Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Over several decades, Suzuki has established quite a reputation for itself in the U.S. as a maker of high-quality, high-performance motorcycles and ATVs. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for...
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Exclusive: 2012 Hyundai Accent: First U.S. Pics, First LookThe 2012 Hyundai Accent looks poised to elevate Hyundai to the same high water mark for small cars that it's claimed in other sedan segments this past year with its compact Elantra and mid-size Sonata. The Accent will be offered in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback variants this time, and the...
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T-Mobile Announced As Data Provider For U.S. Audi Connect ServicesLuxury brand announces its technological sophistication by partnering with AT&T's now-downwardly-mobile 'cheap brand.' -- For those of us who have already been reading seemingly endless reports and speculation about the proposed merging of operations of two major U.S. cellular providers, it was...
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2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe PreviewAt the Detroit Auto Show this January, BMW pulled the wraps off its new 2012 6-Series in Convertible form. Now we're getting the first official look at the 2012 BMW 650i Coupe. At first glance, the production 650i Coupe actually doesn't look that much different than the Concept 6-Series Coupe BMW...
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Ford Ranger Wildtrak Live Photos: 2011 Geneva Motor ShowWant a luxurious, well-equipped pickup that's more manageably sized than the mammoth F-150? We'd point you to this Ford Ranger Wildtrak just introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, but there's a major hitch: It's not going to be offered in the U.S. That said, if the price of gas rises, there might be...
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Ford Ranger Wildtrak: 2011 Geneva Motor ShowLast year we told you about the 2012 Ford Ranger that's not coming to the U.S., and you responded strongly. And while we passed along Ford's explanation regarding why it wasn't coming, you overwhelmingly weren't convinced. Now, at the Geneva Motor Show Ford has brought out a new top-of-the-line...
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Stronger residuals—for automakers, the key to offering attractive leasing options, especially for entry-luxury models like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.Mercedes-Benz's residuals haven't been as...
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Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG: Most Expensive 2011 Model To InsureIf you're salivating over a limited-edition luxury performance vehicle easily capable of triple-digit speeds, four-second zero-to-60 times, hand-made engines, and serialized production—the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG or Aston Martin DB9—insurance premiums could prompt you to...
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2011 Detroit Auto Show: Bentley CEO Departs During Booming SalesWhile sales of mass-market cars struggled toward a recovery in 2010, sales of luxury cars—and in particular, some of the priciest ultra-luxury models—have been hot. Bentley is yet another example. According to Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen, from a press conference at its stand in the...
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Ford Learning From Fiesta In Upcoming Small-Car And EV LaunchesFord's U.S. lineup is about to change in a very significant way. And as the automaker emphasized in its Detroit Auto Show press conference, with several high-volume small car models expected to arrive this year and next, you'll soon see plenty of smaller and greener alternatives in Ford's lineup...
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2011 Detroit Auto Show: 2011 Ford Vertrek Concept Live PhotosFord this morning introduced its sleek new Vertrek concept, which hints at the look of a future Ford mass-market crossover. Building on the European Kuga and eschewing any semblance of the Escape that it might replace—and looking more like a taller version of the 2012 Ford Focus five-door...
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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...
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To anyone who's driven a Land Rover in the past—or a Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagen, or even an old Isuzu Trooper—the LR4's appearance can be misleading.The LR4 looks tall and...
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2011 Chrysler 300: First Full Interior PhotoChrysler's model lineup hasn't changed much yet, but its cars are showing a new attitude and a new aesthetic. The latest image, revealing the interior in broader scope than before, leaked onto the web today. Just last month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the automaker pulled the wraps off the 2011...
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Future Tech: Smartphone App Custom-Tailors Your Seat SettingsIf you're blaming your vehicle's seats for your achy back or painful neck, consider this: You might not not be properly adjusting your seats, and you could be in a seating position that's simply wrong for your body type. High end seats, which bring fine-tuned support for backs and thighs, can bring...
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2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, With Live ShotsThis one came way from left field. Or was it right field? Whichever way, for months we've known that some sort of Murano convertible was in the works. The bathtub-like convertible, based on Nissan's stylish mid-size crossover, might very well be the world's first all-wheel drive crossover...
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2010 LA Auto Show: 2012 Nissan GT-R Live Photos And PricingThe refreshed 2012 Nissan GT-R made a surprise debut at the Paris Auto Show back in September, but the press preview of the LA show this week marks the new flagship super-coupe's North American debut. In addition to new sheetmetal, new colors, and a new wheel design, the 2012 Nissan GT-R has a big...
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Video: Jay Leno Drives The Jaguar C-X75 Concept From The LA ShowOn the eve of its Los Angeles Auto Show appearance—and six weeks or so after its Paris Auto Show debut—the British automaker gave comedian and late-night host Jay Leno an exclusive opportunity: He's the first person to drive the C-X75 on a public highway. Why Leno? The entertainer...
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It's been just two years since the Acura TSX received a complete redesign, but that's not stopping Acura from giving it a pretty substantial refresh for 2011.In addition to all the expected...
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2010 Paris Auto Show: Volvo DRIVe Electric Headed To Test FleetsNew Volvo Cars president and CEO Stefan Jacoby made his first official appearance in the position at the Paris Motor Show, introducing the new V60 sport wagon, along with performance-themed R-Design versions of the S60 and V60—and, surprisingly, emphasizing the importance of electrification...
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Hyundai Previews 'Supercar-Inspired' Sonata Turbo SEMA ShowcarHyundai has looked to RIDES and 0-60 magazines, and in turn found some inspiration from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, to put together a special custom version of its upcoming 2011 Sonata Turbo. The exterior mods on the car are described as "modest and tasteful," with influences from the...
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198,000 BMW, Rolls-Royce Cars Recalled For Brake IssueBMW has announced that it will voluntarily recall 198,000 vehicles for a potential brake issue. In affected vehicles—including BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, and 7-Series models, as well as Rolls-Royce models, spanning from the 2002 through 2010 model years—a vacuum leak might cause a loss of...
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2010 Paris Auto Show: World Debut Of 2011 MINI WRC RacerMINI chose the Paris Auto Show to pull the wraps off its all-new FIA World Rally Championship car, which is based on the new 2011 MINI Countryman and signals the brand's reentry into world-stage rally racing. The WRC, which has been under development for two years, gets a 1.6-liter turbocharged...
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2011 Infiniti IPL G Coupe Priced, On Sale In DecemberInfiniti appears to quickly be making up for lost time and chasing after BMW, Audi, and others with its new Infiniti Performance Line (IPL). The first IPL product, the 2011 Infiniti Performance Line G Coupe, will go on sale December 10--just a few months after its Pebble Beach debut--the company...
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