Martin Padgett, Editorial Director
Articles
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Most Mercedes-Benz vehicles have four wheels, lots of airbags and a big trunk, but the German automaker's latest effort doesn't meet any of those criteria. In fact, this latest Benz just folds under... -
Future Buicks: small cars, front-drivers, and four-cylinders aheadWith GM sailing off into the future minus a handful of brands--Saturn, HUMMER, Saab and Pontiac among them--Buick counts itself as one of the lucky nameplates in the new GM. What's next? A compact Buick lineup of four or five vehicles, with more compact dimensions and smaller engines than fans of...
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Car Czar Rattner Wants Cadillac Free, And SoonWith General Motors setting a land-speed record in clearing bankruptcy court, the White House and de facto car czar Steven Rattner want out of General Motors, and quick. GM could exit bankruptcy as soon as tomorrow, now that a federal court has okayed the Section 363 sale of the "new GM" assets to...
Martin Padgett -
Range Rover, HUMMER H2, other luxury cars costly to insureThat luxury sport-utility vehicle you're eyeing could come with lots of street credentials - as well as a hefty insurance bill. It's no surprise that expensive rides can cost a lot at the showroom, but a new study by Insure.com drops the other shoe on costs of ownership for the finest, most capable...
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Mini One D bests Honda Insight with 60mpgThe Mini Cooper isn't the first car you'd associate with the environmental movement, but with its frugal four-cylinder engines and the new Mini E battery-operated version, the Cooper's green credentials are considerable. Now Mini's buffing the inexpensive, high-miler Cooper it sells in Europe as...
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Aston Martin Cygnet: Handcrafted, too?Whatever you make of Aston Martin's wacky plan to take the Toyota iQ city car and turn it into a swan of its own, you have to credit the British luxury automaker. Not only will it take on the green movement with a four-seat, 1.0-liter car badge engineered from the Toyota - it will do it with the...
Martin Padgett -
There's only one thing Denzel Washington and Kim Kardashian could have in common, and it's clearly not talent-related. Not even videotape-related, so far as we know. It's what they drive - the... -
2009 Audi Q5 first drive reviewUntil the Lincoln Navigator plowed into existence in the late 1990s, the idea of a luxury sport-utility vehicle was largely limited to the Range Rover. Hideously expensive off-roaders were a perplexing thought: who’d want to wrinkle all that pricey sheetmetal, and get those lambswool carpets...
Martin Padgett -
Driven: 2009 Aston Martin Vantage RoadsterWhat do you do with a supercar on the traffic-clogged streets of Los Angeles when the valet tosses you the keys to a $152,465 2009 Aston Martin Vantage? Hint: the answer isn't "flee to Mexico" or "scratch off the VIN plate and park it at home until the insurance report's filed." The proper answer...
Martin Padgett -
Rolls-Royce 200EX: A Silver Ghost Return?A concept from the 2009 Geneva Motor Show presages a new, smaller Rolls-Royce.
Martin Padgett -
2012 Aston Martin Lagonda PreviewAston takes an unusual translation of "Lagonda": now, it means SUV.
Martin Padgett -
2009 Infiniti Essence Concept Upstages Geneva Show
Sleek two-door entry has exceptional flair, diesel power--and yes, custom-fitted Louis Vuitton luggage.
Martin Padgett -
Welcome to BenzConnection.com!
I'm Marty Padgett, the editor of TheCarConnection.com and executive editor of High Gear Media. I'd like to welcome you to this new Web site, devoted exclusively to the...
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2009 Geneva Show: Maybach Zeppelin Gets the Led OutA half-million dollars here, a half-million there--throw in the perfume atomizer and it adds up.
Martin Padgett