24 Hours of Golf

2012 VW Golf24 Race Car

The ever-famous Nürburgring 24 hour race is coming soon, and VW are coming back with an all new car. Last time, the put their Scirocco round Green Hell, but it didn't do as well as they hoped. So instead, they've tuned this Golf here to have over 400 horsepower from a 2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-5 engine and put the FIA GT standards into it to make the Golf24 Race Car. They've definitely improved on this one. The Scirocco24 had 300 horsepower with front-wheel drive. Since this has over 400 horsepower, they put the drivetrain to all-wheel drive for better traction and much more balance. Let's see if VW gets lucky with this car this year.

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.

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.

Quattro Snow Action

2011 Audi RS3 Sportback

This is the most extreme 5-door hatchback that Audi has ever created: the RS3. It features the same engine from the TT-RS: a 2.5-liter Turbocharged 340 horsepower Inline-5 connected to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The result is a 0 to 60 time of under 5 seconds and a limited top speed of 155 MPH. And, as always, Audi has equipped the car with Quattro all-wheel drive for better traction and some off-road capabilities. Speaking of off-road, this car had some fun in the snow going sideways and creating very artistic tire tracks. So, before this German 5-door monster is released to the public, take a look at the car having fun in the snow.



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BMW Enters the Fourth Stage

2011 BMW 528i

It seems now that BMW is all for the turbo. Coming this year for the 328i, 528i, and the upcoming X1 xdrive28i, BMW will ditch the 3.0-liter 230 horsepower inline-6 engine and go for their all-new 2.0-liter 242 horsepower turbo-4 engine. BMW says that this engine, even though it's more powerful, will save gas, is more energy efficient, will create less CO2 emissions, and will run a lot faster than the old 6-cylinder. The engine will first debut on the X1 over in Europe. Then it will come over here on the 328i and the 528i. Prices may decrease, but BMW suggest that they will be about the same.

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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.

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Buick Softy

2012 Buick Regal GS

Buick has sprung back to life with an all new style of luxury and design. The LaCrosse for instance is a very good looking luxury car with the technology similar to that of a Mercedes C-Class. The all new Regal looks much better than what it did before and is much more powerful. Now, Buick is on its way to making sports sedans, starting with this all new Buick Regal GS. It looks pretty cool with its chrome Y-Spoke rims and sporty bodykit, but look under the hood, and you'll be disappointed. You see under the hood is a 2.0-liter Turbocharged 255 horsepower 4-cylinder engine connected a 6-speed automatic or manual transmission. Now to some of you, that may sound good. However, to most of you, this isn't good, and here's why.

2012 Vauxhall Insignia VXR

This is the British equivalent, the Vauxhall Insignia VXR. It looks like the Regal GS, right? However, under the hood, it's totally different. The Regal GS had a 2.0-liter Turbo-4 engine. This has a 2.8-liter 321 horsepower Turbocharged V6 engine. This car has all-wheel drive to keep everything balanced. The Regal GS still has front-wheel drive. I don't know about you, but this makes the Regal GS look like a big softy. If you're going to make an American Spec of a European car, at least keep all the power and drivetrain the same. I guess Buick did this to attract old people. Who knows? Anyway, the GS performance brand doesn't have enough umph to be good, but luckily there is a car in the works that just might save it.

2012 Buick LaCrosse GS Prototype (Courtesy of AutoBlog & Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company)

What this is is a prototype of what could be the next GS sedan in Buick, taking the body form of the super-cool LaCrosse. It has the same sporty rims the Insignia VXR has so it might mean that there's a pretty mean engine under the bonnet. We'll have to wait and see what Buick does next with this car.

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First Loss of the Year

2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo

I am sad to report that Cadillac has killed off the SRX Turbo. If you don't remember what this car was, you'll probably remember seeing it in an ad while 1901 by Grammy-Winning French band Phoenix was playing.



This car had the famous 2.8-liter 300 horsepower Turbocharged V6 engine that Saab also uses on the all new 9-5 and 9-4X. It was a great car, but unfortunately it wasn't doing well in the sales. In fact, there were more standard SRX sales than Turbo SRX in its first year. So, we bid adieu to the Turbocharged SRX. Now, you can get the standard SRX with the 3.0-liter 265 horsepower V6 engine for $33,830.


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When Herbie meets Luigi

2011 Romeo Ferraris 500 Abarth Estremo

I don't think you'll ever see a Smart Car with more than 200 horsepower because of how light it is. But, this small Fiat is just as light as a Smart Car and it packs a whopping 260 horsepower! You heard me. 260 horsepower in a car that corners like a Go-Kart, has room for just 2 people, and weighs less than a Mini Cooper. An Italian tuning company known as Romeo Ferraris love customizing top exotic cars like the Chevy Corvette Z06, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, or the BMW M3 E92. Now, they've decided to turn a regular Fiat 500 Abarth into a turbo-nutting rockstar. It features new 17-inch rims and sport tires, sport-adjustable suspension, new Brembo brakes, custom exhaust, new ECU, and a new intercooler. This all sounds techy, but it pushes the car's horsepower from 160 to 260. 0 to 60 MPH is reached now in 5 seconds flat. Top speed: 155 MPH. This is one sick fast Fiat. No word on whether this car is coming here, but I hope it does. 260 horsepower in a small car just sounds so crazy!!

A New Era of Sick

2012 Mercedes C-class

Say hello to the all new C-class. Don't underestimate this car. Underneath that small luxury car body is a one unbelievable monster that wants to be set loose. The car has two all new engines for 2012. One of them is a new 1.8-liter turbocharged 201 horsepower 4-cylinder base engine. That might not sound like much, but it will do 0 to 60 in 7.1 seconds, which makes it pretty fast for a four cylinder. As for the V6 engine, it's now been tuned to have 302 horsepower, almost as much as a V8. As for features, it has all the stuff the new E-class has except for the massaging seats. It's even gone through the LED lighting phase with the front and rear lights. But it's still kept that craziness that makes it a great car. Get ready for the new C next Summer. My review of this car is coming soon.