2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R V Spec-II For Sale Beats the 25-Year Import Law

A Definitive End to the Malaise Era Inside the 1986 Acura Integra: Like, Totally Tubular! The Engine of Tomorrow, TodayBack in the '80s, the Integra's 16-valve 1.6-liter engine really turned our heads. It's easy to chuckle at the oversized DOHC PROGRAMMED FUEL INJECTION decal on the Integra's flanks, but in 1986 this was exotic stuff. Detroit's four-cylinder engines were awful eight-valve lumps that were only just beginning to be tamed with throttle-body fuel injection, a cheap single-injector assembly bolted into the same spot as a carburetor. Even Honda, already known for the best four-bangers in the biz, still offered only single-cam 12-valve engines, all with carburetors (with fuel injection as a new-for-1986 option).Of course, MotorTrend was no stranger to two-cam multi-valve heads; we tested plenty of European supercars, but to see such exotica on a reasonably priced car was a novelty. Same for multi-port fuel injection, which in 1986 was only just making its first appearance on Chevrolet's Corvette and IROC-Z. To see such hardware put together with Japanese precision and refinement, though, was something new, even for us."The Integra's four-valve-per-cylinder 1.6-liter engine proved much more than anticipated," we wrote, "with a blend of flat-torque-curve power-on-demand, quick throttle response, and effective NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) damping unsurpassed in engines of its kind on the market today."In the muscle-car '60s—not too distant in 1985's rearview mirror—1-horsepower per cubic inch was the Holy Grail. The Integra drew a righteous 113 horsepower from a mere 97 cubic inches, this at a time when GM's 231-cid (3.8-liter) V-6 only delivered 110. We clocked the then-new 1986 Acura Integra to 60 in 8.9 seconds, just 1.8 seconds behind a 1985 Ford Mustang GT.The Engine of Yesterday, TodayToday we're driving this classic Integra amid fast-moving Los Angeles traffic, and it's a struggle. We're trying to keep up with KJ Jones from MT's Truck and Off-Road Group in his Banks-enhanced Chevy Colorado, and we need every last bit of the Integra's 99 lb-ft of torque. This example has 168,000 miles on the clock and feels appropriate for her age. But Jones knows where we're going and we don't, so museum piece or not, we've no choice but to flirt with the Integra's near-7,000-rpm redline. At least that's our excuse because we like pushing the Integra—and the Integra likes being pushed.With any luck, you are too young and/or fortunate to have driven a four-cylinder car in the early '80s. Trust us, they weren't great, with low and feeble torque peaks concentrated at low or mid revs. Few Americans had experienced anything like the Integra's engine, it's thin low-end torque gradually building and building before surging at 4,000 rpm into a crescendo of power delivered all the way to its exotically-high 6,700-rpm redline—and all the while accompanied by a wonderful sonorous snarl. Today's drivers might say, "So what? That's how every engine drives!" Sure, today they do—and we have the Integra's influence to thank for it.The Correct Tire Transforms the 1986 Acura IntegraBelieve it or not, in our original 1986 test report we complained about the Acura Integra's handling, fixing blame on its Michelin MXV tires which put low limits on the Integra's grip for both turning and braking. (Back in those days we had to modulate brake lock-up in panic stops; there was no ABS to do it for us.) "It was as if the chassis dynamics were tuned to a much more high-performance set of tires," we wrote, "only to be replaced at the last minute." We surmised that better rubber would make the Integra a handling gem.Thirty-five years later, our supposition is confirmed. Our classic Integra's 14-inch aluminum wheels are fitted with a modern set of Falken Azenis RT660s, and the car is masterful. Out on one of our favorite curvy roads, it simply refuses to relinquish its grip on the pavement. The suspension—struts and torsion bars up front, twist-beam in the back—keeps body motions under control, and despite a complete lack of electronic stability control, the Integra never does anything sudden or scary. The steering reminds us why people miss hydraulic assist; it feels alive and chatty with feedback. The effort to turn the tiller is light, and yet the power assist is dialed back enough that you almost forget it's there at all. If a brand-new car drove like this 35-year-old Acura, we'd have nothing to complain about.Lost in TimeAnd that, right there, is the conundrum we face in writing about this classic 1986 Acura Integra in modern times. Not long ago we drove another classic Honda, the foundational first-generation Accord, and there was no mistaking it was a disco-era relic. The timeline is a mind-bender: Only eight years separate that Accord from this Integra. Meanwhile, the time gap between the Integra and modern cars is more than four times as long. And yet it feels like 35 years separate the original Accord and this original Integra, which surely can't be more than a decade older than modern day cars, tape deck and gnarly upholstery notwithstanding.We understand why. In the wake of the Acura Integra's introduction, the 16-valve, dual-overhead-camshaft, multi-port-injected engine would become the industry standard, reigning right up until the recent adaptation of turbochargers, direct injection, and electrification. Detroit would give up its ribbon-style speedometers and one-finger-light power steering to better emulate the Integra. Thanks to Acura, upscale cars would soon be judged not by their size but by their performance, agility, and build quality.Indeed, Honda, Toyota, and the other Japanese automakers fundamentally changed what American automobile buyers wanted, and the 1986 Acura Integra was the car that pointed the way. And so, we can forgive this three-and-a-half-decade-old classic for feeling ordinary. After all, it defined what ordinary would become.

Whether we're talking features per dollar, calories burned per hour, or hours played per video game, enthusiasts of all kinds search for solutions that extract the most out of what we put in. That applies to EVs, too.Range is not the end-all be-all when it comes to EV bragging rights. Even an eight-ton abomination with the aerodynamics of a townhouse could reach 500 miles of range if it was fitted with an impractically heavy and expensive high-capacity battery. Instead, we want to praise the EVs that travel the farthest per gallon of gasoline equivalent (33.7 kWh).

ProsNear limitless gripQuicker-than-you-can-think responsesBiblical brakes ConsConfusing drive modesNo performance auto-shifting modeNeeds a bigger shift lightIt's not often a car comes along where the only thing you can find to complain about are the names, functions, and number of drive modes, but here we are. The 2021 Lamborghini Huracán STO is so insanely good to drive, we're left with the nittiest nits to pick."You look at the STO and its wings 'n' things," deputy editor Alex Stoklosa said, "then consider that it's shoving a V-10's worth of power to only the rear wheels, and you assume it'll be hairier than a barbershop floor. Not at all. There is so much grip front and rear, and the chassis is so balanced, that it drives nothing like it looks. There is no evil here. Sure, the Lambo hustles in ways most cars don't or can't, but it simply has no vices while furiously raging."You could call it a complaint for lack of others, but the amount of time some judges felt they needed to fully understand the car's limits was a bit longer than usual, simply because the limits are so high you need a telescope to see them. Once you truly understand what it's capable of, though, you never want to stop driving it. On the street, on the track, it doesn't matter.Credit the brilliant blending of adaptive magnetorheological shock absorbers, rear steering, racing brakes, and Bridgestone Potenza Race tires for the STO's direct connection to your brain's pleasure center. The front end changes direction quicker than you can think it while the rear stays behind you no matter the speed unless you very deliberately kick it out. When you do, the car breaks away beautifully, allowing you to ride that slip into the perfect amount of rotation.Mostly, though, it just goes. The damn near race-spec V-10 delivers a perfect progressive powerband that never wallops the rear tires with more torque than they can handle (which is, admittedly, a lot), so you can stand on the throttle leaving every corner, and the STO will grab and go. Get to the next turn, and the brakes require only gentle but deliberate pressure to stop the car like you just grabbed the No. 3 wire on an aircraft carrier's deck.Not just a one-lap pony, the Huracán STO will do it over and over, every corner, every lap, all day long. It's so rewarding and fulfilling to drive, you never want to stop. You can't automatically say these things about every mid-engine supercar with 600-plus hp.About those nits. Some judges found the drive modes confusing, assuming the STO mode would be the most aggressive since it shares the car's name. ("STO" stands for Super Trofeo Omologato, meaning this is the road version of the Huracán Super Trofeo track-only race car.) But STO is actually the "around town" mode, and many felt it was way too docile. Corsa is the mode you want to be in, but keep in mind it's the full race mode with manual-only shifting and reduced stability control. Several judges found themselves wishing for an intermediate mode with lighter steering than Corsa and far more aggressive automatic shifting. But alas, the only other mode is Pioggia, the wet weather mode.Since we're whining, an actual shift light instead of the graphics in the digital instrument cluster would be nice. The engine just revs forever, right until it suddenly doesn't, so you need the upshift indication in Corsa.But again, all you really need to know about how ridiculously awesome this car is to drive is that we can't find anything better to complain about. The Huracán STO is an apex predator at its apex, fully bestowing the thrill of the hunt to anyone who slips behind the wheel.2021 Lamborghini Huracán STO Specifications Base Price/As tested $333,633/$442,033 Power (SAE net) 630 hp @ 8,000 rpm Torque (SAE net) 417 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm Accel, 0-60 mph 2.8 sec Quarter-mile 10.7 sec @ 132.3 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 95 ft Lateral Acceleration 1.16 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 22.3 sec @ 0.99 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb 13/18/15 mpg Vehicle Layout Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe Engine, Transmission 5.2L port- and direct-injected DOHC 40-valve 90-degree V-10, 7-speed twin-clutch auto Curb Weight (F/R DIST) 3,390 lb (42/58%) Wheelbase 103.1 in Length x Width x Height 179.0 x 76.6 x 48.0 in On Sale Now Show All