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

JOIN US AND SEE IF THE MINI MAGIC CONTINUES WITH AN ALL-NEW COOPER HARDTOP... PAT GOSS KEEPS OUR ENGINES RUNNING COOL WHEN THINGS HEAT UP... WE'LL GET UP TO SPEED ON HOW CAR DESIGN IS SLIMMING DOWN... AND WE'LL BLACKOUT ON PERFORMANCE WITH THE MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG BLACK SERIES.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HER FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

SHE'S THINKING, "IF COLT DOESN'T ASK ME TO THE PROM MY LIFE IS TOTALLY OVER."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

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

DIEHARD.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT DIEHARD.COM.

NO ONE WAS QUITE SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN BMW REINTRODUCED THE MINI BRAND TO AMERICA AS THE FIRST OF THE MODERN 2002 COOPER HARDTOPS BEGAN ARRIVING HERE.

BUT IT SURE SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.

AND SINCE THEN, THE GOOD TIMES HAVE CONTINUED TO ROLL WITH AN EXPANDED PORTFOLIO OF CONVERTIBLES, WAGONS, ROADSTERS, AND EVEN CROSSOVERS.

WELL, NOW IT'S TIME TO RETURN TO THE HUMBLE TWO-DOOR HARDTOP AND START THE 3RD GENERATION OF THE "NEW MINIS."

SO, LET'S SEE IF THE 2014 MINI COOPER IS STILL SUPER!

THE 2014 MINI COOPER HARDTOP HAS UNDERGONE IT'S MOST EXTENSIVE RE-ENGINEERING SINCE THE 2002 REVIVAL.

AND WHILE MOST CHANGES SEEM EVOLUTIONARY, THIS MINI EYES THE FUTURE RATHER THAN THE PAST.

IT HAS GOTTEN BIGGER OF COURSE, FOUR AND A HALF INCHES LONGER, BUT WITH ONLY ONE-INCH MORE WHEELBASE, SO, THERE'S MORE OVERHANG, BUT THE CLASSIC SHAPE REMAINS.

AND WHILE FANS WILL APPLAUD THAT PROPORTIONS HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH; THEY'LL BE THE FIRST TO NOTICE THE BOLDER TAKE ON ICONIC ELEMENTS LIKE THE GRILLE, SIDE SCUTTLES, HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS, AS WELL AS THE LONGER, FLATTER NOSE.

WITH THE NEW CHASSIS COMES TWO ALL-NEW ENGINES, AS WELL AS NEW 6-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS, BOTH MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC.

POWER INCLUDES A 2.0-LITER TURBO I4 WITH 189-HORSEPOWER AND 207 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, 221 WITH OVERBOOST.

STANDARD IN THE COOPER S; OUTPUT IS UP FROM THE PREVIOUS GEN.

THE MOST INTRIGUING NEW ENGINE, HOWEVER, IS THE STANDARD COOPER'S 1.5-LITER 3-CYLINDER TURBO, WITH 134-HORSES AND 162 POUND-FEET, 170 ON OVERBOOST.

NOW, WE SPENT TIME WITH BOTH MOTORS AT THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS LAUNCH IN PUERTO RICO AND FOUND THE I3 TO BE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE.

BUT TO CONFIRM THAT IT WASN'T JUST THE ISLAND LIFESTYLE CLOUDING OUR JUDGMENT, IT'S A STANDARD I3-AUTOMATIC EQUIPPED COOPER THAT WE HAVE HERE FOR TESTING.

AND AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, OUR PREVIOUS CALL HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.

THERE ARE AGGRESSIVE SPORT, MID, AND RELAXED GREEN MODES TO TAILOR YOUR DRIVING EXPERIENCE, BUT IT WAS IN SPORT MODE THAT WE TOOK THIS MINI TO OUR TEST TRACK.

TORQUE WAS GOOD OFF THE LINE AND OUR COOPER HARDTOP SPRINTED TO 60 IN A RESPECTABLE 7.0-SECONDS.

IT FELT GREAT IN THE SHORT RUN.

HOWEVER, THE QUARTER MILE RUN PROVED MORE LEISURELY AT 15.4-SECONDS AND 92 MILES-PER-HOUR.

BUT THE COOPER HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT STRAIGHT LINE KICKS.

THE FUN STARTS WHEN YOU BEGIN SAWING THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH.

SUSPENSION HARDWARE REMAINS MINI'S UNIQUE SINGLE-JOINT SPRING STRUT FRONT ALONG WITH A MULTI-LINK REAR, BUT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN BOTH LIGHTENED AND STIFFENED, LOSING NONE OF THE GO-KART FEEL ALONG THE WAY.

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING IS QUICK, BUT A BIT NUMB IN FEELING.

IT ALL MAKES AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE BACK ROAD HANDLER, BUT MUCH LIKE MOST OF THE RECENT CARS FROM CORPORATE PARENT BMW, THE SENSORY PARTS HAVE GIVEN WAY TO MORE EFFICIENT ELECTRONIC ONES.

BRAKES WEREN'T QUITE UP TO THE TASK, HOWEVER, HALTING OUR TESTER IN A RATHER LENGTHY AVERAGE OF 135-FEET FROM 60.

MINI HAS ALSO PUT THE BRAKES ON SOME OF THE CHEAPNESS ON THE INTERIOR.

THERE'S DEFINITELY A MORE PREMIUM FEEL, IF ONE THAT'S ALSO A BIT LESS UNIQUE.

UNLESS YOU ARE A MINIMALIST, YOU WILL VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SMALL ITEM STORAGE NOOKS, AS WELL AS MORE FRONT CABIN SPACE.

IN THE BACK SEAT, LEG ROOM IS UP, BUT HEADROOM IS DOWN.

SO IT'S STILL A TIGHT CONFINE FOR MOST ADULTS.

CARGO SPACE CLIMBS TO 8.7 CUBIC-FEET; SEATS UP.

38.0 CUBIC-FEET WITH SEATBACKS FOLDED.

THAT'S SOMETHING ALL BUYERS CAN GET BEHIND.

ICONIC ELEMENTS LIKE THE "LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM" TOGGLE SWITCHES, AND, OF COURSE, THE BIG ROUND CENTER DASH DISPLAY REMAIN.

BUT THE SPEEDOMETER HAS MOVED FROM THERE TO A ROUTINE PLACE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL.

THE CENTER DISPLAY CAN BE FILLED WITH AN 8.8-INCH COLOR SCREEN CONTROLLED BY MINI'S VERSION OF BMW'S IDRIVE SYSTEM.

SURROUNDING THE CENTER DISPLAY IS A "MOOD RING" THAT CHANGES WITH DRIVING MODE.

FROM GREEN FOR ECO TO RED FOR SPORT.

OTHER NEW BITS, LIKE THE AVAILABLE POP UP HEAD UP DISPLAY, ALSO MAKE THE CASE FOR CONVENIENCE OVER NOSTALGIA, AS DOES NO LONGER HAVING TO INSERT A KEY TO GET THE PARTY STARTED.

WITH AUTO STOP/START, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE VERY GOOD AT 29-CITY, 41-HIGHWAY, AND 34-COMBINED.

WE SAW A SPOT ON AVERAGE OF 34.2 MILES-PER-GALLON OF PREMIUM.

MINI FUN STARTS AT A REASONABLE $20,745.

THE SPORTIER COOPER S AT $24,395.

SO, HAS THE 2014 MINI COOPER HARDTOP GOTTEN TOO BIG FOR ITS BRITCHES OR IS IT STILL THE FUN RUNABOUT THAT WE'VE LOVED SO MUCH?

WELL, MORE SPACE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN LESS FUN, SO WE'RE GOOD THERE.

BUT WE COULD DO WITHOUT THE HOMOGENIZATION OF MORE OF BMW IN THE DESIGN.

STILL, THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL MINI REMAINS INTACT.

AND LET'S ALL HOPE THAT ALWAYS REMAINS THE CASE.

FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ROAD TESTS, AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES, WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

WHETHER YOU'RE SEEKING MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE OR MAXIMUM FUEL ECONOMY OF A VEHICLE, REDUCING WEIGHT IS A SUREFIRE WAY OF ACHIEVING MEANINGFUL RESULTS.

BUT STRIKING THE IDEAL BALANCE BETWEEN LIGHT, STRONG, SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS IS A COMPLICATED FEAT OF ENGINEERING, AS WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT!

FROM THE DAYS BEFORE HENRY FORD'S TIN LIZZIE, MASS-MARKET CARS HAVE BEEN MADE PRIMARILY OF STEEL.

IT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP, STRONG, DURABLE AND EASY TO WORK WITH.

BUT IT'S ALSO HEAVY.

IF WE ALL COULD AFFORD BUGATTIS, THEN CARBON FIBER WOULD BE AN EASY ANSWER.

IT'S HALF THE WEIGHT OF STEEL AND FOUR TIMES STRONGER.

BUT AT $15 PER POUND, IT'S MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE COST.

ALUMINUM IS ANOTHER LIGHT, BUT MORE EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO STEEL, AND UPSCALE BRANDS LIKE AUDI, JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER HAVE PIONEERED ITS USE IN THE MASS-MARKET.

BUT NOW FORD IS JUMPING ON THE ALUMINUM BANDWAGON WITH ITS HIGHEST VOLUME VEHICLE, THE F150.

THE 2015 MODEL PICKUP WILL TIP THE SCALE SOME 700 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN BEFORE THANKS TO AN ALL-ALUMINUM BODY AND BED.

LIKE A DIET FOR HUMANS, THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION TO VEHICLE LIGHT-WEIGHTING.

BUT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S OAKRIDGE NATIONAL LAB NEAR KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, AUTOMAKERS, SUPPLIERS AND D.O.E.

RESEARCHERS ARE CO-DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVANCED MATERIALS AND LIGHTWEIGHT AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS.

THIS ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE ALLOWS THE OPERATOR TO MELT SMALL QUANTITIES OF DIFFERENT METALS TOGETHER TO CREATE ENTIRELY NEW ALLOY COMPOSITIONS FOR STUDY.

NEARBY, THE 1,000 DEGREE CELSIUS FURNACE AND ROLLER MILL TEST THE WORKABILITY OF THE NEW METALS AS THEY ARE MADE INTO THINNER SHEETS.

ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW METAL COMPOUNDS COMES THE NEED TO JOIN THEM TOGETHER.

HERE, RESEARCHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING A LOW-TEMPERATURE FRICTION STIR WELDER THAT COULD BE USED INSTEAD OF RIVETS TO JOIN ALUMINUM AND STEEL TOGETHER.

QUALITY CHECKING SPOT WELDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PRODUCTIVITY KILLER ON ASSEMBLY LINES.

THIS AUTOMATED INFRARED WELD INSPECTOR CAN DETECT THE HEAT SIGNATURE OF EACH WELD AS IT IS PERFORMED AND DETERMINE IF IT'S GOOD OR BAD, THEN COMPENSATE WITH EXTRA WELDS OR ADJUST THE WELDER SETTINGS ON THE FLY.

SEVENTY YEARS AGO, SCIENTISTS HERE WERE STUDYING HOW TO HARNESS THE ENERGY IN PLUTONIUM.

BUT OAKRIDGE IS BETTER KNOWN THESE DAYS FOR STUDYING THE ATOMIC STRUCTURE OF MATERIALS WITH THE HIGH-FLUX ISOTOPE REACTOR, ITS DENSE NEUTRON BEAM PAD TO SPLIT AMONG 13 SPECIALIZED INSTRUMENTS USED TO VALIDATE THE MOLECULAR AND MAGNETIC STRUCTURE OF VARIOUS MATERIALS.

Mike Simonson: THIS MACHINE IS DESIGNED TO LOOK INSIDE ALLOYS AND PARTS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN MANUFACTURED BY VARIOUS PROCESSES TO UNDERSTAND AT THE ATOMIC LEVEL WHAT THE STRAINS AND STRESSES ARE WITHIN THE MATERIAL.

John: USING ORDINARY ACRYLIC FIBER, LIKE THAT USED TO MAKE SOCKS OR SWEATERS, THE TEAM AT OAKRIDGE'S CARBON FIBER FACILITY HAS CREATED A CARBON FILAMENT WITH MUCH OF THE SAME PROPERTIES AS THE PURE MATERIAL, BUT AT A THIRD OF THE COST.

WINDING REPEATEDLY THROUGH FOUR OVENS, THE WHITE FIBER IS OXIDIZED; THEN A BLAST IN THE 1,000 DEGREE FURNACE VAPORIZES EVERYTHING BUT THE CARBON.

NOTHING IS COOLER THAN SEEING A PART MATERIALIZE BEFORE YOUR EYES.

AND THAT'S WHAT ADDITIVE OR 3-D PRINTING IS ALL ABOUT.

HERE, OAKRIDGE SCIENTISTS HAVE USED A PLASTIC AND CARBON FIBER COMPOSITE TO PRINT LARGE CUSTOM PARTS, AND EVEN AN ENTIRE GO-CART CHASSIS.

MORE IMPRESSIVE, THOUGH, IS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A COMPLEX MOVING GEAR AND TRACK ASSEMBLY OR A FUNCTIONING MECHANICAL HAND IN ONE BUILD OUT OF TITANIUM.

THE DOWNSIZING OF EXISTING COMPONENTS IS CRUCIAL FOR WEIGHT-SAVINGS, TOO.

OAKRIDGE RESEARCHERS HAVE RE-CONFIGURED AN ELECTRIC CAR POWER INVERTER TO NEARLY HALF ITS FORMER SIZE, AND ARE DEVELOPING NEW BATTERY ELECTRODE MATERIALS THAT ALLOW MORE ENERGY STORED PER VOLUME.

SO AN EV COULD INCREASE ITS DRIVING RANGE OR SHRINK ITS BATTERY SIZE TO SAVE WEIGHT.

NOW, WE MAY NOT BE 3-D PRINTING OUR OWN CARS AT HOME ANY TIME SOON, BUT WITH THESE ADVANCES IN AUTOMOTIVE MATERIALS ENGINEERING, OAKRIDGE AND THE OTHER D.O.E.

NATIONAL LABORATORIES ARE POINTING US IN THE RIGHT "LIGHT" DIRECTION.

PAT GOSS IS HERE TO HELP EVERYONE, AND THEIR ENGINES, KEEP THEIR COOL!

Pat Goss: SO, YOU'RE A DO-IT-YOURSELFER AND YOU TRY TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE COOLING SYSTEM ON YOUR CAR.

WELL, IT'S REALLY EASY TODAY TO MAKE SOME MISTAKES IN DOING THAT.

FIRST, ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THE COOLANT YOU BUY FOR YOUR CAR MATCHES THE REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL.

SEE, ONE SIZE MAY FIT YOUR CAR, MAY FIT MOST CARS, BUT ONE SIZE USUALLY DOESN'T FIT ALL CARS.

SO, YOU LOOK AT THE LABEL ON THE BACK OF THE CONTAINER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS THE PROPER SPECIFICATIONS AS OUTLINED IN YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL.

ALRIGHT, THAT'S NUMBER ONE: PROPER COOLANT.

NUMBER TWO: ALWAYS MIX IT WITH DISTILLED WATER.

AND THE WAY YOU DO THAT, IS BEFORE YOU POUR ANYTHING BACK INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM OR PUT IT IN AT ANY TIME, YOU MIX COOLANT AND DISTILLED WATER 50/50, THEN YOU PUT THE MIX IN.

ALRIGHT, SO THAT PART OF IT IS PRETTY EASY.

NOW, A LOT OF YOU SEEM TO THINK THAT IF A LITTLE BIT OF COOLANT OR ANTI-FREEZE IS GOOD, THEN A WHOLE LOT IS BETTER.

NAMELY, YOU DON'T PUT ANY WATER IN IT, YOU JUST PUT PURE ANTI-FREEZE IN YOUR RADIATOR.

WELL, HERE WE HAVE PURE ANTI-FREEZE.

IT HAS A BOLT IN IT.

THE BOLT IS ALL RUSTY.

BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENS; OVER HERE WE MIXED IT 50/50 WITH DISTILLED WATER AND THE BOLT IS STILL SHINY AND BRIGHT.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE WATER MIXED WITH THE ANTI-FREEZE OR COOLANT -- WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT -- TO MAKE IT WORK PROPERLY.

NOW, HERE'S ONE THAT WILL REALLY COST YOU.

SOONER OR LATER, YOU'RE GOING TO PUT NEW HOSES ON YOUR COOLING SYSTEM.

AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU TAKE THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT CLAMPS OFF AND YOU THROW THEM AWAY AND YOU GO OUT AND YOU BUY THESE WORM-DRIVE CLAMPS.

WELL, DON'T DO IT.

YOU SEE, WORM-DRIVE CLAMPS, WHEN YOU TIGHTEN THEM DOWN, THERE'S A PRESSURE POINT RIGHT UNDER WHERE THE SCREW IS IN THEM.

AND ON PLASTIC NECK RADIATORS -- WHICH IS VIRTUALLY ALL CARS THESE DAYS -- WITH HEATING AND COOLING OVER TIME, IT CAUSES THE PLASTIC INSIDE THE HOSE TO CRACK AND EVENTUALLY THE HOSE JUST FALLS OFF BECAUSE THE RADIATOR IS DESTROYED.

SAVE THE ORIGINAL CLAMPS OR BUY REPLACEMENTS FROM THE DEALER AND USE THAT TYPE OF CLAMP, AS OPPOSED TO THE WORM-DRIVE, BECAUSE IT IS FAR, FAR BETTER FOR THESE PLASTIC RADIATORS.

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

John: LET'S HEAD INSIDE FOR MORE OF WHAT'S NEW IN THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD WITH YOLANDA VAZQUEZ!

Yolanda: OUTSTANDING VEHICLE QUALITY AND OWNER SATISFACTION ARE KEY METRICS THAT ALL AUTOMAKERS ARE STRIVING FOR.

AND THIS WEEK WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE SURVEYS THAT GIVE US A GOOD READ ON HOW THE INDUSTRY IS FAIRING IN BOTH OF THESE AREAS.

J.D.

POWER HAS RELEASED THEIR MUCH ANTICIPATED INITIAL QUALITY STUDY FOR 2014 VEHICLES.

IT CAPTURES THE FEEDBACK FROM 86,000 DRIVERS ON THINGS -- THEY SAY -- HAVE GONE WRONG DURING THE FIRST 90 DAYS OF USE.

THE STUDY FOUND THE OVERALL AVERAGE OF THE NUMBER OF DEFECTS "PER 100 VEHICLES" HAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY.

THEY CITE ISSUES SUCH AS THIS YEAR'S EXTREME WINTER WEATHER AND A CONTINUED INFLUX OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

PORSCHE TOPPED THE LIST WITH THE FEWEST ISSUES; WHILE THE HYUNDAI/KIA GROUP AND GENERAL MOTORS SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN REPORTED QUALITY.

THOSE AT THE BOTTOM INCLUDED JEEP, AND BRAND-MATE FIAT.

AS TO OWNER SATISFACTION, WE GET THE LATEST RESULTS FROM AUTOPACIFIC.

THEIR 2014 VEHICLE SURVEY COVERS 50 CATEGORIES, INCLUDING PERFORMANCE, FUEL ECONOMY, AND COMFORT.

THE CALIFORNIA-BASED AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH FIRM TAKES AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT LIVING WITH A VEHICLE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WITH NEARLY 92,000 RESPONDERS, THE HIGHEST-RATED PREMIUM BRAND IS LINCOLN -- WITH THE MKZ LISTED AT THE TOP AMONG LUXURY MID-SIZE CARS.

THE MKZ HYBRID FOLLOWS SUIT AMONG HYBRIDS AND EVs, AND THE MKS FITS IN NICELY WITH THE EXECUTIVE LUXURY CARS.

GMC WAS THE TOP-RATED "POPULAR" BRAND, WITH THE SIERRA RANKING THE HIGHEST AMONG LIGHT DUTY PICKUPS, AND THE ACADIA LISTED AS A TOP PICK IN THE LARGE CROSSOVER SUV CATEGORY.

THE HIGHEST RATED PREMIUM LUXURY CAR WAS THE MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS.

IN FACT, IT RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SCORE EVER.

AS FOR THE NEW CLA, IT HAD A GREAT SHOWING BEATING OUT PREMIUM COMPACT CARS.

CHEVROLET TOOK FOUR AWARDS: THE IMPALA FOR LARGE CARS.

THE SONIC IN ECONOMY CARS.

THE CORVETTE STINGRAY AMONG SPORTS CARS.

AND THE CAMARO AMONG SPORTY CARS.

AND THAT'S THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM TWO SIGNIFICANT SURVEYS AND OUR WRAP UP FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: WE'VE ENDED OUR YEAR WITH A KIA OPTIMA EX HYBRID, AND IT WAS A REAL E OPENER AS TO THE CURRENT STATE OF FUEL SAVING GASOLINE-ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY.

OVER 17,236 MILES, WE AVERAGED 33.6 MPG OF REGULAR.

THAT'S 10% LESS THAN THE COMBINED GOVERNMENT RATING OF 37 BUT ABOUT WHAT OWNERS SAY THEY ARE EXPERIENCING.

PLUS, THAT'S 25% BETTER THAN THE STANDARD OPTIMA.

IS IT WORTH THE $4,500 PRICE PREMIUM?

WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON YOUR STATE OF MIND.

BUT WE LOVED HAVING A VERY ROOMY, LONG DISTANCE FAMILY SEDAN THAT HATES STOPPING FOR GAS.

WE HAD NO MECHANICAL FAULTS.

WE DID OBSERVE A RAPID WEAR OF INTERIOR FABRICS, HOWEVER.

ON THE PLUS SIDE, WE LOVED THE OPTIMA'S EURO-DESIGN, EX TRIMS NEAR LUXURY APPOINTMENTS, GREAT NAV SYSTEM, AND OVERALL SPORTY DRIVING FEEL.

MORE TIRE GRIP IS OUR ONLY WANT THERE.

IF PURE MPGs ARE YOUR THING, YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO THE PRIUS ROUTE.

BUT HYBRID VERSIONS OF WELL ROUNDED, ROOMY MID-SIZE SEDANS, LIKE THE OPTIMA, ARE THE FUTURE.

AND, IN KIA'S CASE, THEY'RE AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

HIGHER GAS PRICES HAVE RESULTED IN A BIG INCREASE IN SMALL CAR SALES.

SO IT'S A GOOD TIME TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN A NISSAN VERSA NOTE.

WE'RE AVERAGING 34.1 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR GAS AFTER 8 MONTHS AND 10,753 MILES.

THE NOTE WE CAN CARRY FOUR COMMUTING ADULTS IN REASONABLE COMFORT.

PLUS, OPEN THE BIG HATCH AND DROP THE REAR SEATS AND YOU HAVE ROOM FOR 38 CUBIC-FEET OF BULKY CARGO.

WE ALSO LOVE NISSAN'S AROUND VIEW MONITOR FOR 360-DEGREES OF VIEW WHILE BACKING.

SO THE NOTE CAN CARRY NEARLY AS MUCH AS A SUBCOMPACT CROSSOVER, COSTS LESS TO OWN, GETS BETTER FUEL ECONOMY, HAS FEATURES RIVALS CAN'T MATCH, AND IS EVEN FAIRLY FUN TO DRIVE.

NO WONDER WE THINK THE NISSAN VERSA NOTE IS ONE OF THE MOST CARS FOR THE LEAST MONEY YOU CAN BUY.

WE'LL CHECK ON THE SUMMER RUNS OF OUR RAM 1500 AND SUBARU FORESTER ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

IF YOU'RE A FAN OF MERCEDES-BENZ, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THEIR AMG PERFORMANCE DIVISION, YOU KNOW THAT THE BLACK SERIES LABEL DENOTES SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL.

FREED OF HAVING TO MAKE COMPROMISES FOR "ON THE ROAD COMFORT," AMG ENGINEERS ARE ABLE TO THROW EVERYTHING THEY CAN AT A BLACK CAR IN ORDER TO GET IT AROUND A RACE TRACK AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

SO THIS SLS BLACK SOUNDS LIKE JUST OUR KIND OF CAR.

THE 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG BLACK SERIES IS THE 5TH BLACK SERIES MODEL FROM AMG; AND PERHAPS THE MOST FITTING ONE, AS THE SLS WAS AN ALL AMG AFFAIR FROM THE GET-GO.

AND WHAT HAVE THEIR MECHANICAL WIZARDS BEEN UP TO?

WELL, IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED WHAT AMG COULD DO IF THEY PULLED OUT L THE STOPS, THIS IS IT.

FASTER IN A STRAIGHT LINE?

SURE!

BUT REALLY, SLS BLACK IS MORE ABOUT TURNING, STOPPING, AND STAYING SUPER FLAT IN CORNERS.

BUT LET'S START WITH THE SLS' STILL NORMALLY ASPIRATED 6.2-LITER V8.

HORSEPOWER BUMPS UP TO 622.

IT REVS HIGHER AND A LOT QUICKER, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, AS TORQUE IS ACTUALLY DOWN A BIT TO 468 POUND-FEET.

BUT THE LAUNCH IS IMPROVED.

AND LAUNCH IT WE DID!

ENGAGING RACE START, NAILING THE THROTTLE, AND LETTING THE SLS ROCKET TO 60 IN 3.2-SECONDS.

THERE'S A NEW REAR ELECTRONIC DIFF.

LOCK WITH A SHORTER FINAL DRIVE RATIO THAT HELPS LOWER THE QUARTER MILE TIME TO 11.2-SECONDS AT A BLISTERING 128 MILES-PER-HOUR.

WITH ANY CAR THAT OFFERS THIS AMOUNT OF BREATHTAKING PERFORMANCE, IT'S REALLY A WASTE UNLESS YOU'RE ON A PROPER ROAD COURSE.

IT ALMOST DOESN'T EVEN MATTER HOW CHALLENGING THE TRACK IS, JUST FIND ONE.

OUR TRACK OF CHOICE IS THE 9-TURN ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY NEAR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

AND WE QUICKLY FOUND THIS TO BE THE MOST TRACK-FOCUSED, YET STILL ROAD-GOING CAR TO EVER SPORT THE 3-POINTED STAR.

THE SUSPENSION SET UP IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL SLS, BUT JUST ABOUT EVERY PART HAS BEEN REPLACED OR STRENGTHENED, MAKING FOR A REMARKABLY STIFFER FEEL.

AND WHILE IT REMAINS A PHYSICALLY BIG CAR, AND SOMETIMES FEELS A BIT AWKWARD WITH THE FRONT WHEELS SO FAR OUT IN FRONT OF YOU; IT STILL REACTS WITH IMPRESSIVE BALANCE.

THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF THE STEERING TOOK US A FEW LAPS TO GET USED TO, AND YOU'D BETTER BE ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY YOURSELF, AS THE BLACK SERIES WILL DO WHATEVER YOU TELL IT TO DO, WHETHER IT'S THE RIGHT THING OR NOT.

THE SAME 3-STAGE ANTI-SKID SYSTEM REMAINS, BUT WITH THE INCREASED CAPABILITIES OF THE CAR IT SEEMS MUCH LESS EAGER TO CHIME IN.

THE STANDARD 2-PIECE CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES ARE UPGRADED AS WELL, AND WORKED SUPERBLY WITH GREAT FEEDBACK.

EVEN AT FIRST GLANCE, THE ADDITIONAL GT3-INSPIRED AERODYNAMIC ENHANCEMENTS OF THE BLACK SERIES ARE OBVIOUS.

BUT LOOK PAST THE CARBON FIBER FRONT SPLITTER, SILL EXTENSIONS, REAR WING AND DIFFUSER, TINTED HEADLIGHTS, BLACK TAIL LIGHT SURROUNDS, LARGER AIR INTAKES, AND FLARED FENDERS, AND GET UNDER THE SKIN TO SEE JUST HOW DIFFERENT BLACK IS OVER THE BASE SLS.

ONCE YOU DROP INTO THE COCKPIT, YOU'LL FIND THE INTERIOR LIKE NOTHING ELSE ON THE ROAD.

THINGS ARE STILL LUXURY FOCUSED, AS YOU'D EXPECT IN EVERY MERCEDES-BENZ, THOUGH WITH A HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL FIGHTER JET FEEL.

THERE'S A LIBERAL DOSE OF CARBON FIBER AND PLENTY OF ALCANTARA LEATHER AND RED STITCHING SPREAD ABOUT THE CABIN, ALONG WITH A GREAT FLATTENED BOTTOM STEERING WHEEL.

PLUS, AS THEY SAY, "YOU'VE GOT TO PAY TO PLAY."

AND IF YOU HAVE THE $278,025 NECESSARY TO ACQUIRE AN SLS BLACK SERIES, YOU'LL TRULY HAVE ONE OF THE BADDEST TOYS ON THE PLAYGROUND.

YOU'D BETTER ACT FAST THOUGH, AS MERCEDES-BENZ HAS ANNOUNCED THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR OF PRODUCTION OF ALL VARIANTS OF THE SLS AMG.

AND WITH THE 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG BLACK SERIES, THEY ARE INDEED GOING OUT WITH A BANG.

THE ENGINEERS AT AMG HAVE TAKEN A RICH MAN'S TOY AND UNLEASHED THE REAL DEAL SUPERCAR THAT LIES BENEATH.

THIS "NEW BLACK" WILL SURELY MAKE A STATEMENT WHEREVER IT ARRIVES.

WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW.

AND FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST, AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME... AS WE PARTY HARD IN THE FORD FIESTA ST. THEN HIT THE TRACK IN THE FABULOUSLY FAST JAGUAR XFR-S. TILL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HER FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT JESSICA'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

SHE'S THINKING, "IF COLT DOESN'T ASK ME TO THE PROM MY LIFE IS TOTALLY OVER."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

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

DIEHARD.

THE DIEHARD ADVANCED GOLD BATTERY.

DESIGNED TO HELP START YOUR CAR AND POWER THE DEMANDS OF TODAY'S ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES IN IT.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT DIEHARD.COM.