Winding Road Magazine
Driven: 2010 Lexus IS Convertible
We love convertibles, as our readers probably already know. So when Lexus asked us to take the new IS C for a spin, we happily obliged. The motto for the drop-top version of the IS is “Live a little, a lot.” With this in mind, and with sunscreen at hand, we headed to the Southern California coast for some top-down driving.
Driven: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Elegance on wheels elegantly wafting o’er the Tuscan hills: that’s all the new E-class coupe wants to be and do for you.
—Florence, Italy
One of the bigger sensations of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show this past March was the long-telegraphed intro of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan (designation “W212”) and coupe (“C207”). Naturally, the sedan is solid and enjoyable, but the coupe needs to be sultry. And it is sultry enough.
List: Ten of Our Favorite Motorcycles from the Movies
Behold our incomplete list of our favorite motorcycles in the movies. We limited our list to ten, so we know there are scores of other bikes from movies we didn’t mention (Purple Rain, On Any Sunday, Officer and a Gentleman, Blade II, Mask, etc.)
First Look: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
It’s now been thirteen years since we’ve seen a Corvette Grand Sport, but Chevrolet has decided to resurrect this special moniker for the 2010 Corvette. The standard LS3 engine has not been changed, but even so, 430 horsepower (or 436 with the optional exhaust) is nothing to complain about. The Grand Sport replaces the original Z51 performance package, but will offer a host of upgrades which bring the standard ‘Vette close to Z06 performance. Both coupe and convertible variants will be offered, as well as a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
First Look: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63, S65 AMG
Mercedes-Benz launched the S400 Hybrid and S600 versions of the 2010 S-Class at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, but we now have the official details about the “turned up to eleven” S63 and S65 AMG. No drastic power numbers have been tweaked — the S63’s 6.2-liter V-8 cranks out 525 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and the S65’s twin-turbo V-12 boasts 612 horsepower and 738 pound-feet. Additionally, the engines have been slightly tweaked to improve fuel economy, though we’re sure that Green-minded car buyers aren’t exactly looking for anything with an AMG badge.
First Look: 2010 Audi Q7
Audi has released the 2010 Audi Q7 SUV, and it has received some minor changes. On the outside, it now has some LEDs up front, and the rear lights are also LED. The front bumper and tailgate have been slightly reshaped.
First Look: 2010 Kia Forte Koup Debuts In NYC
Kia debuted their new Forte sedan at this February’s Chicago Auto Show, but we were hoping to see some more evolution of the Kia Koup Concept come through into production. Thus, a two-door Forte with the Koup name was brought for all to see at the New York Auto Show, squarely aimed at the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, and Scion tC.
First Look: 2010 Subaru Outback Gets Legacy Treatment
Just like the Legacy sedan, the Subaru Outback receives some substantial updates for the 2010 model year. The revised Legacy’s design language is very much present on the Outback, though it looks a bit more awkward in this tall wagon guise. Speaking of tall, the 2010 Outback’s ground clearance has been increased to a total of 8.7 inches, giving it more of a crossover stance rather than an Allroad-esque wagon.
First Look: 2010 Land Rover LR4
The third vehicle Land Rover brings to the New York Auto show is the 2010 LR4. It receives the same naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 engine as the other 2010 models, capable of 375 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque.
First Look: 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
Land Rover is unveiling three models for the New York Auto show, the first of which being the 2010 Range Rover. It features two available engines: a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine that puts down 510 horsepower and 461 pound feet of torque, and a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 capable of 375 horsepower and 375 pound feet.
First Look: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTEC
They may not all be featured attractions at the New York Auto Show, but Mercedes-Benz has been splashing new models out nearly faster than we can keep track of them over the last few days. This morning’s S-Class orgy followed the E63 AMG announcement this weekend, and now the E250 BlueTEC has rolled out onto the Javits Center floor. While the M-B power machines mentioned above are certainly tempting fare, but consider us early proponents of the new diesel. We’ve always been BlueTEC fans, and this one sounds like a doozy.
First Look: 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Land Rover, along with two other vehicles, is also showing the 2010 Range Rover Sport at the New York Auto Show. It gets the same naturally aspirated and turbocharged 5.0-liter V-8 engines as the standard Range Rover.
First Look: Mercedes-Benz Unveils ML450 Hybrid
In addition to the top-dollar S400 Hybrid that Mercedes-Benz unveiled, they’ve also added this gasoline/electric powertrain to their SUV lineup in the ML450 Hybrid. Just…
First Look: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, V-12 S600
We love it when automakers decide to unveil a new car, especially when they aren’t doing it at the auto show currently taking place. We may be knee-deep in New York materials, but Mercedes-Benz went and pulled the trigger on the new 2010 S-Class; more specifically, the S600 and S400 Hybrid.
First Look: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Gains Style, Off-Road Capability
Sometimes, a slight refresh can be a big step forward for an automaker. Take this new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, for example. Parent company Chrysler really needs to prove that it can make attractive, fuel-friendly, good-quality vehicles, otherwise the automaker will indeed have a tough time staying afloat over the next year. And from the looks of the new Grand, we don’t think it’s going to disappoint.
First Look: Nissan 370Z Gets Nismo Performance
Not only did Nissan bring the new 370Z Roadster to this year’s New York Auto Show, they decided to turn up the heat and unveil a much-anticipated Nismo version of the hot new sports coupe. Nismo, Nissan’s in-house tuning division, did a pretty successful job with the last-generation 350Z, so we can only expect good things from the new Z, what with its upgraded powertrain and utterly primal driving dynamics.
List: New GM/Segway PUMA and other Personal Mobility Vehicles
In the spirit of desperation innovation, General Motors and Segway unveiled their joint personal mobility vehicle project PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) prototype in New York. The two-seated vehicle will feature the two-wheel balancing technology of the Segway, as well as connectivity between other PUMAs that will enhance safety and communication while zipping around town.
Driven: 2010 Mazda3
When you think about driving along the mountain roads of southern California, your brain immediately fixates on images of Lotus Elises and Porsche Boxsters as potential quick-footed dance partners for a day of driving fun. But in reality, any car with nimble steering, a taught suspension, and a bit of pep in its step can give similar pleasures. Take our 2010 Mazda3, for example. We spent many hours throwing it through a seemingly endless series of back-and-forth, left-and-right turns, and walked away feeling quite satisfied. The previous generation 3 was seriously fun in these conditions. We’re happy to report that the new car is too.
First Look: 2010 GMC Terrain Shows Its Face
General Motors sure does enjoy badge engineering. We just saw the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox for the first time this past January along with Cadillac’s new SRX, but instead of making a replacement for the outgoing Pontiac Torrent, the General decided to add another vehicle into GMC’s product line — the 2010 Terrain.
First Look: BMW X5 And X6 Get The M Treatment For New York
File both of these in the “utterly pointless yet totally awesome” category. BMW will be officially unveiling the new X5 M and X6 M at the New York Auto Show next week, but the official details and photos have just now leaked out onto the web. Both of these newcomers mark BMW’s first application of all-wheel drive on an M vehicle, and while we don’t exactly see them selling in droves, we’re confident that they’ll both be an absolute hoot to motor around in.
Analysis: The Lessons of Rick Wagoner’s Demise
I confess to having mixed emotions about the Obama administration’s move over the weekend to throw Rick Wagoner under the Escalade.
On the one hand, Mr. Wagoner was pretty clearly toast last fall. He had to get the axe, at a minimum for political reasons, but for sound reasons as well.
