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

JOIN US TO SEE IF THE NEW NISSAN SENTRA COMPACT SEDAN APPEALS TO SENSIBLE FAMILY BUYERS... PAT GOSS GETS HITCHED DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... GREG CARLOSS HITS OVER THE EDGE FOR A SPECIAL PORSCHE CELEBRATION... AND AUDI'S GREATEST EXAMPLE OF SOPHISTICATED FUNCTION, THE SLEEK A7...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS, AND TOOLS TO HELP.

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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.

John: DESPITE MANY FANTASTIC NEW OPTIONS, MIDSIZE SEDAN SALES REMAIN IN A SLUMP.

AND, LIKE MANY THINGS IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY, THAT TREND HAS STARTED TO TRICKLE DOWN TO 4-DOOR COMPACTS AS WELL AS MORE AND MORE CROSSOVERS GOBBLE UP THE MARKET.

BUT NISSAN HAS BEEN ON A MISSION TO KEEP THE SEDAN ALIVE AND RELEVANT, AND NOW THEY'VE TAKEN THAT ETHOS TO A NEW SENTRA.

* WHILE, MOST FAMILIES COME INTO A NISSAN DEALER TO LOOK AT VEHICLES LIKE THE ROGUE AND PATHFINDER CROSSOVERS THESE DAYS, THERE ARE MORE NISSAN SENTRA'S ON THE ROAD HERE IN THE U.S., THAN ANY OTHER NISSAN PRODUCT.

2020 SEES THE LAUNCH OF AN 8TH GENERATION, AND HOPES FROM NISSAN TO KEEP THE SENTRA RELEVANT.

GORGEOUS STYLING WILL CERTAINLY HELP.

YES, THE FLOATING ROOF DESIGN HAS WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH ALMOST ALL OF THE NISSAN LINEUP.

AND IT REALLY WORKS HERE, LOOKING HIGH-SHOULDERED, ANGULAR, AND READY FOR THE RED CARPET.

WE HAD PEOPLE GUESSING EVERYTHING FROM A NEW MAXIMA TO EVEN MERCEDES-BENZ WHEN THEY SAW IT.

NOW GRANTED, A BIG PART OF THAT IS ALSO, THE RESULT OF OUR TEST CAR'S MONARCH ORANGE TWO-TONE PAINT AND SR TRIM, WHICH BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF THE SENTRA WITH 18 INCH ALLOYS, DARK CHROME PIECES, LED LIGHTING, BLACK MIRRORS, AND MULTIPLE AERO TREATMENTS.

THE STANDARD ENGINE GROWS FROM 1.8 TO 2.0 LITERS, AND BRINGS ANOTHER 25 HORSEPOWER WITH IT, TAKING THE I4s TOTALS TO 149 HORSEPOWER AND 146 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OKAY WITH US TO SEE ANOTHER 25 HORSEPOWER ON TOP OF THAT, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY WE ROLL.

AND OF COURSE, YOUR ONLY TRANSMISSION OPTION IS NISSAN'S XTRONIC CVT.

LIKE, SOME OTHER NISSAN'S, WE'VE DRIVEN LATELY, IT WAS A TALE OF TWO SENTRA'S AT THE TRACK.

ACCELERATION WITH THE NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.0 LITER IS LESS THAN THRILLING, AND THE CVT CERTAINLY DOESN'T LIKE TO BE LAUNCHED HARD.

IT'S MORE OF A HESITANT LURCH OFF THE LINE RATHER THAN A SPRINT, WITH 60 MILES PER HOUR TAKING 9.1 SECONDS TO ACHIEVE.

LOTS OF ENGINE NOISE, OCCASIONALLY LESSENED BY A SEEMINGLY RANDOM SIMULATED SHIFT, ACCOMPANIES YOU THE WHOLE WAY DOWN THE TRACK.

BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE END OF THE QUARTER MILE IN 17.0 SECONDS FLAT AT 83 MILES PER HOUR, YOU'RE MOSTLY GLAD THE TRIP IS OVER.

NOW, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SENTRA REVEALED ITSELF WHEN WE TOOK TO OUR CONE COURSE.

WHAT A BLAST!

IN THE COMPACT SEDAN SORT OF WAY, ANYWAY.

STEERING IS LIGHT, AND THE CAR IS NICELY RESPONSIVE TO INPUTS.

THERE IS A DECENT AMOUNT OF BODY ROLL, AND DEPENDING ON HOW AGGRESSIVE YOU ARE, YOU'LL CONTEND WITH EITHER OVER OR UNDERSTEER.

THE SENTRA TRADES ITS TORSION BEAM REAR SUSPENSION FOR AN INDEPENDENT MULTI-LINK, WHICH IS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIVELIER FEEL.

IT ALSO SITS MORE THAN 2.0 INCHES LOWER TO THE GROUND, WITH A TRACK THAT IS WIDER BY OVER 2.0 INCHES.

BRAKES ARE QUITE GOOD AS WELL, WITH AN AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE OF JUST 99 FEET FROM 60.

THEY ARE NOISY...THOUGH, AND WE DID HAVE SOME FADE AFTER A FEW RUNS.

AWAY FROM THE TRACK, THAT SPIRITED NATURE FEELS EVEN BETTER, AND INJECTS A TOUCH OF ENJOYMENT INTO THE DAILY GRIND.

EXCEPTIONAL COMFORT FOR A COMPACT AS WELL.

SO, IF YOUR COMMUTE IS A LENGTHY ONE, THE REALLY COMFORTABLE ZERO-GRAVITY FRONT SEATS, INCREASED LEGROOM, AND GENERAL COZINESS OF THE CABIN WILL MAKE YOUR SEAT TIME FAIRLY ENJOYABLE.

MATERIAL QUALITY TAKES A STEP UP TOO, AND A NICE-LOOKING FLAT-BOTTOM STEERING WHEEL COMES STANDARD.

REAR SEAT LEG ROOM STAYS THE SAME, BUT IT WAS ALREADY QUITE GOOD FOR THE SEGMENT; LIKEWISE, HEADROOM IS STILL A LITTLE TIGHT.

TRUNK CAPACITY ACTUALLY FALLS A BIT, FROM 15.1 TO 14.3 CUBIC-FEET, BUT THAT'S STILL A LOT OF SPACE FOR A COMPACT.

GAUGES ARE VERY CLEAR AND PRECISE, WITH ALL BUT BASE TRIM GETTING A 7.0 INCH COLOR ADVANCED DRIVER-ASSIST DISPLAY.

LIKEWISE, THERE'S A STANDARD 7.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN FOR THE BASE MODEL; 8.0 INCH FOR ALL OTHERS.

A REASONABLY PRICED PREMIUM PACKAGE ADDS HEATED SEATS AND STEERING WHEEL, POWER DRIVER'S SEAT, AND 8.0 INCH BOSE STEREO AS WELL AS NISSAN'S INTELLIGENT AROUND VIEW MONITOR.

NISSAN IS VERY PROUD OF THEIR SAFETY SHIELD 360 TECHNOLOGY; WANTING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO BENEFIT FROM IT.

THUS, IT COMES STANDARD ON ALL SENTRA'S AND INCLUDES AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING, AND REAR AUTOMATIC BRAKING.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE SENTRA SR ARE 28-CITY, 37-HIGHWAY, AND 32-COMBINED; OUR AVERAGE, RIGHT ON, AT 32.4 MILES PER GALLON.

AS WITH MOST COMPACT SEDANS, PRICING IS VERY COMPETITIVE, STARTING AT $20,015; MID-LEVEL SV TRIM, ABOUT A GRAND MORE, AT $21,195; AND TOP SR TRIM COMING IN AT JUST $22,355.

AMERICA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE 4-DOOR SEDAN MAY BE WANING, AS MORE AND MORE EYES ARE DRAWN TO THE FLIRTATIOUS NATURE AND YES, PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF UTILITIES.

BUT, THAT JUST MEANS CARMAKERS, OR AT LEAST SOME OF THEM, ARE TRYING HARDER AND HARDER TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS.

AND THAT GENERATES BETTER AND BETTER OPTIONS, LIKE THIS 2020 NISSAN SENTRA.

* THE GREENBRIER IS A POSH 1100 ACRE MOUNTAIN RESORT IN WEST VIRGINIA.

AND IT'S HOSTED NUMEROUS PRESIDENTS, ROYALTY, AND COUNTLESS CELEBRITIES.

BUT IT HAS NEVER HOSTED A CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE, UNTIL NOW THAT IS.

AND, IT WAS WORLD CLASS, WITH EVERYTHING FROM BRASS ERA MOTORCARS, TO PRE-WAR PRODUCTION MODELS, TO THE MOST EXOTIC OF SPORTS CARS.

WELL, OUR STEPHANIE HART WAS THERE, AS SHE NOW SHOWS US THE CARS THAT IMPRESSED THE MOST.

* Stephanie Hart: THE GREENBRIER IS SURROUNDED BY WEST VIRGINIA'S MAJESTIC ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS.

THE VIEWS ARE STUNNING!

THE RESORT IS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, DATING BACK MORE THAN 235 YEARS!

Pam Cunningham: THERE'S JUST THIS SENSE OF PEACE THAT'S PRESENT HERE.

Stephanie: AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE A LOT OF HISTORY.

TWENTY-SEVEN PRESIDENTS HAVE VISITED.

SO, COMMEMORATING THE PAST AND CELEBRATING THE FUTURE IS AT THE HEART OF THIS CHARMING RESORT.

AUTOMOBILE ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE CONVERGING HERE AT THE GREENBRIER TO CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF THE AUTOMOBILE.

THIS ELEGANT VENUE WAS THE PERFECT SETTING FOR MAY 5TH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE, FEATURING 100 OF THE FINEST AUTOMOBILES IN THE WORLD.

[APPLAUSE] JUDGES SCORE THE VEHICLES BASED ON ORIGINALITY, CONDITION, AUTHENTICITY, AND APPEAL.

OVER HERE, ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC CARS OF THE '60s, A 1961 JAGUAR E TYPE.

Jeff Snyder: THESE WERE SO LOW PRODUCTION AT THE BEGINNING THAT A LOT OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE WAS ACTUALLY POP RIVETED TOGETHER TO CHECK THE FIT, AND THEN THEY CAME BACK, AND SPOT WELDED THEM.

SO, IT'S ALMOST A PRE-PRODUCTION TYPE AUTOMOBILE.

Stephanie: INSIDE THE GREENBRIER, SURROUNDED BY ALL THIS BEAUTY, IS WHERE THE RAREST AND MOST EXPENSIVE AUTOMOBILES ARE BEING KEPT.

UNDER LOCK AND KEY, IN THE BUNKER ROOM.

AND THIS THING IS PRETTY HEAVY.

THE BUNKER WAS ONCE A TOP SECRET U.S. GOVERNMENT RELOCATION FACILITY FOR CONGRESS.

AND THIS IS THE CAR EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE, THE 1957 TRC FERRARI.

IT'S OWNED BY MR. MARRIOTT OF MARRIOTT HOTELS AND ITS CARETAKER IS GOING TO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE VEHICLE.

David Carte: THEY MADE 19 CARS.

THEY'RE A 4-CYLINDER AND 2.0 LITER CAR.

IT'S CONSIDERED A GENTLEMAN'S RACER FOR THAT PERIOD.

Stephanie: J.W.

MARRIOTT ACTUALLY DECIDED TO SELL THE CAR IN 1990.

HE MADE 10 TIMES HIS INVESTMENT, IN JUST SEVEN YEARS.

BUT AS THE SAYING GOES, "MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS."

David: AND HE REGRETTED SELLING THIS CAR BECAUSE THIS IS HIS FAVORITE CAR OUT OF THE COLLECTION AND HE HAS ABOUT 40 CARS.

Stephanie: WHAT DID HE DO?

WELL, WHEN YOU OWN THE MARRIOTT EMPIRE, YOU BUY IT BACK.

TODAY, IT'S WORTH FIVE MILLION DOLLARS OR ABOUT THE SAME AS 250 TOYOTA COROLLAS.

WOULD HE MIND THAT I AM SITTING IN THE CAR?

David: NO...NO, HE WOULD SMILE AND THINK, WELL, THIS IS FUN!

Stephanie: BUT NOT NEARLY AS FUN AS DRIVING IT!

David: IT NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN, THE CARS NEED TO BE DRIVEN OR THEY BASICALLY, WILL FAIL.

Stephanie: AND WHEN YOU DRIVE THIS, WHAT SORT OF LOOKS DO YOU GET FROM PEOPLE ON THE ROAD?

David: YOU GET AN AWFUL LOT OF THUMBS UP AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE KIND OF GIVING YOU A STRANGE LOOK LIKE, "WHAT IS THAT NOISEY LITTLE RED CAR."

Stephanie: [LAUGHS] [ENGINE IDLES] ANOTHER CAR THAT MADE MY HEART RACE, THIS 1972 MCLAREN CAN AM.

IT HAS 860 HORSEPOWER AND THANKS TO ITS ALUMINUM CHASSIS, IT WEIGHS LESS THAN A VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE.

Bill Heifner: IT IS REALLY LIKE A BALLISTIC MISSILE [LAUGHTER] WHEN YOU DRIVE IT, THEY DID'NT CORNER VERY WELL, BUT THE IDEA WAS THAT YOU ROLLED IT THROUGH A CORNER, AND KIND OF GOT IT STRAIGHTENED UP OF WHAT WE CALLED "GET IT SQUARED UP," AND THEN YOU LEAN ON IT REAL HARD AND IT JUST GOES.

IT REALLY IS A PRIVILEGE TO DRIVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

ONE, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY AND YOU KNOW THERE IS A CERTAIN FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

Stephanie: SO, HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING?

Bill: UHHH!

Stephanie: HE WON'T TELL ME.

Bill: LETS JUST SAY, THAT IT'S WORTH...

IT HAS A SIGNIFICANT VALUE.

Stephanie: OKAY, WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

THIS CONCOURS' HAS DOZENS OF REMARKABLE CARS, ALL OUT OF MY REACH...

SO, I HAD TO GET A FEW PICTURES.

BEST IN SHOW FOR THE INAUGURAL GREENBRIER CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE GOES TO THE BAXTER'S AND THEIR CAR PRODUCED BY THE SWALLOW SIDECAR COMPANY, WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS "JAGUAR."

IT WAS PRODUCED IN 1934.

AND IS ONE OF SIX WITH ALL ITS ORIGINAL RUNNING GEAR.

WELL, ALL GOOD THINGS HAVE TO COME TO AN END SOMETIME, HATS OFF TO THE WINNER AND AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.

John: YOU CAN HITCH YOUR WAGON TO A LOT OF BAD ADVICE THESE DAYS.

BUT NO WORRIES OF THAT EVER HAPPENING DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

* Pat Goss: WATCH A COUPLE HOURS OF COMMERCIAL TV AND YOU'RE BOUND TO SEE AN AD FOR A PICKUP TRUCK TOWING SOMETHING THAT'S ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.

AND FROM THAT, YOU ASSUME THAT ANY VARIANT OF THAT PICKUP TRUCK WELL, IT CAN DO THE SAME THING WHEN IN REALITY, IT CANNOT.

YOU SEE, THOSE ARE VERY SPECIAL TRUCKS THAT ARE BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR TOWING HEAVY LOADS.

AND THE AVERAGE TRUCK THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BUYING WITH THE LEATHER SEATS AND ALL THE BELLS, AND WHISTLES, AND SO ON, MIGHT ONLY BE ABLE TO TOW A FRACTION OF THAT.

NOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT ANY GIVEN TOW VEHICLE CAN ACTUALLY HAUL AROUND?

WELL, THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS FIGURE OUT THE G-C-V-W. THAT'S GROSS COMBINED VEHICLE WEIGHT.

NOW, THAT NUMBER IS THE TOTAL OF THE WEIGHT OF THE TOW VEHICLE, THE WEIGHT OF ANY CARGO IN THE TOW VEHICLE, THE WEIGHT OF ANY PASSENGERS IN THE TOW VEHICLE, PLUS, THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER AND ANY CARGO ON THAT TRAILER.

SO, IT'S A BIG NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER.

NOW, TO FIND OUT WHAT THE VEHICLE IS CAPABLE OF, YOU LOOK IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND YOU'LL FIND CHARTS IN THERE AND EVERYTHING THAT'LL EXPLAIN ALL OF THIS TO YOU.

VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THIS.

IF THERE'S PARS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, ASK QUESTIONS.

CAUSE THIS CAN BE A SERIOUS BUSINESS.

ALRIGHT, THE NEXT THING IS THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT SIZED RECEIVERS ON TOW VEHICLES.

THE RECEIVER IS THE PART THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE CHASSIS OF THE TOW VEHICLE.

IT'S WHAT RECEIVES THE HITCH.

THE HITCH ACTUALLY, SLIDES INTO THE RECEIVER.

THEN, WE USE A PIN TO LOCK IT IN PLACE.

ALRIGHT NOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF RECEIVERS.

THE MOST POPULAR IS GOING TO BE A CLASS 3 USING A 2.0 INCH HITCH AND A 2.0 INCH BALL.

NOW, ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT YOU WANT THE TRAILER TO BE LEVEL WITH THE GROUND THAT'S HOOKED TO THE VEHICLE AND LOADED.

SO, YOU MAY HAVE TO USE A DROP HITCH SUCH AS WE SEE HERE.

THEY COME IN DIFFERENT DROPS -- 1.0 INCH, 2.0 INCH, 3.0 INCH, PROBABLY UP TO 5.0 OR 6.0 INCHES.

SOME ARE ADJUSTABLE AND SO ON.

SO, YOU HAVE TO GET ALL OF THAT TOGETHER.

YOU COULD ALSO, OPT IN SOME CASES, IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE TRAILERS, YOU COULD USE A HITCH SUCH AS WE SEE DOWN HERE THAT HAS DIFFERENT SIZES OF BALLS ON IT AND IT HAS A HOOK FOR TOWING THINGS USING A CABLE OR A STRAP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THE BIG THING HERE IS THAT YOU GET EVERYTHING MATCHED BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T MATCH THEN YOU COULD BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE IN SERIOUS SITUATIONS LIKE, A PANIC STOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THE TOW VEHICLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE WHAT YOU'RE TOWING.

SO, BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR TOW VEHICLE ASK THE QUESTIONS, DO THE RESEARCH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE BUYING EQUIPMENT THAT IS COMPATIBLE.

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

John: RECENTLY, PORSCHE REACHED A BIG MILESTONE, IT'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY.

AND IN ALL THAT TIME THEY BUILT WORLD RENOWNED STREET CARS, DOMINATED MOTORSPORTS RANKS AND EVEN GONE FULLY ELECTRIC AS ONLY PORSCHE COULD.

WELL, TO CELEBRATE THAT LONGEVITY, PORSCHE THREW A LITTLE PARTY.

AND OUR GREG CARLOSS GOT AN INVITE!

* Greg Carloss: PORING THROUGH THE PAGES OF BOOKS LIKE THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR MOST PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PORSCHE.

BUT, I'M MORE OF A PHYSICAL LEARNER.

AND THAT'S WHY, WE'RE HERE AT SONOMA RACEWAY WITH SOME VERY SPECIAL PORSCHE MUSEUM CARS TO GET SOME DRIVING HISTORY.

* ALEX, WE HAVE TWO ICONIC CARS HERE FROM THE PORSCHE MUSEUM.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THEM?

Alex Klein: YEAH, YOU ARE RIGHT.

LET US START WITH THE WHITE ONE.

THIS IS A 356 AMERICAN ROADSTER BUILT IN 1953 AS ONE OF ONLY 17 CARS EVER BUILT.

SO, THE CAR WAS ORDERED IN A VERY SPECIFIC LIGHTWEIGHT VERSION.

SO, YOU SEE WE HAVE NO WIPERS AT THE WINDSHIELD, WE ACTUALLY, DO NOT EVEN HAVE INDICATORS IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR.

EVEN THE DOOR HANDLES ARE MISSING.

Greg: DESPITE ITS SIMPLICITY AND SMALL STATURE, THIS 356 IS INTIMIDATING TO APPROACH, CONSIDERING ITS WORTH ABOUT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.

BUT AFTER STARTING IT, MY APPREHENSION DISSOLVES AWAY.

THE 356 SPORTS A REAR-MOUNTED 1.5 LITER 4-CYLINDER ENGINE WITH 70 HORSEPOWER, THAT'S 400 PONIES SHY OF THE 992.2 SPEEDSTER RELEASED IN 2019.

BUT HORSEPOWER IS THE LAST THING ON MY MIND DRIVING THIS CAR.

MY NEXT RIDE IS ANOTHER RARE BIRD BUILT IN 1964, NOT AS A PORSCHE 911 BUT A 901.

Alex: SO, IT WAS OCTOBER 22ND WHEN FERRY PORSCHE DECIDED TO RENAME THE CAR FROM 901 TO 911 AND WE FIGURED OUT THAT EXACTLY AT THAT DATE THAT THREE CARS WERE BUILT THAT DAY AND THAT WAS THE THIRD OF THREE CARS.

Greg: WHILE, A RAZOR SHARP EYE COULD SPOT A 901, THE AIR COOLED FLAT-SIX STILL PUTS OUT THE SAME 130 HORSEPOWER.

I NEVER GOT CLOSE TO THE CAR'S LIMITS, BUT I'M HUMBLED JUST THINKING OF THE LUNATICS WHO DID.

THE 911 IS STILL PORSCHE'S CORE MODEL, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE 959.

A TECHNOLOGICAL MARVEL FOR THE '80s, PORSCHE LOST MONEY ON EACH EXAMPLE IT SOLD, BUT IT DID PERPETUATE THE 911 AND EVENTUALLY LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR THIS 996 GT3.

Patrick Long: FIRST GENERATION WATER COOLED 911.

FIRST GENERATION GT3 RACE INSPIRED.

AS PURE OF A DRIVING EXPERIENCE AS YOU CAN HAVE IN A GT3.

THERE'S A LOT OF CARS THAT PUT BIG NUMBERS UP FOR ONE LAP OR ONE RUN THROUGH THE SLALOM.

BUT WHAT I PRIDE MYSELF IN TALKING ABOUT PORSCHES IS HOW MUCH PUNISHMENT THEY CAN TAKE.

IT'S RACE INSPIRED HERITAGE.

Greg: OF COURSE, PORSCHE BROUGHT ALONG SOME OF THAT RACING INSPIRATION: THE LEGENDARY 917.

AND WHILE, IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLY OFF-LIMITS TO ME, THE 1970, 24 HOURS OF LEMANS WINNER, RICHARD ATTWOOD WAS THERE TO RECOUNT HIS EXPERIENCE.

Richard Attwood: TO DRIVE IT INITIALLY, VERY DIFFICULT, BUT AFTER SOME OF THAT FIRST YEAR, IT BECAME A TOTALLY NORMAL CAR.

VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD... WELL-BALANCED... EASY TO DRIVE... FIRST YEAR, '69, NOT QUITE THE SAME STORY.

BUT, PORSCHE WAS DETERMINED TO GET IT RIGHT, THEY DID, AS IN MOST THINGS.

Greg: WE'VE DRIVEN NEARLY 70 YEARS OF PORSCHE HISTORY TODAY, AND THE ONE COMMON THREAD IS THE UNCOMPROMISING COMMITMENT TO PERFORMANCE.

AND EVEN AS POWER SOURCES ARE EVOLVING, ONE THING'S FOR SURE; A PORSCHE WILL ALWAYS BE A PORSCHE.

John: SINCE, THE AUDI A7 DEBUTED HERE IN THE STATES IN 2012, IT'S SOUGHT TO COMBINE THE SPACIOUSNESS OF A SEDAN, WITH THE VERSATILITY OF A HATCHBACK, AND THE STYLISHNESS OF A COUPE.

THAT'S A TALL TASK FOR ANY ONE CAR; BY ALL ACCOUNTS, IT SUCCEEDED, AND LOOKED GREAT WHILE DOING IT.

WELL, THERE'S A NEW A7 ON THE STREETS.

SO, LET'S FIND OUT IF IT CAN BUILD ON THAT SUCCESS.

* John: WHO SAYS, AMERICANS DON'T BUY HATCHBACKS?

STOP BY ANY COUNTRY CLUB, AND YOU'RE BOUND TO SEE A PORSCHE PANAMERA OR TWO; NOT TO MENTION LOTS OF LUXURY CROSSOVERS, WHICH ARE AT THEIR ESSENCE, JUST ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE HATCHBACKS.

IT ALSO HELPS IF YOU CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE, LIKE THIS 2019 AUDI A7, WHICH AUDI CALLS A 5-DOOR COUPE.

THAT SOUNDS PRETTY SPORTY AND EXCITING; AND TRULY THE A7 IS A REAL LOOKER.

THE RISING BELTLINE AND SLOPING ROOF COME TOGETHER IN A THICK D-PILLAR TO PROVIDE THE COUPE-LIKE PROPORTIONS.

WHILE, THE EXPRESSIVE FACE AND LINEAR REAR, FOLLOW RECENT AUDI THEMES.

IT'S A COHESIVE AND FANTASTIC-LOOKING DESIGN, THAT DEFINITELY SETS IT APART FROM THE TRADITIONAL LUXURY SEDAN FIELD.

AS DOES THE POWERTRAIN, A 3.0 LITER V6 TURBO THAT SENDS ITS 335 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO ALL FOUR WHEELS THROUGH A 7-SPEED S TRONIC DUAL-CLUTCH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

LIKE THE A6, THAT OF COURSE, SHARES THIS SAME PLATFORM, IT ALSO GETS ASSISTANCE FROM A 48 VOLT MILD HYBRID SYSTEM.

PUT TO USE AT OUR TEST TRACK, IT HELPED SHUTTLE THE A7 TO 60 IN JUST 4.8 SECONDS.

QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, AS WELL AS LAUNCH CONTROL, PROVIDE A SLIP-FREE, HIGH-GRIP, NO DRAMA GETAWAY.

EXCELLENT POWER THROUGHOUT THE QUARTER MILE; FEELING SMOOTH AND STRONG AS THE ENGINE CONTINUOUSLY PULLS, WHILE THE TRANSMISSION FIRES OFF STEADY, QUICK SHIFTS.

OUR BEST TIME, 13.4 SECONDS AT 104 MILES PER HOUR.

IF YOU'RE IN AN EVEN BIGGER HURRY, KEEP IN MIND MORE POWERFUL S AND POSSIBLY EVEN RS VERSIONS WILL LIKELY BE ADDED TO THE LINEUP.

A GREAT AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE OF JUST 105 FEET FROM 60 WITH MINIMAL FADE, KEPT OUR TEST DRIVER'S COMMENTS EQUALLY BRIEF TO SIMPLE, "SPORTY AND SHORTY."

AT 4,300 POUNDS, THE A7 IS NO LIGHTWEIGHT, AND THERE'S ALSO OVER 115 INCHES OF WHEELBASE TO DEAL WITH...

YET, GOOD OVERALL BALANCE, QUICK STEERING, AND PRODIGIOUS TRACTION ALLOWED US TO REALLY HUSTLE THROUGH OUR CONE COURSE.

THERE'S NOT AS MUCH FEEL THROUGH THE WHEEL, OR THE KIND OF CHASSIS FEEDBACK WE EXPECT IN A TRUE SPORT SEDAN, BUT FOR A LARGE, LUXURY-MINDED CAR, IT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

YOU'LL GET THE BEST IN DYNAMIC MODE NATURALLY, BUT WE FOUND IT A LITTLE HARSH ON THE STREET.

HERE, COMFORT OR AUTO ARE MUCH BETTER OPTIONS, AND AS IS TYPICAL WITH AUDI, ALL THREE MODES DRIVE VERY DISTINCTIVE, NOT JUST A SIMPLE HEIGHTENING THROTTLE RESPONSE OR INCREASED EXHAUST NOTE.

A GREAT LAYOUT, IMPRESSIVE INTERIOR REFINEMENT, AND PLENTIFUL HIGH-TECH ARE ALSO HALLMARKS OF RECENT AUDIS.

THAT CONTINUES HERE, ALONG WITH GREAT COMFORT FOR THE DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS.

OF COURSE, THIS SPORTIER STYLED VERSION OF THE A6, DOES COME WITH SOME DOWNFALLS; MOSTLY LOSS OF HEADROOM FOR REAR SEATERS, BUT FOR US IT WAS NOT A DEAL BREAKER.

AND ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR HAULING THINGS IS THE ADDED BENEFIT; 24.9 CUBIC-FEET IN THE CARGO AREA, COMPARED TO THE A6'S 13.7 CUBIC-FEET OF TRUNK SPACE.

A POWER OPERATED HATCH IS STANDARD.

WE'VE COMPLAINED ENOUGH ALREADY ABOUT AUDI'S NEW TOUCH RESPONSE CONTROL PANEL; SO WE'LL JUST SAY IT'S HERE AND WE'RE STILL NOT FANS.

DESPITE THE FULL REDESIGN WITH MORE STANDARD CONTENT, OWNING AN A7 WILL ACTUALLY COST YOU LESS THAN LAST YEAR AT $68,995 TO START, OR ABOUT 10-GRAND OVER A SIMILAR FITTED A6 SEDAN.

SO, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOUR TYPICAL LUXURY 4-DOOR, BUT DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW THE HERDS OVER TO THE SUV PASTURE, THE 2019 AUDI A7 COMBINES GREAT STYLING, MOSTLY-TERRIFIC TECH, AND IMPRESSIVE ROAD MANNERS, INTO A SOMEWHAT UNIQUE ANIMAL THAT'S REALLY WORTH CONSIDERING.

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... AS GENESIS ENERGIZES LARGE 4-DOOR LUXURY WITH THE NEW G90.

THEN, WE'LL TRY TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHICH FORD MUSTANG GT YOU SHOULD HANKER FOR.

UNTIL 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.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

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.

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