BUSINESSWEEK - Auto News August 18, 2008, 4:57PM EST

by Sam Livingstone

The Lexus IS-F is a significant new design for one core reason: it introduces a performance sub-brand parallel to that of the M-cars from BMW, AMG from Mercedes-Benz, and the S and RS sub-brands from Audi. This then is Lexus making a logical next step to further encroach on the established German premium brands.

BMW originated the premium brands’ performance sub-brand with the ‘M for Motorsport’ M3 of 1986 (the M1 supercar of 1978 preceded that, but was a singular model, not a performance derivative). Now they are on their fourth generation M3 and M5. Though the ‘M for Motorsport’ moniker is now perhaps more ‘M for marketing’, M-cars still have a focus on lightweight track-orientated performance.

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MOTORTREND - By Greg N. Brown

Porsche’s roll out of a new 911 is as predictable as the thunderstorms that rumble across Germany every summer. First come the Carrera 2 coupes and cabriolets, followed by the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4s. A Targa rolls in next, and then the gale-force Turbo and whirlwinds of the ferocious GTs complete the perfect storm whipped up each time Porsche reinvents its iconic sports car.

Porsche revealed its thoroughly transformed 911 Carrera 2s earlier this year, and we had no compunction about calling them the best 911s yet. Unfortunately, wet roads and pervasive squadrons of radar-wielding polizei blew away our chance to enjoy the full force of the two more powerful boxer sixes, the refined chassis, and the new twin-clutch automatic gearbox.

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MOTORTREND, August 2008

By Frank Markus

Maserati has tampered with the Quattroporte, a sedan that inspires visceral, carnal automotive lust wildly out of proportion with its size and door count. Perhaps fearing cries of “blasphemy!” the factory proffered these historic precedents: DaVinci’s do-over of his “Virgin of the Rocks” masterpiece and Henri Matisse’s reinterpretation of “Le Luxe.”

Well, okay, in that context, we might forgive Pininfarina for extending the nose 1.4 in. and the tail by 0.4 in. and giving it a larger grille with vertical slats (chromed to distinguish the new S model) to strengthen its resemblance to the GranTurismo. It’s also incorporated new bi-Xenon and LED lighting and expanded the already staggering array of interior trim choices to 10 leather colors with 11 piping hues and myriad woods or lacquers from which to choose. Other interior upgrades include new cluster graphics, reshaped seats and a new multifunction wood and leather steering wheel with sporty thumb rests. We can certainly forgive the infusion of 25 extra horses and 22 lb-ft of torque that come with the S model’s half-liter-larger V-8. If you take umbrage at these aesthetic amendments, you’ll surely embrace the quantum improvement in ergonomics brought by Bose’s new multimedia/nav system, standard on base and S models (only these two trim levels are offered; the outgoing Executive model’s many extravagances are now optional on either).

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InformationWeek - August 6, 2008 09:35 AM

GM’s Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid concept car. Tesla Motors’ Roadster is an all-electric vehicle in production. We peek under the hoods of both.

By Cora Nucci

The mood in Detroit has got to be grim and tense. With truck and SUV sales plunging, and financial losses mounting, GM (NYSE: GM) needs to get its plug-in hybrid concept car, the Volt, to market quickly.

That day, however is at least two years off, and one cause for delay is the difficulty GM is having in sourcing a battery vendor.

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Motortrend, July 2008

Diet 1 Series: None of the boost, all of the fun

By Carlos Lago

We’re all clamoring about the 135i, but can you blame us? The surprising power delivery and cornering capability of the BMW make it hard not to. But while the 135i is the focal point of the 1 Series offerings in the U.S., the 128i is the more sensible sibling with similar attitude. We were impressed by the 128i when we first drove it and now that we’ve tested the cheapest BMW available, we can show you how it stacks up against the competition and its twin-turbocharged brother.

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BUSINESSWEEK - News & Features August 3, 2008, 1:45AM EST

Only 15 cars for sale in the U.S. get combined gas mileage of 30 mpg or better. We tell you what they are

by Jim Henry

At the end of 2007, sales of the Chevy Cobalt (BusinessWeek.com, 8/7/07) were down 5.1% for the year, to 200,620. The bland little compact, made at General Motors’ (GM) Lordstown plant in Ohio, was the successor to the Cavalier, and its weak performance raised the possibility that it—and the Lordstown plant—could be victims if GM were forced to shut down more production.

What a difference a year makes. Sales of the Cobalt are up more than 18% in the first half of 2008, and Lordstown cannot make them fast enough to keep up with demand. Job growth in the area is high, and despite a stagnant real estate market in most of Ohio, the area around Lordstown is enjoying enviable strength. What is the reason for this dramatic turnaround? Did GM radically overhaul the Cobalt? Did dealers offer an irresistible discount? None of the above. The tame little Cobalt has a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engine that gets an EPA-estimated 24 mpg city/33 mpg highway, making it one of the most fuel-efficient cars for sale in the U.S. And, with a base sticker of $15,010, it’s one of the cheapest too.

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MOTORTREND, July 2008

The Anti-Godzilla: A sportster that’s everything Nissan’s mighty GTR is not

By Frank Markus

This year’s high-performance headlines are all about Nissan’s gigantus GTR, a two-ton nuke lobbed at Newton’s laws of physics. Meanwhile, way below the fold in mouse type we read that Lotus has quietly strengthened its longstanding alliance with fellow Brit, Sir Isaac, by introducing an Elise with Exige S power and 63 fewer pounds worth of “resistance to motion.”

Granted, a lightened Lotus is no newsflash, but there’s quite a bit more to this one than appears at first blush. For one thing, the engine is quite different from the Exige S’s. Both start off as Toyota 2ZZ-GE 1.8-liters, but you’ll note right off that there’s no intercooler and air scoop blocking the rear window of this one. Instead, an entirely new intake manifold by Magnuson incorporates an Eaton M45 Roots-type supercharger that blows a slight boost directly into the intake runners with no detour through a heat-exchanger. This setup shaves 17.6 pounds off the engine’s weight, at a cost of just two horsepower and 12 pound-feet from the Exige S motor’s output (leaving 218 and 153).
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