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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Crossovers/CUVs , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Murano It just so happens that the all-new 2009 Nissan Murano is one of those nondescript mid-size crossover utility vehicles that may blend into the crowd. Its styling is certainly modern, if not overly exciting. The cabin is accommodating, if not excessively spacious. The handling is inspiring, if not unduly sporty. The engine is strong, and even reasonably efficient. How would this perfectly acceptable, yet hardly over-achieving CUV handle five passengers and full luggage on a 1,000-plus mile road trip across the Southwestern desert? Read on to find out. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Nissan Murano All photos Copyright (C)2008 Michael C. Harley/ Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Nissan Murano Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Crossovers/CUVs , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Journey R/T The 2009 Dodge Journey carries the size and shape of a typical crossover, and it has seating for seven and all the amenities you could possibly ask for at $30,000. On paper, the Journey has a plenty of things in its favor, yet we had our doubts. First off, it looks a lot like the Dodge Caravan, which works against the Journey when considering that many crossover buyers want to avoid the minivan stigma. It's also based on the less than impressive Chrysler Sebring platform, which we have found to be just awful. Then there is Chrysler's corporate 3.5L engine, which is less powerful, refined and efficient than similarly sized engines from its competition. Chrysler's recent track record for vehicles that are less than class competitive also lent support to our notion that the Journey might be a letdown. Regardless, we tried to clear our minds...
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , SUVs , Jeep Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Jeep Compass We weren't really sure what direction Jeep was heading when it introduced the Compass in 2007. Built on a shared platform with the Dodge Caliber, the Compass goes against what we normally think a Jeep should be - rugged, tough, capable, and... well... square. The departure from classic Jeep styling hasn't received rave reviews, and the interior has been a source of complaints, as well. Does the Compass deserve the criticism it's been receiving? We aimed to find out and secured a 2008 4x2 Sport model for the Autoblog Garage. Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Jeep Compass Sport 4x2 All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Jeep Compass Sport 4x2 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: Economy , Hatchbacks , Honda , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Fit Sport When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor, MI last week. As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length), but it's only about 44 pounds heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the...
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Filed under: Supercars , Chevrolet , First Drive Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Last week, General Motors' Bowling Green, KY assembly plant began manufacturing the fastest, most powerful production Corvette in its 55-year history. We got our first official look at the 2009 Corvette ZR1 at the Detroit Auto Show in January and, at that time, Chevrolet officials hadn't finalized the numbers. Over the intervening months, GM continued to tease us with bits of information, including the ZR1's 205 mph top speed, 638 horsepower , 605 lb.-ft. of torque, and 7:26.4 lap time at the Nurburgring . Throughout all of this, we've been waiting patiently for one of the most anticipated invitations of 2008: the ZR1 First Drive. That wait finally ended a few weeks ago when we got the call to arrive at GM's Milford Proving Grounds. All we needed was cooperative weather. As the sun crested the horizon on the appointed day, the darkened skies threatened...
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Filed under: SUVs , Land Rover , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Range Rover Sport Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want to go from work to the golf course to the watering hole, and don't need to traverse the Andes do it. Turns out, though, that it's suitably equipped for both. Follow the jump for the rest of the Rover story, and check out the gallery of hi-res shots below. Gallery: 2008 Range Rover Sport Photos Copyright (C)2008 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Range Rover Sport Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Videos , Supercars , Chevrolet Click above for high-res gallery of the ZR1 doing burnouts The Corvette ZR1 has some sick, nasty, evil power. Hitting the pedal will propel you to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and in the hands of a skilled professional, this blue-collar supercar can lap the 'Ring in 7:26:4. There is no question that 638 horsepower and a 3,300-lb curb weight is good for getting you somewhere in a big fat hurry, but in the right hands it can also get you nowhere fast. One particular Development Engineer is the General's number one burnout artist, and we captured video of him creating two 300-foot works of art. We love the rubber-ripping smoke storm and sound of the LS9 at full tilt, but we're not so sure this unsuspecting set of Michelin Pilot Sport 2s shares our excitement. Follow the jump to view video of both burnouts, and click on the gallery below to see the high resolution stills. Gallery: Covette ZR1 burnouts Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid...
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Filed under: Supercars , Chevrolet , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of our ride in the Corvette ZR1 Chevrolet officially kicked off series production of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 at its Bowling Green KY assembly plant this week and decided to celebrate by inviting the media out to drive the new "King of the Hill". Since there are still several more waves of writers scheduled to drive the cars over the next week, we can't tell you what we thought of how it drives just yet. We can, however, share some photos of the cars we drove today around the Lutz-ring at General Motors' Milford Proving Ground. Stay tuned next Wednesday, August 20 for our full evaluation. In the meantime, enjoy the gallery and refresh your memory with our intro to the ZR1 from earlier this year. Related: Detroit 2008: The King is back atop the hill - 2009 Corvette ZR1 Detroit 2008: The Heart of the King, the LS9 is born! Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Corvette ZR1 Photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris...
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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: In the Autoblog Garage , SUVs , Mazda Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring If you keep up with the print mags, it would be easy to think that every journalist, PR flack and blogger loves Mazda's CX-9 . Automobile Magazine made a spot for it on their All-Stars list, Motor Trend named it Sport Utility of the Year, Car & Driver thinks its one of the 5 Best Trucks of 2008, SEAMO crowned it their Family Car of the Year and USA TODAY even went as far as calling it "about perfect." We put 380 miles on the 7-seater in our best attempt to debunk the CX-9's mythical aura of SUV perfection and found most of the legend true. Gallery: Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring All photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Supercars , Dodge , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge Viper ACR I have to admit that I'm biased when it comes to the Dodge Viper. I've had a soft spot for the venomous snake since the GTS coupe hit the streets in 1996. The aggressive design, powerful 8.0-liter V10 with 450 horsepower (doesn't sound like much now, but it sure seemed like a lot then), and the blue paint scheme with white racing stripes were the ideal combination for my dream sports car. I'm going to be that guy at the 2030 Barrett-Jackson purchasing a mint, low-mileage, numbers-matching 1996 or 1997 Dodge Viper GTS, and, of course, you'll be the one watching on SPEED commenting how I'm paying way too much for a classic American muscle car. Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Dodge Viper ACR All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , HUMMER , First Drive Click above for hi-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T If HUMMER had a theme song, it'd probably be the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post -- the one that goes "Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, like I been tied to the whipping post..." The brand has been the go-to effigy when something needs to burn on the altar of eco desecration. But HUMMER doesn't have a theme song, it has the tagline "Like No Other." It also has a new pick-em-up truck we had the chance to drive recently in the High Sierras: the H3T. Follow the jump to find out if it's another HUMMER like no other, and check out the gallery of hi-res images below. Gallery: First Drive: HUMMER H3T Continue reading First Drive: HUMMER H3T Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , Sedans/Saloons , Tech , Videos , Mercedes-Benz , AMG Click above for high-res gallery of the AMG S63 There was a time when what we might call super-sedans were largely the province of a dedicated cadre of aftermarket tuners. Companies like Brabus, Alpina and, of course, AMG would generally start with mid-sized German sedans and transform them into something truly special. AMG in particular came to the forefront in 1987 after two decades of building special Mercs when they unleashed the Hammer. They had been building cars for two decades already, but the Hammer took things to a new level by installing a 5.6L V8 from the 560SEC coupe modified with twin-cam four valve heads into the mid-size 300E sedan. With that car, AMG set off an arms race that continues to this day. The tuners are still out there but AMG was eventually brought in from the cold when it was bought by Mercedes-Benz. Today AMG produces high performance versions of almost all Mercedes models...
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Filed under: Etc. , BMW Click either image for a gallery. As I type this, our BMW 318is is up on the rack, sans transmission, to replace the clutch and all the assorted bits that go along with the job. The last-minute clutch work, along with fitting a set of Hawk HPS brake pads and replacing the brake fluid with Castrol GTLMA synthetic, is all in preparation for our two-day track assault this weekend at Buttonwillow raceway. We'll be running configuration 13 on Friday and Saturday, and plan to keep you updated over the weekend on how the Slut is holding up to our relentless flogging in 100-degree heat. Along with the upgraded pads and fluids (not to mention the H&R cup kit we installed in our previous post ), we've managed to score a set of Kosei K1 wheels (+42mm offset), sized 16x7-inches and weighing 15 pounds from the TireRack for the bargain-basement price of $129 a piece. Needless to say, closeout sales rock, and with the TireRack offering Advan A048s (medium-hard compound...
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