The world's best-looking four-door sedan beckoned us from Miami. Enticed, we boarded a jet and paid the 2010 Aston Martin Rapide a visit. Our task was to shuttle Aston Martin's first four-sedan up the coast to Palm Beach – someone had to do it. Of course, we took the circuitous route and spent the day blissfully putting her through the paces as we leisurely motored our way north.

Why did the British automaker design a sedan – and what is hiding under its skin? What is it like to drive? How are those rear-seat accommodations? Most importantly, how does the Rapide measure up to the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte? The answers and more after the jump...



Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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Thanks to the Volkswagen Group's strategy to be the leading player in the alternative-powertrain market within the next decade, Audi has announced a rapid expansion of hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years. The German automaker wants to improve efficiency of its internal combustion engines (both gasoline and diesel) by 30 percent – and it wants five percent of the brand's model line to be electric. "In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies," said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.

Xynthia ripped into France merely hours after our arrival. Packing gale-force fury, the ruthless wind and rain battered the coast before moving inland with its crushing blow – sadly, it was the country's deadliest storm in more than a decade. While we were spared most of its rage, the countryside outside Paris was a soggy debris-laden mess – not exactly optimal conditions to test the latest flagship sedan from Jaguar.

Soldiering forth – and more intrigued than ever with the all-new saloon – we ignored the rain and spent a long day trekking around the drenched landscape with both the short- and long-wheelbase models. What makes this new XJ so different from its predecessors? Does its performance mirror its powerplants? And, what's up with that painted C-Pillar? The answers, and more, are found after the jump.



Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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They won't make you ski, skate or snowboard with any additional talent or zest, but the "official" Olympic-branded vehicles used during the 2010 Winter Games are going up for sale in Canada later this month. Each of the General Motors supplied cars and trucks spent time in Vancouver and Whistler shuttling athletes, officials, VIPs and dignitaries to and from the competitions and related events. Now, with the Winter Olympics written in the history books and the Paralympic Winter Games closing at the end of the month, more than 4,600 lightly-used vehicles will find their way to dealerships across the vast country. The fleet includes:

• Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu (Hybrid), Impala, Traverse, Suburban & Tahoe
• Buick Lucerne & Enclave
• Cadillac DTS, CTS Sport Sedan & Sport Wagon, Escalade (Hybrid) & SRX
• GMC Acadia, Terrain, Yukon (Hybrid models available) & Yukon XL

Differentiating the "Olympic" vehicles from the standard GM offerings are the commemorative (and "permanent") Vancouver 2010 medallions adorned with the iconic Inukshuk symbol and Olympic rings on each model. That, and fact that the vehicles are all "specially-priced," says GM. If you are interested, contact your local GM retailer ASAP as the first cars and trucks will be available for purchase in just a couple weeks. The official press release is available after the jump.


[Source: General Motors]

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According the SEMA Action Network, a bill has been introduced in Utah that will "ban the use of aftermarket exhaust systems." The organization is urging people to contact Utah Senators immediately to protest the substitute bill (S.B. 106), introduced by Senator Patricia Jones, for the following reasons:

• S.B. 106 ignores the fact that aftermarket exhaust systems are designed to make vehicles run more efficiently without increasing emissions.
• S.B. 106 does not supply law enforcement with a clear standard to enforce, allowing them to make subjective judgments on whether or not a modified exhaust system is in violation.
• S.B. 106 fails to recognize that aftermarket exhaust systems offer increased performance, which can make a vehicle safer by improving its ability to merge, pass, travel uphill, etc.
• S.B. 106 would make it difficult for hobbyists to replace factory exhaust systems with more durable, better performing options.

We took a closer look at the four-page bill, and didn't find anything overly alarming to our enthusiast-tuned eyes. Aside from the typical bureaucratic jargon, we read the bill as providing definitions about excessive noise standards and a clarification about aftermarket devices. Furthermore, the bill specifically says "...an air pollution control device may be substituted for the manufacturer's original device if the substituted device is at least as effective in the reduction of emissions from the vehicle motor as the air pollution control device furnished by the manufacturer..." So we're failing to see the issue? Posit your own theories and thoughts in the comments below.


[Source: SEMA Action Network]

Lexus and Hummer took top honors in their respective categories in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Consumer Service Index (CSI) Study. Released this time each year, the CSI rankings (based on a 1,000-point scale) measure satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a brand service department for maintenance or repair work during the first three years of ownership – that wonderful honeymoon phase when factory warranties are still in full effect. The study is designed to focus on five measurements: service quality, service initiation, service advisor, service facility and vehicle pick-up. The results are tabulated, and then presented as a score on a 1,000-point scale. Unlike previous years, where all brands were lumped into one single category and only three made it to the podium, JDPA broke things into two segments: luxury brands and mass market brands.

Lexus, with a score of 837, was at the top of the luxury brands, again – the automaker won last year as well. It was followed by Cadillac (827), who showed a big improvement over the previous year, and Jaguar (822). If you recall, Jaguar was at the top of the list in 2008 and finished second in 2009 (this is more indicative of a bar that continues to be raised rather than a decrease in service). Hummer (815) was top dog among mass market brands, followed by the now-discontinued brand of Saturn (808) and Buick (805). General Motors holds six of the top seven spots on the mass market category. At the bottom of the list are Suzuki (693), Mazda (717) and Jeep (720).

Overall, the industry is showing improvement as customers have expressed satisfaction with the ease of driving in and out of dealership facilities, parking convenience, thoroughness of work performed, the speed of repairs and flexibility of accommodating schedules. While that sounds like great news, experts say it most of those improvements may be attributed to the lower volumes of service bay traffic as sales slump in the new car showroom. Full release after the jump.



[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]

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Imagine, for a moment, that you're forced to invent a new candy with the specific objective of taking a bite out of the market segment comfortably satisfied by M&M's, Skittles and Reese's Pieces. Sounds daunting, right? With that in mind, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being placed right back into the middle of the hotly-contested family sedan segment, already occupied by such established players as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, to name just a few.

Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor. It brings a few innovations to the game, including a new direct-injected four-cylinder powerplant mated to a six-speed automatic – yet it has no V6 option. We put a couple hundred miles on the new Sonata in San Diego. The weather was nice, but how was the car? Does Hyundai's all-new family sedan have what it takes to be an outstanding sweet in the candy dish? Find out after the jump...



Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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Volvo has not made any official determination whether or not to sell its Electric C30 in the U.S. or Europe, says the automaker. However, the company will build a 50-vehicle test fleet for use in Sweden. Each of those vehicles, highly instrumented and fitted with telematics, will feed data back to the company's research group for analysis. The company has the capacity to build more than 50 cars, but no decision to expand production has been made at this point.

The automaker also discusses the difficulty in meeting EU regulations (CO2-focused) vs U.S. regulations (emissions-focused). While consumers have been receptive to environmentally-friendly powertrains, Volvo would be required to build unique platforms for each market – a cost U.S. consumers are not willing to bear at this point.

UPDATE: Volvo contacted Autoblog to clarify the number of Electric C30's that will be built for testing, where the vehicle would be sold, and its reasoning for not bringing the vehicle to the U.S. in the near future. The article has been updated to reflect this new information.



[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req'd]

It's a big name for a big truck... deservedly celebrating its impressive lineage. Chevrolet rolled out the 2010 Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition model at the Chicago Auto Show specially commemorating 75 years of family hauling (making it the longest running nameplate in the industry). The decked-out SUV, limited to just 2,570 units (apparently, GM is limited by the amount of White Diamond paint it can procure), is identified by its White Diamond Tricoat exterior paint and Cashmere interior.

In addition to standard 20-inch chrome-clad wheels and revised roof rails, the eight-passenger Suburban comes with standard LTZ package content – integrated navigation radio, XM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth phone connectivity, rearview camera, rear park assist, remote starting and adjustable pedals. Leather upholstery with heated/cooled front seats is also standard. Ensuring fellow soccer moms will notice your commemorative gesture, the Diamond Edition also arrives with a slew of obligatory badging on the C-pillar and interior. Press release after the jump.



Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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