Sam Abuelsamid
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Review: 2009 Audi TT-S, Fast and Good Looking but Not Quite a Sports Car
2009 Audi TT-S Coupe - click above for a high res image gallery
When Audi introduced the first generation TT a decade ago, it was largely a case of style over substance. The diminutive coupe and convertible were based on the platform of the Volkswagen Group's compacts which include the Golf and the Audi A3. The original had a clean, spare look that recalled an inverted bowl. While Audi promoted the TT as a sports car, it didn't really drive like one in part because it was rather heavy for its size.
A couple of years ago, Audi brought forth an all-new TT that retained the basic shape of the original while incorporating some of the latest Audi design language. Of course like most new generations of cars, it got bigger than the first model although Audi engineers managed to make the car lighter. The new TT is generally considered to be a much better driver's car than the original. But is it a true sports car? We recently had the opportunity to spend a week with the top of the line TT-S coupe to find out, so read on to for our assessment.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Review: 2009 BMW 335d, Performance and Fuel Economy
2009 BMW 335d - click above for a high res image gallery
Over the last two years BMW has started making a major push for its new EfficientDynamics technology in Europe and more recently in North America. The premise is that the company that has long promoted itself as the "Ultimate Driving Machine" can retain all the qualities that made it so ultimate while drastically cutting fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Europe, BMW offers a suite of technologies like automatic start-stop for engines, brake energy regeneration and smaller four cylinder engines. The most important near term technology however is diesel engines.
Late in 2008, BMW launched its first two new clean diesel vehicles here in the United States, the X5 xDrive35d SUV and the 335d sedan. We recently had a chance to spend a week with the 335d to determine if it truly can provide the driving experience that customers expect of a BMW with better fuel efficiency. Read on to find out if the automaker succeeded.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Officially, official: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost [w/VIDEO]
Rolls-Royce Ghost - click above for a high res image gallery
The new Rolls-Royce Ghost serves to demonstrate that everything is relative. While the Ghost is less large and massive then the Phantom, at 17.7 feet long it is by no means small. In spite a slightly smaller displacement at 6.6-liters, the Ghost's all-new V12 engine takes advantage of the latest technology that it afforded to it by being part of the BMW family to produce far more power than the Phantom. Two turbochargers and direct fuel injection allow the new engine to produce 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque.
A look inside tells that unlike the Phantom this is a car meant to appeal as much to the driver as the rear seat passengers. The more supportive front seats and thicker rimmed steering wheel imply a driver might actually want to take advantage of the 4.7 second 0-60 acceleration.
But this is of course a Rolls so rear seat occupants are still coddled in a lounge style seat with power closing coach doors. Within the doors themselves, the Ghost retains the umbrellas found in the Phantom so that no one ever has to get wet. The Ghost is expected to be priced between €200,000 and €300,000 before taxes when it goes on sale.
The full press release is after the jump.
[Source: Rolls-Royce]
Review: 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum Edition
2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum Edition - click above for a high res image gallery
Since General Motors debuted its two mode hybrid system two years ago on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon it has gradually been expanding availability to other examples of its GMT900 full size truck family. One of the newest examples is also by far the most luxurious and most expensive version yet. In fact the Cadillac Escalade hybrid Platinum Edition is the second priciest hybrid available today after the Lexus LS600h.
The base Escalade hybrid is built on the same platform and powertrain bits as its more pedestrian siblings. However, Cadillac has outfitted its version with appearance and equipment that customers of the "wreath and crest" brand expect. For the new Platinum, Cadillac has taken the Escalade several steps beyond that. We were able to spend a week with the big platinum on the South Carolina coast recently and you can find out if it lives up to expectations after the jump.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Bentley Introduces the all-new 2011 Mulsanne
2011 Bentley Mulsanne -- Click above for a high-res image gallery
It's not often that Bentley introduces an all-new model, especially for its flagship line. Today the Pebble Beach Concours de'Elegance, CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen unveiled the all-new Mulsanne. Named for the legendary straightaway at Le Mans, It's a fitting appellation for the top of the line Bentley. Bentleys won the 24 hour endurance classic four times in a row between 1927 and 1930 ensuring Bentley's reputation for high speed touring for the remainder of century into this century.
The Mulsanne is 11 inches longer than the Flying Spur sedan and gets an all new platform. So far Bentley is only saying that the Mulsanne will use a V8 engine, the same configuration as the outgoing Arnage. Aside from that other details will have to wait until the car is shown again next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Mulsanne goes on sale about a year from now at a price yet to be revealed, although if you have to ask...
[Source: Bentley]
Review: 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible
2009 MINI Cooper Convertible - click above for a high res image gallery
In these troubling economic times, the 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible could be viewed in a couple of different ways. Loaded up with lots of goodies, it could be seen as an entry point into the world of luxury open-top motoring. Alternatively, when times are tough it could be seen as a way to be more financially responsible without giving up all of the amenities you might have come to expect. Either way, the MINI is designed to put a smile on the face of those who drive one.
If your brand is going to be called MINI, you would certainly expect the products to have diminutive dimensions. BMW's British outpost is dedicated to building cars sized commensurate with the brand's name. This August marks the 50th anniversary of the debut of iconic original and while MINIs today are much larger than the originals, they are still among the smallest cars on the road. The second generation of the modern MINI convertible debuted in January at the Detroit Auto Show and went on sale in the spring. We had the opportunity to spend a week in a trimmed out MINI. Read on to find out if it inspires smiles or frowns.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Max Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
New Rolls-Royce Ghost Gets 563 hp turbo V12, sub-5 second 0-60!
As we get closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show debut of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost, the automaker is gradually teasing us with more and more information. Today, the folks at Rolls have revealed that the Ghost will definitely be the strong-silent type, thanks to a very powerful new V12 engine. The silent part of course is expected of any Rolls-Royce, hence model names like Ghost and Phantom.
What we don't typically expect is acceleration from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Motivating a big luxury machine like the Ghost in that manner takes 563 hp which in this case is generated by a new 6.6-liter V12 with twin turbocharging. This engine is derived from the unit in the new BMW 760Li but will be uniqe to Rolls-Royce. The top speed of the Ghost is electronically governed to 155 mph, but with that much power on tap, it could surely go significantly faster. The Rolls-Royce press release is after the jump.
[Source: Rolls-Royce]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Review: 2010 Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost, Who Needs a V8?
2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost - click above for a high res image gallery
For nearly a century Cadillac and Lincoln have lived an interesting parallel existence as the two of the premier American luxury automotive brands. Since their founding in 1902 and 1918respectively the two brands have outlived many other brands such as Duesenberg , Cord and Packard. While the two brands have been a part of General Motors and Ford Motor Co. for most of their respective existence, they have common roots in that both companies were founded by Henry Leland. In recent decades both companies have slipped from the pinnacle that they once occupied to be supplanted by German brands like Audi, Mercedes and BMW as well as Lexus, Infiniti and Acura from Japan.
Over the past decade both brands have attempted to claw their way back up the ladder with a variety of new and different products. Cadillac got the head start earlier this decade with a new design language expressed in cars like the CTS, XLR and STS. Lincoln on the other hand took a little longer to find its design footing but is rapidly moving to implement across its lineup. The MKS sedan which debuted in 2008 was first production application of the new style and for 2009 it becomes the first car to get Ford's new EcoBoost V6 engine. We recently spent a week with Lincoln's new flagship and you can read all about it after the jump.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Aston Martin Goes Small With The New Cygnet Concept
click above to enlarge
There is no arguing with the fact that Aston Martins are absolutely gorgeous machines. They are also absurdly fast. But if you live in a crowded city like Manhattan, London or Tokyo they are utterly impractical. Like most exotics they can be hard to see out of and who wants to risk getting entangled with a bus or delivery truck? The crew at Aston Martin are now working on the solution.
The Cygnet by Aston Martin is a urban car concept that would give Aston owners a more practical alternative for when they need to head into the city center. The Cygnet is based on Toyota's recently launched iQ micro-car. While Aston doesn't have any confirmed production plans for the Cygnet yet, it could be offered in the future as an accompaniment to "standard" Astons, much like a dinghy for a yacht.
If only we could afford a "standard" Aston Martin on a blogger budget.
[Source: Aston Martin]
First Drive: 2010 Lexus IS Convertible
2010 Lexus IS350 Convertible - click above for a high res image gallery
February in Chicago would hardly seem like the appropriate backdrop for the debuting a new convertible but that's exactly where Lexus unveiled the new IS. Fortunately the conditions for the IS-C's on-sale date and first drives are somewhat more amenable to top down motoring. We recently had a chance to spend some time with the new IS convertible in both IS250 and IS350 forms.
Like the existing Lexus SC460, chief rival the Infiniti G37, and of course the BMW 3-series, the new IS C has a retractable hard-top that folds into the trunk. The IS is the second best selling model in the Lexus lineup and in the segment it competes in having a convertible seems a natural fit. Come along for the ride and find out if the IS convertible is for you.
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
