Friday, September 28, 2012

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 review notes

SENIOR MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Excuse me while I try to maneuver my spleen back into its proper position. Certainly, there are few road-legal instruments as capable as the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 of rearranging your internal anatomy. But this is one procedure you don't want to be anesthetized for. Frankly, it wouldn't matter if you were. If this powertrain isn't capable of waking you up, don't worry: You're already dead. When...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 review notes

SENIOR ONLINE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: First, this is the first Chevrolet Camaro since the 2009 reboot that I have found even somewhat good-looking. The body kit and trim, when combined with white paint, were very effective in reducing the Camaro's perceived size, which is my primary sticking point with the design. All non-ZL1 Camaros of the current generation look massive. The interior, both in terms of materials and design, feels special...

Saturday, September 22, 2012

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR review notes

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: At nearly $41,000 as equipped, I hate to call this 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR a poor man's Porsche, but by Porsche pricing standards, it's relevant. And for the money, you get a masterpiece of turbo-blasted, tight-as-a-drum engineering that, like a good all-wheel-drive Porsche, seems intuitively tuned to the pavement (or gravel) and responds instantly to every driver demand. Maybe the Evolution...

2013 Honda Accord arrives, and the crowd goes mild: Motoramic Drives

"The Honda Accord is the greatest car in the world," the guy with the inexplicable mini-Mohawk, a lead designer for the company, was saying. "It is, absolutely, without question." He said this live-miked while sitting in a brand-new 2013 model on the patio of a resort in Santa Barbara. Two-dozen car reviewers circled around him like buzzards, waiting for him to utter something else outrageous and uncomfortable. His Honda co-workers gritted...

Friday, September 21, 2012

2013 Buick Encore priced at $24,950

The 2013 Buick Encore crossover will cost $24,950, including a $750 destination charge. The top trim package, called Premium, will sticker at $28,940. A 1.4-liter turbocharged engine will power the small SUV, which competes against the Acura RDX, Hyundai Tucson and the Ford Escape. The output of the turbo mill is 138 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions are offered with a six-speed automatic transmission....

2013 Ford Fusion Drive Review

What Is It? The Ford Fusion is the biggest-selling car in the Ford lineup – only the F-150 pickup truck moves out the dealership doors faster. So when it came time to redo the Fusion, Ford put major resources behind it to make it not only just what customers want, but to give them stuff they didn't think they'd ever get. The Fusion is Ford's best shot aimed directly at the soft white underbelly of the massive mid-sized sedan segment. The...

2012 Toyota Prius Four car review

No one buys a Toyota Prius to get anywhere quickly. At least we haven't met any folks as such, and after running the car through our autofile paces, we have the quantitative data to back up why it would be stupid to do so. (Why the Prius isn't the most environmentally smart automotive choice one can make? Well, that's a a whole 'nuther story.) The Prius does satisfy other automotive yens, however, as witnessed by all the owners we heard...