Driving Impressions from the 2015 Motor Press Guild Track Days
Each year, members of the Motor Press Guild (MPG) are eligible to attend an annual track event. For a nominal fee, members have access to a variety of vehicles that can be driven on a race track or on nearby public roads. Many members take this opportunity to drive at extra-legal speeds in a safe, controlled environment, getting a fix for their need for speed. Other members use MPG Track Day to cycle through various vehicles on public roads, comparing similar vehicles back-to-back, sampling new models they’ve yet to drive, or taking spins in models they simply enjoy. Journalists, analysts, and public relations representatives reconnect and talk cars for two days straight. It is a great time, thanks to the hard work of many, many people.
The past few years, MPG Track Day has been held at Willow Springs International Raceway on the northern edge of California’s Antelope Valley. Over the course of my career writing about cars, I’ve attended professional driving schools at this track, participated in automaker press events at this track, and even rented this track to conduct comparison tests. I know it well.
Nevertheless, for me, what is most educational about MPG Track Day is conducting what are known as “street drives” on local roads. Automakers gather most of their new-for-2016 vehicles at this October event, giving me a chance to sample what is new and notable. Thus, I spend just enough time on the track to qualify for driving privileges, represented by a green wristband worn on my wrist. Y’know, just in case I decide to get on the track.
This year, MPG board members wisely restricted track driving access. If a member did not have an active racing license, or proof of attendance of a professional driving school within the previous three years, they needed to have their driving talent assessed by a pro driver.
My last pro driving school was the Skip Barber MX-5 Cup school at Laguna Seca, which I completed in 2007 (and during which I completely botched my first solo attempt at navigating the Corkscrew, but that’s a story for another time.)
I jumped into a Chevrolet SS, which is an amazing sport sedan that few people pay any attention. On life support now that General Motors has announced that it will cease Australian manufacturing, this rebadged Holden Commodore has a 415-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine, a 6-speed manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. Fully loaded, it still doesn’t cost as much as the cheapest Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Yes, this full-size 4-door sedan feels a little soft at triple-digit speeds on a race track, but thanks to quick, precise steering, phenomenal brakes, sticky tires, and that fantastic V8 engine, the SS inspires confidence. And on a public road at sane velocities, this Chevy is an excellent sport sedan. Better yet, you’re not driving the same leased E350 or 528i or GS that everyone else has.
From the SS, I jumped into the car I’ve been patiently waiting to drive: the redesigned 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
A Miata has been parked in my garage almost continuously since 1997. After purchasing a new STO Edition, one of the last first-generation Miatas to roll off of the assembly line, I kept upgrading until 2004, when I bought a Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata, which I still own today. While the third-generation MX-5 Miata never quite convinced me to buy one (though its power retractable hardtop sure is a strength), I thought for sure that this redesigned fourth-gen Miata would have me falling out of love with the Mazdaspeed.
That didn’t happen. While the new Miata is a terrific car, superior in every way to the model it replaces (except for the cancellation of the hardtop option), it still hasn’t convinced me to put a “For Sale” sign in my car’s window. Maybe I’ll change my mind after spending a week with the new one this coming December.
Next, I drove the redesigned 2016 Honda Civic. I also signed a non-disclosure agreement promising that I wouldn’t discuss any driving impressions until later in the month. Let’s just put it this way: if you like the look, few things about the new Civic will make you wish you bought something else in the compact car class.
Mini-compact crossover SUVs are increasingly popular, and Mazda enters the segment with the new CX-3. It has a 146-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and the light, nimble, athletic driving character common to Mazda products.
Fun to drive, the CX-3 is also genuinely stylish. However, fitting four tall adults into this thing is tough, and the cargo area is small. Utility is not this Mazda’s strength, at least when compared to a rolling Swiss Army Knife like a Honda HR-V.
Volvo is gathering steam. Having nearly flat-lined after a disastrous period of ownership by Ford Motor Company, the automaker is slowly but steadily re-establishing a footprint not just in the U.S., but all around the world. Because a colleague is considering a V60 Cross Country for his family, I figured I’d give it a whirl.
Think of this as a more refined, more luxurious Subaru Outback. Plentiful turbocharged power, a tall ride height with extra ground clearance, decent rear seat space, and extra utility thanks to the wagon body style make this Volvo appealing. Add immensely comfortable front seats and the automaker’s long record for building safe automobiles, and a V60 Cross Country is a unique solution to the problem of luxury-level family transport.
While the V60 Cross Country is impressive, it is the redesigned XC90 that reveals the future of Volvo. The 7-passenger luxury SUV is a technology showcase, and displays new styling themes that other Volvos will ultimately showcase. Scandinavian design permeates the cabin, despite the XC90's development under Chinese ownership, and the optional Bowers and Wilkins stereo system is nothing short of stunning.
A supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine delivers 316 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, more than enough to motivate the XC90's 4,394 pounds. Eco, Comfort, and Dynamic driving settings are available, and I preferred Comfort mode, which gives the SUV a relaxed yet responsive demeanor.
An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick,” the XC90 is quite safe. The middle section of the second-row seat slides forward to put a child closer to mom and dad. The third-row seat is not designed for larger adults, but kids will be fine for short jaunts.
In my opinion, though it isn’t perfect, the new Volvo XC90 is a compelling alternative to other luxury SUVs.
This is the redesigned 2016 Toyota Tacoma, a midsize pickup that competes with the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Nissan Frontier. Before driving it, I was sure that the stiffer frame, redesigned body, new 3.5-liter V6 engine, and reworked interior with new technologies would instantly put the GM trucks on the bench, while absolutely mopping the floor with the Nissan.
Now, I’m not so sure.
Get into the new Taco, and it feels a helluva lot like the old Taco. From the driving position and view over the hood to the V6 engine’s sound and power delivery, this new Tacoma looks, feels, and drives similar to the old Tacoma.
Of course, this similarity could also be a good thing. The old Tacoma was damn near indestructible. The new one likely continues this tradition.
Four-wheeling scares the shit out of me. I’ll run cars up to 150 mph all day long, but put me on a steep descent doing 2 mph, and my ass puckers up.
This fear stems from an experience I once had when climbing a steep ascent in a BMW X5, all alone, far from civilization. The first-gen X5 couldn’t maintain traction, and I had two choices: 1.) reverse down the barren, rock-strewn mountainside, or 2.) make a 3-point turn and head down nose first. I went with choice #2, and let’s just put it this way: I’m damn lucky to be typing this.
Conquering this fear is critical to my career, so I take advantage of off-roading opportunities at Track Day.
This year, I jumped into the burly Ram 1500 Rebel, a new off-roading version of the popular pickup. Equipped with an air suspension that increases ground clearance, a full complement of skid plates, and other off-roading hardware, the Rebel made quick work of the mountain trails adjacent to the track. All it really needs is a hill descent control system that manages the brakes and accelerator while the driver concentrates on steering.
The Infiniti Q70 is not a new car, but it is a car that I haven’t driven, one that I think deserves more attention from midsize luxury sedan buyers than it gets, one that I think is attractive in a segment where most of the competition isn’t.
Equipped with the optional 420-horsepower, 5.6-liter V8 engine and rear-wheel drive, this Q70S pictured above had plenty of power but returned appalling fuel economy. Those 20-inch wheels produce an unexpected amount of road noise, and this could be one reason why luxury sedan buyers skip the Q70 in favor of something else.
Otherwise, this Infiniti is worthy of consideration, especially if you love to drive, and especially if you love to drive something different from what everyone else is driving.
The dual-cockpit interior puts the driver forward in the cabin and closer to the windshield and controls for a feeling of connectedness and intimacy with the car and the road. The sport suspension delivers an uncanny amount of information from the pavement, and the traditional hydraulic steering provides a level of sensation often missing from modern electric steering systems.
After returning from my short drive, I checked out the back seat, and had plenty of legroom to spare, despite the fact that this wasn’t the Q70L model with the extended wheelbase. Plus, the interior is rendered in high quality materials, and you can access most features without consulting a screen or using your voice.
You might not be thinking about getting an Infiniti Q70, but you should.
Volkswagen brought this Jetta equipped with its new turbocharged, 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine replaces the downright agrarian 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that mustered no more than 115 horsepower in the 2015 Jetta S. Ugh. This new turbocharged engine is a massive improvement over that weak and unrefined motor, and is included as standard equipment in the S and SE trim levels for the 2016 model year.
Turbo lag is evident when starting off, but 184 lb.-ft. of torque kicks in quick, peaking at just 1,400 rpm, and remains available as the engine works toward its peak 150 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. Put the 6-speed automatic into Sport driving mode, and the Jetta has no trouble staying out of its own way while getting 28.4 mpg on the local test-drive loop.
That’s not close to what the Jetta TDI turbo-diesel returned in terms of fuel economy. Too bad Volkswagen had to yank them off showroom floors, and the company has announced that it will suspend production of the 2016 TDI models while it works to resolve the excessive emissions problem and resulting scandal that has brought VW to its knees.
In addition to this new 1.4-liter turbo, the 2016 Jetta lineup includes a 1.8-liter turbo, a Jetta Hybrid, and a Jetta GLI performance-tuned variant.
The last car I drove during this year’s MPG Track Day event was this 2015 Volkswagen GTI. Unlike every other automotive journalist on the planet, I had not yet sampled this automobile, and now that I have, I know what needs to replace my Mazdaspeed Miata.
Convertibles are great, but recently accelerated hair loss and decades of over-exposure to the sun and elements has taken some of the thrill out of top-down driving. Plus, I’ve got a family and weekend projects to complete around the house. A GTI is a genuine dream car for a daily-driver enthusiast on a budget.
From the whoosh of turbocharged torque and the burp of the exhaust as the transmission upshifts to the zippy handling, sticky tires, stop-now brakes, and perfectly shaped and bolstered front seats, a VW GTI is a brilliant car for a person who likes to go fast and have fun, but needs real-world utility combined with decent gas mileage.
I did not drive the new Mercedes-AMG GT shown above, or the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, or the Cadillac ATS-V, or the Cadillac CTS-V, or the Lexus RC F, or the Mercedes-AMG C63. All were track-only vehicles, and while I was curious about each of them, I wasn’t willing to wait in line to get a handful of hot laps that would provide absolutely nothing of value in terms of understanding how each of these machines works in the real world.
Maybe next year.
All images copyright Speedy Daddy Media, Inc.
