Car Review: 2011 Volvo S60
During the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show keynote, Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby discussed his plans to shift the Swedish automaker away from the rest of the premium segment. This doesn’t mean that the quality of materials or craftsmanship is going to suffer, but instead of creating products that are specifically engineered to compete with the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Volvo will be working to reaffirm its own unique Swedish brand identity.
The 2011 Volvo S60 points the way forward for the brand’s new groundwork. The ‘naughty’ new sedan is stylish, luxurious and has the guts of a true sporting sedan, but it just doesn’t come close to the sort of precision we find in an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. Fine, then, that the Volvo has plenty of other impressive qualities to give it a unique edge over the competition. Consider it a premium sport sedan for people who don’t want the stereotypical premium sport sedan.
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Sedans/Saloons, Volvo Tags:
Car Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7
Try as it might, the BMW M3 Coupe can’t lose the BMW Alpina B7. The two of us are an unlikely automotive pair, playing cat-and-mouse on one long road to nowhere deep in the reaches of an unincorporated area of the California coastal mountains. The air is cool and the canyons are mostly quiet. Only the sound of two wailing V8s breaks the silence.
While the M3 dives into the corners with confidence, the B7 launches out with ferocious conviction. The M3 pulls energetically on the short straights, but the B7 puts its power down with resolve and steadily reels the smaller coupe back in. Even mid-corner, when the BMW M3 is in perfect step, the B7 clenches a slightly wider line but still holds its ground.
We’ve been at this game for more than an hour, and neither of us is willing to raise a white flag. Only the illumination of the low fuel light in the smaller coupe has us calling it quits. Want to learn what it takes to harass an M3 owner?
Categories: Auto Review, BMW, Car Review, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG
Sometimes, luxury isn’t about having more – it’s about having less, albeit artfully architected. Just ask BMW, which lops off a heaping helping of headroom and cargo space to turn its well-conceived X5 into the costlier, less utile X6. Admittedly, the X6 isn’t particularly artful, but its rival, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport is. Both vehicles are more indulgent – and more costly – despite offering reduced lebensraum and less exotic mechanicals.
Perhaps the originator and best practitioner of this less-is-more movement is Mercedes-Benz, whose designers adroitly took the last-generation E-Class, lopped off gobs of headroom and trunk space, added some CLS badges, and then proceeded to give the four-seater a much larger price tag. Given that luxury and practicality are nearly polar opposites, perhaps this trend shouldn’t be that surprising. The ability to fritter away utility in favor of fashion is arguably the ultimate statement of luxury (“We could be rational, but why be so sensible, dahling?”).
Categories: Auto Review, Car Review, Mercedes-Benz, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Mercedes-Benz
2011 BMW M3 coming with Competition Package
As far as we can tell, there’s little if anything wrong the BMW E92 M3. However, according to a post on Bimmerfile, that small point will not be stopping BMW from offering a Competition Package on 2011 models. What goes into a Competition Pack? We’re not certain, and Bimmerfile can only speculate (bigger wheels, brakes, maybe). Knowing that much, we’ll join ‘em. But first, a little history.
Way back in 2005, BMW began a Competition Package for the E46 M3. Included were upgraded wheels, larger brakes, stickier tires,a firmer suspension and a revised Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system identical to the one on the hardcore M3 CSL. In addition, the E46 M3 Comp Pack also came with a quicker steering ratio. Inside, a bit of fussing took place in the form of Alcantara steering wheel and hand brake coverings and the steering wheel saw a few buttons (multi-function controls and cruise) deleted in favor of a DSC M button.
Categories: BMW, Convertibles, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
Detroit 2011: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is not an Aveo
General Motors seems intent on banishing all memories of the unloved Aveo – so much so that it’s gone and renamed its entry-level fighter in the States. While we’re still not 100-percent in love with the name (we can’t get visions of spiky-haired hedgehogs out of our heads…), all three flavors of the Sonic do appear to be vastly improved over the machine they replace, though one of them, the Z Spec, is still in the concept stage.
More than anything else, they look vastly better both inside and out, but until we get a stint behind the wheel we’ll hold off final judgment. According to Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing, “The all-new Chevrolet Sonic blends the practicality of a small car with the passion for driving that Chevrolet vehicles like the Corvette are known for.” That won’t be the only time you’ll ever hear someone mention the Sonic in the same sentence as the Corvette. In fact, Chevy tells us that Corvette engineers are responsible for the ride and handling of the sub-compact.
Categories: Auto Show, Chevrolet, Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hatchback, Sedans/Saloons Tags: Detroit Auto Show
New York Auto Show 2009 Preview: 2010 Subaru Legacy revealed ahead of Big Apple debut
With the days winding down until the opening of the 2009 New York Auto Show, Subaru has released the full details along with photographs of its highly anticipated new Legacy, which replaces the outgoing model for the 2010 model year. The new Legacy has big shoes to fill, as the outgoing model offered a compelling package with a sleek design and capable chassis.
The exterior design of the new model bridges the gap between Subie’s aging flagship model and the concept car the Japanese automaker revealed in Detroit. The new Legacy also grows an inch longer, and about three inches in each the wheelbase, width and height, in order to offer a more commodious cabin.
Categories: Auto Show, New York Auto Show, New York Motor Show, Sedans/Saloons, Super Cars Tags:
2009 New York Auto Show: Checking out the Hyundai Equus in person
f you think the Genesis sedan is nice, wait’ll you get a load of Hyundai’s home-market luxu-flagship, the Equus. The automaker has one prominently on display here at the New York Auto Show this week, and while it’s supposed to merely be a “Look, this is how awesome we can be” thing (there’s no plan for the Equus to be sold here at this time), you can bet Hyundai is taking note of people’s reactions. Outside, the Equus is more ornate than the Genesis, with a bright grille, highly-polished wheels and a pedestrian-impaling hood ornament. The sheetmetal details are nice, too. We especially dig the subtle fender bulges over the rear wheels.
Categories: Hyundai, New York Auto Show, New York Motor Show, Sedans/Saloons Tags:
