Winding Road Magazine
Driven: 2009 BMW 7-series Gives Less Bangle, More Bimmer
This was an incredible sensation we have to tell you about first. We’ve melted tires and drifted BMW M3s, M5s, and M6es without any effort whatsoever. We tried getting the 128i or 135i to do these things and it wasn’t easy. We tried the 335i and it’s just too composed to make it easy, though it can be done under certain circumstances. Bottom line is that BMW makes cars that must seize the driver’s heart and soul without much ado. They should goad us to play.
List: Top Ten Cars that Look Great in Bizarre Colors
It’s no easy job to design a car that most people will agree is attractive. Start to throw wild shades of paint into the mix and the job becomes exponentially harder. While it’s safe to say that Jaguar’s XKE is a stunningly beautiful car, we’d imagine that Atomic Orange might be a tough sell to Jag owners when it comes time for new paint.
List: Top 11 Animal-Themed Vehicle Names of All Time
Manufacturers have long relied on symbolism to push their metal on the public, hoping to create a long-lasting connection between their vehicles and a commonly understood concept. No stronger does this play out than in the name of the vehicle itself, where car makers have looked to animal names to imbue a set of characteristics not captured by the spec sheet alone.
Driven: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart and Evo X MR
We’re just back from a day of participation in what Mitsubishi called its Lancer Family Road Show, where the main event was our debut drive in the new center of the range, the 2009 Lancer Ralliart.
Driven: 2008 Mini Cooper D
We at Winding Road and NextAutos are always eager to test the diesel offerings from global manufacturers and we were grinning with excitement when the folks at Bosch offered us the keys to a Mini Cooper with a 1.6-liter diesel engine. According to Bosch, this Mini will achieve fuel economy numbers in upwards of 50 miles per gallon, which will shame many hybrid offerings currently sold in the States.
Winding Road’s Top Twelve Cars Of 2009
Over the past twelve months we’ve driven or reviewed (and often both) something on the order of 250 vehicles. Be it on some far-flung and usually stunning road served up by an automaker for a new car launch, or on the slightly more humble highways and byways that surround our Michigan and Texas offices, we’ve had a fair taste of what was on offer in the automotive universe during 2009. We figure the very least we can do is to tell you which ones we liked best.
Early Adopters: Sign Up For Winding Road’s iPad App
Since its launch at the beginning of this month, Apple’s iPad has been the talk of news writers, forums posters, and the larger online world in general. While we at Winding Road haven’t been immune to the base lure of what is, perhaps, the most exciting product on the planet, we’ve also been hard at work developing our own application for it.
Winding Road’s Guide To Winter Driving
Despite the April Issue indication you may have noticed on the cover of this month’s Winding Road (check out our full new issue at www.magazine.WindingRoad.com), it’s actually just around the middle of the long Michigan winter as we write this. That’s bad news for anyone who values anything in the way of a short sleeve or a naturally occurring tan, but it’s surprisingly good news for us driving enthusiasts.
We lean towards that group of people that embrace four full seasons in all of their glory, and love to drive through each of them. Which is why we’ve been paying special attention this year to the motive joys that can be had when our world is white. Be it driving a sports car or a convertible, with a new set of snows or in a frigid testing environment, we’re into winter driving. Find out why.
Preview: 2011 Mini Countryman
That’s right, folks—it’s a modern-day Mini Crossover.
Just About Right: 2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796
The New Ducati Hypermotard 796 might not be the fastest, biggest, or sharpest bike that money can buy, but it strikes a distinctly adult balance that should tempt occasional riders.
