Some Sportige for your Grand Tour

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Sport

Maserati has done it again. Just when you thought the GranCabrio was gone, it's back with more power than ever. Introducing the GranCabrio Sport, which is heading toward Geneva this March. Other than getting some more sporty styling, some sporty rims, and some sporty colors, this car screams power in ever sense of the word. The 4.7-liter Ferrari V8 has been beefed up from 434 to 444 horsepower. Because of this, 0 to 60 is done in less than 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 177 MPH. The suspension is much stiffer and sportier as well. The brakes are much bigger for better stopping force. The car also features new black accents to give it a much meaner look. Prices have not been announced yet, but expect them to be quite high. The GranCabrio has been known to be one of the best grand-touring cars of all time. Make sure you get your copy this summer.

Geneva Rovers

2012 Land Rover Range_E Sport Plug-in Diesel Hybrid

It seems Land Rover's gonna leave it to the Range Rovers to wow the crowd at Geneva this year. They'll be bringing out some very exciting new models including this Plug-in Diesel Hybrid Rover. Land Rover promises that this car will get 700 miles in one tank with just 20 miles on electricity. This is all thanks to a 3.0-liter Turbodiesel V6 engine mated to a new 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox, along with an electric motor.

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate

Then, there's this rather stunning Range Rover Autobiography for those who think that the Rover couldn't get anymore luxurious. The cost: $170,000. For that, you get luxury yacht-like interior including, expensive leather seats, teak flooring, drinks-globe luxury all around, iPads for entertainment, and 510 horsepower for your driver. So, for those wealthy businessmen or women out there who love the Range Rover and want a taste of the good life, you can now blow off $200k on an SUV that you can actually enjoy some expensive wine in.

Mercedes' Birthday Present

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster

A couple days ago, Mercedes-Benz celebrated its 125th birthday. As a birthday present, today, the company officially pulled back the covers of the all new SLK Roadster at the museum in Stuttgart, Germany. As you can see, this is a very good looking car, due to the fact the most of the design was taken from the SLS AMG. When it comes out this summer, you'll have a choice of two models: the SLK350 with a 3.5-liter 302 horsepower V6 engine, or the SLK250 with a 1.8-liter 201 horsepower turbo-4 engine, but that one will come at a later time. One of the biggest accomplishments with this car is the all new Magic Sky Control System in which changes the color of the clear glass roof when you're driving along. Prices have not been announced yet, but they might be at Geneva, in which the car will make its global debut.

Electric Slush

2011 Tesla Roadster 2.5 Sport

The Tesla Roadster has been sparking up good reviews as being a futuristic sports car. We know that this car accelerates faster than a V8 Audi R8. We also know that in terms of mileage, it lasts longer than most supercars. But, did you know that it handles snow better than most all-wheel drive cars? It might have the chassis of a Lotus Elise and real wheel drive, but it turns out that this car handles snow better than most cars. If you don't believe me, take a look at the clip below to see what I'm on about.

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Electric Casino

2011 Tesla Roadster Sport

Tesla is really pulling a lot of strings to let everyone drive their renowned Tesla Roadster. First, Gameloft and Facebook have teamed with them to create a contest in honor of their new racing game, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, in which you can invite your friends to help you win one. Now, the car is the Jackpot at the Casinos. Today, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas now has a Tesla Roadster on display and if you win the roulette there, you win the car. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? What's also so staggering is how they managed to get the car inside. Now, normally it is a danger to get some massive sports cars in because of their size and Carbon Dioxide fumes coming out of the exhaust tips. But, this is an all-electric car. Driving it inside a large Casino is like driving a Remote-Controlled Car in your house. It's unbelievable. See how the dudes at The Cosmopolitan did it in the video below.

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A Man's Machine

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 Sport

This is the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLK, and all though it might look like a women's convertible, it presses all the right buttons making it one for the men. First off, its new 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 302 horsepower, making it very powerful, and we men love power. 0 to 60 is done in 5.0 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. We men love speed as well. And, since it's small, it's also very lightweight making it good in the corners. We men love gripping cars, so that's okay. It's also quite affordable, starting at under $40,000, and we men love cheap things. So, if you think that this car is girly, don't be fooled. Mercedes created this car in such a way that men can enjoy it as well. Here's a clip of the car being kitted out on a racetrack.



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Electric = More Powaahh!!!

2011 Tesla Roadster Sport

Don't underestimate electric cars either. They may not make a sound and have lithium-ions powering their wheels, but some of them power-wise can rival with popular supercars. For example, this peppy-looking Tesla Roadster was one of the first all-electric cars ever produced. Now, it's currently one of the most powerful with power ratings of 288 horsepower with 295 lb.-ft. of torque. 0 to 60 is done in a blistering 3.7 seconds making it unbelievably quick. So, to put it in short, this car can run fast, save the earth, save your wallet (240 MPC) and scare children, as you shall see in this next video.

2010 Audi R8 E-Tron Prototype

Here's another example: Audi's all electric R8 E-Tron Prototype car. Now I know that this car isn't even out yet, but just imagine driving a no-emissions car with 313 horsepower from lithium-ion batteries and electric motors. And, unless you're Iron Man, or even Superman, just imagine driving such a car with over 1030 lb.-ft. of torque. That's more than you get from a Bugatti Veyron! Unbelievable! And it's fast, too, with a 0 to 60 time of 4.8 seconds! If I were really wealthy, I would buy one of these!

2011 Chevy Volt

My last example: the all-new Chevy Volt, which has just been named the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The electric motors and lithium-ion batteries in this car deliver 150 horsepower. That doesn't sound like much, does it? But, it produces 273 lb.-ft. of torque. That's more torque than you get from some turbocharged V6 car. It might be limited to 100 MPH, but for a 150 horsepower phone on wheels, it's pretty powerful. Not to mention it gets 327 miles per charge (MPC) Electric and Diesel-Powered cars are the future of the automobile. They will save our earth from global warming and at the same time, save you from bankruptcy.



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Worldwide King of Speed

2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

The Veyron has been with us since 2006 and it has been proven to us that it is truly the undisputed fastest car in the world with a world record top speed of 267 MPH. It's a shame to see the production of this car come to an end in 2013, or will it? Recent speculation has gotten out that Bugatti have a brand new Veyron in the works. It turns out that the Volkswagen Group, the company that owns Bugatti, have no intentions of having this hypercar go away. So, by the time our current super-speed hero dies in 2013, another hero will be here to take his place. Who knews? That car could just about reach 270 MPH. Let's find out in 2 years.

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Rally Ready Rover

2011 Bowler Nemesis EXR

To date, we've seen the Land Rover Range Rover Sport as a sporty, luxurious SUV. However, it didn't turn out that way when Bowler got through with it. What you are looking at is a hardcore version of a Range Rover Sport Supercharged: the Bowler Nemesis EXR. Designed specifically for Dakar rally racing, this truck is road legal and can survive pretty much any terrain. The 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 engine has been upgraded from 510 horsepower to 600. Since it's lighter thanks to its two-seater arrangement and carbon fiber materials, 0 to 60 is now done in 4.2 seconds instead of 5.6 seconds. The top speed of this thing: 156 MPH. This speed is not only achievable on road. It is achievable anywhere: water, grass, mud, gravel, snow, you name it. This is probably the toughest Range Rover ever built, and Richard Hammond had a go in it in a special episode of Top Gear. Check it out below.



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2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Sport Review

2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Sport

With the economic crisis hurdling down on us, its hard for most of us to achieve our dream and buy that fancy luxury you've wanted since you were a kid. However, Mercedes-Benz, which is always two steps ahead of everything, came to the rescue with this rather peppy luxury-sports sedan. From the face of it, the C-Class does look rather pretty. It has some facial features similar to that of the S-Class. It might not have as much features as the S-Class, but you can have its face and a lot of other things for a whole lot less.

City Cruising

First off, there's the engine, which is 3.0-liter V6 producing 228 horsepower. It doesn't sound like much, but it means something to this car. You can get the engine connected to a 6-speed manual transmission (Standard) or a 7-speed automatic transmission (Available on rear-wheel drive models, standard on 4Matic models) which will get the car from 0 to 60 MPH in less than 6 seconds. That's pretty quick for quite a small luxury car. It weighs just 1.5 tons so it should feel light when driving it. And thanks to its lightness and non-powerful engine, the car will do an EPA estimated 22 MPG, which makes it very good when saving money on fuel.

Red Hot!

As a city cruiser, the ride is very comfortable and rather cozy for a cheap luxury car. In comfort mode, the suspension is softened up and helps remove all the nasty bumps and jolts that you might come across if you're strolling a place like Manhattan. I tested out its suspension in a very bumpy place in New Jersey known as Plainfield. It was surprisingly soft, although it isn't recommended that you drive one like an idiot, which I saw one person do the other day. I don't have a picture to show you what he did to his C-Class, but let's just say don't think you're car is invincible, because it isn't. Anyway, the ride is very comfortable on very harsh roads, and that includes snowy roads like the ones we've received a few days ago.

Speedy Getaway

As for handling, that was very surprising as well. Since this car is very light and has the power directed to all four wheels, expect to make turns on a dime. Truthfully speaking, this car has the ability of out-gripping a BMW 328i X-Drive, which is also very good. In sport mode, the suspension is stiffer and throttle responses are sharper if you want to do some sporty driving. I tested this mode out on some very windy roads in Franklin (yes, there are some windy roads there). The car feels very light and in the same way, very composed. I was making sharp turns at 60 MPH; no understeer or oversteer at all. It's so fast and so grippy, it literally made me sick. My stomach was doing well. I was rushed to the hospital. My leg still hurts from fainting. That's how sick this car is. It wasn't a pleasant sick, but it was a good sick.

Picturesque Moment

So, price-wise, this is car is 70% affordable. You can get the new C-Class now with 4Matic All-Wheel Drive, Satellite Navigation, Sirius Satellite Radio, COMAND System, iPod Integration, 6GB Hard Drive, Enhanced Voice Control, Heated Front Seats, and over 100 more features for just $42,600. Now, that does sound like a lot, but compared to its rival, the BMW 328i X-Drive M Sport, you can get all of this for $47,650, more than $5,000 more than this one. So, price-wise, the new C-Class is the perfect buy in this economic crisis. You'll be able to feel luxurious and somewhat sick at the same time.

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The Veyron before the Super Sport

2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport (Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit)

We all know that the fastest car in the world right now is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport with a top speed of 268 MPH. Ever since it was built, the Veyron's main purpose was to be the best of the the best, and this car clearly lives up to its goal: 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, all-wheel drive, carbon fiber body, 1200 horsepower. This truly is a masterpiece. The last bit of information I mentioned there, the power of the car, is true, but truthfully speaking, it isn't the most powerful car out there. There is one production car from France with 150 more horses than this car and it's not entirely what you think it is.

2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Centenaire

It's this: the Bugatti Veyron Centenaire. Now you may be a bit confused, but let me explain. This isn't the Bleu Centenaire, celebrating 100 years of Bugatti success that's covered in blue. This is the Centenaire, a secret celebratory car for Bugatti's success. This highly exclusive Veyron made its appearance at the Geneva Motor Show this year. Under the hood is a tuned version of the regular Veyron's Quad-Turbocharged 8.0-liter W16. Instead of having 1001 horsepower, this Veyron has 1350 horsepower. That's more than you get in the Super Sport. Unfortunately, this car isn't faster than the Super Sport because its top speed is 261 MPH, 7 MPH slower than the Super Sport. Why? Bugatti only customized the engine. They never lightened the body. They only made it prettier to look at. Only a limited amount were sold, each costing over $2.2 Million. But, it doesn't matter, because it's not the fastest car in the world.




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The Darker Side of Green

2011 Lexus CT 200h

If you hate your ugly Toyota Prius, my advice would be to take it back and get a Tesla. The problem is that Tesla's are expensive. So, what do you do? Turn to Lexus. Their Prius doesn't ruin the earth and is much cooler looking. This is the 2011 Lexus CT 200h, Lexus's 5th hybrid on the market. It's also Lexus's most sporty hybrid on the market. Under the hood is a 134 horsepower hybrid engine with 98 horsepower coming from a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and 80 horsepower coming from an electric motor. This green engine is connected to ECVT (Electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission). As a result, 0 to 60 is reached in 9.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 112 MPH. Doesn't sound like much, does it? How about I tell you that this car gets an EPA estimated 42 MPG? What's also interesting is that, like the Honda CR-Z, this hybrid comes with a sport button. So, you can do some fantastic sporty driving, while saving some green, saving the earth, and saving your pocket. And, since it's a Lexus, expect this car to be available with the best when it comes to luxury, entertainment, and detail. The cost of all this: $29,120, which in my opinion is actually good value for a car that looks, handles, and feels better than an ugly Prius.