Buying Guides
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OK, so the debut of the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster (pictured) isn't exactly a minor update. In fact, it's a whole other gullwing-less model, which we've covered previously. The standard hardtop model gets some minor tech upgrades and new paint colors for the model-year change, plus an optional three-mode AMG Adaptive Suspension. The most interested bit in the mix is the three-mode AMG Adaptive Suspension, which should help dial in a little more comfort for those times when you'd rather see and be seen than be seen thrashing a handful of state and local traffic laws. The SLS wasn't exactly...
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2001-2004 Audi A6, S6, R6 Recalled For Fuel Tank Fire Risk
Potential fire hazard or not, we still want an Audi RS6 in our driveway. Sure, we're ideally prefer the monstrous twin-turbo V-10 that followed the model under recall, but we wouldn't look a gift car in the tank. The tank is where the fire risk in the recalled cars lies: a plastic valve that flexes...
Nelson Ireson -
Porsche GT3 RS 4.0, Panamera Hybrid Configurators Online
It's time to start making those wishlists a bit more specific, folks: the latest pair of Porsches now have official online configurators. We spent a few minutes mostly taking things off the GT3 RS 4.0 (air conditioning, stereo, creature comforts) and ended up with a $202,000 price tag and one...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Ford Mustang Mayhem Package Named By Facebook Fans
The latest performance package Mustang isn't a rampaging supercharged steroid-shooting muscle car. It's a V-6-based car that aims for value and fun--and it's called "Mayhem." Named by Ford's Facebook fans, the Mayhem Mustang Package is built around the stock 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 engine, but...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 BMW 650i Coupe Live From Mexico: Gallery
We spent the first half of the week driving the 2012 650i Convertible around the Baja peninsula, but during the event, BMW also had a 650i Coupe on hand. Unfortunately we didn't get any seat time in it, but we did get these tasty photos to share with you. While it's easy to appreciate the open-air...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 BMW 6-Series To Offer All-Wheel Drive, All-LED Lights
Earlier today we brought you word from the 2012 BMW 6-Series North American launch in Baja Mexico about the coming M6, the coupe's pricing, and a few other key details--now we can add to those with word of the coming all-wheel drive system, BMW's first all-LED headlights, and a few more details on...
Nelson Ireson -
In the good old days all you needed for a road trip was a car, some buddies, and a sense of adventure. Even a map was optional. These days you can have it so much easier with the latest downloadable apps at your fingertips telling you everything from where to sleep to providing your tunes. Here is AllCarTech's run-down of the apps you need for your next epic road trip. Pandora Who needs a huge collection of CDs taking up valuable space in your car when all you need is a smartphone equipped with Pandora, offering free personalized internet radio? Just type in one of your favourite artists and...
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2012 Fiat Cabrio Pricing Starts At $20,000
It just made its U.S. debut at last week’s 2011 New York Auto Show and now we have the all-important pricing details. We’re of course talking about the funky new 2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio, or 500c for short, which goes on sale in the coming months, just in time for summer. The four-seater...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 Priced From $55,675, 2012 CLS From $72,175
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 is a very interesting car, and not just because it packs a new 3.5-liter V-6, a rather SLS-like nose, or a high-tech retractable hard top: it's soon to be the only manual-transmission offering in Mercedes' range. And it starts from $55,675, including destination and...
Nelson Ireson -
271,000 Nissan, Infiniti SUVs Recalled For Potential Steering Failure
Corrosion is the enemy of all cars, even modern ones, but particularly cars in the north. Road salt, water, snow, and ice combine to erode metal and bubble paint, making an eyesore of a car--and sometimes doing much worse. In the case of the 271,000 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 SUVs recalled...
Nelson Ireson -
Tesla vs. TopGear: Only Half Of The Story
Electric car maker Tesla is suing U.K. hit TV show TopGear for libel and malicious falsehood, seeking to right the record about its Roadster electric sports car, which the company thinks was treated unfairly by the sometimes witty, sometimes boorish hosts of the show. Unfortunately, this is no...
Nelson Ireson -
Porsche 911 Ownership Made Easier With 24 Month Lease Deals
It’s now easier than ever to join the exclusive club of Porsche 911 ownership thanks to new lease deals being offered on the iconic supercar. Porsche has been offering a 24 month lease deal on its 911 and according to the company, the promotion has been a runaway success when compared to the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The proliferation of a new 4.0-liter V-8 through Audi's lineup is nothing new, nor is talk of turbocharging the engine. A 520-horsepower version dropping into the S8 is, however, and it's rather interesting if you're a fan of big-sedan speed. BMW and Mercedes have both already jumped on the twin-turbo V-8 train, making Audi a bit of a tagalong, but if the S8 pans out the way the rumors are pointing, it could be one of the more interesting cars in the segment. By comparison, BMW's 750i nabs a mere 400-horsepower rating, while the ActiveHybrid boosts that to 455. You have to jump up to the...
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2012 Audi R8 GT Starts From $196,800
Warm up your line of credit, it's about to get a workout: the 2012 Audi R8 GT starts from $196,800--excluding the $1,250 delivery fee, bringing the pre-tax, title, and license tally to $198,050. That's about what we expected, though, so there's no sticker shock. How could there be, really, with a...
Nelson Ireson -
Lamborghini Aventador Sold Out, But It Looks Great In Estoque Gray
Like the Ferrari FF, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is sold out for at least its first year of production, but also like its Prancing Horse cohort, the Aventador has an online configurator--of sorts--that lets you play with its color schemes. The color above is Grigio Estoque. That's the same...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Jaguar XKR-S Configurator Includes French, Italian Options
Synonymous with British motorsports for decades, Jaguar has unveiled its new road-going XKR-S, the hottest version of its aging XK platform to date. It's certainly an attractive offering if you're into the Jag coupe, but it has some rather unexpected options--including colors called French Racing...
Nelson Ireson -
Chevrolet Corvette Sales Looking Up For The First Time Since 2006
Two-seat sports cars bought as weekend toys are often among the first things to go in an economic crunch, and as you know all too well, we've had a doozie over the last few years. The Chevrolet Corvette is no exception--since 2006, sales have been a fraction of their former tallies. But that looks...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione Deliveries Begin This Week
Five hundred lucky, patient Fiat 500 enthusiasts will get a special delivery this week: the first Fiats to be sold in the U.S. since 1984, in the form of the Prima Edizione. Fiat enthusiasts were offered the chance to buy the cars as a reward for their loyalty in the brand's absence. Each Prima...
Nelson Ireson -
Everyone is talking about carbon fiber these days. The material, well-known for its strength and relative lightness to steel and aluminum, is finally beginning to become less exotic than it once was. BMW plans to lead the charge toward extensive use of the material. BMW is already investing heavily in carbon fiber, with a focus for now on its i sub-brand. In a partnership with SGL Group, a leading manufacturer of carbon fiber, BMW is building a U.S. plant to produce the lightweight stuff. It has already revealed the carbon fiber structure of the upcoming i3, and it's pushing carbon fiber...
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2012 Acura TL On Sale March 18, Starts From $35,605
If you're jonesing for some slightly de-beaked Acura TL, you don't have long to wait: the new 2012 version goes on sale on March 18. Unfortunately, apart from a very mild restyle and a new Sequential SportShift six-speed automatic transmission, there's not much new to the TL. Or perhaps that's...
Nelson Ireson -
Build Your Own 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Configurator Live
Got $46,135 or more burning a hole in your pocket? Want to imagine what you could get if you did? Hit up the official BMW 1-Series M Coupe configurator at BMW USA. You can play with all the options, including the three available exterior colors (Black Sapphire Metallic, Valencia Orange, and Alpine...
Nelson Ireson -
Yet More Details On Ferrari's FF All-Wheel Drive System
Ferrari made a shooting brake, all-wheel-drive car and the automotive world split into three camps: love it, hate it, and meh. The latest details on the Ferrari's FF all-wheel drive system may not change that fact, but it's sure to intrigue all camps--and spark endless rounds of debate...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: MINI Goes In-Depth On MINI Connected
At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) we brought you news of MINI Connected's first app: Pandora. Today, MINI expands on what Connected adds to the in-car experience with this detailed video highlighting its key features. Want to link your iPhone to Twitter, Facebook, Google Local Search, or...
Nelson Ireson -
Don't Want The Mitsubishi Evo To Die (Or Go Hybrid)? Join The Cause
There are many great causes in the world. Causes to fight the many kinds of cancer, to help end hunger, to bring literacy and access to the Web to the poor. This isn't one of those causes. Instead, it's an entirely meaningless cause, but one we're half in support of: to save the Mitsubishi Lancer...
Nelson Ireson