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Review:
2010 Roush 427R
 2010
Ford Mustang has raised the bar for modern day pony cars. The
sculpted body, finely tuned suspension, higher quality interior
and additional horsepower make it one of the best Stangs to ever
come from the Blue Oval's stable. With a flood of aftermarket
variants sure to come, we couldn't help but wonder if the new
Mustang would provide an even better platform to work with, or
if tuners might struggle to improve on an already excellent product.
Roush, who were given inside access to the 2010 Mustang by Ford
for their own product development, were first to market with their
427R Mustang that was unveiled back in March... More
information & pictures
2012
Jaguar sports car to get Volt-like extended-range hybrid tech
 Ratan
Tata, Jaguar's owner, knows that the future of the company rests
on "shiny and new" products. That's why the XE roadster
was reportedly moved to the front of the line and given a 2011
release date. If the soothsayers at Motor Trend are correct, Tata
also understands that cleaner engines are the future of the industry
itself, because the XE could also bolster Jaguar's credentials
by reportedly including the option of a Volt-like range-extending
hybrid drivetrain. The mooted gas-electric system is a conventional
three-cylinder gasoline engine mated to an electric motor.
More
information
2010
Acura TSX V6
 Acura's
best selling car is not its entry-level model: Acura moves more
TLs than anything else in its line-up. And unlike those other
brands, Lexus included, all of Acura's offerings carry five-star
safety ratings from NHTSA, are rated as top safety picks by the
IIHS, and the Automotive Lease Guide has declared that Acura offerings
have the best resale value among luxury brands. Now, Honda's premium
division has grown by one with the addition of the TSX V6...Acura
decided the V6's buyers were looking for sport package identity,
they simply wanted more power. More
information & pictures
Review:
2009 Lexus IS F
 The
Lexus IS F is the sole Japanese contender in a crowd of compact
high-performance sport sedans. Boasting a full complement of performance
upgrades, including a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a quick-shifting eight-speed
automatic transmission, the 416-horsepower sedan blasts to 60
mph in well under five seconds.The interior features sporty bucket
seats, revised instrumentation, special trim, and additional standard
features. Of course, there are also plenty of "F" emblems
and escutcheons on the car to remind you why you paid a base price
of $56,610 (our tester rang up at $61,120). ..More
information & pictures
2009
Infiniti G37 Convertible starting at $43,850
 The
seven-speed, automatic-equipped model starts at $43,850, while
the six-speed manual model (6MT in Infiniti parlance) with its
standard Sport package comes in at $43,900 (both excludes $865
destination and handling). Just for comparison's sake, the BMW
328i starts at $44,550, while the hotter, twin-turbocharged 335i
commands $50,700 for the privilege. Package pricing is listed
in detail below the fold, but for $3,250, the automatic model
can be outfitted with the Premium setup, while opting for the
Sport 6MT saves you $200 on the same package. More
info
Hummer
purchased by Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer
 According
to sources at The New York Times, General Motors' Hummer division
has been sold to a machinery company in western China. That company,
Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd., presently
doesn't build automobiles, it is known for making construction
and maintenance equipment, but more recently it has segued into
heavy-duty trucks.The NYT says that the memorandum of understanding
between GM and Sichuan Tengzhong needs to be signed off on by
Beijing officials, as the government has the discretion to veto
any purchases of overseas firms by a Chinese company, particularly
those transactions valued over $100 million. More
info
Review:
2010 Jaguar XFR, XKR
 The
all-new XJ is due to be revealed next month and go on sale this
December, and for the 2010 model year, Jaguar has added two new
high-performance models to the mix the XFR and XKR along with
upgrading the powerplants in its shapely sedan and arresting (pun
intended) coupe/convertible.Both the naturally aspirated and supercharged
4.2-liter V8s are gone in the U.S. market for 2010, and in their
place is an all-new, Jaguar-developed 5.0-liter direct-injected
eight-pot putting out 385 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. More
information & pictures
First
Drive: 2010 Lexus HS 250h
 The
latest master weapon comes from Lexus in the form of its HS 250h
hybrid, claimed to be not only the world's first hybrid-only luxury
sedan, but also the most fuel-friendly luxury vehicle extant.
If Lexus has it, they put it on this car. Our question was: Would
we want to put one in our driveway? Frugal hybrids are here, sports
car hybrids are here, and luxury hybrids are dipping wheels in
the waters. This car marks the first luxury-only hybrid to make
its acquaintance with the public. More
information & pictures
Officially
Official: Mitsubishi Evolution X FQ400
 The
Mitsubishi Evolution X FQ400 has been rumored for months and its
finally ready for its close-up before sales begin in the UK this
June. In keeping with its NSFW nomenclature, the FQ400 is putting
out 403 hp at 6,500 rpm, with peak torque 387 lb-ft of the stuff
arriving at an oh-so-usable 3,500 rpm. The extra grunt is thanks
to a set of high-flow fuel injectors and a new turbo with low
friction bearings, an uprated thrust bearing and high temperature
turbine that Mitsubishi insists will keep turbo lag at bay. More
information
Bugatti
Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport production begins
 The
luxury car builder Bugattis plant in Molsheim has officially
begun production on the ultra exclusive Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
model. The limited edition open air super car will only have a
run of 150 units, 30 of which are already spoken for. Bugatti
is very selective about inviting members of the public into their
ownership club; only the most exclusive clientele will have the
chance to buy one. Just like the fixed roof version, the Grand
Sport is powered by the same quad turbo W16 that develops 1001
HP. The targa top Veyeron is capable of hitting a top speed of
252 MPH, or 223 MPH with out the roof.More
information
Review:
2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE
 The
unibody LR2 is actually the heftiest customer of the compact premium
class, toting around some 4,250 pounds (competitors generally
ring up in the 4,000-4,200 pound range), a number that doesn't
bode well for the 3.2-liter inline-six, which only brings 230
horsepower (@ 6,300 rpm) to the party. That's substantially fewer
ponies than the LR2's aforementioned adversaries, most of which
corral upwards of 260 hp. More
info & pictures
Vauxhall
Insignia VXR Sports Tourer unveiled
 GM
has formally unveiled the Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer
(a.k.a. the Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer on the other side
of the Chunnel). By now, you're probably seen the specs, but we'll
go over them again for the sake of being complete. 325 horses
are corralled in the 2.8-liter turbo V6 underhood. Yep, that's
a six-speed stick you see in the attached photo gallery, and both
all-wheel drive and eLSD are standard. Stopping power is supplied
by Brembo, the seats are by Recaro, and the overall appearance
is liberally sprinkled with awesome. More
information & pictures
Fast
& Furious Skyline stolen from Hollywood garage
 It
took two years to build it in reality, ten seconds of montage
to put it together on screen, and about ten minutes to steal it.
In a rare automotive example of life imitating art imitating life,
the Nissan Skyline that Paul Walker drove in the latest Fast &
Furious movie was stolen from its storage facility in Los Angeles.
Although dressed up to look like a full-on R34 GT-R for the movie,
the car underneath was actually a lower-spec GT-S.Reports indicate
that thieves, evidently knowing the car was inside, broke through
a metal door and ripped off that specific car, leaving the rest
but sideswiping a Studebaker and a Porsche Boxster on the way
out. More
information
Review:
2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport
 Wanting
to cover all the bases, the RAV4 can be had in a variety of configurations,
from a basic front-driver with four-cylinder power up to a leather-lined,
four-wheel-drive Limited with a silly-powerful V6. A Sport version
seeds right in between the base and Limited, carrying a satisfying
level of equipment. There's an allure to the big horsepower delivered
by the six especially when it costs as little on EPA ratings
as the RAV's 3.5-liter..More
info & pictures
2009
BMW Z4 Roadster review
 The
all-new 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster is the eagerly anticipated replacement
to both the Z4 Convertible and Z4 Coupe. Adding to this pressure,
the two-seater is also tasked with satisfying the enthusiasts
who enjoyed the high-performance M variants, both of which are
discontinued at least for the moment. The all-new 2009 Z4 is
BMW's fifth roadster offered during the past two decades. The
first model was the late-80's steel and composite two-seat BMW
Z1. It never made it to the States, but its influence paved the
way for our U.S.-built BMW Z3 in 1996.. More
information & pictures
Review:
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
 The
new ZR1 is truly a daily driver supercar, at least for most days.
Even with proper snow tires, it would be extremely unwise to attempt
driving a ZR1 in the winter. The ride is comfortable enough, however,
that even driving it in Michigan is tolerable, while the grip
is sufficient to drive through corners at speeds that would easily
get you thrown behind bars. Even the interior while not up to
the standards of Audi or Ferrari is livable enough as long as
the seats get replaced by something better. More
info & pictures
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