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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T For all the problems it faces, Chrysler has to be happy with this: the Dodge Challenger rollout has gone about as well as anyone could have hoped. Everyone wanted this car to happen from the moment it appeared as a concept back in 2006. Back then, the S197 Mustang was still new and demonstrating that retro done right can be a very good thing. Flash forward to today and following a brief, SRT8-only 2008 model year run, the Dodge Challenger is now available in three distinct trim levels. We've already reviewed the stylish and value-priced, six-cylinder SE model , and we'll soon give you our take on the top-tier knuckle-dragger, the SRT8. That leaves the mainstream muscle - the R/T. We recently welcomed a silver example equipped with the hotly-anticipated six-speed manual gearbox into the Autoblog Garage. But is it something you'll...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Pontiac Click above for high-res image gallery of the Pontiac G8 GXP There's a Looney Tunes cartoon where Bugs Bunny is in charge of Yosemite Sam's inheritance, and every time Yosemite Sam loses his temper at something Bugs has done, the rabbit subtracts money. By the time Yosemite gets his act together... he's out of money. Substitute GM for Yosemite Sam and the buying public for Bugs Bunny, throw in a little credit crisis, and all we can say is that it would be a shame if the Pontiac G8 GXP fell victim to this scenario: GM running out of money just when it gets its act together. Because we're here to tell you - and you can quote us on this - the Pontiac G8 GXP is @#$%&*! Awesome. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP Live photos copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP originally...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Lotus Click above for high-res gallery of the Lotus Exige S240 "What is it?" people will ask. They'll keep going. "It's fast, huh? How fast does it go?" The answer will disappoint them. Yes, it is fast, but when driving the Lotus Exige S240, its 150-mph top speed is not at the forefront of one's mind. Lotuses are more classically described as accurate weapons of destructed mass; light cars that handle as an extension of the driver's body. True to the roots laid down by the Europa, the Exige is a composite monocoque, carrying 1800cc of supercharged Toyota fury admidships. Many have glommed on to the Elise and Exige as track-day toys, but we wanted to see how this most raucous of Lotuses would do as a desert island car. If all you could swing were the payments for a single car, and you got your kicks by surgically trimming apices, could the Lotus hack it? It's certainly one of the most accurate...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Coupes , Sports/GTs Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo The first-gen Cobalt SS failed to deliver with a supercharged 2.0L Ecotec four-cylinder producing 205 horsepower and a cast of supporting components that did little to hide the Cobalt's rental car roots. But then something entirely unexpected happened. The GM Performance Division completely reworked the Cobalt SS for 2008, swapping in a more powerful turbocharged engine, upgrading the rest of the mechanicals, and tweaking the entire package on the world's most demanding race tracks, including the famed Nürburgring in Germany. The result is - and we're not kidding here - the most impressive performance car to wear a bow-tie badge on sale today*. Exactly how General Motors turned a bottom-of-the-pack, front-wheel-drive econocar into a class-leading sport compact is revealed after the jump. *My colleagues thought it best to explain this statement. There's...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sports/GTs , Mazda Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 Hard as it may be to believe, the word "hummer" didn't always bring up visions of obnoxious, polarizing SUVs. In fact, there was a time not so very long ago that uttering that word evoked something entirely different, namely cars powered by Wankel rotary engines. For the past three decades, the world's sole purveyor of rotary-powered automobiles has been Mazda. The "Zoom-Zoom" brand has always been a little different from its compatriots. Back in 1963, a young Kenichi Yamamoto was heading up the research department at Mazda and latched on to the concept developed a decade earlier by Felix Wankel. Just as two-stroke engines were all the rage for a time in the early 1990s and fuel cells in the middle of this decade, the Wankel rotary seemed to be the next big thing in the 1960s and early '70s. For a time it seemed every major automaker had licensed...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Cadillac Click above for high-res gallery of 2009 Cadillac XLR-V It's not a good time to be any other car in Cadillac's lineup besides the CTS. While the brand's new sedan racks up accolades and fresh converts, the other vehicles wearing a wreath and crest badge stand around like the siblings that didn't grow up to be president. Then there's the 556-hp CTS-V, Cadillac's brand new halo car, a role that used to be played by the XLR hardtop convertible. The XLR has a V version, too, but it has only 443 units of whoopass under its hood. It was, however, refreshed for the 2009 model year and can now be found resting comfortably in the shadow created by everyone crowding around the CTS-V. Let's see if the 2009 Cadillac XLR-V deserves its fate in the shade. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage - 2009 Cadillac XLR-V All Photos (C) Copyright John Neff / Weblogs Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Dodge Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Next January's Detroit Auto Show will mark the 20th anniversary of the Viper's debut as a concept. Back then, every car in Chrysler's lineup was still derived from the K-Car. The K-cars saved Chrysler from the jaws of bankruptcy, but an executive named Lutz decided the automaker needed a new halo car to generate some excitement as a new decade dawned. Another old guy named Carroll Shelby was sprucing up Daytonas and Omnis at the time, so they decided to revive an idea from earlier in his career. Together they created a minimalistic two-seater with a humongous engine that became an instant American classic. That basic premise lives on today in the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10 with only slightly less minimalism. Read on to find out what it's like to live with a snake for a week. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Photos...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Jaguar Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged Ford Motor Company sent Jaguar packing this year when it sold the storied English automaker, along with Land Rover, to Indian mega corp. Tata. On its way out the door, Jaguar took something special: the XF sedan. Its entire development process having been carried out under the stewardship of Ford, the XF is easily the most tasty fruit born of the cross pollination between the Blue Oval and Leaping Cat since they were first joined back in 1989. Read on to find out how the 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharge fared in the Autoblog Garage. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged All photos Copyright (C)2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sports/GTs , Porsche Click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Carrera S As we approach the 45th birthday of the Porsche 911 and the dawn of yet another generation, we've finally managed to snag one in the Autoblog Garage for a full review. The 911 is the most direct descendant of the very earliest sports cars to wear that legendary German automotive name. It still uses the same basic layout as the first Porsche, the 356 (except for prototype No.1, which was mid-engined) with a horizontally opposed engine hanging out behind the rear axle. Of course, the 911 has two more cylinders now, and these days the engines are cooled by liquid rather then air, but the basic premise remains. Even though the 911 has gone through five generations, with another refresh for 2009 arriving momentarily, it remains instantly recognizable as what it is. Even with what some may consider an archaic drivetrain layout, the 2008 Porsche Carrera S remains one of the...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sports/GTs , Supercars , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan GT-R Nissan recently granted Autoblog four fleeting days with a red 2009 Nissan GT-R. While it seems every major automotive outlet has tested "Godzilla" on the track (including our First Drive ), we chose instead to keep it on the streets to see if one of the world's most powerful and fastest accelerating cars could be domesticated by stop-and-go traffic, family errands, and carpool duty. Of course, we only stuck to that routine for a day or two... the rest of the time was spent on the famed canyon roads of Southern California. Follow the jump to read about our 100-hour experience in the Nissan GT-R and don't miss what very well may be the most beautiful gallery of high-res images we've ever published courtesy of our own Drew Phillips and all ready to become your next desktop wallpaper. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Nissan GT-R All photos...
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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 , Ford , Driving Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Shelby GT500 Mustang Sometime around late 2003, I first saw the car that was at that time still known as Condor. Condor was the Ford internal code name for the SVT version of the yet to be publicly shown S197 Mustang. At that time, most everyone outside of Ford was still anticipating that this car would be the new Mustang Cobra. Somewhere along the line to launch, Ford had settled its long standing conflict with Carroll Shelby and Condor ended up wearing one of the other classic Mustang badges from the '60s. The Shelby GT500 eventually started rolling off the Flat Rock, MI assembly line in both coupe and convertible forms for the 2007 model year. Ford recently dropped off a Grey 2008 GT500 coupe at the Autoblog Garage for a few days, and we just had to share. By coincidence, the GT500 arrived about three weeks after the Mustang Bullitt we reviewed. While the Bullitt was about as understated...
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Filed under: Garage , Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Subaru Click image for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI I remember the last red Subaru I drove. I was in high school, and the car was my dad's - a new '88 GL wagon with an automatic and push-button 4WD on the shifter. I dug that Scooby. It wasn't powerful but it was fun -- especially when it snowed. Somehow I managed to avoid bouncing it off a lamppost while sliding it around corners. This had much more to do with luck than skill, as I was in high school and clearly an idiot. But I digress -- after all, this isn't about my dad's old GL. It is, however, about a red Subaru - the new Impreza WRX STI, to be specific. If this thing was around back during my neighborhood rally-pretender salad days, I'd probably just be getting my license back right about now. Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI All photos Copyright (C)2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In...
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