I made
intentionally sharp turns at high speeds for a demonstration o f how
PSM works. Brake pressure is applied to one wheel to keep under­
The S-Class has been doing Tae Bo! The new car is lighter, sleeker
and quicker. Plus, it's more luxurious and less expensive. By judiciously
employing aluminum and high strength stressed steel, the big Benz
drops 500 pounds.The styling is much more graceful and contributes
to a cd o f 0.27. the low­
est o f any production
car.
Two V8's are offered,
a 275 hp 4.3, and a 302
hp 5 liter The new S500
is faster from 0— 60
w ith less horsepower
than the 1999 S500's
315.
The 2000 S-Class'
very long list o f standard
features includes GPS
navigation, computer controlled air / hydraulic suspension and 16 way
power front seats that can be heated o r cooled by 10 fans— IN THE
SEATS!
Pricing starts at $69,700 for the S430 and $77,850 for the S500.
The S500 actually costs less than a 99 S420 which starts at $78,183.
— I C nnraH R p II
JAGUAR’S LONG AWAITED S-TYPE SEDAN MAKES SPRING DEBUT
By Jacqueline Mitchell
When Ford bought Jaguar in 1989, Jag loyalists anxiously
awaited the first generation of Ford-influenced Jags to hit the
market. Would it look like a Ford, a Jag, or a hybrid of the
two?
After nearly 10 years as a Ford unit, Jaguar unveiled the S-
Type sedan at the British Auto Show in England last October.
Journalists
from
across the world
descended upon the
m u ch -an ticip ated
c a r — i n c l u d i ng
m y se lf, A fr ic a n
A m e r ic a n s O n
W h e e ls’ E d ito r -
in-Chief Jacqueline
Mitchell.
At first glimpse,
it’s a looker, and still
vintage Jaguar. The
car is a medley of
traditional Jaguar styling with a contemporary flair. The front-
end styling is all Jag. Ford’s influence, however, is more appar­
ent in the rear, which was a disappointment. It appears as
almost an afterthought to an otherwise handsome car.
24
AFRICAN AMERICANS O N WHEELS
The rear-wheel-drive sedan shares the underpinnings and
many parts with Ford’s Lincoln LS sedan and the upcoming
Ford Thunderbird. The S-Type is 6.6 inches shorter and about
300 pounds lighter than the short-wheelbase XJ sedan, or
about the same size as an Audi A6. AAOW publisher Randi
Payton had a chance to actually test drive the vehicle on the
rolling mountain roads of Bel Air, Calif. While the 3.0 liter V 6
is quite capable of powering the S-Type, the 4.0 liter V8-
equipped version had a bit more pep and was more fun to
drive.
The base price of the S-Type 3.0 is $42,500; the 4.0 is
$48,000, a price Payton says makes an ultra-luxury nameplate
more affordable to a larger buying segment.
“The value and position and sporting credentials of this car
will enable us to bring the unique Jaguar ownership experience
to a far broader audience,” said Michael Dale, President of
Jaguar Cars.
A A O W ’s Payton points out that Jaguar could lose some of
its distinction and prestige if too many folks start cruising
around in Jags. O n the other hand, it may be the best mar­
keting move since BMW introduced its entry-level 318ti
hatchback a few years ago. By broadening the net, Ford might
catch some buyers who, once they’ve slid behind the wheel of
a Jaguar, will become hooked for life.