2013 Audi R8

At a Glance Basic Specs of 2013 Audi R8 :

• Engine: 4.2L V8 or 5.2L V10
• Torque: @ RPM: 317 @ 4500
• Displacement: 4.2 L
  
  
  
  
• Power: 430 HP (V8), 525 HP (V10), 550 HP (V10 Plus)/ 317 lb ft (V8), 391 lb ft (V10) 396 lb ft (V10 Plus)
• Transmission: 7-Speed Dual Clutch or 6-Speed Manual
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 0-60 Time: V8: 4.3 Seconds V10 Plus: 3.5 Seconds
  
  
  
  
  
• Top Speed: 196 MPH (V10 Plus)

For decades, Audi was synonymous with rally excellence. In the 2000s, Audi turned its focus to sports car racing, where it tortured the entire grid at Le Mans, abusing the field 11 times in 13 years.

 

 

The Audi R8 was first launched back in 2007 and even though it has remained successful throughout its many years on the market, Audi has just released an update for the entire R8 line-up before its new generation is debuted in 2015. The new R8 went on sale in Europe at the end of 2012, while American customers had to wait a little bit longer.
The biggest change for the new Audi R8 V8 has been made under the hood where the V8 engine has been tricked to deliver an extra 10 horsepower over the previous version. There is also a new 7-speed S tronic gearbox.
Exterior updates are minimal and include a new front bumper and single-frame grille.

Like previous years, the 2014 R8 will come in a number of flavors depending on what you desire out of life. The cars are available with a 430-horsepower V8 or a 525-horsepower V10 and come in coupe or spyder body styles. The biggest development is the addition of the R8 V10 Plus, a 550-horsepower version of the car that is also 50 kilograms lighter than the bog standard V10. Audi has also replaced the flappy paddle gearbox with a double clutch unit that they've dubbed S-Tronic, which is something they wanted to show off.

Think of the V8 R8 as a Porsche 911 competitor and the V10 R8 as a Lamborghini Gallardo and 911 Turbo competitor. Yes, all of those cars are built by VW Group brands. Yes, all of those cars are great. That means the R8 has to be pretty damn fantastic to have a hope in hell of being a competitor.

It is.

Exterior :

When the hot rod Audi first hit the roads, there was a lot of second guessing the styling. "That front end looks like a robot." "What the hell is up with that weird side blade thing?" But if you hated it when it first came out, I'm betting you like it a lot now. After seven years, the car still looks modern and fresh. It was ahead of its time.

For 2014, there are some small changes that sharpen the car up more. Audi loves LEDs, and the car has LED headlights and LED accent lights; They all look great. In the rear, there is a very funky new sequential indicator setup which I find quite cool. The exhaust pipes are now massive gaping circles that you could use as a grapefruit cannon. I'm a fan.

 

But viewed from behind, I noticed that the R8 looks very Murcielago-ish now, which I find an unfortunate choice. The R8 is mechanically similar to other cars in the VW stable so it needs to be totally different from anything in the VW family to keep comparisons like that away. It's a small failure, but not an insignificant one.

Interior :

I've said this before: Audi really knows how to make an interior. This thing is quality. The flat bottomed wheel is the perfect size, especially in the Plus model, which is covered in Alcantara. For the seats, there is a new diamond pattern available for the leather which looks bespoke and handmade. It's also mirrored on the Alcantara headliner.

Buttons are all high quality and have a satisfying click. I did find a little difficulty getting a comfortable driving position in the V10 cars, but the V8 instantly felt like home. I find that strange, since the interior is the same across the range (sweet rhyme!). Passenger legroom was also a bit lacking, but then again, I'm fairly tall.

Engine and Performance : 

In Normal driving mode the V10 can be mistaken for a V6; it’s somewhat tame and generally lazy. The magnetic ride suspension absorbs most of the bumps and though you can certainly feel poorly surfaced roads, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. It’s the ideal mode for a Sunday drive down to the shops or when commuting in the inner city. But press that rather large and well-presented Sports button and instantly the gearbox goes into attack mode, the suspension firms up and everything about the Audi R8 becomes far more serious.

In Sport mode, acceleration is instantaneous – no matter the speed or gear. This is largely thanks to the naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 engine and the new S tronic transmission, which seems to always be in the right gear and rev range for maximum power extraction.
Of course there are paddle shifters on the steering wheel (and if you go into manual mode the gearbox won’t shift up automatically when in Sport mode – riding the rev limiter instead), but the computer is so well tuned that it’s almost unnecessary to use the paddles unless you’re on a racetrack and have worked out a gear for each corner. No matter how we look at it, it’s hard to fault the gearbox.

With 404kW of power and 540Nm of torque (18kW and 10Nm more than regular V10 – achieved mainly through software enhancements), the V10 plus is just one kilowatt short of the Lamborghini Gallardo and can reach 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds (using launch control).

Driving Satisfaction :

Audi brought one along and, we have to say, it remains our favourite R8. Firstly because it’s offered with a manual transmission (not available in V10) and although the S tronic (which is also available with the V8) is fantastic, the gated six-speed manual in the R8 is arguably the best in any sports car today. Secondly, it feels more composed, balanced and generally easier to drive.

There’s no doubt the V10 plus is faster and superior in the hands of a racing driver but for the regular buyer, one who spends more time on roads than racetracks, the V8 is more than good enough both on the road and in the occasional track session.

With 316kW of power and 430Nm of torque, the updated R8 V8 hits 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds (0.3 faster now with S tronic over R tronic – 4.6 seconds in manual) with a top speed of 300km/h. It also has that distinctive Audi R8 sound that is, for a lack of a better word, mesmerising.




If you must have the best, the Audi R8 V10 plus is the new king at Audi. It comes with pretty much all that Audi has to offer in terms of performance and looks. Its $400K-plus price point puts it in touch with a base model Lamborghini Gallardo but it’s every bit a better car for the money. It’s the ideal track car that can also be a regular drive.

 

Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF At a Glance :

Price: $624,646 (before on-road costs)

Engine: 6.3-litre V12
Power: 486kW at 8000rpm
Torque: 630Nm at 6000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, part-time AWD
0-100km/h: 3.7 seconds
0-200km/h: 11 seconds
Maximum speed: 335km/h
Fuel consumption: 15.4L/100km
CO2 emissions: 360g/km
Weight: 1880kg

Ferrari's first four-wheel-drive car, the FF, is anything but truck-like. In fact, it's shockingly quick and powerful. It's also uniquely styled, as one of the few two-door shooting brakes on the market.What is most interesting about the FF, however, is how it delivers drive to the road. Unlike any other production Ferrari, it's four-wheel drive. Ferrari had previously dabbled with four driven wheels in the 1987 408 Integrale concept, but the V12-engined FF is the first to make series production with such a system



The shooting brake form factor is a bit like a stubby wagon, and while that might not sound like a good basis for beautiful design, with the Ferrari FF, it works. A long, low nose slopes up into the laid-back windshield, then over a mid-length roof to end abruptly in a Kammback tail. Along the sides, fender swells and smooth contours contrast with the slightly snarling aerodynamics of the nose and tail.

Inside the $300,000 FF, you'll find typical modern Ferrari features, including a driver-centric cabin layout and control interface, two-tone finishes, and, of course, fine leathers and metal trim.

Under the FF's hood, a 6.3-liter V-12 engine generates 651 horsepower. Despite the 3,946-pound curb weight, the four-wheel-drive FF can accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 208 mph. We haven't had a turn behind the wheel of the FF just yet, but we're sure it's a suitably impressive drive.
The four-wheel-drive system is, like most of the rest of the FF, unique. Instead of using a transfer case like most all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles, Ferrari sends power directly from each end of the engine, with the seven-speed transmission driving the rear wheels. A separate two-speed transmission takes power off the nose of the crank to drive the front wheels. The front wheels only drive the car below fourth gear. After that, the rears get all of the torque.

Exterior:

 

Skeptics will call the FF one of the more boring looking Ferraris of the past few decades, while those of a somewhat more optimistic disposition might find it muscular and purposeful. Like the similarly mis-proportioned BMW M Coupe before, opinions will certainly be mixed. Me? I like it. The wide stance, massive wheels wrapped by swollen fenders, is muscular and powerful — but there's no ignoring the generous posterior necessitated by that rear hatch.6

Yes, you could call this the world's fastest station wagon, but I'm more inclined to call it a particularly hot hatch. Virtually every styling cue points to power and aggression: quad exhausts flanking a generous aerodynamic splitter; vents or intakes on all four fenders; the bulging hood, which looks to be vacuum-sealed over that massive, red-headed 6.3-liter V-12. Seen from the front the FF seems to scowl at you, a menacing look in the rear-view of those ahead. Move to the side, though, and the FF almost seems to flash a cheeky grin. Less intimidating, sure, and a sign of the bi-polar nature of this machine.

Our test car was fitted with (optional) 20-inch wheels featuring a split five-spoke design and a matte color that I found quite visually pleasing without drawing attention away from the shapely aluminum bodywork. Those wheels are wrapped with wafer-thin Pirelli P Zero tires, a seemingly punishing 245/35 sidewall height that is somehow made reasonably comfortable thanks to some suspension trickery we'll discuss a little bit later.

Magneto-rheological dampers help control the FF's body motion for improved grip in a wider range of conditions, while carbon-ceramic brakes increase the fade-resistance and stopping power of the big shooting brake.The shooting brake form factor brings more benefits than just unique looks: the FF holds 15.9 cubic feet of cargo behind the seats, which can be expanded to 28.2 cubic feet with the rear seats laid flat. That makes it one of the most practical of the super-performance class

Interior:

The Ferrai FF's door is long and it is heavy. It doesn't swing upward with the theatrics of the Mercedes SLS or McLaren MP4-12C, nor does its handle automatically extend in a welcoming gesture like on the Tesla Model S. It is a car door in a very typical sense.

Ferrari does not offer a choice of seat designs in the FF, so thankfully the default is a good one, managing to be both comfortable and sporty — not to mention endlessly customizable. Powered controls nestled down in a traditional spot on the side near the floor move your throne up and down and in the usual directions, also enabling discrete adjustments for both the upper and lower bolsters, meaning you can get as much or as little support as you like. A trio of buttons allow you to program and save three configurations, enabling quick toggling between squeezy and comfy while still leaving a third setting free for a (very) special someone with whom you share the key.

As you'd expect from a driver-focused machine like this, once seated virtually everything falls quickly to hand. The vast majority of the car's controls have been sprinkled on and around the steering wheel, as we'll discuss in a moment, but lucky drivers won't have to stretch far for their fingers to find the rest.

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Window controls are found between the seats, just below a little padded cubicle that's perfect for housing a phone while in motion. This cubbie is framed by arcing grab handles, carbon fiber in our car (you can get them leather-wrapped if you prefer) and perfectly positioned to accept the white knuckles of a timid passenger. Those handles flow into a control that houses three large buttons for enabling launch control, setting the transmission into automatic, and shifting into reverse.Continuing to climb up the center stack you'll find the dual-zone climate controls, a series of satisfying physical knobs and buttons and then, finally, the main infotainment system. It's a JBL system, unremarkable in every respect. A trio of circular air outlets mark the center of the dash, with one more on each the far left and far right of the cockpit. Each offers a soft-touch knob in the center to open and close the vent within, and if you look closely you'll spot the embossed prancing horse. Details count, and there are plenty to be found here.

On the dash to the left of the steering wheel you'll find the headlight controls (which you can just leave on auto if you like) and a fiddly little knob that's cheekily labeled "pit limiter." That's Ferrari's euphemism for cruise control, and while it's functional (push to turn on, twist to the right to speed up, left to slow down) the knob is poorly placed and rather clumsy to operate. No, adaptive cruise control is not an option. Yes, this is a Ferrari and some would argue you shouldn't ever use cruise control anyhow, but remember: This is meant to be a practical Ferrari, which includes road-tripping and excelling at long highway cruises. There's a 24-gallon tank in here for a reason.

2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Specs At a Glance:

Engine Type: 5.2-liter V-10 90°, DOHC

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual (standard) / Robotized

Torque @ RPM: 398 @ 6500

HP @ RPM: 552 @ 8000

MPG(Cty): 1

MPG(Hwy): 24

Displacement: 5.2 L

0-60 time: 3.7 sec.

Top Speed: 325 km/h (201.9 mph)

0-100 km/h (62 mph) Acceleration : 3.7 seconds

0-200 km/h (124 mph) Acceleration : 11.8 seconds

Engine management system : Bosch MED 9

CO2 Emissions (E-Gear/Manual) : 327 g/km , 351 g/km

 

 

After several days of teasing with what looked to be an all-new Gallardo, Lamborghini has decided to lift the veil off of this beast and give us a look at it. This all-new Lambo, dubbed the Gallardo LP 560-4, made its debut in Paris alongside its slightly upgraded counterpart, the Gallardo 570-4 Edizione Technica.

Overall, the Gallardo’s body will remain intact from last year’s model, but Lambo will be making mild additions to the already sexy body. The real question remains whether Lamborghini actually improved upon its entry-level – if you can really call any Lamborghini an “entry-level car – supercar’s already popular appearance, or were these changes simply unnecessary and counterproductive.
Now with all of the information in hand, we can offer you our full review of this all-new Gallardo and allow you to make an educated decision on it.

Exterior

The Gallardo, and every Lamborghini for that matter, is known for having razor-sharp body lines that simply scream “I’m fast.” The redesigned Gallardo is no exception to this rule. Its new front fascia boasts the trapezoidal geometry expected of the Gallardo, only the design is 100 percent brand new.
Replacing the large outer trapezoidal air intake vents are slightly smaller vents, which allow for a wide-open mouth in the center of the front fascia. This helps gives the Gallardo a more stout appearance from the front end, despite the fact that it carries over the same 74.8-inch width from last year. Just forward of the front wheels sit a pair of air intake vents that are slightly larger than last year’s model.

Down the side of the Gallardo LP 560-4 is a familiar design, as it is literally identical to last year’s model. It boasts pedestal-style sideviews, a large air-intake vent just forward of the rear wheels, and a sleek profile that allows air to slip right over it with little resistance. One difference you can take away from the sides is the addition of 19-inch Apollo polished alloy wheels, donning matte black and silver machined spokes.
If there was one area where the 2012 Gallardo failed, it was the back end. It was bland, blocky, and all-around boring. Lamborghini obviously took notice and revised the rear end to give it a little extra shape without completely replacing it. The biggest change was made to the massive black vent just below the taillights. Lambo broke up this one-time sea-of-black panel with a trapezoidal shape in the center that also creates two flanking triangles, keeping true to the Gallardo’s trapezoid-laden design. This vent is also slightly larger than last year’s allowing the engine to shed heat more effectively.
As you scroll downward to the rear bumper insert, you’ll find yet another new addition – a shapelier insert with downward-turned ends and a more pronounced rear diffuser. Poking out from each end of this revised insert are dual tailpipes, giving the Gallardo its obligatory four tailpipes total.
There is one option on the exterior and that is the “Style Package.” This package adds in high-gloss paintwork on the underside of the front spoiler, the front and rear grilles, and the transverse element on the rear trim. This helps add a little more style to the already sharp Gallardo LP 560-4.
In all, the all-new Gallardo LP 560-4’s body measures in at 4,345 mm (171.1 inches) long x 1,900 mm (74.8 inches) wide x 1,165 mm (45.9 inches) tall and has a 2,560 mm (100.8 inches) wheelbase. The Gallardo’s front track measures in at 1,632 mm (64.3 inches) and its rear track measures 1,597 mm (62.9 inches). The new Gallardo 560-4 carries with it a curb weight of 1,500 kg (3,307 lbs) with 43 percent of its weight on the front axle and 57 percent on the rear axle. As you can see, the new Gallardo is identical to the 2012 Gallardo in every dimension except weight; the new Gallardo outweighs the 2012 model by a whopping 265 lbs.

Exterior Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH)	171.1 x 74.8 x 45.9 inches
Wheelbase	100.8 inches
Front Track / Rear Track	64.3 inches / 62.9 inches
Curb Weight	3,307 lbs
Weight Positioning	43% front / 57% rear

Interior

Lamborghini gave us absolutely no information on the Gallardo 560-4’s interior, sans one shot with the car door open. All we can make out in this image is the fact that the interior is color-coded on the door panels and center console to the exterior. We can also tell that it features leather seating with tufted diamond patterns. You can also make out the flat-bottomed steering wheel and the button-heavy center stack – something that has been thorn in the Gallardo’s side for years. Why Lambo thinks a car needs that many buttons is beyond us.
Sans the launch-control panel in the center console, the rest of the interior looks to be comfortable, well laid out, and stylish. We’ll see what kinds of images we can sneak of the interior while we’re in Paris.

Engine

Under the hood of the Gallardo LP 560-4 is a carryover from last year: a 5.2-liter V-10 DOHC engine that rips off 412 kW (552 horsepower) at 8,000 rpm and 540 Nm (398 pound-feet) of torque at 6,500 rpm. A Bosch MED 9 engine management system keeps the ignition and fuel working in perfect harmony, as the oil-to-water cooler and pair of radiators keep this high-performance engine cool and operating correctly.
The engine links up to a 6-speed manual transmission standard. You can also opt for the E-gear transmission, which is an automated 6-speed manual with a paddle-shift interface. The transmission pumps all 552 horsepower through the Lambo’s permanent 4-wheel-drive system that boasts viscous traction control. The AWD system delivers power through a limited slip front and rear differential, with a constant 45 percent of the torque going to the rear wheels.
In terms of true track speed, the Gallardo is stout. It hits 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 3.7 ticks of the second hand. It only takes 11.8 seconds for this all-new entry-level supercar to hit 200 km/h (124 mph). The overall top speed of the Gallardo LP 560-4 is an impressive 325 km/h (201.9 mph).
While fuel economy and emissions may be on the back burner when considering a supercar, they are still items that require some attention. With the E-gear transmission, the LP 560-4 is rated at 21 l/100 km (11.2 mpg) in the city, 10 l/100 km (23.5 mpg) on the highway, and 14 l/100 km (16.8 mpg) combined. The E-gear transmission-equipped Gallardo LP 560-4 lays down 327 grams of CO2 per km. With the manual transmission, you can expect 22 l/100 km (10.7 mpg) city, 10 l/100 km (23.5 mpg) highway, and 14.7 l/100 km (16 mpg) combined. With the manual transmission, you can expect to put out 351 grams of CO2 per km. The fuel economy is surprisingly
acceptable, but the emissions are terrible across the board on this new Gallardo.

Suspension and Handling

The basic suspension system on the 2013 Gallardo LP 560-4 is a carryover from 2012, as it features a double-wishbone construction on the front and rear. You also get an antiroll bar and anti-dive bar up front, and an antiroll bar and anti-squat bar on the rear. These bars help keep the body roll to a minimum and prevent nose diving on the front end under hard braking and eliminates rear-end squat on hard acceleration. To help keep things under control, you get a full electronic stability program, ABS, ASR, and ABD with the Gallardo.
On the front corners, there’s a set of 8.5- x 19-inch aluminum alloy rims hugged in 235/35ZR Pirelli P-Zero rubber. On the rear edges, there’s a set of 11- x 19-inch aluminum alloy rims wrapped up with 295/30ZR Pirelli P-Zero vulcanized rubber.
The 2013 Gallardo LP 560-4 is really fast – obviously – but it needs to stop too. This is handled by a set of 365 x 34 mm (14.4- x 1.33-inch) steel ventilated rotors up front squeezed by 8-pot aluminum calipers. On the backside, there’s a set of 356 x 32 mm (14.01- x 1.25-inch) ventilated rotors embraced by a set of 4-piston aluminum calipers.
While the Gallardo’s a competent handler, it has been noted as a less nimble car when compared to its Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Jaguar rivals. Its suspension system is far outdated and its braking system is subpar at best. There is no supercar on the Earth that should use sub-15-inch steel rotors to bring it to a halt. When you upgrade to the Edizione Technica version, you do get the larger carbon-ceramic brakes, but we think these should be the standard equipment on the Gallardo.

Handling Specifications:

Suspension System	Double wishbones front and rear suspension system, antiroll bar anti-dive and anti-squat
Front Wheels & Tires	8.5- x 19-inch aluminum alloy rims w/ 235/35ZR Pirelli P-Zero tires
Rear Wheels & Tires	11- x 19-inch aluminum alloy rims w/ 295/30ZR Pirelli P-Zero tires
Front Braking System	365 x 34 mm (14.4- x 1.33-inch) steel ventilated rotors w/ 8-piston aluminum calipers
Rear Calipers	356 x 32 mm (14.01- x 1.25-inch) ventilated rotors w/ 4-piston aluminum calipers
Turning Diameter	11.5 meters (452.75 inches)

Ferrari LaFerrari

The LaFerrari is quite possibly one of the most highly anticipated releases from Ferrari to date. With promises to lower carbon emissions while increasing performance to record-breaking levels, the engineers at the Prancing Horse faced a daunting task. However, since being unveiled at the Geneva Car show on March 5, it has become clear that the LaFerrari sets a new standard in regards to hyper-car performance and design.



All New Design

The 2014 LaFerrari is sleek and stylish, exactly what you would expect from the Italian supercar company. Since the release of the Enzo in 2003, Ferrari fans have awaited its predecessor. The LaFerrari is the first car in the company’s history to be completely designed in-house, and it paid off.  The LaFerrari puts a new design twist on the classic model, and the designers paid close attention to every detail, a characteristic Ferrari has become known for.




Exterior

The LaFerrari’s exterior is designed to be as aerodynamic as possible without losing that classic Ferrari feel. The curves are a bit sharper and the lines are more prominent than previous Ferraris. The body is made of four different types of carbon fiber and uses technology in which the exterior skin of the car actually provides the main structural support, similar to an airplane. Every aspect of the exterior has a new creative spin, though some more subtle than others



From the side, the attention to detail really starts to become apparent. Extensive wind tunnel studies were performed while designing the LaFerrari to ensure that the body was as aerodynamic as it could possibly be without losing any of that classic Ferrari “feel"



Interior

The LaFerrari’s interior follows the flow of the rest of the car and sports a Formula 1-inspired designed. Although the car was designed for performance, the interior design did not suffer. The large, square steering wheel and redesigned dash configuration work beautifully with the overall theme of this car.



Performance and Specs

Sure, the LaFerrari looks great, but isn’t it a hybrid? The answer to that is, well, yes and no. It is actually classified as a “mild hybrid” -meaning that it does not actually have a full electric mode, but rather an electric component that assists the internal combustion engine- which in this case is a kinetic energy recovery system known as HY-KERS. The LaFerrari boasts a 6.3 Liter V12, with 789 hp supplemented by the 163 hp HY-KERS unit. The HY-KERS unit acts similarly to a turbo charger, providing the LaFerrari with short bursts of extra horse-power. With the highest output of any Ferrari to date, it also boasts great performance numbers. The LaFerrari has a top speed over 220  mph, 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds, and 0-200 mph in 15 seconds. These marks were all obtained while lowering carbon emissions by more than 50%



HY-KERS system
Total maximum power: 963 CV
V12 maximum power: 800 CV @9000 rpm
Total maximum torque: >900 Nm
V12 maximum torque: 700 Nm @6750 rpm
Maximum revs: 9250 rpm
CO2 emissions: 330 g/km
Electric motor output: 120 Kw (163 CV)

Performance
Maximum speed: over 350 km/h
0 – 300 km/h: 15 sec
0-100 km/h: <3 sec
0-200 km/h: <7 sec

Dimensions
Length: 4702 mm
Height: 1116 mm
Width: 1992 mm
Weight distribution: 41% fr, 59% r
Wheelbase: 2650 mm

Suspensions
Rear: multi-link
Front: double wishbones

Conclusion

The LaFerrari has set a new standard in hyper-cars. With the release of the Lamborghini Veneno and amidst rumors of a LaFerrari-based Maserati, The Prancing horse delivered and did not disappoint. With Ferrari only producing 499 of its flagship hybrid, the $1.6 million MSRP price tag only comes into consideration if you got an invite to purchase straight from the company, or happen to know someone who did. Regardless, Ferrari has succeeded once again in completely redesigning their image without straying too far from their roots. The LaFerrari will go down in history as the gold standard in hyper-car production

2014 Range Rover Sport drive review

This is the latest Range Rover Sport, the second generation of Land Rover's best U.S. seller. It had its world debut at the New York auto show back in April. It was shown first in NYC because Land Rover says it sells more Range Rover Sports in the metro NY area than anywhere else in the world.

The car is new top to bottom and is, according to Land Rover, faster, more agile and more refined thanks in part to it being a whopping 800 pounds lighter. The shape is less boxy than the outgoing Sport with its flat sides and thin pillars, but the new vehicle is a bit lower, 2.5 inches longer (still 6 inches shorter than the new Range Rover -- the two trucks were developed together), and the overall shape is smoother. The front and rear overhangs are slightly shorter and the truck is 2 inches wider. There are more than a few Evoque styling cues to the new Sport and it moves from body on frame to an aluminum unibody, from where most of the weight saving comes.

There are two supercharged engines available: a 3.0-liter V6 with 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and a 5.0-liter V8 producing 510 hp and 461 lb-ft. Both engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The interior is redone and now offers an optional third row suitable for kids. Adults will fit back there too, but a short trip is recommended.

What's It Like To Drive?

We spent a day and a half in the UK, a couple hours northwest of London, driving both the V6 and V8 Sport. You climb up into the Sport's luxurious helm and into a cabin much like the Range Rover's, except the Sport seats have better side bolsters, and the rotary gear selector is tossed in favor of a more traditional stick similar to the one in the Jaguar F-Type (LR thinks that's more sporty).

The blown V6 model (LR figures 75 percent will go for the six) will hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and the V8 in five flat, so either way it's a fast SUV. The suspension (double wishbones in front, multilink in the rear with air springs at all four corners) has plenty of travel for offroading. We ran it over rocks and mud and through little lakes and it never missed a beat.

The V6's on-road body control is impressive too -- there's a lot less roll than before but the ride isn't harsh. If you thought the outgoing Sport was too heavy and lumbering, this car will impress you. The terrain response control now has an auto mode; it uses probability estimators and adjusts the suspension, engine, transmission and center differential to optimize the setup for conditions.

On twisty two lanes the body roll is reduced but not at the expense of ride quality – UK potholes were never really jarring. Detroit's? We'll have to wait and see.

The steering felt nicely weighted and accurate -- the car just sliced its way smoothly through corners, paved or otherwise. None of that surprised us. What did surprise were the gains in refinement: The cabin (now with 4.7 inches more rear seat room) was whisper quiet. The big buckets felt comfortable on and off road and the view out commanding. The steering felt much quicker and more responsive than before, with good weighting and enough feel for both on- and off-road maneuvers.

We liked the V6 more and more as the day wore on, and then on the second day we got in the blown V8 First things first: We dialed up the Dynamic mode, tuned for faster road driving -- it firms the suspension, adds some weight to the steering and sends additional torque to the rear wheels. Punch the accelerator and once the V8 gets above 3000 rpm, the 461 lb ft of torque made the car more of a rocket, and the Dynamic mode tightened up the body motions and steering more, and they weren't bad to begin with. It goes through corners like a much lighter car. The Dynamic mode's throttle response is quicker and the 8-speed auto is quicker to down- and upshift.

Words like “hot hatch” and “sports car” were used throughout the day – how often do you hear that of a 4700 pound SUV?

Do I Want One?

Absolutely. Whether you are a new or a returning customer you'll be impressed with the levels of refinement, increased quality level inside and much sportier overall performance in the new Range Rover Sport. Prices start at $63,500 and run up to $93,295, including destination; look for it on sale in late August.

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport V6

On Sale: August

Base Price: $63,500

Drivetrain: 3.0 liter supercharged V6, 340 hp, 332 lb-ft, awd, eight-speed automatic transmission

Curb Weight: 4,727 lbs

0-60 mph: 6.9 secs (mfr. claim)

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Hwy/Combined): TBD

2013 Buick Encore Premium review

Between China (for which I'm sure this trucklet was designed), retirees with a place up north, and some hoped-for young people coming into the Buick fold, I predict a bright Encore future. I think the thing will be a great seller for Buick. 'Course, I've been wrong before…

I don't think I am this time, though. For starters I think the design fits the vehicle's size. It looks good and well-proportioned to my eye.

Next, a small Chevrolet Sonic-based ute could be a great idea, especially as gas prices rise. Viewed in that light, as a semi luxurious small SUV, there is literally no competition, or none that I can think of anyway. And the higher those gas prices go, the more customers this baby SUV will potentially attract. If those people who are new to the fold are younger, all the better for Buick.

I was surprised how well the Encore drove. Maybe my expectations were low but this is a thoroughly likeable little truck and that is good news for Buick. It's not a rocket by any means, but it sips gas, feels solid and of high quality (especially for such a small package), and like other Buicks, is nice and quiet going about its business with double-laminated glass and more sound-deadening material. It's relaxing where other small cars and trucks can be a bit frenetic.

There is a ton of room inside in terms of front-seat room and cargo space. The back seat is a wee bit tight. Fit and finish is good and there are high-quality, soft-touch materials throughout.

I really didn't know what to expect when handed the Encore keys. After driving it I believe Buick found a space in the market where few if any competitors exist. Thus I think, as I said before, the Encore will be a hit.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: I took the 2013 Buick Encore home for the weekend and though I was initially disappointed -- we have a Porsche 911, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Aston Martin Vanquish in the fleet -- the small SUV turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

I'm still not a fan of the look of the vehicle. It looks a bit too busy for the Buick name and a bit too futuristic. I dig the headlights but I don't like the blue-tinted bulbs, it definitely throws off a weird accent with the brown exterior. If the car was blue or white, it might look kind of cool. I also continue to abhor any sort of black body cladding, wherever it may be, I understand it protects the paint at its more perilous spots, but Porsche does the same protecting with a clear film. I'm sure this is cheaper.

That being said, the interior of the Encore is great, in both fashion and function. I enjoyed the baseball-mitt brown leather with dark brown accents. The seats were comfortable, I had no trouble adjusting them where I wanted, and it was easy to get in and out. I do wish more manufacturers had height adjustment for the front and back of the seat bottom. I like to be coddled.

The infotainment was mediocre in execution. It connected to my Apple iPhone quickly but some of the buttons are ambiguous, and I couldn't find the enter/go forward button on the center stack, just a jog dial and joystick.

The 1.4-liter turbo four is surprisingly potent in the Encore. It wasn't fast, by any means, but I never had a hard time getting up to or keeping expressway speed. There were a few downshifts though when passing on the highway. The six-speed automatic is a great piece.

The price is right for a small luxury SUV at around $30k. Give me a one-color option with no body cladding and I'd seriously consider it.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Buick has put together a delightful little commuter here, and I hope they do well with it. The Encore does more than I would have thought possible with its Chevrolet Sonic underpinnings, creating a “right-sized” runabout with decent room for a family of four and a little bit of luggage. Ironically, a similarly sized sedan would probably offer more cargo room than this crossover, but folks like their soft-roaders these days, so Buick is simply answering the market.

Folks also like their amenities, and our little Encore was full of 'em. Remote starter, heated seats and, yes, heated steering wheel…one of my new favorite features. The leather was good quality, and I found the aforementioned baseball-glove interior motif attractive, even if the surfaces weren't exactly Mercedes-Benz S-class to the touch.

Somehow Buick made the Encore feel light on its feet despite the fact that, at 3,300 lbs, it's not, and it's only got 1.4-liters to pull it around. Far from fast, the gearing maximizes the engine's low-end torque to keep things moving along at any speed. I suppose the takeaway for folks who fret about such things as displacement is that the Encore scoots along just fine.

Since I'm still licking my wounds from the last time I called something a chick car, I'll refer to the Encore as “styled with an eye toward female customers.” The combination of steep hood drop-off and an utter lack of overhangs maximize interior space but it neuters the design. It's not unattractive, mind you -- just a bit frumpy.

But if you're digging it, go drive one -- the Encore is a pretty strong statement in favor of Buick's affordable luxury credo.

2013 Buick Encore Premium

Base Price: $30,440

As-Tested Price: $32,230

Drivetrain: 1.4-liter turbocharged I4; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 138 hp @ 4,900 rpm, 148 lb-ft @ 1,850 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,309 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 23/30/26 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 24.5 mpg

Options: Eighteen-inch chromed aluminum wheels ($995); audio system including navigation including AM/FM/SiriusXM stereo with 7-inch screen, USB port, input jack, Buick Intellilink ($795)

2013 Cadillac ATS 2.0L Turbo review

The following might seem blasphemous to a scale not seen since Copernicus brought us down a notch in the universe. But given a choice between the BMW 3-series -- of which I drove recently, in 335i M-Sport guise -- and the Cadillac ATS, which I drove in 2.0T, AWD, six-speed automatic trim, I'd swing my leg across the doorsill of the latter. It may be because secretly, deep down inside, I want a 1974 Fleetwood Sixty Special Talisman with Medici crushed velour upholstery and shag carpeting, neither of which are available in the ATS. But neither is the ATS 19.5 feet: it's shorter than the 3-series, which seems to have made all the difference.

To be entirely fair, the ATS has some glaring flaws. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine revs happily and pulls hard, but it sounds awful -- as coarse as a Chinese lawnmower that's choking on crabgrass. As coarse as your uncle Vinny who got kicked out of your bar mitzvah. Startup is rough and clattery, like a set of wind-up cartoon dentures. It -- and the transmission -- annoyingly hang off revs in a manner more akin to a three-speed Chevy Sprint -- or, hell, a Cimarron, the only time you'll hear me mention that odious word in this diatribe. The transmission is a six-speed Hydra-Matic auto, and while it shifts quickly there's a noticeable gap between second and third. This is, coincidentally, where one will spend most of their shifting. At least the paddle shifters are honed from real, genuine earth ores. Heavy metal, baby.

The six-speed manual has a host of problems as well -- namely, a brittle shifter and a flimsy clutch that feels like it's leaking -- but Cadillac seemingly makes those row-your-own models available for the purposes of 1.) a tax write-off; 2.) homologation for a yet-unannounced Penske demolition derby series; or 3.) getting journalists to stop tweeting their complaints about a lack of a manual in a manner that will ban them from Chevrolet's or Porsche's press fleets.

It's impossible these days to mention a Cadillac without its onerous CUE system, which if anything is the company's attempt to emulate every facet of BMW's experience with iDrive -- complaints, kvetching, lost customers and all. Like the first iDrive in 2001, CUE is slow. Like the first iDrive on that 7-series, CUE is confusing. Like the first iDrive which was all but written off by enthusiasts and journalists alike, there's no escaping it as it marches onwards towards forced relevance, implanting itself onto everything from the newest XTS to the retrofitted SRX. And, perhaps most presciently, it all feels like so much technology slathered on with a big stick for technology's sake. The great irony herein is that after spending time in a Chevrolet Spark, the cheapest car in GM's fleet, Chevy's MyLink was beautiful, well designed, and most importantly, responsive. CUE is seemingly hobbled by the revelation that because the back screen buzzes at your finger in case you've lost all sensory input from anywhere north of your collarbone, it needs to be fiendishly complicated and worthy of an entire Sam Kinison routine of swears.

But if this is the future, then I'm of a forgiving sort. Don't write it off yet: CUE is a technology in its infancy, as yet overwhelmed by what it has to perform as a newborn child would be by the MCAT. And behind the swearing, a glimmer of promise: for one, it's cool how the navigation screen minimizes all menu options when driving along, using the entire screen's real estate to show the map. Wave your hand over it, and the menu buttons reappear -- just in time for you to stab at an option. What sorcery is this? The map can be pinched and rotated with two fingers, much like a certain product from a fruit-themed technology company. The graphics are sufficiently sharp to impress the plebes. (As an aside, imagine the techno-futuristic “Tron” world that we've created where we discuss a car's graphical capabilities. “Back to the Future II” never saw that coming.)

The major flaws out of the way, here are some more: the seats feel lumpy. No, the lumbar support isn't on. I never could fathom why the trick HUD turned itself off after the second day of driving, and then never turned back on again. And the wiper stalk on the right side is 3 millimeters closer to the paddles than on the left stalk. (Where else can you find such compelling investigation?)

Actually, that's about it.

Need I remind you that, as I declared at the beginning of this missive, I preferred the ATS over the 3-series. Why? It certainly wasn't for its rough start-up. Rather, after some punishing canyon drives, the brilliance of the ATS slowly manifested itself, worming its way deep into my brain -- yes, the part that rewards me for eating a salad and opening a door for an old lady and doing something nice for a stranger like letting him into traffic. This is a wonderful, beautiful car, inside and out, one that's eminently livable and loveable. The chassis is as tight as a Cirque du Soleil rope rigging, the steering communicative and dead-on accurate, the pedal placement nothing short of ideal, with a responsive throttle and easily modulated brakes. Put the suspension in Sport mode and watch it corner damn near flat. Even the AWD system gets in the fun, allowing some rear-wheel looseness, some deliberate slight imperfection.

The ATS simply feels more engaging, tauter, and more comfortable from a driver's standpoint that goes beyond how cushy the seats are. (As previously mentioned, they aren't.) Twenty years ago, this would have been insane. But my, how roles have reversed: the 3-series is the more disconnected and bulky-feeling, and the ATS is far more adept at allowing a driver to get in and immediately feel comfortable driving fast. Few cars offer that immediate gratification. The Germans usually don't.

The ATS is proof positive of the idea that something can be greater than the sum of its parts. It means even more for Cadillac. It took 10 years for the Standard of the World to reinvent itself with the first CTS, a car that marked as widespread a philosophical and commercial change as this current ATS. This car is as much of a brand re-inventor as the 2002 was for BMW. And if I have to be the David E. Davis of the ATS, then so be it. The ATS is wonderful -- Yahweh willing, it can only improve from here.

2013 Cadillac ATS 2.0L Turbo Premium

Base Price: $45,995

As-Tested Price: $51,705

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 272 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 260 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,543 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 20/30/24 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 22.0 mpg

Options: Driver assist package including adaptive cruise control, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, automatic braking, automatic collision preparation ($3,220); Thunder gray ChromaFlair paint ($995); cold weather package including heated seats and steering wheel ($600)

2013 Honda Pilot Touring

When Honda rolled out the second-generation Pilot, they made it a point to make it look more like a truck. Hence its squared-off appearance that's reminiscent of the full-frame midsize SUVs of old. Personally, I have a soft spot for things like the Toyota 4Runner and previous Nissan Pathfinder, so I think Honda's decision to make the Pilot a little manlier was cool. It will be interesting to see what Honda does with the next Pilot, which I expect to land in the next year or so. Will they follow Nissan and soften it and make it more crossover-ish like the latest Pathfinder? Or will they stay boxy? I'm guessing the former as that will appeal to a wider range of people.

As for this particular 2013 Honda Pilot Touring test car there's a lot to like here still. It begins with the 3.5-liter engine that's among the smoothest V6s available and delivers adequate power. Power is consistent throughout the rev range and when you boot it there's a surprisingly pleasing exhaust note to it. Where the Pilot shows its age is with the five-speed automatic transmission, which seems outdated by today's standards. I have no complaints about its operation because it performs flawless upshifts and quick downshifts. No doubt an extra cog in the gearbox would help up fuel economy, but to be fair I averaged 23 mpg over the weekend on mixed driving which isn't shabby at all for a 4,600-pound vehicle with the aerodynamic properties that aren't all that great.

It handles reasonably well with light, but responsive steering, and it doesn't feel sloppy around corners. There's some roll tuned in and the ride quality is comfortable with a suspension that smoothes small to medium road hazards without a problem. Brakes are grabby and confidently get the Pilot slowed down, which is nice.

Interior comfort is fine overall with comfy front bucket seats that offer some side support and a backseat with good legroom. The center stack looks a bit dated with all the buttons, but all are clearly labeled and easy to work through. The center console is huge with plenty of storage available. Materials throughout are of fair quality with a lot of hard plastics that feature decent graining to them. I'm not a huge fan of the shifter sticking out of the dash. It's close to the right side of the steering wheel and I accidently bumped into it a couple of times when I reached over to adjust the climate.

The Pilot is still a decent offering in this class. I certainly would take it over the Pathfinder so I wouldn't have to deal with a CVT. But it's still time for Honda to update this thing.


ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Yes, love boxy-body SUVs. I miss the days of the rolling brick. It is plain, though. But for a buyer looking to blend in, which many do, this is a solid, regular-sized SUV.

Some of these crossovers make me worry. In many of them, there is only a foot of length behind the second-row of seats. In the Pilot, there's plenty of room.

The 250-hp V6 works hard, but moves this 4,600-pounder relatively well. I wasn't lamenting the slowness. It also soaked up most of bumps on my pothole-infested drive home.

It seems a bit expensive at more than $40,000. There are cheaper options that have almost as much utility but more sport. But if that's not what you're into, the Pilot is worth a look. Bonus, it's a Honda, so it'll probably be reliable.


2013 Honda Pilot Touring


Base Price: $42,000

As-Tested Price: $42,000

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V6; 4WD, five-speed automatic

Output: 250 hp @ 5,700 rpm, 253 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,608 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 17/24/20 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 23.1 mpg

Options: None

2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 drive

The new Mercedes-Benz S-class is quite possibly the most advanced road car ever. The big four-door sedan is coming to North American showrooms in September. It is a rolling technology fortress, the goal being to place it at the top of the luxury car ranks, ahead of traditional rivals such as the Audi A8, BMW 7-series, Jaguar XJ and Lexus LS, not to mention newer pretenders like the Porsche Panamera.


Mercedes-Benz chairman Dieter Zetsche acknowledges this S-class has a vastly different mission from the one it replaces. It will be produced in no fewer than six different variants, including initial short- and long-wheelbase models and an extra-long-wheelbase model in the next year. This new variant, we're told, will offer a limousine-like experience to match the Bentley Mulsanne and Rolls-Royce Ghost, and is planned as the basis for a plush Pullman return, to replace the discontinued Maybach. There will also be a two-door coupe and a cabriolet.

The exterior styling has greater sculpture to the body, and evolves the appearance without straying too far from the outgoing model. A more prominent grille and larger, more angular headlights provide a stately appearance, and there's a prominent swage line meant to add greater intrigue to the flanks. There is little change in external dimensions over the old S-class in the long-wheelbase model underpinning North American sales, the new car being just 0.8 inch longer, 1.1 inches wider and 0.4 inch higher than before.

The S-class's aerodynamics are class leading. Official figures point to just a 0.24 coefficient of drag with the S550 driven here. Further refinements designed to provide the frugal European-market S300 BlueTec hybrid an even more efficient 0.23 include adjustable cooling-system louvers, extensive underbody paneling and detailed work to the wheel houses.

This is the first series-production road car to eschew conventional light bulbs for LEDs. The headlights use up to 56 LEDs, with the taillights receiving 35 LEDs. To minimize glare, the intensity of the rear lamps is reduced at night and while the car is stationary at traffic lights.

The S-class's hood, roof, doors and trunklid are now aluminum, and the internal structure uses a special bonding process combining aluminum with hot-formed, multi-gauge high-strength steel and some lightweight plastic components. The pillars are also filled with a foam material to make them significantly stiffer than before. Despite these measures, though, the S550 has actually gained 11 pounds, hitting the scales at a claimed 4,277 pounds. Offsetting the slight increase in weight is a dramatic increase in rigidity and, thus, a reduction in vibration and an even smoother ride.

Mercedes-Benz has decided to launch its new luxury sedan in the U.S. with just one engine: a carryover twin-turbocharged gasoline V8 producing 449 hp at 5,250 rpm, or 20 hp more than the old S550. Torque remains at 516 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm, and drive continues to be sent to the rear wheels through Mercedes' 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox. A four-wheel-drive 4Matic option will be offered starting in November.

Other markets get a range of different engines. Among them is a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 254 hp in the S350 BlueTec, a 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel with 204 hp in combination with a 27 hp electric motor for a total output of 228 hp in the S300 BlueTec hybrid. Also available outside North America is the S400 hybrid. It uses a carryover gasoline-electric powertrain with a 302-hp, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 and 27-hp electric motor.

More engines are planned, including a gas-electric plug-in hybrid to rival the system Porsche recently introduced in the facelifted Panamera. However, Benz is not committing itself to whether it will be offered here.

The new car's interior design reflects the influence of a new generation of Mercedes-Benz designers. Inside there is an elegant simplicity to the dash, neatly wrapping around into the doors. The dash features a pair of 12.3-inch TFT monitors, one each to display the control dials and the multimedia functions. A rotary dial between the front seats continues to provide the revised COMMAND system's primary interface, though buyers can specify a new speech-recognition function as an option.

The new car delivers greater accommodation and more comfort than ever before. The seats offer liberal cushioning, plenty of support and loads of adjustment. The choice of high-grade materials and the way they have been matched with each other are at the root of the S-class's appeal and place it firmly in the realm of the Ghost and Flying Spur for luxury and feel-good factor.

There is a claimed half an inch more head-, shoulder- and elbow room than in the old S-class up front, while the rear has over half an inch extra space for knees and just less than half an inch more for shoulders. There are five different rear seat configurations, ranging from a fixed bench to a so-called First-Class setup with Maybach-like adjustability and fold-out tables.

Among the more flamboyant creature comforts are optional heated armrests, a hot-stone massage function for the front seats, an active perfuming system and a brilliantly effective 24-speaker Burmester High-End 3D surround sound system using a bass system incorporated in the front bulkhead for concert hall-like acoustics.

Predictably, there are sufficient safety features to fill an encyclopedia. Many are optional, including the new rear belt bag incorporating an airbag in the belt strap. Night vision and radar-control cruise control with an automatic braking function are also optional. The same goes for the extensive connectivity features based around a WLAN Hot Spot head unit forming part of the multimedia system.


What's It Like To Drive?

Start the S-class with its incongruously old-fashioned black plastic electronic key, and the engine catches with a faint hum before you draw the shift lever down a notch and pull away. One of the new car's main assets is its advanced suspension and its uncanny ability to absorb bumps while providing a perfectly level ride. We feel the improved ride in the first mile and it is also immediately obvious that noise suppression is exemplary.

The S550 gathers speed with a degree of smoothness underlining Mercedes' efforts to make mechanical refinement a top priority. The aim was not merely to match the A8, 7-series, XJ and LS for driveline finesse but to attain similarly silken on-throttle qualities to the Silver Spur and Ghost. Less inherent sportiness, more indulging luxury is the clear message.

Squeeze the throttle more and there is sufficient power to endow the S550 with solid acceleration. A claimed 4.8-second 0-62-mph time makes it 0.2 second quicker than its predecessor, and there's terrific stability as you approach the limited 155-mph top speed. The S-class spears along in a nonchalant manner, making it hard to beat as a trans-continental express. Fuel consumption has also improved, with Mercedes-Benz claiming 27.3 mpg combined.

The big four-door feels right at home at a steady cruise on typical highways. Long gearing and reasonably strong torque provide a relaxed yet flexible quality, making the car as impressive from the driver's seat as it is stretched out in the back. Backing up the improved response from the engine is the enhanced gearbox; with revised electronic mapping, it is more impressive than ever.

The performance and driveline refinement really are masterful, but the S-class' crowning achievement is the way it pampers. At both low speeds around town and higher autobahn speeds it possesses a superb primary and secondary ride and unflappable body control. Noise, vibration and harshness levels are among the lowest we've ever encountered.

The S-class has always been remarkably quiet, smooth and compliant, but this new model moves the game along enough to shock the luxury car competition. There are signs of greatness in how its complex underpinnings cope with low and high-amplitude bumps and ridges on standard 18-inch wheels and 245/50 tires. Where it really presses its claim, though, is on undulating roads: It has a remarkable ability to control heave, pitch and roll -- the body always remains level.

It all starts with the basic suspension components, a continuously operating adaptive damping system and an optional air suspension system boasting double the processing power of the old S-class'. The real highlight though is the new Magic Ride Control system. Available as an option on the S550, it scans the road using a windscreen-mounted camera, calculates the best suspension settings and hydraulically adjusts -- in advance -- each individual wheel's damping up to 81 mph. The result is a float-on-air feel isolating the whole car from any road imperfection. There are comfort and sport modes. If you seek a highly absorbent and miraculously supple ride, you'll like “comfort.” If it is a strongly damped ride with excellent body control you're after, “sport” will suit.

Criticisms? The speed-sensitive electro-mechanical steering provides a more confidence-inspiring feel with more weighting than the old S-class, but sometimes feels synthetic and lacks conviction off center. It is not too off-putting -- you can still thread the new model along winding country roads with confidence -- but in a car excelling in so many other areas, you're left feeling the steering could offer more feedback to allow you to better place it in corners.

A high-parcel shelf and large rear-seat headrests combine with an angled rear screen and more tapered C-pillars to limit rear vision. We get the feeling that the advent of systems such as blind-spot control have allowed the designers more freedom, at the expense of basics such as uninterrupted visibility. Trunk capacity is reduced, too, and in a car of this size, it really is an oversight. Beyond that and the somewhat ordinary ignition key, it is hard to see how Benz could have improved it much.


Do I Want One?

The new S-class represents more than a simple progression -- it is a genuine leap over its predecessor. The main impression after driving it for the first time is its remarkable level of overall excellence. Its achievements far outweigh its limited weaknesses. One expects every new S-class to bring advances, and this latest model certainly won't disappoint.

Technologically, Mercedes-Benz's new flagship is clearly a front-runner in the luxury car ranks, though to tap into its vast array of features you have to be prepared to pay well in excess of its base price. As with the outgoing model, much of what it has to offer is optional. It is a terrifically soothing car to drive: fast, reasonably frugal, comfortable and quiet, its interior will spoil you both in terms of feel and function. The ride subtlety would do a Rolls-Royce proud, and yet there's the typical and distinctive Teutonic sense of purpose. It could just be the best Mercedes-Benz ever built.





2014 Mercedes-Benz S550


On Sale: September

Base Price: N/A

Drivetrain: 4.6-liter, 449-hp, 516-lb-ft twin-turbocharged V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 4,277 lb

0-62 MPH: 4.8 sec

Fuel Economy (EPA Combined): 27.3 mpg

2014 Buick LaCrosse drive

"This is probably the nicest car you've ever driven," promised Jeff Yanssens, Buick's chief engineer, during the introduction of the car he worked on: the 2014 Buick LaCrosse. "I feel comfortable saying that."


Whoa, Yanssens -- we here at Autoweek have driven some pretty terrific cars in our illustrious history, just sayin'. But Yanssens is basing this on the LaCrosse's utter serenity and comfort -- and judging by that merit, the LaCrosse becomes a car with priorities that are set in stone.


For 2014 everything behind the firewall is brand new, claims GM. (Even the hood-mounted portholes, which now resemble teardrops or falling leaves -- how poetic.) This refresh's theme is tech: adaptive cruise control makes its first appearance on the LaCrosse, and the vibrating seat alert system from the Cadillac ATS worms its way in as well. In the $2,125 "Driver Confidence I" package, forward collision alert, side blind zone warning, lane change alert, lane departure warning, and rear cross traffic alert ensure that the car will beep and honk noisily at you no matter from what direction obstacles come at you.


Lastly, the interior is restyled, and rather handsomely: the button cornucopia has been eschewed for clean touch panels for the dual-zone climate control. Rear headroom is excellent, the seats softer and better contoured than before. And how does an Ultra Luxury package sound with Tamo Ash wood -- real wood, in fact; what a novel idea -- and dark red Semi-Aniline leather seats in "sangria"?


The engines are the least-new part of this new LaCrosse. Carryover units from last year, one can opt his LaCrosse with a 2.4-liter inline-four with eAssist mild electrification. It's now standard on four-cylinder models. Or, one can procure the 3.6-liter V6 engine, with a stout 304 horsepower and direct injection. Both get 6-speed manual transmissions and the option of FWD or AWD.


Yanssens boasted of the 2014 LaCrosse: "This rides better than any Cadillac I know." Yes, even the XTS. He would know. He also worked on the XTS. Which, of course, shares the Epsilon II platform with the LaCrosse and Impala, but not the onanism-referencing Canadian slang in its nameplate. If you're wondering, Buick has long since stopped caring about that.


What's it Like to Drive?


We drove both front-drive and all-wheel-equipped LaCrosses, both with the 3.6-liter V6 -- a test of the 4-cylinder model will be coming soon. The first car was equipped with HiPerStrut, the trick new front suspension setup from Europe that promises to alleviate torque steer and add crisper steering.


Turns out, it only does one of those. The steering in our front-drive model was dead on arrival: flimsy, slow turn-in, no semblance of an actual connection with the front wheels. Acceleration from 304 hp was lusty, with no twitching up the steering column -- but the 6-speed automatic transmission was flustered even in traffic, and especially on the hilly roads north of Malibu, venturing into Thousand Oaks. The sloppy transmission programming threatens to undermine the smoothness that Buick wants to achieve with the LaCrosse. This engine likes to hang onto its revs after the throttle is lifted, reluctant to downshift and slow to react. The AWD system was a stronger handler around twistier roads, and its steering was tighter -- but it was also aggressively heavier, presumably to impart a semblance of sporty weight. The Buick also rode well in both front and back seats.


New for 2014, the adaptive cruise control works well but is still confused by cars in the parallel lane. It will lower and increase speeds until below 25 mph, whereupon it sets off more warnings and Klaxons than the 173rd Airborne scrambling for a sniper attack.


It is quiet, though. At 70 mph the loudest noise in comes from the ticking of my extravagant manual-wind wristwatch and perhaps the uncomfortable grunts of the Buick public-relations officer in the back seat. Like Mazda's SkyActiv, Buick's QuietTune -- which imparts double-pane windows and additional firewall insulation -- isn't so much an identifiable option on a window sticker as it is a company-wide philosophy…which makes it harder to integrate into consumer minds beyond a catchphrase. But it works.


Do I Want One?


Problem is, there's a lot more to a car than supreme quietness. And that problem resides neatly in the Toyota dealership across town: the Avalon gives up a few points on quietness but adds much better steering, more capable brakes, and a semblance of acceleration immediately discernible by human senses. A Toyota Avalon, being given the sporting nod? It's a brave new world we live in.


Buick has bragged about its recent sales successes: how its median age has lowered by seven years from 64 to 57, how sales in trendy coastal regions have increased as much as 42 percent, and how most of these sales are conquests from other companies -- including, we'd wager, Toyota.


And these are all fine and dandy. But the LaCrosse is nothing if not Buick's core product, literally and philosophically: a quiet, milquetoast, smooth-riding, conservatively styled (even if that grille is larger than before, a nod to the psychological theorem that correlates shininess with implications of wealth. Another example: Las Vegas), with core competencies that reside so far away from its lackluster drivetrain that it serves to select its own customers. In that sense, it's simply Buick being Buick. If the Avalon is a little too rorty for your tastes, may we suggest the 2014 LaCrosse?


2014 Buick LaCrosse


On Sale: Fall


Base Price: $34,060


Drivetrain: 2.4-liter I4 with eAssist or 3.6-liter V6; FWD or AWD, six-speed automatic transmission


Curb weight: 3,765 lb (I4); 3,906 lb (V6)


0-60 mph: 6.4 sec (mfr)


Fuel economy (EPA City/Hwy): 25/36 (I4); 18/28 (V6 FWD), 17/26 (V6 AWD)

2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD drive

“Pozdamer Platz,” mused your author's companion. "You wanna yell it, like, 'POTZDAMER PLATZ!'” For about 20 minutes, we did just that. We did it in the most grating, Sgt. Schultzian manner possible. Your author on the shy side of 40; his companion a few years over the line, both acting like the metallic teenage chuckleheads we'd been back when Berlin was still two cities. We really should've been blaring Accept to complete the tableau. Upon seeing a sign for Spandau: “Vee are going to Spandau! Vee vant to see the ballet!” If you grew up during the Cold War, this city impacted you in ways you won't even realize until you're actually faced with the place.


If our accents hadn't put the Berlin drivers off, our road manners certainly did. The Euro-spec nav system was calling out distances in meters, which meant a rough translation to yards and then a slightly more accurate one to feet which -- by the time we figured out how far away our turn was -- generally meant, “OH! MERGE! NOW!” We could feel the looks of Teutonic confusion and disdain boring into the backs of our skulls. “Why would somebody drive like this?”


Upon our arrival at Potzdamer Platz, we stood in front of the Ritz-Carlton for a few minutes, looking south across the intersection. Johnny Rotten's insistent yowl from '77 echoed internally, “The Berrr-lin Wall!”


Thirty-one years ago, this place had been very, very different. The wall ran right through it then, and it would stand for eight more years. Thirty-one years ago, Volkswagen put a 70-hp diesel in a sport-tuned first-gen Golf chassis and called it the GTD.


After a period of dormancy following the GTD's Mk. 2 iteration, they revived the specification for the sixth rendition of the Golf and threw one into the American press fleet last year to see what die Amis would make of the thing. Apparently, we liked it enough that the seventh-generation Golf will see a U.S.-spec GTD in the lineup, likely for the 2016 model year.


Upon receiving the news, even those of us who hadn't driven the Mk. 6 GTD were saying, “Yes, please!”


What's it Like to Drive?


It's got the latest GTI chassis and features a boosted version of the TDI motor beloved by Autoweek's staffers. That alone is a recipe for excellence. In truth, the new mill shares only bore spacing with the last-generation GTD's oil-burner, though it retains VW's internal EA288 designation.


At 3,500 RPM, the diesel's putting out 184 hp. A thousand RPM later, it's all over and time to shift. The 280 lb-ft of torque arrive at just 1,750 revs, though it's not an effortless swell of twist to get there from 0. There's a bit of a dead spot at the low end of the tach, but certainly, from 1,000 RPM to the power peak, it's a fun wave to ride.


We opted for a manual transmission model and loved it so much we couldn't bear to swap it for a DSG twin-clutch car. We know what the DSG is about; it's a uniformly excellent cog-swapper that works equally well when paired with a diesel or a gas engine. The manual doesn't feel wholly mechanical in nature, a la a Miata or a Mustang, but its operation is precise and effortless. The clutch could transmit more information through the pedal -- a perennial issue with modern VWs -- but it's otherwise nice to use. Though the brake/accelerator spacing is a bit wider than the previous car's, we didn't find heel-toe downshifts to be problematic.


The interior is exceptional. Add an MMI controller and you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a low-end Audi. Volkswagen's so-so touchscreen infotainment system has been given an upgrade; the maps are now lovely to look at. To differentiate itself from the GTI, the GTD gets gray tartan seats in lieu of the classic red plaid. The whole experience is one of solidity, taste and quality.


“Lighter and larger” seems to be a refrain echoing through most brands in the VW Group, from Porsche on down to Volkswagen itself. The new car is about 200 pounds lighter than the previous model, despite a gain of 2 inches in overall length. It won't feel small on American roads, works just fine in European city traffic and comes off just about the right size on the Autobahn.


We found it enjoyable in the winding hills of the Harz Mountains, too, where it's possible surf the throttle between 1,000 and 4,000 RPM without changing gears. Down in the flats between Magdeburg and Berlin, we ran at 137 mph on a derestricted stretch of Autobahn; the GTD handled it without complaint or any sign of stress. In the mountains, it climbed with aplomb, braked predictably and rounded corners with elan. The electric power steering is accurate and connected, though it does carry a bit of the artificial feel that's so far been endemic to these systems.


In short, it's a thoroughly modern automobile. It's not a spaceship; it's not a glimpse into the future, it's simply a car honed over a period of four decades. You read this publication because you like cars, right? Volkswagen's designers and engineers clearly sweated this one; its air of effortlessness vehicular wholeness is proof of that.


Do I Want One?


Even the GTI isn't the teenager's scootabout it was 30 years ago, and GTD is a step beyond its petrol-fueled brother into maturity. “Sedate” is the wrong word. “Riotous” is the wrong word, too. It's a standout not because it whacks you in the face, because it doesn't. It's a standout because it offers up just about everything a sane person could want in a reasonably affordable vehicle. It's a grown-up, classy, practical hatch; an adult car for former teenage numbskulls with early-midlife concerns and a bit of a jones for life's finer things.


Now, all we've gotta do is hurry up and wait two years.


2014 Volkswagen Golf GTD

On Sale: 2015

Base Price: $27,000 (est.)

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter, 184-hp, 280-lb-ft turbodiesel I4; FWD, 6-speed automatic/manual

Curb Weight: 3,036 lb

0-60 mph: 7.4 sec (AW est.)

Fuel Economy: 28 city/42 hwy/32 mpg (AW est.)