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Friday, September 24, 2010

2011 Audi R8 GT – First Drive Review

Audi builds itself a Superleggera.

We’re not quite sure the world needs an even faster, lighter, and more powerful Audi R8, but Stephan Reil, head of development at Quattro GmbH, the company’s performance division, thinks it does. “More and more customers are demanding high-performance sports cars suitable for track days and club competition events,” he explains. “Also, we want to bring some of the Audi R8 LMS race car’s technical features to the road.” What he doesn’t add, of course, is that Audi will make some serious coin out of building its run of 333 GTs: Each one carries a price premium of about $50,000 over the R8 V-10’s base of $151,750.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi R8 GT – First Drive Review

Folks living around the 4000-square-mile salt flat in Bolivia may be in line for a Jed Clampett-like windfall.

To the golden and ocher Utah deserts, July 6, 1952, might as well be yesterday. On that Sunday, geologist and wildcat prospector Charlie Steen—face grimy with red dust, toes poking out from his busted boots, pockets nearly empty—drove his hobbling Jeep into Buddy Cowger’s gas station in tiny Cisco, Utah, with a black rock in the back. At Steen’s urging, Cowger waved his brand-new Lucky Strike Geiger counter at the rock. The needle went off the scale. After two years of roaming the Colorado plateau, Steen finally had discovered what the U.S. government was willing to pay royal ransoms for: a domestic uranium supply.

Keep Reading: Aaron Robinson: As We Go Green with Clean Electric Cars, Somebody’s Going to Get Dirty – Column

Volvo will debut an R-Design package for the S60 sedan and Euro-only V60 station wagon at the Paris auto show. While there are no engine upgrades, the cars do benefit from sportier suspension tuning and some visual upgrades; the result is somewhere between the regular cars and Volvo’s old R models, which never really delivered on their sporty promise.

The pair are distinguished visually from their lesser brethren by unique five-spoke 18-inch wheels, a glossy black front grille, and special tailpipe finishers. Buyers have a choice of all-black or black-and-ceramic leather upholstery, and the cabin scores more heavily bolstered front seat and new pedals, plus a bespoke steering wheel, shift knob, and floor mats.

As for the suspension upgrades, R-Design models get stiffer springs—by 15 percent—and revised shock tuning, and ride 0.6-inch lower than the regular cars. A front strut-tower brace and firmer rear suspension bushings are part of the program, too. Volvo hopes that ten percent of S60 and V60 buyers will opt for the R-Design treatment when both models go on sale across Europe this fall. The S60 R-Design will go on sale in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2011, but Volvo still has no plans to offer the V60 in any form to wagon-shy Americans.

The production version of the LRX concept heads for a Paris debut.

Land Rover is using the Paris auto show to fully reveal the production version of the Range Rover Evoque—say “evoke”—the brand’s latest effort to reach urbane city slickers who are no more likely to drive off pavement than they are to stock their fridges with non-organic seaweed croquettes. Based on the 2008 LRX concept car and built off the current Land Rover LR2 platform—itself based on Ford’s European mid-size front-drive C architecture—the Evoque will hit showrooms in the fall of 2011 with prices starting around $45,000.

Keep Reading: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque – Auto Shows

Dodge’s lackluster compact gets warmed over when what it really needs is replacing.

Following up on last year’s interior redo, Dodge has made more changes to its compact Caliber for 2011. Unfortunately, shedding the silly new trim-level names introduced for 2010 was not among the alterations; as a refresher, they are Express, Mainstreet, Uptown, Heat, and Rush.

Keep Reading: 2011 Dodge Caliber Gets Revised Suspension, Equipment Shuffled – Car News

Watch the video: The Road to Oblivion

A 4.0-liter V-8 will add serious quickness to the beautiful four-door.

Luscious sheetmetal is the must-have in the four-door-coupe arena, but power doesn’t rate far behind, at least in the U.S. The Mercedes-Benz CLS-class is available here exclusively with V-8 engines, the same goes for the rakish Jaguar XF, and even the BMW 5-series GT—admittedly a bit of an outlier to the segment—is available with a twin-turbo V-8. And so for the Audi A7, a V-8 option seems indispensable. Enter the top-spec A7, the S7 spied here.

Keep Reading: 2012 Audi S7 Spy Photos – Future Cars

No, this isn’t the French take on Batman’s Tumbler. The Peugeot EX1 is an electric concept car that’s timed to celebrate Peugeot’s 200th anniversary (the company was building bicycles long before the era of the automobile), and it’s debuting at the Paris auto show.

The two-seat roadster is shaped like a teardrop for aerodynamic reasons. Its carbon-fiber body measures just 35.4 inches high and 69.7 wide. It rides on an unequal-length control arm front suspension and a motorcycle-style swing arm in the rear. Black center-locking wheels hide massive, cross-drilled brake discs.

The EX1 uses two electric motors, one at each of the axles, for four-wheel drive and a combined power output of 335 hp. There are no traditional performance claims, but Peugeot says the EX1 can produce over 1.0 g of forward acceleration. Range for the lithium-ion battery pack hasn’t been disclosed.

In an unusual move, the bucket seats have been integrated with the rear-opening doors. Passengers strap in to race harnesses, but Peugeot says an integrated roll bar and the stubby windshield permit daily driving without a helmet. (Good luck extracting flies from your forehead.) In place of a traditional steering wheel are two “control handles,” which Peugeot says make driving the EX1 feel like a video game.

Although it would make a mean, eco-friendly track toy, the EX1 is currently a concept vehicle to show what Peugeot could do with electric powertrains. The company will soon bring the Peugeot iOn electric car to market, which is heavily based on the Mitsubishi i MiEV.

[View with PicLens]

Name That Exhaust Note Episode 58

Hit play for an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note, and then share your guesses or get a few hints from other visitors in the comments below. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the answer!

At this rate, we may end up with 500 variants of the Fiat 500.

Chrysler has announced the Fiat 500 Sport will join the minicar’s lineup when it goes on sale toward the end of this year. More mini than a Mini and cuter than a basket full of kittens, the little Cinquecento needs all the help it can get to earn its “Sport” moniker. And so it gets a unique front mask with tripartite lower air intakes, which would take it a step up on the masculinity scale if the front end didn’t bear such a likeness to Volkswagen’s testosterone-draining New Beetle. Thankfully, there’s more in the form of a new rear fascia, wide sill extensions, red-painted brake calipers, a chrome exhaust finisher, blackout window trim, unique 16-inch wheels with charcoal-painted insets, and even a Sport suspension. And for those who can’t have fun without sun, Fiat will offer a “Skydome” power sunroof as an option.

Keep Reading: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport – Official Photos and Info

Lotus builds an extended-range version of its Evora sports car.

Lotus’s newest model, the Elite, will debut at the Paris auto show. While the Elite name shares 80 percent of its letters with Lotus’s cornerstone product, the Elise, this car is 100-percent different from the bare-bones roadster for which the company is now known. The Elite is pitched as a grand tourer, and packs a big V-8 up front. It looks less radical than the Elise and Evora, with styling suggestive of the Toyota FT-86 concept.

Keep Reading: 2014 Lotus Elite – Auto Shows

A new V-6 engine headlines the changes for Chrysler’s minivan refresh.

Chrysler’s product-redesign blitz continues with the Town & Country minivan, which receives a modest refresh for the 2011 model year. We mean “modest” in the ankle-length, long-sleeve, turtleneck frock sense of the word: The grille has been slightly tweaked with a repositioned Chrysler emblem on top. On the liftgate, the chrome strip above the license-plate holder expands across the entire door width, and the Chrysler winged emblem shifts a few inches higher.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country – Official Photos and Info

Ford has released official output numbers for the 2011 F-150’s new EcoBoost engine. In this application, the twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V-6 engine makes 365 hp at 5000 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm, and Ford claims it will tow a maximum of 11,300 pounds; it will be available later this year along with the rest of the revised powertrain lineup. Below is a look at how the F-150’s engines stack up against those of the domestic competition.

2011 Ford F-150	2011 Dodge Ram	2011 Chevy Silverado
3.7-liter V-6; 302 hp, 278 lb-ft	3.7-liter V-6; 215 hp, 235 lb-ft	4.3-liter V-6; 195 hp, 260 lb-ft
5.0-liter V-8; 360 hp, 380 lb-ft	4.7-liter V-8; 310 hp, 330 lb-ft	4.8-liter V-8; 302 hp, 305 lb-ft
3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6; 365 hp, 420 lb-ft	5.7-liter V-8; 390 hp, 407 lb-ft	5.3-liter V-8; 315 hp, 335 lb-ft
6.2-liter V-8; 411 hp, 434 lb-ft		6.2-liter V-8; 403 hp, 417 lb-ft

For a more detailed look at the 2011 Ford F-150’s powertrains, click here.

With only 356 being built, Porsche plays up its numerology again.

It’s been a full 16 years since Porsche last built a Speedster. The first was launched in 1953; a two-seater with a shortened windshield, based on the legendary 356. In 1988, Porsche introduced the 911 Speedster, with its characteristic small, steeply raked windshield and double hump behind the driver and passenger. A few years later, for 1993 and ’94, the concept was resurrected with the 964 generation.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster – Auto Shows

Paris concept previews lithe-looking replacement for today’s ungainly 6-series.

Lately, BMW has been previewing its new production cars with 95-percent production-accurate “concepts” at major auto shows. At the 2010 Paris auto show, BMW is giving a glimpse of where it’s taking the 6-series coupe, and from the looks of it, the final product may become the most emotional thing in BMW’s lineup.

Keep Reading: BMW 6-series Coupe Concept – Auto Shows

A lighter, lighter street car inspired by the GranTurismo racer.

At the 2008 Paris auto show, Maserati introduced a concept version of what would become the GranTurismo MC, a race-ready variant of the GranTurismo S targeted at Europe’s GT4 racing series. It was a stripped-out, roll-cage-equipped track toy not appropriate (or certified) for use on public streets.

Keep Reading: 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale – Auto Shows

If it wasn’t official before, it is now: BMW’s turbo six can propel anything.

BMW offers a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six in nearly every single product it sells, from the tiny 135i to the 17-foot long 740Li to the 5000-pound X5 SUV. That’s a dozen different vehicles, all available with the same engine, so when that engine gets replaced, it’s big news. The old twin-turbo 3.0-liter is mostly gone, replaced by a new single-turbo unit typically accompanied by an eight-speed automatic transmission. For details on the N54/N55 swap, read this (or this, or this, or this).

Keep Reading: 2011 BMW X5 xDrive35i – Short Take Road Test

Saab today announced the 9-3 SportCombi ePower, which is set to be unveiled at the Paris auto show later this month (click here for our full Paris coverage). The show car will presage field evaluation of a test fleet of 70 such wagons in Sweden at the beginning of next year.

The drivetrain consists of a 181-hp electric motor and a single-speed transmission, which drives the front wheels. Performance estimates include a 0-to-62-mph run of 8.5 seconds and a 93-mph top speed. The Saab’s 36-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is air cooled and designed to operate in truly Nordic temperatures, or as low as -22ºF. The batteries take the place of the conventionally powered SportCombi’s fuel tank and exhaust.

Saab’s goals for the ePower: a range of up to 124 miles, full charging in three to six hours from “domestic” European power supplies, and ten-year durability for the battery pack. A team at Saab HQ in Trollhättan will monitor data collected from the prototype cars during 2011 and 2012. Should the testing prove satisfactory, expect a series-production electric vehicle from Saab soon after, as the company says it is “determined to be represented” in the segment.

We spent last week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check out more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

The name Volvo brings a lot of things to mind: safety, Scandinavian design, and perhaps flat-pack furniture. But words like “excitement” or “performance” are probably filed somewhere behind “Hey, why does the logo look like Austin Powers’s necklace?”

Hot-rod Volvos of the recent past received power and suspension upgrades that looked good on paper, but the resulting cars were slower than the competition and delivered a stiffer ride that did little to enhance real-world sportiness. The new S60, however, is a different kind of Volvo. On a pre-10Best outing to our test track, the S60 T6 AWD (the only version coming to the U.S.) went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and cracked the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 102 mph. That’s almost a second quicker to 60 mph than the last-generation S60R. And those numbers are right in line with other luxury cars in the $40,000 realm (the S60’s base price is $38,550).

The S60 is still a Volvo; you can’t completely turn off stability control, and the nanny-esque safety functions like lane-departure warning make themselves known with annoyingly shrill chimes. But the fact that the newest Volvo has some cojones is not only a surprise, but another reason why 10Best time is the best week of the year at Car and Driver.

At the recent press preview for Lincoln’s 2011 MKZ hybrid and 2011 MKX crossover, Ford Motor Company’s designated “futurist” (yes, they have such a thing) facilitated a panel discussion in which the luxury market was characterized as polarized, or democratized on one side and ultra-exclusive and hyper-expensive on the other—think Vera Wang–designed clothing sold at Kohl’s versus million-dollar, diamond-encrusted cell phones made in batches of five. In the car world, parallels could be drawn with BMW engineering being offered in the sub-$20K Mini Cooper on one end, and seven-figure stuff like the Maybach Landaulet, Bugatti Veyron, and Aston Martin One-77 on the other.

So what does that have to do with Lincoln? Clearly, Lincoln is as democratized as any luxury-leaning brand on the market, and is perhaps the most democratized. We wondered if, as Ford’s last remaining premium brand, Lincoln might attempt to jump out of its pond and grab the attention of big spenders with an ultra-pricey, ultra-exclusive vehicle—maybe a production version of the sexy MKR concept, or a lavish six-figure supersedan to take on the Germans and Cadillac’s planned flagship? The refreshing answer: a firm “no.”

Lincoln MKR concept

“The brand is not there; we’re focusing on getting the basics right,” said a source, pointing to the two vehicles Lincoln was introducing to us that day—which are both “basics” done pretty well—and citing constantly improving long-term quality ratings for the brand. With the Town Car dead except by fleet special order, the most flagship-ish product we can expect from Lincoln, if you don’t count the MKT crossover, is the upcoming 2012 MKS, which will get the same kind of heavy reworking that breathed new life into recent Ford products ranging from the Mustang, Fusion, and Edge to the Lincoln MKZ and MKX we drove that day. Our source said to not only expect fresh sheetmetal from the A-pillar forward, revised rear styling, and new wheels, but also improved dynamics thanks to variable damping à la Audi Drive Select, as well as a “much more refined” interior that will pack MyLincoln Touch and additional “heavy, heavy tweaks.”

Furthermore, we were told that the 2012 MKS will be “a foreshadowing of the all-new MKZ,” which will be based on the new world mid-size platform shared with the next Ford Fusion and Mondeo, but with more Lincoln-exclusive features. The latter car should appear sometime in 2012 as as 2013 model. We’ll wait until we see and drive the new products to say whether or not they’ll truly help fuel a march back to relevance in this brave, new “polarized” world of luxury, but we’re happy to finally see Ford’s renewed focus on Lincoln—and to think, all it took was selling Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover, and killing Mercury.

We spent this past week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

Walking up to Nissan’s Leaf electric car, I realized that it’s a size up on the brand’s own Versa. Judging from photos, I had mistakenly assumed that the Leaf would be the same size as the econo-hatch, which would make its $33,000 price an even tougher sell. In reality, the Leaf has a 106.3-inch wheelbase that yields a spacious interior, and its nearly six inches longer overall than the five-door Versa. But that wasn’t a major surprise.

I also was impressed—but I’m not going to go so far as to say surprised—to see the Leaf charge its 24-kWh battery from nearly discharged to 80 percent full in about 30 minutes with the high-voltage charger provided by Nissan.

Under the Leaf’s hood is the electric motor which Nissan has dressed up to look like a four-cylinder engine. Again, a mildly interesting factoid, but not exactly something that cries out, “surprise!” Typical of electrics, the Leaf makes its peak torque available immediately. There are only 107 hp on tap, but the 207 lb-ft of torque arrive when shoe meets accelerator.

In an odd cosmic coincidence, the Leaf’s output nearly matches that of the 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 diesel that I owned a few years ago. GM’s problem-filled small-block 5.7-liter diesel put out 105 hp and 205 lb-ft of torque, and is to this day brought up whenever someone asks why Americans don’t buy diesels. But that’s where the similarities end; that Olds was about as much fun as watching the Lawrence Welk Show, sober.

Despite its similar output to the GM diesel, the Leaf is actually an entertaining ride. With only one gear and all that torque, the Leaf accelerates in an eerily quiet and easy manner. The batteries stuffed into the floors keep the center of gravity low, which consequently helps the Leaf’s chassis run around corners. But the big surprise was that with the stability control shut off, the environmentally friendly Leaf will do an NHRA-grade front-drive burnout. The Leaf’s surprising burnout gives me hope for the future of the automobile.

BMW’s stand at the Paris auto show will feature a brand-new M Sport package for the brand-new 2011 X3—the redesigned SUV is likewise making its in-the-metal debut in Paris. AS seen in these preliminary photos, the X3’s M treatment will include new, lower front and rear bumpers; deeper side skirts; and different wheels. M Sport packs for other BMWs come bundled with adaptive suspension, so that could be in the cards for the X3’s upgrade, too. We also can expect minor interior tweaks like a new steering wheel and M sill plates.

Model-year 2011 brings the second generation of the X3, and with it more-cohesive styling that is nicely complemented by the M Sport package. Though the SUV is larger than before, the use of aluminum components has kept weight below (or at least on par with) that of the outgoing model, according to BMW. The base xDrive28i model employs a 240-hp, 3.0-liter inline-six engine, while the xDrive35i is powered by a 300-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter. BMW forecasts a 0-to-60-mph sprint of 6.7 seconds for the base car, 5.5 seconds for the xDrive35i. An eight-speed automatic will be the only transmission offered, and, as the names suggest, the latest iteration of xDrive all-wheel drive will come standard. We took a preview drive in a camouflaged prototype a few months back and found the new X3 to have better ride quality than its predecessor, as well as improved interior materials, two of the main criticisms of the previous model.

BMW officials tell us the M Sport package will be offered by dealerships in the U.S. once the new X3 goes on sale by the end of this year. We’ll learn more about the option pack at the Paris show later this month.

We expected the Hyundai Sonata variants—2.0 turbo and hybrid—to be impressive, but perhaps the biggest surprise of this year’s 10Best tournament, at least for me, is the Optima, Sonata’s Kia Cousin. The Sonata, you’ll recall, has been busy proving that slick styling is definitely appropriate in the mid-size-sedan segment, a design that stands out in this conservative category. All things being pretty much equal, good looks helped to give the Sonata a winning edge in its comparison test face-off against a Honda Accord, the perennial class champ, last May.

So it was hard to imagine that another car using the same foundations could rival the Sonata at its own game. But that’s precisely what the Kia does. The exterior may not be quite as eye-catching as the Sonata’s, but I rate it as more elegant, and in any case it certainly doesn’t fade into the background. And its interior décor wouldn’t look out of place in a car costing $10,000 more.

Add dynamic responses that are actually a shade more athletic than the Sonata’s, plus feature content and bargain pricing, and the Optima emerges as hard to resist.

Now for that turbo version they’ve promised us.

We had some of the most exciting cars in America packed into the parking lot for 10Best week: good ol’ American rear-drivers with 400-plus hp, the cutting edge in electric and hybrid-electric transportation, and affordable, lightweight hatchbacks that are a hoot to drive. So it figures that what really took me by surprise was one of the most sedate cars in the field, the diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec.

Benz’s oil-burner isn’t the most opulent car in its class; in fact, many colleagues have slighted the E-class’s interior for being too bland. It wasn’t designed by Frank Gehry, that’s for sure. But it’s nicely laid out and simple to use without having to scroll through a dozen computer menus. In fact, it’s that general theme—the E350 BlueTec stays out of your way—that makes this car such a prize. The suspension gobbled the same broken road that, when traversed in a Cadillac CTS later, disturbed my inner workings. The engine deserves even higher praise; 400 lb-ft of torque means you never have to worry about thrust, whether from a stoplight or in high-speed highway passing. At the end of a highway run, the EPA estimates you’ll travel 33 miles per gallon of diesel, too.

There are plenty of cars that can make your heart beat out of your chest. But when you’ve had a long day at work, hopping into a near-silent, laid-back, relaxing sedan is a true luxury. At only $1000 more than a gas-fueled E350, it’s reasonably priced, too.

A guide to help decide which M3—E30, E36, E46, or E90—is right for you.

We recently had the opportunity to track-test all four generations of BMW’s legendary M3. If you’re like any of our editors that didn’t get to go—so any of us not named Robinson—reading about the exhilarating experience will have you scheming to cash in your Bar Mitzvah treasury bonds to park some version of the ultimate sports sedan to your garage. But which one to buy? The rough-and-ready first-generation model, the current V-8–powered luxo-rocket, or something in between? Deciding can be tough, but don’t get your lederhosen in a twist; we’re here to help.

Keep Reading: BMW M3 Buyer’s Guide – Feature

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.

Volkswagen is working on a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine for different motorsports applications. So far, the company is adamant that it won’t join Formula 1 with its own team, but given the carmaker’s ambitious nature, I don’t believe this is set in stone. I would not be surprised if VW decided to show the world that it can do what Toyota, BMW and—to some extent—Mercedes failed to do: achieve consistent success in this most-hyped motorsports category. Not that Formula 1 has gotten much more exciting over the last few decades: It seems that refueling strategies are at least as important as passing maneuvers, and the fascinating driver personalities of the past have been replaced by ambitious kids, tightly controlled by PR managers and full of politically correct phrases about owing victory to “the team,” the joys of coming in second, and evermore safety measures.

Teaching Us About Fuel Economy

The “New European Driving Cycle” (and American consumption standards) have been under fire from many sides for nor showing a realistic picture of today’s vehicles’ consumption habits. Supposedly, the numbers generated by the standardized tests are too low. That is true in some cases, although I remember that when the NEDC was implemented in the mid-1990s, its purpose was to thwart the gains made by carmakers until then. Today’s European test starts with a cold engine, and it calls for a number of speed changes. Before that, consumption was measured at constant velocities, with the exception of a city cycle. Predictably, the mileage of new vehicles appeared less favorable after the NEDC was mandated. Now it’s time for another round.

A Geneva-based agency called Unece (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) is currently working on a new, global cycle called WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Test Procedure), which will likely be defined by 2014 and mandated by 2020. Its efforts are supported by Europe, Asia/Pacific, and the U.S.; carmakers are involved as well (presumably to prevent the worst). It will be interesting to follow their attempts at standardization. The goal to provide “more realistic” (i.e. less favorable) results is a given, as this will allow governments to keep raising complaints (and penalties) regarding the tardiness of carmakers in meeting emissions and consumption goals. But new problems have arisen. How to evaluate electric vehicles? Politicians want to include the “electricity mix” to help explain the power’s actual source—there is not much gain in EVs powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels. And how to factor in nuclear power (evil, too)? Unece aims at nothing less than the evaluation of the entire “well-to-wheel” chain. Seems like the lobbyists have a lot of work carved out for them.

A Flywheel Hybrid?

The idea is not exactly new, but the flywheel hybrid is actually nearing production—as an alternative to electric hybrids. A consortium of U.K. companies is working on a flywheel system that can store enough energy to release up to 80 hp for ten seconds—sufficient to give you a strong boost during a passing maneuver, or to get you off the line without working the main engine. KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), including systems using flywheel, didn’t take off in Formula 1, but now the technology could make its way into your own car. One of the system’s beauties is that it can be recharged within seconds, either by recuperating braking energy, or by running the main engine at a higher speed. The flywheel is protected by a very sturdy carbon-fiber wing, which is a good thing considering it is spinning at up to 60,000 rpm. Its speed and energy flow is controlled by a continuously variable transmission.

I spoke with executives from engineering firms and suppliers Prodrive and Torotrak, who were present at the Low Carbon Vehicle event at Millbrook, U.K., where the technology was showcased in a Jaguar XF. They promise fuel savings of about 20 percent not just in the mandated cycle (see above), but also in real life—at a cost to car manufacturers that will be about half of a comparable hybrid system’s. The package is compact enough to fit into half of the space occupied by the spare tire; the weight of the entire (virtually silent) system, in current prototype spec, is about 120 pounds. When will we see it on the market? A good guess is around 2015, and since Jaguar/Land Rover and Ford are supporting the project, these carmakers will likely have the first mover’s advantage. Who knows, this technology might even help to put the dubious equation “electric = good” to rest.

Driven: Audi’s CVT versus DCT

Last week’s Audi A7 Sportback launch offered the opportunity to directly compare the company’s “multitronic” CVT transmission and the “S tronic” 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. While the CVT works far better than in other brands, it doesn’t hold a candle to the DCT with its extremely quick, crisp and seamless shifts. CVTs are not very efficient by themselves, but they can keep an engine at constant revs, at its most efficient speed. This advantage, of course, is led ad absurdum by a transmission which simulates gears to camouflage its nature—such as the “multitronic” in its Sport program, which pretends to offer eight gears (why not nine, or ten?). No wonder this transmission doesn’t have a long-term future.

We’re spending the week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

A back seat is like a back door; you usually don’t pay much attention to it until you really need it. Automakers have varying approaches to the caboose. Some cars’ back seats look like they were hurriedly thrown together and crammed into the design five minutes before the assembly line started rolling. Others are as relentlessly detailed as the front seats and look as if someone’s job depended on getting them right, which is as it should be. Here are 10 back seats that demanded we take note:

Mini Countryman: Like everything else inside the Countryman, the two comfortable back seats are whimsically circular. At first you think they’re intended to look like toilet seats, but then you realize that they look exactly like the car’s ignition key, which looks like the Frisbee on top of the Starship Enterprise.

Kia Optima: The spacious bench in the back of the new, Jaguar XJ–shaped Kia Optima has two very distinct bucket-like depressions on the far left and right of the lower cushion, or what former C/D editor Patrick Bedard used to call “butt pockets.” If P. Bedard were still on staff, he would have marveled at these two spectacular specimens of the butt-pocket genre.

Jaguar XJL: Meanwhile, over in the real XJ, which seems about 87 feet long compared to most of the other cars in 10Best, the two sumptuous bucket seats in back are all business class, with enough legroom for someone with a 40-inch inseam to get in with swim fins on. With leather below and a moleskin headliner above, each seat has a glossy lacquered fold-down table upon which a laptop or cocktail mixer can reside. If you pull the tray, it extends to reveal a shallow divot. I assumed this depression was for your Mont Blanc pen. Another editor thought it should work well as a cocaine receptacle. Our disappointment was palpable when we discovered that what looked like two chrome-studded cigar lighters were just fake plastic plugs for the power outlets.

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon: When you pull the driver’s front door handle, some electric device in the rear door has a spasmodic reaction. We don’t know why. The back bench is ergonomically shaped but low to the floor and none too comfortable. The CTS Coupe is actually more comfy in back, at least after you wriggle in past the seatbelt. Surrounded by thick bodywork and smoked glass, the back of the Coupe gives you a taste of life as a Chilean miner.

Volvo S60: Black and caramel-accented leather makes the S60’s back seat look rich, like a high-calorie desert from Stuckey’s. The seats are unexpectedly soft and cushy, like you’re sitting on warm bread fresh from the oven. Whoops, time for lunch.

Saab 9-5: Saab tries hard to be different. For example, the heavily louvered and slotted dashboard in the 9-5 gives you the impression of looking straight into the face of a ‘76 Coupe De Ville. However, the back seat is comfortably shaped in a decidedly dull and conventional way. This is a good thing.

Mazda 2: Snug but decently comfortable, the new Chevy Cruze’s back bench pretty much matches the Mazda 3’s for space and legroom, but both are beat out by the smaller Mazda 2, which is perplexingly like Dr. Who’s phone box in its confounding bigness inside. In America, people think the 2 is just waiting to be devoured as a cocktail weenie for some giant SUV. In Europe, it’s considered a respectable car for a family of four, and now I see why.

Chevrolet Volt: This car has two rear buckets separated by a tunnel that is apparently full of batteries or an atomic ion injector or something. A passage between them gives access to the trunk. The seats look spacey and futuristic but are tight for an adult and hard to get in and out of through the narrow back door. In my notes, I directed myself to make a brilliant joke that plays on the back chairs in the Volt and high-voltage electric chairs, but it never came to me.

Lotus Evora: Speaking of jokes, behold the Evora. Really, are they kidding? There’s more space in the overhead bin of a 737 than in the back of an Evora. Double-amputee pygmies were apparently the benchmark body form. Why did they bother? Cars in our test that don’t even have back seats: Honda CR-Z, Chevy Corvette, BMW Z4, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Porsche Cayman S, and Porsche Boxster Spyder. And I would give them all better back-seat scores than I do the Evora.

Porsche Panamera: Aaaaah! It’s like having the best seat in the Goodyear Blimp.

Family Jewels: To celebrate 25 years of the M3, BMW invites us to pummel all four generations at once, including the new GTS.

Even as it churns out those . . . things called the X6 and the 5-series Grand Turismo, BMW’s credentials remain intact. Thank the M3, which, after 25 years, remains BMW’s most bewitching product and a shibboleth against anybody who questions whether the Bavarian fun factory has finally lost it.

Keep Reading: 25 Years of the BMW M3: Four Generations on the Track – Feature

Ego Shrinkers: Will Americans ever be able to accept a driving life in a confined but economical package?

Most drivers in Europe motor around in small, efficient hatchbacks without feeling like failures. But here, in America—the hell with the gas bill—size still matters. On the Continent, the social stigma that’s attached to driving a very small car isn’t as virulent and deprecating as it continues to be for many drivers in the U.S.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Fiesta vs. 2010 Honda Fit, 2011 Mazda 2 – Comparison Tests

s Sport, 2010 Volkswagen Golf – Comparison Tests" href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/2010-kia-forte-sx-vs-2010-mazda-3-s-sport-2010-volkswagen-golf-comparison-tests/" rel=bookmark>2010 Kia Forte SX vs. 2010 Mazda 3 s Sport, 2010 Volkswagen Golf – Comparison Tests
2010 Ford Fusion vs. Mazda 6, Honda Accord – Comparison Test
2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 vs. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS – Comparison Tests

I’ll admit, I’ve always been dismissive of every V-6 pony car I’ve encountered. Yes, I know why people choose them over their eight-cylinder siblings—better gas mileage, cheaper insurance, yadda yadda yadda—but as an enthusiast, it makes more sense to look at an entirely different vehicle if those criteria are of concern. Times change, and with this latest crop of pony cars, beginning with the new Chevrolet Camaro and now the revised-for-‘11 Ford Mustang, I must eat my words.

With 300-plus hp on tap in both the Camaro and Mustang, the sixes make up for their lack of blood-boiling V-8 rumble with a swift kick that still leaves me scratching my head, thinking, “Wow, this is a V-6?” That’s exactly what I thought today as I drove the 2011 Mustang V-6 around the 10Best loop. I was pleasantly surprised by how easily (and briskly) the 3.7-liter moved more than 3500 pounds of pony. After my initial amazement subsided and the road went left and then right again, I couldn’t believe how well the Stang turned and gripped the pavement. The car really felt light on its feet—it is, in fact, about 60 pounds lighter than its V-8 counterpart—which gave me the confidence to push harder as it asked for more.

It’s certainly easy to love the Mustang GT with its 412-hp V-8, but this new V-6 deserves its own respect. And it now has mine.

The butch small Jeep gets a suspension overhaul and minor visual updates for 2011.

Jeep set the bar high with the new Grand Cherokee and updated Wrangler. Both boast interiors so nice as to be unrecognizable to those accustomed to the brand’s trucks from just a few years ago. Next up is Jeep’s little Patriot, which gets visual tweaks inside and out, as well as some equipment upgrades, for 2011.

Keep Reading: 2011 Jeep Patriot – Car News

Everyone has heard the baseless non-statistic that claims “airbags hurt more than they help.” Actual numbers, of course, show that the scales are tipped heavily towards the “help” end of things with today’s inflatable restraints. Ford plans to nudge the safety-tech envelope another inch forward when the 2012 Focus debuts featuring the company’s next-generation airbags. (How many generations is that now?)

At the forefront of this new safety design is an internal strap placed near the underside of the driver airbag, depicted above. Its purpose is to keep impact forces off of your chest and lower abdomen and instead distribute them over heartier bits like your shoulders and upper torso. The side-impact airbags use a strategically placed vent that varies bag pressure based on shoulder position; smaller occupants’ shoulders don’t block the vent, letting a large portion of the gases out and softening the bag to coincide with their decreased weight. Larger occupants’ shoulders will block the vent and keep the bag stiffer. Finally, the front-passenger airbag gets a pyrotechnically operated valve that can vary bag pressure based on seating position.

While not all of these technologies are new ideas, they are new to Ford vehicles. The updates sound like actions taken by a benevolent Ford with its only aim being to save customers the anguish of injuries that might have resulted previously, but the truth is that much tougher crash-testing methods, lower injury thresholds, and stricter small-occupant safety standards will be imposed in the next couple of years, necessitating such improvements. A Ford engineer told us that some of the company’s Five Star–scoring vehicles would be considered Three Star scorers under the new guidelines.

You’ll see the new bags on the 2012 Focus as standard equipment, and they’ll migrate to most of the Ford fleet by the end of 2013. Hopefully you won’t need to actually see them, but rest assured all the new inflatable bits will be in there in case you do. Expect similar airbag updates from all automakers selling vehicles in the U.S.

While debating the inherent brilliance of the Chevy Volt—a car that even amazed an engineer friend of mine from Germany who thinks that GM hasn’t done anything good for 30 years—it struck me that the most surprising aspect of this year’s 10Best competition was the excellence of the small cars. After all, Americans view them as the lowest items on the automotive totem pole, with reason: Aspire and Cavalier, anyone?

The Volt is an amazing piece of engineering, but there’s a lot going on there. I look at it and think, what would Alec Issigonis and Colin Chapman make of it? For those of you who don’t know the names, Issigonis designed both the Morris Minor and the original Mini; Chapman was the founder of Lotus, who designed more great and groundbreaking (and unreliable) cars than anyone else in the industry. Chapman did the original Elite and Elan, as well as the 25, 49, 72, and 79 racing cars, cars that introduced new concepts to the world: the fiberglass monocoque, the backbone chassis, the pure monocoque, stressed engine construction, rear radiators and wedge shape, and ground effects.

Both would have been horrified by the complexity and weight of the Volt—and Issigonis by the clumsiness of the Mini Countryman. Yet both would have been delighted by the Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda MX-5, Ford Fiesta, VW Golf/GTI, and Honda Fit. These are small vehicles and because they’re small, they’re also light. I love minimal cars—I own two Lotus formula racers, a go kart (for my son), and a 1932 Austin Seven sports car—and believe that weight is the mortal enemy of performance and handling.

Every time I got in a minimalist car at 10Best, I’m delighted in the responses. Yeah, the Fiesta’s performance is compromised by dumb, EPA-centric gearing, but it rides and handles so sweetly, so deftly. The Mazda 2 shades it in this department but isn’t as grown up, as Eddie Alterman so neatly put it. The Miata is still a wondrous device. The Golf and Fit show that small cars can be grown up.

So my point is, instead of trying to put batteries in every vehicle and increase their mass, work out how you can make them lighter and smaller, with lower-displacement engines. Less mass equals better braking and cornering, better acceleration, and better performance for a given engine size. Wanna reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Start driving smaller and lighter.

The Toyota Tundra’s base engine, a 4.0-liter V-6, has been upgraded from single to dual variable valve timing for the 2011 model year. Previously, the VVT-i system only worked on the intake camshaft; from 2011, it’s effective on both intake and exhaust valves. The change means the engine now produces 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque, up from 236 hp and 266 lb-ft in previous years. Fuel economy also increases by 1 mpg in both city and highway driving, to 16 mpg city/20 highway. (The same engine upgrades brought similar power and economy boosts for the 2010 FJ Cruiser.)

As before, the 4.0-liter V-6 comes mated only to a five-speed automatic transmission. The Tundra’s optional 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter V-8 engines are unchanged. Additionally, trailer-sway control becomes standard on all 2011 Tundras. The software uses the truck’s stability-control system to help counteract the effect of a wandering trailer when towing.

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 56

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. What you heard was the sound of 370 cubic inches (6.1 liters) of American muscle coming from the engine in a 2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8.

Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.

2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8 Exhaust MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)

Plastic is like oxygen; although it’s everywhere, one seldom thinks about it. It is probably the most ubiquitous material of the modern age but it’s hardly ever mentioned except in a derogatory way. There are no plastic medals in the Olympics. There is no plastic standard to which people aspire. And in cars, plastic is usually disguised as burled walnut or carbon fiber or anything but what it is. That’s why it’s refreshing to see plastic used as plastic in the interior of the Chevy Volt.

Plastic, by definition, is wonderfully malleable. The Volt’s door panels, for example, take full advantage of this, being shaped and modeled into a form that’s both attractive and practical. The center stack is also artfully sculpted with a clever integration of touch-sensitive controls. It’s industrial design at its best. Too bad the same imagination was not at work on the car’s exterior, which is aesthetically confused and not up to the rest of the advanced design.

Honda’s Two-Clutch Two-Wheeler

Two wheels, two clutches, no waiting.

Although Honda doesn’t yet have a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) in any of its cars, it has just introduced the first-ever device of that type on one of its motorcycles. The VFR1200F is powered by a 170-hp, 1237-cc V-4 and features an optional, fully electronic, multimode DCT ($1500).

Keep Reading: 2010 Honda VFR1200F with Dual-Clutch Transmission – First Ride

We’ve long praised Porsche and BMW for taking a vehicle concept and refining it to perfection. Witness the consistently excellent 911 and 3-series, both of which have seen only evolutionary change for decades. Ford, on the other hand, formerly had a habit of reinventing its vehicle line too often, leading to unfinished, clumsy products. Not so with the Mustang.

When Ford redesigned the Mustang for 2010, the sheetmetal was all new and the car much-improved, but the basic concept was familiar. Everybody knows that the big news for the 2011 Ford Mustang GT is its 412-hp, 5.0-liter V-8, although what I believe to be the most important changes are more subtle. The new electric power-steering system is one of the best I’ve driven and one of the better steering setups in any current vehicle. It offers amazing feedback and loads up nicely as you enter a turn. In addition, the 2011 GT has revised suspension tuning. The combination of great steering and damping is confidence-inspiring and almost completely masks the live rear axle. Although some (myself included) would call this rear-suspension technology antiquated, Ford makes it work brilliantly 99 percent of the time. It only rears its head on bumpy corners taken near the limit, at which point the electronic stability control reins things in.

Learning to work with what you have is not unlike what Porsche has done with the 911’s inherently compromised rear-engine layout—they’ve fiddled with it until it’s perfect. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is 100 percent muscle car, but it’s also 75 percent sports coupe. It’s a surprising combination that’s damn compelling.

Porsche fills another, even tinier niche in its 911 lineup.

It is not easy to find a gap in the Porsche 911 lineup—there are 19 variations of the car for sale in the U.S. right now—but product planners have identified one more (well, two if you count coupe and convertible separately). The chasm between the 385-hp Carrera S and the 435-hp GT3 was heretofore filled by the costly—$16,900—23-hp power pack, which combines modified cylinder heads, a special intake manifold with six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps (instead of the one flap of the regular Carrera S), and a sport exhaust system. The power pack also includes a carbon-fiber air-filter casing.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS – Car News

Lincoln’s MKX turns into a luxury crossover contender.

We’ll forgive you for not believing us, but there are signs of life at Lincoln. First came the MKT, which, no matter your opinion on the boat-tailed exterior styling, proved that the brand could do a decent interior. Next was the MKZ hybrid, which builds on its roots as the excellent gas/electric Fusion with a healthy dose of value and actual luxury. Now there’s the heavily revised 2011 MKX, a crossover that takes many of those vehicles’ best attributes and stirs in bleeding-edge technology. (Yes, these are all still clearly rebadged Fords, but note that we said signs of life. We’ll have to wait until the next generation of Lincoln products, which we’re told are going to be more distinct, to see if the brand will ever fully regain its long-lost mojo. Baby steps.)

Keep Reading: 2011 Lincoln MKX – First Drive Review

Volkswagen admits that it softened up and bargained down its Jetta for this market, so I was prepared for it to feel different than its Golf platform mate. But not this different. The distinction between these two models is aggressive and palpable. While the Americanized Jetta isn’t a completely dumbed-down Corolla-fighter focused solely on price (this is even true of the base model S; see Gluckman’s post of yesterday), I would bet that the average consumer would drive equivalent trims of both cars back-to-back and feel no real commonality.

No longer is the Jetta just a Golf with a trunk. Conversely, the Golf has moved a long way from the kind of porky, bobbed-tailed quasi-sedan of its third and fourth generations. The same genius with which the Volkswagen Group differentiates its Audis from its Seats from its VWs it has applied here to these two sister vehicles. Unlike the soft-edged Jetta models, the Golfs—especially the TDI and GTI—ride on a taut chassis slung under an ingot-like body. These hatches lock into turns and suck themselves to the road, with no rocking memory over bumps and no distortion through their steering wheels. Even the rode-hard-put-away-wet GTI we have with us at 10Best (11,817 auto-journalist miles, which translates to 700,000 real-person miles) couldn’t conceal its essential integrity and driver orientation. Yes, its clutch had gone soft and the brakes were spongy and some of its knobs were loose, but that GTI was still the car I wanted to drive home that night. The Jetta? Not so much.

We’re spending the week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

I’d love to tell you that the shockers at 10Best are the cars I’d most like to write about: the Lotus Evora, the Corvette Grand Sport, the Shelby GT500. For me, however, it’s usually the lesser lights that sneak up from behind to snap the wet towel. In years past, for instance, cars like the Saturn Astra and Suzuki SX4 earned a bonus tour of our 15-mile test route. This year, what most surprised me is the aging Honda Accord, now within roughly a year of a wholesale makeover.

And among the Accord coupes and sedans—fours and sixes, manuals and automatics—it’s the no-options, no-mascara, everyday base EX sedan with do-it-yourself five-speed that leaves me speechless. Its steering is light and willing, its shifter seems to intuitively migrate to the appropriate gear even before your hand summons the motion, and the structure magically manages to feel simultaneously feather-light yet Germanic in its solidity. All of that for an as-tested price of $24,855. What this car is, is dead honest. Here is everything you need for a gratifying driving experience. It’s so rare these days to make a purchase and, on the drive home, say out loud, “Jeez, I think the clerk must’ve undercharged me.” Of this year’s 60-some 10Best candidates, I defy anyone to find better value for money than the base Accord EX. Boring to look at? Maybe. But I had a Kenmore refrigerator that, for 24 happy years, reliably made ice faster than a Russian icebreaker. I loved that plain-Jane appliance—nicknamed it Jane, in fact. Fantastic value is never boring.

Remembering Les Richter and Spen King.

Les Richter died on June 12. He had been a colorful player for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League— eight times he was voted to the all-pro team—and went on to become an important figure in automobile racing on the West Coast. We are told that when Richter was voted the dirtiest player in the NFL, his eyes moistened at the award ceremony and he got a catch in his throat. All choked up, he is reported to have said, “You guys, this is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t thank you enough.”

Keep Reading: David E. Davis, Jr.: Car Enthusiasts Lose a Couple of Good Friends – Column

We’d been promised a high-performance version of the new global Focus, and Ford has now given it a name (Focus ST) and a face (above). By sharing more than 80 percent of Focus components worldwide, Ford is able to keep costs under control and bring us more interesting stuff like this. The fact that this new strategy yields a turbocharged variant for the U.S. is more than acceptable in our book.

With a 247-hp version of the turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost four-cylinder, the 2012 Focus ST stands to be no slouch. If Ford’s promise of a taut suspension, crisp handling, and an affordable price tag come true, we may be looking at the new low-cost enthusiast standard. The particular model shown here is slathered in “Tangerine Scream” paint, and how about those gold wheels? The interior reveals carbon-fiber-look trim, orange-y accents and stitching, a trio of gauges atop the dash, and a proper six-speed manual. (Recall that the recently discontinued Focus ST used a 2.5-liter inline-five that developed 225 hp, and that that car also came in silly colors.)

We’ll be at a preview event in Dearborn today where we’ll receive the rest of the details pertaining to the Focus ST and other Ford offerings to be unveiled at the 2010 Paris show. Tune in this afternoon to catch the full report.

The Fiesta, Mazda 2, and Fit square off on Friday. Until then, catch up on the highs and lows of small cars in America.

In the October issue of Car and Driver—and appearing on the site this Friday—we’ve got a comparison test between the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, and Mazda 2. We won’t give away the result, but get this: they’re all great cars. It hasn’t always been easy to get a cheap, fun, and well-made small car in the U.S. To give some perspective, we raided the C/D library to bring you our favorite archival reviews of small cars: the good, the bad, and the nauseatingly ugly. You can read the articles in full by clicking on their links, and for the full vintage experience, you’ll find PDFs of the original stories available on those pages, too. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Keep Reading: Small Cars in the U.S.: A Historical Timeline – Feature

The 10 Least Expensive Cars to Own – Feature

We’re spending the week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

Okay, so we’ve already driven the Mazda 2 and even compared it to its peers, but today was my first chance to drive the 2 back-to-back with the equally new Ford Fiesta. And it was enlightening. Surprising, even.

Although the Fiesta and the 2 share the same basic underpinnings, the Mazda feels instantly an order of magnitude (maybe two) more eager, sharp, and light, which of course it is. Its lightness enables it to feel—and in some cases actually be—as quick as or quicker than competition infused with more horsepower. In fact, if its appearance followed its dynamics—I’m glad it doesn’t—the 2 would be wearing a gigantic smiling grille like its big-brother Mazda 3. Plus, the shifter dices fluidly and positively, and it even has a decent back seat.

We always have a huge swath of cars over $50k at 10Best—many of which are extremely capable and satisfying—but it’s far more impressive when a car like the Mazda 2 can deliver fun-to-drive for under $15k.

The Volkswagen Group of America has named 51-year-old Jonathan Browning as its new president and CEO, replacing Stefan Jacoby. Jacoby recently left VW to become president and CEO of the Geely-owned Volvo.

Browning was formerly director of VW’s National Sales Companies, having joined the company in June 2010. Highlights in his résumé include a stint at Ford from 1997 through 2001, serving as vice president of GM European sales from 2001 to 2008, and time as chairman of Vauxhall Motors from 2006 to 2008.

Browning will be tasked with continuing Volkswagen’s ambitious march to sell 200,000 Audi and 800,000 Volkswagen products in the U.S. annually by 2018.

Chrysler soups up the Sebring with refreshed styling, a powerful new V-6, and a new name.

Finally pumping new products into the pipeline after a few years’ hiatus, Chrysler will be rolling out a refreshed mid-size sedan for 2011. While the mention of a new powertrain, revised interior, and other tweaks perked our ears, what really grabbed our attention was the announcement that the company will drop the Sebring nameplate altogether.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chrysler 200 to Replace Sebring Sedan – Car News

Lamborghini has released the second of six teaser images ahead of the Paris auto show, and that’s it above. The image teases a supercar concept that will debut at the Paris show later this month, showing two rows of five openings rendered in what appears to be carbon fiber—we’d hazard a guess that those apertures feed ten cylinders.

Lamborghini also published a memo from CEO Stephan Winkelmann that sheds more light on the details of this mysterious car and the brand’s future. He writes that top speed is no longer a relevant metric, now that nearly all supercars can exceed 180 mph. Instead, Winkelmann says Lambo believes in handling and acceleration—we like the sound of that. Furthermore, he asserts that the best way to achieve both is to lower vehicle weight by using materials like carbon fiber.

So it’s a fair bet this concept will employ a 10-cylinder engine and lightweight carbon-fiber construction, which should help reach the goals of handling and acceleration they’re aiming for. That’s what we think we know so far, but we’ve still got four more clues in the form of the four additional teaser shots.

We’re spending the week driving 60-plus new cars in order to decide our 2011 10Best list. When that many cars are gathered in one place, many of which we haven’t driven before, there are bound to be some unexpected discoveries. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more 10Best surprises, and look for our annual 10Best issue to hit newsstands on December 7.

Yes, the Nissan Juke is—how to put it delicately?—aesthetically different. To me, the front looks like a VW Beetle is trying to escape from a toad, the rear is almost comically restrained in comparison, and the only element tying the two ends together are the puffy fender flares. But you know what? I like it.

The small crossover/box segment—going on price overlap, the Juke competes against stuff as varied as the Jeep Compass, the Ford Escape, the Toyota RAV4, and the Nissan Cube—is full of entries that look so banal as to be forgettable (Compass, Nissan’s own Rogue), that look like wannabe big SUVs (Escape, GMC Terrain), or have clearly had their quirkiness decreed by focus group (Cube, Scion xB). In contrast, the Juke is memorable but doesn’t seem to be trying too hard; it’s like that guy who just grabs whatever shirt and pants are handy, life be damned. (“Why, yes, I am wearing a sleeveless Conway Twitty T-shirt and seersucker pants to my job interview at the Wall Street Journal. So?”) This Nissan is what it is, and I’m cool if that “what” is weird-looking.

Friday, September 24, 2010

2011 Audi R8 GT – First Drive Review

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