Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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We have seen the future of the in-car interface—or at least a major part of it—at Audi, and it's in the 2016 TT Coupe and Roadster slated to arrive Stateside next summer.
In modern cars,...
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2016 Audi TT / TTS first drive reviewThe task automakers face when they have to update established sporty coupes or roadsters, like the Audi TT, is nothing to be envied. As much as we like seeing the result, it calls for a series of tough decisions: Do you evolve the design, the technology, and the driving experience, as you usually...
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2016 Volvo XC90 Preview: Full Details, First Photos & VideoIn Stockholm, Sweden, Volvo today pulled the wraps off the first of an entirely new generation of vehicles—with a fully redesigned, second-generation version of the Volvo XC90. MUST SEE: Tiny V-8 Nitro Engine Looks, Sounds Amazing: Video Developed in-house at Volvo, as part of a three-year...
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Hotter Horses Lining Up: Roush Teases 2015 Ford MustangIt's still a few months before the 2015 Ford Mustang starts to arrive at dealerships, yet a number of established aftermarket tuners are clearly hard at work prepping even hotter versions. The latest to tease a Mustang project is Roush Performance, which today posted the hazy profile pic above and...
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BMW Gives i3 A Boost With New $6,500 DC Fast ChargerUp until now, if you can claim being near a publicly available fast charger, you're probably among the fortunate few in a handful of major cities (or among a few electric-highway projects, mostly on the West Coast). And for vehicles like the all-electric version of the 2014 BMW i3, which use the...
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2015 Audi Q3 Priced: At $33k, Facing Off With Mercedes GLAWith the 2015 Audi Q3 that arrives to the U.S. this fall, Audi cements the its crossover strategy, with a five-passenger, subcompact-size tall hatchback that fits five, meets all the standards for features and luxury for the brand, and makes a nice complement in the lineup both to the larger Q5 and...
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The 707-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 in the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat seems a natural to go under the hood of a vehicle that could better handle all that power up to 200 mph and...
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2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat first drive reviewMuscle cars, like those of the 2015 Dodge Challenger lineup—and yes, that includes the 707-horsepower SRT Hellcat—have long been emblematic of all that’s American. They’ve always been about cramming a V-8—a very large, lusty sounding V-8, preferably—under the...
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2014 Ferrari 458 Spider quick driveEven in today’s supercar-rich automotive landscape, Ferrari stands out as special and awe-inspiring. Look at the critical numbers for the 2014 458 Spider that we just drove, and it’s in an elite tier among just a few of the world’s top performance machines. The high-revving...
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2015 Nissan GT-R Quick DriveThe Nissan GT-R is outrageous. Even if your exposure to seeing one has been limited to watching one race by on the street, or to choosing it in Gran Turismo, you know that it's larger than life in some respects. There's no surprise it continues to carry the nickname 'Godzilla' from the enthusiast...
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2015 Lincoln MKC first drive reviewWith the 2015 MKC, Lincoln finally has a model that's going to play well in California. Let’s face it: Those in Dearborn focus so much on doing the right thing for Lincoln, the Brand. But outside of the Midwest, for the most part, Town Cars are Town Cars; Navigators are Navigators; and...
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2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible: 2014 New York Auto Show Live PhotosGeneral Motors recently pulled the wraps off its 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible, and the car has now been presented at the 2014 New York Auto Show. It arrives just in time for some spring-time dreaming about top-down driving. Top-down driving with 625 horsepower, that is. Unfortunately...
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Among automotive rivalries, there are few as deep-rooted, enduring, and all-American as the one between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
And during this week of the Mustang’s 50th...
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Land Rover Relaunches Discovery Nameplate, With A Rocket Ship: VideoAhead of the New York Auto Show this week, Land Rover has revealed its new Discovery Vision Concept, alongside a full-scale replica of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise—the world's first commercial spaceship. The occasion is more than just glitz, glamor, and the chance to hit...
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2015 Hyundai Genesis first drive reviewThe Hyundai Genesis arrived more than five years ago, true to its name, at the genesis of a new era for luxury. At the time, the luxury market only had what amounted to a collective hiccup; but the recession that ensued gave many who could afford a luxury vehicle just a little more pause about...
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Hyundai U.S. CEO: Sub-Tucson Crossover Being ConsideredYou've likely heard that a lot of traditional mid-size sedan shoppers are turning to compact crossovers like the Hyundai Tucson (or Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, or Subaru Forester) instead of a mid-size sedan—for crossovers' greater versatility, space, and all-weather ability. Now we're seeing...
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Paul Walker Crash: Porsche Was Going 93 MPH, No Mechanical FailureAccident investigators have weighed in on the fiery crash that killed Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker. And the conclusion is that unsafe driving—not an issue with the car—was what led to the accident. The Porsche GT in which Walker was a passenger was going 93 miles per...
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VW Amarok Pickup Gets Tuner Treatment, Turns Into Something America Would LoveYes, Volkswagen really does build a pickup—unbeknownst to those here in the largest pickup market in the world. And when you put a fuel-efficient but burly turbo-diesel V-8 into it, the result is something that we can't help but think would be a hit in the land of stars and stripes. The...
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The Sbarro Sparta, an all-wheel-drive hybrid rally car that made its debut at this week's Geneva Auto Show, has a lot of great ideas for an affordable production all-wheel-drive performance car.
For...
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Volvo Concept Estate: 2014 Geneva Motor Show Video And Live PhotosWith its stunning Concept Estate that made its debut here at the Geneva Auto Show this week, Volvo pulls out an intriguing set of building blocks: a ‘shooting brake’ two-door sport-wagon body style; a relaxed, informal interior; and a completely new interface. From the long, low hood...
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Maserati Reveals Special-Edition Quattroporte, Confirms Geneva ConceptMaserati confirmed that it will have two worldwide premieres at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show this week. The first is the Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna Limited Edition, a production car that builds on the concept car of the same name shown at last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. From concept to...
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2015 Subaru WRX Vs. 2015 Subaru WRX STI: Which is best for you?Can't make up your mind whether to go for the new 2015 Subaru WRX or step up to the 2015 Subaru WRX STI? If you're fond of the idea of having a turbocharged, high-performance (and of course all-wheel-drive) Subaru in your driveway, we're here to help decide which is best for your use. As we pointed...
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2015 Subaru WRX STI First DriveIs the 2015 Subaru WRX STI worth the $8k premium over the WRX? And does it remain one of the most capable performance cars on the market, short of exotic-car compromises (and price tags)? Those questions seemed straightforward enough. But after spending most of a day with the new STI, first over...
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2015 Subaru WRX, STI Models Priced: WRX Gets Big Value BoostSubaru has at last put a price tag—well a series of price tags—on its redesigned 2015 Subaru WRX lineup. And at the same time, it's rolled out all the numbers for the 2015 Subaru WRX STI. With new features and much-improved performance, and prices bumped up negligibly if at all, the...
Bengt Halvorson