January 2009 - Table of Contents
[2008-12-23 17:05:19]
2009 10Best Cars
Once again, we catalog the best antidotes for the automotive blahs.
10Best Car Parts For Home Décor
Exploding engines, bent cranks, and one of Henry’s lovely carbs wind up giving Martha Stewart a little doodad envy.
2009 10Best Contest Winners
Best Car-Show Horror Story, Best Ancient Car, Most Costly Fill-Up, and Best Fuel-Saving Act of Desperation.
2009 10Best Winners and Losers
Ten who won, 10 who lost, and a few who bungled their credit default swaps.
Chevy Cobalt SS vs. Honda Civic Si, Mazdaspeed 3, Mini John Cooper Works Clubman, Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, Subaru Impreza WRX, and VW GTI
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Dirty speed, done dirt cheap: Having trouble finding driving thrills at a reasonable price? Slip into one of these seven hot compacts.
2009 Acura TL SH-AWD
What would Bruce Wayne drive? For those times when you absolutely, positively have to get to the Bat Cave, may we suggest the tenacious traction of the SH-AWD.
2007 Acura RDX
Urban warrior: A street fighter disguised as a breadbox, Acura’s turbo-four CUV blows hot. And cold.
2009 Nissan 370Z
Now we see Z light: And many thanks for not screwing up a pretty good thing.
2010 Volkswagen Golf
Looks like a Golf, yearns to be a Phaeton.
2009 Toyota Venza
A bit of something for everyone.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
VW’s frugal new diesel leaves the Dead behind and heads for the mainstream.
2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
It won’t turn heads, but it will reward its owner for his savvy.
2010 Saturn Aura / 2010 Pontiac G6 / 2009 Opel Insignia
Stylish Insignia: Probably not a Saturn, possibly a Pontiac.
2010 Ford Mustang
Retro Mustang, take II: If you loved the last one, you’ll like the new one.
2010 Toyota Prius
Upfront.
2010 Nissan EV
The dirt road.
Ruf eRuf Concept Model A
The dirt road.
2011 / 2012 Acura RL Gets a V-8
The dirt road.
Duesy of a Suit
The dirt road.
The Hatchet Gets Buried
Carroll Shelby and the club that bears his name end their legal feud.
From Dancing Shoes to Leg Shackles
An ugly lawsuit between two great Brazilian drivers ends with serious tax-evasion charges against one of them.
The Steering Column by Csaba Csere
After three decades of decline, is this the end for Detroit automakers?
Patrick Bedard
The mother of all sucker traps: Route 66 has been gone for 20-some years, but the stories are still coming in.
John Phillips
Lose one wheel, save some fuel: We drive a three-wheeled Wildfire and run over animal carcasses.
2008 Paris Auto Show
Like the L.A. show, the Mondial de l’Automobile, which is the way Louis XVI would say “Paris auto show” if he hadn’t lost his head, was replete with fuel-efficient cars. [How’s that for a transition??Ed.] We introduced you to three miserly cars last month, so this time around we’ll show you four that were less concerned with fuel economy than with having beaucoup fun.
2008 Los Angeles Auto Show
Show business, L.A. style: Since the Los Angeles show was moved a couple of years ago from January back to November, it has begun to emerge from the shadow of the Detroit extravaganza with an increase in the quality and significance of debuts. Most automakers seem to use the L.A. event to launch their eco-friendly greenmobiles in the land of wheatgrass-infused drinks and colonics high and low
2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X
You go, water dog!
Smith Interlock Prophet Sunglasses, Ego Cup Speakerphone, and Cabana Cacha?a Brazilian Rum
Shade shifters; one phone, one cup; and massa, sí! molasses, no!
Franz Kafka's Garage
Skidpads, Hydroforming, Yaw Control, and Direct-Injection Ticking Noise
