Search results for: evs
Driven: 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR
Earlier this year, we had the chance to get behind the wheel of part of Nissan’s refreshed 2010 lineup. We admitted that taking the 2.5-liter Altima Coupe for a spin didn’t exactly leave us impressed with the performance. Now, we have just gotten out of the 2010 Nissan Altima sedan, this one housing the 3.5-liter V-6, and we’d be lying if we said it didn’t make up for most of the shortcomings of the smaller-displacement, four-cylinder engine. And this time around, the Altima came to our turf—the wintry roads of Michigan.
Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R
Alright, folks, honesty assessment time. How many of you really have grounds to believe that the Golf R32 VR6 4Motion (now breathe) was the best thing since pimped white bread? Really and truly?
Well, categorically, it wasn’t.
Volvo Announces 2.0 GTDi Engine
Today, Volvo added a new mill to the lineup: a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine with direct injection and variable valve timing. The 2.0 GTDi will power versions of the Volvo S80, V70, and XC60.
Detroit 2010: South Korean CT&T Have Bold EV Dreams, Happy Executives
There was an all-new stand on the main floor of the Detroit show this year, manned by an electric vehicles company from South Korea called CT&T. The whole executive team of the young company was on hand (and rather excited to be in Detroit, if the “thumbs up” picture in our gallery can be believed), making bold claims about intentions to storm the American market this year. Stay tuned.
Keepers: 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS
Lest you think the Winding Road team is all about turbos and corner-carving, here’s a shout out to the muscle loving, bigger-is-better crowd and their definitive late-model flagship, the 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. Lord Vader, your car is now a Keeper.
Video: BMW ActiveE Concept Promo
Yesterday we showed you the BMW ActiveE concept, an electric version of the 1-Series coupe. This video is BMW’s promo for the vehicle.
First Look: 2011 Ford Mustang V-6
Destined to leave behind its historic and hated spot as the poser’s car of choice, Ford has pulled the wrapper off of its 2011 Mustang V-6 to reveal a truly competitive modern muscle car.
First Look: 2011 Audi A8
Ah, Miami in November (almost December). What better place for Audi to officially take the wraps off of its 2011 A8 flagship? The new sedan’s design is a proper evolution of the Audi styling language we’ve seen infused on the A4 and A5 in recent years, but there’s a whole lot of new-ness to this car, namely those sexy headlamps.
Review: Chevrolet Cruze
This is the Master Landing Page for the Chevrolet Cruze. From now on, as we further review this car, we will be updating this page with whatever fresh content we create. Future drive reviews, updated specifications, videos, and other relevant information will all be found right here, in one convenient spot.
Driven: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Touring
We’re fresh from the driver’s seat of the newest addition to the Lancer Evo fast family, the mildly more grown up MR Touring model. Mitsubishi has got a lot happening at its event in Palm Springs, California this afternoon (stay tuned for much more from this desert trip in coming days), but we felt we’d be remiss if we didn’t check in with a few quick thoughts about the new Evo.
Driven: 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
The new aluminum SLS built in Sindelfingen, Germany stays dead even with the carbon-fiber SLR built in the UK until early this year. Though the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 in the SLS has 54 less horsepower (down 9 percent) and 96 fewer pound-feet of torque (down 17 percent) than the supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 in the SLR, the SLS weighs 328 pounds less (also down 9 percent), has much finer dynamics, and better technology. Acceleration on both cars to 60 mph therefore stands at 3.6 seconds and both lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:40. The SLS just does it all with better behavior and efficiency.
Driven: 2010 Mazdaspeed3
Our love of the Mazdaspeed3 can be traced back with a very exact timeline, as it first bloomed about 30 seconds after we ignited the engine on our maiden voyage in it. Back in October of 2006 we lauded the first generation Speed3 as, “The most complete front-drive compact yet,” and were left certainly stunned at the car’s combination of price and performance. Three years and one generation on, and we’re tempted to conclude that Mazda still has the best thing going in the hot hatch game, by a long shot, though clearly not a car that is all things to all people. Which is probably a good thing.
First Look: 2011 Lexus LFA
After many, many rounds of spy shots, the final details and production images have been released of the much-anticipated Lexus LFA supercar, which will have a limited production run of 500 units and will be sold for — get ready — $375,000. (Start saving your pennies.)
Back To School: We Preview Aston Martin’s Performance Driving Course
The folks at Aston Martin invited us to preview the same courses that customers go through, and we gladly accepted. This would not only allow us to brush up on our dynamic driving skills, but it would give us the chance to spend some more time with the latest crop of Astons—the V8 Vantage, DB9, and DBS coupes.
Dinan S1 335i: Better Than an M3?
Taking the fabulous BMW 335i and trying to make it better than an M3 is a tempting but difficult exercise. Not only is the M3 a very good car, so is the 335i. If anyone has a chance to pull this off, it would be Dinan, the long-standing mega tuners of BMWs in the U.S.
First Look: 2010 Audi R8 Spyder
What’s not to love about the Audi R8? Well, besides the R-tronic transmission. This is one of the sexiest supercars that we’ve been able to get our hands on, and Audi has now upped the ante on its R8 hotness by removing the roof. The R8 Spyder will be hitting our shores next year in 5.2 V-10 guise, and we’re already planning our summer drive routes for this exotic droptop.
First Look: 2011 McLaren MP4-12C
We’ve been waiting for this one for quite some time. McLaren’s last official entry into the supercar world was the too-hot F1 which ended production in the late 1990s. But now Lamborghini and Ferrari have a new kid to do battle with — the MP4-12C, which has been developed entirely in-house and derived from Formula 1 technologies.
Driven: Showdown – Mustang GT, Infiniti G37, And BMW 328i Convertibles
For some time now we’ve been doing brief, direct comparisons of test cars at the request of our readers. Naturally, anyone considering a car will have a short list of other cars that are considered competitive. We think the information requested has been helpful, so we’re formalizing the idea in a new series called Showdown. This is the first article in this series, so let us know what you think, in comments.
Someone shopping for a convertible around the $40k mark would probably have at least one of these cars in mind. Since these three cars are full of surprises, we thought it would be useful to cover them in Showdown format as a way of highlighting the choices buyers face. Note that to keep these three cars within shouting distance of each other, we tested the Mustang GT Premium with manual transmission against the base G37 and the base 328i convertible (which was only available for test with an automatic).
Driven: Saying Goodbye To The Honda S2000
Throughout the 1990s, the Mazda Miata was the go-to choice for inexpensive, lightweight, whipping-boy roadster fun. But all of that changed in 1999 when Honda launched the S2000 with its mean little style, simplistic interior, and high-revving (9000 rpm!) 2.2-liter four. And while the Miata went through a series of refreshes and shortened its name (to MX-5) since that time, the Honda proved to be a very stiff competitor without many changes over its lifespan. We grew to love the S2000 because of its taut, firm suspension, incredible steering feel, and impeccable transmission—the six-speed manual gearbox is, to this day, one of the best sticks we’ve ever driven—and we were indeed saddened when American Honda announced that 2009 would be the S2000’s last model year.
First Look: 2011 Nissan Leaf EV
Nissan unveiled its all-new electric vehicle called the Leaf yesterday, which is to be launched in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. in late 2010.
Driven: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
For a company as small and idiosyncratic as Subaru, launching a wholly new contender for the high stakes midsize market is a really big deal. The automaker is rightly aware that its 2010 Legacy won’t be overtaking the sales numbers of stalwarts Accord or Camry any time soon, but Subaru has high hopes and broad targets for the all-new sedan, nevertheless. The stated goal for the Legacy is to become the, “Driver’s car of the midsize segment.” Consider us intrigued.
