The 24 Hours of Lemons is the fastest growing racing series in America, and for good reason: It’s cheap, at least by normal racing standards. Cars must not be worth more than $500, and poor driving is punished with hilarious penalties, dished out by Matt and the Lemons Supreme Court, comprised of Motor Trend’s Jonny Lieberman and The Truth About Cars’s Phil Greden (aka Murilee Martin). As a bonus, Matt is invited to pilot the safety car before the race, so we built our own replica of Formula One’s Safety Cars out of a brand-new C63 AMG coupe. Hit the jump for the video.

Of course this video was really fun to make, but it does lack the full in-depth review of the C63 that some of you were probably hoping for. Good news! Matt wrote one of those too, and it’s available in the free online magazine Road Lanes. 

Click here to read it.

Last week, on the season premiere of Tuned, Matt visited BBi Autosport in Huntington Beach to drive a very impressive Porsche. This week, we turn it up a notch. Matt and the crew heads 800 miles north to Grant’s Pass, Oregon to visit the world’s greatest living hot rodder, Randy Grubb and his one-man company, Blastolene (greatest name ever ,BTW). Randy’s story is so good, and his passion for his craft so strong, that we simply had to share it with you. While he is best known for his first-ever creation, Jay Leno’s “Tank Car,” each of Randy’s projects seem to be better than the last. We awarded his semi truck, “Piss’d Off Pete” our highly coveted Best of SEMA award in 2009, and now we’re visiting him to drive the vehicle he’s been building since then. Introducing, the DecoLiner. Look at the picture above and consider this: Randy designed and built this functional flybridge motorhome from scratch, by himself, in his garage, in just over 5,000 hours. If you’re anything like us, your first thought is “Please let me drive that.” Fortunately, when you’re Matt, the answer is almost always “Sure.”

Hit the jump for the video review of this amazing custom vehicle.

The Deco-Liner is for sale, and Randy would like it to go to a good home so he can make some room in his garage for his next incredible project. If you’re interested in buying this piece of rolling art, go to www.blastolene.com

We know it’s been a little quiet around here the past few days, and that’s because Matt and the crew are on a 3,000 mile road trip to film 4 episodes for our new show Tuned on the DRIVE Network. We’ll be back to regular posting on Monday, but for now, check out the January issue of the free online magazine Road Lanes, where Matt reviews the new Mercedes C63 Coupe, Lexus’s new “sporty” hybrid, the CT200H, and the BMW R1200R motorcycle!

Check it out at www.roadlanes.com

Some of you may not have heard of Tuned, our new show on the DRIVE Network. Whereas here on The Smoking Tire we tend to focus on factory stock car reviews, Tuned is all about the best custom projects around, from street cars to trucks, offroad to land yachts. In our season premiere, we hit up our old friends at BBi Autosport, who said we absolutely must try their 650 horsepower Porsche 997 Turbo S PDK. The car isn’t just about horsepower, either; it’s got the chassis, suspension, and brake upgrades to match. And as you can imagine, I take it out, drive it hard, and put it away wet. Hit the jump for the video and see what Tuned is all about.

On this episode of The Smoking Tire, we take the 2011 Corvette ZR1, the fastest Corvette ever produced, to the Mojave Mile for a little high-speed testing. Back in May, Matt came to the Mile with a Porsche 911 GT3RS, an amazing, barely street legal track car, and while it ran a very respectable 166.8 mph, that just wasn’t enough. We had a goal of crossing the 1-mile traps going at least 175, and the ZR1 could be the perfect weapon. Hit the jump for the video.

*If the embedded video does not work, please go here to watch it.

There has been much debate over the results of this video, and I address some viewer’s questions and concerns here.

Sometimes, there’s just too much goodness to go into one video, so I also wrote a full cover story review for the November issue of Road Lanes Online Automotive Magazine, which you can view here. 

“Did you tell anyone we were coming here today?”

“I was just going to ask you that! And…..no, I didn’t. Did you?”

“No.”

We shared a long silence, both mentally flashing forward to a broken car, freezing temperatures and no food. We were 7,000 feet above sea level on the Wheeler Pass trail in Nevada. It was snowing, so the pointy rocks- which ranged in size from grenade to tool box- were becoming hidden from view. We were wearing jeans and hoodies. The closest thing to “supplies” were a tire repair kit, 2 half-full Monster Rehabs and stomachs full of Pahrump’s finest Subway. Popping a tire on this 2011 BMW X5 diesel would surely result in cannibalism, and Thad is bigger than me.

Let me back up.

The Optima Ultimate Streetcar Invitational was coming up. We couldn’t go to SEMA so we planned to meet Matt at the track in Pahrump the night before. Modern diesel cars had caught my interest during a shoot for The Car Show when Matt tried to drive 800-mile a Mercedes E350 Bluetec from Mexico to Oregon on one tank. I wanted to further explore new diesels, so I reached out to BMW. They had an 2011 X5d for us…in San Francisco.  Oh well. A diesel SUV made perfect sense to me on paper. Thrust and efficiency with lots of space and the ever-sought which I don’t care about high seating point? I bought my ticket.

 

 

I loved the original X5 and was happy to see BMW stayed close to the original design. It’s like an old band that’s been fine-tuned for a modern audience without losing their early sound. It still looks like an SUV (SAV in this case), with short over hangs and good ground clearance  (8.7″, same as a Jeep Grand Cherokee). Aside from a tiny badge on the side and a low red line on the tach, there’s nothing advertising it’s a special X5. I actually wish it were more obvious in the hope it would convert some people. But we wouldn’t want anyone to know our car uses that dirty, different fuel, would we?

 

Hidden behind that small badge is a 3.0-liter Inline-6. With 2 turbos it brings the gift of torques; 425 of them at 1,750RPM. It has to move 5,192 lbs with 265HP so 0-60 takes just under 7 seconds. But getting on the freeway it feels much faster. No one will complain. People equate torque with speed. For proof, drive my mom around. Just bring Xanax and ear plugs. Controlling it is a 6-speed automatic and despite lacking paddles it’s responsive enough I used the stick-controlled manual mode a lot to downshift, saving fuel and brake pads.

 

The interior is the BMW style we’re familiar with, this time done in soft leather with wood accents. It feels spacious and well-equipped; Luxurious without feeling like the off limits white living room at grandma’s. It’s perfect for a car the runs and rides as smooth as this. I was happy to see the iDrive has evolved from its original pond scum to functioning helper monkey. In the X5 I had no problem synching, adjusting or NAV-ing. Did I mention the stereo BUMMMPS?!  God damn it’s like a home theater system from Beats-By-Dre. I don’t seek out nice sound but I absolutely appreciate it and any audiophile will be quite content.

 

One of few complaints goes to the seats, which don’t have enough lower back support. It was like sleeping on a bed that’s barely too firm. In 2000 miles, I wasn’t uncomfortable but it wasn’t like home. For an example of what home feels like, sit in a Mercedes.

 

Our car also came with the optional Heads Up Display. That’s good, because the steering wheel blocks the speedo from 40-120mph. I’m 5’11” but unless I wanted to drive with the wheel up high and feel like an 8 year old the speedo might as well be gone. I guess in Germany you’re either going under 40 or over 120. Bastards. But without that issue I wouldn’t have spent so much time looking at the HUD, which was excellent. With NAV arrows, cruise control status and speed it’s the perfect tool on highways and helps in canyons at night too. Even if they fix the wheel issue I’ll use display.

 

Altogether I was reminded why BMWs are expensive, and it felt worth it. My introduction to the X5 came with a 5-hour drive down to Los Angeles, and despite my mom’s best efforts (she rode with me) I found a way to enjoy the car.

 

 

Jump forward a week, and it’s the Friday before Optima. The plan was to drive to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch to meet Matt. Thad had convinced me we should leave early and “explore Pahrump.” Bullshit. I knew what he was doing. When he first heard, “X5” he suggested “exploring” Wheeler Pass, a 24-mile off-road trail that runs from Pahrump, NV to a spot just north of Vegas. He’d mentioned it almost weekly.

 

(You see, Thad is a dreamer; brilliant yet sometimes disconnected from reality. He once asked if we could get a new car by telling the manufacturer we intended to break it, calling it a “durability test.” He was serious.)

 

(A quick spin of Wheeler Pass trail via helmet cam.)

 

I said no. “It says it’s safe for production vehicles!” he said, showing a picture of an FJ Cruiser, failing to recognize the difference in the cars. “You’re always ranting about how crossovers and whatever have no spine, right? Let’s find out.” He had a point. I didn’t want to take a car I didn’t own as nice as this off-road but I love a driving adventure of any kind. I’d spent too much of my youth exposing borrowed cars to the elements to ignore the fun in his idea. Together we’re like 10 year olds: One builds the ramp; the other rides his bike at it. Well, it is Nevada. It will just be a sunny dirt road surrounded by more sun and dirt.

 

We arrived in Pahrump at 10:30AM. “Let’s just check the road out, what else are we going to do?” I felt like a guy that agreed to go to a strip club but said I wouldn’t open my eyes and given the option between spending 8 hours in Pahrump or risking press access and death I choose the latter. We agreed if it got too hairy, we’d turn around.

 

Clouds. Hm. Wonder what they're for?

 

Wheeler starts as a fire road heading directly between two small mountains. The X5 handled this with flying colors. It felt completely attached to the road, even at 60MPH. A rocky hill several hundred feet tall presented itself. Torquey engine, AWD, let’s see what you got. Without knobby tires or locking diffs or some name referring to a desert (check out my new Sudanihari!) the X5 chugged up the hill. Wheel spin was there but it it confidently clawed up with surprising composure. The torque from the turbo-diesel made the car feel like a giant chair lift. 28MPG highway (observed), and now this? I am a fan.

 

We got out to look back down. Things look steeper from the top. Like the climb, the descent was drama-free. Hit the hill descent and it takes care of things while you steer. Taking your foot off the pedals while off-roading is the definition of counter-intuitive but it works incredibly well. We arrived safely at the bottom with a new confidence. This wasn’t just a traveling movie theater for kids or a booster seat. This thing was legit. With new confidence, we headed up the road.

 

Then it started snowing.

 

 

Thad was elated. “Snow! First snow of the year! How awesome is this!” I wasn’t. I like snow driving more than sex but this wasn’t even really a road. This was a 10-foot wide off-camber minefield and each mine was wearing the nametag of BMW’s press agent. Anyone who has driven a crowned road on ice knows where your car wants to slide. In this case that would be down the big mountain into the abyss known as “You fucking idiots.” Yay snow. Another element added to his idea. Yet, amazingly the tires didn’t even notice the snow. The car just, drove. We cautiously pressed on.

 

 

The road changed from road with light rocks to rocks with light road. A rock the size of a pomegranate seed once went between my tread and popped a tire; That thought haunted me the next 6 hours. I crept forward as slow as possible in order to put the minimal amount of force on the tires. Thad and I worked as a team, spotting obstacles and deciding the best path.

 

Our primary concern was clearance. Ground clearance is to rocks what bullets are to killing zombies; you can’t have too much. But between the AWD system, careful wheel placement and hill descent, the X5 was fine. It was practically asleep. Each passing mile encouraged us, yet I was expecting something impassable around each bend.

 

We set personal records for "Holy shit." usage that day.

 

Off-roading in the snow is a very cool experience. There’s a stillness around you, making you feel more alone. The road looked like cookies and cream ice cream; a white blanket dotted with the tips of brown icebergs. Off-roading usually involves sunny drives with the windows (or top) down. This was almost submarine-like. Using the parking cameras, sensors and side mirrors, we could see everything around us. I love you, electricity.

 

The summit finally came. 7,700 feet. Halfway. We were giddy with excitement. I thanked the car. This  quiet, fuel-efficient cruiser was as steady and bored as a Sherpa on a stair-master. The question was: turn around or continue? Foolishly, my parents let me read books like Into Thin Air and Call of the Wild. Would Jack London quit half way and turn his $50k luxury truck around? Hell no!

 

The snow fell harder, with bigger flakes. Ironically, the inside was as comfortable as a 4-star hotel. Seat warmers, soft leather, SPICE radio soft Jazz. 100 years ago people risked death on this road. Now we’re doing it in a car that treats your ass like an old Italian barber treats your face before a shave. Incredible. It was here we realized we hadn’t told anyone what we were doing. We had BMW’s SOS system if we needed it, but it was more a moment of realizing how stupid impulsive we can be.

 

 

Downhill brought the challenge of momentum. I want to reiterate the skill of descent mode. Snow, wet rocks, didn’t matter. This car can react faster than your foot. I only took over when 4MPH felt too fast for particularly nasty rocks or to stop and survey our next move. Snow? Rocks? X5 no care.

 

And then suddenly, the snow lightened up, the clouds dissipated, the rocks shrank. A fence, mud, tire tracks! We were out. We had gone 24 miles over a snowy, rocky mountain in a vehicle usually reserved for trips to Whole Foods and personal training sessions. We passed an F-150 and the driver’s face mimicked our thoughts, “The hell are these boys doin’ here?”

 

 

We had come here to find out if there was any “utility” left in the world. Crossovers are the new SUV, and I was convinced they were only as capable as a passenger car. But this 2011 BMW X5 is better than previous generations. I felt confident on highways, in canyons and over rocky, snow-covered gremlins. The 3.0 liter I-6 TT is just a phenomenal motor. It’s great everywhere. With all that torque I’d even say it’s fun. On cold days, upon startup it’s barely louder than a gas engine and only near idle. Thanks to smart people diesels are now clean, quiet and even more efficient. People worry about finding diesel, but 28MPG gives you a 600 mile range and that’s plenty of time to look. V-8 torque, 4-cylinder efficiency and inline-6 smoothness; It is the perfect engine for not only this kind of car, but plenty more. Ours was priced at almost $60,000, but I could easily do without options like the cameras and sunroof. For around $50,000, you get a car that can do anything people might think of, and do it well. Top to bottom, it’s a very good car.

 

No one will take their X5 where we did, nor should they, but I’m glad I did . I like knowing a car can handle more than I ever want to, like knowing how to throw a punch.

 

- Zack K

When we heard the BMW 1M was going to be at TST headquarters for a week, our right feet collectively salivated. It was one of the most anticipated cars of the year. That anticipation was fueled by the simple formula of 135i size+ M3 performance parts + more power – weight= super mega fun time. After driving it, we would describe it with phrases like “Sell my own mother for one.” or “I’m leaving in the 1M for Mexico at 4am. Who’s with me?” Matt took it to his favorite place-an empty canyon- to see if the past year’s hullabaloo was worth it.

At times I am a walking contradiction. I support the EPA and Sierra Club but if you hand me a gun and 4 sets of tires I’ll Yosemite Sam Hubinette that shit all day long. And as much as I love burning as much gas as possible, it’s expensive, and I am poor. So when the CR-Z concept came out, I thought it was that bowl of porridge made of half hybrid MPG and half sports car. A few weeks ago I got one to try out. How did it do? Make the jump to find out.

When sugar-free food came out, companies were practically hurling them at people with air cannons as they pulled in the grocery parking lot. “Zero calorie chips!  Muffins! Cookies, creams, syrups, jams, there’s no sugar!! Jump on our bandwagon” The green movement has been no different, with every manufacturer making a hybrid-or in the case of the extinct BMW X6 Hybrid- trying to. Everything must be “green.” Our bags, soaps, cars, towels… I’m just waiting for a filter we pee into to make our excretions more earth-friendly. And yes, I know pee is sterile.

So like those weird foods when it came to hybrids there was always a lingering taste of strangeness. A “close, but no cigar” feeling. Hybrids were good at getting good mileage, but little else. Many people buy them, many don’t.

I’m one of those that don’t. You’d think it has something to do with my current bank account, and you’re almost right. Poor, yes, but if I really wanted to sell my questionably safe Miata and buy a used hybrid, I could. My brother picked up a used Civic for $5k. I imagine he spends his gas savings on organic roofies, the explanation for him laying so many toned, patchouli-scented yoga lasses.

My problem is hybrids were as boring as charting a trees daily growth. It wasn’t driving, it was like pointing a bumper boat, but with less adrenaline. It was like watching an Amish porno: Two people go in the house, the camera stays outside, and there’s no sound. That’s the level of arousal a Prius got out of me. The Porsche 918 Spyder prevented me from killing myself, but unless you guys buy 1,000,000 Smoking Tire T-shirts, it’s out of my debit card’s reach.

So I waited for a discount 918. I wanted a car that can kiss apexes and free-range baby lambs (delicious) with equal skill. And that’s what Honda was offering with the CR-Z. “It’s a hybrid, but it’s “sporty!” Come on kids, try it!” Alright, I think I will.

Outside, the CR-Z is a cool car. I like the front, I like the back, and I like the profile. It looks lower than it is. It looks capable and ready. I wanted to plow through traffic, like I was in Flight of the Navigator (It’s a space ship, before you ask) and the peons commuting to work should part for me like the legs of an “actress” from San Fernando Valley. Considering the analogies I’ve used for the Prius (Looks akin to a melted Starburst, comatose, supports self-inflicted homicide) I’d say the CR-Z is off to a very good start.

The inside is confusing. Not from the driver’s seat. It’s what you expect from a current Honda. Little dated, and not a front-runner of interiors, but it works in this car. In the Civic SI last year I remember thinking “Are we in a space ship?” Same here, but in this car it works. The batteries and electric motors nearby justify the blue lights, changing colors (green, blue and red, depending on your driving mode) and odd mesh panels. There’s plenty of storage, and I like the iPod shelf (although the cable looked it was from an abandoned Radio Shack). There’s not too much hard plastic, the driver inputs are in easy reach, and our EX model had all of today’s gadgets.

But if your passenger is over 6 feet tall, they won’t be happy. And if you need to open the glove box, you won’t be happy. Even with the seat all the way back, it was inaccessible. Why they positioned it so low I have no idea. Any lower and the door would have been facing the engine bay.

     I also don’t understand the semi-back seats. They call it a parcel shelf, but it looks like a back seat that’s was picked clean by vultures. Europe offers a back seat, and I’m sure it saved Honda money using this universal substitute, but I kept looking for a seatbelt. But because it’s a hatch you can get 25 cu. ft. of storage space. You probably can’t take it furniture shopping, but that’s what friends with trucks are for. The NAV is also a bit cheap and dated looking, but with a smart phone in my pocket, I can let it go.

My CR-Z loaner was blessed with the 6-speed manual, and folks, this is the way to go. I know, having an automatic allows you to relax in traffic (i.e. text, Facebook, makeup, digitally manipulate) but because this is a hybrid, downshifting to brake-while not really slowing you down- charges the battery. I go over two small hills on my commute, and despite driving this thing like the angry, over-caffeinated short-tempered ass I am, I got 26 MPG. That’s only 5MPG off the EPA estimate (31/37MPG). I attribute this to downshifting. Each time I slowed I was charging the battery.

The CR-Z engine caught me by surprise. The car never felt fast, so when I looked at the speedo during on-ramp “tests” I was actually surprised. It only makes 113hp from the 1.5 liter 4-banger, and the DC motor only adds another 13. The electric motors are there to assist acceleration, not be a primary motivator. So total, you get 126hp, nothing special. But, the electric motor adds 58 ft-lbs of torque, for a max of 181 ft-lbs. Might as well be the Duramax of small Honda engines. That torque is available during WOT applications, and comes in handy when passing or expressing your 8AM hatred of the world. It’s just sad the only indicator of speed is in fact, the speed indicator.

The power delivery depends on what setting you have it in. The CR-Z has 3: Eco, Normal and Sport. Eco lightens up the AC output, throws glue on the DBW throttle response and limits the electric power (but still goes to 100% at WOT. Smart). Sport turns engine response, throttle and steering up, and Normal is in the middle. I used Eco mode a few times in traffic, or on the highway. It’s slow, but it’s supposed to be. I will praise Honda for having the forethought to give the car full power under WOT. God forbid you need to get out of the way of a valium-soaked divorcee` in an Escalade, you want power to be available.

The handling on the CR-Z was not what I expected. It actually had a surprising amount of grip. On/off-ramps were taken at higher speeds than expected, completely without a hiccup. But while cornering at 70mph, I was close to testing the durability of the side mirrors on concrete. Lot’s of grip, but also body roll. I found the suspension to be much too soft, even over potholes in town. Honda wanted mass-market appeal, but it felt like I was in a rowboat on a lake of heavy cream (also smothering the sense of speed). Thicker sway bars and slightly stiffer shocks would do it well.

So what do we end up with? Well, a bit of a confusing attempt at breaking ground. The CR-Z is the first sporty hybrid for people other than OPEC Chairman, and that’s a good thing. But if you look at what else is available, even in Honda’s own showroom, it’s hard to see why you’d buy one. The Honda Fit (watch our review) is the same size, has the same cargo space, gets the same highway MPG (28/37) and costs $6k less. A Hyundai Accent holds a little less, and uses more gas, but saves you $8k. And while you’re in the Hyundai lot, check out a Veloster, which gets 40 MPG (manual). The $23k sticker on our test car gives you tons of options, some from Honda themselves.

With the interior issues, soft handling and lack of exceptional MPG, you’d think Honda has failed. The CR-Z is certainly not a sports car, at least in its stock form.  Despite being underwhelmed, I  like this car. I like it for what it represents. A car with an enthusiast’s interests at heart is what the future needs. I love big, cammy V8s that get 4 MPG. There’s nothing more fun than roasting tires with a catless exhaust and a big block screaming at the world. But I can’t do that everyday. I saw 3 CR-Zs at the Formula D event, so I know I’m not alone. If I can drive to work in my normal aggressive, senseless, lead-footed fashion and get 26+ MPG, I’m a pretty happy camper.

While the CR-Z has a lot of weak spots, I tip my hat to Honda for being the first out the gate with something like this. I hope we will see a car in the near future that has a little more “sport” DNA in it’s skeleton, yet uses a hybrid powertrain. Car enthusiasts, drivers, “car people”, we’re all a bunch of picky, high-maintenance asses. But for a long time green cars makers were asking us to crush our passion or ignoring us altogether. Honda is trying to include us in their future; they just need to work a little better at it.

- Zack K

Matt hates video games for several reasons, but mostly it’s because they aren’t nearly as much fun as the real thing, which he proves in this video. In 2006, Art Morrison won the “Gran Turismo Award” at the SEMA show, which means that they put your show car into the video game Gran Turismo. After testing the video game version, Matt can’t help but dream of driving the real thing. Hit the jump to see what happens when your wish is granted.

“That’s the best motorcycle in the world.” – Everyone, ever.

Sometimes when we test something on The Smoking Tire, we have zero pre-concieved notions of what to expect. For example, when I recently reviewed the BMW F800R Motorcycle, I hadn’t heard anything about it from anyone besides the fleet manager, who said it was “Fun.” I just thought it looked cool and wanted to try it. The BMW R1200GS is exactly the opposite. I knew lots about it from lots of people. My friend Dave Maher spent 3 months wandering the United States on the back of one. Actor Ewan MacGregor famously circumnavigated the globe on one. Countless others have ridden unbelievable distances over incredible terrain on GS motorcycles for nearly 30 years. And when I was looking to buy a motorcycle in 2009, the GS was high on my shopping list. It ultimately didn’t fit my needs at the time, but I found it very interesting that used examples had approximately 1000% more miles than almost all other bikes on the market. I had a really hard time finding a used GS with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. So I knew that anyone who bought one of these bikes, bought it to ride, a lot. And although I didn’t end up buying one back in 2009, if you asked me what bike I’d like to own today, my story would be drastically different, and include just one option: The R1200 GS. And that’s because after just 15 minutes of riding, I learned that everyone who’s ever told me that the GS is the best motorcycle in the world is exactly right. Hit the jump to find out why.

On a sunny California Thursday, I found myself walking into BMW’s fleet management company here in Los Angeles, and coming face to face with what would be my steed for the next two weeks: a blacked out, loaded to the gills, R 1200 GS. In order to fully describe the bike, let’s first break down how BMW names their bikes in the first place: the “R” indicates the style of engine, in this case a Boxer layout. The 1200 is, of course, the displacement in cubic centimeters, and the “GS” stands for Gelande Sport, or “The Most Capable Motorcycle Money Can Buy.” And you don’t have to look hard to see it, either. It’s the kind of bike that makes function look pretty, like the KTM X-Bow. It’s raw, purposeful, and powerful looking, and sitting on its integrated center stand, quite intimidating.

My intimidation didn’t last long, though, as I began browsing the bike’s features. Everything is very straightforward and required little explanation. This would be the first navigation-equipped bike I’d ridden, so I was extremely thankful that BMW decided to keep things simple and use the all-familliar Garmin software. There is an on-board computer with basic information such as average speed, average fuel economy, clock, thermometer, and the always useful “miles to empty” gauge. The clamp-on Navigation obstructed half the tachometer, but at least it was the lower half, so I could see once the needle crossed 5,000 RPM. At least I wouldn’t be bouncing off the rev limiter by accident. On the left grip, a button labeled “ESA” controls the electronic suspension adjustments. Yep, the GS has electronic ride control.

With the bike now off the center stand, it became a much more reasonable height. Nevertheless, riders under 6 feet tall may have a problem at stop lights unless they are comfortable with just one foot on the ground. With a bike this heavy (500 lbs), it’s not really recommended. I hit the start button and the GS awoke with a deep baritone but subdued hum. I was off.

I immediately realized why people can ride these bikes around the world. The seating position is as perfect as I’ve ever felt on a bike, the small windscreen is extremely effective, and despite its size, everything about the GS feels effortless. It weaves through traffic like a bike half its size (at least once I took the cargo boxes off), its clutch feel is excellent, and with 110 HP and 88 lb/ft of torque on tap, there’s enough power to rip to 60 in just 3.4 seconds. Not bad for the Ford Raptor of motorcycles, huh? My first goal was to test the electronic suspension on the worst possible road to ride a motorcycle: The 405 Freeway.

The 405 is a horrible, awful place to ride a bike. Not only is the road completely clogged with incompetent drivers who would rather be applying makeup or browsing their iPhone than driving, the concrete expansion joints and grooved pavement make most motorcycles act like they have minds of their own, moving around underneath the rider in the most disconcerting way. With the suspension set in Sport, its stiffest setting, I set off. It was miserable. So I tried Normal, and the ride improved. Now, though I could feel the bumps, the bike seemed to absorb the worst ones and my confidence in controlling it at speed grew. Next, I selected Comfort, and all felt right with the world. The bike tracked straight and easy, and I accelerated past 80 mph totally confident that the bike would absorb the strange surface beneath me. It did. But that’s not all. In Comfort mode, the GS rides like a luxury car, absorbing potholes, speed bumps, Volkswagens, whatever’s in your way. I left the bike in this setting for 90% of the next 2 weeks’ riding. Except in the canyons.

Malibu on a Sunday is pretty much standard operating procedure for every motorcycle rider in the Los Angeles area. And while I normally prefer to do my canyon carving on weekdays when the roads are empty, I found it to be a good opportunity to gauge the public response to the GS. Sure enough, I got compliments everywhere, from the Rock Store to the top of Mulholland, everyone gave me a thumbs up or a “Wow, nice bike.”

Riding in the canyons is much the same. With the ESA in Sport, I did over 200 miles of canyon carving and found the GS to be a thoroughly satisfying sport bike. While I couldn’t keep up with the full-leathered riders on the S1000RR’s, I likewise never held anyone up, and even caught a few sports cars in some very technical sections. The bike isn’t a rocket, but its wide handlebars and compliant suspension help the bike to get leaned down quickly, remain composed through the corners, and stand back at attention with a twist of the throttle. And while some other bikes get squirrely when faced with dirt and/or pebbles mid corner, the GS’s all-terrain tires make it feel as if the pavement is perfectly clean. If you plan on hard canyon carving with the GS, you must always be mindful of the Boxer’s heads, which can scrape the ground if leaned down far enough. Fortunately I only made that mistake once.

Now, about that engine. It’s powerful no matter the RPM. And though the exhaust note resembles a Subaru’s at low RPM, the faster you go, the smoother it gets. At 4,000 RPM, it’s virtually vibration free. At highway speeds, it’s so quiet that I can’t even hear the engine, just the roar of wind noise around my helmet. It’s no surprise that people ride these bikes tens of thousands of miles, because doing so exerts approximately zero stress on the body.

There are, of course a couple of downsides. Because the R1200GS is so big, and has such wide handlebars, it’s not exactly suited to lane-splitting in a crowded Los Angels intersection. It can be done, but requires much more caution and concentration than most other sporting motorcycles. The engine also seems to hiccup if you blip the throttle too quickly; preferring a more purposeful, harder blip in order to rev match appropriately. I also don’t like the separated blinker controls, which confuse me after every other bike has a single toggle for both directions. Fortunately, all these issues can be adapted to, and after a day or two riding my body learned to work with the bike.

Over two weeks I put nearly 800 miles on the R1200GS, and loved every minute of it. I realize that many bike owners have multiple motorcycles for different purposes, but if I had to pick one bike to ride for the rest of my life, this would be it. It offers enough sporting potential to have fun in the canyons, enough comfort and practicality to ride across the country or the desert, it can be taken off road, through water, or over snow. It has a community of seasoned riders for support, and most importantly, a proven reliability record. Sure, it’s not cheap, at $15,495 delivered, but to me, that seems like a bargain for what you get.

Forza 4

I know what you’re going to say: “Video games? On an automotive site?” Well, let me start off by saying that, like Matt, I’ve never been a big gamer. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I got my first gaming system, a Playstation bundle pack my family got with the new TV. It came with one game: Gran Turismo. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I loved the fact I got to drive real cars, and not some made up space karts with turbo boosters. I loved the fact that it was the most realistic racing game I had ever played. I was amazed by the graphics (1998, haha) and sounds of the game. Needless to say, I was hooked. I played that game until my thumbs were sore.  I remember waking up early before school , just to drive my hard earned Formula 1 car around the Nürburgring. Then it all changed. Somewhere between going off to college and discovering the fairer sex, I lost interest in video games. Sure, occasionally I’d sit down to play some racing games with friends, but was never really as enamored with them as when I first sat down with that revolutionary racing game I grew up with. I lost interest and focused more on actual driving and having fun behind the wheel of a REAL car. More after the jump.

Fast forward a few years and many speeding tickets later, and I find myself in today’s digital world. It seems to me that every video game out there is either some post-apocalyptic aliens-are-taking-over-Walmart shooter or a new karaoke pokemon breakdance party game. Not exactly my cup of tea.

So you can imagine my hesitation when I got a phone call asking if I’d like to review the new Forza 4. I actually had played Forza 3, and while it was fun for a quick race, I didn’t get the full experience since, well, I don’t own an Xbox or have any friends that regularly play the game.  Something though, maybe it was the rumors I had heard of Top Gear’s involvement, sparked my interest and I decided to check it out.

Boy was I glad I did. From the moment you turn on the game for the first time and hear Jeremy Clarkson’s introduction, you know it’s not just another racing game. Forza 4 has literally revolutionized the racing game as we know it.

The graphics are absolutely stunning. Not only featuring an all new lighting engine, Turn 10, the games developer, actually brought in Hollywood lighting experts as part of the development team.  Racing around Laguna Seca in an M3 GTR looks as though you’re actually watching HD coverage of an ALMS race, and not sitting on the couch in your boxers. Also, using Kinect’s Head Tracking system, the camera actually pans its view based on how you naturally look into the corners when hard charging an apex.

Turn 10's Creative Director Dan Greenawalt

Turn 10, the developer behind the Forza franchise, spent a lot of time listening to the enthusiast community and using their input throughout the development process, and it shows. With more than 80 manufacturers represented in the game (sorry, still no Porsche), Forza 4 features the most diverse grouping of cars I’ve ever seen in a game.  From obscure JDM cars you’ve probably never heard of, to the Teutonic giants of the Nürburgring, there’s something for every gearhead in this game. That diversity lends itself well to Forza’s already huge Xbox Live network, where you and your friends can create your own Car Club, bringing together the best drivers, tuners and customizers from the Forza community. As part of each club, you have the ability to share cars, so if I have a perfectly set up AE86 drift car, you can take that on the (very Initial D-esque) downhill mountain road, while I use your Veyron to slaughter track day heroes at Sebring. Microsoft’s innovative Kinect system also comes into play in the new Autovista mode, which not only features commentary by Top Gear’s Jezza himself, but also the ability to walk around, look at engine bay details. Kinect’s Head Tracking system, in game play, even pans the camera view based on how you naturally look into the corners when hard charging an apex.

To get down to brass tacks, Forza not only looks and sounds the part but also drives like no other game available. With vehicle dynamics developed directly with Pirelli, using their actual real world test results as data, the physics of the game are simply jaw dropping. Using a force-feedback wheel, you can literally feel the cracks in the pavement as you fly into the first chicane on the Mulsanne straight. One of the best parts of Forza 4 though, is the ability to custom tune your gaming experience. While Forza is equipped with a physics engine bordering on professional simulation, and graphics modeling on par with movie CGI, the game still features a plethora of driver aids, steering and brake assists available, so that even the most casual player can race.

In short, Forza 4 is an amazing game. It combines the polish and design needed to attract today’s gaming community, but still offers part of the visceral sights and sounds that car enthusiasts love. While we live in an age where teens are getting their licenses later and later, with a steady declining interest in cars, it’s games like Forza 4 that will hopefully bring them back around.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Ferrari 330 P4 to whip around the Nürburgring. Aids off.

- Daniel Volz

The Smoking Tire’s Tom Morningstar is thoroughly obsessed with bike racing. So much so that he DVR’ed the entire Tour De France. That’s 4 hours per day for 3 weeks straight. And he watched the entire thing. So much so that, even though we live in Los Angeles and he doesn’t have a car, he bought a $3,000 road bike. So much so, that he convinced me that the $340,000 Bentley Mulsanne sitting in our driveway would make a perfect crew vehicle for a pro biking team that was practicing for an upcoming race. We used the opportunity to see how the back seat of the Mulsanne, where the bikers’ assistants ride, compares to the front seat, where I like to be. Video after the jump.

We all know where this is going. It’s a 427 freakin’ Cobra. It is insane, awesome, noisy, squirrely, and every man’s fantasy. You get it and I get it. What you might not know, however, is what makes the car you’re currently ogling different. I’ll give you a hint: it’s the kind of difference that makes Carol Shelby himself take notice. Continue reading to find out what the difference is.

Aircraft, beer cans, and the original AC Cobra all share something that your average Cobra replica is missing – aluminum. The 427 Cobra is the most replicated car in the world, but almost all of them are made with fiberglass bodies. Now, fiberglass is great; it’s light, strong, durable, and easy to mold. These qualities make it great for canoes and insulation. Not so great for cars though. A friend of mine lost a family member not 3 weeks ago when the Cobra replica she was in was hit by an actual steel car. He described the accident by saying that the Cobra just “shattered” on impact. That’s what fiberglass does when stressed, it shatters where metal bends and absorbs energy. It is a tragedy that every replica out there is made out of plastic and no one is actually making them out of the original aluminum anymore. Oh wait, someone is…

Kirkham Motorsports out of Provo, Utah makes aluminum bodied 427 Cobra replicas by hand. I don’t mean the kit-car definition of “by hand,” I mean the Rolls-Royce definition of “by hand.” That curvaceous body is pounded out using hammers, English wheels, and sweat. Seriously. The story behind how this aluminum skin came to be is as interesting as the cars are fast.

The year is 1995 and the Soviet Union has been gone for 4 years. Great news in the West, not so great for the average people of Eastern Europe who depended on Mother Russia for such small things as jobs and food. This was the case in much of Poland, and importantly for our story one specific factory that crafted the aluminum skins onto MiG fighters. With no orders coming in, no materials, and no lights it was as if they were just waiting around for an American businessperson to come along and ask them to start making stupefying well-crafted sports cars – and what do you know, that’s exactly what happened.

Forgive me for making that series of events sound easy, because it wasn’t. David Kirkham missed his final exams in his final semester of college to fly to Poland and make the deal. Did I mention that he doesn’t speak Polish, and none of the factory workers spoke English? But as Kirkham employee Eric put it, “math is the universal language.” Great, so communication is kinda/sorta/not really handled. But wait, there is also a severe shortage of paper (yes like paper to write on) in Poland. So the two parties are literally tracing measurements and equations in the dirt outside the factory with a stick. This really happened. Are you starting to get a sense of how monumental it is that the finished product not only somehow had the correct number of doors and headlights, but is such a faithful replica that Carroll Shelby himself buys Cobra bodies from Kirkham?

You want one now? Great, so order one up and the Polish wizards will hand form the body and attach it to the frame of your car. Next, it is sent to Utah for finishing. There one very talented man spends 2 weeks filling, sanding, and polishing your car; once again all by hand. After all the mechanicals and interior are attached, only a total of 10 to 13 people have touched your new car and barely a month has elapsed. Drop in the crate motor of your choice and you are now ready to terrorize your neighborhood.

When you inevitably start doing donuts you might feel and appreciate some of the suspension tweaks Kirkham has seen fit to install on their replicas. They have evaluated many of the original components and seen areas where they can improve upon the original car. Eric summed it up this way: “We put new technology in an old car.” This is all part of the big trend in the last decade to improve the handling characteristics of the original Cobra. Their suspension upgrades are so renowned that many owners of lesser Cobra replicas have chosen to buy Kirkham parts to improve their cars’ handling characteristics.

Alright enough stalling already, you want to know what these cars are like on the road. Let me tell you they are epic when in motion.  The noise, oh the noise… Explore the gas pedal and your hearing explodes as the horizon ahead turns into tunnel vision. The body dances with each revolution of the cylinders, and the cycle of the cam becomes part of your heartbeat. This thing is scary, but not in the way I thought it would be. I’m in a replica with 400 hp that has been purposefully tuned and set up to act and feel like an original 60’s era Cobra. Let me rephrase that – the car I’m in has purposefully terrible brakes, outdated suspension, and a rough feel to it. Even with all this, I found it perfectly comfortable cruising through town and being stuck in traffic. Give a Kirkham some space though, and even at half throttle you will rocket forward with the kind of gusto few on this world get to experience. If you plan on owning one of these, you’re going to have to get used to braking before a turn, idling through the apex, and only getting on the gas when the road ahead is both straight and clear. This is where I got scared. Not on a sweeping left hander or halfway through a barely controlled drift but on a perfectly straight and level road. Rocketing from 20 to 80 in the shortest seconds of my life and hurtling towards the BMW X5 ahead with us having purposefully bad brakes tends to do that to me. God I want this car. I want it in my life all the time forever and ever. I love it more than I’ve ever loved anything. Forget everything you know about motoring, speed, and what life should feel like. Imagine surfing through a supernova while drinking a slurpee and shouting “kowabunga” and you are still nowhere close to how epic you will feel in one of these cars.

So you knew I was going to say all that, because you already knew what the 427 Cobra is all about. So why did you read the last 1,108 words? You did it because it’s an icon and you’ve always wanted one. Well, now you know which one to get. Kirkham Motorsports makes the finest reproductions of the giant killing 427 Cobra currently available. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to start searching my couch for $60,000 worth of loose change.

By Adam Kaslikowski, Photos by David Tanner

After years of fielding requests from fans of this site, we have finally decided to try a video review of a motorcycle. While it’s true that I’ve only been riding bikes for about 2 years, and am not quite as well versed in 2-wheelers as I am with the “quads,” I figured we’d take BMW’s newest “Streetfighter” bike out for a ride to see what it can do. The F800R is a naked sport bike designed to compete with the Ducati Monster, Aprilia Shiver, and Suzuki Gladius (AKA SV650). These bikes are designed for urban utility as well as canyon carving fun. So, how does the F800R stand up to the competition? Hit the jump to find out.

Sometimes the future doesn’t so much explode onto the scene as much as it silently creeps into our reality. Quiet evolution has a way of consistently trumping boisterous revolutions. Internal combustion engines have progressed and changed constantly since their introduction into the automobile, and now with the Chevy Volt they have been downsized to a supporting player to the “so-hot-right-now” electric motor. Is the Volt part of this progress of the automobile or a hybrid distraction? Continue reading to find out…

I want to start out by casting aside all the vitriol, rumor, and hype about his vehicle and examine it as I would examine any other Chevy; as a car. It’s got four doors like a car, a gas cap, steering wheel, and power windows too. It doesn’t fly, hover, glow, or do magic tricks – sounds like a car to me.

As a car, the Volt does its job rather well. The interior is on par with other high-end Chevy’s (which is to say fairly good and improving by each generation). Comfortable seats flank the faux transmission tunnel which is actually part of the battery pack. There are near equal parts soft-touch and hard grainy plastics. The white center console overshadows the cheaper parts of the cabin with its sheer modernity. Glistening white like an iPod and populated almost entirely by touch sensitive buttons, the center stack is clearly the centerpiece of the Volt’s interior.

All information is conveyed to the driver by a pair of LCD screens, one above the center stack and one replacing the analog dials traditionally directly in front of the steering wheel. Freed from having to show RPM’s, oil and water pressure, the driver’s display instead shows battery range, gasoline range, and how your driving is affecting the battery – economical, draining, or in the case of using the brakes, charging. The central monitor is in charge of such varied tasks as radio display, further battery information, GPS, and HVAC.

Heading outside, the Volt out-moderns the Prius with its clean lines and aggressive stance. The entire car seems to be leaning forward, ready to pounce. Instead of the Prius’s jellybean look and 15″ rims you get a well styled reverse light that more than anything else apes the exhaust of a CTS-V coupe or a Lambo. In keeping with the overall theme of the car, the concept of the exterior is a traditional compact car with some cutting edge features. The wrap-around tail-lights, solid front grill, and charging port adorn a body that could otherwise be the next Chevy Cruze.

The vital statistics are as follows: The Volt has a total of 149hp with 273lb-ft of torque – get used to seeing higher torque than horsepower numbers with electric vehicles. 0-60 is undertaken in 9.2 seconds up to a top speed of only 100mph. Gas mileage numbers get a little confusing with range extender hybrids, but real world drivers are reporting 36mpg after the battery is exhausted; good, but certainly not great. If you want to avoid getting worse mileage than a diesel Golf, you’ll need to keep within the Volt’s electric-only range of +/- 25 miles.  Do this and you should be seeing your local gas station once every two months. Full range with a topped off battery and gas tank is estimated at 379 miles by the EPA.

So what’s the Volt like to drive? In a word, eerie. Your muscle memory, reflexes, and subconscious are all ready for the same old routine after you slip into the normal seats behind the normal steering wheel. What happens next, though, is anything but normal. Select drive and press the accelerator and it seems like nothing is happening. There’s no sound and no revs (no Tachometer after all…) but wait, the world is moving around you. By George, you’re moving! Once you recalibrate your senses and stop searching for engine noise you are back into familiar territory. The torquey-ness of that electric motor (full torque available from 0 RPMs) gives the Volt some grunt that is unexpected in a compact car. This thing is pretty gutsy up to about 40mph, then the car’s weight begins to make itself known. On the freeway, it seemed to have a little less pull than other compact cars but nothing that made passing an unwise endeavor.

All in all though, were back in normal car territory. Good turning circle, quiet ride, just-okay suspension. Driving a Volt is like driving a Civic or Camry and anyone who has had their license for more than a week will feel right at home. The Volt then is that kind of evolution that improves upon the species in a subtle but profound way. Who knew the future would look this ordinary?

-Adam Kaslikowski

Special thanks to Jerry Seiner Chevrolet

We know it’s been a little quiet around here recently. Those of you who follow Matt on Facebook or Twitter know that The Car Show on Speed just wrapped and Matt just had back surgery, so between TV and recovery we haven’t been making many videos. But good news TST fans: The Car Show is done for the season and Matt’s all fixed up now so we’re back! And we’ll have many more videos in the coming months. And here’s the first one, the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT 392, the newly updated version of the Dodge Challenger SRT8. With 470 ponies on tap, this baby was born to drag race, and as pretty and comfortable as it is, has just gotta be road tripped. Hit the jump for the video.

In 2008, I tested the original Genesis Sedan V6 and found it to be a giant leap forward for Hyundai, offering true luxury car feel and build quality, at a price thousands less than its Japanese and European competitors. It’s front-engine, rear drive platform, solid chassis, and more than competent driving dynamics made for a solid value argument in the entry-level luxury segment, an increasingly popular segment as up-and-comers look for value over brand image, and image-conscious wealthy people continue to step down from vehicles linked to the image of excess. Three years later, and Hyundai’s brand image, reputation for reliability, and yes, horsepower ratings continue to rise. We couldn’t wait to test the newest Genesis in the lineup, the top-tier, 429-horsepower 5.0L R-Spec model. Will it move the Genesis, literally and figuratively, beyond entry-level luxury cruiser into the ultra-competitive world of the “sport sedan,” ruled by the AMG’s and M-powered Bimmers? Hit the jump to find out.

At first glance, there’s not much to differentiate the big-power R-Spec from its V6 powered siblings. The 19″ two-tone wheels are the only true indicator, as the facelifted front fascia and new rocker panels appear on all 2012 Genesis models. At second glance, there isn’t much differentiation either. The dashboard, seats, steering wheel, interior trim, and exhaust pipes are also identical across the board. Other than the wheels, you’d have to look at the R-Spec badge on the rear decklid or the front floor mats for the only clues what engine lies under the hood. Nevertheless, the Genesis’s styling is handsome and conservatively unoffensive, a combination of elements from many of its competitors: The Mercedes grill, Infiniti rocker panels, Lexus exhaust tips and chrome trim, and Acura TL side profile are painfully obvious, but surprisingly cohesive when viewed as a whole. The only truly original element of the Genesis’s style is the new LED running lamps, which are the first we’ve seen of the kind and are very cool in person and in pictures.

Inside, the Genesis is as warm and inviting as ever. Front and rear seats are equally comfortable, though neither could ever be described as sporty, and head/leg/shoulder room is plentiful, even for myself and my equally large (6’2″, 250 lbs) photographer. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so those with long legs and short arms (like yours truly) can find a comfortable driving position in no time. Firing up the 5.0L V8 is as simple as pressing the oversized “Start” button; the key remains in your pocket, and the engine fires to life with little drama, keeping its massive power a secret until you ask. For lack of a better analogy, it’s first-generation LS400 quiet at any speed.

Interior legroom is ample, even when we adjust both front seats for six-footers for this photo.

Our top-trim tester flaunted a $47,000 sticker price, $14,000 more than the base spec model. Though the big V8 is the most impressive upgrade, the new, revised R-Spec suspension helps to keep things under control. On a fast run through the Malibu canyons, the Genesis manages to impress with its mid-corner poise and level-headedness in the bends. Unfortunately the steering rack can be disconcerting during hard driving. On-center steering is more vague than we’d like, and the off-center steering feels overly sensitive, meaning that over correction mid-corner happens more frequently than we’d like. Boys, if you’re going to copy other manufacturers, please see the section under BMW on Steering Racks. Fortunately, throttle-steering with the traction control off is as fun as you’d expect from an engine this powerful. Like most other cars of this genre, the brakes tend to fade faster than we’d like. A quick run up Las Flores Canyon and down Stunt Road melted the brake pads to near the point of smoking, much less stopping, and it took a few miles of slow engine braking in order to bring them back to life. A brake upgrade along with the R-spec badging would go a long way, even if it does add to the sticker price a bit.

But really, the R-Spec is all about the engine and newly matched 8-speed automatic transmission. With 429 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque, the Genesis now has the power to not only get out of its own way, but also to pass 3 or 4 cars on a double-yellow line without breaking a sweat. It lacks the beastly low-end torque of an AMG car, not making full torque until a lofty 5,000 RPM, but once it hits the powerband the Genesis thrusts forward like any of its German competitors. Hyundai claims the run to sixty takes a scant 5.1 seconds, a claim we have no problem believing, and with traction control off, the R-Spec can easily put on a smoke show that would make a Shelby GT500 owner blush. Additional kudos go to the Bridgeston Potenza tires for being particularly smokey when lit up. It also gets extra points for a traction control system that can completely defeat all the nannies at once, something that many cars in its class lack.

The Genesis out-powers the BMW 550i, Lexus GS460, Mercedes E550, and Audi A6  3.0T by as little as 30 horsepower in the case of the BMW, and as much as 100 horsepower in the case of the Audi. But it’s missing something, something car guys like – noise. Silence is good in a luxury car, and Lexus has made a very good case for silence in the last decade. But when you’re going to put an “R-Spec” badge on the back of a car, the kind of people who are going to be shopping it are going to want some kind of aural feedback from it. It doesn’t need to sound like a 1970 Trans-Am Mustang when revved, but the subtle growl of a luxury V8 is a cherished sound to a car-guy, and we really notice its absence here.

But is it sporty? Or just fast? The clear weak link here (besides the cooked brakes) is the 8-speed transmission. Though it shifts smoothly and effortlessly in everyday driving situations (read: D), it shifts slowly in manual mode, lacks paddle shifters, and has an upside-down manual shift lever. We’re going to keep saying it, in all caps, until they understand: YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PULL THE LEVER TOWARDS YOU TO SHIFT UP, AND PUSH IT FORWARD TO SHIFT DOWN. Apparently we’re not alone on this, as Hyundai’s engineers said the lack of paddles was a constant point of criticism from journalists. Hopefully this is remedied for 2013.

The lack of proper manual controls are, more than anything else, what keeps the Genesis R-Spec in the realm of fast luxury cruiser, and not in the Sport Sedan category. But what about the value proposition of the original Genesis? Does any of that remain in the R-Spec? Yes, and no.

The R-Spec offers more power and features for a price that significantly undercuts the German competition. On paper, it’s still a great value compared to most cars. But the 3.8L V6 sees some improvement for 2012 as well, now producing 333 horsepower (identical to the Infiniti M37, and thousands cheaper) and gets the same 8-speed transmission as the R-Spec. And is the R-Specs power increase worth $14,000 over the price of the V6?

If we’re shopping, the answer is no. To us, the Genesis represents a feature-loaded commuter car, something to haul the family around in comfort and style at an affordable price. The extra power is nice, but the V6 is more than adequate for daily use, and it gets better fuel economy too. The Genesis isn’t supposed to be a canyon carver, and it isn’t supposed to be a sports car, no matter what engine option you choose. For that, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that Hyundai engineers find a way to shoehorn the 5-liter engine into the Coupe body. Unfortunately, we hear from our sources that it just won’t fit, so we shouldn’t get our hopes up. But we’re happy that Hyundai has brought to market, and subsequently improved upon, a car that, in any trim, is a pleasurable place to spend your time, a reliable, well-styled, and affordable luxury sedan. And if quiet, efficient horsepower is your game, the R-Spec won’t disappoint.

The words “practical” and “powerful” a rarely friends. The same way “playmate” goes with “PTA meeting.” But this week we got something that is able to mesh those two words together. It’s the American offering to the uber wagen market. An offering from Cadillac that has enough power and performance to not only run down Europe’s best family haulers, but some of the world’s best sports cars as well.

It’s the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. After driving it around L.A. for a week, we needed to see what it could really do. So we took it to the El Mirage dry lake bed, one of the greatest places in the U.S., where speed limits do not exist. How else will you find out if a car can make Dora the Explorer horrifying? We wanted to see not only how fast the CTS-V could go, but how it would contend against it’s cousin, a C6 Corvette. Make the jump to see what happened when we took away tarmac, and speed limits.

There are red states and blue states, and then there are Jeep states. Not restricted to any geography, the Jeep States of America are populated by equal amounts soccer moms and adventure seekers. These two seemingly opposite groups have made up Jeep’s customer base for decades. They are a fiercely loyal bunch and it takes quite a bit to alienate them. However, the JSA wants more than just these two groups; they want to expand their territory into Land Rover’s country too. Does the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have enough ability, and more importantly luxury to do this? Follow the jump to find out.

The Cherokee line certainly has changed throughout the years. What began as basically a rough and ready off-roader with barely a touch of civility has morphed into a comfortable grocery-getter while retaining the ability to surmount obstacles from snow to sheer red rock. This evolution has trudged on through the decades and just like evolution, the results weren’t always pretty or particularly effective. But Jeep has soldiered on and now we have the 2011 model. Hinckley Jeep of Salt Lake City was kind enough to let me borrow the latest iteration to sort out what Jeep has ended up with after all these years.

It certainly is a looker. There’s a bit of the 1^st generation BMW X5 in the rear and the front fascia achieves a convincing blend of both imposing stance and luxury. Looking straight on, the iconic 7 slot grill appears aggressively raked back and there’s a nice balance between the various lights and grills that gives the Cherokee newfound presence. The high, upward angled waistline also gives the profile a sense of motion and sportiness. I particularly like the way the deep crease running through the doors is extended to the rear light cluster, interrupted only by the rear wheel. This subtly gives the impression that the rear fender is far more flared out than in reality, which in turn gives the Cherokee a masculinity it would otherwise miss. Overall there is an excellent theme in the car’s exterior, neither too feminine nor too tough. Want proof? Google the 2009 Grand Cherokee. Go ahead, I’ll wait. See what I mean? There was far too much testosterone in that body style for it to ever catch on with those more interested in the country club than the back country.

The interior, while far from European standards, is well sorted. But this is the part of the $30,215 base Grand Cherokee where you really have to be prudent with the options boxes. If what you want is a luxury soft-roader, make sure you opt into the two packages that cover the terrible and vast expanses of dash plastic with leather. If all you want is a rough and ready weekend warrior, for god’s sake just buy a Wrangler.

There are thoughtful touches all around the cabin, from real wood accents to illuminated cup holders (apparently for when you can’t find your beverage in the dark). All the dash buttons have a nice feel to them, although they are far from attractive. If the exterior has a touch of the X5, then the interior switchgear has a hint of Jetta. The 1995 Jetta. The console and buttons are seriously behind the times. Why is it I can get a nicer interior in a Hyundai Elantra?

On the plus side, the navigation is easy to use, large enough to see, and idiot-proof. Nestled between the instrument binnacle is also a multifunction display that incorporates everything from trip mileage, mpg, and gear selection to temperature and ride height. The tachometer itself has an interesting “greenline” – the immortal enemy of the common redline, this green shifting zone shows you when your RPMs match the most economical driving style. Useful? Barely, but more importantly to Jeep it’s a cheap and clever way to boost the Cherokee’s eco-cred.

Front legroom is spacious, although the passenger seat must be fully back in order to open the glove box without either banging knees or making your guest assume various Kama Sutra positions. I know that we as a public demand large glove boxes, but why can’t it be placed higher in the dash to avoid this? Rear seat legroom is adequate, but I was surprised it was not more spacious given the large dimensions of the vehicle.

I drove both the V6 and V8, and found both well suited to their own uses. First up, the V6: this engine is for commuting and sticking to paved driving surfaces. Dynamically, the new 290hp V6 feels taxed right through the rev range. It goes when your heavy foot tells it to, but it seems as if the engine is always at the end of its rope. This is likely why I’ve been told that real world customers are seeing MPG numbers on par with those of the V8. Having to constantly punish the accelerator never bodes well for your fuel economy. So you ask “if I’m not going to get better mileage out of the V6, why not just get the V8?” If you’re looking to save some money, plan on never towing anything, and your commute consists of entirely level roads with no hills then the V6 will do you just fine.

Here’s what you get for your $1,500 2 cylinder upgrade: 360hp, a growl straight from heaven (or hell), and POWERRRRR! Oh, and cylinder deactivation for when you feel like taking it easy on the polar ice caps. Get the V8. Period. It’s a pussycat around town, makes the eco green zone on the tach actually meaningful, and you can tow lesser off-roaders out of the mud puddles they tend to get stuck in. This is a glorious engine that never struggles to motivate the 6,800 lb Grand Cherokee with authority.

I’ve never really been a fan of Jeeps. Recent examples have always seemed to be compromised imitations of far superior SUVs. While the Wrangler has and always will be a back country dominating machine, the rest of the Jeep lineup doesn’t stick to this niche and as a result gets lost in a crowd of manufacturers that have no illusions that their products will never be taken off road. This gives other companies the ability to concentrate their energies on making their SUVs more in tune with what the majority of the public wants, rather than having to cater to a vocal off-roading minority. I see the new Grand Cherokee as a step in the right direction. It is far more luxurious and pleasantly designed. So even though it has the option of a four wheel drive setup that can crawl down a rock slope and ride height adjustment for scaling obstacles, it also has comfortable seats and supple leather throughout. Jeep seems to be getting the hint that they should put less time worrying about what people say they want and more into what they actually use. Am I now contemplating moving to the Jeep States of America? Still no, but at least now I can understand why some people would want to.

- Adam Kaslikowski

“What car is that?”

“It’s a Hyundai Sonata.” I replied to the gas station attendant in who-cares-unless-you-like-meth-and-cow-shit, CA. I’d find myself explaining this car several more times on my two day trip to Santa Cruz. No one expects their eyebrows to get raised by a Hyundai. I didn’t. Make the jump for the full review.

Now that I think about it, there were a few times during the drive I asked myself the question, “This is a Hyundai?” It didn’t matter if I was taking an on-ramp, making a pass, or just walking up to it when it was parked. There’s a lot about this car 5 years ago you wouldn’t associate with Hyundai.

And I was not alone in this disbelief. After a quick trip to Vegas, Matt asked me to verify the speedometer with my Garmin GPS. He thought the Sonata, like most people leaving Vegas, was lying.

It wasn’t. This car is surprisingly fast. It’s top speed had to be limited to 153mph. Its 2.0 liter engine makes 274hp, leading the class. The hidden gem is the  269ft lbs of torque come on at only 1,750RPM. The engine is perfectly tuned for normal people doing normal things. And that’s good, because that’s who buys a 4 door sedan like this, normal people. I tested this engine by chasing down a BMW 645i. I caught up to him quick enough that he jumped on the brakes and pulled alongside. The driver looked over, like a confused dolphin staring at a submarine, probably thinking I was an un-marked cop. I think he figured cops don’t drive Hyundais, but when he sped off, I wasn’t far behind. Throughout the 700 or so miles it proved itself as a good long-distance runner.

The engine is smooth, but they tuned the exhaust note like a sleep machine so you won’t ever hear it. Thankfully, the  engine is not the result of merely throwing a turbo into the engine bay. Hyundai put some serious R and D time into it. 6.5 seconds to 60 is respectable (the fun is between 30 and 80mph), and 33mpg is also top of the food chain. And because of Hyundai’s hard work, it will do all these things long after China has bought the world and melted us all into plastic figurines.

The 2010 model looked like it had been designed using used moving boxes , rather than the usual clay, but I will proudly stand beside this 2011. Sure, it looks like the Hyundai designers went dumpster diving behind the Mercedes plant and traced off their old CLS renderings, changing just enough to avoid a law suit. But I like the CLS, so I’m ok with that.

Behind the wheel, forward visibility was great, although the sloped hood makes corner placement a little tough. The view out the back is tight , so opting for a backup camera would be a wise choice. The steering-wheel has a slippery leatherette material that belongs in the waiting room of a 1978 Ohio Salon. The paddles are convenient, but the lack of throttle blips on downshifts kept me from using them more. I’m sure there’s a cost factor involved, but hopefully the 2012 Sonata will address this. Just put their engineers in a 1994 Taurus and have them shift that from D to 3rd. That should explain it.

The Sonata comes standard with speed-sensitive steering and “sport tuned suspension.” The steering was good. I felt confident at high speeds or the smaller, twisty highways. But today the term “sport tuned suspension” has as much meaning as “Made with natural flavors.” The combination of body roll and lowish grip means this car is more a Vitamin Water than an Odwalla. But when you consider all the other things this car does well, and the market it’s in, you shouldn’t be expecting .94g on the skid pad. But there was one stain; the brakes. They are seriously insufficient for how fast this car is. Hyundai seems to have made the teenage mistake of spending money on power but not brakes.

It’s pretty nice inside as well. Hyundai was handed cheap plastic lemons, and made pretty good lemonade. The materials inside aren’t expensive, but they look nice. It has a flow to it, and looks like it was all designed together, a sad rarity these days. A lot of times there’s square pegs next to round holes or window switches outside the doors. Here everything is in easy reach. Bluetooth, XM, phone, AUX cable, power driver seat, (all standard) and even an “ECO” button that probably saved me some meter money. It has lots of buttons, screens and storage to keep you happy.

There were only a few issues I had with the cockpit, but they bugged the hell out of me. One is the media screen. “Screen” is actually too lofty a word. I’m going with “display”, because like a girl saying “penis” you know it’s going to  be small. The screen is too small to read most song titles or artist names. I gave up using it to navigate music before I broke LA city limits. The second was the iPod interaction. You can either stream it through Bluetooth, or plug in to the AUX cable.

Here’s the problem; Sync through Bluetooth and you can control the songs through your iPod, a format unborn children already know. But, if you plug it in the AUX cable, you can only use the car’s radio controls, which lack a “shuffle” button and have a screen from your old Game Gear. The tiny screen makes searching songs a pain. I found myself praying for a Shuffle button hidden under the seat-belt, or hood. In fact, let me say this to every car maker out there; If you want to build your own mp3 interface, fine. But please look at what Apple has provided and make sure your system offers the same ease of use and the same options. Staples didn’t copy Office Max and then say “Our store is even better, because we got rid of all the staplers, pens and paper!”

Oh, and the seats get a C. They were were fine for a 5 hour drive, but they were bolstered like a bus seat. I don’t care if you’re American, Ethiopian or a sumo wrestler. You take a corner and you’re sliding out one of the windows. I would gladly pay $5 for some more foam in my seat.

The Sonata has upped it’s game to compete with the well-established Camry and young contender, the Ford Fusion. Both offer similar performance, economy and safety, all for a similar price. How’s it stack up?  Our 2011 Sonata SE has a total price of $25,000, $2,000 less than a similar Fusion, and gets 2mpg more than a similarly equipped Camry. I also prefer the look of the Sonata, inside and out. Plus, you can’t put a down-pipe on you Camry. I think turbos help preserve an enthusiast’ soul. Besides, beating guidos in 328is’ on the way back from ice cream is considered family time.

If you read my review on the Buick Lacrosse you’ll see I am Switzerland to family sedans; I don’t care. Unless your ID says “performance model”  I might let you die in the street. But that’s because I’m a 28 year old teenager. But to an adult with responsibility, this might be the funnest way to be responsible. If you’re reading this, you get get something special from cars. So, you now what it does to have your soul crushed by the burden of driving something wholly boring and evil (cough, MINIVAN). The 2011 Sonata 2.0T SE is a bargain that leaves your soul intact.

- Zack K

Two years and 25,000 subscribers ago, Tom and I said fairwell to the Garage419 brand with an epic road trip to the Pacific Coast Highway in a BMW 335i Convertible. Now, we hit the same stretch of road with the 2011 BMW M3 with Competition Package, the quickest M3 you can buy in the United States. Even though the V8 – powered coupe from Munich is due to be replaced soon with a forced-induction sixer, we celebrate the sound of the fury of the Alpine White M3 as it was meant to be driven. Video after the jump.

The Smoking Tire would like to welcome our newest writer, Adam Kaslikowski

Moxy. Some cars have it and some cars don’t. Hell, some people have it and some don’t. It’s that little bit of spirit and vigor that separates the Aston Martins from the Porsches of the world, the Samuel L. Jacksons from the Ben Afflecks. And does the Fiat 500 have it? In a word, YES. But, can the micro-sized Italian exist on Moxy alone? Hit the jump to find out.

The little car picks up where the MINI (its most direct competitor) left off 8 years ago. Small, stylish, cute, and fun; it’s like the 500 is a toy dog that ran away from a rich woman’s purse and hit the indie rock big time. Where the Mini is no longer seen as a unique choice or a “statement car,” the Fiat uses its more rounded features and retro interior to proclaim that the owner of this car is an individual who does not mind standing out.

Sitting in the mid-range Sport model – the 500 comes in Pop, Sport, and Lounge trims – is a mostly pleasant experience. The cabin is a refreshing place to be and it reminds you that you are in a spirited car. Cheap interior plastics are balanced out by the retro dash panel, the seats are great looking and not overly firm, and I love the headrests. The 500’s cabin slaps you in the face with a reminder that cheap cars don’t have to have cheap looking interiors. Now don’t get me wrong, the 500’s interior is most certainly cheap. Scratching on the plastics elicits a lovely sound on par with shaving with sandpaper – but it doesn’t look cheap, and that distinction is huge. The major touch points (steering wheel, gear shift, switches) are pleasing to the touch, and it is only when your hands venture away from these (to, say, the whole rest of the car) that the lower grade materials are found.

At just 140 inches long, the Fiat is 6 inches shorter than the MINI and more than a foot and half shorter than the Ford Fiesta; this car is seriously tiny. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel it once I stepped inside the cabin. Front legroom was not a problem for either myself (6” tall) or my passenger, whom even successfully climbed in the back to see if it was suitable for human habitation. It was, but she’s 5’1” and to be honest she also fits in the glove box.  Needless to say, the only way you are getting an “actual size” adult into the back seat is if they fold themselves into their own convenient carrying pouch.

The diminutive Fiat starts at $15,500 (in Pop trim), and for that you get power locks and windows, a 6 speaker CD/mp3 radio, 5-speed manual transmission, and 15” inch wheels. The $17,500 model I drove (Sport) throws in larger and better looking wheels, keyless entry, steering wheel controls, and fog lamps. The top of the range (Lounge) starts at $19,500, and this gains you climate control, “premium cloth seats” (leather is a $1,500 option), a six-speed automatic ‘box, a built in alarm system, and a fixed glass roof. However, by fully kitting up the Lounge model you can easily crest the $25K mark after tax and destination – and that’s decent used 3 series money.

The competition for the 500 is evenly split between new sub 20K cars (Honda Fit, MINI Cooper, Ford Fiesta, Kia Forte) and quality used cars. There will always be great used cars to be had in that price range, however for some people that just doesn’t matter. They want a new car for whatever reason that they do, and they will only be cross-shopping with the other stylish small cars in this price bracket. The Fit and Fiesta has been universally hailed as great rides but both are lacking in the soul department. The Kia certainly has soul but some are still unwilling to step into Korean cars (which really shouldn’t be the case anymore). And that leaves the MINI; soul and pedigree to waste, but more expensive than the Fiat and now too common a sight on the roads.

It will be interesting to see if Fiat/Chrysler can match MINI USA’s marketing gusto. The BMW sub-brand has conquered all competition because it has been able to firmly cement itself as the quirky and fun brand. I have little doubt that Fiat will have no problem selling the “fun” image for its 500, but none of the current advertisements really have any personality to speak of. Unless “standard car ad” is a personality. Only time will tell, but there’s no reason that Fiat shouldn’t able to step up and start eating other advertisers’ lunch with this car.

The thing about moxy though, is that you have to be able to back it up. This is where the 500 lets down. Mashing the accelerator and calling up the 101hp 1.4 liter engine results in all sound and no fury as you meander your way to 60 in 9.4 sec. It is frustrating that a car with this much outward personality is really writing checks that its engine can’t cash. Let me reiterate that driving the Fiat is fun enough, and the endless amount of stares and attention are their own reward, but there is an inescapable sense of being underwhelmed about the acceleration. Hopefully this will be solved when the higher output Abarth version hits our shores. So the engine is lacking, so what? The people who buy this car – those looking for an automotive fashion accessory – won’t be bothered by this fact. And what they overlook in horsepower and torque, they will be compensated for with a preternatural cornering ability. This thing dives into bends like an overexcited puppy and exits them with nary any forward momentum lost. Like driving any good European car, you begin to hunt after routes that require anything more right angles to navigate. The joy in this car comes from the first and last 3 miles of your daily commute.

The MINI has already shown us how this story ends – eventually car parks will be filled with 500s and your once unique car will be everywhere from high school parking lots to being ignominiously towed behind your weird aunt’s RV. But live it up with the 500 while you can. This is a great car at a great price. Welcome back Fiat.

- Adam K

“It’s about time a journalist finally put their money where their mouth is.”

-Jamal Hameedi, SVT Chief Design Engineer, when I told him I bought a Raptor

I purchased my 2010 Ford SVT Raptor 6.2 on June 2nd, 2010. I even took delivery of it in a gigantic vault, which is damn cool. Now it’s been 10 months and 13,000 mostly trouble-free miles, and I still love my truck. I say “mostly” trouble free because I did have two small issues: some play in the driver’s seat, and a sticking rear door handle, both of which were repaired under warranty at 12,000 miles. Needless to say, but said anyway, there is not another journalist on the planet that has more miles behind the wheel of a Raptor than I do. For my purposes, (daily driver, comfy road-tripper, shit-hauler, TST camera vehicle, and fun off-roader), there is simply no better truck than my 2010 Raptor. That’s what I thought until last week, when Ford dropped off a 2011 Raptor SuperCrew in my driveway for a review.

Ford, more so than almost any other manufacturer I deal with, is amazing at listening to customers’ needs and applying changes to future models. And I suppose, because I have access to the right people’s email addresses, I have a bit more influence than the average customer. This is great when I’m reviewing a car and providing feedback to their engineers, because the next time I see a newer model, these changes are almost always implemented. See the 2012 Focus, 2012 Taurus SHO, 2011 Mustang GT, and, most importantly, the 2011 Raptor for examples of this. But what happens when I buy a 2010, and then a newer model comes out?

The Raptor SuperCrew was never originally intended to see production. In fact, the only reason they are in showrooms now is because of customer demand. And even though it’s been on the road for just a few short months, I’d say 50% of all Raptors I see on the road today are SuperCrew models, so the demand must have been very high.

Just to get it out of the way, I knew the SuperCrew was coming when I bought my “short” Raptor, and in that regard, I still made the right decision. The SuperCrew has a massive back seat, with leg and headroom rivaling a long-wheelbase luxury sedan; Zack and Thad, our interns, quickly dubbed it the “Redneck Rolls Royce.” And if you live in Texas, there is no more appropriate all-purpose luxury vehicle. However the added length does come at a price. LA’s infamous expansion joints seem to flex the chassis more than the shorter truck, and turning radius is noticeably increased compared to the short truck. And since the back seat in the shorter version is more than adequate for anyone smaller than John Salley, we’re still good. We also unanimously agreed among the TST crew that the proportions of the smaller truck are more attractive from a visual standpoint.

Even though I liked the 2010 Raptor enough to shell out 50 large for one, there was definitely room for improvement, and I wrote about several things that I felt my truck was lacking, including manually-selectable gears, one-touch windows, a built-in inverter, and updated key, such as comes with the 2011 Mustangs. My truck has the exact same remote fob as I had in my 2001 Ford Explorer. I was also annoyed that I didn’t get any “6.2″ badging, and people can’t tell the difference between that and the anemic 5.4L base engine, which is no longer available.

Here’s a list of what’s been added to our Blue Flame Metallic 2011 SuperCrew test vehicle:

- All-in-one key with remote start.

- One-touch windows.

- Manually selectable gears via buttons on the shifter (like 2012 Focus).

- 110v inverter.

- 4.2″ LCD Screen in dash that shows pitch, tilt, and wheel position for off-roading, and looks really cool.

- A new torque converter which makes low-speed gearchanges smoother.

- 36 gallon fuel tank for a true 400+ mile cruising range. (We filled up in San Simeon, CA, where gas was $5.85/gallon, for the single most expensive fill-up I can ever lay claim to, $171.42)

- Power folding side view mirrors with blind spot-eliminating “bifocal” mirror.

- “6.2L” Badging on the front doors, even though this is now the only engine available.

When I wrote about the Ferrari 458 Italia for Autoguide.com, I warned 360 and 430 owners to not test drive the new car unless they were prepared to buy one on the spot, because if they did, they would hate their current rides. Oh sweet irony, as I now feel the same about my Raptor. Even though the 2011 is an evolution, not a revolution like the 458 is to the 430, enough luxury touches have been added to it that I’m kind of feeling gypped, especially since I truly feel that every single one of these features should have been in the Raptor the entire time. It is, after all, the halo car of F-150 models. The worst part? Everything on that list is included for 2011 at no extra cost. Our 2011 SuperCrew test vehicle’s window sticker was only $2,000 more than the sticker on my 2010, which is the difference between Extended Cab and Super Crew.

I do still love my Raptor, and I look forward to using it as it was designed to be used until the wheels fall off the damn thing (which is at least 100,000 miles, the length of my warranty coverage). And I’ll probably be lightly annoyed every time I see an easily-identifiable 2011-and-up Raptor from here on out. That’s just the way my brain works, and it sucks.

But for you, the customer, the enthusiast, be happy with the knowledge that Ford is listening to people’s comments and adjusting their product accordingly. In the beginning of this piece I said that the 2010 Raptor is the best truck ever. It isn’t. The 2011 is.

A few months ago my friend Andrew-fellow car nut and current Nissan salesman-called me up and said, “Have you driven a Juke yet? It’s pretty awesome” I replied “no”, questioned his mental health, vision and taste and we moved along. Then Matt asked me to take one for a few days, seconding Andrew’s thoughts on the car. Like Andy Dick in Tijuana, I had to see if this donkey show was all it’s cracked up to be. Turns out Andrew isn’t crazy after all. Make the jump for a full review.

You know when you’re single, and your friend wants to set you up with one of her friends? The conversation usually goes like this:

Me: What’s she like?

Friend: Oh she’s so great! She’s really funny, and she’s low maintenance, really funny but still super smart. She has a great family and she’s into Family Guy and all those stupid shows you watch.

Me: I noticed you haven’t mentioned her looks yet.

Friend: Oh! Duh! She’s…cute! And she has the coolest hair, I’m always jealous-

And we all know what this means. The girl has a heart of gold and might be funnier than Chapelle but you won’t be seeing her in the background of Entourage any time soon.

Which is why we’ll start with the Juke’s  drive-train; it’s best quality. Because gas prices have the stability of a Sheen child’s future, cheap daily drivers usually have engines with the balls of Sophia Vergara (nonexistent).  Thankfully, the Juke is no eunuch, thanks to our dear friend, the turbo. By bolting one to a 1.6L 4 banger Nissan gives the Juke 188hp and 177 ft lbs of torque, significantly more than it’s competitors. It has the engine note of an air conditioner but since it  only weighs 2,909 lbs, it feels quick. Merging onto the highway doesn’t require red-line shifts or Depends Diapers. 60 takes 7.7 seconds. Not bad, but the power-band is perfect on the highway. It’s the rare, Japanese 120mph bullfrog.

The 6-speed keeps you entertained and even with plenty of on-ramp fun and angry driving I average 25mpg. Put it in cruise on the highway and you can see 31mpg. It also has selectable driver modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. From what I felt, it basically changed throttle response and boost. Merging on the freeway in 4th I clicked it to Eco, and felt like I’d thrown an anchor out the back. I guess that means it works. Put it in sport and it just springs forward, miraculously without torque steer.

And if you look at the standard equipment, it’s clear they wanted the Juke to be able to back up it’s name. Our SL comes stock with 17″ wheels, the 6 speed, turbo, speed-sensitive steering and V-rated tires. A .78g on the skid pad seems low for how nimble this car is. Sure there’s body roll and under-steer, but it’s a car trying to be everything, and it barged through traffic and felt totally stable taking sweepers at speed.

I only had two major complaints with the drive-train: While it revs quickly, it engine brakes like a tail-wind. Unless you go from 5th to 2nd, you will roll to Mexico. The other was the shifter. The throws were long, and although the shifter had a little of that crispness we associate with a good tranny, it felt synthetic somehow. It’s like a woman faking an orgasm, and I don’t think it will keep it up forever.

On the inside the Juke is confusing. The standard features are great. It had NAV, XM, Bluetooh, back-up camera, controls on the wheel (a nice feeling one too), a good stereo, folding seats etc etc. It’s a deluxe Swiss Army knife; Cork screw or pliers, it’s got it. But there’s a few details that need to be worked out. Because the wheel doesn’t telescope, I had to sit with my feet in cylinder 2. But that came in handy, because I was close enough to see the wallet-sized NAV screen. The back seats come up short on both leg and head room and without folding the seats down the trunk can only handle medium-sized grocery runs.

The biggest issue we had with the interior is the fit and finish. The parts did “fit”, and the car was “finished”, but it felt like they’d forgotten a few bolts. The center tunnel moved with light prodding, and the headliner was probably found at the 99 cent store. I also could not understand why they lined the doors with the puffy, spongy, shiny red accent panels. I really think they bought old costumes from Bladerunner (Young people, replace that with Rollerball). No one I asked could understand how that was a better choice then the stippled plastic that’s everywhere else. Snookie would call them weird looking, and she has had consensual sex with the definition of weird looking, The Situation.

Now, as a I said, if someone mentions looks last, there’s a reason. We don’t need to spend a lot of time on this, because that’s what pictures are for. Some people think the Juke is edgy, or provocative. All true, not all good. It just has too many different things going on. It looks like Nissan treated their design ideas like a little league draft; everyone got picke. I will say at least the Juke’s driving backs up it’s edgy looks.

After  a few days with the Juke, I realized my initial vanity-driven judgment about the Juke was totally unfair. Overall car it’s pretty good, especially for the price. A KIA Soul starts at $17k, but you don’t get NAV and you can’t get AWD. Minis are either expensive or underpowered, and driving a Nissan Cube is just no fun. The Juke is well-rounded, and with AWD trim and the turbo, it’s probably a fun winter car. If only you could get that with the manual. Like riding the proverbial “moped”, turbo and AWD is fun no matter what it looks like.

And if you think about what consumers want from cars now, this kitchen-sink-omelet of a car makes total sense.We want power, fuel economy, techno wizardry with old-world feel, expensive looking parts for cheap packed into compact-yet-roomy package that feels as spacious as a Winnebago that parks in a FedEX box. No wonder Nissan tried to give us a little of everything.

Think of cars like kids; some excel at math, some at art, and others at sports and few do all of them really well.  The 2011 Nissan Juke is that well-rounded kid that gets decent grades, has a sense of humor, won’t get picked last for kickball and doesn’t like cats on fire. Some people just think he’s a little funny looking.

-Zack K

The Smoking Tire finds the best driving road in California and the best car we’ve ever driven to tackle it: VF Engineering’s all new Supercharged Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. With 760HP and 600 lb/ft of torque going through all 4 wheels, this car redefines fast. Video after the jump.

The Smoking Tire has a relaxing day in the country, heading on a fishing trip to wind down from the madness that was the Ford Focus Rally. We take the Volvo S60 to Idyllwild, CA, known for its lakes as well as its mountain roads, to see what the car is made of.

We specifically requested to review the Acura ZDX cross-coupe(?) because it puzzles us. It’s an aggressive and polarizing styling exercise, for sure, but does that mean anyone wants to buy it? Based on how few of them we’ve seen on the road so far, our instinct says: not really. But Acura says the ZDX is designed to be a “niche market” vehicle and they aren’t expecting huge sales numbers. On the other hand, a vehicle that looks this way must have some redeeming qualities, right? We borrowed one for a week to find out.

We were fortunate enough to be testing the ZDX on our own terms, and not Acura’s, and therefore we were not fed the PR Kool-Aid about how the ZDX is a “passionate getaway vehicle designed for a couple, their belongings, and more.” Good, because we probably would have thrown up in our mouths a bit. A Ferrari California is a “passionate getaway” vehicle. So is an MG Roadster, a Mini Cooper S, or an Aston Martin DBS Volante. This is a crossover. Do you know how well a crossover has to drive for us to consider it a “passionate getaway” vehicle? Hint: It starts with the letter X and ends with 6M.

Nevertheless, we took delivery of the ZDX and were immediately pleased with its front-seat cockpit area. The steering wheel, reminiscent of the missed RSX, is perfect for sporty driving, and the seats are firm and well bolstered with great driving position. We love the sculpting of the dashboard, creating a separate mini-cockpit for driver and passenger, with the predominant center tunnel there to add some coziness.  The rear seats? That’s a different story. I, at 6’2″ and 245 lbs, can. not. fit. This isn’t one of those situations where it would be uncomfortable for more than a few minutes, I literally cannot get my head into the back seat area at all. Fine, as I’m rather large, but on an excursion to Six Flags, my friend Eric, at 5’9″ and 160 pounds, would nail his head on the ceiling every time we hit a bump, even with the internal “Gurney bubbles” indented above the rear passenger area. The trunk doesn’t fare much better in terms of usable room, as a standard-issue single-cart Target run overflowed from the trunk into the rear seating area. Now, there are some clever storage bins back there, both on the sides and below the trunk floor, but we honestly imagine them being full of owners’ jumper cables, road hazard equipment, etc, and not groceries. Fortunately, the rear seats do fold down flat if larger items needed to be shuttled around without extra passengers. Fit and finish is typical Acura, so about an 8.5/10. The dashboard materials are soft, yet seem able to take some abuse well, but the buttons still feel a bit cheap. Leather looks like it would last a lifetime without cracking, and seems class-appropriate.

Acura’s have always been known for bringing all the good technology as standard equipment, and our “Advance” trim ZDX was no exception. Navigation, satellite radio with good iPod interface, backup camera, blind spot detection, were all standard, as was active suspension control. It even had my favorite California technology: cooled seats. Unfortunately, some of those technologies were rather confusing to use, especially the Bluetooth Phone connection. Getting the phone paired was easy, but actually making a call can be frustrating. If you want to use the car’s speakerphone, you have to make the call through the Acura’s interface, not through the phone. Using the phone itself will put it in handset mode, and a second process has to be performed to get it on speaker. You also have to hit the annoying disclaimer “OK” to do anything at all with the multimedia system, not just use navigation. And that’s not all: the “auto-close” trunk feature doesn’t have an “auto-open” on the key or via keyless go. So, when your hands are full of groceries approaching the car, you have to put everything down to open the trunk manually, but when your hands are free, you can push a button and it will close for you. Makes sense, I know.

With all this compromise in the interior and technology department, it must be great to drive, right? Right. And wrong. Let me explain:

Underneath the ZDX sits the architecture and drivetrain of the significantly more practical, yet less stylish MDX, a very competent SUV. It has a 300-horsepower, 3.7L V6 and Acura’s Super-Handling AWD System, which comes with its own nifty gauge that shows where the torque is, uh, vectoring? However, it’s lower and wider than the MDX, with a bigger footprint.

The engine will deliver the goods when, (no kidding) VTEC kicks in, but that occurs way at the top of the power band. Over the course of my week with the ZDX, the engine simply never got there when left in Automatic mode. Literally, never. Not once. In manual mode, it’s easy to keep the engine revving up high, but the incredibly bland sound of the incredibly bland V6 isn’t inspiring enough to want to bother.

So then it’s all about handling. Yes, the ZDX is a sure-footed beast that can be quite fun to throttle-steer through a canyon, getting on the gas early and watching the SH-AWD Gauge move the power around to keep you in line. For a crossover, it handles quite well. But if handling was your bag, why wouldn’t you just go for any number of available sport sedans or wagons on the market? Especially considering the ZDX has no more trunk or rear seat room than the average sport sedan anyway.

At this juncture, I must pause to mention that in the first six days of our seven-day test, I hadn’t looked at the window sticker even once. I was simply taking in the ZDX for what it was, independent of price. The biggest shock of the whole test, though, was actually taking a look at that sticker. Are you ready for this? $56,905. I nearly spit my Fresca out all over myself upon reading that. The 2010 Audi S4 we tested earlier this year stickered at $54,000, loaded. The 2011 CTS Sport Wagon? $52,000. The similarly ugly, yet faster and vastly more practical Lincoln MKT came in maxed out with options at $57,800. Every one of these vehicles is visually different from the herd, (well, maybe not the S4, but ours was Imola Yellow), more practical than the ZDX, and better to drive.

The final nail in the ZDX’s coffin? Fuel economy. Our week-long test consisted of mixed urban and highway driving, and about 30 minutes worth of spirited canyon carving. Combined observed fuel economy was a dismal 14.6 mpg, a far cry from Acura’s claimed 16/23 rating. The Lincoln MKT, the heaviest and most powerful of the cars listed above, averaged 17.1 mpg during our test.

What’s most disappointing about the ZDX is that Acura could have taken the opportunity to make something special out of it, and didn’t. If they had added a small set of turbo’s to their V6, it could potentially be a worthy competitor to the BMW X6, a crossover just as ugly, but that drives quite well. Instead, it’s just a cheaper attempt at a styling statement, destined to be a niche market vehicle based on its merits, which apparently Acura’s PR team knew long before we did.

We’ve tested a few different Audi R8′s on the show, and it seems that each one has been better than the last. We took a 4.2L V8 car on a frozen lake. I needed a substitute driver for our V10 5.2FSI review, but ripped my cast off and drove anyway. And we took to the track in a Supercharged 4.2L R8 in the second highest-viewed TST video ever.

Now, STaSIS has turned over the keys to the fastest R8 around: a 5.2L V10 Spyder running 7.5 psi of boost from a twin-scroll supercharger. This 710-horsepower beast can barely keep traction on our secret, closed canyon, and breaks Matt down into complete giggles, as a proper supercar should. Hit the jump to see what happens when Matt learns that when you have all-wheel-drive, no amount of power is ever too much.

Hit the jump to see the video.

I experienced quite the variety of cars during the madness that we call SEMA week. I started the week off in a Rolls Royce Phantom, which could quite possibly be the perfect car for a 4-person road trip to Vegas. Never before has 4 hours gone by so quickly. Then, while working for the Top Gear Taxi Service, I spent 8 hours a day driving the 620 horsepower Firebreather Camaro, giving rides to excited Top Gear fans for the entire SEMA week, all the while experiencing massive discomfort from the Camaro’s low roofline, poor seating angle, and heavy clutch in traffic. The day after the show ended, I had to be in Phoenix for another shoot, so I rented the only car available on the lot: a base-level Nissan Versa. While we’ve established the Versa is a very practical car for the money, when you have a bad back, a bad knee, and a bad elbow, this econobox is just about the worst place you’d want to be for a 5 hour drive through the desert. It’s small, wheezy, doesn’t have enough power to make a solid pass on a 2-lane road, and lacks a center arm rest, something I never knew how much I appreciated in other cars. Fortunately, I had an upgrade waiting.

Tom had driven out from LA to meet me in Phoenix in our subject vehicle, the Cadilac CTS Sport Wagon 3.6. Tom’s a pretty hard sell, rarely interested in “everyday” cars, so when he showed up at the hotel in Phoenix, excited about driving the non ‘V’ model ‘Lac, my interest was piqued. Especially since we’d have to spend another full two days in the car, using it as a camera vehicle in Arizona before embarking on a 500 mile road trip home.

I don’t know why American’s haven’t really gotten behind wagons as much as Europeans do. They drive essentially the same as the sedans on which they are based, and haul more stuff. From the driver’s seat, you’d never know the difference, and sometimes, as in the case with Volvo, Audi, and yes, Cadillac, they look better than their D-pillarless counterpart. There is one downside to a wagon though: weight. While we didn’t do any performance testing of our specific model, Car and Driver did test the wagon last year, and found that its added heft hurt acceleration to the tune of a full second to sixty. Now, 7 seconds isn’t exactly sluggish, but 6 seconds feels noticeably quicker. Since the only CTS sedan I’ve ever piloted was a ‘V,’ I expected this car to be slower and didn’t notice the difference of the added weight. Nevertheless, once rolling, the optional 3.6L, 304 hp V6 provides more than enough thrust for all but the most demanding drivers. Its soundtrack isn’t as slick as BMW’s straight-sixes, but overall its quiet and free of vibration. Multi-car passes on remote desert byways were just a left-paddle click away, and sustaining triple digit speeds over long distances remains so smooth, I was able to sleep in the passenger seat while Tom ate up hundreds of miles.

But without the monster LSA engine underhood to wow us, we focused on the interior and ride quality, the two most important factors on a long road trip. Cadillac gets an A++ for the CTS’s seats, the first set I’ve seen from an American car that properly mimics Benz and BMW’s tightly wrapped leather. Most American cars, especially previous generation Cadillacs and all Corvettes, have “baggy” leather, which is comfortable, but gets deformed and wrinkled after just a few thousand miles. The firm, supportive, and comfortable seats in the CTS tell me that GM has been studying Ze Germans, and copying them properly, for once. Both front and rear seat legroom is best in class, and the front passenger seat can be moved so far back that even my long legs won’t be able to reach the end of the footwell. When reclined it’s like flying British Airways, first class. Most importantly, fit and finish are top notch and give up nothing to the Germans. In fact, I know of three people who have traded in their 3-series BMW’s for CTS 3.6’s and never looked back.

Our fully-loaded test vehicle came with every option box ticked, save for the full glass roof, and technology in the CTS is plentiful, without being excessive. The retractable multimedia touch screen is bright and simple to use, though we wish that some basic navigation information were accessible while the screen was lowered. The audio system is intuitive and sounds great even at high volume levels. My personal favorite option box, heated/cooled seats work great for a desert road trip, where the seats tend to get extremely hot while parked in the sun.

There was a time when American car companies tried to offer the same features as the German manufacturers, but at a discounted price. How did they get to that price? By sacrificing fit, finish, and build quality. Think of a decade ago, when the Catera, based on an Opel, was as German as a Cadillac got. Now, the tables have turned. The CTS Sport Wagon is on par, if not better, than the German competition, but the buyer pays for it. Though the Sport Wagon starts at $43,000, our car’s as-tested price topped $52,000, which is actually more than a 3-series or A4 wagon will cost. Will the American public pay more for an American car that is truly built to German standards? Only time and sales figures will tell.

Until then, make my wagon a ‘V.” In Black.

The Smoking Tire heads out to a closed road in the middle of nowhere to test Jaguars newest special edition GT Sports Car, the XKR 175 Edition, built in a limited run of 175 units to commemorate Jaguar’s 75th anniversary. The result of a wonderful car, crazy weather, and a safely closed road is, quite simply, one of the best videos we’ve ever made. Hit the jump to see for yourself.

** Our sincerest apologies about the posting error that didn’t include the actual video. Our bad. Fixed now.

Automakers these days are clamoring around about lower emissions, better fuel economy, reduced weight, and smaller displacement engines. And then, when no one’s looking, they drop a monster V8 into an otherwise pedestrian sedan, bringing the horsepower wars down from only super and luxury GT cars, into commuter car territory. Such is the case with the Infiniti M56S. We’ve already reviewed the base-level M37 on our site, but hit the jump to see what happens when the lovable 3.7L V6 is yanked out and in its place sits a monster of a 5.6L V8 cranking out 420 horsepower.

The good news is that along with that gem of a (truck) engine and the “S” package comes beautiful anthracite wheels, a more aggressive body kit, new grille, and cold-metal paddle shifters. It all just works, especially the wheels, which fill out the arches much better than the base 18” rollers on our M37 tester. Either you like the M56’s styling, or you don’t (we do), but the undeniable fact is that it’s decidedly un-German, and a welcome alternative.

The really good news is, everything we loved about the M37 is still here in the M56S. The build quality, amazing attention to detail on the dashboard and doors, great seats, and class-leading equipment all remain as good as we remember from the base car. Infiniti also claims best-in-class interior space, and having driven both the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-Class, we have no reason to dispute that claim. The M56 is no Bentley Flying Spur, but the interior is a much more interesting place to be than the primary contenders from Germany with its well-sculpted leather and soft rubber dash. Someone who buys a car like this is probably going to be spending a lot of time in it, so it’s important that the interior is a warm, inviting place to be. That is, when it isn’t utterly confusing.

When it comes to in-car multimedia systems, everyone has their preference. Some prefer fewer buttons with a “mouse” like controller, a-la BMW’s i-Drive. Some people, Lexus owners in particular, like every function to have a physical button that can change settings without the driver needing to menu-surf. Still others want all the vehicle’s functions available via touch-screen controls. And if Ray LaHood is to be believed, most functions should be accessible from the steering wheel as well.

Instead of simply choosing a method and evolving it over time, listening to customer feedback and improving the system, Infiniti has simply decided to play Switzerland and included them all. Which, unfortunately leads to a problem. Several, in fact. The touch screen display is too far away from the driver’s hands, requiring a full reach to operate. The buttons are plentiful and similar, and HVAC controls are placed oddly around the radio, requiring quite a bit of hunting and pecking to achieve desired settings. Then there’s the master control knob, cluttering up the entire center of the dashboard. There are simply too many different ways to perform simple functions, that even thinking about changing a setting while driving takes at least 3-4 times as long as it does using the SYNC system in my truck.

We tested a fairly loaded-up M37 back in August, but without the sport package. It cost $59,000, and we loved it. Our M56S tester, also loaded up with the same luxury options, cost $68,000. Considering the base M56 is $11.000 more than the base M37, the extra money for the “S” model is well worth it. However, If you opt for the $3,600 Sport Package in either car, you’re also forced to get the $3,000 Technology package. In our opinions, it’s worth the money, but as they say, you’ve been warned.

But what about the engine? The direct-injected, 420 horsepower V8 is a wonderful luxury engine. It makes 417 lb/ft of torque at 4,000 RPM, and the M56’s touchy go-pedal ensures it gets there quick. It produces its power nearly silently, reminiscent more of a Lexus’s than an Audi’s V8, in such that, it will hit sixty in about five seconds flat, yet never feels “eventful.”The throttle response, though, is, as I said, sensitive. It’s so sensitive, in fact, that during around-town driving, I found myself using the car’s “Eco” mode, which not only reduces throttle response, but also provides force-feedback on the accelerator pedal, encouraging responsible driving habits.

Then I hit the canyons.

I met up with two of my friends at the base of the Malibu Canyons. One of them, John, has a Mazdaspeed MX-5 with a factory turbocharger. The other, also named Matt, had a showroom new Nissan 370Z. Let’s just say that the Miata couldn’t lose me and the Z couldn’t keep up. The M56S is very fast, but not really in the way I expected it to be. There’s tons of power all over, yes, but it doesn’t build as the engine approaches redline. Instead, most of the power is between 3,500 and 5,000 RPM, tapering off the closer you get to redline. No, it was actually the handling that was the most surprising. Chalk that one up to Infinit’s 4-wheel Active Steering System, which, when combined with Active Trace Control completely eliminates understeer and makes the 4,000 lb sedan feel downright athletic, even on the tightest canyon roads. Unlike the average-at-best 4-wheel steering systems from the 90’s, 4WAS only allows the rear wheels to turn a maximum of one degree. It doesn’t seem like much, to the point where you would never notice it unless driving hard, but dive into a corner hot, point the nose, get back on the gas early, and watch the car hug the apex like, well, a Turbocharged Miata.

For all the Infiniti’s acronyms, BSI, VDC, IBS, and LDP (yes, those are all technologies on this car) our favorite is ACT, which stands for Active Trace Control. For the leyman, it’s a computer system that selectively brakes different wheels based on steering angle. For the racers among us, it’s an automatic left-foot braking system, which reduces understeer significantly by braking the right-inside wheel while accelerating out of a corner, ensuring the nose goes where pointed. Amazingly, it’s completely un-intrusive.

Now, the bad news. All those acronyms mentioned before? Those are all technologies meant to keep stupid drivers on the road and clueless. They are as follows:

BSI – Blind Spot Intervention – If you veer into the next lane of traffic, and there is a car there, a yellow light will come up on the A-pillar. If you continue your course, the opposite brakes will automatically return the car into its own lane.

VDC – Vehicle Dynamic Control, or, more simply, traction/stability control in one.

IBS – Intelligent Brake Assist – If you’re approaching another car in traffic, the M56 will use its force-feedback accelerator pedal to tell your foot to pay attention, essentially nudging it towards the brake.

LDP – Lane Departure Warning, or as I like to call it: Anti-apex technology. If your wheels get to close to the painted guide lines on the road, the car will beep at you, annoyingly.

Fortunately, there is a single button on the left side of the dash, which disables all these annoying acronyms at once. Well, at least the ones that beep/flash at you for clipping an apex properly. Unfortunately, you have to press it every single time you start the car, there’s no default “off” setting.

So the question is this: is the M56 worth the extra money over the M37? It depends on what kind of driving you do. If long highway road trips are your thing, the quieter, torquier M56 will eat up miles faster than than Carl Paladino can eat his own words. On the other hand, the M37’s V6, though not as quick in a straight line, saves 200 pounds over the V8, which really helps in the corners. It loves to rev, and sounds more like a sports car than a Lexus. As much as we love horsepower here at The Smoking Tire, we’d have to go with the M37S, as it fits our sporting character the best, and offers everything you’d want out of an everyday car for quite a bit less money than the competition.

Which would you choose?

The Smoking Tire hits the links in the best looking 4-door car money can buy: The Aston Martin Rapide. With 470 horsepower on tap from a 6.0L V12 and a real back seat, this should be the perfect car to take Matt and his friends golfing for the day up in the canyons. Or is it? Hit the jump to find out.

As many car nuts know, Top Gear, the most successful car show in the world, has come to America. We’ve gotten our own spinoff show, airing this Fall on the History Channel. While some have applauded the fact that Americans will now get more of the show we love, others have completely written it off as a sub-standard copycat show that could never be as good as the original, before seeing even a single frame of film. Well, I just had to see for myself. Top Gear USA just started taping their in-studio segments today at an airport hangar in Irvine, CA, and whaddya know? The whole TST crew took a little road trip in the Raptor to see how it’s going to turn out. Hit the jump for a preview of what Top Gear USA has in store for us.

Being part of a studio audience is nothing like seeing a show fully edited together and complete. It seems to take forever, especially on the first day of shooting, before the crew is comfortable with the flow of moving props and people and cameras around. The set is quite a bit smaller than the British show, but several cars were on display inside, including a Dodge Viper ACR in a great white/black/red color combination, a Chevy Camaro SS, a Porsche Panamera Turbo, and the same Aston Martin V12 Vantage that I had the pleasure of piloting a few weeks back. These cars were there to start off the “power lap” board with a few preliminary times, which I won’t give away here. The “Celebrity Lap Times” board is being re-used from the defunct NBC pilot, and because the track at El Toro is the same for the new show as it was for the pilot, Adam Carolla and David Hasslehof’s times are still on there. We’ll ignore the fact that the Hoff’s time is completely made up because he was wasted on shoot day and couldn’t actually complete a lap in the car while drunk. True story. Despite its smaller size, the overall feel is the same as the British show, and yours truly, recognized by a bunch of the crew members, scored a sweet-ass viewpoint from the top of the bridge, a raised structure behind the main stage and facing out into the cameras.

On to the action. We first got a little speech from the show’s producer and writer, Richard Porter, who is also the primary writer for the British show. He asked us to remember that the first two seasons of British Top Gear were, to quote him directly, “Total shit,” and that it took a while to really get the rhythm together, so to please be patient and recognize that you can’t make miracles overnight. He also reminded us that US Top Gear isn’t replacing the British show, just adding more of what we love, and assured us that when we saw some of the films, we would be convinced.

Fortunately, they did actually show two of the completed segments to the studio audience, and true to Richard’s word, we weren’t disappointed. The first segment featured host/drifter/friend Tanner Foust racing two extreme skiiers to the other side of Mammoth Mountain, CA. In a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. We know that on the British show, Richard Hammond raced a skiier, so feel free to call out a repeat performance, but with a closed road, Tanner’s incredible skills behind the wheel, and very very deep powder to push the car through, the segment proved both entertaining and exciting, and I can honestly say that Top Gear’s editors do much more for Tanner’s hosting abilities than anyone on SPEED ever has. Plus, the quality of the shots, music selection, voiceovers, and all the post-production work we’ve come to expect from the British version is right there.

The second segment was a contest between Tanner and the two other hosts, Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara. In fact, it was a drifting contest, filmed at Willow Springs’s skidpad area with two Nissan 370Z’s. At first, this seems like a no-brainer, since Tanner literally does this for a living. But there was a catch: Tanner wouldn’t be driving. Instead, the producers turn Tanner into a literal seeing-eye dog for a blind driver. A blind driver who had driven a car exactly one time, and never a stick. Tanner, after the taping, told me that this segment was “the most terrified I’ve ever been in a car, and probably the most in danger as well.” The segment proves to be hilarious, as not only can you see and feel the sheer terror in Tanner’s face (he gets carsick as a passenger, even with a good driver), you also learn that host Adam Ferrarra apparently cannot drive for shit. Hardcore car junkies will call this a big problem, but lets be honest: watching people try to drive fast who can’t drive fast is pretty damn funny. The highlight of the whole segment, however, was something that could never be scripted: the behavior of a dog. Brian, the blind driver, was invited out to the studio and called up on stage after watching the segment, and with cameras rolling, his seeing eye dog let go a good 40-second piss right on the Top Gear logo’ed carpet at Adam’s feet. The whole place went batshit, and moments like that, totally unscripted greatness, are what make shows like Top Gear great.

There was also a Power Lap segment with Rutledge testing the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, as well as a “Big Star in a Little Car” segment, but we didn’t get to see the Aston bit and I’ve agreed not to divulge information about celebrity guests.

Now, on to the hosts themselves. I have to admit, I was skeptical about Rutledge Wood for no reason besides he’s worked in NASCAR broadcasting and he isn’t me. Tanner’s been a friend for years now, and his hosting abilities are really improving, though he still needs to loosen up a bit in front of a live audience. This being the first taping of a show with a lot of pressure, I’d be nervous as hell too. I’ve known about Adam’s comedy for a few years, and it was a great call having a stand-up comic on the show. He’s quick, sharp, and funny as shit, and has a great comeback for everything thrown at him.

Don’t start asking “Who’s James, Who’s Richard, and Who’s Jeremy” because this dynamic of hosts doesn’t really work that way. They haven’t set out to replicate individual characters from the British show, which was tried on the NBC pilot and would never work out. Instead, they have created a new ensemble with a new dynamic that works well when put into its own context. Rutledge is the friendly, funny southerner who’s always loved cars and racing, and self-deprecates frequently about his poor fashion sense and taste. Fortunately, in this episode at least, NASCAR has been left out of the equation entirely. Adam is endlessly witty, the high-strung New Yorker (accent included), and has way more confidence than he should with his ability to drive. And Tanner is the softer spoken, wheel-man pretty boy with the laid back California attitude.

I’ll admit, this morning upon walking into the studio, I was pretty skeptical, though I had an open mind and high hopes. I have to say that, after seeing the quality of the segments, the fun, American style of the hosts, and the blend of cars and comedy in this episode, I’m now confident that, though Top Gear USA will probably never be quite the runaway success as the original, it’s going to be a really fun show to watch, and for the 80% of Americans that have never heard of Top Gear, will be the best car show they have ever seen on TV. So bloggers, fans, and critics, cut these guys some slack. They have worked very hard making a uniquely American version of a uniquely British show, and in my opinion, are on their way to success with it. They have funny hosts that love cars, and they have production value to back it up. You’ll never please the purists, but for everyone else, look forward to some quality programming this fall on the History Channel.

Yes, I know this is seemingly a very strange comparison test. But, for a moment, consider the facts. The 2011 Infiniti G37S and 2011 Roush Stage 2 Mustang are both high-performance coupes. They both have seating for 4 people. They both have a bevy of luxury options available. They are both upgraded versions of other cars (Nissan 370Z and Mustang GT). And they are both optimized for street performance and comfort. Furthermore, their MSRP’s are within $2,000 of each other. How does Roush’s take on the critically acclaimed Mustang GT compare to Japan’s most popular Sports Coupe? Hit the jump to find out.

We’re going to break down this comparison test into a few distinct categories: Performance, Styling, Space and Interior, Features, and Road Feel.

Performance:

Both the Infiniti and Ford have great engines. The G37′s VQ37VHR (That’s 3.7L V6 to the leyman) makes 330 horsepower and 270 lb/ft of torque, a very solid number from a normally-aspirated V6. That’s enough to propel the stylish coupe to sixty in 5.2 seconds, on the way to a 13.7 second quarter-mile. On the other hand, Ford’s 5.0L “Coyote” V8 has a two cylinder, hundred-horsepower advantage, and is well into the running for “Engine of the Year” by damn near every major magazine. In Roush trim, it makes 425 (quoted) horsepower through the addition of a cat-back exhaust and freer-flowing intake. Given a good launch, the Mustang is easily capable of hitting sixty in 4.8 seconds and blasting through the traps in 12.9 seconds. Since the Infiniti and Ford are within 50 pounds of each other’s curb weight, these acceleration figures show just how much of a difference a hundred horsepower makes. The Mustang also stops quicker, with 1-inch larger brake rotors in front and 2 extra pistons compressing the calipers.

Styling:

We won’t spend too much time on styling, since it’s such a subjective topic. The Infiniti G37S is certainly a handsome car from any angle, conservatively styled, yet consistent with Infiniti’s new “pontoon fender” theme. We love the aggressively angled beltline, and the subtle coherence of the whole package. It looks great in Athens Blue, and we hope that people begin to return to buying cars in actual colors besides silver, which, unfortunately, is more popular than ever. Our only wish would be that the “S” model had a larger lip on the trunk for a more aggressive look, and to further distinguish the “S” from the base G37.

The Roush differs from a standard Mustang GT in that there is a great looking aero kit, including a new grille, front bumper, rear valence with new, trapezoidal exhaust tips, side skirts, a 3-piece wing, graphics package, side window louvers, and Roush 18″ chrome wheels (20″ wheels are optional). Fortunately, the front lip is made of a pliable rubber, so when the Roush inevitably scrapes on steep driveway approaches, it shouldn’t crack apart. As we learned on the Bullrun Rally, a Mustang is probably the most recognizable car in America, and Roush’s modifications don’t take that away. In fact, we really like the overall look, though we’d probably go without the graphics package. Unfortunately, silver is probably the Mustang’s worst color, as it hides the body lines. The cowl is quite a bit higher in the Ford, giving less visibility over the front corners than the Infiniti, but it’s not nearly as bad as the Chevrolet Camaro. And although the 18″ wheels probably provide more grip and better ride quality than the optional Dubs, they look too small for the muscular-looking Mustang, so we’d probably upgrade. And we’d get them in black.

Space and Interior Quality:

Here’s where the Infiniti takes the lead. The interior is well appointed in good-quality leather and real aluminum trim. Though the Mustang is certainly a major step forward for an American car, it’s still doesn’t hold a candle to the G37′s fit and finish. Both cars have dash uppers made of soft foam rubber, which is becoming the standard material for cars in the $40,000 range, but the Mustang’s doors show clear evidence of cost-cutting, with hard plastic surfaces in places where you’d put your arms, such as the bottom of the window frame. Believe it or not, we’ve never driven a 2011 Mustang that wasn’t equipped with Ford’s amazing Navigation system. This particular car wasn’t, and we have to say, the interior looks about $5,000 cheaper without it. The Infiniti’s knobs and switches look and feel more upscale than the Mustang’s, and the space normally occupied by the screen is filled with a cheap display and more buttons. The Navigation system is well worth the extra cash, both in terms of functionality and perception. It’s 2011, so no new cars in this price range should have any squeaks or rattles, and neither vehicle disappoints in that department. Both cars have plenty of front seat head and legroom for my bigger than average frame. The G37 has a more comfortable back seat, but it’s front seats are too bolstered, and left bruises on my thighs after a few hours of driving. If we were comparing race or ultra-high performance cars, lots of bolstering is a good thing, but both of these cars fall into the category of “sporty daily driver,” so long-term comfort is very important. The Roush’s seats aren’t nearly as well bolstered, but are much more comfortable for larger drivers and have sufficient grip to keep you in place under all but the hardest cornering. Also, the Infiniti’s seat adjustment controls are very difficult to reach once the door is closed, making on-the-fly seat adjustments awkward. At least, unlike the Mustang, the G37′s seats are fully powered with adjustable lumbar support. Even the $50,000 Shelby GT500 has a manual seat back adjustment. We love that the instrument binnacle in the G37 moves along with the tilting/telescoping steering wheel, ensuring that the gauges are easy to read regardless of wheel position.

Features:

Again, the Infiniti wins hands down here. Against competitors like the BMW 3-series and Audi A5 coupes, the Infiniti provides more for less. Our test vehicle features touch-screen Navigation, fully powered seats, sunroof, power tilt/telescoping wheel, keyless go, a backup camera with steering-angle sensitive guide lines, dual zone climate control, and a 9.3GB hard drive. The Mustang, on the other hand, has SYNC, MyColor cabin lighting, and a trick Roush Tool Kit under the trunklid. Sure, you can add Ford’s Navigation system for another $2,000, which does include the backup camera, but full power seats, power wheel, and sunroof aren’t available on the Mustang at all. One feature of the Mustang I particularly like is the top-center dash 12V outlet, which is great for using my Valentine One. It keeps the wires from cluttering up the center console area.

The only drawback to all the Infiniti’s features? Button bloat. There are lots of similar-looking buttons, and some of them aren’t grouped together properly, which can be confusing unless you know exactly how to perform a given task. Another gripe with the Infiniti is the trunk release. The exterior trunk release button will not work unless the Fob is at the back of the car. So if the car is running with the Fob inserted, the only way to open the trunk is with the button on the dash. A passenger will not be able to open the trunk from the back. This issue literally caused me to scream at the car at the top of my lungs. Bystanders must have thought I was crazy. I suppose I shouldn’t complain, since the Mustang doesn’t even have a button or release from the exterior of the car. The only ways to open the trunk are from the key itself or the dash button.

Road Feel:

While both the Roush and Infiniti are practical sports cars, their driving dynamics are as different as night and day. From a standstill, the Mustang’s clutch is much more linear and easy to use than the Infiniti’s. The G37′s clutch has a narrow friction zone, which can cause some bucking and drivetrain shudder if the car isn’t launched properly. It also requires more throttle on takeoff, whereas the Mustang can be rolled away from a stop without applying throttle at all. The Roush features a short-throw shifter which, honestly, isn’t nearly as good as Ford Racing’s unit, available as an option on the Mustang GT and standard on the GT500. First and third gears are very close together, and sometimes it’s hard to tell which gear you’re clicking the lever into. Strangely enough, the harder you drive the Roush, the easier it becomes to select the right gear. It may as well be a gear specifically for burnouts. So while clutch feel goes to the Mustang, shifter action definitely goes to the G37, whose shifter is the right length, with the right throw action and great gear spacing. Strangely, first gear feels sluggish in the Mustang at anything less than half-throttle, but the car makes so much torque you can almost ignore first entirely, which I did after 15 minutes.

Hauling ass down a windy canyon road in Malibu, more differences are discovered. The Infiniti feels “tighter” in the bends, no doubt the result of firmer tuning from its fully independent suspension and lower profile tires. However, the Mustang actually has more grip from its Cooper Zeon tires, and we could push it about 5 mph faster through the same corner. The Roush rides smoother over rough freeway pavement, but, as with other Mustangs, driving fast over rough roads can be quite hairy.

The Infiniti has better steering feedback through the 3-spoke wheel, and is more precise through quick transitions, but, unlike the Mustang, you can’t throttle-steer the Infiniti. In stock trim, mashing the gas through a second gear bend will cause the car to push right through the corner, whereas even with traction control on, the Mustang can kick the rear end out a bit at any RPM. That’s what you get with over 100 lb/ft of extra torque. In between corners, I rarely found myself using more than half-throttle in the Mustang. The Infiniti, on the other hand, has to be mashed to the floor at every opportunity if you want to keep up. Fortunately the free-revving V6 makes a satisfying wail at high RPM, easily identified by any VQ fan from quite the distance away.

The Mustang is also geared longer, so a section of switchbacks that can be taken in second gear in the Mustang has to be taken in third in the Infiniti. Even with the optional 3.73 axle ratio, the Mustang is more like a 5-speed with an overdrive than a true close-ratio 6-speed like the Infiniti. The good news is, the 5.0L engine is as rev-happy as any European or Japanese powerplant we’ve tested, and doesn’t feel stressed at all, even after a 20-minute canyon session running at 5,000+ RPM in second gear. And how does it sound to fly through a canyon at high speed? Incredible. Roush’s exhaust system is damn near the best we’ve heard in any car. It doesn’t drone, and at less than half throttle is throaty, yet quiet. But wind out the 5-liter to its 7,000 RPM redline, and jump off the gas quickly, and you’ll be rewarded with more pops and burbles than a Zambelli fireworks show on the 4th of July. This may very well be the perfect exhaust.

The Verdict:

Is one of these coupes actually better than the other? Or are they, in truth, so different that this entire comparison is just silly? If speed is your game, or if you’re over 200 lbs, the Roush Stage 2 is clearly the victor. The $2,000 premium you’d pay for the Mustang over the G37 gets you 100 horsepower, 100 lb/ft of torque, better brakes, more comfortable seats, and an engine wail that can wake the dead. On the other hand, if you like luxurious appointments, gadgets, or your driving style is more about finesse than raw performance, the Infiniti G37S offers more for less. Optioning up a Roush Stage 2 with the best interior available, Navigation, and glass roof (the closest Ford gets to a sunroof, convertible notwithstanding), all of which is included in the price of our G37, would send the MSRP up to, and possibly over $50,000, moving this car into a different class entirely.

Which would you chose?

Infiniti provided the vehicle, a tank of gas, and insurance for this review. Special thanks to Patrick Stevenson of AutoEclectic.com for sharing his Roush Mustang press car with us for the day as well.

I bought my Raptor because I’m convinced that, everything I need a car to do well, the Raptor is capable of. And as we continue “The Raptor Diaries” series, we continue to learn firsthand exactly what the truck is capable of, not just in terms of driving fast on dirt, but for actual, utilitarian purposes. After three months with this truck, I’m honestly wondering how I’ve gone about my entire previous 28 years of life without a pickup truck of some kind, and I’m certain that, for more or less as long as I live, I will have at least 1 pickup truck in the stable.

Last weekend, I participated in the production of a new and so far untitled production of a web series out at Spring Mountain in Pahrump, NV. This is significant for 2 reasons: 1) I had to ACT. And I’m a terrible actor. and 2) The Raptor was the most useful piece of equipment on the whole shoot.

What is the series, you ask? Well, it’s basically Entourage, but about a race car driver instead of an actor. And why not? The formula seems to work well, and if it’s edited well, could be properly entertaining. Obviously, I play the “Turtle” character, the driver’s mechanic, creatively named Matt. Like I said, I’m a shit actor so I just *acted* hungover and made up my lines as I went along.

Raptor as a Tow Vehicle

As planning for the series went on, production meetings moved from me “just having to make a cameo,” to “being a full-on character,” to “Can you bring the Raptor to use as a Camera car?,” to “Oh yeah, can you bring your 5D MKII also?,” to “We have a 5,000 lb trailer full of grip gear, can the Raptor tow it?”

Being the sap that I am, I answered all these questions with a “Yes.”

We learned something else the morning we departed for Pahrump: When getting a U-Haul trailer, and they ask you if you’re “local or long distance,” don’t try to cut corners by saying “Local” when you’re not. The reason they are asking is because all the halfway decent trailers are for long-distance hauling and the local ones are all hardcore shantytown. Like, if we were in Kingston, this trailer would make a great prison cell. If there were a 24 Hours of Lemons for trailers, this trailer would win the People’s Choice award for overall crapcan-ness. Also, the local trailers aren’t designed to go over 55, which is because they don’t have any integrated trailer brakes. Nice.

We loaded up our Coors Light can on wheels with all the grip gear you can imagine: silks, a generator, about a dozen C-stands, lights, reflectors, food, 20 cases of water, and 50 Fifty-pound sandbags. The 6×12 trailer was just about as full as it can get, and our estimates put it around 5,000 lbs. We also had at least 1,000 lbs of luggage and miscellaneous stuff in the bed as well, and 3 people in the cab. The Raptor’s payload capability is 3,200 lbs, and towing capacity is 10,000 lbs, so, lack of trailer brakes aside, we didn’t expect problems.

We immediately had problems. The unbalanced load (too much in trailer, not enough in bed, and generator in way back of trailer) caused major sway at over 60 mph. Without trailer brakes to fix the sway, it was extremely unpleasant. Moving the generator to the bed of the truck solved that immediately.

Though acceleration was clearly down, the Raptor happily chugged away to Spring Mountain, cruising at a steady 65-70 mph on I-15. We took bets on expected fuel economy for the trip, Price Is Right rules. Given that my average, unloaded economy ranges from 11 to 12 MPG, we bet 8.5, 9, and 9.5 (me) MPG respectively while towing and fully loaded. Imagine our surprise on arrival at the track, when the MPG readout flashed 11.7! We only lost about half a mile per gallon due to our massive payload. Amazing. The 6.2L engine has tons of torque, and using the “Tow/Haul” mode keeps the torque converter smoother than normal off the launch and between gears. Admittedly, we drove about 10 mph slower with the trailer than I would have otherwise, but still an impressive figure nonetheless. We un-hitched the trailer and freed the Raptor to roam the track unladen.

Raptor as a Wannabe Pursuit Systems Camera Vehicle

If you haven’t heard of Pursuit Systems, you really should take a quick look at their website. These guys are the masters of rolling camera equipment, and a single day with one of their rigs could cost your production as much as I spent to buy my Raptor. We don’t pretend to have nearly the capability of those rigs, with their gyroscope-stabilized RED cameras and remote-operated 50-foot jibs. However, we are the masters of ghetto engineering. One of our goals was always to do production better, for less money, and more efficiently than the big boys, and we really think we’re getting somewhere.

One of the guys on the crew (Thanks OJ!)  brought out an inexpensive jib (tripod-mounted crane) to the shoot, and I suggested we ghetto-rig it to my trailer-hitch camera mount setup that we use on TST, and put my Canon 5D on the end of it with a super-wide angle lens. Holy. Shit. When I tell you this rig, for less than $1,000 (plus camera) is 80% capable of what Pursuit Systems is capable of doing for 50 times the price, I’m not kidding. We were simply blown away by the quality of the shots we can get with this rig, so much so, that Tom and I are buying an identical rig to use on The Smoking Tire. Now, it’s not gyro-stabilized, so it won’t work well off-road or on rough pavement, but for filming on race tracks, it’s absolutely perfect. Just wait until you guys see the shots that this thing gets.

But first, here’s a little teaser video of the kind of stuff we’re talking about:

Celebrity Approval?

I’m not normally the name-dropping type, but yes, I’m friends with Paul Walker. The guy from Fast and the Furious 1, 2, 4, and the upcoming Fast 5. The backdrop for our production was the Redline Time Attack event at Spring Mountain that weekend, in which Paul competed to third in class with his Supercharged E92 M3. He’s had, and still has, loads of cars, from a few classics, to some ass-engined Porsche track cars, to the holy grail of imports, the R34 Skyline GTR. But his newest vehicular obsession? Raptors. We spoke last year about how cool they were, and not 2 weeks later, I get a call saying he bought a black/black 5.4L version, and was just loving it. He planned to add all kinds of power and suspension work to turn it into a Baja stormer, and (partly) due to my advice, has left it stock so far. With all the R&D that went into this truck from SVT, it would be very difficult to improve it’s off-road capability much without ruining how it drives on the road, which is the best thing about a Raptor: It’s a true dual-purpose truck.

Then I showed up in mine. This guy was like a kid in a candy store. “Wow, so you really got everything in this one, huh?” He spent at least 2 hours just sitting in it, touching buttons, playing with SYNC, and doing a few full-throttle pulls out back, learning immediately that the extra $3,000 for the 6.2L is money well spent. You’d think he’d never even seen one of these things before, the way he was acting. Never seen someone go so crazy over a car they already own. Now, I’m getting calls about how he can flip it for a 6.2L version. Surprise, surprise.

Celebrity Approval: Achieved.

*Bonus Info: Producers have begun the process of writing The Fast and the Furious 6. Seriously. I made an over/under bet with Paul that they get to #10 eventually. If they do, Paul owes me a Benjamin.

So far, my Raptor has been easily capable of everything I’ve asked for it, and as we learn more about film production, we’re going to continue using the Raptor as our go-to camera/tow/grip/support/scout vehicle as long as the wheels stay on the damn thing. And don’t worry, we’re going to find more time to play in the dirt as well. And for those of you out there who own Raptors, please, use them as trucks, and send me photos of what your Raptor is capable of!

Oh, and if you’d like to use my Raptor with camera rig setup for your shoot at reasonable prices, you should email me.

Specal Thanks to Alex Hoffman for the photos and video of my Raptor in action!

My Corvette is probably my single most prized possesion. Surprised? Probably not. I bought it new in 1998 and have only put 24,000 miles on it in 12 years. I’ve also modified it considerably to improve not only the horsepower, but also the overall driving experience. I’ve made changes all over my car in the 12 years I’ve owned her, but the question is this: Has GM made the same changes that I’ve made to improve the car? Or is their vision of a better Corvette completely different from my own? Hit the jump to find out.

Cars bearing the name “Jaguar” carry with them a certain mystique that few other manufacturers possess. This comes from a history of making beautiful cars that always tried to provide luxury and performance that goes back decades. They have that “it” factor, akin to cutting the line at a club or getting a table at a fancy restaurant without a reservation. There’s only a few other companies out there with the same notariety, and most of them have Italian names. Despite having made cars that were as reliable as receiving a heart from an 85-year old donor, a 1984 Jaguar will still garner more interest and attention than 2010 VW CC any day.

This is half the reason my excitement level was bordering on “Christmas-morning” when Matt told me to come down and pick up the 2010 Jaguar XF Premium. My brain had released the romanticism chemical of that 2-seat E-Type from the 60′s. I hadn’t been up close with an XF, but I knew it would have leather and wood and make me feel cool enough to change my name to “McLovin.”

The other half came from how beautiful the XF is. The Aston Martin Rapide aside, I think it’s the best-looking sedan on the road today. It looks good from any angle. I hate cliches, but the slanted headlights, hood bulges and it’s ample curves make it look like a predator, prowling traffic for lesser vehicles on which to feed. The subtle curves, wide fenders and bulges are like muscles under a perfectly-tailored suit. The XJ may be the new flagship of Jaguar, but if it was my family portrait the XF would be in the center.

It should look good, because it was designed by Ian Callum, the same man who laid out the Aston Martin DB9 (a connection visible in the XF’s profile). Callum has a connection to Jaguar that goes beyond mere employment. At age 14 he wrote them a letter asking them to hire him as a designer. That long term admiration was clearly channeled through his pen. The best-looking cars come from a deep place in the heart of an artist, not a marketing department trying to combine a jeep, an SUV, a minivan and a boat into some ugly swiss-army-crossover.

The interior is just as good. The Jaguar XF is a mid-level luxury car, a class with stiff competition from the Audi A6, BMW 5 series and Mercedes E-Class. After 3 days in this car, I have to say the cockpit takes second place only to the Audi, but barely. The leather, wood and aluminum (all standard) are everywhere and woven together perfectly. Every touch point is either soft leather or shining wood. The gauges look and work great, and visibility out the front is ample.

If I could I would put the Jaguar’s interior under a new category called, “Minimalist luxury.” Audi interiors are amazing because they have everything you need at the touch of some very pretty buttons. It’s very convenient, but unless you’re having hot flashes or have ADD, a lot of those buttons go unused for a long time. The center console has plenty of storage, but if you don’t want to look at it you can close 2 wood-covered panels that look great next to the aluminum shifter puck.

The XF tucks almost everything out of the way, leaving you with a clean and simple dash that relaxes the mind as soon as you got in. But Jaguar didn’t make the increasingly-common mistake of putting everything in the hands of a touch-screen. The important things – locks, radio, HVAC and a Main Menu button- are elegantly laid out under the touch screen. And they’re so simple, finished in a soft silver, that they almost fade away while you drive.

There’s some clever icing on this cake too. Jaguar made the map lights touch-sensitive, so turning them on takes less effort than typing “a”. On the steering wheel there’s little wheels to control the volume and phone and they feel a more natural than the usual buttons. I sound like I’m lazy, but the way I look at a luxury car’s goal is to make life effortless. The XF is like a hotel concierge service; everything is done with the simplest request, but when you don’t need it it stays out of your room.

Of course, there’s reasons it gets 2^nd place: The NAV/touch screen (also standard) is easy to use, but it’s a little slow, and the “ok” button-which you use a lot-is tucked so far in the bottom-right corner of the recessed screen I had to use my pinky finger to push it. The steering wheel spokes are too thick and lack the thumb grooves of better wheels, so if you’re paddle-shifting you’ll be using the “Leggo man” grip. Last is the glove box, which can only be opened by a touch-sensitive dot on the dash board. In my experience heat-sensitive buttons are unreliable. If any of you owned an LG Chocolate you will understand.
Those small issues aside, the cockpit of the XF is an excellent marriage of modern features and classic simplicity. Once you’ve set the stereo and air, all you see is smooth wood, soft leather, and beautiful aluminum. The seats are great and there’s plenty of room. At night there’s soft blue accent lighting-something I usually can’t stand-that lights the interior the way an artist would a sculpture. It’s a wonderful place to be, and leaves your mind empty to focus on the XF’s 3^rd great quality; driving.

This car drove exactly the way I hoped. It is one of the best full-size sedans I’ve driven. It shares it’s suspension with the XK coupe, so like Tom Brady’s kid, it’s got good genes. It takes corners flat enough, and wags it’s tail like a happy dog if you do it right. The steering and suspension work together to make the car feel much smaller than it is, giving you confidence whether you’re in a fast sweeper or slaloming the morning commute.

Hit the gas and the 385hp 5.0 Liter V8 makes an audible but appropriate roar, like a far off thunderstorm. It’s the perfect amount of noise for a luxury sedan. Although it’s 35hp down from the old 4.2 liter supercharged XF, with 380ft lbs of torque peaking at 3500RPM it’s only a tenth of a second slower to both 60mph (5.1 seconds) and in the ¼ mile (13.6 seconds). The power band is like Rachel Ray, wide and flat, so passing takes a mere thought. The only bad thing about this power plant was the fuel economy, which is a dismal 16mpg in the city and 23 on the highway. That’s actually better than a V8-equipped 5 series, but 2 wrongs don’t make a right.

The fun goes up when you move the aluminum hockey puck over to “S” mode. The car instantly downshifts (a small nuisance when you’re cruising on the highway.) and the shifting and throttle response feel like they’ve been slapped around and fed some meth. Activating both Sport and Dynamic mode had me forgetting my day job and giggling like a kid in a go kart. And despite having a simple 6 speed automatic, the paddles shift so fast you’ll swear you’re in something far more exotic. But on those days you just want to relax and leave it in “D”, the XF is docile and quiet, like a Lexus but without the neutering. As has been true with the rest of the car, the XF provides both the yin and the yang; naturally quiet and refined but capable of running with the best.

If you’re shopping for a car like this, your list probably goes: BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 4.2, E-Class and maybe an Infiniti. (I’ve excluded the Acura RL, because it’s too ugly.) They’re fine cars and they’ve been the top dogs for awhile, but that’s caused a problem: people are bored of them. I work in Beverly Hills, a refrigerator to the magnets known as luxury sedans. BMWs and Mercedes used to own this town, but the XF has made an impact. The XF out-numbers Audi and Infiniti handily. I can’t ever remember seeing this many jags on the road. I think people were drawn to the XF by it’s looks, and stayed for the ride. The other contenders are fine cars, but when I look at them I feel nothing. The Audi is like a homely astrophysicist, and as good as the BMW is it’s as visually stimulating as a triangle.

On the other hand the Jaguar XF Premium is exciting inside and out. It’s the Maxim model that also knows kick-boxing and calculus. For $57,000 it comes incredibly well-equipped. Ours only had 2 options; the 525-watt stereo ($1,800) and the Pewter paint ($1,000) which I could have done without. The NAV, leather, heated/cooled seats, etc are all gratis. It’s almost as fun as the it’s M5-fighting brother, the XF-R  and the deal only looks sweeter the longer you stare at a BMW options list. For less than a stock 550i you get a car that’s better looking, more exclusive and 95% as good to drive.

I would be remiss if I wrote this much about a Jaguar and didn’t bring up the subject of reliability. A quick Google turned up quite a few people with cars that were stuck in park, or had interior lights with “ghosts” turning them off and on, and a number of other issues. As cool as the motorized air vents and shifter that rises from the console, I wouldn’t bet on those lasting the life of the car. Cool usually means complicated, and “complicated reliability” is not a phrase I’ve ever heard.

It’s hard to say what to expect from a new XF. Tata Motors just bought Jaguar from Ford, and they’re currently building a new plant. So it’s a new-ish design being bolted together by new mechanics, and it honestly leaves me a little uneasy. But remember, German cars aren’t exactly known for worry-free ownership either, and when they break you have to put off retirement a little longer to afford the repairs. I think all the great cars in this segment come with some compromise. I’ll take a few headaches for a car that I love to drive and can’t stop staring at, your results may vary.

Think of it this way;  The BMW/Audi/Mercedes are Meryl Streep. We know she’s talented and famous but she hardly moves my Richter scale. The Jaguar XF is like Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls; beautiful, funny, but her longevity remains to be seen.

The 2011 Lincoln MKT seems like just about the last car we’d be reviewing on this site. After all, it’s a crossover with very little enthusiast appeal and virtually no online presence, right? Maybe so, but after 1500 miles in America’s least well-known Lincoln, we found ourselves wanting one, bad. Read on to find out why. As some of you may know, we recently competed in the 2010 Bullrun Rally from New York to Las Vegas. And if you know that, you’re well aware that we got a few shitload of tickets, many of which had similar court appearance dates. Incidentally, Tom had to appear in Phoenix, Arizona on a Monday, and I had to appear in Boulder City, Nevada the next day. Tom and I decided an epic ticket-fighting road trip was in order. The total distance covered would be about 1500 miles in 3 days, making a triangle from Redondo Beach, to Phoenix, Vegas, and back home. But we needed the right car.

Since a Ford product contributed significantly to this mess, the 2011 Shelby GT500, we figured we’d request another Ford product to get us out of this mess. The obvious solution would be my own 2010 SVT Raptor, but when covering 1500 miles, do you really want a vehicle that gets 11 mpg? Definitely not. We would need something comfortable for 8 hours of driving a day, big enough to hold all our stuff, fast enough to cruise at 100 in the middle of the desert, and efficient enough to keep the indent on our bank account minimal. And it had to have lots of toys, because when I’m not driving, I have the attention span of a crack-addicted marmot. But, most importantly, it had to be invisible to the cops. The last thing you want on a ticket-fighting expedition is to get another ticket, so this car had to be stealth.

When the Lincoln MKT arrived in our driveway, Tom was horrified. “We’re taking that?” And I don’t blame him, because at first glance, the MKT is, well, polarizing. Straight on, you’d think it was the official vehicle of Liberty Medical Supplies, here to deliver your diabetus medication. From the rear, it looks like an overturned canoe. And from the side, it doesn’t say much at all besides “station wagon.” The thing about first impressions though, is, they aren’t always right. Plus, I didn’t like the Porsche Cayenne’s looks either, until I drove one. Then I no longer cared how it looked. I suspected the MKT would have a similar effect, after Jack Baruth, my favorite writer’s review of it on The Truth About Cars.

Step inside the MKT, however, and prepare to be wowed. The seats are fantastic, and all four captains chairs are all fully adjustable and heated/cooled (my favorite option ever, especially for a desert road trip). There is a four-zone climate control system. The entire dashboard is wrapped in leather, and the small sections of the doors that aren’t leather wrapped have soft foam that does a great impression of leather. The woodgrain looks expensive. There’s a full-length center console with a refrigerator in the back, big enough for four 20-oz bottles. There’s a THX-certified multimedia system mated to the sharpest LCD screen I’ve seen in a car, and, of course, Ford’s excellent interface, which we love. The dual-sunroofs are enormous. The third row seating is fully powered, with multiple configuration options, including “Normal, Stow, 5o/50,” and  “Tailgate,” which flips the seats around completely so they face outward from the rear hatch. Very cool. There’s tons of techie gadgets too: adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, cross-traffic detection, collision warnings, backup camera, and more. I turned them all off except the adaptive cruise, which really helps on a road trip. And I know how to drive properly, so I didn’t need that stuff anyway. The center-stack buttons are logically laid out, and don’t require a Harvard degree to operate. Many of them have redundant counterparts on the steering wheel and within the touchscreen, not to mention the SYNC voice activation of nearly every system on the car. And it was black.

Oh yeah, this is the kind of ride I want to live in for 3 days. But how does it drive?

With a rigid chassis, all-wheel drive, and an Ecoboost V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic, it drives very well. This isn’t exactly a light vehicle, at 5,000 lbs, but the 355 hp turbocharged engine provides a surprisingly good amount of thrust, especially in the 60-100 mph zone. We’d even go so far as calling the MKT “fast.” The steering, though light, is extremely responsive, and while using the paddle shifters, can easily be hustled through corners at much higher speeds than you’d expect just by looking at it. More importantly, the MKT rides great, with just the right amount of suspension travel and damping given what kind of driving buyers will likely be doing. And it’s very, very quiet on the road. Tire noise is absolutely minimal, wind noise is virtually non-existent, and engine noise is approaching Lexus levels of quiet. Visibility is good everywhere, with large side mirrors, a backup camera, and a big greenhouse, perfect for taking in the scenery on a road trip. The MKT’s weakest point showed itself quickly: the brakes. A vehicle this heavy, that’s this easy to drive fast, should have a really good set of brakes. It doesn’t. They fade quickly after a few hard stops, and they lack last-minute bite. Mr. Baruth actually tracked his press loaner MKT and claimed that if he did a few more laps he could have literally set the brakes on fire, which, after driving it, I completely believe. Conversely, driving at the EPA’s pace, the MKT can achieve 21 mpg on the highway. We averaged 19.8 over our fast-paced road trip.

Driving the MKT is nice, but the real place to be is in the back. The MKT offers more rear space and luxury features than any of its closest competitors, in fact, you’d have to go up to an S-Class or extended wheelbase BMW 7-series to approach this level of back-seat luxury. We especially like the built-in 110-volt outlet, because on the road we are constantly charging camera batteries and computers, and it’s just one less thing to think about. Rear seat storage is also plentiful, although front-seats lack a really good spot for a cell phone besides in the cup holders. Another gripe? The gigantic sunroof doesn’t have a one-touch open or close function. You have to hold the button the entire time, which takes about 15 seconds. And the refrigerator’s opening goes the wrong way, so your front-seat passenger can’t actually get anything out; you have to be sitting in back to access it. Fortunately, Tom spent most of my driving stints in back anyway, so he got to be the bartender as well.

As we returned from our road trip, having successfully argued both our tickets down to zero-points and sub-$200 fines, I began to contemplate what place this car has in today’s market. It’s not exactly cheap, as our fully-loaded test vehicle came just $200 shy of $58,000. And it’s not exactly pretty either, though the more I looked at it, the more I saw styling cues from the Maybach Excelero concept, and the more it grew on me. Some people absolutely loved it, Tom still hated it. And the MKT has tough competition. Not on paper, mind you, because the MKT is the best value in luxury on the market today, but in brand heritage and public perception. The Audi Q7, Mercedes G-Class, even the platform-shared Ford Flex pretty much have the market cornered right now.

Lincoln, like Buick, is in a tough spot. They have a brand that is widely known for catering to old people. Their logo and grill designs, to me, say “old man driving,” which is part of the reason I wanted the MKT for this particular trip. And the MKT hasn’t been marketed particularly well, as even car guys asked me when the MKT would be out, surprised to learn that it’s been on the market for over a year.

The bottom line: The MKT is a wonderful car, and probably the best American made luxury car of the last 25 years. It has everything you could ever reasonably want a luxury car to do. If you have a family, or, better yet, a chauffeur, and want to whisk or be whisked around invisibly  in quiet, comfortable luxury with all the gadgets in the world, this is the perfect car for you.

The Smoking Tire hits Supercar Sunday and the canyons with the Art Morrison 1955 Bel Air, one of the best handling hot rods around. We toss this 55 year-old car through some of the tightest curves in California to find out if there really is such a thing as a Hot Rod for drivers.

When you hear the name Buick, what comes to mind? If you get a senior’s discount you’ll sit back on your hemorrhoid cushion and say, “Ah yes, fine automobiles. All the luxury of a Cadillac without drawing attention from the IRS.” If you’re reading this while living in a house that’s worth 50% of what you bought it for, you look at Buick the way Teddy looked at Matt Damon in Rounders; you owe me some f***in’ money. For me the brand reminds me of my grandma, because she’s the only person I’ve ever known who owned one. Sure, Tiger Woods did, but only because his endorsement deal made him.

Basically, Buick’s have always had a reputation as being a car for old people, but after spending a few days with the 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS, they might have been on to something.

It all goes back to the name, “doctor’s car.” Doctors frequently bought Buicks because they had all the luxury and comfort of a Cadillac, without the image of being an expensive car. So doctors could make house calls without their patients second-guessing their bill based on the doctor’s transportation. What the Buick was was an entry-level luxury car. Over the years their reputation has changed (doctors’ cars tend to wear German or Japanese badges now) but the idea never did. Buicks are still an Armani suit with a less pretentious label.

The Lacrosse CXS is just that. With an MSRP of $33,000, and a standard features list as long as Linsay Lohan’s CVS Pharmacy receipt, it’s an incredibly luxurious and well-equipped car. For the base price you get; leather seats (heated and cooled too), satellite radio, power everything, variable assist steering, parking assistance, fog lights, a heated steering wheel with audio controls, heated mirrors, dual-zone climate control and even an automatic rear sun shade. I found little use for the last item, but it tells you that Buick went all-out to provide it’s customers with every creature comfort on this planet at almost no extra cost. (By comparison, Buick’s main competitor, the Lexus ES350, makes you pay extra for leather.)

Under the hood is a 3.6 liter V6 feeding 280hp and 259 ft lbs. to the front wheels through a 6 speed automatic. It’s not a ton of power, but I had no problem merging with the over-caffeinated drivers on L.A. freeways. The power-band felt huge, and the top-end was good enough to have me wondering if a gremlin had bolted on some turbos during the night. It won’t do 150mph on the autobahn, but triple digits are more than accessible. Use a light foot and you’ll get 27mpg on the highway, with barely a whisper coming through the 5mm ultra-quiet windows. Not bad for a 4,200lb cruiser.

It also appears that Buick has been to art school.  The 2008 Lacrosse was a boring, dated, rounded mess. It looked like a dead fish laying in a heap at Safeway. This new design has some panache. It has a tall belt-line, nice creases and a great stance. Some of the chrome accents are a bit much (although the 3 “speed holes” are finally gone), a little too “This car is nice! We swear!” But overall I think it’s better looking than comparable cars from Lexus, Acura or Nissan. It’s a big, bold car, just like a Cadillac.

On the road it’s surprisingly good. Despite being 4,2000 lbs and longer than anything in it’s class, it stayed pretty flat in the corners and handled lane-changes without much discernible body-roll. Sure there will be under-steer at the limit, but it’s a Buick Lacrosse, so if you’re taking this car “to the limit” it’s probably because your parents let you borrow their car, not because you own it. AWD is optional, but even with the FWD-whether accelerating in a corner or from a stop-there was plenty of grip. It may not have the moves to keep up with the Bavarians, or be as fun as the rear-drive G37, but taken for what it is, it’s hard to find fault on the road.

The only options on our car were the Audio/Sat NAV system ($2000), Xenon lights ($700) and the heads-up display ($350) for a total as-tested price of $36,805. Fully loaded the Buick costs only a little more than the competitions base price.

As an entry-level Luxury car the most important aspect of this car is the interior. People don’t buy Rolls Royces or Bentleys for their looks or skid-pad score. They buy them because the interior is more welcoming and relaxing than a hot tub after 2 martinis. As shown above, Buick went all-out to provide a warm and comfortable environment to travel along in. As a whole the interior is a very nice place to be. Thick glass drowns out almost any outside noise, as did the suspension.

The materials are all pretty good. The fake stitching along the dashboard is one of many small details that add up to trick you into thinking you’re in a more expensive car. At a quick glance all you see is leather, wood and chrome. The blue accent lighting, soft leather seats and simple, well-laid out center console put your mind at ease. When you drive this car nothing will be loud, intrusive or complicated, just as a luxury sedan should be.

It wasn’t completely faultless though. The shifter is a bit too far back, making the move to Drive like pulling back a bow-and-arrow. The chrome around the NAV looks great, but it’s perfectly angled to shoot sun in your eye no matter what time it is. There’s also some parts that look straight-up old, and thus out of place. Amid the leather, new wood and Nav system you have what looks like a headlight dial from the 80′s and the cheapest window/mirror control I’ve ever seen.

There was one “wtf?” interior piece; the arm rest. People like resting their left arm. People also like being able to close the door. Buick knew this, but felt there was a problem with one piece capable of both. So they bolted a bi-planes wing to the door. There’s the recessed part you use to close the door, and then they put a narrow armrest right above it. What they ended up with is two things that do neither job well. The armrest is too narrow, and to close the door you have to thread the needle into this little hole, like Luke Skywalker taking down the Death Star. I can already hear the sound of annoyed grand mothers and uncles out there, “Where’s the damn handle?” It’s a door handle people, don’t get fancy.

It’s not the most exciting or artistic design, but it’s easy to use and nice enough to look at. Buick didn’t push too many boundaries (except that arm rest) in here, but with GM against the ropes it’s not the time to take chances. As is true with girls, I’ll take a functional, logical interior over a daring, useless mess any day.

At the end of the day, the number-one priority for an entry-level car is comfort. These cars won’t ignite your eyes, ears or soul, but you’ll drive to your destination in a warm, tranquil environment that has every gadget you could need. With that criteria in mind, the Buick Lacrosse CXS is a good car. It drives well, it’s quiet as a church inside and it’s not bad to look at. The interior isn’t perfect, and the body won’t cause a Twilight-esque stampede of women, but that’s true of all the cars in this class. The Acura TL looks ridiculous, the Lexus is as much fun as an empty, white room and the G37 isn’t as spacious.

What you get from any luxury car at this price is compromise on four wheels. None of those cars are great, none are terrible. Like choosing a flavor of NyQuil, none will taste amazing but they will all get the job done. With better pricing, standard equipment and more room than any of the others, the Buick CXS will do the job just fine and probably go down the easiest.

If someone tries to sound smart by telling you that the $240,000 $185,000 ** Aston Martin V12 Vantage takes .9 seconds longer to hit 60 than a Ferrari 458 for the same price, or .8 seconds longer than a Porsche GT2 for $20,000 less, punch them in the face right then and there, because they just don’t get it, and never will.

One of my favorite activities in the world is drinking with automotive PR people, generally at new product launch events. Because most journalists out there, good writers as they may be, aren’t all that social, I’m generally the most fun “car”  person in the room. The Racing Rapide and V12 Vantage premiere party last Thursday was no exception to this rule, and after some delicious food and beverages, I found myself speaking at length about the V12 with the one person in charge of the beautiful blue demo car that had been teasing me swirling around on its turntable like a go-go dancer in Vegas. I don’t know whether he was supposed to do this or not, so I’m withholding his name for now. But he said if I came back the next day I could have 2 hours of solid-gold alone time with all 510 of the V12 Vantage’s horsepower.

Fast forward the following day, and we’re off. Just to properly fill out my fantasy, I bring my beautiful friend Ariana along for the ride. I ask where I can find the nearest empty canyon road, and a Galpin employee gives me spot-on directions to a wide-open canyon with fresh blacktop. I look over at Ariana, then down at the hefty 6-speed manual shifter. I put the glass key fob into its fobgina and hear the V12 bark to life, then echo, realizing the salesman was kind enough to leave it parked in a tunnel. How considerate. I rev the engine a few times, look back at Ariana, then shifter again, and realize immediately that this is what heaven must look like. We haven’t even moved yet.

The 405 freeway entrance ramp is right around the corner, and it was on this entrance ramp that I fell in love. I goose it a bit going around the corner to the highway and feel the tires start to break loose in second gear, but the Vantage stayed straight. At 4,000 RPM the exhaust baffles open and say,  “AAAAHHHHH,” doing their best impression of a pissed-off jungle cat. I shift into 3rd at 7,000 RPM, and the tires break loose again. I hit 4th, and by the time I reach the actual merge, I’m nearly double the speed limit. Fortunately, the V12 has the most effective brakes ever installed on an Aston, and the carbon-ceramic stoppers send Ariana’s “fuck me, I’m a librarian” glasses flying off towards the dash as I stab the slow pedal for the merge.

The canyon road was a few miles down the freeway, which gave Ariana time to fiddle with the Vantage’s many small, identical looking buttons. I’m sure we could get used to it if we actually owned the car, but the plethora of buttons are nearly indeciperable while driving, especially over LA’s concrete freway system. It’s not that the suspension is too stiff or bouncy, but the Vantage’s short wheelbase and relatively firm suspension make it impossible to see what any of those buttons did. Ditto the navigation system, which I learned from Vantage owner Ice-T, is a total piece of crap. If Aston Martin is going to license navigation technology from someone, can’t they just do it from Ford and not Volvo?

I looked up from the console to realize that several wannabe sports cars were tailing us, hard. There was an Eclipse, an early Dodge Avenger, and a Lancer Ralliart all following us, with cameraphones rolling. With visions of whisking away a paparazzi-hounded starlet, I smiled at Ariana, dropped 3 gears, and wound the shit out of that V12. Within 5 seconds, they were completely gone from my rear view mirror. If Princess Diana had one of these, she’d still be with us today.

The Galpin salesman’s “secret canyon” was everything he promised it would be. 10 miles of glass-smooth pavement, banked esses, and radically changing elevation. I drove that canyon at least 3 or 4 times in each direction, adding more speed and later braking points each time, as I grew more comfortable with the V12′s dynamics. Here’s what I learned, in no particular order:

- This is an angry, little demon of a car, that reminds me more of a Shelby Cobra than anything else. Short wheelbase, tons of power, and  the least invasive traction control system I’ve ever used make for a very interesting driving experience at speed. And by “interesting,” I mean this is the fastest, sharpest, most fun to drive Aston Martin ever built.

- There is more than enough power to break the tires loose in the first 3 gears. Because of this traction system, they often break a bit loose coming hard out of a corner or when shifting into second or third at full throttle. It was a bit unnerving at first, but quite a positive bonus once you realize the car won’t get too far away from you, at least if you leave the system on. Turn it off, and there’s only one word for it: “DORIFTO!”. (Note: I didn’t actually turn off T/C during my test. The car was hairy enough as it is. And I couldn’t find the button.)

- This is the only Aston Martin I’ve ever driven that I would even consider taking to a track day. I once took my 2003 Vanquish to a day at Monticello Motor Club, and, beautiful and loud as that car is, it’s an absolute pig on the track, with terrible braking, visibility, and transmission. Ditto the DB9 and, to an extent, the DBS, though it’s certainly better. The V12 Vantage, on the other hand, has a manual transmission, (stellar) ceramic brakes, a taut suspension, 190 mph top speed, and is an absolute rocketship from 40-140, the most effective performance range for a track.

- Despite its ragged-edge feel at speed, the V12 Vantage is just as docile as the V8 at low speeds. The steering is nicely weighted, and clutch feel is excellent. The 420 lb/ft of torque are enough that you could drive the car all day long and never exceed 3,000 RPM, keeping the exhaust quiet. But why the hell would you?

- Some people say the V8 Vantage was a tight squeeze for taller drivers, which I agree with, in the case of the Roadster. In coupe form, both V8 and V12 versions of the car have good head and legroom, given the car’s small size. The trunk is usable for a set of golf clubs or a few overnight bags, and there is a parcel shelf behind the seats with a cargo net, which kept my brand new Canon 5D in place during some of my faster canyon runs.

The most common question I got on Facebook when I posted up about driving the V12 Vantage was, “How does it compare to the DBS, or to your Vanquish?”

Well, it’s very, very different. My Vanquish is more beautiful and sounds better (because I’ve had the exhaust baffles wired permanently open), and will be one of those cars that, at least visually, really stands the test of time. In 50 years, people will still be lusting over the Vanquish, and I’m not sure if that will happen with the V12 Vantage. The Vanquish has the crap transmission and brakes, but it’s still a major panty-dropper. The DBS is an amazing car, but it’s a true GT car, like the Vanquish, not an all-out sports car. Its longer wheelbase makes it more stable at high-speed than the Vantage, but it’s also less involving.

The V12 Vantage is certainly the most “driver’s car” of the three, offering better performance, and a much more visceral experience than the Vanquish or DBS could dream of. It’s also the only one you’d want to take to a track. And, lets not forget, it’s faster in every way than the DBS and costs $45,000 less. **

What about the Porsche GT2 or Ferrari 458? Those are faster to 60 and cost the same or less. After punching you in the face, I’d leave you with this. If you care about every tenth of a second, this car is not for you. If you want to impress someone with your $240,000 car, this is probably not for you either, since a DBS or Ferrari will make more of a statement. But if you’ve ever heard a V12 engine at a full clip, and heel-toed your own gears while riding the ragged edge through a banked canyon corner, looked over at the beautiful, non-gold digging girl in the passenger seat, who thinks you’re James Bond, and thought, “yeah, I want that life.”

Start saving, now.

Big ups to Galpin Auto Sports for providing the car for this review.

** UPDATE ** This is what happens when you simply convert the european price to dollars, you get thrown way off. The V12 Vantage is only going to cost $185,000 in the US, making it a full $100k cheaper than the DBS. Why anyone would buy a DBS for $100k more than the V12 Vantage is way beyond me.

** UPDATE 2** By popular demand, I’ve added pictures of Ariana….

VF Engineering knows power. By strapping superchargers on everything from Porsche 911′s to BMW M3′s, they know how to give an otherwise stock car a major power increase without compromising any other part of the car. We’ve sampled all their Supercharger packages at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, and we filmed mini-segments with each of them. This is the 560 horsepower, Supercharged Audi R8 4.2. Video below.

For more information, visit www.vf-engineering.com

Last year, Honda announced that they would try to do something different for its next hybrid car: make it fun to drive. How would they do that? By shortening, widening, and lowering the Insight’s chassis, make it a coupe, and provide a 6-speed manual transmission. Manuals have appeared in Hybrids before, in the first-generation Insight and Civic Hybrids, but all of a sudden, everyone is making a big deal out of it. I got a chance to take one for a quick spin around the block, and here’s what I discovered, in no particular order: 1) The CR-Z is not a CRX. There’s no way in hell that, in 2010, you could build a car that’s as light as a car from the 1990′s, so you may as well stop your comparisons to that car now. The shape is similar, and there’s a split rear window, but that’s about it.

2) Honda really knows how to build a driver interface system. The pedals are perfectly placed, the steering doesn’t have a ton of feel, but is nicely weighted with a great wheel, and the shifter is among the best in the business. All other manufacturers need to take note of how Honda builds a shifter, because it has the perfect throw length, precision, and feel.

3) The CR-Z isn’t fast, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of fun, spirited driving. At around 2,500 pounds, and with 124 hp on tap, the CR-Z takes around 10 seconds to hit 60, and most of its go-juice can be found between 20 and 50 mph.

4) Despite the low, 6,500 RPM redline (by Honda’s standards), the 1.5L engine, lifted out of the Fit, revs smoothly and makes a pleasant sound.

5) Start/Stop technology should be applied to every car. There’s no reason the engine should be running at a red light, and when you put the CR-Z in neutral, with your foot on the brake, the engine shuts off. When you push in the clutch and put it back into first gear, it kicks back on. Of course, there is a quick shudder as the engine fires up, but it’s not even close to annoying. The only downside I can see so far is that the A/C compressor shuts off along with the engine, so rush-hour traffic in a hot city could be a problem. Conversely, the Prius (and all other Toyota hybrids) keeps its A/C running when under battery power.

6) Calling the CR-Z a sports car would be a lie. In fact, calling it a sporty hybrid is even a bit of a stretch. However, it’s a first effort, and a mass-market one at that. Honda should be given credit for trying, and hopefully this technology will evolve to the point where they can produce a real Hybrid sports car in the next ten years.

I would really like the opportunity for a longer-term test of the CR-Z, and we’ll work on that, but my quick spin left me optimistic that the future of Hybrid cars doesn’t necessarily mean we all have to drive beige jellybeans without driver inputs, even if we haven’t made it all the way there just yet.

As a sub-text to this drive, I should tell you how I got behind the wheel in the first place:

A friend of mine, who owns an unnamed tuning shop, is being contracted by Honda to develop a forced-induction system for the CR-Z. I am not at liberty to say anything else about the specifics of this system, but it seems promising, so maybe the future of Hybrid sports cars from Honda isn’t as far off as we think.

On June 5th, 2010, I bought a 2010 Ford SVT Raptor 6.2L from Galpin Auto Sports. This wasn’t just on a whim, as I had been lusting after this truck since we borrowed one from Ford to drive on the 2009 Bullrun Rally. On that trip, we learned that, not only does the Raptor have more off-road capability than nearly every other car currently in production, but also it makes a fantastic daily driver, with levels of comfort, storage space, technology, and luxury that are on par with some of today’s best luxury cars. When we decided we needed a daily driver and camera vehicle for The Smoking Tire, the Raptor seemed like the only logical decision. Of course, I waited for the 6.2L engine to arrive, since you can’t make that extra 100hp in the aftermarket for less money than the $3,000 upgrade from Ford. 9 weeks and 3,500 miles later, here’s what we’ve learned about the best sport truck money can buy.

As we continue to use the Raptor for its intended purpose, shuttling our crew and all our gear to shoots, it becomes immediately apparent how good this truck is. Even without the Super Crew configuration, we can fit 5 people in the truck in total comfort, while using the bed for the gear. Or, if need be, we can fit all of our gear into the back seat of the truck, if we need to lock it up safely. The seats are supremely comfortable for any distance, and so far, I’ve spent up to 8 hours a day in the drivers seat of the truck. Remember, this is 3,500 miles in 9 weeks, 3 of which the truck didn’t even leave the driveway, while we were on Bullrun.

The multimedia interface is the best in the business, hands down. It has tons of useful features that I actually use, such as the fuel price finder and live weather map, and nothing superfluous that I don’t need. I was never a fan of voice-activated systems before, but a few days with SYNC, especially when paired with the screen, and I do pretty much everything by voice commands now. It can even understand me at freeway speeds with the windows down. The only downside to the system is that twice so far, it has sent me down dirt roads that don’t seem to lead anywhere. Maybe the truck is trying to tell me something.

My Raptor is no pavement queen. Although yes, in daily duty it doesn’t leave the streets of Los Angeles, we made a point to get it dirty early and see what it can really do. So Autoblog.com photographer Drew Phillips, along with 2 friends, accompanied me out to El Mirage for a little shakedown session and photoshoot. Everything the 5.4 Raptor did in the dirt, this truck does better. With 4×4 mode engaged, and the differential locked, we easily hit 95 mph on a dirt/gravel trail, on the first pass. This truck truly is the Nissan GTR of off-roading; it’s almost too easy. Leave the diff locked and go back into 2WD, and drifting corners is an absolute breeze, totally predictable. Even with 4 people in the car, and the air conditioning on, radio blasting, and the outside temperature approaching 105 degrees, I beat the snot out of it on the trails for an hour. It never missed a beat.

One of the problems with the 5.4 Raptor was that, with its relative lack of power, the transmission would often hunt for gears, and kick down a gear at the smallest throttle inputs. It wasn’t a deal breaker, but it wasn’t ideal either. The 6.2L version has much more power, and the transmission has been re-calibrated to allow for some in-gear acceleration before it kicks down. With 411 hp and 440 lb/ft of torque, in daily driving, the truck never has to downshift to keep up. By switching on “Off-Road Mode” in the dirt, the entire powerband of the truck is shifted higher, so instead of making big torque down low like a street truck, it makes big power up high like a race truck. Amazing what software can do with an engine, even a naturally aspirated, relatively low-tech V8.

The Raptor comes pre-wired with four Auxiliary switches on the center console just forward of the shifter, and I wanted to hook up something, anything to one of them, just so I would have something else to play with. So we hardwired the Valentine One to Aux4. It works, and I now feel cool flipping the switch.

People have asked me a few times how I plan to upgrade my Raptor, since I have a bad habit of turning every car I own into a race car. The answer is, I don’t plan on upgrading this truck at all. I really think SVT has done a really good job with it, and with my 100,000 mile Bumper-to-Bumper warranty and 100,000 mile maintenance plan included, I can use the truck for its designed purpose without having to worry about voiding my warranty because I had to have that extra 20 horsepower. It doesn’t need it, and I like being covered. I do plan on driving this truck for 100,000 miles at least, and I already have one obnoxiously loud sports car.

I do have a couple of gripes, albeit minimal ones. Why is the driver’s window the only automatic one? When I put down the windows, it’s almost always the front 2 windows together, and there’s no point in having just one automatic window. For almost $50,000, I expect at least both fronts to be automatic. In fact, if anyone knows of a software upgrade for this, please let me know. Also, because both Tom and I drive the car regularly, and he’s much smaller than I am, I wish the driver’s seat had a memory function. It’s full power, of course, but considering how different our settings are it would be a nice treat to not have to reset everything all the time. ** I’m an ass. It does have seat memory, and I’m just a dumbass for not seeing the buttons. Thanks, Jamal. ** Of course, the fuel economy is positively terrible. I’m not at all surprised by this, and if you care about that sort of thing, you shouldn’t be buying a Raptor anyway, but it’s noticeably worse than the 5.4 model. Over those 3,500 miles, I’m averaging 11.6 mpg. For reference, my old H1 Hummer would get 13 (on diesel). Nevertheless, the tank is at least big enough that we can go 340 miles per tank on the highway.

Speaking of highway driving, when you’re on the freeway, you have to pay constant attention to your speedometer. Because of the smooth Fox suspension and tall ride height, you have no clue how fast you’re going. 30 mph feels like being parked, and 85 mph feels like 50. I have accidentally crept up to the truck’s 100 mph limiter without even realizing it, and gotten road rage for people driving slowly in front of me, only to look down and realize they are going 90, and so was I. Fortunately, the Raptor’s brakes are much better than you’d expect from a vehicle this size, and panic stops aren’t a problem at all. Neither is handling, surprisingly, and our friend Jamal, who runs shit over at SVT, tells me the Raptor will handle 0.85G on the skidpad. Impressive numbers for a truck with 35″ off-road tires, and a number I completely believe.

What’s interesting about the Raptor is that, unlike a Hummer, everyone loves it. When I owned my H1, the only vehicle out there that is really comparable to a Raptor in terms of off-road performance, people hated it. They kicked it, spit on it, keyed it, left me angry notes when I would park it places, and generally glare at me for being a wasteful asshole. The Raptor, on the other hand, is close enough to a regular F-150 that most “normal” people don’t notice it, and people who do know what it is, positively love it. Even though the fuel economy is awful, and it’s painted bright orange, it doesn’t carry the Hummer stigma, which is a huge bonus.

I’m going to keep this series going as we continue to go on adventures with my Raptor, and until then, enjoy these amazing photographs of my truck taken by Drew Phillips of Autoblog.

Is there something specific you want to know about the Raptor 6.2L? Leave a comment and we’ll answer your questions.

After we posted our 2011 Mustang GT review and the subsequent Mustang GT vs. Camaro SS Drag Race video, we got lots of comments that the race was unfair, or that we drove the wrong Camaro. You see, that particular Camaro was an automatic, which means that instead of the 426 horsepower LS3 engine underhood, it only had a 400 horsepower. This is neither our fault nor Ford’s, however in the interest of satisfying our viewers, we took a 2010 Camaro SS, this time with a stick, to the track. We ran some hot laps to find out if these Chevy fanboys are on to something, or if the Camaro is all style and no substance. Of course, we also ran some hot laps to see if the Camaro’s 226 horsepower advantage is enough to take our Time Attack crown from the current leader, the 2010 Volkswagen GTI. Video review after the jump. 

The Infiniti “M” series, now into its third generation, has had a rough run so far. The first-generation car was closely based on the JDM Nissan Gloria, so much so, that the design was considered outdated by the time it hit US shores. It was considered a sales flop, which is sad because it’s actually quite a good car. The second-generation M35/45 sold much better, but always seemed to play tag-along with the BMW 5-series, Lexus GS, and Mercedes E-Class in sales, despite winning several comparison tests.

Now, we’re testing the third-generation car, and wow, is this something new and improved. But is it new and improved enough to take down the German heavy hitters in the mid-large segment? Hit the jump to find out.

The beautifully sculpted curves are as anti-Mercedes as we’ve seen recently, and the design is quintessentially Japanese luxury. We’ll let the photos do the talking when it comes to exterior, except to say that the car was clearly designed with the optional 20” wheels in mind, which our car didn’t have; the M37 is all about what’s going on inside.

The interior is a model of perfect fit and finish, and honestly feels worth every penny of our test car’s $59,460 asking price. Although the center stack requires some getting used to, as it contains about 30 buttons too many, the seats, workmanship on the doors, wood and aluminum trim, dash, and gauges are damn near perfect. Its not a Bentley, but at this price, you’d be hard pressed to find better build quality. The best part is, most of the good stuff can be had for the $46,250 base price, plus the $3,800 Deluxe Touring Package. Our test vehicle also came with the $3,000 Technology Package, which we would pass on, since it mostly comes with drivers aids that people who can actually drive properly don’t need.

Speaking of driving, the M37 makes a fine daily driver, and even a good canyon carver. Though it lacks the low-end thrust of the optional 5.6L V8, the 330 hp, 3.7L V6 is more than enough power for most any driver, and when mated to the 7-speed transmission, will yank the car to sixty in the mid-five second range. Not bad for the “base” engine. The 7-speed does hunt for gears sometimes, a downside of having one cog too many, but it returns up to 26 mpg in freeway driving, so for many, the compromise is worth it.

One of our favorite features? Forest Air, which basically oscillates the air in the cabin through the vents to give an impression of a natural breeze. It sounds cheesy, but in practice, is a very neat trick that we love. Another is the slick integration of the tweeters into the front seats, a nice, functional touch.

The $3,350 Premium Package is also worth the money, as it adds in the Navigation system, 9.3GB hard drive, and our other favorite feature, heated/cooled seats. I don’t know what it is about cooled seats, but we just love them on a hot day.

The Infiniti M37 has so much available technology that on a price sheet, it far outclasses the competition. And if you don’t need it all, the M37 has a relatively low price of entry compared to Ze Germans.

We wished we could have had some more time to really explore what the Infiniti M37 can do, butwe will be testing the M56 soon, and we can really do a thorough review (and possibly even a drag race, we hear it’s a rocket). But we do know one thing: Infiniti has really come into its own, and the new M-class is destined to be a big hit. Now that Acura’s styling is out to lunch, Infiniti is poised to take its position on the podium as the best value in luxury motoring today.

There’s something about convertibles that make people feel glamorous, exclusive and special.

I don’t get it.

My feelings on Volvo and convertibles are similar: strong, passionate indifference. The term”open air motoring” makes me think of an old British man trundling down a road in the cold fog on wheels made of wood. There are exceptions of course, but for the cars with a roof made of metal.

It’s the same for Volvo. My family has owned 3, and while the 2 wagons (a ’91 940 and a 2008 V50) have provided perfectly acceptable transportation, that’s all they provided. The only one that makes me feel anything is my dad’s 1972 P1800ES, and that’s because every time you climb in you get to play “What part will stop working today?”

But when I picked up a 2011 Volvo C70 from Matt’s house it was clear Volvo was hell-bent on changing both of my preconceptions.

As a hard-top convertible it was offering the best of both worlds. Volvos were to cars what the Scranton Office of Dunder Mifflin is to the Empire State building and only one attracts tourists.  That’s starting to change.

Re-designed for 2011 and dressed in Flamenco Red with simple but handsome 5 spoke wheels, it’s a pretty good looking coupe. The nose has been upgraded with more aggressive headlights, helping distinguish this car from the front of the S40, V50 and C30 (A.K.A. cheaper models).

The new headlights bulge and curve back along the fender, like an angry over-caffeinated Camry. It’s no Alfa, but it’s an improvement from the 2010 nonetheless. Looking at those is actually a homeopathic remedy for insomnia. It doesn’t just make the C70 look sportier, it looks more expensive, and that’s never a bad thing. (Although the new badge seems to have been a design collaboration between Lil’ Jon and Austin Powers.

The competition in this market primarily comes from BMW and Infiniti, and with the new design the C70 holds its own. I think the design is more well-rounded than the BMW, and it doesn’t lose anything when the top is down either. Some convertibles only look good with the top down (or up), but I found the Volvo to be equally appealing roof up or down. After class one night I asked a few girls (late 20′s, early 30′s) and they all liked it, calling it cool but mature. “It’s a good-looking car and you know the owner of it isn’t trying too hard. It’s nice.”

Powering the C70 is a brilliant 2.5 liter inline 5 cylinder turbo. I love this engine. It only makes 227hp, but the 236ft lbs of torque comes on at only 1,500 RPM (read:torque steer) so from a stop this mature-mobile moves. It yanks you forward with a deep thrum and the long gears of the 5 speed automatic make it a really practical power-train for both city and highway use, while providing us with a combined 26mpg. The thrust slows eventually, but the owners of this car aren’t the kind to complain about a power-band that falls off at 90mph, and triple-digit speeds are still plenty accessible.

Inside is the same story as the exterior: hardly flashy but very nice nonetheless. One thing Volvo does well is functionality, so all the buttons are clearly marked and where you’d expect. The different textures and colors look good next to one another and there’s plenty of stowage.

It’s also filled with freebies. Volvo said that although the 2011 is only $40 more than the outgoing model, it has $4000 in upgrades. Among the standard features are leather, SAT radio, 8 way automatic seats and BlueTooth compatibility.

Rear seat room is good, as long as you’re not sitting behind Matt and with the top up the trunk is on par with many sedans, making it an all around good traveler. Just don’t expect to do a sun-filled road trip, because although the Volvo’s top-down trunk space beats the fanny-pack sized area of the G37, it’s still on par with the carry-on space you get on a plane.

Our car also had Volvo’s BLIS (BLind spot Information System), which uses sensors mounted under the side mirrors to alert you when a car is in your blind spot. It works fine, but I wish it alerted you a little earlier. My concern is people will assume that unless the warning light is illuminated they’re free to change lanes, and while you wouldn’t hit the car next to you, you’d come close to polishing their license plate. It’s not a substitute for driver awareness.

As nicely appointed as it is, there’s room to improve.  While those nice complimentary leather seats were comfortable, don’t depend on them keeping you in place, my toilet has more lateral support. Some of the plastic look dated and cheap, the gauges get lost in a sea of black plastic, and the screen in the center stack is tiny. Size matters here because this screen provides you with all the information from the phone, HVAC, stereo and car settings and due to it’s TI-82 sized display it can only show one thing at a time. That won’t be an issue when the top is down though, because the glare makes it hard to ready anyway.

But the winner is still the SAT/NAV, i.e. total garbage. You can only navigate it with a remote, slowing the use of the already over-complicated system further. And in a car made by people so focused on safety they probably wear life jackets on a Slip-and-Slide, I can’t think of anything more accident prone than giving people a remote to look for as they get lost.

Volvo said they essentially added $4000 of upgrades for free, so the cost-cutting had to happen somewhere. For example the old center stack was made from solid aluminum, but has been replaced with a piece of plastic covered by some shiny plastic. It looks good new, but I doubt it will hold up over time.

This is probably because the topic of lateral G’s falls far down the list of a Volvo production meeting. Although the suspension is tight and body roll isn’t atrocious, it’s turn-in leaves a lot to be desired. You know when the UPS man knocks on your door at 8am and you get up, get dressed, and stumble to the door? That’s the C70. You ask it to turn now, but it needs a minute.

You’d think that would mean it drives like a boat floating on pudding, but it doesn’t. It’s a strange no man’s land. The firm springs that keep it from wallowing around corners mean every ridge, bump and crack is sent through the chassis, gently rattling my grey matter. It wasn’t loud or jarring, but every change in pavement was felt and announced with a very muffled but noticeable sound. Imagine your neighbor has a garage band, but they “sound proof” the garage with egg cartons. You don’t hear each note clearly, but you know when they play.

There’s a simple way to get rid of those muffled screams from the chassis though; put the top down and let the noise escape. Raising and lowering the top in the C70 is pretty simple: put the car in park, depress the brake and push down a little plastic button. 29.4 riveting seconds later and the clam-shell trunk closes with a *whump*, the windows roll themselves up, and you’re done. In my 3 days with the car I noticed only 1 real annoyance: You can’t raise or lower the top while in Drive.

It doesn’t matter if you’re going 2mph and surrounded by EMTs, it won’t let you. I found this very annoying one day after putting the top down and getting stuck in traffic on the 405. Knowing it takes a full 30 seconds to raise the top, I was forced to sweat it out for an hour. Volvo would say it’s for safety reasons, but I  point to that stupid NAV remote and ask that they fix this.

Once it’s all said and done though, it’s almost as comfortable as when the roof is in place. The cabin is relatively wind-free up to about 75mph, and the stereo (USB and aux. jack come standard) overcame road and traffic noise with clarity and ease. Apparently Volvo built its heater system out of wind-tunnel fans and molten lava, so you could drive with the top down all year, even in Minnesota. Just as it does aesthetically-save for cargo space-the car loses nothing when the top is stowed.

The G37 and 328i, both start at $45k. From a performance standpoint the G37 has the better drive-train, and the Bimmer handles better, but for a price. A 328i with just BlueTooth, heated seats and NAV will set you back 50 grand, and that’s with ugly wheels, leatherette seats and a standard stereo. Get drawn into all the pretty option boxes and you can easily spend $60,000. It might rive better, but it’s not as pretty as the coupe or (for the money) as well-equipped as the Volvo.

Climbing in for my last drive I paused to consider whether I should drive with the top up or down. And that’s the key. They give you options. Sure it’s not going to handle as well as a true coupe, but most people don’t care about lateral grip so they basically get two cars in one.  And unlike soft-tops (which generally look terrible with their tops up) you don’t have to compromise on noise, looks, safety or security.

Volvo’s best cars, like the S60R, are like B+ students, always somewhere in the middle but nonetheless very good. And just because a B+ student doesn’t command the highest salary, doesn’t mean they’re not capable of some very good work.

For what it is, the 2011  C70 is fine. It’s MSRP is $39,950, and it comes with more features than it’s competitors from BMW or Infiniti. Our car had the Dynamic Package, Multimedia Package and Convenience Package, raising it’s price to $46,650.  It’s not super-fast, and it doesn’t handle like sports car. It’s not supposed to. It’s a Volvo.

But it’s also… a Volvo. That means it comes with a stigma; it’s boring and thus, you’re boring. That’d be ok if we were talking about simply “a car” but we’re not. We’re talking about a convertible, and those are supposed to be exciting. Without that, what’s the point? The people shopping for convertibles are looking for something specific, and are willing to pay for it. Convertible people buy fun cars, Volvo people buy the C70.

The Smoking Tire heads out to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, where VF Engineering has provided us with an entire fleet of supercharged sports cars. Matt Farah takes a 510hp blown Porsche 911 and a 620 hp blown wide-body M3 out on the track to see what 30% more power does to two already great cars.

Video after the jump.

The Smoking Tire takes the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg TDI to El Mirage Dry Lakebed to see how it behaves on the road and off it. We also see how fast it will go in the one place we could think of with no speed limit. Video after the jump.

In this episode of The Smoking Tire, we decide to test Audi’s version of an economy car to its limits, by attempting to drive to the Grand Canyon from Redondo Beach, CA, 550 miles, on a single 14.6 gallon tank of diesel fuel. We then take the Audi to Adams Motorsports Park for a timed lap to see if it’s a sporty economy car or an economical sports car. Video after the jump.

When we went to San Francisco last month to drive the all-new Ford Fiesta, Ford provided a Honda Fit and a Toyota Yaris for comparison. The Yaris was a joke, but we liked the Fit a little more than Ford would have preferred. We promptly booked one for a review. How does the gold-standard Honda Fit Sport compare to Ford’s new cash cow economy car? Hit the jump to find out.

The Smoking Tire hits the Malibu Canyons with two hugely different, yet equally amazing cars: The 2006 Ford GT and the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Modern horsepower meets vintage finesse in this beautiful drive in two of the best sports cars of all time.

The Smoking Tire heads out to Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, CA to test the most requested car of 2010, the Volkswagen GTI. Will it beat the Mazdaspeed3′s standard-setting lap time? Watch and see…

Welcome to Interactive Car Reviews, where we ask our readers what they would like to know about the car as soon as it arrives in our garage, and over the course of our week-long evaluation, we try to answer those questions as best we can. In our first installment, we discussed the Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe.

This week, in The Smoking Tire garage is the 2010 Audi A3 TDI (that’s diesel for all our acronymally challenged readers). It’s 2-liter turbodiesel engine is rated at 140hp and can return 30/42 mpg, but the number we’re most interested in is the 236 lb/ft of available torque!

The problem with cars that get good fuel economy is that, for the most part, they aren’t any fun to drive. At least, that’s what most Americans think. In Europe, however, automakers have been building fun-t0-drive, economical diesels for a while. Audi hopes to bring that formula to America with its TDI “Clean Diesel” series of cars and SUV’s. We’ve driven the Q7 TDI extensively and loved it, so now it’s time to see what the A3 TDI can do.

So, what do you want to know about the Audi A3 TDI? Leave a comment….

The Smoking Tire takes the all-new Subaru Outback to the highest point we can find in hopes our customer-appreciation Balloon Launch will get some free T-shirts into the hands of our viewers. On the way, we discuss whether the new Outback retains the spirit of the original “Sport Utility Wagon,” or  has  it become something car guys dread: A Crossover?

Hit the Jump to watch the video and find out.

The Smoking Tire heads up to San Francisco’s Skyline Drive to test Ford’s newest entrant into the economy car wars, the Fiesta. Is the European-designed Fiesta all hype? Or does it live up to its promise of a small, premium, efficient car? Let’s find out.

This week, The Smoking Tire visits the beautiful Ojai valley with two of Lotus’s finest cars, the Elise and the Esprit. Matt Farah hits the canyons to find out how the quintessential ‘new’ Lotus compares to the well-aging Esprit V8. Is Lotus going in the right direction by downsizing both the car and the engine? Or should they make a return to turbocharged V8′s and luxury features? You’ll have to watch the video, after the jump, to see.

Continuing my tradition of wasting the Earth’s precious resources, I decided not to take Ford’s free ticket to San Francisco, where I would be testing their new 40 mpg fighter, the Fiesta. Instead, I decided to burn about 90 gallons of fuel by driving myself to San Francisco and back in my loaned Ram 1500 Laramie Quad-cab, at a completely ridiculous pace. A thousand miles is more than enough time to learn a car’s ins and outs, and here’s my story.

It was 4:30 in the morning when I woke up to leave for San Francisco, still dark. Fortunately, I had packed the night before, and just had to throw my two bags into the Ram and head out. I set the optional Navigation for Hotel Vitale on Mission St., less than 100 yards from the waterfront. I have a long history with Chrysler navigation systems. The last one I used, in the 2008 Challenger, made me type out “United States Capitol” because it didn’t understand the acronym “US.” I screamed at it for a full 20 minutes, the length of time it took to spell “United States Capitol” on the 6.5” touchscreen. This time, however, my address input was accepted and we were off.

Less than a mile from my house, I stopped for fuel and coffee. Unlike most of the cars I’ve had recently, the Ram’s 5.7 Liter, 390 horsepower HEMI will happily run on 87 octane, a pleasant surprise considering the 32 gallon fuel tank would cost over $100 to fill with premium. The range indicator, part of the on-board computer in the small LCD in between the gauges, showed a range of 399 miles when full. It was 391 to Hotel Vitale. I now had a goal. As I pulled out of the gas station, the clock ticked 5:20, and I had to be there by 11. Five hours and forty minutes isn’t much time to make the drive, especially in a pickup truck when you’re going for a single-tank run, but what the hell, I love a challenge.

Los Angeles highways are surprisingly populated in the early morning, much more so than New York. And because LA drivers are complete morons who drive the same speed regardless of their lane choice, I couldn’t do more than 75 for the first hour. No matter, I scanned through the Sirius stations, realizing that the 9 speaker Alpine stereo sounds phenomenal. I’m sure it looks good on the 9.5” rear-seat monitor, but I only sat in the back for 5 seconds. It’s comfortable and has tons of legroom, like all quad-cab pickups. Opening the “vent” portion of the sunroof, along with the center portion of the rear window yields a perfect breeze, enough to keep the car full of fresh air, and right below the point where you’d have to raise your voice to have a conversation.

Because my test vehicle came with the standard 17” wheels, it rode smooth as butter. I can’t stand when manufacturers put giant wheels on their trucks and SUV’s, because it makes them do everything worse, including ride, stop, and turn. The ultimate test is the 405 freeway’s expansion joints, which do upset the long wheelbase a bit, causing a  repeated bounce. On all non-405 highways, it’s just fine. The seats are wonderful, like Lay-Z-Boys, and are heated and cooled (an industry first). There’s also a heated steering wheel, another first. Put simply, if you live in Middle-America, where Lexus’s are referred to as “Jap Bullshit,” this is the best you’re going to do.

As I merged onto the 5, which I would be staying on for over 250 miles, traffic started to build up in San Francisco. How did I know this, even though I was hours from my destination? The navigation told me, with the following phrase, which will haunt me forever.

“Your route is being changed due to traffic conditions.”

I heard this phrase no fewer than 50 times over the course of this single trip.

Note to Chrysler: I like the fact that your navigation will re-route me around traffic automatically. If that re-routing occurs more than 5 or 10 miles from my current position, do it silently. There is nothing more annoying than being told a traffic update that is more than 100 miles away, especially if you are leaving your destination before rush hour, and arriving afterwards.

We were making good time now, this Ram and I, as we steamed past Buttonwillow into California’s no-mans-land, when all of a sudden, the truck stopped pulling, momentarily, then started again. This wasn’t an ECU problem, no. Because of the Ram’s very high seating position and smooth ride, I had inadvertently bumped up against the 105 mph speed limiter without even realizing it. This happened at least 15 to 20 times during the course of my drive, and it’s rather annoying when you’re in the middle of a pass on a two-lane road when you all of a sudden lose power. It’s very disconcerting, and considering the Ram’s ride quality and gearing, I’m surprised the limiter is set so low. This thing’s got 125 in it, easy. On the other hand, driving at the limiter isn’t very good for fuel economy, and my early optimism soon gave way to fact; there was no way I could make it on one tank. I had to fill up, still more than 100 miles from San Francisco.

Most of the drive I kept the big Ram between 85 and 95 mph, a speed that is totally comfortable, and at which the brakes are quite effective. A Semi-truck cutting you off, while doing 10 mph below the speed limit, and you’re going 25 over is always a good time to find out how well the brakes work. Since I’m still breathing and the truck is in one piece, they work just fine. It’s very quiet at speed, no doubt because they have stuffed this thing with tons of insulation, because from outside, the engine is actually quite loud. At least the sound it does make is deep and throaty.

Ever heard the expression, “if you can’t Dodge it, Ram it?” Well, I couldn’t dodge a bird, and rammed it, at 90 mph. Believe it or not, I killed two animals using the Ram, on the way home I also ran over a squirrel.

About an hour outside San Francisco, I drove into a huge thunderstorm. The clouds got dark, rain came down in oceans, and wind blew trees parallel to the ground. I switched the Ram in to 4×4 Auto mode, and with a half second pause, the transition was done. Although the tall profile and relatively horrid aerodynamics aren’t exactly ideal in a strong breeze, with a firm grip on the wheel, the Ram never lost its composure.

The last ten miles of the drive, I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic thanks to a broken down shitbox (ahem, Pontiac Sunfire convertible) in the left lane of the Bay Bridge. I didn’t hear a peep from the navigation about being re-routed. Thanks.

I pulled into the hotel with a total time of 5 hours even, including the gas stop. Moving time? 4 hours, 40 minutes. Moving average: 83.9 mph. Overall average: 78.2.

In a pickup truck.

I burned 40 gallons of fuel each way, and ten more driving around downtown. So it’s not exactly economical, but at that pace, neither is anything else (except maybe the Fiesta, which managed 26.8 mpg after 2 hours of driving at redline.) Its comfortable, well equipped, has improved fit and finish, and is genuinely a great place to be for a road trip.

I loved it.

*Chrysler provided the vehicle, insurance, and a tank of gas for this review*

The Smoking Tire heads out to the mountains of Malibu to tear up two of Audi’s finest sports sedans: the 2010 Audi S4 and the 2007 Audi RS4. We talk about some of the finer points of each car, as well as a few, say, quibbles.

“This is the most orange car I’ve ever seen.”

“Wow, you are soooo getting pulled over in that.”

“What do they think this thing is, a Lamborghini?”

-Reactions from my girlfriend, cameraman, and intern upon seeing the Solar Orange 2010 Audi TT-S pull into the driveway.

I was immediately smitten. I’d never thought much about the TT before; it’s always been kind of a girl’s car, the kind of car someone my size looks very silly driving. Its miniature, curved body, short overhangs, low roofline, and small engine make the perfect up-and-coming female executive’s car. It’s stylish, but those who really thought about driving dynamics (read: men) would traditionally be looking elsewhere, like to the TT’s bigger brothers, the S4, S5, or Porsche Cayman.

But wait, I hear the TT-S is fast. Can adding a bit of flair, more boost, and some orange paint turn the “secretary’s Audi” into a real man’s corner carving dream? More importantly, is it fast enough to justify the color? Hit the jump to find out.

I loved the first-generation TT. That car was the best example of retro-future styling I had ever seen up to that point, and the chrome-ringed interior, light weight, and free-revving turbocharged engine made it an absolute joy to drive. The second generation lost me, and didn’t win me back until the Orange Julius showed up in my driveway, wearing the 2010 S4’s 19” wheels, LED lights, and flared fenders. This car looks good.

The TT-S may appear small, but it’s really just an illusion based on the low roofline, and short overhangs. It’s bigger than a Mini Cooper, but smaller than a Nissan Z. Despite the low roof, it’s very easy to get in and out of, and once inside, you realize how roomy they have managed to make the interior. There’s more headroom than the Genesis Coupe, more legroom than my girlfriend’s Volvo V70, and more shoulder space than a Porsche Cayman. There is a back seat, but discussing it would simply lead me to references about midgets and amputees, and you’ve heard it all before. On the other hand, folding down that back seat reveals a Corvette-rivaling trunk volume. Never once did I want for additional room. Speaking of the trunk, Audi’s cargo net is brilliant, holding my meats and produce in place no matter how ridiculously fast I drove home from the grocery store.

The TT-S’s seats and steering wheel come straight out of the R8, and both are best in class. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters used to bother me, but with dual clutch transmissions and all wheel drive, there’s no reason not to be shifting mid-corner anymore. The seats are firm, bolstered, and very adjustable, and keep you in place without feeling cramped or pinched. Ergonomics in the TT are second to none, with every function, button, and control well within reach and exactly where you’d expect it to be, with two exceptions: After driving the A4 and S4 for the past 2 weeks, going back to the TT-S’s last-gen radio/navigation controls really did feel like a step backwards in design. The 2011 refresh of the TT will most certainly update that feature. And I really would like to see a real armrest, not just a piece of padding on top of the parking brake handle.

The TT-S is powered by a 2.0L, 265 horsepower, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, mated to Audi’s DSG dual-clutch 6-speed gearbox, and of course, Quattro all wheel drive. 265 horsepower may not sound like much for a $52,000 (as tested) car, but the relatively low curb weight of 3,200 pounds, seamless shifting, and endless amounts of boost at high revs make the TT-S feel much faster than the sum of its parts. Sixty comes in 4.9 seconds if you use Audi’s launch control system, which you must, because if you don’t, you may as well measure acceleration with an hourglass. If you don’t use launch control, the TT-S is dangerously slow from a stop. NOTHING happens below 3,500 RPM in this engine. Zero to twenty takes about 4 seconds, so leave plenty of room pulling out into traffic. On the other hand, once the turbo spools up, hold on to your license, because the TT-S will be rocketing down the road at extra-legal speeds in no time. That 3,500 RPM mark on the tachometer may as well be an on/off switch. Audi says the car is limited to 155 mph, but I can tell you that it also runs out of gear at the same time it hits the limiter. On the other hand, the car is rock solid at that speed, and it’s just so easy to drive fast, that I was able to average 94 mph for over 2 hours on a recent road trip. The acceleration from 75 to 155 is amazing, on par with much more expensive cars, and reinforcing my opinion that Audi’s are designed for the Autobahn, not the dragstrip.

The window sticker claims the TT-S can achieve 21/29 fuel economy, which it can, but only if you leave the shifter in “D-automatic,” which is Audi-speak for “never go into boost, ever.” If you are planning on spending $50,000 on a sports car and driving in this mode, I have one word for you: don’t. Even if you floor it, the eco-mode requires THREE downshifts to get into boost. By then, you’ve been rear-ended by a road-rage-filled Prius driver. Then there’s “S-automatic” mode, which keeps the engine in boost all the time. Great, if you don’t want to shift on a country backroad, but around town, having the engine in boost all the time makes this car go waaaay too fast, and you’ll find yourself slamming on the brakes at every red light, after realizing you’re going 85 in a 30. Fortunately, the brakes in the TT are nothing south of stellar.

After day 1, I found myself driving in manual shift mode all the time, because it was the only way I could keep the lag vs. boost under control. Shifts come immediately and with a satisfying burble from the quad-exhaust tips, and before you know it, you’re going 120 mph shifting into 6^th at redline. The result of my “spirited” driving style? 16.4 miles per gallon of Premium fuel. The TT-S can easily burn through a full tank in under 200 miles if boost is your friend.

In the twisties, keeping the engine right on the edge of boost while entering a corner will allow you to get back on the gas way early, and the car will spool up right as the Quattro system is pulling it through the corner. It’s a fantastic feeling, and the TT-S makes a great corner-carving companion. If you live in the mountains, this car is for you.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t buy this car though. Why? Because I know that there’s a TT-RS out there, with a 5-cylinder engine, 80 extra horsepower, and 70 extra lb/ft of torque. I have no doubts that the TT-RS cures everything I don’t like about the TT-S, and possibly some of the things that I haven’t even thought of yet. The TT isn’t enough, and the TT-RS isn’t available in the US (so far). Which leaves the TT-S in a middle ground between two non-options.

Kind of a shame really, because beating the snot out of this thing is damn fun.

[Edit: On the last day of testing, the TT-S showed a TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring System fault. All 4 tires have plenty of air in them, but the car is convinced there is a flat. This is the second electrical problem encountered in the last three Audi’s we’ve driven. The first was a major electronic transmission control problem in the A4 Avant, which Zack experienced as “being confused into neutral” and I experienced as “the engine will not rev over 4,000 RPM after shifting into 3^rd at redline while in manual mode. I was not able to rectify the problem by restarting the car or disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, and told the issue to Audi, who claims to be working on it. I hope that Audi is not falling victim to “Toyota Synrdome” and quality control of the electronic systems in these brand new cars will remain reliable.]

Audi provided the car, a tank of gas, and insurance for this review.

The Smoking Tire heads out to Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, CA to test out the new, controversially styled, Mazdaspeed3 on the track. While there, we enter the Speed3 in a local Time Attack race.

Upgrade your Stang to run with the big boys with V6 Mustang parts from AmericanMuscle.

The Smoking Tire takes the Infiniti QX56 to Blythe, CA for the Desert Storm Rally. Once there, we meet up with Jon Burke from Up 2 Mountains Rally Team and run ‘recce’ or reconnaissance in the Q-ship for the next day’s stage rally competition in his Open-Class Subaru WRX.

It has come to my attention that some of you viewers think that we didn’t do a good job of reviewing the car in the most recent episode of The Smoking Tire. For those people who think that way, here’s a quick review of our subject car, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe V6 Touring:

The Genesis Coupe, Hyundai’s first attempt at a rear-wheel-drive sports car, comes at exactly the right time. Hyundai is on its way up, with sales improving every month and the brilliant Genesis sedan acting as flagship for its 2-door baby brother. I don’t like that these two cars share the same name, because in practice, that’s where the similarities stop. The Genesis sedan is the Lexus LS400 of the 2000′s, undercutting the big boys with technology, fit and finish, and performance that’s way out of its price range. The Genesis Coupe looks to be more of that on paper, but it simply isn’t.

I first drove the 2.0T version of the Genesis Coupe for The Smoking Tire back in May of 2009, and I had mixed feelings about it. The chassis was balanced, the brakes from the Track Pack were effective, and, despite my issues with the “rev-hanging” in between shifts, it seemed like a good entry-level tuner car for $25,000. But it was slow, and painfully so.

It was another year almost before the V6 version arrived in my driveway in Los Angeles. It’s a great looking car from almost any angle, especially in Fire-Engine Red, and I spent at least 15 minutes just taking the car in from the front, the back, and the sides…. yep: good lookin car.

Opening the doors and hopping in, there was another pleasant surprise: great seats! These seats are covered with a really nice brown leather that feels the same quality as the leather used in the Genesis sedan, and the seats are firmly padded and nicely bolstered. Legroom in the front is very generous, besting both the G37 and Mustang GT in my subjective scoring procedure.The gauges are clear and easy to read through the steering wheel, and the center stack is screwed together tightly, about the quality you’d expect from a car at this price point.

That all goes away when you close the door and hear the most hollow, tin-can sound I’ve ever heard in a new car. It sounds cheap, and I can’t believe no one at Hyundai’s development team stopped them from building it like that.

I don’t care what anyone says, the Genesis Coupe is a 2-seater. Sure, there is a leather-covered surface back there, but unless you’re legally a midget, you’re not fitting there. Rear headroom is embarrassingly awful, as a 5’2″ friend hit her head on the rear glass while sitting in the back. Speaking of the back seat, you know those neat-shaped rear windows? They aren’t full-through. From the inside, they are normally shaped.

Our $31,000 test model featured the Touring package (Leather, Nav, Keyless Go) and no options on top of that. All the key feature boxes are checked, and it would be hard to find a feature that this car doesn’t have that any other car has at this price point. The navigation system is clear, simple and easy to use. For that, I give Hyundai full credit.

Then you start the car and it all goes wrong. The engine note is an epic fail. I can tell where they were going, they wanted to copy the Nissan 370Z, and all the other VQ-powered Nissan’s exhaust note. This is a good call, because Nissan does make the best sounding V6 in the business, but it ends up sounding more like a 1991 Chevy Lumina with holes drilled in the muffler. The 6-speed automatic transmission is fine, as long as you leave it in “D” beacuse although the Genesis has paddle shifters on the plastic-wrapped steering wheel, you shouldn’t bother using them because they inject about as much sporting feel as Sir Stirling Moss’s current ride: a Rascal. Note to Hyundai: It’s 2010. When you hit the left paddle to downshift, the engine should blip the throttle and match revs, not simply drag on the torque converter. I put the car in manual shift mode exactly once.

The Genesis Coupe’s V6 makes 300 horsepower, all of which you feel between 0 and 10 mph, as the Genesis has one of the touchiest throttles I’ve ever used. From a standstill the car lurches forward, but if you gas it while moving, the speed will increase, yes, but the fun factor stays exactly the same: minimal.

I wish I could say that things get better in the twisties, but because the transmission is so bad, it really is tough to have fun with this car in the canyons. Steering feel is fine through a tight bend, but on-center feel is darty at best, which is most noticeable on the highway, where you really have to keep two hands on the wheel to keep the car going straight.

Here’s the bottom line, and perhaps the most telling thing about the Genesis Coupe: We typically drive 1000-1500 miles when we are lent press vehicles for review. But we only drove the Genesis Coupe about 400 miles. Why? Because we simply didn’t enjoy driving it.

The Smoking Tire’s Matt Farah meets a weird French Chef who takes him on a road trip to Santa Barbara in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe to find fresh ingredients and wine for a meal. Then things start getting strange. Don’t play with knives in a moving car, kids.

In 1974, Volkswagen released the Mk I Golf on the unsuspecting public as a replacement for the nearly 30 year old Beetle. It was originally designed as a simple people mover like the Beetle, but over the last 25 years, has evolved into much more, or has it?

Certainly one could argue that the GTI variants of the Golf, especially the Mk IV “R32” edition, are some of the most satisfying drivers cars on the road, which is why many people have owned multiple generations of the hot hatch. But what about the base Golf? Does technology trickle down from the GTI to the point that even the more sedate versions of the car can be more than just people movers? Or, to put the question more simply, can a base Golf make me smile?

Read on to find out.

Our test car is the $21,000 base model (Mk VI) Golf 5-door, which, with the exception of the 3-door version, is just about the cheapest way out of a VW dealership. It’s powered by a 170hp, 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The only option fitted to our test vehicle was the Cold Weather Package, which adds heated seats and mirrors, but besides that, it’s as basic as it gets.

VW has said that Walter De Silva, who designed the car, took inspiration both from the Mk I and Mk IV Golfs, arguably the prettiest of the 6 generations, when designing the Mk VI. If he did, I don’t see it. While the car is a smooth, aerodynamic, wind-cutting shape, its exterior is completely devoid of presence. In short, I wouldn’t take a second look if I saw one parked on the side of the road. The generic silver/black color of our test car and 14” steel wheels with plastic hubcaps don’t do it any favors in that department either. In all fairness, I find the 3-door variant much more attractive and proportionate.

Inside the car, things get much, much better. With the Mk V golf, people complained that the interior styling had become bland, almost an afterthought, and that was most certainly cured in this car. Compared to the $29k Honda Civic Si I drove last week, the Golf felt significantly upmarket, taking advantage of the BMW-like “textured rubber” dash, which feels expensive and soft to the touch, especially around the bonnet covering the gauge cluster. For a base level car, the front seats are surprisingly sporty. No power seats here, but there is an adjustable lumbar support for the driver, very welcome in my case. I love the look and feel of really good cloth seats with bolstering, and these are the best I’ve seen at this price point. Rear head and legroom is also quite impressive, with our 6’1” intern able to fit easily behind me  (6’3”) comfortably for a 2 hour drive. It’s a true 5-seater, this Golf, and a fantastic road-tripper if you’re so inclined. The trunk was larger than I expected, able to carry our 3 camera bags, 2 tripods, and 2 helmets  to the race track without having to fold the seat down.

The Golf’s controls are basic and intuitive, and everything is exactly where you need and expect it to be. The gauges are clear and well-styled, and the steering wheel, though devoid of a leather wrapping, is the perfect size and shape for sporty driving. I love the fact that all 4 windows have auto up/down functions, something that many other carmakers skimp out on, but I don’t like how you have to shut off the headlights manually. I don’t require a full HID setup, but if you leave the lights on when you shut off  the car, the dim parking lights will stay on, which I learned when I woke up to a dead battery the following morning. Manufacturers take note: When the keys are out of the car, and the car is locked, all external lights should always shut off.

The radio is as simple as it gets, with large, clear buttons and an integrated auxiliary input. I would personally opt for the Premium Sound package, as this radio simply doesn’t sound very good, especially through the FM radio signal. And what’s going on with the HVAC controls? It’s the same 3-knob system we all know, but the knob to control where the air comes from is all the way to the right, and it’s literally impossible to read which direction to turn the knob to get the desired effect.

The biggest and most pleasant surprise happens when you start the Golf up and actually drive it. I can see why the golf is so heavy (3100 lbs) for its size, there must be hundreds of pounds of sound dampening in the car. With the windows closed, road and engine noise is virtually nonexistent, and wind noise only becomes apparent over 70 or 80 mph.

I honestly can’t believe the 2.5L engine is what comes standard for $21k. It’s 170hp may not sound like much, but the 177 lb/ft of torque means that around town the Golf feels, dare I say it, muscular? It feels every bit as fast as the last Mini Cooper S I drove.  VW’s web site says that the 5-banger is, “More than you’ll ever need. That’s why we put it in there.”

And you know what? They are right. Sure, someone like me is going to want the GTI version for maximum performance, but your average daily commuter would think the Golf is a rocketship. If there were a downside to this engine it’s twofold:

1)    Gas mileage, for a car this size, is merely average. Over my 3 days with the car in mixed driving conditions, I averaged 22.4 mpg, as reported by the on-board computer.

2)    How it sounds outside the car. While the cabin is so well insulated you don’t really hear the engine at all, from the outside it sounds more Chevy Cobalt than Audi A4.

Torque steer is completely absent from the Golf experience; even if you mash the throttle with the wheel cranked hard over, your hands wouldn’t know it. The suspension is extremely compliant, and rides more like a luxury car than anything else I’ve driven under $30,000. I’m sure the optional 16” alloys would take a bit of that away, but as tested, the car rides like its carved from a single block of aluminum and mounted on an Audi A6 suspension. When the road got windy, I tried to use the manual shifting option (lever only, no paddles), and it was disappointing that the up/down indicators were the wrong way! Again, manufacturers take note: you want to pull the lever towards you to shift up, like they do in racing cars. Re-learning the process resulted in some embarrassing wrong-direction shifts, annoying the hell out of my girlfriend. The best driving experience given this combination is surely the automatic “S” mode, which, if you control the engine with the throttle, will always manage to find the right gear on its own.

The bottom line: The Golf isn’t a sports car, that’s what they make the GTI for. But if you closed your eyes and rode shotgun in one, you’d think you were in a much more expensive car than something that was out the door for $21,000. If anonymity is your thing, and you really want to have the last laugh, pick up a Golf with a few options for $25,000 and laugh at everyone else that overpaid for their version of luxury.

(Note*: Some photos show 2010 GTI model)

Volkswagen provided the car, insurance, and a tank of gas for this review.

The Smoking Tire heads out to Willow Springs International Raceway to test a friend’s Mitsubishi Evo X, tuned by Road Race Engineering. Is the Evo quick enough to keep up with a Porsche 996 Cup Car? We’ll see…

What happens when I go snowboarding the day before reviewing a supercar and destroy my knee? I hold open casting calls for a substitute. But will any of them have what it takes to review the mighty Audi R8 V10? Watch and see….

Personality goes a long way with Jay Leno, and it must, because, lets get this out of the way now, this is one of the worst shot videos in the history of automotive journalism. That being said, Jay gets answers from the Volt’s chief engineer, Andrew Farah (no relation), and takes it for a spin around Burbank. I love Leno’s vast experience with cars and immense wealth of knowledge, and although he’s always polite and asking important questions, there are quite a few moments of tension between Leno and Farah, most obvious when Leno compares the Volt to a 1916 Owens Magnetic, an electric car nearly 100 years old that shares many technologies with the Volt. Watch for yourself.

I greatly respect Jeremy Clarkson for many reasons. He basically does the best possible version of what I could be doing, and makes a ton of money doing it, but more importantly, he has found a way to drive sports cars for a living, and keep it going for nearly thirty years, all the while expressing his true opinions virtually uncensored. I, for one, can tell you how difficult that actually is, because I’ve just barely scrapped my way through the first 10 percent of that, and some people seem to think I’m successful.

But the bottom line is, there’s a reason that Pearl Jam sounds kind of like The Who, there’s a reason that Beyonce’s hair looks like Diana Ross’s and there’s a reason the The Smoking Tire and Garage419 are often compared to Top Gear. It’s a matter of influence, and clearly, we like what we’ve been watching.

I was astonished to learn, on a recent trip to Wikipedia, exactly how many videos Clarkson has actually produced, independent from Top Gear. “Duel” marks Clarkson’s twenty-first sports car film. I have only seen three, “Thriller,” “Supercar Showdown,” and now “Duel.”

As the name implies, “Duel” attempts to solve some of the burning questions that swirl in the minds of gearheads the world over. It starts off well, with Clarkson and The Stig attempting to find out what the best car is for drifting, but quickly degenerates from there into over-the-top silliness that turns Jeremy into almost a caricature of himself. Of course, there are some hilarious moments, and as you could expect, plenty of vehicular destruction.

A welcome appearance from Tiff and Vicki from Fifth Gear was nearly ruined by the fact that Tiff is such a terrible actor, you could tell the whole gag was scripted, even though he’s quite good at doing car reviews on his own show, but the Stig attempting to flirt with Vicki made up for it.

But here’s the biggest problem wth “Duel.” Every, single car featured in the DVD has already somehow been used for an episode of Top Gear. So, while “Duel” is most certainly funny and a very entertaining hour, is it worth actually going to a store and buying?

Let’s just say I downloaded the torrent.

The Smoking Tire fills up our Nissan Cube with all kinds of produce, bottles, and random stuff, only to meet up with hunting expert Brittany Boddington and blow everything to smithereens!

The Smoking Tire heads out to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch once again, this time to check out the world’s first “Destination Dealership,” Switchcars.com. Switchcars’ owner, Doug Tabbutt gives us a tour of his collection and handpicks a few choice favorites to share with us on the road and track.

When I was younger, I would spend my weekends hopping from dealership to dealership test-driving cars. I looked older, and dressed the part, which made my lies to salesmen more believable. As I have gotten older, I have gained increasingly more access to test vehicles, and my dealership experience has faded.

But in this series, I go back to my roots and begin to test-drive cars straight off dealership lots, because, well, I gotta get cars somehow. Besides, when you limit yourself to driving only very good sports cars, your perceptions of reality can get a little warped. That’s why, in this series, I’m going to try to stay away from sports cars.

This week, I drove three small, German SUV’s, the Mercedes GLK350, BMW X3 3.0 Xdrive, and Audi Q5 3.2. I hate this class of vehicle, especially since these vehicles offer less sport, and barely more utility than a station wagon, yet cost thousands more.

The Evidence (base price shown)

Audi Q5: $37,200

Audi A4 Avant: $34,500

Mercedes GLK350: $35,475

Mercedes C300 (sedan quoted, wagon available 2011): $33,600

BMW X3 3.0 XDrive: $39,575

BMW 328i Wagon: $35,400

Granted, the SUV’s offer more base power than their wagon counterparts, but with more mass to move, it’s easy to understand why the power is needed. Despite my hatred of the small SUV, we press on with the comparison:

Third Place: Mercedes GLK350

May as well come out and say it: the GLK is impossibly ugly. The exterior styling, while making an effort to be futuristic and edgy, comes off as neither. It looks like someone raised the roof, literally, on a C-class, then hacked off the trunk. Mercedes says that the GLK’s “design language” is based on the G-class, a 30-year old design that, for some reason, continues to sell to overindulgent morons in Hollywood like Megan Fox and Hilary Duff. I don’t see the styling connection, as it looks much more like the GL-class than the original G. Besides, even if it is any good off road, no one will ever know, because no one who knows they will be off-roading when thinking of buying a new car would ever consider the GLK, especially one fitted with the optional 20″ wheels.

My test car’s window sticker read $40,600, the cheapest as-tested price of this group. It included the Premium Package ($3,150), Sport Package ($900), and iPod integration ($375). The car did not have the COMMAND navigation system, which comes with a backup camera and costs another $3,000.

The interior is about what you’d expect: good fit and finish, great visibility out of the car, which makes sense given the upright seating position and generous amount of glass, and comfortable front seats, if lacking bolstering. I was pleasantly surprised to see real brushed aluminum used in the dash and trim, and then that surprise was offset by my shock at how much hard plastic is used in the interior. The dash, door panels, center console, and rear cargo area are all trimmed out in plastic. I was also disappointed in the lack of a better leather option, if you could even call it that. The salesman assured me that it’s real leather, I didn’t believe him for a second, and I have since learned that there will be a better “Upholstery Package” offered in 2010. It couldn’t come soon enough. The front, power operated driver’s seat has plenty of legroom and headroom for my large frame, and rear seat room was a close second in this test, slightly roomier than the Audi and tigher than the BMW. The front passenger seat had full, manual controls, and though it was just as roomy, a car at this price point really should have full power seats. I don’t understand why Mercedes would install a power steering wheel and not a power front seat, when its clear which would be more useful. The rear seats fold flat, a standard in this class, providing plenty of storage space.

Driving the GLK350 could best be described as “bland,” which is probably what the kind of aspirational appliance-seeker who would buy it wants. Its 268hp 3.5L V6 makes more than enough power to get the GLK from A to B, and not nearly enough power to have fun along the way. Its 258 lb/ft of torque are highest in this test, though, and it does scoot off the line with very little pedal effort. The salesman assured me that by putting the 7-speed SelectShift transmission in “sport” and shifting myself, that it would be more fun. It wasn’t. Upshifts took a full “one, Mississippi” count, and throttle-blips on downshifts would be way too much to ask. The GLK is one of those “throw it in D” kind of cars. The brakes work adequately for around-town commuting, though the pedal suffers from a serious case of the squishies. Expected fuel economy is about 18mpg overall, or 22/16 on the EPA scale. Unsurprisingly, Mercedes recommends 91 octane or higher.

Despite the $7,000 as-tested advantage over the other two vehicles in this test, the GLK was a clear dead last. It felt least attached to its luxury heritage, least equipped, and, in my opinion, the worst styling.

Good: You can tell your friends you drive a Mercedes, even if just barely.

Bad: An attempt at an aggressive, sporty SUV resulted in a tall wagon that’s anything but aggressive or sporty.

The Smoking Tire: A Mercury Mariner is more comfortable, just as functional, and better looking, for $10,000 less.

Second Place: BMW X3 3.0 XDrive

The aging X3 is the oldest design of this segment, first appearing on the market in 2004 with the anemic 2.5L engine and lack of performance to match. The good news is that, since then, BMW has decided to paint the trim body color and add the 3.0L 260hp engine to the X3, an improvement of 76hp from the original model. Unfortunately, not much else has changed. The X3 is still hideous, but now with front and rear fascias which attempt to mimic its big brother the X5. Sadly, the exterior proportions are still very awkward: it’s squat, yet upright, it looks more like a misshapen 3-series than a member of the X family.

Things get better inside, as the Bimmer’s leather is best-of-the group. The doors are sculpted and stitched with high quality, soft leather, and the door handles are works of metallic art. In typical BMW fashion, the steering wheel is thick and has just the right amount of padding, and is also fully adjustable, albeit manually. The dash, like the current-generation 3 and 5 series, doesn’t angle towards the driver, as it does in the Audi, it bulges in the center and gets narrower towards either door, a somewhat awkward proportion. Climate controls are standard BMW fare, except I still don’t understand why there’s a hot/cold selector knob in between the two center vents. Every BMW I have driven since I turned 16 has had this feature, and I don’t know any more about it now than I did then. If the climate system is indeed fully automatic, as it appears to be, then why the second control knob? The salesman, nice as he was, couldn’t explain its presence either, and once my questions about it fully confused him, I stopped asking. Immediately noticeable on my $48,000 test vehicle was the strange lack of iDrive. Instead, the X3 has a pop-up screen with the average-at-best Navigation system most commonly used in the E46 3-series and E39 5-series. Don’t get me wrong; it worked great, in 2002. Next year, the X3 is due in for a redesign, no doubt including iDrive. The X3 does get points, however, for the roomiest and best upholstered rear seat.

The X3’s strong suit is the slickr’n greased owl shit 3-liter straight six. Though it’s the least powerful of the three, it’s only just, and it pulls the car without a single vibration felt through the chassis or steering wheel. This is an engine that is so refined at this point, I doubt it could get any better, except, maybe, by strapping on a couple turbos. Oh, wait, they already did that. In fact, why isn’t that engine offered? Nevertheless, the X3 is the lightest of the bunch, so it’s slight power deficiency isn’t too detrimental. BMW hasn’t gotten around to updating the X3 with their “Flight Simulator” shifter offered in the 5-series and X5/6 yet, but at least the shift lever has the right orientation for performance driving, with upshifts requiring a pull, and downshifts a push. The brakes are effective, yet almost too immediate with their response, and they require a gentle foot, unless you don’t mind your passengers’ beverages all over the windshield. Steering feel has always been BMW’s strong suit, and that’s one area where the X3 doesn’t disappoint. The weighted feel and perfect amount of road/driver communication really do remind you that you’re driving a BMW. And EPA figures of 16/23 put the X3 ahead of the Benz and just behind the Q5. Of course, that’s premium fuel.

The biggest problem the BMW faces is its price. The base price of $39,995 is over $2,700 more than the Audi, and over $5,000 more than the Benz, and both of those cars come with way more standard features. Fully optioned out, the Bimmer will cross the big five-oh. My test car stickered at $48,650, the highest in this test. Considering the BMW is an aging design with the least amount of tech goodies, value is out the window. Not surprisingly, it seems that even in the world of small SUV’s, the BMW-tax applies.

Good: Sportiest of the bunch, most rear seat room

Bad: The most desirable options make the X3 very expensive quickly.

The Smoking Tire: Just as ugly as ever, but hey, it steers like a BMW.

First Place: Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro

Like the GLK, the Audi Q5 is new for this year. Following in the footsteps of the ugly-but-successful Q7 SUV, the Q5 downsizes a bit, in keeping with the societal themes of the last couple of years. I was surprised that the Q5 actually looks better than the Q7; Ingolstadt’s finest smoothed and lowered the bulbous waistline of the Q7 into a flowing, more compact design with the Q5. The Q5 also loses the Q7’s monster air dam, a vast improvement. Where the X3 fails to “shrink” the X5, the Q5 succeeds in shrinking the Q7. Audi’s trademark big-mouth bass grille and LED running lights seem a bit much for the Q5; I’d preferred if Audi had reserved the LED’s for only its high-performance models.

By this point, everyone already knows Audi puts together stellar interiors, so I won’t beat a dead horse. The interior design language first seen on the A6 has tricled to the A/S5, the A/S4, and now the Q5, and in each of these models, it works flawlessly. The center console features the largest and brightest LCD screen of the three, and though it takes a few days to get used to Audi’s MMI system, navigating between menus using the large buttons is very easy. But, why does the scroll wheel go the wrong way? To scroll down, you turn counter-clockwise, which is the exact opposite of every scrolling wheel, ever. The steering wheel, while not as thick as the BMW’s, has multifunction controls as standard, and is wrapped in very soft leather. Front seats are full power standard, and the rear seat can remotely fold down using a button in the cargo area. They must be lifted back up manually with a lever on either side of the rear bench, a very simple process. Most disappointing about the Q5 is the lack of rear seat legroom; anyone with over a 32 inch inseam would get out of the car with bruised knees. Headroom is exceptional in both the front and back seats. Strangely, Edmunds.com’s car comparing website shows the Q5 with more rear legroom than both the GLK and X3, contrary to my experience.

The Q5’s 3.2 Liter, direct injection V6 makes 270hp, the most of the three, but by only 2hp over the GLK. There is only a 10 horsepower spread from least to most in this test, and the weight spread is only 150lbs, so acceleration, braking, and handling numbers are all going to be very similar. More importantly, the Q5’s transmission is noticeably quicker than both the X3 and GLK, especially in manual mode. On the other hand, the transmission in question actually hiccupped, hard, after flooring it and jumping off the gas quickly in “Sport Auto” mode. At least all three come with identical 4year/50k mile warranties. And if you keep your foot out of it, the Q5 will manage 18/23 MPG with the longest range of the group, 455 miles.

The good news is that the Q5 has a relatively low base price of $37,500. The bad news is that the premium package, which includes all the goodies you’d expect from a luxury car, is $4,000, meaning the odds of actually getting one for less than $40,000 are just about zero. Want navigation and a backup camera? That’ll be another $3,000 please. My test car stickered at $47,915, which is just about where I say the Q5, like the X3, isn’t worth the money. I’d say skip the navigation and get a TomTom. You still get the LCD screen and MMI interface, even without it. And if you really think you need a backup camera, save your money and get some driving lessons.

The best thing I can say about the Q5 though, is that it really is very similar to the A4 Avant both in interior feel and driving dynamics. And that’s the biggest compliment offered in this test.

Good: All the stuff you like about other Audis applies here

Bad: No 2.0T or TDI engine available, options get expensive quickly.

The Smoking Tire: Best of the three, but still a car you’d buy for your mom.

I wouldn’t buy any of these cars. Not because there is anything inherently wrong with them, or because they don’t perform as advertised, but because I see them all as pointless vehicles. I would never buy an SUV that doesn’t do anything that a station wagon wouldn’t. I spent a week with an A4 Avant, during which time it snowed nearly a foot, and I had to help a friend move a bunch of boxes. I even drove the Avant on a snow-covered Monticello Motor Club’s road course at very high speed, drifting the whole way. And none of it was even remotely a problem for the wagon. It looked better, went faster, cost less, and got better fuel economy than the Q5 as well. The A4 is just an example, BMW and Mercedes also make equally capable, and proportionately cheaper station wagons. And lets be honest with ourselves here: no one, and I mean less than 1% of owners, will ever drive any of these pseudo-SUV’s off road. Both the BMW and Audi come with hill-descent control standard, and if that button ever gets pressed it’s because the driveway is a bit icy, not because they need to get down safely from Everest Base Camp.

There was always a possibility that one of the three cars in this weeks Dealership Experience  would change my mind about small SUV’s, even though ultimately that wasn’t the case. These three cars all function in a very similar way and offer similar equipment at a similar price. It really makes me feel like car companies today are simply imagining holes in the market that really don’t need to be there. I know there’s nothing in between the E-class wagon and the ML or R class SUV’s, but do we really need a tiny little box running around pretending to be an SUV?  Not really. Does raising the roof and putting big tires on a 3-series make it do anything the 328xi Wagon won’t do? Not really. Are Audi customers really finding their Avants too mommy-like that they need a small SUV? Grow up, wagons drive exactly like sedans, they just hold more stuff.

Alternatively, I’d like to encourage everyone to try everything out for themselves, maybe you’ll see something I missed. If you’re looking at a small SUV, try a wagon, and if you’re looking at a wagon, try a small SUV. The sales don’t lie.

I wake up every morning glad that the apocalypse hasn’t happened yet. I’m sure it will happen sooner or later, whether it’s in the form of a Nostradamus prediction come true, a Terminator-style machine takeover, or, far less likely, a Biblical event. I wake up every morning and smile because it’s still sunny in LA and machines aren’t tearing my house to shreds, picking up my Corvette, and throwing it across the street through my neighbor’s kitchen window.

There is one exception to this behavior: The morning that Aprilia’s new mid-sized Supermoto arrived on my doorstep. Enter the Dorsoduro  SMV750.

This thing looks like it’s ready for war. From the jacked up frame, murdered out gas tank and paint job, to its tucked-underseat exhaust system and handgrip deflectors, the Dorsoduro, more than any bike I’ve ever seen, makes me want to join the resistance. Join the resistance to what?  Anything.

Were I to actually take the Dorsoduro into battle, I would quickly realize three problems:

1)    The bike doesn’t have a gun holder, standard or optional.

2)    The high-performance street tires, which work just fine on pavement, may be a problem in a battle-zone littered with dirt and debris.

3)    I promised my mother I wouldn’t die on a motorcycle, and taking one into battle increases those odds considerably.

I think I’ll just settle for the next closest thing, the sprawling, semi-urban streets of Los Angeles. It certainly looks the part, the two-wheeled styling equivalent of a Lamborghini Revénton-meets Mad Max that only an Italian company could pull off. It’s angry, aggressive, edgy, and attractive; on quite a few occasions I found myself leaving Fort Starbucks to find my bike surrounded by inquisitive civilians.

The most frequent question asked, following “What’s an Aprilia?,” was about how it compared to it’s Italian cousin the Ducati Hypermotard. I have never ridden the Hypermotard, so I won’t begin to draw on-road hypotheticals, but after sitting on one in a showroom recently, I will say this. If you’re “American Sized,” like my 6’2”, 240lbs is, the Aprilia is the way to go. It offers a more comfortable seating position, better peg placement, and is about $1,500 less ($10,500 vs. $12,000). If you’re from the other side of the pond or similarly sized, meaning your t-shirts have S or M on the tags, the Ducati is lighter and makes 13 lb/ft more torque (at the expense of 2 fewer horsepower), and has an immediately recognizable name printed on the tank. Also, the Dorsoduro makes its 92 horsepower using a 750cc engine, whereas the Hypermotard requires 1100cc’s to accomplish a similar task, so expect fuel economy to be better on the Dorsoduro. During my two weeks with the bike, I averaged 44.9 mpg in very mixed conditions.

I would buy this bike on sound alone. The engine and exhaust combo, shared with Aprilia’s Shiver and Mana, is like taking a Ferrari 430 Scuderia’s V8 and hacking off two cylinders at the end to make a V-twin. It wails like only an Italian could, and the pops and cracks that emanate from the exhaust while decelerating are the motorcycle equivalent of crack cocaine, it’s that addictive. I always found myself accelerating just a bit more than I normally would, just to hear that sound.

From the rider’s position, the gauge cluster is as simple as can possibly be. A large tachometer is front and center, flanked to one side by a multipuipose LCD screen that reads out speed, engine metrics (including temperature, as I learn later), and ECU mode. The Dorsoduro’s ECU is pre-programmed with three modes: Tour, Sport, and Rain. It didn’t rain while I had the bike, and even if it did, I’d rather ride the bus than ride in it, and I only used Sport mode while in the canyons. That seemed like a good decision, as at less than 8/10ths you really don’t notice the difference, and Tour is fine for everyday use. Sport mode does, however, really bump up the throttle response and aggressiveness of the power delivery, so a more experienced rider may find themself using this mode more often.

The Dorsoduro is a fantastic city bike. It makes power in all the right places, especially the midrange, has a beautifully light and progressive clutch, and a seating position that’s comfortable enough for anyone to ride around all day long and never have any back pain. The suspension absorbs every bump, railroad tie, pothole, and surface change without a hiccup, and I found myself no longer swerving around obstacles, but running over them, just to see how the bike could take it. In case you’re wondering, ‘ol Dorso took it like a champ.

She also passed the canyon test with flying colors. Despite the relatively high center of gravity, the Dorsoduro’s wide handlebars, relatively light weight, willingness to rev, and road tires made an afternoon in the canyons a true pleasure, especially when the pavement got rough in places, as tends to happen in Southern California. Parking at Neptune’s Net on the Pacific Coast Highway, I was met with smiles, nods, and thumbs up from a fleet of Harley Davidson riders, a pleasant surprise.

There are, of course, a few downsides. The shifter works fine while the bike was moving, but it was an endless wrestle to put the bike into Neutral while stopped. Also noticeably absent was any form of storage, as well as the ability to carry a passenger. On two 90+ degree days, the Dorso very nearly overheated while sitting at long red lights. A check of the coolant revealed everything was normal, but it wasn’t happy until we got back moving again.

ABS is the only option, and though my test bike was so equipped, I never found cause to actually try it. The rep told me that more advanced riders would probably opt for a non-ABS model, as it tends to hamper the bike’s off-road ability under aggressive braking, but less experienced riders would appreciate it as a safety measure. I agree.

It’s really a shame that almost no one I spoke with on the street has ever heard of the Dorsoduro, as it is not only a great tool for urban warfare, should one ever spring up in Los Angeles, but also it’s a very versatile, user friendly, fun to ride bike for riders of all skill levels. Sure, the shifter requires some getting used to and it ran a bit hot in traffic, but even a bike this good can’t get over its Italian heritage. And although I never had cause to take the Dorsoduro into battle, for those two weeks, I woke up every morning with a smile on my face for an entirely different reason: I had a motorcycle in my garage that I just couldn’t wait to ride.

Recently, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was quoted as saying that Chrysler’s contribution to mid-size and large car expertise was totally underestimated.  Most auto enthusiasts would, however, tend to disagree with him, performance-wise, quality-wise, efficiency-wise, etc. etc.  (Other than maybe the SRT-8, with the 6.1). I have always looked at almost every Chrysler-designed car this way, especially in terms of quality. I have always thought that driving a Chrysler feels like driving a Power Wheels toy, only with an engine…oh wait.

This toy is more relevant than you might think to Chrysler products. And I quote, from a review of the Fischer-Price Dodge Ram Power Wheel: “Very little power, doesn’t work very well. Hard to steer. ” The same could be said for many vehicles in Chrysler’s lineup.

After reading what Mr. Marchionne had said, I began to think that he might be somewhat right, at least with the 300c and Charger. It’s not surprising, at least in my state, Minnesota, to see at least one or the other every time I go for a drive. But what makes people want to buy these cars? Were the 300C and Charger the reason the Fiat CEO made that statement? Time to investigate at my local Dodge dealer and “Grab life by the horns”

I made sure that my test drive would be in the 5.7L Hemi R/T which turned out to be a little difficult to find a dealer with one of these in stock, surprisingly.  I stayed adamant on testing this particular model because of the engine; apparently the 5.7L Hemi was placed in Ward’s Top Ten engines of the year lists, from years 2002 through 2007 (Yes, every year) and again in 2009. Turning out 368HP and 395 Ft/LBS of for 2009, it shells out more than enough power for a 4 door sedan; they also use it in the Ram. Unfortunately, I could not locate a new R/T model to drive, and had to make do with a 2006 model. Still, 350HP with 390 Ft/LBS of torque isn’t too far off of the newer engines.

Looking over my Beige-With-Wannabe-Muscle-Car-Stickers example, I can see the appeal of this car. There are few large 4-door cars at this price that look this aggressive. The car has this sort of modern muscle look that covers up that fact that’s it’s really a family sedan. The R/T is made special by use of more chrome, foglights, different wheels and stickers. Gotta love those stickers.

Ok, so now we get to the interior. At first glance, It is unbelievably boring. Closing my eyes for a minute and taking a  second glance, it is still devastatingly boring. Granted, we had only a small amount of options on this particular car, but even with navigation, steering wheel controls, and leather seats, I simply cannot see how people manage to stay awake while driving the Charger. Just to name a few,

• The gauges were from a minivan.
• The plastic was tacky.
• The seats weren’t comfortable.

The worst part, however, was the door panel. It may sound strange to criticize that one piece, but honestly as the first thing I saw when I entered the car, I couldn’t help but notice this rectangle-shaped piece of low quality. Want to make a million dollars? Make a baby mobile (the things that spin above their crib to help them sleep) out of mini Dodge Charger door panels.

Turning the engine on, it growled to life with a v8 growl. Being derived from an older-generation Mercedes E-class, I thought that there was a chance that it would have half-way decent handling, or at the very least comfortable. It wasn’t. The small 5 miles that I covered in the car made that quite apparent, especially as I took a wide, sweeping entrance ramp on to the freeway. At a very normal 45 miles an hour, the Charger produced a solid amount of body roll, a terribly revealing trait about the suspension in this car. I simply can’t figure out how such normal and pedestrian entrance ramp taken at normal speed could induce sea-sickness the way this car could.  Once on the highway, though, the 390 FT/LBS of torque made itself apparent. Wide open Acceleration is very smooth and linear, and even though this is a heavy car, it will push you back into your seat. Coming back into the dealership, I took the car over a bad-condition road, a move which I paid for in hearing a solid clunk over almost any visible bump. I wasn’t impressed with the ride, but maybe the newer 2009 and 2010 models are better. Doubtful, if I’m honest.

All in all, this car is a piece of furniture from Target. It may look nice and it seems to be at a good price for what it is, but the quality is lacking. The only reason I can think that there are so many of these cars on the road is simply because it looks a little different; like a modern “family” muscle car, and a Hemi engine to back it up. After all, you wouldn’t have bought an Intrepid with a Hemi, would you?

I guess we will have to see if Sergio Marchionne is right.

- Ryan Maki

The Smoking TIre meets up with Samuel Hubinette at El Toro Marine Air Base for an autocross lesson. The problem is, the Corvette was in the shop so we had to use a Semi Truck.

The Smoking Tire heads out to El Toro Marine Base for the first video review of the new Spyker Aileron. Host Matt Farah performs a high-speed evaluation on El Toro’s runway and explains why the Aileron is THE sports car to have when a Ferrari or Lamborghini is just too pedestrian.

Protect your gear from the elements with a Ford F150 tonneau cover from your aftermarket F150 authority, AmericanTrucks!

It’s easy to write about cars when you’ve driven hundreds of different kinds of cars. You always have something to compare your car with. For example:

The new BMW 335i accelerates with as much force as the last-generation M3.

In the 12 years since I’ve gotten my driver’s license, I have gotten behind the wheel of over 300 different vehicles. I’m not going for some kind of a record, but it’s just a personal choice to get behind the wheel of something new any time the opportunity presents itself.

But what do you do when you’ve only ridden one motorcycle? Let me explain: I got my motorcycle license about 3 weeks ago, and upon being handed the keys to the old-looking but brand new, $14,995 Moto Guzzi California Vintage, I was nervous. Fortunately, excitement outweighed anxiety, and after a brief lap around the block to verify the ‘Guzzi’s 580 lbs wasn’t too much for a first-timer to handle at low speeds, I was off. And I may not have a memory full of comparisons, but here goes.

A bit of a history lesson: In the early 1970’s, Moto Guzzi’s V7 Special was the preferred transportation of the California Highway Patrol. The V7’s legendary 90-degree V-twin engine displaced 757cc’s of low-end grunt just perfect for a patrolman muscling his way through traffic, and the low center of gravity and compact frame made easy work of tight maneuvers compared to its American competitors, namely Harley Davidson. But we’re talking history here, and this is the 21^st century. So let’s find out how Moto Guzzi brought the V7 Special into the modern age.

While the overall look remains true to the original design, and the key styling points are all there, underneath the chrome, everything is new. The V7’s 757cc engine has been upgraded to a 1064cc unit with a 5-speed transmission, longitudinally mounted and driving the rear wheel via shaft. The beautifully ornate twin makes 72 hp at 6400 rpm, but what’s most impressive is the torque produced between 2500 and 3500 RPM, which makes the rider feel like drag-racing every red light without having to wring the life out of the engine. Engine vibration drops off considerably at around 3000 RPM, which is just about 70 mph in top gear. Magnetti Marelli fuel injection, Marzocchi suspension, and Brembo linked brakes all bring the California Vintage to the modern age seamlessly, and without compromising the throwback design.

Let me make one thing clear, that I may have skipped over. This bike is gorgeous. It’s what happens when, for lack of a better term, the Italians do Harley. Remember the Pininfarina “Rondiné” Corvette? Or the Scaglietti Corvettes? What about the Ghia’s, DeTomaso’s, and Iso Grifo’s? Well, this is the 2-wheeled equivalent of those rolling works of art. The Italians have a feel for design, detail, and fluidity that is unmatched elsewhere in the world, and it shows in the California Vintage, because, in my opinion, they did Harley better than Harley does Harley. More on that later.

Just a few minutes on the California Vintage, and I could tell that this is a bike that is ready for just about anything the rider can throw at it. The black and white leather seat is a work of art, positioned high and wide and setting the rider up for a vertical (ahem, Cop-like?) seating position, with legs hugging the tank and feet resting on the shock-absorbing floorboards. The low-slung, chrome handlebars reach back towards the rider, stopping exactly where my hands would want to fall anyway, leaving my arms to simply rest on the hand grips without having to reach. A two-hour road trip to Santa Barbara up the Pacific Coast Highway with the girlfriend revealed that the back seat is just as comfortable as the front, though an optional backrest would be welcome. The hard saddlebags are enormous. I was able to use the California Vintage instead of a car 90% of the time because of how great the saddlebags are. I fit groceries, 2-liter bottles, bags of ice, clothing for 2 people for 3 days, my riding jacket, 17” Macbook Pro’s video cameras, and all kinds of other stuff that would normally require a car. The California Vintage clearly isn’t just a bike that one would buy as a novelty showpiece; it wants to be ridden, frequently and with cargo. It wants to be your go-to bike.

The most surprising feature, and perhaps the most appreciated, is how well the bike handles. Sure, hairpin turns require a slow entry speed and frequently a downshift to first gear, but through long sweepers, canyon roads, highway bends, and 90% of SoCal’s road system, the California Vintage really shines. I found myself passing the big touring bikes, and able to keep up with bikes that should, theoretically, be out of the ‘Guzzi’s league in terms of performance. As a non-expert, I will attribute the ‘Guzzi’s much better than expected handling to the low center of gravity, compact frame, low-end grunt through the corner, and narrower, vintage-style tires. Whatever the scientific reason, the result is a touring bike that is easier for a beginner to ride.

Moto Guzzi is taking aim straight at Harley Davidson’s Heritage Softail with the California Vintage. Of course there are plenty of people out there who will only buy a Harley, and that’s fine. And like the ‘Guzzi, the Heritage Softail is an old-looking model that has been updated with new engine options and counter balancers for their rigid-mounted V-twins, to reduce vibrations. Sitting on the Heritage Softail feels like sitting in the bike, whereas on the ‘Guzzi you’re sitting on the bike. However, Harleys come with lots of optional accessories, chrome this, leather that, painted what-have-you’s, whereas the Moto Guzzi only comes one way, and at one price. A similarly-equipped Heritage Softtail retails for, give or take, $22,000. The California Vintage undercuts that price by a healthy margin at just $14,999. Include the Guzzi’s “Italian bred with American history” flavor, and you’ve got a value that’s unbeatable.

On the other hand it’s Italian, so owning one might be a bit of an adventure. I know quite a few owners of Italian bikes, and parts can be difficult to find and expensive. During my 2-week loan, two bolts one on an exhaust heat shield and another on the left floorboard, rattled themselves loose and disappeared, and the resulting rattle at idle was less than pleasant.

If what you want is to be a part of the Harley Davidson crowd, then the ‘Guzzi simply will not do, it’s made in the wrong country and has the wrong name on the gas tank. But if you want a fantastic everyday bike, capable of commuting to work, road trips, shopping, and arriving in style with some questioning (and even more approving) looks from guys on Harley’s, the California Vintage may be the perfect bike for you.

For me, it’s a great start to an ever-growing list of bikes from which to draw future comparisons. I would suggest any rider in search of a great value go try one for themselves.