2013 Audi S5 Coupe

It's hard to believe, but 2013 marks the sixth model year for the Audi S5 (it launched as a 2008 model). I've loved this coupe since the day it debuted, but if I'm honest, the thing that really made the S5 special at launch was its awesome 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8. You know, the one from the old RS4. And the R8.

Audi started building S5 Cabriolet models with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 starting in 2010, and for 2013, that super-six is the only engine available for both models. Don't get me wrong, I like the 3.0T engine. (Oh hey, Audi, please stop calling it a 3.0T. There isn't anything 'T' about it.) And I've said plenty of nice things about this engine in my reviews of the A6 and A8. But do those same sentiments carry over to the S5?

Driving Notes

- In terms of power, there's nothing to complain about here. The 3.0T Quattro engine makes 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque – the same numbers as all other 3.0T-equipped cars. Compared to the old 4.2-liter, that's down 21 horsepower (the torque number remains unchanged), but fuel economy is improved by three miles per gallon in the city and four mpg highway.

- Despite the reduction of 21 horses, Audi still claims a 4.9-second 0-60 time for the 2013 model – same as a 2012 S5 with the 4.2-liter.

- That said, getting to 60 miles per hour isn't nearly as dramatic in the new car. Perhaps the best part about the S5 4.2 package was the fact that you could rev the naturally aspirated engine all the way up to 7,000 rpm, and the noise it made was awesome. There wasn't a ton of low-end power, but that engine was seriously fun to play around with, especially above 3,500 rpm.

- I do like that with Audi Drive Select (part of the $3,250 Driver Assist package), one of the things you can adjust in the 2013 S5 is the exhaust note. In Dynamic mode there's definitely an audible grumble, and it sounds really good if you're hard on the throttle. It doesn't quite have the same roar as that old V8, but it's a lot better than what originally came on the 3.0T Cabriolet. There's a whole lot more low-end torque with this new engine, though it doesn't rev quite as high.

- The S5 isn't quite as tantalizing with its more flaccid mill, but it's hardly impotent on the road. The Quattro all-wheel-drive formula is still top-notch, and the optional 19-inch wheels and summer tires of this test car ($800) improve grip while cornering.

- With the car's other adjustable functions in Dynamic mode – powertrain, steering, etc. – the S5 is fantastic to drive. The steering has great weight and crisp turn-in (though it does feel a bit dead on-center), and the suspension damping isn't at all harsh but offers lots of feedback. The brakes are great, and though there's a good deal of travel to the clutch pedal, the six-speed manual transmission is still all sorts of sweet to use.

- Inside, there's more to love. Quality and materials are top notch, and the seats are both comfortable and supportive, while looking great too.

- Audi hasn't yet updated the A5/S5 with its new MMI Touch interface, but the navigation system in our Prestige model did have the cool Google Earth mapping display. We've played with this before, but it still has that gee-whiz coolness about it, simply because no other automaker is offering something like it.

- Other updates for 2013 include the revised front fascia with new headlamp clusters. Audi pioneered the LED daytime running light hotness, and the new shape to the front graphic is pretty great. LED lights are fitted out back, as well. Also of note is the new Estoril Blue paint color seen in these photos. It's damn pretty, and photos don't do it justice.

- The 2013 S5 is still a truly sweet package, but at $66,570 fully loaded, people seeking a true enthusiast machine would do better with a lighter, quicker, more powerful BMW M3. But with the beauty of Quattro on hand, handsome good looks and a high-quality interior, the S5 has a lot going for it. Now if it just had the 4.2...

Read more by Steven J. Ewing at Autoblog.com

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2013 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro

Any car tasked with taking on the BMW 3 Series has a tough road ahead of it – both in the showroom and, literally, on the road. Such is the fate the Audi A5 has faced since hitting the scene in 2008, going up against one of the most cheered and revered coupes on the market. To take on BMW's two-door titan (as well as a growing number of luxury coupes), Audi has spent every year since the A5's debut tweaking and changing it, giving the range a lineup of trims and models that has been simplified almost to perfection: Those who desire a great-looking luxury coupe with solid fuel economy can have the A5, while those who want more power can spend more money for the S5, and then, of course, there's the monstrous new-to-the-US RS5.

For 2013, changes to the A5 and its sportier derivatives have focused largely on the car's design, which is a pretty important factor since customers in this segment are likely putting style and luxury at the top of their checklists. The mildly updated A5 borrows heavily from some of the newer design cues found on other Audi models, including newly angular headlights and unmistakable LED running lamps, while other slight changes bring modest improvements to the interior and fuel economy. With a new BMW coupe hitting the scene next year (reportedly switching its name to 4 Series) and recent additions to the segment including the Cadillac CTS Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, we spent a week in the updated 2013 A5 to see if these changes will be enough to keep the five-year-old A5 relevant while going up against much younger models.

With just a nip here and a tuck there, the A5's facelift is effective in differentiating it from the previous design without straying too far from what made the original car look so darn good in the first place, and Audi has done this with a subtlety that few other automakers can pull off. The biggest change to the car's exterior styling is a reworked front end with edgier lines around the signature single-frame grille and new headlights showing off a more angular shape. Audi has made LED running lights into an art form, and the these new headlamps make the A5 look mean day or night. To a lesser degree, the taillights have also been updated with a different internal lighting setup that also gives the car a good nighttime appearance. Our Ibis White test car sported 18-inch wheels with a sharp V-spoke layout that has a design very similar to a jet engine's turbine blades.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the A5's aggressive new exterior styling, the changes made inside this car are far more restrained. As a testament to how great this interior was back in 2008, Audi has only made small tweaks to the interior, such as a new three-spoke steering wheel, reworked gauge cluster and a more ergonomic shift lever. It remains one of the best interiors of just about any car on sale, both in terms of styling and ease of use. In a day when interiors are either cramming in too many buttons and switches or getting rid of conventional controls altogether, the A5 is surprisingly minimalistic without being confusing or complicated. Designed to be a driver's car, the cabin is obviously built around the pilot with a clean cockpit look, easy-to-see gauges and readouts, and easy-to-use controls, but the entire interior shows Audi's attention to detail with just about every surface decked out in soft-touch materials, soft leathers and real metal accents. The oversized sunroof finishes off the sporty and open atmosphere by bringing plenty of light into the cabin, but it only tilts up about an inch or so, and can't slide back.

From the driver's seat, it's hard to find many faults with the A5's cabin, and those that we could dig up felt more like nitpicks. A thicker-rimmed steering wheel would be great to give the cabin a sportier vibe, and while the placement and button layout of the audio controls on non-navi-equipped models (like our tester) could take a little getting used to for people not familiar with Audi products, the operation of these controls are ultimately simple and not distracting. Even without navigation, though, the A5 still receives the same large display screen to view information for the audio system, and between this screen and the smaller digital multifunction display in the gauge cluster, it's easy for the driver to view all pertinent vehicle information.

As nice as it is to occupy the driver's seat is in the A5, the rest of the car's cabin is more of the same in terms of remarkable materials, design and even some practicality. Yes, we just said that a coupe is practical. Surprisingly, the A5 doesn't give up much in terms of headroom or legroom compared to the A4 sedan, making it possible for four adults to fit in the car. While we wouldn't want to be seated in the rear seats for a lengthy road trip, it's good to know that if needed, the rear seats can accommodate adult passengers in reasonable comfort. The trunk space of the A5 is also only just fractionally smaller than its four-door counterpart, so there is room for plenty of luggage as well.

Speaking of space, we know there is enough room underhood for a V8, but since 2011, the standard engine for the A5 has been the 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged, direct-injected inline four-cylinder that helps balance power and fuel economy. The engine's 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque are sent to the ground using Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system, and our tester came with the company's optional eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. For hardcore enthusiasts about to cry foul that we didn't test the six-speed manual gearbox, just remember that the A5 Cabrio comes in standard trim with front-wheel drive that offers a Continuously Variable Transmission as an option. On top of that, this transmission is one of the best automatics used by the Volkswagen Group in terms of shift points and response, and for a sportier feel, it's easy enough to just knock the shift lever into Sport mode for a bit more excitement. Thanks to plenty of low-end of torque, the A5 is still a lot of fun to drive, even in Standard mode.

That being said, the A5 isn't the fastest or quickest car in its class, but it is very well-balanced, which is improved upon in 2013 with a new electric power-assisted steering system that helps make the car both more sporty and fuel efficient. On the driving side of things, the steering response of this new EPAS system is just about perfect, giving good feedback at speed without feeling too heavy at lower speeds. As for fuel economy, out tester with the eight-speed auto improved its EPA estimate on the highway up to 30 miles per gallon (+1 mpg compared to the 2012 A5), though oddly enough it's decreased by the same amount in the city with a rating of 20 mpg. During our week with the A5 2.0T, we generally saw around 25 mpg in mixed driving when avoiding Sport mode.

Strong fuel economy is nice, but the name of the game has always been balance when it comes to the A5, and the 2013 model still delivers. In addition to the new power steering, the A5's engine, transmission and braking system all operate in a manner that doesn't feel too sports-car jerky or luxury-car numb. Even the actual balance of the car feels perfectly distributed from front to rear, even though Audi doesn't actually list the A5's weight distribution. Despite weighing a couple hundred pounds more than a comparable 3 Series Coupe, the A5 might be its closest handling rival thanks to a wider stance (both its track and width are about three inches wider) and standard all-wheel drive. The A5 does, however, weigh about 400 pounds less than a comparable Cadillac CTS Coupe and around 150 pounds less than an Infiniti G37x Coupe. On paper, Audi claims the car's acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour is 6.2 seconds, which is far from quick these days, but between the lag-free turbo engine and quick-shifting transmission, the A5 doesn't disappoint. Besides, if it's off-the-line performance you seek, Audi dealers will gladly show you to the S5 or RS5.

Many people perceive the A5 as a sporty car, but it still has all of the qualities that we expect from Audi luxury, such as a smooth ride and quiet interior. We can't remember the last time a car with frameless windows was as quiet as the A5, and between the compliant suspension and comfortable seats, this car would feel good whether being driven on a winding back road or long highway. Regardless of how it's used, though, the A5 definitely doesn't look or feel its age.

Read more by Jeffrey N. Ross at Autoblog.com

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Retrobuilt 1969 Mustang Fastback

Blink your eyes and take another look. While all visual cues may be telling your brain that you are staring at a near-pristine 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Fastback, it's all a carefully crafted illusion – a very clever façade.

Hidden beneath that glistening Yellow Blaze paint, below the sculpted fiberglass and steel body panels, is a 2013 Ford Mustang GT. The retro-coupe features power-operated sport buckets with lumbar support, ice-cold air conditioning, six airbags and a full factory warranty. Lest anyone forget, it also comes with a modern fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 generating 420 horsepower.

The team at Retrobuilt, out of Lamar, Missouri, is known for recreating Carroll Shelby's iconic cars of yesteryear. Yet instead of restoring worn classics to like-new condition, a process that delivers an immaculate muscle car yet retains all of its undesirable traits, they fabricate classics on current-generation Ford S197-platforms. In their own words, they "allow auto enthusiasts to benefit from the technology and manufacturing of a modern Ford Mustang while combining the classic styling of 1969 muscle cars."

Retrobuilt recently invited us to drive its 1969 Fastback mere days after its debut at the 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association's trade show (SEMA) in Las Vegas. To make things a bit more interesting, and gauge public opinion, we chose to meet them at the entrance to Southern California's famed Mulholland Highway.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why this company is selling cars as quickly as they can make them. Old muscle cars are undoubtedly cool, but they are also temperamental, thirsty and uncomfortable when the weather isn't cooperating. The team at Retrobuilt, passionate about the classics but tired of the inconveniences, decided to marry the best of both worlds – thus its 197-based program was launched in 2009.

Retrobuilt works with Ford's S197 chassis, meaning candidates come from the current fifth-generation Mustang platform (2005-present). While some conversion companies purchase bodies-in-white from automakers, Retrobuilt relies on used cars (including those cosmetically damaged in hailstorms or tornados) or brand-new showroom stock vehicles. This particular build started as a brand-new 2013 Ford Mustang GT with a 5.0-liter V8, but it could have just as easily been a 2005 Mustang Coupe with a 4.0-liter V6, or a 2013 Shelby GT500 boasting a supercharged 5.8-liter V8. It is, ultimately, the customer's choice. (The company prefers to start with a vehicle painted black, as the dark sheetmetal under the hood is color correct for the era.)

Before the rebuild process begins, the steel hood and front quarter panels are removed from the donor. It is much the same story with the front and rear urethane bumpers, door handles, exterior mirrors and wheels, as they are all pulled off and set aside.

The front hood and quarter panels are replaced with fiberglass reproductions, sized to the dimensions of the slightly larger chassis (the '13 Mustang is about 13.5 inches longer and four inches wider than a '69 Mustang). The Ford's original steel door skins, steel roof and steel rear decklid remain in place, but fiberglass skins are placed over them to give the body a proper retro-styled figure.

Basic muscle-car stature in place, the period-look front and rear fascias are added. A new hand-crafted grille, aluminum brightwork and chrome bumpers, all looking as if they are straight out of the '60s (yet each custom-made for Retrobuilt) are bolted in place. The reproduction chromed steel bumpers, like the other parts, are slightly wider to fit the modern vehicle's dimensions. The details are impressive, as the reproduction mirrors, chrome door handles and other badging are all painstakingly period-correct. The hood pins are redundant (the OEM latching is retained), yet they are fully functional after the primary and secondary latches are released.

The stock engine, a naturally aspirated Coyote 5.0-liter V8 rated at 420 horsepower, is retained and customers are offered a choice between a six-speed manual gearbox and a traditional torque-converter six-speed automatic transmission (most choose the manual, but our test car was fitted with the slushbox). The hood scoop is functional, engineered to supplement the factory airbox with a fresh blast of outside air courtesy of a custom "Y-pipe" in the engine bay. An aftermarket exhaust, manufactured by MagnaFlow, is bolted in place after the catalytic converters, thus retaining all emissions equipment.

Springs and sway bars are replaced with an Eibach Pro-Plus suspension kit before one-piece aluminum alloy 18-inch American Racing wheels are bolted to all four corners (machined to look as if they have hub spinners from a distance). The wheels are wrapped in Nitto NT 555 Extreme ZR summer performance tires with a treadwear rating of 300. The brakes, single-piston sliding calipers over ventilated disc rotors, are left stock (our test car had alloy covers over the hardware to make them appear... well, upgraded).

Bodywork and painting is all done at the Retrobuilt facility. After the customer's choice of color is applied, a final clearcoat goes over the graphics. (The trademarked 'Boss 302' graphics on our test car were added by the owners, as the company doesn't want to get itself into hot water with Ford.) Finally, after a six-week wait, the vehicle is delivered to the customer.

Pressing the retro-cool thumb button on the door handle may set up those drooling over the exterior for disappointment, as the interior is left completely bone stock – there isn't even a Retrobuilt badge on the dashboard – exactly as it left Ford's factory. Then again, providing late-model comfort and reliability is the object here, not a 1960s-era interior.

We spent a few hours with the 1969 Fastback just north of Los Angeles in our own backyard. All visual cues aside, the coupe is basically a rebodied 2013 Mustang with an aftermarket suspension and exhaust. We expected it to drive like any lightly modified late-model Pony Car – as we would discover, that was mostly the case.

Settled into the familiar cabin, we ignited the V8 and it roared to life. The MagnaFlow exhaust really opens up the engine's lungs, and the exhaust settled down to a very throaty idle. Outward visibility is challenged, especially with the aluminum slat louvers on the rear window, but the vehicle retains its parking sensors, so low speed maneuvering isn't too difficult.

Despite its 40-year-old appearance, the Retrobuilt Fastback is every bit as comfortable as its donor was (that shouldn't come as any surprise). Everyone within the cabin will enjoy modern climate systems, satellite-based navigation and iPod-integrated infotainment. The seats are comfortable, the dashboard illumination is bright and crystal clear and there are plenty of cup holders. The stock Mustang is nice, so we had nary a complaint in this area.

Read more by Michael Harley at Autoblog.com

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2014 Porsche Cayman S

I need you to understand what it's like to drive this car. I'm not talking about your ability to comprehend the words on this page or process the figures that surround the 2014 Porsche Cayman S, but rather what it feels like to take control of a car conceived, designed, engineered and manufactured to set your prefrontal cortex alight with all the glee a Zippo typically reserves for pine needles marinated in jet fuel. From the instant you put your tail in the driver's seat, the Cayman sets about impregnating your veins with a full and varied spectrum of ludicrous emotion. It's not like taking the family pickup to market, I can tell you that much.

For 2014, the next-generation Cayman features many of the same styling tweaks first displayed on the coupe's drop-top cousin, the Boxster, though a spate of mechanical changes, more power, less weight and better efficiency join the party to further differentiate this model from its predecessor. And while additions like rev-matched downshifts and electronic power steering help push the Cayman into a new era, one fact remains unchanged: This is one of the best driving cars on the market. Period. Bear with me and I'll try to explain exactly why that is.

Engineers stretched the Cayman wheelbase by nearly 2.4 inches and widened the front track by 1.6 inches, and the result is a car with all four wheels pushed well to each corner. Thanks to shorter overhangs front and rear, total vehicle length has grown by a manageable 1.3 inches from stem to stern. That means it will take a keen eye to spot the machine's swell. Instead, onlookers are likely to first take note of the dramatic upkick from rocker panel to air inlet. Porsche calls the feature a "dynamic recess," and the contrasting black inlets really do shuttle air to the flat six mounted mid-ship.

Up front, the Cayman S splits from its more demure Cayman sibling with larger front air inlets framed by black plastic strakes instead of the standard body color treatment. Base models are left to suffer with a black front splitter while the S trim gets a bit of paint on the lower aero. Around back, the two can be separated via the exhaust outlet, where the Cayman uses one tip and S gets the double barrel treatment. Otherwise, the stern looks awfully familiar. Boxster fans will recognize the integrated lip spoiler stretching from tail lamp to tail lamp across the rear deck. The vehicle's mechanized spoiler, meanwhile, has grown in surface area by 40 percent to increase downforce at higher speeds.

Designers did move the windscreen forward by nearly four inches, resulting in a finished product that looks a bit less like someone simply tack welded a roof onto the company's entry convertible. Still, the two cars share more than a few strands of DNA, and despite protests from engineers and designers alike, shoppers will inevitably look at the pair's third generation as two shades of the same hue.

As if that were a slight. This car is drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh. With its lusty flanks and new, optional 20-inch wheels, the Cayman looks more mature than ever. While purists can hem and haw all they like, the truth is the youngest of the Porsche sisters is still the fairest of them all, 911 included.

Meanwhile, the cabin has remained largely untouched for 2014. Drivers will welcome the addition of new sport seats. The thrones manage to thumb that fragile line between support and comfort, serving up fantastic lateral support without cutting off circulation to the body's more sensitive environs over a long haul. If I could afford it, I'd have them for every seat in the house, toilet included. Standard trim serves up a set of manually adjustable buckets with Alcantara inserts, though our tester came rocking power adjustable seats dipped in leather. European buyers, meanwhile, get to option up to a set of carbon fiber, fixed-back race buckets capable of bonding the seat of your jeans to the car's chassis on a molecular level. Unfortunately, the gear doesn't pass crash safety in the US, though we hear Porsche is working on that one. Keep your fingers crossed.

Otherwise, the Cayman cabin features redesigned air vents, and the option sheet now comes packed with a 12-speaker Burmester sound system. By some engineering wizardry, the system turns out some 851 watts of power while tipping the scales at a scant 14.3 pounds. Regardless of whether or not you opt for the black-art stereo, odds are you'll appreciate the extra interior room over the second-gen Cayman. For 2014, the model boasts a total of 15 cubic feet of cargo area, up a little over half a cube overall. In addition, the longer wheelbase delivers a bit more leg room as well.

As with most Porsche products, it's what you don't see that separates Cayman generations, starting with the chassis itself. The body shell is now 44-percent aluminum for the first time. The move slashed body-in-white weight by some 103 pounds while increasing torsional rigidity by a baffling 40 percent. What does that mean, exactly? Porsche says the base Cayman is now twice as rigid as the Boxster and substantially stiffer than even the 911, making it one of the most rigid sports car chassis in the world.

Both the 2014 Cayman and Cayman S bring extra muscle to the table. Our S tester came with a 3.4-liter flat-six engine pumping out 325 horsepower at a screaming 7,400 rpm and 272 pound-feet of torque from between 4,500 and 5,800 rpm. More impressively, the six can wrap its tach all the way to 7,800 rpm before hitting the limiter. While a six-speed manual transmission is standard equipment, our machine came equipped with the nutty-good PDK dual-clutch seven-speed transmission. Those who stick with the row-your-own can now look forward to rev-matched downshifts when in Sport mode.

Engineers also turned a keen eye on helping the Cayman S get down from speed, and as a result, the coupe now features the same front brakes as the mighty 911 itself. With stiffer four-piston calipers, better cooling and larger 13-inch front discs, the clamps had no trouble shouldering two days of hard driving through the twisting hills of southern Portugal, complete with a morning of bashing around the Autodromo Internacional Agarve – a fiendish track used for Moto GP events and Formula One testing. Carbon ceramic brakes are also available, offering up lifetime durability in non-track use as well as a substantial cut in unsprung weight. Porsche says going for the carbon discs can pull as much as 52 pounds from the brake system's total mass.

But again, all that information doesn't so much as utter a syllable about how it feels to pilot this car. Slide into the driver's seat and the 2014 Cayman wastes no time in serving up what might be the perfect driving position. Those excellent buckets situate you high enough to deliver plenty of visibility with all but the tops of both fenders clear from view. Hit the key and that menacing flat six barks and snarls before settling into a smooth idle. If your heart hasn't started beating to match time with the flat six by now, you might want to get the organ checked.

Under civil driving conditions, the PDK gearbox is content to prattle along with nearly imperceptible shifts. Under deceleration, the drivetrain can also kick into a coast mode to save fuel, and an auto start stop system means the driveline keeps from sucking down gas while the car is at a stop. Kick the two-door into Sport mode, stiffen the optional adjustable suspension, crack open the available sports exhaust and the car opens up like the maw of some hyperactive sea beast, whipping from comfortable tourer to mountain crest hellion with a few button presses.

Diving into the throttle results in blistering response, and while the flat six doesn't exactly provide neck-snapping acceleration, thrusters kick in once the engine finally starts stirring up some torque. Officially, Porsche says the Cayman S can clip off a 0-60 run in a shave under 4.7 seconds on the way to a terminal velocity of 175 miles per hour. What's more, the company says it managed to whip around the infamous Nurburgring in 7 minutes, 55 seconds. That time is a full 11 seconds quicker than the second generation.

Clearly straight line punch isn't what the Cayman is about. Get off onto a tickling thread of asphalt and the car begins stroking your ego in earnest. The platform is nothing if not confidence-inspiring. With each bend and twist, a sultry German voice in the back of your skull whispers what you knew all along: You really were cheated out of a career in the World Rally Championship.

Those of you who started bellyaching when you first heard the Cayman now comes with electronic power steering can politely shut your faces. The tiller is as precise as you're likely to find on any machine, delivering excellent feedback with plenty of communication. If you don't know what the front wheels are doing in the Cayman S, you can't blame the car.

The PDK really is the only "automatic" transmission I've had my hands on that can accurately anticipate which gear I need to be in for whatever assault on proper driving I'm attempting to execute at that particular moment. The shift logic is something from another future, one where there's a little German gnome clinging to your brain stem and barking commands at the gearbox via HAM radio. Go for the wheel-mounted paddle shifters and the hardware pops off blistering shifts that hit like a telephone book to the lower back. As a die-hard defender of the manual transmission, I can honestly say this tech is driving bliss.

Get the Cayman S out on a track and it's immediately clear what Porsche has cooked up with this car. The platform is incredibly forgiving, turning even butter-fisted yokels like myself into competent lappers. With a little prompting, the Cayman will rotate in a nice, slow, even breakaway before squatting on its haunches and popping out of a corner. Those massive brakes tolerate regular sieges without drama or significant fade, providing a confident pedal with excellent initial bite. That's true even after a handful of hard laps trying to chase down a 911.

Read more by Zach Bowman at Autoblog.com

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2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Sport

We got overexcited when the W203 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan came out in 2001, calling it the "Baby Benz" when it really wasn't. We knew that, too, but our enthusiasm for a model more like the old 190 of the '80s was so strong that we were willing to stretch the C-class to fit that mold. Today, the C-class has done what all German premium cars do: grown in size. In this case, grown to satisfy the market intentions of the previous E-Class.

There was the tall A-Class sold from 1998 through 2010, but we never considered that a serious small Benz in the proper spirit, nor was it ever offered in the US. We've been craving a smaller, premium, sexy sedan, man.

As you read this, Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled, with great fanfare at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the production CLA-class. We saw the car at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and the Concept Style Coupe that led to the CLA was first seen in China at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The CLA – a.k.a. "the baby CLS" – is finally here and we've driven it.

The name CLA stands for "Coupe Light A-Class" in keeping with the CLS that set the four-door coupe standard. Think of it simply as the A-Class that we get. The CLA arrives in European markets this April and will compete with the future BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe sedan and Audi A3 sedan, both of which will be introduced to us over the next twelve months.

Starting at $30,825 in the US with front-wheel drive and around $33,500 with the all-wheel-drive 4Matic system, the CLA's long list of premium and near-premium competitors should make for some fascinating comparison testing with Japanese, Korean and American rivals. And you, too, Volvo V40, once they slap a trunk on you. The US will get the top trim CLA 250 only, with front-drive models arriving in September of 2013 and 4Matic versions coming by Spring 2014. Some of us may once again be justifiably irked by the exclusion of smaller gas and diesel engines from the US market. Some others will dislike that there is no six-speed manual offered (the standard transmission in all markets outside of North America), only the somewhat new 7G dual-clutch seven-speed.

As soon as we heard that all CLA 250s destined for the United States were to come standard with a lowered sport suspension, we were all over spending more time with the front-wheel-drive sport chassis test cars, which is what you see here.

The interior you see on this CLA 250 Sport is part of the limited-run Edition 1 trim, which gets the sport leather-dressed Neon Art performance seats with yellow stitching, the very nice blackened AMG design 18-inch alloys, the aforementioned sport chassis, AMG-look aero bits, bi-xenon headlights, and synthetic leather-covered dash and console surfaces. The US will only receive 750 units of the CLA 250 Edition 1. That manual shifter and clutch pedal would sure look good in here...oh, well...

So we took off through the rustic, hilly wilds of southern France, much like a bat out of Hell, or at least as hellishly batty as this most aggressive CLA model can run. The first order of business was to simply feel the calibration of the sport chassis in motion. This particular calibration lowers the CLA some 0.8 inches in the front and 0.6 inches in back. Throw in the electro-mechanical steering and Merc's Direct Steer technology, and we were optimistic about how things would turn out over 200 miles of twisty French two-lanes.

On these older driving surfaces, the Euro-style road noise came through easily via the 18-inch 225/40 Continental ContiSportContact5 run-flats that come standard with the Edition 1 sport chassis. We enjoyed ourselves – a lot – at medium-to-quick speeds, but at slower around-town velocities, the tires thwacked us every time an imperfection or sewer head popped up. That's fine for those who opt for it, but equipping all CLAs in America with this default setup? Not a bullet-proof plan, we thought.

Mercedes project leader for compact cars, Hans-Georg Engel, responded frankly to our questions regarding this issue. Apparently, the plan is shifting as we speak. Now the logic is to bring over both the sport and comfort chassis setups. For now, that means still having the sport chassis as standard and the comfort setup available for order. But will it be offered by dealers as a no-cost option? This last detail is still TBD. Or the comfort calibration could, down the road, be standard and the sport chassis become part of a more aggressive sport package option. Call us wusses, but this re-thinking seems right if Mercedes wants to sell a lot of CLAs in the US.

Engineer Engel also shared with us that, seeing as part of the CLA's good looks and kinship to the CLS rests on its lower stance, a new setup could be formulated in time for US deliveries that essentially combines the comfort dampers with the shorter sport springs. It would require more than just a switcheroo, but we're most in favor of this alternative. The other wish-list item is some simpler form of optional adaptive suspension, a suggestion Engel pretty clearly supported, provided it doesn't push up the price of the CLA to conflict with base C-class trims.

While we did just get finished harping on about the sport suspension's roughness, once we got out on wide open roads with hairpins, bends and the like, this chassis tune showed that it was both capable and smooth – even on those brick-like 18-inchers. Understeer was minimal, weight transfer was very good, and we felt no untoward torque steer while punching the throttle coming out of turns. This was reassuring, seeing as the CLA is 1.5 inches longer and a little wider than a C-Class, while sharing the 2.4-inch-shorter wheelbase of the A-Class, along with the A's slightly narrower tracks. Weighing 150 pounds or so less than the most equivalent C-class sedan also helps its dynamics.

Then there's the feel coming from the motor and software of the electromechanical steering system provided by Jtekt in Japan. On the more hectic sections of road, there was less time to notice the action of its thinking and re-thinking process. Where it really stood out, though, is through longer curves with constant or decreasing radii; the feel is of the trajectory being instantaneously and subtly remapped and executed many times, and so lacking the smooth and constant steering angle feel we're accustomed to.

The real help here comes from the re-engineered transverse "M270" 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with an ICSI turbocharger good for 14.5 psi of constant maximum boost pressure. The power is a pretty universal 2.0T-like 208 horsepower, while the torque raises its game nicely to 258 pound-feet between 1,200 and 4,000 rpm. Our other pal, Mr. Guido Vent in charge of gas engine development on smaller Mercedes vehicles, tells us that there is an unadvertised overboost effect during kickdown with one's foot to the floor, which results in roughly 13 more hp and 15 more lb-ft of torque for brief bursts.

On these test routes, we had several opportunities to try out this overboost effect for passing maneuvers and we can say the powertrain pulls pretty dang well throughout the middle rev range. 0-to-60-mph acceleration in the CLA 250 Sport should happen in 6.5 seconds or less, according to Mercedes, with top speed set at 149 mph. Fuel mileage, meanwhile, is seen as roughly five-percent better than in the C250 Sport sedan with 1.8-liter turbo, so around 23 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg highway.

Our running lack of enthusiasm for the 7G seven-speed automated gearbox carries on here. When driving with verve or sporting expectations, this dual-clutch version of the transmission is perfectly fine. But flip into Sport or Manual modes and go on the attack, and the current calibration of the tranny's software seems overtasked frequently, as though it really doesn't like being told to do quite so much. Then being able to hold higher revs while in "manual" mode would sure be appreciated. As we have said in other such reviews of Mercedes' various 7G transmissions, the company insists that it is working on crispening up Sport shift actions across the lineup.

Read more by Matt Davis at Autoblog.com 

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2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series

There have been four Black Series models since the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Black Series introduced itself to European audiences in 2006. Following that, the Black Series club has hosted appearances by the 2008 CLK63 AMG Black Series, the 2009 SL65 AMG Black Series and last year's 2013 C63 AMG Black Series. The sixth member of the group is one we would have thought already was a Black Series car in its standard guise. Right out of the box, the SLS AMG is loud, frenetic, cozy, boisterous and frightfully easy to oversteer. How much more Black did it need to get?

Quite a bit so, apparently. The SLS AMG Black Series has lost weight, gained power and been refitted with upgrades and aero bits from front to rear. If you liked the way it looked before, you'll probably be an even bigger fan of this one. If you thought it looked ungainly, well, this one should stay even further away from pageants. Regardless of where you come down this is the best SLS AMG variant we've driven.

"Extreme performance for the road" and "race driver for the street" were the mottoes that guided development of the SLS AMG Black Series, but that could reasonably be said of every model that has worn the Black Series badge. No other model, however, had a dedicated race variant from which to draw inspiration, whereas this one does: the SLS AMG GT3 race car. Last year, the checkered-flag-only version continued to put the bite behind its ridiculously basso bark with 43 victories and nine titles in global competition, including both driver and team titles in the FIA GT3 and FIA GT1 World Championships.

Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG, said of the road car, "The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one-hundred-percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road. We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a conceptual and a technological level."

The problem is that, at the drive event we were invited to attend at the Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France, Tobias Moers, Head of Total Vehicle Development at AMG, admits that the tech transfer went, in large part, in the other direction – from the road car to the race car. That is to say, the car you could buy on dealer floors was already engineered to such a high degree that, once you parked it on the paddock straight, you were already halfway there. It's similar to the Audi R8 Grand-Am, in which the production engine has just three changes made to it and the race car is more than half made of up production car bits, the body panels being much of the difference. The SLS AMG GT3 got its carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) torque tube from the road car, and when we asked about getting rid of the HVAC system in the Black Series, Moers told us, "The GT3 car has air conditioning."

When asked what the objective was, Moers said, "We wanted it to be among the best performing cars at the Hockenheimring," which is ostensibly to German car buffs what the Nürburgring has become to us. In the 'short' configuration as used by German magazine Sport Auto, Moers said they wanted to take 2.5 seconds off the lap time of the SLS AMG GT at the track. The Black Series did Hockenheim in 1:08, and if these lap times can be trusted, that would put it somewhere between the road-legal Radical SR3 SL and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with the Z07 Package in the 1:08 bracket, joining other speedy coupes like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 and McLaren MP4-12C. Oh, and yes, it does the circuit at least 2.5-seconds quicker than the SLS AMG GT.

An enlarged heart is where the upgrades begin, the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 getting a higher redline in the Black Series than in the GT – 8,000 rpm versus 7,200 rpm – and 39 more horsepower for a total of 622 hp at 7,400 rpm. Torque drops a touch, from 479 pound-feet in the GT to 468 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm in the Black Series. To keep her steady in front, AMG installed a gas-filled strut between the engine and the body, and another gas-filled strut stabilizes the transmission.

Since everyone knows a bionic heart needs bionic parts to really show off, the limbs and sinews also come in for nth-degree engineering. A CFRP torque tube runs from the engine to the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, that gearbox under the orders of rewritten software to perform even quicker shifts and rev-match on downshifts. It has been placed almost half an inch lower to drop the center of gravity, the low CoG aided as well by items like the CFRP hood and CFRP rear bulkhead panel.

The coilover suspension gets new wishbone mounts and knuckles, revised camber settings and bushings and increased spring rates. It hangs out further as well, the track stretched in the front by 0.8 inches, out back by 0.9 inches. The Adaptive Performance suspension's two damping settings for Sport and Sport+ are suited to different terrain: the former for country roads and undulating tracks with altitude variations like The 'Ring where you need a little more body roll and compliance, and the latter for flatter tracks like Paul Ricard.

One hundred and fifty four pounds of track-day bloat have been removed from the Black Series compared to the GT, the titanium exhaust accounting for almost 29 of it. The CFRP torque tube drops almost another 30 pounds, the two-piece high performance brake system omits another 35.3, the ten-spoke forged wheels – 19 inches in front, 20 inches in back wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber – shave 8.8 pounds of unsprung mass. A lithium-ion battery replaces the conventional unit, and it sheds nearly 18 pounds by comparison. It could have been made even lighter, but AMG wanted it to be robust enough for year-round use; it doesn't need to be removed in the winter.

The final tally is a curb weight of 3,417 pounds. If you're keeping track, that's a couple hundred pounds more than the 2014 Porsche GT3.

There are no such weight-weenie subtleties on the outside, the SLS AMG Black Series announcing its road-legal race car intentions with a shoebox full of aero bits. Black Series tells like the black surrounds on the rear lights are lost among the fender flares, air intakes and extractors, carbon fiber lips and skirting, a wide rear diffuser and – should one opt for the AMG Aerodynamics Package – a carbon fiber wing with a Gurney flap. It will get you 60 kilograms of downforce at 200 kilometers per hour, and is why the top speed of the Black Series is one mile per hour less than the GT at 196 mph.

DTM legend Bernd Schneider led the way for lead-follows around Paul Ricard, and it was evident as soon as the hot laps began that he wasn't being paid to take it easy. The first version of the SLS AMG didn't hesitate to punish sloppiness or a lack of focus through a corner, throwing its back way out any time it was thoughtlessly provoked. That was brought under control a couple of years later when the suspension settings were revised for more compliance in the less rowdy settings, but it was still ready to do the pendulum without much need for coaxing.

The track setup on this day had Turn One as a 90-degree right-hander, another 90-degree right just 50 yards further that was a little more open, then a short straight to build up just enough speed that you'd have to hit the brakes hard for a 90-degree left-hander that went immediately into a 90-degree right and an increasing-radius left that led to a long straight, after which the rest of the track opened up into single- and double-apex high-speed sweepers left and right until the final tight right took you back onto the main straight.
That first sequence would have been at least four invitations to mess up the entire lap, and perhaps even your day and one of the press cars, in the original SLS AMG. On top of that, when we took the roadgoing SLS AMG out on the Autobahn just a few months ago, we found it to be a little nervous once deep into triple digits.

Both of those behaviors have been quelled in the SLS AMG Black Series. Strap into the non-adjustable carbon fiber buckets in the Black Series – we won't get those in the US, we'll get the traditional seats – and pull out onto the track, and the first two surprises are the thinness of the Alcantara-shod, flat-bottomed steering wheel and the lightness of the steering. For all its lightness, though, it is precise. We wouldn't complain about having to make more effort, but we've no complaints about what you can do with it.

Read more by Jonathon Ramsey at Autoblog.com

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2014 Porsche Cayman Coupe

Some cars — namely the really good ones — have it all together right from the start: the moment you fire the engine, select 1st gear and set off down the road.

The new, second-generation 2014 Porsche Cayman S is one of those cars.

But you don't have to wait until you've unlocked the driver's door, slid your backside across the heavily contoured seat and turned the key to discover just what a compelling car it is.

Even before we had drawn the frameless door open and climbed in, we already had an inkling that the new two-seat coupe had what it would take to build on the haughty reputation of its predecessor, still one of the finest driver's cars going some 6.5 years after it was added to the Porsche lineup.

This Porsche Cayman Looks the Part

Up close in the metal, the 2014 Porsche Cayman S is stunning. The overall design is significantly more mature than on the first-generation Cayman, with superbly executed elements such as the crease line running through the door and the automatically deploying rear spoiler — all set to be mirrored on the upcoming 918 Spyder due out in September. Its confident and self-assured stance make this Cayman look exactly like a sports car should.

As with the latest Boxster, the new Porsche Cayman receives slightly altered proportions that serve to give it a more cab-forward silhouette. Length is up by 1.4 inches to 172.4 inches, width remains the same at 70.9 inches and height drops by 0.4 inch to 51 inches.

The new Porsche also rides on a chassis boasting a 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase at 97.4 inches and the tracks have been pushed out by 1.6 inches to 50.1 inches at the front and 0.7 inch to 60.6 inches at the rear to provide it with a significantly larger footprint. The wheelhouses are also bigger to swallow the standard 19-inch wheels with 235/40 tires in front and 265/40 tires in back.

Porsche has also revised the construction of the Cayman in a bid aimed at offsetting the increase in dimensions with a reduction in weight. As with the new Boxster, the body is no longer made exclusively out of steel. Instead, it uses a combination of aluminum, magnesium and steel, which drops the overall weight of the car to 2,976 pounds, a 55-pound reduction versus the previous Cayman S.

The Flat-6s Remain

As with the first-generation Porsche Cayman, buyers have an initial choice of two naturally aspirated horizontally opposed water-cooled six-cylinder engines. The $52,600 Cayman base model receives a newly developed 2.7-liter unit complete with direct fuel injection that boosts power output to 275 horsepower at 7,400 rpm, a 10 hp bump up from the previous 2.9-liter base engine. Torque, however, drops by 7 pound-feet for a total of 214 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm.

The model driven here is the $63,800 Cayman S, which gets a revised 3.4-liter version of Porsche's classic boxer engine. Various tweaks to the induction system result in output numbers of 325 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Both engines come standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, although Porsche expects the optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters will prove the more popular choice over time: and with good reason. The latest software update has improved the quality and speed of its shifts to a point where it is now one of the best units of its type in any car. Purists will still hanker for the manual, if only out of habit, but the dual-clutch gearbox is now clearly the better choice, both in everyday and track-oriented driving.

A Livelier Feel

The 3.4-liter engine really does deliver the best of both worlds, providing for docile part-throttle traits in an everyday city driving environment and captivating liveliness when the conditions allow, particularly above 4,000 rpm where the camshaft profile is noticeably altered and it really begins to deliver.

Significantly, the points at where peak power and torque are delivered have risen by 700 rpm and 1,300 rpm respectively, endowing the revised engine with a slightly peakier delivery than in the old Cayman S. Its character hasn't changed in any great way, but there is now even more reason to explore the upper end. The best attribute, the one that sticks in your memory well after you've climbed out, remains the sound it makes at wide-open throttle. Changes to the induction and exhaust system have enhanced what was already a stirring soundtrack, providing the Cayman S with the aural attributes to back up its exceptional dynamic characteristics.

It is not supercar quick in a straight line, but the performance you get for the money with the 2014 Porsche Cayman S is rather compelling. Porsche claims zero to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds in combination with the dual-clutch gearbox and Sport Chrono package, which brings a launch control feature. This is 0.4 second faster than the old model and just 0.1 second shy of a similarly specified 911 Carrera, which runs the same engine but in a slightly higher state of tune. Top speed extends to 175 mph, achieved at the 7,600 rpm redline in 6th gear owing to the widely overdriven 0.62:1 ratio used in the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

A More Modern Chassis

With its engine mounted low down wholly within the wheelbase and the majority of its weight concentrated over the rear wheels, the Cayman has never lacked for traction. However, Porsche has seen ways to improve it. The new model receives a revised version of its predecessor's stability control function and, for the first time, an optional torque-vectoring system. It's capable of juggling the amount of drive being sent to each of the rear wheels as part of a rear locking differential that offers 27 percent lockup under load and 22 percent lockup under deceleration.

As with much of the new Cayman save for its driveline, the chassis has been heavily updated. It continues to use a suspension with struts both front and rear, although they have been redesigned, making them more compact, stiffer and better able to maintain a constant camber for more precise handling. The subframes to which the suspension is attached are also new, offering greater dispersion of shock throughout the body structure, which is claimed to boast an impressive 40 percent increase in overall rigidity.

Other changes include an improved optional active suspension management system. With four vertical sensors, it provides faster and more intuitive changes in damping control. The driver can choose between Normal and Sport, which provide moderate and higher damping forces, respectively. A bigger change is the adoption of electromechanical steering in place of the wonderfully communicative hydraulic-mechanical setup used on the old Cayman.

Bigger Size Doesn't Compromise Handling

The lingering concern was that in adopting a larger chassis — and with it larger wheels, tires and brakes — the Cayman may lose some of its valued intimacy. However, this proves unfounded. The new model is, if nothing else, more encouraging to drive, both in an everyday sense and close to its dynamic limit. There is a completeness to its handling repertoire that makes the new car special. In isolation it feels more engaging than the 911 Carrera, at least in Cayman S form.

The steering, for a start, is wonderfully weighted, if slightly lacking in ultimate feedback. But it is the chassis that really shines, as its actions are superbly responsive. There's proper compliance and it is never harsh, even on badly pitted pavement when the dampers are switched to Sport mode. You can feel the detail of the engineering that has gone into it with every turn of the steering wheel. The brakes, with optional 13.8-inch carbon-ceramic rotors grabbed by a new six-piston caliper up front and four-piston caliper at the rear on our test car, are beyond criticism, providing stunning stopping power at any speed.

This Cayman hasn't lost any of its ability to entertain, either. Switch off the stability control system and it will oblige, with progressive drifts there for the taking in the right conditions. It takes a fair bit of provocation to get the rear end to really step out, though. Could it handle more power? Of course, the chassis feels to have loads in reserve. Just don't expect the Cayman to encroach too much upon the 911 for outright firepower any time soon. Porsche policy has always been to keep the two firmly separated.

Read more by Andreas Stahl at Edmunds.com

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2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport

Isn't Maserati one of those brands we're always rooting for despite the odds? It's a whole lot like Alfa Romeo in this regard; we root and root for them to turn some magic corner that will signal a huge breakthrough with buyers and trigger a sweet reconnection with a glorious past of which we are so frequently reminded.

But the return to any true and powerful worldwide Ferrari-like glory just lingers out there, seemingly always a couple of years off. That the company is owned by Fiat is mostly a blessing, but it also engenders a set of sensitive political hurdles given the awkward banter between the Trident, the Biscione (the snake in Alfa's logo) and the Prancing Horse.

And then this Sport update to one of the two models built in Maserati's Modena precincts quietly emerges, we drive it as it really ought to be driven, and it's enough to have us cheering again. How can all the world not get behind a car so sexy as the Maserati GranTurismo and command people in that price bracket to buy the damned thing? It just seems wrong – and downright un-Italian – that such coercion isn't allowed. Yet surely the ongoing Maserati situation is the result of other things not going quite right beneath its corporate skin.

But we didn't want to think about all of that on our drive day. We wanted to drive the bells and whistles out of this 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport and have something approaching an irresponsible 1960s-style great time at the wheel. And we pretty much got it.

We were driving in and around Modena during the recent flurry of nasty earthquakes, too, so there was significant added drama in the air, and our thoughts go out to the locals. Our nearly 200-mile loop took us from the civilization surrounding Modena, Bologna and the straight-as-an-arrow A1 Autostrada, due south into what is a sports car wonderland of Apennine foothill driving. It is in precisely these sorts of off-the-radar areas where every great racecar driver of the 1950s and 1960s came for their truest form of over-the-road driving pleasure. All of history's great Maseratis were tested here in between exquisite coffee breaks.

This GranTurismo Sport is the model that replaces both the GranTurismo S and GranTurismo S Automatic in the lineup, so now there is just this Sport model in between the base GranTurismo and the heatedGranTurismo MC. The GranTurismo Sport arrives in North American showrooms soon after the European launch in July, most likely in September for us. (It's important to get these production launches started prior to the Italian August holiday when things essentially shut down for the entire month.) That the GranTurismo Sport is now more powerful than the GranTurismo MC and quicker to 60 miles per hour in acceleration runs gives us reason to scratch our heads over the MC's higher price tag. While the more rigid 444-horsepower MC currently sits at just a few cents below $140,000, the much-improved 453-hp Sport should start at a little above $130,000.

On the outside, the GranTurismo Sport adopts an approximation of the look introduced on the MC. Headlights and front airflow are the two big items addressed with full-LED daytime running lights and adaptive light control to illuminate curves with up to 15 degrees of steering angle at the wheel. And there is a new front splitter to increase aerodynamic efficiencies and guide more air to the compound metal brake discs for cooling. Other exterior touches include more pronounced side skirts and 20-percent darker tint on the taillamp lenses. This blue you see is the new color dedicated to the GT Sport, called in Italian "blu sofisticato," and the Brembo brake calipers can be ordered in the same color as well. The telltale Trident in the grille gets red highlights now, a Maserati tradition for marking its most powerful cars.

The new power front seats with integrated headrests and more sporting side bolsters are a thoroughly welcome upgrade, the previous thrones never seeming to us to be quite up to the mark. And, despite pooh-poohing comments from jaded journalists, the new flat-bottom steering wheel does help grip strategy and aids leg/knee room while dancing through the regions' hundreds of storybook curves. The entire driver's zone in the cabin is close to ideal for a GT experience in a vehicle this size. Meanwhile, rear knee room is nicely increased thanks to new concave front passenger seatbacks.

Regarding the existing 4.7-liter V8 engine now milked for 453 hp and 384 pound-feet of torque peaking at 4,750 rpm (increases of 20 and 22 units of measure, respectively), this widely shared multi-point injected engine has reached its peak and is wonderful throughout. This, despite teetering on the edge of being replaced by an all-new direct-injection turbocharged V8 beginning in all new Maserati models starting as early as mid-2013 with the newQuattroporte.

But this will not be a good-riddance goodbye; this naturally aspirated V8 built by Ferrari and employed by Maserati and in Alfa's 8C Competizione is an icon of power and sound. We will miss the Sport exhaust roar engineered by the Italians in partnership with Faurecia of Germany. In this latest guise, the roar is best in Sport with gearshifts in the manual MC Auto Shift mode, and we found ourselves leaving the windows open a lot just to hear the song and the five-percent quicker gear changes that waited for our command at the 7,200-rpm redline.

Those shifts from the six-speed ZF automatic gearbox are also as good as they'll likely ever get with such a setup, though things should improve when a ZF eight-speed comes online within the next couple of years. Regardless, we ceased whining about that as we hammered harder and harder over the hills. Keeping in mind that this isn't an all-out performance Ferrari, this six-speed torque-converter-equipped box is extremely well matched to this V8. We expect more in the future from the GranTurismo calibration allowed for North Americans, but it's damned fine right now. We still remember our first drive in the GranTurismo S back in 2008, it had those perfect long carbon fiber shift paddles attached to the column. They continue on here and remain the very best solution in the fingertip-shifting business.

We once again tried the six-speed automated manual Graziano gearbox, called MC Shift, and were once again reminded why the setup was a flop in North America. As it stands, less than 30-percent of buyers in world markets opt to have their GranTurismo thus equipped. The thrill is still there at high revs or on track days, but on public roads and in daily stop-and-go, this transaxle setup is simply too full of the yips and shunts to blend smoothly with Maserati's chassis and gentleman-GT image. North America stopped getting the gearbox imported after a brief test run in 2008, and we'll have to wait and see if there is a new, more sophisticated automated manual solution in store for next-generation Maseratis.

Read more by Matt Davis at Autoblog.com

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2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed

I'm travelling at the approximate speed of privilege. With the aluminum accelerator of the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speedburied to its neck in the high-pile carpet of the floorboard, the 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 underhood is at full boast. The 616 furious British horses pumping under that long, proud prow set the German countryside to frappé with breathless ease, and with the sprawling sheetmetal of the coupe settled comfortably onto its haunches in eager anticipation of ever more thrust, it's clear this machine is content to consume endless kilometers of Autobahn in wide-mouthed gulps. There's an open lane of unrestricted tarmac unraveling before me, and I'm keen to oblige every thread of temptation singing in my chest. The speedometer has just clicked past 165 mph.

At this clip, the new crown jewel of the Bentley war chest is covering land at the rate of nearly one football field per second. The white lines on the road are beginning to fade into a solid stream, and I'm suddenly aware of the increasingly rapid heartbeat whispering the truth of my mortality in my ears. There's no looking anywhere other than as far to the horizon as possible, but even with my eyes set to long-range scan, it's clear that if something goes wrong at this velocity, they'll be burying an empty box in the hills of Tennessee. That little bit of trivia makes it all the more disconcerting when an ambling Volkswagen Jetta strays into my lane for no other reason than to take in the glorious sight of me manufacturing a stack of bricks in the quilted-leather driver's seat of someone else's $228,600 supercar.

Save one very impressive underwater Lego fortress from my 11th Christmas, I have never wanted anything so badly as I want to bring this machine down from speed. I delve into the carbon silicon-carbide brakes on the 2013 Continental GT Speed with as much force as I dare, keenly aware of the dark hilarity that could ensue from introducing words like "panic," "stop" or "ABS" to this recipe. The nose of the big Bentley heads for the ground, but we're still closing the gap at an uncomfortable clip. The lub-dub in my ears ceases altogether, and I take a brief moment to hope my wife and her next husband spend my life insurance with the same gusto in which it was earned.

Despite our rapid deceleration, the Conti and I are still in imminent danger of punting that damn Jetta clear past the frosted tips of the Alps and straight into Mongolia, forcing me to cease my polite petitions for sensible speed and grab a foot-full of pedal. We are at threshold. My adrenal glands are humming the entire score of Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries at triple pace as the GT Speed wiggles its hips, claws at the concrete with physics-bending grip and settles in at 70 mph a solid 10 car lengths behind the Jetta of Doom. The driver calmly signals before wandering back to the right. At some point, I remember to resume breathing.

A top speed of 205 mph may seem impressive, but trust me when I say that feat isn't nearly as amazing as being able to capably deduct 95 mph from the speedometer on command. This is one hell of a machine.

It will take a keen eye to differentiate the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed from the rest of the Continental family. Subtle exterior tweaks like a new dark-mesh grille, 10-spoke 21-inch wheels and rifled exhaust outlets are just about all that set this machine apart from its more common kin outside. But the quiet changes betray substantial mechanical revisions beneath. It took Bentley three years to create the new Continental GT Speed with substantial tweaks to the machine's drivetrain, cooling system, aerodynamics, brakes and chassis. The result is the fastest production vehicle to ever wear the company's badge.

Indoors, buyers can expect to find new quilted door panels paired with drilled aluminum pedals, knurled shift lever trim and standard "engine sign" aluminum trim work. Our tester came with the optional carbon fiber veneer, and while the look befits the sportiest member of the Continental line, were it our money, we would prefer to see the company's superb wood trim work at play in the cabin. It takes Bentley's team of woodworkers 17-25 man hours to craft a matching set of wood veneer trim for Continental, and the finished product looks good enough to lick. Wood trim is a standard alternative to the aluminum gear.

Otherwise, the cabin remains the same sumptuous nest of the nouveau riche we've always known and loved. The full 9 to 10 matched bull hides are all in attendance from headliner to kick panel and everywhere in between, and the cockpit remains impressively quiet even well above the triple digit barrier.

While designers left the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed largely unmolested, the manufacturer's engineers allowed the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engine no quarter. The company scrapped the mill's old engine management system for the new Bosch ME17 platform. Capable of dishing out up to 180 million calculations per second, this new tech allows the big grand tourer to more accurately manage the engine's fuel system, turbochargers and spark for optimum power and efficiency. The machine's full 590 pound-feet of torque piles on from just 2,000 rpm and plateaus all the way to just past 4,000 rpm, while the breadth of the 616 horsepower steps onto the dance floor at 6,000 rpm.

Of course, big power and big speed require serious cooling, which is why everything behind the front fascia has been restructured. At full bore, the new GT Speed shoves the equivalent air volume of a mid-sized conference room through its radiator every second, which allows the machine to achieve its full 205 mph top end at ambient air temperatures of up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. With coolers for the transmission, differential and oil, the beast's nose is a busy slice of real estate.

Speaking of the transmission, Bentley turned to ZF to supply an eight-speed automatic transmission capable of ripping off shifts in the .1 second range. For comparison's sake, a traditional slusher can pull the same stunt in .4 seconds, while a dual-clutch unit can swap its cogs in around .2 seconds. Stick the shifter in manual mode, click through the awkwardly placed column-mounted paddles and the GT Speed will oblige with quicker-than-you-can-think swaps. Very impressive. More importantly, the box's logic allows the transmission to "block shift," or kick down up to five gears in a single step should engine and road speed allow. The result is a gearbox that's always ready to plant the full grunt of the big W12 on the machine's all-wheel-drive system.

The drivetrain can hustle the 5,115-pound 2013 GT Speed to 60 mph in a scant four seconds flat, and according to Bentley, the 100-mph barrier falls in nine seconds even. Each plunge of the accelerator is like beating Newton about the head and face with a sock full of pennies. Repeatedly.

Read more by Zach Bowman at Autoblog.com

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2013 Pagani Huayra

It feels wrong to be asking this question after another inspiring visit to Pagani Automobili in San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy: Where on Earth do they get the money to do all this at such a high level? The answer to this question is most certainly really long and, I would like to believe, swathed in at least a little dark intrigue. I'm also certain that it's none of my damned business.

For some reason, I never seem to find myself asking the same question after visiting Koenigsegg on the southwest coast of Sweden or Morgan in westernmost England. Even though Christian von Koenigsegg's operation comes closest in kind to what Horacio Pagani is doing, the Swedes do it with a very different attitude, and up north there is always that sense of a close-to-the-bone shop pushing to build the next pair of amazing $1.5-million Agerasupercars. As for Morgan, when I go there I am made so drunken by the artisanal works involved in building a $40,000 3-Wheeler that I just forget to even imagine anything as sobering as the company's finances.

Maybe my inquiring mind regarding Pagani is due to the fact that they plan on building 40 units of the Huayraeach year starting on January 1, 2013. That's veritable mass production for the Italians, and they've sold over 3.5 years' worth already. This, for a model whose base version starts north of $1.2 million.

Anyone accustomed to talking with car company bosses knows just how tight-lipped and distracted they can be. Horacio Pagani, at least when talking about his cars, is neither. You have to set aside around 90 minutes to take in all that he wishes to tell you about his Huayra, his new production facility and his family, all of which he is so proud. It's like an elaborate welcoming tea ceremony in a gorgeous desert tent, only with several exotic cars being assembled nearby.

This is to say, in order to properly test a Pagani Huayra, you must go to the northern Italian flatlands on Via dell'Artigianato (translation: "Handicraft Road" or "Craftsman Road") and soak in the heady perfume of inspiration. After all of this, the Huayra – just like the marvelous Zonda before it – does the rest.

I actually set off right from the delivery area at Pagani in a much-updated Huayra with the company's recently finished Track Pack in place, so this was theoretically the most aggressive model to date. Not like a Huayra without a Track Pack should be kicked out of bed for eating crackers, with its SAE-rated 720 horsepower peaking at 5,800 rpm and 738 pound-feet of torque flat-lining from 2,250 up to 4,500 rpm. Stated acceleration to 62 mph, or 100 kmh, is 3.2 seconds, top speed is marked at 224 miles per hour (Mr. Pagani tells us 230 mph), and confirmed constant lateral acceleration has been measured at 1.64 Gs. That makes the Huayra even more a racing car than the Zonda was, apart from the drool-worthy Zonda R from 2009 that pulled a 6:47 lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires – in the case of the Huayra, 255/35 ZR19 96Y front and 335/30 ZR20 104Y rear – get a hellish workout under any Pagani.

But at first I just wanted to ease my way down Handicraft Road and onto the S623 two-lane that would carry me south into the Apennine foothills wherein lays the ultimate Sportscar Funland. Huayra owners, most of whom are multiple Zonda owners and are like an extended family for Pagani (while also being a wealth of information to draw upon), apparently wanted hardcore shifting from their automated manual setup. Xtrac in the UK has been doing very lightweight and durable gearboxes for race applications for many years, and the Huayra is the first street car to carry an Xtrac 'box. It is a seven-speed unit with a single clutch and it's mounted transversely out back. They could have more easily gone with a dual-clutch setup, too, but that would have added at least 155 pounds to the running weight and adversely affected the car's dynamics. The other key item owners called for was light weight at all costs, so single clutch it was.

As this reworked competition gearbox meshed with the bi-turbo M158 6.0-liter V12 from Mercedes-Benz AMG in Auto mode, feisty Sport mode or full-on Launch Control, I was amazed that I wasn't beaten up more. Being bi-turbo certainly helps to soften some power transitions, but Xtrac works well with this seven-speed to avoid making the Huayra a tooth crusher. The engine, being an over-engineered AMG V12, can take out some of that gratuitous bite, too. All the same, it's not a Power Puff Girl four-cylinder in aVolkswagen Love Bug with a wagging four-speed shifter stick; Huayra shifts in the hairiest moments are forceful suckers and this, to repeat, has been engineered into the mix at customers' request.

As I was sitting in the carbon-titanium passenger cell structure with its rigid central backbone and trying to concentrate on the Huayra's very eventful drive experience, as in the Zonda, I was constantly distracted by the spectacle of the interior. There is a persistent debate over Horacio Pagani's particular sense of design taste, and the Argentine is by now comfortable with the controversy. Personally, I very much prefer this Huayra treatment over what was in the Zonda. Nonetheless, it does shine inside there. And then there is the herd of impeccable hides that cushion me and fill my senses with the odors of luxury. Sitting in the Huayra is like being inside one of Franck Muller's Aeternitas Mega 4 wristwatches.

Mr. Pagani is considered one of the true overlords of carbon fiber expertise, and he is the person most singularly responsible for the carbon fiber reputation of Lamborghini that today has swept over the entire industry to bring lighter weight and more rigidity to the masses. Looking all around at the carbon fiber work in the Huayra, the fibers everywhere have been perfectly matched like the finest hides that palm my backside. The workmanship is unparalleled. I also noticed that every one of the 1,500 titanium nuts, bolts and washers are not only torqued to the exact same orientation, they all bear the Pagani logo.

The payoff in all of this ostentation is that the Huayra also walks the walk in equally convincing fashion. The electrically assisted steering rack is treated just right and gives all the feedback you might want from this package. At the same time, unlike a 4,300-pound Bugatti Veyron, the 3,100-pound curb weight Huayra – without all-wheel drive – makes me want to attack all of these Apennine curves as though I'm in a tricked-outPorsche Cayman S. And in this sense, the Pagani Huayra is again still a slightly finer driver than the competing Koenigsegg. Its stunningly effective carbon ceramic brake discs help keep the weight off in the right places and make stopping or slowing feel like getting pulled from behind by another Huayra going the opposite way.

Read more by Matt Davis at Autoblog.com

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2013 SRT Viper

The Viper has always scared the hell out of me.

My aversion to the famed American sports car has nothing to do with its immensely powerful ten-cylinder engine or its Matchbox-like styling - those attributes are genuinely captivating. Instead, I have found little to like in a vehicle that is brash, coarse, uncivilized and untrustworthy at the limit. Rather than unload a slew of bitter complaints directed at each of its previous four generations, let's just say that the Viper has always represented the automotive equivalent of barbarous mechanical mayhem.

That is, until now.

After a three-year absence, an all-new Viper debuted at the 2012New York Auto Show. No longer under the Dodge umbrella, Chrysler's supercar returned wearing the new performance-orientedSRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand label. Despite its familiar shape and engine configuration, the completely redesigned coupe promised not only more power but better handling, superior craftsmanship, innovative technology and a world-class cabin.

While this may sound as if the automaker's halo two-seater has been tamed after being forced through politically correct manners and etiquette classes, my observation - after spending a couple days with the snake on public roads and at Sonoma Raceway - is that the iconic Viper may be much more refined and less temperamental, but it still has some of the longest and sharpest fangs in the segment.

The original 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster was one outrageous street car. Available only in red, each of the 285 copies was fitted with a truck-sourced 8.0-liter V10 engine developing 400 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. While raw performance was impressive at the time (0-60 in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of about 165 mph), the two-seater was about as domesticated as Paleolithic man. It not only lacked a roof, but windows and air conditioning too.

As the rest of the industry was embracing anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC), the Viper seemed to shun anything that would have resulted in even mild domestication.

Four generations of Dodge Viper would eventually be built (through July of 2010), Unfortunately, years of evolutionary changes improved performance but did little to tame its natural callousness – the old Viper was fast, but unfriendly to the uninitiated, uncomfortable on the road and very difficult to drive at the limit. Chrysler finally ceased production of its flagship in July of 2010, with the promise of a new super sports car diligently in the works.

Despite the three-year gap, the 2013 SRT Viper isn't an entirely clean-sheet design. Carried forward from its predecessor is its basic backbone tubular steel space frame, but it has been significantly upgraded with a sturdy-but-lightweight cast magnesium firewall and countless other tweaks including a new aluminum x-brace under the hood (overall, the new platform provides 50-percent more torsional rigidity). Bolted to the frame is a new carbon-fiber clamshell hood, roof and decklid (all are painted, but the woven material is easily viewed when the hood or trunk lids are opened). The door skins, and kick plates, are constructed from lightweight aluminum alloy. All told, the lighter materials have cut about 100 pounds off the weight off the new chassis.

The aggressive styling of the bodywork pays homage to the original Viper GTS Coupe (circa 1996), but is fresh and modern with bi-xenon HID headlamps (LED running lights) and diode-based illumination for the brakes and blinkers. The engineering teams worked very hard to ensure aerodynamics were optimized. The front splitter feeds air to the radiators and front brake ducts while an intake on the B-pillar feeds cool air to the rear brakes. A lift-reducing spoiler is integrated cleanly into the rear decklid. Overall, the drag coefficient is .364, as downforce took priority over sleekness. Interestingly, the '13 Viper coupe is shorter in overall length than the '13 Porsche 911 Carrera (175.7" to 176.8") – I'm guessing a betting man could score quite a few drinks based on that optical illusion.

Mechanically speaking, the Viper's specifications should rouse an automotive enthusiast to the point of giddiness.

Under the long hood is the automaker's famed naturally aspirated 8.4-liter ten-cylinder engine. Even though it lacks four-valve cylinders and direct injection, the updated 90-degree 20-valve sequentially injected all-aluminum engine features sodium-filled exhaust valves, forged aluminum pistons, a forged steel crankshaft and a lightweight composite intake. The wet sump engine has also been engineered with a swinging pickup in the oil pan to ensure lubrication under racing conditions (Pennzoil synthetic is now the factory fill, replacing Mobil 1). Burning premium unleaded gasoline, the V10 is rated at 640 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 600 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. (As of today, EPA estimates for fuel economy are not available.)

Mated to the front-mounted engine is a standard six-speed manual gearbox. Compared to its predecessor, the Tremec TR6060 has been improved with closer gear ratios and a shorter final drive (reduced from 3.07 to 3.55). While this arrangement may come at the expense of fuel economy, all of the gears are much more useable and top speed is now reached in sixth. A GKN ViscoLok speed-sensing limited-slip rear differential helps put the power to the pavement while a new short-throw shifter inside the cabin improves shift feel, accuracy and speed.

The suspension is comprised of cast-aluminum unequal-length upper and lower control A-arms, front and rear. Damping is fixed on the standard model, but there are two-mode Bilstein DampTronic shock absorbers on the GTS trim (more details on that in a moment). Both models benefit from engineering upgrades (e.g., the rear toe link has been moved forward of the axle for better tow control and improved stability). The steering is traditional, relying on hydraulic assist for its rack-and-pinion.

Braking is accomplished with 14-inch ventilated iron rotors at all four corners, each clamped by a four-piston monobloc caliper. An optional SRT Track Package upgrades the brake system with identically sized StopTech two-piece slotted rotors (iron friction surfaces with aluminum hats) to reduce unsprung weight and improve cooling under extreme abuse. The ABS system is now four-channel, a marked improvement over its predecessor's three-channel system.

Read more by Michael Harley at Autoblog.com

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Mazda MX-5 Miata Super20

The car you see above is the Mazda MX-5 Miata Super20, and as far as we know, it's the only one out on the road. Oh sure, people have been hotting-up Miatas since the little roadster's birth some two decades ago, but this Super20 is a hand-crafted Mazda original,first seen at the 2010 SEMA Show and the brought back out for the 2011 expo wearing the color scheme seen here.

It's very rare that we get to drive conceptual show cars outside of staged ride-and-drive events. Needless to say, when Mazda called and offered us a few days with its sweet little Super20 here in the Motor City, we immediately cleared our schedules.

Over the course of our week with the Super20, both Executive Editor Chris Paukert and I – Paukert being a second-generation (NB) Miata owner, for what it's worth – were able to flog the little yellow racer. Would this prove to be our favorite Miata yet?

Driving Notes

- First, let's get one thing out of the way: It's unclear exactly how much power is being produced by thesupercharged 2.0-liter MZR engine. Mazda's original press materials suggest somewhere around 250 horsepower for the Cosworth-supercharged mill – a full 83 hp more than the standard, naturally aspirated car. No torque specs were given, but it's easy to feel the extra thrust of power in the lower end of the powerband.

- "Despite having a lot more power, the engine is still working way too hard at highway speeds (a sensation amplified by the overly boomy aftermarket exhaust and lack of sound deadening). Time for a taller sixth gear," Paukert notes.

- Chris continues, "The ACT street clutch isn't as friendly in terms of modulation as the stock unit, but it's easy enough to get used to, and probably necessary considering the extra power the Cosworth supercharged MZR is kicking out."

- As for handling, having this extra grunt in the Super20 only proves how great the NC Miata's chassis is. The Super20 had no issues putting power to the ground with poise, still being immensely forgiving all the while. "It's enough to make one wish for an intermediate stability control setting with a broader degree of play," Paukert notes.

- This thing is a total attention-grabber, and not just because of the unique yellow-and-black color scheme. It's lower, wider, and looks downright mean because of it. Wherever we took it, the Super20 garnered all sorts of attention from people of all ages (and both sexes).

- We love the finger-pull door latches – paying a tribute to the ones used on the original NA Miata. A nice homage.

- Interior is your standard Miata fare, albeit with some suede inserts in the seats. That said, we'd love some more supportive chairs here, as the stock seats don't provide nearly enough lateral support, something we really noticed while flinging the supercharged Miata around.

- Weight has been saved throughout the car's interior, including the removal of the storage and roll bar compartment behind the front seats. A half-cage has been added, as well as a fixed hardtop. Notice how the fuel door release just sort of hangs outside of the center console.

- We won't fault the serious NVH issues of this car too much – it was designed to be a concept first and foremost, after all – but man, this thing is loud, and everything inside the car rattles. The fixed roof is no better for sound deadening than the normal soft top.

- All in, the Super20 makes us wish for a proper stripped-out track day special edition. An all-new Miata is still probably at least two years away, so a more hardcore version would certainly be enough to keep enthusiasts entertained until then.

Read more by Steven J. Ewing at Autoblog.com

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2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

A terrible wave of sadness engulfed me from the driver's seat of theAston Martin as its speedometer needle crept towards 130 miles per hour. My anguish only grew as the upcoming corner filled the windscreen. As my right foot pressed firmly against the aluminum brake pedal, I began to feel pity for the affluent owners of the all-new 2014 Vanquish who will never have the opportunity to wring their very capable super GT sports cars on a racing circuit.

Exiting the turn, the 6.0-liter V12 roared to life and I snapped back to reality - any trace of mourning quickly disappeared.

It is not anyone's role to decide how an Aston owner treats his or her motorized piece of art. Whether the aluminum and carbon-fiber machines spend their useful life serving as transportation for British royalty, stuck in LA Basin traffic at the hands of well-heeled CEOs or as the latest getaway car in a Bond film, short of writing the big check our judgment ends at the daydream.

But fantasy is reality in the world of automotive journalism, and this is why I am at NOLA Motorsports Park outside New Orleans running a $300,000 vehicle at speed.

After a five-year absence, the Vanquish has been revived. Yet its arrival, as a 2014 model, spells the end for the DBS, as the fresh new coupe will replace the outgoing vehicle as Aston Martin's new halo car (simultaneously, the Virage has also been quietly dropped from the lineup after a short two-year run).

Like all late-model Astons (with the exception of the Toyota-basedCygnet), the new Vanquish starts with an all-aluminum monocoque chassis that the automaker calls its "Generation 4 VH" platform – it has been upgraded several times over the past decade. Affixed to the lightweight, but extremely rigid, framework is an aluminum, magnesium alloy and composite body (every single body panel is now carbon-fiber). Compared to its DBS predecessor, Aston Martin claims the new structure is lighter and 25-percent more rigid. Furthermore, a full 75 percent of the parts are new.

The structure serves as an excellent platform for the adaptive independent suspension. Both the front and rear of the chassis is suspended with double-wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bars and three-stage monotube dampers (the driver selects between Normal, Sport and Track modes from the cabin). The brakes are carbon-ceramic discs with six-piston calipers (over 15.7 x 1.4-inch rotors) shared with the automaker's One-77supercar in the front and four-piston calipers (over 14.2 x 1.3-inch rotors) in the rear. The lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in next-generation Pirelli P-Zero tires in staggered front and rear sizes (255/35ZR20 and 305/30ZR20, respectively), while the steering is speed-dependent, rack-and-pinion with hydraulic power assistance.

Hand-assembled at the automaker's dedicated engine plant in Cologne, Germany, is Aston Martin's familiar 6.0-liter V12 engine. For its new role, the powerplant has been upgraded with dual variable valve timing, an improved fuel pump, larger throttle bodies, a revised intake manifold and fully machined combustion chambers (the automaker calls the updated engine an "AM11"). The result is 565 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 457 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm. The standard transmission is a rear-mid-mounted six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic and the rear-wheel-drive coupe is fitted with a mechanical limited-slip differential.

With an overall length of 185.8 inches, the Vanquish is almost four inches shorter than a Bentley Continental GT, but about ten inches longer than an SRT Viper. The Aston Martin and Bentley nearly share the same wheelbase and width, but the lightweight Vanquish undercuts its fellow British competitor by a whopping 1,282 pounds on the scale (3,833 pounds vs. 5,115 pounds). In terms of performance, Aston Martin quotes a sprint to 60 mph in just under four seconds with a top speed of 183 mph.

But the mechanicals are only half of the equation, as the cockpit of the Vanquish is every bit as stunning as the machinery under its vented hood.

The base price of $279,995 (plus $2,115 destination) delivers more than just a carbon-skinned aluminum tub with a powerful V12 - the occupants are pampered extraordinarily well too. The Vanquish is offered in both 2+0 and 2+2 configurations (the optional second row will only fit your friends if they are missing all limbs below the abdomen), but the wise choice is to go with the standard two-seater and use the space aft of the bucket seats for storing soft things that don't fit in the moderately sized rear trunk (it will hold a pair of golf clubs).

Pictures don't do the cockpit justice. Full-grain leather, Alcantara and polished aluminum cover every square inch with the exception of the gauges and windows (the aroma from the leather is intoxicating). Of course, there are full power accessories, heated seats, Garmin-based navigation, iPod connectivity, A2DP Bluetooth integration, Wi-Fi Hub5 and so much more as standard equipment, but lacking are today's latest innovations such as a high-def heads-up display, radar-based cruise control and infrared night vision. Truth is, none of those gadgets were missed.

For the most part, the options list is primarily limited to cosmetic appointments. These include wheel options (graphite, black, liquid silver and diamond-turned finishes), tailpipe finishes, carbon fiber accents and special colors. The "Cayucos Orange" coupe in the images features the must-have flat-sided "One-77" steering wheel ($1,000), difficult-to-maintain satin paint ($6,380) and full black leather interior. It wasn't my favorite (I personally preferred the glossy blue), but the unique finish sure made it easy to photograph.

The Vanquish instrument panel is noteworthy as it not only features a stylishly refined version of the One-77's dash, but new technology for the brand. Considering that previous Aston Martin dashboards have been rather ergonomically challenged (I called the layout a "smorgasbord of buttons and switches" in my 2013 V8 Vantage review), this is a big step in the proper direction. Overall, the configuration is slightly more logical (and consequently more pleasing to the eye) while introducing new capacitive glass buttons with illumination and haptic feedback. At the customer's request, Aston will do the center stack surround in carbon-fiber twill, carbon-fiber fishbone, Piano Red, Piano Black or Piano Ice mocha (that last color sounds odd, but is rather stunning in person).

Regrettably, I never had a chance to play with any of the new buttons, interface with the navigation system or hear even one single note out of the standard 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSpoke 15-speaker audio package, as our group spent the entire day at a racetrack.

NOLA Motorsports Park, opened just one year ago in Avondale, Louisiana, is an impressive new racing facility that will eventually have a five-mile road circuit (making it the longest race track in North America). Today, the park remains under construction, so our group was limited to its 16-turn North Track (2.75 miles in distance). The asphalt is absolutely flat, but the circuit is fast and technically challenging. With the exception of imminent rain, the track would prove enjoyable.

There was a pause after inserting the crystal key fob into its slot at the top of the console, as the electronics needed to perform a full system check. Given the green light, and less than one second later, the twelve-cylinder engine fired over and settled to a muted growl. The exhaust, also borrowed from the One-77, was subdued until the "Sport" mode button (on the 5 o'clock portion of the steering wheel) was pressed. Once its indicator light illuminated, the flaps opened and the exhaust took on a much angrier note. (The Sport mode not only changes the exhaust note, but also livens up the throttle and programs the Touchtronic gearbox to deliver 37-percent quicker shifts.)

Read more by Michael Harley at Autoblog.com

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