All Entries in the "Reviews" Category

2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

This Mini convertible is fun for the most part and reminds me of my experience in the Honda S2000CR. At first it’s a little unsettling, and then it’s a lot of fun. I found the cabin quite comfortable. The gauges are very over-the-top and the neon plastic fittings are kind of crazy. But overall, there’s [...]

2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost

Introducing a new engine a couple years after a vehicle goes on sale isn’t all that unusual. But, only one year after the Ford Flex first came out, there are several updates and upgrades for the 2010 model that make this nearly the equivalent of a mid-cycle refresh — and this was a strong vehicle [...]

Audi – R8 – Review

On The Outside
That 22-grand premium definitely doesn’t offer the Audi R8 V10 much visual differentiation from the standard car. Yes, some would say that the R8 is enough of a head-turner as it is, but parting with a further 22 large ones gets you the kind of detail changes that only the most serious [...]

Skoda – Yeti – Review

Skoda goes off-road with its new Yeti, the Czech firm’s stupidy-named crossover building on the rugged foundations of its Scout models. Mixing SUV with MPV, with a pinch of hatchback, the Yeti isn’t the evolutionary cul-de-sac its name might suggest. It’s actually good enough to ensure that Yetis become a common sight.
On The Outside

On The [...]

Lotus – Evora – Review

Meet the first new Lotus in a generation. The Evora takes its place as the practical, 2+2, everyday Lotus and is arguably the company’s most ambitious new model since the Esprit of the 1970s. Priced from almost fifty grand, the Evora must do battle with the seminal Porsche Cayman and be much more than just [...]

2010 Jaguar XFR First Test

Now it’s time to get down to the business of Racepaks and VBOXes to answer the question: Just how does Jaguar’s bad little kitty measure up at the test track?
First let’s look at what was promised. At launch, Jaguar claimed the XFR could hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.1 [...]

2009 Aston Martin DBS Volante First Drive

James Bond’s current motor of choice has gone topless. The DBS, Aston Martin’s high-protein version of the DB9, has heretofore been sold only in coupe form. That changes with the introduction of the DBS Volante. In Aston speak, Volante means convertible, and S stands for Sport. The DBS is best known for its appearance in [...]

New Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

The Lamborghini Murciélago is one of the most extraordinary super sports cars of all time. Automobili Lamborghini has now expanded its model range with a new, exceptionally purist and even more extreme top model – the Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is even more powerful, lighter and faster than the Murciélago LP 640. With the output [...]

Ford Fiesta shows fun can come in really small packages

Even without the sparkly green paint we took to calling metallic Kermit, the Ford Fiesta would have turned heads. Its shape jolts a conservative American sensibility, which, for the most part, equates tiny vehicles with cheap, bland and throwaway. Recently, cars such as the Mini Cooper have done much to chip away at that perception, [...]

2010 Porsche Panamera

Panamera is long, wide and low. Overall length is 195.6 in., width is 76.0 in., and it stands just 55.8-in. tall. Wheelbase is 115.0 in., enough to allow a generous front to rear seat couple, critical for ensuring the car comfortably accommodates four adults. The body shell is knitted together from a number of metals. [...]

2009 Chevrolet Corvette

Last February, we got a look at the nearly finished clay model of Specter Werkes/Sports’ latest riff on America’s Sports Car, the C6 Corvette GTR. The car is now up and running and we just took it for a spin before its public unveiling at Greater Detroit’s annual Eyes on Design Fathers’ Day car show. [...]

Bentley Arnage Car Review

The Arnage is the real, two-ton-plus wood-and-deep-carpet face of Bentley. It’s the car Volkswagen inherited when they took over the company, and although it’s been much modified since, it’s still recognisably from the Great British old school of stiff upper lips and family castles.
On The Outside

Although the Arnage has been modernised over recent years, it [...]

Lotus Evora Car Review

Meet the first new Lotus in a generation. The Evora takes its place as the practical, 2+2, everyday Lotus and is arguably the company’s most ambitious new model since the Esprit of the 1970s. Priced from almost fifty grand, the Evora must do battle with the seminal Porsche Cayman and be much more than just [...]

New 2010 Ford Taurus SHO lives again

When the Ford Taurus SHO was launched in 1989, the car was all about the engine. Ford engineers dropped a 220-hp V6 developed and built by Yamaha into a four-door Taurus and the Super High Output legend was born.
For 10 years and 100,000 cars, the SHO surprised many people in stoplight-to-stoplight runs with only subtle [...]

2010 Lincoln MKZ

Certainly one of the most dramatic transformations this year, Ford’s Fusion went from rental car fleet darling to a genuine class leader by offering an impressive level of engineering and refinement at a decent price. For 2010, Lincoln, not wanting to miss out, gets a refreshed version of its Fusion variant, the MKZ.
Our enthusiasm for [...]

2010 Cadillac SRX

When the president of Government Motors cracks the change whip, Cadillac executives need only cite the new SRX crossover to acknowledge that the message has been received. Key differences in the 2010 edition include an engine and transmission rotated 90 degrees, primary propulsion reassigned to the front wheels, and nary a V-8 or a third [...]

REVIEWS: 2009 Mercedes Benz S550 4Matic

Much like the BMW 7-series, the S550 is not a car one can digest in one night. There’s just so much going on, so much that it can do, that one barely scratches the surface by relating how it feels and how it drives.
So how does it feel and drive? Very nice and very nicely. [...]

2010 Lotus Evora: More room, plenty of fun

Knees splayed, head cocked and elbows tucked in tight, we wouldn’t call the seats particularly spacious, but the fact that we fit at all was impressive. They would certainly work in a pinch. We’re talking Lotus seats, after all–the rear ones.
The 2010 Evora moves the brand into long-abandoned territory, throwing in a two-plus-two ride where [...]

2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

Bottom Line:
For those who need to tow more than 6,100 pounds, this truck isn’t for you.

Pros:

Fuel economy
Delivers torque like a diesel
Sedanlike interior

Cons:

6,100 pounds maximum towing
Only one cab style
Only one cargo box length

For full-size pickup trucks, these are tumultuous times. The segment peaked at more than 2.5 million units in 2004 and 2005 and is expected [...]

Lincoln MKS Review

This 2009 review is representative of model years 2009 to 2010.
Rating: 8.2

Bottom Line:
The Lincoln MKS offers exceptional luxury and loads of technology for the dollar. If targeted younger buyers can get past Lincoln’s stodgy image of being an “old man’s car,” the nameplate has a good chance of being resurrected.

Pros:

Luxurious and quiet cabin
Easy-to-use technology
Decent fuel [...]