The EcoBug Hero

2012 Tesla Model S

All of you who drive a Toyota Prius claiming, "I'm saving the earth!", shame on you! You've bought the worst car you could ever buy on the market. I don't even know why it's one of America's best selling cars. It's hideous, slow, and an EcoBug. By EcoBug, I mean this car does not save the earth. First and foremost, the battery used in the car is made of nickel hydride. The nickel is mined in Ontario, Canada. The after product of this mining is smog, causing damage to the environment. Then, the nickel goes to Japan, gets made into a battery, and is shipped off on gas guzzling boats, that also consumes fossil fuels. So, what you're buying is a dull, slow, ugly, and very brown car. So, what we need is a car to save the day. And thus, we turn to Tesla.

Model S with Roadster

This is the all new Tesla Model S. Now, you may have seen this car before, but rest assured, you haven't heard much about it. That's why I'm here. This car uses the same electric technologies as Tesla's first car, the Roadster, but on a slightly upgraded scale. The car is powered by a 265 horsepower electric motor and can get from 0 to 60 in a quick 5.6 seconds. That's 4.2 seconds faster than the ugly Prius. This car will also have a limited top speed of 120 MPH. This might not sound like a lot, but compared to the Prius's 92 MPH top speed, this is very good. It's also a very sporty electric sedan. The brakes are from Brembo for better control and durability. There's sport suspension for accurate turns and stability. There's a sport button when you want to do some sporty driving up and down Mulholland Drive. But, the most important thing about this car is that it's green.

Sporty Electric car

First off, and most importantly, the batteries in this car are lithium ion. They are the best rechargeable batteries in the world. Why? They save energy, they help the environment, and they're more powerful then any other battery out there. Also, this car will not be built in Japan. It will be built here, at a Tesla factory in California. The car will then be shipped, not by air-polluting boats, but by diesel car carriers. That's a lot of gas saved and less air polluted. Also, this car can get over 300 miles on one charge. Charging isn't a hassle either. Tesla says the batteries in this car will become fully charged in 45 minutes. That might not sound like a lot, but compared to a gas-powered car, which takes about 10-15 minutes to refuel, you might want to charge your Model S at home when you come back from work. This is another advantage though. Gas-powered cars have to go to a petrol station to refuel. The Model S, on the other hand, can charge at home since it's an all-electric car. It's like plugging your PSP charger into a wall. It's that simple.

Close-up

This car is truly an engineering marvel. It's aerodynamic, good-looking, and quite comfortable. You should be able to fit 7 people in this car. The boot is big enough for mountain bikes and some groceries. When driving this car, it's like you're driving a BMW 5 series. It's surprising how we Americans compete so much with the Germans. The car responds well in the corners and takes in bumps like they're nothing. This car is also a mobile phone. In the center console is an iconic 17-inch display with built in 3G connectivity. So, forget your phone. You now have a phone on wheels. That's very good.

Model S Prototype

This car is indeed brilliant. It will be here in 2012 and will sell for about $58,000. That sounds like a lot compared to the cheap ugly Prius. But, compared to Tesla's first model, the Roadster, which costs $110,000, this is pretty good value. It's just the electric cars: there's a lot of science applied into them that they're so expensive. Buy this quickly though, because Pre-orders are leaving fast.

The Pontiac G8 lives again!!

2010 Chevy Lumina SS (Arab Spec)

As Pontiac died, the magnificent G8 died with it. Tears were shed and relationships were torn apart. The G8 was a brilliant car, beautifully made, and just exciting to drive. After the G8 passed, many of us thought that the car would never come back. But, I am pleased to tell you that Chevrolet have plans to release the Pontiac G8, with a Chevy badge. The Pontiac G8 was based off the Holden Commodore from Australia. Everyone loved it. Even The Stig from Top Gear uses a British version of the car, a Vauxhall VXR8, as his portable drifting machine. The new Chevy G8 might look like this arabian spec Chevy Lumina, but we'll have to wait and see. The police have already been rejoicing however. Because the Pontiac G8 has returned, with a Chevy badge, resurrecting the Chevy Caprice. The Caprice will only be available for the police. Chevy has no plans of releasing the Caprice to the public. But, nonetheless, who knows what the G8 Chevy will look like. But, now you can sleep in peace knowing that a true GM sports sedan is making it's way back into our lives.

NFS Hot Pursuit Car Profiles: Aston Martin DBS Volante

2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante

Top Gear Host Jeremy Clarkson said that this Aston Martin is the best car in the world. I can't see why it isn't. It's beautiful, luxurious, fast, and very precise. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 510 horsepower. 0 to 60 is reached at 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 191 MPH. That might not sound like much compared to a Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, but for a grand tourer, this is truly ideal.

Desert Cruise

This car is sensational to drive. When drifting, it feels like something else. It just comes alive when you're driving at high speeds. The thing is that this car has tried a lot of things to be really light. The doors, roof, wings, and underlay is made out of carbon fiber. The interior carpets are made out of a lightweight weave. The side impact lights are made out of thin Aluminum. So, through all of this, the DBS Volante weighs 1,810 kg, or 3,991 lb. That's 580 lb. more than the Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, and that car doesn't have half of the carbon fiber the DBS has. But, unlike the Gallardo Spyder, there is a bit more that you can get with this car.

J-Turn smoke

 First off, the Gallardo Spyder is a pretty car. But, this car just looks a bit better. Aston Martin has a way of making fast, luxurious cars that look beautiful. A perfect example of this: the Aston Martin Rapide. I love that car. It just looks beautiful. Anyway, this car might not be as fast the Gallardo, but it sure looks better than it. Second, this car's not a slouch. It has a top speed of 191 MPH. With the Nitrous set at full blast, you should be motoring at 208 MPH. That's enough speed to lose those pesky cops on a highway. Third, this car was meant for serious grand touring because it has four seats, a big boot for your luggage, and an engine in the front. The Gallardo Spyder has the engine in the middle with the trunk in the front. Not very good for grand touring.

Cool House

But, that's not important. What is important is that this car is such a mental in the corners. It comes alive and is so precise, it's uncanny. What you need to do to handle this car is time your braking. This car can get ahead of you if you're not careful. When you're drifting, try to balance the car out. Push it too far and you won't be going that fast. If you do these things, you'll begin to love this car.

Night Cruise

This car is absolutely brilliant. I think I have to agree with Jeremy Clarkson and say that this is one of the best cars in the world. It is expensive though: $279,500 to be exact. It is worth it, because you get a lot for your money with this car.

Oprah goes all out!!

Is that the new Beetle?

If you were one of the lucky people on the Oprah show today, Congratulations! You just got first dibs on the all new 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle. Today was part 2 of Oprah's final Favorite things show. She had lots of things she gave out including iPad's, buttery biscuits, very expensive diamond earings, and the all new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. Unfortunately, this picture here is the only view we'll get of it. Oprah Winfrey was the only person in the US to get a full view of the New Beetle and drive it. She says that it's awesome and so much better than the old one. Well, she should know, because she actually has the 2010 Beetle. Let's hope this New Beetle is truly better then the old one. If you want to see the New Beetle, you'll have to wait until Spring of next year.

V-Wagon

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

The CTS-V has become such a hit since it's release, Cadillac decided to expand it to the Coupe and now the Wagon base of the CTS. This is the new CTS-V Wagon, designed to compete against the Mercedes E63 Estate and the BMW M5 Touring. Now, we Americans have grown to hate the station wagon. But, Cadillac thought, "Hmmmm, maybe we can lure our people back by making the wagon a little bit more powerful." And thus, this Cadillac was born.

Another view

Under the hood is the standard 6.2-liter LSA 556 horsepower V8 engine. But, since it's a wagon, it's a lot heavier. I had a go in this car and found the 0 to 60 was reached in 4.2 seconds. The top speed is slightly reduced to 187 MPH on a manual and 178 on an automatic. But what makes this car better is that there's room for more groceries, woodwork, or performance parts in the boot. So, with this car you can buy all your food supplies and be back home in time to cook.

Fast Wagon

For a wagon conversion, this car is actually not that bad. The ride is very comfortable, and the car is very stable. The same luxurious features that were in the CTS-V sedan are in this wagon. This car really has a personality of its own. When you're cruising, it's like a regular comfortable car. I nearly fell asleep behind the wheel driving it. That's how comfortable it is. But, when you put the hammer down, the car comes to life. All of its 556 horsepower is let loose and you're in for a real ride. This car, likes its 4-door and 2-door brothers, is very good in the corners. Thanks to its magnetic ride control, the car remains so stable in the bends. You can even go a little crazy and pull off some moves with this thing. You will be laughing when you have fun with this car. I was.

Fastest Wagon

So, since the CTS-V sedan is the fastest production sedan in the world, this wagon must be the fastest production station wagon in the world. And a good station wagon, not like those ugly ones that Buick used to make. Cadillac managed to convert a cool sedan into an awesome wagon that you're mom would use, that is if your mom has $62,990 to pay for it. Don't worry about the price though. Compared to its current rival, the Mercedes E63 AMG Estate, this is actually good value, because the E63 sells for over $90,000.

Top Gear USA - the First Episode

The hosts: Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood

Top Gear finally made its way into the US this week as the first episode debuted last night on the History Channel. It had a lot of interesting things that have never been done in the US. For instance, dodging a very lethal helicopter while paying tribute to the original American Supercar, the Dodge Viper. Also, maxing out three raging bulls, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, at their new Top Gear test track. And, putting a retired Space Astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, into a reasonably priced Suzuki SX4 and see how fast he can drive it around the track. Although all of this sounds cool, it really depends if our three American hosts can make it cool. This first episode was just an introduction to the show. There wasn't much commentary between them, but I hope this develops in the next episode. They also didn't introduce the Stig like Jeremy does, but that's fine. Top Gear Australia doesn't do it either, but hopefully they'll be able to do it. This show shows some promise. Hopefully they'll get better as they move on in the series. Catch Top Gear every Sunday night at 10pm on the History Channel.