Renault previews facelifted Koleos in India
That the Renault/Dacia Duster has reached the Indian market may be news for the Indian automotive scene, but is hardly of consequence to American readers, or really to anyone outside of India. What is of more international importance, however, is what was previewed at the Duster's unveiling in New Dehli. While local journos were admiring the budget crossover, Renault gave a sneak peek at the upcoming facelifted Koleos. The original Koleos – also known as the QM5 – was designed by Renault, engineered by Nissan and produced by Renault Samsung in South Korea. The new model features ...
First Drive: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S
While Jaguar readies a slate of new vehicles to broaden its product portfolio, it's doing a Bentley-esque job of making the most of the vehicles it currently has. If there's any surprise in the XK getting more new outfits than a Ken doll, it's that we didn't realize there was so much that could be done with it. Donning its latest new costume, the XK is transformed – via the XKR – into the XKR-S. The fastest and most powerful U.S. legal road car Jaguar has ever made, the brief was to create a coupe that could be ...
First Drive: 2012 Audi R8 GT
Regardless of the frequency, our pulse still races every time we fire up a ten-cylinder engine. It's not just the unique sound or the warbled vibration that gets the blood flowing – it's the anticipation. Whether the badge says Gallardo, Viper or M5, a V10 under the hood promises intoxicating power and frenzied excitement. The new Audi R8 GT packs just such an engine – a 5.2-liter V10. Mid-mounted in an aluminum and magnesium monocoque chassis, the powerplant is rated at 560 horsepower. With all-wheel drive and a sequential gearbox, the coupe rockets to 60 ...
First Drive: 2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec
Hyundai isn't interested in knocking shields with the likes of the BMW M guard, the Audi S line or even the Mercedes-Benz AMG legion with its 2012 Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. Instead, the newest addition to the Genesis line is out to offer buyers an extra helping of power and slightly sharper dynamics without all the motorsports pretense of its haughty German rivals. With 23 straight months of sales increases and 29,122 units sold last year, there doesn't seem to be much of an argument for varying the luxury sedan's recipe. Even so, Hyundai has been quick ...
Official: 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe gets up close and personal
Mini is a brand that's all about having fun. The people that drive them tend to prize motoring enjoyment and the company's cheeky styling, and now they'll have a new model that might just twist their fun dial to 11. We present to you the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe, which is the automaker's first production two-passenger automobile and also the fastest box-stock Mini ever. The exterior of the Coupe is undeniably Mini, yet very new at the same time. This is the first Mini to be built with a "three-box" design concept, which means the body, ...
Do you demand satisfaction? No, not the glove to the face brand, but the type of satisfaction that makes you proud to own the car in your driveway. AutoPacific has done some research to determine which automakers are the doing the best job of keeping customers happy. The results are in for the 2011 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA), and you may be a wee bit surprise to learn that Lincoln and Chrysler have taken top honors. Lincoln has earned the award for Highest Satisfaction Premium Brand. Chrysler earns the nod for Highest Satisfaction Popular Brand. Each automaker also earned specific shout-outs...
I had been anticipating the pre-dawn run to the airport for a few days. Having spent the week with a Porsche Panamera Turbo, complete with the torque-boosting Sport Chrono pack (yes, that one), the blast to SFO was a fitting sendoff. It was also perfectly timed. I was boarding a marathon flight to Austria...
As recently as a decade ago, mentioning brands like Hyundai and Prada in the same sentence would have seemed laughable. But today’s Hyundai is a very different company with a very different image. And no car could sum up such a transformation more than the Genesis. Two years ago, the Korean automaker...
As we assembled media and executives sat down to dinner in Washington, D.C. the night before driving the 2011 Saab 9-4X, a waiter leaned over my shoulder with a bottle of sparkling water and poured it into a waiting rocks glass filled with ice and a lemon. He paused, staring intently at my glass. Clearly...
That Honda could have done more with the CR-Z than the lukewarm hybrid sport-hatch that resulted is no big news. But Mugen is here to highlight the point. After teasing us with some initial details, a rendering and a shot of the engine bay, the pseudo-works Honda tuner has released the first photos...
