Car Throttle

The Chicago auto show is upon is, which means... well, some facelifts, some new models, but not huge news like Detroit or Geneva.  Still, new stuff!   Inside: Two new Acuras, perhaps the world's most powerful 4-seat production convertible, minor facelifts for a Datsun, a big ol' GMC, and a sweet new Kia they need to make pronto.  Oh, and some bad news on Fisker. 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

If you've been following some of the car shows I attend, you'll notice a recurring trend: cars so low, with so much wheel and so much camber and so little ground clearance, posing as race cars.  I'm not sure if this has caught on in every area of the world, but here in the 'States the "stance" movement is huge.  I personally am more about functionality than form - I would go nuts if my car scraped constantly - but even I'll admit that it's a great look. Still, I wanted to wrap my head around this stance thing a bit better, so a feature was in order.  Thankfully I've got a friend who's well versed in the "low life," David Whitley.  His '03 350Z

There's a long precedent of rappers referencing cars in their songs.  It's part of the baller lifestyle: huge house, lots of skeezy women, and a gold-plated Range Rover with 38" gold-plated wheels.  Since rap these days is all about conspicuous consumption, it's part and parcel. But as much as we like seeing Jay-Z and Kanye cut the doors off a Maybach, weld sheet metal fenders on it, and drift it around an industrial parking lot, there's something amusing about local rappers laying down a track about... their Volvo.  Awww, hell yeah son!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKOVF1qwPzI

The above video is by Seattle-area rapper Grynch, and I actually kinda like the song.  I mean, not just because I'm partial to ancient Volvo station wagons - it's a

Every car lover's calender starts with a new batch of machines on show in Motor City. I'm talking, of course, about the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The city is famous for being the beating heart of the American motor industry and at the start of every year all the world's manufacturers congregate and show off their new products to see what our stateside friends think of their latest offerings. Here's a half-time round-up of the motors on show for 2012 from each stand from the day so far. Bentley Two new Continentals broke free from the covers at the Bentley stand; the V8 coupe and V8 GTC Cabriolet. Little differences to tell these from the bigger W12 on the outside include a gloss black

Take a bite... outta news!  I'm back again with today's News Bites, where I hand-feed you today's automotive this-and-that with a humorous spoon.  So what's news today? Cadillac's ATS has been circulating the rumor mill for a while now.  This small, rear-wheel-drive sedan is pitched directly against BMW's all-conquering 3-series and Audi's A4.  We've known a bit about it's underpinnings for a while now - it will sit on GM's new Alpha RWD chassis, which fits below the Zeta RWD chassis - G8, Camaro, CTS, etc.  GM announced what you'll find under the hood, and there's reason to get excited.  Not about the base model, which will be powered by a 2.5L I4 (likely the same one in the new Malibu, with 190bhp/180lb-ft).  No, the mid-level

Last month we reported on 2012's GT-R and briefly mentioned a track focused edition. Full details of the special Nissan have just been released. It may be designed to ace the race tracks but Nissan say the 'Track Pack' edition can be used on the road just like the usual GT-R. So if you want one you don't have to worry about escorting it to its territory on a tow truck. To make sure your friends and enemies know you've got the track focused car this edition comes with unique six-spoke RAYS alloys with gloss black centres and a special 'Track Pack' emblem on the centre console. Now to answer the question 'How can the GT-R possibly get better for the track?' Firstly, the spring rates have

The world's fastest crossover is one step closer to being on our roads. Weirdly though, Nissan say it won't be a production car but instead a road legal concept. Two will be made; one with right hand drive for us Brits and Japan and one with left hand drive for everyone else. The Juke-R is a simple combination. Take the 3.8L twin turbo V6 from the GT-R that pumps out 480bhp as well as the drivetrain and the suspension and then put those underneath the body of a weird looking compact crossover. Sounds hilarious doesn't it? There is a bit more to it than that obviously. The unique body has bigger circular vents at the front so the twin turbo V6 stays

When looking for a used car, many people consider the purposes for which they will be using the vehicle. After all, some models of cars serve certain purpose better than others. One thing that some people want to do with their vehicle is travel off road. With this activity, certain features are a necessity for off road driving. Of these features, perhaps being four wheel drive is one of the most important. There are certain four wheel drive cars that work quite well for traveling off road. One of the most popular four wheel drive cars is the Range Rover. The Range Rover is synonymous with luxury and reliability. Not only is this vehicle stylish but it is also quite practical as it can tackle just

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

To keep the GT-R ahead of the game, Nissan don't just give their supercar a midlife face lift. The car is updated with more technology and power every year. From the beginning the chief engineer or 'father' of the GT-R project, Kazutoshi Mizuno said to Auto Express, 'From the very outset the plan with the GT-R was to update it every year and keep improving it. The GT-R as you see it now still has four years left to go.' So what have they done to it for 2012? Firstly, they've made changes to the 3.8L twin-turbo V6, again. More horses have been squeezed into the engine (20 to be specific) meaning a total power output of 543hp and torque is up as well from