2011
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With a fresh but familiar face, an aggressive all-American profile, and more features for the dollar than ever, the 2011 Chrysler 300 presents a compelling argument for looking beyond Acura and Lexus for your next upscale sedan. Priced from just $27,995, you might even save some cash in the process. The standard 2011 300 offers a wide range of standard equipment, including the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine rated at 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It'll burn regular gasoline or E85 at your pleasure, and it shifts gears with a five-speed auto with manual mode. Uconnect Touch with...
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2011 Kia KD7 Concept Teaser: 2011 Detroit Auto ShowAs the 2011 Detroit Auto Show approaches, the flurry of teaser sketches is picking up into a steady drift of information "leaks." This hour's latest? Another glimpse of the upcoming Kia KV7 crossover, a Flex-like creation on first glance that showcases a pair of conventional doors--along with a...
Martin Padgett -
Gallery: Cadillac CTS-V Race Car Shows Off (A Bit)Last month we brought you the first word on the return of Cadillac and the CTS-V to road racing with an SCCA World Challenge CTS-V Coupe, and today we have new images of the car in the metal. The debut outing for the new CTS-V Coupe racer will be the St. Petersburg, FL weekend of the 2011 World...
Nelson Ireson -
Sabine Schmitz Describes Corvette As “Castrated”Before we get into the specifics of the Sabine Schmitz comment, it should be noted that we don’t know what exactly about the Corvette irked her nor what context the comment was made in. Schmitz, the infamous ‘Ring Queen, needs no introduction. Her driving skills, honed at the legendary...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Lotus Continuing To Update Lineup Before Arrival Of New ModelsWe know that Lotus is planning an extensive model overhaul, starting with a brand new Esprit supercar in 2013. However, that leaves a couple of years in between that Lotus’ current lineup will have to endure. To keep sales--and profit levels--humming along in the meantime, Lotus will...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Very Last Mercury, A Grand Marquis, Rolls Off The LineFord may have announced the demise of Mercury back in June--although the brand was effectively dead long before then--but the very last car to wear a Mercury badge finally rolled off the production line today. The particular model was a Mercury Grand Marquis, which sailed off into the sunset at...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
We've already told you that rumors about the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro are leaking out. Now we've heard another one--this time concerning the V-6 powerplant. A post on the Camaro5 forums suggests that a new direct-injection 3.6-liter "LFX" V-6 is going to replace the current 3.6-liter mill. The LFX has dual-overhead cams, variable valve timing, and E85 capability. It will likely offer more horsepower--and perhaps better fuel-economy--than the current motor. Yet another move in never-ending pony-car arms race. [Camaro5 via Jalopnik]
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2011 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger & Challenger Enter Production FridayYou've seen all the photos, read all the details, and compared them to their predecessors. Now get ready to pull that trigger (if you're so inclined): production of the 2011 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger begins this Friday, to be kicked off with a party at the Brampton Assembly...
Nelson Ireson -
Underground Racing Presents Ferrari 458 Italia Twin-Turbo KitThe Ferrari 458 Italia is regarded by many as near-perfect (including us). Breathtaking styling, impeccable handling and dynamics, and an engine unmatched in its naturally aspirated performance by any other automaker; it really is a gift sent from god. In stock form the car’s 4.5-liter V-8...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Cadillac Cans The SRX Turbo, No One NoticesSo a turbo V-6 Cadillac sounds like a great idea, right? How about if we stick a fairly tall, soft suspension under it, give it a crossover body and pair it with an automatic only? Not so much, eh? That's apparently what buyers of the Cadillac SRX felt, as well, as the 2.8-liter turbo model saw a...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Laurence Fishburne's Baritone Calls For Red Blooded LuxuryCadillac is out to bring the words "American" and "luxury" back together in non-ironic ways--to the public, anyway. We in the business already know what Cadillac's been up to for the past few years. The voice of Laurence Fishburne is what's selling the "red blooded luxury" theme, and it's a smooth...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Ferrari Shows Off Personalization Program For 458 ItaliaThe supercar buying experience would easily rate as one of the most exciting periods of anyone’s life. Whether you’re a car nut or not, dropping enough money to buy a house on a car is something most people will never get to experience but as you can imagine the process is generally a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford will be putting the reliability of its EcoBoost engines on the line with a public demonstration of an F-150 EcoBoost engine teardown at next week’s 2011 Detroit Auto Show. The teardown process essentially involves the engine being stripped into its individual components and then analyzed to see how well they all held up. The particular engine on show will be a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 found in the 2011 Ford F-150 pickup and with a simulated use of more than 160,000 miles. This represents roughly 10 years of rugged use or a distance equal to six times around the earth or three...
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Ferrari 458 Driver Runs Fiat Off Highway, Proceeds To Pick A FightIt’s hardly a surprise to hear that a Ferrari driver may have a little air of superiority, especially when that driver is behind the wheel of the new 458 Italia, one of the Italian marques most gorgeous models in history and one with that lists for more than $225,325. Nevertheless, the 458...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2012 Camaro Options Are Beginning To LeakWith the 2012 model of the Camaro likely arriving in the summer, some options and color schemes have begun leaking out to the forums from dealers. Among them are a 45th anniversary package, a rearview camera, and a special suspension for improved ride and handling on the SS. We'll see if this holds...
Tim Healey -
Top Ten Reasons To Buy A Dodge Challenger In 2011Here's the top ten reasons to buy a Dodge Challenger in the coming year. 1. It's updated for 2011. 2. The SRT8 has a bigger engine. 3. So does the V-6. 4. Prices didn't rise all that much. 5. It can attack a track. 6. There's a version for drag racers. 7. The Challenger makes retro continue to look...
Tim Healey -
Top Ten Reason To Buy A Chevrolet Camaro In 2011Here are the ten-best reasons to buy a Camaro in 2011: 1. A Z28 model is likely to join the lineup, and it could happen in 2011 as a 2012 model. 2. Even without the Z28 and its supercharged V-8, there is still the strong V-6 and the plenty-fast V-8 powered SS. 3. There's a lot of custom Camaros on...
Tim Healey -
Top Ten Reasons To Buy A Mustang In 2011There are ten good reasons to buy a Ford Mustang in 2011: 1. The lineup is huge. It consists of the V-6, the 5.0 GT, the Shelby GT500, and the Boss 302. That's four choices across both the performance and price spectrum. 2. The 'Stang keeps winning comparison tests, whether with the V-6 or the V-8...
Tim Healey -
It may already be sold out, but that doesn't mean this video of the designers of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible sold by Neiman Marcus isn't worth watching. I stumbled across it on YouTube this afternoon, and for the hard-core Camaro freak, it's worth a peek. [Chevrolet]
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2011 Ford Mustang Wins Two Classes In Car And Driver's Lightning Lap CompetitionCar and Driver's Lightning Lap is that magazine's test of a car's skill, and this year, the full 2011 Ford Mustang lineup was entered in the challenge. The Mustang took the overall victory in two of the classes in the competition held at Virginia International Raceway. The V-6 Mustang won the LL1...
Tim Healey -
Mustang Owner Installs iPad In His CarWe've heard that iPad owners can be a tad obsessive, but this is bordering on the ridiculous. Or the ridiculously awesome. Here's the story: A customer ordered a 5.0 GT with navigation and Sync, and when the car arrived with Sync but without nav, instead of asking to have the mistake rectified by...
Tim Healey -
2011 Lincoln MKX Recalled For Electrical Fire RiskThe Chinese may have called 2010 the year of the tiger, but for us car geeks, it's been the year of the recall. With over 20 million recalled so far, the latest addition of 14,737 Ford and Lincoln pickups and crossovers is just the tiniest of drops in the bucket--but the problem could be huge. An...
Nelson Ireson -
Dealers Bring Back COPO Special With Custom CamarosIn the tradition of dealer hot-rod legends like Don Yenko and Fred Gibb and their 9561 and 9560 packages, a pair of Chevrolet dealers are working the GM order system--plus a little magic on the side--to turn out special-edition 700-horsepower 2011 Camaros from factory parts. Of course, not all of...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet: DrivenThe E550 Cabriolet looks the part of luxury convertible cruiser in every way. It's not the sort of luxury convertible that you'd take the family to the Whippi-Dip; rather the one you'd use to take the friends out to gelato on a hot summer night. From pretty much every angle, whether you're...
Bengt Halvorson