New models

When owners of Bugatti's freshly revealed uber-car, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, want to get some sunshine, they have to leave the removable polycarbonate hard top at home. But what happens in the event of sudden rain? Surely, Bugatti's engineers don't expect the world's motoring elite to futz around in the rain with a fabric top? As it turns out they do, but with a clever solution fitting a removable soft top has never been easier.

Stowed in the trunk (which, on the mid-engine Veyron, is located up front), the soft top opens and functions … Read more

As in other current M models from BMW, the 2008 BMW M6 is afflicted with a dual personality. It masquerades as a big luxury coupe around town, but when the roads open up, the M6 can transform into a superhero. At a push of the M button on the steering wheel, the suspension tightens and the throttle response becomes more acute. Where a superhero might where a cape, the M6 gets a carbon fiber roof, lowering its center of gravity. But while the big, long coupe shows a lot of brawn in its styling, the high trunk lid makes it … Read more

Honda unveiled its 2009 Civic lineup this Tuesday. As should be expected, the new model receives some incremental styling changes in the form of a tweaked grille and headlamp combo, clear turn signals in the rear, and a new, more aggressive three opening front bumper cover. Power output remains unchanged for the gasoline, natural gas, and hybrid variants. Honda has, however, made vehicle stability control standard for top-tier trim packages.

Inside the cabin, Honda is still offering the same optional DVD-based satellite navigation system that we saw on the 2007 Civic Hybrid model, but has added Bluetooth hands-free capabilities to … Read more

The Pebble Beach Concours D'elegance is best known for meticulously preserved or restored classic cars, but more automakers are seeing the event as a launchpad for new models and special editions that cater to the opulence and exclusive nature of the event.

This year was no different with special editions from Lexus and Volkswagen, a new model from Bugatti and a one-off showcase from coachbuilders Pininfarina.

View 2008 Pebble Beach special editions slide show.

For the introduction of Acura's updated 2009 TL model, the company invited a number of automotive journalists to drive the car over some excellent roads in Marin, just north of San Francisco. Actually, we would be driving two very different cars, as Acura split the TL between a standard and performance version. The latter isn't the TL-S from past model years, but an all-wheel-drive version that Acura felt it had to develop because of bias against front-wheel-drive cars amongst enthusiasts, which all previous TLs had been. This performance-oriented TL is called the TL SH-AWD, and along with Acura's all-wheel-drive system gets a bigger engine than the standard TL. We got to drive both cars on some of our favorite roads, going up the coast on Highway 1, then coming back down on a series of winding country roads.… Read more

Mercedes-Benz's smallest U.S. sedan, the C-class, continues to impress us, this time with the sport-tuned 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG version. We previously reviewed the C300, and found that its updated electronics put to shame the tech in more expensive models from Mercedes-Benz. With the AMG version we have a car that competes with the BMW M3, not only in cabin tech, but in sheer performance and the exhilarating drive it offers.

The cabin electronics in the C63 are the same as in the C300, with the latest version of Mercedes-Benz's navigation and phone system. The sound produced … Read more

With its CTS sedan proving so successful, Cadillac designed a coupe concept version for the Detroit auto show. And now GM's luxury brand takes it a step further by unveiling a wagon version, slated for production as a 2010 model, at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon uses the same Cadillac Art and Science design as the CTS sedan, including LED pipes in the headlight enclosures and starkly cut edges, but adds a hatchback and fold-down second-row seats, creating ample cargo room. Ever since reviewing the Jetta SportWagen we've anticipated a renaissance … Read more

Driving the 2008 Maserati GranTurismo is like dating an Italian supermodel: her beauty gets you a lot of attention in public and being with her just makes you feel good. Actually, having never even met an Italian supermodel, we're going with a stereotype here, but in many ways the graceful Pininfarina-designed GranTurismo fits it. Her mouth might be a little big and toothy, but that's where we've pushed the comparison too far. The big toothy grille on the car looks great, but wouldn't work so well on a person.

As for the cabin electronics, our supermodel'… Read more

The 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid is either the first guilt-free full-size SUV or an example of unrestrained excess. The Yukon is big, with three rows of seating and a cliff-like front-end. And it uses one of the bigger engines available in the Yukon line, a 6-liter V-8. But it adds GM's new two-mode hybrid system to give it surprisingly good fuel economy. In city traffic, we're talking close to 20 mpg. Good thing it has hybrid labels around the body to fend off public rancor.

The cabin electronics are the same as GM has been offering on its … Read more