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Filed under: Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Infiniti , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Infiniti G37x Coupe Infiniti recently invited us to Napa, California to show off its 2009 model lineup, and while they didn't bring the all-new G37 Convertible (we'll be at the Los Angeles Auto Show to report on that one), they did hand us the keys to the new all-wheel drive G37x coupe and the more-powerful 2009 G37 S sedan. Does all-wheel drive make a slot car out of the coupe? Does a larger engine transform the sedan? Read on for our full impressions after the jump. Gallery: 2009 Infiniti G37x Coupe Gallery: 2009 Infiniti G37S Sedan Photos Copyright (C)2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Infiniti G37x Coupe and G37S Sedan Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Volkswagen , First Drive 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI click above for high-res gallery The state of California has the toughest vehicle emissions regulations in the world in its LEV II (and the corresponding national Tier 2 Bin 5) standards. Those rules treat all engine types the same regardless of what fuel they use. It doesn't matter if the engine runs on gasoline, diesel or cow dung, the emissions standards are the same. These rules are so tight that no manufacturer has been able to sell light-duty passenger vehicles powered by diesel engines in California and four other states for the last several years. That's all about to change beginning with last month's sales launch of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The Jetta TDI is the first new diesel-powered car to meet the tough T2B5 standards, and it's fitting that VW invited us out to the birthplace of these emissions regulations to drive it. We spent a day...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Cadillac , First Drive Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V After decades of decay, Cadillac began a transformation in the waning years of the last century that would allow the brand to compete against modern luxury brands. Decrepit beasts like the late Eldorado and Seville were euthanized and, while the decision to switch mostly to alpha-numeric naming was dubious, Cadillac finally started creating cars that could compete directly with the best from Europe and Japan, and the first generation CTS was one of them. In spite of this progress, the Germans still had something Cadillac lacked, namely AMG, M and RS models. So Cadillac devised the V-Series, the first of which was the 2004 CTS-V. Just as BMW does with the M3 and M5, Audi with the RS4 and RS6 and Mercedes with innumerable AMGs, the CTS-V had a bigger, more powerful engine; beefier brakes and tires; a suspension to match and an upgraded interior. This, however, is an arms race...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Acura , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Acura TL Beginning in February at the Chicago Auto Show, Acura began rolling out redesigned versions of its three sedans in the span of six months. Beginning with the RL in Chicago , Acura has rolled out its new design ethos intended to make these cars stand out in the increasingly crowded entry luxury segment. When we first showed you the RL, it got what would charitably be described as a negative reception. The new shield grille design was almost universally reviled both in the media and amongst you readers. By the time the entry-level TSX arrived a month later, reactions softened somewhat as people became accustomed to the look. In its first few months on the street, sales of the new TSX have jumped more than 20 percent compared to the old model. The last to arrive and arguably the best looking of the three is the mid-level TL, which arrives this September to replace the best selling sedan...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Euro , Maserati , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the Maserati Quattropore S Let's be honest: cars can be a mode of transportation, but you're not reading Walkoblog or Cycleblog, now are you? At the heart of matters, what we're really pursuing here is that unbridled enthusiasm we had for cars as children. With every comparison of engine output and Nurburgring lap times, we're reaching back to the schoolyard, childishly debating the superiority of one sportscar over another. And all these galleries of high resolution images we bring you are just our updated version of hanging posters of Ferraris and Lamborghinis on the walls of our childhood bedrooms. How disappointed our younger selves would be, however, at what we end up driving when we finally have the means: ho-hum family sedans, bloated SUVs and wobly mini-vans. If only someone made an exotic sedan - not a compromise between the two, but a genuine exotic with four doors....
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Mazda , First Drive Click on the image above for our high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda6 The 2009 Mazda6 is an all-new midsize sedan from Mazda that was designed, engineered, developed, and will be manufactured completely on U.S. soil. While the Japanese and European markets have been enjoying the new 6 (Atenza) since late last year, the North American market finally gets to bask in the sleek new bodywork, along with a bigger engine under the hood. Follow the jump to see if the latest product from team "Zoom-Zoom" can compete head-to-head with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Mazda6 All photos copyright Michael Harley / Weblogs Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Mazda6 Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Hyundai , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Unless you've been living in a mine deep in the hills of West Virginia, Hyundai's newest addition isn't coming to you as a surprise. Around these offices, we've been anticipating the rear-wheel-drive Genesis platform and its offspring of luxury sedan and performance coupe for years. While we'll have to continue waiting for the eagerly-anticipated 2010 Genesis Coupe, we've just taken our first drive in the elegant 2009 Hyundai Genesis sedan. Follow the jump to see if the most expensive Korean sedan ever sold on these shores is enough to take on the segment leaders from America, Europe, and Japan. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis All photos copyright Michael Harley / Weblogs Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Nissan , Driving Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima The latest Nissan out of the gate - the sixth model to wear the "Maxima" designation - gets a significant redesign for 2009. Launched in 1985, the first Maxima was a praised departure from its predecessor, the rear-wheel-drive Datsun 810. Reconfigured as front-wheel-drive, the newly-named sedan foreshadowed the arrival of Nissan's "4-Door Sports Car" or "4DSC", a name aptly-coined for the 1989 model. While each subsequent generation seemed to soften (much to the lament of enthusiasts), the automaker claims this ground-up remake once-again earns the 4DSC moniker. Follow the jump to see if Nissan succeeded. Gallery: First Drive - 2009 Nissan Maxima Photos Copyright (C)2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Nissan Maxima Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Lincoln , Driving click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Lincoln MKS Every year, carmakers collectively trot out dozens of new concept vehicles at auto shows around the world. Some fraction of those end up making their way to production lines and onto the streets. Most of the exciting design ideas, however, get heavily watered down in the process of going from auto show stand to showroom. One notable exception is the new Lincoln MKS. When the original MKS concept turned up in 2006, it was basically a slightly fancied up version of the then-new Ford Five Hundred, and it was not warmly received. In a pleasant change of direction, Ford took the lukewarm reception for the concept to heart and by the time the production version of the MKS appeared at the LA Auto Show last November, it had been transformed. Unlike the "so what" appearance of the concept, the production model elicited much stronger opinions. Some hated it, others loved it. Regardless...
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Filed under: Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Saab photo: Zane Merva/ AutoInsane Expansive blue skies set the scene for a perfect spring day in New England as an enthusiastic team from Saab greeted us journalist types and eagerly showed off the Swedish brand's newest top-level sedan, the TurboX. After a quick Powerpoint chat with Saab USA GM Steve Shannon and a stroll under a TurboX that was hoisted on a lift, we were making use of the Big Dig highway improvements on our way to several hours of blissful thrashing. Federal dollars never sounded so good as we held the turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 in first gear, happily snarling along in the upper reaches of the tachometer and turning the underground portions of the highway into a gigantic reverberator. Gallery: First Drive: Saab Turbo X Gallery: Official Saab Turbo X images Continue reading First Drive: Saab Turbo X Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Hyundai , Driving Click for a high res gallery of the new Sonata In recent months, Hyundai has made a big splash with the introductions of the Genesis sedan and coupe. While those two models will likely do wonders for Hyundai's street cred, they will definitely be niche players when it comes to volume. Among passenger cars in the US market, the midsize segment has been the highest volume category for nearly two decades. Since the mid-nineties, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have been the primary players with everyone else having been an also-ran. In recent years, however, Hyundai's entrant in the segment, the Sonata, has put up an increasingly aggressive challenge to the big dogs. The current generation Hyundai Sonata debuted for the 2006 model year and the company unwrapped its mid-cycle refresh back in February at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2009 Sonatas have been in production since before the Chicago debut and they should be in stock at Hyundai...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Jaguar , Driving Click above for high-res gallery from our First Drive of the Jaguar XF The timing of our first hands-on experience with the Jaguar XF is, to say the least, awkward. Less than a week after Ford agreed to sell both Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors , we find ourselves in sunny San Diego behind the wheel of Jag's supposed savior. While the business end of the equation will be exhaustively covered in the coming months, the renaissance underway at Tata's newly acquired pet is of equal importance. The XF is a serious step on the road to recovery, but undoing the perception gap that's plagued this cat for the last couple of decades won't be easy. Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Jaguar XF All photos (C) 2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Jaguar XF Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Lexus , Driving Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of Lexus IS F pics So we recently got some seat time in the Lexus IS F, and we can proudly report that it's not anything Lexus has ever been before. Does it really compare to the M3 and C63 AMG? In a little-kid-from-down-the-street-trying-to-get-in-the-game way, yeah. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the game. Follow the jump for the full story, and check out the new gallery of Lexus IS F pics below. Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Lexus IS F Gallery: Lexus IS-F Continue reading First Drive: the 2008 Lexus IS F Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Honda , Driving The first Honda Accord, released in 1976, had a 93.7-inch wheelbase and 68 horsepower. This latest Accord, the 7th generation, has a wheelbase nearly 17 inches longer, and 200 more horsepower. My...
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Filed under: Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Cadillac Click the image above for over 50 high-res pics. It's easy to write off a new model when clever ad campaigns and the PR machine work overtime to convince you that it's God's gift to tarmac. In the case of...
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