Michael Frank, Author
Articles
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I’m kind of ornery when it comes to affordable performance sedans.
Above all, I’m looking for a car that’s fun, with the right mix of decent horsepower, but more, exceptionally... -
In Defense Of The 2011 Scion tCThis will be a partial defense of the Scion tC. I find myself in this odd position having read Bengt Halvorson’s less than glowing overview of the car. Mind you, I get where Bengt’s coming from. The tC has been upgraded, but it’s a poseur in the cheap two-door sports car market;...
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2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe vs. 2011 Infiniti G37S CoupeI'm a car nerd. I’ll confess, I love digging through stats for nuggets about performance. And I lean hard toward thinking a lot can be made of power-to-weight ratios. I’m always in favor of lighter cars, because low weight allows so many other efficiencies: a smaller engine, which leads...
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2011 Porsche Cayenne S vs. 2011 Infiniti FX50SThese two cars are extraordinary. There’s just no other way to describe family trucksters that can bomb to 60 mph faster than any readily available sports car could just a few decades ago—and darn near as fast as even the swiftest sports cars on the market today (we’ll presume a...
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2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution first drive reviewMy 18-year-old nephew, on a visit to our house for a barbecue, took one look at this car in the driveway and said, “Um, when?” As in when would he get a ride. His dream car, this car, had arrived. He’s even “driven” various Evos of various years in various virtual...
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The 2010 Audi S4 gets about 30 percent better fuel economy than the 2008 S4.
What? You don’t think first about fuel economy when shopping for a 333hp super sports sedan?
How about price? In...
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Driven: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BluetecDiesel and a good ride make it shine better than many crossovers
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Review: Acura ZDX And Honda Accord CrosstourNiches are the future of the car business - but you need a strong brand to pull it off
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Driven: 2010 Jaguar XFRI’m on the plane writing this, so forgive me for comparing the superb, $80,000 Jaguar XFR to Apple’s newest must-have toy, the iPad. It’s just that, both at the swanky Heathman Hotel where I was recently staying near Microsoft’s HQ, as well as at the airport, pre-flight, the Jaguar and the...
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Driven: 2010 Audi A3 TDIA base A3 2.0 TDI FWD S-Tronic runs $29,950. The VW Golf TDI we recently tested runs $23,090. In the review of that car we mentioned how the $7k discount for the Golf might be the way to go. After all, you can’t get this flavor of Audi with quattro AWD, which would differentiate the Audi diesel...
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Hot sauce.
It’s what we add to bland fare to give it a bit more kick. The Cayenne, though, has never been bland. You might begrudge the brand’s huge success selling SUVs rather than...
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Driven: 2010 VW Golf TDIWhen I recently submitted an entry about VW’s GTI being “The Greenest Hot Hatch”, a few commenters to the post suggested that the real sleeper in VW’s lineup was the diesel golf, the TDI. True, like the $23,890 GTI, the $23,090 TDI can be had with a slick, six-speed DSG clutchless manual...
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Driven: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT V-6Six-cylinder cars were once second-best in the eyes of most Americans. This is the land of the V-8, the Big Mac and the Big Gulp. Thankfully, at long last, there is greater diversity in America, and I’m not talking about demographics or politics. I’m talking cylinders and a tuner...
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2010 Bentley Continental Supersports first drive reviewThe first impression of the $273,515 Conti Supersports is visceral: You think “tuner,” though not perhaps the way you visualize the neighbor kid’s Accord, slammed and given wider rubber. Though, honestly, there is some of that after all. Here though it’s largely not for...
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Driven: 2010 Ford Mustang GTJust as the 2011 is about to arrive, we ask if you should buy now, or buy later.
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The front-wheel-drive Volkswagen GTI is a blast to drive. It’s fun slow, it’s fun fast. It’s a lot like a MINI Cooper in that regard, but less cute, way more practical, and many of its...
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2009 Aston Martin DBS Volante: Too Fast For AmericaBut even at idle it's thrilling, writes High Gear Media contributor Michael Frank.
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Driven: Audi A4 AllroadStop drooling--Audi's swiftest all-wheel-drive wagon-ute isn't coming to America.
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Audi A5: A Post-Crash PostmortemYou don't have to total an A5 to appreciate it. I've already done that for you.
Michael Frank