First Drive: 2011 BMW 335is
It's fair to say that few automobiles have ridden atop their segment for as long as the BMW 3 Series has managed. Admittedly, there have been occasional frights from other German automakers or the odd Asian upstart, but it's as if Munich's engineers long ago brokered some sweetheart deal with the devil, so total has been the range's dominance. All of which has made it particularly tough for U.S. enthusiasts, as we've seen seemingly dozens of tempting higher performance specials and intriguingly efficient offerings pop up over in Europe and elsewhere, yet these ...
Geneva Preview: Ferrari to show off 599 Hybrid, production model planned
News of an impending hybrid from Ferrari is nothing new, but now we appear to have an actual date when the Italian supercar manufacturer plans to show such a vehicle in an official setting. And it's coming soon, during the first week of March at the Geneva Motor Show, says Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo. The announcement came during the unveiling of Ferrari's new F10 Formula One car, which seems appropriate as it was during the 2009 F1 season when Ferrari first began using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System – a kind of ...
Aussies get Mini John Cooper Works Challenge Edition
Minis deliver fun on a sliding scale. Lower budget? The Cooper's a gas. Got more dough to play with? Buy a Cooper S, and wait for the turbo to paint a grin on your mug. Then there's the John Cooper Works cars, which pack the strongest performance punch along with an assortment of visual tweaks that let the informed know you're rolling in Mini's range-topper. Now, word comes down that well-to-do Miniphiles in the land Down Under can now add the John Cooper Works Challenge Edition package to any JCW ride - Cooper, Clubman, ...
First Drive: Bentley Continental Supersports
In the superluxe world, we're used to this maneuver: add a few horsepower, shave a tenth or two, sew in a few extra threads, name your exclusive new interior color something like "Algerian Beet" and voilà, a 50-percent price premium for three-percent more car. On the surface, the Bentley Continental Supersports is a GTC Speed that has gone on The Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover, and Alter Eco. But you know what they say about the proof and the pudding, so the question is whether the Supersports is a nameplate special or a genuinely ...
Report: 2011 BMW X6 getting single turbo N55, eight-speed automatic
BMW has officially announced changes for its 2011 BMW X6, and the big news is that the German automaker will swap out its twin-turbo N54 inline-six in this sport utility for the new twin-scroll single turbo N55 mill, just like it did in the new 5 Series. The move continues BMW's drive toward simplifying its engine options while at the same time providing X6 owners with stronger acceleration and increased efficiency. BMW claims the N55 matches the twin-scroll N54's power numbers while also cutting weight from the engine bay. And since this bubbly crossover weighs in at a rotund 4,900 ...
BMW has officially announced changes for its 2011 BMW X6, and the big news is that the German automaker will swap out its twin-turbo N54 inline-six in this sport utility for the new twin-scroll single turbo N55 mill, just like it did in the new 5 Series. The move continues BMW’s drive toward simplifying...
The Mazda5 has been around since 2006, going about its microvan business in relative obscurity, yet rewarding buyers with a healthy dose of zoom-zoom mixed into their three-row vanlet driving needs. The Mazda5 (Premacy in other markets) received a few tweaks in 2008, but other than new wheels and...
