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Quick Drive: 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track
This is a 306-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive, Korean muscle car. I know, it’s crazy. But it’s also very good. The Genesis Coupe packs a 3.8-liter V-6 that, besides the aforementioned 306 ponies, produces 266 pound-feet of torque, which for those keeping track at home puts it squarely in the range of the V-6 derivatives of the Ford Mustang (305 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque) and Chevrolet Camaro (312 horsepower, 278 pound-feet of torque).
Quick Drive: 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport R/T 4×2
The “performance truck” is in keeping with the general drift of pickup trucks sold in the US in the Swiss Army Knife direction. There is a definite appeal to the idea of a vehicle that can do many things: take the kids to school, haul kitchen cabinets home, pick up a plasma TV, and go on an off-road expedition in a national park. That list of consumer needs has led to the popularity of full-size crew cab pickups. Change up the list to: commute comfortably to work, pick up a plasma TV from Best Buy, haul kitchen cabinets home, and deliver some semblance of quickness and responsiveness while doing it all and you get various sport trucks like the Toyota X-Runner, the Ford Raptor and this week’s Quick Drive, the Dodge Ram 1500 R/T.
2011 IIHS Top Safety Picks Include 66 Vehicles
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has announced its list of Top Safety Picks for the 2011 model year, which includes a record number of 66 vehicles this year despite increased safety standards.
Finalists For North American Car And Truck Of The Year
The organizers of the North American Car And Truck Of The Year Awards have announced the three finalists for each category. The winners will be announced in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Hyundai Prices 2011 Sonata Hybrid
Hyundai has announced that the 2011 Sonata Hybrid, which carries a combined EPA rating of 37 mpg, will start at $25,795.
Winding Road Issue 65 Is Now Available!
In this issue of Winding Road, Audi hands us the keys to its Quattro Concept, and it has us looking toward the future.
Ward’s Releases List Of Top Ten Engines
Ward’s Auto has released their list of the top 10 engines of the 2011 model year. Well, top nine engines to be entirely specific.
Driven: 2011 Hyundai Elantra
The newest generation of compact cars in America is virtually unrecognizable from the vehicles that wore that class designation in years past. Long regarded as the purview of those who could just barely make the cut as new a car buyer, the compact segment has, for decades, featured some of the slowest, cheapest, most undesirable cars available. Even for enthusiasts, who tend to understand a bit better the advantages to be had via lower curb weights and shorter wheelbases, the really attractive small car propositions often could only be found in European or Japanese Domestic Market fare.
Driven: 2010 Year In Review(s)
It’s getting to be that time of year again—the holiday season is upon us, snowy weather is well and truly on its way, and another calendar is due to be replaced. A time to take stock of the year that’s passed, and look forward to the new one at hand, and all that.
Gamer: Gran Turismo 5 For PlayStation3
If you’re anything like us (and frankly, if you’re reading our GT5 review the day that the game goes on sale, you’re a little like us) the following is probably true: you’ve played every instantiation of the Gran Turismo series, since the title’s debut in 1997. You’ve played them a lot. You bought and played GT5 Prologue, hoping against hope that the full GT5 would be released within weeks of completing that too-short teaser of a game. More than two years later, and after near-countless release date announcements and delays, you had almost given up on ever getting behind the wheel of the newest Real Driving Simulator. Those thousand-plus cars, seventy-plus track configurations, online gaming, track editor, and damage modeling were vaporware after all.
Secondhand Gems: Germany Vs. Japan $40K
Behold the titans of modern automotive excellence. As much as we love our baseball and apple pie, it would be irresponsible at best to suggest that German and Japanese automakers haven’t been driving the auto industry for the last three decades. That’s not to say the rest of the world doesn’t offer some fabulous automobiles, but considering the American portion of that apple pie has been steadily shrinking for years, we know we’re not alone in our fondness for foreign machinery.
Secondhand Gems: $20,000 Tailgaters
After last month’s voyage into the realm of “cheap” supercars, offering up a selection of truly affordable performance machines with accommodating backsides seemed the perfect antithesis. Not all motoring enjoyment takes place at speed, and though we’re currently roasting away in the dog days of summer, autumn tailgating adventures will soon bewitch the football faithful around the country. You know the season well—crowded parking lots packed with people dressed in sweaters and sweatshirts, the air a delicious mix of brats, burgers, beer, and burning leaves. Traditional vehicles for such venues are ones with plenty of room out back, so weekend warriors can cook, feast, and down enough adult beverages to officially be labeled a distillery.
Winding Road Issue 62 Is Now Available!
In this issue of Winding Road, we get inside Cadillac’s newest beast, the 556-horsepower CTS-V Coupe, and see if it’s as exhilarating to drive as it is to behold.
Quick Drive: 2010 Subaru Impreza 2.5i Premium Sedan
In the ultra-competitive world of the small car, the Subaru Impreza seems to struggle. It doesn’t have the standout looks or better driving dynamics of cars like the Mazda3, or the Honda Civic. It is, however, one of the only cars available for under $20,000 that offers standard all-wheel drive. While this gives the Impreza a bit of an advantage on the competition, I don’t find it enough to make it a really worthwhile buy.
List: Ten Things To Look Forward To In Gran Turismo 5
With its last installment released over five years ago, to say that Gran Turismo 5 has been long awaited is a bit of an under statement. The original Gran Turismo was one of the first console-based games to bring production car racing to the home, and helped create legends out of cars like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and Subaru Impreza WRX.
Driven: 2011 Mazda2
There exists a tendency, without having driven the car, to try to compare the new Mazda2 to cars one is already familiar with. After all, it shares DNA with the Mazda3, and even the Ford Fiesta. Beware these comparisons, as they will mislead you. The 2 is its own entity, occupying a new space in the company’s North American market, a segment which seems to be ballooning as drivers seek value and practicality. And this economy car is coming from a manufacturer that understands that the best cars are also fun cars. In a Venn diagram, picture the Mazda2 in the shaded area where pragmatism and enthusiasm intersect, and you’re off to a good start.
Blog: A Car Guy Lives With The Mitsubishi i-MiEV
“Rex Roy spends a week with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.” To those who know me, this would be an experiment on the order of Wife Swap. Producers of that wacky and twisted program intentionally find completely incompatible families and have the husbands swap spouses. Tension, irony, and humor ensue. Sometimes individuals learn acceptance, open-mindedness, and ways toward better living. Other times, disaster on the order of one-in-the-head, two-in-the-chest is narrowly averted.
First Look: Lotus Evora S And Evora IPS
Earlier, Lotus “leaked” an email discussing the Lotus Evora S and Evora “Auto.” Soon after that, our spy shooter caught the Evora S in testing. Now, Lotus has dished on the two models debuting at the Paris Motor Show, the Evora S and Evora IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift).
IIHS Names Ford Fiesta A 2010 Top Safety Pick
Since the introduction of the roof strength test (an important addition indeed), it has been more difficult to earn a Top Safety Pick from the International Institute for Highway Safety. Small cars, especially, have been criticized for their perceived vulnerability in crashes. The 2011 Ford Fiesta, however, has overcome that to become the eighth vehicle from the automaker to win the award.
Quick Drive: 2010 Mazda3 i Touring
Mazda seems to excel at providing expensive thrills for economy prices. The current range is packed full of vehicles that can put a smile on your face, and I have always considered the 3 to be one of those cars. Our Mazda3 was the “i” Touring, means the base motor, a 2.0-liter I-4 and a decent amount of standard equipment.
I Want To Go Racing: Getting Started
Racing is something that people tend to think is expensive or only for professionals. Well, truth be told, it’s not. For interested beginners, all that’s really needed is the entrance fee to your local motorsports venue in your pocket and your daily driver. You don’t need any kind of racing experience for many events and you don’t need a sports car (although having one can make events so much more fun).
