-
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUVs, Mazda 
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring
If you keep up with the print mags, it would be easy to think that every journalist, PR flack and blogger loves Mazda's CX-9. Automobile Magazine made a spot for it on their All-Stars list, Motor Trend named it Sport Utility of the Year, Car & Driver thinks its one of the 5 Best Trucks of 2008, SEAMO crowned it their Family Car of the Year and USA TODAY even went as far as calling it "about perfect." We put 380 miles on the...
-
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG [w/VIDEO]
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Tech, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, AMG 
Click above for high-res gallery of the AMG S63
There was a time when what we might call super-sedans were largely the province of a dedicated cadre of aftermarket tuners. Companies like Brabus, Alpina and, of course, AMG would generally start with mid-sized German sedans and transform them into something truly special. AMG in particular came to the forefront in 1987 after two decades of building special Mercs when they unleashed the Hammer. They had been building cars for two decades already, but the Hammer took things to a new...
-
Second drive: 2009 Ford Flex SEL AWD, I concur!
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Ford Flex
As things turned out a brand new Ford Flex turned up the Ypsilanti branch of the Autoblog garage just a week after my friend Chris had one. While Chris used the Flex as a daily hauler, my family and I used the Flex to make a trek up to Traverse City in the opposite corner of Michigan's lower peninsula for a vacation. Our all-wheel-drive Flex was slightly less loaded than Chris' unit, missing the navigation system and built in refrigerator. The gray vacation mobile also had the base 18 inch...
-
Above the Autoblog Garage: The Goodyear Blimp
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage 
Click above for a high-res gallery.
With excursions in light aircraft, aerobatic planes, commercial jets, and helicopters already under our belt, we jumped on Goodyear's invite to take a flight in one of its three blimps stationed (or should we say tethered) in North America. The world's largest tire company has been flying blimps for more than 80 years. Used as a stable camera platform, or simply for advertising, the giant silver balloons have safely carried countless passengers over the decades. Follow the jump to read Autoblog's first review from the gondola of a lighter-than-air dirigible. Gallery: Goodyear Blimp 
-
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Volkswagen SportWagen SE
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Wagons/Estates, Volkswagen 
Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 VW SportWagen SE
A while back, my wife and I decided we would become parents. As soon as I saw the little wand TURN blue, I knew we'd need a bigger car. That was almost three years ago. We still need a bigger car. The problem with knowing a little bit about cars is the dizzying plethora of choices and the rumored promises of what's on the horizon. We didn't want the soccer-mom stigma of a minivan, or an SUV that drove like a truck and got 12 mpg. We...
-
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Maserati GranTurismo [w/VIDEO]
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sports/GTs, Videos, Maserati 
Click on the GranTurismo for a high-res gallery
When we review a car, at some point we take it out to find a secluded location for a photo shoot. Anyone who does drive by usually keeps on going without asking any questions. Not so with a gleaming Nero black Maserati GranTurismo and a "Where are my sunglasses?" yellow Corvette Z06 sitting side by side. This was the scenario that transpired when fellow Autoblogger Chris Shunk swung by the Ann Arbor office for a joint photo shoot of our respective review vehicles. Corvettes, even screaming yellow Z06s, are pretty...
-
In the Autoblog Garage: Bentley Continental GT Speed
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Coupes, Supercars, Bentley 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Bentley Continental GT Speed
When we reviewed the Bentley Continental Flying Spur a couple of years ago, we showed you just how many other forms of transportation could be bought with the car's $183,825 out-the-door asking price. For this review of Bentley's new super coupe, the Continental GT Speed, we thought we'd list just a few of the cars that produce the same or less horsepower than the fastest Flying B ever made. The complete list is rather long considering that the GT Speed is powered by a...
-
In the Autoblog Garage: Aprilia RSV 1000 R
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Motorcycles 
Click above for more high-res images of the Aprilia RSV 1000 R
When the sportbike discussion inevitably turns to outright performance, the Aprilia RSV 1000R is usually left out of the equation. It is true that the Italian bike is down on horsepower when compared with its racier relatives from Ducati and especially against the inline four machines from the Japanese manufacturers. While the Big Four from Japan continuously improve their unique (but very similar) breed of liter-class sportbikes with completely new designs every few years, Aprilia has sat back and made very small and incremental changes to its V-Twin contestant,...
-
In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-R
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Nissan 
Click above for our high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan GT-R
Nissan recently granted Autoblog four fleeting days with a red 2009 Nissan GT-R. While it seems every major automotive outlet has tested "Godzilla" on the track (including our First Drive), we chose instead to keep it on the streets to see if one of the world's most powerful and fastest accelerating cars could be domesticated by stop-and-go traffic, family errands, and carpool duty. Of course, we only stuck to that routine for a day...
-
In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Convertibles, Euro, Mercedes-Benz, AMG
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG
It sits there, all tension and sinew, ready to pounce on lesser cars. Start it up and it barks with a clear V8 voice that thumps off the neighbor's house, setting them discreetly peeking from behind their lace curtains. This is an SLK? Oh yeah. No longer a blocky Benz with dwarfism, the SLK55 AMG ripples with muscle and delivers speed like a spin kick to the temple. A bad-ass Mercedes, indeed.
|
