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Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2012: Baby Bentley Goes Pimpin'

First a disclaimer: I have always been a big fan of the baby Bentley Chrysler 300 styling from 2005. And I am still a fan with this second-generation 300 design. Ralph Gilles and team have taken an evolutionary approach to the new design, largely retaining the baby Bentley proportions and shape while adding to the aggressive stance of the original. The updated grille is tasteful and adds panache missing from the previous generation, and the headlight units with integrated LED daytime running lights add sophistication. The annoying gap at the intersection of the hood, grille and headlight on the previous

Dodge Challenger SRT8, 2012: Refined, handsome muscle car

The 2012 rear-drive Dodge Challenger SRT8 coupe is a refined, modern version of the classic early 1970s rear-drive Challenger, which had a mighty “Hemi” V-8. The 1970s Challenger Hemi (for hemispherical combustion chambers) 425-cubic-inch V-8 had 425 horsepower. But the new Challenger SRT8’s 392-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) Hemi provides 470 horsepower and a pavement-shattering 470 pound-feet of torque. As with the old Challenger coupe, the Challenger SRT8 is a rival mainly to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. It’s essentially a shortened version of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. That improves refinement and ride, but turns the SRT8 into more of

Jaguar XKR-S, 2012: Powerful speedster named Playboy's Car of the Year

The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S, the 550-horspower speedster with a top speed of 182 mph, was selected from a stellar finalists' field that included Audi to Range Rover and Hyundai to Mercedes-Benz as Playboy Magazine's 2012 Car of the Year. The magazine's choices were selected by Ken Gross, the veteran automotive journalist, author and former auto museum executive director. The Jaguar XKR-S, with a starting price of $132,000 for the coupe and $138,000 for the convertible, is the most-powerful production car Jaguar has built. It has a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and 0-100 mph

General Motors recalls 2012 Sonics for missing parts

Recalls, Automotive News

It’s small compared to massive recent numbers, but General Motors is recalling more than 4,000 Chevrolet Sonics because of missing brake pads. It’s the auto industry’s first recall of the pending new year. According to GM, some Sonics could be missing an inner or outer brake pad, resulting in longer braking distances. No crashes or injuries have been reported. The recall involves 4,296 Sonics (2012 models) sold in the United States and manufactured in the assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich. It makes Sonics for U.S. and Canadian markets. Dealers will inspect front brakes on Sonics for missing inner or

FOX News picks BMW, Nissan, Ford among favorite 2011 cars

Like many other print and electronic publications, the online edition of Fox News has announced its selection for "Five Favorite Cars of 2011." The selections couldn't be more surprising and diverse — BMW to Fiat, Ford to Nissan. Dodge is in the mix, too. Fox chose its cars via one consideration: "Memorability." Gary Gastelu, the FOX News reviewe, has nice things to say about the Lamborghini Aventador (who doesn't?) and he defines the Toyota Prius V as "possibly the most practical yet created." But neither of the two cars made the "favorite" list. The choice that makes the most sense

Hyundai, Toyota shine among TheWeeklyDriver.com's 2011 Top-10 Cars

TheWeeklyDriver.com had its most successful year in 2011. We posted plenty of car news and automotive trends articles, and we incorporated a good supply of independently produced videos to complement the approximately 100 vehicles we reviewed. As editor and publisher of the site, I reviewed 29 cars and trucks in 2011. I drove more than a dozen other vehicles at press launches for several automakers, and I want to thank the nearly dozen manufacturers I worked with in 2011 for their continued support. Thanks also to Michael Dobrin Public Relations, Page One Automotive and STI Fleet, for their continued logistics

What's in a name? Toyota Aqua (Prius C in the U.S.) already a sales hit

The Toyota Prius C, which debuted Dec. 26 in Japan as the Aqua, is already creating a lot of automotive industry interest. And not only is the interest in Toyota's small hybrid expanding, it's about five times greater than what the Japanese automaker expected. While the debut of the car in the United States is several months away, about 60,000 reservations have been placed for the vehicle in Japan. According to a report in the New York Times, the orders for the Aqua were received before the vehicle became available. Toyota had predicted monthly totals of 12,000. More details of

Smart car? How about Smart truck? New Daimler concept set for Detroit Auto Show

Pickup trucks are all the rage, with a new offering of alternative fuel selections on the market as well as one of the most unique vehicles, a Smart For-us concept pickup, set to debut at that Detroit Auto Show in January. A Daimler division product, the Smart For-us will be the biggest of the tiny Smart cars, currently represented only the Smart ForTwo The Smart For-us concept is 140 inches long (11 feet, 6 inches), about six feet shorter than a Ford F-150 pickup, the United States' best-selling passenger vehicle "In a tongue-in-cheek manner, the For-us signals that this is

Toyota Aqua debuts in Japan with unknown: Can new tiny hybrid sell well?

Toyota's smallest hybrid car, named the Aqua in Japan and the Prius C in the United States, went on sale December 26 in Japan with its native country's manufacturer hoping to attract young buyers to the entry level, fuel efficient market. Priced with a U.S. dollar-converted $21,770, Toyota hopes to sell 12,000 Aquas per month in Japan as part of its global goal of selling 20 percent more hybrid vehicles in 2012 than it's expected to sell in final 2011 totals. "The Aqua shows Toyota is increasing efforts to boost sales in the domestic market," said Mamoru Kato, an auto

Via Motors joins small, growing fraternity with 100 mpg pick-up truck

Via Motors will debut, with an introduction by Bob Lutz, former GM vice president, the Via eREV, an electric-powered full-size pickup truck, 4×4 SUV and cargo van at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 10. The powertrain in the new Via eREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) will work similarly to the Chevy Volt. Lithium-ion batteries power the wheels for a full electric range of around 40 miles. When batteries are low, a small onboard gas engine will provide extended-range capability for the batteries, up to 400 miles using the onboard generator, averaging up to 100 mpg.

Ford, Honda steadily advancing in green car market

Ferrari and Rolls Royce are even entering the alternative fuel vehicle segment. But green cars still represent a small, controversial and slow-growing percentage of country's yearly auto sales. The Toyota Prius hybrid earlier this year surpassed one million sales in the United States since its debut in 2001. But in 2011, through sales ending in October, the Prius was only the 12th best-selling car in the United States with about 120,000 units purchased. Regardless of the slow adoption rate, industry enthusiasm remains. In mid-December, Exxon Mobile, in its annual energy outlook prognosis, predicted half of new cars by 2040 would

Blake Griffin jumping through NBA hoops again for Kia

Kia Motors found the upstart player Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, and in 2011 and it just seemed like the wrong choice. Now, it seems TheWeeklyDriver.com just didn’t have a clue about marketing power. With Griffin’s rising celebrity as a second-year player and the way he’s already begun the 2011-2012 season, Kia and its series of Griffin doing clever, funny things in Kia commercials is continuing in a big way. It’s a sure-fire public relations, marketing stroke of genius. Griffin is the only current professional basketball player with a global marketing relationship with an automaker. The partnership with

Pontiac Aztek (again), Ferrari, Aston Martin Among 100 Worst Cars In History

It's not often a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Pontiac Aztec get mentioned in the same review. Or, when was the last time you've read a comparison between a Hyundai Excel and a Rolls Royce? How about when all the above are named to the list of 100 worst cars in history? Good or bad, cheap or pricey, fast or slow, underpowered or unsafe, car lists are subjective and fun. Which is why InsideLine.com, the sibling site of Edmunds.com, recently published its choices for the 100 best and worst cars is history. In reverse order on the all-time worst list, the

Lexus keeps current price despite redesign, upgrades in 2013 GS 350

The 2013 Lexus GS 350, introduced recently in regional and national car show without a price, now has one with the manufacturer announcing a "zero increase" for the newly designed vehicle. Scheduled to arrive a dealerships next February, the base price for the 2013 GS 350 will be priced $46,900 for the real-wheel model. The all-wheel drive model will have a base price MSRP of $49,450. The configurations are available as F SPORT models or can be equipped with the available Premium or Luxury packages for greater personalization. The GS 350 powertrains have been elevated for 2013 to provide better

Lexus will debut concept coupe at Detroit Auto Show

Lexus has already many of its newly designed 2013 lineup, but the Toyota luxury brand has announced plans for another new vehicle — at least as a concept — the LF-LC 2+2 sport coupe. According a Lexus press release, the concept coupe will be unveiled Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “The clean lines

Dodge Charger, 2012: Fast, powerful, high-performance bargain

Iconic muscle cars are making a comeback — as much-improved models. The 1960s Dodge Charger with Chrysler’s awesome Hemi V-8 is one of the most legendary muscle cars of the high-octane 1960s. The 2012 Charger SRT8 with a Hemi V-8 is more than comparable to that old Charger. In fact, the new $45,795 Charger SRT8 from Chrysler’s high-performance SRT group is a flat-out high-performance-car bargain that might be considered by some to be too hot for the street with its 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. While well-mannered, unlike the 1960s 425-horsepower Hemi, the new Hemi V-8 provides 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet