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Willow Laboratories
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I am a conservationist, not an environmentalist. I enjoy the outdoors, detest politics and like to fire guns. The few things I know about environmentalists are from their press releases.

Until now, no hybrid fit into my life. They are, for all intents and purposes, neat little suburban vehicles that collectively fail to express my inner ruggedness. Hybrids signify an emasculated version of our kinder, gentler and greener transportation future. They are what people drive to book club or take on weekend treks searching for antiques. Some call them chic machines, when, really, they're just chick mobiles.

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The clear, obvious and consistent answer is Mustang enthusiasts. It doesn’t matter if the car only came with three wheels and a missing door, so long as a V8 is under the hood, pony-partial patrons would still buy it. But the not so clear and obvious answer is someone looking for a sporty, attractive rear-wheel-drive coupe powered by a V8 who would never in a million years ever even consider a Mustang because of its historically bad quality reputation and seemingly unshakable mullethead stigma.

Our week with the new Mustang was far too short. It’s without question the car that was hardest to part with. We still dream about the raucous growl of full-throttle stomps and the aggressive looks in Grabber Blue which generated countless stop-and-chats and thumbs-up on the open road. Not only did this car make us feel special because it’s preproduction, but it made us feel good because it’s a quality product with an iconic American badge that’s made in North America. Let’s hope Ford can make it through the financial maelstrom intact, because if they do, the glory days will be upon us once again.

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willow laboratories cars: The sleek exterior of the 2009 Audi A4 2.0T will no doubt be a selling point for many consumers. Inside, the dashboard layout is busy but attractive, with comprehensive red cockpit illumination at night. Materials quality is class-competitive but not extraordinary — for example, the tacky silver-painted plastic around the display screen and instrument panel looks as if it were lifted from a bare-bones Subaru. Our tester's speedometer and tachometer needles were slightly misaligned at rest, and the gap between the center console's wood and plastic sections was a bit ragged, but build quality was solid overall.

Like our long-term A4 Avant, this A4 doesn't like pedal overlap and stumbles off the line if there's too much of it. That said, I tried every combo of "Dynamic" ESP off, and D, S or M shift modes, and I cannot explain why this sedan is marginally slower than the Avant. It's still remarkably quick and still upshifts -- very hard -- about 500-1,000 rpm shy of redline at WOT.
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Once we made the decision to opt for the Avant version of the new 2009 Audi A4 instead of the sedan, Audi made a few decisions for us because the wagon is only available in a certain configuration. First is the drivetrain; the Avant is only available with all-wheel drive. Audi's Quattro system is largely the same as it has been in years past, but the front differential and the torque converter have switched places, a measure that allows the engine to be placed farther back in the engine compartment, improving the balance of the weight distribution.

And on the topic of torque converters, every A4 Avant in the U.S. has one, because only the ZF-built six-speed automatic transmission is available. That means no six-speed manual (available on the sedan), while no A4 in any body style uses the dual-clutch (S tronic in Audispeak) transmission. Even front-wheel-drive 2.0T sedans are available only with Multitronic, similar to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

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willow laboratories cars: As a single friend of mine once told me, "It doesn't matter how smart, funny, or well-mannered the person at the end of the bar is; if they aren't attractive enough to cause a stir, they are probably going to spend the night alone." From the reaction we've received on the road with our test car, we're fairly certain that this A4 won't be spending too many quiet nights at home. Like the cute, vivacious blonde you remember from your freshman year, the Audi A4 is wearing the latest clothes from the coolest stores. Its airy greenhouse sits like a cool pair of shades atop the A4's broad shoulders and well-rounded rump. Its strong nose extends out to the car's playfully grinning front end. The no-nonsense 5-spoke alloy wheels lend an air of serious sophistication to the A4, but we all know that this car will be the life of the party at fraternity blowouts. Unlike many cars, the A4 is able to incorporate functionality into its striking design. The A4's greenhouse gives passengers the impression that they are riding in larger car than they really are. The car's high roofline and wide doors make it easier to climb in and out of the A4 than most of its competition. The Audi's short front and rear overhangs make parallel parking the A4 a breeze. The deep trunk, which lends the car that beautifully bubbly rear-end, makes loading and unloading groceries into the A4 a back-saving operation.

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But the Mustang isn’t just a straight line machine. Sure, it still has a solid rear axle, a gratifying 5-speed manual tranny and that visceral, neck-jerking kick when you floor it at 4,000 rpms - which lifts the front end like a boat under full throttle - but the suspension improvements have actually made the stock GT respectably adept in the twisties. With the stock, Mustang-specific 18? Pirelli P-Zero Nero all-season tires, turn-in is accurate with a classic hint of understeer, which can easily be remedied to slight oversteer by throttle adjustment. There is some noticeable body roll, but overall, out-of-the-box handling is impressive, and it wouldn’t take much tweaking to make the new Mustang a track star.

March 25, 2009 | 8:54 AM Comments  0 comments





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