Straightline

      
Though it represents perhaps the best opportunity in North America for the public to get up close to all the newest models, the Chicago Auto Show can feel anticlimactic for those tasked with covering it as journalists. Manufacturers tend to uncork their biggest debuts at the Los Angeles and Detroit shows, held a few weeks earlier. This can leave the Chicago event feeling a bit stale and picked-over, like a store's clearance bin in the final hours of a big sale. 

Like every job, we have good days and bad days here at Inside Line. And then there are odd days. Like when European Correspondent Alistair Weaver went to Switzerland to be dragged behind a Bentley.

I was in Chicago this week and without my usual video team entourage, so Ed Hellwig filled in for the Week in Review. Enjoy.

The Ram Laramie Limited -- a $45,000 luxury truck -- debuted at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. We were too busy checking out the Mossy Oak edition to catch it on the floor, but if this video is any indication, we missed something cool. I mean, why else would this lovely lady be snorkeling up to a deserted beach in night-vision goggles?

Oh, because it will be one of the stars of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition? Fair enough.

I may not be a Blackhawks fan, but how awesome is this thing? Ditch the vaguely offensive Native American motif with 5,000 Maple Leafs and this just might be something I'd stuff in the corner of my 18-car hypothetical garage as a laugh. Would I drive it? Well, no, it's a little embarassing (and a Camaro convertible). It would be like going to the grocery store wearing a jersey ... and a hat, shorts, sneakers, foam finger, ear ring and tattoo.

But yes, totally awesome. I mean, how cool is that grille? You could put that on your car alone and nobody would really know what the holes were until you got up close. Ditto the Chevy badge. The clear hockey puck shifter is also just brilliant and only slightly less ergonomic than the Camaro's actual shifter.

In total, however, this is still less ridiculous than this.

Dealing with the insurance company is any classic car owner's worst nightmare. If you've got your ducks in a row, you've had your baby lovingly appraised at every turn of the wrench. If you're slacking on that -- or don't know how reputable your appraiser is -- every time you leave it alone or drive on a public road, the "what ifs" start creeping in.

The insurance companies get this, too. State farm has come up with this innovative Jekyll/Hyde way to show off their commitment to the classics market. "...the car is being used to educate State Farm field agents on the special challenges of assigning proper values to collector cars and owner-modified vehicles. This knowledge enables the agents to accurately assess value and correctly underwrite such special-case vehicles."

On the driver side, this '68 Chevy Camaro RS Convertible is built to high-quality factory specs. The passenger side is full of aftermarket good, custom body work, and "deliberately less-exacting craftsmanship."

State Farm will be sending the two-faced Camaro to various auto shows including the Chicago auto show which is now open to the public.

Oh, and in case you were afraid that they'd ruined a perfectly good car, this particular Camaro came in as a total loss due to fire and the company's Vehicle Research Facility decided this could be a fun project.

Getting through this Friday alright? No? Need something to make at least a few minutes go away? Here, watch this formula car drive on the Nurburgring GP track in the snow.

If this car / stunt looks familiar, it's because they've done this before. Previously we've seen Andreas Gulden, Chief Instructor of the Nurburgring Driving Academy driving one of the Formula Cars on the Nordschleife...in the rain. His job does not suck.

The Ford B-MAX concept that debuted at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show had this nifty pillarless design that we assumed would never make it to production. Without a fixed B-pullar, the B-MAX concept had the type of seat access that parents (or others who need to load a lot of awkward things into the car) would kill for. Today Ford announced that the production B-MAX would have that innovative feature.

16-inch steelies. Non-matching bumpers, door handles and wing mirrors, no AC... I am seriously into this Toyota GT86 RC Spec.

The 86 RC is the least expensive model in the 86 line coming in some 500,000 yen less expensive than the G and aimed at the tuner/racer market. It's got a six-speed manual transmission, the same 200 horsepower flat-four from the normal one and, well, that's about it. The shifter, steering wheel and pedals are plastic. There is no air conditioning or stereo or cup holders. Significant amounts of soundproofing materials have been removed.

This adds up to not only a cheap package, but a light one as well. Curb weight here is 2,623 pounds. Unfortunately, the limited slip also gets removed for this package but that's an easy fix.

Audi has just released official photos (lots in hi res after the jump) and information on the new, 'hot' TT RS Plus. The rumor mill had been grinding away at this one for some time and, as often happens, the final car is a bit more disappointing than we'd heard. It has the same 360 horsepower 2.5-liter I5 as the TT RS but is 108 pounds lighter and has these cool 19-inch 5-arm-rotor-design black wheels with red highlights. These wheels are a $400 option on the normal RS.

Visually this new car has matte aluminum accents on the front splitter, diffuser and the stalks holding up the wing ($950 option on the RS). The wing mirrors are carbon fiber ($1,900 on the RS) and there is no crossbar in the grille.

In other markets, like the normal RS, this will be available as a coupe and a hardtop with either a manual transmission or a DSG. In the US the RS is only available as a coupe with a manual transmission. We probably won't be getting this one and that's okay. Still, it's a looker. Big photos next.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's presentation got all "frunked" up Thursday night at the unveiling of the 2014 Tesla model X crossover electric vehicle.

The stubbly-bearded entrepreneur was happily explaining the newest Tesla EV's copious cargo space to an invitation-oly audience of close to 1,000 friends, employees, customers, potential customers and the usual handful of scruffy media types when the latch locking down the front hood got stuck.

What's a hood latch got do do with cargo space? Isn't that behind the seats? Well, yeah.

To be frank, the Chicago auto show has limited importance as a venue for introducing new cars to the world through its press days. However, for regular folks visiting the show, it's probably the best in North America. For one, almost everything introduced at Los Angeles and Detroit is shown here in Chicago (not the NSX Concept, though). Then there's the sheer enormity of McCormick Place's two exhibit halls. This allows for a huge number of cars on the floor, with manufacturers capable of showcasing different trims of the same car.

There's also enough space inside for indoor ride-along events. Jeep usually puts one outside and Detroit is home to an environmentally friendly car ride-and-drive in the basement, but there are at least four opportunities for folks to experience what certain cars are like when actually moving. Toyota had a large area dubbed Toyota Monopoly Hybrid Ride Experience (I'm not sure why), while Chrysler alone had three different exhibits. The Jeep and Ram ones included a number of off-road impediments, while Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat had a stretch of road used to showcase an initial burst of acceleration, then braking. The latter actually looks as if you're going to be part of a crash test.

It all seems like good fun and adds something to the auto show experience. Journalists may be cold on Chicago, but car fans shouldn't be.   

There aren't a lot of new cars at this year's Chicago auto show. Sure, we've got the Acadia and the production ILX, but beyond that, everything here is something you've seen before. Or, in the case of this 1993 Ford SVT Cobra R, WAY before. 1992 before.

Ford debuted the SVT Mustang at Chicago in '92 and brought this museum-quality, 4,100-mile beauty back to coincide with the anniversary. It's one of 107 Cobra Rs produced. The Cobra R differentiated itself from the regular Cobra by a factory rear-seat delete, radio delete, sound-dampening material delete, adjustable Koni shocks, external oil cooler, an aluminum radiator and these neat 17-by-8-inch three-spoke wheels. It was powered by the same 5.0-liter V8 making 235 horsepower -- that was a big number in '93.

The only thing Ford could have done to make this a more special reveal would have been to bring out the F-150 Lightning, which also debuted at Chicago in '92.

Chrysler is all about limited-edition models. From the Jeep Wrangler Islander to the Dodge Challenger Yellow Jacket, these low-volume specials add a touch of customization to your car. The Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Mossy Oak Edition is, without question, customized. Mossy Oak is a brand of camouflage, and suitably it has inspired a Ram covered in leafy autumnal camo. I'm pretty sure the pictures speak for themselves here -- especially the interior.

"I sleep in a racecar bed!" "I sleep in a big bed with my wife."

This is the the newest bed from Step2 and is part of their new Corvette Collection. I want it. unfortunately, this is a toddler bed which can be converted into a twin. The base carbed costs $229 and has silver rims, for $234 you can get it with real working lights. Along with the bed are a few other Corvette-specific kids room things like a $109 tool-chest style dresser, a Corvette Storage chest and a Corvette Toy Box.

 I want it bad. It's debuting at the 2012 NYC Toy Fair and should be on sale during the summer of 2012.

(ChildMode)

It may be tough to tell by these pictures, but Toyota has freshened the Land Cruiser for 2013. The front and rear have been given a subtle update, along with the cabin. The big V8 also carries over unchanged.

So what's the big deal, then? The 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser now comes in only one fully loaded trim level. There are no options for Toyota's flagship SUV, which should cost more than $70,000. Standard items now include adaptive cruise control, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, a center console cooler box, navigation, JBL premium audio and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. Should you want more, the Lexus LX 570 has also been tweaked for 2013.

Surely you remember all those hot sport-compact cars of ten years ago? Well, we can barely remember them ourselves, but it turns out that tire manufacturers do, because they built ultra high-performance tires for them. Fortunately all that tire technology has not gone to waste.

As we learned at the introduction of the BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2 the other week, the tire companies initially thought ultra high-performance (UHP) tires would never be more than a marginal market segment, just like hot sport-compact cars. Instead the market for Z-rated tires since 2006 has grown 10 times faster than the overall U.S. tire market. It’s expected to double in size by 2016 when it will become 8 percent of the overall tire market.

We’d guess that this means a Z-rated tire is probably coming to your car sometime soon, and we’ll bet that it will be a lot like BFG’s Comp-2.

We could have sworn the V12 Zagato production car had already made its debut, but no, we've only seen the concept plus a couple racecar prototypes that Aston raced in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Turns out we'll get to see this top car in the Vantage series next month at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, following its official debut this month in Kuwait. We imagine it won't have gotten any cheaper by the time it arrives in Switzerland, but we'll enjoy looking at it all the same. Aston will build 150, and deliveries begin this fall.

Just don't name this one Zig... OK, guys?

In just its second public coming-out after an unveiling at last month’s Detroit auto show, the 2013 Cadillac ATS still was under scrutiny at the Chicago auto show this week – that’s Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik sneaking a peek in this underexposed snap – and we picked up a few interesting new details from global Vehicle Line Executive Dave Leone.

Note to Android users: Ha. Note to iOS users: As you can see here, we have seriously upgraded the Edmunds.com app for iPad. Actually, maybe you don't see, because maybe you don't yet have the Edmunds.com app. Well, now's the time to get it, because the navigation is incredibly slick and the content is extraordinarily rich -- so much so that you may never need to turn on your laptop again.

Basically, what our mobile team has done is revamp the Edmunds app to take full advantage of the iPad's lovely display... looking at photos and reading our reviews has never been so, so, awesome. Moreover, slider bars make it easy to move between model years and types of content (options, specs, colors, safety, dealer inventory, etc.). Optioning out a car is easy and fun (just tap the check boxes), and we've improved the logic, too, so that you don't inadvertently select conflicting options.

In short, Version 3.0 of the Edmunds iPad app is pretty great. It's also free. And if you already have the app, just run the latest update from the App Store, and presto, you'll have the nice new version.

(Download the app from iTunes)

Nissan's contribution to the 2012 Chicago Auto Show was the slightly refreshed 2013 Nissan 370Z. If you've got good eyes and are familiar with the 370Z, you'll notice that this new car -- on sale in June -- has a new front fascia with LED DRLs, new 19s on models with the Sport Pack (new 18s on the rest), red-finished brake calipers, Euro-tuned shocks and a red reflector on the rear fascia where there was previously a black cover. The Z is also now available in Midnight Blue. Apart from the minor appearance differences, this new Z gets two additional speakers with two subwoofers for the Bose Premium pack.

There are no changes to the Z's 332-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 or the 6MT/7AT.

The Nismo Z doesn't get Midnight blue, the new front/rear fascias or the new shocks.

Since Kia launched the Soul, the company has enjoyed a 78 percent increase in sales volume. Is the funky compact hatch the reason for that increase? No, but it did signal a massive shift in Kia's brand philosophy. Besides its sharp new styling, a major marketing makeover sees the brand going for a hip, more youthful demographic.

Now, '80s hair bands hardly typify a youthful demographic, but today's unveil of the Kia Track'ster Concept was certainly the hippest press conference thus far at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. (However, if they were going to honor Kia's Super Bowl ad, I would've preferred an Adriana Lima lookalike on hand than a cover band's take on Motley Crue.)

As for the car, the Track'ster takes the Soul, chops off the rear doors, lowers it, widens it, lengthens the wheelbase and stuffs it with a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder feeding an all-wheel-drive system.

Not much to differentiate the diesel-engine Beetle from the rest of the lineup. It's pretty much down to the thin chrome strip on the top of the door panels and TDI-specific 17-inch alloys.

The DFPs (diesel fan people) already register disappointment with the 2013 Beetle TDI’s kinda mediocre Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy ratings of 29 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. There are plenty of gasoline-engine small cars fielding similar numbers, after all. But the latest EPA test procedure seems to hamper diesels, and many DFPs expect on-the-road economy to be better than the window sticker ratings.

"Now why would anyone buy a Honda Civic Coupe instead of that?" a voice over my shoulder said after the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe was unveiled here in Chicago. When it comes to styling, I'm inclined to agree, as this two-door version of Hyundai's popular compact sedan looks excellent. Maybe it's a tad bulky in the rear quarter, but that's normal for coupes (see Mercedes-Benz C-Class) and the Elantra's many creases and character lines hide it reasonably well.

Inside, the dash design is the same as that of the Elantra sedan. However, you'll note that it features an automatic climate control system available for 2013. You would probably expect that the coupe loses backseat room compared to the sedan and you'd be absolutely correct. However, it's not as bad as you think. I set the driver seat for myself (6-foot-3) and there was still usable legroom behind me. Surprisingly, there was even a decent amount of headroom back there as well for a tall guy such as I. Getting the added style of a coupe while still maintaining some functionality is a huge plus.

The sedan's 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder is the only engine presently available, but don't be surprised if a turbocharged mill ends up there eventually.

What would a Chicago auto show be without a good old midcycle refresh to talk about? Well, GM's Lambda crossovers have been kicking around for awhile now, so it was high time for a nip here and a tuck there. The first to go under the knife is the 2013 GMC Acadia.

Besides an improved six-speed transmission, the Acadia is mechanically unchanged. The 3.6-liter V6 still produces 288 horsepower and its enormous crossover body can still seat as many as eight people. The styling has been updated, however, with a more upright grille that evokes the GMC Granite Concept from last year's Detroit auto show. I think it works, especially in comparison to the Terrain. And what new design would be complete without the ubiquitous LED running lamps? They're even standard on the base model.

As promised, Ford officially rolled out the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible at the Chicago auto show today. And nothing from yesterday has changed.

The car still has 650 horsepower, still has a lower-than-the-coupe top speed, still is 3 seconds faster than the old coupe around Sebring, still is only available with a manual transmission.

More pictures and a surprise from Ford after the jump.

Last night during a pre-auto show dinner hosted by Hyundai, the company's CEO for North America John Krafcik hinted that they would be showing a surprise new model today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. He continued that it would be borrowing a name from its past.

"Oh please be the Scoupe, oh please be the Scoupe," I thought to myself. Before I had a chance to ponder "Excel" and "Pony," Krafcik continued that it was last used for 2006. That's right, Hyundai devotees. The Hyundai Elantra GT is back.

We just put the new 2012 BMW 328i on our Rotary Lift the other day to see what it looks like underneath all that shiny red metal. It's quite tidy as you might expect. We'll have a full suspension walkaround for you later, but for now just enjoy this look at the latest in German engineering.

Let's get this out of the way: The six-speed manual transmission is only available with the 201-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-4, and the 2.4-liter is only available with the six-speed manual. The good news here is that Acura is hoping to price the ILX with the real transmission very close to the base model car, which comes with a 150-hp 2.0-liter I4 and six-speed automatic. Acura says potential ILX buyers want a mix of fuel economy and performance, and the way they've gone about performance is to keep the weight to about 3,000 pounds and make the car nimble and responsive, "the way all Acuras will be again."

The ILX is Acura's new entry-level car to lure Gen-Y buyers into luxury cars. "They like luxury and feel they deserve luxury," Acura said. But "they're beginning to realize that they may not be as affluent as their parents. They're living the recession." In that vein, Acura is hoping to pack a lot of content and a luxury ride into a car that starts "well under $30,000."

But it's not just a luxury ride Gen Y wants. They want to stay connected and have the coolest features. That's where Premium and Technology packages come in. The Tech pack has Acura's ELS surround-sound system, navigation, real-time traffic and hard-disk drive. Fully loaded, the ILX will run about $30,000. It will be made in Greensburg, Indiana, and go on sale in the spring. Acura's hoping for sales of 40,000 units per year once production/marketing is fully up to speed.

As you'll recall, Ford is offering two engines in the 2013 Mustang Cobra Jet -- a naturally-aspirated version of the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, and a blown version of that engine with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. Recently, engineers from Ford Racing tested both versions on the dragstrip at Palm Beach International Raceway.

Astutely, they shot video of the burnouts and quarter-mile runs, and while it's not high-def, you can certainly hear the differences between the engines. Ample tire smoke, too.

(Mustang Heaven, Ford Racing)

You've read about Volkswagen's MQB chassis architecture which will underpin the company's next generation of front-wheel drive vehicles. MQB's highly modular, Lego-like philosophy will allow for the multitude of VW Group vehicle variations to be produced with a minimum of fuss, which ought to reduce cost from every angle. 

Volkswagen gave a preview of the MQB strategy at their Wolfsburg headquarters, where the economies of scale afforded by the new platform were painstakingly detailed. A 2013 Jetta Hybrid prototype showed up for a very brief drive, too, not because it is MQB-based but because it gives us Americans our first glimpse of MQB-ness. 

Confused? Hit the jump.

Hyundai appears hell-bent on hitting Honda and Toyota in every segment possible. The latest entry from Korea is the 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe, a two-door version of the hot-selling Elantra sedan that recently won the North American Car of the Year award.

There are no big surprises here. The Elantra coupe has all the same hardware as the sedan, but it's packed into a sleeker, two-door package. That includes a 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the manual, Hyundai says the Elantra coupe will return 29 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

When it goes on sale this spring, the Elantra coupe will be available in GS and SE trim levels. Hyundai says the sportier SE trim will feature suspension tuning that is more aggressive compared to the Elantra sedan, along with 17-inch wheels and tires. Good thing, too, as the Elantra is far from sporty, even as compact sedans go.

Tomorrow during the first day of the 2012 Chicago Auto Show Ford, celebrating 20 years of SVT, will show off this: the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible.

As you could probably guess, this is the same basic car as the new Shelby GT500 we've been seeing for a few months now. It's got a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 cranking out an unbelievable-in-a-production-Mustang 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. (Rollin' in my 5.8 with the ragtop down so my hair can...abate? So much for my 90's rap career.) The

Ford says that the new Mustang is 3.5 seconds faster around Sebring International Raceway than the outgoing car when it is equipped with the Performance Package. The Performance pack includes SVT-designed Bilstein electronically adjustable dampers. A track pack is available on top of this wit an external oil cooler, rear diff cooler and a transmission cooler.

Once we got our heads around 650 horsepower in the GT500 coupe, we were thrown for another loop when Ford said it would do over 200 mph. The convertible won't do over 200; Ford has limited it to "only" 155.

Like the coupe, the only transmission available is a six-speed manual. We'll have more from the show floor tomorrow.

What better way to promote your latest tuner package for the Corvette ZR1 than to get one of the fastest men (?) in America to drive it with commitment? And so John Hennessey coaxed the American Stig behind the wheel of HPE's ZR750 Corvette, which with a claimed 755 hp, a claimed 728 lb-ft of torque and enough Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber to handle all that, was quick enough to set a new lap record at the Top Gear USA test track.

An extended, higher-production-value cut of this hand-held footage is undoubtedly forthcoming when the new TG season starts back up on the History Channel next week.

Around this time last year, Bentley claimed the ice speed record with a Continental Supersports. 205.48 mph on ice is a pretty tough act to follow, for sure, as demonstrated by the latest Bentley winter frolic.

This was shot at the Irwindale, Calif. round of the Formula D series in 2011. And yesterday, after being beautifully edited and set to music, it was released on the internet for your viewing pleasure. We love any burning rubber. But it's even better when it happens while sliding sideways and when it's being shot in slow motion.

The 2015 BMW i8 looks as though it's actually moving closer to production. Even more shocking is the fact that it appears as though the i8 will keep the wild styling of the concept.

It might look like a downsized 6 Series from this angle, but the rear end has the same "wings" that gave the concept such an interesting profile. Other details are hard to make out, but it's clear that BMW is taking a much different path when it comes to the styling of its new "i" series of cars. Set to be on the road in 2014, it's still a long way from finished.

Can you see what's different about the 2013 Nissan 370Z? Probably not, so here's some help.

The front fascia got a few tweaks that include removal of the odd-looking "teeth" along with the addition of the all-important vertical LED marker lights. In back, there's...well, not much. What used to be a black patch of nothingness at the center of the rear fascia now has a red reflector.

On the actually noticeable front, there are new wheel designs for the 18-inchers that come on the 370Z coupe as well as the 19s that are included in the optional Sport package. That package also included red brake calipers and "Euro-tuned" shock absorbers. And lastly, the fuel gauge now features darker trim. Seriously.

Can't blame Buick for giving it a try. It launched the Buick GS with a six-speed manual transmission only, a move seen  as equally cool or stupid depending on who you asked.

For 2013, the 270-hp GS will offer a six-speed automatic transmission as a no-cost option. Buick says it's still good for a 0-60 mph time of 6.7 seconds and will return 27 mpg on the highway.

If that's not enough efficient for you, Buick also announced that its eAssist system will now come standard with the base 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. The mild hybrid system pushed the Regal's EPA highway number up to 36 mpg on the highway. 

There are a number of times when pre-production test mules look completely awesome. The 2014 Jeep Liberty mule we have here is one of those vehicles.

The next-generation Liberty will be a front-drive-based crossover (Dart/Chrysler 100 platform) but will have some off-road ability left in tact. Jeep knows they can't turn the Liberty into a completely on-road vehicle. That's where AWD and this lovely ride-height come into play. One of the test mules was spotted wearing Michigan ORV (off-road vehicle) plates.

Unfortunately, the production version of the 2014 Liberty will ditch this neo AMG Eagle Alfa body and replace it with something that looks "tough." We want it to stay like this. Maybe align the hood and paint the door, but otherwise, this.

In what's shaping up to be a trend in the alternate-fuel startup world, Fisker has just announced layoffs of 26 employees from the brand's Delaware factory. Those let go were made up, in part, of employees set to help make Project Nina -- the company's second vehicle -- a reality.

"It's temporary," Roger Ormisher, Fisker Spokesman, said. "We're being prudent and sensible as a company."

Fisker, the recipient of $193 million in government funding, has delivered between 250 and 300 Fisker Karmas thus far and has managed to raise over $650 million in private-sector funding. The DoE isn't worried about their (our) investment, though, "Our loan guarantees have strict conditions in place to protect taxpayers...As Fisker works through those issues and incorporates lessons learned from the production of the Karma, the Department is working with Fisker to review a revised business plan and determine the best path forward so the company can meet its benchmarks, produce cars and employ workers here in America," said DOE spokesman Damien LaVera. Fisker has asked the DOE to revise its targets.

Fisker doesn't have the funding (read: uber-rich CEO) that Tesla does, will we ever see Project Nina?

Honda's Ferris Bueller themed Super Bowl ad was one of the most talked about ads that nobody can remember the actual point of. (It's for the CR-V.) Half of those talking about it say it's an abomination to a movie they hold dear. The other half think it's pretty fun (especially when he's in the parade).

How close is this new Honda spot to the original? The folks at AkooTV (???) have answered that by stitching together the Honda ad and Ferris Bueller's Day off for a scene-by-scene comparison.

While this video is in good fun, it's possible it'll set of the alarms at YouTube's copyright protection department and get taken down. Watch it while it's here.

Back in December, a bunch of supercars in Japan decided to play demolition derby on a public highway. Well, not exactly, but that would have been a more fun explanation. In reality, the leader of the supercar convoy lost it and caused a chain-reaction crash that claimed 8 Ferraris, a Lamborghini and a few other less important cars.

We don't have a new cost estimate (reports said $4 mil, our math said $2) but we do have some footage of the cars off of the road and in a lot waiting to be repaired or scrapped or lovingly buried in a field or whatever it is you do with a totaled Ferrari.

Red Bull Racing is coming off of a VERY good 2011 Formula One season. Their RB7 racing car took home 12 wins and 27 podiums with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Weber behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, time doesn't stand still in F1 and rule changes -- as well as competition from other makers -- meant that they would have to redesign the RB7. This is the car they're replacing it with, the RB8. Red Bull isn't going into detail about the new car, but we see that it has the same stepped wing design we're seeing from everyone this season. They pull it off better than Ferrari does, though. It doesn't have to be pretty and it isn't. Time will tell if it's as fast as the RB7.

Red Bull will continue to have Vettel and Weber as drivers next year.

Did you think that just because the Super Bowl is over (I'm going to pretend it didn't happen at all) you weren't going to see any more Super Bowl Ad content? No such luck.

Do you want to see some behind-the-scenes footage of the new Lexus GS? No? Well how about a big dog in a fat suit? Thought so.

For your $21,460 ($20,695 + destination) you get a Sport trim CX-5 which, unfortunately, is the only one available with the 6-speed manual transmission. Besides the shift-it-yourself gearbox you get 17-inch alloys, DRLs, power mirrors, automatic headlight shutoff, cloth interior, cruise control, a four-speaker stereo with AUX and USB inputs (take that, Mazda 3) and the 2.0-liter, 155-horsepower Skyactive four-cylinder motor powering the front wheels.

This package seems like a good deal, but then things get unfortunate (for enthusiasts)...

At some point during the 2012 Chicago Auto Show ( 10:25am Wednesday) Kia will show off a Soul concept described as being "the ultimate Soul." Kia's U.S. design team will be on hand (as will Peter Schreyer) to discuss the new design language.

Unfortunately, there are no plans to ever produce this ultimate three-door Soul. Too bad, 247-horsepower, a de-cubed design and a stance like this could really help us get behind the Soul.

Showing their "commitment to the compact car segment," Nissan will be showing an all-new B-segment car concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show: the Nissan Invitation.

This Fit lookalike would slide in with the Micra and the Juke in Europe. Nissan says "Invitation is an energetic design, bringing fresh style, innovation and excitement to the mainstream market."
We say "It's a Nissan Fit...which is a good thing."

Look for more of this car as we get closer to Geneva.

Recently, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed to USA today that Chrysler was seriously considering a new five-door hatchback for the U.S. market. Here in the states the car would be known as the Chrysler 100 while in Europe it will be sold as a Lancia.

This is an important distinction as Lancia is a luxury brand in Europe. Chrysler could easily have gone low-budget and went Dodge/Fiat, but Marchionne and others clearly see a market for a high-end, A3-like hatch. This car is built on the same platform that underpins the Dart and the Giulietta, but this car has a Chrysler grille, different exhaust and different rear bumper that foreshadows a longer car with more cargo space. This mule also has a higher hood than the five-door Dart mules we've seen.

The 4th quarter of the 2012 Super Bowl was uncomfortably close and those people not throwing chowder all over the room were likely looking up the Cadillac ATS.

We've covered the first three quarters, here's how tonight's Super Bowl commercials impacted activity to Edmunds.com in the 4th.

Halftime saw one of the most anticipated ads of the 2012 Super Bow: Chrysler's two-minute, Clint Eastwood-narrated "Halftime in America" commercial. The spot aired at the end of the halftime activities and gave Chrysler a 13% activity increase.

The third quarter had one break-out star.

As we told you previously, we're following the real-time impact that 2012 Super Bowl car advertisements are having on Edmunds.com. See what happened in the 1st quarter and the pregame show here, and follow the jump to see how the second quarter stacked up.

The band OK Go is known mostly for its crazy music videos and not necessarily the music behind them. Remember the video with the treadmills? Yeah you do. Remember the song behind it? Probably not.

They've ditched the gym equipment for a 2012 Chevy Sonic this time. Says the description, "Ok Go set up over 1,000 instruments over two miles of desert outside Los Angeles. A Chevy Sonic was outfitted with retractable pneumatic arms designed to play the instruments, and the band recorded this version of Needing/Getting, singing as they played the instrument array with the car."

This video took four months of prep and four days of shooting. I'm surprised it didn't take longer.

You know who's cooler than Eminem? Clint Eastwood. Hear the gravel-voiced tough guy talk about Chrysler's second-half after the jump.

(Also, kudos to Chrysler for leaving this one a mystery until the Super Bowl.)

We all know how much time and money manufacturers have put into advertising for the Super Bowl. As fun as they are, the goal here isn't to entertain us, it's to sell cars.

To try and monitor the effectiveness (as opposed to the entertainment value) of the ads, Edmunds is tracking in real time the impact the ads are causing our site.

Details after the jump.

It must be a bummer, being underappreciated. You shine and excel, and still you remain hidden in the shadows.

Just ask any of the six models listed after the jump. It's a story they know all too well. 

Perhaps there is hope for car culture after all. Citing consumer demand (and not just internet bickering), Ford will be offering a five-speed manual transmission option for the 2012 Ford Focus Titanium. "Buyers migrating from higher-priced import brands frequently prefer manual transmission," Ford said in a statement. Nearly 40 percent of trade-ins on Focus are imports.

Previously the manual transmission was only available in the S and SE version of the Focus with a six-speed automated manual being the only option on the top-trim Focus Titanium. Too bad, too, because the Titanium is the one that goes best with a manual. It gets 18-inch alloy wheels and a sport-tuned suspension. The only thing missing was a transmission that reacted as well as the chassis did.

Ford says that this decision was based on a manual take rate of 7 percent. That figure is 50% higher than Ford expected and surely has something to do with the complaints Ford is getting about the automated manual. You'll remember that Consumer Reports downgraded Ford's reliability rating due to complaints revolving around the automated manual transmission and MyFord Touch.

Related: 2012 Ford Focus Titanium vs. 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited

We decided to switch things up this week and present Week in Review as stop motion animation featuring a Jean-Luc Picard action figure. I mean, works for Robot Chicken, right?

If you're this new driver, approximately 4:44. In her defense, the spot is ENORMOUS, it must be difficult deciding exactly where, and at what angle, to park that tiny car.

(*video contains grown-up language. Headphones or mute*)

At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti will be showing off an all-new range-extended sports car concept they've now named EMERG-E.

The press release is thin with information saying only, "The INFINITI EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling."

The market for a mid-engined range-extended Infiniti seems small to me. I could be wrong, but let's just go ahead and assume that the EMERG-E will not make it out of the concept stage. We'll bring you more next month from Geneva.

BMW is a big player in the automotive industry, and to prove it, they're spending a ton of money on Super Bowl ads. BMW is also a company that is highly profitable, so they're not spending as much money as some other big names.

Instead, BMW is airing two thirty-second spots during the Big Game promoting the all-new 3-Series and running a total of six 30-second spots on YouTube. The first two after the jump "the Big Grab" and "the Close Call" will be aired on Sunday.

When January auto sales were tallied earlier this week, sales for the broad industry were up 11 percent and analysts and industry watchers were encouraged by what appears to be steadily improving health for the U.S. auto business. But January's sales numbers also showed some intriguingly bad numbers for many interesting cars. 

The thought process started with the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, which went on sale sometime around October last year and evolved into one of the most buzz-less launches for a specialty car we can recall. Volkswagen had its best January since 1974 -- sales were up 47.9-percent to 27,209-- and the company might be pleased with the comparative sales increases for the butched-up new-generation Beetle, but the Beetle's raw sales numbers are pretty weak: 1,401 for the month.

The Beetle's January sales performance was a 417-percent leap compared with last January, at least. And maybe VW's pending launch of its MQB architecture heralds a safe future business case for low-volume specialty cars throughout the industry?

Here are the January sales results for a few other cars -- many some of our favorites -- that are selling at worryingly lame pace:

Ferrari went all sorts of crazy in 2011 releasing an all-wheel-drive hatchback bearing the Pracing Horse. They called it the FF and love it or hate it, a Ferrari capable of driving in the dirt and snow has given us some pretty slick images and videos. Here's the latest.

It stars the 6.3-liter, 651 Horsepower hatchback and Finnish rally driver Markku Alen on the Arjeplog ice track in the North of Sweden.

I'm going to spoil the 2012 Chevy Silverado Super Bowl ad for you: Zombies do not swarm at the end only to be turned to goo by a fleet of trucks picking them off like it was Grand Theft Auto meets Shaun of the Dead.

This commercial needs a sequel now. With zombies. Lots of zombies. You know the Raptor could handle a zombie attack.

Ferrari F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso are the latest victims benefactors of the unholy profitable union of the Fiat and Chrysler empires. The Ferrari ambassadors were gifted the first two 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8s in Europe and they aren't just off-the-line ones, no, these have been tweaked by SRT.

The normal 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 comes with 470 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque 00 so do these. Instead of giving these two obviously unqualified characters (Seriously, race suits fully zipped in a garage? Amateurs...) more power, they gave them more style. First comes a coat of Rosso Corsa paint, a matte black grille, an offset driver's side stripe with white accent, carbon-fiber mirror caps and the Italian flag painted on the bottom of the rear spoiler. The special edition SRT8s are dropped 1.5 inches to give them a better stance on the standard 20-inch wheels. Inside we've got -- shocker -- red leather with yellow dials on the IP.

European delivers start for real in the summer.

Jeff Zwart is not quite the king of the mountain, because he’s never actually won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb overall, but he should be the prince at least, since he’s registered so many class wins, all in street-legal cars.

The wins also have been all in Porsches, since Zwart has been obsessed with them since he was a kid and used to ride his Stingray bicycle around Huntington Beach, California, with his pal Freeman Thomas (now the director of advanced design at Ford) just looking for the sports cars from Zuffenhausen. Though Zwart is now a well-known photographer and maker of commercial films (notably for Porsche), he still thinks his old Porsche 914 – the first car he ever bought with his own money (and not exactly from Zuffenhausen) – is cool.

So when we heard by chance through a friend that Zwart’s new street car happened to be at Circle Porsche in Long Beach, we drove over there to take a look.

The Chicago Auto Show is a special place for Mazda. That is where, in 1989, they first showed off the Mazda Miata. Since then they've gone on to sell some 900,000 of the tiny two-seat roadsters.

And so it should be no surprise that Mazda has chosen Chicago to show off a new special edition Miata. The Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition will have a black power retractable hard top (PRHT in Mazda speak), two new exterior colors, black gunmetal alloy wheels, black exterior accents, black heated leather seats and piano black interior finishes. The Premium package and the Suspension package will be standard -- that means sport-tuned Bilsteins, Bluetooth and Sirius. They will be offered with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

450 of the Special Edition Miatas will be produced. Pricing was not announced.

We've already seen one ad for the 2012 Chevy Sonic. That one, "Stunt Anthem", was just a collection of web shorts we've seen before stitched together. This ad, "Joy" is a proper Super Bowl spot with anthropomorphic critters doing things that non-anthropomorphic critters don't do.

Watch it after the jump if you simply can't wait for gameday. You did remember that there's a game, right? Also after the jump is a Chevy commercial promoting all of the Chevy commercials that will be in the Super Bowl. That one's got Rainn Wilson, though, so I'm going with it.

During the Chicago Auto Show next week, Volkswagen will be officially releasing the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI which is "the only Clean Diesel offering in the compact coupe category."

Like the Jetta TDI, the Beetle TDI uses an iron/aluminum 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected Clean Diesel that produces 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Putting that torque to the ground is either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch DSG. The Volkswagen TDI gets an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel gets 30 mpg city, 42 highway and a 34 mpg combined rating.

For the second day in a row we have a new Super Bowl ad for a family sedan that features bikini girls. We're not complaining, mind you, especially since one of the bathing-suited beauties here is Adriana Lima, but it does speak to who the main target of Super Bowl ads really is. The first one, of course, was the Toyota Camry's lady couch ad. Now Kia's in on the action with this ad for the Kia Optima.

Besides girls, this ad has Motley Crue (wow, they god old), a cowboy riding a rhino, Chuck Liddell and the main character on a horse.

As a gift to humanity, Kia has provided a FIVE HOUR loop of Adriana Lima waving a checkered flag.

The Fiat 500 was, in bluntest terms, a sales flop in the US. They estimated that 50,000 of them would fly off of dealer lots when in reality only something like 20,000 did.

To solve the problem of America they've taken the easy route and simply made the car BIGGER. Despite more doors, the 500L is less than 3-inches longer than the normal 500 at 13.6 feet. Width is 5.8 feet and the 500L stands 5.4 feet tall. The 500L (guess what L stands for) is a B-segment car with the "feel of a small SUV." Just what we've always wanted? Let's hope Fiat gets some more power out of the 1.4-liter Multiair; 101 hp barely cuts it in the 500.

The 500L makes its debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale in the US in 2013. It will be built in Kragujevac, Serbia.

Last week Suzuki released a teaser for their Super Bowl ad which they've called "Sled." Today they've released the entire ad. It still has dogs, but now it has 50 Cent. I didn't know he was still around.

Here's Chevy's Volt ad for the 2012 Super Bowl. This one features a group of aliens exploring the advanced technology of the Chevy Volt. (Perhaps wondering why a civilization couldn't stick to one power source?)

It's better that it should be and is one of the frontrunners this year.

In case you haven't been following the case of Heather Peters vs Honda, here's the breakdown: Peters owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid that, like all of these cars, is not getting the advertised mileage. Peters, an attorney, opted out of the class action suit and instead filed her own suit against Honda in small claims court. Small claims court in this case would give Peters -- and future Civic owners who sue Honda -- a higher payout than the class action suit. (The class-action suit will settle for between $100 and $200 per person and a $1,000 credit towards a new car purchase -- lawyers will take home about $9,000,000.)

But lawyers aren't allowed in small claims court. Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnham agreed with Peteres and said that "Honda was aware...by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage," and awarded her $9,867.

Peters has set up a website, dontsettlewithHonda.org, to try and convince the other 200,000 2006 Civic Hybrid buyers to opt out of the class action and go to small claims court. It's a move that could cost Honda up to $2 billion.

But that's where this gets murky. Courts don't like settling the same case over and over and over again, that's why class action suits exist. And if Honda appeals this decision -- something they will HAVE to do to stop this from setting precedent -- it will go to a real court with real lawyers and a real judge. That case, when it comes, will be much harder to win.

At last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, Erin Riches and I spent far too much time around the Mercedes-Benz Actros on display. In person it is spectacularly imposing.

I thought maybe, just maybe, if I moved back to the East Coast I could have enough land to park this thing and justify it as a daily driver. I did not, however, think about using it as a taxi. And if I had, I wouldn't have been clever enough to pick up employees of Volvo and MAN -- competing big-truck makers.

This is the kind of thing you can do when you have a giant budget and a solid sense of humor. Next time: Unimog to shuttle around former Hummer execs.

Apparently it’s hell being a Formula 1 driver.

What with all that racing around the world, debriefing with engineers, dealing with stupid questions from journalists, glad-handing sponsors, helicoptering to parties where fancy women rub up against you for no reason at all, and kissing babies at supermarket openings, there’s no time for a man to drive his own damn car.

As evidence, we present this Porsche 911 that McLaren F1 driver and former F1 world champion Jenson Button has put up for sale. Want to buy it?

This isn’t just any Porsche 911, either. This is a 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera RS — the Ferrari 250 GTO of collectible Porsches, the 911 that every driver with the soul of an F1 driver wants to own. The Holy Grail.

Today Audi released pricing on the limited-edition convertible version of the Audi R8 GT, the Audi R8 GT Spyder. If at any point during the pre-pricing coverage you thought "I'm interested in this car, but I'll have to see the price first," you can't afford it.

For one of the 50 R8 GT Spyders allocated to the US, you'll be spending $211,200 -- before the dealer marks it up.

Like the R8 GT, the Spyder gets a 5.2-liter V10 pumping out 560 horsepower. It's got a top speed of 197 mph, weighs 187.39 pounds less than the R8 Spyder and comes with R8 GT specific sport suspension, carbon fiber matte exterior mirrors, LED tail lights, aluminum door sills, steering wheel, alcantara sport seats, carbon fiber interior inlays and numbered aluminum gear knob. Audi will build 333 total.

This is the first image you're going to see of the next generation Skoda Octavia, Audi A3, Volkswagen Polo, Golf, Beetle, Sciorocco, Jetta, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan, Passat and CC.

Volkswagen is calling the new A/B-class architecture MQB -- the German acronym for Modular Transverse Matrix. One of the most important things about the MQB platform is a uniform mounting position for all engines in all vehicles. This is done in hand with the new modular petrol engine system (MPB) which includes, amongst others, a four-cylinder with cylinder deactivation and the modular diesel system. VW says that this move will reduce engine and gearbox variants by 90 percent "without any negative effects." Volkswagen also claims that this system allows "an identical mounting position for all current alternative drive concepts without limitations -- from natural gas and hybrid versions to the pure electric drive."

For Volkswagen, this is a big step in streamlining production. VW, as you know, is hell-bent on becoming the largest automaker in the world. This new platform is supplemented by a new Modular Longitudinal System at Audi and a Modular Standard System at Porsche.

 "The B-Max combines an exciting, innovative design with features that only previously have been found in bigger cars. It's a brand-new car that responds to the needs of an increasing number of customers who want much more from their small cars." Ford of Europe CEO Stephen Odell forgot to add "except Americans" to this statement about the new B-Max as it is extremely unlikely that this new MPV will ever make it to our shores. Ford also didn't come through with specific details on what these features that meet our needs will be.

The new big hatchback sports a cool, pillarless design with a trapezoidal face and will offer best-in-class cargo space. The B-Max will be powered by Ford's new 1.0-liter Ecoboost engine for the gas version and a diesel will be available.

More will become clear at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show when this car gets its official debut.

Volkswagen has just released the extended version of the commercial they'll be airing during this year's Super Bowl. It's got the new New Beetle, a dog and, well, wait for it....

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for! The 2012 Toyota Camry ad for this year's Super Bowl is now live! 

Hennessey Performance Engineering has just sent out a release stating that they have a concept for an 800 horsepower McLaren MP4-12C. The concept kit will "include upgrades to the powertrain designed to reliably increase power," and "add a more aggressive aero package to the vehicle in order to increase downforce."

Because if there are any areas where McLaren needs help, it's aero and power. Hennessey does admit that they won't be able to help with suspension or brakes as the factory setup will be "hard to beat."

In a statement John Hennessey said "I spent a lot of time around the new 12C at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed and was very impressed. We're excited to have the opportunity to take a great car and give it our own special performance touch while giving 12C owners a uniquely aggressive appearance."

Right, now all Hennessey havs to do is find someone willing to hand over their 12C and hope the upgraded intercoolers, turbos, titanium exhaust, wastegates, engine management and transmission clutch system work as advertised.

On February 7th, Turn 10 studios will be releasing the newest car pack for Forza Motorsports. This "ALMS Pack" offers some of the coolest -- and dumbest -- cars in the game.

Here's what you get for $7:

1991 Mazda #55 Team Mazdaspeed 787B
2011 #2 Audi Sport North America R18 TDI
1986 #2 Audi Sport quattro S1 (mmm, Group B)
2011 Panoz #0505 Panoz Racin Abruzzi
1992 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4
1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R
2011 Holden HSV GTS
2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI (yawn)

Those are the cool/reasonable car, here are the stupid ones...

Speed's show Stuntbusters just blew up a car and got the whole gloriously violent thing on camera at 1,000 frames per second.

Enjoy!

Just a few short years ago the choice between a manual transmission and an automatic transmission was one between a real driver's car and an appliance to get you from A to B.

That line started to blur with single-clutch auto-manuals, which were nearly as obedient as true manuals while still offering the ease of an automatic. Those transmissions have been refined and tweaked with faster shift times, smoother engagement and in some cases, a second clutch to pre-stage the next gear, reducing the shift time even more. Even Porsche now claims that the automatic is faster than the manual on the new 991 911 Carrera S. By a lot.

We've finally got our hands on the seven-speed PDK version of the new 911. How does it stack up against the seven-speed manual? And even if it is faster, are we ready to admit that an automatic -- even the advanced PDK -- can be in a driver's car?

Just last week we had a 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser with KDSS in our office to tackle our new RTI ramp. Because so little has changed with the big Toyota, they haven't bothered to update the press fleet with 2011 models. That is about to change, however, as Toyota will show off the 2013 Land Cruiser at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show next week.

Just after celebrating its 60th anniversary in Japan -- it's been in the U.S. for more than 50 -- the redesigned Land Cruiser debuted in Japan first. Outside we get a new grille and HID headlamps, LED daytime running lights, chrome side molding and new tail lights. The inside was tweaked, too, with ventilated front leather seats, glossier wood trim, bright silver IP ornamentation and chrome-plated air vents. On the tech side we see a new Multi-terrain monitor with front, side or rear views, a Multi-information display, an Eco light (the 2011 model gets 13 mpg city and 18 highway), dynamic radar cruise, Multi-terrain ABS, trailer sway and CRAWL control with off-road turn assist.

The Land Cruiser is still powered by the 5.7-liter, 381-horsepower V8. Pricing wasn't announced, but the redesigned LC goes on sale later this month.

Lexus has just released their entry into the Super Bowl ad frenzy with this spot they're calling "The Beast."

Lexus says, "The all-new Lexus GS is showcased in this ad because it's the first model to feature the new look of Lexus and it's also the first of nine new or updated models we'll launch this year."

We say that this commercial is one of the more boring we've seen and is more suited to prime time TBS than the Super Bowl.

When we first drove the 2012 BMW 328i we honestly weren't expecting to be as impressed by this new 2.0-liter turbocharged motor as we ultimately were. "It has tremendous strength at low revs for such a small capacity engine, with 225 pound-feet of torque arriving at 1,250 rpm and staying flag until 4,800 rpm," we wrote. "The odd thing is, it doesn't feel like a torque monster in normal driving...The 2012 BMW 328i offers a drive that starts strongly and just gets stronger."

Strength and torque, though, weren't the driving force of the switch from a straight-six to a turbocharged four. No, the reason was, like so many other things today, fuel economy. drove the change. And it appears to have worked.

The support the launch of the new 991 911, Porsche has launched a new "911 Identity" advertising campaign. This started with a video explaining how Porsche engineers 911-ness into each new generation (we're now on 7) of the world's most famous sports car with the engine in the wrong place. They've now followed that up with a new exhibit at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart.

The display features historic racing cars like the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 "Safari" and Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid. The display also features cutaways and steering wheels and rims from '63 to present and company documents (DOCUMENTS!) that have never been shown publicly.

For those of us who can't afford the eight euro fee on top of the flight to Germany, hi-res images of the display are available after the jump.

Tesla is in the final throes of launching the Model S. The all-new, all-electric sedan starts at $57,400, has a 160-mile range and has features like a 17-inch touchscreen display, 19-inch wheels, an optional all glass panoramic roof and a microfiber interior. You can, of course, upgrade to a $97,900 Model S Signature Performance that has twice the battery life, a 4.4-second 0-60 time, carbon-fiber accents, Nappa leather interior, a 300-mile range with a top speed of 130 and standard 21s with high performance tires.

But is it the best sedan, nay, the best car in the world? Tesla thinks so...

History Chanel is giving all of the guys a gift on Valentine's day. First, the new season of Top Gear USA premiers (It's not TGUK, but it's getting better every episode) and it's followed by a new season of Top Shot.

We see a McLaren, an old Corvette that could be a resto-mod and, of course Tanner, Foghorn and Adam. Oh, and a whole lot of Colby Donaldson yelling for no reason at all...because that's what he does.

There's a whole lot of awesome going on in this behind-the-scenes by AMG. First, we've got the C63 AMG Coupe. Then We've got the Ducati 848. Then we've got a cute blonde in leathers riding the 848.

Sure, it's a commercial for a commercial, but with those three things, who cares?

We love us some Dukes of Hazzard here at IL. We've followed the re-build of the original movie car and I've even got the pillowcases (with daisy) in regular rotation. We're nowhere near the fans of the Duke boys that the owner of this Alfa 8C is.

The website that found it swears that there were numbers on the doors (obscured by the 8C Spider) but gave no word on who or, more importantly, why.

(TRC Off)

As they promised, the good folks at SRT have released the first teaser image of the SRT Viper on Facebook. That's the good news. The bad news is that this light-drawing is all we're likely to get for a while.

We're not seeing a lot of naked woman lying on the beach here, but we are seeing a whole lot of Dodge Viper which is pretty awesome. We also get a look at the slick new Viper logo, the headlights, the Viper-spec scoop,

We know that the new Viper will have -- for the first time -- traction control (it's the law ya know) and cruise control and may wind up with an 8.7-liter V10.

Noted ultra-rich car guys Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld vie for the first Acura NSX in Acura's first Super Bowl ad, "Transactions."

A few million bucks (plus whatever these two charged Acura) to promote a car that won't exist for two years? Bold.

Back in November, the California High Speed Rail Authority released a revised, inflation-adjusted estimate for the project that would provide bullet train service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The figure was $98.5 billion, and of course, it fanned the fire of opposition to high-speed rail.

Governor Jerry Brown was in L.A. late last week, and in an ABC 7 News interview (video after the jump), he told reporter Adrienne Alpert, "it's not going to be $100 billion. That's way off."

If you listen to what he's saying, though, it would seem the governor is not thinking of high-speed rail as an L.A.-to-San-Francisco proposition, at least not in any kind of near term. Instead, he says, "We'll bring Metrorail (L.A.'s light-rail commuter train) up to Palmdale and bring high-speed rail down from Bakersfield.

"This will create tens of thousands of jobs. We can help build up the Central Valley where housing prices are lower and where millions of people of going to move to."

That's right. He's likely talking about the L.A. to Bakersfield to Chowchilla part of the line only. And he's also looking at the Central Valley as a viable and necessary place for future housing development and urbanization rather than a remote part of California where the cattle are fattened and veggies are grown.

The rumor of a Lamborghini SUV has been kicking around since the day the LM002 died. Bentley has confirmed theirs, Maserati is set on the Kubang; if there is a perfect time for a new Lamborghini SUV, now's it. And if there's any place to reveal a quarter-million-dollar SUV, it's Beijing.

Italian publication quattroroute.it has leaked this image of an Aventador with ground clearance purporting to be the new Lamborghini SUV.  It's unclear at this point if it's a leak or a rendering, but based on how similar this looks to an Aventador, we're thinking rendering. Powering the ultra-SUV will be the Gallardo's V10 in base trim and a top-trim hybrid drivetrain -- due in 2015-- cranking out 700 hp. The hybrid part of this rumor sounds unlikely by 2015.

Going along with the rendering/leak is the rumor that Lamborghini will will show the first concept of this at the Beijing Motor Show in April.

(Inautonews, quattroroute.it)

Today is the big Super Bowl ad release day for the car companies. Most of the ads we've seen have been pretty standard Super Bowl ads -- over the top and just tangentially related to the product they're selling.

Not Cadillac. This new ATS ad is ALL product with no fancy gimmick or pointless dream sequence. Cadillac just wants to world to know that they have a new sport sedan and that they've done some serious tuning work on the Nurburgring. And if anyone doesn't believe it, Cadillac says you can tell them to go straight to "Green Hell."

...and here's the Super Bowl ad for the 2012 Chevy Sonic. You'll remember that this one includes stunts like the Sonic's first skydive, first kickflip and the Sonic's first music video. They grow up so fast.

From the looks of things, every non-football second next Sunday will be a car commercial. Here's the Toyota one. I figure posting these now will leave you free to use the restroom/grab another beer come game day.

Here's the Super Bowl ad for the 2012 Toyota Camry, "It's Reinvented!"