Letters to Motor Trend Magazine

SUVs -282 To 10,000 Feet
I've just finished reading your comparison article entitled "-282 to 10,000 Feet" from the April issue. Your representations of these autos are quite accurate. In fact, last summer I drove my '99 Land Rover cross-country and traveled the same path on which you tested your autos. I realize the Land Rover is more expensive than the SUVs tested, but I was very impressed with its ability to dash through off-road trails at 50 mph, only to be on the interstate minutes later at 90-plus mph. The truck was quite at home off-road (except for the reddish dust all over the leather interior) and was a very comfortable and capable highway cruiser.Craig A. LowyAventura, Fla.

Your article reviewing the three SUVs from BMW, Mercedes, and Land Rover was a satisfying glimpse into each personality exhibited by these excellent companies. However, I have one point to make: In the article, you said, "In fact, the numbers generated by the X5 in these exercises beats any production SUV we've tested." Well, you tested the '92 GMC Typhoon, and I think that test slipped your minds. It's still the fastest SUV on the planet, and test numbers were close to those of Camaros and Firebirds of that year. The Typhoon may lack the sophistication of the current models, but for get-down, head-snappin' power, the Typhoon will meet and beat most of the local rods in my neighborhood. Zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds betters the efforts of the latest SUV iterations, and while the Viper next to me is burning rubber and fishtailing into the next lane, my all-wheel drive Typhoon makes an instant leap to the next light. What fun!T. berndtLaguna, Calif.

I just read your comparo of the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML430, and Land Rover Discovery and thought I'd check out their Web sites. You can imagine my surprise when I saw (according to your spec panel) BMW had www.audiusa.com as its address. I hadn't heard about Audi taking over, or merging with, BMW. If this has occurred, then nobody has advised Audi because there's no mention of the X5 at its Web site.Lionel GuenetteSudbury, Ontario, Canada

Oops. The correct URL for the BMW site is (appropriately) www.bmwusa.com.-Ed.

Speed Freaks
I received your April 2000 magazine and I couldn't believe my eyes. Someone actually had the gall to finally put a six-speed in one of Mercedes' finest cars. The people at RENNtech must be proud, considering they've accomplished what I've been dreaming about. Now Mercedes-Benz finally has a tuned car that can compete with the likes of the BMW M5 and Jaguar XKR.Alex CrouseCarthage, N.C.

If you have the cash, anything is possible.-Ed.

Thank you for your "Speed Freaks" article. As I was thumbing through the pages, I saw something that shocked me, an unmodified Mustang Cobra R running 0-60 in a blistering 4.4 seconds and pulling an impressive 1.02 g! I'm not a Ford aficionado, not even a musclecar fan; however, I must give the SVT crew their "props" for having the guts to create a rebellious, red, Corvette-slaughtering, Viper-chasing, rolling rocket with an attitude. It may cost a pretty penny, but after seeing the price of other modified Mustangs (Saleen, Steeda, and Stillen), this hot-rod pony is a screaming bargain! This Cobra R will no doubt stir-up smoky Mopar and Bow-tie duels and, at the same time, show those guys a butt-kicking! Great job Ford!David HuntMilwaukee, Wis.

Congratulations! Jack Keebler's April 2000 article on the new Cobra R makes me laugh every time I read it. Of course, anyone could produce a one-off $55K comfort-bereft Rustang that'll give a $39K production C5 a run for its air-conditioned money. The question is: Could it compete at any level with a specially prepared one-off $55K C5? I doubt it.Dr. Bill FirmanOrlando, Fla.