The Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan minivans revolutionized family transportation when they were introduced back in 1983. Nevermind that Volkswagon had been selling people-friendly vans for decades, it was Chrysler’s “magic wagons” that came to define the minivan for Americans.... 

BMW heralds its X5 sport utility vehicle as a “Sport Activity Vehicle.” The tactic is designed to focus attention on the vehicle’s on-road handling and driving dynamics, but it’s also an attempt to eliminate any need for the automaker to apologize for the X5’s limited... 

Another week, another special edition for the UK. New for 2010, the Land Rover Freelander 2 Sport attempts to be equipped as regally as its name suggests, with either a Santorini Black or Lago Grey paint job decked out with color-keyed exterior trim, a rear spoiler, and 19-inch diamond-turned alloy... 

When Lexus introduced the IS F, enthusiasts were suitably skeptical about the automaker’s attempt to go head-to-head with the Germans. After all, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have specialized in creating autobahn-burning, Nordschleife-honed handlers for decades. And then we drove it. To everyone’s... 

We still have few more months to wait before the production version of the new MINI Crossover arrives, but the folks in Oxford will be dropping a new concept in Detroit next month to tide us over. Think of the MINI Beachcomber as the melding of one of Alec Issigonis’ progeny with a Jeep Wrangler.... 

We’re looking at a long, nearly straight, almost totally traffic-free downhill. We’d climbed up to the base of the Palm Springs to Idyllwild Ariel Tramway. Our goal was to see how fast Mitsubishi’s tiny i could go. We’re on the gas, and the teensy, turbocharged 660cc three-banger... 

As with any other business, in the automotive sphere, it’s mission critical to recognize on which side your bread is buttered – particularly in lean times like these. Bugatti may be losing money on each Veyron it builds, but that doesn’t mean that company strategists don’t know... 

Over the past several years, we’ve seen no end of photos of high-end cars with bright chrome and gold finishes coming out of the Middle East and Russia. Until now, none of those have come that way from an automaker’s paint shop. However, you just knew that couldn’t last, and alas,... 

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is ready for its close-up at the Detroit Auto Show, but before the shindig in Michigan gets underway next month, Mercedes has dropped all the official details on its CLK convertible replacement. Like the coupe on which it’s based, the Cabrio is a step... 

It’s hard not to be skeptical when a company that no one has ever heard of announces a brand-new supercar. A few have managed to last more than a few years, like Koenigsegg and Pagani, but most seem to disappear just as quickly as they appear. Russ Wicks, founder and CEO of Kepler Motors, is... 

Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citroën Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly... 

In Japan today, Toyota officially launched its Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) lease program. Over the next six months, Toyota will be building and deploying 600 examples of the plug-in Prius for testing primarilly in Japan, United States and Europe. The Japanese market will get 230 units, with 150 coming...