HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS THE GMC TERRAIN ADDS DIESEL PUNCH TO ITS PROFESSIONAL GRADE... PAT GOSS SAYS, TODAY'S MUSIC CAN SOUND JUST AS SWEET IN CLASSIC CARS... TWO WHEELIN BRIAN ROBINSON GOES FOR A RETRO-STYLE RIDE... AND MERCEDES LUXURY AT ADRENALINE PUMPING SPEEDS, THE GT-R...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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John: YOU DON'T HAVE TO WATCH TOO MUCH TV AND VIDEO, TO GET THE WORD THAT GMC BUILDS "PROFESSIONAL GRADE" TRUCKS AND SUVS.

BUT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY?

ESPECIALLY, IN A WORLD OF CAR-BASED CROSSOVER UTILITIES?

WELL, WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF PROFESSIONAL, OR COMMERCIAL TRUCKING, DIESEL ENGINES COME TO MIND.

SO, LET'S FIND OUT IF THE NEW TERRAIN DIESEL COMPACT UTILITY IS REALLY FOR THE PROS.

* BY CALLING ITS LINEUP "PROFESSIONAL GRADE," GMC IS GOING FOR RUGGED, YET...REFINED; THE PROVERBIAL "BRUTE IN A SUIT."

WELL, THE ORIGINAL FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE BASED, 2-ROW GMC TERRAIN WASN'T MUCH OF A BRUTE, AND ITS SUIT WASN'T EXACTLY SAVILE ROW EITHER.

BUT, THAT'S CHANGING WITH THE ALL-NEW 2018 TERRAIN.

AND WE CAN QUICKLY SAY, IT'S A GREATLY IMPROVED VEHICLE.

IT ALSO HAS EVEN MORE DIFFERENTIATION FROM THE MECHANICALLY SIMILAR CHEVROLET EQUINOX, BOTH OUTSIDE AND IN.

WE BET YOUR EQUINOX OWNING NEIGHBOR WON'T EVEN REALIZE THEY SHARE THE SAME PLATFORM.

POWERING THE TERRAIN'S UPSCALE TRANSFORMATION IS A TRIO OF AVAILABLE TURBO ENGINES; NO MORE NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2.4 LITER I4 OR 3.6 LITER V6.

BASE NOW, IS A 170 HORSEPOWER 1.5 LITER I4 TURBO.

NEED MORE?

ADD HALF A LITER OF DISPLACEMENT, AND GET 252 HORSEPOWER FROM A 2.0 LITER TURBO.

BOTH WITH A NEW 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] BUT OUR TEST MODEL HAS THE MOST INTRIGUING NEW ENGINE OPTION, A 1.6 LITER 4-CYLINDER TURBO-DIESEL WITH 137 HORSEPOWER AND 240 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT'S CLEARLY AIMED AT IMPROVING FUEL ECONOMY ONLY, AS IRONICALLY ENOUGH, IT'S THE 2.0 LITER GAS THAT HAS THE BEST TOWING CAPACITY AT A RESPECTABLE 3,500 POUNDS.

THE DIESELS TRANSMISSION IS A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

WITH THAT, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR AN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE DIESEL ARE 28-CITY, 38-HIGHWAY, AND 32-COMBINED.

WE CLATTERED OUR WAY TO A QUITE GOOD 34.0 MILES PER GALLON.

FOR A SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 11.9 BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMED ANNUALLY, WITH 5.3 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

ALL POWERTRAINS HAVE TO ENDURE AN ESHIFTER THAT IS NOW A "WHY ON EARTH" ROW OF BUTTONS AND SWITCHES ALONG THE CENTER STACK BOTTOM.

GMC SAYS, "A TRADITIONAL LOOKING SHIFTER TAKES UP TOO MUCH CONSOLE SPACE."

WE SAY, "UGH!"

HIGHLIGHTING THE OTHERWISE VERY STYLISH INTERIOR IS EITHER A 7 OR 8-INCH WELL INTEGRATED TOUCHSCREEN.

GMC'S FINE INFOTAINMENT UNIT HAS GOTTEN QUITE INTUITIVE; THOUGH SOME FOUND THE SYMBOLS A LITTLE TOO CARTOONISH FOR THIS "PROFESSIONAL GRADE" RIG.

SEAT COMFORT IS ALSO GOOD, SOME SWITCHGEAR IS FAMILIAR, BUT OTHERWISE, MUCH MORE PREMIUM IN FEEL THAN EQUINOX.

VERY NICE MATERIALS SHOULD ALSO HELP LURE LUXURY PRETENDERS, INCLUDING GENUINE ALUMINUM TRIM; ALONG WITH FEATURES LIKE ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING, TRACTION SELECT SYSTEM, KEYLESS ENTRY, AND OTHER ITEMS NOT TYPICALLY STANDARD IN THE SEGMENT.

IT'S ALSO, ONE OF THE FEW VEHICLES THAT STILL HAS A FOLD FLAT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AS WELL, FOR HAULING LONGER ITEMS.

TRADITIONAL CARGO SPACE STARTS WITH 29.6 CUBIC-FEET BEHIND THE REAR SEATS, MAXING OUT AT 63.3 WITH THEM FOLDED.

RIDE QUALITY IS QUITE SMOOTH FOR A COMPACT CROSSOVER, BUT THE CABIN IS NOWHERE NEAR AS QUIET AS YOU'D FIND IN THE SLIGHTLY LARGER BUICK ENVISION.

CLATTER FROM THE LITTLE DIESEL ITSELF, IS FAIRLY SUBDUED, EVEN OUTSIDE.

YET, IT DOES RUN A LITTLE ROUGH, NOT QUITE AS REFINED AS MOST EUROPEAN DIESELS.

BUT, THE TERRAIN CERTAINLY LOOKS THE PREMIUM PART.

IT'S THE MOST HANDSOME RIG IN THE GMC LINEUP AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED.

YES, THE FRONT END IS BIG AND BOLD, BUT THERE'S A SLICKNESS TO IT, THAT KEEPS IT FROM BEING TOO "IN YOUR FACE."

ADMITTEDLY, THEY ARE ARRIVING LATE TO THE FLOATING ROOF PARTY, BUT THEIR TAKE ON THE THEME IS VERY WELL DONE.

ROOF RAILS COME STANDARD ON OUR SLT; OPTIONAL ON LESSER TRIMS.

BLOCKY TAIL LAMPS HIGHLIGHT A SMOOTH REAR; WHILE WHEEL OPTIONS INCLUDE 17, 18, OR 19 INCH ALLOYS.

NOT TOO MANY DIESELS ARE DESIGNED WITH QUARTER-MILE TIMES IN MIND, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THIS TERRAIN DIESEL TAKES A LEISURELY, 9.9 SECOND STROLL TO 60.

THE LOW-END TORQUE YOU EXPECT AT LAUNCH, IS THERE IN SPADES.

BUT WE'RE JUST DEALING WITH 1.6 LITERS HERE, SO IT QUICKLY RUNS OUT OF STEAM; PUTTERING ITS WAY DOWN THE TRACK, WITH LAZY BUT SMOOTH SHIFTS FROM THE TRANSMISSION.

QUARTER-MILE TIME WAS 17.5 SECONDS AT 77 MILES PER HOUR.

THE TERRAIN IS A BRAKING PRO, FOR SURE.

STOPS FROM 60 AVERAGED A SHORT 105 FEET, WITH LITTLE TO NO FADE AND GREAT STABILITY.

BASE TERRAINS START AT $26,385, BUT GETTING THE DIESEL REQUIRES AT LEAST SLE TRIM, AND THEN ANOTHER $3,700, PUTTING YOU AT $32,990.

WHILE, WE STILL DON'T CONSIDER THE 2018 GMC TERRAIN, EVEN WITH A FRUGAL DIESEL, AS "PROFESSIONAL GRADE" AS ITS YUKON AND SIERRA STABLEMATES, DESIGNERS HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.

IT'S A VASTLY BETTER PACKAGE.

PLUS, TERRAIN'S PERSONALITY IS NOW TOTALLY UNIQUE FROM THE MASS-MARKET EQUINOX.

SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ANY KIND OF A "PRO" TO FIGURE THAT OUT, OR TO ENJOY THIS FINE, VERY USEFUL, PREMIUM COMPACT CROSSOVER.

* WHILE, ADVENTURE BIKES AND SCRAMBLERS HAVE BEEN ALL THE RAGE OF LATE, ANOTHER RETRO THEME HAS STARTED TO EMERGE, "THE BOBBER."

DON'T KNOW WHAT A BOBBER IS?

WELL THAT'S OKAY, OUR TWO WHEELIN' GURU BRIAN ROBINSON IS HERE TO ACTIVELY EXPLAIN!

* Brian Robinson: WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS AT REVIVING THE INDIAN BRAND OVER THE YEARS, SINCE TAKING UP THE CAUSE IN 2011, POLARIS SEEMS INTENT ON DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN.

INCLUDING...SHUTTING DOWN THEIR OWN VICTORY BRAND, SO THEY CAN PUT ALL OF THEIR RESOURCES INTO BUILDING BIKES LIKE THIS...

THIS IS THE 2018 INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER.

THOSE KEEPING UP WITH CRUISERS, WILL KNOW THAT THE SCOUT IS THE ENTRY-LEVEL INTO INDIAN, BUT ENTRY-LEVEL DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN BORING, TRULY THE CASE WITH THIS MIDSIZE CRUISER.

IF YOU EVER WANTED TO LOOK LIKE YOU JUST RODE OUT OF A 1950s BIKER MOVIE, THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.

THE SIMPLISTIC ANSWER AS TO WHAT MAKES A BOBBER, IS THE BOBBED OR CHOPPED FENDER LOOK THAT GAINED POPULARITY IN THE '50s WHEN A SURPLUS OF MILITARY MOTORCYCLES BEGAN MAKING THEIR WAY ON TO THE STREETS, PARALLELING THE HOT ROD CRAZE ON THE CAR SIDE OF THINGS.

FURTHERING THE LOOK, USUALLY ENTAILED CHOPPING OFF EVERYTHING SHINY OR NOT NECESSARY, PUTTING ON SOME CHEAP FAT TIRES, AND GETTING EVERYTHING AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

BAR-END MIRRORS ARE STANDARD.

AND THEY CAN BE SWAPPED AND ORIENTED DOWNWARD AS SEEN HERE, THE WAY INDIAN DELIVERED IT TO ME.

ALSO INCLUDED, IS A SIDE-MOUNT FOR YOUR LICENSE PLATE THE REQUISITE V-TWIN ENGINE IS THE 69 CUBIC-INCH VERSION OF THE SCOUT ENGINE; 1,133CCs AND WATER-COOLED, IT PUTS OUT 100 HORSEPOWER AND 72 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

INDIAN HAS DONE, A FAIRLY GOOD JOB OF MINIMIZING THE RADIATOR, TO KEEP THE CLASSIC CRUISER LOOK INTACT.

THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A WHOLE LOT OF TORQUE, BUT EVERY BIT OF IT SEEMS AVAILABLE AT THE FIRST HINT OF THROTTLE APPLICATION.

KEEP RIPPING THROUGH THE GEARS, AND YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF TRYING TO HOLD ONTO THE BARS AS YOU SLIDE OFF THE BACK OF THE SEAT.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE NEXT POINT, LIKE MOST BIKES DESIGNED AROUND A STYLING THEME, THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY.

THAT COOL-LOOKING SOLO SEAT IS NOT COMFORTABLE BY ANY MEANS.

AND WHEN COMBINED WITH THE STRETCHED OUT RIDING POSITION TO REACH THE FORWARD CONTROLS AND HANDLEBAR, AS WELL AS THE MINIMAL TRAVEL TO THE REAR SHOCKS, MY TAILBONE WAS ASKING FOR A BREAK WAY EARLIER THAN AS USUAL.

VERY LIMITED GROUND CLEARANCE IS ALSO PART OF THE PICTURE, MAKING IT MUCH MORE FUN GRABBING ATTENTION AROUND THE LOCAL WATERING HOLE, THAN SCRAPING HARD PARTS AROUND CORNERS.

BUT THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT PRICE IS NOT BAD AT ALL, STARTING AT JUST $11,499.

YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY AN EXTRA 500 BUCKS FOR THE CLASSIC INDIAN RED PAINT SCHEME, BUT WELL WORTH IT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

WHILE, THE 2018 INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER MAY BE MORE FORM THAN FUNCTION.

IT IS INDEED ONE HECK OF A FORM, ONE THAT EVERYONE, I CAME IN CONTACT WITH, THOUGHT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

AND IN CASE YOU FORGET WHAT IT IS YOU'RE RIDING, INDIAN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PLACE PLENTY OF CLUES ALL OVER THIS BEASTLY BEAUTY.

THANKS FOR ALL OF THE REMINDERS, INDIAN.

AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THE BRAND BACK, POLARIS.

WE LOVE SEEING INDIANS ON THE STREET AGAIN, AND YOU'LL FIND IT HARD TO STOP LOOKING AT THIS ONE.

John: AS CARS GET BETTER, THEY BECOME MORE COMPLICATED.

AND AS PAT GOSS EXPLAINS, THAT CAN MAKE FURTHER UPGRADES EVEN HARDER.

Pat Goss: THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMS IN MODERN CARS ARE PRETTY AMAZING.

NOW, WHY DO WE CALL THEM INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMS?

WELL, INFO FOR INFORMATION, TAINMENT FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT THEY GIVE US.

BUT THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.

SEE, IN THE PAST WE HAD A RADIO, SUCH AS WE HAVE HERE.

MAY HAVE SOME FEATURES BUILT INTO IT, MAY HAVE SOME AUXILIARY THINGS AND SO ON.

BUT IT WAS SELF-CONTAINED.

YOU PULLED IT OUT, YOU PUT A NEW ONE IN, IT HAD THE FEATURES THAT YOU WANTED AND THAT WAS IT.

WELL, THAT MAY NOT WORK THESE DAYS.

YOU SEE, BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE HERE, THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE THE UNIT, BUT WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS, IS A SCREEN.

IT'S LIKE A MONITOR THAT YOU WOULD HAVE FOR YOUR COMPUTER OR ANYTHING ELSE.

CONTROLS ARE DOWN HERE IN A SEPARATE MODULE, AND THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER MODULES LOCATED AROUND THE CAR THAT WORK INTO THIS, AND SUPPLY INFORMATION TO IT AND GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO CONTROL VARIOUS THINGS.

SO, IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, WHAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD SOME INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO IT, MAYBE YOU WANT TO ADD A BACKUP CAMERA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT CAN USUALLY BE DONE.

ONE OF THE THINGS, IF YOU DO HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN CHANGE IT OVER, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S COMPATIBLE WITH STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS, IF YOUR CAR HAS STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS.

AND YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.

ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO ON JUST ABOUT ANY CAR, AND THAT IS UPGRADE THE SPEAKERS, WHICH ON A LOT OF THESE BASIC SYSTEMS, THAT OF AND BY ITSELF WILL BE LIKE AN UPGRADE TO THE WHOLE SYSTEM.

SO YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

YOU PROBABLY CAN DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO ALL THAT YOU WANT WITHOUT SPENDING A TON OF MONEY.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: THE WARM WEATHER HAS FINALLY SETTLED IN HERE AT MOTORWEEK HQ, AND ANOTHER 1100 MILES HAVE PASSED BY IN THE REDESIGNED 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK.

IT SURE IS SUBARU SOLID, AND STANDARD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE PROVIDES GREAT CONTACT WITH ANY AND ALL ROADS.

THE BACK-UP CAMERA HAS A HIGHER VANTAGE POINT THAN BEFORE, FOR A BETTER VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND YOU, WITH A CRYSTAL CLEAR IMAGE ON THE STARLINK MULTI-MEDIA SCREEN.

ENGINEERS ADDED FOUR MORE HORSES TO THE NOW 152 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER FLAT 4, MATCHED WITH AN UPDATED CVT.

IT'S ADEQUATE WITH DECENT ACCELERATION, BUT THERE'S NO ADRENALINE RUSH.

AND AS WE'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, THEY COULD IMPROVE NOISE CONTROL TOO.

SO FAR WE'RE AVERAGING 29.2 MPG ON REGULAR, RIGHT ON THE MARK WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S NUMBERS.

AND IT'S CLEAR SAILING FOR THE SUMMER ROADS AHEAD IN OUR 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK.

SPEAKING OF MILES, IN JUST FIVE MONTHS' TIME, WE'RE AT THE 10,000 MILE MARK IN OUR HONDA ODYSSEY MINIVAN.

EVERYONE THINKS THEY'RE ABOVE THE "LOWLY" MINIVAN, UNTIL THEY NEED TO MOVE SOMETHING BIG, OR TAKE A BASKETBALL TEAM TO A POST-VICTORY PARTY, AND THEN THEY'RE NOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THE MOM-MOBILE IMAGE.

THE FACT THAT THE ODYSSEY'S 2ND ROW SEATS DON'T FOLD INTO THE FLOOR LIKE THE CHRYSLER PACIFICA IS WELL DOCUMENTED; BUT THE SEATBACKS IN OUR ELITE TESTER DON'T EVEN FOLD FLAT, REQUIRING YOU TO REMOVE THEM TO HAUL LONG, BULKY ITEMS.

AND, BOY ARE THEY HEAVY.

AND WHILE, WE'VE ALSO COMMENTED BEFORE ON THE 3.5 LITER V6s GREAT POWER, AND ARE ON RECORD AS NOT BEING FANS OF THE PUSH-BUTTON TRANSMISSION CONTROL; WE'VE HEARD NO COMPLAINTS YET, ABOUT THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC'S OPERATION ITSELF.

IT'S BEEN SMOOTH ALL THE WAY.

LONG TERM MILEAGE HAS STAYED FAIRLY CONSISTENT, UP A TICK THIS GO-AROUND TO 23.8 MILES PER GALLON.

WE'LL SAY, GOODBYE TO OUR VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE RAGTOP, AND HELLO TO A GOLF LONGTOP, ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: TRENDS COME AND GO, SOME STICK, SOME DON'T.

SO, HERE'S YOLANDA VAZQUEZ WITH WHAT'S TRENDING NOW IN THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Yolanda Vazquez: WITH SALES RISING, IT'S CLEAR THAT AMERICANS LOVE THEIR PICKUP TRUCKS.

AND THESE BIG HAULERS ARE "GROUND ZERO" IN THE TUG OF WAR BETWEEN MORE POWER AND MORE MILES PER GALLON.

CHEVROLET HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW FIRST-TIME ENGINE FOR THE REDESIGNED 2019 SILVERADO 1500.

IT'S A 2.7 LITER TURBO CHARGED INLINE-4, PAIRED WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

CHEVROLET RATES ITS 4-CYLINDER TURBO AT 310 HORSEPOWER AND 348 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THAT'S MORE THAN THEIR 4.3 LITER V6.

THIS IS ALSO, THE FIRST TIME CHEVROLET IS USING THEIR ACTIVE FUEL MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ON A 4-CYLINDER, RUNNING ON ONLY 2-CYLINDERS WHEN THE LOAD IS LIGHT.

SILVERADO'S GOAL IS TO BE THE MOST FUEL EFFICIENT, FULL-SIZE PICKUP YOU CAN BUY, SURPASSING EVEN THE FORD F-150 AND RAM 1500 V6 DIESELS.

THE GAS-4, AND GM'S OWN 6-CYLINDER DIESEL, ARE AMONG THE FIVE ENGINE CHOICES FOR THE REDESIGNED SILVERADO.

STILL, CHEVROLET SAYS, "OVER HALF OF THE MODELS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AN UPDATED GAS V8."

MEANWHILE, VOLVO'S VISION FOR A FUEL-EFFICIENT FUTURE INVOLVES "DITCHING DIESELS" ALTOGETHER.

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF VOLVO CARS, H�KAN SAMUELSSON SAYS, "OUR FUTURE IS ELECTRIC AND WE WILL NO LONGER DEVELOP A NEW GENERATION OF DIESEL ENGINES."

BEGINNING WITH THE 2019 MODEL YEAR, ALL VOLVOS WILL BE MILD GASOLINE-ELECTRIC HYBRIDS, PLUG-IN HYBRIDS, OR FULL BATTERY ELECTRIC.

THE FIRST VEHICLE TO BE A PART OF THIS NEW STRATEGY IS THE 2019 VOLVO S60 SEDAN.

PRODUCTION BEGINS IN THE FALL AT THE COMPANY'S PLANT NEAR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT WILL BE SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD.

SO WHILE, EVERY AUTOMAKER HAS A PLAN TO "GO-GREEN," IN THE END THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT SHADES OF THE COLOR SPECTRUM AND THAT'S OUR WRAP-UP FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: EVER SINCE MERCEDES-AMG FOLLOWED UP THE SLS, WITH THE GT COUPE; THEY'VE BEEN CONSTANTLY UPGRADING IT AND ADDING VARIANTS.

BUT OF COURSE, IT'S THE ONES THAT ARE FASTER THAT INTEREST US MOST.

SO, WE'RE HEADED OVER TO OUR WINTER PROVING GROUNDS, WITH THIS GT-R COUPE, FRESH OFF A RECORD-SETTING RUN AT THE NURBURGRING.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL BE SETTING ANY RECORDS, BUT WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN TRYING!

* AMG'S GT ARRIVED FOR 2016, FOLLOWING THE HIGHLY-REGARDED SLS SUPERCAR.

IT WAS ACTUALLY, THE HIGHER PERFORMING S VERSION THAT WE GOT OUR HANDS ON FIRST, AND SINCE THEN, IT WAS FOLLOWED BY A ROADSTER AS WELL AS AN EVEN HIGHER-PERFORMANCE GT C. THIS 2018 GT-R IS THEIR MOST SERIOUS EFFORT YET, AIMED AT ENTHUSIASTS WHO PLAN ON SPENDING MORE DAYS AT THE TRACK THAN TOURING THE COUNTRYSIDE.

AND DON'T THINK OF IT SO MUCH AS A CRANKED UP S OR C, IT'S MORE LIKE GT 2.0, WITH A FULL SYSTEMS REBOOT.

THE R-GMENTATION STARTS WITH AN EXTENSIVELY MODIFIED SUSPENSION, WEIGHT REDUCTION, ENHANCED AERODYNAMICS, AND AVAILABLE CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES.

WRAPPED AROUND THOSE BRAKES ARE LIGHTWEIGHT FORGED WHEELS; 19 INCH IN FRONT, 20 IN THE REAR WITH 325-SERIES MICHELIN PILOT SPORT CUP 2 TIRES.

CARBON-FIBER FENDERS COVER THOSE WHEEL-AND-TIRE PACKAGES, AND ARE 1.8 INCHES WIDER IN FRONT, 2.3 IN BACK.

A NEW GRILLE UP FRONT IS INFLUENCED BY AMG'S GT3 RACE CAR, WHILE THE ENTIRE NOSE IS MORE V-SHAPED.

A BROADER FRONT SPLITTER, AIR CURTAINS, COOLING SLITS IN THE WHEEL LINERS, REDESIGNED REAR FASCIA, AND LARGE FIXED WING ARE AMONG THE AERODYNAMIC ENHANCEMENTS.

IN ADDITION, ACTIVE AERO ELEMENTS BEHIND THE FRONT FASCIA AND UNDERBODY, FUNNEL AIR FOR EITHER MAX COOLING OR MAX DOWNFORCE, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.

ALL TO MAKE A SUPREMELY TRACK-WORTHY BENZ IF THERE EVER WAS ONE!

SO, IT'S OFF TO THE NINE TURNS OF ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY TO GET THE FULL SCOOP.

[ENGINE REVS] * MUCH LIKE MUSIC IS MORE ABOUT FLOW THAN PRECISION OR TECHNIQUE, STITCHING CORNERS TOGETHER AT A RACE TRACK IS MORE ABOUT RHYTHM THAN ULTIMATE POWER DELIVERY OR SPEC SHEETS.

AS MENTIONED, THE ALUMINUM FRONT AND REAR DOUBLE-WISHBONE COIL-OVER SUSPENSION HAS BEEN TOTALLY REVAMPED, ALLOWING FOR MORE ADJUSTMENTS; BESIDES THE NORMAL AMG DYNAMIC SELECT DRIVE MODES.

IN KEEPING UP WITH THE PORSCHES AND LAMBORGHINIS, AMG HAS ALSO ADDED REAR-WHEEL STEERING FOR EVEN QUICKER TURN-INS.

BUT ALSO HELPS, THE REAR TO WORK WITH YOU MORE THAN AGAINST YOU WHEN IT COMES TIME TO POWERING OUT OF CORNERS.

AMG TRACTION CONTROL HAS A WHOPPING NINE LEVELS OF INTERVENTION, FOR FINDING THE SWEET SPOT FOR YOUR ABILITIES AS WELL AS CURRENT TRACK CONDITIONS.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] AND DID WE MENTION THERE'S MORE POWER?

AMG HAS CRANKED UP THE BOOST IN BOTH OF THE TURBO'S THAT ARE NESTLED IN BETWEEN THIS HAND-ASSEMBLED 4.0 LITER V8 CYLINDER BANKS, ADDING 74 MORE HORSEPOWER TO 577.

PEAK TORQUE IS 516 POUND-FEET, AND NEW DRY SUMP LUBRICATION KEEPS THE OIL PUMPING THROUGH ITS VEINS, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU'RE CORNERING.

THE REAR-MOUNTED 7-SPEED DCT GETS REVISED GEARING AND A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR QUICKER SHIFTS, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL COOLING.

AS FOR GETTING THINGS DONE ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW; ENGAGE RACE START, RELEASE THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR TAKES CARE OF THE REST; PUSHING A LUCKY OWNER TO 60 IN 3.6 SECONDS.

KEEP THE THROTTLE BURIED, AND AMIDST A SYMPHONY OF V8 SNORTS, TURBO-WHINE, AND DIVINE EXHAUST TRUMPETING; YOU'LL CLEAR THE QUARTER IN 11.5 SECONDS AT 129 MILES PER HOUR.

ONE FINDS THEMSELVES, PUSHED FIRMLY INTO THE AMG PERFORMANCE SEATS THE WHOLE TIME, WHICH ALSO HOLD YOU JUST RIGHT WHEN WORKING YOUR WAY AROUND THE WHOLE TRACK.

BY THE WAY, COLORED SEATBELTS ARE AN OPTION.

THERE'S PLENTY OF CARBON FIBER AROUND THE INTERIOR, AND MOST CONTROLS MIMIC OTHER GTs EXCEPT FOR THE NEW TRACTION CONTROL KNOB.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 15-CITY, 20-HIGHWAY, AND 17-COMBINED.

BASE PRICING FOR THE GT-R IS $157,995.

THAT'S A POTENTIALLY, PRICELESS AMOUNT OF PERFORMANCE FOR $44,600 OVER A BASE AMG GT.

NURBURGRING RECORDS NEVER LAST FOR LONG.

AND ENTHUSIAST INFATUATION WITH PERFORMANCE CARS IS USUALLY JUST AS FICKLE.

STILL, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO MAKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL FESTIVAL OF SPEED HAPPEN ANYTIME OR ANYWHERE, THE 2018 MERCEDES-AMG GT-R IS ALREADY THERE.

MERCEDES CLAIMS IT HAS THE MOST MOTORSPORTS TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY'VE EVER PACKED INTO A PRODUCTION STREET CAR.

AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT IS THE ULTIMATE AMG GT COUPE, AND ONE HECK OF A THRILL RIDE!

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN LARGE SWEDISH STYLE AND PRACTICALITY, COME TOGETHER IN A SMALLER PACKAGE...THE VOLVO XC40.

THEN, FORD ADDS EVEN MORE MUSCLE TO THE MUSTANG GT.

TIL THEN I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

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Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

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FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

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[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *