Lamborghini Countach 5000S is Cramped, Hard to Drive but Memorable

You’ve heard the stories about the Lamborghini Countach and you too probably had a poster of it – is it maybe the most widespread car poster ever?

Review Says Audi S1 is Pricey but Worth It

The Audi S1 is unquestionably the fastest and most advanced supermini-sized hot hatch. It’s the only one with all-wheel drive and it’s considerably more powerful than anything else its size – all this plus the posh badge do make it a bit expensive, though.

Audi SQ5 Faces Off BMW X4 and Porsche Macan in Diesel Premium SUV Battle

One can see where the attraction of the SUV (or crossover, sport activity vehicle or whatever else the carmakers come up with) comes from. Simply put, it’s a spacious family car for those who don’t want to be seen a traditional family car like an estate or an MPV.

Audi TT Sportback and Offroad Concepts Driven… Very Slowly

When we asked which of the TT concepts you’d like Audi to build, most votes went to the Sportback Concept. Like the Offroad Concept, it isn't really road legal, but Auto Week has managed to get behind the wheel.

2015 Honda CR-V Fails to Impress Consumer Reports

To keep the CR-V SUV relevant in an increasingly competitive segment, Honda applied a mid-cycle makeover consisting of both styling and equipment updates.

Jeep Cherokee Diesel Seen as an Unusual Alternative to the Nissan Qashqai and VW Tiguan

This is one of the first video reviews of the Jeep Cherokee coming from Europe and certainly the first of a diesel-powered model. Auto Express tested a Cherokee fitted with the most powerful diesel engine available, a 2.0-liter unit producing 170PS (168hp) – the Cherokee’s European lineup also includes a 140PS (138hp) 2.0-liter unit.

EVO Says Subaru WRX STI is a Breath of Fresh Air

We have already seen a review of the all-new Subaru WRX STI filmed in the United States and now, it’s time to see what Europeans think of the new flagship performance model from Subaru.

McLaren P1 reviews filmed on the track

We have seen a fair share of McLaren P1 reviews filmed on the track, but I’m sure many of you wonder what the hypercar is like to drive on the eopen road. Autocar has an answer to this question, as Steve Sutcliffe had the chance to drive the P1 for three days on public roads, on the circuit and on an airfield and come up with a conclusion.

New BMW 220d Has a Lot to Offer, Review Finds Out

If you want a BMW 2-Series, the engine you go for will dictate the character of the car, which you can then further refine by fitting it with one of the available styling packs. There’s definitely plenty of choice in its range, and plenty of available diversity (at least in Europe), but which model will be the most popular?

Consumer Reports Weighs in on New Chrysler 200

Launched in a sector of talented and well-established model lineages, the all-new Chrysler 200 had to be very good to compete against rivals like the Toyota Camry or VW Passat.

Chris Harris Drives McLaren 650S, Says It’s Faster and More Comfortable than 12C

Some may say that the McLaren 650S is a facelift of the MP4-12C, others may argue that it’s a completely new model but, as always, the truth is somewhere in the middle. While the 650S is based on the MP4-12C, engineers and designers have made quite a few changes.

Review Bashes Maserati Ghibli, Says it's Not a Recommendable Car

You usually buy a Mercedes E-Class-sized saloon partly to make sure there’s a lot of space inside for people and their luggage, and partly because you want to be seen in it. Most models in the class do a reasonable job of blending the two, with obvious biases towards one side of the argument, or the other.

Jaguar F-Type R Coupe Keeps Tail Hanging Out in New Review

With the promise of much improved overall body stiffness over the convertible, the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe is so far shaping up to be a much more incisive track machine. Engineers say it’s 80 percent stiffer, and all the impressions we’ve heard of it so far do seem to confirm that this has had the desired effect on the car’s character and handling. 

Volvo V60 Labeled as a Lifestyle Wagon by Consumer Reports

The Volvo V60 Wagon looks very different from traditional boxy Volvo wagons, and Consumer Reports’ Tom Mutchler believes that’s a good thing from a styling point of view. However, when it comes to practicality, the V60 doesn’t live up to its predecessors. That’s why Consumer Reports see the V60 more as a lifestyle wagon.

Price Nudges Porsche 911 Turbo S into Range of Supercars, Chris Harris Tries it Against McLaren

The McLaren 12C is a pure-bred supercar, with only two seats, a better, simpler name than before and over 600 hp. The new Porsche 911 Turbo S is none of those things, and is heavier, all-wheel driven, less comfortable and slower.

However, Chris Harris thinks the two could be called rivals, at a stretch, especially if you option up your Porsche and/or get a discount on the McLaren; get an approved used one even cheaper is a third way.

He is so convinced that the two are rivals that he’s made a video trying to explain the point – it may just be an excuse to hoon some cars on both road and track, but as long as it’s both entertaining and informative in its own right, we’ll look the other way and not nitpick.

Conclusions are straightforward: driving the British car is more of an event, because it’s an actual supercar, plus I’d add my own input and say it’s far better looking than the bloated, almost bulbous-looking 991, a condition made worse by the extra widening of the Turbo.

It is dragged down by its uninspiring-sounding engine that reportedly exhibits noticeable turbo lag, and it’s not as practical as the purportedly four-seater Porsche, nor is it as upmarket-looking inside.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

This Reviewer Finds Astra OPC/VXR the Least Boring Opel/Vauxhall

Opel's sister company Vauxhall is not a brand with a very cool image in the UK, quite the contrary, actually, as some qualify it as a maker of boring automobiles.

However, the story is quite different when it comes to high-performance VXR models, especially the V8-powered Holdens imported from Australia and rebadged as Vauxhalls.

But those aren’t the only exciting Vauxhalls, as one can’t ignore the Astra VXR. The folks from XCar believe it is an even more exciting car than its predecessor is and to prove it, they took it for a ride.

Design-wise, it’s hard to find ungraceful angles on the latest Astra VXR, and the car is an improvement over the previous one in terms of performance as well. With 280PS (276hp) and a 5.9-second 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time, the Astra VXR is quicker than most of its competitors.

To go faster than that, one has to choose the AWD VW Golf R or premium hot-hatches like the BMW M135i or Mercedes A 45 AMG. The problem is that the Vauxhall’s £26,995 base price puts it dangerously close to the RWD BMW M135i that starts from £31,595 in the UK.

Scroll down to watch the review and find out if it’s worth the price.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

New Mazda 3 Outshines Ford Focus in Head to Head Comparison

Ford and Mazda used to have a fairly tight connection up until a few years ago, with the Blue Oval owning a stake in the small Japanese automaker with which it had a large exchange of information during this collaboration period.

Now, the only proof of their time spent together is pint-sized Mazda2 which is basically a Fiesta hatch with different body and interior, but with pretty much the same basic mechanical bits underneath (not including the engines; Mazda has its own).

Now, after launching the old 3 which was basically the same as the 2 in that it used a Ford platform (this time the one from the larger Focus) and even shared its 1.6-liter (PSA-sourced) diesel engines on certain markets, Mazda has gone its own way, with a car that’s very different from the current Focus, and all the better for it, as the Car and Driver video posted here reveals.

I recently had a chance to take a quick test drive of the new 3, and while the Focus is an old friend, I must concede that the Japanese car was better in every single way, from the looks, to the drive and the interior – not even the low 120 hp output of the detuned 2.0-liter petrol engine put me off it, as it proved pokey and surprisingly frugal. Those who say it’s a borderline-luxury vehicle do make some sense, especially if the car comes with leather and all the toys that the one I drove had.

Make no mistake, the Focus is not bad either, but it felt inferior to the 3 in almost every respect. Now, do check out the video too – it’s posted after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

After GTI, Consumer Reports Tries out Regular VW Golf Too

The Consumer Reports first drive of (a Euro-spec) Volkswagen Golf leaves nothing to question, just like the car itself. It makes it clear that you can’t really fault it on the mundane stuff (space, practicality, economy or drive), and that American buyers should give it more of a shot than they previously, as this seventh incarnation coming in early 2014 is bigger inside and out, yet lighter than before and very efficient.

The Golf, like most other US-bound VWs, ditches the 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated petrol engine as the range base, replacing it with a new 1.8-liter turbo unit that offers the same power as before (170 hp), yet a bit more torque, most of which is served low in the rev range.

As usual, whenever a car reviewer climbs aboard a modern VW, he or she raves on about how everything is nice to the touch and feels well screwed together – the new Golf is no exception, though I do feel that it’s a step down in perceived solidity from the brick-like Mark V model.

To me it just felt a bit flimsier than before, and the seat no longer goes down as low as it did in the older models thanks to the MQB platform (SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia both have the same issue).

However, Golfs destined for the American market are not going to be imported from Europe, being built instead at the group’s Puebla plant, in Mexico.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

MT Explains Why Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 Trumps its 4x4 Sibling

You must really live perched atop a mountain, or at the bottom of some remote, inaccessible valley in order to even begin to try and justify paying close to $700,000 for a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6; even once you think you need it, it’s still ridiculous.

But it’s here, and it’s not some suburb shed hack-job, being a fully-fledged different AMG model in its own right, and probably the most capable off-roader you could buy at any price, as MotorTrend’s Jonny Lieberman found out, when he recently pitted the six-wheeler against the normal G63.

It all went down in Graz, Austria, less than a stone’s throw away from the Steyr factory that has been assembling the Geländewagen since 1979, on both purpose-built off-road proving grounds and natural ones.

Naturally, the 6x6 cruised up all obstacles with ease, and while the four-wheeled variant is practically just as capable, the bigger vehicles extra traction advantage, extra ground clearance and extra kudos for taking massive jumps in its stride (literally) nudged the polls in its favor.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

XCar Reviews Range Rover Hybrid, Doesn't Quite Get It

Starting from this fall, Land Rover added hybrid versions for the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport to its range. The first ever hybrid models in the history of Land Rover combine a 3.0-liter SDV6 turbodiesel engine linked to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a 35kW (47hp) electric motor/generator.

With a total system output of 335hp (340PS) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, the Range Rover Hybrid sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7 seconds and has an average fuel economy of 44.1 mpg UK (36.7 mpg US, 6.4 l/100 km).

XCar took the Range Rover Hybrid for a spin and found that it’s exactly like any other Range Rover (which is good), only more economical.

However, as the hybrid model is only offered on the top-spec Autobiography model, there’s a big problem: it costs £98,400 in the UK, the same as the 510hp V8-powered Range Rover. The question is: will fuel costs really matter for customers who can afford to spend that much on a car in the first place?

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO