First Drive: 2012 Audi A1 Sportback [w/video]

Filed under: Budget , Europe , Hatchback , Audi , First Drives , Luxury Do We Really Want Audi To Think This Small In America? Perhaps… It is perhaps with all the speed of a mighty iceberg, but increasingly, more and more North American buyers appear willing to think smaller when pondering their next auto purchase. The other shoe, which still has largely yet to drop, is for automakers to convince consumers of the merits of a luxury subcompact, paying a price premium for a longer list of creature comforts, options and badge appeal

See the article here:
First Drive: 2012 Audi A1 Sportback [w/video]

First Drive: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Chevrolet , First Drives Elevating The Muscle Car Rivalry To A Whole New Level Ford versus Chevy . It’s one of the greatest rivalries in the world, joining the likes of Coke versus Pepsi and Michigan versus Ohio State. While the Mustang and Camaro can’t be credited as the first two vehicles to start the Blue Oval and Golden Bowtie wars, it’s fair to say the two muscle cars kicked the battle into high gear in the 1960s. Wherever there are rivals, you can be sure there will also be healthy levels of both respect and distaste for one another

Read the rest here:
First Drive: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG [w/video]

Filed under: Performance , SUV , Mercedes-Benz , First Drives How The World’s Most Powerful Sport Utility Vehicle Fails At Being Absurd Twenty years ago, sport utility vehicles were trucks. They had big, heavy frames, solid axles and low-range four-wheel drive. At best, they would accelerate to 60 miles per hour in under nine seconds and top out just over 100 mph. “Handling” simply meant that they could keep all four wheels firmly planted while circling an onramp

See the rest here:
First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG [w/video]

Auctions: SMS Supercars unveils 620 Camaro, auctions first example for charity at Barrett-Jackson

Filed under: Aftermarket , Coupe , Performance , Auctions , Chevrolet , Misc. Auto Shows , Specialty When Steve Saleen launched his new company, SMS Supercars , back in 2008, he announced that he would be expanding his portfolio of vehicles to include the muscle car offerings from Chevrolet and Dodge . First up was the 570 and 570X Challenger , followed soon after by the 302 Mustang . Now, Steve Saleen’s muscle car trifecta is finally complete, as SMS officially unveiled the 620 Camaro at Barrett-Jackson this week.

Follow this link:
Auctions: SMS Supercars unveils 620 Camaro, auctions first example for charity at Barrett-Jackson

Review: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan , Performance , Chrysler , Luxury Imported From Detroit And Then Some To the average driver, the term “horsepower” has, for all intents and purposes, no meaning whatsoever. Not surprising, really, as there isn’t any single established explanation, at least not a good one, as to how today’s piston-powered engines became so intertwined with the output of a horse. Think, for a moment: Can you really quantify how much power 200 horses produce? Regardless, and though not all engines have been measured with the same methods of certification, enthusiasts of the four-wheeled kind have well over a century of automobiles and their attendant horsepower ratings with which to occupy themselves.

Excerpt from:
Review: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 [w/video]