Autobahn Ready!

2012 VW Jetta GLI

I've been waiting for this car to come out for a while. What VW loves to do is to put turbochargers and some sporty styling on two of their most adored cars in the market: the Golf and the Jetta. We've seen what they've done to the Golf, now it's time to look at the Jetta. The all new Jetta GLI features the same old 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine producing 200 horsepower with 207 lb.-ft. of torque. That engine sort of works for VW, so they stuck with it. What's new though is the choice of a 6-speed DSG gearbox which offers better mileage (32 MPG) than the standard 6-speed manual. It also has a more sophisticated independent rear suspension than the standard Jetta and features the XDS cross differential technology from the turbo-nutting GTI. Aside from all this science, the GLI looks more aggressive, has bigger (18") rims, and a mood that will scare the hairs off of a panther. You can have all of this for just $23,495, which is pretty good value for a car that will do 155 MPH on the Autobahn.

Luxury + Power = Hyundai?

2012 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec

I never expected Hyundai to roll out something like this for the Chicago Auto Show. What you're looking at here is an R-Spec version of their award-winning Genesis luxury car. The regular 4.6 V8 model had 385 horsepower. This one has a staggering 429 horsepower out of its all new 5.0-liter V8 engine. The regular 4.6 got from 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds, faster than V8 BMW 5-series. This one will do it in 4.5 seconds, about as fast as an M5! And the best part about this car: the price! The regular 4.6 starts at $43,000. This one's price tag will hit just above the $50,000 mark. Now, that does sound like a lot, but look at it this way; if you compare that price to an $87,000 M5, what you have is the bargain of the century!

Charge it Up!

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8

New from Dodge, it's the all new Charger SRT8. Finally, Dodge's longest living muscle car returns with a better body and more power. The last SRT8 had 421 horsepower. This one has 465 horsepower out of its new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine. It's also been fitted with new Brembo brakes, bigger rims, and more speed; it will now do 175 MPH! So, this new Charger handles better, looks much nicer, is more powerful, and is much faster. A good step forward from the maker who invented the term "Grab Life by the Horns".

The King Has Arrived

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1

It's menacing! It's powerful! It's aggressive! It's everything we weren't expecting! Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1. For some strange reason, I had an idea that it was going to look exactly like this. Maybe it's because I've seen Bumblebee wear that same type of bodykit. Anyway, stats on the car: 550 horsepower, 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged V8 engine, 0 to 60 in less than 4.0 seconds, top speed = over 190 MPH. This is the fastest, most powerful, and most outrageous production Camaro ever built. It still features the brilliant chassis formed from the Vauxhall VXR8, but it's now lighter, has Goodyear Supercar F2 20" tires, and has been fitted with improved Brembo brakes. So, it's much tighter and more grippy. This is definitely the ultimate Camaro. Prices have not been announced yet but this car is set to arrive first thing next year. Check out the sneak peek below.

A Big Step Forward

2011 Audi TT-RS (Euro Spec)

TT fans rejoice! Audi's 3rd fastest car, the TT-RS, will be unveiled tomorrow at the Chicago Auto Show and goes on sale this summer. We've been waiting for this car for a while. Ever since 2008, when the RS4 reached its production end, Ingolstadt's been keeping all the hardcore Audis, like the RS6, S5 Sportback, and TT-RS in Europe leaving us to whine and sulk about them not coming here. But thanks to a Facebook petition that was put up not too long ago by Audi of America, some of the RS models will be making their way onto our shores in the coming months. The TT-RS will be the first. And, because we were so patient, Audi has beefed up the super roadster just for us. The regular 2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-5 engine has now been tuned from 340 horsepower to 360 horsepower. 0 to 60 is done in just 4.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 174 MPH. Unfortunately, while Europe gets the R-tronic transmission option, we're stuck with the traditional 6-speed manual. But, hey! Better having the whole car than nothing, right? After this, the all-wheel drive muscle car, the Audi RS5, will come over, but that's later. It's good to see Audi share their best cars with us.

The King is Coming

2012 Chevy Camaro Z-28 (Courtesy of WorldOfCarFans)

Even more good news, this time from GM! It seems that they are bringing two new Chevys to the Chicago Auto Show this Friday. One of them GM says is based off the Camaro platform, which could mean that King Camaro, the Z-28, could be finally unveiled this week. I wasn't given much else about the other model, but GM told me to expect something fun. Anyway, the Z-28 will have the 6.2-liter LSA Supercharged 556 horsepower V8 engine from the Cadillac CTS-V. 0 to 60 is speculated in less than 4 seconds and will hit top speeds of over 200 MPH. The production of King Camaro will start the first day of the new year: January 1, 2012. So, will this car finally take its place on its throne as King of Camaros? We'll have to wait and see.