Search results for: porsche
Quick Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
If you ever need any hard proof of the brilliance of the AMG engineers, you should set yourself up in back-to-back test drives of a “standard” ML550, and then the ML63. Night and day. Well, night and mid-morning, anyway.
Quick Drive: 2011 Volvo S60
Some brands have a well-identified and executed character that cuts across much of what they do—for better or for worse. Most Toyotas are rather dull and uninvolving, and have rather lame design qualities inside and out. Most Porsches are entertaining to drive, give up some secondary ride comfort in the quest for handling, and draw on the 911 loosely for design inspiration (or distraction).
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.
Photo Shoot: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
Here is another set of quality photos from photographer Chris Amos, featuring the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe we reviewed in Issue 62 of Winding Road.
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.
Quick Drive: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
The Outlander Sport has real potential as the Greenformance Crossover of the Year. Or so it seems in the first few minutes behind the wheel.
Photo Shoot: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon
Recently, in our Supercar Issue, we brought you our review of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon, featuring photography by Chris Amos. As we have now done with the Ferrari 458 Italia and Porsche 911 Turbo, we thought we’d show you some more of the photos from that rainy shoot, since they didn’t all make it into the magazine.
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.
Quick Drive: 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged
The Range Rover is a brilliant car that makes no sense. Since the world would be a more threadbare place without cars (and art and architecture and really anything “inefficient” but humanely attractive), let’s dispense with the reasons you could get the raw functionality of this vehicle for vastly less money and concentrate on what it does that is special.
Driven: 2011 Nissan Leaf
Thanks to being the first mass market, fully electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf is a fascinating car. Fascinating because it gives us one glimpse of the future, a look at the look, the feel and the intent of the cars many people will be buying in the second half of this decade. The Leaf also raises the question, “Might you want to jump on this train to the future now, or hold off as long as you can?”
Spy Shots: Roding Roadster Looks Odd, Goes Fast
Not every fast car can also be classically pretty.
Winding Road Issue 63 Is Now Available!
In this issue of Winding Road, we go supercar crazy when we get behind the wheel of the stunning Ferrari 458 Italia.
Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
The Mercedes-Benz Vision CLS show car back in 2003 at the Frankfurt auto show absolutely stole the three-day press event. Rarely is there such a universally big positive reaction to anyone’s “vision,” especially when we’re talking about skeptical journalists. Even we loved it shamelessly.
Driven: 2010 Lexus IS350C F Performance
I’m going to go out on a fairly robust limb and say that there are plenty of drivers who a) like convertibles and b) like performance cars and c) would love to find convertible performance cars that are basically as good as their coupe siblings. Unfortunately, with the exception of cars like the Porsche Boxster that are designed from the outset as roadsters, mostly this doesn’t happen. Instead, physics intervenes, and the process of adding the convertible feature adds weight, raises the center of gravity, and reduces torsional rigidity. None of those changes improve driving dynamics. Of course, different manufacturers manage these tradeoffs with differing levels of artistry, but it’s not nice to (try to) fool Mother Nature.
Secondhand Gems: Five-Figure Supercar Bargains
Not everyone is flailing about in an economic freefall. That’s not to say it’s time to throw caution to the wind, but for those who still have a few bucks in the bank, you should know that six-figure supercars weren’t exactly immune to the financial crisis.
Quick Drive: 2010 Nissan Murano LE
The Murano works, within the bounds of its SUV/Crossover package, because of some pretty basic engineering. First off, the steering is direct rather than sloppy, and though it isn’t sports-car communicative at least it doesn’t get in the way. Secondly, the CVT, which inherently wants to slip as it adjusts its gear ratios, actually feels more hooked up and responsive than many a traditional automatic. Fortunately, the tendency of the CVT to hold an rpm level is mitigated by two wise choices that Nissan made. The Murano carries lots of sound deadening, so you don’t really hear the engine droning away, though technically that’s what it is doing. On top of that, when you want more than a gradual change in speed, the CVT adjusts its ratio progressively, so you have some feeling of rising rpm to match your subconscious desire for appropriate feedback.
First Look: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
The Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera, Audi A7, Volkswagen CC, and to a lesser extent the BMW 5-Series GT all owe a large part of their existence to the success of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Unveiled in 2004, the CLS was a segment buster, responsible for creating the four-door coupe craze that has been such a huge part of the luxury segment over the past six years. It has grown it bit long in the tooth though, so Mercedes is updating the CLS in time for the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
List: Top 25 Power-Dense Powerplants
Power density may not be in the lexicon of the average gearhead, but this idea is arguably as important as power-to-weight ratios and zero-to-sixty times. Power density, also known as specific engine output, is the amount of power produced by each liter the engine displaces. It is expressed in terms of horsepower per liter (hp/L). Automakers, especially those of performance vehicles, strive to hit the magical 100 horsepower-per-liter mark, which is where the recognized range of serious sports cars start.
Can-Am Cars In Detail Publishes This Month
We’re starting our holiday wish-list a little early this year. Can-Am Cars In Detail, a book by Can-Am journalist Pete Lyons, will be out later this month.
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).
Winding Road Issue 60 Is Now Available!
In this issue of Winding Road, we drive the all-electric version of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG stealthily around Norway to see what the silent Gullwing is made of.
