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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Convertibles , Euro , Mercedes-Benz , AMG Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG It sits there, all tension and sinew, ready to pounce on lesser cars. Start it up and it barks with a clear V8 voice that thumps off the neighbor's house, setting them discreetly peeking from behind their lace curtains. This is an SLK? Oh yeah. No longer a blocky Benz with dwarfism, the SLK55 AMG ripples with muscle and delivers speed like a spin kick to the temple. A bad-ass Mercedes, indeed. Gallery: Mercedes SLK55 AMG Photos Copyright (C)2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sports/GTs , Porsche Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Porsche Cayman S To many, the Porsche Cayman is just a look-alike twin to the drop-top Porsche Boxster. While it shares a platform, underpinnings, and even engine choices with its two-seat sibling, the Cayman performs a decidedly different role and delivers even more gratifying performance. Porsche dropped off a top-of-the-line Cayman S in the Autoblog Garage. It offers a more powerful engine and larger brakes over the standard Cayman model. Follow the jump to read our impressions on the Porsche Cayman S after we held the keys in our hands for a week. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayman S All photos copyright Michael Harley / Weblogs Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Porsche Cayman S Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Garage , Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Volkswagen , Special/Limited Editions Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 VW R32 The scraping as I pulled into the church parking lot worried me. I'd only had one of the rarest of VeeDubs for a few hours and I might have already nicked it. An unholy shame for sure, since for two weeks I had looked forward to blasting down I-20 at the wheel of an R32 . For two weeks I had wondered how loud a redlined VR6 could wail. But for the last two hours I'd done nothing but get lost in Atlanta gridlock trying to set my destination on the car's in-dash nav. Pulling in the First Pentecostal parking lot's steep entrance was a decision made in frustration and impatience, one made easier with the R32's light, quick steering and massive acceleration. But shelter from the kamikaze traffic I expected, undercarriage damage I did not. A quick inspection revealed nothing of importance had suffered trauma. The 18-inch wheels and their...
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Filed under: Garage , Motorcycles Click above for high-res gallery of the Aprilia SXV550 After having it in our garage for the last few weeks, the Aprilia SXV550 can best be described by the word 'extreme'. From its extremely compact yet very powerful V-Twin engine to its extremely uncomfortable saddle, this is a bike that demands attention from its rider. Also extreme is its ability to wheelie and perform stoppies, so much so that it must be ridden with great respect on the street. The Supermoto category is basically made up of off-road bikes equipped with just the bare essentials to be street-legal. Off go the knobbies and in their places are spooned grippy sportbike tires on 17-inch wheels. This bike fits neatly into that category and was created with maximum fun in mind; but does the SXV's extreme nature take the joy out of riding it on the street? That's what we set to find out when we borrowed one for our garage. Read on to see how it fared. Gallery: In the Autoblog...
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Filed under: Garage , Convertibles , Porsche , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder On paper, the Boxster RS 60 Spyder might seem nothing more than a limited-edition Boxster with some interior upgrades, a slight horsepower bump over the S model and a name picked from the company's rich racing history. Let's first take a look at the car's historic name. In 1960, Porsche's mid-engined 718 RS 60 won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Targa Florio . Historic pictures show it as a silver car with a red leather interior, much like the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder I took around Barber Motorsports this week. Continue reading after the jump and visit our high res gallery . Gallery: First Drive: Porsche Boxster RS 60 Photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Porsche RS 60 Spyder Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Garage , Convertibles , Audi Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi RS4 Cabriolet Just about the time that a Misano Red 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet arrived in the Autoblog Garage, the very last examples of the breed were rolling off the assembly line at the Quattro GmbH facility in Neckarsulm Germany. During my trip to Germany a couple of weeks prior for the launch drive of the new Audi A4 Avant , we had an opportunity to sit down in Neckarsulm with the General Manager for Development of Quattro GmbH, Stephan Reil. Quattro is Audi's in-house tuner division, comparable to AMG for Mercedes-Benz and the M Division at BMW. Quattro GmbH has several divisions, one of which is responsible for development and part of the production of Audi RS models such as this RS4 Cabriolet and the new RS6. Another group is responsible for all aspects of a car from development to production and quality control. The first product of this latter team is the Audi R8 that debuted last year. The...
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Filed under: Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Saab click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Saab Turbo X Turbocharging has been as much a part of Saab's DNA for the last three decades as jets. Saab didn't invent turbocharging, but the Swedish brand has probably embraced it more completely than other carmaker. With 2008 marking the 30th birthday of the first production Saab 99 Turbo, the gang in Trollhattan decided to celebrate with their meanest and fastest iteration yet. As we close out the 2008 model year, our Swedish friends are now starting to deliver the direct descendant of that first turbo, the 9-3 Turbo X. Saab Turbos have come a long way over those three decades. The original 99 Turbo extracted 143 horsepower from its 2.0L four-cylinder engine to twist the front wheels. Most Saabs today are still powered by turbo four-cylinder engines driving those same front wheels. The Turbo X, however, adds two more cylinders and two more drive wheels. It also has nearly double the power...
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Filed under: Garage , Economy , Hatchbacks , Toyota Click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota Yaris. Read a few car reviews and it's easy to walk away with the impression that we're a jaded lot; only interested in performance, luxury, and price. Any vehicle that doesn't have stupendous amounts of the first two for the tiniest pile of the latter gets kicked to the curb. It's true, driving cars that don't belong to us facilitates a certain view into how the other half lives that could definitely ruin one on lesser vehicles. On the other hand, there's an entirely different type of enjoyment to be extracted from cars that forego ostentation without ratcheting up the crap factor. Toyota's Yaris will never be mistaken for a Lexus, but it's neither the absolute nadir, nor ultimate zenith of autodom, meaning it has a shot. Gallery: In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Toyota Yaris 3-door Photos Copyright (C)2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In The Autoblog...
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Filed under: Garage , Sports/GTs , Supercars , Audi Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Audi R8 There's been considerable debate about whether the Audi R8 is a bona fide supercar, able to hang with the best and brightest from Maranello, Stuttgart and beyond. But power figures and price points don't tell the whole tale. What's been missing from most reviews is how Audi's midship masterpiece handles the rigors of daily duty. And that's what we wanted to find out. So no track tests, no slalom numbers, no skid pad hijinks -- just a comprehensive review to illustrate how the R8 deals with the day-to-day tasks its above-average owner will ask of it. But before all that, let's get one thing out of the way: it's absolutely breathtaking. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Audi R8 Photos Copyright (C)2008 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Audi R8 Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Garage , Economy , Japan , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Nissan Cube You know that you have a disorder when you're as enthused about an econobox as you are to get seat time in something like a Rolls or Bentley. But that's me, and that's how I felt when I got the call at my desk telling me that my new media ride was downstairs waiting for me. I quietly walked out to the stairwell and then, when the door shut behind me, I bounded down them two at a time, like a kid running downstairs on Christmas day. I stepped out into the sunlight, and there it was in all its delightfully quirky, 100% JDM glory: a 2008 Nissan Cube. And for the next four days, it was mine. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Nissan Cube All photos Copyright (C)2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Nissan Cube Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Garage , Minivans/MPVs , Chevrolet Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Chevy HHR SS Our first experience with the Chevy HHR was back in 2006 when we rented one in Los Angeles while covering the 2006 L.A. Auto Show. Being a fleet vehicle, our HHR rental failed to impress with its raspy, underpowered Ecotec four-cylinder and cheap interior materials. The HHR does, however, have a way about itself. Its retro-inspired design is just plain good looking, better than the PT Cruiser to which this vehicle is most often compared (they were both designed by Brian Nesibtt, GM's current Executive Director of its European design center), and its outward attractiveness shows even on bare bones rental units like the one we abused in L.A. The 2008 Chevy HHR SS would seem to be the HHR we always wanted, with more power, an upgraded interior, aggressive tweaks to the exterior and the same two-box shape and clever cargo solutions that make the base model popular. But with the market...
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Filed under: Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Audi click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Audi RS4 My buddy Chris was beaming as his body pressed into the two-tone Recaro on the passenger side. "This thing is completely unbelievable," he said, his voice a blend of awe and disbelief. Around us, the scenery flicked by as the crisp Sunday morning air was sucked in through the open windows. The radio was on, but the volume was turned all the way down. At the moment, the only soundtrack in which we were interested was the guttural roar coming from the big oval pipes poking through the rear valance. "Chris," I replied, snicking the shifter into third, "This thing is ridiculous ." The "thing" in question is the 2008 Audi RS4, and neither of us were exaggerating. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage - 2008 Audi RS4 All photos Copyright (C)2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Audi RS4 Permalink...
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Filed under: Garage , Podcasts , Green , Tech , Opinion/Editorial For Autoblog Podcast #95, we mix it up again, and this time Chris Shunk has corralled Alex Nunez and Sam Abuelsamid. We're using our time honored format -- we hit the Autoblog Garage first (some awesome stuff in it recently), then move on to news. We hit some nuggets like the LF-A crash, the Chevy Volt subsidies fight in Congress, and $10 airbags, to name a few. It all wraps up with some listener emails, one of our favorite parts of the podcast. We'll take the 'cast for another spin next week, thanks for listening! SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes ADD the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator DOWNLOAD the show now Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Garage , BMW Click above for a high-res gallery detailing the install With over 140,00 miles on the clock, the stock suspension of our BMW 318is project car was far from ready for its upcoming track assault, and the stiffer sidewalls and stickier rubber we fitted in our first installment accentuated the tired springs and shocks. Thankfully, the popularity of the E36 chassis makes shopping for new suspension bits an easy, if slightly overwhelming, affair. The choices range from pieced together spring/strut combos to race-ready coilovers, so we decided to split the difference with one of H&R's Touring Cup Kits (31005T-1). The package includes springs and shocks that lower the front by 1.5-inches and the rear by one inch, balancing ride comfort and stiffness while allowing us to traverse speed bumps without having to worry about teetering on our oil pan. Hit the jump to read our impressions on how the H&R kit fared during our first week of testing and you can read...
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Filed under: Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Hyundai Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan. Autoblog recently spent time in Korea driving pre-production versions of the new Hyundai Genesis. This is the car that, according to Hyundai, will usher in a new era of luxury. Them's big words, and we only got a limited amount of time to figure out how true -- or not -- they were. But the main thing you need to know about the Genesis is this: unless they pull a bait and switch on the price range they mentioned, the car will be worth every penny Hyundai charges. Follow the jump t to find out why. Gallery: 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6 Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan Permalink | Email this | Comments
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