Acura officially debuted two new production cars – the ILX (pictured above) and the new RDX.  The ILX takes over for both the Canadian-market CSX sedan (Civic based), and will replace the US-market TSX sedan (Euro Accord-based) as Acura’s entry-level model.  Why don’t they call it the Integra?  Dunno.  Power comes from three sources.  The base model has a 2.0L I4 with 150bhp and 140lb-ft, linked to a 5-speed auto that will return 24/32 for mileage.  There’s a 1.5L IMA Hybrid from the Civic, with a CVT and EPA numbers of 35/38.  Finally, the top offering is a 2.4L I4 with 201bhp and 170lb-ft, with a 6-speed manual transmission.  The interior (right) looks pretty nice, too.

The RDX is also all-new, based on the new Honda CR-V.  The RDX ditches the unique 2.3L direct-injection turbocharged I4 engine in favor of a more traditional 3.5L V6 – the benefit being more power (now 273bhp) and better fuel economy.  It also gets a new 6-speed automatic transmission, and will be offered in FWD (20 city/ 28 highway) and AWD (19/27.)

Ford may want you think they’re concerned about hybrids, and electric cars, and electronic integration and all that crap, but really… Really, they just want to create tire smoke.  Lots of it.  Here’s the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible, which will allow you to douse your hair in rubber dust at the touch of the gas pedal.  Like the 2013 GT500 coupe, it sports a larger 5.8L 32v V8 with new Eaton TVS blower, good for a frankly astonishing 650 horsepower.  It also gets the carbon fiber driveshaft(!), 6-piston Brembos up front, and a twin disc clutch.  Sadly, it’s limited to 155 miles an hour – the coupe will do 200.  Quick: is there another 4-seat production convertible in the world that has more power?  I can’t think of one.

Meet the new 370Z, pretty much the same as the old 370Z.  You can’t really call this an update, because it’s not substantially updated – more like a facelift for Nissan’s basic sports car.  There are vertical LED running lights in the front bumper, a red reflector in the rear bumper, and new designs for 18″ (base) and 19″ (sport) alloys.  The fuel gauge gets dark trim (?) and there are two new exterior colors.  Power continues to come from the VQ37HR 3.7L V6; 332bhp in regular models and 350 in the Nismo model.  Nissan, when are we getting a boosted version?  Thanks.

GMC is refreshing the Acadia and Acadia Denali crossovers for 2013, with a fall rollout.  The front end is redone with a more upright grille and funky headlights to make it look more like the Terrain, and the back has new tail lights and wrap-around glass.  The interior has been improved with more soft-touch surfaces, French-stitched (what does that mean?) leather and ambient lighting, and there’s a new center airbag that pops up between the driver and front passenger now.  Expect similar changes to roll out on platform mates Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave.  Wasn’t Cadillac supposed to get a version of this too?

In the “Build that and I might buy it” category, we have the latest concept from Kia, the Track’ster.  Ditch the stupid name and we’ve got some potential here.  It’s a sloped-roof 3-door concept version of the charming Soul, and isn’t this thing cool looking?  It doesn’t actually share any body panels with the Soul, but you can tell they’re related.  The white and red two-tone paint job is interesting, and the chunky LED driving lights inset in the lower front bumper look the business.  The back is neat too – blacked out glass surround with LED “boomerang” tail lights, exhausts integrated into the bumper, air ducts, etc.

More interesting is the drivetrain.  The Track’ster uses the Hyundai/Kia 2.0L GDI Turbo motor (like the one I drove in an Optima and loved) tuned to 250bhp.  More interestingly, it’s linked to a 6-speed manual with an electronic AWD setup – so this could be a proper Korean hot hatch here!  Other mechanic bits of interest include 14″ 6-piston Brembos front and 13.6″ 4-piston Brembos rear, the chunky wheel arches with hugely staggered tires (245/40/19 front and 285/35/19 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2′s!) and the two-seat layout inside.  The Track’ster rides on an inch longer wheelbase than the Soul, and is actually 5″ wider – but I’d guess most of that’s in those fender flares.  The interior is nice too; leather and suede buckets, central gauge cluster, and bins behind the seats for tools, a fire extenguisher, a spare wheel.  I want one of these.  Kia, build it.  It would be like the Juke done right.

Karma bites Fisker in the ass.  Couldn’t resist the pun.  News came out recently that startup EV maker Fisker has laid off 66 people (26 in a plant in Delaware, 40 in their headquarters in California) because they missed the sales target imposed on them by the US Department of Energy, who gave them a $509 million loan.  Failing to meet those goals, Fisker had their federal funds frozen, so they have to cut back on expenses I suppose.  The Karma’s a cool looking car, but delays in it’s production lead to the missed sales goal.  Hopefully this resolves soon.

Finally, one last bit of news.  For 2013, Buick is making two powertrain changes to the Regal.  First is that their eAssist “mild hybrid” setup will be standard, meaning the regular 2.4L will be dropped – much like the larger LaCrosse, which has the 2.4 eAssist standard with a V6 as a no-cost option.  This will bump highway fuel economy up to a respectable 36mpg, with slightly better performance than the regular 2.4.  The other news is that for 2013, the high-performance LNF-powered Regal GS will be available with a 6-speed automatic in addition to the 6-speed manual.  Buick says the automatic does not impact the GS’s performance, posting an identical 6.7 second 0-60 time.  I’ll still take the clutch pedal, thanks.  Where does this leave the mid-level 220-horsepower Turbo model?  Don’t know.

To be totally honest, I’m more interested in Hybrid fuel economy than football.  Maybe there was something weird in the water where I grew up, or maybe I just agree with Ernest Hemmingway: “There are three real sports: mountain climbing, bull fighting, and car racing.  Everything else is just games.”

Regardless, I hard it find to fake enthusiasm for the Super Bowl.  This year some overpaid athletes in spandex played against some other overpaid athletes in Spandex for the title of something.  Yay.  But I don’t need to fake my enthusiasm for the advertisements.  Manufacturers spend vast sums of money to get ads in the superbowl; it’s the highest-viewed event every year in the US, but at $3.5M USD per 30-second spot, they try especially hard to make ‘em stick.

These are the car ads from this year’s Super Bowl -- some good, some not.  Check ‘em out, and let us know which was your favorite in the poll at the bottom.

Volkswagen’s always had good superbowl ads.  Last year it was the Darth Vader kid with the new Passat; this year it’s a dog inspired by the Beetle to lose enough weight so he can fit out the doggie door.  Adorable, and the cameo by Vader at the end is pretty funny as well.  I’d give it an A-

Is the fact that you can chuck one out of a plane supposed to make us think the Sonic’s a cool car?  Because it would’ve been a lot cooler if they’d skipped the parachute; just saying.  I give it a C.

Much better, nothing like a sarcastic pot shot at your competition while making fun of the Mayan Apocalypse prediction.  Legitimately humorous.  A.

I just wish Suzuki’s US sales were as good as their advertisements are.  This one’s for the AWD Kizashi, which is a pretty damn nice car.  An Eskimo trades his sled in for a Kizashi, with 50 cent as the background music.  I like it.

I was a fan of Fiat’s “Seduction” ad for the 500 Abarth when I first saw it a few months back.  It’s still quite good, substituting a metaphorical Italian hottie (her name’s Catrinel Menghia, and she’s actually Romanian -- here’s her twitter if you’re interested) for a 500 Abarth.  I can’t wait to drive one of these things.

I love Acura’s spot for the 2015 NSX.  Jerry Seinfeld is trying to get his hands on the first NSX, but someone else’s got it -- so he tries everything he can to trade.  Almost got it, then Leno steps in…

I’m starting to think Chrysler’s less interested in actually advertising their cars (some of which are actually quite nice) than giving us all a preachy economics lesson, which is obnoxious.  It’s less obnoxious when Clint Eastwood is doing it -- but only just.  They went through slightly more than $7m of ad money before showing us a Chrysler product; must be made of money.  Also, isn’t Clint more of a Ford man?

Kia’s ads are funny, when they don’t include Blake Griffin.  Your mileage may vary, but their spot for the Optima -- “A Dream Car. For Real LIfe” is amusing, if formulaic.  I’ll take a piece of the giant hoagie!

Kinda disappointing; Ferris Bueller should be driving a Ferrari, not a mommy-mobile Honda CR-V.  Literally: My mom has one.  Thumbs down.

Love Audi’s spot for the A7.  LED headlights kill vampires!  Perhaps this is a shot at Volvo, who sponsored the latest Twilight movie?

BMW might not be the only manufacturer who’s cars will read your texts to you, but so far they’re the only ones who’ve done something funny with it in an ad.  I like the honk censoring the swear word as he backs out of the driveway.

Speaking of BMW, why is Cadillac so intent on comparing themselves to the 3-series?  It’s cool that the ATS is basically an Americanized carbon copy of the 3, but maybe they could’ve focused more on why it’s better.

Heh.  Hyundai’s ads.  The Genesis 3.8 R-Spec can act as a makeshift AED if your boss has a heart attack while you’re on the road in the middle of no-where.

The other Hyundai ad was for the new Veloster Turbo, which I can’t wait to take for a spin.  Kudos to Hyundai for including tire smoke in both of their superbowl ads this year.  The premise is that while the Turbo is faster than a Cheetah, make sure when you let the Cheetah out you’re at a safe distance?  Thanks for the PSA, Hyundai.

And the last one.  I’m not sure if Cars.com was going for funny or creepy here, but I think they landed closer to “creepy.”

Which was your favorite car ad?  Vote in the poll below!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

What can you get these days for $30 grand and change?  Well, if you’re a sensible sort of fellow, the kind that wears slacks and a white polo daily, you could get a really darn nice Honda Accord.  To be specific, $29,755 (plus destination fee and accessories, etc) will get you a 2012 Accord EX-L with Navigation.  It’s got a 2.4L engine that makes some horsepower, leather seats, an electronic map to tell you where to go, and it will without a doubt run flawlessly with 0 issues for 10-15 years.  10-15 years of perfectly predictable, sedate, drama and fun-free motoring.

Seriously!  These cars last forever.  An acquaintance of mine works as a service adviser at a Honda dealer, and they recently got a 2006 Accord in for an engine replacement.  Did it need a new engine?  No.  But it was making a bit of lifter noise, the tensioners on the timing chain were on their way out, and the man wanted to give it to his son as a reliable car to tool around in for another 10-15 years.  Considering that this particular Accord had 335,888 miles on it – that’s an average of 67,177 a year! – I’d say it deserved a new engine.

Hat tip to Anderson W for the photo and anecdote

And I can appreciate the reliability and predictability of a car like that.  But dammit, we’re CarThrottle not Consumer Reports.  So what sort of insane, ballin’ exotic cars can you get for the price of that new, loaded, four-cylinder Accord?  Or even less?  Aren’t you curious?  Turns out for 30 grand, you can put all sorts of legitimate exotica in your driveway.  Should you?  Well probably not.  That Accord would be a better bet.  But let’s take a look anyway.  Humor me.

Bentley Turbo R

Actually, this one runs from base-model Civic money up to loaded Accord money.  But how tempted are you?

The Turbo R was the sporting variant of the Mulsanne, which went into production in 1985.  This was back in the day when Bentleys and Rolls Royces were really only distinguishable by the grille and badges, so the Turbo R was the first proper Bentley in some time – a car that focused on pleasing the driver more than the passengers.  It used the 6¾L pushrod V8 with a single Garrett turbocharger (introduced in 1983 in the Mulsanne Turbo) hooked to a GM TH400 3-speed automatic (later a 4L-80 4-speed.)  This was back when Bentley didn’t quote any specific power outputs for their cars (“adequate”), but it was estimated at somewhere around 300 horsepower and 480lb-ft of torque.  Of course, the Turbo R was a big car – 5300lbs, 208″ overall length, ginormous.

This was really the first post-war Bentley that lived up to the brand’s storied racing heritage.  In addition to the power, it had bigger swaybars, stiffer springs and shocks, a Panhard bar to keep the rear axle in place, and alloy wheels with wider performance rubber.  It was thirsty as a cruise ship, but it could do an honest 150mph.

Why would you want one?  Well, conspicuous consumption is frowned upon by the Prius set, which is a damn good reason by itself.  But the Turbo R is a combination of attributes you really can’t get in any car these days – except for the Mulsanne, which retails for $290,000 and up.  A huge car that’s not ashamed of being a huge car, it’s something like a Town Car with a massive turbo motor, and a wood and leather hand-finished interior.  Oh, that interior:  Lexus may be relentlessly pursuing minimal panel gaps, but there’s something about knowing the cow you’re sitting on came from the same country the car was built in, and that one guy spent hours making that seat, and polishing that wood.

Prices for Turbo R’s range from $16k to $40k on Autotrader, largely depending on the year.  One thing to keep in mind:  although the purchase price is low, like many exotics it’s just the entry fee.  Maintenance costs of an old Bentley are not for the faint of heart, with even basic maintenance parts sometimes costing 10 times as much as logic would dictate, if you can find the parts you need in the first place.  Still, come on: $16k Bentley.

Aston Martin DB7

What?  I can get a cheap Aston Martin?  This is the type of thing most people believe doesn’t exist.  There aren’t cheap Astons.  Even old ones: a 70′s V8 or DBS goes for big money.  A newer DB9 goes for big money.  Maybe one that’s been in a wreck?

Turns out, if you have 20-30,000 in disposable income, you can have a bonafide Aston Martin DB7.  Mind you, you won’t find many Vantages – the one with the howling 48-valve 6.0L V12 – for that kind of money.  But if you’re OK with an early DB7, housing a Jaguar-derived supercharged straight six, you may be in luck.

The DB7 was the first truly “new” Aston Martin in a long time, even though it wasn’t all that new under the skin: the underpinnings are a modified Jaguar XJ-S chassis.  Still, the 3.2L 24v I6 with a Rootes-type blower bumped out 335bhp through a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto, and you had your choice of Coupe or Volante (Cabriolet.)  These hand-built sports cars retailed for $140,000 for the hardtop, and $150,000 for a Volante when new.

Now, they’re a lot cheaper.  It’s probably due to the six cylinder being replaced by the much more powerful V12, but some six-cylinder DB7′s are changing hands for new Accord money.  On Cars.com, there’s a ’98 Volante, dark grey with only 12k miles listed for 20k.  There are also two coupes – one light blue, 18k miles for $30k; one British Racing Green with 35k miles for $35k.  You can even get early V12 cars for VW GTI money: a 2000 DB7 Vantage Coupe, British Racing Green, V12/automatic with 30k miles for $24,300.

The DB7 was never the darling of car mags – they all complained it was too squishy, softly sprung, had too much XJS in it.  At $150,000, sure, these are legitimate concerns.  At $20-$30k?  Hardly.  It’s a steal.  Hard to find, but a bargain when you do.  It would be safe to assume servicing and parts costs are astronomical (it’s still an Aston Martin), but can you buy much more posing power for that kind of dough?

Maserati Quattroporte

There’s just something about the Italian language.  Anything sounds sexier when you say it in Italian.  Take, for instance, the Quattroporte.  It’s a name that rolls of the tongue so well, so elegantly, and it means “Four Door.”  Could you imagine Ford renaming the Taurus the Fourdoor?  That would be ridiculous.  It’s even worse in German: “Vier Türen.”  Sounds all clinical and nasaly.  This says a lot about the difference between how Italy, Germany, and the US make cars.  When the US makes a big V8 rear-drive sedan, you get the Lincoln Towncar.  Or the Cadillac STS.  When Germany does it, you get a 550i or an E500.  When Italy does it, you get this big steaming pile of sex on wheels.  Unff, this thing is gorgeous.

The Quattroporte is tempting.  You’d have a stretch your budget a little more, though.  Searching for them on AutoTrader, there’s only two at 30k and under – and one’s wrecked, the other has 80,000 miles and probably needs a new engine.  But bump it up to $35k and there’s 16.  And at 35k, there’s a lot to desire.  The Quattroporte has its 4.2L V8 – a Ferrari engine, natch – mounted well behind the front axle.  The 6-speed “DuoSelect” single-clutch automated manual transaxle is mounted in the back, and the Q-Porte actually has a slight rearward weight bias.  By all accounts, it’s shockingly fun to drive for a big sedan, and there’s also that Pininfarina body and stunning interior.

Of course, it’s a big Italian sedan.  So, the opposite of an Accord.  Search Google for five minutes and the horror stories start popping up – the kind of bizarre problems that a 20-year-old Hyundai doesn’t have, and dealers that don’t know how to deal with them.  Alarming depreciation (to your benefit, at least!)  Terrible gas mileage.  At this price range, you’re looking at earlier cars with the DuoSelect automanual – which was replaced with a convention 6-speed automatic in 2008, with some cars getting it in 2007.  While not as exciting in theory, the later automatic is a much better choice for two reasons.  The jerky, clutch-slipping behavior of the F1-style transmission is at home in a Ferrari sports car, somewhat uncouth in a luxury sedan.  Also, those clutches don’t last long- some QP owners reporting 10-20,000 miles per clutch with parts and labor replacement around $6,000(!).

Still, if you want the absolute coolest big four-door you can get, with space for 4 people and enough pace and sound to blur the sports car line, something truly exotic with soul, this is your only choice.  Or is it?

Jaguar XJR

The Quattroporte’s English counterpart, if you ask me – the XJR is a painfully desirable car.  Some modern Jaguars have been a disappointment – The S-Type was a boring pud of a car, the X-Type was a joke, etc.  But Jaguar has built some fantastic vehicles since the Ford purchase.  While some people love the XK8 Coupe, with it’s svelte Aston Martin-like lines, for me the essence of modern Jaguar is the 1998-2009 XJR.  It’s got classic Jag styling – that long, low hood that wraps down around the quad headlights, the tight cabin covered in wood, leather, and wool carpet.  Subtly menacing, it’s a car that those in the know realize is badass.  And the ignorant just see an old person’s car.

The XJR is the sporting, attitude-laden variant of the large XJ line.  It arrived here in 1995, about halfway through the X300-generation XJ’s production run.  Power came from a supercharged, intercooled version of Jaguar’s AJ16 4.0L I6 – similar to that in the Aston DB7.  With 321 horsepower and 378lb-ft, it was the first forced-induction full production Jag- and the first in a long time that put the emphasis on speed and power.  When the X300 was replaced by the X308 in 1998, it took with it both the AJ16 inline-six, and the long running V12, both replaced by a new 4.0L V8.  Regular XJ8′s got 290 horses, and the Eaton-supercharged XJR got a healthy 370 and 387lb-ft, through a new 5-speed automatic.

The choice of them is probably an ’03-’06, called the X350.  Although it looked the same on the outside as the previous model, the ’03 XJ was all new – most significantly, it was lighter thanks to an aluminum chassis.  The AJ-V8 grew to 4.2L, and power increased to 390 horsepower/399 torque as well as gaining another gear in the transmission.  They facelifted this model ’07, not really changing anything substantially but making the front end look particularly awkward – “Margaret Thatcher in Reeboks” is the phrase I remember hearing.

Personality-wise, the XJR sits somewhere between the Quattroporte and the Turbo R on this list.  It’s more overtly sporty than the Bentley, but it doesn’t have a high-revving Ferrari motor under the hood.  The blown V8 puts out the majority of it’s torque at lower RPM (all 400lb-ft come at 3,500rpm), although it still has strong top-end pull as well.  New XJ’s have very modern cabins- a mixture of materials and textures, digital this and that, but the old XJ’s had none of that.  Just traditional Jag charm – J-gate shifter, wood everywhere, somehow much smaller inside than it looks outside.

Unlike the Bentley, Maser and Aston there’s a relatively large number of XJR’s available.  A search for XJR’s under $30,000 nationwide turned up 104 cars on Cars.com, and 177 cars on Autotrader.com.  These range from older model (6-cylinder) XJR’s in the 3-8,000 dollar range, up to ’05-’06 XJR’s with reasonable miles for around $28-29k.  Again, with these cars reliability is a concern, at least moreso than a mainstream family sedan, but they’re not nearly as much of a Lucas-smoke-filled nightmare as you’d assume.  Mechanically, they are fairly tough – it would be good to keep an eye on coolant levels what with the air-to-water intercooler, but the V8 and the six are both robust.  Electrical issues are still something Jaguar hasn’t entirely worked out, so keep a wary on on obnoxious stuff like airbag lights, power windows, ignition switches, etc.

Still, that’s a lot of cache for not a lot of cash.  However, if a big wafting sedan isn’t your thing…

Acura NSX

How about getting your hands on one of the most important supercars of all time?  The sports car that showed everyone else exotic and driveable weren’t mutually exclusive terms?  The car which Gordan Murray used as inspiration for the McLaren F1′s chassis, the first production car with VTEC, the first all-aluminum production car, and (so far as I know) the only road car with chassis input from Ayrton-freaking-Senna?

It’s a testament to the unending desirability of Japan’s first supercar just how expensive they still are.  It’s sorta nuts – these cars cost $70k new in 1990, and there are only a handful that dip below the $30k range, most with really high mileage.  Still, if you want to live the exotic dream, you have to pay to play.

I’m sure you all know the specs by heart- this is the NSX we’re talking about – but Honda’s aluminum wondercar didn’t change much over the years.  The car came out in 1991, with a transverse-mounted DOHC V6 (Honda’s only DOHC 6 to date) behind the seats equipped with variable valve timing, cranking out 270bhp and 210bhp of torque through a 5-speed manual.  1993 saw the addition of cupholders and a passenger-side airbag, a change from R12 to R134a refrigerant, and different alignment settings to reduce tire wear.  The manual transmission was revised in 1994 to reduce gear whine, but 1995 was a big year: it saw the introduction of the targa-roofed NSX-T, as well as power steering becoming standard.  The engine changed to throttle-by-wire and gained OBD-II compliance as well.  1997 was the NSX’s only engine update, with displacement growing from 3.0L to 3.2L by way of an increase in bore (now 93mm, instead of 90mm).  Power and torque rose to 290bhp and 224lb-ft, and the new engine was complimented by an extra gear in the manual transmission.  By now all regular NSX’s sold in the US were Targas, with the hardtop being special order only.  1999 was the year Acura sold the Alex Zanardi NSX, a limited edition lightweight model with a fixed roof, somewhat similar to JDM NSX-R’s.  The last big update was 2002, when the NSX switched to fixed Xenon headlights and got 17″ wheels all around.  Not that you would, but you could also get an NSX with an automatic transmission – they’re pretty rare, understandably – that had the 3.0L engine detuned to 252bhp.

The NSX is a purist driver’s car, relying on balance and agility rather than brutal turbo power (like many other 90′s Japanese sports cars), making it a satisfying track tool.  It’s also a totally reasonable daily driver: comfortable interior, good stereo, even reasonable gas mileage – you might look kooky commuting in an NSX, but there’s no reason not to.  And being a Honda, reliability concerns are few and far between.

Both the C30A (3.0L) and C32B (3.2L) V6′s use timing belts to spin the camshafts; these need to be renewed every 6 years or 90,000 miles.  Most NSX’s don’t put 90,000  miles on in six years, so it’s a good idea to change it to be safe – it’s an interference engine, so failure of the timing belt leads to wrecked heads.  The water pump should be done at the same time, as it’s driven by the timing belt as well.  Early cars (1991-1992) had an issue with a snap ring in the transmission; most have been fixed by now.  Minor things like window actuators can go bad, but they go bad on any car, so I won’t bitch.  Unlike a Ferrari, which needs an engine teardown every 30k miles to keep it healthy, there are people out there with early NSX’s breaking a quarter-million miles having never even removed the cylinder heads – these are reliable cars.  Other minor things include the O-ring on the VTec solenoid failing, cam plugs, and clutches wearing out early.  The biggest issue: that all-aluminum body means a huge bill if your NSX ever gets into an altercation with a stationary object.  Audi A8 drivers feel your pain.

Below 30k, your choice of NSX’s are mostly older and higher mileage – fixed-headlight NSX’s go for new Corvette money still.  Cars.com showed 8 below 30k, with the cheapest being a black hardtop ’93 with almost 100k on the clock for $22,500.  AutoTrader had more hits, with 27 cars – the cheapest of which was still $20,000, a 1991 with aftermarket modifications and 80k miles.  The best advice on an NSX – find one that’s been well cared for.  That stack of dealer service receipts is worth it’s weight in gold.  Otherwise, the toughest part is finding one the owner’s willing to get rid of!

So, if you decided to take the plunge, which would be your choice?  Did you feel I left something out?  Leave your comments below!

…oh, sorry, got caught up in Auto Show mode there.  I’m just glad we don’t have to deal with teaser images of a small SUV any more.  Look, I love auto show season.  Even after years of this, it still gets my blood going – who doesn’t like seeing new stuff for the first time?  But not everything that comes out at the auto shows are worth an entire article.  Thus, Car Throttle News Bites: Detroit Auto Show Edition.  If you missed the earlier coverage, you can find it under the Detroit 2012 Category.

Speaking of that Buick Encore, did you hear?  The Buick Encore is here!  Let’s get an Encore!  Buick’s small crossover debuted yesterday to the thunderous applause of… Alright, I’m stretching this.  The Encore is a tiny SUV, riding atop a stretched version of GM’s Gamma II architecture, so think Chevy Sonic or Opel Corsa.  Tiny?  Quite tiny.  A Sonic has a 99.4″ wheelbase and a 159″ overall length – the Encore is 100.6″ and 168.5.”  It’s pitched against other small luxury SUV’s like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.  Thanks to the transverse front-drive layout, it’s got more interior space than both.  Power comes from the same 1.4L Turbo EcoTec four-cylinder that powers the Cruze and Sonic, with 140 horsepower and 148lb-ft, hitched to a 6-speed auto.  It will come standard with front-drive, but AWD will be an option.  That’s great, but can we have an Insignia VXR shipped over here as a Grand National for Buick’s real “product renaissance” please?

Acura is another brand that’s trying to desperately re-invent themselves.  I’d say the sexy, high-tech NSX Concept is a great start, but they brought two other new products with them.  The new RDX (pictured above) is the second generation of the CR-V based luxury ute, and while the styling is familiar, under the hood is new.  Two things that have never really mixed: Hondas and turbos.  The old RDX was the only factory-turbo Honda in production, and despite decent power density (240bhp and 260lb-ft from 2.3L) it was a reliability concern – and a gas hog, at 19/24 for EPA numbers.  The turbo K-series is dropped in favor of a more conventional 3.5L J-series SOHC V6, which pulls off a triple crown of more power (273bhp), more cylinders (6), and better fuel economy (20/28).  It also gets a sixth gear in the box.  Although the looks are familiar, the new RDX is based on the fourth-generation CR-V now.  I guess my dream of a 2.3 Turbo Acura TSX isn’t going to happen.

Speaking of the TSX, this is it’s likely replacement.  It’s the ILX concept (can Acura go back to actual names now?  I know Integra is taken, but damn!), and it’s a preview of a new entry-level Acura.  Based on the current-generation Civic, this will leave a wider gap between the bottom Acura (TSX) and middle (TL) than before, when there was some overlap.  The ILX thankfully doesn’t look much like either the current Civic or the overstyled Acura TL; it’s actually an attractive design.  Word is the ILX will come with 3 powertrains.  First is a direct-injection 2.0L I4 with an automatic for base models.  The performance model (probably Type-S) will get the 2.4L VTEC 4-cylinder from the Civic Si/TSX, with a 6-speed manual.  And the ILX will be Acura’s first hybrid offering – with the 1.5L/IMA/CVT combo from the Civic Hybrid.  Can you believe Honda – the pioneer of Hybrid tech – has never made a hybrid Acura?

Honda presented the 2013 Accord Coupe Concept, which is an accurate preview of what the all-new 2013 Accord will look like.  Answer: somewhat disappointing, especially next to the new Fusion.  Still, crazy styling has never been the Accord’s forte, and that won’t change.  Like the current Civic, it looks more like an evolution of the outgoing model than something entirely new.  No weird rocket turbines under the hood either.  The base engine is a revised version of the 2.4L K-series, now with direct injection and a CVT (sigh), rated at 181bhp and 177lb-ft.  The 3.5L V6 remains, with 6 speed manual or autos.  Honda says the V6 makes more power (not how much), the auto gearbox gets another ratio, and V6/Autos will get cylinder shutdown.  At least you can still get a torque-steering V6/6spd coupe.  Bigger news is the Accord Plug-In Hybrid.  It uses a 2.0L Atkinson I4 combined with a 6 KwH lithium ion battery and a 120 Kw electric motor, putting power through a CVT.  This is Honda’s first parallel hybrid: that is, it can move on electric, gas, or combined power.  (Previous Honda hybrids just had the electric motor assisting the gas, basically).  They claim 10-15 miles on all electric power up to 62mph, and some quick recharge times: 4 hours on 120 volts, or 1.5 hours on 240 volts.  It’s no new S2000, but Honda’s gotta keep up with the Joneses.

With the new Fusion comes a new Lincoln version, called the MKZ.  Lincoln showed the next-generation MKZ concept today at Detroit, as an attempt to revive any kind of interest in the moribund Lincoln brand.  Compared to the Cadillac ATS (the MKZ’s likely competitor), it’s a bit of a weak showing – but at least the styling is noticeable now.  As to whether it’s in a good way, I’ll leave that up to you – but I think they should be doing something besides “make the baleen grille bigger” if they want to attract buyers.  Good stuff?  the Genesis-esque swell of the front end, stretched green house (terminating nearly at the end of the decklid), the panoramic glass roof, those pronounced “shoulders”, and the clean rear end.  The MKZ concept is an inch wider and 5″ shorter in wheelbase than the current version – giving it a squat stance that would look really nice without all that chrome.  The interior has the latest high-tech Ford stuff: a 10.1″ TFT display in the cluster, an 8″ touch screen in the dash, a push-button transmission(!), and poplar wood and satin metal trim with two-tone leather.  No word on powertrain – it’s “based on a new midsized sedan platform,” so it’s a Fusion, and FWD or AWD will be available.

In their continued attempts to scare off the enthusiasts that continually shout the brand’s merits to anyone who will (or won’t) listen, Volkswagen is introducing a Jetta Hybrid.  If you’re wondering “Why would they do that, they have a Jetta diesel?” then you’re not alone.  The gas-electric version of the milquetoast new Jetta is powered by a 150bhp 1.4 TSI engine, combined with a 20 Kw electric motor fed by a 1.1 KwH battery.  It uses a 7-speed twin clutch ‘box with decoupling, which allows the Hybrid to run on gas, electric, or both.  By the numbers: 170 combined horsepower, 1.3 miles on pure electric power up to 44mph, 220lbs heavier than a normal Jetta, 0-60 in around 9 seconds, and 45mpg (US) average fuel economy.  Sounds like a more complicated Prius; I’ll pass.  Why wouldn’t you just get the diesel?

Slightly goofier (and a lot cuter) is the E-Bugster concept.  Just the name is adorable.  The E-Bugster is a new Beetle with a chopped roof, A-pillars, blanked out rear windows, and an electric drivetrain.  Called E-Blue Motion, it’s a 114bhp (85kW) electric motor up front, and a lithium-ion battery in the back.  It’ll take 120 or 240v charges, can do 100 miles on a full charge, and if they make it, will be filling up parking lots at a Whole Foods near you soon.

Audi brought a concept and some news to Detroit. The concept is called the Q3 Vail.  The Vail is named after the ski resort by the same name in Colorado – so this Q3 is a winter-sports themed concept version of the production Q3 compact SUV.  The biggest difference between it and the normal Q3 is under the hood:  the 2.5L turbo I5 from the RS3 takes the place of the normal 4 cylinders, putting out 314bhp and 295lb-ft through a 7-speed twin clutch and AWD.  There are some other neat add-ons: what looks like an Audi-designed coffee mug in the cupholder, some flashlights mounted in a charging station in the back, and roof racks with wide-angle lighting up top.  I could dig an RS3-powered SUV; it would be pretty great for bombing around a ski town!

News?  Well, Audi will be bringing the A4 Allroad (pictured) to America next year.  The Allroad is an off-roady version of Audi’s regular wagons; the last one they sold here was the A6 Allroad in 2005.  The Allroad will be replacing the Avant in the US lineup, which brings light to an alarming trend:  manufacturers are slowly replacing their wagons with pseudo-off-roaders, even wagon stalwarts.  Audi won’t sell the Avant here, Subaru replaced the Legacy Wagon with the Outback, and we aren’t getting Volvo wagons much longer- the V60 doesn’t come here (though the dealer would be happy to sell you an XC60) and the regular V70 and V50 won’t be around soon.  Still, the Allroad is a pretty cool wagon – it will come standard with Quattro, a 2.0T, and an 8-speed automatic.

The other Audi news?  The brand will sell a version of the A8 large sedan in the US next year with the oddly-named 3.0T V6, which is most definitely supercharged.  This same engine is already under the hood of other cars in the US (S4, A6, Porsche Cayenne/Panamera Hybrid), and it will be sold in high-output form in the A8: 333bhp and 325lb-ft.  The A8 3.0T is the first six-cylinder A8 Audi will sell in the US, but with Mercedes and BMW both selling six cylinder versions of their largest sedans again (740i, S400) it makes some sense.

Hyundai’s stand featured two performance cars: the new turbo version of the Veloster (above) and the updated Genesis Coupe.  The nifty Veloster hatchback/coupe/thing has been met with a pretty resounding “meh” by the press, mainly for being about 25% as fun to drive as it is to look at.  Hyundai is looking to rectify that with the Veloster Turbo, aiming directly at fun-to-drive stuff like the Golf GTI and Mini Cooper S.  On paper, there’s a lot of promise – but the same was said about the regular Veloster.  Hardware?  The Turbo retains a 1.6L engine, which is boosted to high hell.  Direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharging, and a free flowing exhaust add up to 201bhp@6,000rpm, and 195lb-ft from 1,750-4,500rpm.  The Turbo will be available with a 6-speed manual or automatic, and Hyundai says the 3-pedal will do 27/38 for fuel economy numbers – handily beating the Si, GTI, and Cooper S.  There’s a more aggressive front bumper and foglights, turn signals in the mirror, and special wheels to differentiate it from the normal Veloster.

We’ve talked about the updated Genesis Coupe before, but Detroit saw the official debut of the facelifted, more powerful 2013 model.  The biggest outside change is the new front clip, bringing it more in line with the styling of the rest of Hyundai’s current range.  There are also LED taillights.  The bigger changes are under the hood: the 2.0L Turbo base model jumps from 210 to 275 horsepower, and 223 to 275lb-ft torque.  The 3.8L V6 now has direct injection, and is rated at 348 horsepower and 295 lb-ft torque now.  Both models have standard 6-speed manual transmissions, with a new 8-speed automatic optional.  Hyundai says the new 3.8L Genesis Coupe will hit 60 in the low 5′s – right quick.  Other changes include interior refinements, recalibrated suspension, and a shorter steering rack ratio.

Photo via carscoop.blogspot.com

Chrysler brought a few other things to Detroit in addition to the new Dodge Dart.  That bizarre looking thing above is the Chrysler 700C concept, based on the underpinnings of the current Town & Country minivan.  It’s supposed to show the future of the minivan – assuming that the minivan actually has a future seems pretty bold, but it’s a pretty well-styled concept.

The Chrysler 200 might just be a rehashed Sebring with a nose job and new interior, but at least Chrysler’s trying to drum up some interest.  This is the Chrysler 200 Super S by Mopar, a concept showing off some of the factory accessories for the 300′s little brother.  It’s basically a body kit with some black satin trim, coilover suspension (on a 200?), and intake and exhaust mods.  If it’s got some Dre Beats speakers, Eminem would probably approve.

They also brought two concept Chargers to Detroit.  Pictured right is the Redline, which will be a three-stage upgrade package for the large sedan from Mopar.  (I guess since Saturn’s dead they don’t mind the stolen name?)  Stage 1 is cosmetic stuff and wheels, Stage 2 includes a strut tie bar, cat-back exhaust, and brake upgrades.  Stage 3 sounds like the most fun, with a non-street-legal Mopar 426(ci) Hemi crate motor.  This 7.0L V8 is a punched out version of the 6.4L SRT V8, with a hot cam and trick cylinder heads good for 590 horsepower.  Om nom nom.  The other is the Charger Beats, with – you guessed it – a “Beats by Dr. Dre” Stereo.  Fabulous.

And finally, by far the most exciting debut at Detroit – or at least, moreso than the Buick Encore – is this sick lawn tractor.  Called the Craftsman CTX, it’s the Sears brand “luxury” tractor, with amenities like cupholders, power steering, a push-button deck adjustment, and a blistering top speed of 8mph.  It’s appearance at NAIAS is just a publicity stunt by Craftsman, but an amusing one.  That is, except to GM bigwig Bob Lutz, who was not amused – he said “It’s an automobile show, stupid, not motorcycles or garden implements.  What’s next? Plumbing and bathroom fixtures? A Toto-toilet stand? An Art Van furniture stand?”  (Reuters).  Geez Bob, chill out.  Rumors that the CTX would have an optional LS9 V8 from the ZR-1 Corvette were apparently unfounded.  Hopefully Craftsman will realize soon the ultimate tractor luxury is burnouts.

Japan introduces two competing sports car concepts at Detroit.  What is it, 1989 again?  The Lexus LF-LC and the Acura NSX are both fighting for the spotlight at Cobo hall.  But really, a new NSX?  Can this be for real?

The original NSX is still a high-water mark in sports car development.  For a company as conservative and reactive as Honda, it’s really still shocking that they developed and made it, much less that they kept a loss-leader like the NSX in production for 15 years.  The NSX showed the world a lot of things about sports car.  It was the world’s first exposure to VTEC, or variable valve timing, something we now take almost entirely for granted.  Back then, the high-cam wail of the NSX was totally foreign, an exotic wave of the future.  The NSX set the standard for sports cars in a number of ways, some which sent Ferrari back to the drawing board – after the mediocre “Testarossa Jr.” 348ts, we got the F355.  Things like aluminum construction, a driving position designed around a human being, and driveability and reliability that were no different than a mainstream Honda – Ferrari couldn’t deal with the real-world no pretense nature of the NSX.  It was a car built to be fantastic, not built to be a Ferrari.  Gordan Murray cited the NSX as his inspiration for the Mclaren F1′s ride and handling characteristics.  Praise doesn’t come much higher.

And the driving experience – well, the NSX has input on the chassis setup from a guy named Ayrton Senna.  And Japanese F1 driver Satoru Nakajima, and another guy named Bobby Rahal.  While other sports car entertained with their wayward handling – the 911′s tendency to kill you when you let off the gas, the Corvette’s to kill you when you got on it, and the Esprit/Ferrari’s to kill you if you sat in them – the NSX offered neutral handling, predictable responses, and immense performance.  That’s why people today are drooling over the 22-year-old NSX, but not many people remember the 348.  It reset the expectations, and it was so good people kept buying them for 15 years with just the most minor of revisions.  But then it stopped.  2005 rolled around, the last NSX went through the doors, the end.  Sure, there was the Advanced Sports Car Concept at the 2007 Detroit show, with it’s front-mounted V10 and AWD, which eventually turned into the HSV-010 GT race car.  But no road car.

This new concept NSX is promising, though.  Not without reservations – we’ll get to that – but it’s a sign of the resurgence that Honda’s been talking up.  It might not be simply a modern-looking NSX; it’s different in a lot of ways, but it might be the paradigm-shifting culture shock that it’s dad was.

For starters, it sure looks like an NSX.  We’ve actually seen this before:  the pictures of the prototype NSX Roadster that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is driving on the set of the new Iron Man movie are remarkably close to the coupe presented here.  It doesn’t have the elegance of the original, but nothing else does.  The front end is all knife-edged and multi faceted and angry like most modern Acuras, but the rest of it has an organic, flowing shape to it.  Good looking car.

The most interesting thing is what’s under the skin.  While the original NSX relied on a naturally-aspirated V6, a manual, and RWD there’s a lot more going on here.  The rear wheels are powered by a “next-generation VTEC V-6 engine with direct injection” – through a dual-clutch automated manual, with a built-in electric motor.  But wait, there’s more – each front wheel has it’s own electric motor as well.  Honda calls this setup Sports Hybrid SH-AWD, and it’s pretty clever.  The individual front electric motors can provide positive or negative torque to each wheel to correct mid-corner handling – giving the same effect as an e-diff but with electric motors.

The idea is provide supercar performance (and admittedly, the thing will probably be a rocket with a high-tech V6 and three electric motors and through the road AWD) with a nod towards environmental responsibility.  And Honda’s a company that knows a thing or two about the green angle, so I tend to believe them.  As an automotive purist who’s a fan of the “that’s unnecessary, remove it” mentality, this isn’t an NSX.  An NSX is a simple, lightweight, mid engined aluminum sports car.  This new concept makes an R8 V10 seem simple by comparison.

But looking at what the original NSX represented – the car that reset the supercar convention – then this could be a fitting replacement.  It could be the sports car that shows the rest of them you can pull 3-second 0-60 times and get good gas mileage with minimal emissions.  Honda is, and always has been above all else, an engineering company.  I’d say this is a trick piece of engineering.  The company says the new NSX should go into production within the next three years, developed by Honda America R&D and built in Ohio.  Stay tuned – this could be interesting.  Gallery with press photos below!

Photos by Kanishka Sonnadara

In order to keep you, our reader, more abreast with current news without taking up an inordinate amount of your time, I’m introducing this column – “News Bites.”  One paragraph and picture per topic of today’s automotive news.  One article.  If we were a paper publication, we’d say we were going green.  Let us know what you think!

Fiat has dropped a load of new photos of the 3rd-generation Panda supermini today.  This pint-sized product (which I still believe Fiat should be selling in the US pitched against the Fit, etc) debuted at the Frankfurt show in September, and is going on sale next year.  Engines are all tiny, ranging from an 800cc TwinAir 2cyl up to a 1.3L diesel.  Full high-res gallery here.

Dodge’s replacement for the Caliber, the Dart, is less than a month away from it’s official reveal.  Dodge has been playing the teaser game the best they can with a fuel-sipping compact car, and now we’ve got a full CGI teaser shot of… the dashboard.  You can’t see the shifter, which will surely display “P-R-N-D-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1″  – right?  Anyway, we can see a push-button start, a small display between the speedo/tach, the touch-screen HVAC/stereo display, and that odd glowing ring around the instrument panel.  It actually looks pretty nice – but I’ll wait for pictures of the real thing to judge it first.

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, apparently wants to add a smaller hatchback to their lineup.  This is likely in response to cars like the Lexus CT200h, Audi A3, and BMW 1-series hatch – and perhaps the upcoming Acura ILX (see below.)  Styling will likely be based on the Etherea hatchback from the Geneva show this year (above), but the underpinnings will be from… the front-drive Mercedes Benz A-class.  The world is indeed getting smaller.  Although, the A-class’s clever DI/Turbo four cylinder and 7-speed DCT with an Infiniti (read: attractive) body and interior doesn’t sound like a bad combo.  Apparently a design should be signed off on by January, and a fall debut is the target.

Acura is apparently planning a big booth at the Detroit show this year, and there’s a lot of news.  Sadly, being Acura, none of it’s interesting.  First of all, there will be blood: something with four doors in the Acura lineup is getting an axe to the neck.  One of the models Acura will be introducing at Detroit is called the ILX (about which I could launch an hour-long rant on the stupidity of acronyms.)  It will be an Acura-ized version of the 9th-generation Civic (much like the CSX, pictured above, strangely only sold in Canada) and will likely take the place of the TSX.  The ILX will widen the size/economy gap between the small (TSX) and medium (TL) Acura sedans – the TSX being a European Accord, the TL being an American Accord – and should come with 1.5L Hybrid, 2.0L 16v DI, and 2.4L engine options.  More Acura news?  A redesigned RL sedan, a facelift (likely a move to the new CR-V chassis) for the RDX mini-ute, and the debut of a 2nd-generation NSX Concept car.  Which will be a 4WD electric-hybrid with a twin clutch automatic.  Acura… sigh.

Mini has apparently realized that everything can benefit from more power.  When I reviewed the Countryman S a while back, I was impressed by it’s interior flexibility and capable chassis.  I was nonplussed by the odd styling, and disappointed by it’s lack of power – even in it’s fastest form, the FWD turbo Countryman S with a manual.  177bhp is enough for a regular Cooper hardtop, but it struggles a bit to move the Countryman’s additional 400lbs of mass.  Praise be to JCW!  No, not JC Whitney, the people that will almost always send you the wrong parts in the mail.  John Cooper Works.  Mini is rumored to be bringing a Cooper Works version of the Countryman to Detroit, likely with the same 208bhp turbo engine that graces the rest of the JCW range.  With AWD and a manual, the Countryman JCW should blast to sixty in less than seven seconds.  A proper AWD hot hatch, then?  We shall see.  You know how I love test driving Minis.

Ford Focus related news of two varieties today!  First up is the Focus ST-R pictured above, which Ford announced today will be priced at… wait for it… $98,995.  What?  The ST-R is a stripped-out, track-ready version of the Focus ST that is soon to arrive on our shores.  The ST-R is a turnkey, ready-to-go racecar that can run in Grand Am ST, SCCA World Challenge TC, and a number of other touring-car series.  It’s got a full roll cage, track suspension and brakes, a track-ready 2.0L turbo engine, and a bunch of other race goodies.  Less exciting Focus news?  The Focus Electric has been rated at 100 MPGe, which is a confusing electric mileage rating you can read more about here.  That makes it the highest MPGe-rated five-seater, which must be exciting to some people.  Apparently the main benefit of the Focus Electric is that it will take a full charge on 240v in about half the time needed for a Nissan Leaf.  I still don’t want an electric car, though.

And finally, via the Daily Mail UK, here’s a picture of actor Richard Dean Anderson peering under the hood of his (C5) Audi Allroad Quattro while he waits for roadside assistance.  Now, I’m not one for celebrity news – I don’t care what magazine Lindsay Lohan is posing as a Marilyn Monroe wannabe for.  And a broken-down Allroad is not surprising – what with the twin-turbo 5-valve V6, 5-speed automatic, torsen AWD, variable ride-height air suspension, and all the other various mechanical malarky Audi shoved into that car, it’s not reliable.  At all.  But Anderson is best known for his role as MacGyver.  The TV hero who was known for fixing things with a paper clip and a stick of gum?  Hell, MacGyver has become a verb these days – meaning “fix a complex problem with a simple solution.”  If any car needs MacGyver-ing, it’s an Allroad Quattro.  I am so disappointed.  To make this more relevant: Audi is going to be selling the current A4 Allroad Quattro here next year, with the 2.0T/8-speed auto/Quattro drivetrain.

If you like News Bites, let me know in the comments section below.  If you have ideas for how to improve it, I’d like to hear those too!  Till next time.

I’m back in North Carolina now, where you can swing a dead cat without hitting a Bentley.  On one hand, it sucks.  I like seeing exotics constantly.  On the other, it’s nice that exotics remain exotic. I walked around LA the whole time with my camera around my neck for you guys – so I’ll continue now with day two and three of car spotting in LA.  Hope you enjoy it!

Classic cars, especially older Japanese cars, seem to have a much longer shelf life in California’s relatively mild, dry climate.  This 240Z would have a lot more rust bubbles over here in North Carolina.  I could do without the period window louvers, but YMMV.

You could do worse for your commute than driving an early Acura NSX up the 405 in LA.  These cars are still so pretty after all these years.

Here’s something that never actually existed: a Ford Edsel Ranchero.  The ’58-’60 Edsel was mechanically similar to the same era Fords, so grafting an Edsel front onto a Ranchero isn’t especially complicated – still unusual!

Heading up into the Hollywood hills (hey, gotta see the sign – tourist and all that), the cars parked alongside the mountain houses are far more eclectic.  Beverly Hills is all about the latest flashy so-and-so, big Bentleys and Maserati’s littering the asphalt.  Up here, you see more interesting stuff: like this original, and very brown 911 Targa.

I hear all the time how Porsche’s Panamera is one of their best-selling and most profitable cars.  Around Raleigh, I don’t see how – they’re thin on the ground, far outnumbered by Boxsters and Caymans.  In the Hills (of Beverly!) the Panabananarama is Taurus-like in it’s ubiquity.  They’re everywhere.  Here’s a mean black Panamera Turbo parked curbside.

Welcome to West Hollywood.  Here’s a Veyron and a Mercedes SLR McLaren in matching matte-white.  Cameo by an Audi R8 in the background.  They were both sporting Luxury4Play stickers, of course.

A Bentley Turbo R parked curbside in front of Charles Agapiou Bentley/Rolls Royce sales and service.  There will be a feature on this dealer (as well as another one nearby) coming up after this.

An Aston Martin DB7 Vantage in a valet lot in West Hollywood.  So gorgeous.

Merc’s SLS AMG Gullwing looks a million times lower, wider, and meaner in traffic than it does in press photos.  Oh my goodness, this car has the presence of a torch-wielding mob.

The popularity of AMG Benz’s in LA is pretty wild.  Far moreso than S-Audi’s and M BMW’s, they’re everywhere.  Here’s a W211 E55 AMG Supercharged rumbling through traffic.

A Jaguar XJ looks right at home in West Hollywood traffic.  check out that Austin Healey too!

Judging by how many Maseratis you see around LA, it’s safe to assume Maser/Ferrari salesmen have no trouble making their boat payments.  Jeez.

It’s not just about horsepower, though.  EV’s and Hybrids are huge.  The infrastructure in LA is a lot friendlier to the all-electric Nissan Leaf, with plenty of charging stations as well as dedicated EV lanes on highways.  I saw more Leafs in three days in LA than I have since they came out in NC.

I took some time to sit outside a coffee shop in Santa Monica and snap traffic that went by.  Not surprisingly, it’s pretty nice.  I heard this clean LT1 Camaro SS at least a block before I saw it.

Aston Martins may not be the fastest, or the most-high tech, or the most reliable, or the most anything technical in the supercar realm.  But they are the sexiest, and the best-sounding. I believe this was a Virage, but at speed I have trouble telling them apart.  Bad journalist.

The Evo X goes down the crowded street with the characteristic bark, crackle, whistle and pop of a highly-tuned turbo car – wonderfully out of the mould in Santa Monica.

A bright red GT-R waiting to turn, before unleashing first-second-third in rapid, growling succession.  I think he saw the camera and was either showing off or not wanting his picture taken.

A big Mercedes-Benz CL Coupe.

Not an X5M, but he had me fooled for a second.  BMW SUV’s are just as popular here as you’d imagine.

A Defender 90?  Where is he going off-road?  Still cool to spot in the states.

An ever-so-slightly blurry 997 GT3.  It’s so fast you can’t catch it on camera.

It wouldn’t be a Califonia spotting post without at least one old Microbus, right?

I feel like a rugged, extremely off-road-capable vehicle in Santa Monica is out of place in the same way a Nissan Leaf in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness would be.  Still, Gelandewägens are cool.

Ohh, Cinquencento.  How I love thee.  Looks totally in place here – Fiat 500′s are everywhere in LA.

Another blurry shot, but this is an M6 Cabriolet.

A Jaguar XK follows an E46 M3 Cabriolet.

The next day, I made the trip up to the Cars & Coffee in Irvine.  I’ve seen coverage from this event before, and normally it’s huge and amazing beyond words.  This particular saturday, there were 5 cars present.  This is apparently what happens when it threatens to rains in California – people leave their cool cars tucked away in the garage.

Still, an Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5 is a cool sighting.

Alfa guys don’t care about rain.  Garages are for girls.

This Scirrocco 16v sees regular track time, and is in great condition to boot.

One final one, this time in Malibu.  A beautifully restored Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 diesel.

In the last part of this series, I’ll be showing pictures from inside two private dealer/service centers for classics; stay tuned!

It seems like opinions on the stanced car scene fall into two categories.  It’s sort of polarizing.  Either “low is a lifestyle, and I enjoy scraping my sump on speedbumps because dammit, it looks good” – or something more along the lines of “All that camber reduces your contact patch, riding so close to the bump stops compromises handling, I hope you like changing wheel bearings, and why make a car look like a race car when it can’t handle?”  It’s the battle of form versus function, and it’s not really new at all.

Regardless of where you stand on that issue, it’s hard to argue they make great show cars.  Two big stance groups – Stance:Nation from the west coast and ISO (Insane Stance & Offset) collaborated on a big show, the first Stance:Nation endorsed show on the east coast.  How big?  A 600+ car turn out for a first-time show ain’t bad.  I walked around for a few hours, snapping pictures of whatever caught my eye – hope you enjoy it.

This is unusual.  An early-build 3.0L NSX – boosted, too!  A little rough around the edges, but it’s nice to see exotics being modified and driven hard.  Kudos to Carlos Romero.

This Volvo S60R AWD was sporting a plate that said “MRDRD R” and was blacker than Darth Vader’s soul.  The grey S60R behind it wasn’t bad either.

Maybe if my 7th gen Accord had looked this good, I might’ve kept it.  This coupe belongs to Jason Bond.

Black, purple and white doesn’t seem like a combination that would work on paper.  Clearly some things are better in execution than in theory, this E46 coupe (with CSL trunk, M3 exhaust cutouts, and custom fender work) looked absolutely stunning.

Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe has quickly become popular with the stance crowd; doesn’t take much to make one look good!

Regardless of it’s pedestrian (Golf) roots, I think the MkI Audi TT will be held as a hallmark of design for years to come; they’re just damn pretty cars.  A little stance modification doesn’t hurt either – low, but not overdone.

A classic Honda CB750, modified to look like a Cafe racer – bikes get in on the action too.  This thing was seriously loud.

Two very well known cars in the scene.  Zeb Magsi’s bagged, custom-everything Lexus GS300 on the right (which has a built, huge single turbo Supra motor under the hood), and Steve Nguyen’s G35 coupe on the left.

Alex Cruz’s 8th-gen Civic Si looks great in the patchy sunlight.  Real low.

Most of the Cobalt guys are more concerned with power output than aesthetics (it’s a Cobalt, how good can you make it look?) – but Nathan Benton’s Cobalt SS Turbo has both, with a great stance and a lot of power.  Basic bolt-ons (intake, downpipe, charge pipes) and a custom tune (by none other than Matt Welliver) for 22psi yields 308whp and 324wtq.  The Varrstoen 18×9.5 wheels (ET+30) and Stance GR+ coilovers take care of the low.

Spencer Hall’s EK Civic Coupe is a great example of the breed.

Being that low does have it’s consequences – might be time for a new fender.  Maybe.

This Volvo 242 was remarkably straight on the outside (no pun intended), with the period correct Turbo wheels.  The view under the hood was pretty impressive, too.

A big top-mount turbo (Holset HY35) in a remarkably clean engine bay.  This 242 belongs to Kyle Long.

This used to be a driveshaft.  How’d it get this way?  It probably has something to do with this.

I’m guessing it got caught in the middle of a fight between an LS1 and the rear tires, and lost.  Speaking of LS1 RX7′s, that seems to be pretty popular these days.

This time, an LS swap in a 2nd-generation RX7.

Mark Walker’s B6 Passat 3.6 clearly enjoys the benefit of air-ride suspension; I’m not sure you could actually go anywhere with a static setup that low.  But stranger things have happened.  Anyone want a spare wheel?

Justin Schaub’s Alpine White E36 M3 – with a bike on the roof, and a Dinan Stage 1 supercharger under the hood.

Tiffany Avina’s Civic EG sedan raises a question.  What’s cooler – the J-swap sticking out of the hood, or the Kayak on the roof?  It’s different, for sure.

Nissan’s GT-R still pulls a crowd wherever it goes, even if it’s stock.

Pedro Valenzuela’s S13 240SX hatch may not look like much from the outside.  But the Z32 wheels and 5-lug swap give a hint to what sort of shenanigans are going on under the hood.  (Hint: a lot.  There’s a feature coming up on this car in the near future.)

Chris Mason’s EK sedan, lowered on D2′s with a set of XXR 521′s – DA and DC Integras in the background.

The attention to detail on Rich Fasanaro’s white EK hatch build was just… mind numbing.  Excuse me for posting more pictures than necessary.  Of course it’s super clean on the outside – I like the deep Diamond Racing steelies.  But under the hood…

…There’s the K20 swap.  Just super-clean.

Of course, using the Hasport swap mount kit.

Even the header is gorgeous.

David Whitley’s Nissan 350Z.  Personally, I think it needs to go lower.  Not low enough.  It’s like a Z71 or something.

The S2000 community in the southeast is pretty strong – people continue to love Honda’s high-revving roadster long after the company gave up on making fun cars.

A really clean E46 M3 will never go out of style.

A pair of stanced Chrysler 300′s from Wilkesboro Crew.  These cars look remarkably mean slammed to the ground.

Another of my favorite EK’s in the region, this hatch owned by Jonathan Scott is sitting pretty on gold Rota’s.

And finally, a clean black MkIV Supra.  Hope you enjoyed the coverage of the Stance:Nation Chill ‘N Grill!  And don’t forget to leave a comment below.

Last month, I started up a night-time car show with the help of some local friends. The first few meetings were in an outdoor parking lot, but another location became available, so we jumped on it: a well-lit underground parking deck.  This has some benefits, and some downsides.  On the upside, you can hold a carshow underground whether it’s raining or snowing or whatever.  The downside: it gets hot in there.

For a fledgling car show, a turnout of 50+ cars on short notice is (especially in Raleigh!) is nothing short of astounding.  Without any specific brand associations, the variety of stuff that turns up for a show is pretty satisfying as well.

This Lexus IS350 is well known in the NC area; it was quite a treat to see it roll up to our little show.  Every detail of this car is amazing, from the pearl-effect paint to the diffusers and GT-style rear wing, the Bride seats and interior roll bar.  It’s amazing how the wheels absolutely fill up the bolt-on overfenders, too.  But don’t think it’s all show and no go.

It has a rare HKS GT supercharger setup, a kit that’s not even for sale in the US.  The stock Lexus 3.5L twin-injected V6 is good for 306 crank horsepower; with the supercharger it’s likely more than 400bhp to the wheels.  I’ve personally seen this show-car looking Lexus run a smokey low-12 second quarter mile.  Cameo from Ben Graebe’s beautiful Volvo S60 in the background.

E46-chassis BMW’s don’t need a lot of alterations to look amazing; this 330Ci owned by Justin Schaub is crouching low on a set of 19″ Vortex Tuning LeMans alloys.

Two Fahrenheit edition VW GTI’s parked next to each other.  This is unusual, considering there were only 1,200 Fahrenheits (in this Lamborghini Gallardo orange) produced.

Black and white, not just in color, but in approach: the black E46 M3 (belonging to Joshua Brooks) is all about performance, with coilovers, a loud exhaust, and lord knows what else.  The white Lexus gets that low with air-ride suspension and lots of show car touches to set it off.  Both well-executed.

I can never get quite enough pictures of Daniel Harvey’s crazy-low ’85 Golf GTI with a 16v swap.  Who needs a hood, anyway?  This car picks up awards at pretty much every show it goes to; considering how perfect everything on it is, that’s not surprising.

Some people just have no tact.

This green hatch was out last week; since then it’s added a front bumper to cover up the huge intercooler.  Now that the intercooler core and piping is painted black, even harder to see it coming – this boosted hatch puts down more than 240whp.  The S2000 next to it has a built low-compression motor that’s ready for boost, too.

I’ve shot this early 240SX before, but seeing a pig-nose S13 this clean – and boosted – is still amazing to me.  So many of the 89 and 90 models are rotting in fields and junk yards now.

The EP3-chassis Civic Si has never gotten a lot of love in the US market (probably due to the non-valvelift K20A3 motor, shifter coming out of the dash like a minivan, and really bad stock suspension/wheels/tires), but every now and then you see a nicely done one.

Porsche’s 944 may not get a lot of respect from Porsche Purists, but I still think it’s one of the best-looking cars to come out of the 80′s – all blox flares and fastback and spoilers and popup headlights.  Love it on black wheels with a polished lip, too.

He’s got the low part covered; now he just needs some wheels to fill up those wells.  The paint on this car looked surprisingly good.

A Flyin’ Miata decal on a Miata is always a good sign.  As is a roll bar!  Sadly I don’t think this one has an LS1 swap.

You can always tell it’s an R32 by the insane, brassy howl coming out of the tail pipes.  It’s closer to music than any Lady Gaga song will ever be.

Not only was this LS400 dropped the ground and stanced out to the hilt, but some exhaust work lets the butter-smooth 1UZ-FE release a growl that most people would never associate with a Lexus.  Who knew how mean these things could sound?

Sadly, we had to tell him “No, you can’t drive your tricked-out go-kart around inside the parking deck.”  The property manager would probably not be very happy with us.

Really though, meets are only half about the cars – the other half is the people.  And it is surely the people – with all their vibrant (sometimes insane) personalities that makes promoting these meets totally worth it.  Till next week!

In the marketplace, Acura has traditionally positioned itself below competitors like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but is working to reach higher with new models.

The ZDX is one of the vehicles the brand is reaching higher with. The ZDX hit the market in late 2009 as Acura’s take on a crossover with coupe-like qualities, similar in approach to BMW’s X6. With the ZDX, Acura dared to be different. Did the gamble pay off? To find out, we spent a week with the ZDX.

We wouldn’t say Acura’s biggest problem recently has been daring to be different though – Honda’s luxury division certainly has set itself apart from the pack with the styling language of its latest vehicles. That differentiation has achieved questionable sales results.

The ZDX defies expectations and categorization – it has a crossover ride height and a low body. It also has steeply raked front and rear windshields and appears to be two-door in design. Look further though and – surprise! – it has four doors. Up front the angular Acura look with the “Power Plenum” grille actually works, and the side body lines flow into aggressive rear haunches.

With a dramatic, concept-like roofline, the rear angle is definitely our favorite. In person the ZDX has a presence that doesn’t come across as well in photography. There is no question as to its polarizing nature, however.

The ZDX stands out as something quite different than anything on the road. If you’re looking to blend in with the crowd, the ZDX isn’t for you.

We’ll get to the interior, but first we’ll talk about entry into the interior for the driver and passenger. As we mentioned, the body of the ZDX is low slung, yet the ride height is like that of a crossover. That makes entry an interesting experience, and a graceful one
near-impossible.

Once you’re planted in the seats, for the driver and passenger the interior is a pleasant place to spend time. The sensation of a tall ride height with sports-car atmospherics is unusual and actually pretty neat.

A criticism of Acura interiors has been the expanse of buttons on the dash. The ZDX works to consolidate buttons into groups and eliminate unnecessary ones. It also has a trick up its sleeve – the buttons are not printed, but rather illuminated, even during the day. At rest, the panel looks dark. Once the car is started, each group lights up according to usage – turn off the HVAC or audio system, for instance, and the grouping of related buttons will go dark.

The screen is placed at a perfect vantage point for optimal viewing. The placement however, rules out a touch screen. Touch screens aren’t the Acura way however, as the system is operated with a central control knob.

As we’ve mentioned before, the system can take a little getting used to. There is a longer learning curve than with touch-screen units and some other systems we have used, but once you get acquainted the system proves to be intuitive.

The interior is constructed with high-quality plastics, and leather lines the dash and door panels. The interior colors for our tester weren’t the liveliest – we would have loved to see our particular model outfitted with the stunning two-tone orange color scheme offered by Acura. It really would have offered some added pizzaz. Overall, the ZDX’s interior is impressive, and every bit worthy of its price tag.

Acura primarily markets the ZDX to couples, and we can see why. Entry to the rear is made difficult with the low roof-line and small doors. Once seated, rear passengers have sparing amounts of legroom and headroom. It isn’t an excellent road trip vehicle for more than two adults, but it offers the ability over a coupe to take people around with you.

The ZDX isn’t exactly a bastion of practicality – but that isn’t what it is intended to be. You can’t judge it on traditional merits, as It is something entirely different. For the couple looking to be different, the ZDX offers the ability to take extra passengers in a pinch, as well as travel in adverse road conditions, along with the ability to store gear with a large loading area.

Another area the ZDX doesn’t behave like a traditional crossover is when the road gets winding. The car exhibited well-controlled body motions and firm suspension tuning. The steering was direct and nicely weighted.

Our tester offered the ability to select between Sport and Comfort modes, and there was a noticeable difference between each. However, in either mode, the suspension is clearly tuned for a sport balance. Would you expect anything less?

Needless to say, the ZDX passed the fun to drive test . Under hard acceleration the 300 horsepower 3.7-liter emitted a wonderfully nice exhaust note that could be heard at just the right volume in the cabin. Weighing in at 4424 pounds, the ZDX isn’t exactly blisteringly fast, but the V-6 does its job.

The ZDX certainly makes a statement about its driver. It stands out as a flagship of sorts for Acura. Isn’t a little bit of uniqueness and deviation from the norm exactly what luxury is? By that measure, the ZDX excels.