Car Throttle

The most rapidly changing and growing segment in the US market is the C-segment. Cars like the Civic, Corolla, and Focus are becoming some of the biggest sellers on the market, passing the previously dominant mid-sized market as buyers realize they'd rather trade some space for increased fuel efficiency in these days of gas prices less predictable than Lucas electronics. So it's not shocking that every high-volume manufacturer is throwing a lot of money and research into their C-segment entries, because that's where the buyers are.  The vast majority of the big selling C-segment cars are new for 2011 or 2012, including the Cruze (Chevrolet's replacement for the Cobalt), the Jetta (now simplified, cheaper and larger), the Civic, and interesting upstarts like the Kia

Bangle.  Chris Bangle. That's all I can think of when I look at a BMW Z4.  I can see his trademark styling all over these cars, and when Bangle's Bungles first started hitting the road, all it made me want to do was punch babies and scream.  "How can he do this to us?  Our cherished BMWs!  He's ruining them!" But you know, the Z4 has been on US roads now since 2002.  That's 9 years to soak up the Z4's unusual styling, and to be honest it's rather grown on me.  Not to mention the fact that the Z4 wasn't actually styled by Bangle, the styling was directed by Bangle.  So if you want to punch someone, look up Anders Warming. Really though, the (E85-chassis)

If you're in the market for an interesting, cheap car, your choices are pretty limited. Most everything with an MSRP below $20k these days is about as much fun as kissing your sister.  Sober.  So what's the budget-limited car guy to do?  Buy a ragged-out Mustang GT?  Sure, that's one option.  But if you're a delightful nonconformist with a taste for the bizarre, perhaps you should steer your rear to a Nissan dealer. First, let's make one thing clear.  The Juke has styling that you either love or hate. Not much middle ground, for sure.  Personally, I think the styling is a little bizarre and derivative all at the same time, but it's better than every rolling Ambien out there for preventing boredom.  The front

I'm sure you're familiar with the term "bucket list" by now.  It's a list of things you want to do before you die. Being automotively obsessed, my bucket list is more of a list of cars that I want to own before I die, or rather before you can't find one somewhere besides a junkyard.  Today, I finally got behind the wheel of one of the top three cars on my bucket list: an old Volvo. Hey, you have to know by now if you've been reading this website that I'm a bit of a weirdo.  But I've had a thing for the Volvo 850 T-5R/ 850R since I knew how to drive a car.  This relates to the fact that my first car was an 850. 

Test Vehicle: 2006 Ford GT 5.4L V8 with 6-speed Manual Gearbox I was born in the (cough) mid to late 1960's, and this car was originally conceived around about the same time. The original was called the GT40 because it was 40 inches tall. This new one is a full 5% taller... Most exotic cars are low to the ground. This one is almost wing like. I didn't think I was going to fit to be honest. I can't imagine losing that extra 5%. The design itself hasn't changed too much other than a little bit of modernizing from the Ford design team. The old GT40 was iconic and this one really sets the right tone from the start, from the white

Test Vehicle: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Coupe The hardest part of this review is knowing where to start. This car is as rare as hen's teeth. There are to be only 500 made of the Alfa Romeo 8C, and only about 50 to make it to the US, so the fact that I am about to drive this is not lost on me. Pictures have circulated on the web and their various tubes for a while of this car, but *sigh* good god, it is jaw dropping in the paint. If there was a naked woman on the 8C's bonnet, you'd want her to get off it. Honestly, it's just ridiculous. Curves everywhere. The body is carbon fiber and is draped over the chassis to

Test Vehicle: Audi R8 4.2L V8 with 6-speed R-Tronic Automated Manual Gearbox This car feels to me like its been around forever, and I don't know why that is.  Maybe every magazine extolling its virtues has overloaded my brain with it so much, that it just feels like it. This isn't the first time I've seen one in the paint, but it is still small.  Wow.  Its a great looking car from the front, and the back, but the side view looks awkward to me, in the same way that the Cayman looks awkward from the side.  I love the sideblades, and wish this one didn't have them the same colour as the rest of the car.  The LEDs around the headlights make a real statement and

Test Vehicle: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 5.2L V10 with 6-speed eGear Auto Gearbox You are never quite prepared for how small these supercars are sometimes.  Low slung, painted in a beautiful pearl metalic color with a set of beautiful black wheels, the latest Gallardo out of Sant A'gata looked purposeful and amazing. The Gallardo doesn't have the sense of drama of the Murcielago with the regular opening doors, but it's still a design that turns heads.  Totally different from the other Italians and their curves and swoops, I loved the angular look of the Gallardo. It was attracting a lot of attention, and camera phones were in full force wherever I went in this thing.  The redesigned front of the LP560-4 looks fantastic, with the scoops looking more dramatic