Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC

Mitsubishi has a problem with its current lineup. Unless you’re looking for a Lancer, your options are limited to the Galant mid-size sedan and the Endeavor and Outlander crossovers. Right now, the Galant is contemplating seppuku and the Endeavor hasn’t been fully redesigned since it first went on sale back in 2003. The Outlander, however, has something positive to offer. It seats up to seven passengers (in a pinch), has been named an Insurance Institute...

Read More

Report: Toyota Prius V launch delayed in Japan due to earthquake

The new-for-2012 Prius V was scheduled to go on sale in Japan at the end of April, but Automotive News reports that production delays stemming from the March 11 earthquake have pushed that date back a bit. In Toyota’s official statement regarding the delay, the company notes plant closings, supply chain issues and damage to Japanese Toyota dealerships as primary reasons. Japan is slated to get both five- and seven-seat versions of the new Prius MPV....

Read More

Review: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

My roommate – bless her heart – is about as much of a car enthusiast as the BMW X6 is a coupe. She puts forth an honest effort to hold conversations with me about autos, but 90 percent of the time, it just doesn’t work. You have to understand, in her eyes, a Cadillac Escalade is the pinnacle of luxury, the fastest car in the world has to be a Ferrari and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is fitted with “those squeezy seats.” She’s still amazed by the...

Read More

Officially Official: Porsche releases 918 hybrid details, priced from $845,000

Porsche has announced that dealers the world over have begun taking orders for the company’s 918 Spyder. The plug-in hybrid will boast a 500-horsepower, 4.0-liter V8 engine and two electric motors capable of a combined 218 horsepower. Porsche says the hybrid powertrain will consume a mere 3.0 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers – or around 78 mpg. The German automaker hasn’t released any fuel economy estimates based on U.S. testing standards, though...

Read More

Porsche bookmarks new flagship with special 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

The big news from Porsche lately is the go-ahead and pricing attached to the production of the 918 Spyder. But if you read the fine print on the official announcement, you may have noticed the German automaker’s current performance flagship mentioned. To celebrate the launch of the 918 Spyder, Porsche is offering a special edition of the 911 Turbo S. Called, appropriately enough, the 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”, it’s essentially the same as...

Read More

Review: 2011 Jaguar XKR Convertible

I know you’re probably here to read all about how the 2011 Jaguar XKR Convertible stacks up against other six-digit luxury sports cars, but I’ve got a confession to make. Before we get down, dirty and up to our elbows in power figures, you need to know that this is my first real brush with luxury performance of this caliber. As we speak, the ruling houses of auto journalism are likely sending laptop-wielding assassins my way for breaking the seventh...

Read More

2012 Audi R8 GT to start at $196,800

Audi has announced that the 90 examples of the 2011 R8 GT slated to come to this country will carry price tags starting at $196,800. The R8 GT packs a version of the 5.2-liter FSI V10, but cranked up to 560 horsepower, mated to Audi’s R-Tronic sequential transmission. Backing up the transmission is a four-wheel-drive system with a locking rear differential. The R8 GT is built using more aluminum and carbon fiber than the standard car, which translates...

Read More