It's Not An Aveo

2012 Chevy Sonic

It's a Sonic. Finally, after many dreadful years, we finally say goodbye to the unreliable and terribly ugly Chevy Aveo and hello to the much improved and newly-styled Chevy Sonic. It might've taken its name from a spiky-haired superfast blue hedgehog, but this car is no where near as fast as that hedgehog. But, if you are looking for a small car from Chevy, the Sonic just might be your match. Available in Hatchback, as shown above, and sedan variants, the Sonic now features an 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 1.4-liter 138 horsepower turbo-4 engine. I does look nicer than the old Aveo, but let's see if it drives better than it. The Sonic starts selling later this year starting at about $13,000.

Share On Facebook

Über Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

With stunning, aggressive looks combined with exhilarating power, the 1 Series M Coupe is one for the history books for being the next best thing to the 80's BMW M3. Under the hood is a 3.0-liter Twin-Scroll Turbocharged 340 horsepower Inline-6 engine connected to a 6-speed Manual transmission. 0 to 60 is reached in under 5 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. When on scene at the NAIAS today, it stood out amongst a crowd of wannabe's. I truly believe that this car will revolutionize BMW through the letter M. Prices start at about $47,000 which seems expensive, but for a car that's powerful and light at the same time, this is pretty good value.

Share On Facebook

In The Line of Duty

2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition

Now if you are FPS Gaming fan, then you will have probably heard of a game known as Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game received recognition for being a serious realistic war shooter. In that game, there is one vehicle that you are given to drive, and that is a customized 2010 Jeep Wrangler. Now, you can drive that same truck, in real life. At the NAIAS this week, Jeep unveiled a new, hardcore version of the Wrangler Black Ops Edition. This time, the car becomes more rugged than ever. Thanks to Mopar Performance, the new Wrangler Black Ops features tougher 32-inch off-road tires, off-road bush guard, taillamp guards, Call of Duty logos, some Army stars, and new Army-style doors and mirrors. There's even a new more powerful 3.8-liter V6 engine under the hood. You can buy one now for about $32,000 and live the life of a gun-slinging rebel.

Share On Facebook

Green is the New Fast

2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell

This vivid color may strike even the most cheerful of people. But rest assured, those cheerful people will turn into electrical maniacs after driving this futuristic SLS. By the time of its release next year, this EV (electric vehicle) will be the most powerful EV ever made with 525 horsepower packed under the bonnet in the form of electrical motors and lithium-ion batteries. Mercedes say that this car will do 0 to 60 MPH in 3.7 seconds, matching the time made by its petrol-powered twin-brother. The top speed is unknown, but a while back, the company did say that this car would be limited to 135 MPH, because any faster, and the batteries will heat up and the car will explode. Anyway, this car is currently in a dead heat with the 918 RSR at the NAIAS. Who's better? Find out later.

Share On Facebook

Take Your Checks Out!

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

BMW's new 6 series made its official debut in Motor City with, as usual, its top off. It now features the same 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine that you get in a BMW 750i. Because of this, 0-60 is reached in under 5 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. What's also remarkable is that the roof folds from the top to inside the trunk in less than 28 seconds. The new 6 features BMW's new iDrive Multimedia System, BMW's new 8-speed automatic gearbox, and some new luxurious amenities. Luckily, if you are a successful business, or if you've just won the Mega Millions Jackpot of over $300 Million, you can now right your checks of $91,375 to BMW and they'll have your new 6-series convertible ready for you by this summer. No seriously: it is that expensive.

Share On Facebook

Hybrid Racer #2

2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the hidden Porsche. The 918 RSR was unveiled today at the NAIAS in Detroit. This is no concept car. Porsche will actually be using this car in some Le Mans races. It's powered by an all new 6.2-liter V8 producing 563 horsepower (Mercedes SLS power). That engine is combined with two electric motors, both producing 75 kW of power each, for a grand total of 150 kW (201 horsepower) of power. So, combining the electric motors with the massive V8 engine, this car produces a grand total of 767 horsepower, making it the most powerful Hybrid in the world. And that's not the best part. Porsche went mad with this engine and managed to make rev up to 10,300 RPMs. That's about the same that you get in a Formula One. The idea for this powerful Hybrid racer was taken from one of their own actually: the 911 GT3 R Hybrid. That car won a sizable amount of ALMS (American Le Mans Series) races in its time. So, Porsche thought they would bring in a much more powerful, and yet fuel efficient competitor. Even as a race car, this is one of the best looking Porsche's I've seen in a very long time. Check out its unveiling below.



Share On Facebook

More Prius to Love

2012 Toyota Prius V

If you hate the Prius, unfortunately, I have bad news for you: it's gotten bigger and uglier. This is the new Prius V, now on the showroom floors of the NAIAS. It has all the rubbish and technology the Prius sedan has, but with 5-doors and some extra weight. It will also feature Toyota's new Infotainment system called Entune, which includes improved GPS Navigation, new interface, improved Bluetooth systems, and XM Satellite Radio. The Prius V will hit Toyota Showrooms this summer at a somewhat higher price than the regular sedan. I hope you don't get it though. It's just too ugly!

Share On Facebook

NMS Unveiled

2012 Volkswagen Passat

New from Volkswagen, it's the NMS, or Passat if you live in North America. On the face of it, it does look a lot better than the previous model, plus it's much more luxurious. The engines for the new Passat include a 2.5-liter 170 horsepower 5-cylinder entry-engine, a 2.0-liter 140 horsepower 4-cylinder TDI engine for diesel purposes, and the powerful 3.6-liter 280 horsepower V6 engine. The engines will be connected a 5-speed manual or an optional 6-speed automatic transmission except for the V6 model, which will be connected to a 6-speed DSG transmission. The Passat will be built at the VW plant in Chattanoonga, Tennessee. Prices start at about $20,000 making it good value for a very yuppie-looking VW. Look for this car on the Showroom floor at the NAIAS.

Share On Facebook

New Year = New Auto Show

The NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) begins tomorrow and there are a lot of exciting new cars that will hit the showroom floor. For instance, the VW Passat is finally getting a more sophisticated makeover and will debut tomorrow. Buick's new small car, the Verano, will be making waves on the Buick set. GMC will be bringing out the big guns with their Sierra HD Terrain Concept. Mopar will showcase two awesomely tuned cars from Chrysler and Fiat. Then there's the one most petrolheads, including me, have been waiting for: the Mystery Porsche. Will the 918 production model be hitting the showroom floor, or does Porsche have something extra special in store for us? We'll have to wait and see tomorrow. I'll give you all the highlights and lists of newcomers tomorrow as the NAIAS kicks off.

Share On Facebook

Porsche Power

Porsche Hidden Sports Car Rendering (Courtesy of Road & Track)

The Porsche 918 GT Racer has already been confirmed for a Detroit debut, but rumor has it that the German Automaker is also unveiling an entirely new sports car based off the 918 Spyder. It could, most likely, look like this, which makes it look cool. Porsche is just bringing up so much suspense for the NAIAS. The 918 Spyder was a brilliant looking car and if they show us the production model on Monday, it will make the brand even cooler. Then, there's this brand new supercar they plan to unveil. What's it gonna look like? The only way to find out is to wait 'til Monday when the car will be unveiled. One thing's for certain: I hope it doesn't turn out ugly like the Panamera.

Share On Facebook

CTS-V Racer

2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Racer

The Detroit Auto Show starts next Monday and Cadillac have already prepared their debut model: a race car. The CTS-V Coupe has been modified for SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) purposes. No word on the exact specs of the car yet, but I've been informed that it has been lightened, more powerful, and is much faster. This racer will hit the track in March and the NAIAS show floor on January 10th.

Share On Facebook

News Flash: Hidden Porsche Coming to Detroit

2010 Porsche 918 Spyder Concept Study (Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit)

There has been some recent speculation on Porsche unveiling a very secret model at the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) in Detroit next month. Some say it will be the production model of the 918 Spyder. Others say it will be another Porsche hybrid. Now, those speculations can be put to rest, because Porsche has officially announced that a racing version of the 918 Spyder is coming to Detroit, and it may look something like this...

2011 Porsche 918 Coupe GT Race Car (Rendered) (Courtesy of WorldCarFans)

This picture was rendered by a young 13-year old designer from WorldCarFans usernamed porschecarreragtmay6. Now, it might not look like this entirely, but this just gives us an idea of what the production version could look like. This young kid did a good job rendering it. Be on the lookout for this new Porsche next month in Detroit.

Share On Facebook