Car and Driver Blog

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 26

Car and Driver — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:31:02 +0000

Hit play for an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note, and then share your guesses or get a few hints from other visitors in the comments below. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the answer!

2011 Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring Superleggera – Auto Shows

Steve Siler — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:20:20 +0000

A wagon for our wish list.

The Geneva auto show is famous for its slinky exotics, not its station wagons, but this year, one of its big stars (pardon the pun) will be both: the Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring Superleggera. Built in Milan by storied Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera for a “discerning enthusiast,” this particular four-seat wagon is based on the Bentley Continental GTC and thus features just two doors. That, of course, makes it a “shooting brake,” just like its predecessor, the strange but cool 1966 Touring Flying Star II prototype, which was based on the Lamborghini 400GT. A power tailgate and folding rear seats allow easy access to the Bentey-based brakes two-meter-long cargo area. It looks like you’ll have to put that 4-by-8 sheet of plywood on the roof.

Keep Reading: 2011 Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring Superleggera – Auto Shows

2011 Aston Martin Rapide – First Drive Review

Michael Austin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:49:38 +0000

Aston’s first four-door is sexy and sublime, but how much does it have to brag about?

Aside from its stunning sheetmetal, you might wonder what all the fuss is about the Aston Martin Rapide. After all, the car is showing up mighty late to the four-door “coupe” party that has been raging for a few years now. (The Mercedes-Benz CLS-class, which arguably arrived first to the bash, is about to enter its second generation.) But Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez, in a fit of understandable partisanship, insists his car is something unique; he claims that the Rapide is “the only four-door sports car in the world.”

Keep Reading: 2011 Aston Martin Rapide – First Drive Review

Dodge Challenger Goes Crazier Than a Plum, Adds Fuchsia Special Editions

David Gluckman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:33:23 +0000

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its retro-inspired Challenger muscle car, Dodge has added an eye-catching new color to the 2010 Challenger’s palette: Furious Fuchsia. It will be available as a special edition on R/T Classic and SRT8 models only.

Okay, perhaps “eye-catching” doesn’t quite describe this color so much as, say, “retina-searing” or “radioactive.” The new hue joins Plum Crazy (announced at the Detroit show) and Hemi Orange on Dodge’s retro “High Impact” color chart.

The R/T Classic Furious Fuchsia edition builds on the standard R/T Classic, which includes big stripes along the side (available here in either white or matte black), throwback badging, 20-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, a hood scoop, a retro fuel-filler door, and a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. Inside you’ll find seats trimmed in Furious Fuchsia stitching and covered in either dark gray or optional white leather.

Fuchsia SRT8 models feature the standard dark hood stripes and add 20-inch wheels with black inset trim and retro-inspired chrome exhaust tips. The SRT8‘s sport seats come standard in white leather, this time with a fuchsia accent stripe.

Orders for the Challenger Furious Fuchsia special editions will be taken starting next month, with production beginning in May. Production of the $35,140 Challenger R/T Furious Fuchsia edition will be “limited” to an undisclosed number, while Dodge has already capped production of the Challenger SRT8 Furious Fuchsia edition to 400 that will be sold with a list price of $45,150.

2011 Ford Transit Connect Taxi, EV, Natural Gas, and Propane – Official Photos and Info

Jared Gall — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:28:50 +0000

Ford’s vanlet spins off electric-, propane-, and natural gas–powered variations, plus one for serialized people-hauling.

Ford’s little Transit Connect utility van is about to try out some new forms of versatility. At the Chicago auto show, Ford is debuting two new powertrains for the TC—a battery-powered electric vehicle and one powered by natural gas or propane—as well as a taxi. All these models are, of course, primarily aimed at fleet buyers.

Transit Connect EV: Short Connections Only

The Transit Connect EV uses a liquid-cooled, 28-kWh lithium-ion battery pack capable of up to 80 miles on a charge. Ford says it will accelerate at a rate similar to the gas TC—no rocket ship, to be sure—and achieve a top speed of 75 mph. Not surprisingly, the vehicle is intended for urban work.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Transit Connect Taxi, EV, Natural Gas, and Propane – Official Photos and Info

2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Official Photos and Info

David Gluckman — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:45:53 +0000

The burliest Mustang loses some weight and gains 10 hp and an optional track-focused package for 2011.

The Blue Oval is leaving no Stang untweaked for 2011, now announcing significant updates to the Shelby GT500 to go along with the already revealed 5.0-liter Mustang GT and base 3.7-liter V-6 cars. The most important alteration to the Shelby is a switch in engine-block material, tossing the old cast-iron block for a version of the all-aluminum lower end that was originally developed for the Ford GT. A larger intercooler and a revised exhaust bump power by 10 hp to 550, while torque stands pat at 510 lb-ft.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Official Photos and Info

2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe and Cabriolet – Official Photos and Info

Erik Johnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:14:12 +0000

Holy schnikes! The have-it-all Turbo S returns to the 911 lineup.

After an absence of five years, the Turbo S has returned to the 911 lineup.

The new, 997-flavored twist on the ultimate neunelf will feed some 530 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six. The regular, and now useless, non-S 911 Turbo makes do with an inadequate 500 hp and 480 lb-ft from the same engine, although it can match the 516 pounding feet of the Turbo S via an overboost function. The creation of the S involved revising the engine software to pump up the maximum boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5, which just so happens to be the figure made during the Turbo’s overboost function. No engine internals were changed. Fuel economy is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S – Official Photos and Info

2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review

K.C. Colwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:51:12 +0000

Newer is always better among luxury flagships, and the third-gen A8 may have just moved to the head of the class.

The full-size luxury-car segment is a ship constantly steered by a new captain. Indeed, whenever one of the usual suspects—Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, or Audi—releases a new model, it seems the current favorite then drops to second place. The BMW 7-series recently pulled off this feat, topping the previous gold standard, the Mercedes-Benz S550, in a comparison test. The Porsche Panamera then swooped in to knock off the Bimmer. (Granted, the Panamera is a bit of an outlier, given that its five-door body doesn’t fit the traditions of the segment.) Now, the 2011 Audi A8 looks like a strong contender to be the next to sit in the captain’s chair.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review

Electric Supercars: Audi E-Tron, Tesla Roadster, M-B SLS AMG eDrive Charge to Production – Feature

Tony Quiroga — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:04:20 +0000

Batteries Included: Do short-haul, $200,000 electric supercars make any sense?

In two years, both Mercedes-Benz and Audi will put electric supercars into production. Shown as concepts at last year’s Frankfurt show, the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG eDrive each slot an electric powertrain into an existing platform. Both promise green cred, but the big question is this: Will either be any good as a supercar?

Keep Reading: Electric Supercars: Audi E-Tron, Tesla Roadster, M-B SLS AMG eDrive Charge to Production – Feature

2011 Porsche Cayenne – Prototype Drive

Juergen Zoellter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:25:52 +0000

Turning a nose tackle into a linebacker.

Porsche purists may have hated the Cayenne from the moment of its inception, but the success of the truck has allowed the continued production of cars that enthusiasts yearn for. In fact, in one of the supreme ironies of the auto industry recently, the profitability of the VW Touareg–based SUV was a reason that Porsche was able to attempt a hostile takeover of Volkswagen last year.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche Cayenne – Prototype Drive