Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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On the eve of the Frankfurt Auto Show, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, the grandson of company founder Ferdinand Porsche sat briefly to pose in what’s perhaps one of the proudest achievements for the...
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2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA previewMercedes-Benz officially has a compact crossover in the hopper; it's bound for Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere, and it's called the GLA-Class. Ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, where it will make its official world debut in a few weeks, the company has revealed a set of photos of this small...
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2014 Jaguar XJR first drive reviewThe new 550-horsepower Jaguar XJR is indeed a stormer of a big sedan. We knew that much, even before heading out for our first drive in one this past week. But what we learned after a few hours behind the wheel is that this super-sedan (in size and performance) retains all of what comprises the...
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2014 Jaguar XFR-S: First DriveSpend around a hundred grand on a performance sedan, and it had better put a smile on your face, right? After driving the 2014 Jaguar XFR-S up on Pacific Northwest mountain roads, as well as on the track, we can say that this very focused model—the fastest, most powerful Jaguar sedan...
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2014 Infiniti Q50 first drive reviewOut on the Interstate, barely ten minutes into our first drive of the 2014 Infiniti Q50, my co-driver and I had already found something to marvel about in this sport sedan: We could carry on a quiet conversation. That might sound like a low bar—and there's much more truly marvelous...
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2015 Volkswagen GTD Preview DriveIt’s the fastest, most powerful GTD ever—capable of getting to 60 mph in less than seven seconds, and hitting a top speed of 143 mph, yet returning more than 40 mpg on the highway. What even is the GTD, you ask? We don’t expect many Americans—not even many driving-enthusiast...
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Porsche is going hybrid—with plug-in hybrid versions of all its major models, eventually.
And yes, that means not just the upcoming 918 Spyder and the 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, but also...
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John Lennon Ferrari 330GT Back On The Auction BlockIf you managed to miss the last time John Lennon’s Ferrari was up for sale at auction, you’ve got one more chance, as it didn’t sell last time. The Ferrari 330GT that Lennon drove at what was perhaps the height of the Beatlemania era is back, and the car will go on the auction...
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Rolls-Royce Sponsoring 1,000-MPH Bloodhound SSC ProjectThe mission: Build a car that can exceed 1,000 miles per hour. Do we have your attention yet? The jet-engine maker Rolls-Royce PLC have announced that they're supporting the Bloodhound Project, an educational program (and a real land-speed-record effort) that hopes to break that barrier. Rolls will...
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2014 Acura ILX: Leather, Active Noise Cancellation Now IncludedThe Acura ILX sedan enters its second model year with a few more features—and a price hike of $1,000. Leather upholstery is now standard on all 2014 ILX models, with leatherette door liners. An eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera system have...
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Jaguar Vs. Porsche Boxster And 911: 30 Days Of F-TypeWe're still eager to do a seat-to-seat, back-to-back comparison between the standard-bearing Porsche Boxster and the all-new 2014 Jaguar F-Type. While there's really no substitute for that time behind the wheel—especially when we're talking about sports cars—in the meantime we're taking...
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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 2013 Indy 500 Pace CarThe 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has already stunned auto-show crowds and ignited immense interest among enthusiasts. And now—as it should be this year—a Stingray shall lead at the Brickyard. General Motors [NYSE: GM] has confirmed that its 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will...
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Nissan has put a price on the most-wanted GT-R of the season—that's the competition-focused 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition.
On this very limited edition (only 150 cars for the U.S. market),...
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2015 Volkswagen GTI: Preview DriveWe're hustling along in the all-new Mk7 Volkswagen GTI, on a tightly curved back road in mountainous Southern France. Just as traffic opens up and I can see a fair distance ahead, I raise our speed into the next bend. But it turns out to be a flat, decreasing-radius corner. I pull my line tighter...
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2014 Audi R8: Pricing Edges Up, Dual-Clutch Gearbox On OfferThe 2014 Audi R8 lineup is significantly improved—with the German brand's mid-engine flagship sports car getting various updates to appearance, performance, and features. And that's before considering what might be the most substantial change—a new seven-speed S tronic transmission that...
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Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger Recalled For Airbag IssueChrysler is recalling nearly 120,000 late-model vehicles for a potential electrical problem associated with the airbag system. The recall affects Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger models from the 2011 and 2012 model years, with a total of 119,497 U.S. vehicles (and 139,000 in all...
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AMG Chief: Hybrids Are The Future, Not DieselsMercedes-AMG has made its name on sharp-edged performance. And, until recently, that's involved cramming large-displacement engines under the hood. Now, surprisingly—representing a significant turnaround from some years ago—even AMG sees hybrid powertrains in its future. While BMW and...
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2013 SRT Viper: Majority Of Orders Are For Ferrari-Influenced GTSIf you have any experience with the first-generation Dodge Viper, it's likely you were seduced by the exotic supercar looks, the sound, and the specs—and that brutal, unparalleled V-10 under the hood—but perhaps a little turned off by the edginess of the driving experience, and by the...
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The idea of packing a very powerful engine into a very small car—especially a car originally designed with frugality in mind—isn’t by any means a new formula. It’s been done...
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2014 Jeep Cherokee Live Photos: 2013 New York Auto ShowOne of the most anticipated introductions of the 2013 New York Auto Show wasn't a sports car, a convertible, or a high-priced luxury vehicle. It was the return of a familiar model name: the Jeep Cherokee. And here we have some of the first pictures of this new utility vehicle, live from the floor...
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2014 Hyundai Equus: Upping The Ante Against The Luxury EstablishmentWhen Hyundai first revealed its Equus several years ago, adding a model to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS, or Jaguar XJ, among others, seemed downright outlandish. But what was seen as far-fetched then is now seeming quite smart. Now for 2014, as previewed at the 2013...
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2014 Hyundai Equus: First U.S. Photos, Live From The NY Auto ShowHours in advance of Hyundai's New York Auto Show press conference, the automaker pulled the wraps off the refreshed 2014 Hyundai Equus. And we were there to snap a gallery of first photos of this, the brand's largest luxury sedan. What do we see from this first glimpse? Quite simply, that instead...
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2014 Cadillac CTS: New York Auto Show Live PhotosNow that the new Cadillac ATS sports sedan is on the market--and one of the best-driving sport sedans, we might add--the Cadillac CTS has room to grow. And based on our first in-person look, that's exactly what's happened. The new 2014 Cadillac CTS, shown here at a special invitation-only preview...
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2015 Audi A3: Sedans, Sportbacks, Diesels And Even A Plug-InWith the A4 now considerably larger than it used to be, there's space for a new compact sedan in Audi's lineup. And that's the all-new 2015 Audi A3 Sedan, which has been revealed today in regular A3 and sporty S3 trim. Ahead of its official world debut at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show on April 19...
Bengt Halvorson