Tag: VehicleVoice

In Los Angeles in November, Ford showed off the latest Mustang in standard and GT forms. (Click here to see our video interview with one of the designers responsible for the terrific 2010 package, filmed in LA.) In Detroit, we get the first look at the newest GT500. The car will be available in coupe and convertible forms in spring 2009.



The new GT500 has as much attention to detail as the rest of the 2010MY range, with real leather and aluminum in the interior and a two-tone theme that carries in the racing stripes. Mechanically, and similar to the way that the GT took lessons from the very well-balanced 2008 Bullitt, the GT500 adopts its philosophy from the 2008 GT 500 KR, including the 540HP 5.4L [...]

Cadillac’s first-generation SRX was weakly received, to put it mildly, and never quite met Cadillac’s expectations. The successor has turned to the front-drive, unibody architecture of the crossovers consumers are buying these days. When they are buying at all, that is.


More photos and Cadillac’s full release are below the jump.

A V10 for the R8
525HP, quattro, optional ceramic brakes and standard LED headlights. Zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds. What more is there to say?

After the jump, catch more photos and Audi’s official press release.

Chevrolet looks to have improved the Equinox in all the needed areas. New powertrains are more modern, powerful, and efficient and styling is dialed up a notch and a nicely executed take on the family look introduced with Malibu. All in a package about the same size as the outgoing crossover, with space for five passengers and stuff.

More photos and Chevy’s release after the jump

We’re signing off for the year but we’ll be back after the first of the year. Here’s to a Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2009 – more prosperous than the latter half of 2008, right?
In the meantime, we’ll leave you with this holiday gem: Car Magazine commissioned Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Nissan, and Ford to redesign Santa’s sleigh. This is one of the coolest ways we’ve seen Christmas and cars fused. Below is one of Bentley’s submissions.

Click here for the rest.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

The diminutive smart fortwo was launched in the US this past January, nearly ten years after the innovative microcar was launched in Europe. The car is tiny, seats only two, and looks like it came from another planet, but for early adopters and style seekers, that just makes the fortwo cooler.
smart is launching the BRABUS edition of the fortwo for 2009, and we got an interview with Ken Kettenbiel of smart USA. David Barrett got a thorough walk-through of the car and an explanation of the BRABUS’ role within the smart fortwo lineup. The video is after the jump.

Despite the prevailing economic climate and unstable fuel prices, muscle cars are big news right now. The Camaro and Challenger are all new, but how about the facelifted Mustang? Though similar in profile to the 2005-2009 model, every panel bar the roof is brand new. Perhaps an even bigger story is inside, where the new materials soundly address one of the biggest criticisms of the outgoing model: its cheap, tacky, and plasticky interior.
Stephanie Brinley got an exclusive interview with Robert Gelardi, who was the chief interior designer for the 2010 Mustang. Is it any coincidence that he personally owns an Audi TT, which had one of the finest interiors anywhere in recent memory?

Ford unveiled the new Fusion Hybrid at the LA Auto Show. It’s a very nice piece of work that is able to achieve better fuel economy than the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Stephanie Brinley was able to get an exclusive interview with Gil Portalatin, hybrid propulsion integration manager at Ford. Watch below as Gil takes us on a tour of the car and some of its most innovative features.

Ed Kim got an exclusive interview and drive with Kenichiro Wada, the project manager for Mitsubishi’s innovative i-Miev electric car. Hear Wada-san talk about some of the car’s innovative features as well as his take on some of the infrastructure challenges that face pure electrics.

You know what a Honda Accord is, don’t you? Yep, it’s that competent and durable sedan that wins plenty of accolades for its sheer competence. Of course, it’s also about as exciting as a pet rock. That doesn’t matter to hundreds of thousands of people who buy an Accord each year because of its quality, reputation, and well thought out details that make it such an easy conveyance to live with. Still, for more enthusiastic drivers, the Accord remains something of an appliance.
Overseas in Europe, the Accord exists over there too, but in somewhat different form. It’s a little bit smaller and a little bit sexier. It’s also positioned a bit more upscale in Europe too as a competitor to cars like Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series. Acura saw fit to bring the last European Accord over as the TSX, and now that nameplate has just entered its second generation.