2017
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A redesigned BMW 5-Series is being introduced for the 2017 model year. It goes on sale next spring, initially in 530i and 540i guises. Sportier variants including an M550i M Performance model and an M5 sledgehammer are in the pipeline, but buyers that can’t wait can still inject their cars with a little extra sport thanks to some M Performance parts. For example, for the 540i, there’s a Power and Sound Kit that increases output from the car’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 to 355 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, up from a stock 335 hp and 332 lb-ft. The kit also...
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2017 Acura RLX preview
Acura’s RLX flagship sedan doesn’t get much attention in luxury circles but it has a lot to offer, especially for technology buffs. The RLX was introduced for the 2014 model year as the replacement for the RL, and though it isn’t on the same level of some of its German rivals when...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Buick Envision preview
Buick’s Envision raised a lot of eyebrows when it hit the market earlier in 2016 as the compact crossover SUV was the first vehicle from General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] to be imported from China. (Soon we’ll also be getting the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid by way of China.) The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Upgrade your Camaro ZL1 to 740-hp Callaway-spec for $17,995
Straight out of the box the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 comes with 640 horsepower of supercharged grunt. That’s already seen the car set a sub-7:30 lap time at the Nürburgring. But in the world of muscle cars bragging rights matter, and right now the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman spy shots
Mini unveiled its redesigned Countryman crossover during November's 2016 Los Angeles auto show, with the range including a new Cooper S E ALL4 plug-in hybrid model. Soon, the redesigned Countryman range will also include a high-performance John Cooper Works model, a prototype for which has just...
Nelson Ireson -
VW to build e-Golf at Transparent Factory
Volkswagen’s famous Transparent Factory in the German city of Dresden will soon be churning out cars again. The plant, which features glass walls and an open-plan design, was last used to build VW’s Phaeton. But after production of the flagship sedan came to an end in March, the plant...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
What's the fun in owning an ultra-rare car if the world can't see you driving it? The new Mercedes-Maybach S650 might just be your answer. The droptop version of Mercedes S-Class trimmed in Maybach opulence just made its debut at the LA auto show. MORE: Read all our 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show coverage This kind of luxury also carries prodigious power. With a 621-hp twin-turbo V-12 planted under the hood that makes 738 lb-ft of torque, the S650 has more power on tap than the S600 sedan, but keen watchers will recognize the same numbers from the AMG S65 version. What the Maybach treatment...
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2017 Mazda CX-5 debuts with new look, promised diesel
Mazda on Tuesday pulled back the wraps on its redesigned CX-5. The popular compact crossover SUV has been freshened up, and Mazda is saying it's an all-new version of the sharp-looking fun-driving model. First launched for the 2013 model year, the CX-5 represented the first expression of Mazda...
Jeff Glucker -
2017 Jeep Compass makes US debut at LA auto show
Jeep in September gave us our first look at its 2017 Compass, the replacement for both the existing Compass as well as the Patriot. Jeep presented the new compact SUV for the first time at its plant in Brazil, not only to celebrate the plant's achievements but also underscore the new global focus...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 first drive review
We’ve been down this road before—well, not literally, as this particular stretch of Germany’s Baden-Württemburg state isn’t exactly bristling with tourists. But there’s a distinct familiarity to the Mercedes-AMG GLC43. After all, the recipe is tried-and-true for...
Andrew Ganz -
2017 Land Rover Discovery video preview
Land Rover retired the Discovery nameplate in the United States a decade ago. But it's not that easy to keep a good name down, and last year the British SUV brand revived it with the Discovery Sport. Now, for 2017, the Discovery itself is back, as a replacement for the Land Rover LR4. The Discovery...
Joel Feder -
Special edition Audi R8 V10 Plus comes with laser headlights
In 2014 we saw Audi introduce the R8 LMX special edition. The car featured laser lights for its high beams but was never offered in the United States. Audi has now revealed another R8 special edition equipped with laser lights and this one has been developed for our market. It’s called the R8...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lexus didn't have much to show at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show. We've seen the LC a few times now, and we're just waiting on getting our hands on that wonderful looking coupe. Rather than bring nothing new, however, Lexus decided to take one of its current models... and spice it up a bit. Say hello to the Lexus Sriracha IS, based on the updated 2017 model. Working with the hot-sauce brand and West Coast Customs, Lexus have delivered a vehicle that should please anyone who is a fan of adding a bit more heat to their food. Sriracha abounds on this IS. From the paint scheme to the controls and...
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2017 VW e-Golf debuts with more power, range
Following the emergence of its diesel emissions scandal, the Volkswagen Group, in an attempt to clean up its image, announced plans to launch 30 electric cars by 2025. But VW has already been selling an electric car here in the United States for the past couple of years. The car is part of the Golf...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Mini Countryman preview
Mini has revealed a bigger, more sophisticated Countryman SUV for the nameplate’s second iteration. And this time there’s a plug-in hybrid model, representing the first hybrid from the brand. The new Countryman made its world debut on Wednesday at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show and goes...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Land Rover debuts Dynamic Design Pack for Discovery in LA
Although the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show this week wasn't the official debut for Land Rover's new Discovery, the company marked the revival of the nameplate for the United States market in sunny SoCal by releasing details about an optional Dynamic Design Pack. The Dynamic Design Pack can be added to...
Jeff Glucker -
2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid priced from $76,090
Cadillac's CT6 Plug-In Hybrid was first shown at the 2015 Shanghai auto show but is only now making its North American debut, appearing on Wednesday at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show. The car will go on sale in the spring of 2017 with a starting price of $76,090, including a $995 destination...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Rugged Mercedes-Benz G550 4x4² priced from $225,925
One of the biggest, baddest SUVs in production, Mercedes-Benz’s stoic G-Class, is about to get a whole lot tougher with the arrival of the new G550 4x4² variant. The boxy off-roader goes on sale in the United States in early 2017, priced from $225,925 with shipping. This makes it the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chevrolet’s Colorado ZR2 promises to be one heck of an off-roader, and one of the main reasons is the truck’s unique shock absorbers. To achieve the desired performance, Multimatic, the company that builds the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] GT and numerous other race cars, had to invent a new type of shock absorber. The shocks use both the company’s patented Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) technology and the position sensitive damping favored by off-road racers. To understand how these shocks work we have to break down both technologies. Position sensitive damping is...
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2017 Honda Civic Si Coupe prototype debuts at LA auto show
Honda’s award-winning, 10th-generation Civic has already been revealed as a sedan, coupe and hatchback, but we’re still waiting on the performance-oriented versions of the respective body styles. The hardcore Civic Type R that was previewed in prototype form during September’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is your mid-size off-road truck
Gas is cheap and trucks are hot again. The proof is in the success of Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] F-150 Raptor and the introduction of more off-road oriented trucks such as the Tacoma and Tundra TRD Pro. Now Chevrolet's jumping into the ring with the highly anticipated Colorado ZR2. The ZR2...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Nissan Sentra Nismo revealed at 2016 LA auto show
Nissan is spicing up its humble Sentra sedan for the 2017 model year. We’ve already had a taste of the Sentra SR Turbo, which packs a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-4 good for 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. And at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show on Wednesday, Nissan introduced a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2017 Buick Cascada gets bright red paint option
Big news for the Buick Cascada today! You can now get one... in red. As everyone knows, red paint basically means you've purchased a sports car. Buick knows this too, which is why the actual color of the car is Sport Red. It's being offered on the 2017 Cascada's Sport Touring trim, and there won't...
Jeff Glucker -
2017 BMW M760i priced from $154,795, Alpina B7 from $137,995
The BMW 7-Series range is being expanded for 2017 with two performance-oriented models. One is the V-12-powered M760i xDrive, which BMW has priced from $154,795. The other is the V-8-powered Alpina B7 xDrive, which has been priced from $137,995. (Both figures include a $995 destination charge.)...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran