Auto News & New car review

The Acura RDX is all about sporty driving, which is why it uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine to make its hearty 240 horsepower. This is the first turbocharged engine that Acura has produced. It’s 2.3 liters, and comes out of the Acura TSX, with many changes making a completely different powerband.

Proving its commitment to sport, the RDX uses a sequential five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a firm independent suspension made for cornering, and Acura’s patented SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, which delivers a higher proportion of power to the outside rear wheel under hard cornering, thus keeping the car in line. Read the rest of this entry »

Volvo will launch a new sport utility vehicle called the Volvo XC60 that’s expected to go on sale in Spring 2009.

Expect the XC60 to have about the same footprint as the S60 sedan, but to be much more utilitarian and versatile, and to have styling almost as dramatic as that of the concept car, unveiled At the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Read the rest of this entry »

The Corvette is the great American sports car. It’s thrilling to drive, with breathtaking acceleration performance and excellent grip for hard braking and high-speed cornering.

Value isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when talk turns to the Chevrolet Corvette, but the Corvette is one of the best bangs for the buck when it comes to high performance. For the price of a midsize luxury sedan, the Corvette delivers supercar performance. It’s easy to drive on a daily basis, and maintenance costs are not exotic. Read the rest of this entry »

For 2007, Mitsubishi has improved and simplified the Outlander, the company’s entry in the compact sport utility vehicle class. The Mitsubishi Outlander gets a more powerful, V6 engine and a new six-speed automatic with a sport-shift feature, a first for this segment. Four-wheel drive remains an option, but the system is more sophisticated and more flexible than that of the previous generation, with a sportier, rear-wheel-drive emphasis. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mercedes-Benz CLK feels right in just about any role. It’s good looking, stylish, sporty to drive and personal, yet it will work for two couples during an evening on the town. Those who prefer understated, buttoned-down elegance will like CLK Coupe. Extroverts and sun worshippers can choose the one-button convertible top on the CLK Cabriolet. Read the rest of this entry »

It appears Honda is moving forward with plans to further distinguish the Acura brand as high-performance, luxury and All -wheel drive capable. The 2009 Acura TSX set to be uncovered in New York is rumored to offer SH-AWD, Honda’s highly capable version of continuous traction at all four wheels. Read the rest of this entry »

First launched in 2003, the Mazda RX-8 series unveils the 2009 model at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. Mazda hopes it that the RX-8’s refreshed exterior and interior design, enhanced performance, and a new R3 sport package will further the evolution of the four-door, four-seater sports coupe. The 2009 model features Mazda’s twin-rotor “RENESIS (Rotary Engine genesis – or rebirth of the rotary engine)” rotary engine. Read the rest of this entry »

Due to the Canadian 15 year or older vehicle exemption rule it is not all too surprising to find a slightly modified R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R on a dealer’s lot. Such was the situation at Heritage Auto Sales in Calgary, Alberta. The dealership had a charcoal grey 1991 GT-R with a Greddy single turbo kit, Zeal coilovers and Panasport wheels on display for interested buyers. The car attracted one apparently serious customer who returned on multiple occasions looking for an opportunity to take a test drive. Read the rest of this entry »

In a rare move for Toyota, the auto company will be slowing production of the Tundra pickup and the Sequoia SUV due to lagging sales. Last year, Toyota sold 196,555 Tundra’s, which was just a bit shy of their stated goal of 200,000. Still, it was enough to make the Tundra the fourth-best-selling truck in America, and very close to the GMC Sierra at third. Significantly, those 196,555 sales represent a 57-percent gain in Tundra sales as compared to 2006. Still, Toyota is not selling as many Tundra’s as they had hoped, forcing them to slow down their production cycle. Read the rest of this entry »

Once again, Camaro5.com sends in these photos that appear to show the full-scale Camaro model being used by the GM Accessories design studio to test all the factory knick-knacks and bolt-ons that they have in the works. Forget the tease we all got via the upskirt video GM allowed to be filmed — this shows the full monty. Read the rest of this entry »